2009 Studies & Research Blog

In the supplement world, where protein is considered, whey is the undoubted king. While protein blends, egg protein, and casein protein are all widely available, whey seems to be regarded as the best all-purpose protein, and nearly every company involved in supplement production has their version of it. Even retail stores carry their own house brands, and whey comes in nearly every flavor imaginable, from Apple Pie to Mochaccino. Despite all of the attention, though, whey may not be the best choice in a number of circumstances.

For example, whey protein has a very quick rate of absorption. While this can be an advantage at some points of the day, particularly post-workout, it can be a problem that limits the effectiveness of whey at other points, such as at night or in between meals, when a slower absorption rate and gradual release of amino acids is preferred. In addition, whey is a dairy product, meaning that those with lactose intolerance may have difficulty digesting certain types, particularly whey concentrate. And though some wheys are fortified with digestive enzymes, not all are, which can lead to discomfort and illness.

Thankfully, there is a low-cost, convenient and easily digested alternative - soy protein. Due to our increasingly health-aware society, soy is available in many forms at many retailers - whether it is soy milk, soy imitation meats, or soy isolate powder. In addition to providing a convenient way to add a little extra protein to one’s diet, soy protein has a number of benefits.

Research published in the September 2009 edition of the journal Nutrition points to one very impressive advantage - reducing cholesterol. As cholesterol is related to cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States (accounting for one out of every 2.8 deaths), this is a very significant finding (1). The study was double-blinded, randomized and placebo controlled to ensure accuracy. For a period of 57 days, researchers supplied participants with either 40 grams of soy protein isolate or 40 grams of milk protein. At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found that the soy protein group had significantly lower levels of LDL (the "bad" cholesterol), as well as a lower ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol when compared to the milk protein group (2). And the dosage of the soy was relatively small when compared with most athlete’s existing supplement regimens; the standard size scoop for most whey protein products is around 32 grams, meaning that it would take only one and one-third of an average whey serving to match the dosage in the study.

But that’s not the only study indicating that soy protein has advantages over milk-based proteins; one group of researchers found that those receiving a daily soy protein shake achieved a 14.7 sq. cm reduction in abdominal fat, while those taking an identical dose of casein protein saw a 22.9 sq. cm increase over the course of just three months (3).

So whether you’re lactose intolerant or not, soy protein has many benefits that dairy-based proteins such as whey and casein cannot provide.

SOURCES:

1. Cardiovascular Disease Statistics. American Heart Association.

2. Pipe, E.A., et al. Soy Protein Reduces Serum LDL Cholesterol and the LDL Cholesterol:HDL Cholesterol and Apolipoprotein B:Apolipoprotein A-I Ratios in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes. Nutrition, 2009; 139: 1700-1706

3. Sites, C.K., et al. Effect of a daily supplement of soy protein on body composition and insulin secretion in postmenopausal women. Fertility and Sterility, 2007; 88(6): 1609-1617.

With the greatly increasing rate of obesity in North America more and more diets are showing up promising to end the battle of weight loss for good.  While there are many people who do have good success with losing body weight after following a chosen hypocaloric program, the rate of those who keep this weight off over the long term is much lower.

This is problematic because it can cause yo-yo style dieting and eating where the individual, over time, could alter their body composition shifting to a higher degree of fat mass versus lean muscle tissue.

Therefore, one of the primary objectives of any dieter who is starting up a fat loss diet should be concerning themselves with what they can do to keep the weight off once they’ve reached their goal.  Those who think the diet is just a means to an end will likely be faced with another required period of dieting in due time.

Recently researchers published a study in the Obesity journal that looked at what mediators were present in women who were able to sustain a weight loss over a longer period of time.

They had a group of 225 overweight and obese women assigned to a control or a one year group intervention that was designed to promote self-regulation of body weight.

During the study, key exercise, eating behaviour, and body image factors were looked at both before and after the program, with the test indicators being weight loss and weight maintenance.

After the year long study was finished, the researchers noted that those who showed the greatest degree of weight loss and weight maintenance were also the same individuals who were able to lower their emotional eating tendencies and adopt a flexible dietary restraint pattern.

The researchers also noted that another key thing that should be emphasized for long term success with regards to weight loss is increasing the intrinsic motivation for exercise as well as the subject’s self-belief that they can stick with an exercise and diet program.

So from this study we can conclude that it is essential that you work on developing behavioural habits as you go about the process of calorie restriction to lose the weight in the first place.  Secondly, after the weight is lost, you may want to come up with a more flexible approach to your diet that still helps you control your total calorie intake but is not quite as rigid as the diet you used to lose the weight initially.

