0:00:00 > 0:00:03Hello and welcome to Bang.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05We live in a 24/7 world, rushing around,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08trying to pack as much into the day as possible,
0:00:08 > 0:00:10working far too many hours, if you ask me,
0:00:10 > 0:00:13and then wondering why we don't have the energy to do more.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17Exactly. If you've had an exhausting day, sit down, relax
0:00:17 > 0:00:18and we're going to help explain
0:00:18 > 0:00:20those morning, afternoon and evening lulls.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Just try and stay awake for the next half an hour.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Coming up...
0:00:24 > 0:00:29Liz finds out what makes your energy levels go up and down.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32And Dallas finds out what happens if you don't drink enough water.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34I just want to neck that.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Me? I'm going to be putting my body to the test
0:00:36 > 0:00:39to see if I can squeeze just enough out of my muscles
0:00:39 > 0:00:42to pull off something almost impossible.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44I'm going to try...
0:00:44 > 0:00:45to fly.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52'In order to maximise my power and give me the wings that I need,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54'whilst filming this series,
0:00:54 > 0:00:58'we've also been building a very unusual aircraft.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02'One in which my muscles will be doing all the work.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07'And it's going to take a lot of work.
0:01:08 > 0:01:09'A lot of cycling.'
0:01:10 > 0:01:13- Smack on two minutes. - And I crashed.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15And all of my aeronautical training.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19These are the sort of calculations I do for fun.
0:01:20 > 0:01:21Oh!
0:01:21 > 0:01:24But first, I'm hoping Dallas can give me a few tips
0:01:24 > 0:01:27for getting the most out of my body.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Now, how do you make sure your day gets off to a flying start?
0:01:31 > 0:01:34If you're anything like me, or most people,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37you'll take a hit of the most popular drug in the world.
0:01:37 > 0:01:38Who knows what that is?
0:01:38 > 0:01:40It is the chemical...
0:01:40 > 0:01:41You wake up in the morning...
0:01:41 > 0:01:43- Caffeine?- Caffeine, exactly!
0:01:43 > 0:01:46This is, actually in my pocket, pure caffeine.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50If you were to eat this, you would be very, very sick indeed.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53But do you know how much caffeine is actually in your food and drink?
0:01:53 > 0:01:56We're going to play a little game of Play Your Cards Right.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59We've got various caffeine related products here
0:01:59 > 0:02:01and your job is to go higher or lower,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05depending on how much caffeine you think is in the product.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07I'll start you off. The nation's favourite, cup of tea, 50mg,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10in a cup of tea about that big.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12So what do we think for a cola, higher or lower?
0:02:12 > 0:02:14ALL: Higher!
0:02:14 > 0:02:16It's lower! What about diet cola?
0:02:16 > 0:02:18ALL: Lower!
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Lower, we think. It's higher! You're all wrong.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26OK, a lovely dark chocolate bar? What do we think?
0:02:26 > 0:02:28CROWD: Higher! Lower!
0:02:28 > 0:02:3050/50 there. Quite a lot higher actually!
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Surprising that, I thought.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Now, when we think of caffeine of course, we all think of coffee.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37What do we think? Higher than 100mg?
0:02:37 > 0:02:40For a mug that size of filter coffee, it's not instant.
0:02:40 > 0:02:41Who thinks higher?
0:02:41 > 0:02:43It's higher.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Now, strong paracetamol, the extra kind,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47for eight of those bad boys,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49which is your maximum daily dose...
0:02:49 > 0:02:50CROWD: Higher.
0:02:50 > 0:02:57Most people think higher. It is amazingly, a whacking 520mg.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58That's a lot. Who knew that?
0:02:58 > 0:03:00This is one of the sort of energy drinks.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Higher than the paracetemol or lower?
0:03:02 > 0:03:04CROWD: Higher! Lower!
0:03:04 > 0:03:05Lower! Lower!
0:03:05 > 0:03:10You get tonight's star prize, which is a handshake from me.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12And what about espresso?
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Which you might have after a meal or in the morning.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16CROWD: Higher.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Higher than 80? It's lower than 80.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21So you all did pretty badly, I reckon.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23You're all pretty rubbish.
0:03:23 > 0:03:24THEY LAUGH
0:03:24 > 0:03:27We all know caffeine can give us a boost when we need it,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29but do you know why it does that?
