2009 Studies & Research Blog

Creatine has long been used by athletes as a safe, inexpensive, legal, yet effective performance enhancing supplement.  This nutrient, which is a combination of arginine, glycine, and methionine, has surged in popularity and is now common among even recreational athletes.  Bodybuilders, whether professional or casual, often supplement creatine to boost strength and hypertrophy.  Additionally, creatine aids in recovery and muscle repair, and has been shown to reduce soreness.  When not used for these tasks, creatine is stored in cells to regenerate ATP during intense exercise.  Recent research shows that creatine supplementation isn’t just limited to these athletic contexts, though.

A team of German scientists analyzed the effects of creatine supplementation in mice, attempting to determine whether it had any effect on neurobehavioral tests as well as life span.  The results were significant, across a number of different performance-based assessments.

The mice receiving creatine in the experiment seemed to be more active than the control group, showing a trend toward increased forward motion.  Additionally, creatine appeared to boost nuerobehavioral function, as the mice in the creatine group demonstrated improved performance in an object memory test, which researchers noted was "well-validated" and "a reasonable approximation to corresponding human tests."  The researchers also pointed out that this could have an improvement on the quality of life for aging populations, as a previous study indicated that more than one-third of men and women aged 60-80 showed signs of memory impairment (1).

Perhaps the most significant result of the study, though, is the effect creatine demonstrated on aging.  Mean healthy lifespan in the rats increased dramatically, with the creatine group demonstrating a 9% increase in healthy life span.  Maximum lifespan also increased, and a post-mortem analysis of the rats showed no significant increase in renal (kidney) damage, which is sometimes suggested to be a negative side-effect of creatine supplementation.  Interestingly, the creatine supplementation also prompted changes in genetic and biochemical indications of aging within the rats (1).

And while it is easy to be skeptical of the results of a study based on rats, the researchers pointed out that the favorable safety profile of creatine as well as the ease of supplementation made it a good choice for human application.  In addition, they concluded that because there were "no real safety concerns," creatine "might have the potential to contribute to healthy human aging" (1).

SOURCES:

1. Bender, A, et al. Creatine Improves Health and Survival of Mice. Neurobiology of Aging, 2008; 29(9): 1404-1411

When looking to increase your rate of fat loss, one important factor that most dieters concern themselves with is trying to reduce feelings of hunger.  A fat loss diet is going to be significantly more difficult to follow when you’re feeling incredibly hungry all the time, making it vital that you do whatever you can to prevent these feelings of hunger in the first place.

Researchers out of the Department of Internal Medicine in Karolinska University Hospital wanted to compare the effects of protein from fish with protein from beef in terms of satiety in normal weight men.  

They had 23 normal males within the age range of 20-32 years of age take part in the study.  On the morning of test days the subjects received a normal standardized breakfast, and four hours after that breakfast, they were served an iso-energetic protein meal that consisted of either fish protein or beef protein.  Four hours after that, an ad libitum evening meal was served and the intake of food was measured.  The appetite the subjects demonstrated was rated by visual analogue scales before and after the meals as well as during the periods between the meals.  After the evening meal the subjects also kept a food journal of any foods or beverages they consumed.

The results of the study indicated that the ratings of hunger were lower after the fish meals, as well as subjects felt a higher satiety and a lower prospective consume, but the difference did not differ enough to be significantly different according to scientific standards.

In addition to this, the subjects did consume fewer calories during the evening meal after eating the fish-containing lunch without reporting feeling less satisfied, so that is an important factor to take into consideration.

So, while both types of protein will help you meet your requirements for the day, there is evidence to suggest that consuming a diet higher in fish protein may make it easier to consume an all around lower calorie diet, thus enabling you to have better success while on your fat loss plan.

Reference:
Borzoei, S. et al. (2006) A comparison of effects of fish and beef protein on satiety in normal weight men. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  Jul; 60(7):897-902.

