caloric expenditure comparing pump, combat, rpm, step and running

Not your usual samba!

I happened to come across a paper that scientifically compared the energy expenditure to complete various aerobic classes to running at different speeds. For those of you who has a distaste for reading journals, here's my summary and (personal thoughts) on the paper.

1. BodyPump rates lower in calorie burn compared to BodyCombat, RPM, Step and running at about 8km/h.

2. The abstract does not mention duration of running that was compared to the aerobic classes, but assuming the time was standardised, it would be 55 minutes.

3. For running to be as effective in calorie burning as RPM, BodyCombat and Steps, the running speed has to between 8.05 to 8.37km/h for 55 minutes.

4. Logically, the heart rate can be increased more while doing BodyPump by carrying more weights, and since this study was done on women, guys, add on those plates to burn more!

5. Not too happy that they labelled BodyCombat as a dance >;o(

Here's the abstract of the said paper.

Journal of Strength Conditioning Research. 2006 Aug;20(3):593-6.

Analysis of the assessment of caloric expenditure in four modes of aerobic dance.

Rixon KP, Rehor PR, Bemben MG.

Center for Human Movement, University of Tasmania (Newham), Launceston, Australia.

Abstract

Aerobic dance has been purported to help with weight management; however, it is not known if various forms of dance are as effective as traditional modalities. This study estimated energy expenditure by heart rate for 28 women participating in 4 modes of aerobic dance (Bodycombat [i.e., TAEBO]; Pump; Step; and RPM [i.e., spinning]) compared to 2 running speeds. Pump had significantly (p < 0.01) lower energy expenditure (8.0 +/- 1.6 kcal.min(-1)) compared to the other classes (RPM: 9.9 +/- 1.9 kcal.min(-1); Step: 9.6 +/- 1.8 kcal.min(-1); and Bodycombat: 9.7 +/- 2.0 kcal.min(-1)) and running at 8.05 km.h(-1) (9.16 +/- 1.53 kcal.min(-1)). Also, Step (p < 0.01), Bodycombat (p < 0.01), and RPM (p < 0.01) had significantly higher caloric expenditures than running at 8.05 km.h(-1) but significantly lower than running at 8.37 km.h(-1) (10.30 +/- 1.72 kcal.min(-1)). In conclusion, RPM, Bodycombat, and Step aerobics were equally as effective as jogging between 8.05 and 8.37 km.h(-1), and they met American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for weight modification and maintenance. Additionally, heart rate assessment provided a quantitative method for estimating energy expenditure and the effectiveness of different aerobic programs.

home made baby butter-head lettuce salad with orange and balsamic dressing

I first had a taste of orange dressing salad with crispy duck at Canoodling Restaurant and fell in love with it. Here, I've tried to replicate that delicious salad by using stuffs I have in my fridge. In this version, I've taken out the olive oil and put in chia seeds for my dose of Omega-3 instead. Try to increase the portion and have a big bowl, because believe me, just one serving will keep you wanting for more.

• 1 head baby butter-head lettuce
• 1 medium sized orange
• 1 slice chicken ham (35g)
• a dash of balsamic vinegar
• a sprinkle of raisin
• a sprinkle of sunflower seeds
• a sprinkle of chia seeds

Slice chicken ham into strips. Wash the lettuce and spin dry. Cut the orange into half, squeeze the juice out of one half, and dice the other half into chunks. Mix the orange juice with a dash of balsamic vinegar. Toss the lettuce, orange chunks, raisin and chia seeds in a big bowl and drizzle with the dressing. Dive in.

Total calorie 114kcal, carbohydrate 18g, protein 9.4g, fat 2g

Without chicken ham: calorie 89kcal, carbohydrate 16.5g, protein 2.4g, fat 1.3g

いただきます

greek yogurt caesar salad, fortified

A slight modification to the earlier posted Greek yogurt Caesar salad dressing. Instead of using soft boiled egg for the dressing, I've taken the yolks from 2 hard boiled eggs and whisked them into the yogurt. I've also used half a carrot, grated, rather than baby butter head lettuce. It tastes about the same, only that the boiled yolk gives a slight chalky consistency in the dressing, but I like it anyway. 

Two eggs to reward myself for doing HardCore and BodyCombat today :o) Using cooked eggs also takes away the concern for salmonella problem for those who are particular about having partial raw eggs in their food. This recipe is without the raisins and I topped up with sunflower seeds instead, for that extra crunch. The egg whites are used as topping.

Total calorie 364kcal; carbohydrate 22g, protein 23g, fat 20g.

The pie chart doesn't look that balanced, but only because the calculation is based on dry weight of the particular food group, and for carbohydrate, fibre and sugar component is added together. The high protein component comes from the eggs, and dairy products.

This could feed 2 servings as side dish, but I had all to myself for lunch, considering that's all I'm having :o)

いただきます

a cultured taste on greek yogurt

Yogurt has been an acquired taste for some, and for those who love it, the benefits of taking yogurt is really a long list.

Why should there be a tub of Greek yogurt in every fridge?