Reference:
Carraca, EV. et al. (2009). Mediators of Weight Loss sand Weight Loss Maintenance in Middle-Aged Women. Obesity. Aug 20.

Most athletes, whether they are training for strength, speed, skill or a combination of all three, will agree that the work you do during training sessions has an enormous impact on how much progress you make toward your goals. Whether you’re trying to alter your body composition or increase your aerobic or anaerobic endurance capacity, the harder you work, the better off you’ll be. As a result, a lot of the focus in the fitness world is on creating more efficient and effective workouts, such as replacing steady state, low-intensity cardiovascular exercise with high-intensity interval exercise. Obviously, this has its advantages. But another key aspect that some people forget about is recovery. The more intense your workouts become, the more your body will need adequate rest for recovery and growth.

Much like training, though, there are many options for recovery. Some trainers and athletes advocate complete rest - no extraneous activity between sessions, to minimize the possibility of overworking muscles. Meanwhile, others will recommend some form of active recovery, usually low-intensity exercise, to ensure that optimal blood flow and nutrient exchange continues.

Studies have shown that active recovery has its advantages, usually when performed in between sets or exercise sessions performed on the same day. One study investigating the effects of active recovery versus passive recovery found that participants were able to produce a significantly higher mean power output after an active recovery session when compared to passive recovery. Additionally, those engaging in active recovery had a higher level of oxygen uptake than those engaging in passive recovery (1). The extra oxygen taken from the bloodstream for use by the muscles most likely drove the improvements in power.

Other research has shown that active recovery has additional advantages over passive recovery. Another study compared passive recovery, short-term body massage, and active recovery after cycling trials. Again, the active recovery was indicated by researchers as the best method, as it provided the highest level of lactate removal (2).

Active recovery is suited for a variety of sports and athletic events, as another study investigated its use in rock climbing. Even in just 20 minutes, active recovery proved to be better at lowering lactate levels. In addition, researchers noted that cold water immersion of the affected muscles was an effective recovery method as well (3).

SOURCES:
1. Bogdanis, Gregory C., et al. Effects of active recovery on power output during repeated maximal sprint cycling. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 1996; 74(5): 461-469.
2. Gupta, S., et al. Comparative study of lactate removal in short term massage of extremities, active recovery and a passive recovery period after supramaximal exercise sessions. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 1996; 17(2): 106-110.
3. Heyman, Elsa, et al. Effects of Four Recovery Methods on Repeated Maximal Rock Climbing Performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2009; 41(6): 1303-1310.

When performing your resistance training workout, one of the key components that needs to be factored in is how much rest you are taking between sets.  Many individuals put a lot of thought in the exercise selection and workout split they use, but often overlook the amount of rest between sets that they are utilizing.

Recently a study was published in the Sports Medicine journal that looked at the association between rest periods and the resulting performance increases.

They reviewed 35 different studies and then looked at both the acute and chronic adaptations that were associated with the variable rest interval.

One of the most important findings they discovered is that when the trainee was utilizing a load of between 50 and 90% of their one rep max and also using 3-5 minute rest periods between sets, they showed increases in greater absolute strength.  Further, they were able to repeat the exercise over more sets due to the higher rest period given.

Some of the studies also demonstrated though that using one minute rest intervals may be best from a hypertrophy standpoint since it tends to have a higher release of growth hormone.

When subjects utilized a much shorter rest period of between twenty second and one minute, this resulted in a higher training velocity during submaximal muscle contractions.

From this review, we can clearly see that the rest period will cause a large influence on the total results that are seen from a training program and that you should spend some time determining which rest interval best suites you.

Many individuals do not take the time to clearly think about rest intervals and just rest according to how they feel, however this may not always produce the best results.

From a muscular growth standpoint, it would be beneficial to use a mix of rest periods ranging from one minute to three minutes to direct progress towards both maximum strength and growth hormone release.

Reference:

Adriana, Lemos. Et al. (2009). Rest Interval between Sets in Strength Training. Sports Medicine.  39(9):765-777.

With such a wide array of supplements available, one can feel overwhelmed when shopping in a brick and mortar store or even online. Glitzy ads, promotional posters and unbelievable advertisements bombard shoppers from every angle, distracting them from what they came to do - find a supplement that meets their needs.  To make matters worse, all of this intensive marketing efforts tend to drive up the cost of supplements unnecessarily.  For uninformed shoppers, this can be an even bigger problem, because if one operates under the "if it’s expensive, it must be good" mode of logic, he or she may end up spending hard-earned cash on a product that is mostly hype.

