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This article appeared in the April 09, 2009 issue of Cycling Weekly UK. www.cyclingweekly.co.uk
INFLAMMATION REDUCES PERFORMANCE, so how can diet affect a rider’s ability to recover more effectively?
It would seem that anti-inflammatory diets have taken the cycling world by storm. The Garmin-Slipstream team have been using these plans to improve their recovery from hard training bouts and to allow their bodies to endure the successive days of hard riding required of them. Indeed Dr. Matthew Rabin, the team’s chiropractor and general recovery miracle worker, has been busy testing levels of inflammation from blood samples taken from the team and watching inflammatory markers reduce as a result of their adapted ‘Zone Diet’ meal plan.
Testing inflammation
Rabin has been working closely with Dr. Allen Lim, Garmin’s head physiologist, to implement this way of eating since before last year’s Tour de France. The change in blood lipid profiles in the riders has been significant according to Rabin, who speaks of Magnus Backstedt’s turnaround prior to last year’s Tour.
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“Two weeks out from the Tour, Magnus’s levels of inflammation were so high he wouldn’t have been able to get through the tour, but the changes we made to his diet not only had an impact on these profiles, but had an impact fast. On the start-line he was back within norms, which is completely down to following the anti-inflammatory plan rigidly.”
Rabin tests the riders’ blood samples for lipid ratios on a regular basis. By altering their diets to bias anti-inflammatory fats and foods, and reducing intake of pro-inflammatory fats and foods, the blood lipid profile changes. This has a positive effect on recovery, the immune system and general health.
Going against the grain
It seems cycling teams have lived on wheat-based foods for many years as their staple food, arriving at hotels to be greeted with trays of pasta selections and large quantities of bread to fill up on.
Rabin says: “Garmin decided to make a change to positively improve the diet of the riders.” They began to order special menus for the riders in hotels, and often inserted their own chef “Willy” into the kitchens.
They made the change from wheat-based products, due to their association with increased markers of inflammation in the body, to oat-based foods, and reduced consumption of red meats, which are also associated with increased inflammation, by substituting white meats and lots of fish. This diet is far removed from the high carbohydrate pizza and pasta-based feasts that many endurance athletes select in the belief that they are effectively refueling for their next straining session.
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 What is inflammation?
INFLAMMATION is a set of symptoms that includes pain, swelling, heat and redness of an affected organ or tissue. It is the way the body’s immune system responds to an attack, infection or injury.
Hard training causes muscle micro-damage that begins this process of inflammation, often only being seen as post-exercise muscle soreness for riders, and possibly mild inflammation of the sites of the body that have worked excessively. This stiffness can often be felt when we get back on the bike and can negatively affect the next ride, mostly through reduced power in the short-term. It can also increase risk of injury if not addressed. Food can help to control this inflammation (being anti-inflammatory) or increase it (being pro-inflammatory) and therefore has a large role to play in any serious cyclist’s training regime. In the longer term, increasing inflammation through food (even without regular training) can lead to chronic inflammation in the body, and the development of a range of conditions such as arthritis and various auto-immune diseases. So, there is a reason, beyond performance, to incorporate anti-inflammatory foods in your diet.
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Food that helps to control inflammation
A KEY element in selecting foods to reduce inflammation in the body is choosing ‘good’ fats over ‘bad’ ones. ‘Bad’ fats – namely saturated fats and trans-fats – lead to the release of inflammatory hormones, and ‘good’ fats – fats that are high in polyunsaturates and monounsaturates, and contain essential fatty acids (EFAs) – lead to the release of anti-inflammatory hormones. So, favouring the latter is critical for short-term recovery and longer-term health.
Dr. Rabin assists the team by ensuring they each supplement their diets with EFAs, focusing on Omega 3 fatty acids. These are found mainly in cold-water fish like mackerel, salmon, sardines and herring. In addition, the oils of wild-caught fish contain a significantly higher proportion of Omega 3 than the oils of farm-raised fish. Other vegetable sources of Omega 3 are nuts and seeds, including walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Rabin is looking to see a favourable ratio of EPA (an omega 3 fat) to AA (arachidonic acid). Yes, you guessed it, arachidonic acid is present in the ‘bad’ fats, mainly found in red meats, processed foods and some margarines. The reality is that even after cutting these foods down in the diet, our bodies can still make AA, so eating the anti-inflammatory foods is critical to controlling this consumption.
