Author Archive
Fit Tip: Visualize Your Success
Visualize Your Success:
On days you find it hard to start your program, imagine how you look and/or feel on meeting your next goal.
Picture yourself having made that achievement and then get to work!
Alternatively visualize how you may look if you don’t keep up the good work.
Gain Explosive Power with BAND Training
Tuesday Trainer Tip: Training with Bands
By John Gaglione
The last few weeks we discussed how chains can be applied to barbell and body weight exercises for both power and strength. If you missed the articles on chain training you can find the links to them below.
There are many applications to using bands when training. They can be used for a number of different exercises for building strength as well as injury prevention. The bands we recommend for the applications used in this article can be purchased through Elite Fitness Systems. It is important when performing these advanced exercises to use a proper band to minimize any chance of injury. Using a lesser quality band can be very dangerous. Other good brands of bands include Iron Woody and Jump stretch.
There are other bands that are better suited for other uses, but for the purpose of this article we highly recommend you use these brands of bands if you are to attempt these exercises on your own.
It is also important to note all of the exercises mentioned are ADVANCED variations on barbell lifts. The lifter or athlete should master straight weight and chains before they even think of incorporating bands in their routine. The athlete should have a few years of training before implementing these variations in their routine.
This week we will discuss how bands can be applied to barbell exercises for an increase in power and strength! Bands act a lot like chains because they are a form of accommodating resistance. The more a band is stretched the more tension it will have and will provide more resistance when attached to the bar. As the athlete raises the bar the band will stretch more and provide max tension at the lockout position. The difference between bands and chains is that bands will actively pull the weight down and causes what is called OVER SPEED ECCENTRICS. This means the weight can be lowered faster than normal with this method. This makes bands the ultimate tool for building explosive strength. Since the bar can be lowered faster than normal a great deal of stability is required to control a barbell lift with bands. Depending on the bar weight and the set up used bands can be used to increase speed or increase strength.
Bands can be doubled up or choked under a very heavy dumbbell and attached to the bar for squat variations, bench press variations, and overhead press variations. We usually double up the bands for bench press variations and Giant Cambered Bar Squats since the bar is much lower to the ground than for traditional squats. If you are using Elite Fitness Systems short bands there is no need to double them up for this set up. For traditional squats I recommend using two very heavy dumbbells and choking the band around the dumbbell. Remember the more the band is stretches the more tension you will get. In other words the higher the barbell from the ground the more tension you will get. I will put out a separate article in the future on different ways to set up bands and chains.
When using the Dynamic Effort Method(Speed Training) the athlete should use a moderate percentage of there 1Rm(Max). When training for speed the athlete may use as little as 30%-40% of their 1RM for the bench press, squat, deadlift or Overhead Press. We usually do around 9-12 sets of 3 reps for the speed bench press, 8-10 sets of 2 for the speed box squat and 6-8 sets of 1 for speed deadlifts. For setting up for the deadlift you will need a special platform. There will be more information on how to use the platform in the future.
Here is an example of a dynamic effort bench press.
Here is athlete is working on both stability and strength because he is controlling the bar on the eccentric portion of the lift(lowering phase). Remember the bands will actively pull the bar down so lowering the bar under control takes a great deal of stability. If the coach is confident the athlete can lower the weight with good form under control the athlete can lower the bar very fast and take advantage of the faster eccentric phase caused by the bands. Experiment with what method works better for you. As a frame of reference, at the time of this video, the athlete could bench press around 275 pounds.
I would recommend most athletes start off with double mini bands for the bench press and choked light bands for the squat. This is assuming the athlete bench press around 250-300 pounds and squat around 350-400 pounds for a 200 pound athlete. This translates to about 1.25-1.5 times body weight for the bench press and 1.5-2 times body weight for the squat. Remember these numbers may seem a lot for some, but this training is geared toward advanced athletes. Some people might even argue the numbers I am using are too low. This is just a guideline of where to start. It is certainly possible the lifter is very light or very heavy and the numbers could be adjusted. The coach needs to use his best judgment in this regard.
Don’t worry too much about how much tension there is for each band either. Just make sure you set up bands EXACTLY the same each time so you know the tension will be the same. Also make sure to monitor the quality of your bands. Make sure there aren’t any breaks or tears in them when utilizing bands. If you want more information about band tension on certain bands just drop a comment below. Just make sure if you are performing Dynamic Effort work the bar speed is fast.
