2009 Studies & Research Blog

Time and time again the question is asked by those who are looking to take their training to the next level, whether it’s with building more muscle mass or losing body fat.  They want to know if the occasional weekend drink is going to hurt them.

Many times it’s university students wondering about this fact since as the typical college life schedule dictates lots of weekends out at bars, pubs, or parties where alcohol consumption is the norm.

Some individuals have no problem saying no to drinking and choose to either avoid the situation entirely or take part but stick with water or diet soda.  Others however, want to indulge a little more and relax with their alcoholic beverage of choice.

Obviously alcohol is going to contain calories and if your goal is fat loss, those calories are going to add up when it comes down to how much fat you lose.  But, what other factors are at play when you regularly include alcohol in your diet?

This is what researchers out of the Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Human Health set out to look at recently who conducted this study.

They invested the effects of acute moderate alcohol intake on the muscular performance that was demonstrated during recovery from an eccentric exercise-induced muscle damaging session.  

They had eleven healthy males perform 300 maximal eccentric contractions with the quads of one leg using an isokinetic dynamometer. After this, all subjects had a drink that contained 1 gram per kilogram of body weight of an ethanol mixture (vodka and orange juice).  

On an entirely different situation, they performed the same leg exercise but then consumed just plain orange juice without the vodka.  

After both tests, the measurement of maximal isokinetic and isometric torque that was produced across the knee was measured, along with the plasma creatine kinase concentrations.  Measures of muscular soreness were also reported before, after 36 hours, as well as 60 hours post-exercise.  

The results of the study indicated that all measures of muscular performance were decreased at both the 36 and 60 hour mark after the exercise was performed when compared with the pre-testing measurements.

In addition to this, plasma creatine kinase activity and the ratings the subjects gave for muscle soreness did not show a significant difference regardless of whether or not alcohol was consumed.

Therefore, from this study we can come to the conclusion that even small amounts of alcohol intake after a weight lifting session will have an impact on your dynamic and static strength.  

Keep in mind that this is within the 36-60 hour time frame, which would rule out drinking on most weekends assuming a workout has taken place any time after Wednesday morning.

So, if you do want to maximize your strength and performance factors, you are going to be best to choose to not drink and stick with water or juice instead.  

Reference:
Barnes, MJ. Et al. (2009) Acute alcohol consumption aggravates the decline in muscle performance following strenuous eccentric exercise. J Sci Med Sport. Feb 18.

Common sense tells us that a healthy diet and regular exercise are important in maintaining a high level of physical ability.  But do these factors have an effect on intellectual ability as well?  According to some scientists, an individual’s Body Mass Index (BMI) can have a significant influence on cognitive function.

A study in the journal Obesity investigated the relationship between BMI and activity in various regions of the brain.  The researchers found that those with high BMIs (obese individuals) showed less activity in the prefrontal cortex and the cingulate gyrus.  The level of activity was higher in those with lower BMIs, which contributed to better performance on memory and executive function tests(1).

The superior performance wasn’t too much of a surprise, as the prefrontal cortex controls executive functions, judges the consequences of actions, and is involved in decision-making and other complex cognitive actions.  The cingulate gyrus, meanwhile, is related to emotions, learning and memory.  As a result, lowered activity levels in these areas caused by obesity can lead to intellectual impairments.

Most disturbing, though, is the fact that this phenomenon can begin while an individual is still young.  An earlier study from the same journal noted that overweight children displayed "decreased visuospatial organization and general mental ability(2)."

Indeed, the researchers in the first study noted the gravity of the findings, saying, "these results further highlight the urgency to institute public health interventions to prevent obesity."

So while staying in shape may not be guaranteed make you smarter, it can only help.

The good news, though, is that maintaining a healthy BMI can be easy.  Incorporating at least 30 minutes of physical activity into your daily routine and making intelligent nutritional choices are simple, painless steps that can go a long way toward bettering your body and mind.  

