February 2007: Issue 053 - Hammer Nutrition · Remission Man • Page 16 From The Saddle of Steve Born • Page 18 USSSA Partnership • Page 19 ... fruit juice and 50% grain dex-trins

Welcome• Page 2Why You Had A Lousy Year• Page 4Product Spotlight : Digest Caps• Page 5Trans Fatty Acids• Page 6Tipping the Scales Back to Balance• Page 8Dr. Bill’s Words of Wisdom• Page 9Athlete Spotlight : Laura Sophiea• Page 10From the Archives• Page 12What’s In A Name• Page 12Hammer Fuel Kits• Page 14Reducing Holiday Weight Gain• Page 15Plain HEED & Perpetuem Packets• Page 15Remission Man• Page 16From The Saddle of Steve Born• Page 18USSSA Partnership• Page 19Hammer Nutrition/USA Triathlon• Page 192000+ Events in 2006• Page 2053x11 Coffee• Page 20Riding the Spine• Page 21Why Take Supplements?• Page 22Hammer Nutrition & Total Health Events• Page 23Nate’s Corner• Page 242006 Price List & Order Form• Page 25-26Effective Training Aids for Cyclists• Page 27New Clothing for 2007• Page 28The Gear Junkie• Page 292007 Hammer Catalog• Page 29Race Report• Page 28-31Quantity Discounts on Hammer Products• Page 32

Hammer Gel & Fructose

Happy 20th Anniversary Hammer Nutrition!!As we mentioned in the last edition

of Endurance News, 2007 is amomentous year for us for many rea-sons. After many years of excellentservice, we have retired theE-CAPS brand, consolidat-ing all of our products underthe Hammer Nutritionbrand. You’ll see new labelson the packaging, but theproduct quality remainswhat you’ve come to knowand trust over the years-you haveour promise on that.

2007 also marks our 20th anniver-sary. From its humble beginnings backin a San Francisco apartment to ourever-expanding facilities here inWhitefish, Montana, HammerNutrition has enjoyed an incredible

measure of growth and respect in theworld of endurance sports. Since DayOne we’ve never wavered from our goalof providing endurance athletes with

the best possible products,service, and knowledgeresources. This commit-ment has led us on the wayso far, and in 2007 wepromise to continue deliver-ing those same things - thehighest quality products

and unsurpassed customer service andtechnical support - to you. We’d have itno other way.

To all our valued clients we want tothank you for being with us for some,most, or all of our first 20 years, andwe look forward to serving you formany, many more years to come.

Q: I have fructose intolerance and wonderwhether I can take HammerGel. I know that HammerGel does not contain anyadded fructose, but itcontains fruit juices;thus, there should besome natural fructose init. Any experience withthis condition?

A: This is not a newquestion, but it is one I ampleased to hear.

Fructose is a real and present dietary danger knownand shown to compromisehealth. Unprocessed natu-ral fruit juice is associated

February 2007 : Issue 053

with health-enhancing effects, butthe processed form is highly toxiceven in relatively small amounts.This question is important, requir-

ing a few paragraphs to explain.

HAMMER GEL - Fructose Question

A typical 36-gram servingHammer Gel contains 0.72 gramfrom a natural sweetener, called“Energy Smart” made from 50%fruit juice and 50% grain dex-trins via proprietary process.Fruit juice contains natural fruc-tose of 3-10% by weight. Forevery serving of Hammer Gelconsumed (at most) 1-2 grams ofnatural fructose is consumed.

Steve Born

Bill Misner, Ph.D.

(see HAMMER GEL on page 2)

®

ENDURANCE

The endurance athlete's comprehensive knowledge resource since 1992

NEWS

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The objective of Endurance News is to provide you, the seriousendurance athlete, with a valuable resource that you will find to beinformative, educational, thought provoking and helpful in your ongoingpursuit of optimum performance and health.

Endurance News features insightful articles on diet, nutrition, training andother topics of interest for endurance athletes — written by myself as wellas professional and elite amateur athletes and other experts in the area ofnutrition and exercise. In addition, Endurance News will include articleshighlighting new and existing Hammer Nutrition products and how to getthe maximum benefits from them.

In reading this and future issues, please remember that the views expressed

in this publication will always be biased in favor of a healthy diet, hard train-ing that emphasizes quality over quantity, and prudent supplementation toimprove health and performance. But above all, we at Endurance Newsbelieve there are no short cuts, and success can only come from hard work.

Back issues of Endurance News are available online at:www.hammernutrition.com

Legal disclaimer: The contents of Endurance News are not intended toprovide medical advice to individuals. For medical advice, please consult alicensed health care specialist.

The FDA has evaluated none of the statements in this newsletter.

Endurance News Staff

Editorial : Steve Born, Dr. Bill Misner, Brian Frank

Editorial Contributors : Nate Llerandi, Tony Schiller,Lowell Greib, Jacob Thompson, Jason Kinley,Stephen Brown

Copy Editor : David Levin*

Layout : Angela Nock

*Articles written by Dr. Bill Misner are not edited by David Levin

ENDURANCE NEWS : The Newsletter For Endurance Athletes

Welcome toEnduranceNews #53!

This issue ofEnduranceNews marks the15th year of thispublication and

the 20th anniversary for my company.I’ve probably said this before, so for-give me if you’ve heard it already, butit seems like it was both yesterday andalso another lifetime ago when webegan in San Francisco or when Iwrote the first issue of EnduranceNews from Pleasant Hill. It’s been anamazing journey so far and we are allexcited about what the future has instore for Hammer Nutrition as we con-tinue our relentless pursuit of meetingall of your fueling and nutrition needs.

I would be remiss if I did not extendmy sincere thanks and gratitude to youfor making it all possible. So, thankyou for helping to make 2006 anotherrecord-breaking year for us in terms ofgrowth and sales. I am fond ofreminding my staff that the client isalways right and you vote your prefer-ence daily with your pocket book. Weare honored to have your vote and con-sider it the ultimate indicator that we

are on the right path.

However, being the perfectionist thatI am, I believe that there is alwaysroom for improvement, and I look toyou at all times for guidance. That iswhy I provide a direct link for you tovoice your suggestions, criticisms, andideas for further improvement in ourproducts and service. Feel free, actual-ly empowered, to contribute by sendingan e-mail to [email protected]

One of the many improvements weare making for 2007 is printingEndurance News in full color andexpanding it to 32 pages or more.With almost 30,000 copies of each issuegoing into the mail and several thou-sand more going out electronically,Endurance News is one of the high-est circulation and longest runningpublications serving the endurancecommunity. Steve and I are workingcontinuously to improve the quality ofthe content we offer, and we welcomeyour feedback and suggestions for top-ics and articles you’d like to see onthese pages. Send your comments andsuggestions to [email protected]

Some of the topics I guarantee that

you will continue to see covered inthese pages are the “replace what youcan assimilate” fueling philosophy, thebenefits of a low sodium, whole foodsdiet, intelligent electrolyte replace-ment, fueling with complex carbsinstead of sugar, avoiding artificialsweeteners, colors and flavors at alltimes, especially in your fuels, andexploding the myth that eating a “bal-anced diet” can provide you with all ofthe nutrients your body needs. Ifyou’re a new reader, you should knowthat this has been our platform fromthe beginning, and it is what we trulybelieve with all of our heart and soul.

I hope that 2007 is your best yearyet in terms of athletic success, health,and happiness. We are here to helpmake it happen.

Enjoy the read!Brian

From the office of Brian Frank

WelcomeWelcome

Our Mission

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The natural fructose content inHammer Gel for a 9-serving/3-hourworkout is no higher than 18-20grams, well under half of the 50 gramsnecessary to induce fructose intoler-ance symptoms. When compared tonatural organic whole foods, HammerGel generates very small amounts ofnatural fructose.

Naturally occurring, plant-sourcetotal dietary fructose ingested fromwhole non-processed fruits or vegeta-bles is around 15 grams per day withNO reported association with compro-mised health disorders.

Each 3.5 ounces from whole fruitscontain small gram amounts of fructose:

FRUIT PER 100 GRAMSPrunes 12.5Grapes 8.2Bananas 4.9Kiwi Fruit 4.3 Apples 6.0 Cherries 6.0 Pears 6.2Blueberry 5.0Strawberry 2.5 Blackberry 2.4Orange 2.2 Grapefruit 2.5 Watermelon 3.3 Plums 3.0Raspberry 2.3 Melon 2.9Pineapple 2.0Cantaloupe 1.8Peach 1.5 Nectarine 1.3

HAMMER GEL 1.0-2.0 **Per single serving

How Much Fructose Is Harmful?

Most dietary fructose intake isingested as processed High-FructoseCorn Syrup (HFCS), used to sweeten

various packaged foods. ProcessedFood manufacturers prefer HFCS as asweetening agent because it is cheapand mixes well in many foods. Dietaryfructose intake is increasing. From1970-1997, annual per capita intake ofHFCS in the USA increased from 0.23kg to 28.3 kg. During the sameperiod, total Fructose +Sucrose intake increased from64 grams per day to 81 gramsper day. Fifty-five percent(55%) of the dietary fructoseAmericans consume comesfrom commercially producedhigh-fructose corn syrup(HFCS) which is added tomany processed foods (e.g.Most soft drinks containapproximately 11%HFCS), to sweeten bakedgoods, canned fruits,dairy products, ketchupand jams. Soft Drinksaccount for 33% of thetotal content of SimpleSugars (Fructose +Sucrose + Glucose) inthe USA.

Fructose is absorbedprimarily via thejejunum; however, one out ofevery three persons cannot completelyabsorb fructose. Fructose is slowlyabsorbed by the human digestive sys-tem. Peak serum fructoseconcentrations occur 30-60 minutesafter fructose ingestion. The concentra-tion of fructose in fasting blood ofhealthy humans is typically 1 mg/dL orless. The fructose portion of sucrose isabsorbed more slowly than fructoseingested in its pure monosaccharideform. This is because the fructose por-tion of sucrose is not available forabsorption until sucrose is hydrolyzedby intestinal digestive enzymes. Thecell structures of animals fed fructoseage more rapidly and accelerated agingof the collagen content of the skin alsooccurred (Journal of Nutrition.September 28, 1998:1442-1449.)Chronic or excessive use of processed

(HAMMER GEL from page 1) fructose (apart from fruit fibers, vita-mins, and other plant-sourcedminerals) is associated with abnormalblood clotting ailments, increased car-diovascular disease risk, hypertension,colic, diarrhea, irritable bowel syn-drome, breast cancer, colon cancer,

calcium oxalate kidneystones & gallstones,increased total serum cho-lesterol levels, increased

LDL cholesterol, cross-linking(glycosylation), increased riskdiabetes mellitus type II,fatigue, fatty liver, insulin

resistance, obesity, elevatedserum triglycerides, gout,depression, tooth decay, andaccelerated skin wrinkling.Two out of three otherwisenormal/healthy persons expe-rience fructose intolerance(fructose malabsorption form)when 50 grams of processedfructose or more is consumed.Choi’s research associates the50-gram fructose dose with fruc-tose intolerance (Am JGastroenterol 98(6):1348-1353,2003). An average 600 ml of softdrink contains a whopping 32.6grams of fructose!

Summary

A few grams natural fructosewrapped in its original cellulose fiberand fluid-like container alwaysincludes the enzymes, vitamins, andminerals making this substance welltolerated in up to 50 grams +/- 10grams. However, the more processedand stripped of its original fiber, fluid,vitamin, and mineral content, themore likely a 50 grams +/- 10 gramswill do more harm than good forhealthy cellular metabolic function.

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(Note from author: Don’t be offend-ed by that title. It was just a cheap ployto get your attention. And it worked,right? We all know you had a kick-assyear, maybe even your best ever, soclearly this article isn’t intended foryou. Instead, let me encourage you tohand it off - as a gesture of kindness -to a competitor you suspect had a hardtime putting it all together in 2006.After all, isn’t it always better to givethan to receive?)

It’s a sure sign an athlete is gettingup there in years when a good portionof his writings start falling into the“overcoming” category. Or maybe it’sjust a sign of being really experienced.With 2007 marking my 35th consecu-tive year in racing, maybe the bestlesson I’ve learned is, don’t ever stopbeing a learner. The second best lessonis, be willing to change.

For instance, the gonzo mentalityand training approach that deliveredhotshot results in one decade will pro-duce disastrous results in another. Butat the same time, some of the ingredi-ents from that earlier decade were puregold then and still can be now. Thechallenge for every veteran racer ischoosing the proportions of old and newto create your magical mix for today.

Below are some of the traps I’ve got-ten stuck in over the years and what’sworked to help get free to find thatright blending of old and new:

The Mileage Trap - this nasty traphas altered the course of many a life.Even people smart enough to realizethe negative impact it’s having on theirwork, family and personal life oftencan’t avoid its steely grasp. There’s justsomething so hypnotic about hittingthose weekly, monthly and annualmilestones that we’re compelled to for-

get they’re not a more important meas-ure of a good or bad year than theperformance itself.

Freeing Yourself - try breaking astreak or mileage marker that hauntsyou as much as it helps you. Much hasbeen said about Cal Ripken’s streak of2632 consecutive games, and amazingas it was, by far his most productiveseason during the latter part of hiscareer came in 1999, the year afterbreaking the streak when he hit .340as a part-time player. As hard as itmay be to imagine, perhaps a break-through change-up for you in ‘07 mightbe giving a streak or an arbitrary num-ber goal a break. You might just findthat old friend was actually a nemesis.

The Un-Mileage Trap - yes, youread that right. Breaking free from theclutches of daily minimums can leadsome to another trap - going the otherway and floating aimlessly through lifewith no defined and measurable train-ing goals. It’s a sneaky trap because forawhile we get by just fine on our yearsof tremendous training base and false-ly begin to believe we can do it forever.Then suddenly the hourglass runsempty and we discover how painful itis to race - and lose - to people more fitthan us.

Freeing Yourself - if you’ve becomea slacker, admit it, and stop pretendingyou’re close to being really fit - youaren’t - and that you’re going to turnon the jets when it counts - you won’t.It doesn’t matter that you’re in thisplace because you chose to prioritizecareer and family over racing, that’sadmirable, but the fact is you miss thelifestyle of being a highly structuredathlete and still want to compete at ahigh level. So be more sophisticatedabout it this time with a refinedapproach that really fits your life and

is measured in ways that go beyondmiles. Are you having fun? Are youmaking progress? Do you feel in con-trol? Is training and racing theinvigorating force that makes you bet-ter in the other areas of your life?

Denial Trap - by definition this is atrap that most athletes won’t admit tobeing caught in until there’s a bloodymess. It’s engrained into our headsthat it’s all mind-over-matter. We’renever in a slump. We’re never overtrained. We’re never injured. We’renever too obsessed about racing. Andthere’s never a goal that can’t bereached with just a few more miles ofharder training. That’s what gave usour competitive edge in the first placeand going against is unnatural.

