Myth-busting Mondays #3

'High protein diets put stress on the kidneys'

Unfortunately not many studies have been done on the effects of the Kidneys and Kidney function during high protein diets. The word 'high' is vague; I wouldn't consider 200g p/day to be high for a large athlete yet the government would probably argue that was excessive. Luckily I have finally found a study that examines the dose at 2.8 g/kg. This would work out at 225g a day for me which is way above what i currently consume so I was glad to see such high amounts and I will discuss the results in a moment.
    Here, it shows that 1.5g/kg is a safe value to consume without any adverse effects, although it was not tested on athletes. This is the study which uses athletes and bodybuilders on 2.8g/kg p/day. It showed that creatinine, urea, and albumin that were within the normal range and that ultimately this amount of protein does not impair renal function in well-trained athletes or bodybuilders. The last study also shows that a diet consisting of 33% protein while resistance training had no adverse effects on the Kidneys. 33% of a 2500 calorie diet would work out at 206g a day.

Conclusion

High protein diets do not negatively effect the Kidneys or Kidney function. Although the diet was at 2.8g/kg I personally recommend LESS at 1g of protein p/lb. Please see my top 5 supplements and scroll down to 'Whey protein' to find out why.

See you next week x

The 3 best ways to increase stamina

V02 max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is one factor that can determine an athlete's capacity to perform sustained exercise and is linked to aerobic endurance. VO2 max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense or maximal exercise. It is measured as "milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight."

1- INTERVAL TRAINING

This type of training is very common and most of you have probably heard it before. It basically involves intense short bursts of cardiovascular exercise followed by a rest/moderate to low pace e.g. sprinting for 30 seconds followed by a 30 second walk for 15 mins. This is the single best way of increasing your stamina quickly and I would recommend it for anyone that does not have the time to perform longer, lower intensity endurance training (which is probably superior but takes up hours every week). A study shows that high intensity interval training (often referred to as HIIT) not only improved V02 max but the anaerobic capacity also increased by 28% which the steady state cardio group showed no improvement on.

2- ALTITUDE TRAINING

You can read about training at high altitude here which backs up claims that it increases performance. Subjects that trained at high altitudes increased cardiovascular performance, VO2 max and hemoglobin concentration levels. OK so most of you reading this will not have the facilities to do this but by restricting oxygen to the lungs when exercising technically replicates this type of training. You can buy a training mask or simply put a straw in your mouth and breathe through that! By restricting your oxygen flow, your diaphragm is strengthened, surface area and elasticity in the alveoli is increased. This may seem difficult at first so I would start of lightly and slowly ramp intensity up as you get used to it. 

3- CORRECT NUTRITION

I know I bang on about it on here but I can't stress the importance of correct nutrition enough. You need to stay hydrated with WATER. Just 2% total body dehydration can cause a 20% drop in performance levels. Dehydration also decreases stroke volume, which means a higher heart rate for any given exercise intensity. Anyone who knows anything about endurance training will know how important increasing your stroke volume is. Do not drink energy drinks before exercise see my earlier post on effects of energy drinks on cardiovascular exercise. 

        YES I KNOW I ALSO BANG ON ABOUT FISH OIL see my top 5 supplements but there is also evidence that it can boost your stamina and is important for lung health. Shoot for 2 g EPA and 1.5 g DHA per day.

REFERENCES
1) http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/anatomyandphysiology/a/VO2_max.htm
2) Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996 Oct;28(10):1327-30.Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max
3) http://www.jappl.org/content/91/3/1113.full


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BYE!

Training to Failure

This post is going to address the topic of going to complete muscular failure during resistance training. This means, lifting a weight repetitively until you cannot lift any further- in some exercises this means you may have a spotter help you as you fail on the last rep. Going to failure is a fantastic tool but I see so many people in the gym doing this EVERY workout. This is detrimental to your gains- strength and hypertrophy.

The second negative with training to failure is risk of injury. As you push for that last rep, proper form technique can go out the window putting stress on certain muscles/ joints. You also need a spotter with some exercises e.g. the bench press to make sure you do not get stuck under the bar. One exercise I recommend never going to failure on is the Deadlift. Good form is essential and you can injure your back easily by rounding the lower back.

