Just returned from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Summit in Las Vegas. Always enjoy sifting the take-away nuggets and industry trends. Here are a few gems:

1. There is a loss of fast twitch muscle fibers with aging resulting in less delayed muscle soreness (DOMS) often elicited by eccentric strength training in older adults.

2. The greatest excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) effect is derived from high intensity training (HIT) because cell restoration to pre-exercise homeostasis is an energy consuming process, which includes lactate removal, CRP replenishment and recovery of heart rate, temperature, ventilation and hormonal levels.

3. There are a many novel variations to eccentric training based on the three primary eccentric training methods: 1 up: 3-6 down, supra-maximal eccentric training and 2 up: 1 down.

4. To achieve adequate protein for optimal health and performance the caloric cost of plant-based protein is much higher than lean meat/poultry/fish based protein.
For example each of the following provide adequate daily protein:
7 TB peanut butter: 670 calories
3 ½ servings black beans: 374 calories
1 ½ cups raw tofu: 236 calories
3 oz lean beef: 180 calories

5. Protein requirements for optimal health and performance are different than protein requirements to prevent deficiencies, which are what RDA values, are based on.

6. If you are not taking in adequate daily protein catabolism is occurring, essentially abolishing muscle.

7. Sports nutrition and nutrition-related weight management topics are hot. Specifically the role of protein in weight management and fueling pre, during and post exercise.

8. Indoor cycling still packs them in!

9. Exercise is Medicine is picking up steam and creating a lot of interest, specifically in regards to designing and implementing programming, evidence-based programming, gaining physician referrals, and appropriately training qualified staff to work with older adults and individuals with disease-specific conditions.

10. High intensity training is all the rage – Crossfit, TRX, PX90, metabolic training, boot camps, Traboki and more. However, the current programming is only relevant, appealing and doable for about 20% of the population. Are we missing the mark and is this a nemesis for the fitness industry?