Freeing Yourself - if you don’t knowyou’re caught, how can you know youneed to be freed? That’s the athlete’sparadox - can I will myself throughthis or is it a problem that needs spe-cial attention (i.e. Lance riding thetour with enlarged testicles)? If read-ing about this trap conjures up anuneasy feeling in your gut, maybe it’stime to break your own genetic code byasking for help. Turn to an advisor orconfidante’, someone you can trust whohas the courage to tell you the truth.Then listen. Doing so is a sign ofstrength, not weakness. Freeing your-self from this trap is heady stuff thatusually takes a lot of weight off yourshoulders. That brings immediaterelief and often leads to a fresh starton a new course.

Viral Trap - could you be caught inthis trap’s infectious hold? A lot of peo-ple don’t realize they’re breathing inthis airborne disease until it’s too lateand they’re contaminated. Some carri-ers go a lifetime undiagnosed, blindly

Tony Schiller

Why You Had A Lousy YearAnd what you can do about it

Why You Had A Lousy YearAnd what you can do about it

(see LOUSY on page 5)

Photo / Jason Kent

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Digest Caps, a long-time staple in oursupplement line, has a new, improvedformulation. Each capsule now containstwo billion intestinal health promotingbacteria, a 33% increase over the previ-ous already potent version. You’ll stillfind the “friendly three,” L. acidophilus,B. bifidum, and B. longum, but we’veadded L. plantarum OM, an extraordi-narily powerful, patented strain withwide-ranging benefits. According to U.S.Patent # 5,895,758, L. plantarum OM“has proteolytic [the breaking down ofproteins into simpler compounds], anti-viral, anti-retroviral, anti-bacterial,anti-microbial, and anti-tumoral charac-teristics and uses.” This impressiverésumé is over and above the standardduties of any probiotic strain, so it’s nowonder that many have labeled L. plan-

tarum OM a “Super Probiotic.”

When stress, illness, or antibiotic useknock out the beneficial bacteria in youralimentary system, infectious bacteriacan take over and cause digestive healthcomplications. A probiotic supplement isyour ticket back to digestive stabilityafter any bout ofintestinal distress.For even betterprotection, regulardaily use of DigestCaps will helpmaintain highpopulations ofbeneficial bacteriato keep the intes-tines healthy andworking properly. If you’re not digesting,

you’re not absorbing nutrients to fueland replenish your body. I don’t need tosay more about that, do I?

Here’s another bonus-we’ve kept theprice steady! That’s right, an alreadyfine product gets a major upgrade andyou pay the same low price. A bottle of60 vegetable-based capsules still costs

only $12.95. Even ifyou don’t take DigestCaps regularly, I sug-gest you include thisproduct in your nextorder so you’ll havesome immediatelyavailable when theneed arises to set yourgut right . . . a smallinvestment for such

substantial benefits.

Digest Caps

Steve Born

Now more potent & beneficial

infecting thousands in their wake. Itsorigin is microscopic, starting as athought, then words and then spreadinginto an entire persona and life-definingbelief system. I’m too old. I don’t havetime to train. I just do it for fun. I’malways banged up. I enjoy training morethan racing. Blah, Blah, Blah.

Freeing Yourself - do you recall anera when this was no trap at all? Youand your training partners wereimmune to the disease. Your impene-trable shields formed of dreams, goalsand purpose were enough to block allattacks. But one day you let yourshields down for an instant and thepathogen snuck in, spreading like wild-fire as each in your inner circle becamecarriers too. If you’re stuck in this trap,decide to break free. Be the leader thatsteers your friends back to being hope-ful athletes. Make that the contagiousenergy of your group. And if that’simpossible to achieve with your currentgroup, maybe it’s time to BreakAway

and find a new group.

Rut Trap - here we go again, doingthe same workouts over the same routeswith the same people at the same timelistening to the same music and prepar-ing to do the same races all over again.The only thing likely to change is beinga little slower this time around, again,before doing it all over, slower, onceagain next year. Are you stuck in the ruttrap? Good News: this is one of the easi-est traps to break free from.

Freeing Yourself - believe it of not,the answer to your rut could be as easyas finding a theme. All of your bestyears were built around a theme(whether you were conscious of it ornot) which gave life and energy to yourpursuit. There’s no limit to the themepossibilities you might choose. Foryoung and still improving athletes,themes tend to be more competitivelyfocused around results. For maturingathletes, while we still have the goalsto win, our themes tend to be moreglobal in nature. For instance, this

could be the year for doing new racesand giving back as you try 5 new raceswhile volunteering at 5 you’ve alwaysdone. It could be a year wrappedaround mentoring a young athlete andyou might just find that you end uplearning more than you teach. It couldbe a year where each month you invitea non-racing colleague or friend to gofor a run or ride - this person will prob-ably be thrilled to join even thoughthey’re too intimidated to ever ask.And maybe it’s just a year of switchinggears where Eddie Endurance gets fastor Fast Freddie goes long. If so, reallychange things up by finding a newclub, group or persons who currentlyare kicking tail in your new focus.They’re bound to give you a new per-spective that helps this be a yearunlike any other.

Tony Schiller has won 5 age group world triathlontitles. His theme this year, his last before turning50, is Back to Basics as he’s dedicating ‘07 toimproving his technical skills while increasingstrength and flexibility to be fast at 50. Tony is acoach and corporate motivator and the race direc-tor of the MiracleKids Triathlon which in 2006raised over $136,000 for children with cancer.

(LOUSY from page 4)

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Due to space limitations, we're onlyable to publish a portion of this articleby Dr. Bill. It is, however, an extremelyvaluable article, loaded with a lot ofgood information on a very importanttopic, and we highly recommend youvisit the Hammer Nutrition web site toread it in its entirety. The full-lengtharticle, complete with charts and refer-ences, can be found in two locations inthe Endurance Library section of theweb site: "Dietary Interventions ForPerformance And Health" and "EatingHealthy".

Athletes are attracted to theHammer Nutrition all-natural stance1against the dietary use of harmfulpreservatives, additives, refined simplesugars, pro-hormones, saturated fats,and now the worst of the worst, TransFatty Acids. Each Endurance Sportscompetitor is motivated, concerned,and carefully calculates their musclemass gain including fat loss for movingthrough time and space in the leastamount of time. A friend favoringfastest movement speed through timeand space is lean muscle mass support-ed by a powerful cardiovascular bloodflow to service working muscles. Mostathletes are well aware that 97% ofdietary fat is deposited in adipose tis-sue sites as dead weight. We must bemade aware that dietary saturated fatsand trans fat elevate harmful bloodlipid levels that (clog) initiate impair-ment of maximum blood flow from theheart to working muscles.

Science especially those published byCardiovascular medicine has beenemphatically warning Americans for 2decades to reduce their intake of foodshigh in saturated fats and trans fats,but the warnings have gone unheeded.Americans have instead increasedthese harmful fats as evidenced by theonset of a processed-fast food obesity

epidemic. We need to reduce dietarysaturated fats and to absolutely avoidall trans fats for which there is zero-tolerance. The new FDA requirementthat trans fats be included in theNutrition Facts panel has created aneed for the routine determination ofthe total trans fat content of edible oilsand fats and for the monitoring of theformation of trans isomers during pro-cessing of vegetable oils.

The National Academy of Sciences(NAS) advises: “Trans fatty acids arenot essential and provide no knownbenefit to human health, whether ofanimal or plant origin (NAT 2005).”Second, while both saturated and transfats increase levels of LDL cholesterol(“BAD” cholesterol), trans fats alsolower levels of HDL cholesterol(“GOOD” cholesterol) (NAT 2005); thisincreases the risk of coronary heartdisease (CHD). The NAS is concerned“that dietary trans fatty acids are moredeleterious with respect to CHD thansaturated fatty acids”. (NAT 2005) Thisanalysis is supported by a 2006 NewEngland Journal of Medicine (NEJM)scientific review that states “from anutritional standpoint, the consump-tion of trans fatty acids results inconsiderable potential harm but noapparent benefit.”(Mozaffarian et al., 2006)Because of these facts and concerns,the National Academy of Science hasconcluded there is NO safe level oftrans fat consumption. There is NOadequate level, recommended dailyamount or tolerable upper limit fortrans fats. This is because any incre-mental increase in trans fat intakeincreases the risk of coronary heartdisease. (NAT 2005)

The primary health risk identifiedfor trans fat consumption is an elevat-ed risk of coronary heart disease(CHD). A comprehensive review of

studies of trans fats was published in2006 in the New England Journal ofMedicine that concludes that there is astrong and reliable connection betweentrans fats and CHD (Mozaffarian et al.2006). The major evidence for the effectof trans fat on CHD comes from theNurses’ Health Study (NHS) - a cohortstudy that has been following 120,000female nurses since its inception in1976. Hu and colleagues analyzed datafrom 900 coronary events from theNHS population during 14 years of fol-lowup. He determined that a nurse’sCHD risk roughly doubled (relativerisk of 1.94) for each 2% increase intrans fat calories consumed (instead ofcarbohydrate calories). By contrast, ittakes more than a 15% increase in sat-urated fat calories (instead ofcarbohydrate calories) to produce asimilar increase in risk. Eating non-trans unsaturated fats instead ofcarbohydrates reduces the risk of CHDrather than increasing it. (Hu et al., 1997).Hu also reports on the benefits ofreducing trans fat consumption.Replacing 2% of food energy from transfat with non-trans unsaturated fatsmore than halves the risk of CHD(53%). By comparison, replacing a larg-er 5% of food energy from saturated fatwith non-trans unsatured fats reducesthe risk of CHD by 43%.

There are two accepted measures ofrisk for coronary heart disease, bothblood tests. The first considers ratios oftwo types of cholesterol, the other theamount a cell-signaling cytokine calledC-reactive protein. The ratio test ismore accepted, while the cytokine testmay be more powerful but is still beingstudied (Wikipedia). The effect of transfat consumption has been documentedon each as follows:

• Cholesterol ratio: This ratiocompares the levels of LDL (so-called

Bill Misner, Ph.D.

Trans Fatty AcidsA nutrition nightmare that goes “bump in the night”Trans Fatty AcidsA nutrition nightmare that goes “bump in the night”

7


“bad” cholesterol) to HDL (so-called“good” cholesterol). Trans fat behaveslike saturated fat by raising the levelof LDL, but unlike saturated fat it hasthe additional effect of decreasing lev-els of HDL. The net increase inLDL/HDL ratio with trans fat isapproximately double that due to satu-rated fat. (Ascherio 1999) (Higher ratiosare worse.)

• C-reactive protein (CRP): Astudy of over 700 nurses showed thatthose in the highest quartile of transfat consumption had blood levels ofCRP that was 73% higher than thosein the lowest quartile. (Lopez-Garcia 2005)

Another study considered deaths dueto CHD, with consumption of trans fatsbeing linked to an increase in mortali-ty, and consumption ofpolyunsaturated fats being linked to adecrease in mortality. (Oh et al., 2005)

Other Harmful Effects

There has been suggestion that thenegative consequences of trans fat con-sumption go beyond the cardiovascularrisk. In general, there is much less sci-entific consensus that eating trans fatspecifically increases the risk of otherchronic health problems:

• Cancer:There is no scien-tific consensusthat consumptionof trans fats signif-icantly increasescancer risks acrossthe board. TheAmerican CancerSociety states thata relationshipbetween trans fatsand cancer “hasnot been deter-mined.” Yet onestudy has foundconnectionsbetween trans fatand prostate can-cer! (Chavarro et al.,2006)

• Diabetes: There is a growing con-cern that the risk of type 2 diabetesincreases with trans fat consumption.However, consensus has not beenreached. (Mozaffarian et al. 2006) Forexample, one study found that risk ishigher for those in the highest quartileof trans fat consumption. (Hu et al.,

2001) Another study has found no dia-betes risk once other factors such astotal fat intake and BMI were account-ed for. (van Dam et al., 2002)

• Obesity: Research with monkeysindicates that trans fat may increaseweight gain and abdominal fat, despitea similar caloric intake (Gosline 2006).A 6-year experiment revealed thatmonkeys fed a trans-fat diet gained7.2% of their body weight, as comparedto 1.8% for monkeys on a mono-unsatu-rated fat diet. Although obesity isfrequently linked to trans fat in thepopular media (Thompson 2003), this isgenerally in the context of eating toomany calories; there is no scientificconsensus connecting trans fat andobesity.

• Liver Dysfunction: Trans fatsare metabolized differently by the liverthan other fats and interfere with delta6 desaturase. Delta 6 desaturase is anenzyme involved in converting essen-tial fatty acids to arachidonic acid andprostaglandins, both of which areimportant to the functioning of cells(Mahfouz 1981).

Practical Applications

Zero-Tolerance Trans Fats

Current esti-mates oftrans-fatty acidintake in developedcountries rangefrom 0.5 to 2.6% ofenergy. The newscience tells usthere is a ZERO-tolerance for transfats. What else hasa ZERO-tolerance?How about theZERO-toleranceasbestos insulationand lead waterpipes?

A number ofstudies have beenconducted to evalu-

ate the effects of trans-fatty acids onplasma lipids. Results from the vari-ous studies are similar. In general, itis agreed that the consumption oftrans-fatty acids or hydrogenated fatsinstead of cis-fatty acids or natural oilsled to increases in total blood choles-terol levels but not as much as theconsumption of saturated fatty acids.

However, unlike saturated fat, trans-fatty acids also led to an increase inLDL cholesterol and a decrease inHDL cholesterol when used. As aresult, the net effect of trans-fattyacids on the LDL/HDL cholesterol ratiois approximately double that of satu-rated fat. Furthermore, theconsumption of trans-fatty acids alsoled to increased plasma triglyceridelevels. These changes may increase therisk of coronary diseases. Apparently,replacing butter with margarine highin trans-fatty acids may obtain no ben-efit; instead, the consumption oftrans-fatty acids may even increase therisk of having coronary hear diseases.Though soft margarine is slightly bet-ter than hard margarine, or reducingthe overall consumption of fat willmaintain heart health. Avoid the useof processed solid at room temperaturefats, heart health and athletic perform-ance will benefit immediately.

Trans-Fatty Acid Content InCommon Foods

Food Trans-Fatty Acids %

Hard Margarine 12.4%Soft Margarine, Low in PUFA 9.1%Chocolate Cake with Icing 7.1%Soft Margarine, High in PUFA 5.2 %Butter 3.6%Hamburger 0.8%Fried Meats 0.8%Grilled Meats 0.8%Safflower Oil NoneSunflower Oil NoneSoy Oil NoneOlive Oil NoneFlax Oil NoneSalmon Oil NoneSeeds NoneNuts None

Avoid Foods High In Saturated Fats

AVOID foods high in saturated fat:fatty beef, veal, lamb, pork, lard, poul-try fat, butter, cream, milk, cheese andother dairy products made from wholemilk. These foods also contain dietarycholesterol. Foods from plants high insaturated fat include coconut oil, palmoil and palm kernel oil (often calledtropical oils), and cocoa butter.

Avoid Butter & Margarine

I recommend avoiding both becauseany fat that is solid at room tempera-

(see TRANS FATTY ACIDS on page 14)

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If you are reading this article whileon your trainer, treadmill or elliptical,get off and sit still for a few minutes.Your current training may be futile oreven disadvantageous to your overallperformance. You might be focused onyour body at the expense of overallbalance.

