My Current Morning Coffee

 At the gym, I often get asked what I have in my coffee as everyone sees me adding all sorts of powders to it. My current morning coffee consists of:

• Collagen

• Lion’s mane

• Cordyceps

• Chaga

Currently, I use individual extracts so I can add whatever I like and play with different doses. In the past, I have used pre-mixed coffee which is more convenient but I like to tailor it to my needs and experiment on myself a little bit.

Collagen

Collagen is something I have had for many years but didn’t really give it as much attention as I should. I have noticed my joints and tendons are feeling a lot better since I started taking it daily and at a much larger dose. Collagen has many other benefits which you can read more about here.

Lion’s Mane

Lion’s mane is known for its beneficial effects on the brain. With all the concussions I have had in my life I take a lot of things that can help regenerate, slow the degeneration, or improve brain function.

“Lion’s mane has the ability to repair and regenerate neurons in your body, resulting in improved overall cognitive function, and lion’s mane has been known to reverse and mitigate the effects of such neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and dementia, among others.” – Tero Isokauppila

Lion’s mane is used to:

• Improve memory

• Boost concentration

• Protect your nervous system and stimulate new neuron growth

Cordyceps

Cordyceps is known primarily for its ability to increase energy and reduce fatigue, so I use this in my morning coffee, pre-workout. Cordyceps contains beta-glucans which help deliver oxygen to the body. Cordyceps can also boost ATP levels. Due to these two properties cordyceps can help respiratory issues such as asthma and bronchitis. It also has anti-inflammatory properties which can help with blood flow and overall heart health, and it can also help with libido.

Chaga

Chaga is a bit of an all-rounder, helping many different systems within the body. It has immunomodulating abilities, anti-cancer properties, is a powerful antioxidant, and is an anti-inflammatory.

References:

Healing Mushrooms – Tero Isokauppila

Introduce Plyometrics Slowly

Plyometrics are used regularly but are often misused. Coaches tend to implement them too early on in a training plan and at too large a volume.

Jumps and throws are good to do but you should monitor your volume closely to avoid injury and overtraining. I feel this applies more to jumps as many athletes are already running, cutting, and jumping, when training for their sport. Doing too many ground contacts in the gym on top of all this work can lead to problems such as shin splints. You will typically see this throughout the offseason/pre-season in rugby league.

You should also slowly increase the volume of plyometric work anytime you have had a break from them, even if you have still been training. I hadn’t programmed any jumps for myself for a length of time and in my previous program decided to re-introduce some jumps. My tibialis anterior were sore after the second session and the volume was low. I only did 4x8 of tuck jumps on day 1, and 4x8 broad jumps on day 2. So, my weekly volume was only 64 ground contacts. By week 2 and 3 of my plan, I was fine. The point of this, is that it doesn’t take a lot of work to cause muscle soreness initially, so you have to monitor the volume and increase it gradually. The following chart is a good starting point when considering how much volume to do:

(I can’t remember the source as I have had this a long time so I apologise for not giving credit or having the reference)

Some things to remember when trying to develop power:

• Quality is more important than quantity.

• Intent is key.

• In most cases, you should be fully (or near) recovered between sets.

Some Benefits of Collagen

 There is some collagen in stock at the gym and I was asked what it is good for. It has many benefits, here are some of them:

• Collagen is a building block for bone, teeth, intervertebral discs, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. It is also found in the skin, organs, and even blood. It is the most abundant fibrous protein in the human body.

• Collagen consists of 30% of the total protein in the human body. Collagen is essential for the extracellular matrix of muscles and tendons, and muscle force transmission, flexibility, and adaptability. Collagen peptides have a unique amino acid composition, including hydroxyproline, glycine, and proline (approximately 12%, 22%, and 13%, respectively).

• Studies show that protein intake can augment post-exercise skeletal muscle protein synthesis. Collagen peptides have been shown to help increase skeletal muscle anabolic gene expression and enhance contractile force transmission from muscles to tendons or bones by supporting the extracellular connective tissue. Collagen peptides may also act as signalmessengers in anabolic cellular processes in cartilage, tendons, and ligaments.

• Collagen also acts as a semi-conductor of electricity. By being able to conduct electricity inside the body, collagen helps cell communication, which optimizes growth and healing. By helping the cells communicate better, collagen can also help the cells work together to eliminate their own toxic waste products.

• Collagen may be able to help prevent stretch marks. It gives our skin strength and elasticity.

• After the age of 25, collagen production decreases by about 1 to 1.5 percent per year. As collagen levels decline, connective tissues begin to deteriorate. When there is a shortage of collagen, even if you drink enough water, you have a hard time staying hydrated. This can lead to a build-up of toxic substances and other related problems.

• If you have had repetitive joint injuries, pain, and discomfort of the joints, you will see a decrease in joint inflammation which will reduce pain and will have you feeling much better. Musculoskeletal injuries also heal much faster. Supplementing with collagen appears to reduce autoimmunity to the body's own collagen, resulting in less inflammation in instances of osteoarthritis and rheumatism and benefits to joint health.

• Mentally, collagen can help you be more alert, have better concentration, have a more balanced mood, improved energy, and an increase in well-being.

• Collagen can also help heal a leaky gut. Once cooked, it becomes “gelatin.” Gelatin is important because it can support gut health. Collagen also contains the critical amino acids proline and glycine, which are known for supporting a healthy gut.

• Dosages tend to be anywhere from 15 - 40 g per day

References / further reading:

• https://strength-community.com/collagen-peptides-effect-on-skeletal-muscle-signaling-post-exercise-strength/

• https://www.bulletproof.com/supplements/macronutrients/what-is-collagen-guide/

• https://bengreenfieldlife.com/article/nutrition-articles/keto-collagen-review/

• https://drgabriellelyon.com/the-truth-about-collagen/

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