Phytonutrients
Rabin recommends the riders eat to these guidelines and also supplement on EFA capsules. Some of the riders are taking doses as high as nine to 12 grams per day; well above the three to six grams per day recommended to the general population.
In addition to the ‘fat’ guidelines, the riders eat plenty of phytonutrient-rich foods such as vegetables and fruit. Foods, such as onions and apples, containing quercetin, a natural anti-inflammatory, are included in the diet, as are fruit and vegetables containing key antioxidants, vitamins A, C and E, including blackberries, strawberries, kiwi fruit, peaches, mango, apples, carrot, sweet potato, spinach, greens, broccoli and cabbage as well as lentils, chick peas, brown rice and non-instant oatmeal.
Garmin’s anti-inflammatory strategy is followed throughout the day, but the key time, when it’s a monitored focus, is on the bike and in recovery.
Feeling that too many sugary foods were being consumed on the bike which could have been increasing inflammation, Dr Lim recommended the riders switch to rice cakes, made from rice, vegetables and eggs, with sweet and savoury options for added variety, that are made up pre-ride/race and handed to the riders en-route. The rice will deliver sustained energy, eggs provide protein, and bacon, ham and the other selected savoury ingredients are adding further protein and assisting the replenishment of salts that will have been lost in sweat during training.
Dr. Lim’s Rice Cake recipe
1 cup of sushi rice cooked
3 eggs, scrambled and cooked in olive oil
Bacon or Ham (add all together and mix)
Other ingredients as desired, selected from:
Parmesan
Liquid Amino’s
Salt
Soy Sauce
Honey
Fruit
These ingredients are cooked, mixed and packed into a flat tin. Once cooled, they produce a sticky mixture that is easy to section into small portions, wrap in foil and consume on the go.
THE POST-RIDE MEAL
Three courses
The CW team experienced part of the team’s recovery protocol on our trip to their training camp in Girona. Starting from the recovery formula right after their ride, they then consumed a number of anti-inflammatory courses:
Course 1:
A large salad containing onions, apple, green salad and walnuts heavily drizzled with olive oil.
Course 2:
Roasted vegetables including carrots, artichokes and onion soaked in olive oil. Parmesan was added to the riders’ dishes.
Course 3:
Rice paella with fresh fish, olive oil marinade.
In reality, most of us mere mortals getting off our bikes would not require this quantity of food, but following the principles of consuming your recovery drink straight after your ride, and then including a variety of anti-inflammatory ingredients in your next meal (ideally within an hour), should assist the recovery process and control inflammation.
Eating in “The Zone”
The team’s anti-inflammatory meal plan originates from ‘The Zone’ eating plan but with modifications for an athletic lifestyle.
Concentrating during the day on low-glycaemic foods, that are also low on the inflammatory list, and high-glycaemic foods during training, they get the perfect mix for energy and recovery.
As Rabin himself says: “When there is often such a small margin between winning and losing, a diet such as this could make the difference.”
Aiming to get the best diet for both performance and long-term health, this team appear to be receiving world-class nutritional support.
You can find out more about ‘The Zone Diet’ at www.zonediet.com, but ensure you insert energy-providing high-glycaemic foods before, during the immediately after training.
This article appeared in the April 09, 2009 issue of Cycling Weekly UK. www.cyclingweekly.co.uk
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 Dr. Barry Sears is a leading authority on the dietary control of hormonal response. A former research scientist at the Boston University School of Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Sears has dedicated his research efforts over the past 30 years to the study of lipids. He holds 13 U.S. Patents in the areas of intravenous drug delivery systems and hormonal regulation for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
A turning point in his research occurred in 1982. That year, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for discoveries of the role that specialized hormones, known as eicosanoids, play in the development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, and cancer. Since eicosanoids are only generated from dietary fat, Dr. Sears reasoned that one could apply intravenous drug delivery principles to nutrition in order to control these exceptionally powerful hormonal responses with laser-like precision. In essence, his approach treats food as if it were a drug.
