Bodybuilders, power lifters, strength and power athletes and certain team sports athletes can greatly benefit from having increased lean body mass in the form of muscle. Hell, for bodybuilders it’s the goal of the sport! While for performance athletes it’s a means to an end.

Total muscle mass, strength and power can benefit athletes in many ways depending on their specific sport, position and needs. Therefore, it is important for athletes to determine what the optimal protein intake is in order to support these needs.

However, there is much debate on the topic of protein intake and often the focus of most protein recommendations are to meet a minimum dietary requirement, versus providing an intake that will result in optimal performance or muscle growth. The issue of safety is also a concern since it is widely claimed that excessive protein intakes can be detrimental to bone, kidney and liver health and can cause dehydration. These lingering fears of the detrimental effects of high protein intakes may be the reason why protein recommendations tend to be overly conservative, despite a number of studies suggesting that higher intakes may be beneficial for performance and lean body mass accrual.

To change this paradigm, it is essential not only to illuminate what is optimal for sports performance and muscle growth, but also to point out that there is little evidence to support the supposed adverse health effects of higher protein diets.

Research On The Safety Of High Protein Diets

If you sit down with most traditional, classically trained dieticians who have not taken courses or specializations in sports or performance nutrition, you will probably be surprised at how vastly different their recommendations are for protein intake compared to what most muscle magazines or bodybuilders would suggest. You would also probably be shocked by the risks associated with high protein intakes that they would inform you of. So who is right, the bodybuilding gurus and champions or the classically trained clinical dietician? The truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle. More often than not, the average person under consumes protein, while the average bodybuilder over consumes it.

But, before I make any definitive statements about how much protein to eat, we should really take a moment to examine safety.

Safety First

To be a good coach in a broad philosophical sense, a foundation of ethics and care for the well being of one’s athletes must be the cornerstone of all decisions. Much like a coach should not recommend performance enhancing drugs to athletes because of their detrimental health effects, a coach should not suggest high protein intakes (even if they enhance performance) if they actually do carry health risks. But do high dietary protein intakes carry health risks? In a review of 41 studies examining the purported adverse affects of high protein diets in athletes, it was noted that protein intakes of 2.8g/kg did not impair kidney function in the short term (Manninen 2004). In an even more comprehensive review of 111 studies, specifically looking at protein intake and kidney function, it was found that athletes who habitually consumed over 2.0g/kg of protein showed no impairments in renal function (Martin et al, 2005). Another review examining safety concerns of protein for athletes, pointed out that no link between high protein intakes and heart disease could be made (only between excessive fat intake and heart disease). In fact, it was found that high protein intakes when fat was controlled actually reduced the risk of ischemic heart attack.

 It was also concluded that no link between high protein intakes and poor kidney health could be made. In fact, at least one study showed an improvement in kidney function among athletes who consumed high protein diets.

This review also pointed to research that showed a protein intake of 150g had the same effect on calcium balance as an intake of 50g, contrary to the belief that high protein intakes cause calcium leaching. Lastly, it was noted that bodybuilders who habitually consumed more protein than athletes, who habitually consumed more protein than non athletes had no increase in calcium excretion. It is worth mentioning that the bodybuilder group consumed 50% more protein than the athletes, and the athletes consumed significantly more than the non-athlete group (Bradley-Popovicha et al, 2003). A similar review titled “Protein and amino acids for athletes” had the same conclusions (Tipton et al, 2004), as did a more recent review “A Critical Examination of Dietary Protein Requirements, Benefits, and Excesses in Athletes” (Phillips et al, 2007).

So, in light of recent research, it can be said more or less definitively that protein intakes around and slightly above 1g per pound of body weight do not hold the purported health risks, at least for athletes and bodybuilders.

More Findings

In direct studies on non-athlete populations, similar results were found. This implies that neither the physical activity of athletes nor a possible bias held by the review authors is skewing the data. One study showed that there were no detrimental effects on kidney, liver or bone health after one year of consuming protein intakes of 2.2g/kg of lean body mass (Li et al, 2010). Another study showed that a diet consisting of 25% protein with an additional 50g of supplemental protein daily, had no ill effects on health (it also happened to be the best for maintaining a healthy weight after dieting) (Claessens et al, 2009). With such a staggering amount of evidence showing that high protein intakes have very few of the purported health risks, it begs the question: why does the stigma continue to linger?

To answer, it is worth pointing out that the vast majority of this research was published within the last decade and to give credit to progress, protein recommendations for athletes have increased over time, although they still tend to fall short of optimal in most cases based off of the most recent research.

How Much Protein Should We Eat On A Daily Basis?

So I know what you are waiting for, you’re waiting for me to tell you how much protein to eat already! Well, the answer is never cut and dry is it? Let’s talk about what we know, it is clear that the optimal protein intake is higher than some recommendations; in one study it was shown that a protein intake of 2.1g/kg provided superior muscle mass gains to a protein intake of 1.2g/kg in weightlifters (Tipton et al, 2004). It is also known that even in a very slight caloric deficit (~100kcals) while performing high levels of activity, the upper levels of the recommended protein intake for athletes (2.0g/kg) are not always sufficient to maintain nitrogen balance (Manninen 2004). So we know that eating slightly more than the upper level of the generally recommended protein intakes for athletes is better than the low end of the current recommendations. We also know that the current upper level recommendations are precarious with regards to muscle maintenance while on a diet, even if the caloric deficit is very mild. Lastly, it has been shown that intakes as high as 3.0g/kg (or 40% of calories) have no significant health risks (Tipton et al, 2004).

So, not only are the current recommendations suboptimal for weight lifters, and not enough to maintain muscle mass while doing high levels of activity on a diet, but higher intakes seem to have no risks.

How Much Protein Should Be Eaten Per Meal & How Often?

Another important point made in some more recent studies, is that Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) is increased in a dose-dependent fashion in response to protein. Therefore, it may be more useful to suggest a per meal protein intake in addition to a daily total. Since maximal muscle growth occurs due to an increase in MPS, it may be optimal to focus not only on total protein intake, but also frequency and amount of protein at each meal. In fact, in the most recent research it has been shown that MPS is maximally stimulated by 3-4g of the branch chain amino acid Leucine (or .05g/kg of Leucine), and that it can only be maximally stimulated every four to six hours. This research is the first of its kind in that it examines not only nitrogen balance, but the MPS gene-signaling effects of amino acids. Depending on protein source, it typically takes anywhere from 30-50g of protein to meet the 3-4g Leucine requirement. Based on the frequency MPS can be stimulated, this suggests an optimal protein intake for muscle growth close to 2.5-3.0g/kg (Norton et al, 2009). So, It would appear that higher than normally recommended protein intakes might be prudent for athletes looking to gain muscle mass or maintain it while dieting.

For those that are metric-system challenged, 2.5-3.0g/kg would be right around 1.1-1.4g/lb, so a 200lbs male bodybuilder would benefit from eating 220-280g of protein daily, evenly divided into meals every 4-6 hours, more if dieting, less if eating at maintenance or in a gaining phase.

More The Better?

So if protein is safe at higher levels, and most athletes need to eat more, why am I not simply telling you “the more the better?” Wouldn’t that just fit nicely with the “go hard or go home”, “train insane or remain the same”, “bigger is better” attitude of the bodybuilding community? Well, I’m here to tell you that while bodybuilders might have it right in-that more protein is needed than was previously thought, the attitude of “more is better” is what leads most of my bodybuilding brethren astray; the classic quote “more is not better, better is better” comes to mind.

All Comes Down To Balance

Although it may be true that high protein intakes could be more beneficial and less of a risk than previously thought, it would be lax of me not to point out some concerns. First of all, it has been proven time and time again that if carbohydrates are insufficient, performance suffers. Thus it would be sub optimal to recommend such a high protein intake that inadequate carbohydrates were consumed leading to poor workouts and a lessened training stimulus for growth. This would defeat the whole point of eating more protein in the first place! In fact, if carbohydrates are too low, it does not matter how much protein you eat, you can lose muscle tissue!

Carbohydrates are equally important (if not more so) for muscle growth, muscle maintenance and performance when compared to protein. So although yes, many athletes should consume more protein than they do, they should not consume it at the expense of dietary carbohydrate.

And although I’m not going to go into it as this is an article about protein, dietary fat is also extremely important. Don’t cut out any macro nutrient completely, we need them all to have an optimal diet for muscle growth! It is also worth pointing out that dehydration was not addressed in any study represented in this article, and high protein intakes do have a diuretic effect. Any athlete choosing to partake in a high protein diet should pay special attention to adequate hydration, but truly if you are trying to be a high performance athlete or bodybuilder your water intake should already be covered!

Make sure you are consuming at least half your bodyweight (in pounds) in fluid ounces of water, that you consume a good chunk of it in and around training, and that you have multiple clear urinations every day.

Recent Research

Lastly, the most recent research shows that if protein sources higher in Leucine (dairy, egg, and meat sources) are consumed, less total protein is needed to maximally stimulate MPS at each meal. Meaning, you need less protein if it is of very high quality. This could allow an athlete more room in his or her diet to consume other essential nutrients. So for all you bodybuilders out there consuming whey, eggs, meat and BCAA on a daily basis, especially if you’re in the offseason, you would probably be better served eating the low end of the recommendations and upping those carbs!

Summary

In conclusion, for athletes looking to improve muscle mass and subsequent performance, an intake higher than 2.0g/kg (or right around a gram per pound of bodyweight) and a focus on protein per meal (and spreading meals out every 4-6 hours) is likely a safe and optimal strategy. However, before you increase your protein intake, you must first be sure that you have no prior health risks (such as impaired kidney function) and that you are meeting your daily caloric, carbohydrate, and fluid intake requirements.

Remember, balance is key and protein is only a part of the equation!

Author: Eric Helms – Pro Natural Bodybuilder, BS, CSCS, CPT, PES
Website: http://www.3dmusclejourney.com

References

• Bradley-Popovicha, G. E., & Mohr, C. R. (2003). Augmented protein intake for athletes: Are safety concerns well founded? Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 2(1): 13–15.
• Claessens, M., van Baak, M., Monsheimer, S., & Saris, W. (2009). The effect of a low-fat, high-protein or high-carbohydrate ad libitum diet on weight loss maintenance and metabolic risk factors. International Journal Of Obesity (2005), 33(3), 296-304.
• Li, Z., Treyzon, L., Chen, S., Yan, E., Thames, G., & Carpenter, C. L. (2010). Protein-enriched meal replacements do not adversely affect liver, kidney or bone density: an outpatient randomized controlled trial. Nutrition Journal, 9: 72.
• Manninen, M. H. (2004). High -Protein Weight Loss Diets and Purported Adverse Effects: Where is the Evidence? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 1(1): 45-51.
• Martin, M. F., Armstrong, L.E., & Rodriguez, R. R. (2005). Dietary protein intake and renal function. Nutrition & Metabolism (London), 2: 25.
• Norton, L., E., & Wilson, G. J. (2009). Optimal protein intake to maximize muscle protein synthesis: Examinations of optimal meal protein intake and frequency for athletes. Agro Food Industry High-Tech, 20(2): 54-57.
• Phillips, S. M., Moore, D. R., & Tang, J. E. (2007). A Critical Examination of Dietary Protein Requirements, Benefits, and Excesses in Athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, 17S58-S76.
• Tipton, K. D., & Wolfe, R. R. (2004). Protein and amino acids for athletes. Journal of Sports Sciences, 22(1), 65-79.

To get high-quality seal of approval, a protein must contain all eight essential amino acids. Animal proteins, dairy products, eggs and whey all stand tall in this category. But research now indicates that the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) isoleucine, leucine and valine are the real drivers behind muscle gain in this family, and that regularly supplementing with them will keep you primed for growth in ways previously unknown.

“The BCAAs are not only necessary as building blocks of protein for muscle growth and repair,” says Carwyn Sharp, PhD, CSCS, professor of exercise physiology at the College of Charleston (South Carolina). “They have multiple properties that enhance these growth processes well above and beyond normal amino acids.”

Latest Findings

In fact, research now suggests that BCAAs not only stimulate muscle growth but also create an anabolic hormonal environment in the body, provide energy to muscles, help the body burn fat and build muscle simultaneously, as well as improve recovery and reduce muscle soreness. This stimulus package is so powerful that these aminos could be called nutraceuticals a heady title awarded to nutrients with pharmaceutical-like properties.

If you doubted whether BCAAs could help you reach your goals, here are five reasons you should place an order today.

#1 Get Hormonal

Of all the ways we give you each month to get big, boosting the levels of hormones in your body that lead to muscle growth while minimizing those that chew it up might seem overly complicated. After all, it’s hard to measure such things on your own. Fortunately, Sharp and Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana) researchers did the beaker work for you in a recent study. “We found that when combined with resistance training, BCAA supplementation increased testosterone and reduced Cortisol to create a favorable anabolic environment,” he says.

“We also know from previous studies that leucine stimulates insulin release, which further increases the capacity for growth.”