Even making the switch from taking the stairs instead of the elevator and opting for a baked potato instead of french fries at dinner bring you one step closer to a healthier lifestyle and a sound body and mind.

SOURCES:

1. Nora D. Volkow, et al. Inverse Association Between BMI and Prefrontal Metabolic Activity in Healthy Adults. Obesity, 2008. (17)1, 60-65.

2. Yanfeng Li, et al. Overweight Is Associated With Decreased Cognitive Functioning Among School-age Children and Adolescents. Obesity, 2008. (16)8, 1809–1815

If you have the goal of fat loss, one form of cardio that you’re definitely going to want to be doing is sprint interval training.  Sprint intervals have been known to be one of the best forms of cardio for helping to strip body fat off since they cause a larger metabolic increase both during and after the session is completed compared with more steady state type of training.

But, what about the hormonal changes that take place in the body after a good hard interval session?  That’s something many people overlook when deciding how to structure their cardio training into their program and exactly what the researchers of this study set out to assess.

They wanted to look at the effects a brief sprint interval session would have on the balance between anabolic (growth hormone) and catabolic hormones in the body as well as inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin.

They had twelve subjects participate in the study, which consisted of them running 250 m treadmill sprints at 80% max speed, each interval separated by 3 minutes of rest.

Blood samples were taken immediately after each run was completed, as well as one hour after the lat run ended.

The results of the study indicated that testosterone, growth hormone, and IGF binding protein all increased, and remained elevated after the one hour period after the exercise had taken place. The exercise had no significant effect on cortisol levels, however.

Therefore, from this study, we can also conclude that sprinting also has an advantage when it comes to releasing hormones in the body that prime you for muscle tissue growth without altering cortisol levels, further making this mode of cardio a good selection over moderate intensity, long duration cardio sessions.

Reference:

Cooper, DM. et al. (2009) The effect of a brief sprint interval exercise on growth factors and inflammatory mediators. J Strength Cond Res. Jan;23(1):225-30.

Being a bodybuilder or even an everyday fitness enthusiast who meticulously plans their diet and trains consistently you are probably well aware of the power of glycogen. This is a formed from glucose in a process called glycogenesis and is stored within skeletal muscle and helps you power through workouts and increase muscle volume. If you have ever felt “flat” it’s more than likely due to the fact you are dehydrated and/or have a low level of glycogen in your muscle. As an athlete whose physical demands require a high level of performance your glycogen status before and during exercise is critical. Moreover, your post workout glycogen replenishment protocol must be thorough to ensure you have proper glycogen status to fuel your next workout whether it be a game or in the gym. If you are insulin resistant, this task can become more difficult.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave or, just aren’t into the bodybuilding scene, there is no doubt insulin plays a role in helping bodybuilders achieve a ridiculous amount of muscle mass. In fact, as surprising as it seems to the general public, insulin is used by professional athletes who rely who seek enhanced glycogen status to sprint faster, have greater endurance, lift stronger for longer, etc. Now you probably thinking taking insulin to boost performance is one dark road you don’t want to travel down. There are a host of risks associated with it (hypoglycemia, blindness, coma, etc) and I really can’t think of anyone who actually likes having to give themselves injections on the regular.

So where does that leave you? You want to increase glycogen status by manipulating insulin dependent glucose disposal in a safe and effective manner? The answer could be 4-hydroxyisoleucine (4-OH-Ile). This potent amino acid extracted from fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds has the ability to stimulate glucose dependent insulin secretion which helps lower serum glucose levels through enhanced glucose disposal. However, no studies have observed this effect for more than 3 weeks so what about over a larger time line? Is it still effective?

