Tamara Makar

IFBB Pro Athlete

About ephedrine

Posted on August 30, 2016 by tamika

The main ingredient in fat burners or thermogenics is ephedrine, a synthetic version of a chinese herb ephedra, or also known as ma huang.

Ephedrine is a drug, rather than a nutrition supplement. It is also used in low concentrations in flu and cold remedies (pseudoephedrine).

Ephedrine is chemically similar to amphetamines, which act on the brain and the central nervous system.

There is some evidence that ephedrine helps fat loss: partly due to an increase in thermogenesis, partly because it suppresses your appetite and partly because it makes you more active.

When taken as an ECA stack (ephedrine – caffeine – aspirin) ephedrine has a greater effect in terms of weight loss and thermogenesis. However the fat burning effect of ephedrine seems to decrease over time.

Ephedrine is judged to be safe in doses between 18-25 mg, that’s the amount that’s used in cold remedies. Doses more than 32 mg a day may triple your risk of bleeding in the brain. Prolonged use and higher doses combined with heavy exercise increase your risk of side effects, like increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, palpitations, anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, headaches, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.

Ephedrine is addictive, and people can develop a tolerance to it, which means you will need to take more and more to get the same effects.

The benefits of HIIT training

Posted on August 14, 2016 by tamika

The benefits of HIIT training

There’s an ongoing debate about cardio: which one is more beneficial? HIIT or steady state cardio? It depends on your goal and even your bodytype. Some people can get away with the mind numbing steady state cardio – which is a lot more comfortable, let’s be honest. However it doesn’t work for everyone. If you have been doing that for quite some time it might have stopped working for you – because let’s be honest, your body will get used to most things and will adapt in time. Then it might be a wise idea to step it up to HIIT cardio.

Anyone can benefit from HIIT cardio: elite athletes and everyday people who just want to lose a bit of weight.

So what are the benefits of HIIT?

#1 When you perform high intensity training, glycogen is your preferred fuel that is stored in your muscles. To do more high intensity workouts we need a bigger reserve of muscle glycogen stores. This will allow you to train harder for longer. In addition it will allow for a greater carbs tolerance which means you can eat more carbs and store them as refuel, instead of fat.

#2 Improved aerobic fitness: your body can take in more oxygen and deliver it to your muscles, enabling you to perform faster for longer.

#3 Greater fat burning: some time ago it was the ‘fat burning zone’ on the cardio machine. If you wanted to burn fat, you had to be in the fat burning zone. HIIT burns more fat, because the quicker you deplete your muscle glycogen stores, the sooner your body will tap into your stored fat for fuel. HIIT training depletes muscle glycogen stores because the main fuel for HIIT is glycogen.

#4 Improved capacity for exercise: if you’re doing high intensity – or I could call it metabolic type – weight training, HIIT can increase your capacity for exercise. By increasing our aerobic capacity we can go harder for longer which can help you burn more calories = lose more weight.

#5 Improved insulin sensitivity: One major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes is reduced insulin sensitivity. If you have normal insulin sensitivity, then insulin can help you shuttle the carbs into your muscles, instead of your fat cells.

#6 You boost your metabolism and get an afterburn: Resistance training has a different effect on your body opposed to endurance training. Resistance training increases excess post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOS). EPOS describes the calories you burn immediately after the training session, also known as the ‘afterburn’ effect.

If you want to step up your training, want to lose weight or just need a change in your training routine, get in touch!

Bespoke metabolic type resistance training plans are available hello@tamaramakar.me

Soy: good or bad?

Posted on August 7, 2016 by tamika

Soy contains 26% protein. It has the highest protein content amongst the plants. It is also the highest quality protein amongst the legumes.
Grains are typically low in lysine, beans are typically low in sulfur, methionine and cysteine. However the level of sulfur amino acids is higher in soy than in other beans.
Soybeans are high in fats, too. Most legumes (except peanut) contains 2-14% of fat, soy contains 31% of fat. Most fats in soy is unsaturated.
A serving of soy provides about 8 gr of dietary fibre. However some soy foods are processed in a way that decreases the fibre content, like tofu or soy milk. Processing soy at a high temperature can denature some of the proteins and reduce their quality.
Soy provides important nutrients: calcium, vitamin B12, iron, magnesium and selenium.

Interestingly, whole soybeans are rarely consumed in Western countries. The majority of soy in the diet comes from the refined products that are processed from the soybeans.

