The desirable body fat percentage for an athlete depends on their sport and gender. According to scientists, the ideal body fat percentage for most male athletes is between 6 and 15%, and for female athletes, it is between 12 and 18%. Body fat should be the lowest (less than 6%) for bodybuilders and probably long-distance runners, while for cyclists, gymnasts, sprinters, football players and martial arts, body fat should be between 6 and 15%. So, to cover the most basic…
Carrying excessive body fat is a disadvantage in almost any sport. It can badly affect strength, speed, and endurance. In sports like running, cycling, sprinting, and combat sports, excessive body fat is always a problem. The only sport where fat could give a necessary advantage is sumo wrestling. Surplus fat is like unnecessary baggage that you must carry, and because of that, almost any sport requires the leanest body to win. So, the goal for the majority of athletes is…
The main rule for losing weight is to burn more calories than you consume. In other words, the secret of all diets is a calorie deficit. Unfortunately, this rule is not always working correctly. Every rule always has an exception. Calorie deficit theory will not work if you have issues with some of your endocrine glands. In a previous article – “How hormonal imbalances can affect your weight loss”, we already spoke about problems with hormones like cortisol, insulin, thyroid…
Many personal trainers and nutrition advisors will tell you that, regardless of your diet, the fundamental principle for weight loss is creating a calorie deficit - burning more calories than you consume. More about this principle you can read in my article: "The secret of all diets". However, it's not always that simple. Even if you eat less and exercise more, weight loss may still be tricky. This is because weight gain can be caused not only by poor eating…
Do you have a problem losing weight no matter how much effort you put into the gym? Or you are a skinny guy trying to increase muscle mass, but your muscles don't want to grow? The answer to this problem can lie in your specific body type. You must work with your body instead of against it to achieve your goals. You need to know your body type, eat, and train in the gym according to your body type. Different…
Mostly, when people want to lose weight, they come to personal trainers or nutritionists and give them approximately such information: “I start my day with coffee and a sandwich. During lunch, I eat pasta with salad and chicken breast, plus some muffin, during dinner I eat a sandwich with tea and some apple. Why don’t I lose weight?”. They expect a personal trainer to give them some suggestions quickly, and they will start losing weight. But this information is not…
When you want to lose weight, you start searching the internet for a diet. But what diet is the best for losing weight? Is it an intermittent fasting diet, Plant-based diet, Low-carb diet, Paleo diet, Low-fat diet, Mediterranean diet, or something else? Actually, it doesn’t matter what diet you use to lose weight, because they all have the same principle: “If you want to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume”. In other words, the secret of…
Alcohol is a compound made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. It is produced when yeast ferments sugars. The amount of alcoholic content in a drink is determined by the amount of yeast and the length of fermentation. Wine and cider are made from fruit, while rye and barley form the basis of beers and spirits. Alcohol affects our body and mind immediately after it is consumed. Some of its effects can be short-lasting, but others can stay longer or…