If you fancy a read, here are 5 studies that prove that strength and hypertrophy gains are higher with multiple sets short of failure compared with one set to failure. One point I would like to make is that in the last study it shows that FAILURE TRAINING PERFORMED TOO FREQUENTLY CAN RESULT IN REDUCTIONS IN THE RESTING CONCENTRATION OF TESTOSTERONE. Overtraining also leads to strength loss, poor sleep quality, low energy, low sex drive. Studies conclusively show that going to failure works the CNS (central nervous system) more than the muscles itself so when you keep going to failure you risk burnout (overtraining). If you really need to push to beat that personal best to step up to the next level and beat that last workout then yes it should be used sparingly.

1- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17530977
2- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20300012
3- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18841079
4- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20617335 
5- http://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/

Someone who is new to lifting can make incredible progress at the start by going to failure but it is not a long term program, you are setting yourself to hit a wall and potentially begin to get weaker and weaker. What I recommend is training to failure every 6 weeks, slowly build up your strength stopping just short of failure and by about week 6 you should be struggling to keep pushing for heavier weights. This is when you should utilise failure training and push for the new PR for a couple of workouts. Then deload for a week, and repeat.



BYE! 

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The Perfect Diet

 
Grab a calculator. I'm going to explain how much Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats are required for an optimal diet for YOU. I will try and make this as short and simple as possible as I see lots of different explanations of this are long winded and complex. After writing My top 5 supplements, the feedback I got was good but I realised that all the supplements are a waste of money if your diet is not in check. These numbers are to MAINTAIN bodyweight. I will do 2 more articles in the coming weeks for optimal diets for losing fat/weight and one for gaining muscle/weight.

Before we start: Weigh yourself. Get a pen and a piece of paper and write;
Weight:
Calories:
Protein:
Fat:
Carbohydrates:

CALORIES

Multiply your weight in lbs x14 for a sedentary lifestyle or x15 for an active lifestyle. This will give you a ROUGH guide to how many calories you should be eating a day. The only sure fire way to know exactly how many is to track your calories for a week or so, weighing yourself and see if you gain or lose any weight. This is a good starting point though. Write the answer next to calories.

PROTEIN

I always start with protein because it is an essential macro nutrient (unlike carbohydrates) and most people are under eating it. Protein is simple: eat 1g of protein per lbs of bodyweight. Write this next to protein. See under whey protein to find out why i recommend this amount.

FAT

Fat is next as it is also essential in the sense that it is vital for survival and cannot be made by the body. The only essential fats are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids but optimal fat intake helps regulate hormone levels as well as helping with nutrient absorption. Once fat intake has reached it's peak, there are no benefits from over eating (as opposed to eating more carbs for example which does have benefits). Under eating fats will cause a significant drop in testosterone in men. Multiply your weight in lbs x 0.4- 0.5. This is your fat intake in grams. I tend to go for 0.5 as I just prefer fatty types of food but it is purely up to you. Write the answer in grams next to fat.

CARBOHYDRATES

Carbs are non-essential- as in technically the body does not require ANY to survive. The body will create a fuel source if none are consumed- see do low carb diets work for more info. The amount of carbs eaten should be whatever is left over so that you equal your total calories, so- my diet for me will look like this:

Weight- 180lbs
Calories- 2700
Protein- 180g
Fat- 90g
Carbohydrates- Total calories- [Protein (in calories) + Fat (in calories)]

Protein is 4 calories per g so            4x180= 720 calories
Fat is 9 calories per g so                  9x90= 810 calories

So 720 calories + 810 calories=1530 coming from protein+ fat.

2700 (total calories) - 1530= 1170 calories that will come from carbohydrates.

Carbs also have 4 calories p gram so divide carbs (in calories) by 4 to give carbs (in grams): 1170/4= 292.5

So my carbohydrate intake per day- 292.5g


SUMMARY
Eat any foods you wish that fit these numbers, it doesn't matter. All i recommend is that you get lots of nutrients in fruit, vegetables (especially green ones!) and whole eggs. Fish oil is important too see this to find out why. If you are having trouble with the carb calculations, comment below and I will help.

Thanks to everyone for reading- I have over 1000 views in 3 weeks so I hope everyone has enjoyed reading as much as I have enjoyed writing x

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Myth-busting Monday #2

I was hoping I wouldn't have to address this topic at all as it is so outdated and been proven conclusively false so many times but I came across 2 separate quotes this week- 1 from Men's Health Magazine and another from The Sun newspaper in a review of the new OMG fad diet so I thought I would put the myth to bed for anyone that still believes it. I think either the Sun 'Doctor' Carol Cooper may have either fallen asleep in her biochemistry lessons or it is possible that she got her PHD a decade or so ago when they were actually still teaching this nonsense.