The fatty acids in soybeans are mostly Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. This can be problematic because too many Omega-6s in the diet can lead to inflammation and all sorts of health issues. For this reason, it is very important to avoid soybean oil (and other vegetable oils high in Omega-6) and processed foods that contain it.

The nutrition composition of soy products depends on the type of soy food. Refined soy products, like soy protein and soy bean oil might not be that nutritious at all.

There is some evidence that soy can lower cholesterol levels, although studies show conflicting results. Men who consume soy are at a lower risk of developing prostate cancer in old age.

Soy contains large amounts of biologically active compounds called isoflavones, which function as phytoestrogens… that is, plant-based compounds that can activate estrogen receptors in the human body. These isoflavones are classified as endocrine disruptors, chemicals that interfere with the normal function of hormones in the body. The key isoflavones in soy are genistein, daidzein and glycitein. This can cause reduced estrogen activity due to the isoflavones blocking the actual, more potent estrogen from binding, or it can lead to an increased estrogen activity due to the isoflavones activating the receptors.

Animal studies show that soy isoflavones can cause breast cancer. There are also human studies showing that soy isoflavones can stimulate the proliferation and activity of cells in the breasts.
This may indicate an increased risk of breast cancer, which is the most common cancer in women.

Even though men have some amount of estrogen, having significantly elevated levels is not normal. Therefore, it seems logical that increased estrogen activity from soy isoflavones could have some effects on men. Many believe that soy can reduce testosterone levels, but the effect appears to be weak and inconsistent.

The isoflavones in soy also function as goitrogens, which are substances that interfere with thyroid function. They can inhibit function of the enzyme thyroid peroxidase, which is essential for production of thyroid hormones.

It is important for women who are pregnant, plan on becoming pregnant, or are breastfeeding, to avoid soy and other sources of endocrine disrupting compounds.

How to train for weight loss

Posted on July 26, 2016 by tamika

In my previous article I outlined a few points for a diet plan for weight loss. As you probably have heard this phrase a million times by now: abs are made in the kitchen. About 80% of your weight loss efforts will come down to your diet.You can estimate how much energy you burn during exercise, but the rule of thumb is that the more intense the exercise, the more calories are burnt.

For eg for a 150 lb person (69 kg) 30 mins of:

walking at 3 miles/hr burns 150 kcal
walking at 4.5 miles/hr burns 233 kcal
martial arts burn 401 kcal.

More often than not you see people in the gym, plodding away on the treadmill, crosstrainer or bike at a speed that allows them to play on their phones or talk to their friends.
Just to compare the calories and how much it takes to burn them off:
A Krispy Kreme chocolate ice donut with Kreme filling is 360 Kcal. That equals to =

94 mins walking
41 mins jogging or
48 mins cycling

A double cheese burger at McDonald’s is 440 Kcal. That equals to =

115 mins walking
50 mins jogging or
59 mins cycling

And usually when people go to McDonald’s or Krispy Kreme they don’t just have 1 donut or 1 burger.
So my point is: with a balanced diet it’s easier to ‘keep in shape’ than doing a yo-yo diet.

If you want to maximise the exercise component in order to shed body fat, choose exercise modes that are physically demanding as they use more energy. So instead of walking on the treadmill at 3-4 mph for 45 mins, do a HIIT training for 20-25 mins. With this type of training – even though you’re out of your ‘fat burning zone’, but you deplete your muscle glycogen stores and your body will be forced to tap into the adipose tissue for fuel. We have an almost unlimited supply of energy in the form of stored fat. Marathon runners fatigue due to glycogen depletion, not fat.
You will also burn more fat post workout, during your recovery, if you engage in high intensity training.
And last but not least: strength train! Girls, boys, everyone. The more muscle you have the higher your metabolism is. Building muscle and strength is intense. Intense training depletes glycogen therefore more stored fat is used for energy. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

How to eat for weight loss

Posted on July 22, 2016 by tamika

There are so many diets out there, no wonder people get confused which one would suit them better. Atkins diet, bloodtype diet, cabbage soup diet, grapefruit diet, slimming world, weight watchers, ketogenic diet, low fat diet, low GI diet….. and the list goes on. Is losing fat as simple as creating calorie deficit? Most diets say: if your calorie intake is less than what you burn off, you will lose weight. Well, that might be true – to a certain extent, but is it only fat that you will burn off?

