Supplement Review #1
By admin | June 7, 2008
Since this is my first post about supplements, let me just make it clear that I think 90% of them are bullshit, and won’t help you burn anything except a hole in your wallet. Most are over hyped, under studied, and well marketed. Very few supplements actually have credible scientific studies backing them, and since none say they cure a disease, they are not required to pass inspection by the FDA. Basically, supplement companies can say whatever they want about the product and get away with it. Just be careful, do your research, and don’t expect any miracles. Again, I don’t think supplementation is necessary for 98% of the gains you can make. A clean diet and an intense regimen is exponentially more important.
Nitric Oxide has been a hot topic in the supplement market. Let’s go over the basic ingredients that are in most of the powdered drinks- most have all the same crap.
Arginine- a common amino acid that is a precursor of Nitric Oxide (NO). NO is a vasodilator, so it is involved in increasing blood flow to muscles. This is why most NO products have retarded tag lines like “INSANE PUMPS!!!”. The only problem is that ingesting large amounts of arginine apparently won’t really help increase NO levels. most of the studies I read were anecdotal, and the results were mixed at best. Some studies suggest that arginine may increase vasodilation and protein synthesis, but in my opinio your probably getting plenty in your protein-rich-American diet. But whatever, it doesn’t seem to hurt to have more (unless you have herpes…).
B6 and B12- important in central nervous system functioning and fatty acid utilization. You don’t need a gadrillion % RDA but whatever its water soluble so you’ll just piss it out. If you had a B vitamin deficiency this would actually help energize you, but most Americans don’t.
Caffeine- and lots of it! Ironically caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, your actually countering any “pump” effects you might have.
Creatine- most products throw some creatine in there, but caffeine stops creatine from being absorbed, so there you have it.
My personal experience- despite talking talking crap about it, I actually do think NO explode does pump you up for the gym. It’s probably a mix between a placebo effect, and about 200mg of caffeine (2 scoops). I actually did feel more focused and like I went a little harder when I was on the stuff. After a while it’s effects lessen though. Also, I should mention that being caffeinated while working out does place added stress on the vascular system. Oh, and it tastes like shocktarts and crap (which is probably why the placebo effect is so strong- studies have shown that stuff that is painful or icky work better as placebos. The patients feel like they are getting the “real deal”. Why else would it be so foul?)
NO explode- the original by BSN. Usually around $38 for 1.81 lbs. Try sbmuscle.com for low prices. I’d say 1.5 scoops 10 min before workout is best. mix it in water- juice just makes it taste shittier. Also, don’t take it on your days off as the bottle directs. They just want you to use the product more so you have to buy more sooner- there is no reason you need all that caffeine on a random afternoon.
Muscle Tech’s version. It tastes a little better… oh and its ground a little finer so when you open it some of the dust naturally wafts out. As you can see, the bottle reads “Caution do not shake” “nano vapors will escape” and other such bullshit. I’m pretty sure it even tells you to put the top back on after like 10 seconds or something, to keep the nano vapors from escaping. Lol some people are straight up retarded. I bet there are some idiots out there who swear by this product and yell at their friends for leaving the top off: “Dude!! you let all the nano vapors get away. YOU FOOL! this bottle is useless now!”. I digress. anyways i kinda liked this one. It is more “sciency”. Oh…. yea…
oh and apparently it turns Johnny Jackson into some kind of gay gym monster. So you know its good. This product was obviously intended for the savvy, educated consumer. After seeing this picture is suddenly feel dumb for ever using this product. Never the less, I stand by my thumbs up.
this was the last one I tried. If you know anyone who works at 24 hr. fitness, they can get you 2/3 off whatever apex nutrition has to offer. It was basically the same as the other 2. Overall, thumbs up for the drinkable NO products.
