Pre-bed casein ingestion: is it really necessary?

The ingestion of casein before sleep, or any other protein for that matter, has been a popular strategy for bodybuilders, athletes and fitness enthusiasts for as long as I can remember. In this article, I will examine what the scientific literature has to say about the matter and whether it lives up to its hype.

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Beetroot Juice: Endurance athletes’ elation or another flop? (Guest Post by Mark Funnell)

Beetroot Juice: Endurance athletes’ elation or another flop? (Guest Post by Mark Funnell)

It seems like you can't open a cycling magazine, read a running forum or speak to an endurance enthusiast without being drawn into a discussion about beetroot juice. With article headlines such as, “Power to the beetroot - PB up, BP down” and “Beetroot Juice: The Drink of Champions” becoming evermore common, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at some of the research and determine whether these claims are justified. As such, the aim of this article is to discuss all things beetroot and try to find out if it really is “The Drink of Champions”.

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Vitamin D and athletic performance: do you need to supplement? (Guest Post by Joe Matthews)

Vitamin D and athletic performance: do you need to supplement? (Guest Post by Joe Matthews)

Vitamin D is a fashionable supplement to have in your cupboard. A quick online scout of popular sites sees headlines such as…

“Vitamin D the most underrated vitamin on the planet”

“Get lean by taking vitamin D – it raises testosterone and elevates metabolism”

“D is for domination” (personal favourite)

So, does it live up to the hype?

Here, we will briefly critique the current evidence regarding vitamin D supplementation and athletic performance.

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An Objective Review of the Men’s Fitness 12 Week Body Plan

An Objective Review of the Men’s Fitness 12 Week Body Plan

Over the past few months I’ve been asked numerous times about my thoughts on the Men’s Fitness 12 Week Body Plan (12WBP). Given the heavy marketing behind it, I already knew its general premise, but never enough to properly comment. Luckily, a former client of mine sent me a copy so I gave it a read. Given its popularity, I thought I’d drag the book through the rigours of science and see if it can make it through the other side in one piece.

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An Objective Review of John Kiefer’s Carb Back-Loading (Part 2)

An Objective Review of John Kiefer’s Carb Back-Loading (Part 2)

The Limitations of CBL

Some general concerns with CBL

Firstly, I don’t think that eliminating carbs all day is needed for most people, and is potentially detrimental to some, especially those who generally don’t feel good on low carbs, or athletes with high carb requirements. Given the requirement to train in the late afternoon/early evening, CBL is also not practical for those who train in the morning or afternoon. However, Kiefer does address this issue and adapts CBL for people who have work/family commitments that would clash with early evening training. To me, this somehow contradicts all what is said in the rest of the book with regards to physiology and circadian rhythms.

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