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Jem is playing the part of a nerve here, working hard,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36firing electrical signals around the body.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38The harder he rows, the brighter these lights get.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Now, when you're tired, your brain produces a very useful chemical.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47In your hands you've got a chemical called adenosine.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48What I'd like you to do
0:03:48 > 0:03:51is tire him out by throwing your adenosine molecules at him.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55And hopefully they should stick!
0:03:55 > 0:03:58'When adenosine attaches, the nerve slows down,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01'making your muscles and brain slow down and making you sleepy,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04'but when you've had a caffeine hit...'
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Now, here's the thing.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10A caffeine molecule is a similar shape to the adenosine molecule.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14They bind on and block the receptors on the neuron here, like this,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17so now, try and make him sleepy.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21So he's had his coffee, and now the adenosine doesn't stick on.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27No, one stuck! One stuck. There we go.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29I'm slightly tired, but not very much.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31'But there's a double whammy.'
0:04:31 > 0:04:33The body thinks something's happening
0:04:33 > 0:04:36because I should feel tired, I'm not feeling tired,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39and it produces the hormone adrenaline. You all know adrenaline.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43That gears you up, that adrenaline, so when you have a lot of caffeine,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45that's what gives you the coffee buzz.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47'Keep drinking a lot of coffee,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51'and your nerves will compensate by growing extra adenosine receptors
0:04:51 > 0:04:54'and you'll have to drink even more coffee to get that buzz.'
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Of course, caffeine doesn't actually GIVE you more energy.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Your body's real fuel is food
0:05:02 > 0:05:05and many of us are slaves to our hunger.
0:05:05 > 0:05:06We've all been there.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08You're sat at your desk, it's 4pm,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11and you start feeling a little bit drained and sluggish.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14And that's when we all get that sugar craving.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16I've got a short temper when I'm hungry!
0:05:16 > 0:05:19If a snack's going to happen, it's about that time,
0:05:19 > 0:05:20a cup of tea and chocolate bar, maybe.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Chocolate after chocolate. Hour after hour.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24I'll get a doughnut or pastry
0:05:24 > 0:05:28or something like that in the mid-afternoon, to keep going.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30- You have chocolate every hour? - Basically.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34Exactly. You get that familiar slump and you reach for the sugary food
0:05:34 > 0:05:36in the hope it'll raise your blood sugar level.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41I'm using this squash court to illustrate the highs and lows
0:05:41 > 0:05:44that many of us feel during a typical day
0:05:44 > 0:05:46with three square meals.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50You start off your morning a bit sluggish, a bit sleepy.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53You get some breakfast into you to kick-start your day,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56and raise those energy levels to get you through the morning
0:05:56 > 0:05:59and then gradually you start feeling a little bit hungry,
0:05:59 > 0:06:00you think you need to refuel.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03You have your lunch, you feel OK again,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06until you hit that famous 4pm slump,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10when you literally think you won't get through the rest of the day
0:06:10 > 0:06:13without a nice sugar fix to raise those blood sugar levels again
0:06:13 > 0:06:15until you have your dinner.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Now, sugar is your body's main fuel,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22and it is carried around in your blood, but here's the twist -
0:06:22 > 0:06:24it's not the levels of sugar in your blood
0:06:24 > 0:06:26that make you feel weak and grumpy.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Our blood sugar is maintained through very tight levels
0:06:29 > 0:06:32during the day and really doesn't change very much.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34It would look much more like this.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38No peaks and troughs going on at all with our blood sugar?
0:06:38 > 0:06:39Very little ones.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44- More like waves than the mountain peaks that you had drawn.- OK.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47'Your body is very good at keeping the sugar in your blood'
0:06:47 > 0:06:50'at a constant level. If you're healthy,'
0:06:50 > 0:06:51'you never really run low.'
0:06:51 > 0:06:55'Instead, the levels are constantly topped up from fuel reserves'
0:06:55 > 0:06:58'big enough to get you through any day, even without snacking.'
0:06:58 > 0:07:02'So what is it that causes those energy dips?'
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Part of what you may be feeling may be the body's response
0:07:05 > 0:07:07to stopping the blood sugar falling,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10of which the most important hormone is probably insulin.
0:07:10 > 0:07:15'So what's really going up and down are your hormone levels.'
0:07:15 > 0:07:18'They are controlled by things like how full your belly is,'
0:07:18 > 0:07:21'how busy you are, or just your daily routine.'