A pound of fat equals 3500 calories. A pound of muscle renders 600 calories. So 500 calories deficit a day will give you 3500 calories over a week: 500 x 7 = 3500
However there are 2 ways it can go:
– you will either lose 1 pound of fat (3500 calories)
– or you can lose 6 pounds of muscle (6 x 600 = 3600 calories)
Obviously you want to avoid losing muscle tissue. That’s why it is important that you pay attention to the correct calorie deficit based on your current bodyfat levels and activity level. If you have a higher % of bodyfat, you can get away with a larger deficit in the early stages of your diet. But if you have a low(er) % of bodyfat, the calorie deficit needs to be adjusted to avoid losing muscle tissue. In your cutting diet, the type of protein, carb and fat has to be considered as well as how the body processes them.

1 gr of protein = 4 calories,

1 gr of carbs = 4 calories and
1 gr of fat = 9 calories.
In general, high glycemic carbs create a large, temporary rise in blood sugar because they’re quickly digested. Low GI carbs create a lower rise because they’re slower digested.

A rapid blood sugar rise means:

– more insulin is released. A high insulin level promotes quick storage of sugar in muscle and liver. It also inhibits the hormone glucagon which normally tells the body to burn stored fat. Obese people tend to be sugar burners, they mainly burn stored glycogen. Their forthcoming meals restore glycogen (especially if it’s high GI) and the circle goes on, therefore they never get to burn stored bodyfat, they just store more and more.
– Blood sugar levels drop quickly, leaving you feel hungry sooner, so your body needs fuel again. The glucagon is still in short supply, therefore the body does not tap into the stored fat for supply. You feel hungry and will eat again – needlessly, which will lead to increased fat gain over time.

Moderate and high glycemic foods are recommended after exercise when the plasma glucose concentrations are elevated and it facilitates muscle glycogen replenishment.
For tailor made nutrition and training plans contact me on hello@tamaramakar.me, KIK: tamaramakar

Answering some common questions 1.

Posted on July 19, 2016 by tamika

I have been receiving a few questions related to my previous posts and in general. I will answer them on here regularly, so keep them coming.

What are electrolytes:

Electrolytes are mineral salts dissolved in the body’s fluid. They include:

* sodium,
* chloride,
* potassium and
* magnesium,
and help to regulate the fluid balance between different body compartments (for example, the amount of fluid inside and outside a muscle cell), and the volume of fluid in the bloodstream.

The water movement is controlled by the concentration of electrolytes on either side of the cell membrane. For example, an increase in the concentration of sodium outside a cell will cause water to move to it from inside the cell. Similarly, a drop in sodium concentration will cause water to move from the outside to the inside of the cell. Potassium draws water across a membrane, so a high potassium concentration inside cells increases the cell’s water content.

What are glucose polymers and maltodextrins?
Between a sugar (1– 2 units) and a starch (several 100,000 units), although
closer to the former, are glucose polymers (maltodextrins). These are chains
of between 4 and 20 glucose molecules produced from boiling corn-starch
under controlled commercial conditions.
The advantage of using glucose polymers instead of glucose or sucrose in a
drink is that a higher concentration of carbohydrate can be achieved (usually
between 10 and 20 g/ 100 ml) at a lower osmolality.

What are multiple transportable carbohydrates?
This term refers to a mixture of carbohydrates (e.g. glucose and fructose;
maltodextrin and fructose) in sports drinks. These carbohydrates are
absorbed from the intestine by different transporters, and using a mixture
rather than a single type of carbohydrate in a sports drink overcomes the
usual limitation of gut uptake of carbohydrate.

I would like to bulk up, how can I do that?
As you probably know, putting on muscle (or shredding fat) lies in your diet/nutrition. If you’d like to put on muscle mass, first thing you need to do is to revise your protein intake. Do you know how much protein you take in? 100 gr of chicken breast contains 25-30 gr protein, 100 gr of white fish has about 24 gr, 100 gr of steak has about 25 gr of protein, 100 gr cottage cheese about 10 gr. Endurance athletes usually take about 1.2 – 1.7 gr protein/kg of bodyweight/day, and bodybuilders take a lot more than that to build muscle. Then you need to revise your carbohydrate intake as well. Carbohydrates/muscle glycogen is the primary energy source when training. If you don’t have enough muscle glycogen, your performance will suffer (less intensity, lighter weights = less muscle), and your body will use amino acids to convert to glycogen (less muscle building). The amount of carb you need to eat depends on a lot of factors: your insulin sensitivity and the rate of your metabolism. People with high metabolism can eat more carbs, and people with high insulin sensitivity (and low metabolism) have to watch their carb intake otherwise they will put on a lot of fat as well along with the muscle.

Keep the questions coming, I will reply to them regularly on here!
hello@tamaramakar.me