I have a friend who has a contact in the sports nutrition industry. Now the contact has never told him who he works for but let’s just say he’s urging my friend to stick to well known brands when it comes to supplements.

He said that the whey protein they were manufacturing was nothing more than placebo. In essence it does nothing for you. In the end your best bet is to stick to names like GNC, Met-Rx, Myoplex, and Cytosport.

It really makes me think about how many protein bars or shakes I’ve consumed that have fallen short of the protein content that was listed on the wrapper. Or worse, contained no protein at all. That’s why it’s important to rely on food sources for protein and use supplements as nothing more than that — a supplement to your diet.

One of the things about this blog that I pride myself on is the ability to speak to not only the serious, competitive athlete/weightlifter but the recreational weekend warrior, or “Joe Six-Pack” (yes, I went there). Because no matter what type of athlete you are, you will see increased benefits in your endurance and athletic performance by being smart about sports nutrition and what you put in your body.

Half the battle is what you consume on “gameday” or prior to your workouts. You have to treat your body like a machine so if you know you’re going to have a high workload, you have to fuel up. That means consuming lots of calories (maybe a bit more than normal) in order to make sure your body is full prepared for the road ahead.

Make sure you are fully hydrated and make more of an effort to take in electrolytes and carbohydrates and less protein, because protein by itself is a poor fuel. As always you should do some research or contact a certified nutritionist when it comes to calculating your specific sports nutritional needs.

If you’ve ever played baseball or football, odds are you’ve experienced shoulder pain at some point. How you deal with and treat that pain ultimately determines how quickly you can get back on the field.

Men’s Health provides some good tips and treatment suggestions for shoulder pain and impingement. They focus on developing flexibility in the area and treating it with rest and anti-inflammatory medications. Also, mild to moderate weight training in the area can help in developing strength.

Remember, all of us love to play recreational sports, however you have treat yourself just as a professional athlete would — you have to take care of your body and the areas that you put stress on when you compete. If you do that, your body will thank you and you’ll be able to participate in the sports you love for many years.

It’s football season and that means sitting in front of the television for the entire day on Sunday to watch all the games. It also means eating all of that great food that’s not necessarily great for you. But luckily for you, from Monday to Saturday you can train for your big day on Sunday to soften some of the blow.

You don’t have to run wind sprints in 100 degree heat, or go up against 300-lb lineman, you just have to follow a training regimen that maximizes results from a total body workout. If you’re a guy who plays flag football or if you’re just looking to lose body fat and gain some lean muscle, then you could benefit from a football training regimen.

Most of the exercises focus on lifting a low amount of reps through a high amount of sets. This is due to the fact that you want “explosive” muscles because the movements in the game football require that.

Give it a shot and see if you notice some improvements in both your body and your game.

I’ve recently gotten into the habit of making homemade smoothies on a daily basis. Especially as a meal replacement or post-workout snack. I’ve been playing around with different combinations for a while — and believe me there are literally thousands of possibilities when it comes to protein smoothies.

You can go the “fruit” route or you can make it more “rich” and sweet. Whatever your preference, try to make sure you’re using only natural ingredients. For instance, I’ve been making a peanut butter based smoothie, but I don’t use any old peanut butter. I’ve been using Smart Balance Omega-3 Peanut Butter.

Here’s the recipe for my creation:

1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons Smart Balance Omega-3 Peanut Butter
1/2 banana
1/4 cup Hershey’s Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup
2 scoops Low-Fat frozen yogurt
1 scoop whey protein
4-5 drops of Agave Nectar or 1 packet Splenda
10-12 ice cubes

The best thing about this smoothie is that it leaves you feeling full and if you’re craving sweets it’s the perfect solution. And if it’s muscle that you’re trying to pack on this one is loaded with protein from the whey, peanut butter, and yogurt.

So give it a shot after your next workout!

Do you ever feel like you’re spending all of your free time at the gym? Even if you love working out it’s normal to sometimes think that the gym is becoming your second home. Well, if you feel like you need to free up more “you” time and gain more precious days of rest then you may want to consider working out twice a day.

Split workout schedules are probably the most common regimen, however they can sometimes be detrimental because while your goal may be to work your triceps every third day, you may end up working them sooner than that when you’re doing other exercises. For instance, you may use your triceps unknowingly to assist you in another exercise.

AskMen.com outlines a workout schedule for twice a day sessions and things you should consider before deciding to undertake this. Remember, this type of workout plan isn’t for everybody. Depending on your work schedule it will be ideal to workout once in the morning and and once at night (or late afternoon). While working out two times in one day nutrition is going to be even more crucial to the recovery and fueling of your workout as you will definitely need to increase your caloric intake.

Most of you know what foods you should be eating to fuel your workouts and sporting activities. However, when it comes to foods you should avoid most people feel like it’s a big gray area. With that said, it’s important to realize that certain things you put in your body can be counterproductive to your muscle building goals.