0:07:21 > 0:07:22'Unless you're a diabetic,'
0:07:22 > 0:07:24'you release insulin after eating,'
0:07:24 > 0:07:28'and it's the hormone that makes sure excess blood sugar is stored away'
0:07:28 > 0:07:30'in your muscles and liver.'
0:07:30 > 0:07:33I get it now. Insulin peaks when you eat something,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36deals with that sugar, troughs again. You eat something else,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38- it peaks to deal with that sugar, troughs again.- Yes.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39And so on throughout the day.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43'But it's not the only hormone involved.'
0:07:43 > 0:07:46'One of the newest discoveries is a hormone called ghrelin,'
0:07:46 > 0:07:49'which seems to affect how you feel and even how you think.'
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Ghrelin is a hormone that is very much
0:07:52 > 0:07:54involved in the feeling of wanting to eat
0:07:54 > 0:07:58and then having eaten, and it's also possible that your body,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00because you have been eating at 4 o'clock every afternoon,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03is actually expecting you to eat at 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07So your psychology is also playing a part in this "I need to eat"
0:08:07 > 0:08:08sort of feeling.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Psychology or physiology.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13It's the fact that the body does become used to what you do
0:08:13 > 0:08:17and so it will prepare itself for things that are going to happen.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18So now you know.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Turns out that daily 4pm chocolate fix isn't the answer.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28This Olympic velodrome is soon going to be full of people
0:08:28 > 0:08:31achieving superhuman feats of pedal power and endurance.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Of course, I'm hoping to achieve my own too,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37by pedalling into the air.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39But I'm not an Olympic cyclist.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40I'm just an ordinary bloke.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44I wonder, is there anything you and I can do
0:08:44 > 0:08:50to coax an extraordinary performance from our own ordinary muscles?
0:08:51 > 0:08:53As I climb these stairs,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56something physical is changing about me,
0:08:56 > 0:09:00and not necessarily in a good way.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Even though I've got plenty of energy still
0:09:03 > 0:09:05from a rather large lunch,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08and my lungs are still sucking in plenty of oxygen,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10by the time I get to the top,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14even though my legs would appear exactly the same on the outside,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17on the inside, they feel very, very different.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Somehow, in less than a minute, I've lost all my power.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25I would love to know exactly how that happens,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28because if I'm going to fly an aeroplane,
0:09:28 > 0:09:32that is the last thing I want whilst I'm trying to pedal it.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34They're trying to understand
0:09:34 > 0:09:36exactly what stops muscles working
0:09:36 > 0:09:38here at the University of Exeter,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41and so that I can see what they've discovered,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I'm preparing to go into a slightly intimidating machine.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46What we're going to do today is try and measure
0:09:46 > 0:09:48what's actually happening inside your muscle
0:09:48 > 0:09:51- in terms of energy production while you exercise.- Right.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53The way we do that is, we put you in that MRI machine
0:09:53 > 0:09:56and we'll lay you down on your stomach,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58and there'll be a special bit of the machine
0:09:58 > 0:10:01that's measuring what's going on in the muscle in the top of your leg.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04I start by repeatedly lifting
0:10:04 > 0:10:06a relatively light weight with my foot.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Meanwhile, the machine is detecting
0:10:08 > 0:10:11the levels of different chemicals inside my leg muscle.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15I'm pretty sure I could do this all day.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17So, on to a much heavier weight,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19and I can feel it straight away.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23He's actually doing very well.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25But I feel close to my limit.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27I would have expected him to quit...ah.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29OK. Looks like he's quit.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Phil had detected a crucial change inside my muscles,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36and that's what told him the second weight was too much,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39while I could have kept lifting the first one as long as I wanted.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Your muscle can make energy
0:10:41 > 0:10:44in what we call anaerobic or a very sustainable manner.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47- Yeah.- If you go above that level, there's sort of a line of credit
0:10:47 > 0:10:50that you can borrow against, which is called creatine phosphate.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52'With the light weight, Phil could see'
0:10:52 > 0:10:55'lots of this anaerobic fuel reserve'
0:10:55 > 0:10:56'in my muscles.'