The pill forms of Arginine suck however. Sadly, but likely this is because they lack caffeine, the one proven ingredient.
overpriced and useless
Topics: supplements | 1 Comment »
Why Whey is way better after a workout
By admin | June 4, 2008
Not all protein sources digest at the same rate. Some protein has more bioavailability. Bioavailability means that it is digest and absorbed into the bloodstream quickly… so the more bioavailable something is, the faster it can be utilized by your body. Whey isolate protein, for example, is very highly bioavailable, and is good for when you need to get protein on board fast, like post workout or when you wake up. Here are some proteins and their bioavailability:
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BV* is a rating of bioavailability
So basically it is better to have a highly bio-available protein source right after you hit the weights, because there is increased blood flow to the muscle. Getting protein into the blood quickly will ensure that it gets to the muscles previously worked, as they are still flooded with blood (pumped). That’s why most whey and whey isolate shakes are marketed as a post workout supplement, and rightfully so. (In addition to a fast acting protein after you workout, you want a fast acting carb like sugar. In addition to regenerating glycogen stores, a 4:1 carb:protein ratio has been shown to maximally increase testosterone and anabolism post workout.)
On the other hand, a protein like casein which digests slower (has a lower bio-availability) is better to have before bed. This way your body will have an extended protein source, which is good because chances are you wont be eating for another 8-12 hours.
Topics: Uncategorized, nutrition, protein | No Comments »
Plant Sources of Protein
By admin | June 4, 2008
Since all protein is broken down into amino acids by the time it hits your blood stream, and therefore muscle, it doesn’t really matter where you get your amino acids. All protein is really the same as long as you get your essentials. A plate of beans and rice will give you the same protein as a sirloin steak. However, no plant protein source is complete protein. This means that they lack one or more essential amino acids, and are gay. But here’s the trick to getting a complete protein: not all plants are deficient in the same amino acids. For example, rice is missing a few essential amino acids, and beans are missing a few too, but they aren’t missing the same ones! So if you have both sources in your diet you’re ok. In addition to beans and rice, here are some other good complete mixes:
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Food |
Amino Acid Deficient |
Complimentary Protein Food Combination |
|
Grains |
Isoleucine |
Rice + legumes |
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Legumes |
Tryptophan |
Legumes + rice |
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Nuts & Seeds |
Isoleucine |
Peanuts + sesame + soybeans |
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Vegetables |
Isoleucine |
Lima beans + Sesame seeds or Brazil nuts or mushrooms |
Topics: nutrition, protein | No Comments »
Sources of Essential A.A.’s
By admin | June 4, 2008
All animal products have all the essential amino acids, which is why they are referred to as complete proteins. Eggs, milk, cheese, poultry, fish, red meat, etc are all complete. All these protein sources are great and have all the essentials your body needs to build muscle. And since whey an casein is protein isolate from a cow’s milk (yes, that’s an animal source) you can still get your essentials from a powdered protein shake. But if you’re a sill sally vegan, don’t go slitting your conscientious little wrists; you can still get your essential amino acids from plant sources
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Essential and Non-essential Aimino Acids
By admin | June 4, 2008
The Technical Stuff
So protein is really just a chain of “amino acids”. When you eat protein, these amino acid chains are all balled up, and they begin to be unwound in the stomach. By the time the protein hits your small intestine and is absorbed into you blood stream, it is unwound and the “chain” is broken down into each individual link, or amino acid.
There are 20 amino acids, and 10 are essential. Essential amino acids must be taken in the diet, because your body cannot create them. Your body can make the other 10 non essential amino acids on its own. This means it is absolutely necessary to get you essential amino acids in order to grow muscle.
Aside from muscle growth, amino acids also play a vital role in many bodily functions. Here is a list of non essential A.A. functions followed by the essentials.