Really short answer:

1. Yummy
2. Low calorie
3. High protein
4. Probiotics

Short answer:

You can never have too much of it. A 1kg tub of these cultured goodness contains only about 590kcal, a quarter of a regular Joe's daily requirement of energy, but packed in more than 100g of protein. That is like eating about a half kilo of chicken breast meat!

But no one takes a tub a day, so it's good to keep it in the fridge and eat it for a week.

Not so short answer:

Many of us are introduced to yogurt as kids, via the sweet flavoured watery yogurt drink we all love. As we grow older, we become more vain with our weight-watching and stopped taking them anymore. But chosen wisely, we never have to for-go such delicious treats that packs in so much good nutrients.

I believe, being a reader of this blog, you are also a health-conscious consumer, who chooses foods that are nutrient rich and calori-economical (means packing more nutrients per caloric consumption).

There are 2 varieties of yogurt out in the refrigerated shelves in the supermarket. No, I don't mean plain and flavoured yogurt. If you've noticed carefully, you'll realise a recent invasion of a certain Greek yogurt in the market, so popular that every brands start to carry this version to stay competitive. Basically, Greek yogurt and regular yogurt starts off as a same thing, but Greek yogurt are further strained to remove much more fluid, that gram for gram, the Greek version contains more protein (twice or more) compared to the regular counterpart. That also gives it a thicker, pudding-like consistency.

What makes Greek yogurt so good?

1. Probiotics - Yogurt is produced by fermenting milk with the help of (good) bacterias of the Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, other lactobacilli and bifidobacteria species. Don't let the name scare you, most of us already have these good microbes in our digestive system, and ingesting more of these live cultures will provide less chance for bad bacterias to occupy our guts. Some studies have shown that consuming these microbes will also improve the duration of diarrhoea and prevent vaginal yeast infection. It is advisable to consume yogurt after a course of antibiotics to replenish these natural gut bacteria that might get killed off by your medicines.
2. Protein - nothing wags the tails of health-conscious gymrats more than food that comes with high protein and acceptably low calorie count. A cup (170g) of Greek yogurt packs in around 17g of muscle-repairing protein at the expense of about 100kcal only, making it a perfect dessert for your post-workout munch.
3. Calcium - a serving of greek yogurt provides around 18% of the daily requirement of calcium. Calcium is a mineral that is important to maintain strong bones and teeth. Calcium also plays a role in essential body function such as blood clotting and regulation of muscle contraction.
4. Vitamin B2 / riboflavin prevents cracked lips, inflammation of the lining of mouth and tongue, mouth ulcers, cracks at the corners of the mouth; dry and scaling skin, and iron-deficiency anemia.
5. Vitamin B6 / pyridoxine is needed for normal brain development and function, and helps the body make serotonin and norepinephrine (mood hormones), and melatonin, which helps regulate the body clock. 
6. Vitamin B12 / cobalamin is essential in maintaining healthy nerve cells, and in the production of the body's genetic material. It also helps to make red blood cells and to help iron work better in the body, as well as regulation of immune functions and mood.
7. Magnesium activates enzymes, contributes to energy production, and helps regulate calcium levels, as well as copper, zinc, potassium, vitamin D, and other important nutrients in the body.
8. Most importantly, it tastes good in my greek yogurt caesar salad. Yum!

Have you had your Greek yogurt today?

いただきます!

sources:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/yogurt3.htm

http://www.webmd.boots.com/vitamins-and-minerals/calcium

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/590715/2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_complex

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/

home made greek yogurt caesar salad

Long enough have I been cheating myself to eat healthy outside, by ordering anything that has the word 'salad' in it's name. And a peek at the calorie count for a typical dinner sized Caesar salad made in a restaurant may fetch up to 800kcal depending on the ingredients used. So, choose the lesser evil? Perhaps if we don't do it that often.

However, I do try to eat clean whenever I prepare my own salad at home. My latest craze, using yogurt as dressing. You may notice the new hype on yogurt, claimed to be the healthier version - the Greek Yogurt - that almost every brand carry a variation at the moment. But for the best benefit of clean eating, try to get the plain version, which is sans the fruit jam and unnecessary sugar chucked in.

Here's my take on a yogurt based Caesar salad:

• 1 cup shred cabbage (about a quarter of a medium Beijing cabbage)
• 1 cup baby butter-head lettuce (about half a head)
• a pinch of seasoned nori

Dressing:

• 3 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
• 1 large soft boiled egg
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp grated Parmesan
• a sprinkle of raisin
• a drizzle of honey
• a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Total calorie 235kcal; carb 15.7g, prot 15.8g, fat 8.0g.

The above portion fills up a whole salad bowl, that can easily feed up to 4 people as a side dish. I however, split them into 2 servings, or sometimes when I'm really famished, gobble up in one seating, which I admit goes against my philosophy of moderation.

Caesar salad usually comes with hard boiled eggs, and some crouton. So if you're feeling really naughty, throw in a sliced boiled egg and substitute the crouton with 3 pieces of Munchy's Oat Krunch with Chia seed, which adds up another 8g of protein at the expense of about 200kcal. Not too bad if you have friends to share this with.

いただきます