[video]
I usually make up my own workouts, but to tell you the truth, I’m much better with strength and power than I am with endurance and cardio. This tends to leave my workout program unbalanced.
I hate running unless it is in a forest (and I live in a city and don’t own a car) so I have a bad habit of ignoring cardio and endurance.
I saw this workout in a recent issue of Men’s Health and thought I’d give it a try. It is designed by Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S. and uses an excellent interval system of 40 seconds of work with 20 seconds of rest. After 10 complex movements, you get a 2 minute break before going at it for 2 more rounds.
So far, I’m on my second week and I fell great. The workout is hard from a CV point of view and I spend my breaks fighting for deep, controlled breaths. It is squat and lunge heavy, so it really gets the blood flowing. The great thing is that I leave feeling rejuvenated and energized. As an added bonus, it has helped clear out some nasty gunk from my lungs.
It is great for increasing aerobic and anaerobic endurance, V02 max, and fat utilization. Give it a try, it is a wonderful addition to any plan
http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/skinny-spartacus
The plan was simple - use winter break as a time to research, discuss, and write about various aspects of a balanced lifestyle.
The issue - ruptured A3 tendon pulley in the middle finger of my dominant hand.
The reason - not paying proper attention to my body. In retrospect, it seems plausible that I had sprained my finger beforehand. It was feeling strange for a few days. I just taped it up and went about my business training hard. I was climbing better than I ever have. The morning of my injury, things were excellent. I was at a personal best, but my finger was bothering me. I just taped it up real well and went to a climb I had been working on for a few weeks. On a relatively easy part of the climb, my finger popped 4 times and began to swell. The rest is history.
So all break I took it very easy and now it is time for the new semester. I’ll try and work on the topic as much as possible and will post information as it comes
… a discussion on balance. Not balancing as in standing on a basketball with a barbell in one hand and a bucket of water in the other, but balance in all aspects of life, including training. Savagacity is the way to be, but included in that is the idea of savage rest, which I tend to forget about (and then I get an overuse injury). Be looking for information on balanced training, balanced living, and the nervous system. It will be up shortly after the semester ends
Michael Doty
November 9, 2011
Micronutrients in Psychology: A Brief Overview of the Action of Vitamins and Minerals in the Brain
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”
― Hippocrates
One of the first things I remember learning about psychology was René Descartes’ theory of dualism, the idea that the mind and body are separate entities connected at the pineal gland. Science has come a long way since the 1600s, revealing tremendous interplay between the psyche and the physical body. The Human Genome Project provided a basis for beginning to understand the role of genetics in mental health and how nutrition can affect mental health through genetic and non-genetic pathways. Recent research has shown that nutritional deficiencies and imbalances may be responsible for many disorders and that by supplementing with the appropriate nutrients, we may be able to treat many of the aliments that are currently managed by pharmaceuticals (Kaplan, Crawford, Field, & Simpson, 2007, Masterpasqua, 2009; Rouse & Lanore, 2011; Skowron, 2011; White, 2009).
There are limitations to the concept of nutritional psychotherapy. The literature is far from extensive, though research in the field does seem to be increasing. As a result of limited research, the safety, efficacy, and dosing protocols are largely unknown. Based on a search of the websites for the American Psychological Association (www.apa.org) and the American Psychiatric Association (www.psych.org), nutrition does not seem to be considered a major component to mental health. The American Psychiatric Association did assemble a task force to investigate the efficacy complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the treatment of major depressive disorder. The task force found that some CAM treatments, including the use of omega-3 fatty acids, folate (vitamin B9), and S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe), show potential, but require much more in-depth research (Freeman, Fava, Lake, Trivedi, Wisner, & Mischoulon, 2010). The task force found that the greatest risk the use of CAM might be delaying treatment with well-established methods (Freeman et al., 2010). A national survey found that the number of visits to CAM practitioners has exceeded the number of visits to primary care physicians (Lavretsky, 2009). This increase makes further research into alternative psychological treatments an absolute necessity. Future research will determine how effective nutritional therapy is in treating mental health concerns.
