Sunday, January 29, 2012

The Fatter You Are, the Slower It Burns by Jerry Brainum

   The fatter you are, the harder it is to tap into bodyfat stores during exercise. That was confirmed in a study that measured the fat use of five lean, five overweight and five obese men during exercise.1 All the subjects exercised for 90 minutes on a stationary cycle. Tracer infusions showing precisely where and how fat is oxidized, or burned, measured their fat use.


   The total increase in fatty acid uptake during exercise was 50 percent lower in obese subjects and 35 percent lower in overweight men than in the lean subjects. Normally, moderate-intensity exercise leads to a twofold to threefold increase in the burning of stored fat. Exercise also promotes greater use of fat stored in muscle, known as intramuscular fat. That’s due to increased secretion of catecholamines, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, from the adrenal glands during exercise.

   With increased bodyfat levels the body secretes lower levels of catecholamines during exercise, blunting release of fatty acids from fat cells into the blood. On the other hand, the study also showed that higher bodyfat levels also led to increased use of intramuscular fat, so the level of fat oxidation is similar. Still, fatter men release less of the type of fat that most people focus on—fat stored systemically in fat cells.

   Decreased use of systemic fat by the obese involves not only decreased catecholamine release during exercise but also a heightened stimulation of alpha-adrenergic receptors. Unlike beta-adrenergic cell receptors, which favor the use of fat, alpha-adrenergic fat-cell receptors inhibit fat use. A preponderance of alpha-adrenergic receptors in women’s lower bodies explains why it’s so difficult for most women to lose fat in that area. Interestingly, obese men burn fat much as women do in their lower bodies—with great difficulty.

   Obese men also usually have higher resting insulin levels. That’s caused by insulin resistance resulting from larger fat-cell volume. Insulin blocks the release of fat during exercise, an effect usually opposed by increased catecholamine secretion. Catecholamine secretion is blunted in the obese, however, leading to a vicious metabolic cycle.

   The question is how those with higher bodyfat levels can overcome their considerable fat-oxidation problems. Ephedrine and mahuang supplements simulate the effects of catecholamines in the body, including their effects on bodyfat release. Such supplements are no longer available, due to inaccurate reports about their so-called health dangers. Caffeine may also help release catecholamines to a limited degree, but the effect is usually transient.

   As for the problem of alpha-adrenergic receptors, a supplement based on yohimbe may block the effects of those fat-blunting receptors. But yohimbe must be taken on an empty stomach at a dose of about 0.2 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight. Food obliterates yohimbe’s fat-oxidation properties.

   The easiest way to overcome the metabolic fat oxidation deficit, though, is simply to have patience and lose the excess fat. When that happens, the obese are likely to burn fat as easily as their leaner peers.

1 Mittendorfer, B., et al. (2004). Excess bodyfat in men decreases plasma fatty acid availability and oxidation during endurance exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 286:E354-62.


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

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

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The Anabolic Diet : How to kick-start your muscle-building hormones by Jerry Brainum

   Gains in muscular size and strength are associated with a greater release of anabolic hormones, including testosterone and growth hormone. That’s why many athletes and bodybuilders resort to using anabolic steroids, which are based on testosterone, and growth hormone. Another option is to use food supplements that increase the levels of anabolic hormones in the body, including pro-hormones and several herbal formulas that, some studies show, may have a positive effect on anabolic hormone levels.


   Often overlooked, however, is the effect of dietary nutrients on anabolic hormone levels. That was the focus of recent research on the dietary patterns of eight strength-trained and 10 physically active men.1 The first part of the study examined the mens’ levels of total testosterone, free testosterone and growth hormone under resting conditions. In the second part of the study five men from each group trained using heavy resistance. They kept food diaries of everything they ate for four days prior to the training sessions.

   The results proved surprising in light of the usual advice on what to eat to gain muscle. Eating either insufficient fat or excess protein led to lower testosterone levels. According to the study, the best types of dietary fat for increasing testosterone are saturated and monounsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fat, usually considered the healthiest type—and the only fat considered essential—had no effect on anabolic hormone levels.

   So what are the optimal levels of protein and fat intake for testosterone release? Research shows that protein intake should be between 1.2 and 1.7 grams per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of bodyweight, while fat intake should never dip below 20 percent of total daily calories and should contain saturated and monounsaturated fat sources.

   Since monounsaturated fat, found in olive oil and other sources, is far more healthful than saturated fat, it would be prudent to focus more on that than saturated fat. Saturated-fat intake should never exceed 10 percent of total daily calories.

   Even though polyunsaturated fat had no effect on anabolic hormone release, it would be a serious mistake to avoid it. Polyunsaturated fats, such as the omega-3s found in fatty fish, are the only type of fat considered essential in the diet.

   As for growth hormone, no particular nutrient pattern had any significant effect. Even so, we know that there’s a direct relationship between calorie intake and GH release: A lack of protein or calories tends to depress growth hormone release.

1 Satillinen, J., et al. (2004). Relationship between diet and serum anabolic hormone responses to heavy resistance exercise in men. Int J Sports Med. 25:1-7.

©,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

 

 

Monday, January 23, 2012

Special K : Potassium Is More Important to Your Muscles and Health Than You Realize by Jerry Brainum

   The ride from the competitors’ hotel to the venue of the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio, isn’t a long one. But for Mike Matarrazo that ride must have felt like a thousand miles. Or so it seemed, judging by the expression on the veteran pro bodybuilder’s face that cold day in March several years ago. The normally ebullient Matarrazo seemed unusually quiet and tense. He looked to be heading to his own execution, not a bodybuilding contest. When asked how he felt, Matarrazo’s terse reply was simply, “I feel like I’m going to die.”


   Although he didn’t realize it at the time, Mike’s discomfort was self-inflicted. Since competitors at the major contests are judged heavily on muscular definition, Matarrazo and his fellow competitors resorted to various techniques in an effort to lose every bit of extraneous water under their skin. Water retention obscures muscular definition, and a highly defined look often separates the winners from the losers in top shows.

   Mike had done what many bodybuilders have done: He’d taken pharmaceutical diuretics. The one he used in preparation for this contest was known as a potassium-sparing diuretic. While most such drugs eliminate several minerals known to retain water in the body, especially sodium, potassium-sparing drugs, as the name implies, not only prevent the loss of potassium at the expense of sodium but also retain potassium in the body.

   Under normal circumstances drug-induced potassium retention isn’t a problem. The hidden danger, though, is combining such diuretics with potassium supplements, and that was Matarrazo's mistake. He’d taken large doses of potassium with potassium-sparing diuretic drugs because he had been told that diuretics cause loss of all minerals. Losing potassium, calcium and magnesium can lead to muscle cramps, the last thing you’d want to experience during a posing routine on stage.

   Mike’s malaise was later found to be hyperkalemia, or excess potassium in his blood. While the condition is easily treatable, your heart can stop beating if it isn’t caught in time. In fact, the lethal injection given in capital punishment contains a certain dose of potassium. Injected directly into the heart, potassium can stop the heart like a bullet. For those with normal kidney function, it’s difficult to overdose on potassium because a large dose leads to nausea, vomiting and rapid excretion by the kidneys.

   On the other hand, without sufficient potassium you couldn’t contract your muscles, your nervous system couldn’t function, and you wouldn’t be able to store glycogen, the complex carbohydrate that fuels bodybuilding workouts. Nor could you secrete anabolic hormones, including testosterone.

