Stick this in your stulchak! by Jerry Brainum

There was a time when bodybuilding was synonymous with anabolic steroid usage. To a certain extent, this is still true. Whenever an average person views the massive muscularity displayed by professional bodybuilders, the first thought is that such huge muscles cannot be "natural," and therefore must be the product of chemical enhancement. There is no denying that the use of steroids and other anabolic drugs is rampant in pro bodybuilding, and while you can achieve an impressive level of muscularity simply through training and diet, you cannot look like a pro bodybuilder without using anabolic drugs. But in recent years, it has become evident that bodybuilders are not the only athletes guilty of using so-called performance enhancing substances (PES). The use of such drugs is, in fact,widespread. This was evident in the recent baseball steroid scandals, in which it was shown that many of the players are on drug cycles not unlike that of pro bodybuilders, although the goals of ball players are not the same as bodybuilders.
     The truth is that there is no sport not affected by the widespread use of performance enhancing substances. They show up even in places you would least expect. Take for example a recent survey of professional ballet dancers. This study investigated substance use and misuse among 16 female and 9 male Croatian professional ballet dancers in 2008. The survey found that more than a third of the male dancers reported binge drinking, while 20% of the female dancers smoked more than a box of cigarettes a day.But the most interesting aspect of the survey was when the dancers were asked if they would use any drug that would help to improve their dancing skills. The response to that was 25% of the dancers replied that they would use any drug that would help them with their dancing regardless of health consequences.The study found that the older the dancer, the more likely they were to use PES. For the female dancers, more education decreased the possibility of smoking, but also increased the chances of using PES. The more religious the dancer, the less likelihood of using PES, or even believing that they are used in ballet.
Sekulic D, et al. Substance use and misuse among professional ballet dancers.Subst Use and Misuse 2010;45:1420-1430.

©,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

 

Exercise, Stress, and Longevity by Jerry Brainum

It's no secret that uncontrolled stress can shorten your lifespan. Out-of-control stress is linked to many diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer, the two biggest killers. For years, various techniques have often been recommended to combat the effects of unmitigated stress in the body. These therapies range from meditation to small amounts of alcohol, and to the use of certain drugs that provide tranquilizing effects. Many people who smoke say that they do so because smoking provides a tranquilizing effect for them. But the best natural way to handle stress is to exercise vigorously.Previous studies have shown that exercise is a natural and effective way to treat mild depression, itself a form of mental stress. Now a new study involving older women examined the effects of exercise on stress and longevity.
     The study involved 63 women, ages 54 to 82, all healthy. The women were divided into either a sedentary or an exercise group. In the exercise group, vigorous exercise was defined as that which increased heart rate and sweating. I assume that sexual activity was excluded in this rather wide-ranging definition. In any case, the study focused on the effects of stress and exercise on telomeres. Telomeres are caps on the ends of cell chromosomes that maintain chromosome stability and promote cellular repair. Each time a cell divides, telomeres shorten. When they shorten to a certain extent, the cell stops dividing and dies. As such, telomere measurement, usually in white blood cells, is often used as an index of longevity. Prematurely shortened telomeres are linked to the onset of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Having high blood pressure, as well as constantly being exposed to factors that increase stress, can prematurely shorten telomeres. In contrast, exercise has been shown to blunt telomere shortening. One way it does this is by modifying oxidative stress, which shortens telomeres. But overtraining is known to increase stress to the extent that the benefical effects of exercise on maintaining telomere length is blunted. As such, exercising too much may hasten mortality.
    The new study of older women showed that as little as 40 minutes of exercise spread over three days was enough to provide beneficial telomere protection, even when the women are exposed to stress. On the other hand, in women who were also exposed to stress, but didn't exercise, the telomeres weren't protected, and shortening occurred.Exercise thus blocks the negative effects of perceived stress on telomere length. Exercise may also help in this regard through promoting the activity of telomerase, an enzyme that maintains telomeres. In fact, cancer cells are considered immortal because they produce telomerase, which allows them to keep dividing interminably. Some antiaging advocates have proposed that supplying telomerase to older people may provide antiaging effects. But it could also promote cancer. The effects of exercise,however, are safe and this study shows another way that exercise probably helps extend longevity and maintain health through the years by helping to control the harmful effects of stress on the body and the mind.

