Sunday, May 24, 2015

Bodybuilder's Belly Bloat 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

 

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Wednesday, May 13, 2015

What is the most anabolic nutrient? By Jerry Brainum

The expression “anabolic nutrient” is much bandied about these days in articles and ads. It suggests that a particular nutrient may promote growth processes, particularly in muscle tissue. Despite the
hype and hyperbole attached to the term, however, the only real anabolic nutrients are protein and amino acids.

Protein is made up of 22 amino acids, some of which are considered essential, while others are nonessential. The difference is that the essential amino acids, of which there are nine, must be supplied in the diet, while the unessential aminos can be synthesized from the essential amino acids and other nutrients.

Research in recent years has shown that when it comes to muscle protein synthesis, which is the main process that results in muscle growth, essential amino acids are the key. And you don’t need a lot. As little as six to eight grams of essential aminos is all that’s required for promoting maximum muscle protein synthesis after training. You can get that in about 25 grams of whey protein.

Of the essential amino acids, the most anabolic are the branched-chain aminos. They are often referred to as “the muscle aminos” because, unlike other aminos, which are metabolized in the liver, the BCAAs are metabolized primarily in muscle. In fact, muscle itself consists of 60 percent BCAAs.

There are three BCAAs—leucine, isoleucine and valine—with leucine being the most potent in aiding the growth process. That relates to its ability to stimulate directly a protein complex called mammalian target of rapamycin—mTOR for short. When mTOR is stimulated, it initiates a cascade of other signaling factors that results in upgraded protein synthesis. No other amino acid comes close to the potency of leucine in triggering mTOR activity.

One recent study examined four varied protein sources—wheat, soy, eggs and whey—in terms of their ability to stimulate protein synthesis in rats.1 Their leucine contents vary as follows: wheat, 6.8 percent; soy, 8 percent; egg, 8.8 percent; and whey, 10.09 percent. The rats were deprived of food for 12 hours to slow down their muscle protein synthesis activity and then got meals that contained one of the above sources of protein.

The whey and egg meals produced the highest rates of muscle protein synthesis, which correlates to their higher leucine contents; however, an important point was what the study showed about dosage. Once a critical amount of leucine was ingested, consuming any more didn’t further extend the protein-synthesis effect.

Looking at it another way, there is a minimal threshold of leucine in a meal that promotes muscle protein synthesis. So the take-home point of this study is that when you’re eating smaller protein meals, the leucine content is the critical factor for stimulating growth. A corollary is that you can get all the benefits of protein, even with small meals, by choosing higher-quality proteins that are richer in leucine, such as eggs, milk and whey.

Leucine’s potent effect was illustrated in the study when the researchers supplemented the wheat protein with additional leucine. That produced a protein-stimulating effect similar to that of whey. My interpretation is that if you’re eating lower-quality protein foods, such as wheat or vegetables, you can considerably boost the protein-synthesis effect simply by also taking in a higher-quality protein, such as whey, at the same time.

Another study examined just how potent leucine is in promoting muscle protein synthesis.2 Twenty-four men took part in the experiment, in which the researchers tested a dose of whey that was considerably less than the 25 grams that has been found to maximize protein synthesis. Instead, the subjects got 6.25 grams, which contains 0.75 grams of leucine, as compared to the three grams contained in 25 grams of whey. The men first did a set of one-legged extensions before having one of the following meals:

1) 25 grams of whey protein

2) 6.25 grams of whey with added leucine, enough to equal the content of 25 grams of whey

3) 6.25 grams of whey with essential amino acid content equal to that of whey for all aminos except leucine

The results showed that adding the leucine to a smaller dose of whey did provide a postmeal boost in muscle protein synthesis, but it was short-lived, lasting only one to three hours. Even the whey with the added aminos minus leucine led to only a temporary boost. Only the greater dose of whey produced a sustained boost in protein synthesis that lasted three to five hours. That was true even though the blood amino acid elevations provided by all the sources usually return to baseline about 2 1/2 hours after the peak plasma amino spike.