The research that has been done is promising. Many nutrients seem to have an impact on multiple disorders through many different pathways. Omega-3 fatty acids, for instance, have been shown to have an impact on depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, autism, anxiety, and ADHD (Freeman, Hibbeln, Wisner, Davis, Mishoulon, Peet, Keck, Marangell, Richardson, Lake, & Stoll, 2006; Sathyanarayana Rao, Asha, Ramesh, & Jagannatha Rao, 2008; Skowron, 2011). The role of B vitamins may be even more versatile, as they are required for modulating gene expression, healthy cell functioning, and the synthesis of neurotransmitters (Masterpasqua, 2009; Kaplan et al., 2007; Rouse & Lanore, 2011). All nutrients affect the brain structurally or functionally, but an in-depth analysis of each nutrient and its function is beyond the scope of this paper. With conciseness in mind, the focus will be to survey a select group of micronutrients that have shown clinically significant results in the research: vitamins A, B-complex (B1„B6, B9, B12, and choline), C, D, and E, iron, magnesium, zinc, iodine, SAMe, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Vitamin A is important because of its role in nervous system health and maintainence. It stabilizes cell membranes and protects nervous system tissues from damage caused by free radicals (Bourre, 2006). Vitamin A contributes to neuroplasticity, particularly in the hippocampus (Bourre, 2006). In vitamin A deficient animals, neurobiological alterations and spatial learning impairments have been observed (Bourre, 2006). Vitamin A levels need to be tested, as it competes with vitamin D at the receptor and may result in a loss of bone mineral density (Cannell & Lanore, 2011).
As previously stated, the B vitamins have a crucial function in the body as key factors in modulating genetic expression through the DNA methylation process. In the brain, B vitamins play an important role in the synthesis of neurotransmitters (Low Dog, 2010; Kaplan et al., 2007). Supplementation with B vitamins has been found to increase mood in healthy participants, while low levels have been associated in negative changes in cognition (Kaplan et al., 2007; Sathyanarayana Rao et al., 2008).
B1 (thiamine) is crucial to brain function, as it facilitates the metabolism of glucose, the primary fuel source for the brain (Bourre, 2006). Thiamine plays a role in the synthesis of acetylcholine, GABA, and glutamate and can mimic the action of acetylcholine in the brain (Kaplan et al., 2007). Low levels of B1 are associated with mood swings, depression, and Alzheimer’s (Bourre, 2006). In rats, thiamine deficiency is linked apoptosis in thalamic structures (Bourre, 2006). Doses as low as 50mg per day have been associated with improved mood, as measured by the Profile of Mood States questionnaire, and doses of 400mg per day have been shown to have an antidepressant effect by decreasing levels of monoamine oxidase (Kaplan et al., 2007).
B6 (pyridoxal phosphate) is a key factor in synthesizing dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, histamine, and GABA (Kaplan et al., 2007). Reduced levels of B6 are linked to a reduction in the production of serotonin and GABA (Kaplan et al., 2007). Dr Jared Skowron recommends a dose of 0.6mg/kg of B6 daily as part of his naturopathic treatment of ADHD and Autism (Skowron, 2011).
Folate (B9), or folic acid, helps control plasma homocysteine concentration, which has been linked to depression (Low Dog, 2010; Kaplan & Shannon, 2007). Studies have shown that for every unit increase of homocysteine, the odds of depression increased by 4% (Low Dog, 2010). Folic acid plays a key role in the final stages of serotonin and norepinephrine synthesis, brain energy metabolism, and has been shown to slow the breakdown of tryptophan (Kaplan et al., 2007). Research has found that supplementing with B9 is associated with a reduction in clinical symptoms in patients with depression and schizophrenia and has shown promising results when combined with fluoxetine (Kaplan et al., 2007).