#2 Muscle Energy

Getting ripped involves a tightrope act between losing fat and maintaining muscle. Complicating matters is the calorie-restricted diet that a shredded physique requires. This forced starvation means you’re often in an energy deficit, which can induce an alarming amount of muscle shrinkage because catabolic enzymes will break down muscle protein just to get to the BCAAs. This self-destructive effect is like tearing down an entire building to get to a few specific bricks.

By supplying a healthy dose of BCAAs to your muscles when you cut calories, however, you have a better chance of stopping the wrecking ball before it gets warmed up. “If there’s an energy shortage, supplemental BCAAs rapidly fill the void and help you avoid the impact of reduced muscle growth,” Sharp says.

#3 Burn Fat, Grow Muscle

The benefits to your get-ripped phase don’t stop at preserving muscle. Branched-chain aminos have also been associated with the simultaneous reduction of fat and growth of muscle in a phenomenon known as nutrient partitioning, which may be the most promising of all the recent findings on BCAAs. In this scenario, BCAAs are a nutritional Robin Hood stealing energy from rich fat cells and giving it to undernourished muscle tissue.

In rodent research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, researchers attributed nutrient partitioning to the leucine content of the diet.

#4 Pain Killers

You’ve no doubt experienced soreness after training that grew worse as the days progressed. Known as delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), this pain is the result of inflammation. Although you can’t avoid it completely, it can be reduced. “Along with the changes in hormones, we found that BCAAs decreased the muscle damage induced by high-intensity training,” Sharp says. “This could help explain the decrease in soreness observed in some studies, which is critical for keeping people in the gym.”

If stimulating growth is the sword, then preventing its breakdown or catabolism is the shield of BCAA supplementation. Even though DOMS can’t be completely abolished, decreasing its impact is just one more reason to keep these supps in your gym bag.

#5 Recovery

Let’s point out the obvious: The faster you recover from a workout, the more quickly you can get back in the gym. Sharp says he recommends BCAAs to his athletes before and after training because they enhance the repair and growth of muscle. “This applies to everyone, regardless of whether your goal is size, power or endurance,” he says.

Think of it this way: “With optimal recovery, you can train with more volume and intensity, which equates to greater adaptations,” he adds. In short, that means more muscle growth.

Photography Credit: Alex Ardenti

Good To Know

Whey protein has the highest level of BCAAs compared to all other available types of protein powder.

How To Use Them

Fortunately, BCAAs are one of the less-expensive supplements on the market. Take 5-10 grams with breakfast; immediately before, during and immediately after training; and before bed.

The Leucine Conundrum

All superstars have a supporting cast, even when all the heavy lifting seems to come from one source. Case in point: Research increasingly points to leucine as the key driver behind the muscle-building effect of BCAAs. But don’t be tempted to discard isoleucine and valine; it’s not that simple. Although they may not be as potent, isoleucine and valine do play a vital role as building blocks. In fact, the hypertrophy induced by leucine drops to zero as soon as its two brothers are in short supply.

In other words, no matter how much leucine you throw at your muscles, growth won’t occur if the other two BCAAs fall below a certain level.

Author: Nutrition Expert David Barr
References:
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/
http://www.flexonline.com/
COPYRIGHT 2011 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2011 Gale Group

Used the right way, caffeine can provide a healthy stimulating effect for both brawn and brain.

Before & After

Mounting evidence shows that preworkout caffeine can increase endurance, which means more reps, more sets and longer sessions, which translates into bigger muscles. “Next to creatine, caffeine is probably the most effective performance-enhancer,” says Jose Antonio, PhD, CEO of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Caffeine doesn’t directly affect muscles; instead, it influences the central nervous system [CNS] to increase your pain threshold, so it’s easier to push through those final reps, extra sets and last treadmill interval.

Research also confirms that caffeine can immediately increase muscle strength. Scientists from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln reported that weight-trained men who took a caffeine supplement one hour preworkout increased the number of reps they could complete on the bench press using 80% of their one-rep maxes.

Follow-up Study

In a follow-up study, the same lab reported that weight-trained subjects who took one dose of caffeine preworkout increased their max bench-press weights by about 5 pounds. A 2008 study by Indian researchers also found that when subjects consumed 2, 4 or 6 mg of caffeine an hour before training, their muscle strength and endurance increased with larger doses. This CNS effect also increases lipolysis, the breakdown of fat. This becomes an additional workout fuel source and triggers a thermogenic response to raise body temperature and promote calorie-burning. “So in effect, caffeine increases your fat-burning ability while it improves your workout performance,” Antonio points out. If you want to jump-start muscle refueling, make sure to add caffeine to your postworkout meal. Australian scientists found that endurance cyclists who ingested a beverage of carbohydrates and caffeine equal to 8 mg per kilogram of bodyweight about 5-6 cups of coffee had 66% higher glycogen levels four hours after exercise compared to those who drank a carb-only beverage. Caffeine increases glucose uptake from the blood into the muscles, and faster glycogen recovery means shorter recovery time and more energy for your next workout.

Caffeine is also believed to enhance the activity of several signaling enzymes, including protein kinase and protein kinase B, both of which enhance muscle glucose uptake. Higher glycogen levels also increase muscle size, since glycogen pulls water into muscle cells.

Use, Don’t Abuse

More isn’t always better. Gulping cans of Red Bull won’t automatically produce a bull-like physique. You have to consume the right amount based on your weight, and at the right time, for caffeine to work. Everyone reacts to caffeine differently, but most studies suggest the ideal zone is from 100-200 mg to 600 mg. “Less than that doesn’t appear to help and any more doesn’t provide additional benefits,” Antonio explains. A good formula to follow is 3-6 mg per kilogram or 1.4-2.7 mg per pound of bodyweight; a 180-pound guy needs about 250-490 mg. (In comparison, the average person’s daily intake is about 300 mg.)

Caffeine is absorbed by the stomach and small intestine, and takes 45-60 minutes to reach maximum concentration in the blood. Yet you can often feel the kick within 10 minutes when levels reach one-half its concentration, according to a 2008 University of Barcelona (Spain) study. The full effect can last 2-3 hours and diminishes within 12 hours.

Tolerance Level

Make sure not to overdo it; you need to find your ideal tolerance level. Overindulging can trigger symptoms of caffeine intoxication such as insomnia, overexcitement, restlessness and, in severe cases, muscle twitching, and rambling thoughts and speech. These reactions often strike soon after consumption but wane as caffeine levels fall. Take a trial-and-error approach: If you experience any symptoms, reduce your pre-and postworkout amounts. In this case, less can actually be more.

“You can still benefit from caffeine by consuming it in smaller amounts,” says caffeine researcher Daniel P. Evatt, PhD, of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (Baltimore).

Drink Up

Caffeine pills like NoDoz maximum strength may have higher amounts than most beverages [200 mg in one tablet] but take longer to digest. “Caffeine in liquid form is absorbed and takes effect more quickly,” Antonio says. The best liquid jolts: coffee and energy drinks. A regular 8-ounce home-brewed java boasts an average 133 mg of caffeine, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (Washington, D.C.).

But if you need a stronger shot, a regular Starbucks coffee contains more than 300 mg per 16-ounce serving.

Energy Drinks

If coffee isn’t your idea of a preworkout beverage, pop open an energy drink. The top jolts are Spike Shooter (300 mg per 8.4 ounces), Monster Energy (160 mg per 16 ounces) and Full Throttle (144 mg per 16 ounces). Popular brands Amp, Red Bull and Rockstar vary from 74-80 mg. Additives like sugar and extras such as ginkgo biloba, ginseng and vitamin B won’t interfere with absorption or diminish the effect, Antonio points out. When it comes to soda, stick with trusted brands. A 2007 study in the Journal of Food Science found that recognized names have more caffeine than store brands such as Kroger, Wal-Mart and Winn-Dixie.

For the biggest buzz, try citrus-flavored Mountain Dew MDX or Vault Zero, each with 118 mg of caffeine per 20 ounces. Your standard 12-ounce Coke, Dr. Pepper and Pepsi offer a puny 58-68 mg.

Works For Everyone

Another advantage of caffeine is it works the same whether you’re a caffeine junkie or teetotaler. Research published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism in 2009 compared pain tolerance of 25 college-age men who were split into two groups: high caffeine users (400 mg per day, or 3-4 cups of coffee) and low consumers (100 mg or less). Subjects took 5 mg of caffeine per kilogram of bodyweight (2-3 8-ounce cups of coffee) and cycled for 30 minutes at a nearly 80% [VO.sub.2] max.

Afterward, both groups reported less quadriceps pain compared to a placebo team, ”What’s interesting is the body doesn’t seem to become resistant to caffeine’s effect,” says co-author Steven Broglio, PhD, ATC, assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Brain Booster

Caffeine can pump up your gray matter, too and you don’t need as much. Scientists at the Innsbruck Medical University (Austria) discovered that just 100 mg of caffeine (1 cup of coffee) increases activity in the part of the frontal lobe that influences short-term memory and the anterior cingulum, the part of the brain that controls attention. Why does caffeine give you that slap-in-the-face brain boost? Basically, it’s a case of mistaken identity, Antonio says. Caffeine binds to adenosine receptors in the brain, which when adenosine is involved makes you tired but with caffeine speeds up brain-cell activity. To maintain that caffeine high, don’t bother slamming an extra double espresso. Instead, down small amounts of caffeine about 2 ounces of coffee, for example every hour, suggests James Wyatt, PhD, a sleep researcher at Rush University Medical Center [Chicago].

“Caffeine blocks the steady buildup of chemical messengers that induce sleep, but you need to maintain levels in the brain,” he notes. “A few morning cups will still cause caffeine levels to fall as the day progresses.”

Take A Breather

Do you huff and puff on cardio day? Ingesting caffeine within an hour of exercise can reduce symptoms of exercise-induced asthma (EIA) such as chest tightness, cough and shortness of breath, reports a 2009 Indiana University (Bloomington) study. EIA affects 7%-20% of adults; many don’t suffer from regular asthma but feel its effects during cardio. Researchers found that 9 mg of caffeine per kilogram of bodyweight (about 720 mg for a 180-pound guy) was just as effective as an albuterol inhaler, which is commonly used to treat EIA.

Caffeine is believed to reduce airway constriction by blocking inflammatory pathways, says study co-author Timothy VanHaitsma, MS, of the University of Utah (Salt Lake City). Nonasthmatics won’t get the same airway benefit, but 5 mg of caffeine per kilogram of bodyweight was shown to increase cardio power output during cycling and running.

Myth: Caffeine Can Sober You Up

Slugging caffeine won’t offset a drinking binge, says a 2009 report in Behavioral Neuroscience. It’ll make you a more alert drunk, but researchers suggest this could have a negative effect because it skews your rational thinking. This means you’re more likely to engage in risky behavior such as driving or picking a fight with the bouncer, suggests co-author Thomas Gould, PhD, of Temple University [Philadelphia].

Myth: Caffeine Makes You Dehydrated

A review of 41 human studies found that caffeine intakes up to 400 mg daily (4 cups of coffee) don’t produce dehydration, even when exercising. “Your more frequent bathroom breaks after downing, say, a 64-ounce Big Gulp are due to the extra fluid, not caffeine,” says Steven Broglio, PhD, ATC.

Myth: Caffeine Is Addictive

People hooked on daily java are more addicted to the morning routine than uncontrollable caffeine cravings, says Jose Antonio, PhD. Still, kicking a caffeine habit can trigger minor, temporary withdrawal symptoms.

“If you’re a daily caffeine drinker and you suddenly quit, you may feel like crap for about 48 hours with drowsiness, headaches and irritability, but then your body will adapt,” he explains.

Author: James Wyatt
References:
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/
http://www.flexonline.com/
COPYRIGHT 2011 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2011 Gale Group

In Part I of this series it was explained that sarcoplasmic hypertrophy produces only moderate increases in muscle size. It was also mentioned that there were other important reasons why such adaptations are desirable. In this section we’ll take a look at those reasons.

Rational and Irrational Hypertrophy

Metabolic processes within the cell require ATP to “fuel” them (ATP is the body’s primary fuel source for all of its energy). If enough ATP isn’t present then a host of cellular processes slow down (including protein synthesis), resulting in the operations of the cell being compromised. This means, among other things, slower removal of waste products, slower recovery from training and slower or less protein synthesis. Research done in the former Soviet Union by Zalessky and Burkhanov has shown that if the contractile components of the cell continue to grow (sarcomere hypertrophy) without a concurrent increase in the energy supplying systems of the cell (i.e. mitochondria, etc. – sarcoplasmic hypertrophy) then such a situation will develop.

Essentially, the contractile machinery of the cell has grown too large for the energy systems to support it. In addition, fellow Soviet researchers, Nikituk and Samoilov have demonstrated that such a condition can be brought about through poorly planned resistance training.

Once such a situation is created, the full potential strength of the muscle cannot be exerted because the cell cannot produce and utilize enough momentary ATP to cycle actin-myosin cross-bridges sufficiently. Likewise, when hypertrophy and strengthening is stimulated, growth cannot be supported because the cell lacks the energy systems necessary to support the synthesis and maintenance of new proteins (muscle protein is constantly being broken down and rebuilt – a process of ‘maintenance’). In Bodybuilder’s terms, you hit a plateau. Because such a condition is unproductive from an adaptive standpoint, it is called irrational hypertrophy.

