Muscle Science Roundup

10 Recent Research Reports to Up Your Mass and Rip You Up.

It’s the end of 2008, an Olympic year in sports as well as in the science lab. There were some gold-medal discoveries as a result of research conducted this year and at the tail end of 2007, most of them reported in IM‘s pages by our consummate science scribe, Jerry Brainum. Let’s take a look at the specific findings that can help you get bigger and leaner in 2009.

Micronutrients for Mass

While this study involved women, it affects anyone who trains for muscle and strength. Thirty-five young women who were considered somewhat calcium deficient were put on a weight-training program. They were divided into three groups: a group that ate a serving of fat-free yogurt after training; a group that drank a commercial sports drink containing no calcium or vitamin D, just carbs and protein; and a group that drank a beverage containing only carbs—25 grams. All of those postworkout “meals” contained the same number of calories, 100.

While the groups were getting similar amounts of protein, those in the yogurt group showed the greatest lean-mass gains. All of the women lost bodyfat during the study, but those in the yogurt group lost the most. They also achieved the greatest strength gains.

The researchers believe that the more significant loss of bodyfat and gains in muscle and strength were caused by the additional calcium and vitamin D provided by the yogurt.

Application: Get plenty of calcium and vitamin D to build muscle and burn fat. That’s especially important if you’re dieting—make sure your plan doesn’t leave you deficient in those nutrients.

 

White, K., et al. (2007). Yogurt consumption during resistance training increases muscle mass and strength in young women. Presented at the 2007 International Society of Sports Nutrition conference and expo, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Fatigue Blaster to Grow Faster

Fifteen male athletes got either 4.8 grams a day of beta-alanine or a placebo. Their performance was judged by isokinetic testing—five bouts of 30 maximum voluntary knee extensions. 

As high-level athletes they already had greater-than-normal muscle carnosine, but beta-alanine supplementation increased the carnosine in both the soleus (47 percent) and the gastrocnemius (37 percent). Those in the placebo group showed stable carnosine in the soleus, while the content in the gastrocnemius rose by 16 percent with exercise alone. Dynamic knee extension torque during the fourth and fifth bouts was significantly improved in the beta-alanine group but not in the placebo group. 

From a bodybuilding standpoint, the study suggests that beta-alanine’s maximum effects would occur during the later sets. That makes sense, since the mechanism of beta-alanine increases muscle carnosine, and carnosine is a major intramuscular buffer that neutralizes the excess acid produced by muscle fatigue. Naturally, you’d be more prone to that during the later sets.

Application: Use about four grams of beta-alanine a day to delay fatigue and help you train harder to get more muscle-growth stimulation. The implication is that there’s no ceiling on using beta-alanine, as there is with creatine. So no matter how great an athlete or bodybuilder you are, there’s always room for more carnosine in your muscles. In contrast, once muscles are filled with creatine, any excess is simply excreted from the body. [Note: Red Dragon is a pure beta-alanine supplement.]

 

Derave, W., et al. (2007). Beta-alanine supplementation augments muscle carnosine content and attenuates fatigue during repeated isokinetic contraction bouts in trained sprinters. J Appl Physiol. 103:1736-1743.

Stretch for Strength

Thirty-eight college students were randomly assigned to a stretching group and a control group, each consisting of eight men and 11 women. The study lasted 10 weeks and focused on a program of static stretching—assuming a stretch position, then holding for 10 to 30 seconds—made up of various stretches designed to work the lower body, with the subjects stretching for 40 minutes, three times a week. Each subject was measured before and after the study for flexibility, power, strength and strength endurance.

At the conclusion, the subjects in the stretching group showed an average 23.9 percent increase in muscular strength and a 29.5 percent increase in muscular endurance. They also had an average 18.1 percent increase in flexibility. The control subjects, who did no training or stretching, showed zero improvement. 

The study appears to confirm that stretching all by itself increases flexibility, strength, endurance and power. The authors suggest that the improvements in power and endurance in the stretching group are related to the increase in strength that resulted from the extensive stretching sessions.

The gains in power are related to increases in muscle length, which lead to increases in muscle contractile velocity and force generation—all of which equates to more muscle power.

Application: A separate stretching workout can be a good adjunct to weight training for strength increases. Other studies have shown that stretching immediately before weight training can weaken muscles, so stretch after your weight session, or use stretching as a stand-alone workout.

 

Kokkonen, J., et al. (2007). Chronic static stretching improves exercise performance. Med Sci Sports Exer. 39:1825-31.

Creatine Turbocharger

Are you interested in adding to the size and strength effects of creatine? Conjugated linoleic acid may be the creatine turbocharger you’re looking for.

A Canadian study confirmed that the combination of creatine and CLA, along with a protein supplement, synergistically stimulates muscle gains. Fifty-two men and 17 women, average age 22 1/2, were randomly assigned to one of three groups, receiving:

 

1) Protein, consisting of 45 grams a day of whey protein supplement

2) Protein and creatine—36 grams of whey protein and nine grams of creatine daily

3) Protein, creatine, CLA—36 grams of protein, nine grams of creatine and six grams of CLA daily

The supplements were taken during a five-week period of weight training. Those in group 3 had an average 14.3 percent gain in strength on the leg press and bench press compared to 8.5 percent for the other groups. Group 3 also gained more lean tissue than the others.

Application: Try taking five to six grams of CLA along with your creatine, and watch for new size and strength increases.

 

Cornish, S.M., et al. Effect of supplementing with conjugated linoleic acid, creatine monohydrate and whey protein during high-intensity resistance training in young adults. Paper presented at the 2007 meeting of the Canadian Physiological Association in Ottawa.

Intervals for a
Fat-Burning Firestorm

The fat-burning effectiveness of interval aerobic training is evident in the results of a recently published study that featured eight women, including moderately fit women, some who did no exercise and an active soccer player. All in their 20s, they trained every other day for two weeks, performing a high-intensity interval workout on stationary bikes: 10 sets of four-minute high-intensity bursts at an intensity equal to 90 percent of their maximum oxygen intake, alternated with two-minute rest intervals between sets, in which they cycled at low intensity.

The starting point of fitness made no difference in the results. At the end of the study the women had an average increase of 36 percent more fat burned. Their cardiovascular fitness also rose by an impressive 13 percent.

How to explain such rapid results? It turns out that interval training is particularly effective at boosting activity in the portion of cells where fat is burned, or oxidized, and oxygen is used, the mitochondria. The authors noted that the women showed signs of increased mitochondrial volume, as evidenced by a rise in enzymes associated with fat burning and oxygen use. 

The training also increased the activity of a protein that transports fatty acids into the cell, where the fat is burned. Even more impressive was that there was no significant loss of muscle glycogen, pointing to an almost exclusive use of fat as fuel during the exercise. 

Other studies of interval training have found an increase in enzymes required for fat oxidation of 10 to 35 percent after only two weeks. Studies that have compared interval to conventional long, slow, moderate-intensity aerobics show that interval training produces similar beneficial effects but with 90 percent less training volume. One study found similar improvements with 2.5 hours a week of interval work compared with 10.5 hours a week of conventional aerobics.

Unlike conventional aerobics, which increases resting metabolic rate only when you’re actually exercising, interval training leads to a sustained rise in resting metabolic rate. That means you wind up burning more calories at rest, typically calories derived from fat stores. The only other type of exercise known to do that is weight training. The fact that weight training works mainly type 2, or fast-twitch, muscle fibers explains the rise in metabolism, since the repair of damaged fibers induced by weight training leads to biochemical changes that result in a higher resting metabolic rate. Intervals also tap into type 2 fibers during the high-intensity phase, explaining why that style of aerobics—unlike traditional aerobics—also produces a more sustained rise in resting metabolic rate. The slow phase of intervals shifts the focus to type 1, or slow-twitch, muscle fibers, which preferentially burn more fat than type 2 fibers.

Application: Use interval aerobics for maximum fat-burning effects; however, be careful not to do it too close to a leg workout, as intervals also tap into type 2 muscle fibers.

 

Talanian, J.L., et al. (2006). Two weeks of high-intensity aerobic interval training increases the capacity for fat oxidation during exercise in women. J Appl Physiol. 102:1439-1447.

Carnitine Can
Pump You Up

While L-carnitine has several functions in the body, it’s best known for shuttling fat into the portion of cells known as mitochondria. Fat is burned, or oxidized, in the mitochondria in a process called beta-oxidation. Carnitine is essential for that process.

Glycine-propionyl-L-carnitine is a specialized form of carnitine that’s particularly beneficial for heart function. The heart prefers fat as an energy source, and GPLC is used therapeutically to treat heart failure and poor blood circulation. Studies show that GPLC has more affinity for muscle than other forms of L-carnitine, and they suggest that using GPLC may boost exercise efficiency by lowering lactic acid and causing fat to be used more efficiently as an energy source.

Fifteen experienced weight-trained men were given 4.5 grams a day of either GPLC or a placebo. They were also given carbohydrates to promote insulin release, as insulin fuels carnitine uptake into tissues. 

Under normal circumstances nitric oxide release occurs with turbulent blood flow, such as that induced by exercise. NO is synthesized and released in the endothelium, or lining of blood vessels. In that manner, NO inhibits the clumping of blood platelets and expands the diameter of blood vessels. The net effect is increased blood flow and, in the case of bodybuilding exercise, increased muscle pump and delivery of nutrients and oxygen to working muscle.

The study showed that NO release was significantly higher in those who took the GPLC supplement than it was in those who took the placebo. As to how GPLC works in relation to NO, the authors weren’t sure. One theory is that it inhibits an oxidative enzyme that rapidly degrades NO because of an increase in free radicals. Another theory is that GPLC augments the activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme in the blood vessel walls that produces NO from arginine.

GPLC may be a useful adjunct to NO supplements, since it independently augments NO release and has no known side effects. It provides other benefits, such as increased muscle and heart efficiency, along with lower lactic acid production during intense exercise. In that sense, it would be complementary with beta-alanine, which is mainly used to control the higher acidity levels produced during exercise. GPLC also helps maintain androgen cell receptors, which increases the anabolic efficiency of testosterone. In fact, some pre-inary studies suggest that GPLC may be of use in treating male impotence.

Application: Try a few grams of glycine propionyl-L-carnitine along with your arginine-based nitric oxide precursor for a more powerful vasodilating effect—a.k.a. a full-blown pump with streakng vascularity.

 

Bloomer, R.J., et al. (2007). Glycine propionyl-L-carnitine increases plasma nitrate/nitrite in resistance-trained men. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 4:22.

Preworkout Growth Hormone Boosters

The amino acid most often linked to growth hormone release is arginine, but the GH picture includes more complex brain chemistry. Growth-hormone-releasing hormone, or GHRH, is released by the hypothalamus, and somatostatin, known as both SST and growth-hormone-inhibiting hormone, is released in the brain and elsewhere in the body. Scientists believe that amino acids stimulate the production of GH by inhibiting the release of SST.

Two recent studies highlight those effects in people engaged in weight training. In one the focus was on melatonin. Thirty young men and 30 young women were randomly given either melatonin supplements in doses of one-half milligram or five milligrams or a placebo. They then did leg presses, seven sets of seven reps, using a weight equal to 85 percent of their one-rep maximums. Blood samples were taken at various intervals to determine hormone and blood responses.

The men who received five milligrams of melatonin experienced an increase of GH release, which was attributed to a blunting of SST. In fact, compared to the men who got the placebo, they had a 157 percent rise in GH prior to training and a 132 percent increase over resting levels after the workout. The response to melatonin was much weaker in women, which was thought to be related to the greater amounts of estrogen in their bodies.

The interesting aspect of the study was that the melatonin-related increase in GH wasn’t entirely due to a blunting of SST. The melatonin-GH connection shows up in other pathways in the body as well.

Another recent study featured 11 weight-trained young men who took either three grams of gamma aminobutyric acid—GABA—or a placebo, followed by either rest or a weight workout. The combination of exercise and GABA led to a 200 percent increase in active GH, possibly attributable to a blunting of SST or a rise in the secretion of growth-hormone-releasing hormone or both.

GABA is made in the brain from glutamic acid. It’s an excitatory neurotransmitter, or brain stimulant. When exposed to specific enzymes and the active form of vitamin B6, however, it converts into the inhibitory form of GABA. You wouldn’t want to supplement with straight glutamic acid, which studies associate with lowering GH when taken before exercise and the production of cortisol and prolactin—not good.

So should you go out and purchase a bundle of melatonin and GABA and await delivery of GH? Well, they both bring on drowsiness, the last thing you want before working out.

Application: Using melatonin or GABA preworkout to encourage growth hormone release may be a feasible experiment, but you may need to drink coffee or take caffeine pills before workouts to counteract drowsiness.

 

Nassar, E., et al. (2007). Effects of a single dose of N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine (melatonin) and resistance exercise on the growth hormone/IGF-1 axis in young males and females. J Inter Soc Sports Nutr. 4:14.

Powers, M.B., et al. (2007). Growth hormone isoform responses to GABA ingestion at rest and after exercise. Med Sci Sports Exer. 40:104-110. 

Thermogenic King Beats Ephedrine?

The following is a report from Jose Antonio, Ph.D.:

Would you believe me if I told you that there’s a weight-loss pill that beats the thermogenic crap out of the much-vaunted caffeine-and-ephedrine combination? Well, that’s what I discovered at the fifth annual International Society of Sports Nutrition Conference and Expo in the beautiful Red Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. In a 2008 study performed at the College of New Jersey, scientists were astounded to learn that a potent new fat-burning matrix called Meltdown was more effective than ephedrine. Whoa, Nellie! Can that be true? 

Ten subjects underwent two testing sessions administered in a randomized and double-blind fashion. The volunteers got either three capsules of Meltdown or three capsules of a placebo. They then rested in a semirecumbent position for three hours. Imagine how tough it is to sit still while the ingredients of such a thermogenic cocktail course through your veins! Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in energy expenditure during the entire three hours; also, there was a greater use of stored fat as energy. According to the investigators, the “results indicate a significant increase in energy expenditure in young, healthy individuals following an acute ingestion of a weight-loss supplement.” Compare that to the caffeine-and-ephedra numbers.

In the classic study by Astrup, et al. (1991), the results were as follows: Over a three-hour period the increase in calories burned was 11, 13 and 23 for 20 milligrams of ephedrine, 200 milligrams of caffeine and 10 milligrams of ephedrine plus 200 milligrams of caffeine, respectively. On the other hand, Meltdown showed a 50-calorie increase. That’s more than 60 percent better than ephedrine plus caffeine. 

Application: You may want to try Meltdown in your fat-burning-supplement rotation for a bigger metabolic kick.

 

Astrup, A., et al. (1991). Thermogenic synergism between ephedrine and caffeine in healthy volunteers: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Metabolism. 40(3):323-329.

Tea Off on Bodyfat

A recent study featured 12 young men, average age 26. In the first part they took a capsule containing ingredients equivalent to 3 1/2 cups of green tea three times a day, the last one hour before exercise. Other subjects got a placebo containing corn flour. The exercise consisted of 30 minutes of cycling at an intensity equal to 60 percent of maximum heart rate. In the second part of the study 11 of the men took an oral glucose-tolerance test before and after taking green tea capsules.

Those who took the green tea capsules had a 17 percent greater contribution of fat to energy expenditure during exercise than those who took the placebo. That scale of fat oxidation was over and above what usually occurs during exercise, pointing to a definite green tea effect. The second part of the study showed that green tea increased insulin sensitivity by 13 percent, which reduced the insulin response to a glucose load by 15 percent.

Another study, this one with isolated fat cells, found that green tea can inhibit the development of new fat cells. The mechanism is an inhibition of GPDH, an enzyme, along with the inhibition of PPAR-gamma, a protein that boosts bodyfat. Green tea acts as an oxidant in fat cells—but that’s good because it activates AMPK, a protein that stimulates fat oxidation in muscle during exercise.

Application: Drink green tea for health and to get leaner and/or take a green tea supplement three times a day to augment fat burning.

 

Venables, M.C., et al. (2008). Green tea extract ingestion, fat oxidation, and glucose tolerance in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 87:778-784.

Seuk-Moon, H., et al. (2007). Inhibitory effect of epigallocatechin-3-gallate on lipid accumulation of 3T3-L1 cells. Obesity. 15:2571-2582.

Arginine Is More Than Just an NO Booster

The amino acid L-arginine is the main ingredient in nitric oxide precursor supplements, but its most overlooked aspect is its effect on muscle protein synthesis. While the branched-chain amino acids, particularly leucine, are most associated with muscle protein synthesis, all essential amino acids are actively involved in the process. Recent evidence shows that arginine mimics many of the effects of BCAAs in regard to muscle protein synthesis.

One recent study used rabbits as subjects. The authors note that under severe catabolic conditions, such as burn injuries, the requirement for arginine rises. Past studies show that arginine greatly aids wound healing. At first the effect was attributed to increased growth hormone release. Later, when arginine was identified as the primary source of NO, the increased blood circulation fostered by NO was thought to be the cornerstone of arginine’s healing effects. The most recent studies indicate that the source of arginine’s healing power is its role in stimulating protein synthesis. BCAAs are involved in the same thing.

The rabbit study involved wounds to the animals’ skin and muscle. One focus was whether the healing effect of arginine increased NO release in the wound area. The researchers gave the animals a chemical that blocks NO production. That had no effect on the increased muscle protein synthesis that occurred after the animals were given arginine, although the blood flow to the wounded area was markedly reduced, confirming that NO was blocked. The researchers also ruled out increased insulin release, since plasma glucose didn’t drop, as would have occurred with upgraded insulin release. What they found was that arginine stimulated the movement of amino acids from blood into muscle. That increased amino acid availability and, consequently, muscle protein synthesis.

Application: Arginine spurs muscle protein synthesis independent of NO. Use supplemental arginine for vasodilation and ancillary anabolic effects, like enhanced protein synthesis.

—Compiled by Steve Holman

 

Zhang, X.J., et al. (2008). The anabolic effect of arginine on proteins in skin wound and muscle is independent of nitric oxide production. Clin Nutr. 27(4):649-656.  IM

Muscle-Science Roundup

It’s January 2005, the perfect time to look back at some key findings that we reported over the past year’interesting stuff you may have missed if you’re not a subscriber. (What! You don’t subscribe? Go to page 145 immediately.) Most of the findings here were submitted by Jerry Brainum, IRON MAN’s most prolific and reliable researcher. You’ll find plenty of interesting tidbits, most of which can help you get bigger and stronger faster.

1) Crash Through the Muscle-Building Roadblock

A new study partially illuminates the relationship between myostatin and bodyfat levels. It involved six morbidly obese (a medical euphemism for ‘very fat’) subjects who underwent surgery to shorten their stomachs, which limited the amount of food they could eat without feeling full. The surgery is considered extreme and is a last resort for people with dangerously high bodyfat levels, people who, for some reason or other, will not or cannot diet and exercise. The side effects of the surgery can include death’but that’s another story.

As a result of the surgery, the patients lost 38.9 percent of their bodyweight. The researchers measured their myostatin levels before and after the weight loss and found a significant decline in myostatin, a muscle-growth limiter, after the weight loss, which was mostly bodyfat. The scientists suggest that the drop in myostatin was the body’s way of preventing the loss of vital lean mass under rapid and extreme fat-loss conditions. It also may have helped the body actually reduce the size of fat cells, as it does in animals.

Even though bodybuilders don’t resort to stomach stapling as a fat-loss technique, the study has two implications for them. As you lose fat, myostatin levels will likely decline, helping you preserve muscle during a diet. The addition of a weight-training routine will no doubt amplify that effect. The other implication is that having excess bodyfat probably increases myostatin, making it harder to build muscle.

Milan, G., et al. (2004). Changes in muscle myostatin expression in obese subjects after weight loss. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 89:2724-2727.

Conclusion:
The reduction of myostatin during a precontest diet may be the reason for an excessive anabolic rebound after calories are increased. There’s a lag time between rising myostatin, which slows muscle growth, and the anabolism created by a calorie surplus and training. Those points suggest a strategy of doing six to eight weeks of low-calorie eating followed by a higher-calorie phase several times a year to get a series of anabolic rebounds, or growth surges.

2) Keep On Truckin’ and Testosterone Exhaustion

If you want to keep your estrogen production in the low range’and anyone interested in building muscle should’you may want to keep your distance from trucks on the highway. New findings suggest that diesel-fuel exhaust contains chemicals called alkylphenols, which interact with cellular estrogen receptors to exert potent estrogenic activity. Diesel exhaust particles have previously been linked to lung cancer, allergic rhinitis and asthma.

Furuta, C., et al. (2004). Estrogenic activities of nitrophenols in diesel exhaust particles. Biol Repr. 70:1527-1533.

Conclusion:
Don’t run or play near the highway if you want to build muscle as fast as possible. There’s girlieman exhaust in the air. ALL 3) Hyperextensions: Lower-Back Whack or Better Glute Getter?

Lots of trainees do hyperextensions for the spinal erectors, or lower-back muscles. One study suggests that the 45 degree hyper bench, often called a Roman chair, is not the best equipment for building erector strength. The subjects in the study who did Roman-chair hyperextensions for 12 weeks showed no increases in lumbar muscle strength. The researchers concluded that other muscles, such as the glutes and hamstrings, do most of the work during Roman-chair hypers.

Mayer, J.M., et al. (2003). Effect of Roman-chair exercise training on the development of lumbar extension strength. J Strength Cond Res. 17:356-61.

Conclusion:
Use lower-back machines and deadlifts to build lower-back strength. You can still include hyperextensions, but make them part of your glute and hamstring workout. They’ll help sculpt a firm, round butt.

4) Coffee for Intensity

According to WebMD Medical News, coffee can make your workouts less painful. Caffeine appears to lessen exercise-induced muscle pain, which means you can push your sets hard and stimulate more growth. There’s a desensitizing effect, however: The pain-reduction effects were less significant among heavy caffeine users because their pain receptors had been altered. Researchers don’t know whether the caffeine acts on the muscles or the brain to reduce pain.

Conclusion:
Have a cup of coffee before you train to up your intensity and focus.

5) Faster Fat Burn: Treadmill vs. Cycling

Twelve men engaged in exercise on either a treadmill or an exercise bike. According to the researchers, the treadmill produced a higher level of fat oxidation than cycling, but the intensity at which fat oxidation was maximized was the same for both forms of exercise. Maximum fat burning occurred at the level of 61.2 percent of VO2MAX during the cycling and 59.2 percent during the treadmill exercise, which consisted of uphill walking.

Treadmill exercise leads to a greater level of fat burning because while you’re doing it, the adrenal glands release stress hormones, or catecholamines, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine. The catecholamines mobilize fat from fat cells through at least two actions: 1) They suppress insulin release; and 2) they promote cyclic AMP, which then begins a cascade in fat cells that leads to the release of fat into the blood. The greater the amount of muscle mass trained, the greater the level of catecholamine release and consequent fat oxidation during aerobics. Standing on the treadmill uses more muscle mass than the seated cycling, so you burn more fat. It’s as simple as that.

Achten, J., et al. (2003). Fat oxidation rates are higher during running compared with cycling over a wide range of intensities. Metabolism. 52:747-52.

Conclusion:
If you’re interested in the most fat-burning bang for your energy buck, choose the treadmill over the stationary bike. 6) Boost Your Testosterone Naturally

Here are a few ways to maximize your testosterone output from Rehan Jalali, president of the Supplement Research Foundation (www.tsrf.com):

‘Eat plenty of essential fatty acids, especially monounsaturated fats like natural peanut butter, flaxseed oil, olive oil and canola oil. Eating fish, including salmon, regularly can also help.

‘Perform compound exercises like squats and bench presses, and use heavy weights for lower reps. Research shows that those methods boost testosterone levels more than other types of exercises.

‘Stop drinking alcohol. It can kill testosterone production.

‘Don’t eat too much protein. Most trainees have been indoctrinated with the idea of eating a huge amount of protein, but research indicates that too much can lower testosterone levels.1 Eating .8 to one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight does the trick.

As for testosterone-boosting supplements, one of the best is ZMA, a special combination of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 that improves athletic performance and boosts testosterone levels naturally.2 ZMA-T by Muscle-Link and ZMA’ by BioTest are quality products. Take the recommended dose 30 to 45 minutes before bedtime.

1 Volek, J., et al. (1997). Testosterone and cortisol in relationship to dietary nutrients and resistance exercise. J Appl Physiol. 82:49-54. 2 Brilla, L.R., and Conte, V. (1999). Effects of zinc-magnesium formulation increases anabolic hormones and strength in athletes. