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©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Jerry Brainum Interview : Part 4 five myths of good nutrition by Richard Baldwin
©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Monday, December 21, 2015
Jerry Brainum interview : Part 3 five key principles to good nutrition Interviewed by Richard Baldwin
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©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Have you been ripped off by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.
The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.
See Jerry's book at http://www.jerrybrainum.com
Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com
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Thursday, November 26, 2015
JERRY BRAINUM INTERVIEW : Part 2 five Myths to gaining muscle by RICHARD BALDWIN
Please share this article on facebook . We have hundreds of inverviews of professional and famous bodybuilders from Jerry Brainum's archives , and we are going to upload these articles on this site . One article for every 250 shares on facebook. Thank you for your support!
©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Have you been ripped off by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.
The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.
See Jerry's book at http://www.jerrybrainum.com
Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com
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Monday, November 9, 2015
Jerry Brainum Interview : Part 1 five principles on gaining muscle: Interviewed by Richard Baldwin
For
those of you not familiar with Richard Baldwin, here's a photo from his
competition days. One of the most symmetrical, classically developed
physiques ever. No bloated gut here! But the thing that impresses me
most about Richard is that he maintains
fantastic conditioning at age 68.Among Richard's many titles are:
Mr.Southern States, Mr Texas, Mr.Southeastern USA, and middleweight
winner of the Mr.America in 1980.
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©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Have you been ripped off by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.
The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.
See Jerry's book at http://www.jerrybrainum.com
Shout out to my friend at Newhall Ranch Road....Thank you for sharing these articles on Facebook and Social Media.
Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research?
Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
The Truth about Nitric Oxide-boosting supplements and better ways to boost NO... VIDEO by Jerry Brainum
Jerry Brainum explains the flaws related to NO supplements, and offers a more effective, inexpensive way to increase nitric oxide release that is safe and reliable. For the best and latest science-based information about nutrition, exercise science, ergogenic aids, ant-aging, hormonal therapy, fat-loss, exercise science, and other topics, subscribe to Applied Metabolics newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com.
Here is some evidence to prove my contention that NO supplements don't work:
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©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Have you been ripped off by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.
The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.
See Jerry's book at http://www.jerrybrainum.com
Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com
Please share this video on facebook
Sunday, October 11, 2015
EAT TO GROW : C-Plus-E Synergy? by Jerry Brainum
Does combining antioxidant vitamins make them more potent?
Here’s a quick quiz for you. Milk contains two primary types of
protein, whey and casein. Studies show that they’re absorbed at
different rates, with whey being absorbed rapidly and casein slowly
releasing amino acids into the blood for more than seven hours. Which would suppress appetite more? A new study focused on just that question.1 Past studies have shown that protein has a greater satiation effect than fat or carbs. On the other hand, the appetite-suppressing effect of protein is blunted in people who habitually eat a high-protein diet—typical of bodybuilders. That’s most noticeable in those who increase their protein intake from a lower level. With a regular higher-protein intake, amino acids are more rapidly cleared and oxidized from the blood, mitigating its effect on appetite.
That’s also the reason a high-protein diet isn’t likely to lead to increased fat deposition, since all nutrients, including protein, fat and carbs, can be converted into fat. Active people, such as those engaged in regular exercise, burn up excess protein in the liver, thus preventing its conversion into glucose or fat.
One notable difference between whey and casein is that the amino acids in whey are rapidly processed and absorbed into the blood. Casein, on the other hand, curdles in the stomach, leading to a much slower breakdown and release of amino acids. Because a high concentration of amino acids is vital for promoting muscle protein synthesis, some studies suggest that whey’s rapid release of aminos makes it superior to casein for that purpose. On the other hand, casein’s slow release of amino acids makes it more conducive to providing a pronounced anticatabolic effect by maintaining a positive nitrogen balance in the blood over the course of several hours.
The amino acids in the blood dictate the appetite-suppressing properties of protein. Whey is the superior appetite-suppressing protein. In a new study, subjects drank a beverage containing 48 grams of a commercial whey supplement or one containing the same amount of casein and attended an all-you-can-eat buffet 90 minutes later. Those who drank the whey ate 19 percent less food than those who drank the casein.
In the second part of the study researchers wanted to confirm the notion that the quick entry of amino acids made whey more satiating and to figure out if any gut hormones known to affect appetite were affected by whey or casein. That part of the study showed, as expected, that whey increased blood amino acid levels 28 percent more than casein over a three-hour period.
The whey drink increased the levels of several gut hormones that are known to suppress appetite. It increased the blood levels of cholecystokinin (CCK) by 60 percent, glucagonlike peptide-1 by 65 percent and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide by 36 percent. That last hormone isn’t normally increased by protein alone, but both the whey and casein drinks also contained cream and maltodextrin, a quick-acting carbohydrate.
Thus, whey appears to decrease appetite through its rapid release of amino acids, which in turn promotes the release of several gut hormones known to depress appetite and increase feelings of satiety.
1 Hall, W.L., et al. (2003). Casein and whey exert different effects on plasma amino acid profiles, gastrointestinal hormone secretion and appetite. Brit J Nutrition. 89:239-48.
©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Here’s a quick quiz for you. Milk contains two primary types of
protein, whey and casein. Studies show that they’re absorbed at
different rates, with whey being absorbed rapidly and casein slowly
releasing amino acids into the blood for more than seven hours. Which would suppress appetite more? A new study focused on just that question.1 Past studies have shown that protein has a greater satiation effect than fat or carbs. On the other hand, the appetite-suppressing effect of protein is blunted in people who habitually eat a high-protein diet—typical of bodybuilders. That’s most noticeable in those who increase their protein intake from a lower level. With a regular higher-protein intake, amino acids are more rapidly cleared and oxidized from the blood, mitigating its effect on appetite.
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That’s also the reason a high-protein diet isn’t likely to lead to increased fat deposition, since all nutrients, including protein, fat and carbs, can be converted into fat. Active people, such as those engaged in regular exercise, burn up excess protein in the liver, thus preventing its conversion into glucose or fat.