Now that you are comfortable andrelaxed, ask yourself the followingquestion: “What do I do for myself?”My emphasis is on the whole self.Take a few moments, lean back, closeyour eyes and think seriously aboutwhat you do for you. Let’s see how wecan tip the scales back to balance,attending to all aspects of life.

If you are like most athletes, thefirst thing that comes to mind is physi-cal exercise. This is also usuallywhere the brain stops! Athleticprowess gained through exercise is anoble achievement, but life is muchmore than pushing ourselves physical-ly. Instead, we want to ask ourselveswhat we do to balance life. What dowe include in our everyday life toachieve balance? Are we nursing ourmind and our spirit as well as ourbody?

Our mood is a good way to measureour ability to achieve balance in life.Athletes commonly experience periodsof irritability, anxiety, and depression.These feelings may be especially com-pounded after working out. Is thisnormal? What do these negative emo-tions tell us about our balance in life?

Ancient wisdom has always purport-ed balance in life, both physiologicaland psychological. Asian philosophyhas yin/yang. East Indian mantraendorses balancing of chakras. North

American society has... zippo! So ittakes a little more effort and attentionfor us to see a broader, holistic pictureof life.

We return to the question of normal-ity. Are feelings of irritabilitysomething that we may experiencefrom time to time, especially aftertraining? Absolutely! Let us workthrough this in a systematic approach,and find out what these feelings canteach us about ourselves.

Body

It is important for each one of us toevaluate our environment and envi-sion our body as a microcosm withinthat environment. Our bodies are com-posed of somewhere between 10-100trillion cells, each of which containsmillions of molecules. These micro-components compose an organism, adynamic system of immense complexi-ty. I like to refer to it as the humanslurry. It is the physical basis of thebody, which is the physical aspect ofthe self.

This dynamic system containsuntold numbers of chemical, electrical,and mechanical actions going on con-tinually, and even moreso when underthe stress of physical exercise. Musclecells adapt to physiological stress(physical activity) by hypertrophying(increasing in mass). The intracellularcomponents will also change, increas-ing the amount of mitochondria,cytoplasm, ATPase, and otherenzymes. These biochemical adapta-tions, however, will only occur giventhe appropriate biochemical environ-ment. Each cellular modificationdepends on enzymatic reactions,which, in turn, depend on co-factors.

Many of the co-factors that the bodydepends on are nutrients (vitamins,minerals, etc.). If they are not pres-ent, the cellular change will not occur.This is just a technical way of explain-ing how important diet andsupplementation are to the vigorouslyexercising athlete.

Irritability, anxiety, and depressioncan also have a biochemical basis, ifcertain neuropeptides are not secreteddue to nutritional deficiencies.Dopamine depends on the amino acidtyrosine, serotonin derives from tryp-tophan, and nitric oxide requiresarginine. Each of these biochemicalconversions also requires vitamins andminerals for proper enzymatic func-tion. If your body lacks any of theamino acids, vitamins, or minerals,you will fail to synthesize vital neuro-transmitters. When might an athleteexperience this deficiency? You got it-after exercise.

Endurance athletes must fulfill sig-nificant nutritional needs in order tobenefit from the stress of exercise.That’s a good start, but let’s go further.

Mind

Rest, or recovery, is vital for cellularregeneration and adaptation. The sci-ence behind rest is an emerging field,however, we do know that it plays amassive role in how the body functionsas a whole. Rest needs to occur in twodifferent forms to achieve balance: (1)sleep, and (2) what I will refer to asactive relaxation.

Sleep is obvious. We need to get tobed and have a good restful night ofsleep to allow for positive biochemical

Lowell Greib

Tipping the ScalesBack to Balance

(continued on next page)

9


Dr. Bill’s Words of Wisdom

Bill Misner, Ph.D.Director of Research & Product Development Emeritus

"Moderate exercise is shown toslow the progress of aging whileenhancing quality of life, especiallyhealth. Beyond moderate strenousexercise, it is not known if exer-cise is excessive whether it wouldbe better than no exercise at all.Conclusively, we agree that mod-eration in all things is rationalregardless of what the lifestylechosen. Based on research thesepast nine years, I hypothesize thatcompensatory antioxidants neu-tralize the harmful effects ofexcessive exercise when con-sumed before, during, or afterexercise. This enables the extremeendurance athlete to equal thequality of life standard enjoyed bythe moderate exercising counter-part. Our position is thatovertraining results in suboptimalperformance, but periodized rest,recovery, and antioxidant supple-mentation prevent overtrainingfatigue symptomology.

We recommend that antioxidantsupplementation accompany pro-longed training, otherwiseperformance and health may besuboptimal. We have neveradvised athletes to give up pro-longed endurance exercise, but wehave advised periodic rest periodswith antioxidant supplementationto those who are over-training inaddictive fashion."

Our new labels, and our 2007 catalog,feature a special call-out on products that are rich in antixodants.

changes (hormonal and other) to occur.Less obvious is what I call “activerelaxation,” that is, awake stateswherein we achieve profound muscularrelaxation. These relaxed states pro-mote an introspective mental stateideal for performance imagery, medita-tion, prayer, etc. There are manyavenues to active relaxation, includingancient Eastern practices such asyoga, tai chi, or chi gong. Westerntechniques, such as certain forms ofmeditation, progressive relaxation, orself-reflection may also be useful.Regardless of the technique, it is vitalthat you practice. You need to developthe yin components to balance theyang of exercise and the hustle bustleof every day life.

Overtraining is a leading cause ofirritability and depression, but it’s notjust a physical matter. Generally,those that experience these emotionshave stressed their bodies and mindsbeyond their personal threshold. Arestful state will help restore balanceand therefore also help you achieveyour performance goals. I hope thisperspective will put new light on “restdays.” So now we’ve added propernutrition and adequate rest to ourexercise program. One more compo-nent remains.

Spirit

This is probably the most complexand difficult component to develop inyour microcosm. Spirit is the unseen,the abstract. Spirit is what makes youwho you are. Your personality is partof your spirit, as are your moral andethical bases. Your commitment to

yourself, family, friends, and society asa whole builds your individual spirit.Individual goal-setting is a useful toolto build spirit. What can you do tomake your home, village, region, coun-try, or continent a better place to live?Just remember, your goals need to betangible and achievable.

Do you approach your training withspirit? Do you want to do what youare doing, or is it because somebody istelling you that you need to do it? Doyou enjoy training and/or racing? Doyou control your training, or does itcontrol you? Do your experiences inathletics help build you as an individ-ual? An answer of “no” to any of thesequestions may cause anxiety and/orirritability. Rethink your purpose insport as a whole, how it affects you asan individual, and how can it be usedto build your personal spirit.

By attending to all the aspects ofpersonhood you will achieve more as aperson and an athlete. We need tostart thinking of ourselves not only asphysical bodies, but as mental andspiritual beings as well. We need toevaluate cause and effect from threedifferent perspectives: our body, ourmind and, our spirit.

Lowell Greib is a naturopathic doctor and biochemist withan interest and expertise in sport medicine, injury preven-tion and athletic nutrition. He is the chief medical officerfor Mahigan Medicine (www.mahiganmedicine.com) andoperates private clinics in Huntsville and Orillia, Ontario,Canada. Lowell has competed in endurance sport formuch of his life and now lends this expertise, clinically, toall athletes from weekend warriors to national team mem-bers. To contact Lowell, you can reach him [email protected] or toll-free at 1-877-624-4633.

(c) Mahigan Medicine - 02Jan07

10


ful vistas and I have never ridden anymountains, being from Michigan. Ijust loved the different rides we dideach day and it gave me a chance toreally use the Hammer products in hotconditions with great hill climbing. Ibelieve that is one of the reasons I didso well this past October at theIronman. From that I did USAT shortcourse Nationals. Then it was off to dothe Whirlpool 70.3 race. I finished 5thfemale overall and qualified for theFord 70.3 World Championships. Ithen went back to Missouri and com-peted in the USAT Long CourseNationals, which is a half Ironman dis-tance. I finished second overall femaleat that race. Then it was off to HawaiiIronman and then Clearwater for the70.3 World Championships.

Steve: Obviously, you’ve had a fantas-tic season, one that any athlete wouldbe envious of. Still, I know how weendurance athletes can often be criticalof ourselves, thinking, “If I had donethis differently or trained differently orpassed on this race instead of compet-ing in it, I would have had an evenbetter season.” Did these thoughts everenter your mind and, if so, could youdetail them for us?

Laura: I think the only thing I wouldchange is my run training. I had apretty slow run in Hawaii and believeit had to do with how I trained. I washoping to run a sub four-hourmarathon and it just did not happenthis year. Other than that, I would notchange anything I did this year!

Steve: What was your most difficult racethis season? What made it so difficult?

Laura: I would have to say themarathon of Ironman. Everything elsewent well and I loved each race for dif-

has been satisfying to know that hardwork, positive thoughts, and Hammerproducts enabled me to race and havean epic season.

Steve: Looking back on 2006, wasthere a race that you’re most pleasedwith? What made that race so specialto you?

Laura: The race I was most pleasedwith was the USAT Short CourseNational Championships in SmithvilleLake, Missouri this past July. It wasthe Olympic distance Nationals and Iwent to that race knowing I would beracing at my anaerobic threshold forthe entire race. I always think ofmyself as an endurance athlete and nota short course racer. When I won myage group I was totally surprised as Iwas in my Ironman buildup mode. Itis also a special race as race directorMark Livesay puts on an incrediblerace for all athletes and thinks of theirneeds first. It is all about the athletewith his races.

Steve: Could you give us a rundown ofyour season? How many races did youdo? Do you do road races andduathlons as well as triathlons?

Laura: I began my season with a localduathlon, winning the title by a merethree seconds. During MemorialWeekend I went to watch my TeamMongo teammates compete in theTriple T triathlon, and I raced theLittle Smokies Half Ironman onSunday. That was one of the toughestcourses I have ever competed in and Iwon the overall female title at thatrace. After that I went to Colorado anddid Ride The Rockies. That is a 6-dayride covering close to 500 miles in themountains of Colorado. I loved that!It was incredible scenery with beauti-

Our spotlight for this issue falls onveteran triathlete Laura Sophiea ofBirmingham, Michigan, a client of ourssince 1999. Laura’s career accomplish-ments are nothing short of outstandingand certainly worthy of sponsorship,but she never even requested to be spon-sored. Point is that not only is Laura atremendously gifted athlete, but she’s avery humble person as well.

Laura’s stellar career reached its zenithin 2006, highlighted by the F50-54 agegroup title at the Ironman WorldTriathlon Championship in Kona,Hawaii and being named TriathleteMagazine’s as well as USAT’s MastersTriathlete of the Year. Prior to that shewon her age group (and placed high over-all) in many other races, including theUSAT Halfmax National ChampionshipTriathlon (USA Triathlon 2006 AgeGroup Triathlon NationalChampionships) and the WhirlpoolSteelhead 70.3 Triathlon. Perhaps mostimpressive of all is her age group win inthe Ford Ironman World Championship70.3 Triathlon, which came but a fewweeks after her Kona victory. In Laura’swords, “I won my age group, which wasso amazing to me as I had not trainedsince Kona. I did three rides and threeruns in three weeks and they never feltgreat. But in those three weeks, I reli-giously took my Tissue Rejuvenator andRecoverite and went to the race in greatshape. I won my age group by 6 minutes.”

Steve: Laura, it’s great to have you asour Spotlight Athlete this issue andcongratulations on an epic 2006 sea-son... surely, you have to be pleasedwith your racing efforts this year, yes?

Laura: I am very pleased with my sea-son this year. The training and themiles that I put in are all worth thetime and effort. It is never easy, and it

An interview with Steve Born

Athlete SpotlightAthlete Spotlight

ww

w.asiphoto.com

Laura Sophiea

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you’re from? Academics? Family?Career? Basically, a little bio aboutyou...

Laura: Let’s see... I am a LibraryMedia Specialist with the RochesterCommunity Schools and have beenteaching for 30 years! (I often wonderwhere the time has gone). I have two

master’s degrees, both in education.I have three daughters, ages 25, 22,and almost 16. They were all com-petitive swimmers throughout highschool (one still is) and my oldestswam for Michigan State. Two of mygirls have real jobs now! The girlsall did triathlons when they wereyounger but so far they are too busyto pick it up, and they hate running!I still hold out hope that someday Iwill race an Ironman with one of thegirls. I have had incredible supportfrom my family through the years,which has enabled me to continuewhat I love to do. I am part of a 13-member triathlon team called TeamMongo. Our focus has been to giveback to our community by raisingfunds for the Boys and Girls Club ofSoutheast Michigan. We work withthe boys and girls on Saturdays inthe spring and run with them in alocal 2-mile fun run in June. We alsoput on a Bike Ride for the Kids,again raising money for the Club. Itis great way to give back to the kidsand support our community. It also

makes all of us feel that we make a dif-ference in these kids’ lives.

Steve: What does a peak season weeklook like for you? What would a typicalworkout entail?

Laura: A peak week in August -September involves about 20 hours oftraining. I swim 3 times a week withtwo of those days being about 4000meters. I will bike about 200 mileswith a 5-6 hour ride on the weekendfollowing that up with a 30-45 minuterun. I run about 35 miles a week. I doa long run in the middle of the week...very early. When I’m working I do mylong runs about 3:30 A.M. I havefound that I do not have time afterwork. Most days I train one-two hoursbefore work. I start work at 7:00 A.M.I also work on core muscles but do notlift weights... really I do not have timeto lift or I probably would.

ferent reasons and never felt they weredifficult.

Steve: Conversely, of the major racesyou did this season, which one was theeasiest? Which of the races you com-peted in did you have that feeling,“Wow, this feels effortless; I’m firing onall cylinders today”?

Laura: I felt the best at USAT LongCourse Nationals. It is a very chal-lenging bike ride but the run is thebest part. There is one hill afteranother, the course is mostly dirtroads and again, Mark puts on a greatrace and awesome course for aNational Championships. I ran welland finished second, catching the sec-ond place woman at the beginning ofthe grass running to the finishingchute. That race felt effortless and Ithought it was a great tune up for theIronman. It gave me quite a bit ofconfidence going into Hawaii.

Steve: In the introduction, I broughtup your major races in 2006. You’vehad a long career; can you give us arundown of your top career resultsand honors?

Laura: Oh gosh, I have been in thesport for 20 years! Let me think... Iguess the highlights were my first bigwin in 1995 at the USATChampionships in Cleveland. I wonmy age group that year. I also tookfirst and ITU Long Course WorldChampionships at Muncie Indiana(maybe 1996?), winning my age groupthere. But the best for me was in 2001when I won my age group in theHawaii Ironman; I was in second placeafter the bike, 25 minutes down andpassed the leader in my age group atthe top of Palani Hill and went on towin by 1:15. I was selected by theWTC as their Age Group IronmanAthlete of the year. Winning back-to-back Ironman titles in 2005 and 2006is also at the top of my list. In the late90’s I won my age group at the USATNational Championships three years ina row. I was selected by the USAT in2001 as the Master Age Group Athleteof the year. I have been an All-American many years as well.

