A Rare Editorial by Jerry Brainum

Regular readers of Applied Metabolics know that I'm not big on writing editorials. The main reason for editorials in publications such as magazines and newspapers, is to allow the editor to express his or her opinions separate from the articles in the publication. In other cases, an editorial offers a brief synopsis of what's in the current issue. Frankly, I think that in most cases, editorials are just wasted space and add nothing of value to any publication. I admit to having never read even a single editorial in most of the publications that I've written for over the years. As I said, on those rare occasions when I did read an editorial, it invariably turned out to be a waste of time. So with that in mind, you might be wondering why I'm writing this editorial. I think the only rational reason to write an editorial is if you have something important to say, or if you want to mark a certain occasion. The latter is the reason I'm writing this, since this September issue of Applied Metabolics marks the one year point of the publication's existence.

It's been over a year since I've last written for any magazines. Leaving the magazine world was something I should have done years earlier than when I did. The magazines began a gradual decline with the advent of the economic downturn of 2008. Shortly after that, advertisers, which are the life blood of magazines, began abandoning magazines en masse, which led to greatly reduced budgets for all of the magazines. Some simply went out of business in a style reminiscent of bookstores that were destroyed by the rise of online behemoth sellers, such as Amazon.com. They simply couldn't compete with Amazon, so they closed their doors permanently. The bodybuilding magazines tightened their budgets to the extent that they paid freelance writers little or nothing. The staff writers had little choice other than to also accept considerable pay cuts, but at least they, unlike the freelancers, were still getting benefits and a livable income. So it came to pass that the bulk of articles written for the magazines were submitted by amateurs with little or no knowledge or writing ability. This stark lack of quality was reflected in the magazine content, which grew more dismal with every issue. The magazines became, in effect, merely sales catalogs that highlighted the few advertisers they could still muster.

Since the majority of these advertisers were sports supplements purveyors, the articles reflected this, often extolling the virtues of supplements that were worthless--but were sold by advertisers in the magazine. The purchase of magazines continues to drop, as more enlightened readers realize that they are buying what amounts to pages of mostly advertisements for supplements.

While the Internet has the potential to be a great source of information regarding nutrition and exercise, it is sadly disappointing in this regard. While you can still find some gems among the heap of garbage and misinformation that makes up the majority of blogs and web sites, such reliable information is rare and difficult to find. Anyone can write anything on the Internet, so there is no control of content or accuracy of information offered.

This sad state of current information was a primary motivation for my resurrecting Applied Metabolics newsletter, which was originally a print publication in the late 90s. I felt that there were many people out there like myself who wanted all the details about exercise, nutrition, anti-aging, supplements and other topics in a clear, evidence-based manner with no bullshit or lies. I continue to work towards this goal, and I believe that the content of Applied Metabolics cannot be matched by any other publication. I've seen many of them over the last year, and they pale in comparison to the extent of information offered in Applied Metabolics. Another reason that what I offer cannot be duplicated is that few if any others in this business can match my years of experience and study, which amounts to over half a century. I offer little tricks in Applied Metabolics that I've learned empirically throughout the past 53 years. This is one of the primary advantages of reading Applied Metabolics: After reading any article in this publication, you will know all there is to know about it.

So, this is a long-winded way of thanking you, the readers, for your continued support. I have some fantastic material coming up that includes in no particular order:

Vegetarianism and muscle: Can you build muscle and strength while being a vegetarian?

The mysteries of the Microbiome: The bacteria that reside within our bodies can among other things, control uptake of nutrients,affect body fat levels, and help prevent chronic disease. Also, 99% of our immune response depends on activity of the microbiome. I will discuss how to keep it healthy and efficient.

Citrulline- A remarkable amino acid that can boost nitric oxide, and affect protein synthesis. How to get the most benefits from it.

Beets and nitric oxide- I will report many facts about the beets/vegetable NO pathway and how they affect exercise and health that have not been previously written about anywhere.

How to use exercise for extreme weight loss.

Vitamin D: the muscle and mind connection

New research about vitamin C and how it affects your health

Brown adipose tissue- How it may be the future method to control obesity and lose body fat, how to activate it without drugs.

Slowing the aging process: what works now.

The whey-acne connection

How anabolic steroids really affect the brain

Women and testosterone

Is Phosphatidic acid really anabolic?

How to use carbohydrates effectively to boost training energy and muscle growth

Why dieting can make you fatter

Can you be fat, but fit

Intermittent fasting: What they don't tell you, the truth

Conjugated linoleic acid: Does it help you lose body fat and improve health?

A Nutritional, side-effect free cure for migraine headaches

Betaine: an overlooked supplement that can offer amazing effects  

This is just a sample of what's coming up in Applied Metabolics. Stay tuned: the best is yet to come, trust me!

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.