The defining characteristic of this kind of growth is cells that contain significantly larger mitochondria than in the untrained state, but fewer of them per myofibril. The net result is an ATP shortage in the cell.

On The Other Hand

If training results in proportionate vascular improvements within the cell (mitochondrial density increases – the total number of mitochondria also increases as the existing mitochondria get bigger), such a plateau will not be encountered and training-invoked hypertrophy can proceed. This is called rational hypertrophy, for obvious reasons.

As this article isn’t intended to get into the details of training procedures, I’m going to leave this subject by saying that for continued progress with regard to increased muscle mass and/or strength-endurance, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is, indeed, necessary and must be trained for.

“But Why Aren’t Olympic Lifters Bigger Than Bodybuilders?”

It wouldn’t be right not to address the fact, though, that training with weights ~90% of your 1RM and above seems to favor the development of strength more so than muscular size. But, in light of the information presented in Part I of this series, how is that possible? It is theorized that when using loads of ~90% of 1RM and above muscular failure may occur because of signaling problems at the neuromuscular junction, and that this occurs before a significant growth stimulus has been delivered to the cells. In addition, the total time that the muscle fibers are required to produce force is shorter in low-rep sets than in higher-rep sets and this may result in exhaustion of fewer muscle fibers and a lesser growth stimulus.

Simply put, a hard set of 8 reps may deliver more growth stimulus to the muscle cells than a hard set of 3 reps because in a 3-rep set (or any low number of reps) failure may occur before a significant growth stimulus has been achieved.

Effect Of Higher Reps

Additionally, when higher reps are performed substrates such as phosphate and hydrogen ions build up in the muscles – some researchers theorize that the presence of these substrates may further facilitate the muscle growth process (though this has not been confirmed). It is also widely believed that lifting heavy weights (~90% of 1RM and above) effectively stimulates the nervous system to ‘improve’ its recruitment pattern, frequency and efficiency to produce limit strength, making you stronger without actually increasing muscle size. These reasons are why bodybuilders, as a group, have bigger muscles than Olympic lifters – they typically train with longer-duration, higher-rep sets, which is an effective method of producing hypertrophy.

Olympic Lifters, on the other hand, typically train with short-duration, low-rep sets, which is an effective method of producing strength gains due to neural adaptations, but produces little in the way of hypertrophy. Accordingly, Olympic lifters, as a group, are much stronger than bodybuilders, but not as heavily muscled.

Other Important Factors

It also needs to be pointed out that any type of repetitive weight training (regardless of rep range) will result in the type IIB fibers having endurance-type adaptations. This occurs most quickly and profoundly at lighter loads (8-15 rep maximums) because, with these loads, the type IIBs do not twitch with maximum frequency and, therefore, adapt to twitch at lower frequencies for longer periods. This adaptation improves the IIB fibers ability to produce tension for longer periods of time, thus allowing them to be trained in a fashion that produces substantial muscular damage and greater growth stimulation. This gives the Bodybuilder’s muscle more potential for growth. Training in the 8-15 rep range (roughly speaking) also constitutes endurance training for IIB fibers, causing them to adapt so that they have better endurance characteristics (i.e. higher mitochondrial densities and greater abilities to sustain enzyme concentrations).

In other words, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. This increases the IIB fibers’ energy production capabilities, allowing for further stimulation of sarcomeric hypertrophy and the development and maintenance of muscle proteins.

My Point

Don’t do as others have, and use these observations to argue that bigger muscles are not stronger muscles. As was eluded to above, muscles adapt very specifically to specific tasks. If you train using three rep sets then they get good at doing three rep sets. If you train using 8 rep sets then they get good at doing 8 rep sets. Moderate-reps sets, however (such as 8-12 reps), stimulate more muscle growth than low-rep sets (assuming of course, you are training with sufficient intensity).

Make no mistake about it though, your legs will be bigger when you’re squatting 405 for 8 than they were when you were squatting 275 for 8. For the case of 3 rep sets, you may not be much bigger when you’re cleaning 315 for 3 than you were when you were cleaning 185 for 3, but you will have a much more efficient nervous system for the task.

Take Home Lessons!

If you want to grow bigger muscles you must train your muscles against a resistance great enough to stimulate hypertrophy, but not so great that you cannot continue the set long enough to stimulate growth. Practically, that means you must select weights that allow you to complete 6-12 reps (smaller muscle groups may respond better to even higher reps). Most people will use between 70% and 85% of their 1-rep maximums to achieve this. Training in this range produces micro-trauma to the muscle fibers that results in muscle growth (if proper rest and nutrition is supplied). If your primary concern is increasing limit strength, then you should train with weights over 85% of your 1-rep maximum, and the sets (by necessity) will be of 5 or less reps. If you want to avoid hypertrophy as much as possible, while increasing strength as much as possible, then sets of 1-3 reps using weights of over 90% of 1-rep max are indicated.

Training in this range produces little micro-trauma, thus stimulating little growth, but results in nervous system firing pattern refinements that increase limit strength.

Size Factor

In all cases, if you want to get stronger OR bigger, you MUST train for strength. Getting stronger in the rep range that you’re using is the most fundamental sign of progress – it is the rep range that determines whether the training effect will be strength or muscle mass increases.

If you are not getting stronger in your training rep range, then your training is not working. This fact cannot be ignored, it cannot be argued around, and it cannot be refuted – it is as fundamental, and as simple, as that.

Author: Training Expert Casey Butt, Ph.D.
Website: http://www.weightrainer.net/

In concept, weight training is a very simple practice. You lift weights, you wait a while, you do it again. You improve over time and eventually you are stronger and bigger than you were before. When you strip it down it’s really quite simple isn’t it? The problem is things don’t always go as smoothly as the above description would imply.

The Size And Strength Relationship

In bodybuilding circles there is the common misconception that muscle mass increases and strength increases are not necessarily related. That is to say, that you can increase the size of a muscle without it getting stronger. This mistaken belief presents itself commonly in the old “Bodybuilders aren’t as strong as Powerlifters” argument. If strength was related to muscle mass, wouldn’t Powerlifters be bigger than Bodybuilders?

The explanation is simple: Strong people usually have better mechanical advantages than weaker people.

This includes more favorable joint lengths and connective tissue factors (including attachment placings and superior tendon and ligament strength). They may have more type II fibers than others and/or a more efficient nervous system (which can be trained for). A muscle can be trained to get stronger but not bigger – this depends on rep range, training volume and frequency. However, if a muscle gets larger it must also get stronger in the rep range over which it was trained. Likewise, if a muscle gets stronger in a rep range conducive to producing growth then the muscle will also get larger.

It is a scientifically verified physiological fact that muscle size and strength are directly related. Let’s take a look at what happens to a muscle when you train it.

Segment from the Neuromuscular System series:

“Muscle biopsies of experienced bodybuilders have shown that it was the size of the individual fibers within their muscles that was responsible for the abnormal muscle size and not the actual number of fibers present.” Although there is some evidence that extreme conditions may result in modest increases in fiber number (hyperplasia), the mechanism responsible for muscle size growth is hypertrophy – the increase in size of existing muscle fibers.

Another segment from the Neuromuscular System series:

“It is also worthy of note that contractile machinery comprises about 80% of muscle fiber volume. The rest of the volume is accounted for by tissue that supplies energy to the muscle or is involved with the neural drive.”

This tells us that there are a couple of ways to increase muscle size.

1. Increase the volume of the tissue that supplies energy to the muscle or is involved with the neural drive – called sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
2. Increase the volume of contractile machinery – called sarcomere hypertrophy.

Let’s take a look at both routes.

Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy

Increasing the volume of the tissue that supplies energy to the muscle or is involved with the neural drive: Intimately involved in the production of ATP are intracellular bodies called ‘mitochondria’. Muscle fibers will adapt to high volume (and higher rep) training sessions by increasing the number of mitochondria in the cells. They will also increase the concentrations of the enzymes involved in the oxidative phosphorylation and anaerobic glycolysis mechanisms of energy production and increase the volume of sarcoplasmic fluid inside the cell (including glycogen) and also the fluid between the actual cells. This type of hypertrophy produces very little in the way of added limit strength but has profound effects on increasing strength-endurance (the ability to do reps with a certain weight) because it dramatically increases the muscles’ ability to produce ATP. Adaptations of this sort are characteristic of Bodybuilders’ muscles.

It should also be obvious that as the volume of the tissue that supplies energy to the muscle represents only around 20% of the total muscle cell volume in untrained individuals, this isn’t where the majority of growth potential lies.

Hypertrophy Factor

Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy of muscle cells does directly produce moderate increases in size. But also, ATP is the source of energy for all muscular contraction – type II fibers included. Wouldn’t having more of this in the muscle, and having the ability to produce greater intramuscular quantities at any one time, be an asset? The answer is, clearly, “yes”. That’s where a major portion of the importance of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy comes into Bodybuilding. As for increasing the tissue that is involved with the neural drive, this would theoretically occur in response to the need for contracting cells with hypertrophied contractile machinery. Directly, it would produce very little in the way of added size. In addition, there are other intracellular bodies whose growth and/or proliferation would fall under the category of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.

These would be organelles such as the ribosomes, which are involved in protein synthesis. As in the case of neural drive machinery, in most cases they would increase in size or number only to support sarcomere hypertrophy. They would have little direct impact on overall muscle size.

Sarcomere Hypertrophy

Increasing the volume of contractile machinery: The vast majority of the volume of each muscle cell (~80%) is made up of contractile machinery. Therefore, therein lies the greatest potential for increasing muscle cell size. Trained muscle responds by increasing the number of actin/myosin filaments (sarcomeres) that it contains – this is, primarily, what is responsible for the increased strength and size. But before a muscle will grow like this it has to be ‘broken down’.

Let’s take a look at both the ‘breaking down’ and ‘building up’ processes:

The Process Of Exercise-Induced Muscle Cell Damage

When a muscle fiber develops sufficient tension for sufficient time, increasing fatigue impairs the actin/myosin cross-bridge cycling necessary for the contractile filaments to maintain force production. This impaired cross-bridge cycling under load results in trauma to the contractile filaments as some cross-bridges are subjected to tensions greater than they can structurally support. Additionally, training leads to post-workout breaches in plasma membrane integrity that allow calcium to leak into the muscle cells (there is much more calcium in the blood than in the muscle cells). This intracellular increase in calcium levels activates enzymes called ‘calpains’ which remove pieces of the damaged contractile filaments (called ‘easily releasable myofilaments’).

A protein called ‘ubiquitin’ (which is present in all muscle cells) binds to the removed pieces of filaments thus ‘identifying’ them for destructive purposes. At this time, neutrophils (a type of granular white blood cell) are chemically attracted to the area and rapidly increase in number.

The Breakdown

They release toxins, including oxygen radicals, which increase membrane permeability and phagocytize (ingest and destroy) the tissue debris that the calcium-mediated pathways released. Neutrophils don’t remain around more than a day or two, but are complimented by the appearance of monocytes also attracted to the damaged area. Monocytes (a type of phagocytic cell) enter the damaged muscle and form into macrophages (another phagocytic cell) that also release toxins and phagocytize damaged tissue. Once the phagocytic stage commences, the damaged fibers are rapidly broken down by lysosomal proteases, free O2 radicals, and other substances produced by macrophages. The muscle is now in a weaker state than before it was trained. Incidently, macrophages have an essential role in initiating tissue repair. Unless damaged muscle is invaded by macrophages, activation of satellite cells and muscle repair does not occur. Also, increased intracellular Ca++ concentrations are known to activate an enzyme called phospholipase A2.

This enzyme releases arachidonic acid from the plasma membrane which is then formed into prostaglandins (primarily PGE2) and other eicosanoids that contribute to the degradative processes. So, now that we’ve looked briefly at the process of post-exercise muscle degradation, how does it grow?

The Process Of Exercise-Induced Muscle Growth

Muscle cells have many nuclei and other intracellular organelles. This is because nuclei are intimately involved in the protein synthesis process (don’t forget, actin and myosin are proteins), and a single nuclei can only support the manufacturing of a limited amount of protein. If muscle cells didn’t have multiple nuclei they would be very small muscle cells indeed. So if a muscle is to grow beyond its current size (i.e. synthesize contractile proteins – actin and myosin) it has to increase the number of nuclei that it contains (called the ‘myonuclei number’).

How does it do this?