Steve: If you could pick out your “topthree” races in your career, which oneswould they be, and why?

Laura: 1. 2001 Ironman WorldChampionship. Why? I was so fardown on top age grouper MissyLeStrange and to be able to race themarathon and finish that in a 3:42 wasincredible. Also, that was the firstyear I had used Sustained Energy andmy results proved to me that yourproducts work!! 2. My first USAT age

group Championship wins in 1995. Ihad learned so much about racing andI began to believe that I could accom-plish anything I set my mind to doing.3. 2005 Ironman World Championship/Setting the course record was a dreamcome true. I finally figured out what Ineeded nutritionally and used Hammerproducts exclusively in all of my train-ing and racing. What a huge differencein how I felt. That race still amazesme. That was the perfect race for me.

Steve: How would you compare thisseason to previous seasons?

Laura: It is hard to compare to othersas I have never raced like this before!To be 51 and be able to compete withyounger women continues to be apleasant surprise. I love to race as Ihave in other seasons but this yearwas special and I still love the sport.

Steve: Can you give us a little “non-athletic” background about you? Where

(see ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT on page 13)

12


QUESTION : Does fermented soy proteinpowder offer superior absorption orother benefits when compared to stan-dard soy protein powder?

ANSWER : Fermented soy is an excellentnutritive profile choice though it doesnot generate the protein volume with-out excess calories from carbohydrateand fat. Why is fermented soy digestedso well?

Soy contains trypsin or enzymeinhibitors, which are deactivated dur-ing the lengthy process offermentation. Anabolic muscle growthfactors are lost if soy contains itsoriginal anabolic inhibitor substanceslimiting the protein availed via diges-tion. Add phytate concentrates fromuncooked or unprocessed or unfer-mented soy, a resultant mineraldeficiency may result. Fermented soyfoods such as Haelan, Miso, Natto,Soy Sauce, Tempeh, Touchi, arehealthy to consume since both

enzyme inhibitors and phytates aredeactivated during fermentation.

However, the same is true ofHammer Nutrition’s highly processedpure Soy Protein Isolates (HammerSoy). The advantage to consuming pureHammer’s Soy Protein Isolate powderis 93% pure protein, generating negli-gible carbohydrate calories and a verylow fat calorie content. Fermented Soyproducts reviewed are typically higherin fat and lower in protein per serving.While they are healthy, with a highlydigestible protein fraction, the trade offis that other calories from fat and car-bohydrate are in these fermented soyproducts. Hammer Nutrition’s SoyProtein Isolates measure of proteindigestibility to support muscle growthis a perfect 1.0 PDCAAS value. Onlypowdered egg white and whey proteinisolates are rated with a perfect score.Based on digestibility Hammer SoyProtein Isolates are equal toFermented Soy Powders, but based on

Bill Misner, Ph.D.Director of Research& ProductDevelopmentEmeritus

anabolic volume protein, Hammer Soycontains 3 times the amount of proteinper unit measure as shown below:

Product Pro. Carb. FatHammer Soy 93% -/- 7%Fermented Soy 29% 32% 40%Miso 38% 26% 36%Natto 22% 52% 26%Soy Sauce 37% 61% 1%Tempeh 40% 17% 43%

Not all soy protein powders are thesame. Hammer Nutrition was highlyselective in the Soy Protein Isolate cho-sen for their product line.

Bill Misner, Ph.D.

From the ArchivesFrom the Archives

We’ve updated some products witheasier to use or more appropriatenames. Get to know these old friendsby their new names:

ATP 100 has become Energy Surge.This great-sounding and oh-so-appro-priate name is actually part of theoriginal name of the sublingual adeno-sine triphosphate (“instant energy ina pill”) supplement we rolled out overa decade ago. In addition to its newtitle, Energy Surge now contains thepatented Peak ATP® brand of adeno-sine triphosphate, “a proprietarynutraceutical ingredient

which provides the exact molecule thehuman body needs to create energy, making it effective for a variety ofclinical indications, such as energy,athletic performance and anti-aging,”according to TSI Health Sciences, the manufacturers of Peak ATP®.

Mito-R-Caps will no longer have the“R” in the name and will be knownsimply as Mito Caps. The originalname stood for MitochondrialRegeneration Caps, but there wasmuch confusion surrounding thename; sometimes we got orders for “Mitro Caps” or “Motor Caps.” It’s still

the same great product, just now witha simpler sounding name.

Super AO will now be known asSuper Antioxidant to ensure thatthere is no confusion as to what the“AO” portion of the original namestood for. As with Mito Caps, thepotent product formula hasn’tchanged, just the name.

What’s In A Name? : New names for a couple of our great products

13


Steve: What do you do training-wiseduring the off-season?

Laura: I love the off-season!!! I ride amountain bike beginning after my lastrace. I will ride in the parks or ontrails. When the snow comes, I ride onthe main roads... but I believe themountain bike helps to build strengthin my off season and it is a great breakfrom a road bike because you do nothave to ride fast! I have a hardtime riding my trainer inside;in fact, I dislike it tremendous-ly! So I have learned how todress warm and even havefriends that ride with me allwinter long! I still run andswim, just less intensity andmiles. I also will snowshoe andcross country ski if we everhave snow.

Steve: How do you balanceyour training with your familyand career?

Laura: I learned many yearsago that to do that I had towork out early. I am up andout the door to run and swimmost days before work. It has workedwell for me through the years. Whenmy kids were young we all went to bedat the same time. Now they all stay uplater than I do. My long rides weredone on the weekend and my husbandand I would switch days so he couldgolf one day and I would ride the otherday when the kids were young. I alsobegan my bike rides in the dark so Iwould be home shortly after they wereup. I have had great training partnersthough the years and they have runmany of those early morning workouts.

Steve: Which of the HammerNutrition fuels and supplements doyou use?

Laura: I use Perpeteum, HEED,Hammer Gel (Espresso), Endurolytes,Tissue Rejuvenator, Anti-Fatigue CapsLiquid Endurance, and Recoverite.The Recoverite is the best product Ihave ever used and I have used plentythrough the years. My ability to recov-er and train day after day at 51 yearsold continues to amaze me and thisproduct has made the difference in mytraining for 2006. I love Recoverite!Steve: Could you give us a description

of your supplement/fueling plan for ahalf or full iron distance race?

Laura: Here is my plan for 2006Ironman: For breakfast I had a bagel,a banana, 16 oz of HEED, and then 15minutes before I entered the water Iused a gel. On the bike, I ate one ofthe new chocolate Hammer Bars about30 miles into the bike. I spoke withyour owner Brian prior to the race andI did change my mixture in my bottles

on the bike. I used 4 scoops ofPerpeteum in a 24 oz water bottle. Ibegan drinking the mixture after 20minutes on the bike. At the specialneeds stop, I had another bottle justlike that and it was still cold! I alsoused 5 Hammer Gels during the ride.I need about 1500 calories on the bikeand this year I had my fastest bikesplit in 16 Hawaii Ironman races. Onthe run I filled a couple of bottles inmy fuel belt with a concentration ofHEED. I also used gels every 3 milesthrough about mile 16. I could notstomach anything after that but waterand a sip of Coke. I also took twoEndurolytes every hour on the bike,actually 8 total. I also took 4 on therun, until I lost my tablets! With thehelp of you and Brian I can now say Ihave my nutrition pretty much dialedin. I would never change products inthe future. I used the products in 2001and changed to other products in 2002-2004 then came back to Hammerproducts in 2005 and the results show!

Steve: What are your goals in 2007?

Laura: 2007 Hawaii Ironman!! (Can’twait), I am doing Blackwater

EagleMan 70.3 in June. I hope to raceUSAT Nationals in Portland, OregonJune 30th. Also, USAT Long CourseNational, Whirlpool Steelhead 70.3,and a couple of local races. I am notsure yet where I will race in July.

Steve: What advice would you give anewbie triathlete?

Laura: Stick with it! Never give up,try races, and know that through the

years it is a sport where youcan grow and achieve greatthings. I have made incredi-ble friends through the yearswho share my passion, andyou will also. It is a greatway of life. If a race seemshard, remember that there isalways another race on thehorizon, and it takes fiveyears to develop good bikelegs! I have gone from aback-of-the-back racer to rac-ing well. Learn what worksfor you, use your HammerNutrition products, trainsmart, ask questions, andrace with passion.

Steve: As a masters athlete,is there any “masters specif-

ic” advice you’d give to other mastersathletes?

Laura: I would say use Recoveriteafter your workouts; it works! Otherthan that I know that I have to trainsmarter, stretch more (I am workingon that one), get a good night’s sleep,keep your core strong, and ride at leastone day a week with faster riders.Train with people you like and respect,take a day off when you feel tired, lovewhat you do.

Steve: Laura, it’s been great chattingwith you today, thanks for sharingyour insights with our readers.Congratulations again on a superb2006 season, and best wishes from allof us at Hammer for another greatyear in ‘07!

Laura: Thank you, Steve. In closing, Iwanted to say once again that I strong-ly believe that these past two years, Iam where I am because of your prod-ucts. I honestly would not be racing atthis level without Hammer Nutrition.

(ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT from page 11)

Laura (right) and a teammate


14

ture is the same way deposited in adi-pose tissue "Fat" on the walls ofarteries, veins, around vital organs,and it is harmful to human health.Saturated fats and trans fatty acidsinhibit health-enhancing effects fromgood foods and increase the risk of car-diopathology as early as conceptionand extend through adult life.Margarine made from vegetable oils,contains no cholesterol, and is higherin "good" fats (polyunsaturated &monounsaturated) than butter. "Good"types of fat reduce "bad" cholesterollow-density lipoprotein (LDL).However, margarine is processed usinga method called hydrogenation, induc-ing unhealthy trans fat content. Themore solid the margarine, the moretrans fats it contains; stick margarineusually have slightly more trans fatsthan do tub margarines. Butter ismade from animal fat, and thereforevery high in cholesterol and saturatedfat. Margarine is only slightly betterthan butter, but both can coat theinside of the human body in the exactsame manner that they spread a coaton bread or pastries. Saturated fatsand trans fats increase blood choles-terol and the risk of heart disease.Trans fats lower high-density lipopro-tein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol

levels. Manufacturers are nowrequired to list saturated and transfats separately on food labels; Read thelabels carefully.

Fat Tips

Here are some practical tips you canuse every day to keep your consump-tion of saturated fat, trans fat, andcholesterol low while consuming anutritionally adequate diet.

• Check the Nutrition Facts panel tocompare foods because the servingsizes are generally consistent in simi-lar types of foods. Choose foods lowerin saturated fat, trans fat, and choles-terol. For saturated fat and cholesterol,keep in mind that 5 percent of theDaily Value (%DV) or less is low and20 percent or more is high. (There isno %DV for trans fat.)

• Choose alternative fats. Replacesaturated and trans fats in your dietwith monounsaturated and polyunsat-urated fats. These fats do not raiseLDL cholesterol levels and have healthbenefits when eaten in moderation.Sources of monounsaturated fatsinclude olive and canola oils. Sourcesof polyunsaturated fats include soy-bean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil andfoods like nuts.

• Choose vegetable oils (exceptcoconut and palm kernel oils) and softmargarines (liquid, tub, or spray) moreoften because the combined amount ofsaturated fat and trans fat is lowerthan the amount in solid shortenings,hard magarines, and animal fats,including butter.

• Consider fish. Most fish are lowerin saturated fat than meat. Some fish,such as mackerel, sardines, and salmon,contain omega-3 fatty acids, which arebeing studied to determine if they offerprotection against heart disease.

• Choose lean meats, such as poultrywithout the skin and not fried and leanbeef and pork, not fried, with visiblefat trimmed.

• Ask before you order when eatingout. A good tip to remember is to askwhich fats are being used in the prepa-ration of your food when eating orordering out.

• Limit foods high in cholesterolsuch as liver and other organ meats,egg yolks, and full-fat dairy products,like whole milk.

References available upon request

When you purchase large containersof Hammer Nutrition fuels you savemoney compared to the per-servingcost of single-serving packets.However, if you’re new to HammerNutrition you might be experimentingwith the various products, and not yetsure what flavors or fuels will fit yourparticular preferences. You mightwant to sample many different itemsrather than order bulk quantities of afew items. If that’s the case, try one ofthe kits below to get acquainted withour many fine fuels.

The Short Course Starter Kit retailsfor $69.95 and contains:

• 1 jug of Raspberry Hammer Gel • 8 pouches of Hammer Gel • 6 packets of lemon lime HEED• 6 packets of mandarin orange HEED• 3 packets of Recoverite• 1 bottle of Endurolytes• 1 quick coin• 1 Hammer Gel flask• 1 water bottle

Hammer Fuel Kits : A super way to sample products• 1 Fueling Handbook (when available)

The Long Course Starter Kit($79.95) is similar to the Short Coursekit with the addition of:

• 6 packets of Sustained Energy• 6 packets of Perpetuem

If you’re not into gels and prefer powderfuels, The Hammer Powder SamplerKit is what you’re looking for. It’s $9.95and contains the following:

• 1 packet of lemon lime HEED• 1 packet of mandarin orange HEED• 1 packet of Sustained Energy• 1 packet of Perpetuem • 1 packet of Recoverite• 1 sample packet of Endurolytes

We also have the Hammer GelSampler Kit which contains one pouchof each of our nine flavors for $9.95. Giveus a call or log on to our web site to orderany of our Hammer Nutrition fuel kits.

(TRANS FATTY ACIDS from page 7)

Hammer Gel Sampler(9 packets total)

Hammer Powder Sampler

Long Course Kit

Short Course Kit


15

As many of us have experienced, the6-week period prior to the New Year(and oftentimes for several weeks afterthe New Year) is a time when body massindex experiences a 1.5-7.5 lbs fatweight gain. This is an interestingantithesis opposing both efforts + expen-diture $$$ to improve enduranceperformance. Runners often pay anextra $90.00-$120.00 for 5-10 ounceslighter weight racing flats or lightweighttraining shoes. Cyclists and triathletesdo not hesitate to spend thousands ofdollars to lighten a pound or two offtheir bicycle. Yet the holiday sirens arepoorly resisted, resulting in a significantperformance-inhibiting weight gain. Theculprit is the appetite stimulated by thescent of home cooking, habit, and cui-sine meant for royalty.

There is a method - besides usingp.o. (orally dosed) appetite-suppressingAppestat - to harness our calorie-excessive drive. The appetite is drivenby a number of mechanisms stimulatedby the stomach, hypothalamus, pitu-itary, and kidneys. The appetite isstrongly linked to the amount of the

blood sugar and the accompanying hor-mone Ghrelin in the circulation.Ghrelin is a polypeptide containing 28amino acids linked together manufac-tured primarily in the stomach, withlesser amounts produced in the kid-neys, pituitary and the hypothalamus.Blood levels of Ghrelin are lowestshortly after the consumption of ameal, then rise during the fast justprior to the next meal. Excess produc-tion of Ghrelin is associated with bingeeating. When the stomach is physicallyextended by volume of fluid or food,Ghrelin release is inhibited.Interestingly, dietary protein aloneduring amino acid digestion inhibitsrelease of Ghrelin.

