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Diet
supplements, intensive training
might do more harm than good
Fitness centers in Hong Kong have grown rapidly, and they have undergone revolutionary changes because of fierce competition in the industry. (Nickie Wong)
By Nickie Wong
Sexy tanned men with muscular bodies. Beautiful toned women in skimpy clothing.
These images, blatantly displayed everywhere — on television, on billboards — have become the norm of fitness centers’ aggressive marketing campaigns.
Society today places a lot of emphasis on having a beautiful body, and fitness centers, the icons of good health, are becoming increasingly popular.
Franco Wu, a personal and master trainer, is program officer and lecturer at the Asian Academy for Sports and Fitness Professionals.
He said, “The increasing popularity of fitness centers is due to the introduction of international fitness chains.”
The fierce competition in local fitness industry also makes membership fees more affordable.
Mr. Wu said, “The age group of gym-goers used to be 20 to 40, but it has been stretched to include late teens and the 50s.”
While young adults want better body shapes, mature gym-goers want to stay healthy.
However, according to Mr. Wu, many gym-goers do not know the right way to exercise.
Imbalanced training can lead to poor posture and injury.
He said, “People tend to focus on training their front but ignore their backs.”
A typical result of such imbalanced training is rounded shoulders, the result of contracted chest muscles pulling the shoulders forward.
In a bid to aid muscle training, many gym-goers take diet supplements to help them achieve perfect figures. Examples include protein powders and fat-burners.
Protein powder is a combination of high quality protein and other amines.
Protein is essential to maintain one’s health. It is responsible for many bodily functions and helps muscle growth.
However, according to Mr. Wu, most gym-goers do not need such diet supplements.
He said, “Those who need diet supplements are professional athletes, since nutrients taken from their normal diet are not enough to support their intensive training.”
Moreover, excess protein can harm one’s body. Short-term effects include pimples on the face and body when the body fails to break down the excess nutrients.
In the long run, excess protein can overload the kidneys and liver, which are responsible for protein breakdown. It can also lead to osteoporosis.
Another supplement widely used by body builders is fat burners.
Most fat burners contain caffeine, which can increase heart rate and metabolism.
However, according to Mr. Wu, fat burners are only useful to those who exercise regularly.
He said, “If one does not exercise, fat burners will not be of help.
“To make things worse, the drugs may cause unnecessary bodily responses.
“One may become easily agitated if an excess amount of fat burner is taken.”
Fat burners also make the brain believe that a person is full, hence stopping one from eating.
Mr. Wu said, “It is not a good way to reduce fat because eating less means having less intake of nutrients.”
He pointed out a misconception people have of losing weight and reducing fat.
He said, “We cannot ‘break’ the fats in our body.
“Every one is born with a fixed number of fat cells, and this number will remain the same throughout life.
“The appropriate way to reduce the amount of fat in fat cells is to exercise regularly, so that fat can be utilized by other body cells to release energy.”
A high percentage of body fat can lead to problems like obesity, heart disease and stroke.
However, having extremely low body fat is equally dangerous.
Fat is needed to protect organs, to keep the body warm and to produce hormones.
A normal fat percentage by weight for an adult male is 10 to 13 percent, and 18 to 22 percent for females.
An athlete’s fat percentage may be as little as 3 percent.
Mr. Wu attributes misconceptions about the use of diet supplements and ideal body shapes to portrayals in media and aggressive promotion campaigns by fitness supplement companies.
He said, “The diet supplement manufacturers are so eager to earn profits that they promote unnecessary products to customers.”
With widely disseminated media portrayals of muscular men and lean women, people easily associate beauty and muscularity with ability.
And fat with failure.
Reports in the Western media of personal trainers converting celebrities’ chubby and clumsy figures into muscular and confident bodies also give consumers the wrong impression.
Mr. Wu said, “It is not the magic of the personal trainers. . . , but given a reasonable plan and time, it is possible to achieve fitness.
“But not everyone can look like the models in magazines because everyone has his own limitations.”
He added that a personal trainer’s job is to educate clients on the correct concept of fitness and to motivate them in workouts.
The marriage of fitness and beauty has raised awareness of personal well being and helped the growth of the fitness industry in Hong Kong.
Gyms have also undergone many changes.
Gyms used to have only machines and treadmills. While the males dominated the gym room, the females enjoyed themselves in the aerobic studio.
However, the scene has changed.
Not only are more women appearing in weight lifting sessions, more men are willing to step into aerobic studios.
Fitness centers in Hong Kong have started to include yoga, pilates, tai chi, kickboxing and other group exercises in their fitness menus.
Gyms have
also started to provide one-stop services which include beauty, spa
and gym.