Welcome to the VPX Sports Supplement Blog

It’s just the facts, 2 out of 3 Americans are not getting the recommended amount of 25-35g of fiber per day by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

If you remember correctly, the purpose of consuming whey protein post-workout is because whey protein is immediately absorbed into the body as compared to egg proteins and/or caseins with which absorb at a considerably slower rate. For this reason, those proteins are termed "slow release." They do not actually release slowly, but because they all absorb at a slightly different pace, your body is absorbing proteins for a extended period of time, as opposed to if you consume whey protein and get your full shot of protein all at once. The fact that whey protein absorbs immediately is the catcher here. Remember that oh-so-important window of opportunity? Doesn't it make sense that if you have only an hour to get the nutrients your body needs, you would want to consume the fastest absorbing nutrients around? This is also why you should be taking your carbohydrates in liquid form, because they are readily available for use.

Revamp your kitchen - Fill your fridge and pantry with the healthiest foods and snacks; get rid of any foods that will keep you from reaching your fitness goals. Don't let your kids be the excuse to have these foods in the house. If they absolutely must have these foods, designate a cabinet just for them that is off limits to you.

Some of you may have been a little confused when you read that insulin was so important for muscle repair in the last article. Most people think of diabetes when they hear the term “insulin,” so it wouldn’t be surprising if some of you left the article with a confused look on your face. Let’s take a minute to help you to understand it a little better. First off, insulin is a hormone secreted by special cells in the pancreas in response to (among other things) increased blood glucose concentration. The primary role of insulin is to control the transport of glucose from the bloodstream into the muscle and fat cells [1]. Controlling blood/glucose levels is important in weight management, if you have uncontrolled glucose, you are likely to hold more fat, and have a better chance of getting diabetes (a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism resulting from inadequate or ineffective insulin).

Health related misfortunes are sometimes unavoidable – you can drink all the orange juice you want, but you may still catch a cold. Just because there are things in this life that you cannot control does not mean you should not take precautions to lessen your chances. “Buckle-up for safety,” right?

1. Choose the Alternative – when buying foods and snacks, look for sugar-free, low-fat, non-fat, and any other words that pertain to being “better” for you. Just be sure to compare calorie content and serving size of the “healthier” option vs. the real thing. Sometimes fat content will go up in a product that has less sugar to compensate for the missing sugar so the consumer won’t miss out on flavor.

So now you have the basics down and have hopefully tried some of the cocktail recipes in Phase I of this Recovery series. You are starting to reap the benefits of your post-workout meal, but yet you are still thinking to yourself, "I just busted my butt on the treadmill 10 minutes longer than usual just to burn an extra 30 calories, eating sugar seems like the last thing I should do right now!" It sounds counter-productive doesn't it? But as explained previously, when used correctly, sugar (in the form of carbohydrates) is the best thing for your body right after you exercise. I know you have been mixing your shakes with juice post-workout so I am sure you know we aren't talking about candy or cake when I use the word 'sugar'…right? Good, you are learning!

Summer’s here, and if your city is anything like South Florida, it is HOT! Are you tired of drinking tons of water to avoid dehydration in the hot summer sun?  Try eating more fruits and vegetables – Watermelons and cucumbers consist almost entirely of water and will help keep you hydrated, not to mention they taste delicious and are a refreshing, healthy snack to incorporate into your outdoor barbeque fiesta. 

Summer is upon us! It’s bathing suit season and time to hit the beach to show off those chiseled abs and massive biceps. You have started your new workout regimen that you vowed to begin at the first of the year, but you haven't seen the results that those gym salespeople promised. "Just $19 a month to a brand new you", and "start now for the body you have always wanted." Any of these ring a bell? What those salespeople didn't tell you is that all the blood, sweat, and tears that you put in pushing their dirty weights would do nothing for you without proper nutrition. 75% of your physique is a result of what you eat. Ever heard the saying "You are what you eat"? It's true, if you eat an abundance of fatty, calorie dense foods, you will be a fat, calorie dense person. Not only will you be overweight and gooey, but you will likely have all of the health risks associated with it such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, high blood pressure, an increased risk for cancer, high cholesterol, the list goes on and on. Why would you waste all that time and money spent in the gym to totally erase any positive effects that exercise has on your body? Everyone knows that exercise will decrease your risk for all the above stated health concerns as well as just simply make you look better.

One of the biggest problems in the fitness industry is people believing misinformation as truth. If you go up to any newbie in the gym, and ask him why he (or she) is doing whatever it is they are doing, it’s likely they will have absolutely no idea. Or they will give you some asinine answer like, “Ronnie Coleman uses 80lb dumbbells for bicep curls so to get big arms I gotta do it too!” For one, Ronnie Coleman is the exception, and two, YOU are NOT Ronnie Coleman.