Puterman E, et al. The power of exercise: Buffering tghe effect of chronic stress on telomere length.Plos One 2010; in press.

©,2012 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

 

Growth Hormone and Sleep Deprivation By Jerry Brainum

As we age, memory lapses, also known as "senior moments" become more common. It most cases, these lapses aren't considered pathological, although they could be early warning signs of more severe problems up the road, such as forms of dementia. Such age-related memory blips could also be related to sleep disorders. After age 40, the restorative sleep stages, known as deep sleep cycles, gets shorter, and may even disappear completely after a while. In relation to memory, this is a problem because the neurons or brain cells in the portion of the brain most involved in memory and learning, the hippocampus, undergo restoration during the deep sleep stages. The deep sleep stages, particularly stage four, which is the last deep sleep stage before the dream stage (REM) occurs is also when growth hormone release peaks, usually about 90 minutes after falling asleep. Could there be a connection between the fact that GH secretion begins to decline around age 40, about the same time as deep sleep cycles become disrupted?
     There are receptors in the hippocampus called NMDA receptors, which are vital for the hippocampal function of learning and memory retention. But these receptors are only activated during deep sleep. This implies that unless you get enough sleep in the deep sleep stages, the restorative function of sleep in relation to hippocampal function won't occur.  In a new study, it was found that supplying growth hormone can rescue the loss of activation of NMDA receptors in the hippocampus during sleep deprivation. GH also prevented the loss of NMDA receptors, which would adversely affect memory and learning. The problem with all this is that GH secretion begins to drop at about age 40, when sleep problems also begin. As such, a lack of sufficient GH may be partially responsible for the increasing memory lapses seen after age 40 in many people.

Kim, E, et al. Growth hormone rescues hippocampal synaptic function after sleep deprivation.Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2010;298:R1588-R1596.

©,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

 

 

The Meat of the Matter by Jerry Brainum

You've probably read many times about how bad it is to eat meat. These warnings are based on numerous studies that have linked eating meat to the onset of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Some of these studies suggest a close association between eating meat and colon cancer, while others implicate the saturated fat content of meat as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A major flaw in all of these previous anti-meat studies is that none of them differentiated between eating processed and unprocessed meats. There are big differences between the two. Processed meats include bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and some types of deli meats. Processed meats are preserved by smoking, curing, or salting, and often contain chemical preservatives.Unprocessed meats include beef, pork, and lamb. A new study just published is a meta-analysis or analysis of pre-existing studies about meat. This analysis reviewed 1,600 previous studies, narrowing them down to 20 relevant studies that featured 1,218,380 people from ten countries on four continents.
      The studies showed that each 50 gram portion or about 1.8 ounces daily serving of processed meats is associated with a 42% higher risk of developing heart disease, and a 19% higher risk of developing diabetes.This amount of food is equal to 1-2 slices of deli meat or just one hot dog. No risks were found with eating unprocessed meats. The danger in processed meats lies in the fact that they contain 4-times more sodium and 50% more nitrite preservatives compared to unprocessed meats.The excess sodium is associated with high blood pressure, while animal studies show that nitrate preservatives can promote atherosclerosis and lower glucose tolerance, explaining why they could cause heart disease and diabetes.As for the colon cancer effect, that wasn't examined in this study. Previous studies have implicated substances produced when meat is overcooked. There is no evidence that normally cooked meat contains any carcinogens Once again, however, the nitrites in unprocessed meats have been linked to stomach and colon cancer onset. Eating grass-fed beef contains higher amounts of certain nutrients, such as conjugated linoleic acid, that are associated with lower rates of CVD and cancer.When you add it all up, there is no reason not to eat meat from a nutritional or health vantage point. From a humanitarian vantage is an entirely separate issue, considering how poorly cattle are treated for meat production.

