We also know that FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION and that the proper movement at the right place in the correct sequence can stimulate incredible physiological changes down to a cellular level.
This post will focus on the amazing changes that can take place when GENES x FUNCTIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNALS equals OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE.
As we train our clients, patients and athletes, we should have it in the back of our minds that the ENVIRONMENT, whether it be physical, biological or behavioral, MUST be as optimized and individualized for our client as much as possible for them to even consider reaching their potential.
In my last post, I discussed the importance of progressions of fundamentals that eventually leads itself to high-level performances by athletes like Jim Brown, Babe Zacharias and Jim Thorpe in multiple disciplines.
As we talk about lunges, squats, pushing, pulling in all 3 planes of motion, we also must discuss the importance of the various macronutrients (fats, protein, carbohydrates) and micronutrients (Vitamin C, Iron, Magnesium, etc) and how they affect the mind and body down to a cellular level which eventually effects the spirit and ultimately PEAK PERFORMANCE. When we merge functional movement and functional medicine/nutrition, we can illicit powerful genetic responses that can, over time, change the entire mind, body and spirit. Unfortunately, this goes both ways as we see how lack of exercise and poor diet can be major factors in chronic disease.
UNDERSTANDING GENES 101:
"It's all in his GENES," is a little catch phrase we hear when it comes to great performances across many disciplines. Examples range from composer Mozart and orator Winston Churchill to recent superstars like swimmer Michael Phelps, sprinter Usain Bolt and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
Unfortunately, the myth of genes dictating superior performance has been destroyed by recent research from peak performance researchers like Anders K. Ericsson.
Before we go on, let's specify, in simple terms, what genes do.
Genes store information coding for the amino acid sequences of proteins (Bateson, Design for a Life, p.66)
That's it. Well, at least the simple side of the complexity of molecular biology.
Jumping ahead slightly, let's define what a protein is.
From the online Genetics Home Reference Guide:
Proteins are large, complex molecules that play critical roles in the body. They do most of the work in cells and are required for the structure, function and regulation of the body's tissues and organs. Proteins are made up of hundreds or thousands of smaller units called amino acids, which are attached to one another in long chains. There are 20 different types of amino acids that can be combined to make a protein. The sequence of amino acids determines each proteins unique 3-dimensional structure and its specific function.Proteins can be described according to their large range of functions in the body, listed in alphabetical order.
Examples are:
- Antibody
- Enzyme
- Messenger
- Structural component
- Transport/Storage
In the book, "The Genius of All of us: Why everything you've been told about Genetics, Talent and IQ is wrong" by David Shenk, the author suggests a new paradigm to compared to the "nature and nurture" view that featured a one way additive sequence of:
Genes trigger the production of proteins, which guide the function of the cells, which with some input from the outside world, form traits.
to the a new paradigm of:
Genes, proteins and environmental signals (including human behavior and emotion) constantly interact with one another, and this interactive process influences the productions of proteins, which then guide the function of cells, which form traits.
With this new paradigm, we can begin to understand the profound affect that functional movement coupled with proper nutrition can benefit us in so many more ways.
UNDERSTANDING NUTRIGENOMICS
Nutrigenomics basically is the science of how food talks to your genes. Yes! FOOD TALKS TO YOUR GENES! This relatively new branch of science investigates the effect of nutrients on health through altering genome, proteome, metabolome and the resulting changes in physiology. Coupled with an understanding of functional movement training and conditioning, we can take our Principle of Function of Function is INDIVIDUAL to the next level. Interestingly, the Center for Excellence in Nutritional Genomics at the University of California, Davis states on their website:
Personalized Medicine includes Personalized Nutrition
The concept of "personalized" medicine is now being extended to the field of nutrition. It is now accepted that nutrients (i.e., macronutrients, micronutrients) alter molecular processes such as DNA structure, gene expression, and metabolism, and these in turn may alter disease initiation, development, or progression. Individual genetic variation can influence how nutrients are assimilated, metabolized, stored, and excreted by the body.
FOOD 'TALKS' TO YOUR GENES!!!! What I really love about this statement is that the nutrition really is INDIVIDUAL or "personalized" and that each person has their own reaction to the nutrients.
UNDERSTANDING HOW FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
Form follows function. Many of us know this and when we go about our rehabilitation to training and conditioning programs, it is somewhere in the back of our head.
Research in the last decade (Russell B, Motlagh D, Ashley WW. Form follows function: how muscle shape is regulated by work. J Appl Physiol 88: 1127–1132, 2000), discussed how functional movement, and in particular the eccentric work in skeletal muscle is a potent stimulus for hypertrophy.
A few points from the article with simple side translation is below:
1. Gene transcription is followed by the processes of translation and assembly of proteins into the contractile architecture such that the function is optimized for the task at hand. The upregulation of transcription and translation of contractile genes is regulated by work; therefore, the cell size can easily be doubled.
Simple Side: Muscular work (eccentric and concentric) is one of enviromental signals with the ability to stimulate the genes thereby affecting the amino acids that will eventually be changed to proteins that will eventually lead to 3-D cellular growth of the muscles.