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Now what you'll see is, as we add more weight,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01look at the difference in the graphs. HE WHISTLES
0:11:01 > 0:11:04As soon as the second chemical began to appear,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07he knew I was eating into that limited fuel reserve
0:11:07 > 0:11:09and I was on borrowed time.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11This peak here represents your sort of waste products -
0:11:11 > 0:11:13- if you think of it as your car exhaust.- Yeah.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15What you're experiencing there is
0:11:15 > 0:11:17- what's called a threshold phenomenon.- Right.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20When we take you across this threshold, OK,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22and you had that sudden feeling that,
0:11:22 > 0:11:23"Wow, I can't do this for very long",
0:11:23 > 0:11:25you're feeling what any track athlete has felt
0:11:25 > 0:11:27when they've run a longer distance.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29They say, "I can go this way for a while,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31"but if I go any harder, something bad will happen."
0:11:31 > 0:11:34'Phil has found that all muscles have this threshold,'
0:11:34 > 0:11:38'a level of work beyond which they just can't keep going.'
0:11:38 > 0:11:41'I need to find out what this limit is for my legs,'
0:11:41 > 0:11:44'because I don't want them to give out on me'
0:11:44 > 0:11:47'when I'm in mid-air.'
0:11:47 > 0:11:50'It's been four weeks since we started this job.'
0:11:50 > 0:11:52'The plane is just beginning to take shape,'
0:11:52 > 0:11:56and I'm finding what time I can to practise flying.'
0:11:59 > 0:12:01'From my calculations,'
0:12:01 > 0:12:04'I think I know how much power I'll need to take off.'
0:12:04 > 0:12:07'Now I need to know whether I can deliver it.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11'Dr Gary Brickley studies muscle performance'
0:12:11 > 0:12:14'and trains the British Paralympic cycling team.'
0:12:14 > 0:12:16'He should be able to tell me.'
0:12:16 > 0:12:19What kind of wattage do you think you've got to do for this?
0:12:19 > 0:12:22I can't see the plane staying in the air with less than 350 watts.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24- So, half a horsepower.- Right.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27What would you imagine... for a normal person,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29is that a reasonable thing to aim for?
0:12:29 > 0:12:33I think for 350 watts, you need to be doing a fair bit of cycling.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Chris Hoy might produce 2,200 watts.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37No way! For how long?
0:12:37 > 0:12:38But only for five seconds.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Oh, right.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42See, now, I'm massively nervous,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46because if I get on here and I'm not even close to 350 watts,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50it means I'm not even close to really being in a position
0:12:50 > 0:12:52- to pedal an aeroplane.- Yeah.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Gary sets me a series of cycling tests,
0:12:55 > 0:12:59monitoring my body as he increases the power each time.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Finally, he sets the level at 350 watts -
0:13:04 > 0:13:08the maximum for this test, but the minimum I'll need to power my plane.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10One minute, 10 seconds to go.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15One...and ease off.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18HE PANTS
0:13:19 > 0:13:23I can pedal hard enough, but for how long?
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Time for the critical result -
0:13:25 > 0:13:28my threshold for sustainable power output.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33The power that you're going to sustain beyond 10-20 minutes,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36for you, occurs about 275.
0:13:36 > 0:13:44'275 watts. I mean, that's way below the 350 I reckon the plane needs.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47'It seems, even if I do get into the air,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50'I won't to be able to stay there for all that long.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52'But Gary did have some better news.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56'With training, it's possible to raise that threshold.'
0:13:57 > 0:13:58And really,
0:13:58 > 0:14:03I want to train to be good at this kind of thing for five minutes.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06There's quite a lot of recent research suggesting you can do
0:14:06 > 0:14:11some very short efforts, 30-second efforts repeated four or five times
0:14:11 > 0:14:14with a four- to five-minute recovery, and you can get
0:14:14 > 0:14:17some big developments just from doing those short efforts.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19But those are maximal efforts.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- So, like, the absolute most I can do?- Yeah, yeah.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27What's the shortest timeframe that I would start noticing a result?
0:14:27 > 0:14:30There's some good studies showing that you can change
0:14:30 > 0:14:32- within two weeks.- Good.
0:14:32 > 0:14:33I now have a plan.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36I don't have a plane, but I do have a plan.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41Now I've got some scientific analysis of what my muscles
0:14:41 > 0:14:45are capable of, it looks like I might just
0:14:45 > 0:14:48have the power to pedal a plane, but it's a marginal thing.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53My next step is to see what I can do to give me that extra boost,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56to swing the odds back in my favour.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00And the fact is I'm happy to try just about anything.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Jem, even for you, that looks so unpleasant.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05Is this you in training now?
