Tuesday, October 27, 2015

The Truth about Nitric Oxide-boosting supplements and better ways to boost NO.... VIDEO by Jerry Brainum



Jerry Brainum explains the flaws related to NO supplements, and offers a more effective, inexpensive way to increase nitric oxide release that is safe and reliable. For the best and latest science-based information about nutrition, exercise science, ergogenic aids, ant-aging, hormonal therapy, fat-loss, exercise science, and other topics, subscribe to Applied Metabolics newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com.
Here is some evidence to prove my contention that NO supplements don't work:

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©,2015 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

 

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Tuesday, October 20, 2015

EAT TO GROW :Milk, Estrogen, IGF-1 and Insulin by Jerry Brainum

Many years ago I had a discussion with a man who went on to win multiple Mr. Olympia titles. When I asked him about drinking milk, he told me that he always removed all dairy foods from his diet prior
to a contest, explaining that milk was “rich in estrogens.” Estrogens are associated with fat deposition just under the skin, which obscures muscular definition. In addition, estrogen retains water, blunting hard-earned muscularity. You may recall the scene in the film “Pumping Iron” where Arnold Schwarzenegger is asked about drinking milk. He responds by stating that “milk is for babies.”

But does milk actually contain active hormones, particularly estrogen?

Like testosterone, estrogen is a steroid hormone and is rapidly degraded in the liver when taken orally. Unless, of course, the structure of the hormone has been manipulated to block the first-pass liver metabolism—as is the case with synthetic oral versions of testosterone, a.k.a. anabolic steroids. Examples of orally active estrogens include birth control pills for women and other forms of estrogen that treat menopause symptoms. According to a recent study, however, commercial milk products contain active estrogen metabolites.

Estrogen is a potent cancer agent, and some studies show that a higher intake of milk products may be linked to ovarian and other cancers in women and possibly prostate cancer in men. That’s highly debatable among researchers, however, and definitive answers are not on the record. On the other hand, milk and dairy products supply 60 to 70 percent of the total estrogen intake in food. In recent years the amount of estrogens in milk have increased because of certain dairy-farming practices. Most milk now comes from cows far into the late stages of pregnancy, when estrogen concentration in the milk peaks. One study found that milk from a cow late in pregnancy contained 33 times more estrone sulfate than milk obtained from a nonpregnant cow.

The study analyzed the estrogen metabolite content in whole milk, skim and 2 percent fat milk and buttermilk. Buttermilk, whole milk and 2 percent fat milk contained significant levels of biologically active estrogen metabolites. Skim milk contained the least, buttermilk the most. Researchers also tested soy milk and found no estrogen metabolites. Not only was skim milk lowest in estrogen metabolites, but 98 percent of the estrogen it did contain was in the conjugated, or less active, form. Buttermilk contained the most highly active form of estrogen metabolites.

The authors note that while estrogen metabolites in these milk products are much fewer than what are found in estrogen-based drugs, we don’t yet know their long-term effect. The study also mentioned that milk contains progesterone, another type of hormone found in higher concentrations in women.

Other studies suggest that milk contains insulinlike growth factor 1, considered the active anabolic component of growth hormone. Two variants of IGF-1 are required for muscle repair and growth. Trouble is, IGF-1 also encourages rapid cell division and prevents the self-destruction of cells, both of which can be dangerous in regard to cancer. The big controversy about milk is the practice of giving recombinant IGF-1 to cows to increase their milk production. Some say that milk from those cows contains higher than normal levels of IGF-1, which is detectable after pasteurization and homogenization. In addition, bovine and human IGF-1 share the same amino acid sequences, which means that the bovine version can interact with human IGF-1 cell receptors.

Critics contend that since IGF-1 is an amino acid–based hormone, it’s largely degraded in the gut. On the other hand, adults who drink a lot of milk have an average 10 to 20 percent increase in circulating IGF-1.

How can IGF-1 survive the formidable digestive barrier? The major protein in milk, casein, contains a protease inhibitor that may shield IGF-1 from degradation. Milk intake also increases the ratio of free-to-bound IGF-1, which increases the activity of IGF-1 but also speeds its breakdown.