Micha R, et al. Red and processed meat consumption and risk of incident coronary artery disease, stroke, and diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Circulation 2010: in press.

©,2012 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

 

Sleep and Testosterone by Jerry Brainum

All of those who pay big bucks for alleged supplemental "testosterone-boosting" supplements could be wasting their money if they don't get enough sleep. Studies have shown that in younger men, who usually have the highest testosterone (T) levels, these levels drop as much as 40% following a lack of sufficient sleep. Even worse, levels of cortisol, the primary muscle catabolic hormone, rises with lack of sleep. As such, not getting enough sleep is a good prescription for lack of muscle gains.Growth hormone, another primary anabolic hormone, peaks after about 90 minutes of sleep, in what is called deep sleep, or stage 4 sleep. In younger men, deep sleep represents about 10 to 20 percent of total sleep time. But by age 50, it drops to only five to seven percent of total sleep time. By age 60, it may be gone completely.
     According to a recent study by a Canadian psychology grad student, a lack of testosterone may explain 20% of older men's inability to experience deep sleep cycles. It has to do with a synchronization of neural circuits in the brain associated with sleep patterns. These circuits are intact in young men, but the loss of neurons with age adversely affects the sleep neural synchronization patterns, which is worsened by a lack of testosterone. If this theory is correct, supplying testosterone therapy to men deficient in the hormone would induce a significant increase in mental and physical function, since it's the deep stages of sleep that provide all the restorative benefits associated with sleep. This may also partially explain other findings that show increased mortality in men lacking testosterone.

©,2012 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

 

