In addition to helping your muscles burn fat more efficiently, the amino acid carnitine can also help your muscles use testosterone to improve muscle recovery as well. 

Ironman Cozumel '11 race report, by our very own Chris Barker. An inspiring read to keep you motivated this winter!

Ok, now you're sick. What should you do?

Most of us believe that exposure to cold, damp weather brings a cold on...but this may not necessarily be true.

Well it’s that time of year again…time for our self-proclaimed “Epic Mountain Bike Ride”.

Certain anabolic hormone levels are directly correlated with blood levels of magnesium.

The famous sleep aid, melatonin, can help reduce free radicals and inflammatory compound production in intense exercise.

New studies show that yoga can significantly benefit rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.

New research shows that chocolate has some powerful antioxidant properties in athletes.

Endurance exercise can increase the number of stem cells in the muscles. Stem cells help regenerate our bodies as older parts need replacement.

There’s a lot of talk about maintaining our body’s internal acid-base balance.  This concept has been around for years, but has been growing in popularity these days.  What does it all mean, and what should you do?

Plant compounds have widespread health and performance benefits. Quercetin is one that can boost performance by increasing the amount of energy your cells make.

New research shows that despite contrary popular belief, exercise builds the brain in area where we are susceptible to stress and depression.

Athletes tend to favor high carbohydrate diets at the expense of lean proteins that contain branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). BCAAs are important post-exercise for muscle recovery.

The amino acid carnitine can significantly aid muscle function and exercise performance, a new study shows. Carnitine is an amino acid made in the body and is best known for assisting with the breakdown of fats for energy production. 

Yet another great reason to supplement with quality fish oil! Omega-3 oils, found in fish oil, can benefit muscle recovery.

A new study shows how the juice from cherries can offset exercise-induced muscle damage. Yet another good reason to lay off the ibuprofen and boost fruit intake! 

Here’s one of our favorite post-workout drinks. This highly nutritious green smoothie is loaded with EXACTLY what you need for recovery. 

An incredible clip about running and what it can do for us.  Also great information about losing the overhyped, overbuilt ‘running shoe’.  Here is what we think about the modern running shoe.

Rhodiola rosea is an important botanical supplement with amazing benefits for active and athletic people. Rhodiola rosea has experienced a strong upsurge in popularity in recent years. There are many stucies showing its benefits for active and athletic people. Rhodiola is not a...

People love to blame sore muscles on lactic acid. Did you know that this is a myth? A long-held notion is that 'Lactic acid causes muscle soreness'. Despite being disproved in the late 70's, people still love to tout it as the reason for...

It would seem that athletes suffer from more than their fair share of digestive problems than the rest of the population. Runners in particular, are most affected. 

“Inflammation” describes what your body does to heal itself. Typically, this involves redness, swelling, heat and pain.  Ibuprofen and other drugs have a lot of nasty side effects. That's why we use systemic enzymes to treat inflammation instead...

Tendons and Ligaments are notoriously slow/poor at healing. When they get injured, the body does what it can to repair them. However, because of their poor blood supply, they often heal incompletely. The most common...

Do you drink sports beverages at the gym? Not a good idea if your goal is to lose some weight. Ok, it's that time of year right? Many people have weight loss and exercise on their minds. So you go to the gym and work out...

Wheezing with physical activity (also known as exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, or asthma) is the result of narrowed airways in the lungs. New research shows that fish oil can help. Both asthmatics and non-asthmatics can experince exercise induced asthma. Traditionally, wheezing...

Welcome to 2011! Are you wondering what the BEST health advice is? Well, the bad news is that there’s nothing new. But the GOOD news is that this is timeless advice that hasn’t changed, and never will, despite the various fad diet and exercise programs that sweep the nation every few years. 

The things you need to do to stay healthy have pretty much ALWAYS been the same. 

Take a look at what the original Natural Athlete, Jack Lalane has to say in this short 3 minute video.  LaLane is considered the “the godfather of fitness”.  Still alive and kicking (if that’s what you can call it…check out his accomplishments!), he was the host of the longest-running TV exercise and fitness show for 34 years. This video is from the 1950’s and if you listen closely, you will hear the exact same thing that health and fitness experts are saying today that he was teaching 50+ years ago!  Yes, it has a bit of a 'cheese' factor, but its simple, good stuff!  By the way, Jack is 97 years old!

Often times I am asked, “just how long can I rest while I recover from my injury/illness, before I start to lose my fitness level”?  All of us are hesitant to give up the gains we have made from all of that training. Although this is not a straight forward question, there is plenty of enlightening research on this subject. 

Is it okay to exercise when you’re sick? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Learn these simple rules for exercising while ill.  Despite your best attempts, sometimes you just get sick. You've been working hard on taking vare of yourself, and all of a sudden...

Well, as the song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”, but for many wintertime means battling several rounds of “The Crud”. But, there is plenty you can do to prevent and treat winter illnesses naturally and effectively.

Looking for a couple of fun triathlons to do this winter? 

T2 Coaching Indoor Triathlons are Coming!

Vitamin D acts more like a hormone in the body than a vitamin. Because of this, researchers think  it plays a role in athletic performance; there are handfuls of studies showing an interesting relationship between vitamin D and performance. 

Let 'er rip! ....oooofff

HT The Goat for the video.

Nice one!

Tendonitis is a condition that is relatively easy to come by. Overuse and or repetitive motion are always the cause. Early and aggressive treatment is important to prevent this from becoming a chronic condition.

Clinical experience has shown again and again that returning the foot to its natural state treats most foot problems, and by extension, many ankle, knee, hip and back problems.  In the United States where narrow and rigid footwear is the norm, the occurrence of foot, ankle, and other joint problems is substantially higher.  So what's the reason for this disparity? 

Being from Colorado, we know altitude.  Denver and the Front Range areas are roughly 5000+ feet, or a mile (1600 meters) high.  This elevation, while nothing extreme, definitely presents a challenge to visitors. 

Throughout ‘alternative’ medical circles many practitioners address the condition known as “adrenal fatigue”. Like many other functional medical approaches, the concept of adrenal fatigue is gaining more and more attention, with good reason as our society continues to push harder and harder at this game of life. 

NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) are a popular grouping of mostly over the counter pain relieving drugs. As you can tell from their name, they act as anti-inflammatory drugs. Athletes pop ibuprofen so often that it is jokingly referred to as 'Vitamin I'. Problem is, it just isn't that good for you and has some serious side effects for many of us. 

The female athletic triad is a collection of symptoms that includes inadequate energy intake (and may or may not include eating disorders), hormonal imbalance (dysfunctional menstruation) and poor bone health (osteopenia and osteoporosis). The triad most often occurs in female athletics competing in sports that emphasize leanness. It can have serious implications on long-term health, beyond the time period of athletic competition.

There are several forms of anemia. The type we are concerned with is iron-deficiency anemia. Why? Because this is the type of anemia that most often affects athletes.