0:15:05 > 0:15:09In as much as I've been slinging together a skycycle, as I call it.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12- It's my training device. - Leave it to the experts.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14- A skycycle - what? - I'm going to have a go.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Basically, I need to generate, what is it, about 400 watts?
0:15:17 > 0:15:20- Yeah, and then sustain that long enough to get into the air.- OK.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Get pedalling, Dallas. So, first, you've got to do a work lamp.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- Yes!- 'That's just 60 watts.'- Result.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29You've got to maintain that whilst doing the personal computer.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Come on!
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Then keep going at that rate all the way to the desk lamp.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38- Yes, beautiful! - 'An old 100-watt light bulb.'
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Now, to cool you down a bit, we're going to put the fan on.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43- 0K, there is the fan. - My God! That's awesome!
0:15:43 > 0:15:46And, to stay in the air, you've also got to do
0:15:46 > 0:15:47the old school television.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50- Come on, Dallas, get the television on!- The television - come on!
0:15:50 > 0:15:54'All these running together is about the power I might need,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57'if I'm lucky, to get the plane in the air.'
0:15:57 > 0:16:01- Keep going, keep going!- Yes!- Yes! And the TV. Now you're flying!
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- I'm flying!- That's genius.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05Here, you might need this.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Plenty of people think that sipping a bottle of water all day
0:16:09 > 0:16:11keeps you alert and full of energy,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14but what about this eight glasses a day thing?
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- I went to find out. - Breathe, Dallas, breathe.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23'I guess the first question is why we need water at all.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25'To find out, I'm going to join a training session with Olympic
0:16:25 > 0:16:28'athletes Coral and John.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30'The plan is to get really sweaty
0:16:30 > 0:16:35'so I can find out how dehydration affects my body and my mind.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38'First, a test to check my usual reaction times
0:16:38 > 0:16:41'and hand-to-eye coordination.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43'Then it's onto the scales.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47'Later on, I'll be weighed again to show how much I've sweated
0:16:47 > 0:16:49'because that will reveal how many glasses of water
0:16:49 > 0:16:53'I'd need to drink to replace all that sweat.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55'Finally, before the torture begins,
0:16:55 > 0:16:57'they measure my heart rate with a gentle jog.'
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Right, I'm just getting changed, ready for the work-out.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05I know this is going to be painful.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10- 'We kick off with the mother of all circuit sessions.'- Come on!
0:17:10 > 0:17:13- Keep going, keep going! - Another 25 seconds to go.
0:17:13 > 0:17:14And get back nice and quick.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Get in, get in, get in!
0:17:16 > 0:17:22Three, two, one and time there. Well done. Woo!
0:17:22 > 0:17:25And I need water. I'll wrestle you for it.
0:17:25 > 0:17:26THEY LAUGH
0:17:26 > 0:17:29- Don't think you're winning! - Maybe I won't!
0:17:30 > 0:17:34For you, when you're doing a work-out like that, I was sort of
0:17:34 > 0:17:37watching you, and when we'd stop you'd have a bottle of water nearby.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40When you come into elite sport it's a habit that you do.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43If you haven't taken enough water, do you really notice when you're
0:17:43 > 0:17:47- actually doing something like this? - For handball, when we're playing,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49because it's such a high reaction sport you notice that
0:17:49 > 0:17:52you're a split second off the pace, and in elite sport
0:17:52 > 0:17:53that's all it takes for a goal to be scored
0:17:53 > 0:17:55or someone to win the race before you.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58All I want for lunch is a glass of water. Oh!
0:18:00 > 0:18:04'With hardly a moment to recover, the guys handed me over to their
0:18:04 > 0:18:07'performance nutritionist, James Collins.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10'He had something even worse in store for me.'
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Oh, yeah, it's a lot warmer.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15- You can actually feel it hitting you as you come through.- Yeah, yeah.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18This is kind of, you know, a hot summer's day.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20We've really tailored this environment now,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23and we're going to increase the intensity so we get some sweat out of you.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31What are we at, Dallas? 169. Keep it going.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36'The heat in there soon got the sweat really pouring from me.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39'I couldn't get out of there soon enough.'
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Three, two, one. OK, wrap it up there.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Right, finished the exercise for the day.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Actually, my God it was tough.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53'Then it's my final weigh-in.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55'And I repeat the reaction tests from earlier
0:18:55 > 0:18:57'to see if there's any difference.'