The truth about nitric oxide and pre-workout supplements by Jerry Brainum

Some of the most expensive and best-selling sports supplements available on the market are known as "pre-workout" formulas. These supplements are touted to significantly boost workout intensity and recovery. They are often composed of thirty or more ingredients, many of which are esoteric, with little or no proven benefits to the promotion of human exercise efficiency. These products do, however, also usually contain a number of stimulants, such as caffeine and others that could boost the perception of increased energy and drive. One notable problem with most of these supplements is that the contained ingredients,while named on the product labels, often fail to list precise amounts of each ingredient. Instead, thee products often bunch all the "active" ingredients in one label section, calling it a "proprietary formula." If the product also contains protein and carbohydrate, the majority of the weight of the powder could be composed of protein and carbs, with only minuscule amounts of the "active ingredients."
    Some of the more common ingredients do show solid scientific evidence for efficacy when examined alone in various studies. Examples of this include creatine, amino acids, and beta alanine. But in the pre-workout supplements, the precise amount of these nutrients is rarely listed, and the studies showing their efficacy did use specific amounts, such as 5 grams a day of creatine, 4.5 grams a day of beta alanine and so on. The odds are that the products don't contain effective levels of these nutrients, since such levels aren't listed on the product labels.Perhaps the most popular of the pre-workout supplements are those touted to boost the production of nitric oxide (NO).
     NO supplements are said to increase levels of nitric oxide in the blood, which is thought to boost exercise performance and recovery. The primary ingredient in NO boosters is the amino acid, L-arginine. Arginine is indeed the primary precursor for the synthesis of NO in the body, but it isn't the limiting factor. The limiting factor that determines just how much NO is synthesized from arginine are various nitric oxide synthesizing enzymes. You could ingest a pound of arginine, but if the NO enzymes aren't working, the answer is no for NO synthesis.The research that did show increased levels of NO from arginine intake involved Intravenous administration  of large doses, 20-30 grams of arginine. The average dose in a NO boosting supplement is 3-5 grams, and studies have shown no increases in NO after oral intake of arginine, even at doses of 10-20 grams.
    An overlooked aspect of NO supplements is that recent studies found that NO produced during exercise is not the main determinant of muscle blood flow during exercise.Thus, the entire premise of using NO boosting supplements appears to be questionable. But as we will see later, there is an advantage to boosting NO in a different manner than using NO supplements that may actually work to increase exercise efficiency. One other thing to consider is that you would never want to get an unusually high level of NO rapidly produced in the blood. High concentrations of NO promote cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In simple terms, too much NO kills cells. In addition, high levels of NO react with free radicals called superoxides to form the potent radical, peroxynitrite, which is quite harmful to cells.
    A new study compared three multi-ingredient pre-workout formulas with a supplement containing glycine propionyl L-carnitine or glycocarn, and a maltodextrin (carbohydrate) placebo. Glycocarn was used in the study for two reasons: 1) previous studies in which gycocarn was used for 4-8 weeks showed an 18% increase in NO; 2) the primary author of the study was a paid consultant for companies that sell glycocarn products. The study tested the effects of the products in 19 experienced resistance-trained men, who engaged in tests for muscular power and endurance before and after using the supplements or the placebo. The study included measurements of muscle oxygen saturation (MOS), blood nitrate and nitrite, which measures levels of NO; lactate, and a marker for oxidation of fats. The results showed that glycocarn increased muscle oxygen saturation more than the pre-workout supplements.None of the supplements showed any effects on blood NO levels, although the glycocarn lowered the level of the oxidation marker by 13.7%, while this marker increased with all the other supplements and the placebo.The Glycocarn also led to an increase in total exercise volume load greater than the other supplements and the placebo.None of the subjects reported any increase in muscle pump.
      Another new study examined whether dietary precursors for NO synthesis in the body known as nitrates can affect exercise intensity. These nitrates are found in various fruits and particularly in vegetables. The study involved seven men, ages 19 to 38, who consumed either 500 milliliters of beet root juice or a placebo for six days prior to engaging in tests involving low and high exercise intensity levels. Beet root juice is rich in nitrates, and previous studies showed that it appears to increase exercise efficiency, an effect attributed to increased NO production. The study found that drinking beet juice resulted in a reduced oxygen cost during high and low exercise intensity, which led to a reduced ATP cost of muscle force production. In simple terms, drinking the beet juice provided an ergogenic effect through sparing the immediate source of energy for muscle contraction, ATP, along with sparing muscle levels of phosphocreatine, which explains the higher ATP levels. This would result in an increased ability to tolerate a high intensity level of exercise for a longer amount of time. And guess what: beet juice is a lot cheaper than those fancy pre-workout supplements!

RJ, et al. Comparison of pre-workout nitric oxide stimulating dietary supplements on skeletal muscle oxygen saturation, blood nitrate/nitrite, lipid peroxidation, and upper body exercise performance in resistance trained men.J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2010;7:16.

Bailey SJ, et al. Dietary nitrate supplementation enhances muscle contractile efficiency during knee-extensor exercises in humans.

©,2012 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

 

Can creatine slow the aging process? by Jerry Brainum

Most people know that creatine is one of the most popular and effective bodybuilding supplements. Creatine differs from many other sports supplements offered on the market because it has an extensive and solid scientific data base. Studies show that creatine is an effective ergogenic  aid for 80% of those who use it.But creatine is far more than just a sports supplement. Various published studies show that it may provide therapeutic effects for a wide variety of pathological conditions, including neurological illness involving the brain. Recent research even suggests that creatine may play a role in helping to slow down the aging process.
    How would creatine affect the aging process? Calcium is an essential and important mineral, but it tends to build up in the brain with age. Excess calcium ions in the brain promote a cascade in the brain's neurons that results in the death of the neurons. Creatine helps to increase the brain's energy stores in the form of ATP. This increased ATP, in turn, powers calcium pumps that prevent the excess deposition of calcium in neurons, and thus prevent their premature death. As we age, the brain's innate antioxidant defense system becomes less efficient. This is a serious problem because the brain is largely composed of fat, which is susceptible to oxidation. Increased oxidation in the brain is associated with such degenerative diseases as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.In the brain, creatine provides antioxidant activity, particularly in the portions of the cells where energy is produced, the mitochondria. In doing so, creatine lowers excess oxidative activity, preserving mitochondria, which also results in a protective effect against the destruction of neurons. Studies in which creatine was given to aged mice show definite anti-aging effects, along with a significant increase in lifespan.
While it would be premature to label creatine an "anti-aging" substance in humans, continuing research will likely further clarify creatine's role in helping to blunt some of the ravages of aging, particularly in the brain.