The authors suggest that the nonessential amino acids may be the key to the sustained rate of protein synthesis produced by whey. This study also underscores the fact that while leucine may be a key arbiter of muscle protein synthesis, you still need the presence of other amino acids for it to proceed at an optimal rate. Specifically, if you provide a large amount of other amino acids, you don’t need a large dose of leucine to trigger protein production.

Although leucine is most known for its positive effect on protein synthesis, it has a few other attributes that can be very helpful for bodybuilding purposes. Relating to body composition, in the hypothalamus section of the brain, leucine helps to reduce appetite by modifying the activity of leptin, a protein produced by fat cells. Leptin signals the brain, which turns off sensations of hunger.

Once leucine has done its work in relation to muscle protein synthesis, excess leucine can be converted into other amino acids, such as alanine and glutamine. That helps to maintain blood glucose under carbohydrate-restricted conditions. In other words, it helps you maintain energy when on a low-carb diet.

In addition, leucine appears to aid in the creation of mitochondria, the cellular structures where energy is produced as ATP and fat is burned. Leucine also blunts the release of certain peptides in the brain that are associated with intense food cravings, and as such it helps in the fat-loss process.

Mice that are fed a high-fat diet but supplemented with leucine show a 32 percent reduction in weight gain along with 25 percent less bodyfat. The fat loss is related to an uptick in the activity of thermogenic proteins that turn fat calories into heat. The effect may be more potent in mice, as they have more of the highly thermogenic brown adipose tissue than humans. In one study of mice on a high-fat diet, the subjects showed all the symptoms of the metabolic syndrome, including obesity, fatty liver, insulin resistance and negative inflammatory changes in fat cells. Yet, giving them leucine blocked most of those negative metabolic syndrome effects.

Another recent study found that a combination of leucine and vitamin B6 may significantly boost bodyfat loss.3The supplement consisted of 2.25 grams of leucine and 30 milligrams of B6. Cell culture studies had previously shown that leucine exerts a partitioning effect, diverting energy from being stored in fat to being burned in muscle. Leucine increases the activity of genes that control fat release and encourages muscle-fat oxidation. The B6 is added because its actions appear to blunt an enzyme called fatty acid synthase that is an important player in the fat-storage process. The combination of leucine and B6 boosted fat burning in human subjects by 33.6 grams a day while also reducing oxidative and inflammatory markers. In addition, the supplement boosted by 67 percent levels of adiponectin, a fat-cell protein associated with reduced inflammation and increased insulin sensitivity.

The same authors also published a study that examined the effects of combining either leucine or its metabolite, HMB, with resveratrol. Resveratrol is currently a superstar nutrient because numerous animal studies have shown that it blunts many of the processes in the body associated with aging.

Animal-based studies also show that resveratrol can dramatically boost exercise tolerance and may aid in helping to control insulin resistance while encouraging bodyfat loss. That said, the doses that accomplished those effects in animals were massive compared to the levels of resveratrol found naturally. You would need to drink thousands of bottles of red wine (a good natural source of resveratrol) to obtain similar doses. Still, the new study showed that when low doses of resveratrol are combined with either leucine or HMB, the effect is synergistic, leading to body-composition changes similar to those seen with huge doses of resveratrol. Of course, this study involved rodents, so we don’t know yet whether the effect also occurs in humans. We do, however, know that the mechanisms behind the effect exist in humans.

So how much leucine should you get to promote muscle protein synthesis and fat loss? The usual suggested dose is 2.5 grams per meal and another 2.5 grams taken 1 1/2 hours after the meal to help extend muscle protein synthesis.
—Jerry Brainum

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

1Norton, L., et al. (2012). Leucine content of dietary proteins is a determinant of postprandial skeletal muscle protein synthesis in adult rats. Nut and Metabol. 9:67.