'Fasting causes the body to go into starvation mode'

Fasting= extended periods of consuming zero calories.

As Dr Cooper likes to call it 'famine' mode. She also uses the word tummy...and also starts a new paragraph with...BUT...(soo not sure if she is a real doctor?!)

What ACTUALLY happens: During periods of non-eating, the body starts burning glycogen for a fuel source. Once all the glycogen stores are used up (which will usually take about 2-3 days! Unless you are doing long periods of intense exercise) the body starts using ketones and fatty acids as a fuel. After a while longer, muscle tissue is used. The timeline looks like this:

0 hours: Glucose still used as primary fuel.
0-6 hours: Glycogen is broken down to produce glucose for the body.
6-72 hours: Glycogen stores are used up and the body breaks down fatty acids. Ketone bodies are produced to help feed the brain.
72 hours and on: Body cells start to break down and proteins are used as a precursor to glucose.

You often hear that fasting slows down the metabolism but I have 2 studies that show that this is not the case. Ref 1 shows no difference in adipose tissue, fat loss or muscle loss in a high meal frequency compared with a low meal frequency. Ref 2 shows that the thermic effect of food does not change whether you nibble on food throughout the day or eat one huge meal. It comes back to the energy balance equation- if the calories are the same, there will be no change in body composition. Ref 4 shows less muscle tissue was lost on an intermittent fasting type calorie restriction and more fat was lost in comparison to a standard straight calorie restricted diet. Could intermittent fasting help PREVENT muscle loss?

I have been doing intermittent fasting every single day for over a year now and have never felt better. See www.leangains.com for more information. On a side note for anyone stupid enough that might believe Dr Cooper's last point about intermittent fasting increasing cholesterol, this study shows decreased cholesterol levels in alternate day intermittent fasting and I could find 10 more that show the same if you want the evidence but I'm sure you won't be taking this doctors advice seriously anymore.

References

1) Br J Nutr. 2010 Apr;103(8):1098-101. Epub 2009 Nov 30.Increased meal frequency does not promote greater weight loss in subjects who were prescribed an 8-week equi-energetic energy-restricted diet.

2) Br J Nutr. 1997 Apr;77 Suppl 1:S57-70.Meal frequency and energy balance.
3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation_response
4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21410865?dopt=Abstract

"forgive them, for they know not what they do": Luke 23:34

Top 5 Supplements

I've wasted some money on supplements in my life. Hopefully this post will save you time trying to work out what is worth taking and what is not, money on wasted supplements (and i will post some links to the cheapest ones I have found) and hopefully they can give you a better quality of life or help you in your particular sport or hobby.

In order of importance:

FISH OIL

This is the single best supplement out there. There is too much to say here so I will link to some other sites if you want to read more. Benefits include reduced risk of cancer, Alzheimer's, lupus, diabetes Parkinson's, depression, improved blood circulation, immune system, arthritis, weight loss, acne, fertility. 3-5g p/day. If you can get this amount without supplementation- great, but it will mean eating oily fish every day. See See how much DHA/EPA is in fish.             http://alanaragon.com/fish-oil.html   http://www.leangains.com/2011/05/omega-3-fatty-acids-for-muscle-growth.html   http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/qa-2.html

WHEY PROTEIN

see my post on is whey protein optimal? on why it is important for anyone on a high protein diet. I advise 1g of protein p/lb of DESIRED body weight e.g. you are 200lbs and you want to get down to 180lbs= 180g protein. Likewise if you are 150lbs and want to bulk up to 180= 180g protein. Anyone that wants to know why I advise such high amounts (and that might be as sad as me and has 2.5hrs of their life to spare) see first and second halves of the protein roundtable hosted by Ian McCarthy.