2. All biological materials are constantly in a state of flux, with a cycle of molecules entering and leaving every structure. Therefore, a sarcomere today will not be made of the same molecules as tomorrow.
Simple Side: The body is constantly changing so what you do today, affects what will happen to the body tomorrow. This stays true to our Principle of Function that Function is DYNAMIC.
3. Every protein has its own steady-state exchange rate that varies from seconds to weeks. The contractile proteins in vivo are among the longest to live of knownproteins. For example, sarcomeric actin’s half-life is ,20 days and MHC turns over with a half-life of 7–10 days, whereas the components of the troponin complex have turnover rates similar to troponin I, troponin T, and troponin C at 3.2, 3.5, and 5.3 days, respectively. However, if a molecule leaves the protection of the intact filament, it is highly susceptible to rapid degradation, with a half-life in minutes when disassembled in both cardiac and skeletal muscles (11, 27). This leads to the question of what processes foster unraveling of the
filaments so that rapid degradation follows. The simple answer is removal of the activity or load, for example, tenotomy of skeletal muscle, space flight for cardiac and skeletal muscle, or separation of tissues into cells to culture them.
Simple Side: Because of the "life-span" of certain proteins, muscles begin to lose the ability to produce force (i.e., get weaker) in about a week. Astronauts experience this when they are in space. (That's why we see the exercise equipment on the shuttes and space stations) Basically: USE IT OR LOSE IT!!!
4. According to the sliding filament theory, the thick filament protein myosin attaches to actin, a component of the thin filament, and force is developed as a result of ATP-dependent movement of
the two filaments past one another. There are numerous other proteins in the sarcomere whose roles are for modulation of contraction, for maintenance of the structure, or for both. To complicate matters further, many of these proteins come in slightly different amino acid sequences known as isoforms. Functional variations can be achieved by combinations and amounts of various isoforms and can be readily switched by alteration of activity patterns or hormone stimulation.
This article is full of research gems that when applied appropriately to various programs can have a powerful effect on development. Click here to go to the complete article.
STRATEGIES FOR OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE THROUGH FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT AND NUTRITION
Even though we are venturing into the area of nutrition, we still anchor ourselves to the Principles of Function regarding Nutrition for Optimal Performance. In particular,
1) Function is 3-Dimensional.
2) Function involves Forces, specifically gravity and electromagnetism.
3) Function is Individual.
4)Function is Dynamic.
5) Function is Driven.
6) Function is Movement based.
7) Function is Tweakable.
8) Function is Complex.
9) Function is Subconscious.
10) Function is Fun!
With this in mind, some practical strategies for optimizing nutrition and movement are:
STRATEGY 1. Eat whole, real, fresh, organic, unprocessed food. If it comes in a box, a package, or a can, avoid it. If you do choose to buy prepackaged foods, read the labels carefully and avoid foods that contain long lists of ingredients you don't understand.
STRATEGY 2. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables full of colorful phytonutrients. That means eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Choose a wide variety and you will do much to support your health.
STRATEGY 3. Eat foods with plenty of fiber. Think whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and millet and vegetables like celery, asparagus, and leeks. Fiber is essential for balancing blood sugar and maintaining a healthy bowel.
STRATEGY 4. Eat foods containing omega-3 fats. I recommend eating protein at every meal, and some of the best sources of protein have an abundance of these healthy fats, which are essential for building every cell membrane in your body. Try cold-water river fish like salmon, sardines, and halibut; eat omega-3 eggs; and eat plenty of nuts like almonds, macadamias, and walnuts.
STRATEGY 5. Take the essential supplements outlined below every day. They are the basic workhorse team needed to support every biochemical reaction in your body.
• A high-quality multivitamin
• Calcium– magnesium supplement
• Vitamin D
• Fish oil
• Special B vitamins ( folate and vitamins B6 and B12).
(The first five strategies are provided courtesy of Dr. Mark Hyman from his website at http://www.ultrawellness.com/)STRATEGY 6. Get up and move in all three planes of motion everyday. It does not matter if you are an elite athlete or a newbie, moving in all three planes of motion like lunging, squatting, reaching, pushing, pulling, etc, will benefit you tremendously. Here is a video with Gary Gray, PT of the Gray Institute demonstrating a simple but effective 3-D abdominal workout.
STRATEGY 8. Find a Fellow of Applied Functional Science to assist you with the functional movement aspect if you need extra guidance and find a Functional Medicine Practicioner to assist you with the nutrition aspect.
Well, I hope all of this makes sense in some way. I apologize for the length of this post. It has taken me quite a while to write it for multiple reasons (one being that my other computer was stolen and I had to go out and buy another one-- sob, sob).
As always, thanks for reading and if you have any questions or comments please feel free to post them below or email me at will@3doptimalperformance.com
PS. Below are some links to great research articles on the importance of multi-vitamins, the utility of the glycemic index, eating crappy food yields crappy health and finally how genes and the environment are determinants of people developing cardiovascular disease.
In health,
Will
Multi-Vitamins
Glycemic Index
Consumption of Energy Dense Nutrient poor foods by the American public
Genes, Environment and Cardiovascular Disease
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