Belgian Blue bulls look like they are made of muscle because they have a mutation in the gene that codes for the protein myostatin. In humans, as in other types of cattle, myostatin normally limits the number of muscle fibers that form before birth and then limits the growth of those fibers later on.

Excellent piece on NPR this morning about a new drug used to help treat muscle disorders. The drug has incredible potential to benefit individuals with muscle disorders and those recovering from injury, but fear is great that it will become the next big thing for athletes looking to boost performance:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/08/12/210487410/new-muscle-drugs-could-be-the-next-big-thing-in-sports-doping?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=DailyDigest&utm_campaign=20130812

Living the Active Life

How do you stay active? For many of us as we age, we scale back our activities from the adventurous and challenging competitive endeavors of our youth to more gentle activities like walking, golfing, working out at the gym or taking a nice bike ride through the countryside. Not Billy Thompson. At 71 years of age, this avid basketball fan makes time most days of the week to jump in with the young guys and play full-court or half-court basketball. He can still nail the outside jump shot and loves keeping up with his younger buddies in a good, strenuous game of hoops. Billy plays in basketball leagues in Salinas, but has been making time every Tuesday and Thursday to drive from Salinas to play with his friends in Monterey. He's been doing this since 1996. "I love this place," said Billy the other day while warming up from some friendly competition. "I wish we had something like this in Salinas, but I'm so glad we have this in Monterey." With it's three basketball courts and full suspension wood floor, the gymnasium at the Sports Center is one of the greatest recreation treasures of the area. With kids leagues in basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, wrestling, floor hockey and more and very active adult leagues in both coed and women's volleyball and well-attending drop-in basketball games throughout the day and most weekends, the gym has been a welcome venue for locals throughout the peninsula. At any given time, you might see several adults engaged in high-level badminton games on court three, while several adults are playing table tennis on court one and a great game of full court basketball is going on court two.When you have the chance, drop by at noon for a fun game of hoops with Billy or anytime to get your old athletic inspiration a good dose of active realization.

Let's Be Real About Weight Loss

Great blog by Huffington Post contributor Andrew Dixon: "Seduced by the Illusion: The Truth About Transformation Photos" cautioning against accepting the slick, snake-oil claims so predominant in anecdotal marketing about quick weight loss programs and strategies. The above photos were taken by Dixon in a single day, illustrating how much can be affected by your pose, your lighting and other tricks to give the illusion of magical transformation. As Dixon cautions, live a healthy lifestyle and be happy with yourself. Good words to live by.

For the rest of the blog, see here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-dixon/weight-loss-secrets_b_3643898.html

Don't Skip Breakfast

Start your day with a healthy breakfast - you'll be more productive, happier and live a lot longer.

Do you skip breakfast? You might want to consider new research linking missed morning meals with increased risk of heart attacks.

New research published by Eric Rimm, Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health in the journal Circulation, finds that men who routinely skipped breakfast had a 27 percent higher risk of having a heart attack or dying from coronary heart disease compared to men who ate breakfast.

Worse yet, those who tended to eat late at night were 55% more likely to die than those who did not.

In an interview posted on NPR by Allison Aubrey, (http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/07/23/204567839/SKIPPING-BREAKFAST-IS-RISKY Rimm pointed out that by simply changing what time of day you eat, you can have a huge positive effect on your risk of heart attack and a host of other metabolic issues: “It’s such a simple lifestyle change that people can make. This is a cheap one and should be a part of any primary care provider’s message to a patient.”

“Don’t skip breakfast,” concludes study co-author Leah Cahill, a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health.

The long-term, 16-year study included nearly 27,000 men.

Previous studies dating back to a ground-breaking Alameda County study back in the 1960 have linked missing breakfast to excess weight, dyslipidemia, hypertension, insulin resistance, and diabetes.

Huffington Post has a “Quick Trick – Snack Stack” plan that is gluten free, healthy, nutritious and takes care of busy people who skip breakfast because they are out of time – check it out: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/09/gluten-free-breakfast-grain-free_n_3392053.html

Monterey Sports Center on the Fourth of July Weekend

Monterey's Fourth of July Parade - July 4, 2013

Seaside's Parade of Champions with Olympian Nick Cunningham - July 7, 2013

Having a bit of fun with Skipper, Sparkle, Cheerleading Camp Director Rebecca Armbruster and some of the Monterey Sports Center cheerleaders.

Making Fitness Work for You

What makes fitness work for you? Do you like something invigorating like Yoga or Pilates? Do you like to dance and move with Zumba or Cardio Dance Party? Are you a fan of combining your workout with strength and cardio together? Does social media keep you going while you’re running on a treadmill or using a cross-trainer? Are you into a comprehensive weight room that is both fully furnished and easy to use, but has advanced enough equipment to really challenge you? Is swimming, triathlon training, water aerobics or anything having to do with a pool exciting?

Whatever motivates you to work out is the best fitness plan for you. And where can you find a huge number of class options, a large pool facility with therapeutic and athletic classes and program, a multiple room cardio, strength and flexibility training center with outstanding, new and challenging equipment, a three-court gymnasium with basketball, volleyball, badminton and table tennis available all day long and so many fitness options to choose from? Right here in Monterey – the Monterey Sports Center – built by the community to benefit the community.

Group exercise classes start as early as 5:45 in the morning and go all the way to 9:00 pm at night with more than 120 classes offered every week. Whether your into High Intensity Training, Kettlbell Workouts, Outdoor Bootcamps, Power Yoga, Restorative Yoga, RIPPED, Zumba, Pilates or any other trending fitness class – we have it. We are currently adding new equipment to enhance  the fitness experience in our cardio fitness and strength training centers. From internet and social media access to the latest trends in athletic training, the Sports Center has the equipment and the professional staff to make sure you are always motivated to work out.

Stop by, take a tour and sign up today at the most complete fitness facility on the Monterey Peninsula.

124 Fitness Classes Every Week - Working out Can Be Fun

               

Congratulations to Giovanna Kolofer!

We love it when our local athletes shine and their hard work pays off with success and opportunities that are created by their own initiative and effort. Such is the case with local softball star Giovanna Kolofer. Giovanna recently graduated from Notre Dame High School where she excelled as a starting third baseman all four years. A three-time all league TCAL, Monterey Herald and Salinas Californian member, Giovanna led the county in stolen bases for two years, led as the Team Captain for three years and hit over .520 last year. Giovanna also contributed to her schools cross country team, finishing in the top 20 in the county.

Giovanna is heading to University of Delaware in the fall on a full athletic scholarship - the culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice.

Giovanna has been a regular at the Sports Center for years, challenging herself in cardiovascular, strength, flexibility and core conditioning workouts and working with her father and brother as they all created a disciplined, family approach to their athletic careers. Father Eddie was a standout quarter-miler in College, running 46 seconds and brother Scott is one of the top junior triathletes in the world, training and competing with the triathlon program at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Here's an interview Gianna did with Monterey Herald sports writer John Devine back in 2011:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cmRiiuxsGI

All of us wish Giovanna and her family continued future success and good luck playing for the Blue Hens!