This area of his research led to various patents in the area of hormonal control by essentially using food as an oral drug delivery system to modulate eicosanoids especially for cardiovascular, diabetic, and neurological patients.
The impact of Dr. Sears’ revolutionary work in the dietary control of hormonal response began with the publication of his landmark book, The Zone. Since its publication in June 1995, The Zone has sold more than 2,000,000 hardcover copies, and became a #1 best seller on the New York Times book list. In addition, The Zone has been translated into 22 languages indicating a worldwide response to Dr. Sears’ research. His second book, Mastering the Zone, published in 1997, also became a New York Times bestseller with hardcover sales in excess of 500,000 copies to date. His third book, Zone Perfect Meals in Minutes, published in 1997, quickly became one of the best-selling cookbooks of 1997 and an another New York Times bestseller. The Anti-Aging Zone was published in 1999 and provides the molecular insights into how the Zone Diet can reverse the aging process. The Omega Rx Zone, published in 2002, explores the molecular foundation of chronic disease and how high-dose fish oil can dramatically reverse it. His latest book The Anti-Inflammation Zone discusses how to combat silent inflammation in order to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and many other inflammatory conditions—and how to reverse these conditions if they are already present. To date more than 5 million hardcover copies of his Zone books have been sold in the United States.
His research has elevated food from more than simply a source of calories to being recognized as an exceptionally powerful drug. Because of his revolutionary research, Dr. Sears has been a frequent guest on many national programs such as 20/20, Today, Good Morning America, CBS Morning News, CNN, and MSNBC.
Dr. Sears continues his ongoing research as President of Zone Labs, a biotechnology company in Danvers, MA as well as the President of the non-profit Inflammation Research Foundation in Marblehead, MA. In addition to continuing research on the hormonal effects of food, Dr. Sears has expanded his research in developing innovative dietary approaches to treating cancer and neurological conditions, as well as his on-going work in treating cardiovascular diease and type 2 diabetes.
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I have been taking the Fish Oil for over 3 years now. I am 44 playing hockey and working out. The Fish oil helps with the pain that I get from playing hockey. It greatly enhances my performance on the ice and while working out. I have noticed a big difference in my energy, attentiveness and memory. If I miss a day for whatever reason, I notice a huge difference and it feels like something is missing. Anyway that is my short little story and it comes from the heart.
– Carter B.
I am a nutritionist and Ph.D. doctor of health and nutrition. For Dr. Sears to figure out balancing fat, carbs and protein, is really beyond brilliant. It is a milestone in diet history. I go over people's diet/emotional journals. Mostly all the time, we discover that the fatigue, irritability, unstable emotions were due to the imbalance in their diet. Using the Zone to balance them out, helps control weight, roller coaster emotions and gives them energy. Dr. Sears is so right when he says food is medicine. He has figured out the most powerful drug combination going, called The Zone.
Best and healthy wishes,
– Elaine W., Ph.D., N.C., M.A.
I have a very exhausting job as a flight attendant. I read the "Omega Rx Zone" about 4 years ago and started taking the fish oil. I am 47 and have been flying for 22 years. I am very active, I run and lift weights. But combining lack of regular sleep, a physically demanding job, and irregular eating patterns this job takes a toll on the body. Since taking the fish oil, I have noticed that I do not get exhausted. I get tired, but not exhausted. I stopped taking it for a couple of months and then started taking another company's fish oil. I started getting exhausted again. I came back to Zone Labs and will continue with the fish oil for the rest of my life. I believe in the product and it makes a huge difference in my life. It makes a difference with my running as well. I also bring the bars and shakes with me on the road. It is almost impossible to eat the way I should at work. I haven't found the right secret. At least I have my Zone fish oil, bars, and shakes.
– Kathryn S.
I have been in the Zone, for about 1 month now. I wanted to share with you how wonderful I think this program is. I have been a personal trainer for almost 10 years and actively compete in numerous athletic activities. The Zone program has helped me to achieve a better awareness of my nutritional needs and the results I have seen are amazing! I have lost nearly 13 lbs since I have been in the Zone. I feel more mentally alert, more focused at work, have greater intensity during my training, have made significant strength gains, and just feel better over all. With that said, I would like to thank you for helping me in my quest for "super-health"!