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Functions of non-essential amino acids The following list includes the 12 non-essential amino acids. Included is a some of the functions and benefits and side effects (if any) of the amino acids. Alanine: Removes toxic substances released from breakdown of muscle protein during intensive exercise. Side effects: Excessive alanine level in the body is associated with chronic fatigue. Cysteine: Component of protein type abundant in nails, skin and hair. It acts as antioxidant (free radical scavenger), and has synergetic effect when taken with other antioxidants such as vitamin E and selenium. Cystine: The same as cysteine, it aids in removal of toxins and formation of skin. Glutamine: Promotes healthy brain function. It is also necessary for the synthesis of RNA and DNA molecules. Glutathione: Is antioxidant and has anti-aging effect. It is useful in removal of toxins. Glycine: Component of skin and is beneficial for wound healing. It acts as neurotransmitter. The side effect of high level glycine in the body is that it may cause fatigue. Histidine: Important for the synthesis of red and white blood cells. It is a precursor for histamine which is good for sexual arousal. Improve blood flow. Side effects of high dosage of histidine include stress and anxiety. Serine: Constituent of brain proteins and aids in the synthesis of immune system proteins. It is also good for muscle growth. Taurine: Necessary for proper brain function and synthesis of amino acids. It is important in the assimilation of mineral nutrients such as magnesium, calcium and potassium. Threonine: Balances protein level in the body. It promotes immune system. It is also beneficial for the synthesis of tooth enamel and collagen. Asparagine: It helps promote equilibrium in the central nervous system—aids in balancing state of emotion. Aparatic acid: Enhances stamina, aids in removal of toxins and ammonia from the body, and beneficial in the synthesis of proteins involved in the immune system. Proline: play role in intracellular signalling. L-arginine: plays role in blood vessel relaxation, stimulating and maintaining erection in men, production of ejaculate, and removal of excess ammonia from the body. |
Functions of essential amino acids
Amino acids are useful components in a variety of metabolisms. Even though, some roles can be highlighted as a function of an amino acid, it is important to be aware that they are part of complex pathways and biological systems. The function and use of an amino acid is dependent on other amino acids, mineral elements, carbohydrate and fatty acids and has an indirect effects that are manifested in myriad metabolisms.
Examples of uses of amino acids:
Tryptophan: Necessary for the synthesis of neurotransmitter serotonin. It helps releive migraine and depression. (Food sources of tryptophan)
Tyrosine: Is precursor of dopamine, norepinephrine and adrenaline. It enhances positive mood. It is also antioxidant.
Valine: Essential for muscle development. Side effects of high levels of valine in the body include hallucinations.
Isoleucine: Necessary for the synthesis of hemoglobin, major constituent of red blood cells.
Leucine: Beneficial for skin, bone and tissue wound healing. It promotes growth hormone synthesis. (Leucine rich foods )
Lysine: Component of muscle protein, and is needed in the synthesis of enzymes and hormones. It is also a precursor for L-carathine which is essential for healthy nervous system function.
Methionine: Is antioxidant. It helps in breakdown of fats and aids in reducing muscle degeneration. It is also good for healthy skin and nail.
Phenylalanine: Beneficial for healthy nervous system. It boosts memory and learning. It may be useful against depression and suppressing appetite.
Source: http://dietaryfiberfood.com/amino-acids.php
Threonine, Arginine, and Histidine are also essential, although the two latter amino acids are only essential under certain circumstance… for example children can’t produce arginine, but adults can.
Topics: nutrition, protein | No Comments »
Protein- How much is enough?
By admin | June 4, 2008
Protein intake has always been a controversial issue surrounding fitness. Many conservative old school bodybuilders will swear by it- many recommending as high as 2-3 grams per lb of bodyweight per day. On the other end of the spectrum, a lot of new age trainers and dieticians will tell you that only 10-15 % of your total daily calories should come from protein. In this article, I will give you the facts surrounding protein intake, composition, and allow you to make an educated decision regarding your protein intake in regards to your specific fitness goals.
It is true that you need protein to build muscle. But this doesn’t mean eating a ton of protein will make you grow huge muscles. First of all, you need to create a physiological need for protein within your body. By “creating a physiological need for protein” I mean training (lifting weights primarily) which will cause the body to respond by building muscle. Building muscle requires protein, so if you this is your goal you better have a sufficient amount of the stuff in you diet.
So what is a sufficient amount? I would recommend between 25-33% of your total daily calories should come from protein (that is, if your goal is muscle growth, which it should be because big muscles are rad). Remember, protein and carbs are 4 kilo calories/gram, while fat is 9 kcal/gram. You do the math.
Now, this isn’t some perfect formula. As you get better at monitoring your own diet, you can play around with the amount of protein you intake. I should also mention that muscle growth (hypertrophy) depends more on having a positive calorie balance than on the amount of protein you eat.
