Friday, May 29, 2009

Exercise of the Week: TRX Row on Physioball




This is one of my favorite exercises to use with my guys. I implement it with both pitchers and position players.. Its good for balance, stabilization, endurance, and core power.. It focuses on upper body strength and endurance, core stability, and posture/balance control which are important elements in game of baseball performance especially when performing efficiently at a highly competitive level everyday. I'm the guy performing the exercise in this picture.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

New Supplement Report


During our last road trip to Rochester, NY I read the latest Sports Illustrated magazine and came across one the most disturbing articles about supplements in sport. I couldn't help but read it because of my profession and the current skepticism surrounding baseball players and their use of supplements. The article was titled "What you don't know might kill you- Supplements. Would be experts and untested products feed a $20 billion obsession with performance across all levels of sports". Of course the article mentions the recent recalling of Hydroxycut, but it also mentioned that in a 2007 study 25% of the 58 sports supplements tested in a certain study contained banned steroids or stimulants. Six years earlier a study found that 15% of the 634 supplements it examined would likely cause a an athlete to test positive. This really hit home for me as I deter and divert my guys from purchasing products in retail stores daily to prevent any risks of taking something that could cause a false positive or positive drug test. This supported information really scares me because purchasing supplements from GNC, Walmart, Vitamin World, or your local drug store has become hit or miss in relation drug testing. I guess its not that big of a deal for the weekend warrior or avid fitness person who aren't randomly subjected to testing. But its still something to worry about when discussing optimal health and longevity. So I believe that de-regulation of these products effect everybody to a certain degree.
On the positive, Michigan- based NSF International now screens supplements for MLB, the PGA, and the NFL, and marks those not containing banned substances with an NSF seal. Thank goodness!! However, only a dozen companies thus far have volunteered their products for certification, and NSF can only vouch for the specific batch it tests. This is supplement list that I use with my guys and I never deviate from this list when its time to purchase a specific ergonomic substance. The most reputable/ popular companies that are on the list are EAS, Gatorade, USANA, MRI, and Redbull America. BUT!! There is always a but! You can only purchase NSF certified products directly from the company and through a specific contact person. That's one thing that my guys misconstrue all the time. If they go in GNC and purchase EAS products, or to Sunoco and buy a case of Redbull, they assume its ok because EAS and Redbull America is on the NSF list. That's false. They must come to me so I can call EAS/Redbull to get the same product that was NSF tested and marked. NSF marked products are not in retail stores. That's why MLBPA has been so strict and frequent with testing because there is a list that all players, field staff, and medical support staff get from MLB to buy products that are safe. That eliminates excuses and scapegoats. If they deviate and purchase from somewhere else with knowledge of this list circulating through clubhouses, they get banged for negligence if nothing else.
Constant communication, and consistent updated education about optimal nutrition is something that I value and invest in throughout the season to maintain the safeness and integrity of all things ingested for competition.. Its a serious topic for me and obviously it affects all paradigms of recreation. Not just baseball or other professional sports.


Viewers!! Quick question??


What are you currently taking to supplement your diet??




Sports Illustrated. 2009. How It All Went Down. "What you don't know might kill you". pgs. 57-62.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

eXfuze Seven versus Monavie- Antioxidant Drinks



There is a new, formulated antioxidant/botanical drink on the market and its eXfuze Seven. I've used this product before for a month and for me the effect on my body was greater than Monavie. I used it during spring training, a time where my body is put under extreme distress and I felt stronger day to day both physically and mentally. It helped my recovery each day immensely. Monavie has become the epitome of antioxidant supplement drinks, but I believe that Seven is growing vastly and will eventually evolve into a more effective product. The difference between the two is the fusing of the super-botanicals together contained in Seven compared to one botanical blend contained in Monavie. Monavie is an acai blend and Seven combines Gac, Acai, Goji, Noni, Fucoidan, Mangosteen, and Seabuckthorn. Most people are familiar with each of these different foods in its singular form, but this is the first time all the most popular botanicals have been blended into a great nutritional drink. ExFuze Seven currently doesn't sell products to any retail outlets, so you must either become a distributor to get wholesale pricing or purchase directly from an authorized eXfuze distributor. Its also more economically friendlier than Monavie if you know what I mean. So Hurry and get you some!!! We have a pitcher on our team who is currently a distributor.. Dan McCutchen.. I'll be vested at some point this season!! Its great and worth taking if you're interested in the optimal health...For current or aspiring athletes Seven Pro is also certified through BSCG(banned substance control group). Its different than the certified group that MLB uses, NSF, but the fact that the bottles have this distinction is huge to assure customers that the product doesn't contain dangerous banned substances.. Links: www.exfuze.com/ http://www.bscg.org/. See for yourself.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

HYDROXYCUT WARNING!!!!!!!