Here’s a brief list of things you should definitely refrain from putting in your mouth:

• Mostly anything from fast food restaurants
• Anything with high fructose corn syrup
• Cakes or cookies
• Processed foods in boxes or bags
• Any food with trans fat

Now most of this should be common knowledge but sometimes people don’t take the time to look at what’s in their food. Obviously, sometimes it’s impossible to avoid these ingredients, especially if you’re eating out. However, you can take time to to download menus online before you dine out, or ask the waitress for a list of ingredients.

If you’re a guy and you lift weights, odds are that you don’t enjoy doing cardio. However, in order for those muscles to show you have to burn fat. The quickest and safest way to do that is through low to medium intensity cardio training. Good old-fashioned running is probably the least exciting of all cardio and it’s really the most taxing on your joints. However, more and more people are reverting to alternate methods of cardio activity.

Here’s a list of the top 10 cardio exercises you’re probably not doing. And if you aren’t — give them a shot and see which ones work for you best.

1. Elliptical machine - This is becoming one of the more popular gym machines and great alternative to traditional running. If you’ve never tried it, check it out and find out just how gentlier it is on your joints.

2. Swimming - In the spirit of the Summer Olympics, swimming is one of the calorie burning ”kings.” Mostly because it is a full body workout and you’re going up against your own resistance in the water. You don’t have to be Michael Phelps though – swimming laps for just 20 minutes at a good pace will do the trick.

3. Biking - This is a great exercise because you can choose to use a gym bike and stay indoors, or your own bike and tour the landscape. Make sure you find a speed that is right for you. Typically you can burn up to 500 calories in 30 minutes.

4. Raquetball - It’s gotta be that little blue ball right? Actually chasing that ball burns an average of 400 calories per half hour. And if you’re as competitive as me, you enjoy the trials and tribulations of sports as opposed to a monotonous session on the treadmill.

5. Jumping rope - Ever notice how lean boxers are? Enough said.

6. Step Aerobics - Geared towards women, this exercise targets the most common problem areas while burning up to 450 calories per half hour. Nice!

7. Kickboxing - If you find a class that’s considered “aerobic” or ”cardio” kickboxing you’ll truly get some serious calorie burning accomplished. The combination of perpetual movement, kicking, and punching make it an excellent cardio alternative.

8. Interval training - Yeah, I know you’re sick of running. But, if you’re looking for an alternative to the treadmill, interval training will burn more calories in less time. Check out my previous post to find out what I’m talking about.

9. Rollerblading - If you’re not experienced make sure you have all the gear — heck even if you are experienced. It can be an effective cardio exercise if you do it at a high enough intensity for at least 30 minutes.

10. Power walking - If for no other reason than to just get outside and away from the treadmill, this exercise can hold its own when it comes to burning calories. Yes, you’ll look a little funny, but you’ll burn up to 200 calories in 30 minutes depending on your intensity. Then you’ll be the one who’s laughing.

I will admit that I’m guilty of becoming obsessed with the bench press. It was always the first exercise I wanted to do because in my mind it was a good barometer of my progress within my fitness plan. What I didn’t know was that it really had little affect on my performance in sports, which was part of the reason I was working out. Recently, I’ve discovered that there are other ways to build definition and strength in your pectorals that will be both aesthetically satisfying (if done correctly) and beneficial to your athletic lifestyle.

MensHealth.com recently outlined 5 new ways to build powerful pectorals. The key is combining rarely used movements with a Swiss ball — the ball allows you to use all of your muscles when performing the exercise, which is similiar to what your body has to do when playing sports.

Tip: If you still need to get your “bench fix” then follow the exercises above with one set on the bench. Lift 30-50 percent of your max for 20-25 reps. It will give your pectorals a good “pump” and help create better endurance for your other chest exercises.

In the spirit of the upcoming Olympic Summer Games Maria Noel Groves of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote an interesting article comparing the variations between cultures and their ideas of what energy foods are.

For instance, Ancient Europeans believed boiled meat, barley pouridge, and wine worked the best in increasing energy and protection from injury. While the first two were probably great we know today that the latter is probably not the best choice for an athlete or warrior — especially right before battle.

The Chinese and Japanese rely on soups and herbs as their main sources of energy. While they may be content with it, Groves says that it’s effects are still largely unknown:

Herbs believed to strengthen resistance to stress traditionally have been simmered into soups, teas and rice dishes. Chinese and American ginseng, as well as the caterpillar fungus cordyceps, have been popular among athletes and royalty for centuries. Reishi and shiitake mushrooms, lycium berries, jujube dates, astragalus and codonopsis roots also have consumed as energy foods.

Verdict: While broths and soups provide easily digested nutrients, modern research on many medicinal herbs is limited, as is understanding of how they might work.

Groves also states that while North Americans turn to energy drinks and bars as quick, convenient energy sources, they’re not necessarily the best becuase they contain high amounts of sugars and artifical ingredients. I think with any supplement it’s important not to rely only on that supplement, you have to combine it with real food and good nutrition. If you have an energy bar before going to the gym, that’s fine. But don’t rely on just a Red Bull for breakfast to keep your energy levels up throughout the day — you need substantial food.