Here is an application suggestionto reduce calorie intake but producethe same satiety level as an excess-calorie meal.

Ghrelin & Appetite-InhibitionApplication

1. Drink 10-fluid ounces water 30 min-utes prior to meal.

2. Chew each individual mouthful offood until ready to swallow then chewit 10 more times.

3. Eat protein first and separate fromcarbohydrates, fats.

4. Swallow ONE mouthful of waterbetween each mouthful.

5. Repeat 1-2-3 until appetite is com-pletely satisfied.

6. The longer it takes to consume ameal the more effective will be thisGhrelin-inhibiting appetite suppress-ing application.

7. Application of 1-5 results in 300-750fewer calories consumed per meal withequicalorie satiation.

While this application appears simple, most of us find it difficult topractice, but of those who do, thereward is being satisfied not only aftera meal but even more so after a diffi-cult endurance event.

Reducing HolidayWeight GainReducing HolidayWeight Gain

Sponsorship consideration is closed for2007. We are currently going through thethousands of requests that we received.If you applied for sponsorship, and havenot heard back from us, please bepatient. We will be contacting everyapplicant once all decisions are made.

Athlete Sponsorship

UpdateBased on our sales figures, the popu-

larity of the Hammer Nutritionproducts in convenient single-servingpackets is undeniable, but you askedfor even more products packaged thisway. So we’re happy to announce thatthe plain versions of both HEED andPerpetuem are now available in single-serving packaging. In addition to ourlarger-sized containers, you’ll now beable to purchase Hammer Gel (in allnine flavors), HEED (in all three fla-vors), Sustained Energy, Perpetuem(in both flavor options), and Recoverite

Plain HEED & Perpetuem : Single serve packets

Bill Misner, Ph.D.

in convenientsingle-servingpackets. Weknow thesenew optionswill add flexi-bility to yourfueling regi-mens.


On February 24th, 2006, my lifechanged. On that date, I was diagnosedwith Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.Me, the endurance athlete, the 7-timeIronman. The one who is very carefulto do all of the right things in takingcare of his body. Yep, a routine bloodtest revealed an extremely elevatedwhite blood count. A bone marrowbiopsy, extensive blood testing, a CTscan, and a PET scan all unanimouslyagreed on my diagnosis.

After a very brief pity party, lastingabout 12 hours, I knuckled down anddid what I needed to do. Which in thissituation was to saddle up for 4 week-long rounds of chemotherapytreatment. I handled the treatmentswell. On many days, I was strong andenergetic enough to run home from thetreatment. This not only helped keepme sane, but it allowed me to maintainsome sort of a baseline fitness level.When I needed to rest, I rested. Butwhen I was able to run, I ran. And mynutrition plan consisted of extra help-ings of fruits and vegetables withadditional doses of Hammer PremiumInsurance Caps.

By the end of June, treatments weredone and I had hit remission. In midJuly, I raced my first post diagnosissprint triathlon. The remainder of thesummer consisted of a few shorterraces, and longer training with thehope of completing career iron distancerace number 8 on September 27. Belowis my race report from that race, TheCheseapeakeMan Ultra DistanceTriathlon, in Cambridge Maryland.

ChesapeakeMan 2006 is now in thebooks but it’s the one race that I thinkI will remember the most out of all oth-ers. As many of you know, earlier this

year, I was diagnosed with ChronicLymphocytic Leukemia. Althoughtreatments went well and I quickly hitremission, I wasn’t 100 % sure how allthat would relate to racing an ultradistance triathlon just 7 months and 6days after diagnosis.

I cruised into Cambridge Thursdayafternoon, checked into the hotel andimmediately went over to registrationwhere I ended up helping out Vigo(race director Rob Vigorito) and hisstaff for a few hours before connectingwith old Great Floridian Triathlonbuddy Rob Weitzel and his Restonbuddy Kevin Kunkel for the carbo din-ner. Post dinner, we made our wayback to the hotel and threw down abeer to better contemplate life, theweather, ironman, and why we do itall. Rob and I also found ourselves“calming” Kevin’s nerves since this washis first ultra race. The irony in that isthat we did such a good job, that Kevinripped off a 10:23 and finished 7thoverall and 2nd in 35-39. One hell of amaiden voyage. After all those issueswere addressed and resolved we partedways for the evening.

Friday brought more camaraderie,banter, and pre-race organization andjitters. Hooked up with Jeff CandymanGura. We packed bags, dropped offbikes, stared at the Choptank River -again contemplating life, the weather,ironman, and why we do it all. Thensoon enough it was time to hit the rackand wake up to IRONMAN DAY.

I popped out of bed Saturday atabout 4:30 AM and threw down somefood and a Hammer Perpetuem with ashot of Hammer Gel cocktail and mademy way to the start. The waterLOOKED pristine. But we all know the

saying that still waters run... ugly withstrong head currents and lots of jelly-fish. And that’s what we got. BUT, noworries, I made it out of the water. Allswim times were off. The leaders wereoff by 10 minutes and the farther backyou were, the more current you faced.After exiting the water, race directorRob Vigorito made his first reference to“RemissionMan”. It was something like“And RemissionMan Steve IronToeBrown from Philly emerges!” That wasthe first of several such referencesmade throughout the day over the PAsystem. And it was very cool.

There are two good points to beingslow in a 2.4-mile swim. 1) - It’s easyto find your bike in transition. 2).There are plenty of people to catch onthe ride. And I did end up having apretty decent ride. The winds werepretty squirrelly and much of it washead on. But the final 12 miles or so ofeach loop had a sweet tail wind. All inall, I felt good on the bike. I ate well,and all systems seemed good. Vigomade two other “RemissionMan” refer-ences during the bike. Once after loopone, and once when I finished.

T2 was as sweet as it always is. Bynow, you are typically just DONE rid-ing. This is where you start addressingsome serious issues, like should I try tosell my bike on eBay or Craig’s List, or... - no I’m kidding. I felt good and ranwell for the first 4 miles or so. SawKevin Kunkel practically skipping anddoing cartwheels on his way to a greatfinish. Saw Rob with some IT prob-lems, but he pushed on as Rob does.And saw CandyMan with his typicalfixed and focused IRONMAN glazedover glare that says - “I’m going to getthis done.” The ironman camaraderie

16

Stephen Brown

Remission Man!

(continued on next page)


is never more evident for the middleand back of the packers than on therun course. That is where the bond isreally felt.

The finish was as sweet as it’s everbeen. Vigo again made a big deal out of“RemissionMan” and made the entirething that much more special. I fin-ished in 14:50 something with adaughter on each side and a smile onmy face. My support crew was in fullforce and it was awesome.

At the awards brunch, Vigo againmade a big deal out of RemissionMan,this time telling the whole story, thenhad me get up to a standing ovation.He smiled and we all had to chokeback some emotion. Rob Vigorito -Class guy, class organization, classrace. I was proud to finish and evenprouder to finish as a survivor.

Life is good. And I’m truly thankfulfor everyone that is in mine.

Steve’s Note: Stephen Brown is notonly a great athlete and a tremendousinspiration, he’s a friend of mine and alongtime client of Hammer Nutrition’s.

After his success he emailed us andsaid: “ Dear friends at Hammer - Forseveral years now I have enjoyed agreat relationship with Hammer and inparticular with Steve Born. His vastamount of knowledge and support isunparalleled. Earlier this year I wasdiagnosed with Chronic LymphocyticLeukemia, and as Steve knows, I neverskipped a beat. I continued to trainthrough chemo treatments and there is

no doubt in my mind that the baselinehealth that I had established helped mehit remission very fast. For me,Hammer nutritional products havebecome far more than performance sup-plements. They have become critical, ifnot life saving, nutritional support.

I am also happy to report that on 9/30,just 7 months after diagnosis - and 5months since remission, I finishedanother ironman triathlon. (Fueled byHammer Perpetuem and Hammer Gelof course) - Ironman number 8. SteveBorn knows how much I value hisfriendship and support. But I justwanted to take a minute and tell othershow happy I am with Steve, Hammer,and your entire staff. Keep up the greatwork.”

Stephen Brown is a Philadelphia area agegroup triathlete. He is the triathlon featureswriter for Philly FIT Magazine (www.philly-fitmagazine.com), he serves as Editor inChief of the triathlon publicationTransitionTimes.com, and in November2006, was appointed to a board of directorsposition of (Mid Atlantic Region) USATriathlon. In a racing career spanning near-ly 20 years, Brown has racked up countlessraces of all distances from sprint to iron-man. He also often uses his racing as aplatform to raise funds and awareness forsignificant charitable causes. Brown is asurvivor of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemiaand a triathlon coach for TEAM inTraining. He can be reached [email protected]

17

Photo :Photo : Stephen (center) and friends aStephen (center) and friends a t the finish line oft the finish line ofthe Chesathe Chesapeake Manpeake Man

18


Welcome to thefirst edition ofEnduranceNews for 2007!

It seems likewe’ve barelycaught our breathafter a hugely suc-cessful 2006, and

our 20th anniversary year, 2007, isalready upon us. We’ve got lots of spe-cial offerings and events planned tocelebrate this milestone, so stay tunedand watch your mailbox and theHammer website as the year unfolds.

As for me, I’ve been with HammerNutrition almost seven years now, butI’ve been part of the family muchlonger than that (my client number isa “lowly” 2971). I’ll never forget thatfirst call to E-CAPS (HammerNutrition hadn’t been “invented” yet)back in 1989, at the beginning of myathletic career. I’d just completed myfirst Race Across America (RAAM) in1988, and I had plans for an encoreRAAM as well as many other ultracycling events. Also, I had becomekeenly interested in the potential bene-fits that a quality supplement programcould have on my athletic performanceand overall health. I had heard about aproduct called “Race Caps,” and Iwanted more information about it inthe hopes that it might be the supple-ment I’d been looking for.

I called the 800 number. Because itwas a fairly new company and withouta client service staff, Brian answeredthe phone. Back then, Brian and hiswife, Sonja, did pretty much every-thing-technical support, order taking,inventory control, shipping and receiv-ing, etc. Anyway, I remember how

impressed I was with the amount oftime and energy, as well as genuineenthusiasm for my athletic endeavors,that Brian showed. I mean, the guytalked with me (and listened to mebabble!) for nearly an hour! It was, bya long shot, the most outstanding cus-tomer service that I had everexperienced, and it’s left an impressionon me even to this day.

I’ve seen the company grow enor-mously since then, both as a customerand as an employee, but that type ofcustomer service remains the very coreof Brian’s company. My point is that inaddition to the great products we pro-duce, you can absolutely count oncourteous service and high qualitytechnical support from HammerNutrition. Our position is that all threefacets-superior products, customerservice, and technical support-mustexist together. A company can have thebest products in the world, but ifthere’s lousy customer service or inade-quate technical resources and supportto back them up, they lose value. As wecelebrate our 20th anniversary, youcan be assured that what Brian firstinitiated is still very much intact.

Hammer Nutrition ProductUsage Manual - updated andbetter than ever!

One of our knowledge resources isour product usage manual, formerlyknown as the “Little Red Book” (for allthe Hammer fuels) and the “Little BlueBook” (for all the E-CAPS supple-ments). With the retirement of theE-CAPS name and the introduction ofnew products since the first printing,we felt it was time to do some updatesand incorporate both product lines-fuels and supplements-into one

resource. The result is much improved:a more comprehensive and easy-to-read product usage manual. We knowthat you’ll find this resource, alongwith The Endurance Athlete’s Guide toSuccess, to be quite helpful and benefi-cial. You can download a free copy ofThe Hammer Nutrition Product UsageManual from our website or ask for acomplimentary hard copy with yournext order.

The Endurance Athlete’s Guide ToSuccess - an overwhelming success; 8thedition now in progressAs most of you know, back in 2002 wedistilled our fueling knowledge into asmall handbook we called TheEndurance Athlete’s Guide to Success.In its first incarnation, “The Guide”was a mere 22 pages long. We’ve edit-ed, revised, and expanded thehandbook several times since 2002,and the current version (#7) talliesover 70 pages. As I write this column(December, 2006) I am now working onthe 8th edition of this booklet, whichmade me reflect on the impact it’s hadon so many athletes. How much of animpact? Well, when I asked for thenumbers of website downloads andhard copies distributed in 2006, thedata really staggered me. Check thisout:

Downloads Books

JAN. 7,902 3,465FEB. 8,122 2,732MAR. 9,338 2,978APR. 11,616 2,150MAY 10,919 1,688JUN. 16,803 2,933JUL. 12,104 1,652AUG. 11,434 3,148SEP. 12,000 958

Steve Born

From the Saddleof Steve BornFrom the Saddleof Steve Born

(see STEVE on page 19)

19


By the time you read this some ofthe qualifying races will have alreadybeen completed, but I want to mentionhow thrilled we are to be sup-porting all the races in the2007 U.S. NationalSnowshoe ChampionshipSeries. Moreover,Hammer Nutrition is list-ed as “The OfficialEnergy Product of the2007 U.S. NationalSnowshoeChampionships.” This raceis scheduled for March 9-10 atElm Creek Park Preserve in MapleGrove, MN (near Minneapolis).

Nordic skiing has been our main win-

USSSA Partnership : Snowshoe Associationter sport, in terms of sponsorship, withjust a handful of snowshoe events onboard. However, with the huge increase

in participation in snowshoe rac-ing, it only made sense for us to

become involved in this high-energy output sport as well.We’re very excited to bepartnering with theUSSSA, and we look for-ward to supporting their

races in 2007 and beyond.

You can find more informationon this year’s National

Championships at www.2007snowshoe-nationals.com. For a full listing of allthe qualifying races, go to www.snowshoeracing.com/events

OCT. 7,329 801NOV. 5,453 576DEC. 2,948* 434*

TOTAL 115,968 23,515* - Through 12/18/06

When the first edition of TheEndurance Athlete’s Guide to Successwas printed back in 2002, Brian and Iwere both hoping that it would havesome sort of impact with enduranceathletes. Well, based on the numbersfrom 2006 (not even taking intoaccount the total since it was first pub-lished), as well as the tremendousfeedback we’ve received over the years,I can honestly say that it’s had anundeniably positive impact on the per-formance of thousands and thousandsof endurance athletes. We neverdreamed of 140,000 copies in one year!

By the time you read this, thenewest edition will be completed andavailable, or nearly so. There’s a lot ofgreat information in this resource, andif you haven’t read it yet, I’d encourageyou to do so. Hard copies of TheEndurance Athlete’s Guide to Successare available at $1.99 each. If you wantto print out a free copy, go towww.hammernutrition.com/guide(remember, it’s over 70 pages).

I hope that all of you had a wonder-ful Holiday season. On behalf of all ofus at Hammer Nutrition, I want towish you the very best for a most suc-cessful 2007, with our genuine thanksfor your loyalty and business.

Sincerely,Steve

Have our products made a difference for you? Tell us how, and if we choose yourstory to print in our next newsletter, we’ll send you a one month supply of one of theproducts you write about. To enter, e-mail us at: [email protected]

WIN FREE PRODUCT!