Around the muscle cells are myogenic stem cells called ‘satellite cells’ (or ‘myoblasts’). Under the right conditions these cells become more ‘like’ muscle cells and actually donate their nuclei to the muscle fibers, thereby increasing myonuclei number. For this to happen, several things need to take place. One, the number of satellite cells has to increase (called ‘proliferation’). Two, they have to become more ‘like’ muscle cells (called ‘differentiation’). And three, they have to fuse with the needy muscle cells.
When the sarcolemma (the muscle cell wall) is ‘damaged’ by tension (as in weight training or even stretching) growth factors are produced and released in the cell. There are several different types of growth factors. The most significant are:

• Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1)
• Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF)
• Transforming Growth Factor -Beta Superfamily (TGF-beta)

These growth factors can then leave the cell and go out into the surrounding area because sarcolemma permeabilty has been increased due to the ‘damage’ done during contraction. Once outside the muscle cell these growth factors cause the satellite cells to proliferate (mainly FGF does this) and differentiate (mainly IGF-1 does this). TGF-beta’s role is one of mediation – in this case it inhibits growth. After this process the satellite cells then fuse with the muscle cells and donate their nuclei, giving the muscle cells the ‘ability’ to grow.
Now factors that promote protein synthesis such as IGF-1, growth hormone (GH), testosterone and some prostaglandins can commence the growth process. Protein synthesis occurs because a genetically-coded substance called ‘messenger RNA’ (mRNA) is sent out from the nucleus to the ribosomes. The nucleus is believed to release increased mRNA in response to tension and/or myofibrillar damage done as a result of insufficient cycling of actin-myosin cross-bridges during intense muscular contractions, though this mechanism is not fully understood.

The mRNA contains the ‘instructions’ for the ribosomes to synthesize proteins, and so the process of constructing contractile (actin and myosin) and structural proteins (for the other components of the cell) from the amino acids taken into the cell from the bloodstream is set off.

Several substances can influence this process. A short overview of the major ones are found below:

IGF-1:

IGF-1 comes in two varieties – paracrine IGF-1 is made primarily in the liver and autocrine IGF-1 is made locally in other cells. Paracrine IGF-1 travels through the bloodstream to the various tissues of the body, but autocrine IGF-1 is local in that in affects only tissues in the area in which it is released. Receptors on the surface of the cells are necessary for paracrine IGF-1 to enter the cells and exert its anabolic effects. But autocrine IGF-1, which is manufactured and released in the muscle cell as a response to high tension contractions, operates independently of receptors on the surface because it’s already inside. Once inside the cell, IGF-1 interacts with calcium-activated enzymes and sets off a process that results in protein synthesis (and the calcium ions that were released during muscle contraction and also the ones that leak into the muscle after the sarcolemma is damaged ensure that the necessary enzymes are calcium-activated).

A large part of this increase in protein synthesis rate is due to the fact that the IGF-1/calcium/enzyme complexes make protein synthesis at the ribosomes more efficient. By the way, insulin works at the ribosome in a similar manner, hence the name insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). So get some quick digesting carbs in after your workout to raise insulin levels.

GH:

GH is thought to work, primarily, by causing the cells (both liver and muscle cells) to release IGF-1. Effective training causes a rise in GH levels in the bloodstream; this GH prompts the liver to release paracrine IGF-1 several hours afterward, and also the muscle cells to release autocrine IGF-1, thus leading to another potential growth induction.

Prostaglandins:

Certain prostaglandins are released during contraction (and stretch); two of the most significant to growth being PGE2 and PGF2-alpha. PGE2 increases protein degradation, whereas PGF2-alpha increases protein synthesis.

But PGE2 isn’t all bad because it also powerfully induces satellite cell proliferation and infusion. The mechanism of PGF2-alpha’s action is much less clear but is suspected to be connected to increasing protein synthesis ‘efficiency’ at the ribosomes.

Testosterone:

‘Free’ testosterone (the kind that isn’t bound to a binding protein) travels freely across the muscle cell membrane and, once inside, activates what’s called the ‘androgen receptor’. ‘Bound’ testosterone (the kind that is bound to a binding protein) must first activate receptors on the cell surface before it can enter (the number of receptors on the surface is what controls this pathway). Once the androgen receptor is activated by testosterone it travels to the nucleus and sets off the protein synthesis process. In this way, testosterone directly causes protein synthesis and is, by far, the most powerful anabolic agent found naturally in the human body. Testosterone also increases the satellite cells’ sensitivity to IGF-1 and FGF, thereby promoting satellite cell proliferation and differentiation. It also increases the body’s systemic output of GH and IGF-1. Resistance training causes a spike in testosterone level.

After A Workout: To facilitate the growth process, muscle cells are more ‘receptive’ to testosterone, systemic IGF-1 and GH.

The whole process of cellular damage and subsequent overcompensation (the cells grow back a little bigger than they were before) can take anywhere in the neighbourhood of several hours to several days, depending on the severity and type of training. Trained individuals, however, have been shown, in several studies, to complete the protein synthesis cycle within 36-48 hours after intense ‘conventional’ Bodybuilding-type weight training. This is strong evidence to support the idea that muscles should be trained every 48 hours. Clearly, increasing the volume of muscular contractile elements is the key to increasing muscle size and strength. Since the type II fibers contain the most actin/myosin filaments, and generate the highest tensions, they have the greatest potential for strengthening/growth.

The prerequisite, of course, is that you have to lift weights heavy enough to recruit the type II fibers – and for them to twitch fast enough to develop significant tension. You also have to subject them to that tension long enough for significant damage to occur to the muscle fibers.

Still To Come

In Part II of this series I’ll present the reasons why you want to increase intracellular mitochondria number and discuss further why Weightlifters are, as a group, stronger than Bodybuilders but usually smaller. I’ll also wrap up with some very ‘innocent’, yet profound, recommendations regarding muscle growth and strengthening.

Author: Training Expert Casey Butt, Ph.D.
Website: http://www.weightrainer.net/

During this time period, assuming training volume was sufficient to deplete muscle glycogen, the body can rapidly increase muscle glycogen levels to normal or supra-normal levels prior to beginning the next ketogenic cycle.

Swedish Cover Model Binais Begovic

Different Approaches

Anyone who has read both “The Anabolic Diet” (AD) by Dr. Mauro DiPasquale and “Bodyopus” (BO) by Dan Duchaine should realize that there are two diametrically different approaches to the carb-up. In the AD, the carb-up is quite unstructured. The goal is basically to eat a lot of carbs, and stop eating when you feel yourself starting to get bloated (which is roughly indicative of full muscle glycogen stores, where more carbohydrate will spill over to fat). In BO, an extremely meticulous carb-up schedule was provided, breaking down the 48 hour carb-up into individual meals, eaten every 2.5 hours. The approach which this article will provide is somewhere in the middle.

This article will discuss a variety of topics which pertain to the carb-load phase of the CKD, including duration, carbohydrate intake, quality of carbohydrate intake, fat gain, and others.

Duration and Amount of Carb Load

Arguably the two most critical aspects of a successful carb-load are the duration of the carb-load and the total amount of carbohydrates consumed during this time period. In brief, to achieve optimal glycogen levels, both the duration of the carb-load and the amount of carbs eaten must be correct. The rate limiting step in glycogen resynthesis appears to be activity of the enzymes involved in glycogen synthesis (1). Regardless of carbohydrate intake, there is a maximal amount of glycogen which can be synthesized in a given amount of time. That is to say, consuming all of your carbohydrates in a 4 hour time span, with the goal of returning to ketogenic eating that much sooner, will not work. Only when the proper amount of carbohydrates is consumed over a sufficient period of time, can glycogen compensation and/or supercompensation occur. Following exhaustive exercise and full glycogen depletion, glycogen can be resynthesized to 100% of normal levels (roughly 100-110 mmol/kg) within 24 hours as long as sufficient amounts of carbohydrate are consumed (1,2).

Assuming full depletion of the involved muscles, the amount of carbohydrate needed during this time period is 8-10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of lean body mass (8-10 g/kg). With 36 hours of carb-loading, roughly 150% compensation can occur, reaching levels of 150-160 mmol/kg of muscle glycogen.

More Notes To Factor In

To achieve greater levels of muscle glycogen than this (175 mmol/kg or more) generally requires 3-4 days of high carbohydrate eating following exhaustive exercise (3). It should be noted that carb-loading has primarily been studies following endurance training, not weight training and there may be differences in how the body handles carbs following weight training.

The first 6 hours after training appear to be the most critical as enzyme activity and resynthesis rates are the highest, around 12 mmol/kg/hour (4).

After Weight Training

Following weight training, with a carbohydrate intake of 1.5 grams carbohydrate/kg lean body mass taken immediately after training and again 2 hours later, a total of 44 mmol/kg can be resynthesized (4). Over the first 24 hours, the average rate of glycogen resynthesis ranges from 5-12 mmol/kg/hour depending on the type of exercise performed (5). In general, aerobic exercise shows the lowest rate of glycogen resynthesis (2-8 mmol/kg/hour), weight training the second highest (1.3-11 mmol/kg/hour), and sprint training the highest (15 to 33.6 mmol/kg/hour). (5,6). The reason that glycogen resynthesis is lower after weight training than after sprint training may be related to the amount of lactic acid generated as well as the muscle damage that typically occurs during weight training (5). At an average rate of 5 mmol/kg /hour, approximately 120 mmol/kg of glycogen can be synthesized over 24 hours. This can be achieved with the consumption of 50 grams or more of carbohydrate every 2 hours during the first 24 hours after training.

Intake of greater than 50 grams of carbohydrate does not appear to increase the rate of glycogen synthesis. Over 24 hours, at 50 grams per 2 hours, this yields 600 grams of carbohydrates total to maximize glycogen resynthesis. These values are for a 154 pound (70 kilogram) person.

Recommendation

Significantly heavier or lighter individuals will need proportionally more or less carbohydrate. Simply keep the value of 8-10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of lean body mass as a guide. In the second 24 hours, glycogen resynthesis rates decrease (1) and a carbohydrate intake of 5 grams/kg is recommended to further refill muscle glycogen stores while minimizing the chance of fat gain. For many individuals, the small amount of additional glycogen resynthesis which occurs during the second 24 hours of carbohydrate loading is not worth the risk of regaining some of the bodyfat which was lost during the preceding week.

Type of Carbohydrates

The type of carbohydrate consumed during a carb-up can affect the rate at which glycogen is resynthesized. During the first 24 hours, when enzyme activity is at it’s highest, it appears that the consumption of high glycemic index (GI) foods such as simple sugars promote higher levels of glycogen resynthesis compared to lower GI foods like starches (5,7,8). Glycogen resynthesis during the second 24 hours has not been studied as extensively. It appears that the consumption of lower GI carbs (starches, vegetables) promotes higher overall levels of glycogen resynthesis while avoiding fat gain by keeping insulin levels more stable (9). Most individual’s find that their regain of bodyfat, as well as retention of water under the skin, is considerably less if they switch to lower GI carbohydrates during the second 24 hours of carbohydrate loading. Fructose (fruit sugar, which preferentially refills liver glycogen) will not cause the same amount of glycogen resynthesis seen with glucose or sucrose (5, 8). Whether liquids or solid carbohydrates are consumed also appears to have less impact on glycogen resynthesis as long as adequate amounts are consumed (10).

Anecdotally, many individuals have had success consuming liquid carbohydrates such as commercially available glucose polymers during their first few meals and then moving towards slightly more complex carbohydrates such as starches. Liquid carbohydrates should raise insulin even more than solid carbs, which is useful during the initial hours of the carb-load.

Timing of Carbohydrates

While it would seem logical that consuming dietary carbohydrates in small amounts over the length of the carb-up would be ideal, at least one study suggests that glycogen resynthesis over 24 hours is related to the quantity of carbs consumed rather than how they are spaced out. In this study, subjects were glycogen depleted and then fed 525 grams of carbohydrate in either two or seven meals. Total glycogen resynthesis was the same in both groups. (11)

From a purely practical standpoint, smaller meals will generally make it easier to consume the necessary carbohydrate quantities and will keep blood sugar more stable.

In Bodyopus, it was recommended that dieters wake up during the night to consume carbohydrates. However this tends to dissuade many dieters from trying the diet at all. The study cited above suggests that eating strictly every 2 hours does not have a large impact on overall glycogen resynthesis rates. Empirical evidence shows that individuals who do not awaken to eat carbs during the night, but consume enough carbohydrates over the length of their carb-up, do achieve glycogen compensation anyway. If an individual must go a long time without eating (i.e. during sleep), a possible strategy is to consume the amount of carbohydrates that would have been consumed during that time period (i.e. 8 hours at 50 grams per 2 hours or 200 grams of carbs over 8 hours) can be consumed at once to keep blood glucose levels and glycogen resynthesis rates as high as possible (5).

Consuming these carbs with some protein, fat and fiber will slow digestion and give a more even blood glucose release, helping to promote glycogen resynthesis. Those wishing truly maximal glycogen resynthesis may wish to experiment with eating small carb meals throughout the night.

When to Begin Carb-Up

The carb-up should begin immediately following training. A delay of even 2 hours between the end of training and the start of the carb-up causes glycogen resynthesis to be 47% slower than if carbs are consumed immediately. (10,12). Ideally you should consume a large amount of liquid carbs immediately after training. A good rule of thumb is to consume 1.5 grams of carbs/kg lean body mass, with approximately one half as much protein, immediately after training and then again two hours later. Additionally the consumption of carbohydrates prior to (and even during) the workout prior to your carb-up will lead to higher rates of glycogen resynthesis, most likely as a result of higher insulin levels when the carb-up begins (1,10).

It is recommended that individuals consume a small carbohydrate meal approximately 1-2 hours prior to the training session that precedes the carb-up.

Training and the Carb-Up

An important issue regarding the carb-up is the type of exercise that precedes the carb-up. Typical carb-ups have been studied in endurance athletes, not weight trainers so extrapolations must be made with care. It has been long known that only the muscles worked immediately prior to the carb-up are supercompensated. Recall from above that a delay of even several hours slows glycogen resynthesis greatly. Muscle groups which have been trained several days prior to the start of a carb-load will not be optimally supercompensated. This suggests that, for optimal results, the whole body should be worked during the workout prior to the carb-up. It should be noted that many individuals have achieved fine results not working the entire body prior to the carb-up, using a more traditional split routine workout. Additionally the type of training preceding the carb-up affects the rate and amount of glycogen resynthesized following training. Muscles that have been damaged with eccentric training show lower rates of glycogen resynthesis following training (13,14). However this decrease in resynthesis does not show up immediately. In muscles which have undergone eccentric trauma, glycogen levels are typically 25% lower following a carb-up but this difference does not become apparent until three days after training (or when soreness sets in) (13,14).

For individuals performing a 1 or 2 day carb-up, the type of training prior to the carb-up is probably not that critical. For bodybuilders performing a 3 day carb-up prior to a contest, eccentric muscle trauma should be avoided as much as possible.

Other Macro-Nutrients

Another issue regarding the carb-load is the amounts and types of other macronutrients (protein and fat) which should be consumed. The co-ingestion of protein and fat do not affect the levels of glycogen storage during the carb-up as long as carbohydrate intake is sufficient (15). However, many individuals find that fat blunts their hunger and prevents them from consuming enough carbohydrates to refill glycogen stores. Recall that carbohydrate level will be 10 gram/kg lean body mass during the first 24 hours. This will make up 70% of the total calories consumed during the carb load.

Preliminary research has shown that a high carbohydrate to protein ratio may increase testosterone (16) and it is suggested that individuals consume 70% carbohydrates, 15% protein and 15% fat during the first 24 hours of their carb-up.

Many bodybuilders may feel that this percentage of protein is too low but this is not the case. First and foremost, a high calorie intake reduces protein requirements and increases nitrogen retention (17). As a result, less dietary protein is needed when caloric/carbohydrate intake is high. Protein should be consumed with carbohydrates as this has been shown to increase glycogen resynthesis, especially after training (18). Additionally, combining carbohydrates with protein after weight training raises insulin and growth hormone, which may enhance anabolism (19). Further the most protein lifters need is 1 gram per pound of bodyweight under extremely intensive training conditions (20).

Even at 15% protein calories, most individuals will be consuming sufficient protein during the carb-up. Example calculations appear below.

What About Fat Gain?

Possibly the biggest fear many individuals on a ketogenic diet have about the carb-load is the potential to regain body fat due to the high number of calories being consumed (almost double maintenance during the first 24 hours). We will see that fat gain during the carb-up should be minimal as long as a few guidelines are followed. In a study which looked surprisingly like a CKD, subjects consumed a low-carb, high fat (but non-ketogenic) diet for 5 days and depleted muscle glycogen with exercise (21). Subjects were then given a total 500 grams of carbohydrate in three divided meals. During the first 24 hours, despite the high calorie (and carb) intake, there was a negative fat balance of 88 grams meaning that fat was actually lost during the period of high-carbohydrate eating. When muscle glycogen is depleted, incoming carbohydrates appear to be used preferentially to refill glycogen stores, and fat continues to be used for energy production. Additionally the excess carbohydrates which were not stored as glycogen were used for energy (21). In general, the synthesis of fat from glycogen (referred to as De Novo Lipogenesis) in the short term is fairly small (22,23).

During carbohydrate overfeeding, there is a decrease in fat use for energy. Most fat gain occurring during high carbohydrate overfeeding is from storage of excessive fat intake (24). Therefore as long as fat intake is kept relatively low (below 88 grams) during the carb-up phase of the CKD, there should be a minimal fat regain.

Similar Studies

In a similar study, individuals consumed a low-carb, high fat diet for 5 days and then consumed very large amounts of carbohydrates (700 to 900 grams per day) over a five day period (25). During the first 24 hours, with a carbohydrate intake of 700 grams and a fat intake of 60 grams per day, there was a fat gain of only 7 grams. As with the previous study discussed, this indicates that the body continued to use fat for fuel during this time period. In the second 24 hours, with an intake of 800 grams of carbohydrate and a fat intake of 97 grams, there was a fat gain of 127 grams (25) indicating that the body had shifted out of ‘fat burning’ mode as muscle glycogen stores became full. This is unlike the suggestions being made for the CKD, where the carbohydrate intake during the second 24 hours will be lower than in the first 24 hours.

A large fat gain, as seen in this study would not be expected to occur on a CKD.

As long as fat intake is kept low and carbohydrate intake is reduced to approximately 5 gram/kg lean body mass during the second 24 hours, fat regain should be minimal. Once again, individuals are encouraged to keep track of changes in body composition with different amounts and durations of carb-loading to determine what works for them.

Those looking to maximize fat loss may prefer only a 24 hour carb-up. This allows more potential days in ketosis for fat loss to occur as well as making it more difficult to regain significant amounts of body fat.

How Long Does Glycogen Compensation Last?

Pre-contest bodybuilders (and other athletes) want to know how long they will maintain above normal glycogen levels following a carb-up so that they can time the carb-up around a specific event. With normal glycogen levels, and no exercise, glycogen levels are maintained at least 3 days. (26,27) It appears that above-normal glycogen stores can be maintained at least 3 days as well. (28) Implications of the carb-load on the adaptations seen in ketosis as discussed in the previous chapters, there are a number of potentially beneficial adaptations which occur during ketosis in terms of decreased protein use and increased fat use. A question which arises is how the insertion of a 1-2 day carbohydrate loading phase will affect these adaptations. To this author’s knowledge, no research has examined any effects on ketosis to repeated carbohydrate loading.

In general, the adaptations to ketosis take three full weeks in ketosis to occur. A question without an answer is whether these adaptations will take longer, or whether they will occur at all, with repeated carbohydrate loading.

Evidence

Anecdotal experience suggests that they do, but research is needed in this area. Since no physiological measures of the adaptations to ketosis have been measured (except in the short term), it is impossible to make any conclusions regarding the long term adaptations to a CKD. Based on anecdotal reports, it seems that the adaptations do occur, but that they simply take longer. For example, most people starting a ketogenic diet (of any sort) go through a period of low energy, where they are mentally ‘fuzzy’. Those who stay on straight ketogenic diet (no carb-load) generally move past this stage by the second or third week of dieting. In contrast, those on a CKD seem to take slightly longer to overcome this feeling. As a personal example, this author experienced a great deal of fatigue in the first week of being on a CKD, a smaller (but still above baseline) amount of fatigue during the second week, and essentially no fatigue on the third week. This suggests (but requires further research) that the adaptation of the brain to ketosis may take slightly longer due to the insertion of a carb-load phase. This also suggests that individuals may want to do two weeks of a CKD prior to their first carb-up, to allow the adaptations to occur more quickly.

Of course, if this compromises training intensity, it is not a viable option.

Adjustments to the Carb-Load

To a great degree, the carb-load can be the part of the CKD which either makes or breaks the diet. A balance must be struck between carb-loading enough to support intense weight training without gaining back the bodyfat lost during the previous week. Many individuals do well with an unstructured approach to the carb-load. They simply eat a ton of carbs, get some protein and fat in there, and do just fine.

However for many individuals this does not work well and there is too much fat spillover during the carb-load, making the CKD a 2 steps forward, 1 step backwards ordeal. In this case, the following modifications can be made.

1. Shorten the length of the carb-load.

Considering that the body stays in a ‘fat burning’ mode for at least the first 24 hours of the carb-load, any carb load shorter than 24 hours should make it generally impossible to gain appreciable fat. In fact some individuals have had success with the CKD buy doing 2 24 hour carb-load phases during the week, for example on Wednesday and Sunday.

2. Clean up the carb-load.

While part of the attraction of the CKD is the ability to eat whatever you want during the carb-load, a steady diet of donuts and chicken wings on the weekend can short-circuit fat loss. Making better food choices, starting with high GI carbs and moving to more complex starches as the hours pass, can make all the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful fat loss CKD.

3. Watch total macronutrient intake.

Although it’s a bit of a pain, monitoring total carb, protein and fat intake during the carb-load can help prevent fat spillover, especially when coupled with strategy #2.

4. Use specific supplements like Citrimax and Alpha-lipoic acid.

Although the human data on Citrimax (the trade name for hydroxycitric acid) is few and far between, empirical evidence suggests that it’s use during the carb-load significantly decrease carb spillover to fat and leads to better carb-loads. Additionally, Citrimax tends to blunt hunger and can help to prevent overeating during the carb-up. A dosage of 750-1000 mg taken three times daily, at least 30 minutes before meals, is the recommended dose. Additionally, alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is an anti-oxidant and glucose disposal agent (29) which has shown great use during carb-ups for many individuals on the CKD.

In comparison to chromium, magnesium and vanadyl sulfate, ALA appears to work significantly better. A dosage of 200-600 mg per day is a good place to start as far as dosage but be forewarned that it can get expensive quickly.

Summary of Guidelines for the Carb-Load

1. 8-10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of lean body mass should be consumed during the initial 24 hours of the carb-load. This will make up 70% of the total calories consumed. During the second 24 hours, approximately 5 grams/kg should be consumed which will be approximately 60% of the total calories consumed.
2. Protein intake should be approximately 1 gram per pound during all phases of the carb-load. In the first 24 hours, this will represent about 15% of total calories, in the second 24 hours, this will represent about 25% of total calories.
3. Fat intake should be kept at 15% of total calories during the first 24 hours, or a maximum of 88 grams of fat. Fat intake should be roughly cut in half during the second 24 hours of the carb-load.

Sample calculations for a carb-load for different body weights So simplify the calculations for the carb-load, the following charts give approximate amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrate, and total calories for the carb-load phase, based on different amounts of lean body mass. During the first 24 hours of carb-loading, carbohydrate intake should be 10 grams per kilogram of lean body mass or 4.5 grams of carbs per pound of lean body mass. This will represent 70% of the total calories consumed. The remaining calories will be divided evenly between fat (15% of total calories) and protein (15% of total calories).

Figure 1 gives estimated amounts of carbohydrate, protein and fat for various amounts of lean body mass.

* The total calories consumed during the first 24 hours of the carb-load will be approximately twice what was being consumed during the lowcarb week. During the second 24 hours of carb-loading, carbohydrates will make up 60% of the total calories, protein 25% and fat 15%.

Once again, the above amounts should be considered guidelines only. Experimentation coupled with good record keeping will help an individual determine the optimal amounts of nutrients to consume during their carb-up.

Author: Lyle Mcdonald
Website: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/

References

1. John Ivy “Muscle glycogen synthesis before and after exercise” Sports Medicine (1991) 11: 6-19.
2. William M. Sherman “Metabolism of sugars and physical performance” Am J Clin Nutr (1995) 62(suppl): 228S-41S.
3. “Physiology of Sport and Exercise” Jack H. Wilmore and David L. Costill. Human Kinetics Publishers 1994.
4. Pascoe D.D. et. al. “Glycogen resynthesis in skeletal muscle following resistive exercise” Med Sci Sports Exerc (1993) 25: 349-354.
5. Edward F. Coyle “Substrate Utilization during exercise in active people” Am J Clin Nutr (1995) 61 (suppl): 968S-979S.
6. D.D. Pascoe and L.B. Gladden “Muscle glycogen resynthesis after short term, high intensity exercise and resistance exercise” Sports Med (1996) 21: 98-118.
7. 19. Burke, LM et. al. “Muscle glycogen storage after prolonged exercise: effects of the glycemic index of carbohydrate feedings” J Appl Physiol (1993) 75: 1019-1023.
8. 20. Janet Rankin “Glycemic Index and Exercise Metabolism” in Gatorade Sports Science Exchange Volume 10(1).
9. 21. Costill, DL et. al. “Muscle glycogen utilization during prolonged exercise on successive days” J Appl Physiol (1971) 31: 834-838.
10. 22. Reed, MJ et. al. “Muscle glycogen storage postexercise: effect of mode of carbohdyrate administration” Med Sci Sports Exerc (1989) 66: 720-726.
11. 23. Costill, DL et. al. “The role of dietary carbohydrate in muscle glycogen resynthesis after running” Am J Clin Nutr (1981) 34: 1831-1836.
12. 24. Ivy, JL et. al. “Muscle glycogen synthesis after exercise: effect of time of carbohydrate ingestion” J Appl Physiol (1988) 64: 1480-1485.
13. 25. Doyle, J.A. et. al. “Effects of eccentric and concentric exercsie on muscle glycogen replenishment” J Appl Physiol (1993) 74: 1848-1855.
14. 26. Widrick, J.J. et. al. “Time course of glycogen accumulation after eccentric exercsie” J Appl Physiol (1992): 1999-2004.
15. 27. Burke, L.M. et. al. “Effect of coingestion of fat and protein with carbohydrate feeding on muscle glycogen storage” J Appl Physiol (1995) 78: 2187-2192.
16. 28. Anderson, K.E. et. al. “Diet-hormone interactions: protein/carbohydrate ratio alters reciprocally the plasma levels of testosterone and cortisol and their respective binding globulins in man” Life Sciences (1987) 40: 1761-1768.
17. 29. Chiang, An-Na and Po-Chao Huang “Excess nitrogen balance at protein intakes above the requirement level in young men.” Am J Clin Nutr (1988) 48: 1015-1022.
18. Zawadzki, et al. “Carbohydrate-protein complex increases the rate of myscle glycogen storage after exercise” J Appl Physiol (1992) 72: 1854-1859.
19. Chandler, RM et. al. “Dietary supplements affect the anabolic hormones after weight-training exercise” J App Phys (1994) 76: 839-45.
20. Peter Lemon “Is increased dietary protein necessary or beneficial for individuals with a physically active lifestyle?” Nutrition Reviews 54(4): S169-S175, 1996.
21. Acheson, K.J. “Nutritional influences on lipogenesis and thermogenesis after a carbohydrate meal.” Am J Physiol (1984) 246: E62-E70.
22. Meena Shah and Abhimanyu Garg “High-fat and high-carbohydrate diets and energy balance” Diabetes Care (1996) 19: 1142-1152.
23. Marc Hellerstein “Synthesis of fat in response to alterations in diet: insights from new stable isotope methodologies” Lipids (1996) 31 (suppl) S117-S125.
24. Jebb, SA et. al. “Changes in macronutrient balance during over- and underfeeding asessed by 12-d continuous whole body calorimetry” Am J Clin Nutr (1996) 64: 259-266.
25. Acheson, K.J. et. al. “Glycogen storage capacity and de novo lipogenesis during massive carbohydrate overfeeding in man” Am J Clin Nutr (1988) 48: 240-247.
26. Knapik, J.J. et. al. “Influence of fasting on carbohydrate and fat metabolism during rest and exercise in men. ” J Appl. Physiol (1988) 64: 1923-1929.
27. Loy, S. et. al. “Effects of 24-hour fast on cycling during endurance time at two different intensities.” J Appl Physiol (1986) 61: 654-659.
28. Goldforth, H.W. et. al. “Persistence of supercompensated muscle glycogen in trained subjects after carbohydrate loading.” J Appl Physiol (1997) 82: 324-347.
29. Jacob S, et al. “The antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid enhances insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism in insulin-resistant rat skeletal muscle.” Diabetes. 1996 Aug; 45(8): 1024-1029.