Bands can also be applied to the bar for strength purposes as well. When performed for heavy sets training with bands builds a tremendous lockout and rate of force development. The bands constantly are pulling the lifter down so the athlete must accelerate even faster than than would with chains or straight weight. Bands can be utilized to teach the lifter to be explosive with heavy loads and drive through sticking points. Using bands is the best method for developing explosive strength with barbell lifts since the athlete is forced to accelerate through out the entire range of motion. If the athlete slows down the athlete will miss the lift.
Here is an example of an athlete performing Safety Squat Bar Box Squat versus light bands choked from the bottom. As a frame of reference this athlete can squat in excess of 400 pounds.
Bands can also be set up above the lifter for a different method of training with bands. This is called reverse bands. Some people refer to this as the lightened method or the future method becuase it lightens the amount of weight in the bottom position of the lift. Bands can be set up by doubling or choking bands on top of a power rack, through the pins inside a power rack, or through the top of a mono-lift(this is geared for toward competitive powerlifters). Try to experiment with different heights and see what position works for you.
The difference between bands from the bottom and reverse bands is that reverse bands make the weight feel lighter in the bottom position. As the lifter lowers the weight the bands will stretch more, but this time it is stretching in the opposite direction so it is actually pulling the bar back toward the lock out position. As the lifter raises the weight back up the weight gets heavier until the lockout position where the lifter is essentially locking out the weight that is on the barbell.
This really helps the lifter with confidence when lifting certain numbers. The lifter feels a sense of accomplishment when they hit their first 300, 400, or 500 pound lift or whatever the number is for them. This help them overcome mental barriers and they believe that they will eventually have the strength to achieve the number without the bands. This is why some people refer to this as the future method. I would recommend athletes start off using mini band and light bands for the bench press and light and average bands for the squat and deadlift.
Reverse bands can be used for speed work, but since the band actually assists you on the way up it is not as effective as bands from the bottom. Reverse bands are very effective for Max Effort work (>90% of 1RM) since it lets the lifter perform the exercise with supra-maximal loads(great than their 1RM). Reverse bands will strengthen a lifters lock out and help them feel a heavier weight on their back or in their hands.
There are many old time lifters who would do heavy walk outs with supra-maximal loads in order to work their central nervous system. This helped prepare the lifter for the future when they are handling extremely heavy loads. The difference is reverse bands allows the lifter go through a full range of motion. Here is an example of myself performing a reverse band deadlift with a load greater than my 1RM. This really worked my grip becuase I was not used to holding a weight this heavy in training.
Bands are a great way to develop explosive power. Bands from the bottom can help build explosive power and acceleration through the entire range of motion. Reverse bands can help build confidence, engage the central nervous system, and build strong lockouts. Try out using band training with yourself and watch your speed and strength go through the roof.
Any questions? Please comment below.
Educate, Motivate, Dominate
My Trip to Strength and Performance Headquarters!
Monday Motivation: The TRAINER becomes the TRAINEE
My Trip to Strength and Performance Headquarters
By John Gaglione
About a week ago I took a trip to upstate New York to visit a strength coach named Joe Hashey. I have followed his work for awhile now and he has loads of effective and innovative training techniques for strength and conditioning. We did some basic lifts like deadlifts, picking up stones, and farmers walks and some crazy conditioning with sleds and ropes!
One of the best things about Joe is that he LEADS BY EXAMPLE and pushes himself to the limit. I noticed that Joe’s attitude “trickles” down to all of his athletes and they all train with INTENSITY. Joe also makes sure, if an athlete is lifting with improper form, to point out the mistake and they will work on it.
The workout looked like this
A) Deadlifts
We Worked up to a max single. A classic exercise for the entire posterior chain(lats, low back, glutes, hamstrings), which is typically weak in most people. This was the strength builder for the workout.
B1) Stone Lifting
We lifted an atlas stone from the floor to chest height and dropped it onto a tire. This exercise really works the entire body and forces you to be explosive. The athlete must have tension throughout their entire body and then extend their hips, knees, low back, and ankles in order to lift the stone.
B2) Farmers Walks
A great exercise for conditioning and grip. Walking is about as simple as an exercise can get, but add a few hundred pounds and you have a brutal performance enhancing lift! Joe has strongman style homemade handles, which worked great.
C) Prowler Push + PUPP(Push Up Position Plank) Rows
This one was a killer. We split up into teams for this one. Our partner had to hold themselves up in a push up position while rowing Prowler(sled) to them. This works on shoulder and core stability. Then the other partner would push it back. Once your partner was done he would switch exercises with you. This taxes the grip, the legs. Bring your “third lung” for this INSANE circuit.