One notable difference between whey and casein is that the amino acids in whey are rapidly processed and absorbed into the blood. Casein, on the other hand, curdles in the stomach, leading to a much slower breakdown and release of amino acids. Because a high concentration of amino acids is vital for promoting muscle protein synthesis, some studies suggest that whey’s rapid release of aminos makes it superior to casein for that purpose. On the other hand, casein’s slow release of amino acids makes it more conducive to providing a pronounced anticatabolic effect by maintaining a positive nitrogen balance in the blood over the course of several hours.
The amino acids in the blood dictate the appetite-suppressing properties of protein. Whey is the superior appetite-suppressing protein. In a new study, subjects drank a beverage containing 48 grams of a commercial whey supplement or one containing the same amount of casein and attended an all-you-can-eat buffet 90 minutes later. Those who drank the whey ate 19 percent less food than those who drank the casein.
In the second part of the study researchers wanted to confirm the notion that the quick entry of amino acids made whey more satiating and to figure out if any gut hormones known to affect appetite were affected by whey or casein. That part of the study showed, as expected, that whey increased blood amino acid levels 28 percent more than casein over a three-hour period.
The whey drink increased the levels of several gut hormones that are known to suppress appetite. It increased the blood levels of cholecystokinin (CCK) by 60 percent, glucagonlike peptide-1 by 65 percent and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide by 36 percent. That last hormone isn’t normally increased by protein alone, but both the whey and casein drinks also contained cream and maltodextrin, a quick-acting carbohydrate.
Thus, whey appears to decrease appetite through its rapid release of amino acids, which in turn promotes the release of several gut hormones known to depress appetite and increase feelings of satiety.
1 Hall, W.L., et al. (2003). Casein and whey exert different effects on plasma amino acid profiles, gastrointestinal hormone secretion and appetite. Brit J Nutrition. 89:239-48.
©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Have you been ripped off by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.
The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.
See Jerry's book at http://www.jerrybrainum.com
Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com
Please share this article on facebook
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
HMB: Does It Work or Not? : EAT TO GROW BY JERRY BRAINUM
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Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, or HMB, is a downstream metabolite
of the branched-chain amino acid leucine. Many studies have shown that
leucine is by far the most potent single amino acid in inducing muscle protein synthesis. Several years ago scientists at the University of Iowa studied the metabolic pathways of leucine and deduced that the role attributed to it was in fact due to its metabolite, HMB. Several studies involving animals showed that HMB seemed to have potent effects on protein production.
Early human studies, using mainly untrained subjects, seemed to show that HMB also worked well for humans engaged in resistance exercise. HMB hit the commercial market in the late ’90s, but the results were less than stellar. Since then, most of the bodybuilding community has pegged HMB as an expensive but useless fad supplement. Oddly enough, however, many nutrition scientists continue to extol its virtues.
The suggested mechanisms for HMB point to its being an effective anabolic supplement. One thought is that it blocks the cellular activity that’s involved in protein breakdown. Another theory says that HMB is converted into cholesterol, which is noted chiefly for its involvement in cardiovascular disease but which is required for the stability of cell membranes. Recent studies also suggest that cholesterol may have anabolic effects in muscle, which isn’t surprising when you consider that it’s the precursor of all steroid hormones, including testosterone.
An early theory suggested that HMB stabilized muscle cell membranes to the extent that it blocked excessive muscle protein breakdown. Still another theory is that it may even aid bodyfat loss by increasing muscle cell fat oxidation, although precisely how that’s possible isn’t known.
In the latest HMB study, a randomized, double-blind, controlled experiment, 22 men, average age 24, got either three grams a day of HMB or a placebo for nine weeks. The men had an average of more than three years of training experience and trained no fewer than three times a week. Strength tests involved one-rep-maximum lifts in the leg extension, bench press and preacher curl. Other tests included body composition.
After nine weeks those using HMB had an average overall strength increase of 1.6 percent. When the results were isolated to lower- and upper-body gains, though, maximum leg strength increased by a substantial 9.1 percent. The gain in upper-body strength was deemed inconclusive. The HMB group also had bodyfat loss that the authors termed trivial. They suggest that HMB may be more useful for beginners, who are more susceptible to muscle damage than more experienced trainees.
Rowlands, D.S., et al. (2009). Effects of nine weeks of B-hydroxy-B-Methylbutyrate supplementation on strength and body composition in resistance-trained men. J Str Cond Res. 23:827-835.
©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Have you been ripped off by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.
The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.
See Jerry's book at http://www.jerrybrainum.com
Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com
Please share this article on facebook
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Clarifying the Protein Confusion Video by Jerry Brainum
©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Have you been ripped off by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.
The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.
See Jerry's book at http://www.jerrybrainum.com
Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com
Please share this video on facebook
Monday, September 14, 2015
How Eccentric Training Speeds Muscle Strength Gains by Jerry Brainum
Muscle contractions come in two basic flavors: eccentric, also known
as negative, and concentric, or positive. Eccentric muscle contractions
involve an active lengthening of muscle fibers, which usually means the
lowering of a weight, such as when you descend to a full squat.
Concentric muscle contractions feature a shortening of muscle fibers, as
typically occurs during the raising of a weight—as when you drive up
from a squat to a standing position.
Those aren't the only types of muscle contractions. Isometric contractions are strong but achieved without any movement. Isokinetic contractions focus only on the positive portion of an exercise, with no eccentric component. As you might expect, bodybuilding exercises involve mainly eccentric and concentric contractions.
An ongoing debate among exercise scientists is whether one type of muscle contraction is superior. One man who took a definite stand on that issue was Arthur Jones, an eccentric genius best known for developing the Nautilus and MedX exercise machines, as well as the Nautilus high-intensity philosophy. He was a firm believer in the superiority of eccentric contractions for triggering gains in muscular size and strength. He repeatedly wrote of the importance of taking two seconds to raise a weight and four seconds to lower it, putting the emphasis on the negative portion of the rep. Jones eventually espoused a negative-only style of training for maximizing strength gains. His later exercise machines were designed to enable a user to accentuate the negative.
While it would seem that raising a weight is more intense than lowering it, numerous published studies show that most of the muscle damage incurred during training comes by way of the eccentric contractions. Apparently, lowering a heavy weight produces more damage to muscle fibers than raising it. As such, negative contraction is considered largely responsible for delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, a deep muscle soreness that peaks one to two days after you train a muscle intensely with exercises that have an eccentric component.