While the link between IGF-1 and milk is hardly definitive, the one between milk and insulin is more realistic. Although milk has a low-glycemic-index number (about 15 to 30), milk and milk-based foods paradoxically have a high insulin-stimulating effect, possibly because of certain protein fractions found in milk. All dairy products, with the exception of hard cheese, have potent insulin-boosting effects. Adding 200 milliliters of milk to a low-glycemic-index meal increases the insulin response by 300 percent.

Ironically, many “negative” factors may aid bodybuilding. For example, increased IGF-1 may have some anabolic impact. The increased insulin speeds the entry of amino acids into muscle for added muscle protein synthesis and exerts an anticatabolic effect in muscle. I suspect that the potent insulin release is there for a reason, as milk is the primary food for the most rapid period of human growth and amino acid uptake is integral to it. Insulin also helps regenerate depleted muscle glycogen. In fact, studies show that drinking milk after a workout leads to more efficient recovery than most commercial sports drinks do. Nor can you escape the fact that milk contains whey, the highest-biological-value protein, as well as other active peptides that emerging research shows may provide enormous health benefits.

If you’re still concerned about estrogen and other hormone effects of milk, you can get most of the benefits of milk from a blend of casein and whey milk proteins, which give you most of the health factors contained in milk, minus the hormone activity. Whey does, however, bring on insulin release and possibly IGF-1 activity. Also, if you believe that drinking milk will smooth you out before a contest because of its estrogen content, consider that the average man produces 136,000 nanograms of estrogen each day, far more than you’d get from drinking several gallons of milk.

Farlow, D.W., et al. (2009). Quantitative measurement of endogenous estrogen metabolites, risk factors for development of breast cancer, in commercial milk products by LC-MS/MS. J Chromto B. 877(13):1327-1334.



©,2015 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

 

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Thursday, October 15, 2015

Applied Metabolics Newsletter October 2015 Compiled by Lee Markham

As a noted expert on all aspects of exercise and nutrition, Jerry Brainum has published more than 3,000 articles in over 20 national and international publications, including Muscle & Fitness, Flex, Muscular Development, Let's Live, Excel, Men's Fitness, Penthouse and numerous others.
Since 1985, he has been a columnist for Ironman magazine, writing monthly columns for Bodybuilding Pharmacology, Exercise Science and Nutrition Science as well as contributing numerous feature articles. Jerry was also the science editor of Muscle & Fitness magazine from 1987 to 1995 and editor-at-large at Flex magazine from 1995 to 1997. He also published a professional newsletter, Applied Metabolics, for two years.

In addition to his writing, Jerry is a sought-after nutrition advisor for many professional athletes. He's worked with champion boxer Oscar De La Hoya (Jerry was his nutritionist for three years, during which time Oscar was undefeated); undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.; undefeated cruiserweight boxing champ and best boxer of the 1996 Summer Olympic games Vasili Jirov; professional basketball player Vlade Divac, and many others. Athletes throughout the world regularly seek Jerry's advice and help in matters pertaining to sports performance nutrition. He also trained with Arnold Schwarzenegger at the original Gold's Gym in Venice, California, in the early '70s.

This will be a great time as we find out the latest and greatest that Jerry is working on!

As you know , Applied Ergogenics is Jerry Brainum's previous magazine articles, archived from the last 20 years.....Applied Metabolics newsletter is the new updated information that nobody else has and will never be printed on this blog.




 I noticed that other people were regurgitating Jerry Brainum's information. They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. For myself, I'll stick with the original guru! .....Lee Markham

Sunday, October 11, 2015

EAT TO GROW : Is Protein Timing Overplayed? by Jerry Brainum

Several studies have pointed to the importance of protein timing—taking in protein or amino acids close to a workout—which is thought to diminish excessive muscle protein breakdown during training. The increased blood flow that results from training may boost amino acid entry into muscle. One study
of older men who got a supplement of 10 grams of protein, seven grams of carbohydrate and three grams of fat found that when it was taken immediately after training, that combination resulted in significant muscle gains. Those who took the same supplement two hours after the workout got no apparent benefits.

In another study younger men, aged 21 to 24, got 40 grams of whey protein isolate and 43 grams of glucose either just before and after training or in the morning and evening. Those who took the supplement close to the workouts experienced far more gains in muscle size and strength than the others.

These studies featured either untrained or recreational subjects. A new study featured college football players and powerlifters. Although the authors suggest that this makes their findings more relevant to experienced weight trainers, football players and powerlifters don’t train the same way bodybuilders do. In any case, the researchers set out to determine whether there is any advantage to taking a protein supplement before and after workouts compared to other times in relation to size and strength gains. .

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The study lasted for 10 weeks and involved 33 men divided into two groups, with one group taking a protein supplement in the morning and evening, and the other group taking it just before and immediately after training. Another seven men, acting as a control group, didn’t use any protein supplements. The subjects were tested for changes in strength, power and body composition. All three groups showed improvements in one-rep-maximum bench press and squat strength after 10 weeks, but there were no significant differences between the groups. None showed any changes in body mass or percentage of bodyfat.

Based on those findings, the authors suggest that taking in more protein than the required 1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight doesn’t yield additional muscle gains, regardless of when you get the protein. They did note, however, that the subjects met the requirements for protein intake suggested for strength athletes and also underscored the idea that strength athletes benefit from getting more protein. The supplement they used was low in carbohydrate. Combining protein with carbohydrate leads to an increased insulin release, which in turn leads to greater amino acid uptake into muscle and provides an anticatabolic effect. The subjects also took in fewer than the optimal number of daily calories, which would limit muscle size gains to an extent.

In a study published in a different journal, the same authors tested the effects of a protein supplement on exercise recovery and found that taking one before and after training enhanced recovery for 24 and 48 hours after the workout. While the researchers didn’t find any notable changes in hormone status, they did note that a measure of exercise-induced muscle damage decreased in those on the supplement but not in those getting the placebo. That, they suggest, may have resulted from an anticatabolic effect of the supplement related to upgraded muscle protein synthesis.

Another study tested whether taking a combination of essential amino acids and carbohydrate prior to a weight-training workout would boost muscle protein synthesis afterward. Twenty-two young, healthy subjects were observed before, during and two hours after a leg-training workout. One group fasted before the workout, while the other group got essential amino acids and carbs one hour prior to training. Those in the amino-and-carb group showed an immediate rise in muscle protein synthesis, which dropped to resting level during the workout and remained unchanged an hour after it. Those in the fasting group showed a drop in muscle protein synthesis during the workout, followed by a rise an hour later. By the two-hour post-training mark, both groups showed a 50 percent increase in muscle protein synthesis.


During training, muscle protein synthesis is repressed through the increased expression of a protein called AMPK, an energy sensor in muscle that encourages the use of fuels such as fat. Taking the amino acid-and-carb combo before training prevented the usual drop in muscle protein synthesis that occurs during exercise, but it didn’t stimulate it either during or after exercise. AMPK counts were similar in both groups. On the other hand, the post-training rise in muscle protein synthesis was delayed by an hour in the amino group. That may owe something to the rise in muscle protein synthesis right after the supplement was taken and may have resulted in a small refractory effect after the workout. Based on those findings, the authors suggest that it is more effective to take a supplement containing amino acids and carbs following a workout than before it.

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References

Hoffman, J.R., et al. (2009). Effect of protein-supplement timing on strength, power and body composition changes in resistance-trained men. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 19:172-85.

Hoffman, J.R., et al. (2009). Effect of a proprietary protein supplement on recovery indices following resistance exercise in strength/power athletes. Amino Acids. In press.

Fujita, S., et al. (2009). Essential amino acid and carbohydrate ingestion prior to resistance exercise does not enhance postexercise muscle protein synthesis. J Appl Physiol. In press.


©,2015 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

 

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