All conditioning sets were ON THE CLOCK and everyone always tries to beat their time. The athletes and coaches constantly try to beat their own and each others personal records. This creates friendly competition and helps everyone maintain progress.
D) Prowler Suicides
Push the Sled on the high handle setting to certain distance and then push it back with the low handles. We did this “suicide style” for 4 trips getting progressively bigger each time. Another KILLER CONDITIONING exercise. We did a few sets of this exercise. The prowler does a nice job of mimicking the acceleration position in sprinting. It is also a great exercise for any football player as it mimics the blocking position as well.
This workout was very humbling for myself because it involved many of my weak points. My deadlift needs work and so does my conditioning and my grip. Sometimes the best exercises are the one you are not doing! People tend to do what they are good at as opposed to working on their weak points. It is important to keep working on what you are strong at, but NEVER neglect your weaknesses. I know my grip holds me back on some of my lifts and this was a very good reminder that I need to work on it.
The best part of the workout was the ENVIRONMENT. Everyone cheered each other on during the entire workout. Training in an INTENSE and POSITIVE atmosphere is crucial to success. The coaches, athletes and interns all did the conditioning together and everyone pushed 100%. EFFORT is the MOST IMPORTANT thing in the workout above everything else.
This type of training not only builds up the body, but the it works the MIND as well. The MENTAL side of training is HUGE. After going through this type of training the practices and game seem easy and the athletes performs better as a result. This type of training builds CONFIDENCE and an IRON WILL to succeed in training and in life.
A couple of take home points from the trip. You can have the most well thought out, scientific program in the world and still get poor results.
Whatever program you are on you need to PUT IN THE TIME AND EFFORT.
Find a coach that FIRES YOU UP.
Find a coach that PRACTICES WHAT HE PREACHES.
Find a training ENVIRONMENT that INSPIRES you to WORK HARD.
Find a group that makes YOU EXCEL and BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE.
I hope everyone KILLS IT in their workouts this week! Keep training hard!
Educate, Motivate, Dominate
Athlete to Watch:David Ng
Congratulations to David Ng for being a Two Time
Newsday Football Player to Watch!
David is a Division 1 Prospect for both football and wrestling and has a tremendous work ethic here at Athletic and Fitness Trainers of Long Island.
David is All County in Football and All State in Wrestling. David Ng is a perfect example of what someone can accomplish with the proper training and work ethic.
We wish David and the rest of the Plainedge Red Devils good luck in their upcoming season.
Keep up the Good Work!
Exercise of the Week: Wall Squat
Exercise of the Week: Wall Squats
Improving the Squat Part 2
By John Gaglione
This week will will continue to discuss how we can use different exercises to improve squat technique. Last week we discussed Cook Squats to overhead Squats in order to improve hip mobility and thoracic spine(upper back) extension.
If you missed Part 1 CLICK HERE.
Sometimes when athletes perform the cook squat they don’t have the motor control to pull themselves down correctly and they will end up with an anterior weight shift. The anterior weight shift will put the athlete on their toes and they will end up with a poor squat pattern. The Wall Squat will help combat this anterior weight shift problem very nicely. If an athlete has a problem with their knees shifting too far forward in a squat the wall squat is the best exercise to correct this.
The athlete will use the wall as a guide to help them squat more efficiently. The athlete will set up with the feet nearly touching the wall. The distance will vary depending on the individual, but in general should be an inch or less away. The athlete will then start to sit back and then squat down while keeping their chest out as they squat facing the wall.
If the athlete rounds their back their face will smash into the wall. This cue works very nicely because in most people don’t won’t to hit their face on the wall!
If the athlete’s knees come too far forward the athlete will bang their knees into the wall. The again is a great self check since the athlete will not be able to perform a proper squat to depth if they make the mistake of letting their knees drift too far forward.
When proper squat is performed they will be able to achieve a desirable depth without a problem. The only thing the coach needs to watch for is the extreme posterior pelvic tilt as discussed last week. This means the athlete is squatting too low for the hip mobility that they currently have or it could be a technical flaw. Also make sure the athletes feet are flat on the ground and they do not roll to the outsides of their feet. We call this “frogging” the feet(looks like a frog) and this defeats the purpose of the drill. Other than that this drill is nearly fool proof.
Here is a video of the wall squat below. This exercise can be used as a warm up or an entry level exercise for teaching bilateral squats. The great part of the exercise is that is provide immediate feedback to the athlete and they know if they are performing it correctly right away.
Any questions about performing the wall squat? Please post in the comments below or e-mail me at gaglionestrength@gmail.com Have a great weekend everyone!
Educate, Motivate, Dominate
4 WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS & STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM:
4 WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS & STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM:
Stress seems to have become a constant factor in today’s fast-paced society. If left unchecked, it can wreak havoc upon our health. Learning how to effectively manage stress can mean the difference between being robust and full of life, or becoming susceptible to illness and disease. Stress can weaken the immune system and accelerate the aging process. The ability to relax and rejuvenate promotes wellness, vitality and longevity. A healthy immune system regulates our body’s healing process and protects it against infections and diseases. When stress compromises our immune function, it can result in colds, flu, fatigue, cardiovascular disorders and premature aging. Stress increases heart rate, blood pressure, glucose levels, adrenaline, cortisol, free radicals and oxidative damage. This initiates the “fight or flight” response, places undue strain upon the heart, and can also increase the feelings of anxiety and depression. Protecting the immune system is a vital part of living longer, feeling younger and being healthy. Here are four of ten natural healthy ways to reduce stress, boost your immune system and slow down the hands of time.
1. Walking and Physical Activity. Regular exercise and physical activity strengthens your immune system, cardiovascular system, heart, muscles and bones. It also stimulates the release of endorphins, improves mental functioning, concentration/attention and cognitive performance, and lowers cholesterol, blood pressure, cortisol and other stress hormones.
2. Stretching/Dynamic Warm-up. The slow movements and controlled postures of the dynamic warm-up improves muscle strength, flexibility, range of motion, balance, breathing, blood circulation and promotes mental focus, clarity and calmness. Stretching also reduces mental and physical stress, tension and anxiety, promotes good sleep, lowers blood pressure and slows down your heart rate.
3. Hand Hygiene. The most effective measure in preventing the spread of microorganisms that cause infections is good hand hygiene. Washing your hands with soap and water as soon as you come home, and always before you eat, greatly reduces your exposure to bacterial and viral infections. In case you cannot wash with soap and water when you are away from home, carry some alcohol-based hand wipes with you to control microbial exposure and transmission.
4. Laughter and Humor. There is truth to the saying that laughter is the best medicine. Laughing reduces stress hormones like adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol. It also benefits your immune system by increasing the number and activity of Natural Killer T-cells. These cells act as the first line of defense against viral attacks and damaged cells. Find the humor in things and engage in activities that make you laugh to increase your immune function and disease resistance.
Tuesday Trainer Tip: Chain Training Part Two
Chain Training Part Two: Increase Relative Body Weight Strength with Chains
By John Gaglione
Last week we discussed how chain can be attached to barbells in order to develop speed, strength, and explosive power.
In case you missed part 1 CLICK HERE.
Chains are also a great way to load body weight exercises.
Body weight exercises are a great way to develop strength in both athletic and general fitness populations. They require the user to control their own weight and stabilize their entire body. This is obviously important for athletic performance, but it is also important for overall health to be able to control one’s own body weight.
There are ways to make body weight exercises easier for beginner(which we will discuss in a different article), but for today we will show your how to make body weight exercises more challenging once you have mastered a particular exercise. Once an athlete can do 8, 10, and 12 repetitions with their own body weight without breaking a sweat it is time they start to add additional load.
Dumbbells and weight vests are fine choices for loading athletes, but sometimes those options aren’t available or practical in certain situations. There are also times when the coach has a very strong individual and a weight vest is simply not enough load to make the exercise effective. Chains can help solve these problems.
The are two basic ways to utilize chains to add resistance to body weight exercises. The chain can be simply draped over the athletes body or the athlete can use clip to attach the links together and put them on like a vest that looks like the letter “X”(see picture below).
When draping chains over the body I recommend using the middle link of the chain to ensure the chain is put on evenly on both sides. For exercises that are prone(face down) I recommend “criss crossing” the chains on the body forming the letter “X”. These exercises would included push up variations(see video below) as well as planks.
For exercises that are standing you can choose to attach them like a vest( as seen with the neutral grip pull ups in the first picture in the article) or they can be draped over the neck of the athlete as shown in the video below. If the athlete has a cervical(neck) limitations the “weight vest style” is a better option. Other exercises that could be loaded in this manner are pull up variations, lunge variations, squat variations, as well as others. This video is a demonstration of a single leg high box squat.
Chains can also to draped over the torso to load exercises like glute bridges and hip thrusts. Here is a video of an athlete performing back elevated single leg glute bridges with chain.
