Thursday, February 18, 2010

HERE'S THE BEEF BY JERRY BRAINUM

Covert Bailey thinks he knows why bodybuilders eat red meat. It's not the high proteinProtein Food Supplements: Recent Advances (Food Technology Review, No 54) content of beef that interests bodybuilders, says Bailey, but the steroids in the beef fat that really explains the attraction. Bailey makes this statement in his new book, Smart Exercise.. He also says that ranchers add another steroid called diethylstilbestrol (DES) to cattle feed to fatten the cattle. He says this despite the fact that DES was banned for this purpose in 1979.

Covert Bailey is a popular author and lecturer on exercise and nutrition. If you channel surf among the public broadcasting stations, you might catch one of his homespun lectures on television. He holds a master's degree in nutritional biochemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, yet despite his impressive credentials, he's dead wrong about both bodybuilder's motives to eat beef, and the "natural steroid content of beef fat."

But Bailey isn't alone in his misconceptions about beef. Beef consumption dropped 11 percent in the last decade, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It fell by 17% between 1976 and 1984 alone. Beef got a bad rap because of concerns about hormonal additives, antibiotic content, as well as the high fat and cholesterol content of red meat. Dieticians advised people to switch to lower fat protein sourcesKinemage Supplement to Introduction to Protein Structure, such as fish and chicken.

Bodybuilders often eschew beef because of its perceived high fat content, which can obscure muscular definition. But the fat content of beef has dropped considerably during the last 20 years. Beef carcass fat decreased 6%, while the external fat of retail cuts plummeted 27%. Old data concerning the fat content of beef derived from cuts averaging a 1/2 inch of fat around the edges. But current cuts of beef sold today have external fat trimmed to 1/8 inch or less.

By choosing the leanest cuts of beef, cooking it properly, and eating it in judicious portions, bodybuilders can enjoy the nutritional benefits of beef without being overly concerned about supposed negative aspects. But why eat beef in the first place?

Beef nutrition


Beef offers several nutrition advantages for hard-training bodybuilders. For one, it's a concentrated source of bioavailable nutrients that promote muscular growth. For example, a three ounce serving of beef contains 190 calories and provides 57% of the recommended quantity of proteinProtein food supplements, 1969 (Food processing review); 15% of iron; 40% of zinc; and 75% of vitamin B12 requirements. You'd have to eat over twice as much chicken to match this beef nutrient content.
Besides being a nutrient dense food, the nutrients in beef are more easily absorbed compared with other foods. For example, the mineral iron is vital for the formation of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood. Two types of iron exist in food: heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found only in meats, accounting for 30-60% of the total iron content. Significantly, heme iron is far more absorbable compared with the non-heme version. But an as yet unidentified meat protein factor can increase the absorption of even non-heme iron by 2-4 times.

The iron from red meat is even better absorbed than from iron supplements. Studies show that 50 milligrams of iron derived from pills is less effective than 15 milligrams of iron from beef sources. Although heme iron is also found in chicken and fish, beef iron appears to be better utilized by the body. This was shown in a study of 18 women runners, who all consumed the recommended daily allowance of 18 milligrams of iron. But 8 of nine women who avoided red meat--but ate fish and chicken--had depleted iron stores. In contrast, only 2 women out of 9 who ate red meat showed lowered body iron stores. Studies show that iron is lacking in the diets of more than 60% of young women.

Meat is also a good source of another trace mineral, zinc. Zinc activates over 100 body enzymes, and is essential for the synthesis of both testosterone and insulin, both of which play vital roles in muscle protein synthesis. Some researchers say that zinc may also be important for maintaining prostate gland health, since that organ has the largest concentration of zinc found in the body.

The zinc content in meat is better absorbed because of the lack of other substances that interfere with zinc uptake. These substances include: food fiber, phytic acid in grains, calcium, and copper. A study of 20 healthy women who consumed diets containing varying beef content found that beef ingestion increased utilization of both iron and zinc, and maintained a positive balance of the two minerals in the body.

The study pointed out that to equal the zinc content of a 4-ounce portion of beef requires eating 41 ounces of milk, 15 ounces of tuna, or 6½ eggs.
Bodybuilders have consumed beef for years because of its high quality protein content. While it's possible to derive your required amino acids from food sources other than beef, you'd have to eat large quantities to equal beef's protein content. Since sources such as grains and vegetables have a high fiber content, such foods are filling--thus making it a formidable proposition to get the amount of nutrients needed to sustain muscular gains. This probably explains why so few champion bodybuilders are vegetarians.

Besides the nutrients discussed here, beef also contains the mineral phosphorus, needed for strong bones. Another nutritional feature of beef is its complement of B-complex vitamins, which play integral roles in many body systems. Beef contains the following B-complex vitamins: thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, and B12. Add good amounts of both creatine and carnitine, and you have a potent nutritional package.


But what about cholesterol?

A high blood cholesterol level is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. But few people realize that the liver synthesizes cholesterol every day. Cholesterol forms the starting substance, or precursor, for several important body chemicals, such as vitamin D, testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol. In addition, the body tightly regulates cholesterol absorption from food, with an average 1-2% uptake.
But the situation is different for saturated fat. Such fat acts as a precursor for cholesterol production in the body. Thus, saturated fat, which can be absorbed in unlimited amounts, is far more crucial in promoting cardiovascular disease.

Cholesterol exists in all animal foods, but for some reason many people assume that beef contains large amounts of cholesterol in comparison to other foods. In truth, the cholesterol content of beef, pork, chicken, fish, and turkey is similar. All such foods average 70-80 milligrams of cholesterol per 4-ounce serving.

A recent study conducted by researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston shows that beef equals chicken in helping to reduce cholesterol levels. The 13-week study put two groups of men with high blood cholesterol readings on a 30% fat diet. One group ate chicken; the other, beef. Food portions were the same, as were total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol intake.

Results showed that both the chicken and beef diet showed equal efficacy in decreasing both total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels (LDL). The latter form of cholesterol is considered the type that promotes disease in contrast to high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which has a protective effect. Both beef and chicken lowered LDL levels 9 to 11 percent. The researchers in this study concluded that "it's the amount of fat and saturated fat in the diet--not the type of meat eaten--that correlates with blood cholesterol levels."

Concerning fat content, beef doesn't contain as much fat as people think. A 3-ounce portion contains 9 grams of fat. More important, only 48% of this is saturated fat. In addition, 9-12% of the fat content of beef consists of a fatty acid called stearic acid. Unlike other fats, stearic acid either has no effect on, or actually lowers cholesterol levels in the body. Explanations for this unique property include stearic acid being rapidly converted to oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid that doesn't raise cholesterol. Another possibility is that stearic acid, unlike other fats, is rapidly incorporated into the cell membrane structure. Finally, while vegetable oils also decrease blood cholesterol levels, they also reduce beneficial HDL levels, which stearic acid doesn't do.



Decreasing beef fat

The main objection to eating beef, besides putative additives such as antibiotics and hormones (discussed later) is the fat in beef. But you can deal with this in several ways. For example, trimming beef fat dramatically decreases fat content. A 1988 study by meat scientists from Texas A&M University found that trimming the fat of various cuts of beef to 0.4 inches can lower fat content by as much as 19.4 percent. Such pretrimming causes no loss of flavor, juiciness, or tenderness. It's important to trim the fat before cooking to prevent fat from the edges of the meat from migrating into the meat during cooking.

Choosing the right cut of meat also makes a big difference. Look for the words "round" or "loin" when shopping for beef. According to the Beef Industry Council, the leanest cuts of beef are top round steak, sirloin, top loin, tenderloin, eye round, tip round, bottom round steak, and chuck arm.

"The rump or round of the animal--basically the leg--is very lean. So is the shoulder, "says Denise Arthurs, a clinical nutritionist at Tufts University. "sections found around the rib, such as brisket or ribeye are higher in fat."

Another thing to observe is the grade of the meat. USDA "select" beef contains the least amount of marbling (flecks of fat within the beef). The next leanest grade is "choice." Meat labeled "prime" contains the most marbling, and thus has the highest fat content.

How you prepare the meat also is important. Keep the meat lean by using a low-fat cooking method. Such methods include broiling, grilling, roasting, microwaving, sauteing or stir-frying with small amounts of oil. Tenderize tougher cuts by cooking slowly in liquid (braising) or marinating in an acidic mixture (lemon juice, wine, vinegar, yogurt) six hours or overnight before cooking. Other tenderizing techniques include pounding, grinding, and slicing against the grain.