   Estimates are that prehistoric man ate up to 10 grams of potassium a day on average, or about five times more than most people get today.1 Sodium was rare in that period, and the human body evolved to conserve sodium and eliminate potassium. The kidneys regulate the process, which is why those with failing kidneys must be aware of their potassium intake. Aldosterone, a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, helps retain sodium while eliminating potassium.2 Potassium-sparing diuretics, such as the one Matarrazo used, block the effects of aldosterone.

   Although it represents a mere 5 percent of the body’s mineral content, potassium is the major intracellular electrolyte. It has a yin-yang relationship with sodium and chloride: As potassium exits a cell, sodium enters it. Those reactions, which are powered by the sodium-potassium ATP pump, are involved in several important mechanisms, including nerve conduction, water balance and muscle contraction.

   Cells need potassium for normal growth and protein synthesis. That alone should make the mineral of extraordinary interest to anybody who wants to build muscle. Lesser known functions include its involvement in glycogen synthesis and the process that degrades glycogen into glucose to release energy. People on low-carbohydrate diets often experience weakness and fatigue due to a low-potassium intake combined with the natural diuretic effects associated with low-carb diets. Those effects lead to general water loss, especially notable during the initial stages of the diet. But along with water, various minerals, including sodium and potassium, are also lost from the body.

   Heart patients on pharmaceutical diuretics that treat heart failure and hypertension, or high blood pressure, are also often prescribed potassium supplements to replace what’s lost. The heart cannot properly function without potassium; it’s vital for the electrical conduction system that regulates heartbeat. Too much potassium, however, can lead to equally serious disturbances.


   Several studies have demonstrated potassium’s benefits. It appears to help prevent the most common form of stroke.3 By opposing the action of sodium, potassium helps lower elevated blood pressure, a major cause of stroke. In addition, potassium functions as an antioxidant, limiting the activity of a destructive free radical called superoxide.4 Free radicals, by-products of oxygen metabolism, cause the major damage to brain neurons after a stroke.

   The vital sodium-potassium pump mechanism sets off an electrical charge that leads to a series of reactions that send nerve impulses from brain to body and back. Without the sodium-potassium pump, glands couldn’t secrete any hormones, including testosterone and growth hormone.

   You’ve likely heard that the popular food supplement creatine is best absorbed when taken with simple sugar, which causes a release of insulin. The insulin, in turn, positively influences the actions of the sodium-potassium pump, which then powers the transport protein that actually pushes creatine into muscle.

   Certain hormones influence potassium activity in the body. So-called sympathetic hormones, such as epinephrine, promote the entry of potassium into cells. Users of the drug clenbuterol, structurally similar to sympathetic hormones, have often noticed such side effects as hand cramps and muscle twitching; clenbuterol lowers blood levels of potassium and pushes it into cells. The temporary imbalance that results leads to nerve conduction and muscle contraction abnormalities, hence the side effects.

   Any drugs that either mimic or promote the release of sympathetic hormones, such as epinephrine, can lower blood potassium levels. Many drugs used to treat asthma, besides clenbuterol, lower potassium. The most popular inhaler for treating asthma attacks, albuterol, lowers blood potassium for four hours, though not to dangerously low levels. The OTC decongestant pseudoepinephrine also lowers potassium levels, as does ephedrine, the popular fat-loss ingredient that was removed from sale in 2005.. Caffeine, a common ingredient in fat-loss supplements and the active ingredient in coffee, lowers potassium. An overdose of the asthma drug theophylline, which is sometimes included in fat-loss supplements, can cause severe hypokalemia. Even eating lots of black licorice will result in potassium excretion and sodium retention—an aldosteronelike effect.

   Insulin potently promotes the entry of potassium into cells. One standard treatment of hyperkalemia is a dose of insulin, which rapidly pushes potassium from the blood into cells. The pH—acidity or alkalinity—of the blood also influences potassium levels. High acidity, which you get on a high-protein diet devoid of alkaline foods like fruits and vegetables, pushes potassium out of cells, while an alkaline state favors cellular sodium retention.

   Recent animal studies show that excessive acidity blunts protein synthesis. In fact, high acidity can lead to muscle catabolism, or breakdown. Potassium is an effective buffer against the effects of excess acidity caused by a high protein diet. One study published a few years ago showed that when women following a high-protein diet took potassium bicarbonate, which contains two buffer substances, muscle protein breakdown and calcium losses were inhibited.

   Dietitians frequently warn that a high-protein diet is hazardous to health because it promotes calcium loss. The culprits here are amino acids, mainly the ones containing sulfur, such as methionine and cysteine. The body compensates for the increased blood acidity by releasing various buffers, including calcium, which disappears from the body during the process. When the subjects of some studies increased their fruit and vegetable intake from 3.6 to 9.5 daily servings, however, calcium excretion decreased by 30 percent. Much of the protective effect is due to the alkalinizing effects of the potassium found in fruits and vegetables.

   Compared to most other minerals, potassium is easily absorbed into the body and at about 90 percent efficiency; potassium is highly water-soluble. There is, however, a flag on the play. Because of the dangers associated with high-potassium intake, especially in relation to heart function, the government prohibits direct over-the-counter potassium supplements from providing more than 99 milligrams per dose. That doesn’t mean you can’t get higher amounts of potassium in other food supplements, such as meal-replacement products. Another form of potassium, which combines potassium with chloride, is sold as a salt substitute.


   The most popular food sources of potassium are bananas and baked potatoes, both of which contain respectable levels of potassium minus excessive sodium. Other potassium-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, almonds, raisins, avocado, figs, dates, yams and dairy products. Since potassium is ubiquitous, it seems unlikely that you’ll suffer from a deficiency of the mineral—unless you resort to some extreme measure, like diuretics.

   Most Americans get 2.9 to 3.2 grams of potassium daily, which is below the acceptable intake of 4.7 grams a day. That pales in comparison to the 10 grams our Stone Age ancestors took in. Diets that eliminate the best food sources of potassium—fruits and vegetables—could lead to problems. That’s particularly true of high-protein, low-carb plans that call for no fruits and vegetables. Such diets tend to produce high acidity in the body, which can lead to muscular weakness during exercise and suppression of protein synthesis.

   As a diet low in natural potassium continues, the kidneys become less effective at conserving the mineral, and the body excretes more of it. That occurs when you consistently take in less than 1,000 milligrams daily. Eventually some form of hypokalemia, or low potassium, may occur. Symptoms include muscular weakness, heart rhythm disturbances and glucose intolerance, all of which add up to lousy workouts.

   Taking OTC potassium pills isn’t the best way to deal with a potassium-deficient diet. Such supplements, which often contain potassium chloride, have a caustic effect on the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and may even cause a type of ulceration and perforation.5 Fortunately, healthy kidneys eliminate excess potassium, so it’s difficult to suffer a potassium overdose unless you have some type of kidney failure.

   Bodybuilders often use potassium supplements because of the notion that they prevent muscle cramps. There’s some truth to that, since potassium is vital for muscle contraction and nerve conduction, each of which plays a role in the onset of muscle cramps. Besides potassium, however, a sensible supplemental cocktail should also include magnesium and calcium. Without magnesium, your cells can’t retain potassium.6

   One thing to avoid is taking a potassium supplement on an empty stomach. That signals the adrenal glands to secrete aldosterone, which helps the kidneys excrete potassium and retain sodium.7 Then human evolution kicks in and leads to edema, or water retention. Maintaining a higher ratio of potassium to sodium promotes the excretion of excess sodium, which equals less water retention.