The advantage of eccentric contraction in this regard is that the extensive fiber damage it causes results in a compensation effect—the body responds by upgrading muscle protein production. The damaged muscle fiber is not only repaired but also thickened to accommodate the increased stress that was placed on it. The thickened fiber is recognizable as muscle hypertrophy, or growth, and it's usually accompanied by an increase in strength.
The process takes some time, particularly after a workout that emphasizes negative work. Studies show that it takes a minimum of 48 hours to repair completely the damage wrought by eccentric contractions and for larger muscles, such as the thighs, it can take as long as 72 hours. If the muscle is trained before it's fully repaired, the potential gains can be lost, a scenario that falls under the general heading of overtraining.
Some trainees take the repair process to questionable lengths. An example are those who suggest that the body can take up to two to three weeks to recover from high-intensity training marked by extensive muscle damage. The evidence for that is more apparent in long-distance endurance activity, such as marathon running, than in weight training. In some cases the muscle damage incurred during a 26-mile marathon can take as long as six months to be restored.
While all the evidence seems to point to eccentric contractions as being the most vital type of muscle contraction for stimulating gains in size and strength, not all studies have shown that. Some suggest the opposite—that positive contractions are superior—which tends to confuse the issue. A recent meta-analysis published in a leading sports medicine journal looked back at the research to find some clarity. Twenty prior studies that compared eccentric and concentric contractions were examined.
The researchers noted that muscles are capable of exerting greater absolute force during eccentric contractions and that increases in muscular strength are associated with greater force production. Since eccentric contraction involves less muscle fatigue, a lower cardiorespiratory component and more metabolic efficiency, you can train in a primarily negative mode for a longer time than you can with primarily concentric contraction.
The analysis found that velocity of movement is a key factor. In short, unless the speed of movement is strictly controlled during eccentric contractions, most of the possible gains will not be realized. In addition, intensity plays a role. Simply put, you need to train heavy and take advantage of the fact that you can use more weight on eccentric contraction.
The past studies that didn't favor negative contraction can be explained. For one thing, they didn't feature enough of an intensity factor, such as not using enough weight. Velocity was also relevant. The negative contraction must be done considerably more slowly than the positive. When both types of muscle contractions are done with the same velocity, neither appears to be superior.
Many bodybuilders overlook the importance of eccentric contractions. At Gold's Gym in Venice, California, where I train, I rarely see even elite bodybuilders using negative techniques. In fact, the major emphasis seems to be on the positive portion of the rep. Bodybuilders who want to make maximum progress should heed the advice of Arthur Jones and take two to three seconds to lift the weight and at least four seconds to lower it—and do it on every exercise.
In addition, it makes sense to use negative-emphasis exercises to train lagging muscle groups. Since negative contraction produces more muscle strength, you'll be able to work them with bigger weights. That nearly always results in more muscle and strength.
There are come caveats associated with eccentric training. The extensive muscle fiber damage it produces leads to a few temporary metabolic derangements. For example, it inhibits the activity of a glucose carrier in muscle called GLUT-4, which delays the full recuperation of muscle because glycogen is not restored. Glycogen repletion is essential for full muscle recovery between workouts. In practical terms, it would be foolhardy to attempt to train any particular muscle again in less than 48 hours. If you truly emphasize negative work in your training, it will probably lengthen the required rest time between workouts to at least 72 hours. That may explain the recent trend of training most muscles groups only once a week. Many have found that more-frequent training leads to stalled progress and a feeling of overtraining, which may be related to incomplete repair of muscles that are trained too frequently.
Editor's note: Jerry Brainum is the author of the e-book Natural Anabolics—Nutrients, Compounds and Supplements That Can Accelerate Muscle Growth Without Drugs, available at JerryBrainum.com.
Roig M, et al. (2009). The effects of eccentric versus concentric resistance training on muscle strength and mass in healthy adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Br J Sports Med. 43:556-568. IM
©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Those aren't the only types of muscle contractions. Isometric contractions are strong but achieved without any movement. Isokinetic contractions focus only on the positive portion of an exercise, with no eccentric component. As you might expect, bodybuilding exercises involve mainly eccentric and concentric contractions.
An ongoing debate among exercise scientists is whether one type of muscle contraction is superior. One man who took a definite stand on that issue was Arthur Jones, an eccentric genius best known for developing the Nautilus and MedX exercise machines, as well as the Nautilus high-intensity philosophy. He was a firm believer in the superiority of eccentric contractions for triggering gains in muscular size and strength. He repeatedly wrote of the importance of taking two seconds to raise a weight and four seconds to lower it, putting the emphasis on the negative portion of the rep. Jones eventually espoused a negative-only style of training for maximizing strength gains. His later exercise machines were designed to enable a user to accentuate the negative.
While it would seem that raising a weight is more intense than lowering it, numerous published studies show that most of the muscle damage incurred during training comes by way of the eccentric contractions. Apparently, lowering a heavy weight produces more damage to muscle fibers than raising it. As such, negative contraction is considered largely responsible for delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, a deep muscle soreness that peaks one to two days after you train a muscle intensely with exercises that have an eccentric component.
The advantage of eccentric contraction in this regard is that the extensive fiber damage it causes results in a compensation effect—the body responds by upgrading muscle protein production. The damaged muscle fiber is not only repaired but also thickened to accommodate the increased stress that was placed on it. The thickened fiber is recognizable as muscle hypertrophy, or growth, and it's usually accompanied by an increase in strength.
The process takes some time, particularly after a workout that emphasizes negative work. Studies show that it takes a minimum of 48 hours to repair completely the damage wrought by eccentric contractions and for larger muscles, such as the thighs, it can take as long as 72 hours. If the muscle is trained before it's fully repaired, the potential gains can be lost, a scenario that falls under the general heading of overtraining.
Some trainees take the repair process to questionable lengths. An example are those who suggest that the body can take up to two to three weeks to recover from high-intensity training marked by extensive muscle damage. The evidence for that is more apparent in long-distance endurance activity, such as marathon running, than in weight training. In some cases the muscle damage incurred during a 26-mile marathon can take as long as six months to be restored.
