Gray Matter Health
The Gray Matter Blog
Training
Is fasted exercise right for women?
The practice of fasted exercise – in particular, cardiovascular exercise first thing in the morning – has rapidly risen in popularity. Proponents argue that training before breakfast teaches the body to burn more fat as fuel, leading to performance gains, improved insulin sensitivity, and faster weight loss. While these claims may hold a grain of truth, the question we should be asking is, do the benefits of fasted exercise outweigh the costs? Regrettably, when we consider this in context of th
Your activity tracker can't tell how many calories you burned
Hav you ever found yourself at the end of a grueling workout, heart racing and muscles crying out for mercy, only to glance at your fitness watch to see an embarrassingly low number of calories burned? You may be left feeling disappointed or even a bit cheated that your efforts are not paying off. It's frustrating, I know. But ultimately, there really is no need to stress over the calorie estimates from your activity tracker. The truth is, when it comes to calorie burn, each of us is one of a k
Overtraining may be sabotaging your fitness goals
You've been diligently training hard in the gym, committed to your goals, and consistently raising the bar on your volume and output. It's this hustle that will lead you to your dream physique, right? You expected to be rewarded for the time and effort you put in. However, you suddenly find that your energy levels are bottoming out, your mood is out of whack, and your progress has ground to a halt. You don't remember the last time you hit a personal record, and the training sessions that you on
The case for combining strength training and cardio
Has anyone ever told you that you should avoid cardio, because it "kills your gains"? Or on the contrary, that you should avoid lifting, because it "makes you bulky" and therefore slows you down? The idea that doing strength training alongside aerobic training limits your progression in both is known as the interference effect. It is thought to occur because the two types of exercise drive different responses in the body. Strength training stimulates muscles to grow larger and stronger and card
Transitioning from CrossFit to marathon training
Last year, I decided to pursue a long time goal of mine: running the New York City Marathon. In preparation for the 2023 race, I've gradually exchanged my 5 weekly CrossFit workouts for long, easy runs with a bit of strength training sprinkled in. Since I'm currently in the thick of a training block, I want to take the opportunity to share the biggest lessons I have learned along the way. While running is my modality of choice this year, the following concepts should be relevant for making the