These are just some quick examples of ways to load body weight exercises. If you have some of your own body weight exercises please share them with a comments below! What are your favorites to load with chain? I will also include an article on single leg training in the near future as well if you have any questions about some of the exercises mentioned.
More Chain Training to come! Stay tuned.
Educate, Motivate, Dominate
Monday Motivation: Why do YOU Train?
Zach Evan Esh asked everyone at his Blog last week the simple question: Why do you TRAIN?
It seems like a simple question at first, you might say to be healthy, be better at your sports and many other responses, but why do you do those things. I want to spread the question again and I WANT YOU TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. Really think about it.
WHY DO YOU TRAIN? This really could be why do you do ANYTHING, but we will focus on TRAINING with this post.
Here is my answer.
I think as a fitness professional it is of PARAMOUNT importance to lead by example and get UNDER THE BAR.
My athletes respect me so much more because I put myself through the same grueling workouts that they go through. How can I be an effective strength coach if I am not constantly trying to get BIGGER and STRONGER myself?
Training to me is a METAPHOR for LIFE….
I simply want to be the best I can be. Whether it is powerlifting, being a strength coach, or being an effective educator, I want to get a little BETTER each day. In life and training there are GOOD days and BAD days, but every day if you DO YOUR BEST and GIVE 100% every time you are going to get BETTER.
ATTITUDE is EVERYTHING! You need to have the right MINDSET to get BETTER. Stay POSITIVE and BELIEVE you are MAKING PROGRESS and you will!
I read books on training, watch instructional videos, meet with strength coaches, go to seminars, practice my techniques, and seek out the best methods for recovery. You can’t make EXCUSES. You have to FIND A WAY to GET IT DONE. FIND A WAY TO WIN!
Training gets me STRONGER both PHYSICALLY and MENTALLY. I seek out the BEST training partners I can find and learn from them. I don’t want to be the STRONGEST in my group I want to be the WEAKEST and then CLIMB to the top.
In life and in training you get better by surrounding yourself with POSITIVE people. People who will SUPPORT YOUR GOALS. Good Training PARTNERS will put you in your place when YOU ARE NOT PUSHING HARD ENOUGH or WHEN YOU ARE DOING TOO MUCH. They will tell you when your TECHNIQUE is on or when it needs some work.
Training teaches you to deal with ADVERSITY and NEVER GIVE UP. When you feel like you have nothing left to give you have to give that little extra, just like in life.
If you apply these life lessons you can be a WINNER in TRAINING and in LIFE.
I strive to be the best I CAN BE.
That is why I train.
Educate, Motivate, Dominate
Exercise of the Week: Improve your Squat Today!
Increase Hip Mobility and Thoracic Extension with Overhead Squats
By John Gaglione
Over the next few weeks I will be outlining some exercises that will help improve squat technique. Squats are one of the best exercises to improve leg strength. Squatting is also a fundamental movement pattern to learn since a good squat requires a great deal of mobility in key areas for athletics. A well executed squat requires mobility from the ankles, hips and the thoracic spine, which can help transfer to a solid athletic stance on the field. The problem is many people do not know how to squat properly or they may not have the adequate mobility to do so. The cook squat to overhead squat is a great way to teach someone how to squat with proper form as well as gain mobility.
The most common mistakes I see when people are performing squats are that their backs are rounded, their knees cave in, and weight shifts forward causing their heels to come off the ground. Many of these mistakes can be due to a hip , ankle, or thoracic spine mobility limitation or it can be form related. This exercise will help improve mobility in these areas as well it well help reinforce good technique to those athletes who already possess adequate mobility.
In the first part of this exercise the athlete will set up in their squat stance will the toes pointed slightly out. As a general rule of thumb the wider the squat stance the more the toes will flare out to the side. In general most athletes will want to set up with a moderate stance, where as a powerlifter might want to set up wider in order to limit the range of motion so he or she can squat more weight. The athlete will grab the insides of their feet and pull themselves down into a deep squat position. They want to “keep their chest proud” and be able to “wiggle their toes”. This will ensure the spine is in a safe position and the weight is shifted toward the heels. This part of the move places emphasis on stretching out the hips and improving ankle mobility. The athlete should also push their knees outside of their forearms. This will ensure the knees track the feet and stay “out”.
The coach should really emphasize keeping the chest up becuase it is very common for the athlete to pull themselves so far down that their lower back(lumbar spine) rounds and the pelvis shifts backward(posterior pelvic tilt). I have included a picture below, which does a pretty good job of illustrating this. The person in the picture is squatting deeper than should with his hip mobility.