While all the evidence seems to point to eccentric contractions as being the most vital type of muscle contraction for stimulating gains in size and strength, not all studies have shown that. Some suggest the opposite—that positive contractions are superior—which tends to confuse the issue. A recent meta-analysis published in a leading sports medicine journal looked back at the research to find some clarity. Twenty prior studies that compared eccentric and concentric contractions were examined.
The researchers noted that muscles are capable of exerting greater absolute force during eccentric contractions and that increases in muscular strength are associated with greater force production. Since eccentric contraction involves less muscle fatigue, a lower cardiorespiratory component and more metabolic efficiency, you can train in a primarily negative mode for a longer time than you can with primarily concentric contraction.
The analysis found that velocity of movement is a key factor. In short, unless the speed of movement is strictly controlled during eccentric contractions, most of the possible gains will not be realized. In addition, intensity plays a role. Simply put, you need to train heavy and take advantage of the fact that you can use more weight on eccentric contraction.
The past studies that didn't favor negative contraction can be explained. For one thing, they didn't feature enough of an intensity factor, such as not using enough weight. Velocity was also relevant. The negative contraction must be done considerably more slowly than the positive. When both types of muscle contractions are done with the same velocity, neither appears to be superior.
Many bodybuilders overlook the importance of eccentric contractions. At Gold's Gym in Venice, California, where I train, I rarely see even elite bodybuilders using negative techniques. In fact, the major emphasis seems to be on the positive portion of the rep. Bodybuilders who want to make maximum progress should heed the advice of Arthur Jones and take two to three seconds to lift the weight and at least four seconds to lower it—and do it on every exercise.
In addition, it makes sense to use negative-emphasis exercises to train lagging muscle groups. Since negative contraction produces more muscle strength, you'll be able to work them with bigger weights. That nearly always results in more muscle and strength.
There are come caveats associated with eccentric training. The extensive muscle fiber damage it produces leads to a few temporary metabolic derangements. For example, it inhibits the activity of a glucose carrier in muscle called GLUT-4, which delays the full recuperation of muscle because glycogen is not restored. Glycogen repletion is essential for full muscle recovery between workouts. In practical terms, it would be foolhardy to attempt to train any particular muscle again in less than 48 hours. If you truly emphasize negative work in your training, it will probably lengthen the required rest time between workouts to at least 72 hours. That may explain the recent trend of training most muscles groups only once a week. Many have found that more-frequent training leads to stalled progress and a feeling of overtraining, which may be related to incomplete repair of muscles that are trained too frequently.
Editor's note: Jerry Brainum is the author of the e-book Natural Anabolics—Nutrients, Compounds and Supplements That Can Accelerate Muscle Growth Without Drugs, available at JerryBrainum.com.
Roig M, et al. (2009). The effects of eccentric versus concentric resistance training on muscle strength and mass in healthy adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Br J Sports Med. 43:556-568. IM
©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Have you been ripped off by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.
The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.
See Jerry's book at http://www.jerrybrainum.com
Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com
Please share this article on facebook
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Growth Hormone Secretagogues by Jerry Brainum
Growth hormone, produced in the pituitary gland, is one of the body’s
three major anabolic hormones. The others are testosterone and insulin.
A peptide hormone, meaning that it’s composed of a long chain of amino
acids in a specific sequence, supplemental growth hormone must be
administered by injection. As noted in a previous installment of this
column, GH use by athletes and bodybuilders is rampant, mainly because
it remains undetectable by current drug-testing methods. Whether using GH alone provides any true anabolic effects to athletes remains a matter of conjecture, although numerous anecdotes testify that it does. Bodybuilders rarely, if ever, use GH alone; it’s part of the anabolic hormone triumvirate, with testosterone and insulin.
The other population interested in GH is older. GH drops about 14 percent per decade, and some antiaging researchers suggest that the loss of GH and insulinlike growth factor 1 may be responsible for the loss of both physical and mental function common in older people. IGF-1 is produced in the liver under the stimulation of GH release. It’s also produced locally in muscle, where it’s involved in muscle repair and growth. Both hormones maintain muscle and connective tissue, and their lack may be involved in the loss of lean mass seen in the aged.
Some studies, notably a 2007 study published by researchers from Stanford University, examined the use of GH therapy in the aged and concluded that the risks outweighed any potential benefits. It was a meta-analysis, or compilation, of previous GH studies, most of which used excessive doses and produced such side effects as peripheral edema, which is water retention in the extremities, joint pain, muscle pain, glucose intolerance and loss of insulin sensitivity. The latter two effects can set people up for diabetes if they have the genetics for the disease. Although it wasn’t mentioned in the Stanford analysis, numerous recent studies show that much lower doses produce the benefits of GH minus the side effects.
Still, the fact that GH must be injected presents problems for many people. Injections don’t duplicate the hormone’s natural release pattern, which could be related to side effects. GH is normally released in small bursts, or pulses, several times a day, with the major pulse released during the initial 90 minutes of sleep, during stage-4, deep sleep. Because of the problem, researchers have sought other ways to boost sagging GH. Since GH is nothing more than a complex protein, though, taking it orally means it would just be broken down in the gut.
As research into the mysteries of GH continued, scientists discovered GH receptors in the body and that much smaller amino acid peptides could interact with them to stimulate GH. Those peptides are called secretagogues and usually consist of about six amino acids linked together. Researchers also discovered ghrelin, another natural GH secretagogue. With that information scientists developed drugs such as MK-677 that mimic the effects of ghrelin and other GH secretagogues in the body.
Secretagogue drugs offer considerable potential advantages over GH injections. For one, they can be taken orally with no loss of activity. They boost the natural pulsatile release of the body’s own GH. Although older people often have less GH, the pituitary continues to synthesize it throughout life. The problem is that other substances, such as somatostatin, that inhibit GH release also rise with age. GH release itself is governed by a balance between growth-hormone-releasing hormone and somatostatin. For unknown reasons, the body makes more somatostatin with age, while GHRH remains stable—an imbalance that favors somatostatin dominance and less GH release.