©,2012 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

 

Slow versus fast weight loss: which is superior? by Jerry Brainum

Just about every article or book written about losing body fat strongly suggests that it's important not to attempt to lose weight too rapidly. There are several reasons offered for this admonition. For one, when you try to lose fat too quickly through a drastic reduction in total daily caloric intake, you risk losing more than just body fat. If  the low calorie plan that you choose doesn't contain sufficient levels of protein, there is a high risk of also losing lean mass, as in muscle. When you lose muscle, your resting metabolism drops. The problem with this is that a lower resting metabolism increases the chances of regaining any fat that you lost on the diet. Losing fat too fast also increases the chances of gaining back all that you lost in terms of body fat. This explains the 98% recidivism rate when it comes to losing fat; most people regain all the weight within a year. This, in fact, is a major critique directed at the reality TV show, Biggest Loser. While some of the contestants on that show have lost considerable amounts of weight, much of it was muscle, and many of them regained the weight shortly after their appearances on the program.
    The usual advice for losing weight is not to attempt to lose more than two pounds per week. This would require a daily caloric deficit of 1,000 calories a day, which is not that difficult for motivated dieters. More importantly, the two pound a week weight loss is more likely to consist mostly of fat, and this rate of loss doesn't shock the body, which is supposed to lead to better long-term weight loss. It all makes sense physiologically, yet a new study disputes the notion that rapid weight loss is bad. In fact, the study found that the opposite is true: more rapid weight loss is not only more effective compared to slower weight loss, but also increases the chances of maintaining the weight loss after the diet ends.
    The study analyzed data for 262 middle-aged obese women who participated in a weight-loss trial. The women followed a six month program that encouraged reduced caloric intake, coupled with increased exercise. The women were divided into three groups for study purposes: 1) fast group, who lost the most weight more rapidly; 2) moderate group, who lost slightly less weight each week than the fast group; and 3) slow group, who lost weight at the slowest rate. The study authors then looked at the women's weight loss after 6 and 18 months, and also checked for which group regained the most weight. It turned out that fast losers lost more weight, and also maintained the weight loss longer with less chance of weight regain compared to the other groups. In fact, the women in the fast group were five-times more likely to achieve a clinically significant 10 percent weight loss after 18 months compared to those in the slow group. As such, the study conclusion was that rapid weight loss in the initial stages of dieting is superior to slow weight loss because of greater short-term weight reductions, no increased susceptibility to faster weight regain, and larger total weight loss.


Nackers LM, et al. The association between rate of initial weight loss and long-term success in obesity treatment: does slow and steady win the race? Int J Behav Med 2010: in press.

