Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, My friends are trying to get me to try a Zumba class, but I'm more in to intense training like sprints, running and boxing. I'm not sure if this dancing class is for me. You look pretty hard core. What do you think? Leah

A. Great question, Leah. You know, I am very much like you in the training department. I love intense exercise; the feeling of "Oh my God, I need to puke" elates me. Having said that, there is also a place in this world and my month for a little booty shaking.

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With the Olympics coming up, the use of supplements to enhance performance is big business. I asked my pal Jose Antonio, PhD, Sports Nutrition expert what was hot and gave me this scoop. Besides safe and effective supplements like creatine, protein powders, and even fish oil, there's a new kid on the block. It's called beta-alanine!

Beta-alanine is basically an amino acid that has been shown to help fight off the fatigue-promoting effects of lactic acid. When muscle pH drops from intense exercise, beta-alanine helps buffer this increased acidity. Technically, it is muscle carnosine (which is made from beta-alanine) that does the buffering.

What could beta-alanine help as far as Olympic events? Sports like wrestling, the long sprints such as the 400 meter dash, boxing, and team sports in which there is a lot of sprinting can be helped. In fact, a recent study from the International Journal of Sports Medicine proved that beta-alanine significantly improved muscular endurance. So for those of you seeking that extra performance edge, look out for beta-alanine!

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The hot days of summer beg ice cold drinks and refreshing treats, but in addition to cooling you down if you're not careful they may also blimp you up. It's scary (and depressing!) just how many calories are hiding in some of our favorite summer treats. So get a box of tissues if you need one, because this list of summer drinks might make you cry (a few have calorie counts upwards of 800!):

• The 12 oz Krispy Kreme Mocha Dream Chiller: 670 calories, 28 g fat
• The 16 oz Double Chocolate Chip Frappucicno Blended Crème with Whipped Creme: 580 calories, 22 g fat
• The 15 oz Dairy Queen Peanut Butter Malt: 870 calories, 46 g fat
• The 16 oz Dunkin' Donuts Vanilla Bean Coolatta: 440 calories, 17 g fat
• The 16 oz Fatburger Chocolate Ice Cream Shake: a whopping 880 calories, 38 g fat

It's shocking to think that more than half of your daily calories could come from a single afternoon snack!

Via Slashfood

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I've heard a lot of buzz surrounding protein shakes in the past few years, so I decided to figure out just what they are and whether or not I should be drinking them, like everybody else seems to be doing. Protein shakes are just that -- shakes infused with protein, often in soy, egg or whey form. The shakes are often fruit smoothie-style -- at least the ones I've had have been. In theory, increasing your protein intake increases your chances of losing weight when you're working out.

Should you be consuming protein shakes? If you're a pro athlete, sure, but otherwise it's not really necessary. Adding protein to a smoothie adds calories -- lots of them. If you already have a balanced diet, that extra protein isn't necessary. As for weight-loss, it's a result of decreasing the number of calories you consume, but if you add a bunch of extra calories in the form of a protein shake, that kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

What are your thoughts on protein shakes? Have they helped you lose weight?

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