But don’t despair -there are plenty of value-priced supplements, often made by a wide variety of companies, including store brands, that pack a lot of benefits into a tiny price.  One such supplement is melatonin.  Unlike many of the other supplements you’ll find on store shelves, melatonin is natural - it is a hormone produced by the pineal gland and secreted at various levels throughout the day.  The highest levels are secreted at night, because darkness stimulates it.  Melatonin helps regulate sleep patterns and induces a restful night’s sleep with limited awakenings.  And while you’ll probably find melatonin marketed primarily as a sleep aid, it has other benefits as well.

One comprehensive double-blinded, placebo-controlled study set out to research the possible effects of melatonin on jet lag. Individuals aged 28 to 68 years, all of whom had upcoming intercontinental flights, were chosen to participate in the study.  The participants were given 5mg doses of melatonin three days before flight, during flight, and once a day for three days after arrival.  The results pointed to significant benefits - those taking melatonin felt less fatigued and jet lagged, took less time to establish a regular sleep pattern and returned to regular energy levels more than a day earlier than those in the control group (1).

But not all of melatonin’s uses are related to the sleep cycle. For example, another study indicated that melatonin had benefits for the immune system.  The researchers noted that benefits from the use of melatonin "seems promising in primary and secondary immunodeficiencies as well as in cancer immunotherapy" (2).

Perhaps the most significant benefits, at least from an athletic point of view, came from a study performed just this year.  Though there are countless benefits to be reaped from exercise, it can also place a strain on one’s body and in some cases result in cell damage. This is particularly troublesome when it affects cardiac tissues.  However, the use of melatonin either " totally or partially prevented" cardiac cell damage, leading the researchers to conclude that melatonin "protects against heart damage caused by acute exercise" (3).

So even though it may not be supported by fancy ads and promotions, a simple supplement such as melatonin can be well worth the money.

SOURCES:

1. Petrie, K., et al. Effect of melatonin on jet lag after long haul flights. British Medical Journal, 1989; 298:705-707.

2. Maestroni, GJM. The immunoneuroendocrine role of melatonin. Journal of Pineal Research, 2007; 14(1): 1-10.

3. Veneroso, C. Melatonin reduces cardiac inflammatory injury induced by acute exercise. Journal of Pineal Research, 2009; 47(2): 184-191.

Most individuals are under the impression that in order to lose weight, they have to create a calorie deficit equal to 3500 calories per pound of fat mass.  Therefore, they go about designing their diet and workout program to total a certain calorie deficit each day depending on how quickly they want to lose weight.

If they can create a calorie deficit of 500 calories over the course of each day either through a reduction in food intake, an increase in exercise output, or a combination of the two, they should be losing one pound of body weight each week.

But, it doesn’t always work out this way.  Many frustrated dieters have been in this exact situation only have not seen the results they are looking for, despite their accurate measurements and hard work.

What’s going on in these situations?

Recently researchers out of Laval University in Quebec City looked at what role adaptive thermogensis played in total weight loss amongst a group of individuals.  Adaptive thermogensis can be described as the metabolic slow-down that is often associated with taking in a reduced calorie intake.

Essentially, as you go about your diet, your metabolism slows down beyond what it should taking into account the bodyweight you have lost (since the lighter you get, the fewer calories you will burn per day).

The researchers had eight obese men with a mean age of 38 years participate in a clinical intervention where they were placed on a supervised diet along with a prescribed exercise program.

The various stages where measurements were taken include at baseline, after five kg’s of bodyweight were lost, after 10 kg’s of bodyweight were lost, and when it appeared as though the individuals were becoming resistance to any further weight loss (they entered a weight loss plateau).

The results of the readings indicated that both body weight and fat mass were significantly reduced from baseline, and fat-free mass remained unchanged.  This was positive news since it demonstrated that the individuals were not losing lean muscle mass on their diet and exercise program.

Furthermore, there was also a positive association between the reduction in thermogenesis and the degree of fat mass lost as they approached the plateau.

The researchers also equated that 30.9% of the difference in BMR from baseline was due to the adaptive thermogenesis component, indicating that in many cases, as you proceed along your weight loss diet plan, your metabolism is going to slow down more than would be expected as you continue to lose weight.

As enough time passes, this adaptive thermogenesis component may even become so great that it would significantly decrease the total weight lost that is seen, unless the calorie deficit is increased upwards.

