Maximizing Fitness with Nutrition with James LaValle: Rational Wellness Podcast 034
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Pharmacist James LaValle discusses how to maximize your fitness levels by following the optimal nutrition program with Dr. Ben Weitz.
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Podcast Details
I started the discussion by asking James LaValle to comment about high intensity forms of exercise, such as Tabatas, which might involve doing high intensity exercise, such as sprinting for 30 seconds to one minute, followed by a 1 minute or longer rest, and the whole workout may take 5 or 10 minutes. I asked Jim if this is enough exercise to get someone into shape? James said that while he likes high intensity exercise like Tabatas, it is not enough, esp. not for a type II diabetic or someone who is really overweight. They have to burn it off over a period of time to affect their blood sugar and their cortisol levels. One of the problems is that we need to be careful not to say that everyone should train one way. For people’s different metabolic demands, they will need different programs. James explained that the football player’s nutrition program should be different than the hockey player’s and may have different metabolic demands than the baseball player or the gymnast. But for the average person, you just have to get them moving. They are too sedentary.
3:59 I asked isn’t it the case that just getting them to get up and move around at work and not just sit all day is beneficial. James answered that it’s not ok to just go the gym for 30 minutes per day and be sedentary the other 23 1/2 hours. We need to be active and move and keep our bodies in the shape that we need to be able to exercise and train.
4:40 I asked if he likes any of these wearable devices that help you track your steps? James said that anything that brings awareness is great, but people tend to burn out using them after a while. He said that the device he likes the most for sleep is the Oura Ring, but some of the other devices are less accurate for tracking sleep. Tracking can be helpful when you are trying to create a new habit.
5:35 I asked what he thinks about monitoring heart rate variability, such as for measuring overtraining in athletes? James explained that heart rate variability is incredibly important because when you lose heart rate variability, you lose vagal tone, which is the balance between your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. When you lose that balance, your blood vessels stay stiff and you don’t get compensatory relaxation when you need it and you get dizzy upon standing and in the worst case you get POTTS, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia. For monitoring heart rate variability, he recommends an app called Inner Balance for his patients. Also, if you are sympathetic dominance, then you are catabolic, and muscle is the currency for aging.
7:05 I pointed out that with respect to heart rate variability, you want more heart rate variability, which signals health. James explained that there is a rhythm between the brain and the heart and there is a built in variability in it. When the variability shrinks, that means that the nervous system is miscommunicating with the heart and the neurovascular network. There are strong correlations between performance and also with what you eat and your heart rate variability.
8:21 I asked if any of the wearables are accurate for heart rate variability? James explained that if you are going industrial, a lot of the sports teams are using the omega wave. If not, then Interbalance from HeartWave has a real simple device using an ear clip on that’s a medical device and can be helpful.
9:20 I said that I read that James was not a fan of sports drinks. Don’t they help with replenishing electrolytes? James responded that the typical sports drink has a lot of sugar with very little electrolytes. And
James LaValle can be contacted through his website, http://jimlavalle.com/ where you can order his latest book, Cracking the Metabolic Code.
Dr. Ben Weitz is available for nutrition consultations. Dr. Weitz specializes in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and he also specializes in helping you to reduce Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure as well as chiropractic work by calling the office 310-395-3111.
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