Any serious athlete will tell you that proper nutrition is the key to unlocking the potential of your training program.  No matter how much weight you throw around, hypertrophy will not come if you’re not in a caloric surplus.  Likewise, all the cardio in the world will not help you shed any fat if you’re eating too much.  But these aspects of nutrition are not controversial.  However, there is a substantial amount of mythology and misinformation circulating in the fitness world regarding nutrition.

One particularly popular point of contention is meal timing.  Even the least-experienced fitness enthusiasts have probably heard the theory that eating prior to sleep is essentially a guarantee of fat gain, as the calories consumed close to the end of the day won’t be used.  But this isn’t quite accurate.  While sleeping does not burn many calories - only about 61 per hour - this isn’t too much different than the amount burned when sitting around - 68 - as one might do at school or work (1).   And yet no one thinks twice about eating before work.

It’s important to remember that your metabolism doesn’t sleep, even when you do.  Several studies have focused on meal timing, and yet none of them found that eating during the evening led to unreasonable fat gain.  One particularly interesting study suggested that eating at night might be beneficial; this research found that subjects consuming 70% of their daily caloric allowance had "better maintenance of fat-free mass" than those consuming most of their calories earlier in the day (2).

In the long run, it seems that the total number of calories consumed, not when they are consumed, is the determining factor on body composition.  One research review compiling the data from a number of studies concerning dieters concluded that "meal pattern has no significant impact on weight loss."  Additionally, the review found that 24-hour energy expenditure was not significantly altered when varying patterns of "gorging" and "nibbling" during the morning and evening (3).  According to the observations, energy expenditure seemed to shift based upon the timing of caloric intake.

A more valid argument against consuming a lot of calories late in the day holds that such a pattern might deprive the body of proper nutrients around training, when they are needed for recovery and growth.  While it is undoubtedly essential to make sure you have the proper fuel to get through your workout, clustering significant caloric intake and protein consumption  around exercise does not seem to be as imperative.  A 10-week study investigated the effects of supplementing protein in the morning and evening versus immediately before and after weight training.

While these great variations in timing might seem to have the potential to wreak havoc on recovery, muscle building and strength, this was not the case. The study found no significant variations between the groups, and researchers concluded timing of protein supplementation "does not provide any added benefit to strength, power, or body-composition changes" (4).

From these studies, it would seem that regardless of timing, overall caloric balance should be your primary concern.  So don’t worry - unless you’re pushing yourself into an unwanted caloric surplus, that after-dinner snack going to kill you.

SOURCES:

1. Activity Calculator; About.com: http://caloriecount.about.com/activities-inactivity-ac7

2. Keim, Nancy L., et al. Weight Loss is Greater with Consumption of Large Morning Meals and Fat-Free Mass Is Preserved with Large Evening Meals in Women on a Controlled Weight Reduction Regimen. The Journal of Nutrition, 1997; 127(1): 75-82

3. Bellisle, F., et al. Meal Frequency and Energy Balance. The British Journal of Nutrition, 1997; 77(1): 57-70

4. Hoffman, Jay R., et al. Effect of Protein-Supplement Timing on Strength, Power, and Body-Composition Changes in Resistance-Trained Men.  International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, 2009; 19(2)L 172-186

Whenever you perform a resistance training workout, there is going to be some degree of development of blood lactate levels in the body. When lactic acid develops in the muscle tissue in response to high intensity activities, feelings of fatigue begin to set in and very often exercise performance will cease (when the situation is extreme enough).

Recently researchers wanted to look at how the factor of time under tension impacted the blood lactate response during different types of resistance training protocols with regards to the degree of muscle size and strength that was developed.

They had 12 recreationally trained young men perform four variations of workouts using the knee extension machine, with the four different workout protocols consisting of:

1 – super slow training: one repetition performed over 60 seconds with 30 seconds for the concentric portion and 30 seconds for the eccentric portion

2 – functional isometrics: one five second maximal contraction with the knee fully extended

3 – adapted vascular occlusion: 20 second maximal isometric contraction with the knees fully extended and then immediately going into a normal rep procedure

4 – a set of 10 RM

The results of the study indicated that all the protocols produced significant increases in blood lactate levels, however the response during workout variation 2 was higher than variation 1.  