Oral GH secretagogues such as MK-677 bypass the somatostatin barrier by interacting directly with GH receptors, thus producing GH release. Since GH is quite expensive, an effective oral drug could replace GH injections and even eliminate most current GH-related side effects. The question is, Do the oral GH-releasing drugs work in the real world as well as they do on paper or in the lab?
A few studies show that GH secreatagogues such as MK-677 increase the body’s GH production in both the young and the old. In the most recent study that examined the effects of MK-677, 65 healthy people aged 60 to 81 received either 25 milligrams of MK-677 or a placebo for two years.1 During the first year some subjects got MK-677, while others got a placebo. After the first year those who had taken the placebo took actual MK-677, while those who had been taking the MK-677 either continued using the drug or were assigned to a placebo group. That’s known as a placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover double-blind study and is considered the highest quality study available.
As expected, the drug produced GH in amounts typical of young adults in the older people who used it, to the extent that 20 percent of lost lean mass was regained. Bodyfat increased on their arms and legs, which was surprising considering that GH is always linked to less bodyfat. While GH injections have been shown to decrease dangerous visceral bodyfat, MK-677 had no effect on that particular fat-storage area. Fasting blood glucose rose, while insulin sensitivity declined, which is common with GH injections. The most common side effect, however, was an increase in appetite that subsided in a few months. That’s no surprise, since MK-677 mimics the effects of ghrelin, which has a potent appetite-stimulating effect. Some subjects also experienced a mild lower-body edema and muscle pain. On the other hand, low-density lipoprotein declined in those on MK-677, an effect not produced by GH injections. A high count of LDL is linked to cardiovascular disease.
The authors note that MK-677 likely works because it mimics ghrelin in activating the body’s GH receptors. That system has a built-in safety factor because as GH rises, so does IGF-1. The increased IGF-1 signals the pituitary gland that the body has reached its optimal GH point. The pituitary responds by ceasing GH release. The increased fat stores in those on MK-677 reflect the ghrelin-like activity of the drug. While GH promotes fat oxidation, ghrelin promotes fat accretion. Although that doesn’t sound good, consider that many older people lose their appetite, which adds to the loss of muscle that frequently occurs. Unfortunately, MK-677 didn’t have any discernible effect on strength, function or quality of life in this study.
GH injections don’t increase strength in older people, however, or in younger people not deficient in the hormone. Only one study found an increase in strength in older men on GH, and they were also using testosterone. In this study, though, MK-677 did counteract three common factors related to muscle loss with age: reduced GH secretion, loss of fat-free mass and inadequate food intake.
Could GH secretagogues benefit those who are younger? Some preliminary studies show that giving MK-677 to young men boosts GH release and even encourages gains in lean mass. Secretagogues bypass the body’s usual limitations on GH release. On the other hand, using a drug that mimics ghrelin, such as MK-677, could reverse the effect of GH by causing hunger—and a considerable gain in bodyfat. I doubt that few bodybuilders would consider that an advantage.
GH secretagogues not based on ghrelin may be effective GH boosters without the negative body composition changes linked to a ghrelin-based drug. The primary advantage of such drugs, however, is to restore GH-releasing ability in older people at far less expense and in a more natural manner than in present GH replacement therapy.
GH Effects in Athletes:
Real or Imagined?
Real or Imagined?
A recent study suggests that any gains made from using GH are entirely due to the placebo effect.2 Sixty-four noncompetitive recreational athletes were randomly assigned to either a placebo or GH group, the latter getting two milligrams a day of GH. The athletes didn’t know which group they were in. Physical performance was measured by various tests that examined endurance, strength, power and sprint capacity. More men than women believed they were receiving GH—81 percent vs. 31 percent. The men who thought they were taking GH improved both perceived and measured physical performance, even though they were in the placebo group. The authors suggest that many of the favorable effects ascribed to GH occur because athletes believe they will.
That isn’t unprecedented. More than 25 years ago a study was published in which powerlifters were told that they were getting injections of an anabolic steroid called Deca-Durabolin. About nine out of the 12 lifters reached their best lifts during the study. All the lifters had received placebo injections—which just goes to show that you can never discount the power of the placebo.
References
2 Meinhardt, U., et al. (2008). The power of the mind: An evaluation of the placebo effect in a study of GH on physical performance. GH IGF-1 Res. 18(Supp): S34.
Editing errata: In the February ’09 installment of this column, “Testosterone and Rapid Weight Loss,” the statement, “The more SHBG your body has, the less testosterone you have in your blood,” should have read, “The more SHBG your body has, the less active testosterone you have in your blood.” Also, the statement, “In addition, the carbohydrate and fat may have spurred an increased release of growth hormone,” should have read, “In addition, the reduced carbohydrate and fat may have spurred an increased release of growth hormone.”
©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Have you been ripped off by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.
The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.
See Jerry's book at http://www.jerrybrainum.com
Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com
Please share this article on facebook
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Exercise-Induced Testosterone Rises by Jerry Brainum
And the effect on androgen receptors
For years scientific consensus was that using anabolic steroids would
decrease the number of androgen receptors. That’s a problem because
testosterone must interact with cellular androgen receptors to activate
anabolic processes in cells. The less receptor activity, the less
testosterone-cellular activity.Scientists surmised that using large doses of anabolic steroids would eventually result in a downregulation of androgen receptors, rendering the steroids useless. Later studies, however, proved that hypothesis to be incorrect. In fact, steroids provided an opposite effect: They opened up additional androgen receptors.
That led to the now accepted dose-response relationship of steroids: Larger doses of steroids provide more anabolic effects than lower doses. In fact, the initial studies that used low doses of steroids did see a drop in androgen receptor activity, since androgen receptors are saturated by normal blood testosterone. Those findings explain why athletes use such comparatively large doses of various anabolic steroids. It works.
What about the testosterone that the body naturally makes? Various studies show that all things being equal, having naturally higher testosterone predisposes a trainee to making faster gains in muscle size and strength. There’s some controversy, however, about the effects of exercise on testosterone release. Some studies show that exercise results in higher counts of testosterone, while others show little or no effect. Still other studies show that intense training paradoxically lowers androgen-receptor density. So the question is, Can lifting weights both increase testosterone and maintain androgen receptor density and activity?