   You should aim for about five grams of potassium a day to help maintain an alkaline state in your body, thereby reducing muscle catabolism, and replenish muscle glycogen for better workouts. The easiest way to get your potassium quota is to eat at least five (nine is better) servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

References

1 Frassetto, L.A., et al. (2001). Diet, evolution and aging: the physiopathologic effects of postagricultural inversion of the potassium-to-sodium and base-to- chloride ratios in the human diet. Eur J Nutr. 40:200-213.

2 Meneton, P., et al. (2004). Sodium and potassium handling by the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron: the pivotal role of the distal and connecting tubule. Am J Physiol. 287:F593-F601.

3 Khaw, K.T., et al. (1987). Dietary potassium and stroke-associated mortality: a 12-year prospective population study. New Eng J Med. 316:235-40.

4 McCabe, R.D., et al. (1994). Potassium inhibits free radical formation. Hypertension. 2:77-82.

5 Debs, A., et al. (1988). Perforation of the small intestine caused by tablets of potassium chloride. Press Med. 17:696-97.

6 Kobrin, S.M., et al. (1990). Magnesium deficiency. Semin Nephrol. 10:525-35.

7 Field, M.J., et al. (1985). Hormonal control of renal potassium excretion. Kidney Int. 27:379-87.

MIKE MATARZZO

 

©,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

.

                                                      

Saturday, January 21, 2012

What type of protein reduces appetite? by Jerry Brainum

   Here’s a quick quiz for you. Milk contains two primary types of protein, whey and casein. Studies show that they’re absorbed at different rates, with whey being absorbed rapidly and casein slowly releasing amino acids into the blood for more than seven hours. Which would suppress appetite more? A new study focused on just that question.1 Past studies have shown that protein has a greater satiation effect than fat or carbs. On the other hand, the appetite-suppressing effect of protein is blunted in people who habitually eat a high-protein diet—typical of bodybuilders. That’s most noticeable in those who increase their protein intake from a lower level. With a regular higher-protein intake, amino acids are more rapidly cleared and oxidized from the blood, mitigating its effect on appetite.


   That’s also the reason a high-protein diet isn’t likely to lead to increased fat deposition, since all nutrients, including protein, fat and carbs, can be converted into fat. Active people, such as those engaged in regular exercise, burn up excess protein in the liver, thus preventing its conversion into glucose or fat.

   One notable difference between whey and casein is that the amino acids in whey are rapidly processed and absorbed into the blood. Casein, on the other hand, curdles in the stomach, leading to a much slower breakdown and release of amino acids. Because a high concentration of amino acids is vital for promoting muscle protein synthesis, some studies suggest that whey’s rapid release of aminos makes it superior to casein for that purpose. On the other hand, casein’s slow release of amino acids makes it more conducive to providing a pronounced anticatabolic effect by maintaining a positive nitrogen balance in the blood over the course of several hours.

   The amino acids in the blood dictate the appetite-suppressing properties of protein. Whey is the superior appetite-suppressing protein. In a new study, subjects drank a beverage containing 48 grams of a commercial whey supplement or one containing the same amount of casein and attended an all-you-can-eat buffet 90 minutes later. Those who drank the whey ate 19 percent less food than those who drank the casein.

   In the second part of the study researchers wanted to confirm the notion that the quick entry of amino acids made whey more satiating and to figure out if any gut hormones known to affect appetite were affected by whey or casein. That part of the study showed, as expected, that whey increased blood amino acid levels 28 percent more than casein over a three-hour period.

   The whey drink increased the levels of several gut hormones that are known to suppress appetite. It increased the blood levels of cholecystokinin (CCK) by 60 percent, glucagonlike peptide-1 by 65 percent and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide by 36 percent. That last hormone isn’t normally increased by protein alone, but both the whey and casein drinks also contained cream and maltodextrin, a quick-acting carbohydrate.

   Thus, whey appears to decrease appetite through its rapid release of amino acids, which in turn promotes the release of several gut hormones known to depress appetite and increase feelings of satiety.

1 Hall, W.L., et al. (2003). Casein and whey exert different effects on plasma amino acid profiles, gastrointestinal hormone secretion and appetite. Brit J Nutrition. 89:239-48.


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

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Is stretching really good for your workout and muscle growth? by Jerry Brainum

   Some form of flexibility training is considered an essential part of any bodybuilding program. Bodybuilders stretch for various reasons, but most think that maintaining flexibility decreases the chance of injury. A simple definition of flexibility is the ability to move a joint through a complete range of motion. That implies that a lack of flexibility equals a decreased range of motion. A shortened range of motion, in turn, limits muscle size and strength gains, as well as increasing the chance of injury.


   Some bodybuilders stretch just prior to training, after training any particular muscle group or following a workout. Some even suggest stretching between sets of an exercise, with the notion that it helps the muscle recover faster. Recent research, however, shows that many of those ideas are simply false.

   According to the research, the effects of stretching differ when it’s performed regularly as opposed to acutely, or just before exercise. Most of the benefits of stretching come from everyday stretching activity. The belief that stretching before lifting weights is an effective warmup is mistaken. The most effective warmup features activity that increases the internal temperature of muscle, which decreases muscle viscosity and increases energy reactions and power. In practice, that means starting with a light set of the exercise you plan to do, using higher reps.

   Stretching the muscle you plan to train, however, leads to a loss of strength, averaging 2 to 5 percent. It results from a decrease in connective tissue stiffness—in other words, the stiffness actually adds to muscle strength. While tissue laxity induced by stretching would appear to lower the risk of injury incurred during heavy training, studies say it doesn’t.

   Regular stretching routines, or stretching at times besides just before or during training, do lead to performance improvement. The evidence of the literature is that regular stretching leads to increases in force and power, most likely due to an increased range of motion. Those improvements amount to an average increase of 2 to 5 percent—the same rate of strength lost when you stretch just before training.

   Whether you should stretch before training is your call. The small amount of strength loss may be offset by an increased range of motion and more efficient exercise. Trainees with a history of injury often feel that stretching a muscle before training helps them train that muscle harder. Since most of the benefits come from regular stretching as opposed to stretching just before or during training, it’s probably a good idea to consider stretching as a whole other workout.



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

Please consider joining this blog by clicking on the blue "join this site" button to the right of this blog. This will ensure that new blogs continue to be published. It costs nothing, and takes only a few seconds. Thank you.

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Sunday, January 15, 2012

Pump Protector and Fat Ejector by Jerry Brainum

  L-arginine has recently emerged as the superstar amino acid, displacing such previous favorites as glutamine and leucine. That’s particularly interesting because L-arginine isn’t even considered an essential amino acid, meaning one that must be provided in food. Like glutamine, it’s a conditionally essential amino: one that’s required in greater amounts during times of growth and stress.


   Although arginine has been largely associated with promoting growth hormone release, its present popularity stems from its position as the immediate dietary precursor of nitric oxide. NO is both a gas and a free radical that is short-lived in the body but that performs myriad vital functions.

   A recent study featured the Zucker rat, a genetically altered animal that exhibits the same effects of type 2 diabetes and obesity as humans—elevated blood glucose; elevated blood lipids, such as cholesterol and triglycerides; elevated resting insulin levels; and dysfunction of the lining of blood vessels that leads to atherosclerosis, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.1 Researchers gave the fat, diabetic rats arginine because of the relationship between NO and fat metabolism. NO increases the expression of a chemical that leads to increased activity of mitochondria in cells. Fat is oxidized in the mitochondria. When the genes of rats are manipulated so that they don’t produce NO, they always show higher bodyfat levels than ordinary rats, even though they eat the same amount of food. Inhibiting NO in rats also increases blood levels of triglyceride, or fat.

   Since NO stimulates fat oxidation in fat cells, the experimenters hypothesized that giving the Zucker diabetic rats, as they’re known, arginine would increase NO production and possibly decrease bodyfat levels. Some rats got arginine as 1.25 percent of their overall caloric intake in drinking water for 10 weeks. Other rats got no additional arginine.

   In the arginine rats, blood arginine levels rose 261 percent, and NO was elevated by 70 percent. The bodyweights of the arginine-treated rats were 6, 10 and 16 percent lower than the control rats at weeks four, seven and 10. Abdominal fat dropped by 45 percent. Serum levels of glucose dropped 25 percent; triglycerides dropped 23 percent; free fatty acids dropped 27 percent; homocysteine dropped 26 percent. By the 10th week of the study, NO production had increased in the arginine-treated rats by 71 to 85 percent, fat oxidation had increased 24 percent, and glucose oxidation was boosted by 34 to 36 percent. The genes related to fat oxidation increased considerably in the arginine rats, with two animals showing increases as high as 789 and 500 percent.

   The arginine treatment didn’t increase insulin or growth hormone release. No side effects occurred, nor was the uptake or metabolism of any other amino acid adversely affected. Arginine did, however, increase the weight of the rats’ skeletal muscles, heart and brain. Other animal studies also show that arginine benefits protein synthesis, but it doesn’t affect muscle protein breakdown, or catabolism.

   One of the substances increased by arginine reduces the availability of malonyl coenzyme-A, which is a primary inhibitor of fat oxidation in the mitochondria. That substance increases in the presence of carbohydrates, which explains why eating carbs just before training blunts fat burning during the workout. Specifically, malonyl coenzyme-A blocks the enzyme that works with L-carnitine in shuttling fat into the mitochondria for oxidation purposes.

   Another recent study showed that dietary arginine lowered levels of C-reactive protein in the body.2 CRP is a general measure of inflammation in the body, and inflammation is the cornerstone of most serious diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Most supplements, even potent antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, have little or no effect on CRP. The effect on CRP may explain why eating nuts and fish protects the cardiovascular system; both foods are rich sources of arginine. Eating 3.6 ounces, or 100 grams, of walnuts provides 2.5 grams of arginine.

  Arginine is thought to lower CRP levels through several possible mechanisms. Its antioxidant activity is independent of its role as a NO precursor, since NO itself is an oxidant. Arginine also positively affects immune function, which helps to reduce the inflammation characteristic of high CRP levels. A recently published study found that vitamin D may boost levels of CRP. But considering the effect of arginine on CRP, it's likely that arginine offers a nutritional antidote to this vitamin D problem. Although the effects reported here about arginine involved rats, recent studies show that arginine appears to reverse most of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome in humans, suggesting that the beneficial effects of arginine may extend to humans, too.

References

1 Fu, W.J., et al. (2005). Dietary L-arginine supplementation reduces fat mass in Zucker diabetic fatty rats. J. Nutr. 135: 714-721.

2 Wells, B.J., et al. (2005). Association between dietary arginine and C-reactive protein. Nutrition. 21:125-30.


©,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

 

Friday, January 13, 2012

Toxic Haste? by Jerry Brainum

While a lot of research has pointed to undesirable side effects associated with anabolic steroid use, a good deal of it is flawed. Case studies, for instance, often examine the experiences of a few or even one person. They don’t prove much, since the adverse reactions of just a few people could be idiosyncratic, involving an individual sensitivity to the drugs used or a medical condition that became evident only after the drug use.


   Another problem is that researchers don’t work with realistic doses of the drugs in their studies. Scientists consider it unethical to administer the drug regimens used by many athletes today. They note that no published precedents prove the safety of such regimens, so using them constitutes bad medicine.

   That’s led some scientists to observe athletes who get the drugs for themselves and use dosages and/or combinations that no doctor would advise. While risky from a health standpoint, such studies are nonetheless more realistic. Still, there’s no way to verify whether the doses and combinations reported by the athletes are accurate.

   That leaves animal studies. The most obvious limitation of extrapolating animal research to human physiology is that humans may not react to drugs exactly as animals do.

   In an effort to replicate real-world use of anabolic steroids by athletes, Japanese scientists gave massive doses of popular anabolic steroids to 37 rats that were divided into different groups.1 The first group got nandrolone decanoate, a popular injectable anabolic steroid with the trade name Deca-Durabolin; methenolone acetate, better known as Primobolan; and drostanolone, trade name Masteron. Group two got just Deca-Durabolin and saline, or salt, injections; group three, the control group got only saline injections.

   All of the steroids were injected for six weeks. The medications were then stopped for four weeks and resumed for another six. Given the short life span of a rat, that is comparable to a few years for a human. The interesting part of the study was the dosages. The authors used a 132-pound reference human (people in Japan tend to be a bit smaller than in the West) and figured out doses that amounted to 100 times the suggested therapeutic ones. In order for the rats to to get the equivalent of the massive dose schedule used by athletes, that amount was extrapolated to the animals’ considerably smaller size. The authors believed that only that level of steroid use would produce pathological effects.

   The study yielded few surprises. As expected, the rats in the steroid groups showed higher levels of both testosterone and its by-product, dihydrotestosterone, than the control group. The drug rats also showed higher estrogen levels, likely from the high doses of Deca-Durabolin, 20 percent of which can convert into estrogen. The other drugs in the study were DHT-based and could not convert into estrogen.

   The rodents’ organs showed severe damage to the hearts, testes and adrenal glands. The animals’ prostate glands showed enlargement but no evidence of cancer. In the testes, both Sertoli cells (where sperm cells are made) and Leydig cells (where testosterone is synthesized) were reduced in number. The animals’ natural secretion of testosterone was completely inhibited. Commenting on that, the authors noted, “Although students and athletes readily use anabolic steroid drugs, this finding is very shocking, and steroid users would most likely be quite alarmed if they knew of these pathological effects on the testes.”

   That last observation shows how out of touch those researchers were with reality. Athletes have known of the hormone-suppressing effects of anabolic steroids for years. They attempt to counter the effects by using other drugs, such as estrogen blockers like Nolvadex or various aromatase blockers, which prevent the conversion of androgens into estrogens. Many also use HCG, an injectable drug with a structure similar to that of luteinizing hormone, the hormone that maintains testosterone synthesis.

In the section discussing how the steroid regimen in the rats led to inflammation in the heart, the authors suggest that former Olympic gold medal track star Florence “Flo-Jo” Joyner may have died from cardiac complications of anabolic steroid use. Joyner’s official cause of death was related to a seizure.


   The damage to the adrenal glands was explained by the presence of androgen receptors there. The authors think that some kind of hormonal negative-feedback mechanism may have caused the adrenal damage. But what about giving the animals dosages equivalent to 100 times the therapeutic dose based on weight? Wouldn’t that impose enough stress on the rodents to burn out their adrenal glands?

   A major problem with the study is the doses used. They are excessive. An example is the dose used for Deca-Durabolin. The authors think that some athletes are injecting 20,000 milligrams of Deca. Heck, even with a drug that has the reputation of being relatively mild, such as Deca, that would be a near-fatal dose.

   Does that mean the steroid regimens used by athletes and bodybuilders are safe? Unlikely. While athletes may not use doses comparable to those given to the rats in this study, they do use a lot more than what would ever be used therapeutically


Excessive Bodyfat: A Growth Hormone Deficiency?

   Most people are fat because they eat too much and exercise too little. They don’t burn enough calories through their daily activity. That’s the simple equation of obesity, but as scientific discovery marches on, the body-composition equation becomes increasingly complex.

   An example is the success of low-carbohydrate dieting. Many recent studies that have compared low-carb to other types of diets, such as lowfat, show that low-carb diets work better for most obese people. That’s true even when the competing diets contain an equal number of daily calories and a similar level of physical activity among study subjects.

   The usual explanation for the apparent superiority of low-carb diets relates to hormones. A primary objective of low-carb dieting is insulin control. Most people with excess bodyfat levels oversecrete insulin, a storage hormone that works mainly to help store bodyfat. Thus, by limiting carbohydrates, the food element that promotes the greatest release of insulin, obese people are able to tap into and oxidize excess fat stores.

   Other hormones also play prominent roles in body composition. Thyroid hormone controls basal, or resting, metabolic rate, so a person’s thyroid gland must be functioning optimally to promote fat loss. On the other hand, taking excessive doses of pharmaceutical forms of thyroid hormone can have a pronounced catabolic effect in lean tissue. Most obese people have normal thyroid function, and the body responds to a drastic reduction in calories by lowering active thyroid output as a means of preserving vital tissue. Known as the dieting plateau, the effect can be overcome in many cases with small doses of thyroid hormone. That should always be medically supervised to avoid side effects.

   Growth hormone has a reputation as a fat burner, which explains the plethora of GH-promoting food supplements that are touted as helping lower bodyfat. Whether it’s of any use in treating obesity or lowering bodyfat is a subject of contention among scientists. On the other hand, people who are deficient in GH always show significant body-composition improvement when given the hormone, including decreased bodyfat and increased lean mass.

   The problem with using growth hormone as a fat-loss therapy involves not only the considerable expense of the drug itself, as well as the availability, but also possible side effects. When people are given amounts of GH greater than the doses used to treat GH deficiency, they commonly experience side effects, including edema, or water retention. Edema occurs because GH promotes the release of aldosterone, an adrenal hormone that retains sodium and water in the body. Joint pain, another common side effect, is likely related to GH’s influence on connective-tissue growth. Excessive connective-tissue growth leads to effects such as carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful nerve impingement at the wrist that may require surgical correction. In other cases GH is associated with hypertension and glucose intolerance, even gynecomastia, a condition of excess glandular tissue in male breasts.

A kind of GH that exists only in experimental form appears to offer the fat-lowering effects of growth hormone without the side effects. It won’t be available for many years, however. In the meantime, is there a dose that will effectively lower bodyfat without side effects?


   According to a recent double-blind study, there is.2 Fifty-nine obese men and women were randomly assigned to either a GH group or a placebo group. The study lasted six months, and the subjects initially injected themselves with either 200 micrograms of GH or a placebo. After a month the dose was increased to 400 micrograms for men and 600 for women. The women got more because women are less sensitive to GH than men. After that, all groups got off the GH, and the researchers followed them for another three months.

   Those in the GH group lost 2.4 kilograms—a modest amount, but it was composed entirely of bodyfat. They lost no lean tissue, or muscle, at all. That’s consistent with the known effects of GH: maintaining lean mass while promoting use of fat as a fuel source. Precisely how the GH promoted the fat loss isn’t known.

   None of the usual side effects linked to GH showed up in any of the subjects, an effect attributed to the low doses used in the study. Those using the real GH did show normalized levels of IGF-1, a product of GH release produced in the liver. The GH group also had a 19 percent increase in high-density lipoprotein, a cardiac- protective cholesterol carrier in the blood.

   The authors suggest that in people who have excessive bodyfat, lower GH and IGF-1 levels may help perpetuate obesity. Adding small doses of GH to compensate for the apparent deficiency could promote a selective loss of bodyfat while preserving or promoting a gain in lean tissue that would help increase resting metabolic rate, thus maintaining lower bodyfat levels.


References


1 Takahashi, M., et al. (2004). Endocrinological and pathological effects of anabolic-androgenic steroid in male rats. Endocrine Journal. 51:425-34.

2 Albert, S.G., et al. (2004). Low-dose recombinant human growth hormone as adjuvant therapy to lifestyle modifications in the management of obesity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 89:695-701.

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

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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Hydrate to Heighten Muscle Growth, Strength and Health by Jerry Brainum

Aliso Viejo is a small city, population 40,000, south of Los Angeles. Among its distinguishing characteristics is that it was the first planned community in the rapidly growing Orange County. Truth be told, Aliso Viejo isn’t the most exciting place to visit, although it’s not far from Disneyland. Under the heading “places of interest,” the city’s official Web site lists Sora University, a Buddhist college, and nature walks.


   So it’s a matter of some interest that sleepy Aliso Viejo managed to make the world news in March 2004. What attracted the media were reports that the good people on the city council were going to ban an extremely dangerous environmental contaminant. Somehow, dihydrogen monoxide had reached startling levels in Aliso Viejo. In its crude form, this critical ingredient in many common chemical compounds often spilled onto the city’s otherwise pristine streets. Investigation revealed that it showed up even in Styrofoam cups.

   The serious effects of dihydrogen monoxide were presented by a paralegal who’d obtained the information from an official-looking, seemingly authoritative Web site. The report noted that dihydrogen monoxide was lethal if inhaled, that it could cause severe burns in its gaseous state and that it was the major component of acid rain. In short, the report concluded, dihydrogen monoxide posed a “threat to human health and safety.”

   The Web site also noted that dihydrogen monoxide was particularly insidious, being odorless, tasteless and colorless. The symptoms of excessive dihydrogen monoxide intake included sweating and urination, a possible bloated feeling and an electrolyte or mineral imbalance. In large print, the site proclaimed, “This horror must be stopped!”

   Is it any wonder the city fathers of Aliso Viejo were concerned? With most of the population in the 25-to-35-year-old age group, they had to consider the impact of dihydrogen monoxide on children and future generations. Something had to be done, and quickly.

   Aliso Viejo’s alarm is replicated daily because other Internet sites proclaim the toxicity of everything from protein to artificial sweeteners. The well-meaning but seriously uninformed paralegal who prepared the report for the city council had fallen for a put-on: Dihydrogen monoxide is the chemical name for water. (Nobody caught the joke in time for Aliso Viejo’s plan not to hit humor-hungry wire services.)

   Eliminating water would prove disastrous to life on Earth. A human being can live without oxygen for four to six minutes. You can survive without eating anything for up to 60 days, but you may have noticed that even those whose hunger strikes make the news never stop drinking water. No water almost certainly means death within five days. The immediate cause of death for Terry Schiavo, a medically brain-dead Florida woman whose feeding tube was disconnected after more than a decade, was dehydration. Fluids had been withdrawn less than a week earlier. Grotesque as it may sound, she died right on schedule from lack of water.

   Water intake is no less important for bodybuilders. While many look at it merely as the source of a refreshing interlude between sets or something they shower in after a workout, water has much more critical uses. From an aesthetic viewpoint, the amount of water the body retains can determine the winner in a close bodybuilding contest. Being bloated, or having accumulated too much water, is among most competitors’ greatest fears, for it can obscure muscular definition honed by weeks or even months of hard training and dieting.

   Some bodybuilders, especially on the professional level, circumvent the water retention that inevitably results from using drugs such as anabolic steroids and growth hormone by using other drugs, such as diuretics. That can create another whole new set of problems, however, such as an electrolyte imbalance that results in embarrassing muscle cramps onstage. Since muscle itself is 72 percent water, injudicious use of diuretics can lead to a flat appearance, especially after a low-carb diet has eliminated the glycogen that holds water in muscles.

The problem with diuretics and other drugs that induce rapid water loss is that they have an overkill effect. Water is key both inside and outside the body’s cells. Intracellular water accounts for two-thirds of the body’s water, and the other third is extracellular. When a bodybuilder uses diuretics, he intends to eliminate extracellular water, but the drugs are so potent that they also reduce intracellular water. That leads to an electrolyte imbalance.


   Research has illuminated some fascinating effects of water that are directly relevant to anybody who wants added muscle and vibrant health. An example is the cellular hydration theory, which deals with the status of water contained in a cell.1 Hydration of a muscle cell sets off an anabolic cascade that results in upgraded muscle protein synthesis. The reverse is true. When a cell is dehydrated, it becomes catabolic, prone to breakdown. Dehydrated cells characterize many diseases, such as cancer, and they include a catabolic component.

Water: The Facts

   The human body is 60 percent water; babies are about 70 percent water. Men have more water in their bodies than women because men usually have more muscle, which is 72 percent water. By contrast, fat contains about 10 percent water, which makes it an ideal storage fuel. The structures of protein contain water, as does glycogen, the stored form of carbohydrate in the human body. Each gram of glycogen is stored with three grams of water. That explains the high initial weight loss that occurs with many diets, especially low-carb plans. Without carbs, glycogen rapidly degrades, eliminating the water stored with it.

   Muscle contains more water because such elements as protein, glycogen, creatine and amino acids pull water into the tissue. Because fat doesn’t contain those elements, there’s no osmosis, which makes fat a drier tissue than muscle.

   Water is the primary solvent, dissolving various nutrients, including minerals, vitamins, amino acids and glucose. Water is also involved in the digestion and absorption of those nutrients, as well as their transport, via blood, into tissues and cells; blood is also largely water.

   Water is an excellent solvent because it’s a polar molecule. It has no electrical charge of its own, but its molecular structure fosters partial negative and positive charges on its oxygen and hydrogen atoms. Thus water interacts with other water molecules and partially charged substances, such as electrolytes, glucose and amino acids.

   Dehydration is usually defined as a 1 to 2 percent loss of bodyweight resulting from fluid losses.2 Rat-based studies found that 28 hours after rodents were deprived of water, the solid elements of their blood increased and that the liquid portion, or volume, declined. Thickening of blood, associated with blood clotting and slowed blood flow, is also associated with strokes and heart attacks.

   A study of Seventh-Day Adventists—8,280 men and 12,017 women—examined the relationship between heart disease and water intake.3 Those who drank five or more glasses of water daily were less likely to die of a heart attack than those who drank two or fewer. Of the subjects who drank five or more glasses daily, the women were 41 percent and the men 54 percent less likely to die from a heart attack.

   Drinking other fluids, however, such as coffee, tea, juice, milk and alcohol, reversed the benefits of water and led to a greater mortality rate. Blood thinning was water’s key protective property; decreased blood thickness, or viscosity, meant less chance of fatal blood clots. Fluids like coffee have the opposite effect because to be digested they need to be diluted, which draws water from the blood, making it temporarily thicker. Coffee is a mild diuretic, causing some water loss, which can also lead to blood thickening. On the other hand, in those who regularly drink coffee, the diuretic action is lost, which makes a cup of coffee equivalent to two-thirds of a cup of water.

The Importance of Water During a Diet


   Fat is a storage base for various toxins, and as it degrades through diet and exercise, you need to take in enough water to flush out the toxins released from stored fat. Water is also a natural diuretic, flushing out such elements as sodium, which can lead to water retention and a bloated appearance.


   Bodybuilders who restrict water shortly before a contest are likely working against themselves, depending on how limited their intake is. As you restrict fluid intake, blood volume declines. When the brain detects that, the posterior pituitary gland secretes antidiuretic hormone. As the name implies, ADH works to retain water so the body can maintain the right blood volume. In other words, you wind up retaining more water when you restrict water. Conversely, drinking water inhibits ADH release. So does alcohol, which explains why you need to pee not long after you have an alcoholic drink.

   People who diet often complain that they can’t concentrate, but the cause may be less the lack of calories than a mild form of dehydration. Studies of animals have shown that dehydration impairs brain function. It damages the mitochondria of neurons, or brain cells—and mitochondria are the source of the energy that maintains cellular function. The level of glutamate, an amino acid that stimulates neuron activity, can increase too fast and possibly kill neurons; excess glutamate activity is a primary cause of stroke-related neuron death.

   In human studies dehydrated subjects show impaired math ability, memory and reaction time.4 That happens after only a 2 percent body-fluid loss—which is considered the point where dehydration side effects appear. Nitric oxide, also produced in the brain, is involved in learning and memory. Normally dehydration increases nitric oxide in the brain, but that effect is lost in older people, which may help explain memory defects.

   Studies show that drinking water with meals results in eating less food, in turn leading to weight losses. An old dieting trick is to drink a glass of water shortly before eating a meal. The water makes you feel full and decreases your appetite and food intake.

   A surprising property of water is its thermogenic aspect.5 One experiment measured the effects on seven men and seven women who drank 500 milliliters, or just over a pint, of water. That amount resulted in a 30 percent increase in resting metabolic rate within 10 minutes of drinking and reached maximum effects in 30 to 40 minutes. The increased metabolic rate was fueled by fat in men and by carbs in women. This is related to a release of catecholamine hormones, such as epinephrine. The release of catecholamines usually leads to a rise in blood pressure, but not when you drink water. That’s because water also elicits increased activity of the vagal nerve, which works against blood pressure increase caused by sympathetic hormones.6

Anabolic Water?

   Cellular hydration is considered a potent anabolic stimulus. Conversely, when a cell is dry, catabolic effects dominate, often leading to cell death. Most studies showing the effect of cellular hydration have used cells extracted from liver. One such study showed that perfusing liver cells with the amino acid glutamine makes the size of the cell swell by 12 percent. It happens in minutes and lasts as long as the perfusion continues.

   Glutamine swells cells because it promotes the entry of sodium into the cell. Inside the cell the sodium exchanges with potassium, which then exits the cell to prevent excess swelling. That mechanism is known as the sodium-potassium pump. Other substances also promote cellular hydration—various amino acids, bile acids, insulin and possibly creatine. Researchers think that most of insulin’s anabolic effects come about because it promotes cellular hydration. Some substances—glucagon, cyclic AMP, serotonin and urea—promote cellular dehydration, which has catabolic consequences.

   Hydration-related cellular swelling is anabolic because hydration inhibits protein breakdown. Other effects include an increase in glycogen synthesis and a decrease in glutamine synthesis, as well as uptake of lactate and amino acids. The effects of cellular hydration on isolated liver cells are replicated in muscle, bone and other cells and tissues of the body.