America's # 1 weight loss supplement has been linked to serious liver damage and is being recalled. The FDA is warning consumers to stop using the product. The FDA has received 23 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice, elevated enzymes, to liver transplants. Other health problems reported includes seizures, cardiovascular diseases, death due to liver failure. There are over a dozen products that were listed as being recalled. This further explains the fact that there isn't a shortcut to looking good without deal with adverse effects of a specific substance. There isn't a magic pill out there people!! Its a simple. PUT OUT more than you PUT IN!! Also, the efficacy of most of these magic pills aren't even proven to work properly as I explained in the previous post. That's why educating these athletes these days about nutrition and supplements is so imperative. These guys get paid millions of dollars to perform at the highest level everyday and if they can get an edge over there opposition they are going to look into to it. But it some cases like this, it can even be life threatening.. Its kinda ironic because the other day I was on a plane reading the newest edition of Men's Fitness and Hydroxycut had a huge advertisement complimented by testimonials. I wonder if Men's Fitness published that Ad knowingly. I highly doubt it, but just think about the lay people or exercise enthusiasts that read this month's Men's Fitness that have the desire to get in better shape and use that magazine as a reliable source toward pursuing their goals. NO BUENO-NO GOOD!! BE CAREFUL and CAUTIOUS of what you read in this day and age. Attached is the Hydroxycut Warning. To check out actual report navigate to this link: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm

A day at the ballpark with current Pittsburgh Pirates Shortstop Jack Wilson # 2


He is the longest tenured Pirate to date and he was in Indianapolis with us over the weekend for a rehab stint. It was cold in Syracuse, NY that's why I'm bundled up with Under Armor gear. In this picture we were discussing the finger brace that he uses during batting practice. He's rehabbing a fractured middle finger and has missed about 3 weeks thus far.. He will be back in Pittsburgh this week to re-join the team. He's low maintenance and does a good job preparing for the game. Gets in a good active/agility warm-up pregame. Core activation and light functional lifting post game. Very easy to work with. Thanks for the post game spread JACK!!!!!

Saturday, May 9, 2009

SUPPLEMENT 101- FACTS ON SUPPLEMENTS/REGULATION!


Supplements in part are products taken by mouth that contain a specific dietary ingredients. Dietary ingredients include vitamins, amino acids, herbs/botanicals as well as other substances that can be used to supplement the diet. Supplements come in many forms including pills, powder, liquids, and energy bars. People use supplements for wide assortment of reasons. Some seek to compensate diets, medical use, or for eating habits that limit the quantity of vitamins and nutrients. Other people use them for a boost of energy or for a good night's sleep. Postmenopausal women use them to counter a sudden drop in estrogen levels. However, dietary supplements are not intended to treat, cure, diagnose, or alleviate the effects of disease. Some supplements are useful in reducing the risk of certain diseases and are authorized to make label claims about these uses. For example, folic acid supplements make a claim about reducing the the risks of birth defects of the brain and spinal cord.


How are supplemens regulated??

Federal law does not require dietary supplements to be proven safe to FDA'satisfaction before they are marketed. For most claims made in the labeling of dietary supplements, the law doesn't require the maufacturer or seller to prove to FDA's satisfaction that the claim is accurate or truthful before it appears on the product. In general, the FDA's role with a dietary supplement product begins after the product enter's the marketplace. This is usually the first opportunity to take action against a product that presents a significant or unreasonable riskof illness or injury, or that is otherwise misbranded. Supplement maufacturer's do not have to get the agency's approval before producing or selling these products. Take a little bit of time and digest this quick briefing on supplement regulation.. Be smart and safe about what you're taking. Let your health/performance professional advise you on aorting through reliable information from questionable information. Be aware that some supplement ingredients, including nutrients and plant compounds can be toxic. Also, some ingredients and products can be harmful when comsumed in high amounts, when taken for a long time, or when used in combination with certain drugs, substances, or food. Use your tools. Work with your professionals involved in the sports performance/health field to determine best how to achieve optimal performance before gettig caught up in the current supplement binge.. Hope this info helps out!