B12 is a cofactor in the formation of SAMe, the primary methyl donor in the synthesis of neurotransmitters (Kaplan et al., 2007). It also has a function in maintaining myelin (Kaplan et al., 2007). B12 deficiency has been known to cause neurological disorders, psychic disturbances, and hematological alterations (Bourre, 2006).
Choline is a precursor to acetylcholine and is a primary methyl donor for methylation reactions (Kaplan et al., 2007). Choline has been found to reduce manic symptoms in patients with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder (Stoll, Sachs, Cohen, Lafer, Christensen, & Renshaw, 1996).
Vitamin C is well known for its antioxidant effect. In the brain, it is required to synthesize norepinephrine from dopamine (Bourre, 2006). In rats, high doses have shown an anxiolytic effect (Bourre, 2006).
Vitamin D has been shown to be neuroprotective in the hippocampus and helps to modulate the transportation of glucose (Bourre, 2006). Insufficent levels of vitamin D have been associated with an increased risk for Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease (Evatt et al., 2008).
Vitamin E protects cell membranes from free radical damage and has been shown to reduce amyloid beta peptides accumulation in the brain, which can lead to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease (Bourre, 2006; Kaplan et al., 2007).
Iron is essential for the synthesis of ATP and oxygenation. It also plays a role in the synthesis of serotonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine and has been shown to increase dopamine and serotonin binding in the frontal cortex (Kaplan et al., 2007). Lab animals with iron deficiencies have been shown to have impaired dopaminergic functioning and low levels of D2 receptors (Kaplan et al., 2007).
Magnesium is used in over 300 reactions within the body, from metabolism and energy production to the synthesis of nucleic acids and ion transportation (Kaplan et al., 2007). In the treatment of bipolar disorder, magnesium taken along with antipsychotics has resulted improvements in manic symptoms and in lower defective doses for the antipsychotics (Lake, 2011). Magnesium has been shown to be as effective as lithium for some bipolar patients and has been used in conjunction with lithium, haloperidol, and clonazepam (Kaplan et al., 2007). Skowron recommends a dose of 6mg/kg of magnesium daily for the treatment of ADHD and Autism and 65-400mg/day for depression and insomnia (Skowron, 2011).
Many studies have found that zinc levels are low in people with clinical depression (Sathyanarayana Rao et al., 2008). Animal studies have shown that zinc deficiency results in a loss of neurons and, consequently, a reduction in brain volume (Bourre, 2006). Increased zinc concentration in the hippocampus of rats has been observed in animals treated with imipramine, citalopram, and electroconvulsive therapy (Kaplan et al., 2007). One randomized, placebo-controlled trial found that treatment-resistant patients with depression taking imipramine had significantly reduced depression scores when they supplemented with zinc (Low Dog, 2010). A recent study on zinc’s use for ADHD found that zinc combined with amphetamine resulted in an optimal dose (in mg/kg AMPH) was 307% lower than in the placebo group (Arnold et al., 2011).
Iodine’s role in the regulation of thyroid hormones makes it very important to mental health. Low levels of iodine lead to hypothyroidism, a condition that can mimic several mental illnesses (class notes). Moderate iodine deficiency has been shown to lower IQ by 10-15% (Bourre, 2006, McNeil, 2006). Iodine deficiency has been identified as the “leading preventable cause of mental retardation” (McNeil, 2006).
S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) is used in the production of neurotransmitters (Sathyanarayana Rao et al., 2008). It is also used in the methylation of homocysteine to methionine (Lavretsky, 2009). High levels of homocysteine have been link to depressive symptoms (Low Dog, 2010; Kaplan & Shannon, 2007).