Therefore, the take home message from this study is that metabolic slow-down during dieting is a very real thing that can certainly hamper results.  Some individuals will show greater signs of this issue than others, but one thing is for certain, if you want to maximize the results you get from your weight loss program, you should be making efforts to periodically take diet breaks or eat at maintenance in order to prevent this slow-down from occurring.

Reference:

Chaput, JP. (2009) Adaptive reduction in thermogensis and resistance to lose fat in obese men. British journal of nutrition. Aug; 102(4):488-92.

If there’s something all dieters thought they knew for certain, it was that carbohydrates are their sworn enemy during the attempt to shed excess weight. Whether the dieting approach is a Ketogenic Diet, an Atkins Diet, or even the Fish and Ricecakes diet, one thing tends to stay the same with most fat-loss approaches - carbohydrate consumption is kept at a minimum. The charge is that carbohydrate intake creates a large insulin response, eventually leading to fat storage. Additionally, many experts have suggested that certain carbohydrates trigger hunger rather than satisfy it, leading to snacking or overeating later on. Because of these beliefs, eschewing carbohydrates in favor of healthy fats and protein has become a very popular option.

But what if everything you thought you knew about carbohydrate intake and its relationship to fat gain was wrong? Could it be possible that a high-carbohydrate approach might actually be better for staying in shape? A recent study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that this may be the case.

The study, conducted with participants 18 and older, was quite comprehensive, compiling dietary data on 4,451 participants. In addition to compiling data on BMI and food intake, the researchers adjusted the data for total energy intake, age, leisure time energy expenditure, sex, smoking, education, and income adequacy.

Despite the popular dogma involving carbohydrate intake and obesity, the results showed that those with higher carbohydrate intakes - with carbohydrates composing between 47 percent and 64 percent of total calories - had the lowest risk of obesity. If this was not surprising enough of a finding, the research also indicated that those consuming the lowest carbohydrate-containing diets were significantly more likely to be obese. It seemed that even with higher carbohydrate intake, the higher-carb groups consumed fewer calories, while the group consuming the fewest carbohydrates still managed to consume more calories than they expended.

The researchers addressed the low-carb diet craze, noting that while "low-carbohydrate diets are more effective at inducing weight loss in the short-term (6 months) than high-carbohydrate diets, but there is no difference in their efficacy at the end of 1 year."

The study also delved into a few of the specific food choices made by the participants, and found that the higher-carbohydrate group ate more fiber, fruit and vegetables. Additionally, this group consumed less saturated fat and also exercised more than those consuming a lower amount of carbohydrates.

The most important factor in a diet, though, is whether it is doable for you. No matter what any study says, the nutritional plan that fits your lifestyle is the one that makes the most sense and will be most conducive to success, whatever your goals may be.

SOURCE:

Merchant, Anwar T., et al. Carbohydrate Intake and Overweight and Obesity among Healthy Adults. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2009; 109(7): 451-459.

More and more people find themselves on a mission to control their rising body fat levels and combat hunger.  When on a lower calorie diet, it becomes very important that you’re selecting the foods you eat intelligently from a nutritional standpoint because since you are consuming fewer total calories over the day, you will be at risk for nutrient deficiencies if you aren’t eating good quality calories.

To further that point though, it’s also important to make your food selections properly since that can have a very large effect on your overall eating behaviours over the course of the day.

Recently researchers out of Sam Houston State University in Texas assessed a variety of different foods, the timing that these foods were consumed, and the overall calorie intake that the subjects had over the course of the day.

In past research, it has been demonstrated that your food intake in the morning is directly related to your food intake at night, with individuals who consume more carbs in the morning eating fewer carbs later on in the day, individuals consuming more fat in the morning eat less fat later on in the day, and the same situation with protein intake.

In this study, the researchers had 388 male and 621 female subjects report their food intake for a seven day period in a diet diary that was to be assessed.  The subjects consumed a total of twenty four different types of foods and seven different types of drinks during the morning, afternoon, and evening hours, which were then related to the daily total intake.

The results indicated that those who were consuming dairy foods, ice cream, beef, meats, potatoes, pastry, nuts, chips, condiments, alcohol, and soda were more likely to have a high calorie intake over the course of the day while those who were eating diets that consisted of fruit, soup, breakfast cereal, pasta, pizza, water, coffee or tea, and diet soda were either not associated with an increased calorie intake or actually resulted in a lower total calorie intake.

From this finding the researchers concluded that focusing on lower density foods in the morning and being sure to avoid high density foods at night could help promote a higher rate of fat loss over the long term.

This shows us again how important the breakfast meal is and that if you choose to skip it, you could actually set yourself up for patterns of overeating later in the day, especially in the evening period where many people already struggle to maintain control over their snacking tendencies.