Last September Hammer Nutritionsigned an official sponsorship agree-ment with USA Triathlon (USAT) tosupply fuels and nutritional supple-ments for many of the up and comingdevelopmental and elite level triath-letes they serve. While we’ve beensponsoring USAT sanc-tioned events for manyyears prior to the signing,the announcement of thefirm alliance immediatelyevoked much positivecomment from USATcoaches. “We had elevencoaches contact us to sayhow pleased they were about the choiceof sponsor. That hasn’t happenedbefore,” remarked Tim Yount, USATSenior Vice-President of Marketingand Communications.

These kudos come as no surprise tous, but we’re nonetheless gratified tohear such ringing endorsement.Combined with our already high levelof involvement in the sport of triathlon,Hammer Nutrition’s partnership withUSAT fits hand-in-glove and comple-

ments their mission perfectly. What isUSAT all about? They sanction some2,000 multi-sport events nationallyeach year. Per their website, USATriathlon’s mission is “. . . to provideexcellence in leadership, structure, andeducation for the growth and develop-

ment of the sport. USATriathlon’s vision is to set thestandard of excellence as aworld leader in the sport bypromoting a healthy lifestyleand encouraging participationand achievement.”

Clearly, nutrition is a key ele-ment in any endurance event, and aproper fueling plan (the right productsin the right amounts) can make a hugedifference in an athlete’s performance.With our ever-increasing involvementin the sport of triathlon, along withour partnership with USAT, we’rerazor-sharp focused on being the armthat educates triathletes about fuelingfor success.

Watch for more updates on our part-nership with USAT as they come in!

Hammer Nutrition/USA Triathlon - Partnership update

Athletes....do you want the HammerNutrition community to know what you’reup to? Have a great copyright free photoyou want to share? Send a short email [email protected] (please put

Race Report in the subject line) about yourrecent accomplishments and we’ll try to

include it in our Race Report

Share YourNEWS!

(STEVE from page 18)


20

Speaking on behalf of Carole Arthur,who works with me in managing ourevent sponsorships, and the whole staffof Hammer Nutrition, I’m excited toannounce that our 2006 season set anew record of 1820 domestic eventssponsored. Add in Canadian competi-tions and a couple of auxiliary race bagprograms, and we topped at over 2000,an increase of some 25% over our pre-vious record set in 2005.

Not only did we achieve our “numbergoal” for 2006, but we also racked up ageographical first: Hammer Nutritionsponsorship in all 50 states. No sur-prise that California led the list with167, followed by Florida at 137 events.Third place went to Michigan at 95.Finishing out the Top 20 were NewYork (77), Colorado (70), Texas (68),Arizona (64), North Carolina andVirginia (tied at 60), Georgia (56),Minnesota (54), Montana (52),Tennessee (46) Wisconsin (44),Pennsylvania and Idaho (tied at 42),Missouri (39), Massachusetts (38),Illinois (34), and South Carolina (32).

As for types of events we sponsored,multisport races (triathlon/duathlon)

again led the list, with a whoppingtotal of 642 races. Mountain bikingraces came next with nearly 300 eventssponsored. We’re still a major player inadventure racing as well, with over 200sponsored events, followed by runningwith 149 events (there’s only so manyultra running events to sponsor). Roadcycling races totaled 132, and ultracycling races added another 72 events.Nordic skiing, snowshoe races, andother winter various winter combinedfor another 50 events. The biggestincrease came in our support of variouscamps and clinics; the 150 sponsor-ships in this category nearly tripledthe 2005 total.

We sponsored events in every monthof the year, with the summer months,of course, leading the list. The top fivemonths were:

#1 - June - 293 events#2 - July - 265 events#3 - May - 236 events#4 - August - 234 events#5 - September - 222 events

It would have taken too much timeto come up with a total figure of how

many hundreds of containers of HEEDthat were provided to various eventsthis year (to make several thousandgallons of drink mix!) and how manythousands of HEED cups were alsosupplied... let’s just say it was atremendous amount! I can, however,tell you that we provided over half amillion samples of Hammer Nutritionproducts (primarily Hammer Gel andEndurolytes samples, but also otherHammer products as well), brochures,and race bags to our 2006 sponsoredevents. That’s right, over 500,000 sam-ples, brochures, and race bags wereprovided to our sponsored events thisyear; a staggering number if you askme! Yes, that’s a big chunk of budget,but events sponsorship is actually acost-effective way of generating newcustomers, in addition to makingHammer Nutrition part of theendurance competition landscape.

Needless to say, we’re very excitedabout achieving this new standard inevent support and we look forward toeven higher sponsorship numbers 2007.As I’m fond of saying, “If you’re going toan endurance race, chances are you’llsee Hammer Nutrition there!”

Steve Born

2000+ Eventin 20062000+ Eventsin 2006

53x11 Coffee : The positive feedback is pouring inIn issue #51 we introduced you to

53x11 Coffee; the organic, fair-tradecoffee made by our friends Evan andOwen. Since then the response hasbeen overwhelming! Read some ofthese testimonials...

Your coffee is the best! - Lisa

In a nut shell, this is the best coffee Ihave ever had in my life! Keep up thegreat work. - S.B.

Can't get enough of this stuff, all ofmy cycling friends love it! - Bennett

I recently received your coffee andtried "The Early Break" this morningand it is awesome, I loved it, best cup Ihave had in a long time! - Diane

New for 2007 53x11 will debut a newblend (it’s in the final stages now),called The Chain Breaker. It’s a bold

espresso blend with a smooth finish.

They’ve also got new cycling clothesand waterbottlesavailable viatheir website at53x11coffee.com.

ww

w.xavierfanephoto.com


21

Three cyclists from Santa Cruz,California on their way from Alaska toSouth America, Jacob Thompson, SeanMonterastelli, and Goat, stopped byHammer Nutrition in Whitefish oneafternoon. After listening to the story oftheir epic adventure, and knowing howbig a difference our fuels would make,we loaded them up with a complemen-tary supply of several products to helpthem along the way. Below are theircomments on our products. For a fullaccount of their journey, visit www.ridingthespine.com/main

I have trained and raced in a fewmarathons, and have had enough expe-rience using/or not using endurancesupplements to know that when usedproperly they are nothing short ofmiraculous. Effectively integratingthese products into a training routineis not an easy task, and requires a fairamount of experimentation coupledwith a healthy knowledge of sportsnutrition. When you devote 6 monthsof your life to train for an event, youwant to be confident that what you areputting in your body does not jeopard-ize your performance. Ultimately,using endurance supplements correctlyreally is the most important thing tothink about when dabbling with thevarious bars/gels/powders out there.

When traveling across two conti-nents with 60 pounds of gear, you can’texactly tackle each day like you are ina race. Nonetheless, we still ride hardfor about 6 hours a day, up hills,through mud, snow, etc. Living on mybike gives me a unique means to test afew of Hammer Nutrition’s products.

Perpetuem

The first thing I thought when I tried

Perpetuem was how delicious it was. Itdidn’t taste good or bad, just a benignand subtle orange-ish flavor. I havetried plenty of new “scientificallyadvanced” endurance drinks, and foundthat science and taste rarely mix well.

The second thing I noticed about itwas that it really did “quench mythirst.” The Perpetuem-infused waterfelt nourishing, it did not throw my bodyout of whack, but seemed to reinforce astable level of hydration and energy.

I didn’t have the biggest meal thatday, and after about two hours of rid-ing, I began drinking Perpetuem. Inursed it for about 45 minutes.Usually after about five hours of ridingI feel very hungry, no matter howmany candy bars I eat. We rode foralmost six hours and I felt satisfiedand enjoyed my ride the whole time.

I have tried it a few times since andfeel that a dose offers a reliable store ofenergy for about two hours. I neverexperienced any stomach discomfortfrom it, nor did I resent the taste of it.It is important for someone training foran endurance event to enjoy theirlonger rides/runs and not cringe at thethought of them. Having the properenergy available makes a big differ-ence, and Perpetuem is an excellentway to achieve that.

Hammer Gel

This product has commanded quitean audience in the mountain bikingworld. It has received the MountainBike Review (MTBR) Choice awardfrom 2003-2005. We were given threeflavors to try: Raspberry, Espresso (w/caffeine), and Orange. I would imaginethat the taste and preference is rela-

tive to the individual. With nine differ-ent flavors, you are bound to find onethat will work for you.

The Hammer Gel is intended to giveyou energy for workouts lasting lessthan two hours. It is extremely easy todigest and process into useable energy.For the most part I’ve just eaten candybars for that quick fix, but inevitablydiscover that it is too quick a fix andleaves me feeling hollowed out within40 minutes: because the simple sugarsbreak down too quickly. HammerNutrition is very conscious of providingwholesome, healthy ingredients intheir products that offer lasting energyfrom complex carbohydrates.

The product is designed to give youenergy for up to two hours. Our rideslast at least six, and I always beginfueled by a large meal. To get a bettersense of what the gel offered, I had toride until I bonked and then tried theorange Hammer Gel. It felt like it tookabout 10-15 minutes before I could feelany noticeable effects. It did notrestore me to my pre-bonk state, but itcame pretty close, and I think that isabout all I could ask from an energygel at the end of a long ride.

Overall, Hammer Gel is a very con-venient way to get energy quicklywithout upsetting your stomach during arigorous workout/race. At just over a dol-lar for a single serving packet, it wouldbe worth having around to help you fin-ish that long workout a bit stronger.

Recoverite

I waited to try this out after I had agood workout, one that would surely

Riding the SpineRiding the SpineJacob Thompson

(see RIDING THE SPINE on page 23)


22

I confess, I take a lot of supplements,perhaps second only to Steve Born! Ihave the best fingernails and hairgrowth around to prove it from all thevegicap capsule materials alone.

I am not alone in suggesting thatdiet alone does not provide adequatedisease-preventative micronutrients atthe current RDI-level. Ames’ researchalso presents an interesting hypothesisthat implies micronutrient deficiencymay eventually deteriorate the qualityof whole human cell health. ProfessorBruce Ames discusses the importantrole that multivitamin and mineralsupplementation may play in ensuringthe Recommended Dietary Allowancesof vitamins and minerals and helpingto prevent mitochondrial decay, oxi-dant leakage, cellular aging, and theonset of various degenerative diseasesof aging, such as cancer.

The Ames abstract reads as follows:

Inadequate dietary intakes of vita-mins and minerals are widespread,most likely due to excessive consump-tion of energy-rich, micronutrient-poor,refined food. Inadequate intakes mayresult in chronic metabolic disruption,including mitochondrial decay.Deficiencies in many micronutrientscause DNA damage, such as chromo-some breaks, in cultured human cellsor in vivo. Some of these deficienciesalso cause mitochondrial decay withoxidant leakage and cellular aging andare associated with late onset diseasessuch as cancer.

I propose DNA damage and lateonset disease are consequences of atriage allocation response to micronu-trient scarcity. Episodic shortages of

micronutrients were common duringevolution. Natural selection favorsshort-term survival at the expense oflong-term health. I hypothesize thatshort-term survival was achieved byallocating scarce micronutrients bytriage, in part through an adjustmentof the binding affinity of proteins forrequired micronutrients. If thishypothesis is correct, micronutrientdeficiencies that trigger the triageresponse would accelerate cancer,aging, and neural decay but wouldleave critical metabolic functions, suchas ATP production, intact. Evidencethat micronutrient malnutritionincreases late onset diseases, such ascancer, is discussed.A multivitamin-mineral supplement isone low-cost way to ensure intake ofthe Recommended Dietary Allowanceof micronutrients throughout life.

Conflict of interest statements A & B:

A.) Bruce N. Ames is a founder ofJuvenon, a company that has licensedthe University of California patent(Bruce N. Ames and T. Hagen, inven-tors) on acetyl carnitine plus lipoic acidfor rejuvenating old mitochondria.Juvenon sells acetyl carnitine pluslipoic acid supplements and does clini-cal trials on them. Bruce N. Ames’founder’s stock was put in a nonprofitfoundation at the founding in 1999. Heis director of Juvenon’s ScientificAdvisory Board, but he has no stock inthe company and does not receive anyremuneration from them.

B.) I (Bill Misner) was employed to for-mulate micronutrients for HammerNutrition from 1996-2006. I continue totake dietary supplements by the hand-ful as a preventative slowing down the

onset of age-induced micronutrient defi-ciencies that present degenerative disorders as a property of time...

References

1. Ames B.N., Low micronutrient intake mayaccelerate the degenerative diseases of agingthrough allocation of scarce micronutrients bytriage, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2006; 103 (47):17589-94. (Address: Nutrition and MetabolismCenter, Children’s Hospital of Oakland ResearchInstitute, Oakland, CA 94609, USA).http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17101959&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_doc-sum

2. Misner B., Food alone may not provide suffi-cient micronutrients for preventing deficiency.Journal of the International Society of SportsNutrition. 3(1):51-55, 2006.http://www.sportsnutritionsociety.org/site/journal/journal1.php?journal_id=21&name=Volume%203(1),%202006

Bill Misner, Ph.D.

Why TakeSupplements?

“I used Race Caps Supremeand Mito Caps during a longride for the first time this pastweekend...holy cow, theyworked awesome! I'm usually pretty spent at 2.5 hrs but I had very littlefatigue at the 3 hr mark whenI hit my last two climbs. Thenon Sunday I did a 13 mile run3 minutes faster then the previous weekend (that'sapprox 15 sec/mile)!”

Lou O.


23

leave me lying stiff the next morning.After a 7-hour day off-road with a good4,000-foot difference in elevation, Iknew that I would be “hurtin’ for cer-tain.” I mixed the appropriate dosewith a bottle full of water,shook it up and drank.

Another miracle of HammerNutrition is that it tasted pleas-ant enough, not strong or overlypowdery. It mixed easily withwater and was not too thick.Recoverite is an athlete’s ver-sion of one of thosemeal-replacement shakes, and ifyou’ve ever forced one of thosedown your throat, you willappreciate what Hammer has created.

I awoke the next day without theexpected stiffness or lack of will to getup. It still felt like I had a hard-work-out the day before, but in a good way.Usually on these recovery days I haveto ride slowly for thirty or so minutesand stretch for another thirty. PostRecoverite, I could just get on my bikeand go. It felt blissfully weird.

Is it for you?

With the average marathon trainingschedule lasting about six months, itcould get quite costly to supplementevery single workout with HammerProducts. Nor is it possible to afford toride for the next two years with

Hammer Gel, Perpetuem andRecoverite every day. It would be nice,but not practical given the casualnature of our riding.

Customer Service

Having knowledgeable athletes tocorrespond with over the phone/emailmakes all the difference. Whetheryou’re a week from race-day and nerv-ous about pre-race nutrition, or

wanting to budget your workouts asefficiently as possible, HammerNutrition can really help. You might beable to find products comparable toHammer, but I doubt you will findcomparable customer service.

Conclusion

If you are currently trainingfor an endurance event, youshould absolutely check outHammer Nutrition. At the veryleast, give them a call and seehow they can help you. Theycan set you up with a nutrition-al regimen that matches yourathletic aspirations and budget.