Recently, researchers from the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Tabriz, Iran conducted an eight week clinical trial assessing the safety of prolonged use of 4-OH-IIe in mice.  What they wanted to investigate was whether or not 4-OH-IIe could help reduce insulin resistance caused by fructose (form of sugar found in fruits) which has been observed in both human and mouse models. What the study revealed is that 4-OH-IIe powerful insulinotropic effect helped reduce fructose related insulin resistance and actually improved various liver related clinical markers commonly associated with insulin resistance and poor glucose disposal. Furthermore, they showed an average decrease in blood glucose levels by 36% compared to controls.

What can we take from this? Well it appears that 4-OH-IIe not only has the ability to help the body utilize glucose more efficiently, but also can help the liver maintain a favorable status on a high fruit diet for eight weeks. In a post workout model, it’s quite possible that 4-OH-IIe can help to increase a more efficient utilization of carbohydrates to replenish depleted glycogen stores in skeletal muscle if you are insulin resistant. It may also help those of you who have a lot of fruit in your diet assimilate fructose more efficiently.  This would further insure that the next time you perform physical activity at a high level. Obviously, this is a viable alternative to introducing endogenous insulin and much safer as well for those of you looking to assimilate vast quantities of carbohydrates post workout but have propensity for insulin resistance.

The effect of fenugreek 4-hydroxyisoleucine on liver function biomarkers and glucose in diabetic and fructose-fed rats. Haeri MR, Izaddoost M, Ardekani MR, Nobar MR, White KN. Phytother Res. 2009 Jan;23(1):61-4.

The full text is found for the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences study can be found here:

If the current Salmonella scare involving peanut butter didn’t already have Americans worried sick, the results of a recent study piled more worries onto their plates.

A study reported in the January 26 edition of Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source found that 45 percent of High Fructose Corn Syrup samples tested contained mercury. Most active bodybuilders have heard of the dangers of mercury, if nothing else than as a warning against consuming too much tuna.  While mercury poisoning is not common, it does carry serious consequences.

Among other symptoms, mercury poisoning can cause skin rashes, muscle weakness, loss of coordination, mental disturbances and memory loss, and impairment of speech, hearing and walking.  And while one would have to consume a considerable amount of tuna to experience such symptoms, the ubiquity of High Fructose Corn Syrup makes this a legitimate concern.

Because it is much cheaper than natural sugar, many companies rely on High Fructose Corn Syrup to sweeten their products; it is estimated that the average American consumes as much as 70 pounds of it annually.  If the study results accurately reflected the marketplace, that means 31.5 of those 70 pounds could contain mercury.

But this is only the latest danger associated with High Fructose Corn Syrup - the sweetener is no stranger to controversy.  In addition to accusations of inducing hunger, High Fructose Corn Syrup intake has been connected with liver damage and cardiovascular disease; certainly nothing an athlete, or anyone, for that matter, would want to be at risk for.

Even with the increased awareness, though, High Fructose Corn Syrup is notoriously difficult to avoid.  While it is the main ingredient in many obvious places, such as soda, it can be lurking even in innocent-looking items such as bread or even relish.  However, as more concerns pile up, the difficult search surely seems worth it.

SOURCES:

Renee Dufault, et al. Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar. Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source: Jan. 26, 2009.

Mercury Poisining. MedicineNet.com

Eric Bartels. Dilemmas: Sugar vs. high-fructose corn syrup. Sustainable Life: May 15, 2008.

It’s widely known and accepted that if you want to optimize the post-workout period after a hard weight lifting session, you should be taking in a mixture of both carbohydrates and protein.  The protein will supply the amino acids to help repair the muscle tissues that you’ve just damaged while the carbohydrates will work towards replenishing the muscle glycogen stores which have been depleted after the bout of exercise just performed.

One thing some individuals struggle with is understanding exactly how much protein they should be taking to optimize the process.  

Is more protein always a better thing, or does the body have a limit to how much protein it can effectively use during this post-workout period?

That’s the question that researchers out of the Department of Nutritional Sciences in Connecticut asked recently. They looked at the variations in protein intake with regards to whole-body protein turnover after an endurance exercise session was performed.

