Creatine Supplement

Creatine is a compound formed naturally in our bodies from the amino acids and chemical processes that occur in our skeletal muscle system. Creatine supplements are commonly found and sold as formulated supplementary sports food in Australia. The main purpose is to supply energy to our muscles. It has been known to gain strength, lean muscle and it’s great for a pre workout before gym. Also creatine can assist in recovery and it’s popular within the weight training and body building community. Creatine supplementation has been shown to enhance the performance of high intensity exercise eg- repeated sprinting, as it offers the greatest benefits. It also benefits sports where the athlete is required to repeat short explosive maximal efforts like soccer, football, basketball etc. It increases lean body mass for athletes that are undertaking resistance training and enhances glycogen storage. Many athletes who use creatine are unaware of the correct supplementation protocols or take unnecessarily high doses of creatine. Studies show that high doses of creatine do not enhance creatine stores. The weight gain with creatine loading may occur to athletes where weights are involved and creatine can affect those in the long run. Long-term consequences can include muscle cramps, strains and tears etc. Overall I believe creatine should be limited to experienced and well-developed athletes that can benefit from the supplement. http://www.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/466030/Creatine_11-_website_fact_sheet.pdf http://www.mrsupplement.com.au/creatine-supplements

Obesity in Children

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat is stored on the body and affects both mentally and physically on your health. This common disease is increasing and becoming more noticeable in today’s generation. Not only is it a problem with teenagers and adults but children are now suffering from obesity and being overweight. Obesity is a serious condition especially if it affects you from a young age. Children all over the world are obese and this is most commonly caused by the combination of excessive food energy intake, lack of physical activity and genetic susceptibility. This is becoming a public health concern as it can affect the children’s health as they get older. Obesity increases diseases especially type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnoea, osteoarthritis and certain types of cancer. This could trigger problems for children in their adulthood if they don’t do anything about their problem now. It can affect children from the age of two and older. The normal range for BMI in children can vary with age and sex. But for children to prevent this common condition they will have to watch what their energy in take is and how much they burn (output) by exercising and balance that with a healthy low calorie diet to lose weight. Children who are obese now are likely to be obese adults and that can lead to serious health problems. Statistics show that 50% of obese children continue to be obese adults. To manage obesity parents should watch what food they feed their child and also encourage physical activity or sign them up to a sport. Not only would it benefit them in the long run but it would keep them active and hopefully lose some weight. Being a good role model is a big impact on their lifestyle seeing as children learn everything from their parents. Food portions should be kept to a minimum and drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Sugary drinks shouldn’t be given to children from a young age as it encourages bad habits. In conclusion it has been shown that obesity in children is increasing and to stop this from happening the parents and community are going to have to do something. Healthy small portions of food and regular exercise should be encouraged so children don’t face serious health problems in their future livelihood.