The effects of cellular hydration on an intact human body have been noted in clinical settings. For example, burn patients are notably dehydrated and also show huge nitrogen or protein losses. Various types of cancer marked by relative dehydration also show a high nitrogen loss. While there is a dearth of studies to back up clinical observations, one experiment did attempt to show the effect of cellular swelling in humans.7 Ten men were artificially dehydrated or hydrated. When they were hydrated, protein breakdown significantly decreased, and they showed decreased peripheral insulin sensitivity. The net effect appeared similar to that of fasting—protein sparing, increased fat oxidation, increased ketone release and impaired glucose metabolism.



Does Water Help Prevent Cancer?


   A 10-year study featuring 48,000 men linked a lower incidence of bladder cancer to a high intake of fluids that dilute and eliminate carcinogens. The researchers calculated that bladder cancer decreased by 7 percent for every eight ounces of water the men drank.

   Other studies have demonstrated water’s salutary impact against colorectal cancer and premalignant polyps, finding an inverse relationship between drinking as few as five glasses daily and cancer. Evidently drinking lots of water speeds passage of food through the gastrointestinal tract, thereby limiting cellular exposure to carcinogens.


Water and Training



Whether dehydration adversely affects your workouts depends on such factors as the temperature and the type of training you’re doing. Individual response also enters the picture; some people appear to tolerate dehydration better than others. The tipping point is usually a loss of 2 percent of bodyweight in fluid over the course of an exercise session or athletic event, though that applies mainly to endurance exercise under warm or hot conditions. In colder temperatures, dehydration is less likely to manifest. Other studies show that dehydration doesn’t seem to affect strength training until you lose 7 percent or more in fluid.

   Some studies show that upper-body muscles are more vulnerable than lower-body muscles to mild dehydration. In one study, however, 10 experienced powerlifters became dehydrated after sitting in a hot sauna for two hours.8 They lost 1.5 percent of body mass, primarily as water. Tests of their maximum bench press strength showed a 5.6 percent decrease. Full strength returned after two hours of rest and fluid intake.

   Dehydration may adversely affect exercise for several reasons. When your body’s water content goes down, your heart must work harder to pump the blood that supplies working muscles and that cools the skin. Straining your heart by not getting enough fluids in the heat may lead to fatigue and loss of intensity. You can tell that from a higher heart rate during exercise, as the heart attempts to compensate. Whatever you’re doing will seem considerably harder when you’re dehydrated.

   Core body temperature rises, which leads to exhaustion and the end of the session. As temperature increases, it’s detected by the central nervous system, which responds by reducing the drive to exercise; a big spike in body temperature can damage the brain.

   When the body overheats from lack of fluid intake, it accelerates use of muscle glycogen, the primary fuel that powers anaerobic exercise. Rapid glycogen use is linked to increased catecholamine release, a stress reaction, and higher body temperature. The reduced cardiac response that occurs during dehydration inhibits blood flow to muscles, which results in less oxygen delivery and greater fatigue. Dehydration also promotes a stress response due to lower blood volume, and that promotes the release of cortisol, the body’s primary catabolic hormone. Too much of it can lead to muscle loss.

You can prevent dehydration during athletic activity if you do the following:


•Before exercise: Drink about 20 ounces of water two hours before training.

•During exercise: Drink up to a quart of water. You get better water uptake by drinking a cold sports drink that contains small amounts of minerals and no more than 7 percent carbs.

•After exercise: Drink 150 percent to 200 percent of total fluids lost.



Water Requirements and Myths


   In an article published three years ago, a physiology professor questioned the frequent advice to drink at least eight glasses of water a day.9 He noted that there was no scientific evidence to confirm the recommendation, just as there’s no scientific rationale for eating no more than 30 grams of protein at each meal. The idea that by the time you experience thirst you’re likely already dehydrated was also pronounced a myth by the professor, who noted that the human sense of thirst is remarkably accurate and usually in concert with fluid needs.

   The notion that dark urine means you’re dehydrated is also false. Many nutrients, as most bodybuilders know, lead to darker urine, but it has nothing to do with being dehydrated.

   Another myth is that you must drink a copious amount of water to maintain kidney function. True, drinking clean, pure water is one of the best things you can do to protect your kidneys, but the kidneys aren’t adversely affected unless severe dehydration, or a bodyweight fluid decline of 5 percent or more, occurs. Researchers who study kidney function say that in a normal-sized adult in a temperate climate, one liter or four eight-ounce glasses of water are enough to meet all of the body’s water needs.

   Drinking too much water can be just as hazardous as drinking too little. Too much water can dilute the electrolytes you need for brain function and can lead to convulsions—even death. Loss of sodium leads to potentially fatal edema, or swelling, of the brain.

   Teenage deaths at rave parties have been connected to use of the drug Ecstasy. One of its effects is the intense thirst that results from an increase in body temperature. Ecstasy also promotes the release of vasopressin, an antidiuretic hormone. Continued water intake when the body is already retaining water leads to hyponatremia, or low sodium, and that leads to death.

   Safe water intake means drinking one milliliter (an ounce contains 30 milliliters) per calorie per day. So if you’re eating 3,000 calories, drink 3,000 milliliters, or about three quarts, per day. Factors that may require increased water intake include exercise under hot conditions, a high-fiber diet and the increased fluid loss that comes with drinking a lot of alcohol. Keep in mind that your body’s metabolism generates nearly a pint of water and that the water content of foods such as fruits and vegetables can be more than 90 percent.

References


1 Ritz, P., et al. (2001). Effects of changes in water compartments on physiology and metabolism. Eur J Clin Nutr, 57:S2-S5.

2 Shirrefs, S. (2005). The importance of good hydration for work and exercise performance. Nut Reviews, 63:S14-S21.

3 Chan, J., et al. (2002). Water, other fluids, and fatal coronary heart disease. Am J Epidemiol, 155:827-33.

4 Wilson, M., et al. (2001). Impaired cognitive function and mental performance in mild dehydration. Eur J Clin Res, 57:S24-S29.

5 Boshmann, M., et al. (2003). Water-induced thermogenesis. J Clin Endocrinl Metab, 88:6015-6019.

6 Brown, C.M., et al. (2005). Cardiovascular responses to water drinking—does osmolality play a role? Am J Physiol. In press.

7 Keller, U., et al. (2001). Effects of changes in hydration on protein, glucose, and lipid metabolism in man: impact on health. Eur J Clin Nutr, 57:S69-S74.

8 Schoffstall, J.E., et al. (2001). Effects of dehydration and rehydration on the one-repetition-maximum bench press of weight-trained males. J Strength Cond Res, 15:102-108.

9 Valtin, H. (2002). “Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.” Really? Is there scientific evidence for “8x8”? J Applied Physiol, 283:R993-R1004.

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


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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.