Editors Note : At press time thesethree adventurers were headed towardsthe Arizona Trail. To track their jour-ney, check out their website atwww.ridingthespine.com

The guys also wrote to say that theyhave recently joined up with a non-profit in New Orleans to create a publicgreenway in Lafitte Corridor. More infoabout that is also available on theirwebsite.

Of the many aspects that make upmy job, perhaps my favorite responsi-bility is helping support so many greatevents and having the opportunity toknow and work withmany wonderful racedirectors. We’re look-ing at another banneryear for HammerNutrition in regards toevent sponsorship, andI’m excited toannounce our newestpartnership for 2007:Total Health Events.

Based out of the great state ofWashington, Jonathan and LynneHoskins produce some outstandingevents that we’re very enthused to besupporting. Occupying the top rung ontheir roster of events is the GrandColumbian Triathlon, which consists of

half and full iron distance races, sched-uled for September 15. Seewww.thegrandcolumbian.com for moreinformation.

Also on the2007 schedule isthe ChelanManMultisportWeekend (July 21-22chelanman.com).This great week-end of racingincludes a “Try-

A-Tri” distance triathlon (400-yardswim, 13-mile bike, 5k run) and asprint distance triathlon (800-yardswim, 13-mile bike, 5k run) onSaturday. The Sunday races will be anOlympic distance, which has been hon-ored with the distinction of being theWashington state race in the presti-

gious “Best of the US Championship”series, and the ClelanMan Half IronTriathlon, which is a USAT HalfmaxNational Championship qualifier.Check out www.chelanman.com formore details.

We’re very excited to be partneringwith Jonathan & Lynne/Total HealthEvents and we are tentatively plan-ning on having a booth at both of theabove-mentioned races. For more infor-mation about Total Health Events andall their terrific races, go to www.totalhealthevents.com

Hammer Nutrition & Total Health Events : 2007 Events Partnership

(RIDING THE SPINE from page 21)

At the beginning of the journey


24

Consistency is Key

When devising a train-ing plan for theupcoming year -whether you do ityourself or if you havea coach outline it for

you - consistency in your training is key.

Skipping workouts, however infre-quent it might seem, will hamper yourprogress and instill a sense of guilt.How many times do we think, “I shouldhave _________ today.” Even if we don’thave the time, the thought of a missedworkout eats us until our next opportu-nity to sweat.

And if you do find yourself skippingworkouts rather frequently, then itmight be time to rethink your plan.Maybe your scheduling too many hoursor workouts during your week. When Iask my athletes to figure out how manyhours a week they have to train as amaximum, I tell them to subtract 20-25% from that figure to come up with arealistic training budget. That 20-25%allows for those “unforseens” that takeup our time but we can’t really put ourfingers on. For example, I didn’t workout today because I spent a lot of timetaking down holiday decorations andputting them away. I decided to keepthe day low stress than add another “todo” to the list.

Now the holidays are behind us andit’s time to start focusing on the [upcom-ing] season. The more consistent youcan be, and the more stress you canremove from your training schedule, themore progress you’ll make and the morefun you’ll have.

Stay Motivated

Coming into the new year, it is easy

to start out motivated. New years bringwith them renewed vitality, determina-tion and drive. However, the renewedenergy will eventually wane. When thishappens, how can we stay motivatedwhen it’s hard to get excited for anotherhard or long workout?

One trick I find particularly useful isthis. The night before a challenging work-out, I’ll read up on what I’m about to doand think about why I’m doing it andwhat I’ll get out of it. How will it ultimate-ly affect my reaching for my goals?

Essentially, I add purpose to what I’mdoing. This helps me stay focused onthe task at hand and also on the seasonahead. Makes it a lot easier to get outthe door on the tough days and remindsme that I’m enduring the challenges fora reason.

We’re not always going to want to goout the door or train during our lunchhours. And sometimes we shouldn’t.But, by keeping in the forefront of ourminds exactly why we’re doing whatwe’re doing, we’ll add consistency to ourtraining and progress.

Focus On the Task at Hand

I walked out the door this morning fora run at 5:40am. It was dark, pretty cold(I live in Colorado) and yet I was excited.I thought, “Today, my prep begins forthe season.” And off I went.

Now, truly my preparation for theupcoming season didn’t just begin. Anytraining I’ve done in the past is settingme up for where I’m going. But, todaymarked the beginning of my “focused”attention to this year’s racing season.

It’s a definite switching of gears.Workouts take on more meaning, andmore structure needs to be instituted tomaximize the effects of the training I do

without wasting time - no more junkmiles. The fact that I have a limitedtraining budget of 8-10 hours per weekfor triathlons, I’m going to have to bepretty creative to get the most out of arestricted training volume. I’m going tohave to squeeze the most out of everyminute of every workout so I can hit thestarting line and be as competitive as Ihope to be.

Is this to say that I need to killmyself until I crater every workout?Does this mean I need to train more?Absolutely not. But by staying focusedon my season goals - gains in training,racing at a specific level, etc. - I will getmore out of my training and, thus, moreout of my racing.

Before your workouts, remind yourselfof why you’re doing what you’re doing.Hopefully, it’s primarily because you’rehaving fun. Then, remember what yourupcoming goals are. Try to get the mostout of your hard workouts. Remindyourself that recovery workouts are justas important so you can be ready for thenext challenging test. Each workoutbrings you closer to your first race.Workouts also either bring you closer toachieving your goals or push you fartheraway from achieving them.

Staying focused doesn’t mean trainingmore or training harder more often. Itmeans cutting out the wasted time andthe junk miles, and getting the most outof the training process. This is how yourworkouts will bring your closer toachieving your goals. You’ll hit thestarting line knowing you’re preparedand with more confidence.

Nate Llerandi is a former national champion classswimmer/world class triathlete. He has beencoaching since 1990 and creates programs for ath-letes of all sports and ability levels. You cancontact him at [email protected]

Nate Llerandi

Nate’s CornerA new year’s smorgasbord

Paul Moir

Description (Indicate flavor choices) Size Qty. Price Amount

Name:

Address:

Phone:

City, State, Zip:

Method of Payment:

Card#: Signature:

Client #:

E-Mail:

Exp. Date:Check/MO Visa MC Discover AmEx

Shipping

TOTAL

Subtotal

Verification #:

Call:1.800.336.1977

Log on to: www.hammernutrition.com

Fax order to:406.862.4543

Mail order to: 4952 Whitefish Stage Rd. Whitefish, MT 59937

2007 PRICE LIST & ORDER FORM

Order Today! 1.800.336.1977 / www.hammernutrition.com . . . . . .More products on reverse

Endurance FuelsHammer Gel Jug $18.95 3 @ $16.95Hammer Gel Single Serving $1.15Hammer Gel Pouch Sampler $9.95Hammer Gel 12 Pouch Box $12.95Hammer Gel Flasks $1.50

Flavors : Apple-Cinnamon, Banana, Chocolate,Espresso, Orange, Unflavored, Raspberry, Tropical, Vanilla

Hammer Bar $2.49Hammer Bar 12 Count Box $29.88

Flavors : Almond-Raisin, Chocolate ChipHEED - Single Serving $1.49HEED - 32 Serving $18.95

Flavors : Lemon-Lime, Mandarin, UnflavoredEndurolytes $18.95 3 @ $16.95Endurolytes Powder $18.95 3 @ $16.95Sustained Energy - Single Serving $2.49Sustained Energy - 8 Serving $15.95Sustained Energy - 30 Serving $49.95 4 @ $44.95Perpetuem - Single Serving $2.29Perpetuem - 16 Serving $21.95Perpetuem - 32 Serving $39.95

Flavors : Orange-Vanilla, Unflavored Recoverite - Single Serving $2.29Recoverite - 32 Serving $44.95Recoverite Shaker $4.95Hammer Whey - 24 Serving $24.95 4 @ $21.95Hammer Soy - 24 Serving $21.95 4 @ $18.95Liquid Endurance $22.95 3 @ $19.95

Endurance SupplementsAnti-Fatigue $17.95 3 @ $14.95Appestat $29.95Boron $14.95Chromemate $9.95Digest Caps $12.95Energy Surge (ATP100) $19.95 2 @ $17.95Mito Caps $24.95Phytomax $24.95 3 @ $22.95Premium Insurance Caps $29.95PSA Caps $24.95 3 @ $22.95Race Caps Supreme $54.95 3 @ $51.65Race Day Boost $14.95REM Caps $19.95 3 @ $17.95Super Antioxidant $39.95 3 @ $34.95Tissue Rejuvenator $24.95Xobaline 30 $12.95Xobaline 90 $29.95

Carlson’s Salmon Oil 60 Count $7.95Carlson’s Salmon Oil 180 Count $19.95i-Flora $24.95

Technical InnovationsE-Motion Roller System $795.00

Basic Power Cranks $899.00X-Lite Power Cranks $1049.00

Compex Sport* $899.00Compex Fitness Trainer* $499.00

Compex Replacement Electrode PadsSmall Pads (2” x 2” - 4 per pack) $9.95Large Pads (2” x 4” - 4 per pack) While supplies last $9.9512 packs for $99.95You save $19.45. Mix & match sizes as needed

24 packs for $179.95You save $58.85. Mix & match sizes as needed

Replacement PartsLeadwire (Set of 4) $19.95Battery pack $39.95*Each Compex unit comes complete with 1 set of 2”x2” electrodes, 1 set of 2”x4”electrodes, leadwires, user manual, training planner CD, the electrode placementbooklet, battery charger, and a carrying case. Pricing subject to change, please callor go online for best pricing.

KitsShort Course Starter Kit$69.95 You save $8.641 jug of Raspberry Hammer Gel, 8 pouchesof Hammer Gel, 6 Lemon-Lime HEED packets, 6 Mandarin Orange HEED packets,3 Recoverite packets,1 bottle of Endurolytes,1 Quick Coin, 1 Flask, 1 Waterbottle and aFueling Handbook

Long Course Starter Kit$79.95 You save $9.441 jug of Raspberry Hammer Gel, 8 pouchesof Hammer Gel, 6 Sustained Energy packets,6 Perpetuem packets, 3 Recoverite packets,1 bottle of Endurolytes, 1 Quick Coin, 1 Flask,1 Waterbottle and a Fueling Handbook

Hammer Gel Sampler Kit$9.95One pouch of each flavor. Nine total.

Hammer Powder Sampler Kit$9.95One packet each of Recoverite, SustainedEnergy, Perpetuem, HEED Lemon-Lime,HEED Mandarin Orange, and an Endurolytetrial packet (6 capsules)

Daily Essentials Kit$99.95 You save $9.90

1 PIC, 1 Race Caps Supreme, 1 Mito Caps

3 Month Daily Essentials Kit$289.95 You save $49.60

3 each PIC, Race Caps Supreme, Mito Caps

Circle One

2007 PRICE LIST & ORDER FORM

Order Today! 1.800.336.1977 / www.hammernutrition.com . . . . . . More products on reverse

Voler Cycling ClothingShort Sleeve Jersey w/pocket $34.95 xs-2xlWomens Short Sleeve Jersey w/pocket $34.95 s-xlSleeveless Jersey w/pocket $34.95 s-2xlLong Sleeve Jersey w/pocket $49.95 xs-2xlLong Sleeve Summer Weight Jersey $49.95 s-2xlWind Vest $44.95 s-xlWind Jacket $59.95 s-xlThermal Vest w/pocket $59.95 s-xlThermal Jacket w/pocket $89.95 s-xlCycling Shorts $39.95 xs-2xlWomens Cycling Shorts $39.95 s-xlCycling Bibs $44.95 s-xlCycling Skinsuit w/pocket $79.95 s-xlArm Warmers $29.95 s-xlGiordana Winter Cycling Gloves $34.95 s-2xlGiordana Cycling Gloves $19.95 s-2xlHammer Socks $4.95 White/Black s-xl

Pretty in Pink Cycling ClothingShort Sleeve Jersey w/pocket $34.95 s-xlWind Jacket $59.95 s-xlCycling Shorts $39.95 s-xlArm Warmers $29.95 s-lSocks $4.95 s-xlGiordana Cycling Gloves $19.95 s-xl

Voler Tri ClothingMens Tri Top w/pocket $39.95 s-xlMens Tri Short $34.95 s-xlMens Tri Skinsuit w/pocket $69.95 s-xlWomens Tri Shimmel w/pocket $29.95 s-xlWomens Tri Short $34.95 s-xlWomens Tri Skinsuit w/pocket $69.95 s-xlWomens Sport Top $19.95 s-l

Multi Sport/Running GearSinglet $19.95 White s-xlTrail Shirt w/pocket $19.95 White s-xlCool-T $19.95 White xs-xlMens Running Shorts w/pocket $29.95 Grey s-xlMens Running Shorts w/pocket $29.95 Red s-xlWomens Running Shorts w/pocket $29.95 Grey s-lWomens Running Shorts w/pocket $29.95 Red s-l

PatagoniaMens Capilene 1 T-Shirt $36.00 White s-xlMens Capilene 1 Crew $38.00 White s-xlMens Capliene 2 Tank $30.00 White s-xlMens Strider T-Shirt $40.00 White s-xlMens Vitaliti Pique Polo $55.00 Blackberry s-xlWomens Capilene 1 T-Shirt $36.00 White s-xlWomens Capilene 1 Tank $32.00 White s-xlWomens Strider T-Shirt $40.00 White s-l

HeadwearEuro Style Cycling Cap $8.95 Red osMesh Race Ready Cap $12.50 White osVentilator Hat $14.95 Red osWinter Beanie $17.95 Black osHalo Headband $12.95 Black/White/Blue osHalo Headband II $12.95 Black/White/Blue osHalo Protex $21.95 Black/White/Red osHalo Anti-Freeze $16.95 Black osFlex-Fit Baseball Caps $14.95 Black s/m-l/xl

Watch Cap $8.95 Black os

Casual WearShort Sleeve Tee $9.95 Red/Chestnut s-2xlYouth Short Sleeve Tee $9.95 Red xs-mLong Sleeve Tee $12.95 Red s-2xl20th Anniversary Tee $12.95 Slate s-2xlOrganic Cotton Retro Tee $12.95 Natural s-2xlWomen’s Tee $12.95 White/Blue s-xlHooded Sweatshirt $29.95 Grey s-xl

AccessoriesHammer Gel Flask $1.50Double Clip Flask Holder $7.50Bike Mount Flask Holder $12.95Large Water Bottle $2.50 24oz.Small Water Bottle $2.50 21oz.Pink Water Bottle $2.50 24oz.Recoverite Shaker $4.95 25oz.Gel-Bot Fuel System $15.95 24oz.Gel-Bot Soft Flask $10.95 5.5oz.Quick Coin $0.75Tattoo $0.25Hammer Gel Decal $0.5030x60 Hammer Gel Banner $20.005-Gallon HEED Cooler $29.95Hammer Pint Glass $4.50 16oz.

53x11 CoffeeThe Big Ring $11.95 12oz.The Early Break $11.95 12oz.The Chain Breaker $11.95 12oz.53x11 T-Shirt $18.00 Natural s-xlCoffee Mug $9.95 Black/Yellow 15oz.