The bottom line is that without proper water intake, your bodybuilding efforts will be compromised. If you’re serious about building muscle, here’s what you need to know about [H.sub.2]O.

Water Logged

The biggest question is also the most argued and the most important for those of you concerned with both your health and your physiques: How much water should you drink per day? You’ve probably heard conflicting tidbits of conventional wisdom. Some people swear you should count every glass, aiming for about eight each day; others say you should just drink whenever you feel thirsty.

Then there are those hardcore gym freaks who carry a gallon-size bottle of water around while lifting, slugging it back between sets.

Who’s Right?

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) in Washington, D.C., which sets dietary regulations, reviewed the research on hydration and water intake in 2004 and released an updated recommendation. It said that to maintain optimal hydration, men need to drink 16 cups of water a day, and women need 11. Sound like a lot? Well, for one thing, when the IOM says cups, it actually means cups, as in not glasses or mugs, but 1 cup 8 ounces. That makes a total of 128 ounces of water per day, or 1 gallon. Not everyone thinks that much water is necessary. The authors of a study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology in April 2008 examined existing research on water intake and found no evidence that drinking extra water is good for you. Their review was found to be extremely flawed, however, and their ultimate conclusion was that there’s also no evidence that drinking extra water is not good for you.

What’s Simplyshredded’s stance? Surprisingly, we agree (for once) with the IOM. Significant risks are associated with not getting enough water, including losing what really matters to you: muscle.

A Thirst For Strength

Research increasingly shows that getting even slightly less water than your body needs can have notable effects on everything from strength to muscle growth. A study published in 2001 in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research had 10 trained men perform their one-rep max (IRM) bench press in a normally hydrated state and again in both a dehydrated state and after having rehydrated. When they were dehydrated, subjects’ IRMs decreased compared to their normal and rehydrated states. In addition, the leaner the subject, the more dehydration affected him.

Scientists concluded that even a 15% loss in body mass due to dehydration that’s only 3 pounds for a 200-pound man resulted in a significant decrease in strength. And not just muscle function is affected.

Research

A new study conducted at the University of Connecticut (Storrs) found that dehydration and resistance exercise can be a bad combination, negatively impacting the ideal hormonal state for muscle growth. Researchers had study subjects complete three identical bouts of exercise in three different states: normally hydrated, moderately dehydrated (about 2.5% of body mass lost) and more severely dehydrated (about 5% of body mass lost). They then drew subjects’ blood and tested it for a slew of hormones linked to muscle growth, such as testosterone, cortisol, growth hormone, insulinlike growth factor-1, insulin, glucose, lactate and more. Being underhydrated was found to negatively affect testosterone levels in two ways. One, it boosts levels of Cortisol, which competes with testosterone for receptors and can drive down T levels, and two, it reduces how much testosterone is released in response to exercise. It also affected the metabolism of carbs and fat, meaning you might end up with more bodyfat.

Altogether, the evidence is strong and mounting that keeping your body well-hydrated is important not only to overall health but also to the pursuit of muscle.

Water Fall

It’s nearly impossible to predict how much water an individual will lose during exercise. Every trainee’s sweat rate is different and linked to such variables as percent bodyfat, conditioning, heat acclimation, exercise intensity, altitude, even genetics. That said, most athletes lose 0.5-2 liters of sweat per hour of exercise.

Since the ratio of water lost to water replaced is 1:1, that means you need to drink anywhere up to 2 liters of water to replace what you lose.

Rule Of Thumb

One rule of thumb is to weigh yourself before and after the workout and drink about a pint (16 ounces) for every pound you’ve lost. But you also lose water driving to the gym, sleeping at night, eating one of your seven daily meals, etc.

In fact, the mere act of breathing is responsible for the majority of the body’s water losses, hence our recommendation to drink a gallon of water per day.

Author: Jordana Brown
References:
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/
http://www.flexonline.com/
COPYRIGHT 2010 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2010 Gale Group

It goes like this, a client looking to lead a healthier life hires me, a nutritionist, to help him improve his diet. I analyze what he’s been eating, factor in his food preferences, and together we create an eating plan that fits his lifestyle and goals.

Soon after, he’s noticeably leaner and more energetic a happy customer. That’s when the trouble starts. After a coworker asks him for the details of his diet, my client suddenly finds himself in a heated interrogation. Doesn’t your nutritionist know red meat causes cancer? And that potatoes cause diabetes? Shouldn’t he tell you to eat less salt, to prevent high blood pressure?

The upshot:

Myths just made my job a lot harder. That’s because nutrition misinformation fools men into being confused and frustrated in their quest to eat healthily, even if they’re already achieving great results. Thankfully, you’re about to be enlightened by science. Here are five food fallacies you can forget about for good.

Myth #1: “High protein intake is harmful to your kidneys.”

Back in 1983, researchers first discovered that eating more protein increases your “glomerular filtration rate,” or GFR. Think of GFR as the amount of blood your kidneys are filtering per minute. From this finding, many scientists made the leap that a higher GFR places your kidneys under greater stress.

What science really shows:

Nearly 2 decades ago, Dutch researchers found that while a protein-rich meal did boost GFR, it didn’t have an adverse effect on overall kidney function. In fact, there’s zero published research showing that downing hefty amounts of protein—specifically, up to 1.27 grams per pound of body weight a day—damages healthy kidneys.

The bottom line:

As a rule of thumb, shoot to eat your target body weight in grams of protein daily. For example, if you’re a chubby 200 pounds and want to be a lean 180, then have 180 grams of protein a day. Likewise if you’re a skinny 150 pounds but want to be a muscular 180.

Myth #2: “Sweet potatoes are better for you than white potatoes.”

Because most Americans eat the highly processed version of the white potato—for instance, french fries and potato chips—consumption of this root vegetable has been linked to obesity and an increased diabetes risk. Meanwhile, sweet potatoes, which are typically eaten whole, have been celebrated for being rich in nutrients and also having a lower glycemic index than their white brethren.

What science really shows:

White potatoes and sweet potatoes have complementary nutritional differences; one isn’t necessarily better than the other. For instance, sweet potatoes have more fiber and vitamin A, but white potatoes are higher in essential minerals, such as iron, magnesium, and potassium. As for the glycemic index, sweet potatoes are lower on the scale, but baked white potatoes typically aren’t eaten without cheese, sour cream, or butter. These toppings all contain fat, which lowers the glycemic index of a meal.

The bottom line:

The form in which you consume a potato—for instance, a whole baked potato versus a processed potato that’s used to make chips—is more important than the type of spud.

Myth #3: “Red meat causes cancer.”

In a 1986 study, Japanese researchers discovered cancer developing in rats that were fed “heterocyclic amines,” compounds that are generated from overcooking meat under high heat. And since then, some studies of large populations have suggested a potential link between meat and cancer.

What science really shows:

No study has ever found a direct cause-and-effect relationship between red-meat consumption and cancer. As for the population studies, they’re far from conclusive. That’s because they rely on broad surveys of people’s eating habits and health afflictions, and those numbers are simply crunched to find trends, not causes.

The bottom line:

Don’t stop grilling. Meat lovers who are worried about the supposed risks of grilled meat don’t need to avoid burgers and steak; rather, they should just trim off the burned or overcooked sections of the meat before eating.

Myth #4: “High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is more fattening than regular sugar is.”

In a 1968 study, rats that were fed large amounts of fructose developed high levels of fat in their bloodstreams. Then, in 2002, University of California at Davis researchers published a well-publicized paper noting that Americans’ increasing consumption of fructose, including that in HFCS, paralleled our skyrocketing rates of obesity.

What science really shows:

Both HFCS and sucrose—better known as table sugar—contain similar amounts of fructose. For instance, the two most commonly used types of HFCS are HFCS-42 and HFCS-55, which are 42 and 55 percent fructose, respectively. Sucrose is almost chemically identical, containing 50 percent fructose. This is why the University of California at Davis scientists determined fructose intakes from both HFCS and sucrose. The truth is, there’s no evidence to show any differences in these two types of sugar. Both will cause weight gain when consumed in excess.

The bottom line:

HFCS and regular sugar are empty-calorie carbohydrates that should be consumed in limited amounts. How? By keeping soft drinks, sweetened fruit juices, and prepackaged desserts to a minimum.

Myth #5: “Salt causes high blood pressure and should be avoided.”

In the 1940s, a Duke University researcher named Walter Kempner, M.D., became famous for using salt restriction to treat people with high blood pressure. Later, studies confirmed that reducing salt could help reduce hypertension.

What science really shows:

Large-scale scientific reviews have determined there’s no reason for people with normal blood pressure to restrict their sodium intake. Now, if you already have high blood pressure, you may be “salt sensitive.” As a result, reducing the amount of salt you eat could be helpful.However, it’s been known for the past 20 years that people with high blood pressure who don’t want to lower their salt intake can simply consume more potassium-containing foods.

Why?

Because it’s really the balance of the two minerals that matters. In fact, Dutch researchers determined that a low potassium intake has the same impact on your blood pressure as high salt consumption does. And it turns out, the average guy consumes 3,100 milligrams (mg) of potassium a day—1,600 mg less than recommended.

The bottom line:

Strive for a potassium-rich diet, which you can achieve by eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and legumes. For instance, spinach, broccoli, bananas, white potatoes, and most types of beans each contain more than 400 mg potassium per serving.

Author: Alan Aragon, M.S.
Website: www.alanaragon.com

When implemented properly and consistently, strategic pre- and post-workout supplementation can greatly increase the effectiveness of your training. Without optimum nutritional strategies, the body’s response to training can only be considered a compromise at best.

From this perspective, training and diet cannot be considered as separate factors. The food and supplements that you take, and the work that you faithfully perform in the gym, are both part of your training. On the day of competition it will not be the athlete who trained harder who wins, it will be the athlete who trained smarter.

Introduction

Exercise causes acute changes in the metabolic environment of muscle tissue. First there is a significant increase in blood flow to working muscles. There is also a sharp increase in catecholamines (e.g. noradrenalin, adrenalin). These changes favor catabolism during exercise, and anabolism immediately after exercise. Because these changes are acute, some lasting only a few hours, the pre and post exercise meals are critical to optimizing the anabolic effect of exercise. This article will discuss pre- and post-exercise nutritional strategies based on current research in this area.

Before

Pre-workout nutritional strategies are based on providing alternative energy substrates (mainly carbohydrate) to preserve energy stores, and taking advantage of increased blood flow to muscle tissue.

Carbohydrates

High intensity exercise places great demand on glycogen stores. Glycogen is the sugar stored in the liver and muscles. Because high intensity exercise burns energy at such a high rate, the body is unable to supply sufficient oxygen to be able to use fat for fuel. Instead, it must use sugar both stored in the muscle and brought in from the blood.

Consuming simple sugars right before training can reduce the amount of glycogen used during exercise. This can prolong performance. More importantly, higher blood sugar and insulin levels appear to create a hormonal milieu favorable to anabolism (growth).