Positive calorie balance means that you are taking in more calories than you are expending. Calories are the measure of the amount of “energy” in food. So, scientifically, if you are taking in more calories (energy) than you are expending, you will gain weight. On the other hand, even if you are eating a massive amount of protein, you will not gain any muscle or weight if you do not have a positive calorie balance. For example, you could eat 500 grams of protein a day (that’s 2000 calories) but if your expending 2500 calories a day, it doesn’t matter how hard you train, you will not gain weight or muscle because you have a negative calorie balance.
So remember, muscle growth does depend on getting enough protein, but it also depends on getting enough extra calories. Whether you store the majority these extra calories as fat or as muscle depends on how much of a physiological demand for muscle growth you have placed on you body. If you work out hardcore and have an extra 300 calories at the end of the day, chances are most of that will be used to build muscle. Conversely, if you work out hardcore and have an extra 2000 calories at the end of the day, your body will build the muscle it needs while the protein is on board, and store the rest as fat. So try not to eat a huge amount of excess calories, especially in one sitting. This is because while your body can store fat very well, you cannot store protein for when your body needs it. So what does your body do with the excess protein? Just like excess anything, it stores it as fat.
So the best thing to do is have many small meals throughout the day, all of which have a protein source. This will ensure that you body always has protein on board in case it does need to build muscle. Many small meals throughout the day also ensures that there aren’t so many extra calories at any one given time that your body is overloaded with calories and is forced to store the excess as fat. Lastly, many small meals ensure that your blood sugar levels remain fairly constant throughout the day. Constant level blood sugar means no energy dips, no intense food cravings, and no diabetes. One last point I would like to make is that your body can only utilize about 20-25 grams of protein at a time, especially if it’s a fast digesting protein like whey isolate. This means if you load up with like 60 grams of whey, about 40 grams will be converted into fat or carbohydrate (depending on your calorie need) so try and not to overdose on protein in one sitting, it’s just a waste.
Topics: nutrition, protein | No Comments »
Carbs - Part I, Sugar
By admin | June 4, 2008
Since everyone seems to be playing around with carbs these days, I thought I’d start this blog off with all you really need to know about carbs. Today’s lesson is sugar.
First of all, not all carbs are equal… until they hit the bloodstream. Once carbs enter the bloodstream, it will be in the form of simple sugar (glucose). This has major implications as slowing the rate at which these carbs are digested and pass through the intestinal lining has major positive dietary implications, but let’s go over the basics first…
Sugar
Dextrose, Fructose, sucrose Galactose, Glucose, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Honey, Invert Sugar, Lactose, Malt, Maltodextrin, Maltose, Maple syrup, Molasses… or just plain old sugar. For all intended purposes, it’s the same basic crap. These all consist of mono or disaccharides, meaning the are a single carb molecule or 2 carbs linked together.
Since these carbs are tiny and broken up on a molecular level, they pass through the intestinal lining and into the bloodstream at lightning speeds. This causes blood sugar levels to spike, and the result is that the pancreas overcompensates by releasing too much insulin. Insulin basically prompts the body’s cells to absorb the sugar out of the blood.
Here is a crappy schematic model I whipped up.
Muscle cells are more sensitive to insulin than fat cells. This entails that carbs will go into your muscle cells first (which is good) before they go into your fat cells (which is bad, unless you want to be a fatass). The problem arises when the pancreas releases so much insulin that even the less sensitive fat cells absorb some of the carbs. This is exactly what happens when you slam your system with something sugary- a fatty insulin spike, followed too much of the sugar leaving the blood stream. The result is a quick energy boost followed by feelings of lethargy and hunger.
This is why people say “sugar is bad”.
Just like all things in life, nothing is pure evil or pure good. Sugar/simple carbs are actually good to have right after you work out (0-45mins after) because the insulin release will actually benefit the muscle fibers that have depleted stores of carbohydrates. Insulin also helps put other useful materials into cells (amino acids and other nutrients) that will help with muscle rebuilding.
The post workout muscles are already really susceptible to blood borne nutrients because of the increased blood flow to the area. If you combine this with the anabolic insulin spike provided by sugar, it will make that protein shake all the more beneficial.
Topics: Uncategorized, carbohydrates, nutrition | 1 Comment »