BookstoreGuide To Success Handbook $1.99Treat Your Own Neck $9.95Treat Your Own Back $10.95Sugar Blues $6.99Food Is Your Best Medicine $6.99Water : The Shocking Truth $8.95Healing Back Pain $13.99Endurance Nutrition DVD $29.95


27

I’d like to take a moment to intro-duce two new products that HammerNutrition will be carrying:PowerCranks™ and E-Motion Rollers.These innovative products will make ahuge impact on your training andracing.

PowerCranks™ , a revolutionarycrankset, allows each crank arm torotate independently of the other.Of course, on any regular bike thecranks stay fixed at 180 to eachother. This can give maximum con-tinuous power, but it takes years ofdiligent, coached training to learnto fire your various leg, hip, andbuttock muscles in an efficientsequence. Most fitness riders andamateur racers “cheat” by pushingdown, but failing to complete thefull cycle, because the other leg ispushing down. This means lostpower and efficiency.

Enter PowerCranks™! By forcingyou to complete each pedal strokeindependently, it makes you moreefficient, more powerful, and in theend, faster. PowerCranks™ trainthe hip flexors and hamstringsmore fully than conventional pedal-ing, making it an ideal training tool forany athlete, not just cyclists. Runnersand skiers can benefit as well.

A study in the Journal of Strengthand Conditioning Research demon-strated the increased training effect ofusing PowerCranks™. The studyshowed that training on them for onlysix weeks reduced the amount of ener-gy expenditure required for a one-houreffort.

You can ride PowerCranks™ indoorsand even race on them. There are two

different models available, basic andextra-lite. An array of bottom bracketcompatibilities assures that you canreadily install PowerCranks™ on yourcurrent ride, Campy included.

I tested PowerCranks™ , and I couldnot believe how fatigued I became. Itreally showed me how many muscles Ihaven’t been using.

We’ve also added E-Motion Rollers toour offerings. Rollers, in general,allow you to take your bike to the base-ment or rec room and drill out themiles, regardless how miserable theweather might be outside, a fact notlost on us residents of NorthwestMontana! Rollers also allow you toenjoy riding inside more than a trainerbecause it requires more focus; this is

real cycling on your bike, so you’retraining your balance, focus, and inyour exact riding position. A stationarybike lacks all of these “realities,” butit’s a safer option, especially when

you’re out of the saddle.

Again, innovation steps in.Unlike traditional rollers that haveonly a fixed frame, E-MotionRollers features a “floating” frameinside of a fixed frame. This allowsthe rider to be more stable on therollers, as the device will help tocorrect small movements andadjustments, and allow a full out-of-the-saddle sprint. Bumperguards in the front and rear helpprevent the wheels from coming offof the rollers, contributing to theoverall effect of giving you a muchmore confident indoor ride.

E-Motion Rollers also givesyou a better sense of your ineffi-cient motions and allows you tofurther streamline your ride. You’llimprove your balance, pedalingsmoothness, and posture, whichare critical to improving yoursprinting, paceline riding, and cor-nering. Rollers are the way to go

for off-season improvement, and E-Motion Rollers are surely the topchoice in this category.

Combine the PowerCranks™ withthe E-motion Rollers and you’ll have achallenging workout that will give youa huge boost in your efficient energyoutput.

Effective Training Aids for Cyclists

Effective Training Aids for Cyclists

Jason Kinley

28


We’re growing and with thatgrowth we’ve expanded our clothingline to better serve you.

Among our new offerings for 2007are a women’s specific pink cyclingkit, an expanded line of Patagoniaperformance shirts, new t-shirts, aPatagonia polo shirt, and a new win-ter cap. Here’s a brief rundown ofeach of these items.

Pretty In Pink Cycling Clothing

Perhaps the biggest addition to ourclothing line is the women’s-specificpink cycling kit from Voler. The com-plete kit contains a short-sleeve jersey,wind jacket, arm warmers, and cus-tom-cut shorts that feature a lower riseand a shorter inseam. We’ve alsoadded coordinating socks by Lin, apink water bottle from Specialized, andgloves from Giordana.

Patagonia Shirts

We’ve expanded the number ofPatagonia shirts we carry from 2 inprevious years to 6 this year! Here’swhat we’ve got that’s new...

Mens Strider - this is a warmweather, active mesh tee that driesfast. Soft and light it offers built-instretch and 30+UPF sun protection.

Mens Capilene 2 Tank - Slightlyheavier than our Capilene short andlong sleeve t-shirts, this tank is fastdrying and highly breathable.

Mens Vitaliti Pique Polo - Anorganic cotton polo with our logoembroidered on the left front pocket.

Womens Capilene 1Tee and Tank - Thewomens version of ourpopular Capilene t-shirt and tank.

Womens Strider -The warm weather,active mesh tee thatdries fast. Also gives30+ UPF sun protection.

Tee-Shirts

We’ve freshened upour designs for 2007and added a few newones. We’ve still gotour red and chestnuttees with slightly dif-ferent designs than2006 as well as ourretro surfer designprinted on an organiccotton tee. New for2007 we have a wom-ens tee available intwo colors (blue andwhite), a youth versionof our red short sleevetee and a new 20thAnniversary tee avail-able this year only.

Watch Cap

New this year is our fine gauge,super stretch fit acrylic knit watch cap.Available in black with an embroideredlogo, this cap is sure to keep your headwarm on the coldest of days.

For more information, bigger pic-tures, or to order any of our clothingcheck out the website at www.hammernutrition.com!

New Clothing in 2007

29


THE GEAR JUNKIE ANNOUNCESTOP GEAR OF 2006 10 Field-TestedOutdoors/Fitness Product Picks

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., December 6, 2006

Nationally-syndicated newspapercolumnist Stephen Regenold - aka TheGear Junkie - has announced The GearJunkie's Gear of the Year Awards.

After competing in a dozen ultra-endurance adventures around thecountry over the past 12 months,Regenold chose 10 products that stoodout. "In events like the Primal QuestAdventure Race and the Arrowhead135 Ultra-Marathon, the value of top-notch outdoors equipment continuallyhit home for me this year," Regenoldsaid.

Regenold chose products that helpedhim battle heat, freezing temps,fatigue and disorientation in locales asfar flung as northern Ontario, WestVirginia, Sweden, Quintana Roo, andSan Luis Obispo, Calif.

"Of all my years of whacko ultra-endurance adventure, 2006 might justprove itself to be my magnum opus,"he continued. "These 10 gear pickswere instrumental in making myadventures a success."

Here's a full list of Regenold's picks:

The Gear Junkie’s Gear Of TheYear Awards 2006

1. OR Sun Runner Cap 2. Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem3. Surefire U2 Ultra flashlight 4. Smith Reactor Max glasses

5. Co-Motion Streaker bike 6. Suunto t6 watch 7. Camelbak 100-ounce OmegaReservoir 8. Macpac 35 Amp backpack 9. Smartwool Boxer Brief 10. Light & Motion Arc Li-ion Ultrabike light

Fot the complete story go to : www.thegearjunkie.com

ABOUT THEGEARJUNKIE.com:TheGearJunkie.com is a site devoted to theoutdoors, health, fitness, adventure travel,and all the gear and equipment associatedwith those pursuits. It is based off a nation-ally-syndicated newspaper column of thesame name written by freelance journalistStephen Regenold, a world-traveling adven-turer/journalist with a home base inMinneapolis, Minn.

The 2007 catalog is printed and onits way to you in the mail. When youread it, you’ll see not only all of thesupplements, fuels, andaccessories you expect, butseveral new and excitingitems. Included in our newline-up you’ll find:

• two cycling training aids,PowerCranks and e-MotionRollers• an expanded line ofPatagonia shirts• women’s specific pinkcycling clothing.

Other articles in thisnewsletter provide in-depthinformation about each ofthese. We’ve also increased the size

2007 Hammer Catalog : New year, new products!

and number of great athlete photos,most of them contributed by you, ourloyal customers.

The print run isalso worth mention-ing, because it’s asure sign of positivegrowth whena company morethan doubles itscatalog volume. In2006 we printedand distributed150,000 catalogs;this year’s numberis 375,000. If youdon’t get your copyin the mail soon,please call us and

we’ll get one out to you directly.

E N D U R A N C E F U E L S& S U P P L E M E N T S

®

2007 CATALOG FUELS / SUPPLEMENTS / APPAREL / ACCESSORIES

Fuel Right,Feel Great!

30


Since 1983, the Ultraman WorldChampionships (contested on the BigIsland of Hawaii) has proven itself tobe one of the toughest events in theworld. Over the course of three days,race participants (limited to 35, byinvitation only) cover a total distanceof 320 miles (515 kilometers). Howabout spending three days doing this...

• Day One/Stage I - 6.2-mile (10 km)ocean swim followed by a 90-mile (145km) bike ride.

• Day Two/Stage II - 171.4-mi (276km) bike ride

• Day Three/Stage III - 52.4-mile (84km) double-marathon run

Can you say “extreme”? The 2006 edi-

2006 Ultraman World ChampionshipsHammer Nutrition Athletes Dominate!

Hammer Athletes

Race ReportRace ReportUltracentric 24-Hour Run / American Ultrarunning Assoc. 24-Hr Nat’l Championships

On November 17-19, 2006 the ultrarun known simply as Ultracentric tookplace in Grapevine, TX. HammerNutrition has been a long-time sponsorof this event, which consists of 6, 12,24, and 48-hour races. The 2006 edi-tion of this race was given thehonorable distinction of being namedthe American UltrarunningAssociation (AUA) 24-Hour NationalChampionships and offered a $12,000prize purse, the largest in U.S. ultra-marathon national championshiphistory.

This year’s Ultracentric also servedas the selection race for the National

Team to the 2007 World 24-Hour,which will be held in Drummondville,Quebec, Canada in July 2007.

Hammer Nutrition was well repre-sented at this year’s race and we’d liketo congratulate the following clientswho competed in the 24-Hour NationalChampionship event:

MEN’S DIVISIONAlex Swenson (Vashon, WA) - 1st place and overall champion -146.40 milesScott Eppelman (Coppell, TX) - 5th place with 135.36 milesRudy Afanador (Medford, NY) -

tion of this epic race took place onNovember 24-26 and HammerNutrition was well represented by thefollowing outstanding athletes:

Jeff Landauer - 1st place overall ina time of 24:30:47. This was Jeff’s firstattempt at Ultraman and he obviouslymade the most of it. Jeff has a mostimpressive race resume (check outwww.landsharkonline.com/RESULTS),which includes 2nd, 3rd, and 6th placefinishes in the always-difficult FurnaceCreek 508.

Shane Eversfield - 12th place over-all in a time of 29:19:37. Check outShane’s post-race correspondence to uson the next page.

Shanna Armstrong - 1st place

women’s division, 9th place overall in atime of 28:13:11. Shanna completedwhat could be considered one of themost difficult “triple crowns” inendurance sports history, with wins inthe 2006 Race Across America andFurnace Creek 508 to go along withher repeat victory at Ultraman.

Suzy Degazon - 2nd place women’sdivision, 16th overall in a time of31:37:43. Among her many other races,this was Suzy’s ninth (that’s right,9th!) Ultraman.

What a great way to wrap up a yearof outstanding performances byHammer Nutrition athletes...congratu-lations Jeff, Shane, Shanna, and Suzy!

10th place with 116.38 miles

WOMEN’S DIVISIONRebecca Johnson (Lafayette, CO) - 2nd place with 134.4 milesConnie Gardner (Medina, OH) - 3rd place with 132.72 milesLaura Nelson (Woodstock, VA) - 4th place with 123.12 milesCarilyn Johnson (El Paso, TX) - 9th place with 102.95 miles

Race director Robert Tavernini wrote usafter the race to say, “Wow, what a week-end! Thank you very much for theoverwhelmingly generous support fromyourself, and the fine team you represent.”

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I credit a big part of my speedy recovery after UltraMan togood nutrition during the race stages. I fueled exclusively onHammer Nutrition’s Perpetuem and Endurolytes. I did noteat anything before the start of each day, and – after drinkingHammer’s Recoverite with two Super Antioxidant caps – hada healthy meal of whole foods at the conclusion of each day. Idid not experience any kind of energy deficit during or afterthe race, and very little weight fluctuation. I am very gratefulto Brian and Kadidja, my o’hana at Hammer Nutrition, forsponsoring me with these precious products. Hammer prod-ucts work, with no fluctuations in energy level. They workreally well.

Shane EversfieldZendurance at Ultraman

Bill RileyJust keeps getting betterEditors note : Bill Riley has been a client of ours since1989. In that time he has amassed an amazing number ofvictories and awards. To the right is a letter Bill recentlyreceived informing him of yet another award, TheOutstanding Athlete of the Year for his age group fromthe USATF! This past November Bill competed in theWorld Half Ironman Championships (Clearwater, FL)and won his age group, and if that weren’t enough, atpress time, Bill is ranked #1 triathlete in his age groupby USAT!

Congratulations Bill!from all of us here at Hammer Nutrition

Bill an

d D

ebbie Riley

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDBOZEMAN, MT

59715PERMIT #209

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The Back Page

Inside the first issue of 2007!- Hammer Gel & Fructose- Trans Fatty Acids

A nutrition nightmare- Why You Had A Lousy Year

And what you can do about it- Athlete Spotlight

Get to know Laura Sophiea- Reducing Holiday Weight Gain

Getting rid of unwanted pounds- Effective Training Aids For Cyclists

PowerCranks & e-Motion Rollers- Product Spotlight

Digest Caps...and so much more

Hammer Nutrition 4952 Whitefish Stage Rd., Whitefish, MT 599371.800.336.1977 / www.hammernutrition.com

NEWSENDURANCE

Sometimes More Is Better! : Quantity discountsYou’ve heard us preach time and

again: limit your nutritional intake towhat your body can actually assimilateduring exercise. More is not betterwhen it comes to fueling and supple-mentation. There is a time, however,when more is better, and that’s whenyou’re purchasing your most-usedHammer Nutrition products. All ofthese items have adequately long shelflife, so you can purchase in bulk andsave two ways: you get a multiple unitdiscount (about 10%), and also yourshipping charges in the long run willalso be lower. If you have room for stor-age, it makes sense to purchasemultiple units at a time.

PRICE DISCOUNTHammer Gel $18.95 3 @ $16.95 Endurolytes $18.95 3 @ $16.95 Endurolytes Powder $18.95 3 @ $16.95Sustained Energy $49.95 4 @ $44.95 (30-serving)Hammer Whey $24.95 4 @ $21.95Hammer Soy $21.95 4 @ $18.95 Liquid Endurance $22.95 3 @ $19.95 Anti-Fatigue Caps $17.95 3 @ $14.95Energy Surge $19.95 2 @ $17.95(formerly ATP 100)Phytomax $24.95 3 @ $22.95PSA Caps $24.95 3 @ $22.95Race Caps Supreme $54.95 3 @ $51.65REM Caps $19.95 3 @ $17.95Super Antioxidant $39.95 3 @ $34.95(formerly Super AO)

Documents

February 2007: Issue 053 - Hammer Nutrition · Remission Man • Page 16 From The Saddle of Steve Born • Page 18 USSSA Partnership • Page 19 ... fruit juice and 50% grain dex-trins