Thank you!
– Rob Y.
I read 'The Zone' and as exactly as I could followed the advice for diet. I noted weight loss progress. Over six months, I lost 33 pounds. One year has passed since then. I have maintained the new weight, guided always by Zone concepts. The Zone is powerful - I have found it fantastic and I am very grateful to Dr Sears.
– Lyn S.
Before I stumbled across the Zone I was weighing close to two hundred pounds and I was depressed. I used to be a gymnast as a young man. I would think, "look at me now," when I looked in a mirror. The day I found 'The Zone' book, I was intrigued and as I read it the science made sense and so, I began to follow the "treatment". I began to lose weight and I was feeling way more energetic. I am forty two years old, I am very active and my weight is down to 162 lbs, 38 pounds lost on the Zone. I cycle, walk, jog, swim and I can now perform some of the more simple gymnastic skills I did twenty years ago...I literally feel like I have turned back the clock.
Thank you!
– Jack J.
I have been on the Zone diet for 7 years. I did not go on the diet to lose weight necessarily; but fairly quickly I lost 25 pounds, going from 190 to 165; from a 36-inch waist to a 32-inch waist. I primarily did the Zone to live healthier. My health is excellent now. I just turned 62 years old. My Zone is my eating lifestyle now; I seldom stray; and I do not miss anything. It is The Good Life.
– Curtis Y.
My wife's doctor told her to read "Enter the Zone" and to do the diet, so I told her I would do it with her. After only one week on the plan we went on a strenuous hike (the first of the year), and when we stopped at our favorite coffee shop on the way home I was able to get out of the car and stand upright and walk into the place without pain or stiffness. The Zone had eliminated all the inflammation that had always forced me to stumble all humped over into the coffee shop any time we skied or hiked all day.
Thank you, Doctor Sears.
– Larry C.
I used to have a lot of knee pain when I walked or ran. I have been taking Omega Rx for almost a year now, and rarely have any pain. I believe it is the anti-inflammation action of the oil. I feel smarter as well. Thanks for developing such a superior oil!
– Joe W.
Prior to following the Zone Diet, my body fat was around 15% and my weight around 153 pounds. No matter what I did, my weight and body fat did not change much. I regularly cycled 20-30 hours per week logging well over 400 miles. That had little impact on body fat or weight. Diet also seemed to have little impact on body fat or weight. Within a couple of months of following the zone diet, my weight dropped rather quickly to 142 pounds and body fat to about 8%. I still regularly cycle up to 20 hours per week (during the summer). I have also started strength training. I eat about 16 blocks per day. I take 3.6 grams of fish oil per day, along with Vitamin E, Alpha Lipoic Acid, CoQ10, and B & C vitamins. I also take GLA, which in my opinion, has significantly reduced fatigue and improved recovery times after exercise.
– Jeremy S.
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All polyphenols have antioxidant properties than can be measured by their Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC), but not all polyphenols have anti-inflammatory properties. The polyphenols in Dr. Sears’ Zone Polyphenol Plus have been carefully chosen to have both.
Polyphenols are the phytochemicals that not only give fruits and vegetables their color, but also help regulate inflammation. In addition, polyphenols also activate the key enzyme (AMP kinase) that helps restore cellular ATP levels. Polyphenols also help regulate the activation of inducible inflammatory proteins (such as COX-2 and inflammatory cytokines).
There are more than 4,000 known polyphenols, and the richest sources are fruits and vegetables. In general, the more color a fruit or vegetable has, the richer the polyphenol content.
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Zone Labs’ Ultra Refined Omega-3 Concentrates are three times fresher and contain less than 1/10th the mercury than what is allowed by the Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia Standard
Zone Labs adheres to the International Fish Oil Standard (IFOS), an independent third party validated laboratory quality standard that is more rigid than any other global standard for purity.