©,2012 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

 

Study says growth hormone works for athletes--or does it? by Jerry Brainum

One of the more contentious issues related to anabolic athletic drug usage is whether growth hormone actually helps build muscle or improve athletic performance. The majority of studies that have examined the athletic use of growth hormone (GH) has found no improvements in athletic performance when GH is used alone, without any other anabolic drugs, such as anabolic steroids. In regard to body composition changes, that too, has proved disappointing, as any apparent muscle gains induced by GH are usually attributed to water retention. What's interesting about these prior findings on GH is that the same statements were applied to anabolic steroid usage forty years ago. Eventually, further studies found that using anabolic steroids unquestionably increases muscle mass and strength, particularly when used in conjunction with a weight-training program. A major problem with studies of athletic use of GH is that the doses used in the studies are always far less than that used by real world athletes. In addition, most studies don't involve competitive athletes, because providing the athletes with drugs deemed illegal to use in competition  is considered medically unethical. Yet, GH continues to be used by a large percentage of world-class athletes. One reason why it's favored is because there are currently no accurate drug tests for GH. One heralded test is starting to be used, and even caught one athlete. But the test must be used within 48 hours of an athlete using GH. As such, the test is only useful during random testing procedures. If the test were used in actual competition, most athletes would be savvy enough to discontinue GH prior to the detection time.
      A new study, just released from a group of researchers in Australia found that, contrary to past studies, GH use did increase one aspect of athletic competition: sprint speed. What's humorous about this particular study is that other researchers from the same Australian research group released another study about two years ago, in which they concluded that any benefits that accrue in athletes after using GH likely are due to the placebo effect, since one group of athletes used were told they were getting actual GH (but weren't), and other group just received a placebo, yet both groups made the same level of gains and athletic improvement. Apparently, the Aussie researchers have changed their tune, and now found that GH does in fact, increase sprint speed. But there are several caveats to consider with this study.
      For one, the dosage of GH was 2 units a day, provided via subcutaneous injection. The study subjects consisted of 63 men and 33 women, ages 18 to 40, all of whom were described as "recreational athletes." This means that none were competitive athletes, which as discussed above would have been considered unethical. Not to mention that the study was sponsored by the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA). Ostensibly, the reason for the sponsorship was to prove that GH was useless for athletes, and thus hopefully discourage athletic use of GH. But it didn't quite turn out that way. Half the men in the study injected GH or a saline solution placebo for 8 weeks. Some of the men also injected themselves with testosterone in addition to the GH, at a dose of 250 milligrams weekly. The women in the study either self-injected GH, or a placebo.
      After eight weeks, those using GH increased their sprint speed--as measured on a stationary bike--by 4 percent over their baseline or speed at the start of the study. Those who also used testosterone showed an 8 percent improvement in sprint speed. No other measures, such as endurance, strength, or jump height improved. In relation to body composition, GH reduced fat mass, and increased lean body mass, which was found to be not muscle, but extracellular water. This water retention was likely related to the reported side effects of swelling in two-thirds of the GH users, and joint pain reported by 47 percent. Another 28 percent said that they felt burning or tingling sensations in their skin.
      The lead author of the study told news agencies that the "enhancement of sprint capacity would correlate to a 0.4 second improvement over 10 seconds in a 100-meter dash. This improvement could turn the last place finisher in the Olympic finals into a gold medal winner." Then, perhaps thinking about the WADA funding of the study, he added that since the subjects were recreational and not competitive athletes, it would be hard to translate this into real world athletic improvement.He also noted that the doses of GH used in the study, 2 units a day, are considerably less than what is used by many competitive athletes. As a yardstick, many pro bodybuilders inject themselves with 4-8 units or more of GH daily, along with large doses of various anabolic steroids and other drugs. I would also add that extrapolating sprint speed on a stationary cycle may not precisely duplicate competitive level sprinting on a track. The study authors also mentioned that 6 weeks after the study and GH/testosterone use had ended, the sprint speed returned to base levels, suggesting that the effect was due to the drug usage. This must have been an embarrassment to WADA, who paid for the study in the hopes that the findings would all be negative. Another interesting aspect of the study to consider is that the sprint gains doubled when testosterone was added to GH usage. This underscores the empirical findings of athletes that GH always works best when combined with testosterone or anabolic steroids.

Meinhardt U, et al. The effects of growth hormone on body composition and physical performance in recreational athletes: a randomized trial. Ann Inter Med 2010;152:568-77.

©,2012 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited

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