For grilling, cook large cuts of meat over indirect coals. Place beef on the grid over a drip pan with coals on each side of the pan. Then cover the grill and cook with the vents open. For quick cooking cuts, such as steaks, burgers, or kabobs, use the direct grill method. This involves placing the beef over the grid above medium coals, leaving the grill either open or covered. If roasting meat, use a slow to moderate oven temperature (325 to 350 degrees).

For broiling, place thin meat cuts 2-3 inches from the heat; thick cuts, 3-6 inches. When pan-broiling use medium to medium low heat and remove fat as it accumulates. High heat decreases moisture in meat, making it tough. Cooking meat slowly retains moisture, and allows meat connective tissue or collagen to gradually convert to gelatin, adding tenderness.
Using medium to low heat in cooking meat also reduces formation of mutagens, or substances linked to causing cancer. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are formed when fat is burned, while heterocyclic amines (HA) form from burned protein. Trimming visible fat and avoiding charburned meat reduces such carcinogens significantly. Adding 1-4% glucose or lactose or powdered milk to ground beef patties inhibits mutagenic activity by 34-76%.

Another substance, a derivative of the fatty acid linoleic acid called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), also formed when meat is heated, has potent antioxidant and anticarcinogenic effects. Other substances in cooked meat, furan and thiophene compounds likewise act as anticarcinogens.

You can circumvent any caloric problem by eating smaller portions. Most health organizations suggest eating about 6 ounces of meat a day. A 3-ounce serving is similar in size to a deck of cards. A four ounce raw serving of meat cooks down to about 3 ounces.

If you have the time, or the inclination, two novel techniques are available for reducing ground beef fat. The first method appeared in the January 10, 1991 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. It consists of pouring one-half quart or more of either olive or canola oil into a frying pan heated to 176 degrees F. Add ground or thinly sliced meat and stir until the slurry reaches about 195 degrees. Stir for five more minutes, then increase heat to 225 degrees for another 5 minutes to boil off the water and brown the meat. Drain, then rinse with clear boiling water. Save rinse water, skim off surface oil. Boil the resulting liquid to a savory broth, then pour over the meat.

According to Donald M. Small, MD, who devised this technique, the vegetable oil acts as a healthy solvent, extracting 40% of the meat's cholesterol and replacing most of the meat's saturated fat content with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The total fat content of the beef is reduced 67 percent.

Margo Denke, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, notes that the oil requirement for this recipe "makes it a very expensive way to cook." Also, the need to optimize the meat's surface content with oil makes the technique not applicable to steaks, roasts, and patties.
Another technique involving just water can reduce fat content up to 50%. It consists of the following:
1) Brown ground beef in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir to break beef into crumbles about 1/2 inch. Cook until no longer pink.
2) Use a large slotted spoon to drain meat. Remove beef crumbles to large plate or other dish lined with 3 layers of white non-recycled paper towel. Blot top of beef with paper towel. Let sit for one minute, blotting beef with paper towel.

3) Place beef in strainer or colander. Pour about 1 quart hot tap water over beef. Stir beef while pouring water. Drain five minutes.
This technique retains 90% of the protein, iron, vitamin B12, and zinc found in non-rinsed beef.

An even easier technique to reduce fat in ground beef involves pouring off fat as it accumulates during cooking, then placing the patties on a large plate lined with 3 layers of paper towels. Let the patties sit for one minute, turning them over after 30 seconds.
When buying ground beef, observe these rules:
1) A bright, cherry-red color indicates fresh beef. A darker, purplish color is typical for vacuum-packaged beef. When exposed to oxygen, beef turns from dark red to bright red. With extended oxygen exposure, beef color takes on a brownish tinge.
2) Keep beef as cold as possible. Choose colder packages that are tightly wrapped without tears or punctures. Look for "sell by" date on label, purchase before or on that date.
3) Refrigerate meat as soon as possible unless you plan to eat it immediately. Place in coldest section of refrigerator and use within 2 days. You can keep ground beef in the freezer in the original packaging for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, wrap the meat in material impermeable to moisture and air, such as heavy duty aluminium foil, freezer paper, or plastic freezer bags. You can store ground beef in the freezer for 3-4 months at zero degree F or lower to prevent freezer burn.



Hormones and antibiotics: don't have a cow, man

Is media nutrition maven Covert Bailey correct in his contention that red meat is a virtual motherlode of steroids that can potentially convert the most abject pencilneck into the next Mr.Olympia?

If it's steroids you're after, you'll have to seek other sources besides the local meat counter. Contrary to what Bailey says, steroids are not added to beef to fatten them, but rather to lean them. As in humans, steroids in cattle add muscle while reducing fat.

Presently used steroid beef additives include both natural and synthetic hormones. Anabolic agents used in beef production can improve weight gain by 5-20%; feed efficiency by 5-12%; and lean meat growth by 15-25%. About 85-95% of feedlot beef receive such growth agents, usually in the form of implant pellets placed behind the animal's ear. This placement serves to minimize entrance into the consumed parts of beef.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the following anabolic agents for use in livestock production: estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, melengestrol acetate (MGA), trenbolone acetate (TBA) and zeranol. The latter two substances are synthetic; the others are natural hormones, although zeranol is a natural estrogenlike substance derived from the fungus-produced zeralenone.

The FDA decrees that the added hormone content of meat not exceed 1% of the daily production of that hormone by a person in the most sensitive segment of the human population. Only 10% of a hormone ingested orally is absorbed by the body. The synthetic additives, which aren't produced in the human body, require extensive testing in animals to determine safe residue levels.

As the chart below shows, humans naturally produce far more hormones than is added to beef. Hormone levels are measured in nanograms, which is a billionth of a gram, or roughly the equivalent of one blade of grass in a football field filled with grass.
Daily estrogen production (in nanograms)
Female, before puberty-54,000
Male, before puberty- 41,000
Non-pregnant woman- 480,000
Pregnant woman- 20,000,000
Adult male- 136,000
In contrast, these are the estrogen levels in both implanted and non-implanted steers (nanograms per 3 ounces of muscle)
Implanted steer- 1.9
Non-implanted steer- 1.3

Any hormone activity in beef is minuscule and of no significance when compared with daily hormone production in humans. A non-pregnant woman produces 400,000 times as much estrogen as she gets from an average serving of beef derived from an implanted steer. Depending on the stage of her hormonal cycle, the number could increase to 4 million times as much estrogen produced by her than could be consumed in a serving of beef. Thus, she could consume 480 pounds of beef a day without reaching the 1% limit set by the FDA. Since only 10% of orally ingested estrogen is absorbed, she could eat 4,800 pounds of beef, still not exceeding the 1% rule!

The additional estrogen in a 3-ounce serving of beef that results from implants represents 1/10,000 of 1% of the daily estrogen production by a woman who isn't pregnant.

In addition, estrogen is naturally ubiquitous in foods. For example, soybean oil has 1 million times as much estrogen as meat from an implanted steer. If you eat a meal consisting of potatoes, whole wheat bread, green salad, green peas, and round steak from estrogen treated cattle, the steak will contain the least amount of estrogen, by far.
Estrogen in food (nanograms per 3 ounces)
Beef from implanted steer- 1.9
Wheat germ- 3,400
Soybean oil- 1,680,000
Milk- 11

Much of the adverse publicity concerning hormonal additives in beef stems from a January, 1989 decision by the European Economic Community to ban $130 million worth of American hormone-treated beef. The European fears, in turn, had their origin in an incident occurring in Italy. A few Italian cattlemen illegally injected a banned compound called DES into cattle. When meat from the injected cattle wound up in baby food, mothers reported breast growth in children of both sexes. A few young girls developed premature menstrual cycles. While the reports were never substantiated, they still alarmed the Europeans.

A recent study by researchers from Colorado State University in Fort Collins examined samples of muscle, fat, kidney, and liver from steers, heifers, and cows including conventional, natural, and organic cattle from 7 packing plants in 4 states. They looked for traces of the following additives: DES, zeronal, trenbolone acetate, MGA, carazolol (beta-blocker drug), clenbuterol, tranquilizers, six sulfa drugs, and pesticides.
The only things that turned up in the analysis were small amounts of the heavy metals, lead and cadmium. They concluded, "of 1,729 chemical tests performed, no residue amount considered violative was detected. Thus, it can be concluded that U.S. beef is unlikely to contain levels of pesticides or any of the compounds considered to be potential hazards to public health."

Some companies tout "natural beef," which is nothing short of an expensive ripoff. These products proclaim "no hormones," and "no antibiotics" on their labels. But data from the USDA residue monitoring program shows that U.S. produced beef inspected and passed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service is expected to be free of antibiotic residues. As far as hormones, all animal tissue naturally contains traces of hormones. But the difference in hormone levels in hormone-treated beef compared with beef not treated with hormones is neither statistically nor biologically significant.

Concerning antibiotics, some cattle producers do use sparing amounts of penicillin and tetracycline in animal feed. Such antibiotics improve weight gain in the animals. The concern here is that routine use of these drugs may produce strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. When such bacteria are transfered to humans, diseases such as gastrointestinal illness may occur.

Such a scenario did occur in South Dakota in 1983, when resistant Salmonella bacteria infected 18 people in four states. Eleven were hospitalized; one died. As a result, in 1985 the National Cattlemen's Association recommended that feedlot operators stop adding antibiotics to animal feed. But one animal in 10 still gets antibiotics.
Penicillin is not approved as a feed additive for cattle. While tetracycline is approved for this purpose, its use has declined dramatically during the past 10-15 years. A recent survey found that most cattlemen no longer add the drug to feed. In any case, extensive data compiled by both the USDA and the FDA show that feed antibiotics don't leave residues in meat.

With the availability of lower fat cuts of meat and lack of toxic additives, beef is an important part of a good bodybuilding diet. If eaten in temperate quantities, meat will not supply an excess of either fat or calories, but it will provide an abundance of high quality protein and other nutrients integral to promoting muscular mass.

Or to put it another way, the beefs about beef are mostly boloney.
###


Nutrient content of 3 ounces of cooked beef

Nutrient Quantity Percentage of recommended daily intake

calories 183
protein 25 grams 56%
iron 2.54 milligrams 14%
zinc 5.89 Mgs 39%
Thiamine 0.08 mgs 5%
niacin 5.31 mgs 18%
Riboflavin 0.21 mgs 12%
vitamin B12 2.24 mgs 37%




Comparison of 3 ounces of lean beef, ground beef, and skinless chicken

Calories Fat (Milligrams) Cholesterol (mgs)

beef eye of round
143
4.2
59

Beef top round
153
4.2
71

Beef tip round
157
5.9
69

Beef top sirloin
165
6.1
76

Beef top loin
176
8.0
65

Beef tenderloin
179
8.5
71

Beef flank
176
8.6
57

Low-fat ground beef
149
7
64

Ground beef (85%lean)
204
12
71

Ground beef (80%lean)
228
15
74

Ground turkey
195
12
59

Chicken breast
140
5.0
72


©,2013 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited.


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BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY : ANABOLIC STEROIDS AND THE SKIN BY JERRY BRAINUM


While numerous side effects are often attributed to the use of anabolic steroid drugs, most remain relatively uncommon. Two examples of this are the adverse effects of high dose steroid use on liver and cardiovascular functions. Such adverse effects are more commonly seen with use of various oral anabolic steroids (AS). Such drugs have been structurally modified to prevent premature breakdown in the liver, but this protection also leads to possible side effects. Still, you rarely hear or read of bodybuilders and other athletes who suffer life-threatening events associated with severe liver or cardiovascular complications while using AS. Actual deaths directly attributable to the drugs are even rarer. The preponderance of published medical literature shows that most of the medical abnormalities induced by steroids, such as lowered levels of protective high density lipoprotein cholesterol (which helps protect against cardiovascular disease onset), as well as elevated liver enzymes, regress when AS use ceases. This is one reason why rational athletes cycle the drugs: to allow any medical abnormalities to return to normal.

Other signs of AS are far more common compared to the relatively rare cases of cardiovascular or liver disease. In fact, physicians are often warned to look for certain signs of steroid use in patients. These signs include a pronounced level of muscular development; premature male pattern baldness in young men and in women; excess stretch marks on the skin; and acne, particularly in certain areas of the body, such as the face, shoulders, chest and back. The skin manifestations of AS use are far more common than internal signs of drug usage. One survey of powerlifters showed that 53% had acne;47% showed increased body hair;27% showed a higher incidence of oily skin and hair; and 20% showed loss of scalp hair. Of these, acne is by far the most common sign of steroid usage, although not everyone who gets acne is using steroids. But when associated with the other signs of steroid use, such as hair loss and excess stretch marks, it is much more suggestive of steroid usage.

When it comes to acne, both oral and injectable forms are equally culpable.One notable problem with AS-induced acne is that it doesn’t always respond to the routine medical treatments for acne, and may persist for an extended time even after all use of AS are stopped. Athletes who continue to use steroids while undergoing treatment for acne often show a delayed healing response, thus suggesting that steroids play a potent role in acne causation.

Glands in the skin called sebaceous glands secrete sebum, which acts as a lubricating factor in the skin. But while AS promote muscular hypertrophy or size increases, they also promote size increases in the sebaceous glands in the skin, which respond by producing larger amounts of sebum. The excess sebum combines with abnormal production of keratin protein in the skin, leading to the formation of comedos, which have nothing to do with comedy, and aren’t the least bit funny. They are, in fact, pre- acne lesions in the skin. The lesions contain larger amounts of skin lipids, including cholesterol and free fatty acids. These fats are like a buffet to the resident bacteria that is normally latent in the skin follicles called propionibacterium acnes or simply P.acnes. Using steroids elevates the skin population of P.acnes, and when their population increases, they produce end products that are extremely inflammatory in the skin follicles, resulting in the inflammation characteristic of acne.

In some bodybuilders and athletes, the usual cases of acne, known as acne vulgaris, progress to a more serious form called acne fulminans. This is ulcerative acne, apparent as ugly red pustules on the skin surface. In many cases, this form of acne can also cause joint pains, particularly in the hips and knees. While many bodybuilders who get acne with steroid use may have a genetic tendency to get acne (explaining why not all bodybuilders who use steroids get acne), others who get acne with AS have no previous history of acne incidence. One such bodybuilder developed acne three weeks after starting use of AS. With ongoing use over the next three months, his initial acne vulgaris progressed to the disfiguring acne fulminans type. He developed extremely tender inflammatory papules(Inflammatory skin lesions), pustules(pus-filled skin lesions), and nodules over his chest, shoulders, and back, with a few pyrogenic granulomas (infected, tumorlike lesions) on his chest. When he got off the steroids, and was treated with various skin drugs, his acne disappeared, but he was left with excessive acne scars. Occasionally, these more serious forms of acne can develop more rapidly even in athletes who never had acne, as was the cases of a javelin thrower and a bodybuilder documented in a 1989 study published in a German medical journal. These spontaneous cases of acne fulminans may result from an immune response to higher levels of P.acnes in the skin increased through use of AS.

Besides promoting acne, the stimulation of sebaceous glands by AS can also result on other skin diseases. These include rosacea, epidermoid cysts, seborrheic dermatitis, and oily skin and hair. A 1992 report associated the use of AS with the onset of tinea versicolor, a fungal skin disease sensitive to sun exposure. The excess sebum in the skin fostered by steroid usage provides an ideal environment for the growth of the fungus that causes tinea, namely Malassezia furfur.

As noted earlier, striae distensae, also known as stretch marks, are also common in steroid users, although they do appear in those who don’t use steroids. While steroids promote the growth of muscles throughout the body, the most dramatic increases are seen in the neck, chest, shoulders, and upper arms. These are also the areas where stretch marks are most commonly seen. Stretch marks result when the expansion of the skin isn’t proportional to the increase of the size of the underlying muscle tissue. Steroids add to this effect by interfering with the formation of collagen, a primary skin structural protein, resulting in decreased skin elasticity, and thus a higher tendency to produce stretch marks. While muscle size may recede when steroid usage is stopped, the stretch marks that have developed remain. Various treatments are offered to minimize stretch mark formation, although there is as yet no proven cure.

Another type of scar tissue that can form on the skin with steroid usage are keloids. Keloids are an overgrowth of scar tissue on the skin, and are more common in people with darker skin. One study found increased keloid formation in bodybuilders and a hockey player who had used both injectable and oral AS.

None of the involved athletes had any previous history of keloid formation. While the keloids remained on the skin after they stopped using steroids, no new lesions developed. The keloids formed through use of steroids may be related to excessive collagen formation in the skin promoted by steroids, since the keloids are largely composed of collagen as is most other forms of scar tissue. Indeed, one study did find decreased breakdown and increased formation of type-1 collagen in those who used large doses of AS.

Besides promoting various skin diseases, steroids can worsen or increase the incidence of pre-existing skin conditions. As noted earlier, athletes being treated for acne often stop responding to normal treatment regimes if they also continue to use AS. Some cases of comparatively benign acne can progress to the disfiguring inflammatory types through using high dose AS regimes. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease in which for unknown reasons, immune cells attack skin cells resulting in red, scaly patches on the skin. One bodybuilder had controlled his psoriasis condition thorough the use of a topical cream. But when he began using steroids, his condition considerably deteriorated. The condition eventually resulted in his psoriasis becoming resistant to treatment. But when he stopped using AS, the psoriasis stabilized and again responded to simple skin cream treatment.

Another case involved a 24-year-old man with a condition called familial angiolipomas, which are fatty tumors of the skin. When he began using AS, he experienced an acute onset of 40 new tumors in his skin. Over the next two years, the tumors increased in size as he continued to use steroids. Analysis of this man’s fat cells showed that the cells had androgen receptors, indicating that the steroids may have reacted with androgen receptors in the fatty tumors, explaining their proliferation and growth. Research also points to a link between AS and a strange condition called hereditary coproporphyria. Among the effects of this disease caused by a genetic lack of a certain enzyme, are purple urine and an increased sensitivity to sunlight. In one case, blisters formed on the face and hands of a weightlifter who had previously not suffered from any symptoms of the disease. They manifested, however, when he began using AS. When he stopped using the drug, the conditioned declined, as did his sensitivity to light.

Bodybuilders who inject steroids under non-sterile conditions often get bacterial and sterile abscesses, particularly in the glute area. This can result after using contaminated vials and syringes. Repeatedly injecting the same area can lead to localized inflammation and oil-induced granuloma, which is a tumorlike mass caused by local inflammation. Those who are ultra stupid share needles, which can result in hepatitis transmission, as well as HIV.

Bodybuilders who use large doses of oral steroids often get a transient form of liver inflammation characterized by elevated liver enzymes. The problem here related to acne treatment is that some of the drugs provided to treat more serious forms of acne, such as isotretinoin and tetracycline, are more dangerous when there are existing liver problems, since both drugs also impose stress on the liver. Using these drugs along with oral AS can worsen or amplify the effects of the steroids in the liver.

There is far more involved in acne cause and treatment that was discussed here, including new information related to nutrition and acne onset. But that will have to await a separate feature.

Book review: Anabolic Pharmacology


While interest in the effects of anabolic steroids and other anabolic drugs are at a zenith,likely the result of the extensive publicity about drug usage in sports, the information on such drugs is often misinterpreted or downright wrong. This is particularly true on the Internet. Countless self-appointed Internet steroid gurus dispense information that is based on nothing more than supposition and anecdotal evidence,neither of which have any relationship to true science. While the results of such questionable information can result in a lack of expected effects, in other cases this level of misinformation can prove hazardous to health, or even deadly.

One antidote to such misinformation is to read sources of information about anabolic steroids and other anabolic drugs that have a basis in reality in that they accrue from a study of the available scientific literature on the subject. I’ve reviewed a number of excellent steroid books in this column over the years based on my assessment of their value to readers. My most recent entry into this domain of knowledge is a new book titled, Anabolic Pharmacology, which sounds a bit like this column.

The book was written by “Seth Roberts,” which admittedly is a pen name on the part of the author. Roberts claims to hold combined bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and pharmacology. He was a pharmacologist in the pharmaceutical industry, where he worked in drug discovery and development. His areas of interest include obesity, muscle wasting, cardiovascular and renal physiology, and hematology. In addition, he has had a personal interest in anabolic pharmacology for over 20 years, which led to the writing of this book.

As to his motivation for the publication of Anabolic Pharmacology, Roberts feels that other books on the subject rely too much on anecdotal information, resulting in the perpetuation of widespread misinformation that he refers to as “bro-lore”. He also was motivated to provide information not contained in the other books in this genre that are known to researchers, but not understood by the “AAS-using community,” as he put it to me. While Roberts goes into extensive detail in discussing the often esoteric mechanisms behind anabolic drugs, he also admits that he left out other information that would have proven too obtuse to the non-scientist. He also points out that an advantage of his book over others is that it takes a more objective and scientific view of anabolics not seen in other texts because of a lack of the science background he possesses. Roberts took over 10 years to write this book, and the level of information attests to this truth.

The book does indeed offer revelations about various anabolic drugs not seen in similar books on the topic. For example, when discussing a particular AS called mibolerone, trade name, Cheque drops, which was a veterinary drug administered to dogs, he alludes that boxer Mike Tyson (although Tyson isn’t specically named in the book) may have been using this drug when the infamous ear-biting incidents occured during Iron Mike’s match with Evander Holyfield.Cheque drops were known to promote extreme aggression in some users. Another of the many interesting facts related by Roberts is that getting off aromatase-inhibiting drugs, such as Arimidex, may increase estrogen response through various mechanisms that he fully explains in the book. Indeed, Roberts also notes that high dose steroid regimes often displace estrogen from the steroid-binding protein in the blood, which can result in gynecomastia and other estrogen-related effects. This effect isn’t blocked by aromatase-inhibiting drugs. Taking large doses of the drug Clomid, which many athletes use to kick start lagging testosterone levels after a drug cycle, may paradoxically stimulate estrogen receptors, leading to lowered testosterone levels. While the drug, Nolvadex, is often used to block the effects of estrogen by bodybuilders using steroids, Roberts says that another similar drug, naloxifene, is far superior to Nolvadex in this regard, although it is also considerably more expensive.

These are just a small sample of the fascinating data discussed by Roberts in his book. I learned quite a bit about the relationships of various enzymes to steroid physiology, as well as some of the lesser known effects of the drugs themselves. He also discusses health effects of the drugs, dosing regimes, and prohormones, even suggesting some new possibilities in this regard, although judging by recent government crackdowns in that area, getting into the prohormone industry these days is extremely ill-advised to say the least. Anabolic Pharmacology is an informative and easily understood reference book sure to delight anyone with even a passing interest in the true mechanisms and effect of these drugs. You can obtain the book at Mesomorphosis.com.


©,2013 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited.


Have you been ripped off  by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.

 

The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.

 

See Jerry's book at  http://www.jerrybrainum.com

 

Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com

 

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY : LONG-TERM ANABOLIC STEROID EFFECTS BY JERRY BRAINUM


Much of the past medical literature published in relation to anabolic steroid usage in sports and bodybuilding isn’t relevant. These past studies often involved dosages that had no resemblance to what was used by athletes in the real world. Such conservative study designs were based on medical ethics, in the sense that no one really knew the possible health effects of using dosages of drugs that far exceeded commonly prescribed therapeutic dosages. This explains such past findings that ingesting oral anabolic steroid drugs don’t build muscle. Of course they don’t--when the dose involves one tablet a day of Dianabol! The end of the controversy about the efficacy of anabolic steroids in relation of developing muscular size and strength came with the 1996 publication of a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. That study clearly showed that using 600 milligrams of weekly testosterone injections boosted muscular gains, especially when combined with weight-training. This,of course, came as no surprise to anyone in the bodybuilding world. But it did change the opinions of medical professionals, who were now forced to accept the indisputable fact that steroids do work when used in significant dosages.
While doctors don’t deny that steroids do aid muscular growth, they still warn of the significant health risks linked to the use of steroids. This is particularly true, they warn, in light of the extreme dosages commonly used in athletic drug regimes. While the average man produces about 9 milligrams of testosterone daily in his body, many athletes inject themselves with over 1,000 milligrams of testosterone a week. Surely there is a price to pay for such pharmaceutical extravagance--or is there?

Scientists now realize that designing studies about the health effects of anabolic steroids using doses commonly prescribed in medical practice bears little or no relationship to the effects produced by real world athletic doses. But they are still limited by medical ethics to limit the doses of steroids used in studies. Thus, the latest trend among researchers who study the health and performance effects of anabolic studies is to publish “observational” studies. An observational study is one in which the researchers don’t supply any drugs, but allow the study subjects to use their own drugs in any amount the subjects desire. The study subjects allow the researchers to monitor them through various medical testing procedures. In this way, researchers can obtain a more accurate view of what happens when athletic doses of anabolic steroid and other drugs are used.

A recent study published by a group of Italian researchers is an example of such observational studies. The study provided an interesting overview of the long-term effects of anabolic steroids (AS), since it featured 20 male bodybuilders who had never previously used any type of anabolic steroid drug. The study lasted 2 years, and involved extensive physical evaluations of the bodybuilders every 6 months during the course of the study. The bodybuilders provided all of the their own drugs, which included various injectable and oral steroids,as well as other drugs such as clenbuterol, Cytodren, Nolvadex, HCG, thyroid, insulin, and aromatase-blocking drugs. On the average, 10 drugs were used during a cycle.In short, the cycles and drugs used matched that commonly used in athletic and bodybuilding circles.

At the start of the study, the bodybuilders received counseling about the possible risks and side effects linked to steroid usage. This caused 2 of the men to immediately withdraw from the study. During the course of the study, 7 other men withdrew for various reasons, some involving perceived adverse mental effects (aggression, depression), sexual dysfunction, family problems, and being unable to attend scheduled medical exams. All the subjects consumed a high protein diet, and increased their protein intake after starting the drugs. They also consumed various nutritional supplements, such as creatine, amino acids, and others.

The study results showed that gynecomastia or male breast development occurred in 5 subjects, producing notable pain in 2, but only one subject showed clinical relevance, assuming this means that they needed surgery to correct the gyno. Levels of estrogen, which is the usual cause of gyno, increased during the study, since many AS are converted into estrogen in the body, but this increase was considered clinically insignificant since the levels varied in the subjects.

A common side effect of steroid use, especially long-term, is shrinkage of the testicles. Sure enough, 16 of the 20 subjects showed this side effect. A semen analysis after 2 years showed a decrease in sperm count, but no reduction in sperm motility (movement) or morphology (shape), both of which can adversely affect fertility. Despite this, the fertility index showed a significant reduction, likely due to the lower than normal sperm count.Two of the bodybuilders showed no sperm production, while another 2 showed low sperm counts not consistent with fertility. Many bodybuilders use HCG to prevent these effects, but only 8 out of 20 of the study subjects used HCG.

An interesting effect was an increase in insulin sensitivity, along with a drop in plasma glucose and insulin levels in the bodybuilders. While some studies show that AS produces insulin resistance, this didn’t prove true in this study. The study authors think that the effect may have been caused by added muscle and decreased bodyfat, a combination proven to boost insulin sensitivity. Oral steroids are known to lower a protective cholesterol-carrier in the blood called high density lipoprotein (HDL), and this occurred in this study, with an average drop in HDL of 26%.

In relation to hormones, free T3, or active thyroid hormone and TSH, which stimulates thyroid hormone release, both elevated, but thyroid levels remained within normal limits. A surprising finding was a drop in plasma insulinlike growth factor-1 (IGF-1). This is surprising because IGF-1 usually rises with higher testosterone levels. The study authors speculate that the suppression of gonadal function induced by the AS may also have suppressed the IGF-1 levels. Gonadotropin levels, such as LH and FSH secreted from the pituitary gland in the brain, are often suppressed during steroid use, and this also occurred in this study. The suppression of luteinizing hormone (LH) by higher estrogen levels produced as a result of conversion of some AS into estrogen, is thought to be mainly responsible for the loss of testicular volume frequently encountered among steroid users. Interestingly, even the bodybuilders in the study who used HCG and Nolvadex, both of which are used to prevent the estrogen rise and LH suppression, still showed gonadotropin suppression. The good news is that no changes in prostate gland volume or size occurred in any of the bodybuilders.

Liver enzymes, which offer a picture of liver function, are frequently affected by high doses of oral steroids. Such a scenario points to a liver inflammation caused by the oral steroids. In a worst-case scenario, this can eventually result in liver damage, but rarely does in athletic steroid users. Most cases of liver impairment as a result of anabolic steroid usage reported in the medical literature involve hospitalized medical patients on long-term anabolic steroid therapy. Complicating the picture is the fact that certain liver enzymes commonly are elevated by those engaged in intense exercise that results in muscle damage--such as typical bodybuilding workouts. The same enzymes found in the liver also exist in muscle, and are released into the blood when muscles are damaged.

In this study, the bodybuilders showed liver enzymes at the higher range of normal, likely because of their training, at the start of the study. Most of these values remained steady during the 2-year course of the study, although 2 of the bodybuilders showed a 2-fold rise in liver enzymes, thought to be related to their use of oral steroids. Despite this, their enzyme levels were still considered in the normal range. Ultrasound tests of the bodybuilders showed no adverse structural changes in the liver, nor any evidence of incipient tumors. Most of the bodybuilders, however, did show slightly enlarged livers and more liver fat than usual at the start of the study, but this was attributed to a long-term high protein intake, and wasn’t considered pathological. The study authors suggest that reports of liver toxicity induced by AS are probably overestimated.

Testosterone and anabolic steroids are known to increase the production of red blood cells or erythrocytes. The usual mechanism for this involves a stimulation of EPO, a hormone made in the kidneys that promotes red cell production. In this study, the bodybuilders did show increased hemoglobin (protein in red blood cells) levels, but the hematocrit or viscosity of the blood remained within normal limits, even after 2 years on steroids. As for immune factors in the body, humoral immunity, represented by B cells, wasn’t affected by steroid usage. Cellular immunity, which among other things protects against virus infections and tumor formation, was decreased by steroids, but remained within normal ranges.

Echocardiogram images of the bodybuilder’s hearts revealed no structural abnormalities. Past studies have indicated adverse changes in the heart, such as an increase in left ventricular wall thickness and mass. This particular change in heart structure, often called “athlete’s heart,” is also considered a byproduct of exercise. The heart, being a muscle, enlarges with stimulation similarly to skeletal muscle, and the left ventricle is the primary pumping chamber of the heart. Other studies show that steroids interfere with the diastolic phase, or the filling of the heart with blood. This could result in a dangerous disturbance in normal heart rhythm. Past cellular studies of heart tissue from heavy steroid users showed microscopic damage and scar tissue formation. Much of these possible adverse changes, however, depend on time and dosage, with those using high doses for longer periods more susceptible to these possible adverse heart changes.

Another important aspect to consider is that most of the adverse effects caused by anabolic steroid use revert to normal when drug usage stops. This explains why you rarely hear about bodybuilders and athletes dropping dead from steroid usage. There are, however, always exceptions to the rule. Pre-existing, genetic scenarios may make using large doses of steroids particularly dangerous for some people. It’s difficult to predict precisely who would be susceptible to such adverse effects. This is one reason why it’s absolutely essential for anyone either using or contemplating steroid usage to undergo regular medical evaluations.


©,2013 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited.


Have you been ripped off  by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.

 

The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.

 

See Jerry's book at  http://www.jerrybrainum.com

 

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ANABOLIC REVIEW : HE COULD HAVE DANCED ALL NIGHT, BUT... BY JERRY BRAINUM


Still another case of death by polypharmacy, or multiple drug
use, is reported in the International Journal of Legal Medicine
1998;111:261-264. This particular death involved a 23-year-old
German bodybuilder, who had apparently used a variety of anabolic
drugs for 9 months prior to his death. One night, he decided to
go out dancing, which turned out to be his last dance. Returning
from the dance club, he went to bed at 4 a.m., but was found
unconscious 6 hours later. As to what indicated he was having a
medical emergency isn't clear, but he was nonetheless rushed to a
local hospital.

In the hospital emergency room, doctors worked on him in a
scene common on television's ER, but their efforts were to no
avail. Not long after this unfortunate young man was pronounced
dead, a search of his apartment for possible drugs disclosed a
veritable cache of various anabolic and associated substances
commonly used by athletes. This search turned up the following
substances:

1) Testex Leo- testosterone cyclopentilpropionate, 250
milligrams, an injectable form of testosterone.
2) Primobolan Depot- a 100 milligram injectable anabolic steroid
also known as methenolone enantate.
3) Proviron (mesterolone)- 25 milligram tablets. An oral anabolic
steroid often used to block gynecomastia, or male breasts. There
is, however, no evidence that it actually does this.
4) Thybon- 100 microgram tablets- a form of T3 or active thyroid
hormone comparable to another drug called Cytomel. This type of
drug is used to help oxidize fat, but can also have catabolic
effects in muscle.
5) Aldactone (spironolactone)- 100 milligrams. An oral potassium-sparing diuretic considered relatively weak in its diuretic
action. Some athletes have gotten into trouble when using this
drug concurrently with potassium supplements. Since Aldactone
blocks potassium excretion from the body, taking concentrated
potassium supplements in conjunction with the drug could result
in hyperkalemia, a dangerous elevation of blood potassium levels
that may lead to heart rhythm disturbances.
6) Clomifen- 25 milligram capsules. Clomifen, sold in the USA as
Clomid, is thought to maintain pituitary gonadatropin levels,
such as luteinizing hormone (LH) normally suppressed by anabolic
steroids. This suppression of endogenous gonadatropins often is
evident by a considerable shrinkage of the testicles. Athletes
resort to Clomifen in the hope that it will maintain their own
testosterone output while on steroids.

Another drug commonly used for this purpose is HCG
injections, although such injections have fallen out of favor in
recent years with the disclosure that this drug also increases
estrogen synthesis in males, leading to such undesired effects as
gynecomastia and increased subcutaneous fat storage.
7) Contraspasmin- 20 microgram tablets- A brand of the drug,
clenbuterol. Many bodybuilders believe that clenbuterol is a
"cutting drug" that helps them shed excess bodyfat. While
clenbuterol does offer potent thermogenic effects, these effects
are acutely ephemeral due to the exquisite sensitivity of the
beta-adrenergic cellular receptors that clenbuterol interacts
with. Thus, the drug often fails to work after only 3 weeks of
continuous usage. As I noted in a recent column, clenbuterol can
have adverse effects on the heart, particularly when combined
with thyroid drugs--as was apparently the case in the death
reported here.

The dead bodybuilder stood 6-foot-2, and weighed 207 pounds,
not obese at all. The autopsy revealed findings, however, that
indicated that this man was anything but healthy. His heart was
enlarged, which itself is common among people who exercise
regularly (the heart, like other muscles, increases in size with
exercise stimulation). The right ventricle of his heart was
dilated, and the innermost layer of the heart muscle itself
appeared to have localized hard spots. The supporting tissue
structure of his liver was unusually soft and fragile, as if it
had been chronically swollen. His brain was also swollen, and he
showed acute vascular congestion in his liver, spleen, and
kidneys.

A closer cellular study of his heart showed that much of his
cardiac cells were damaged, with several areas of dead tissue
throughout the organ. His lungs, liver, and kidneys showed
localized blood clotting and bursting of capillaries, the
smallest blood vessels. A careful examination of his liver cells
showed the presence of peliosis hepatis, blood-filled liver cysts
that are considered the precursor of liver failure.

A postmortem urine test showed no evidence of central
nervous system-stimulants (such as cocaine), but did reveal 4
anabolic steroid drugs, including two not found in his apartment
(Dianabol or methandrostenolone, and nandrolone or Durabolin).
The test also proved positive for clenbuterol. His ratio of
testosterone to epitestosterone was 64:1, an enormous amount. To
get a positive testosterone test in athletic drug testing
requires a ratio of only 6:1.

The extensive scar tissue present in the bodybuilder's heart
was thought to result from a lack of blood supply due to
extensive heart enlargement. I would disagree with this, however,
and suggest that the scar tissue may have resulted from either a
direct effect of anabolic steroids on the heart cells or the
combination of using steroids, clenbuterol, and thyroid
simultaneously. The fact that no evidence of arteriosclerosis or
prior heart attack was evident in this man underscores the fact
that the heart damage must have resulted from a direct toxic
effect of the combination of drugs he took.

The excess clotting effect observed in this man may result
from the stimulation of erythropoietin (EPO), a substance made in
the kidneys whose synthesis is promoted by anabolic steroids. EPO
promotes the increased production of both red blood cells and
platelets in the bone marrow. Excessive blood viscosity and a
high platelet count could promote extensive clotting effects.
Clomifen is also known to promote platelet aggregation that
results in clots, while the diuretic Aldactone, by decreasing the
water content of his blood may have added to the thickness
produced by heightened EPO synthesis.

Based on the physical and chemical findings of the autopsy,
the cause of death was listed as sudden cardiac arrest. This case
illustrates the dangers inherent in combining various drugs
thought to induce bodybuilding "progress." While all such drugs
have known side effects, combining them could lead to unexpected
effects that--as this case shows--could prove fatal. Several
deaths of well-known professional bodybuilders have likewise been
linked to their multiple drug usage.



Ephedrine: an aphrodisiac in women?

Ephedrine, an active component of the herb, Ma haung, is
most commonly used for weight-control purposes. This effect is
due to its structural similarity to epinephrine, a hormone that
among other functions, activates fat-cell enzymes that result in
the release of free fatty acids into the blood. Ephedrine
interacts with adrenergic cellular receptors, and also promotes
the release of both epinephrine and norepinephrine.

While fat-burning is the most common reason for using
ephedrine supplements, according to a study published in the
Archives of General Psychiatry 1998;55:652-656, the drug may have
value in promoting female sexual arousal. The study focused on
the effects of providing either 50 milligrams of ephedrine
sulfate or a placebo in a double-blind, crossover design, to 20
"sexually functional" women. The ages of the women ranged from
19-44, and they took no other medications. Their sexually
functional state was evident by the fact that all of them were
currently involved in heterosexual relationships; 3 were married.

The study authors decided to test the effects of ephedrine
because of the established involvement of the sympathetic nervous
system (SNS)in eliciting female sexual arousal. Since ephedrine
mimics the effects of natural SNS stimulants, such as
epinephrine, the idea wasn't unfounded. In fact, older studies of
men exposed to perceived danger showed that the heightened
epinephrine response that results (epinephrine is secreted under
stress conditions, and is also known as the "fight or flight"
hormone) made women look more attractive to them.

This study featured both self-reported or subjective effects
and physiological responses. The latter effect was determined by
the insertion of a phallic-like device into the women's vaginas,
which measured the amplitude of blood flow. Increased blood flow
into that area under specific conditions is considered a measure
of positive sexual response.

When taking the active substance--ephedrine sulfate--the
women took the pill 45 minutes prior to looking at 3
presentations. The first "show" consisted of looking at the word
"relax" flashed on a screen for one minute. This was followed by
a 3-minute neutral travelogue film, or a 5-minute erotic film,
presumably x-rated.

While the women viewed all 3 presentations after taking the
ephedrine, only the erotic film promoted an increased sexual
response. This was apparent by increased blood flow into the
vagina during the film. The travel film, in contrast, led to no
differences in the women's sexual response, whether on ephedrine
or a placebo. Although the women noted no subjective measures of
arousal while on the ephedrine, the authors note that in women,
physical arousal leads to subjective mental perception. I've
always believed the opposite, however: in women, the mental
aspects of arousal first occur, followed by the physical
responses. In men, they occur at about the same time.


The authors further speculate that ephedrine may provide a
boost to already increased sexual arousal in women. They also
note that whether ephedrine can jump-start a flagging libido in
women remains to be determined. None of the women showed any side
effects from the drug. Based on the responses observed in the
study participants, the study authors concluded that,"Ephedrine
can significantly facilitate the initial stages of physiological
arousal in women."


©,2013 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited.


Have you been ripped off  by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.

 

The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.

 

See Jerry's book at  http://www.jerrybrainum.com

 

Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com

 

ANABOLIC REVIEW : HIGH TESTOSTERONE = FASTER MUSCLE GAINS ? BY JERRY BRAINUM

The link of anabolic steroid usage with bodybuilding is so
firmly entrenched in the public mind that if you play a word
association game with most people, providing the word
"bodybuilder" will likely lead to a response of "steroids." While
the use of anabolic steroids and other anabolic drugs does often
play a role in bodybuilding physique enhancement, it's also true
that a remarkable level of muscular size and definition can be
acquired without drugs. In fact, the acquisition of a superb,
drug-free body is the major focus of this publication.

When some people, however, look at the photographs of
natural bodybuilders shown within these pages, they find it hard
to believe that such athletes are truly drug-free. Surely, they
must be taking something to develop such fantastic bodies. Do
such people have some sort of genetic or hormonal advantage? For
example, does having a naturally higher testosterone level at the
beginning of training confer any advantages in building muscular
size and strength?

One reason why men develop more muscle than women is the
male's higher testosterone levels. Studies show that young men
have about 18-times higher levels of testosterone compared to
similarly aged women. Since testosterone is a major promotor of
muscle protein synthesis, it isn't difficult to understand why
men appear to build muscle faster than women. This sexual
advantage for men relates only to muscle size, since on a weight-for-weight basis, women are capable of similar strength gains,
minus the same degree of muscle hypertrophy shown by men.
This hormonal testosterone advantage of men first shows up
at puberty. A year-long study of boys showed a 3-fold rise in
testosterone between ages 12« and 13«. A 1992 study involving
women showed a strong correlation between the level of thigh
muscle growth and free testosterone levels. In other words, women
with higher testosterone levels make faster muscle size gains
than women with average levels of the hormone.

A more recent study, published in Journal of Human Movement
Studies 1997;32:253-265, examined whether having a high natural
testosterone level predisposed men to faster gains in muscular
size and strength. The study involved 19 untrained men who
participated in a 7-week weight-training program that involved
upper arm training. Before starting the training program,
baseline measures of total testosterone and free androgen index
were obtained from the men.

Free androgen index is simply a measure of testosterone not
bound to blood proteins. This is significant because such "free"
testosterone is the biologically active form of the hormone. The
men were also tested for strength via one-rep maximum barbell
curl, and muscle size increase via CT scans of their upper arms.
The study results confirmed that men with naturally higher
testosterone levels do build muscle faster. The study authors
suggest that beginning weight-trainers who are labeled "hard
gainers" are likely to show lower starting levels of testosterone
when compared to their more rapidly gaining peers. The total
testosterone level, comprising both bound and free forms, had no
bearing on muscle gains--only the free or active form of the
hormone made a difference.

While having a higher natural testosterone level boosts
muscle size gains, it didn't affect strength gains. This may be
attributable to the fact that in beginners, most strength gains
are based more on changes in neuromuscular adaptability than
hormone levels. However, many drug-using bodybuilders show levels
of muscular size not in proportion to their strength levels.
Thus, at least in some cases, using anabolic steroids may produce
high levels of muscle size without a proportional strength
increase.

Does ephedrine and caffeine equal speed?

The combination of ephedrine and caffeine is a popular fat-loss aid.
Occasionally, aspirin, or a natural form, such as white
willow bark extract, is added to ephedrine/caffeine to prolong
the activity of the combination. Ephedrine, which is an extract
of the herb, ma huang, works by promoting the release of
norepinephrine, upregulating thyroid output, and through a few
other mechanisms to produce a thermogenic effect.
Thermogenesis involves the conversion of fat calories into
heat, also known as a "futile energy cycle" because it does not
involve any work-induced usage of calories. Caffeine promotes
epinephrine secretion, which fosters bodyfat release. Caffeine
may also contribute to the effect by inhibiting other substances
thought to blunt fat mobilization.

While the primary use of ephedrine and caffeine in
combination is usually to promote fat-loss, another unavoidable
effect involves a level of stimulation. Once again, this relates
to the promotion of stimulating substances in the body by the
actions of ephedrine and caffeine. Some people have keyed in on
this aspect by offering for sale "herbal speed" concoctions that
often include ephedrine, caffeine, and other substances. While
such formulas rarely lead to problems--unless overdosed--it's
also true that individual sensitivities vary in regard to the
stimulating effects of the combination.

A new rat study, reported in Pharmacology,Biochemistry and
Behavior 1998;61:169-173, examines the effects of ephedrine and
caffeine in rats previously exposed to amphetamines. The study
showed that when taken alone, neither ephedrine nor caffeine had
much of an amphetaminelike speed effect. In fact, ephedrine is
10-times less potent than amphetamine, while caffeine alone is
30-times less potent than straight speed (amphetamine). However,
when ephedrine and caffeine are combined, the speed effect of
both substances is greatly potentiated.

Most studies show that any signs of excess stimulation
produced by ephedrine/caffeine subside after about a month of
continuous usage. However, the thermogenic effects continue
indefinitely. While ephedrine alone is a minor stimulant, it is
capable of being converted into methamphetamine, which explains
why the government is so eager to remove it from the market. Or
is the fact that the ephedrine/caffeine has been established
through numerous studies to be more effective than all
prescription diet pills have something to do with this government
zeal?

Growth hormone and fat loss

While human growth hormone (HGH) is recognized as an
anabolic hormone, studies show that it also appears to foster the
use of bodyfat as a fuel source, while preserving muscle. Since
the amount of lean mass, represented mainly by muscle, is the
primary determinant of resting metabolic rate, it would appear
that using HGH may provide some dieting advantages. Anecdotal
conversations with athletes who have used HGH reveal that the
majority believe that HGH is more effective at maintaining muscle
mass while dieting than in building muscular mass. Most of these
people also felt that GH promoted greater bodyfat losses.
A study published in the International Journal of Obesity
1998;22:836-841, investigated the use of supplemental HGH along
with a stringent, low calorie diet in 20 obese women, average age
25. The women were divided into a placebo group, and those
receiving actual HGH injections for 4 weeks. Growth hormone
response is indicated by the level of insulinlike growth factor-1
(IGF-1), which is produced mostly in the liver under the
influence of HGH.

IGF-1 levels are acutely sensitive to both total calorie and
protein intake. Thus, starvation and ingesting low amounts of
dietary protein lead to drops in IGF-1 levels in the body.
However, despite ingesting a low-calorie diet, the women taking
HGH injections in this study showed elevated IGF-1 levels
compared to those not receiving the true hormone.
The HGH group also showed a higher resting metabolism,
thought to be due to a HGH-promoted conversion of inactive to
active thyroid hormone. Most significantly, the HGH group showed
a lower rate of loss of lean body mass. While the technique used
to measure this lean body mass isn't specific for muscle--and
thus could mistake water retention as lean mass--the fact that
the HGH group also showed higher nitrogen balance points to
greater lean mass or muscle retention.

The actual fat-loss in the HGH group was greater compared to
the placebo group, but wasn't considered significant. This result
confirms other findings, in which HGH usage also failed to
produce significant loss of fat in obese people on low-calorie
diets. However, other studies show greater visceral fat losses in
obese people taking HGH in conjunction with a higher or normal
calorie intake. Visceral fat is deep-lying fat stores, thought to
be far more hazardous to health than more superficial fat stores,
since visceral fat is often linked to insulin resistance and
associated diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and
diabetes.

Those in the placebo group showed a decrease in resting
insulin levels, a common association with lower calorie intakes.
This lowered insulin level, however, was not seen in those taking
the HGH injections, pointing to a defect in carbohydrate
metabolism induced by HGH. Many athletes try to offset this
effect by also injecting themselves with insulin, a practice
fraught with danger. The women using HGH also showed decreased
loss of calcium, which may offer bone protection.
This study appears to confirm the long-held view of athletes
that using growth hormone is more effective for purposes of
preserving muscle mass while on extreme diets than it is for
promoting actual bodyfat losses.

©,2013 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited.
 

Have you been ripped off  by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.

 

The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.

 

See Jerry's book at  http://www.jerrybrainum.com

 

Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com

 

SETS AND REPS : OVERTRAINING EFFECTS ON HORMONES BY JERRY BRAINUM


The signs and symptoms of overtraining differ between aerobic and anaerobic exercise. People who overtrain while engaged in endurance or aerobic activity often exhibit such symptoms as sleep difficulties, higher resting pulse levels upon arising, adverse mood changes, and lack of training enthusiasm. The signs of overtraining that occur with anaerobic, high-intensity exercise, exemplified by bodybuilding training, are more subtle. These can include lack of muscular progress, increased injury rates, loss of strength, and possibly even a loss of muscle size.

Past studies indicated that one way to monitor such overtraining effects involves measuring hormone levels. Since overtraining often induces a catabolic state, due to increased secretion of cortisol (an adrenal stress hormone), cortisol levels are expected to increase under overtraining conditions. Cortisol has an inverse relationship with other anabolic hormones, such as testosterone, growth hormone, and insulin. Thus, when cortisol levels are elevated, these anabolic hormone levels usually decline.

But recent studies that examined these hormonal effects of overtraining found that many of the expected hormonal changes thought to occur with overtraining just don’t happen--despite clear signs of overtraining. An example of this is a new study reported in the Journal of Applied Physiology 1998;85:2352-2359. This study monitored 2 groups of experienced weight-trained men. One group engaged in overtraining by training daily for 2 weeks using resistance equal to 100% of maximum for one repetition. The other group trained just once a week, using poundages equal to 50% of one-repetition maximum.

The overtraining group overtrained only their legs, which led to a significant decrease in leg strength after 2 weeks of such training. The overtraining was severe enough to lead to an inability to train with their normal weights for 8 weeks following the study. Interestingly, a muscle enzyme that often increases with muscle damage (creatine kinase) did not increase in the overtrained men, nor did they experience any extensive muscular soreness. Thus, these two usual indicators of overtraining and incomplete muscular recovery didn’t apply to this group.

While overtraining usually leads to a drop in total testosterone levels both during rest and after exercise, the men engaged in overtraining in this study showed no changes in pre-exercise levels of testosterone, and showed slightly increased levels after exercise. This increased level of testosterone was thought to be due to the increased secretion of epinephrine and norepinephrine exhibited by the overtraining group.
Overtraining often leads to a blunting of free or active testosterone levels, often due to a concomitant release of cortisol. But the overtrained men in this study showed no changes in free testosterone, which increased after training as it normally does (without overtraining). Free testosterone represents the 1% of testosterone in the body that isn’t bound to circulating proteins such as sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) or albumin. Only the free version can interact with cellular receptors and initiate anabolic responses in muscle.

Regarding cortisol, the overtraining group showed no pre-exercise changes in the hormone, but did show decreased secretion after exercise. The study authors suggest that the training sessions may have been too brief to elicit a full cortisol response. However, ACTH, a pituitary gland hormone that controls cortisol release from the adrenal gland cortex, also showed no changes in the overtrained group. Lowered cortisol levels are a common finding with experienced weight-training athletes. The theory is that the body gradually accommodates to the increased stress of exercise by modulating adrenal gland activity.

Likewise, the usual testosterone to cortisol ratio, often changed in favor of cortisol in overtrained endurance athletes, didn’t occur in this overtrained weight-training group. The study authors note that this makes the testosterone to cortisol ratio a poor indicator of training recovery for high intensity weight-training.

Several articles have stated that overtraining blunts growth hormone release. But it didn’t have any effect on GH secretion or release in this study. This differs from reports of a recent study (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 1998;30:407-414) that did find a decreased GH release during high intensity overtraining in endurance athletes. Obviously, weight-training somehow affects the release of GH in an manner different from that of aerobic training, even when both are done under high intensity conditions.

Since the usual markers of overtraining don’t appear to exist in people engaged in high intensity resistance overtraining, the study authors suggest that other areas be monitored to prevent overtraining onset. These include measuring sympathetic hormone response (epinephrine and norepinephrine) and changes in neuromuscular activity, i.e., loss of muscle size and strength.

One notable flaw of this study, however, was the relatively short duration of the workouts used to produce the overtraining effect. Even the study authors admit that this low volume of exercise may not be enough to make inroads into the hormonal responses that occur with more extensive overtraining. Also, what happens when a person uses a high intensity weight-training program combined with aerobic exercise every day? This is a common practice with competitive bodybuilders, who do the aerobics for purposes of body composition changes (fat loss).

How does diet and nutrition enter into this overtraining picture? Will using supplements touted to increase testosterone or control cortisol help to alleviate overtraining and increase muscular recovery? These are all valid questions that are open to future research.


©,2013 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited.


Have you been ripped off  by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.

 

The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.

 

See Jerry's book at  http://www.jerrybrainum.com

 

Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com

 

 

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

EXERCISE SCIENCE : AB MACHINES: ANY ADVANTAGES? BY JERRY BRAINUM

If you watch television, particularly late at night when infomercials reign, you’ve probably seen one of those commercials touting some kind of abdominal exercise device. Such ads make all sorts of claims, most of which appeal to the vanity of having a smaller waistline coupled with some semblance of abdominal definition. These devices also imply that using them regularly will lead to localized reductions in the abdominal area, also known as “spot reduction.”

Let’s get one thing out of the way from the onset. If you don’t know already, as having found out empirically, actual spot reduction doesn’t exist. When your body burns fat, it does so systemically, not just in one area. Many studies have proven this assertion, even showing that it’s possible to develop an impressive set of abs that are still obscured by a layer of fat; the abs are there, you just can barely see them.

One study involved subjects who did up to 6,000 sit-ups a day, with the result that the abdominal muscles got toned, but with no apparent abdominal definition--unless the subjects also dieted and did aerobic exercise. Another estimated that it takes 4,500 crunch sit-ups to lose one pound of fat over the abdominals.

In fact, it’s possible to produce an impressive set of abdominals from judicious aerobics and a proper diet alone. What happens here is that you simply reduce the fat overlying the abs, and the abs come into bold prominence. So why not forego abdominal training?

Besides making you look fit, having strong abdominal muscles provide a support effect for the torso and especially the lower back area. Most lower back pain stems from a combination of weak abdominal muscles and out-of-shape lumber muscles. When the abs are weak, the lower back tends to increase lordotic tone, or the curvature of the lower back inward. This, in turn, places excessive stress on the spinal vertebrae, leading to a chronic painful lower back. You also want to maintain abdominal/lower back muscle balance to protect you from the stress imposed to this area during exercises such as bent-over rows and squats.

So, even if you expressed no interest in acquiring the highly defined “cube” effect seen with well-toned abdominals, you’d still want the protective effect of having strong abdominals for lower back protection. The question is: what’s the best way to do this, freehand exercise or with any of the new abdominal machines?

Another consideration in optimal abdominal exercise is how much of the abdominal musculature is exercised. Most bodybuilders avoid directly working the oblique muscles that frame the side of the rectus abdominal muscles. In men, fat tends to proliferate on the oblique muscles, euphemistically referred to as “love handles.” However, it’s also true that excessive development of the obliques does tend to lead to a thicker-appearing waist. To prevent such an effect, it’s best to avoid overloading the obliques with heavy exercises such as side bends. Besides leading to thick obliques, side bends also impose a sheer stress on the lower back that could be dangerous.

Another option for oblique training is a twisting motion. In the past, this was often done with an unweighted bar or simply a broomstick, either in a seated or standing bent-over position. This exercise, however, is frowned on by many orthopedic specialists, who point out that similarly to side bends, twisting motions apply sheer stress to the spine, especially during extended range of exercise motions.

More recently, twisting machines have appeared in commercial gyms. Such machines simulate the old bar/broomstick twisting motions in a seated position. These machines do offer more exercise control compared to the freestyle versions, and also allow more weight to be used through supplying an accompanying weight stack. The danger here is twofold: you can still place too much stress on the spine with excessive twisting, and using too much weight could lead to hypertrophy of the obliques, leading to increased waist circumference. Twisting machines, however, do apply a useful effect in strengthening muscles involved in lateral motion. This could prove valuable for specific sports, and in those cases, using these machines makes sense.


As to those newer home abdominal exercise machines, the American Council of Exercise commissioned a study two years ago that compared a few of these exercise machines to freeweight ab exercises, such as crunch or partial sit-ups and reverse crunches. The study, which examined 4 types of commercial abdominal equipment, found no advantage of the machines over simple crunch sit-ups. Two recently published studies looked at various other ab machines, most of which were similar in design to those advertised during those late night sales pitches.

In the first study, Australian researchers compared a device called the “Abshaper” to conventional ab exercises. They attached electrodes to the exercising subjects, with the electrodes feeding electrical activity of the working muscles into a machine measuring such electrical activity (electromyograph). The Abshaper device itself involves lying on your back into a frame that provides arm and head rest support. The exercise motion duplicates that of a conventional partial or crunch sit-up.

Crunch sit-ups have superseded the old-style full sit-ups, which involved raising the entire torso to a sitting position. Such full sit-ups provide too much work for hip flexor muscles, which are deep-lying muscles that exert a pulling effect on the spine. As such, full sit-ups can aggravate lower back problems. Besides, only the first third of the sit-up movement represented by crunch sit-ups work the abdominals; after that, the abs remain isometrically contracted, while the hip flexors take over to pull the body into an upright or sitting posture. The late, great bodybuilding trainer, Vince Gironda, was among the first to recognize this aspect of abdominal training nearly 50 years ago.

The Australian study compared the effects of the Abshaper device on various segments of the abs, i.e., upper, lower, and sides. The Abshaper showed superiority to conventional crunches in the upper segment of the abs, but no difference in muscle stimulation of the lower or side portions of the abs. Conventional ab exercises, however, did bring into play more of the oblique muscles, an effect attributed to the greater need for trunk stabilization between the Abshaper and freehand ab exercises. The abshaper also involved less activity of the front neck muscles in comparison to regular crunches, thought to be due to the head support provided by the Abshaper.


The study also noted that “side crunches” often used to train the obliques, were dangerous to the spine due to excessive load. This confirmed findings from earlier studies about this exercise. In short, don’t do it, unless you want to probably cause lower back irritation.

The other new study examined the effects of four types of abdominal exercise machines. This study involved 19 young, healthy subjects who did either freehand abdominal exercises (crunch with arms up or down; oblique crunch or side sit-ups; and reverse crunches for the lower abs), or the same exercises using 4 different ab machines. The ab machines all featured a similar design to that used in the previously described Australian study, with one exception. One of the 4 machines in the study had a roller-bar that allowed exercisers to stabilize themselves; an effect similar to hooking the feet under a support while doing sit-ups. This is in contrast to most crunch sit-up movements, in which the feet aren’t stabilized to offset excessive hip flexor involvement.

This study also used an EMG machine to measure electrical activity in the exercised ab muscles. Based on these measurements, the study concluded that none of the machines offered any advantage over conventional crunch-type sit-ups. Another finding, similar to that of the Australian study, was the head-supported features of these ab machines produced less neck muscle activity compared to freehand ab exercises. The study authors also noted that if the devices provided the impetus for people to exercise, it would provide a benefit. However, they also cautioned that such devices shouldn’t be expected to produce any significant fat loss in the abdominals without added dietary restraint and aerobic exercise.

One other interesting point mentioned in these studies was that the oblique muscles participate to a far greater degree than previously believed in most ab exercises. This would appear to confirm that added oblique exercises, such as twist machines, may be superfluous, unless used for a specific purpose such as the increased athletic lateral movement training discussed earlier. In short, if you are afflicted with out-of-control love handles, i.e., fat, diet and aerobics are still the best cure.


©,2013 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited.


Have you been ripped off  by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.

 

The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.

 

See Jerry's book at  http://www.jerrybrainum.com

 

Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com