- No company in the worlds runs more tests with IFOS than Zone Labs
- Zone Labs receives a 5 out of 5 star IFOS rating for every batch it tests
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| Standard |
IFOS Standard for a 5-Star Ranking |
Council for Responsible Nutrition |
European Pharmacopeia |
Norwegian Medicinal Standards |
| Peroxide |
< 3.75 meg/kg |
5 meg/kg |
10 meg/kg |
10 meg/kg |
| Totox Levels |
< 20 meg/kg |
26 meg/kg |
NA |
NA |
| Lead |
< 10 ppb |
10 ppb |
100 ppb |
100 ppb |
| Mercury |
< 10 ppb |
10 ppb |
100 ppb |
100 ppb |
| Dioxans and Furans |
< 1 ppt |
2 ppt |
2 ppt |
2 ppt |
| PCBs |
< 45 ppb |
90 ppb |
NA |
NA |
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"IFOS – THE TOP GLOBAL PURITY STANDARD FOR OMEGA-3 FROM FISH"
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Zone Labs products show no detectable lead or mercury when tested down to 10ppb, which is 10 times below the Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia Standard limits.
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Zone Labs products are three times fresher than the minimum allowed by the Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia Standards (based on average peroxide values).
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Zone Labs starts with only wild, small fish from pristine Chilean waters and ends with proprietary validation and testing processes to achieve an IFOS certified 5 star rating.
8-Step Manufacturing Process - Quality Assured
Testing to specification all raw materials, bulk products, packaging material and finished products – always using stringent internal standards and in-process testing.
- Extraction of fish oil
- Winterization – remove limited amounts of saturated fats
- Absorption – remove heavy metals
- Preliminary Molecular Distillation – refining “touch up” to reduce contaminants
- Oil conversion to ethyl esters
- Ethyl ester thermal fractionation – remove additional saturated fats
- True Molecular Distillation – final refining to remove pcb’s and long-chain monoenes
- Rigid Processes – proprietary validation, inspection and encapsulation methods. Independent lab verification of IFOS requirements and certified 5 star rating
No farmed fish. No large fish. Pristine waters.
Zone Labs starts with wild sardines & anchovies fished from cold, pristine waters off of South America where there are less environmental impurities.
A recommended serving of Zone Labs Ultra-Refined Concentrates delivers 8 times more omega-3’s than a typical retail fish oil supplement.
Most fish oil supplements have 30% or less of the healthy omega-3s EPA and DHA, with the remaining 70% of the capsule containing unbeneficial, lesser refined fatty acids that contribute to their bad taste and gastric side effects.
Getting a clinically valid dose of omega-3’s is easy with Zone Labs’ Ultra-Refined Omega-3 Concentrates.
Typical Retail Dose = 300mg omega-3
Standard Zone Dose = 2400mg omega-3
A serving of canned tuna has 12 times less omega-3’s than
Zone Labs Ultra-Refined Omega-3 Concentrates
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Commonly consumed fish and shellfish in the United States
Mercury Source: Food and Drug Administration, FDA 1900-2004, “National Marine Fisheries Service Survey of Trace Elements in the Fishery Resource". Omega-3 Level Source: American Heart Association Website.
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Mercury level
in parts per million (ppm) |
Omega-3 fatty acids
(milligrams per 3-oz. serving) |
| Zone Omega-3 Products |
< 0.01 |
2400 (standard 4 capsule serving |
| Salmon (fresh, frozen) |
0.014 |
1200 |
| Flounder or sole |
0.050 |
480 |
| Pollock |
0.041 |
450 |
| Crab |
0.060 |
400 |
| Scallops |
0.050 |
290 |
| Shrimp |
ND* |
290 |
| Catfish |
0.050 |
270 |
| Clams |
ND* |
250 |
| Cod |
0.095 |
210 |
| Canned Tuna (light) |
0.120 |
200 |
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Zone Labs’ leading product. OmegaRx delivers all of the benefits of Zone Labs’ ultra-refined omega-3 concentrates.
Advantages
- Delivers clinically proven health benefits from the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA*
- Promotes a healthy heart, healthy brain, healthy immune system, healthy circulatory system, healthy joints, healthy moods, healthy triglyceride levels and a healthy pregnancy*
- Combats silent inflammation
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