They had five male runners consume either a low-protein (0.8 gram/kg), moderate-protein (1.8 gram/kg), or high protein (3.6 kg/kg) diet for four weeks.

After this time, whole body protein turnover was assessed after a 75 minute run at 70% VO2 max.  

The results indicated that there was a higher rate of leucine appearance following the high protein diet, indicating a higher degree of protein breakdown. In addition to this, there was also no difference in protein synthesis across the differing diets, but the plasma branched chain amino acids at rest were greater following the moderate and high protein diets compared with the low protein diet.

Therefore, from these results we can conclude that variations in protein intake after exercise will have an impact on plasma amino acid levels and the rate at which protein turnover takes place.

While it is important to keep in mind the fact that this was taken after endurance exercise, it is still good to keep the practical application of this in the back of your mind when planning out your post-workout nutrition protocol.

Reference:
Bolster, DR. (2007). Postexercise whole-body protein turnover response to three levels of protein intake.  Department of Nutritional Sciences, University Connecticut, CT. Med Sci Sports Exerc. Mar;39(3):480-6.

The research on beta-alanine continues to pile up. The latest beta-alanine study, is a double blind, placebo controlled study, looking at its impact on high intensity interval training (HIIT) and lean body mass). Forty six men, where randomly assigned to either a placebo group, which was dextrose or a beta-alanine group, which was 1.5g of beta-alanine plus dextrose.

The subjects supplemented four times a day for the first three weeks and then two times a day for the next three weeks. The researchers found significant improvements with the beta-alanine group, showing increases in VO2peak, VO2TTE, total work done(TWD) and very importantly LEAN BODY MASS(LBM). Based off this study and another looking at beta-alanine and HITT, it appears that beta-alanine is an effective tool in enhancing the benefits of HIIT and further increases LBM over training and placebo alone.

Abbie E Smith  Ashley A Walte, Jennifer L Graef, Kristina L Kendall, Jordan R Moon, Christopher M Lockwood, David H Fakuda, Travis W Beck, Joel T Cramer and Jeffrey R Stout. Effects of beta-alanine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on endurance performance and body composition in men; a double-blind trialJournal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2009, 6:5doi:10.1186/1550-2783-6-5

Posted by: ATHLETIC EDGE NUTRITION

The advantages of supplementing with protein and creatine during a resistance training program have been well documented.  But what if there was a catalyst that could unlock the true potential of those two supplements, resulting in increased muscle growth?  If it sounds too good to be true, you may want to wash out your ears, because it’s not.

And what is this unlikely catalyst? Conjugated Linoleic Acid, commonly referred to as CLA.  CLA is a free fatty acid, naturally found in small quantities in meat and dairy products (1).  Unfortunately, the quantity found in such products is so small that one would not be able to ingest enough of the required foods without reaping unhealthy consequences in the attempt to gain the benefits of CLA.  Some of these benefits include immune enhancement, anti-cancer and antioxidant effects.

Recent research, though, added another two benefits to the list: increased muscle mass and strength.  In the study, a group of 69 subjects were split into three groups: one receiving only protein supplements, one receiving protein and creatine, and the third receiving protein, creatine and CLA.  All of the groups then participated in a five-week strength training program.

The differences between the groups were staggering.  While the combination of protein and creatine was better in increasing strength and lean muscle mass compared to protein alone, the cumulative effect of all three supplements was jaw-dropping.  The group that received protein, creatine and CLA supplements during the study experienced greater increases in strength and muscle mass than the other two groups COMBINED.

Pretty impressive results for a supplement that doesn’t receive nearly as much attention as creatine and protein.  So next time you stock up on supplements, remember the big three - protein, creatine and CLA.