During exercise, cortisol accelerates lipolysis, ketogenesis, and proteolysis (protein breakdown). This happens in order to provide additional fuel substrates for continued exercise. The effects of cortisol may also be necessary to provide an amino acid pool from which the muscle can rebuild new contractile proteins if there are insufficient amino acids delivered from the blood. This ensures that some degree of adaptation can occur regardless of the availability of dietary protein. Over time however, if this process is not balanced with additional dietary protein, the net effect will be only maintenance or even a decrease in functional muscle tissue, as is evident during periods of starvation or prolonged dieting. Fortunately, there is only a non-significant rise in cortisol levels when carbohydrates were consumed during exercise. (Tarpenning, 1998) The net effect is a more rapid increase in the cross sectional area of the muscle fibers with the greatest effect seen in type-II fibers.

This may be a less expensive option for those who were thinking of using phosphatidylserine. In this case, carbohydrate administration appears to down regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, probably through insulin or perhaps through the presence of carbohydrate itself. This would, in effect, greatly reduce the body’s catabolic response to exercise stress. All good news for bodybuilders.

Protein

Another pre-workout strategy involves taking advantage of increased blood flow to working muscles. Because the availability of amino acids is often the limiting factor for protein synthesis, a pre-workout protein meal will enhance the delivery of amino acids to muscle tissue. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of a pre-workout protein drink.

Amino Acids

Delivery of amino acids has been shown to be significantly greater during the exercise bout when consumed pre-workout than after exercise (Tipton, 2001). There is also a significant difference in amino acid delivery in the 1st hour after exercise, with the pre-exercise protein drink providing a significant advantage. Net amino acid uptake across the muscle is twice as high with a pre-workout protein drink as compared to consuming it after. Phenylalanine disappearance rate, an indicator of muscle protein synthesis from blood amino acids, was significantly higher when amino acids were taken pre-workout.

These results indicate that the response of net muscle protein synthesis to consumption of a protein solution immediately before resistance exercise is greater than that when the solution is consumed after exercise, primarily because of an increase in muscle protein synthesis as a result of increased delivery of amino acids to the leg.

After

During exercise muscles use metabolic fuels at an accelerated rate. In order for physical work to be continuous, the body mobilizes stored fuels to make fatty acids, glucose, and amino acids available for oxidation. This is a catabolic process and cannot occur simultaneous to anabolic processes such as glycogen formation and protein synthesis.

In order for the body to recover from exercise, the catabolic environment must be quickly changed to an anabolic environment. The food that you eat after training affects the hormonal milieu in your body in order for this to take place. With the rapid introduction of carbohydrate, protein, and fat into the system post exercise, the body is able to begin reparations on damaged tissue and replenish fuel reserves.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are important for performance and perhaps more importantly for glycogen recovery. Studies have shown an increased ability of muscle tissue to take up serum glucose immediately following strenuous exercise (Goodyear 1998). This is due to what is called, “non-insulin dependant glucose uptake”. After a meal, muscle cells transport glucose across the cell membrane in response to the hormone insulin. Insulin binds with its receptors at the cell surface causing a cascade of events that ends with proteins, called glucose transporters, being translocated to the cell surface. Once at the cell surface, these glucose transporters allow glucose to pass through the membrane where they can be phosphorylated and eventually stored as glycogen. Membrane transport of glucose will exhibit saturation kinetics similar to the effect of increasing substrate concentration on the activity of enzymes. The number of glucose transporters limits the rate of glucose entry into your muscle cells. Once all available glucose transporters are associated with a glucose molecule, the rate of glucose entry will go no higher.

There are at least 5 different classes of glucose transporter proteins. They are designated GLUT1, GLUT2, GLUT3, GLUT4, and GLUT5. Each class of GLUT protein differs in its kinetic parameters and is found in specific tissues. GLUT-4 is the primary isoform regulated by insulin, and sensitive to muscle contraction.

Muscle contractions, much like insulin, cause a separate set of GLUT-4 proteins to be temporarily translocated to the surface of the muscle cell (Sherman 1996). This greatly increases the rate at which muscle tissue can take in glucose from the blood after a bout of exercise. The effects of exercise on glucose uptake last for a few hours into the post exercise period. If the post exercise meal is lacking in carbohydrates, the replenishment of glycogen is delayed.

If carbohydrates are lacking in the diet, exercise will cause a glucose deficit and glycogen stores will continue to fall without being replenished to pre exercise levels.

Simple vs. Complex

There has been some controversy about which type of carbohydrate is best for post exercise glycogen replenishment. Some argue that simple sugars such as dextrose are best after exercise. Others say that drinks with glucose polymers are best. Still others say that there is no need to buy fancy sports drinks and that simply eating a meal high in carbohydrates such as pasta or rice is sufficient. Studies have shown no difference between different types of carbohydrates eaten post exercise and the rate of glycogen replenishment as long as sufficient quantities of carbohydrate are consumed (Burke 1997). Even when the post exercise meal contains other macronutrients such as proteins and fats, the rate of glycogen replenishment is not hindered, given there is sufficient carbohydrate in the meal as well. These studies tell us that the rate-limiting step in glycogen replenishment after exercise is not in digestion or the glycemic index of a given source of carbohydrate. Over a 24-hour period it is the total amount of carbohydrate consumed that is important. The rate-limiting step in glucose uptake during exercise is determined by the rate of phosphorylation once glucose has entered the muscle cell (Halseth 1998). Glycogen synthase activity is also a possible rate-limiting step (Halseth 1998).

These processes are not readily influenced by the composition of the “post exercise” meal, but rather by the extent to which glycogen was depleted during exercise as well as the amount of carbohydrate and fat consistently included in the diet.

Recommendation

It is recommended that at least 0.7 – 1.0 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight be consumed immediately after exercise and then again 1-2 hours later. If you experience gastric upset try increasing the amount of water you consume with the carbs. Try to shoot for a total of 7-10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight over a 24-hour period 3 for maximum glycogen storage. This may well be in excess of caloric needs but it is important to shoot for this intake if glycogen storage is your primary goal.

Protein

Protein is another critical nutrient post-exercise. Protein is essential to post exercise anabolism. Protein provides amino acids that are used to rebuild damaged tissues as well as provide enzymes and carrier proteins necessary for adaptation to exercise.

Without protein, which supplies essential amino acids for endogenous protein synthesis, the body’s ability to adapt to exercise is greatly diminished.

The Research

Studies have shown a 12 to 14 day period after the onset of an unaccustomed exercise program, in which nitrogen balance, the ratio of protein intake to protein loss, is negative (Butterfield 1987). Any study looking at protein needs and exercise must take this into account. Nitrogen balance during this period appears to be insensitive to total caloric intake, but can be improved with a high protein intake if adequate calories are supplied (Gontzea 1975). Even though additional protein intake will prevent nitrogen balance from becoming negative, it will still fall despite high protein intake during the first two weeks of exercise.

Muscle specific messenger RNA (mRNA) produced subsequent to training has a half-life of only 4-5 hours. It is so short because mRNA has no “quality control” mechanism built into the coding. By keeping the half-life short, any errors in the sequence won’t be able to produce enough defective proteins to do irreparable damage to the cell or organism. This also allows tight control of protein metabolism.

Importance Of Timing

The timing of protein intake is important. If the anabolic stimulus from exercise is to be maximized, a steady flow of amino acids must bathe the muscle while mRNA content is high. It should be no surprise that the optimum time for protein intake after your workout is relatively brief compared to frequency of training a particular muscle. Muscle protein synthetic rate (MPS) is elevated in humans by up to 50% at about 4 hours following a bout of heavy resistance training, and by 109% at 24 hours following training. A study done by Macdougall (MacDougall et al 1995) further examined the time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis by examining its rate at 36 hrs following a bout of heavy resistance training. Six healthy young men performed 12 sets of 6- to 12-RM elbow flexion exercises with one arm while the opposite arm served as a control. MPS was calculated from the in vivo rate of incorporation of L-[1,2-13C2] leucine into biceps brachii of both arms over 11 hours. At an average time of 36 hours post-exercise, MPS in the exercised arm had returned to within 14% of the control arm value, the difference being nonsignificant.

The following conclusions can be drawn from this study, following a bout of heavy resistance training, muscle protein synthetic rate increases rapidly, is more than double at 24 hours, and then declines rapidly so that at 36 hours it has almost returned to baseline.

Recommendations

Current recommendations for total protein intake for athletes is between 1.6-1.8 grams per kilogram body weight, depending on who you read, however, it is not uncommon for bodybuilders to consume in excess of 2 grams per kg of body weight with no ill effects. It should be remembered that the body does not have the capacity to effectively store amino acids. Protein should be eaten at least every 3-4 hours. The evening meal should contain slowly digesting protein that will allow a steady release of amino acids into your system well into the night. Dinner is a perfect time for steak or other meat dishes.

Fat

Little is known about the effects of fat in the “post-exercise” meal. Total fat intake is probably more important for a bodybuilder than just considering the post-workout meal. Essential fatty acids in sufficient quantities have the ability to alter physiology. Fatty acids such as omega-3s’ and omega-6s’, when consumed in differing ratios in a consistent and deliberate manner, can alter the composition of cell membranes which alters the production of prostaglandins in working muscles and thereby can modify everything from glucose transport to protein synthesis (Hayashi 1999). These effects are seen after at least 5 days of consuming of these fats in moderate to high doses. Eating them immediately after training and at no other time will most likely not have any dramatic effect.

Some forms of fat may delay gastric emptying which theoretically could slow the rate at which nutrients become available to tissues. We can only speculate whether this would have any “long term” effect on gains. Most research indicates that glycogen replenishment is delayed but not reduced when gastric emptying is prolonged.

There is some indication that cholesterol may be an important nutrient immediately after high intensity resistance exercise. Total cholesterol has been shown to be significantly lowered for at least 90 hours following a single bout of resistance exercise (Smith 1994). Serum cholesterol may be needed for incorporation into damaged cell membranes after resistance exercise. I’m not implying that you should eat a high cholesterol meal right after training.

Taken together, research is still lacking where the optimal levels and composition of post-exercise fats are concerned.

Fluids

I couldn’t really write an article about pre- and post exercise nutrition without at least mentioning fluid replacement. Hydration is extremely important on the cellular level. Muscle growth is inhibited by dehydration. In bodybuilding we tend not to focus on fluid replacement because, unlike runners or cyclists, most bodybuilders do not become dehydrated after a single workout. The rate at which you become dehydrated from training depends on how much you sweat (Gisolfi 1990). Some people sweat a lot when lifting and others don’t sweat a drop.

A good rule of thumb is to drink 1 ml for every calorie that you need. So, if you eat 3,500 calories a day, try to drink 3 liters. If you exercise in hot or humid climates add 2 cups of water for every pound you lose while exercising.

It’s about synergy

As mentioned earlier, macronutrient intake modulates post-exercise protein synthesis in ways that are just beginning to be understood. Yes, protein is required to supply essential amino acids for protein synthesis, but what is the mechanism by which protein is controlling this process? Also, are carbohydrates and fats needed only for fuel replacement, or do they play an “interactive” role in post exercise protein synthesis? Recent research has shed light on these questions.

Research

Researchers from the Division of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois examined the effect of post exercise meal composition on protein synthesis. To do this, they looked specifically at the activity of specific proteins known to regulate protein synthesis at the translational level. Initiation of translation (the binding of mRNA to the ribosomal pre-initiation complex) requires group 4 eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs). These initiation factors interact with the mRNA in such a way that makes translation (the construction of new proteins from the mRNA strand) possible. Two eIFs, called eIF4A and eIF4B, act in concert to unwind the mRNA strand. Another one called eIF4E binds to what is called the “cap region” and is important for controlling which mRNA strands are translated and also for stabilization of the mRNA strand.

Finally, eIF4G is a large polypeptide that acts as a scaffold or framework around which all of these initiation factors and the mRNA and ribosome can be kept in place and proper orientation for translation.

The researchers in this study looked at the association of the mRNA cap binding protein eukaryotic initiation factor-4-E (eIF4E) with the translational inhibitor 4E-eukaryotic initiation factor binding protein-1 (4E-BP1) in the acute modulation of skeletal muscle protein synthesis during recovery from exercise. Fasting male rats were run on a treadmill for 2 h at 26 m/min and were fed immediately after exercise with saline, a carbohydrate-only meal, or a nutritionally complete meal using Ensure Powder (54.5% carbohydrate, 14% protein, and 31.5% fat). Exercised animals and non-exercised controls were studied 1 h post-exercise.

Protein Synthesis

Muscle protein synthesis decreased 26% after exercise and was associated with a fourfold increase in the amount of eIF4E present in the inactive eIF4E.4E-BP1 complex and a concomitant 71% decrease in the association of eIF4E with eIF4G. Refeeding the complete meal, but not the carbohydrate meal, increased muscle protein synthesis equal to controls, despite similar plasma concentrations of insulin. Additionally, eIF4E.4E-BP1 association was inversely related and eIF4E.eIF4G association was positively correlated to muscle protein synthesis.

