The Science of Nutrient Timing – Part I By Dr. John M Berardi, Ph.D. First published at www.t-mag.com, April 4 2004. Printer friendly version James T. Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise believed that space was the “final frontier,” an undiscovered territory full of strange new worlds, new life, and new civilizations. So they set out to “boldly go where no man has gone before.” Following the lead of Kirk and his crew, a new crop of nutrition and exercise scientists has begun an exploration of their own, set against the backdrop of human physiology. Here on earth, nutrition and exercise scientists have suggested that the “final frontier” of the muscle-building realm is “nutrient timing.” And while the science of “nutrient timing” is nowhere near as exciting as beaming Mudd’s women aboard your vessel, put it to good use and your physique might just land you a few sultry females from this galaxy. What Is Nutrient Timing?
The Science of Nutrient Timing – Part II By Dr. John M Berardi, Ph.D. First published at www.t-mag.com, April 9 2004. Printer friendly version In Part 1 of this article, I outlined the concept of nutrient timing and discussed two of the key phases of nutrient timing: the Energy Phase and the Anabolic Phase. This week I’ll address the two other key phases of nutrient timing: the Growth Phase and the “Rest of The Day” Phase. Nutrient Timing – The Growth Phase After protein and carbohydrate have been provided during the Energy and Anabolic Phases, the net protein balance of the body shifted toward the positive; muscle glycogen restored, catabolism blunted and anabolism increased, it’s time to consider how to keep the growth process moving forward. After all, the damage has been done, the acute phase response is now activated to clean up the mess (see Lonnie Lowery’s Muscle Masochism for more on this process), and your metabolism is going to be racing until tomorrow. It’s definitely time to feed!
By: Mauro Di Pasquale, MD 05/03/2003 – The main problem with alcohol is not the number of calories it contains but rather the effect is has on fat metabolism. A recent study, for example, has shown that even small amounts of alcohol has a large impact on fat metabolism. Effects Of Alcohol On Fat Metabolism In this study, eight men were given two drinks of vodka and lemonade separated by 30 minutes. Each drink contained just under 90 calories. Fat metabolism was measured before and after consumption of the drink. For several hours after drinking the vodka, whole body lipid oxidation (a measure of how much fat your body is burning) dropped by 73%.
Appetite For Construction Building Results From Research by John M. Berardi Writer and scientist John Berardi has established quite a following here at Testosterone. He’s intelligent, innovative, and talented, not to mention darn purty, if you’re into that kind of thing. He also seems to know a thing or two about nutritional biochemistry and metabolism, hence this column about nutrition. If you agree that the key to success in bodybuilding is diet, then John is your “go to” guy. A Calorie is a Calorie! (And Elves Live in my Pants) Q: Okay, Berardi, it’s time you cut the crap with all these “special” meal combinations in your diets like Massive Eating and Don’t Diet. A calorie is a calorie! Eat fewer calories than you need and you’ll lose weight. Eat more calories than you need and you’ll gain weight. It’s that simple! A: Nothing about the human body is as simple as your statement implies. Sure, things appear to be simple when you have a very simple understanding of the most preliminary workings of human physiology and nutrient metabolism. Most dietitians, undergraduate students, and individuals who read a lot about nutrition learn just enough to think things are simple without fully understanding them. This is where they become dangerous advocates of such prejudiced statements as “a calorie is a calorie.”