SOURCES:

1. Clayton South. Clayton South’s Health Facts: CLA. Bodybuilding.com

2. Cornish, Stephen M. et al. Conjugated Linoleic Acid Combined With Creatine Monohydrate and Whey Protein Supplementation During Strength Training. International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism: Feb. 2009

The importance of consuming sufficient dietary protein when exercising intensely has already been acknowledged many times over.  Researchers are now starting to look at how different types of proteins impact the overall effectiveness of a diet and what the implications are in terms of overall health when following different protocol.

Recently researchers out of the Department of Human Biology in Wageningen, Netherlands looked at how much of a difference a higher casein protein content of the diet would have.  They had subjects take in two diets, one that contained 25% of its energy from casein, while the second diet contained only 10% of its total energy from casein.

The measures they wanted to monitor were energy expenditure, substrate balance, as well as the appetite experienced by the subjects.

The 25% casein protein content diet contained a total of 25% protein, 20% fat, and 55% carbohydrates and the 10% casein diet contained 10% protein, 35% dietary fat, and 55% carbohydrates.

After the study was completed, the results indicated that there was a 2.6% higher 24 hour energy expenditure and a higher sleeping metabolic rate in the high casein diet compared with the lower casein diet.  In addition, the subjects were found to be in a positive protein balance and negative fat balance, while carbohydrate balance was unchanged between the two diets.

Satiety measures of the subjects were also 33% higher in those consuming casein, proving that diets higher in casein are more conductive to weight loss than those that aren’t.

So, next time you’re trying to determine which protein foods to make up the bulk of your protein intake, strongly consider those higher in casein.  There are also many casein protein powders that can help you accomplish these goals, so make sure you have one on hand.

It should be noted though that the difference in nitrogen balance could have been due to the differing of protein content of the diets altogether, as one was much higher than the other.

Reference:
Hochstenbach-Waelen, A. et al. (2009) Comparison of 2 diets with either 25% or 10% energy as casein on energy expenditure, substrate balance, and appetite profile.  Am J Clin Nutrition. Jan 28.

While it may be too early to pop open the Champagne-flavored casein shakes and creatine cocktails, a recent study has suggested that resistance training has the ability to produce significant changes in the body composition of obese children.  Many formerly-overweight individuals will agree that such changes can give one a new lease on life and produce life-long positive habits.

The trend of increasing obesity in America is a disturbing one, particularly as it is affecting children.  Not only does obesity jeopardize overall health, it can have negative effects on self-esteem and attitude as well.  However, reversing the trend may not be as difficult as one might believe.

In a study of 48 overweight or obese children (those who had a BMI in the 85th percentile or above), researchers found that just eight weeks of resistance training produced a reduction in body fat of nearly three percent, as well as an increase in lean body mass of more than five percent.  

But that’s not all - the children also attained massive increases in strength, including a 74 percent increase in one-reptition maximum weight for squats and an 85 percent increase in the number of pushups performed.

Admittedly, this sounds like an advertisement for a miracle supplement, but it’s not.  While a simple caloric deficit can produce weight loss, altering one’s body composition has greater health benefits.

And the fat loss and muscle gain aren’t the only results that matter here; increases in strength can lead to a better self-esteem and more socialization.  The researchers noted that obesity leads to some children to be "less likely to engage in physical activity because of fear of poor performance," an attitude that "is likely to perpetuate overweight/obese status."  It seems, though, that this cycle can be stopped through resistance training.

Though resistance training isn’t a magic bullet, it has many benefits that are worth pursuing.  The study suggested that weight lifting "can be well tolerated and enjoyed by participants," and also carries lower risk of musculoskeletal overuse injury and thermal stress.  If I were a parent, I’d encourage my children to stop pushing buttons and start pushing weights as soon as possible.

REFERENCE:

McGuigan, Michael R; Tatasciore, Melissa; Newton, Robert U; Pettigrew, Simone. Eight Weeks of Resistance Training Can Significantly Alter Body Composition in Children Who Are Overweight or Obese. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: 23: 80-85, 2009.