The researchers also noted that time under tension was highest for group 1, 2 and 3 compared to those performing the 10 RM.  

From these results, researchers concluded that the super slow training protocol may not be your best bet if you want to achieve a high metabolic stimulus, but instead the functional isometrics training method (group 3) is a better option.

Reference:

Bottaro, M. et al. (2006) Time under tension and blood lactate response during four different resistance training methods.  Journal of physiological anthropology. Sep;25(5):339-44.

Across the world of fitness, it is widely accepted that nutrition plays a key role in the success of any body transformation plan, whether it is to gain muscle or lose fat.  Of particular interest is the post-workout period, often referred to as the "anabolic window," or the "window of opportunity."

Both supplement companies and scientific studies concentrate on the intake of nutrients after the completion of a workout.  The actual dimensions of this window are under constant construction, with some arguing that immediate feeding is imperative, while others claim that waiting a certain amount of time is preferable.

With all this fuss about the post-workout period, though, it almost seems as if no other meal matters.  This is an assumption that can have costly consequences.  The body recovers and builds muscle around the clock, not just during an effervescent window of anabolism directly following a workout.  In fact, several studies have suggested that pre-workout nutrition may even be more important than post.

In a study that featured a mix of healthy young men and women, researchers compared the effects of whey protein supplementation either immediately before exercise or after the workout.  While one of the popular justifications for the importance of post-workout nutrition is the insulin spike that supposedly drives protein into muscle cells, the researchers found there was not a significant difference between insulin levels of the pre-workout group and the post-workout group (1).

But that wasn’t the only myth of post-workout nutrition superiority busted in this study.  The researchers also investigated the anabolic response in each of the groups.  Contrary to what most might expect, the anabolic response to the whey protein ingestion did not differ significantly between the groups.  Additionally, intra-cellular amino acid concentrations and amino acid uptake levels did not suggest an advantage to either of the ingestion periods (1).

In effect, the study suggests that in regard to pertinent factors, consuming protein during the "anabolic window" is not the be-all and end-all of workout nutrition.  However, it should be noted that the study did not indicate that post-workout nutrition was not beneficial.

For many, eating post-workout provides a valuable source of calories to contribute to the surplus needed for muscle growth.  Additionally, data from this study showed that amino acid delivery was higher compared to rest for in both pre- and post-workout groups (1), so it is unlikely that a post-workout feeding is going to do more harm than good.

SOURCES:

Tipton, Kevin D., et al. Stimulation of Net Muscle Protein Synthesis by Whey Protein Ingestion Before and After Exercise.  American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2007; 292: 71-76

Creatine is a long known supplement that aides athletic performance, especially among those who are involved in high-intensity anaerobic activities such as sprinting and weight lifting.  It’s common knowledge that when taking your creatine you should also be taking it with some form of fast-acting carbohydrate as this will spike insulin levels, driving the creatine into the muscle cells.

Researchers out of the University of Saskatchewan wanted to look at the impact of pairing creatine with arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, a precursor for nitric oxide production and helps improve the blood flow in the body along with nutrient delivery to the muscle tissue, on performance in comparison with just supplementing with creatine alone.

They had 35 men who were an average age of 23 years old take either a creatine and A-AKG supplement, just creatine, or a placebo for ten days and then were tested for body composition, muscle endurance on the bench press, as well as peak and average power (tested through Wingate tests).

After the test was completed, the bench press reading showed increases when performed over three sets with both the creatine and the creatine with A-AKG with no change occurring in the placebo group.  

Peak power on the other hand only increased in the creatine and A-AKG group with no changes being demonstrated in the creatine alone group or the placebo group.  Finally, only the group that was supplementing with creatine noticed an increased total body mass, however there were no significant changes in lean-tissue or fat mass indicating this was likely accountable to water weight.

From this study we can conclude that if you’re looking to increase your muscle endurance, supplementing with creatine will be sufficient, however if you are looking to increase your peak power output, you are better off supplementing with both creatine and A-AKG.