MULTIVITAMIN

I want to stress the importance of a good quality multi. First, check the doses, you need to be looking at the % of its daily value. The FDA's values are not recommendations, but simply the MINIMUM amount required to prevent deficiencies. Therefore a good quality multi will usually have over 100% of the daily values. Anything less than 10mg of any of the vitamins is too low.  Another tip- look at the vitamin B12 and see what form it is in, eitter cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin. If it is the former, it is B12 with a cyanide molecule attached to it. It is cheaper and of very little use to the body. B12 helps with liver function but if you take cyanocobalamin, the liver has to break down the cyanide which is toxic to the human body before it can use it- defeating the purpose of liver restoration in the first place. I believe that it does more harm than good. In the past used to take a multi with cyanocobalamin after drinking alcohol thinking it could help my body recover but i dread to think what stress I was putting my liver under. Last of all- do not rely on a multi to get all your vitamins. Evidence suggests that real food vitamins and minerals are more efficiently absorbed in comparison to supplementing so make sure to get plenty of fruit, vegetables (especially green) and whole eggs.

VITAMIN D
Ever wondered why everyone seems happier when the sun is out? Most people that do not live near the equator are deficient in vitamin D3 which is why I take this and there is growing evidence to support my claims that supplementing with 200iu a day can boost your energy and increase strength and performance. I think you will be hearing a lot about vitamin D in the next few years. Other health benefits are explained here.

CREATINE  MONOHYDRATE

If you do not do any type of resistance training- ignore this one. If you do, see this study to see why creatine can and will improve your strength and power. It is so cheap so there is no reason why you can't take this. 5g a day. A few tips 1- creatine timing doesn't matter, you can take it all at once at any time of the day. 2- There is no need to 'load' it as anything over about 8-9g your body cannot absorb. 3- 5g is all you need to maintain muscle saturation. 4- All the other types of creatine are inferior to monohydrate that means kre-alkalyn, ethyl ester, phosphate and citrate. Forget them all they are not as effective and more expensive so don't read into the marketing. 5- There is no need to cycle creatine as there is no evidence whatsoever that the body becomes desensitised to it- I believe that it was a marketing technique to make it sound more potent (i.e anabolic steroids are cycled on and off). 

DISCLAIMER

I am in no way financially benefiting from recommending the following supplements:
Fish oil
Whey protein
Multivitamin  - I am aware this one is not cheap but quality wise it is so far ahead so is the only one I will take, but if anyone can find an alternative without lower quality I am all ears!
Creatine Monohydrate
Vitamin D

And that is it. That is all i recommend you take. Pretty much all other supplements are useless. I do take some other supplements (mainly my pre-workout cocktail!) but I did not want to confuse this post I just want to keep it basic with my top 5 so people don't think it is necessary to take loads of things. My other supplements do help me but are certainly not essential. If anyone wants to know my other supplements I take just ask and I will comment back in the comment section below. Also, if anyone is thinking of purchasing a supplement, PLEASE comment below before buying and I will let you know what I think, I will respond as quick as I can.

Peace and love x

Ephedrine for fat loss

I am addressing this topic as I have been asked by a reader what my views are on Ephedrine.

DISCLAIMER

I do not advise or condone the use of Ephedrine. This article is purely for information and entertainment purposes.

For anyone that does not know what Ephedrine is, it is a substance that commonly used as a stimulant, appetite suppressant, concentration aid, decongestant and most commonly used as a fat burner. This is going to be a short article. I do not want to get into why is is a controlled substance (in the USA) or anything like that as it has all been said before.

For more information regarding Ephedrine see WIKIPEDIA or for doses etc or see this well written FAQ

Why Ephedrine is so effective

What separates ephedrine from other fat burners for me is the fact that it actually increases effectiveness with prolonged use. This study shows an improved fat loss in the second half of the trial compared with the first half. This study also suggests prolonged use is more beneficial than 'cycling' the substance.

The second reason ephedrine is so good when used as a fat burner is that it preserves muscle mass- particularly useful for bodybuilders whom it is very commonly used by on strict calorie deficits. See this study (which they actually gained some muscle while losing fat) which proves this.

Other than that, it's not a magic pill, it will increase energy output but about 3-5% if dosed correctly. A few negative effects include sweating, nausea, insomnia but the main one is heart palpitations. Another issue I have with it is that is is commonly sold as an ECA stack (e-ephedrine, c-caffeine, a-aspirin). The aspirin is of very little use, it is put in the stack to try and reduce blood pressure but prolonged use of aspirin can cause stomach ulcers so I would recommend either removing it all together or simply buying the substances separately and using gastro resistant aspirin.

Other than that, I don't have much more to say. There is so much material on this on the internet I would just be repeating stuff. I have never taken it myself so this is all the information I have to go on rather than past experience. If anyone does decide to take it, please be careful and read the FAQ i linked to earlier. Please see http://www.ephedrinehcl.org/index.html to see the studies done on blood pressure which prove you have nothing to worry about. The only reason it is banned is because it is a stimulant it is put in some party pills as it is cheaper alternative which gives a similar euphoric and energetic feeling.