A recent study examined the issue. Seven healthy men, average age 27, did five sets of five maximal reps of leg extensions on two occasions separated by one to three weeks. One trial involved a rest protocol, which was called “low testosterone,” while the other featured a high-volume, upper-body resistance workout designed to increase circulating testosterone. Blood tests were done at regular intervals during the training to measure blood testosterone. To check the effects of the training on androgen receptors, biopsies were taken from the subjects’ front-thigh muscles.
Only the high-test workout boosted testosterone above resting values, 12 percent more than the low testosterone trial. Muscle androgen receptors declined during the low-testosterone trial by 43 percent but remained stable during the high testosterone workout. The transient increase in testosterone during the high-testosterone workout worked in only three hours to maintain androgen receptor content. So training in a manner that leads to greater testosterone release will likewise maintain androgen receptor activity, which maximizes the anabolic training effect. Such training involves at least three sets per exercise, featuring short rest periods between sets and working larger muscle groups, such as thighs and back.
Spiering, B.A., et al. (2008). Influence of endogenous testosterone concentrations on muscle androgen receptor responses to resistance exercise. J Str Cond Res. 22:31.
©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Have you been ripped off by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.
The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.
See Jerry's book at http://www.jerrybrainum.com
Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com
Please share this article on facebook
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Potassium: Not Too Much, Not Too Little by Jerry Brainum
While all minerals are important to health, potassium has special
significance for those who exercise. Consider its primary functions in
the body: transmission of nerve signals and proper electrical conduction
in the heart. Those two features alone make potassium important for any bodybuilding diet.
While potassium is found in most foods, the best sources are fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, the low-carbohydrate diets followed by many bodybuilders can lead to lower potassium—not just because of the lack of fruits and vegetables but also because low-carb diets produce a natural diuretic effect that causes the excretion of sodium and potassium. In fact, it’s the loss of potassium from very low-carb diets that results in the characteristic fatigue and muscle weakness they often bring. Supplementing with potassium at the right time can make those dietary side effects vanish.
Even so, it has to be at the right time. Taking isolated potassium supplements can lead to the release of the adrenal hormone aldosterone. The human body has evolved to conserve sodium while rapidly eliminating potassium, and that’s what aldosterone does. It retains sodium through its actions in the kidneys while promoting the urinary loss of potassium. In bodybuilders that can cause rapid water retention, requiring them to get more potassium either in food or via a supplement, which should be taken with meals.
Potassium also has a relationship with other minerals. As noted, it works with sodium in controlling fluid in cells. The sodium-potassium-pump mechanism pushes sodium out of cells and potassium into cells, which maintains the proper electrolyte balance in the cells and the blood. In addition, magnesium is needed to retain potassium in cells.
Potassium itself plays a role in helping to restore depleted glycogen after a workout. When you consider that muscle glycogen is the primary fuel of bodybuilding workouts, potassium’s importance becomes clear.
The body has a fine-tuned mechanism to keep potassium within a certain range in the blood. Either too much or too little can lead to serious problems. For example, while having a certain level of potassium is required for the heart to beat, or contract, too much potassium can stop a heart as fast as a bullet. That’s the reason a high-dose of potassium is in the third and final injection of lethal-injection procedures. The first two tranquilize and relax the muscles. The potassium is the actual killer, stopping the heart. Luckily, the body has evolved to prevent a buildup of excess potassium, but it can happen under certain conditions.
As noted, under normal circumstance the body is able to handle larger amounts of potassium. The potassium level is detected in the blood, which then prods the kidneys into collecting and rapidly excreting the excess. Anything that interferes with kidney function can lead to a dangerous buildup of potassium. Having kidney disease, especially kidney failure, is a prime risk factor for potassium overload and such patients are monitored and warned not to take in excess potassium.
Certain drugs can also interfere with kidney function enough to cause potassium retention, including certain blood pressure drugs and potassium-sparing diuretics. The latter encourage the excretion of sodium while retaining potassium in the body. Years ago pro bodybuilder Mike Matarazzo nearly died when he unknowingly took large doses of potassium while using a potassium-sparing diuretic drug shortly before a contest. His goal was to lose excess water, but it easily could have cost him his life.
There are other, less obvious sources of concentrated potassium. A recent medical journal presented two case studies related to excess potassium intake.1 The first case involved a 65-year-old man with heart disease who had been prescribed a low-sodium diet. He began using a salt substitute that contained potassium chloride. He used eight teaspoons a day, sprinkled on his meals, in addition to taking a prescribed potassium supplement. That led to an emergency room visit, in which he complained of breathing difficulty and muscle weakness. He also had a slow heartbeat and low blood pressure. Not long after showing up, he went into respiratory depression; that is, he couldn’t breathe on his own. His blood potassium level was 8.5; the normal range is 3.5 to 5.0. The attending doctors gave him medication to lower his potassium, and he left the hospital 11 days later.
The other patient discussed in the article was a 35-year-old bodybuilder who showed up at the ER suffering from weakness and the inability to move. He showed decreased alertness, a slow heartbeat and low blood pressure. He was immediately given an anesthetic drug, followed by a muscle relaxant. Oddly enough, one of the side effects of the muscle relaxant was elevated blood potassium. Talk about putting oil on a fire! Not surprisingly, he went into cardiac arrest. He was resuscitated and then the standard medical protocol for lowering elevated blood potassium, medication that was formulated to push the excess blood potassium back into cells.
It turns out that the bodybuilder had been taking a lot of potassium to treat muscle pain. On the day he was admitted to the ER, he had taken 10 potassium tablets before training and another 10 after the workout. He had also consumed several sports drinks during the workout that contained about 1,320 milligrams of potassium each. His estimated total potassium intake was 8,000 milligrams, about twice the recommended daily dose.
Bodybuilders can also get elevated blood potassium after incurring severe muscle damage, a process known as rhabdomyolysis that causes potassium from damaged muscle cells to be rapidly released into the blood. Still, there was no indication that this occurred with this bodybuilder. He simply overdosed on potassium. Luckily for him, his treatment was successful, and he left the hospital three days later, more aware—we can only hope—of the dangers of excess potassium.
