Article Title: Rejuvenation Keys SPECIAL FOCUS ON REJUVENATION
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Your muscles are designed to work well only in a narrow range of almost zero acidity, according to Michael Colgan, PhD, in Optimum Sports Nutrition. Arterial blood works best with no acid at all. Acidity is measured by the concentration of hydrogen ions (pH). A pH of 7.0 is neutral, midway between very acidic (pH of 1) and very alkaline (pH of 14), he explained.
“The pH skill is water arithmetic, like the skill of earthquakes,” Coleman said. “So small changes in the numbers mean large differences in acidic E or alkaline 80. A pH of 6 is Ten times more acidic than a pH of 7. At rest, muscle pH is about 6.9, while arterial blood is about 7.4.”
As you begin to exercise, he continued, the increased use of muscle glycogen for energy produces lactic acid and pyruvic acid, to substances which contain a lot of hydrogen ions (H+), which drive muscle and blood pH down into the acid zone. (Incidentally, pH is derived from the French pouvoir hydrogene, meaning hydrogen power.)
Colgan goes on to say that the harder you exercise, the quicker you “go acid.” When muscle pH drops below 6.5, the acidity disrupts all sorts of links in the energy chain. For example, the enzyme phosphofructokinase is the rate limiting step in muscle use of glycogen. Below pH 6.5, it stops working altogether. And, he says, acidity also reduces muscle power directly by inhibiting the contractile action of muscle fibers.
“So,” Colgan added, “The first thing that a successful ergogenic supplement has to do is reduce the accumulation of acidity in exercising muscle. You can put all sorts of other chemicals into the bloodstream, but, unless you reduce acidity during exercise, your muscles will tie up.”
Another inhibitor of exercise, Colgan said, happening simultaneously with the accumulation of acid, is the accumulation of ammonia; anaerobic and endurance exercise produces a lot of it. Ammonia is toxic to cells, it reduces the formation of glycogen, and it inhibits the energy cycle.
He adds that, although we still do not know how much ammonia contributes to fatigue, we do know that the higher your blood ammonia, the poorer your performance.
Immediately after marathon races, triathlons or other endurance events, some athletes have very low blood phosphate levels, Colgan said. Even athletes with high resting phosphate levels show marked reductions after endurance exercise.
“How does this loss of phosphate damage performance?” Colgan asked. “First, there is a loss of acid buffering. Phosphate is a major alkaline buffer of muscle. Second, to make new muscle glycogen, your body has to use pyridoxal phosphate, a mix of phosphate and vitamin B6.”
Since many people, including athletes, do not consume enough alkaline rich foods, such as fruits, nuts and vegetables, but instead rely heavily on acid forming foods, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, etc., they may be at risk for an acidic condition in their body fluids.
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About Bob McCauley
Bob McCauley, ND (Robert F., Jr.) was raised in Lansing, Michigan and attended Michigan State University (BA, 1980 in Journalism). He is a naturopathic doctor, Master Herbalist and a Certified Nutritional Consultant. He has traveled extensively, both domestically and abroad, visiting over 32 countries. He published Confessions of a Body Builder: Rejuvenating the Body with Spirulina, Chlorella, Raw Foods and Ionized Water (2000), Achieving Great Health (2005), The Miraculous Properties of Ionized Water, (2006) which is the only book on the market that exclusively addresses Ionized Water, Twelve (Fiction, 2007) and Honoring the Temple of God (2008). He considers himself a Naturalist, meaning he pursues health in the most natural way possible. He studies and promotes nature as the only way to true health.
From 2002-2004 he hosted the radio program Achieving Great Health, which was heard by thousands of people each day. His guests included some of the most well-known and respected names in the natural health world.
With the help of his father, Dr. Robert F. McCauley, Sr. (Doctorate in Environmental Engineering, MIT, 1953) they started Spartan Water Company in 1992, which sold vended water machines in supermarkets. Robert Jr. founded Spartan Enterprises, Inc. in 1993. He is a Certified Water Technician with the State of Michigan. He is also a Type II Public Water Supply Specialist and has the certifications of S-5 and D-5. The McCauley family has a long history in the water industry. Bob's father pioneered environmental issues regarding ground water and drinking water quality. He received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1953 for his thesis on removing radioactive strontium from water. He earned his doctorate in Environmental Engineering in less than 2 years, one of the shortest doctoral studies in the history of MIT. He taught civil, sanitary and environmental engineering at Michigan State University for 18 years before retiring to run Wolverine Engineers & Surveyors of Mason, Michigan, for 17 years. His reputation throughout Michigan as a water quality expert was legendary. Bob worked for his father's company for 12 years learning the water business, which dealt primarily with municipalities, including water quality and sanitary sewer issues.
After apprenticing with his father, Bob moved on to the bottled water business. He established greater Michigan's biggest selling bottled water: Michigan Mineral – Premium Natural Water. He was introduced to Ionized Water in 1995 and has done more to promote Ionized Water than anyone else in the industry. Bob often lectures and offers seminars on his Seven Component Natural Health Protocol .
Bob is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and a Certified Master Herbalist. He is also a 3rd Degree Black Belt and Certified Instructor of Songahm Taekwondo (American Taekwondo Association).
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