Peace and love x


References
1) Toubro S, Astrup A, Breum L, Quaade F "The acute and chronic effects of ephedrine/caffeine mixtures on energy expenditure and glucose metabolism in humans." Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1993 Dec, Vol 17 (Suppl 3), Pg S73-7; discussion S82, PMID: 0008124407.
2) Astrup A, Lundsgaard C, Madsen J, Christensen NJ "Enhanced thermogenic responsiveness during chronic ephedrine treatment in man" Am J Clin Nutr 1985, Vol 42 (1), Pg 83-94, PMID: 0004014068.
3) Astrup A, Buemann B, Christensen NJ, Toubro S, Thorbek G, Victor OJ, Quaade F. The effect of ephedrine/caffeine mixture on energy expenditure and body composition in obese women. Metabolism 1992 Jul;41(7):686-8 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...5&dopt=Abstract

Effects of energy drinks on cardiovascular exercise

This article is addressing the following query i received from a reader:

'I'd love to read one about energy drinks and the effects of caffeine, taurine etc. Yours, Jonathan'

 Modern energy drinks tend to contain 3 main ingredients; caffeine, taurine and some form of carbohydrate. There are also usually some electrolytes in there to combat those lost in sweat. I have some doubts on the effectiveness to increase cardiovascular performance. Caffeine has been conclusively shown to increase mental focus and intake in sufficient doses can delay the onset offatigue and increase maximal power output during exercise (ref-2). 100-300mg is an acceptable dose for an average adult. I have come across some studies that put energy drinks to the test.

A study (ref-1) was done to assess the effects of energy drinks on energy expenditure and use of fat and carbohydrate as energy sources at rest and during submaximal exercise. the subjects engaged in 15 minutes of treadmill exercise at 50% of their VO2max during which oxygen consumption (VO2; as a measure of energy expenditure)


The following drinks were examined: Drink one= Red Bull. Drink two= Rockstar. Drink three= Monster. Drink four= Fresca, the placebo(an american UNcaffeinated softdrink). Here is a list of their ingredients. As stated above, the main ingredients are caffeine, taurine and carbohydrates (sucrose, glucose).

Results

The results were quite surprising...
There were no differences in heart rate during submaximal exercise after consumption of any of the drinks. There were no differences in VO2 (liters/minute) during submaximal exercise after consumption of any of the drinks.There seems to be no added benefits to drinking caffeinated energy drinks before cardiovascular training in terms of increased performance.

Another (albeit not so controlled) study backs the previous results up further (ref-3). Subjects were given caffeinated energy drinks before intense cardiovascular exercise and the results actually showed that the group that were given the energy drinks actually had LOWER fitness levels.



The last piece of information I am going to share with you is this study where subjects were either given either a glucose drink (flavoured) or a maltodextrin drink (unflavoured) or neither. Subjects were told to simply rinse them around the mouth and spit them out. They were tested via a time-trial course. The results showed that athletes given the glucose or maltodextrin drinks outperformed those on 'disguised' water by 2-3% and sustained a higher average power output and pulse rate. "Much of the benefit from carbohydrate in sports drinks is provided by signalling directly from mouth to brain rather than providing energy for the working muscles," said Chambers.

Summary

What the evidence suggests to me is that there is no actual significant cardiovascular benifits to consuming common energy drinks before exersise. The last study seems to suggest that overconsuming liquids can actually have negative effects (possibly due to liquid in the stomach 'sloshing' about and not digesting properly). On the other hand, caffeine can have some great benifits before resistance exercise.

References
1)Effects of Energy Drinks on Metabolism at Rest and During Submaximal Treadmill Exercise in College Age Male JANAE NIENHUESER1*, GREGORY A BROWN1‡, BRANDON S. SHAW2‡, and INA SHAW3‡
2) 16. Graham TE. Caffeine, coffee and ephedrine: impact on exercise performance and metabolism. Can J Appl Physiol 26 Suppl: S103-S119, 2001.
3)The effect of a caffeine energy drink on cardiovascular responses during intense exercise Joe Sillivent (Tarleton State University), Kim Coffman (Tarleton State University), Jennifer Blevins-McNaughton (Tarleton State University)


Thanks for reading,Tom