While excess-potassium problems are rare in bodybuilders who have normal kidney function, problems of too little potassium are far more common, particularly in those who resort to using potent diuretic drugs in a last-ditch effort to drop excess water prior to a contest. I’ve witnessed dozens of cases over the years of bodybuilders actually passing out backstage because of diuretic abuse. In one celebrated case a pro bodybuilder literally froze during his posing presentation at the Arnold Classic and had to be carried off the stage. He was lucky though; he survived after a short hospital visit. Others haven’t been that lucky and died due to diuretic use. The usual cause of death is heart failure due to electrolyte disturbances brought on by diuretics. One such fatality was pro bodybuilder Mohammed Benaziza, who died during a contest tour in Europe, having used not only massive doses of diuretics but also clenbuterol, a drug that also lowers blood potassium and can interfere with heart function.
In a worst-case scenario having too little potassium can cause your diaphragm to be paralyzed, leading to an inability to breathe. Lack of potassium is also related to rhabdomyolysis, or muscle destruction, which ironically, as mentioned above, leads to excess potassium being released into the blood. You can get low blood potassium from excess vomiting and diarrhea as well. It can also happen due to too high a secretion of aldosterone, severe hyperglycemia—high blood sugar—and certain diuretics. Insulin rapidly lowers blood potassium by pushing it from blood into cells; in fact, insulin is often given to those with elevated blood potassium. Any of the common asthma inhaler drugs also does the same thing.
The same journal that documented the case studies of elevated potassium also discussed the case of an Austrian pro bodybuilder who suffered the consequences of using a potent diuretic called furosemide, or Lasix.2 This particular diuretic promotes a huge excretion of sodium, potassium and magnesium and is well-known for causing painful muscle cramps in bodybuilding competitors. The subject was 26 and was on the usual drug stack of steroids, growth hormone, thyroid and insulin. He claimed that he’d never suffered any adverse side effects from that program, except for an episode of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, likely from the insulin. For the first time in his career, however, he’d opted to take two 80-milligram doses of Lasix 24 and 48 hours prior to his contest. He did experience a pronounced diuretic effect, evident by his weight loss of five to six kilograms due to overnight pissing.
The following day, though, he felt unusually tired and decided to take a nap. When he awoke, he felt heart palpitations and couldn’t walk. He got out of bed but immediately fell to the floor. A neighbor saved his life by calling for an ambulance, and he was taken to a local ER. He was treated with several potassium and other mineral drugs to boost his potassium, and he survived. Again, we can only hope that he gained a profound respect for the importance of maintaining potassium levels—as well as the power of diuretics.
If these tales illustrate anything, it’s that you need to be aware of the sources of potassium and the factors that can affect blood levels of it. The second bodybuilder discussed above had no idea that dropping a few potassium pills and drinking over-the-counter sports drinks could land him in the hospital. The prudent way to handle potassium is to get it in food. Supplements are rarely necessary, and many supplements, such as meal substitutes, already contain good amounts of potassium.
Editor’s note: Have you been ripped off by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.
1 John, S.K., et al. (2011). Life threatening hyperkalemia from nutritional supplements: uncommon or undiagnosed? Am J Emerg Med. 29(9):1237.e1-2.
2 Mayr, F.B., et al. (2012). Hypokalemic paralysis in a professional bodybuilder. Am J Emerg Med. 30(7):1324.e5-8.
©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Have you been ripped off by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.
The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.
See Jerry's book at http://www.jerrybrainum.com
Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com
PLEASE SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON FACEBOOK
Friday, August 28, 2015
Truth and Lies About Fat Loss Supplements with Jerry Brainum, Inverviewed by Jay Campbell
FabFitOver40’s Interview with The Muscle Guru Jerry Brainum
Health
expert Jerry Brainum (www.jerrybrainum.com) will speak about his
findings during his 53 years of experience in the bodybuilding and
fitness world. Don't miss this opportunity to ask him…
See information at http://appliedergogenics.blogspot.com/2015/08/truth-and-lies-about-fat-loss.html
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Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Myostatin by Jerry Brainum Video
©,2015 Jerry Brainum. Any reprinting in any type of media, including electronic and foreign is expressly prohibited
Have you been ripped off by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Jerry Brainum's book Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.
The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.
See Jerry's book at http://www.jerrybrainum.com
Want more evidence-based information on exercise science, nutrition and food supplements, ergogenic aids, and anti-aging research? Check out Applied Metabolics Newsletter at www.appliedmetabolics.com
Please share this video on facebook
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
A Rare Editorial by Jerry Brainum
Regular readers of Applied Metabolics
know that I'm not big on writing editorials. The main reason for editorials
in publications such as magazines and newspapers, is to allow the editor to
express his or her opinions separate from the articles in the publication. In
other cases, an editorial offers a brief synopsis of what's in the current
issue. Frankly, I think that in most cases, editorials are just wasted space and
add nothing of value to any publication. I admit to having never read even a
single editorial in most of the publications that I've written for over the
years. As I said, on those rare occasions when I did read an editorial in any publication, it
invariably turned out to be a waste of time. So with that in mind, you might be
wondering why I'm writing this editorial. I think the only rational reason to
write an editorial is if you have something important to say, or if you want to
mark a certain occasion. The latter is the reason I'm writing this, since this
September issue of Applied Metabolics marks the one year point of the
publication's existence.
It's been over a year since I've last written for any magazines. Leaving the magazine world was something I should have done years earlier than when I did. The magazines began a gradual decline with the advent of the economic downturn of 2008. Shortly after that, advertisers, which are the life blood of magazines, began abandoning magazines en masse, which led to greatly reduced budgets for all of the magazines. Some simply went out of business in a style reminiscent of bookstores that were destroyed by the rise of online behemoth sellers, such as Amazon.com. They simply couldn't compete with Amazon, so they closed their doors permanently. The bodybuilding magazines tightened their budgets to the extent that they paid freelance writers little or nothing. The staff writers had little choice other than to also accept considerable pay cuts, but at least they, unlike the freelancers, were still getting benefits and a livable income. So it came to pass that the bulk of articles written for the magazines were submitted by amateurs with little or no knowledge or writing ability. This stark lack of quality was reflected in the magazine content, which grew more dismal with every issue. The magazines became, in effect, merely sales catalogs that highlighted the few advertisers they could still muster.