Omega-3 fatty acids make up a large portion of the brain (Sathyanarayana Rao et al., 2008). Its effect on the body’s inflammatory response have led to promising results in all levels of physiological research, from DNA methylation and telomerase protection to inhibiting tumor growth (Rouse & Lanore, 2011). A metaanalysis on the psychological benefits of omega-3s found statistically significant results in the treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression and promising results in the treatment of schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, borderline personality disorder, and ADHD (Freeman et al., 2006). A Japanese study found that children and adolescents with the lowest intake of fish (and therefore low levels of omega-3s) were more likely to experience depressive symptoms than children of similar ages who ate more fish (Skowron, 2011). In adults with bipolar disorder, omega-3 fatty acids taken in conjunction with mood stabilizers have been associated with significant improvements in depressive symptoms (Lake, 2011). In children and adolescents with bipolar I or II, a reduction in both depressive and manic symptoms have been observed with mood stabilizer/omega-3 combinations (Lake, 2011). Symptoms of ADHD have been shown to improve by as much as 25% with the addition of omega-3 fatty acids to treatment (Skowron, 2011).
The role nutrients play in mental health has only begun to be discovered. The research that has been completed in recent years compels the author to believe that future studies will revel that diet coupled with exercise and healthy lifestyle choices is the primary defense against mental illness. Even though the efficacy of using vitamins and minerals is still largely unknown, the literature on the negative effects of nutrient deficiency on the brain is enough evidence to convince many people that something as simple as a daily multivitamin has benefits that far outweigh the financial cost of adding supplements to personal healthcare regimens. Scholars in the field of epigenetics suggest that nutrition and lifestyle choices can effect multiple generations (Masterpasqua, 2009; Rouse & Lanore, 2011). In this case, it is plausible that through maintaining optimal micronutrient levels, successive generations may see a lower prevalence of psychological disorders. Further research is required to explore the intricate relationship between micronutrients and mental health, but judging from our current understanding, the future looks bright.
References
Arnold, L. E., DiSilvestro, R. A., Bozzolo, D., Bozzolo, H., Crowl, L., Fernandez, S., Ramadan, Y., Thompson, S., Mo, X., Abdel-Rasoul, M., & Joseph, E. (2011). Zinc for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Placebo-controlled double-blind pilot trial alone and combined with amphetamine. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 21(1), 1-19.
Bourre, J M . The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging 10. 5 (Sep/Oct 2006): 377-385.
Cannell, J. J., & Lanore, C. (2011, September 22). Vitamin d, vitamin a, and cod liver update. Superhuman Radio Podcast. Podcast retrieved from http://www.superhumanradio.com/shr-820-why-creatine-beta-alanine-transdermal-patch-plus-vitamin-d-vitamin-a-and-cod-liver-oil-update.html
Evatt, M. L., DeLong, M. R., Khanai, N., Rosen, A., Triche, S., & Tangpricha, V. (2008) Prevalence of vitamin d insufficiency in patients with Parkinson disease and Alzhemier disease. Archives of Neurology, 65(10), 1348-1352
Freeman, M. P., Hibbeln, J. R., Wisner, K. L., Davis, J. M., Mishoulon, D., Peet, M., Keck, Jr, P. E., Marangell, L. B., Richardson, A. J., Lake, J., & Stoll, A. L. (2006). Omega-3 fatty acids: Evidence basis for treatment and future research in psychiatry. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 67(12), 1954-1967.
Freeman, M. P., Fava, M., Lake, J., Trivedi, M. H., Wisner, K. L., & Mischoulon D. (2010). Complementary and alternative medicine in major depressive disorder: the American Psychiatric Association Task Force report. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 71(6), 669-681.
Kaplan, B. J., & Shannon, S. (2007). Nutritional aspects of child and adolescent psychopharmacology. Psychiatric Annals, 37(7), 519-528.
Kaplan, B. J., Crawford, S. G., Field, C. J., & Simpson, J. S. A. (2007). Vitamins, minerals, and mood. Psychological Bulletin, 133(5), 747-760.
Lavretsky, H. (2009). Complementary and alternative medicine use for treatment and prevention of late-life mood and cognitive disorders. Aging Health, 5(1), 61-78.
Lieberman, H. R., Corkin, S., Spring, B. J., Wurtman, R. J., & Growdon, J.H. (1985). The effects of dietary neurotransmitter precursors on human behavior. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 42, 366-370.
Low Dog, T. (2010). The role of nutrition in mental health. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 16(2), 42-46.
Masterpasqua, F. (2009). Psychology and epigenetics. Review of General Psychology, 13(3), 194-201.
McNeil, D. G., Jr. (2006, December 16). In raising the world’s I.Q., the secret’s in the salt. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05E3D81231F935A25751C1A9609C8B63&sec=&spon=&&scp=1&sq=iodized%20salt%20russia&st=cse
Rouse, P. & Lanore, C. (2011, March 11, April 7, April 28, May 5). Epigenetics series. Superhuman Radio Podcast. Podcast retrieved from http://www.superhumanradio.com/search.html?searchword=epigenetics
Sathyanarayana Rao, T., Asha, M., Ramesh, B., & Jagannatha Rao, K. (2008). Understanding nutrition, depression and mental illnesses. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 50(2), 77-82.
Skowron, J. (2011). 100 natural remedies for your child. The complete guide to safe, effective treatments for childhood’s most common aliments, from allergies to weight loss. Rodale: New York, NY.
Stoll, A. L., Sachs, G. S., Cohen, B. M., Lafer, B., Christensen, J. D., & Renshaw, P. F. (1996). Choline in the treatment of rapid-cycling bipolar disorder: Clinical and neurochemical findings in lithium-treated patients. Biological Psychiatry, 40, 382–388.
White, K. P., (2009). What psychologists should know about homeopathy, nutrition, and botanical medicine. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 40(6), 633-640.
Easy concepts, right? Evidently not.
I see them every day: people reading or watching shit while they are doing cardio, people wandering around the gym aimlessly, and people who half-ass their training and complain that they don’t progress as expected or see the results they want.
I wonder why?
Plain and simple, they aren’t working hard enough. They skate through things in a manner that simply upholds the image that they are trying to the naive observer. Gyms these days seem to display more entertainment than effort.
If you can read or focus on a screen during your workout, you are doing things wrong and need to reevaluate the reasons you are working out in the first place. Is it because it gives something to do, a way to kill time, or because you find it trendy? OR is it because you have a true desire to better your life?
I hope anyone reading this relates to the latter question. If you want to make positive changes, you have to put in hard work and you have to be dedicated to your cause. It is a simple fact that relevant both inside and outside of the gym.
The harder you work, the more you can enjoy your free time, and the better your overall perception of your life will be. This is a qualitatively and quantitatively observable phenomenon.
So put down the books, magazines, iPads, and other media (music is okay) and crank up the intensity. It’ll be uncomfortable and there is a good chance it will hurt, but suck it up and put in work. Pain and discomfort is nothing - you’ll heal, and when you do you’ll be a stronger, better version of yourself.
Get savage, get strong. I promise it will be worth it.
Humans have lost their way. Obesity is rising exponentially, while testosterone is rapidly dropping. We’ve become a nation of weak, feminized desk-jockeys who are afraid to put in quality hard work. Frankly, that is bullshit, no matter how you slice it.
Somewhere along the line, being rugged was exchanged for being dainty. Folks seem more concerned about the newest smartphones and reality shows than they are about their own health and survival. It is a common misconception that quality of being “civilized” is in the best interest of humanity. In reality, the more we move farther and farther from our true human nature, the more problems we face, both individually and as a society.
Physical and mental health dysfunctions, abnormalities, and disorders are on the rise. Here at Savagacity, we believe that the farther we move away from our true nature, the worse off people will be. The key to optimal health - physically, mentally, spiritually, and culturally - lies in returning to a state in which we are congruent with our true nature. In short, we need to reestablish an intimate connection with the natural world and live in a fashion that is adherent to our biological development as a species.
Our goal is to provide information on training, nutrition, philosophy, and everyday living that is based both in science and in practice.