0:19:00 > 0:19:03'And finally, I repeat the gentle jog.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05'But though I'm running no faster than before,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08'my heart rate is totally different.'
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Oh, God, that feels good.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14This is a great visual to start with.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Average heart rate, 154 pre-exercise.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Post, 170.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22- That's quite... - 170, that's a big jump.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24This would be from the levels of dehydration
0:19:24 > 0:19:26and the reduced volume of your blood.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30'So because my blood is thicker, my heart's having to work much harder
0:19:30 > 0:19:34to pump it, and it's also slowing everything down in my body,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37'which is obvious from my reaction tests.'
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Let's talk about the cognitive scores, cos I think, ultimately,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42to people watching this at home,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44that's what it all boils down to, really.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46How we function if we are dehydrated.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47On the whole, as we'd expect,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50reaction times were significantly down.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- Almost a third. - Wow, as much as that?
0:19:53 > 0:19:56A third, yeah. Exactly. The other thing was hand-eye coordination.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Significantly down also, so again, probably for everyone,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03the general public, these are two really big things now
0:20:03 > 0:20:05that can have an impact, possibly after the gym
0:20:05 > 0:20:08when they're driving home, and maybe even going back into the office
0:20:08 > 0:20:09after a gym session.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15'So how much water did I lose to affect my performance this much?'
0:20:15 > 0:20:18You can see the drop-off here in fluid.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22Now, you'd lost 0.83% of your body weight by lunch,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24and what we can see, actually the best visual
0:20:24 > 0:20:25for your final fluid loss...
0:20:25 > 0:20:29- Ah-ha, here we go.- ..would be here. This is your fluid loss for the day.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32- That seems like...- 900ml.- That seems like quite a lot, doesn't it?
0:20:32 > 0:20:35'But 900ml is only four glasses,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38'even after what I went through today.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42'I'd have to sweat as much again overnight to need eight glasses,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45'and that's ignoring the fact we get almost half of our water
0:20:45 > 0:20:50'from the food that we eat. So do we have to drink eight glasses a day?
0:20:50 > 0:20:53'Well, even on a day like mine, it's more than enough.'
0:20:53 > 0:20:58OK, time for another one of Doctor Yan's weekly brainteasers,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01and this week, he's doing something rather odd with a plate of food.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03This is my lunch,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06and there's something very simple I'm going to do to it,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09without adding or taking anything away,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11that will make it more filling.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13Can you guess what it is and how it works?
0:21:13 > 0:21:18And you can find Doctor Yan's answer on our website, as always.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22While you're there, follow the links to the Open University
0:21:22 > 0:21:26from our website, grab yourself one of these free posters, or call...
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Right, time to get back to Jem's flying ambitions.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39When building a human-powered plane, weight is everything.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44Every extra gram has to somehow be powered into the air.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46And as you build it, and the weight of the plane creeps up,
0:21:46 > 0:21:51is there any way of making the power of the pilot creep up as well?
0:21:51 > 0:21:55You'd think, with the scientific understanding we now have
0:21:55 > 0:21:57of how muscles work, somebody would know
0:21:57 > 0:22:01of something that can give them that extra little kick.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05'And that somebody is Professor Andy Jones and his team in Exeter.'
0:22:05 > 0:22:09I'm going to cut to the chase, Andy. Is there anything I can take
0:22:09 > 0:22:12that won't get me arrested, that might boost my performance?
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Well, I've got a couple of things you can take.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17It'll involve you doing a bit more exercise, I'm afraid.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19It's all good training.
0:22:19 > 0:22:20'Here we go.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22'Yet another cycling test!
0:22:22 > 0:22:24'This time, Andy sets the level,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27'and I have to cycle for as long as I can.'
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Four and a half minutes.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34'And all the time, my body is being monitored.'
0:22:39 > 0:22:40That's eight.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43OK, well done.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44'Then it's time to see
0:22:44 > 0:22:48'if Andy can improve my performance in a very unusual sounding way.'
0:22:48 > 0:22:51I think we should give you a rest overnight
0:22:51 > 0:22:54- and bring you back tomorrow. - Thank you.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57But before you come in, I'm going to give you a couple of these,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59which are concentrated beetroot juice shots.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01They contain quite a lot of nitrate,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05and we've been doing some research which shows that taking more
0:23:05 > 0:23:08nitrate in your diet may be able to make your muscles more efficient.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- Thank you. - See you in the morning. Cheers.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16'After a night's rest, it's time for my beetroot breakfast.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24'And a couple of hours of waiting for any benefit to kick in.'