This study demonstrates that recovery of muscle protein synthesis after exercise is related to the availability of eIF4E for 48S ribosomal complex formation, and post-exercise meal composition influences recovery via modulation of translation initiation.

Results

The results of this study tell us a few things:

#1 |  Insulin

Insulin (via carbohydrate intake) alone is not enough to prevent 4E-BP1 from sequestering eIF4E. EIF4E must be free to bind to eIF4G in order for protein synthesis (i.e. recovery from training and net muscle growth) to begin. Insulin as well as amino acids must be present at the same time as indicated by the results from the group that were fed a mixed nutrient meal. So although feeding of the carbohydrate meal resulted in elevated blood glucose and elevated insulin levels, carbohydrates alone are not sufficient to allow protein synthesis to begin.

#2 |  Cortisol Levels

The only group that experienced a significant drop in cortisol levels was the mixed meal group. The carbohydrate-only group showed that neither blood glucose nor insulin had any effect on reducing cortisol levels. In contrast, the mixed meal group showed cortisol levels even below those in the control group who did no exercise and were also fed the same meal. It would have been nice for the authors of this experiment to explore the effect of the fat content in the “mixed meal”. From the results we saw that cortisol was lower in the mixed meal group. We can only speculate whether this was due to the protein, the fat, or some combination of protein, fat and carbs. Further research in this area should take into consideration all components of the post exercise meal.

One other issue that might be addressed in humans is the time frame during which re-alimentation is critical to “long term” adaptation to exercise.

In Closing…

Pre- and post-exercise nutrition is critical if one wants to maximize the anabolic effects of exercise. The pre-exercise meal should be high in a quickly digestible protein. This will ensure high delivery of amino acids to the muscle tissue. Carbohydrates can also be taken in to minimize glycogen loss and suppress catabolic hormones. Fat should be avoided pre-exercise unless the exercise is for endurance. The post exercise meal should consist of carbohydrate, protein and perhaps a small amount of essential fats, in a form that is easily and quickly digestible. There are many meal replacement products that fit the bill. Just pick the one you like the most. Don’t worry about sugar content because right after a workout, fat storage is not a big issue. A liquid meal is the most practical method of post-exercise feeding although it is probably not essential.

The ratio of macronutrients depends somewhat on the nature of the training session. An emphasis on high glycemic carbs, complete readily digestible proteins such as whey, egg, or high quality casein, and essential fats such as fish or flax oil will meet the criteria for an effective post exercise meal.

Author: Brian Haycock
Website: http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/

References:

• Burke LM. Nutrition for post-exercise recovery. Aust J Sci Med Sport Mar;29(1):3-10, 1997
• Butterfield GE, Whole-body protein utilization in humans. Med. Sci. Sports Exrc., Vol. 19, No. 5 (Supplement), pp. S157-S165, 1987.
• Gisolfi CV., Lamb DRR. (Eds.) Perspectives In Exercise Science and Sports Medicine Volume 3: Fluid Homeostasis During Exercise. Cooper Publishing Group, LLC 1990.
• Gontzea I, Sutzescu P, Dumitrache S. The influence of adaptation to physical effort on nitrogen balance in man. Nutr. Rept. Inturn. 11:231-236, 1975
• Goodyear LJ, Kahn BB, Exercise, glucose transport, and insulin sensitivity. Annu. Rev. Med. 49:235-261, 1998
• Halseth AE, Bracy DP, Wasserman DH. Limitations to exercise- and maximal insulin-stimulated muscle glucose uptake. J. Appl. Physiol. 85(6):2305-2313, 1998
• Hayashi N, Tashiro T, Yamamori H, Takagi K, Morishima Y, Otsubo Y, Sugiura T, Furukawa K, Nitta H, Nakajima N, Suzuki N, Ito I Effect of intravenous omega-6 and omega-3 fat emulsions on nitrogen retention and protein kinetics in burned rats. Nutrition 1999 Feb;15(2):135-9
• MacDougall JD, Gibala MJ, Tarnopolsky MA, MacDonald JR, Interisano SA, Yarasheski KE The time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis following heavy resistance exercise. Can J Appl Physiol 1995 Dec;20(4):480-6
• Sherman LA, Hirshman MF, Cormont M, Le Marchand-Brustel Y, Goodyear LJ. Different effects of insulin and exercise on Rab4 distribution in rat skeletal muscle. Endocrinology 137:266-73, 1996
• Smith L.L, Fulmer M.G, Holbert D, McCammon M.R, Houmard J.A, Frazer D.D, Nsien E, and Isreal R.G. The impact of a repeated bout of eccentric exercise on muscular strength, muscle soreness and creatine kinase. Br. J. Sports Med.1994; 28 (4) 267-271.
• Tarpenning KM, Wiswell RA, Marcell TJ, Hawkins SA. Influence of Weight Training Exercise and Modification of Hormonal Response on Skeletal Muscle Growth. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 1998 May;30(5) Supplement; S1-S1339
• Tipton KD, Rasmussen BB, Miller SL, Wolf SE, Owens-Stovall SK, Petrini BE, Wolfe RR. Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Aug;281(2):E197-206.

Like it or hate it, we all know one thing: Unless you want to be a disgusting lardball all your life, cardio is an essential component of your training program. If there’s something worse than doing a cardio routine you dread, it’s doing a cardio routine you dread that doesn’t give you any benefits. Wasted time, wasted sweat, all for nothing. Ugh.

The Cardio Factor

Whichever camp you fall in, the cardio lovers or the haters, you don’t want to complete a workout in vain. To help, we’ve delved into training research to provide four scientifically engineered routines designed to be quick, interesting and, most important, effective. What follows are four proven fat-melting workouts.

1) Continuous Vs Intermittent

The Study:

As we reported in The Edge in our September 2004 issue, researchers found that when healthy men did three 10-minute sessions of moderate-intensity running, they burned the same number of calories as when they ran at the same intensity continuously for 30 minutes.

The Expert Says:

“Whether you exercise continuously (for 30 minutes total) or intermittently for three 10-minute bouts, the caloric expenditure is almost identical,” says investigator Lloyd L. Laubach, PhD, associate professor of health and sport science at the University of Dayton (Ohio). “We have no reason to believe that the caloric expenditure for different modalities of intermittent vs. continuous exercise would be different.”

If cardio isn’t your favorite activity, then shorter exercise sessions may have you adhering to your cardio regimen longer, according to separate research out of the University of Pittsburgh.

The Workout:

Inspired by Laubach’s research, the following workout was designed by Cindy Whitmarsh, president of Ultrafit Nutrition Systems in San Diego. You’ll intersperse the cardio with weight training: For instance, start with the 10-minute treadmill workout, then do a 20-minute chest workout, come back for 10 minutes on the StepMill, complete a 20-minute triceps routine, then finish with the 10-minute jump-rope routine.

10-Minute Treadmill Workout

• 1 min. warm-up, walking or jogging at a medium speed
• 1 min. walk at a 10% grade and a medium pace
• 1 min. jog, flat, at a medium pace
• 1 min. all-out sprint on a flat grade
• 1 min. jog, flat, at a medium pace
• 1 min. of side shuffles (right leg):

Decrease the speed and side-shuffle leading with your right leg. Turn to the left and grasp the rail with your right hand for safety

• 1 min. of side shuffles (left leg):

Turn to the right, grasp the rail with your left hand and side-shuffle.

• 1 min. walk at a 15% grade at a medium pace
• 1 min. all-out sprint on a flat grade
• 30 sec. jog, flat, at a medium pace
• 30 sec. walk slowly to cool down

10-Minute Stepmill Workout

• 1 min. at a slow pace to warm up
• 1 min. at a medium pace
• 1 min. as fast as you can
• 90 sec. side-stepping up the steps, crossing your left leg over your right at a slow pace. Grasp the handrails for safety.
• 90 sec. side-stepping up the steps, crossing right leg over left at a slow pace. Grasp the handrails for safety.
• 90 sec. walking up the steps backward at a slow pace, digging with your heels
• 90 sec. walking up the steps forward as fast as you can
• 30 sec. walking up the steps at a medium pace
• 30 sec. at a slow pace to cool down

10-Minute Jump Rope Workout

• 1 min. slow warm-up, both feet
• 1 min. with both feet at a faster pace
• 2 min. jumping both feet together

Alternated with side-to-side singles a sequence of single jumps on each foot individually; the pattern is both feet, then left alone, then right alone, both feet, etc.

• 2 min. double jumps on each foot alone, alternating
• 1 min. jumping with both feet as fast as you can
• 1 min. jumping with both feet and crossing the rope in front
• 1 min. jumping high and quickly, knees toward chest
• 30 sec. jumping with both feet and crossing the rope in front
• 30 sec. jumping slowly (cool down)

2) Hit It Hard, Then Back Off

The Study:

Mixing up your exercise intensity can benefit you in different ways. Researchers from The College of New Jersey (Ewing) examined the effect of exercise intensity order on cardiores-piratory, metabolic and perceptual responses. Twelve subjects performed two 30-minute exercise sessions. One consisted of 15 minutes of high-intensity exercise followed by 15 minutes of low-intensity exercise; in the other session, the intensity was reversed, low to high. Oxygen uptake (V[O.sub.2]), heart rate (HR) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured every five minutes. During the high-to-low exercise bout, V[O.sub.2] and HR were higher and RPE was lower. There was no difference between the two sessions for caloric expenditure and carbohydrate oxidation.

The most interesting finding was that during the lower-intensity portion of the high-to-low exercise bout, fat-burning was higher. Therefore, when doing your cardio, periods of high-intensity exercise before those of milder intensity can elicit greater fat-burning while seeming to feel easier.

The Workout:

Use this ladders approach to your next treadmill workout to put this research into practice. Ladders can be done on a treadmill or on a track. The idea is that you complete each quarter-mile faster than the last.

For The First 15 Minutes:

• First quarter-mile/lap: Walk/jog at a comfortable pace
• Second quarter-mile/lap: Jog a bit faster. If you’re on a treadmill, increase your speed by 0.2-0.3
• Third quarter-mile/lap and beyond: Increase your speed by 0.2-0.3 for each quarter-mile or lap until you’ve been doing ladders for 15 minutes

For The Rest Of The Workout:

Following that, return to a pace that’s comfortable but slightly challenging for 15 minutes or the remainder of your workout.

3) Try Testing Yourself

The Study:

As reported in The Edge in our January 2005 issue, talking while exercising may help determine your appropriate exercise intensity level and help you avoid overexertion, according to a report in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse studied the consistency of the “Talk Test” while 16 participants performed two progressively harder tests, one on a treadmill and one on a rower. All recited the Pledge of Allegiance during each exercise test. After completing the paragraph, participants were asked if they could speak comfortably during exercise. The ventilatory (or anaerobic) threshold was also measured. This is the point at which breathing begins to increase disproportionately to the increase in workload, and it’s a marker of the sustainability of exercise intensity.

The results indicated the “Talk Test” exercise intensity was approximately equal to the ventilatory threshold during both modes of exercise.

The Expert Says:

“When talk becomes more halting or it’s difficult to talk normally, that correlates almost exactly with the ventilatory threshold,” says John Porcari, PhD, professor of exercise and sport science at Wisconsin, LaCrosse. “If people want to do aerobic conditioning, then they want to come just below [the point where speech becomes difficult]. If people want to do anaerobic conditioning, they need to force themselves beyond that for 30 seconds to a minute or two and then back for an interval workout.”

Porcari suggests experimenting for yourself to find your optimal cardio level. “For example, go for a walk,” he says. “Walk at different speeds. Notice when you can’t carry on a conversation anymore and then come just below that. For people who are exercising at a good pace, this can help them identify when they’re really going too hard.”

The Workout:

To determine your own cardiovascular thresholds, Porcari offers this workout.

Start by walking on a treadmill on a flat surface at a comfortable pace. Every minute, increase the incline by 1%. Within 10 minutes, you should reach your ventilatory threshold, at which you won’t be able to talk comfortably while exercising. Once you identify how that feels, you’ll be able to work just beneath that level in the future. Test yourself every 4-6 weeks as your fitness level increases.

4) Weight Your Efforts

The Study:

Research out of the Korea Sports Medical Nutrition Institute in Seoul found that the effects of light resistance (using dumbbells or resistance tubing) while doing cardio helped reduce bodyfat and bodyweight.

The Workout:

New York City personal trainer Ray Wallace, NSCACPT, designed the workout below based on the principle that doing cardio with light dumbbells can help produce more fat-free mass. Here’s his treadmill program that combines a bit of strength training (delts and biceps) with cardio:

Start with 3-5-pound dumbbells for the three exercises listed and maintain your speed between 3.0 and 3.5 mph as you first try this workout, depending on your workout experience.

“If you want to really challenge yourself, feel free to try this routine with a higher weight,” says Wallace. “But beware–it’s tough!” The workout can also be performed on an elliptical trainer.

References

1. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition 13(3):242-247, 2004.
2. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 90(5-6):569-574, 2004.
3. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 18(2):373-376, 2004.
4. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 36(9):1,632-1,636, 2004.

Author: Carey Rossi
References:
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/
http://www.flexonline.com/
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