2Churchward-Venne, T.A., et al. (2012). Supplementation of a suboptimal protein dose with leucine or essential amino acids: effects on myofibrillar protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in men. J Physiol. 590:2751-2765.

3Zemel, M.B., et al. (2012). Effect of a leucine and pyridoxine-containing nutraceutical on fat oxidation and oxidative and inflammatory stress in overweight and obese subjects. Nutrients. 4:529-41.



©,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.

 

Please let your friends know they can now access Jerry Brainum's state of the art bodybuilding, nutrition, and fitness information. Spread the word.

 

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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APPLIED METABOLICS SAMPLE OF NEWSLETTER BY JERRY BRAINUM




Estrogenic compounds in sports supplements: Are you at risk? by Jerry Brainum


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Friday, May 8, 2015

Whey: Can It Prevent Obesity and Diabetes? by Jerry Brainum

Some bodybuilders never use protein supplements, preferring instead to get all their protein from food sources, such as meat, fish and eggs. Their view is backed by most mainstream dietitians, who note
that it’s not difficult to get all the protein you need to build muscle just from eating food.

In fact, most people eat more protein than they need. Since protein contains four calories per gram—the same as carbohydrate—it’s possible for those who are sedentary to gain some bodyfat by eating large amounts of protein, especially if they also eat too much fat and carbohydrate. That scenario is unlikely in those who are physically active. Their excess protein is oxidized in the liver, with the nitrogen portion converted into urea and then excreted through the kidneys.

So no one argues that it’s easy to get enough protein from various high-protein foods, but does that mean that additional supplements aren’t necessary? For one thing, most protein foods also contain appreciable amounts of either fat and/or carbohydrate. That is a concern for those seeking to lose bodyfat, since every calorie does count—contrary to what some so-called experts say. With concentrated protein supplements you get a source of high protein minus the excess calories. In addition, some people either won’t or can’t eat several high-protein meals a day. Having a source of protein that they can eat on the go is not just a convenience, it’s a necessity.

In recent years milk proteins have been shown to rate the highest in biological value over other sources, such as meat, soy and even eggs. The two primary proteins in milk are casein, which accounts for 80 percent of milk protein, and whey, which is the remaining 20 percent.

Anyone who has kept up with the research on milk protein knows that the two have different absorption properties. Whey is rapidly absorbed, since it stays in solution during the digestive process. Whey uptake peaks at about 60 minutes after ingestion and then declines to baseline after about 90 minutes. The advantage is that the rapid absorption also favors a speedy release of essential amino acids into the blood and muscle, which encourages muscle protein synthesis, the cornerstone of muscle growth.

In contrast, casein curdles in the stomach after you eat it. It looks like cottage cheese, which is mostly casein. The curdling effect favors a more sustained release of aminos over a period of up to seven hours. Initial research that compared whey and casein found that the rapid uptake and release of essential aminos from whey more reliably stimulated muscle protein synthesis, while the slow release of casein promoted a steady trickle into the blood over a longer time, which favored a blunting of muscle catabolism, or breakdown.

It’s not hard to understand how the properties of the two milk proteins significantly benefit bodybuilding trainees; however, there’s far more to milk protein than being a superior source of amino acids. Research shows that besides casein and whey, there are smaller proteins, known as bioactive peptides, in milk that may provide amazing health benefits. I say may because the research is still in its infancy, and all the data haven’t been collected yet.

The scientific method decrees that a finding must be replicated numerous times and under varied conditions before it’s officially accepted as fact. Thus far, most of the research on milk bioactive peptides has involved animals. The good news is that the same mechanisms that allow them to produce their beneficial effects in animals also exist in the human body.