Reference:
De Castro JM. (2009) When, how much and what foods are eaten are related to total daily food intake.  The British Journal of Nutrition. Aug 4:1-10.

The alarming rise in obesity has been linked to many factors, from an increase in non-nutritive sweeteners in many food products to the reduction in physical activity and nutritional knowledge of individuals.  Those who cite the lack of physical activity as the main reason for increasing obesity levels point to modern entertainment, such as television and video game systems, as some of the worst offenders, as they keep people, especially children and teens, on the couch instead of outside playing sports.

However, advances in video game technology, specifically motion-detection devices, have led to systems such as the Nintendo Wii, which allow gamers to actively participate in their virtual adventures using their entire bodies instead of just their thumbs. But are these video game systems, engaging though they may be, a suitable substitute for actual exercise?  A study recently published in the Journal of Exercise Physiology investigated that very question.

The study compared the efficacy of three scenarios - sedentary (traditional) video game playing, Boxing on the Nintendo Wii system, and treadmill walking at 2.5 miles per hour.  The participant group included both males and females with an average age of 31.5 years.  Heart rate, oxygen uptake and ratings of perceived exertion were taken at rest and during the exercise sessions.  The researchers also surveyed the participants for hedonics, or liking, of the activities, which is crucial for exercise programs because it influences continued compliance.

The results indicated that all of the activities - even the sedentary video game playing, triggered an increase in heart rate and oxygen uptake.  However, in both of these categories, the Nintendo Wii boxing simulation provided the greatest increase.  Average heart rate for participants in the Wii boxing game was 121.2 beats per minute, nearly 30 beats per minute more than the next highest activity, the treadmill walking.  In terms of oxygen uptake, which is linked to energy expenditure, the Wii boxing simulation provided an increase of about 50 percent over the oxygen uptake during treadmill walking.

The participants did seem to be aware that they were receiving a better workout from the Wii, as ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were highest during the Wii simulation, with treadmill walking following behind.  But even though participants acknowledged that the Wii boxing required the most work, the liking rating of the Wii was highest as well, nearly double that of the treadmill walking.

And while the Wii boxing simulation would not produce as good of a workout as actual boxing, it’s not likely that the average person would have the choice between the two.  The researchers took this into consideration, noting that the prevalence of sedentary video game play suggested that the substitution of a more interactive video game could be a highly effective way to increase physical activity.  The high liking ratings also suggest that the Wii games would be less intimidating than exercise in a gym setting, and thus suitable for beginners.

SOURCE:

Barkley, Jacob E. and Penko, Amanda.  Physiologic Responses, Perceived Exertion, and Hedonics of Playing a Physical Interactive Video Game Relative to a Sedentary Alternative and Treadmill Walking in Adults. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online, 2009; 12(3): 12-23.

Almost all of us know that in order to promote maximum health, exercise is important.  More often though, the primary reason someone starts up an exercise program, especially as far as cardiovascular exercises is concerned, is to lose weight.

The problem with this is that many times, after the weight is lost (or not lost, depending on the situation), the individual will stop with the exercise since they no longer feel it is working or they need it.

This, however, could be a big mistake.

Those people who are currently overweight are going to be at a higher risk for fatty liver disease.  The usual recommendation to help manage and reduce the risk of this condition   is through weight loss over time.  New research however is showing that weight loss may actually not necessarily be a requirement in order to see progress.

Researchers out of the University of Sydney studied the impacts of regular aerobic exercise on the hepatic, blood, abdominal, and muscle lipids in 19 obese individuals who were classified as previously sedentary.  

After four weeks of aerobic cycling exercise, these individuals were then assessed on these measures using magnetic resonance imaging and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The researchers found that the aerobic exercise had reduced visceral fat tissue by almost 12% and further, it also reduced hepatic triglyceride concentration by 21%.

Both of these measures also were associated with a 14% reduction in plasma free fatty acids, also working to promote better overall health of the individuals.

What is interesting to note though is that bodyweight remained unchanged in the subjects and the abdominal subcultaneous fat tissue volume also did not change.

From this study then we can conclude that aerobic exercise with or without weight loss will be something that will really help those who are at risk or who are suffering from fatty liver disease.

Often those who are on a treatment program who are instructed to lose weight will attempt a diet and exercise program together, but it’s important to note that even if the diet isn’t going so well, you should not give up on the exercise program because it will provide benefits itself.  

Reference:
Armstrong, A. (2009) Aerobic exercise training reduced hepatic and visceral lipids in obese individuals without weight loss. Hepatology. Jun 15.