0:23:25 > 0:23:30I'm so much more worried about the practicalities
0:23:30 > 0:23:34of making an aircraft than I am about powering the thing.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38Cos effectively, what I'm trying to do is make something that
0:23:38 > 0:23:44makes me into a shape that my own muscles can power into the air,
0:23:44 > 0:23:49and I have to be responsible, through my own legs,
0:23:49 > 0:23:53for every single gram that leaves the ground
0:23:53 > 0:23:57and is kind of suspended in mid-air, cruising.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01And that's, that's an awful lot.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04If these little beetroot drinks,
0:24:04 > 0:24:09if they give me just an extra 10 watts of power
0:24:09 > 0:24:12which is, you know, what would run a radio or something,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16that could lift me an extra three kilos off the ground.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23- New day.- Exactly.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25On the beetroot juice.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28'Time to put the beetroot to the test.'
0:24:28 > 0:24:30I'll give you time up to seven minutes again
0:24:30 > 0:24:32and leave you to carry on after that.
0:24:32 > 0:24:33I can't pretend I'm not nervous.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Let's make this one count this morning.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47- Doing much better than yesterday afternoon, I'll say that.- Yeah.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51That's seven minutes. One more round, let's go.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Let's see how much we can do.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Going really well, now. Excellent job.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02That's good, as much as you can do. Come on, keep it going.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04That's it, keep on top of it.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08This is really good, Jem, very impressive. Superb.
0:25:12 > 0:25:13OK, well done.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17HE BREATHES HEAVILY
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Good. That's much more than last time.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Nine minutes and 22.
0:25:26 > 0:25:27Well done. Good effort.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34So, what we have here is the control in blue.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36This is what you did yesterday morning.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40And then, this morning's beetroot juice trial in the red.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44'The red graph goes up more quickly and higher at the start,
0:25:44 > 0:25:48showing my muscles were using more aerobic energy than before.'
0:25:48 > 0:25:51So the anaerobic stuff, that's energy that's
0:25:51 > 0:25:53stored in my muscles that I don't even need to breathe to use.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57- That's just there, ready to go for a burst.- Yeah.- Right.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01So, what this means is that you've used less of that anaerobic
0:26:01 > 0:26:03- energy in that early phase.- Right.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06It's still available to you in your muscles, but now you can use
0:26:06 > 0:26:09it towards the end of exercise to enable you to keep going longer.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11You went 17% longer compared to yesterday morning,
0:26:11 > 0:26:16but that's almost exactly what we find, 17 or 18%.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18- Oh, really? - So, you're bang on again.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20You're textbook as regards to the beetroot effect.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23I mean, I've experienced some benefit for a fella who's
0:26:23 > 0:26:24flogging his guts out.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27But would this make any difference to people in a more
0:26:27 > 0:26:29day-to-day manner?
0:26:29 > 0:26:33Yeah, we believe so. Because every activity has an energy cost,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35whether you're an old person climbing a flight of stairs,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38or somebody with heart disease walking to the shops.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40All of these things have an energy cost,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43and so if we can make that energy supply more efficiently,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46and if we can make people feel easier while they do those tasks,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49they may be able to perform them whereas previously they struggled.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51And who discovered it?
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- I guess we did, at least for beetroot juice.- Wow.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58So, Jem, are you set? Water levels?
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- Check.- Beetroot levels. - Check.- Blood sugar.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04- Check.- Aeroplane.- No.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08That is the unfeasibly difficult bit, which is a work in progress,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10and we'll keep you updated next time round.
0:27:10 > 0:27:16OK, here we go. Let the experiment commence.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Travel is the subject.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Dallas and Doctor Yan will be finding out the best strategy for beating traffic jams.
0:27:24 > 0:27:25I hate sitting in traffic.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29Liz will be testing a cure for travel sickness.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30What is it about ferries, coaches
0:27:30 > 0:27:35and even fairground attractions that make us go green around the gills?
0:27:35 > 0:27:40'And I'll find out if my plan to rise above all those travel nightmares
0:27:40 > 0:27:45'by pedalling into the sky is any more than just a dream.'
0:27:45 > 0:27:47So we will see you soon.
0:27:47 > 0:27:48ALL: Bye.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd