The Truth About High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Megan Mangano December 21, 2011

Core Performance Website 

In 2004, high-fructose corn syrup—the corn-based substance used to sweeten and preserve many of the foods we eat—was being singled out as one of the major contributors to the epidemic of obesity in the United States. But about three years ago, scientists began to question whether or not high-fructose corn syrup was as dangerous as previous research had indicated.

Today, while registered dietitians and other nutrition experts recognize that too much sugar presents health risks, there continues to be controversy surrounding high-fructose corn syrup. Many agree that it doesn't appear to contribute more to obesity than any other calorie-heavy sweetener.
With more than 10 years of research into high-fructose corn syrup, we now have a clearer picture of what high-fructose corn syrup is and what it does, the benefits, and the risks.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup by the Numbers

4 calories
The number of calories per gram in both sugar and high-fructose corn syrup
47.2 pounds
The estimated average per capita sugar consumption in the U.S. in 2008
37.8 pounds
The estimated average per capita high-fructose corn syrup consumption in the U.S. in 2008

How High-Fructose Corn Syrup Works

There are four kinds of sugars:

1. Sucrose: It occurs naturally in sugar cane and beets, used to make white sugar
2. Fructose: Found in fruits and vegetables 
3. Glucose:  Found in carbohydrates
4. Lactose: A sugar derived from milk

High-fructose corn syrup, as defined by the American Diabetes Association, is a thick, sweet syrup derived from cornstarch that consists of a combination of fructose and glucose. It's widely used as a sweetener and preservative in processed foods. Think sodas, candies, cookies, and baked goods, plus hundreds of other packaged foods that aren't considered desserts (cereals and condiments, for example), making up almost half of all caloric sweeteners on the market.
During processing, the glucose in cornstarch is changed into fructose by introducing enzymes. The final high-fructose corn syrup product contains either a little more than 40 percent fructose and slightly more than 50 percent glucose or more than 50 percent fructose and more than 40 percent glucose.
Compared to white sugar, which is half glucose and half fructose, the contents of high-fructose corn syrup aren't that different. They are both sweet and both contain about four calories per gram. There are conflicting reports on how white sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are processed in the body. Some sources say the body metabolizes both in the same way, but a 2009 study conducted at the University of California, Davis, found that fructose and glucose are processed differently by the body.
Regardless, this doesn't mean you should consume large quantities of sugars or high-fructose corn syrup. The association between excessive sugar intake and being overweight or obese has been established for a long time and is unchallenged, and there is a connection between excessive sugar intake and diabetes.
Eating too much fructose could increase the risk of high blood pressure, according to a study of more than 4,500 subjects that was presented at a meeting of the American Society of Nephrology. Scientists found that an intake of 74 g or more of fructose per day was associated with a 36 percent increased risk of developing hypertension. It's believed that fructose reduces the production of nitric oxide and makes it difficult for blood vessels to dilate.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Research

Reputable organizations, governmental bodies, and publications have drawn updated conclusions regarding high-fructose corn syrup. These conclusions are based on the changing view of high-fructose corn syrup, and they also take into consideration recent studies regarding the health risks of its consumption. Here are some examples:

• In June of 2008, the American Medical Association (AMA) said, “High-fructose corn syrup doesn't appear to contribute to obesity more than other caloric sweeteners.” The AMA encourages further research into this topic.
• From the Mayo Clinic: “Recent research suggests that high-fructose corn syrup isn’t intrinsically less healthy than other sweeteners.”
• A 2008 review of data published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states, “It's unlikely that high-fructose corn syrup caused the current obesity epidemic.”
• The American Diabetes Association quotes sources saying that the current obesity epidemic is a result of an increase in total food consumption. Too much of everything is more to blame than any specific kind of product containing sugar.

What to Do About High-Fructose Corn Syrup

The easy answer is moderation and variety. If you're going to consume products that contain high-fructose corn syrup or other sugars and sweeteners, do so in moderation. Keep your performance and health goals in mind, and don’t overdo any of them.
The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that people eating a 2000-calorie diet limit themselves to 10 teaspoons (40 g) of added sugars per day (the amount in one 12-ounce soft drink). Here are more specific suggestions from the Mayo Clinic to limit intake of high-fructose corn syrup:

• Drink fewer soft drinks.
• Limit foods that contain added sugar.
• Reduce the amount of processed foods in your diet (foods that come in a box).
• Eat fresh fruits rather than juices and fruit-flavored drinks.
• Look for fruit preserved in its own juices instead of those canned in heavy syrup.

References

1. American Diabetes Association
2. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
3. American Medical Association
4. American Society of Nephrology
5. Journal of Nutrition
6. MayoClinic.com
7. Medical News Today
8. United States Department of Agriculture

Training Tool: SKLZ Super Sandbag

Article by: Brandon | February 7, 2012
From Stack.com 

Looking for a little variety in your winter workout routine? Go old school with sandbag training, which calls for athletes to lift bags of sand, rather than traditional dumbbells or barbells. It challenges muscle groups that basic weightlifting often does not, and some swear by its back-to-basics approach.

Since it’s not always possible to have access to the large sandbags used for most workouts, the Super Sandbag, from athletic performance company SKLZ, is a welcome alternative. It includes a durable, zippered exterior bag with six heavyweight handles attached at various angles, which actually allows for more diverse movements than a traditional sandbag.

The product also comes with four smaller bags, each of which holds up to 10 pounds of sand. Athletes can fill them as needed and load up the larger bag with the full 40 pounds of resistance, if necessary. The Super Sandbag can be used for upper- and lower-body movements, from Lunges to Sandbag Bent-Over Rows. Get creative or ask your coach for appropriate sandbag exercises.

Switching up your training is always a good idea—whether you use old school sandbags, a new hybrid like the SKLZ Super Sandbag or something altogether different.

Head over to sklz.com, where the Super Sandbag is on sale now for $39.99 (regularly $59.99).

Photo and Source:  SKLZ

Super Bug

Recent outbreaks of MRSA, an especially virulent staph infection that can be fatal, have left many people worried about this “superbug” and how they can protect themselves and their children. Below you’ll find questions and answers about MRSA as well as tips for reducing your risk of infection.


What is MRSA?

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is a variation of the Staphylococcus bacteria that has developed a strong resistance to common antibiotics.

Why is it so dangerous? 

MRSA is dangerous because the antibiotics typically used to treat bacterial infections don’t work against it, which makes it very difficult to treat.

Is the number of cases increasing? 

A recent study found that the number of MRSA infections is much higher than officials thought, and it appears to be on the rise. The majority of cases continue to be in hospital settings where a concentrated number of sick people make it easy to pass infectious bacteria around. But experts say the infection is starting to spread out into the wider community. Crowded locations such as schools, jails, homeless shelters, locker rooms, and nursing homes are also high-risk areas for contracting MRSA and other infections.

Who is most at risk for contracting MRSA?

Though MRSA can infect anyone, the following groups of people are most likely to contract it:

• people who have been recently hospitalized
• the elderly
• the very young
• those with compromised immune systems
• people who play contact sports
• intravenous drug users

How do people get MRSA? 

Like any bacterial infection, MRSA is passed through physical contact, either from person to person or person to an object, like a towel or a piece of sports equipment.

How is MRSA diagnosed?

The only way to be sure about an MRSA infection is to test the infected tissue. This is a lab test that usually takes a few days.

What is the treatment for MRSA?

Though MRSA is resistant to most antibiotics, there are a few that can still be effective against the infection. When it’s caught early, MRSA treatment is often successful. If it’s not diagnosed, however, it can spread rapidly and cause serious problems, including pneumonia and blood infection.

What are the symptoms of an MRSA infection?

MRSA infection can cause skin infections that look like pimples or boils and are red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage. MRSA infections are often initially misdiagnosed as spider bites.

How can I reduce my chances of contracting MRSA or other infections? 

Frequent, thorough hand washing is the absolute best way to reduce the chance of contracting MRSA. You can also reduce the risk of contracting MRSA by

• covering all wounds and abrasions until they heal
• avoiding contact with other people’s cuts, scrapes, and bandages
• not sharing personal items such as towels, razors, sheets, or athletic equipment
• regularly cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched areas such as doorknobs, light switches, remote controls, telephones, keyboards, and refrigerator and cabinet door handles

Should I be concerned if my child plays contact sports?

While it’s true that MRSA can spread quickly in groups of people who play contact sports, carefully following the above guidelines can help prevent the spread of MRSA. Make sure your child knows about the dangers of sharing personal items with teammates and friends, and encourage him to wash his hands frequently before, during, and after practice and games. You may also want to talk with your child’s coach or athletic director about what precautions are being taken to avoid the spread of MRSA.

The 'Other Side' of a Big Game we Don't Dream Of!

By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports Feb 6, 1:37 am EST

INDIANAPOLIS – Tom Brady sat facing his locker, his head down and draped in a white towel, staring at the space between his cleats.

He was in full uniform. He was in full thought. There were the plays that hadn’t been made. There were the opportunities not seized. There was the Super Bowl that had slipped away, 21-17 to the New York Giants. Again, the Giants. Again.

Tom Brady is comforted by his wife, Gisele Bundchen.
(Getty Images)

 

It was 10:04 p.m.

The minutes ticked by and Brady didn’t move. Across the Patriots’ locker room there was dejection and depression, hushed whispers and thousand-yard stares. This is the pain of almost having everything. This was the hurt of winding up with nothing. All the money these guys make, all the glory they receive, it does nothing in times like this, the losing locker room after the biggest of games.

Nobody was taking it quite like Brady though. Others slipped out of their uniforms or headed to the media interview area in full dress. Some shuffled off to the showers or patted each other on the back.
Not Brady. He just kept staring at the floor.

His longtime physical therapist, Alex Guerrero, sat in an empty locker next to him and tried to offer words of comfort. They had no impact. Brady never moved.

It was 10:12 p.m.

Read the Rest of the Article Here!

Random Hockey Thoughts

I love Kevin's site, he gives the information the way it should be! With quality! 

I hope you had a great weekend. This was the first weekend in a month that I’ve been home so it was nice to spend some time with Emily and relax a bit. On Saturday, Emily and I “doubled” with David Lasnier and his ladyfriend at Raw, my favorite sushi place in Philadelphia. Because of the company, David refrained from rolling all of the wasabi into one big clump and eating it whole.

I just assume this is common behavior in Canada

Last weekend I had an opportunity to attend an invite-only symposium on USA Hockey’s American Development Model. They did a great job bringing in speakers from different sports, countries, and disciplines, and I couldn’t say enough good things about the direction USA Hockey is going in general. In a few upcoming posts, I’ll explain more about the state of youth hockey, what USA Hockey is hoping to do, and what you can do to help. In the meantime, it’s been a while since I’ve done a “random thoughts” post and there are a lot of little things I want to share with you.

1. I get questions about supplements ALL the time, usually from kids that eat like crap and have been “educated” (I use that term VERY loosely) by fellow high school students. Supplements can be very beneficial, but as an athletic society, we need to do a better job of educating our youth on the performance enhancing benefits of proper eating. I think kids view supplements as the key to performance enhancement, and eating a quality diet just as a means of improving general health, which they have no utility for as they’ve never suffered any consequences of impaired health (these things come much later in life). Often times, the best strategies for building muscle, facilitating recovery, and ensuring adequate energy to train and perform at a high intensity are found in pretty basic eating and hydration strategies that don’t require supplements.
2. If you’re a high school player, it’s safe to say that EVERYTHING you’ve been told from your buddies about supplements is wrong.
3. Speaking of misinformation, I’m amazed at the amount of garbage that is perpetrated as “goalie-specific training” for hockey goalies. Luckily, Maria Mountain has really stepped up as a CREDIBLE expert in this area and has done an outstanding job of providing goalies with training advice that will actually make them better. If you’re a goalie and haven’t heard of Maria, you’re spending more time pulling pucks out of your net than you should be. Check out her site here: Hockey Training Pro
4. Citrulline Malate may be the most effective supplement you’ve never heard of. Dr. Mike Roussell first brought this to my attention at a seminar over the Summer and it’s definitely worth looking into. He recently wrote a great review of it on Joel Jamieson’s site here: Citrulline Malate – Your Key to Winning In the Last Round?
5. Dave Ritter and Anne Davis, two presenters at USA Hockey’s ADM Symposium from the US Tennis Association recommended two NY Times articles that I had an opportunity to read through last week. They were just long enough to test my attention span, but I’m glad I worked my way through to the end. Both question current trends/thoughts in our country in the areas of athletic development and success. Check them out here: What if the Secret to Success is Failure?, How to Grow a Super-Athlete
6. I’m always on the prowl for new resources. Recently I’ve found myself looking to these 4 guys more and more for new information or a different look at program design/implementation: Joel Jamieson’s 8 Weeks Out, Cal Dietz’s XL Athlete, Jim Snider’s Neuro Explosion, and Kyle Bangen’s Bangen Athletic Development
7. Have you ever watched a mite or squirt hockey practice and noticed that the coach seems to be yelling more than teaching? Those kids should be having fun the ENTIRE time they’re on the ice. Similarly, the COACH should be having fun the entire time. If you don’t like kids, don’t coach them!
8. With the popularity Facebook has enjoyed, it seems like every industry is trying to develop their own social media site. I can’t tell you how many requests I’ve received to join DIFFERENT business referral sites! Do we really need a social media site for people to say, “I think you should go train with Kevin at Endeavor”? Inevitably, the industry will overgrow before dying back down to a few reasonable, valuable resources. A local group has started a sports-driven site called UR Sports Page that I think may survive the process. Great idea to provide an exclusive site just for athletes.
9. Core training continues to be a hot topic in athletic development and fitness crowds alike. Naturally, this means that a lot of people will fall victim (e.g. waste their time and money) to unscrupulous marketers making amazing claims about the crap they peddle. It’s great to see that Mike Robertson has spent the time and energy to put together a quality core training resource. If you haven’t been following Mike’s work over the last week, check out these posts: Should You Crunch?, Should You Crunch? Part 2, My Core Training Story. I know he has some other great posts planned for this week too. Click any of the links above to head over to his site now, read through the content and sign up for his webinar “Complete Core Training”. It’s free!

That’s a wrap for today. Check back in a couple days for a few interesting insights into the chicken and egg cycle with postural adaptations and goalie-specific performance.
To your success,
Kevin Neeld

Build Courage

Ryan Walter has some excellent articles and knowledge please visit his website!


       
               "Success is not final, failure is not fatal.

                       It's the courage to continue that counts."

                                    Winston Churchill


These are not easy times.

My wife Jenn and I have noticed that all families seem to be going through hard stuff. The challenge then, as we go through difficult times, is to shorten the "pitty-party" and stretch the development of our personal COURAGE.

Author Brian Tracy believes that courage combined with integrity is the foundation of character. "Courage begins with your ability to stick to your principles, to stand for what you believe in, and to refuse to budge unless you feel exactly right about the alternative.

Courage is also the ability to step out with faith, to launch out into the unknown, and then to face the inevitable doubt and uncertainty that accompanies every new venture.

Most people are seduced by the lure of the comfort zone. Taking that courageous step is a bit like going out of a warm house on a cold, windy morning. The average person feels the storm swirling outside, and immediately rushes back inside to his or her comfort zone where it’s nice and warm. But not the true leader; the true leader develops the courage to step away from the familiar and comfortable in order to face the unknown with no guarantees of success.

It is this ability to “boldly go where no man has gone before,” that distinguishes you, as a leader, from the average person. And your example will inspire and motivate others to rise above their previous levels of accomplishment as
well."

Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, was one of the most superb leaders of all time. He became king at the age of 19 when his father, Phillip II, was assassinated. In the next 11 years he conquered much of the known world, leading his armies against numerically superior forces.

Yet, when he was at the height of his power, the master of the universe,
the greatest ruler in history to that date, he would still draw his sword at the
beginning of a battle and lead his men forward into the conflict. He insisted on
leading by example.

Alexander felt that he could not ask his men to risk their lives unless he was willing to demonstrate by his actions that he had complete confidence in the outcome. The sight of Alexander charging forward so excited and motivated his soldiers that no force on earth could stand before them.

This will be true of you and me also. Mustering our courage to deal with difficulty will quietly inspire the people we care about.


My LearningsOver the years I have personally learned that “courage is not the absence of fear.” We all feel fear. During my days playing with the Washington Capitals (many years ago) our team played against the Philadelphia Flyers 10 times every season. The Flyers were known as the “Broad Street Bullies” in those days.

Some of those games would spiral out of control into bench-clearing brawls. Before each of these games, all players on our team struggled with the fear of what might happen that night, but here is what I learned… “Courage is finding ways to get through the fear I am feeling and choosing to get my best game on the ice, independent of those initial feelings.”
Courage then is developed through difficulty, practice and choice!



Thought to ponder:

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

(Christopher Robin to Pooh) A.A. Milne

How To Build Ethics and Integrity

From walkthetalk.com 

Organizational ethics and integrity is a result of effective leadership and a critical mass of “Walking The Talk” behaviors at all levels. Here are a few of my favorites from Ethics4Everyone: The Handbook for Integrity-Based Business Practices:

• Honor Your Promises and Commitments. And that starts by keeping track of them. Set up a “What I Said I’d Do” section in your day planner or personal organizer, or in a small notebook. Record every commitment you make. Check the list daily as a reminder.

• Do Your Business “In The Open.” Unless it involves strategic, company-confidential information, do your business in a way that it is not hidden from those around you. Use this to set an ethics example for coworkers. If you’re comfortable “going public” with your actions and decisions, the chances are good that you’re operating in an ethical manner.

• Eliminate Offensive Words and Comments From Your Vocabulary. Simply put: Watch your mouth! Derogatory terms and off-color jokes have no place at work. They’re degrading and unethical, and they can have legal repercussions. The words you use, and the jokes you tell, say a lot more about you than the people you’re referring to.
   
• Maintain Confidentiality. If you agree to confidentiality, honor your agreement. If you can’t or won’t agree to keep the confidence, make that clear before you accept the information. 

• Be Truthful. Lying is often a gut-level defensive reaction to perceived danger. When you feel the desire to hide the truth, take the time to jot down what you will get out of the trusting relationship versus the short-term gain you might get out of evading the truth.

• Check BEFORE You Act! Check decisions and planned activities for “rightness” before implementing them. Use the questions below (or similar ones supplied by your organization) as your litmus test. Answering “no” to one or more of the following would suggest the need to either develop an alternative strategy or to seek counsel and advice from appropriate sources:

1. Is it legal?
2. Does it comply with our rules and guidelines?
3. Is it in sync with our organizational values?
4. Will I be comfortable and guilt-free if I do it?
5. Does it match our stated commitments and guarantees?
6. Would I do it to my family or friends?
7. Would I be perfectly ok with someone doing it to me?
8. Would the most ethical person I know do it?

Lead well ... LEAD RIGHT,

Backes brings home Hitchcock’s message for Blues

This is a FANTASTIC leadership article - A MUST Read!!!

The night of Nov. 6, David Backes tried to go out with his wife, Kelly. They had to come home early. Only 13 games into his first season as the captain of the St. Louis Blues, Backes faced a crisis. The team had started 6-7-0. Head coach Davis Payne had been fired.

Backes let the dogs out and got on the phone. He hoped he would have the chance to speak to his new coach, veteran Ken Hitchcock, a Stanley Cup winner, before they showed up to the rink on Monday. They had to get on the same page and fast. Their next game was Tuesday night, and it was against a Central Division rival, the Chicago Blackhawks.

Sometime after 6:30 p.m., Hitchcock called from his car – probably somewhere on I-70 or I-71 – as he made the seven-hour drive from his last stop in Columbus, Ohio, to what would be his renaissance in St. Louis. They spoke for about an hour. (Too bad Backes didn’t fly over and pick him up.)

Click Here to Read Rest of Article!

Adversity

If you want to succeed in ANYTHING, you must PERSIST in the face of adversity. The PURPOSE of adversity is to STRENGTHEN your COMMITMENT and your VISION. Without adversity, we get lazy, we procrastinate, we lose desire. Adversity is what PROVES your DESIRE and your RESOLVE and strengthens your COMMITMENT. PUSH through the pain! PERSIST!

How About Stop Clocks and Blue Pucks?

Interesting observations below - What do you think of them?

From MIhockeykid.com

After years of watching this odd practice of stop clocks and blue pucks for the younger kids, I say it's time for an end to both, with at least room for judgment.

Watching the little guys (and girls) go at it on the ice is one of my favorite things to do. It brings back memories of the "not so long ago" when my little guys were balancing precariously on their blades and their pants length ended just above their ankles. But that exprience has given me perspective I didn't have when I was personally in the middle of it.

I tolerated the stop clocks which ended line shifts at 2 minute intervals because they did what they were supposed to do - give all the kids equal (or semi-equal) time on the ice during games. I tolerated the lighter blue pucks because I thought it was better for the kids so they could get the puck off the ice easier and into the air. It also allowed them to not have to survive the impact of a heavier hard black puck hitting them. It wasn't long before I got frustrated with both practices and now that I've had a chance to look back at those years and objectively watch how both these practices screw up the game today, I have the following suggestions:

1) Alter the 2 minute clock hard stop to allow the referees to determine when to blow the whistle. How many times have you seen a poor kid take off on a rush or breakaway and have the buzzer go off just as they cross the blue line? Teach the kids to ignore the buzzer and wait for the referee to blow the whistle at the end of a play.
2) Get rid of the blue pucks. We give our kids heavy orange pucks to train on so they get stronger, so why are we wasting time with the blue pucks? On soft ice they don't even move (ever see a blue puck stop on a warm Spring day in the rink?) and frankly they just slow down a kids strength and stickhandling development. As for injuries? Our kids have never been more protected with equipment - it's a non issue.
What do you think?

Outwork Everyone!

Kevin has awesome articles on his website I highly recommend reading them!

A couple weeks ago, I had an opportunity to talk to the Comcast U16 National team about nutrition. Well, I should say that the talk was intended to be about nutrition, but spawned very quickly into a discussion on what it’s going to take for them to be successful in the future.
Most players are only familiar with their own experience, and while this is valuable information, they simply don’t have the wisdom to understand what it’s going to take to continue developing and excelling beyond the competition. How could they? The assumption that doing what they’ve done to be successful up to that point is harshly misguided. As Tony Robbins once said, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” This is more true of behaviors, as I strongly believe that an optimal mindset WILL help a player continue progressing throughout their career.
With that said, there are a couple things that I think players at every sub-pro level should be aware of:

1. Success at any given level is NOT in any way predictive of success at a higher level. This is especially true in youth hockey where certain players excel initially because of a more rapid development in physical stature or neuromuscular proficiency compared to their peers. Anyone that has been around hockey for any appreciable amount of time has seen STUD peewees that go on to be mediocre midgets; STUD midgets that go on to be mediocre junior players; and STUD junior players that go on to be mediocre college players. I could go on. Don’t get comfortable with your success; be inspired by it.
2. You’re not alone in the race. The U.S. has nearly 300,000 registered youth and junior players. Canada has nearly 500,000. Regardless of your goal, there is a TON of competition. One of the things I tried to get across to the 16U team, which is a Tier I youth team, is that they aren’t just competing against the other 16U National teams. There are kids at the 16U American level that will progress significantly this year and fight them for a job as early as the next season. There are kids from other organizations that will transfer in and fight them for a job. And the most overlooked of all, there are COUNTLESS Tier II youth players that are infuriated that they were cut from the Tier I program and are working their assess off to make sure that the coach that cut them, and EVERYONE else involved, knows that they made a huge mistake. They’re at an age of equalizing. The kids that grew faster than the others will level out. Being big simply won’t be enough. Other kids will hit huge growth spurts and suddenly be more viewed as more able. The same is true of those that developed neurologically faster than others. Everything begins to level out and those with long-term potential begin to emerge.

Defining Hard Work

The thing I like most about this particular group, is that they’re about as cohesive and well-intentioned a team as I’ve ever worked with. As a group, they show up on time, work hard, push each other, and maintain a relatively positive demeanor (especially impressive given their age).  I have no doubt that they work as hard on the ice as they do off. In speaking with them, however, I tried to get them to understand that working hard in front of the coach is the easy part. Anyone can do it. In fact, it should be looked at as the bare minimum expectation to participate in any competitive team sport.
TRUE hard work, is doing the right thing AWAY from the coaches, when no one is around to reward or punish you for your behavior.

“Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.” – Vince Lombardi

In other words, working hard means, among other things:

1. Being willing to wake up 10-15 minutes earlier to eat a quality breakfast, consistently
2. Taking some time throughout the week to prepare snacks and meals
3. Eat frequently if you need to put on weight, even if you aren’t hungry
4. Take supplements like Greens+ and Fish Oil, even if they don’t taste the best
5. Drink Generation UCAN instead of Gatorade, even though it’s mildly less convenient to have it order it online
6. Consume plentiful amounts of the world’s most powerful supplement, water!
7. Foam roll and stretch daily
8. Go to bed at night and wake up in the morning within an hour of the same times everyday
9. Do the “homework” that your strength coach assigns you
10. If available, review game film
11. Take time to watch higher levels of hockey and take note of the habits of peak performers
12. Study the habits of peak performers at your level. What makes them successful?

This is really just a quick glimpse of a handful of things that come to mind immediately. The idea here is to understand that no ONE thing is going to make a tremendous impact on a player’s long-term development, but doing all of the little things right over time certainly will. You want to stack the deck in your favor, do everything you can to ENSURE your success. Don’t hope for it, make it happen. Dr. Colleen Hacker, who spoke to the U.S. Women’s National Program while I was at their camp in Minnesota, calls this “controlling the controllables”. There are a lot of parts of the game that are outside of your control. The refs will probably be bad. Your coach may not like your style of play. You might not be on the line you like. The list goes on and on. But how you PREPARE and how you RESPOND to adversity are ALWAYS within your control.


The best athletes in the world are absolutely meticulous about their preparation…

Example 1: Peyton Manning

Example 2: Michael Phelps

Example 3: Sidney Crosby

None of the things I listed above will earn you any appreciable praise, at least not directly. But don’t do it for the praise. Do it because you care about fulfilling your potential, about pushing the outer boundaries of your genetic gifts. Do it for your teammates. Do it because you’ll reflect on your experiences playing the game for the rest of your life, and it would be tragic to do so with feelings of regret of what could have been. Do it because you want to push the game itself to new heights.

You never know when a game, rather, when a season will come down to one final effort: an inspired back check to prevent an opponent’s scoring chance, winning a battle in the corner to create a game-winning scoring opportunity, having the mental clarity to make a quality breakout pass instead of throwing the puck up the wall. Teams progress through the playoffs or on to the golf courses every year based on a single play like the ones I described above. Do the right things on and off the ice, consistently, to make sure that you’re in a position to come out on the winning end of these battles. THAT is what it means to outwork everyone, and that is what it will take to truly reach your potential.

To your success,
Kevin Neeld

Troock score late to give Team Orr win

Congrats Branden for your great showing in the Prospects Game! Branden has shown great persistence and determination coming back from a year and half neck injury! Great Story!

Seattle Thunderbirds forward Branden Troock lifted Team Orr to a 2-1 victory against Team Cherry at the 2012 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Wednesday night.

With the game tied 1-1 late in the third period, Troock sealed the victory after scoring the go-ahead goal with 24 seconds left in regulation.

Troock's heroics earned him player of the game honours for Team Orr. Soo Greyhounds goaltender Matt Murray was the top player for Team Cherry after making 17 saves in just under 30 minutes of ice time.

Read rest of the Article Here!

How to Boost Your Metabolism

 Article from coreperformance.com 

 

Overview

 

Stoke your body’s metabolism, lose weight. But how? Our culture promotes the idea of eating three square meals a day, avoiding between-meal snacks, and not eating between dinner and bedtime. No wonder we’re facing a global obesity crisis. Stoke your metabolism with the right strategies and you’ll build lean muscle, burn fat, and stay energized.

The Thermic Effect

 

When the body has to digest food, it has to work to get it broken down into a usable form. The term for this is the thermic effect. It means that every time you eat, your body has to rev up the furnace to break that food down. This does not mean you should eat huge meals or grab something from the drive-thru every three hours. You should eat a combination of high-fiber carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats every three hours, in portions that are correct for your size and activity level. When it comes to the number of meals, less is not more. In fact, more meals, means more metabolic revving, so eat wisely, but eat up.

Strategies to Boost Metabolism

 

Grazing

 

Forget what you’ve been taught. If you want to control your appetite, regulate your blood sugar level to stay energized and alert, and build lean muscle mass, you need to more often, not less. Aim for five to six small- to medium-size meals or snacks each day. That equates to eating, on average, every three hours. Think of yourself as “grazing” all day, instead of sitting down for three massive feedings.
It’s possible to fit in six meals a day regardless of your job or lifestyle. Remember that six “meals” should not be long, sit-down affairs. A few could be, but three of those meals should just be snacks; one or two of which might just be shakes before and after your workout. And since you’re eating more often, your traditional breakfasts, lunches and dinners probably will be lighter.

Benefits:

• Controlling blood sugar levels improves concentration and helps regulate appetite. If you can do those two things, you’ll be in much better control of your body. After all, having consistent levels of blood sugar gives you consistent energy and makes you feel good, since you’re avoiding huge swings in hunger and mood.
• Over the course of the day, your mood, concentration, and energy levels go up and down. Aside from the stresses of your day, this is partly a function of your blood sugar levels. When these levels go down there’s a tendency to grab the first food available, and that’s usually not something good for you.
• Frequent eating is like constantly throwing wood on the fire. Digesting food cranks up your metabolism and burns more calories every time you eat. By not eating often, the fire smolders and dies. A hot fire, on the other hand, burns wood continuously. Those six smaller meals keep the fire hot. And since you know you’ll eat in a few hours, you’re less likely to overeat.
•  

Eat Breakfast

 

When you wake up in the morning, your metabolism is running at the lowest metabolic rate of the entire day. Basically, your body is running on fumes. The second you eat something, your body cranks into gear and metabolically starts working at a higher rate. Your morning shower may wake up your mind, but breakfast wakes up your metabolism.

Build Muscle

 

Many people try to get thin by not eating. They deprive their bodies of nutrients, and while they might look healthy, they have dangerous blood profiles and a high ratio of fat to lean muscle. Their bodies are what we call “skinny fat”.
The last thing you want to do is lose lean mass. After all, you train hard to build muscle, which produces power, stabilizes joints, promotes movement, and is critical for optimal performance throughout life, not to mention on the athletic field. Moreover, the average person loses a pound of lean mass per year, so it’s imperative to take action to maintain your muscle.
What’s more, every pound of muscle you pack on requires approximately 20 additional calories. So add muscle and more of your food will go towards sustaining your physique.
If you don’t eat often, the most readily available substance for the body to consume is muscle. There’s a misconception that the body first eats away its fat. But the body is remarkably resistant to fat loss and will turn to its lean muscle first, a process known as catabolism, keeping stored body fat in reserve as long as necessary. In other words, eating less often can actually waste muscle.

Fuel with Protein

 

You should include a lean protein source with every meal. Protein has the highest “thermic effect” of all the macronutrients. To use the analogy that frequent eating is like throwing wood on a fire, when you eat protein, it is like throwing lighter fluid onto that fire. So include a lean protein source with every meal to get a little extra burst of metabolic power.

-- Research by Evan Gray

College teams at disadvantage in recruiting wars with CHL

All the talk this week is about football recruiting. But Monday was a huge recruiting day in college hockey for that team with no nickname: North Dakota.

UND got commitments from forwards Adam Tambellini of Vernon of the BCHL and Bryn Chyzyk of Fargo of the USHL.

Tambelllini is the son of Edmonton Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini. He visited Grand Forks when the Gophers played there on Jan. 13.

Chyzyk has 20 goals and 31 points for the Force. He will join UND next season. Tambellini, 17, is coming to Grand Forks in 2013-14 after another season in the BCHL. Tambellini has 20 goals and 38 points for the Vipers.

But UND coach Dave Hakstol was not so pleased about his team's recruiting success on Jan. 13, when he appeared at a UND boosters luncheon at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks.
A four-column headline in the Grand Forks Herald's sports cover two days earlier had this headline: Prized recruit bails.

Stefan Matteau, the leading scorer on the under-18 U.S. team, had changed his mind. He was going to play for Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League instead of UND next season. He signed his national letter of intent in November, but BBA traded for his rights this month of one of their coaches is his father.

UND also lost J.T. Miller, who also had signed a national letter of intent, last July. He went to the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League.

 Even though it was Minnesota week in Fargo, Hakstol spend a good deal of time talking about recruiting to the several hundred people at the luncheon. And he appears ready to lead a coaches' charge to weaken the CHL's ability to keep recruiting signed players.

"We lost a recruit this week," Hakstol said. "I don't want to talk about the young man and the family. I don't think that is a classy thing to do. Those things remain where they belong, and that is behind closed doors.
"We lost a pretty good potential player to our program. We lost one last summer as well. My mentality right now --  there is a good recruiting battle. It is fun when you get into recruiting battles with Wisconsin, Boston College, Michigan, with Duluth, with Minnesota.

"You go into those things and you are fully armed with the things you do well. And you can tell your story. Kids make good decisions after they take time to find the right spot for them.

"Now we have a second recruiting battle with the CHL," Hakstol said. "We are going in with our hands absolutely tied behind our backs. It's a one-way battle. We are not able to go up and recruit those players. [If] the CHL can get a young man to play one game or not even to play a game, just sign a contract. That player can no longer play college hockey.

To read the rest of the article Click Here!

Teachers or Coaches?

The gaps between professional hockey and the junior ranks are obvious to most hockey enthusiasts, including the amount of practice.

With NHL teams having three or four games a week, the number of practices decrease.
In junior hockey, gaps between games may drag on. Take the Edmonton Oil Kings, for example: they played last Saturday night against the Vancouver Giants and don't play their next game until Friday against the Red Deer Rebels.

"I think it's a good idea to front-load your practices at the beginning of a week when you have several days between games," says Edmonton Oil King coach Derek Laxdal. "As you get closer to the game, you can break the time up into offensive teams, defensive teams and special teams.

With plenty of time to teach, keeping players engaged is crucial.

"Flow is very important in practice. If you have good flow in your practice, then you're going to have good flow in your games," says Laxdal.

"If you have good flow, you might be on the ice for an hour and 15 minutes, but if you're doing lots of things it feels like 20 minutes - and then you have good flow."

Gord Thibodeau, coach of the Alberta Junior Hockey League's Fort McMurray Oil Barons agrees with Laxdal, but only to a point.

Read the rest of the article Here!