A New View of Energy Balance by Dr John M Berardi A Violent Uprising? Arthur Schopenhauer, a preeminent 19th century philosopher, once said that truth isn’t always as easily accepted as we’d like it to be. Specifically, he stated: “Truth always goes in 3 stages. First it is ridiculed, then violently opposed, and finally accepted as self-evident.” Now, in this article, I intend to introduce the Testosterone Nation to a new “truth.” Well, maybe that’s not the best way of saying it. But, since saying that I intend to introduce the T-Nation to my best guess at a theoretical model designed to explain and predict a natural phenomenon will leave a few of you scratching your heads, let’s stick with calling it a new truth. The “new truth” that I want to introduce you to today is a new view of the concept of energy balance. Although the ideas in this article will suggest that the current view of the energy balance equation offers limited explanatory and predictive power and, as a result, needs revisions, I don’t necessarily think that these ideas will stir uprisings, violent or otherwise. First of all, the concepts in this article are logical, supported by research, and have appeared in bits and pieces, albeit fragmented, elsewhere on this site in the work of myself and the Warrior Nerd, Dr Lonnie Lowery. Second of all, I’m just not sure the concept of energy balance has the power to rouse violence. It always makes me chuckle when “experts” (in any field) parrot this Schopenhauer quotation, suggesting that the ridicule of their ideas actually somehow makes the ideas true! Looking back through history, many more ridiculed ideas have been shown to be false than have shown to be true. So rather than testing the ideas in this article against the barometer of ridicule and violent upheaval, let’s just test them against a much more objective standard—the available body of scientific and clinical evidence. The Current View of Energy Balance Let’s start out with a few pictures illustrating the current view of energy balance, or, at least, how most people view the relationship between “calories in” and “calories out.” The first image below represents how most people perceive the energy balance equation during weight maintenance. As the diagram represents, when “calories in” are equivalent to “calories out,” body mass should remain constant. The next image below represents the conventional view of the energy balance equation during weight gain. As the diagram represents, when “calories in” exceed “calories out” body mass should be gained.
Health Benefits of Green Tea by Jake Mayer – www.tea-dojo.com Scientific studies continue to show that green tea is good for you. Tea began its illustrious history as a Chinese medicinal drink, and only gradually did it become the popular beverage that it is today. In traditional Chinese medicine, tea is considered good for you to clear the eyes and head, resolve excess phlegm, promote urination, relieve toxins, aid the digestion, and quench thirst. As with so many foods and medicines, the traditional Chinese medicinal thoughts are being proven scientifically in modern times. Today, there is ample evidence to recommend tea as a daily tonic in the interest of preventing or treating a wide range of maladies, including: cancer, hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, premature aging, food poisoning, dental decay and bad breath, and even arthritis. Tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke. Green tea may help dieters. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo. A Japanese report found that men who drank ten cups of green tea per day stayed cancer-free for three years longer than men who drank less than three cups a day (there are approximately 240 – 320 mg of polyphenols in three cups of green tea). Meanwhile, a study by Cleveland’s Western Reserve University concluded that drinking four or more cups of green tea per day could help prevent rheumatoid arthritis, or reduce symptoms in individuals already suffering from the disease.
By Johnie Bowden ArticleText “Most things in Nature have an inherent intelligence in their design. Look at how something was meant to function and you immediately understand its purpose. A chameleon, for example, has the ability to change colors to blend in with the environment so that it can escape detection from predators; the Russian Wolfhound has long legs because it was bred to hunt very fast prey; the Bernese Mountain Dog has a furry coat because it keeps him warm in cold mountain temperatures. Get the picture? Lately in the field of nutrition, there’s been a lot of interest in something called the Paleolithic Diet. Quite simply, the thinking is this: the human digestive system has a purpose. In this case, the purpose is to efficiently and effectively process the foods that nourish and sustain us, and, incidentally, are normally found in our environments. But mankind is several million years old, while modern agriculture is relatively recent, a mere 10,000 years old according to most estimates. Our digestive systems, meanwhile, have not kept pace with the evolution of technology.