Bioactive peptides are small chains of amino acids linked in a specific formation. While casein contains some, whey is a powerhouse source. Just a day before I wrote this a new study found that one of those peptides has potent protective effects against cancer. Earlier studies showed that because of whey’s high content of the amino acid cysteine, it can be a precursor of glutathione, a major antioxidant in the body. A form of whey is used to prevent the loss of lean mass in cancer patients and those afflicted with HIV.

More pertinent to bodybuilders is the effect of whey on body composition. The process of digesting and absorbing proteins is energy intensive; that is, it uses calories. In fact, it uses more calories to digest and absorb proteins than either fats or carbs. Calories not used in power movement or muscle function are diverted to heat production, a process known as thermogenesis. That term may be familiar to those who use various “fat-burning” supplements, since nearly all of them work by promoting a thermogenic effect: converting fat calories into heat.

Compared to other proteins, such as casein and soy, whey has a greater thermogenic effect, which is attributed to the rapid protein synthesis it triggers, as mentioned above. The rate of protein synthesis produced by whey is twice that of casein, again because of whey’s rapid release of amino acids. The branched-chain amino acid leucine is considered the key amino in muscle protein synthesis, and whey contains 50 to 75 percent more leucine than other protein sources.

Whey may also aid fat loss through its effect on insulin. Many people are confused about insulin. Some worry that it can trigger excess fat production in the presence of excess calories, especially from carbohydrates, but insulin has other properties that are beneficial. It’s also required for cellular uptake of glucose, the elemental form of sugar in the blood. Without proper insulin function, you would have diabetes. Also on the plus side, insulin is known to favor amino acid uptake in muscle and prevent catabolism. In addition, it stimulates the activity of enzymes that produce glycogen from carbs and other sources. Glycogen is required for full muscle recovery after training and also powers anaerobic training, which includes bodybuilding workouts.

Milk protein is a potent stimulus for insulin release, but it’s not a bad thing. The release is within physiological limits and so does not encourage bodyfat synthesis. One study found that only 20 grams of whey protein stimulated enough insulin release to significantly lower elevated blood glucose. In another involving diabetics—who lack proper insulin activity—the subject were fed meals high in rapidly absorbed and digested carbohydrates, but some also got whey at the same meal. Adding whey to the carb meal led to a 57 percent greater insulin release and a smaller drop in glucose after the meal.

Although it isn’t precisely known how whey favors an insulin release, its amino acid content, particularly the high leucine mentioned above, is a chief suspect. Leucine alone is known to stimulate insulin release in the pancreas through at least two mechanisms, one of which involves a metabolite of leucine.

More recent research shows that whey also affects insulin release by promoting the release of gut peptides known as “incretins.” In one study, consuming a whey drink stimulated an 80 percent greater release of gastric inhibitory peptide, which itself encourages insulin release. Whey also promotes the release of another gut peptide called glucagon-like peptide-1 that encourages insulin release and has the side benefit of curtailing appetite. That may explain how whey helps suppress appetite during a diet. Both of the peptides are degraded in the gut via an enzyme that is blunted by whey protein. Recently, a few drugs that treat diabetes were released, all of which block the same enzyme. Unlike whey, however, the drugs are linked to pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, as well as possible pancreatic cancer, the most deadly cancer of all.

In relation to appetite, it’s once again the fast amino release induced by whey that produces an appetite-suppressive effect. Studies with animals show that leucine can rapidly enter the brain, where it induces appetite suppression. The mechanism is thought to involve a blunting of the release of appetite-stimulating peptides in the brain. The release of insulin induced by whey also potently depresses appetite, mostly because whey blunts the release of ghrelin, a protein that is the most potent appetite-stimulating substance in the body. Ghrelin rises a few hours after a meal and produces intense hunger sensations. It’s not hard to understand how controlling it would aid dieting efforts.

So the combination of a controlled insulin release, the stimulation of gut peptides that promote insulin and the blunting of proteins in the brain that trigger appetite make whey a valuable asset if you’re looking to build muscle and lose excess bodyfat.

—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 article on facebook