Since the majority of these advertisers were sports supplements purveyors, the articles reflected this, often extolling the virtues of supplements that were worthless--but were sold by advertisers in the magazine. The purchase of magazines continues to drop, as more enlightened readers realize that they are buying what amounts to pages of mostly advertisements for supplements.
While the Internet has the potential to be a great source of information regarding nutrition and exercise, it is sadly disappointing in this regard. While you can still find some gems among the heap of garbage and misinformation that makes up the majority of blogs and web sites, such reliable information is rare and difficult to find. Anyone can write anything on the Internet, so there is no control of content or accuracy of information offered.
This sad state of current information was a primary motivation for my resurrecting Applied Metabolics newsletter, which was originally a print publication in the late 90s. I felt that there were many people out there like myself who wanted all the details about exercise, nutrition, anti-aging, supplements and other topics in a clear, evidence-based manner with no bullshit or lies. I continue to work towards this goal, and I believe that the content of Applied Metabolics cannot be matched by any other publication. I've seen many of them over the last year, and they pale in comparison to the extent of information offered in Applied Metabolics. Another reason that what I offer cannot be duplicated is that few if any others in this business can match my years of experience and study, which amounts to over half a century. I offer little tricks in Applied Metabolics that I've learned empirically throughout the past 53 years. This is one of the primary advantages of reading Applied Metabolics: After reading any article in this publication, you will know all there is to know about it.
So, this is a long-winded way of thanking you, the readers, for your continued support. I have some fantastic material coming up that includes in no particular order:
Vegetarianism and muscle: Can you build muscle
and strength while being a vegetarian?
The mysteries of the Microbiome: The bacteria
that reside within our bodies can among other things, control uptake of
nutrients,affect body fat levels, and help prevent chronic disease. Also, 99% of
our immune response depends on activity of the microbiome. I will discuss how to
keep it healthy and efficient.
Citrulline- A remarkable amino acid that can
boost nitric oxide, and affect protein synthesis. How to get the most benefits
from it.
Beets and nitric oxide- I will report many
facts about the beets/vegetable NO pathway and how they affect exercise and
health that have not been previously written about anywhere.
How to use exercise for extreme weight
loss.
Vitamin D: the muscle and mind
connection
New research about vitamin C and how it affects
your health
Brown adipose tissue- How it may be the future
method to control obesity and lose body fat, how to activate it without
drugs.
Slowing the aging process: what works
now.
The whey-acne connection
How anabolic steroids really affect the
brain
Women and testosterone
Is Phosphatidic acid really anabolic?
How to use carbohydrates effectively to boost
training energy and muscle growth
Why dieting can make you fatter
Can you be fat, but fit
Intermittent fasting: What they don't tell you, the truth
Conjugated linoleic acid: Does it help you lose body fat and improve health?
A Nutritional, side-effect free cure for migraine headaches
Betaine: an overlooked supplement that can offer amazing effects
This is just a sample of what's coming up in
Applied Metabolics. Stay tuned: the best is yet to come, trust
me!
It's been over a year since I've last written for any magazines. Leaving the magazine world was something I should have done years earlier than when I did. The magazines began a gradual decline with the advent of the economic downturn of 2008. Shortly after that, advertisers, which are the life blood of magazines, began abandoning magazines en masse, which led to greatly reduced budgets for all of the magazines. Some simply went out of business in a style reminiscent of bookstores that were destroyed by the rise of online behemoth sellers, such as Amazon.com. They simply couldn't compete with Amazon, so they closed their doors permanently. The bodybuilding magazines tightened their budgets to the extent that they paid freelance writers little or nothing. The staff writers had little choice other than to also accept considerable pay cuts, but at least they, unlike the freelancers, were still getting benefits and a livable income. So it came to pass that the bulk of articles written for the magazines were submitted by amateurs with little or no knowledge or writing ability. This stark lack of quality was reflected in the magazine content, which grew more dismal with every issue. The magazines became, in effect, merely sales catalogs that highlighted the few advertisers they could still muster.
Since the majority of these advertisers were sports supplements purveyors, the articles reflected this, often extolling the virtues of supplements that were worthless--but were sold by advertisers in the magazine. The purchase of magazines continues to drop, as more enlightened readers realize that they are buying what amounts to pages of mostly advertisements for supplements.
While the Internet has the potential to be a great source of information regarding nutrition and exercise, it is sadly disappointing in this regard. While you can still find some gems among the heap of garbage and misinformation that makes up the majority of blogs and web sites, such reliable information is rare and difficult to find. Anyone can write anything on the Internet, so there is no control of content or accuracy of information offered.
This sad state of current information was a primary motivation for my resurrecting Applied Metabolics newsletter, which was originally a print publication in the late 90s. I felt that there were many people out there like myself who wanted all the details about exercise, nutrition, anti-aging, supplements and other topics in a clear, evidence-based manner with no bullshit or lies. I continue to work towards this goal, and I believe that the content of Applied Metabolics cannot be matched by any other publication. I've seen many of them over the last year, and they pale in comparison to the extent of information offered in Applied Metabolics. Another reason that what I offer cannot be duplicated is that few if any others in this business can match my years of experience and study, which amounts to over half a century. I offer little tricks in Applied Metabolics that I've learned empirically throughout the past 53 years. This is one of the primary advantages of reading Applied Metabolics: After reading any article in this publication, you will know all there is to know about it.
So, this is a long-winded way of thanking you, the readers, for your continued support. I have some fantastic material coming up that includes in no particular order:
The Applied Ergogenics blog is a collection of articles written and published by Jerry Brainum over the past 20 years. These articles have appeared in Muscle and Fitness, Ironman, and other magazines. Many of the posts on the blog are original articles, having appeared here for the first time. For Jerry’s most recent articles, which are far more in depth than anything that appears on this blog site, please subscribe to his Applied Metabolics Newsletter, at www.appliedmetabolics.com. This newsletter, which is more correctly referred to as a monthly e-book, since its average length is 35 to 40 pages, contains the latest findings about nutrition, exercise science, fat-loss, anti-aging, ergogenic aids, food supplements, and other topics. For 33 cents a day you get the benefit of Jerry’s 53 years of writing and intense study of all matters pertaining to fitness,health, bodybuilding, and disease prevention.
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