Dr. Mel Siff is a sports scientist and biomechanist with a PhD in physiology (specializing in biomechanics), MSc (in Applied Math) awarded summa cum laude in brain research and other degrees in physics and applied math. He lectured for over 30 years in the mechanical engineering and linguistics departments at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa and competed in Olympic weightlifting, karate, trampolining, cricket and track-and-field before moving to Denver a few years ago with his American wife. He has addressed numerous international conferences and written many articles in sports medicine, sports science, physiology, engineering, psychology, physical education, chiropractic, physiotherapy, strength conditioning, ergonomics and communication. He has worked with a very large number of athletes in many sports around the world. His textbook, “Supertraining” is one of the most definitive books in serious strength training yet published and his popular Supertraining strength and fitness online discussion group has already become an institution on the web. Doing a Thousand Crunches to Get Those Washboard Abs? Dr. Siff says “NO” ___________________________________ Many of our discussions lament that far too many fitness professionals and their pupils do not question even some of the most outrageous training beliefs. All too often, trendy magazines, popular training books by media stars, guruesque fitness seminars and infomercials seem to be regarded as the reigning authorities on all matters of fitness, sports training, therapy and health. Part of this problems lie in the social fabric of the society in which we live and in our educational systems. — Mel C Siff PhD ________________________________ Sit-ups & Crunches to protect the Back? Dr. Siff Says “Not Really” Even many physical therapists believe this advice, because it is maintained that abdominal strength necessarily enhances trunk stability. While the abdominals (recti abdominis) do contribute statically to trunk and pelvis stabilization during many activities, it is contraction of the major back muscles (erector spinae) which plays the dominant role in controlling erectness of the trunk. The abdominal muscles statically resist the tendency of the abdomen to bulge excessively when the Valsalva (breath-holding) manoeuvre is used during heavy lifting, powerful stabilizing or pushing, and this is how they play a major role in contributing to trunk stability and so-called “core strength.” They assist in maintaining the pressure in the abdominal cavity to serve as a type of pneumatic cushion or corset for the spine during lifting or heavy resistance work. However, the strongest abdominals in the universe will not keep your back ‘straight’ during a heavy lift.
By: Mel Siff It seems as if the abdominals are the favorite target for exercise in the general fitness and aerobics world — the more, the better! There are probably more abdominal exercise experts than any other types of fitness expert on the fitness circuit (except possibly for stretching. We have incredible abs, astounding abs, absolutely marvelous abs, marvelous midriffs, super abs, sexy abs and another hundred superlatively shaped ab words (all thinly disguised imitations of the book title “Legendary Abs” by my colleague, Jerry Robinson of Los Angeles. In an earlier issue Dr. Siff dispels the myth of doing hundreds of sit-ups and crunches for a stronger back. Page 28. If we followed the lead and philosophies of the ancient Greeks, we would probably worship Greek gods and goddesses of abdominal perfection, with a couple of Muses, Nymphs or demi-gods thrown in to take care of each striations on our washerboard abs! Machines vs. No Machines What about ab machines? Well, there are also probably more machines on the market aimed at trimming and shaping the abdominal muscles than any other devices out there. Why? The answer is quite simple… marketing and money! Nothing else.
A combination of high and low intensity may be the best and most effective means of fat loss but conventional wisdom still insists that fat burning stops when your heart rate goes above 75%. Some gurus even say that training above the so called “target zone” causes muscle loss and fat gain. As explained in “Forget The Fat-Burn Zone” (Article #10 on this site), total fat burn is actually higher when exercise intensity is high. Happily, people are getting the message. A 45-year-old policeman in charge of his department’s physical assessment program read my article and wrote asking whether high-intensity intervals might motivate his officers and help them do better on their semi-annual fitness tests. “The vast majority,” he lamented, “work out for two weeks before the test, then go back to beer and TV.” Admitting that he’s not exactly “the poster boy for fitness” himself, he also wondered if intervals might be the answer for his own fitness regimen. I reiterated that high-intensity intervals are a more effective and a far more interesting way to train. However, I warned him that people who are out-of-shape should feel their way along and check with their doctor if they have any health concerns. I suggested that he and his officers gradually ease into intervals once or twice a week, along with a walking program. “Take it easy at first,” I told him. “Experiment with varying intensity, perhaps one minute harder followed by a minute or two at a moderate to easy pace, and see how it goes compared to steady-state exercise,” I recommended.