Reference:
Candow, DG. (2008). Creatine, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, amino acids, and medium-chain triglycerides and endurance and performance.  International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.  Oct;18(5): 493-508.

In the realm of pre-, intra-, and post-workout nutrition, many athletes tend to argue over the effectiveness of carbohydrates and protein, but often place the two macronutrients in opposition to one another.  A common belief is that heavy concentrations of pre- and intra-workout carbohydrates are only appropriate for endurance sessions, while protein should be the primary concern of shorter bouts, usually those consisting of resistance training.  Even many supplement companies seem to follow this line of thinking, offering pre- or intra-workout supplements consisting of either primarily carbohydrates (often with an energy booster such as caffeine) or protein (in the form of EAAs or BCAAs).  While those arguments may have logical foundation, scientific data points to a different conclusion - that the combination of carbohydrates and protein are more effective than either in isolation.

When you think about it, this shouldn’t seem like a difficult concept to believe.  The powerful combination of carbohydrates and protein is widely accepted as the most effective means of post-workout nutrition, even for those following low-carbohydrate diets.  And just this year, researchers have found experimental evidence that the one-two punch of carbohydrates and protein is optimal for intra-workout nutrition as well.

The study compared the performance of athletes, supplied with either a carbohydrate beverage or a carbohydrate and protein beverage, during two 60-km time trials.  The average time for completion was significantly lower in the carbohydrate and protein group, with the time difference usually supplied by superior performance in the final 20 km (1).  But this study did more than indicate that the carbohydrate-protein combination was effective for endurance activities.

Levels of plasma creatine phosphokinase, a marker of muscle breakdown also decreased in the carbohydrate-protein group.  Additionally, the researchers noted that "muscle-soreness ratings increased significantly" following the carbohydrate only trial, while this trend was not apparent in the carbohydrate and protein trial (1). Such measures would surely be of interest to those performing resistance exercise.

While more research on this subject could undoubtedly provide some additional information of interest, the existing literature does indicate that combining carbohydrates and protein in intra-workout nutrition is beneficial.  What a great example of teamwork.

SOURCES:

1. Saunders, Michael J., et al. Carbohydrate and Protein Hydrosylate Coingestion’s Improvement of Late-Exercise Time-Trial Performance.  International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism: 2009; 19: 136-149

Testosterone is one of the main hormones in the body that many athletes are looking to maximize in order to increase the amount of muscle growth they experience as well as improve upon their performance levels.

Testosterone is typically released naturally in the body in much higher concentrations in males compared with females and will show a significantly greater release during the early adult years where major growth is taking place.

As we grow older though, slowly this natural testosterone release starts to dwindle, which is one of the contributing reasons why it becomes more difficult to build new muscle mass.

There are certain things you can do with your diet and training program to help maximize the release of testosterone, so gaining an understanding of what these are is always important to seeing optimal performance.

Researchers out of Selcuk University in Turkey looked at the effect of calcium supplementation on the body with regards to testosterone release. They had thirty healthy male athletes who were divided equally into three different groups participate in the study.  Group one was a non-exercising group who received 35 mg of calcium per kg of body weight each day.  Group two also received that calcium supplement but in addition to that, also performed a training program lasting for 90 minutes, five days a week. Finally, the third group performed the training routine but did not receive any calcium supplement.

After four weeks of following the protocols, the researchers examined the total testosterone levels and compared them with baseline.  It was noted that the free plasma as well as total testosterone levels increased after exhaustion in both training groups, however the levels were enhanced in those who received the calcium supplementation.  

The group who received the calcium supplement but did not partake in training did not notice an increase, therefore the simple act of supplementing with calcium alone is not enough; it needs to be coupled with a training program.

So, keep this in mind if you’re looking to boost your testosterone intake.  Eating a diet rich in dairy products or making the effort to add a calcium supplement may just be trick to help you obtain your muscle building goals.

Reference:
Baltaci, AK. (2008) Testosterone levels in athletes at rest and exhaustion: effects of calcium supplementation. Biological Trace Element Research. Selcuk University, Karaman, Turkey. Dec 20.