Welcome to our 1st Edition of VancityFit! A monthly newsletter where we give our perspective on all things health and fitness. Let’s get into it!

Intermittent Fasting (IF), What is it? And is it right for you?

IF is when you restrict your caloric intake for an extended period of time- there are couple ways to do this: for example, daily by only eating for an 8 hour window of time, or weekly/monthly IF with 24 hours and upwards of fasting. There is some good research that indicates this type of fasting can:

• Increase the rate of fat loss

• Increase Human Growth Hormone

• Increase the rate of cellular repair

IF can be a beneficial practice for healthy individuals with regulated blood sugar and low levels of stress. However those with issues adhering to dietary restrictions or prone to binging or those with irregular blood sugar levels should refrain from IF as it may lead to a lack of adherence. As with any nutritional program the best plan is one you can stick with.

Read here for more in-depth information on IF.

ASK A TRAINER!

“As I’m entering my forties I’m wondering if I should be decreasing my calorie intake or increasing my activity to adjust for changes in my metabolism? I already maintain a pretty healthy lifestyle by eating fairly healthy foods and exercising regularly- but really don’t want to gain weight as I age! ” Niki U

For healthy individuals a decline in metabolism is very minimal as we age. Human Growth Hormone (HGH) will begin to slide into your 30’s but as long as you continue to exercise and strength train (both promote HGH) you won’t have much to worry about in terms of weight gain. Into your 40’s hormone changes can result in a very minor decline in metabolism- burning about 150 calories less per day for the average person. But again this can be easily off-set with strength training and proper nutrition as both will increase your metabolism. The most important thing you can do as you age is to continue to exercise and put a focus on functional exercises that build muscle. 

Read more about the effects of exercise on aging here 

Pre- Work-out Drinks, YAY or NAY?

Alot of us wouldn’t mind an extra kick of energy to maximize our training sessions, and pre-workout drinks can be an easy fix. But are store bought powders a healthy and effective choice? Probably not. The majority of pre-workout formulas sold in supplement stores are made of very low quality stimulants, and contain fillers, dyes and artificial sweeteners. If you need a little extra pep in your step you may just want to choose the most widely researched and safest stimulant (when consumed in moderate amounts) and that is COFFEE. There is a ton of evidence that coffee before a workout will provide you with a safe and effective dose of caffeine to increase energy levels. If you do want to reach for a supplement we recommend BSL Essentials a formula containing essential amino acids to promote recovery and improve your workout, it has no artificial sweeteners, stimulants, colouring or fillers. It will also soon be available to purchase at Elite Performance!

What we’re watching now- Muscle Nerds

Muscle Nerds are passionate about putting health over performance, individualization over generalization, balance over extremism, leastmode over beastmode and practical over optimal. Their Youtube channel is a great resource for anyone looking to learn more about nutrition and training, you can check it out here.