From this position the athlete should actively pull the shoulder blades down and back (retract and depress) even harder and bring the arms overhead while sitting back in the deep squat position. Make sure when the athlete lets go of their feet that their body doesn’t change position. The athlete should proceed to drive their heels into the floor and execute the overhead squat. The athlete would then repeat for a given number of repetitions. This part of the exercise helps to improve thoracic spine extension and improve the function of the stabilizer muscles in the upper back while squatting. By keeping the arms overhead it will also help teach the athlete to keep the chest up.
This exercise will help improve squat technique with our athletes. I like to use this move as part of the dynamic warm up, but it can certainly be used as a strength building exercise for young athletes as well. The cook squat to overhead squat will help build mobility in the ankles, hips, and thoracic spine and can be a great addition to your dynamic warm up. I will continue to included more drills like this to help improve the squat and other big lifts as well.
I hope you enjoyed the exercise of the week! Any question please feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me at gaglionestrength@gmail.com. Keeping training hard!
Educate, Motivate, Dominate
Nutrition News: Antioxidants
Antioxidants
By BARBARA BRENSEKE
Antioxidants, just as the name implies, are substances that combat the process of oxidation. Oxygen is necessary to many body processes, and oxidation is a natural chemical reaction, which takes place both within our bodies and in our environment. Some common oxidative reactions are the rusting of iron and the darkening of foods like potatoes when they are exposed to the oxygen in air. Although the oxidation reactions that take place in our bodies are normal, they can be harmful when they produce free radicals or chemically active molecules that have a charge on them due to an excess or deficient number of electrons. These charged, free radicals are very unstable and they try to scavenge or donate electrons to surrounding tissues, and while doing this, they often damage these tissues. Blood vessel damage that leads to heart disease is believed to be caused by free radical damage. Cancer, some degenerative eye problems, old age, and other inflammatory conditions are also believed to be affected by these unstable byproducts of oxidation. One would assume, therefore, that antioxidants could be very useful in preventing or possibly curing many diseases. And some studies have shown them to be helpful.
Some common antioxidants found in foods are vitamins A, E, and C, the mineral, selenium, and some carotenoids and polyphenols. Carotenoids and polyphenols are part of a group of substances called phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are found in plants and they affect the taste, color, scent, and other characteristics of the plants. There are thousands of phytochemicals in each vegetable, fruit and whole grain. A lot of studies have been done to explore what they specifically do in our bodies, but we have only begun to see the “tip of the iceberg” of this research.
We have a lot yet to learn about phytochemicals, antioxidants and how they benefit us. Although some studies have shown us that they may affect our bodies in a positive way, some research has been a little discouraging. A recent study to examine whether or not beta-carotene, vitamins A, E, and C and selenium would decrease deaths in adults was done. The results showed that taking a combination of these antioxidants would not make a difference. In fact, taking carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E separately may actually increase mortality. Vitamin C alone did not appear to affect the death rate in the studied individuals and selenium tended to decrease it, but more testing needs to be done. Other studies to find out if vitamin E helps slow heart disease have also not been as promising as expected. And, additional research of beta-carotene has shown us that it may not help prevent heart disease or cancer as we once hoped.
This does not mean, however, that we should give up on antioxidants. There have been some promising studies of these substances in addition to the not-so-promising ones. According to some researchers, a combination of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and zinc may reduce the risk of developing a degenerative eye disease (age-related macular degeneration), which is a leading cause of blindness in our aging population. Also, vitamins E and C may help protect us from developing Alzheimer’s disease. And selenium seems to play a role in preventing prostate cancer in men. It appears, therefore, that there are some benefits to consuming antioxidants.
At this point, however, it is impossible to formulate any meaningful guidelines for how much of the different antioxidants we should eat. We can assume that it is safe to eat foods that contain antioxidants. In fact, a very good way of including more of these health-promoting substances in our diet is to eat the amount of fruits and vegetables recommended by the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Eating a variety of at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily may be our best shot at getting these antioxidants in the least risky way. If you choose to take supplements, a safe rule of thumb to follow is to take no more than 1 ½ times the recommended daily value of vitamins and minerals, unless you are taking them for a specific medical reason that you have discussed with your doctor. Also, keep in mind that all health claims are not necessarily true. As we continue to study antioxidants and their possible benefits, we will discover many more uses for them; but, for now, exercise caution. And please stay informed as nutrition experts continue to develop better guidelines for including them in our diets.