Bodybuilding and Cardiovascular Health

Cardiovascular health is very important for bodybuilders and anabolic steroid-using athletes. As we know certain anabolic-androgenic steroids are associated with unfavorable changes in cholesterol, heart attacks and heart failure are some of the most frequent causes of sudden death or serious injuries. Elite bodybuilders and many other anabolic steroids users have suffered heart problems.

The term”Cardiovascular” refers to the heart and the blood vessels. Heart damage is generally caused by ischemia (oxygen deprivation) but can also be electrical in nature, as the heartbeat is generated by an internal conduction system that accelerates and decelerates to meet the circulatory command of the body. When the electrical signal is disrupted, the heart does not beat well or if the disruption is severe enough, may not beat at all. Ischemic damage of the heart s often due to a increase of plaque in the arteries, but may also be due to inappropriate vasoconstriction. Many abusers of cocaine suffered heart attacks due to coronary vasoconstriction, even though their arteries were completely healthy.

When ischemia is mild-to-moderate and long-term, the body grows new blood vessels to cut down the distance between active cells and near capillaries. A person who lives in the mountains likely has a higher capillary density than a person who lives on the beach at sea level. This density is a measure a measure of how branched the circulation is to provide oxygen. Many endurance athletes sleep in individual chambers that copy living in the mountains. This increases their red blood cell supply by stimulating the hormone erythropoietin, and probably excites new blood vessel growth. Many cancer drugs kill tumors by slowing down the blood vessel growth, starving the malignant tumors of oxygen and nutrients.

Avoid White Sugar and Fructose

White refined sugar is the primary cause of degenerative disease in our contemporary society. Sugar taken every day in processed foods produces a constantly over-acidic condition in your body, requiring more and more vitamins and minerals from deep in your body attempting to correct the equilibrium. After years of having this continual, over-acidic condition, as well as vitamin/ mineral depletion, it is highly improbable that some form of degenerative disease will not present itself. During the process of permanent sugar consumption , especially with today’s processed foods, excess sugar is stored in the liver in the form of glucose until the complete capacity of the liver to do so is reached. During this process, the liver becomes rather enlarged, and excess glucose is returned to the blood in the form of fatty acids , which are stored in the dormant muscular areas of the body. This is everywhere that people gain weight (stomach, buttocks, breasts, thighs, etc). When t...

Cortisol and Carbohydrates Consumption

One of the main hormones that control important processes in human body is cortisol . This is quite catabolic agent as some of its amino acids may come from muscle tissue. It is crucial that one consumes carbohydrates before exercise for several reasons: Dietary carbohydrates will assure persons with fuel for the anaerobic pathway, and spare muscle tissue from being converted to glucose for fuel. Dietary carbohydrates will cause the discharge of insulin, which blocks the release of cortisol from the pancreas. Dietary carbohydrates will increase muscle glycogen levels which will a dvance performance and reduce fatigue. Persons should consume 35% of their total daily carbohydrates in a meal 1.5 to 2 hours before their workout as this will allow the carbohydrates sufficient time to be digested and enter the bloodstream. It is also suggested consuming a shake composed of 30-40g of whey protein along with dextrose or maltodextrin during the workout. The carbohydrate...

Beat Sleeplessness With Cycling

Copious amounts of sleep may cause lethargy, but nevertheless sleep is still a man’s most important friend when it comes to reducing stroke and risk of heart disorders However, over 25% of population experience some sort of insomnia and all of us experience troubled nights at some point in our lives. Out of several different activities tested in a research, cycling at 75% of your maximum heart rate, for 20 minutes, four times a week was found to be the most successful way of bringing your sleeping habits under control.

Health & Nutrition Facts for Bodybuilders

Search This Blog