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!
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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