 

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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

DMAA and strokes by Jerry Brainum

Although depicted as a benign substance with effects comparable to drinking several cups of coffee, DMAA may not be so benign as originally thought. DMAA is found in several popular food supplements touted as pre-workout energy boosters. Some recent problems involving two soldiers who died from cardiac arrest   linked to their use of  DMAA-containing supplements have prompted the military to ban DMAA supplements from sale. DMAA is allowable in supplements based on its existence in germanium oil, which itself has recently come into question, since recent chemical analysis of natural germanium oil found no trace of naturally occurring DMAA.This suggests that DMAA is added to supplements, which would classify it as a drug, rather than a natural ingredient.
   Thus far, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not made any overtures to remove DMAA from the market. But the FDA usually only takes this step after repeated reports of adverse effects, as occurred with ephedrine a few years ago. But some reports about adverse effects directly related to ingestion of DMAA have begun to appear. Typical of them is a new case study published in The New Zealand Journal of Medicine. In New Zealand, DMAA is used as a "party pill," and three years ago the New Zealand Ministry of Health reported three cases of severe headache,vomiting, and one case of cerebral hemorrhage (stroke) in recreational users of DMAA party pills.
     A just published study, also in the NZJM, discusses the events that led to a 21-year-old man who had ingested 2 DMAA pills (278 milligrams per capsule) having a stroke. Along with the DMAA pills, he ingested 150 milligrams of caffeine. DMAA and caffeine are typically found together in most bodybuilding supplements that contain DMAA.He had already drank a can of beer before he took the pills. Within 30 minutes, he began suffering a massive headache, to the extent that he asked a friend to drive him home. When he arrived at home, he became confused, peed in his pants, and vomited for 2-3 hours before falling asleep.When he awoke the next morning, he was drowsy and spoke with slurred speech. Since he didn't get any better as the day wore on, he went to an emergency room at 6 p.m.
    On arrival at the ER, he was still confused and his speech was slurred. He could not give the doctors a coherent history of his present problem. He also showed a right facial droop, and right-sided weakness, both signs of a stroke. Based on this, the attending doctors ordered a CT scan of his brain, which showed a large hemorrhage in the basal ganglia area, confirmed the diagnosis of stroke. An examination showed that he had trouble speaking, couldn't move fluidly, and had lost his sense of feeling and touch. While in the hospital, he suffered a seizure and was given an anti-convulsive drug. A cerebral angiogram show no signs of any condition that would account for his stroke. He showed improvement after 5 days, and was released after 15 days.
     The doctors believe that based on the timing of his ingestion of DMAA and his stroke, that DMAA was the likely cause. In addition, he showed no abnormalities that would account for his symptoms, such as high blood pressure, heart rhythm disturbances, or blood vessel structural abnormalities.The type of stroke he suffered is very rare in those under age 45, and when it does occur, it is usually the result of prior brain structural or blood vessel abnormalities. While this case involved only one person, and thus cannot be used as definitive evidence in relation to the toxicity of DMAA, the fact that it happened to a previously healthy young man with no risk factors for stroke does make you wonder just how safe DMAA really is.In addition, the dose of DMAA that he ingested may be far more than is found in most supplements aimed at bodybuilding use. This is speculative at best, since the supplements in question use labels that list "proprietary ingredients," which means that no specific amounts of the ingredients are listed on the label.Only time will tell if other cases of serious health problems emerge after the use of DMAA. I suspect that if such cases do arise, they will be linked to overuse of supplements containing DMAA. This is precisely what occurred with ephedrine. No health problems ever occurred after ingesting ephedrine in those who used suggested normal doses, or who had no previously undiagnosed health conditions that would have contraindicated the use of ephedrine.DMAA does share one property with ephedrine: both substances will cause a false positive test during a drug test for amphetamines.More problems with DMAA supplements are inevitable because of the widespread misconception that because a supplement is sold over the counter, it has to be completely safe to use in any amount. As the dictum asserts,"Only the dose determines the poison." 

Gee, P, et al. Another bitter pill: a case of toxicity from DMAA pills.NZMJ 2011;123:124-127.

 

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


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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.

 

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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Weight Training: a Real Heart-Breaker? by Jerry Brainum

In the past many physicians advised their patients not to lift weights because it “strained” the heart. That advice was no doubt largely based on firsthand observation of men lifting heavy weights, with all the signs of stress and strain apparent in the lifters’ blood-engorged faces. Lifting heavy weights, the reasoning went, dangerously increased blood pressure, thereby placing undue stress on the heart.


   More recent research shows that a well-designed weight-training program not only isn’t bad for most hearts but also provides benefits previously ascribed to aerobic exercise. Weight training, like aerobics, can increase the levels of high-density lipoprotein, the protective cholesterol carrier in the blood. Lifting weights also increases insulin sensitivity, and increased insulin control is beneficial for cardiovascular protection.

   It’s true that lifting heavy weights, particularly in positions that promote increased pressure on the vascular system, such as squats and leg presses, does significantly increase blood pressure. That increase, though, occurs only during the actual lift. Studies show that your body adjusts to the temporary rise in blood pressure by producing changes in the blood vessels that result in a lower resting blood pressure. So it all evens out.

   There are, however, exceptions to the rule—for example, in the case of medical conditions that involve structural weaknesses of blood vessel walls. If you have an aneurysm in any of your blood vessels, increasing blood pressure may cause it to explode, with possibly calamitous results. (An aneurysm is dilation of a blood vessel wall that causes a weakness in that portion of the wall. When it blows, it’s comparable to a tire blowing out.)

   In a recent letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association, several Yale University School of Medicine physicians reported on the incidence of a rupture of the aorta, the main artery leading out of the heart, in five patients.1 The medical diagnosis was acute dissection of the ascending aorta. In plain English that means that these people experienced aorta tearing from the inside, likely the result of an undiagnosed aneurysm. That’s the condition that caused the sudden death of comedian John Ritter.

   While dissection of the aorta is usually found in people over 40 with a long history of hypertension, or high blood pressure, the cases reported in JAMA involved five patients ranging in age from 19 to 53 with no previously diagnosed aneurysm or high blood pressure. None of them had Marfan’s syndrome, a congenital weakness of connective tissue in which aortic dissection often occurs. A top-level female volleyball player died a few years ago after her aorta exploded suddenly from Marfan’s syndrome. Some doctors think that, based on his body structure, Abraham Lincoln suffered from that disease, which would have likely killed him if Booth’s bullet hadn’t gotten to him first in April 1865.

   The common denominator in the five patients cited in the JAMA letter was that all were engaged in some type of heavy lifting when their symptoms became apparent. Two of them were lifting weights, one was trying to move a heavy stone structure, and the other two were doing pushups.

   No one knows for sure what causes this weakness in the wall of blood vessels. The symptoms feel like a heart attack, with the exception of a ripping sensation deep in the chest. Some suggest that an increased accumulation of plaque deposits in the arteries (atherosclerosis) weakens the wall. Others think the aneurysm is just there to begin with, a sort of birth defect that becomes apparent only when sufficient pressure is exerted on it—as can occur with lifting heavy weights.

   The doctors who wrote the JAMA letter suggest that those at risk include people with known aneurysms or connective tissue disease (such as Marfan’s syndrome), a family history of aneurysms or dissection, high blood pressure and people middle-aged or older; the aorta becomes stiffer with age, thus predisposing it to increased pressure and blowout. One study found that garlic appears to decrease age-related aortic stiffness.

   The way to deal with this is by having a medical scan of your aorta if you fall into any of the risk-factor patterns. Doctors also advise you not to lift more than your bodyweight, since doing so raises the blood pressure to high levels that could precipitate an aortic dissection. That last suggestion is likely to fall on deaf ears in hardcore bodybuilders, who want to lift heavy for strength and muscle gains. So it’s especially vital to undergo medical tests if you have any history of the conditions linked to aortic dissection.

1 Elefteriades, J.A., et al. (2003). Weight lifting and rupture of silent aortic aneurysms. JAMA. 290:2803.


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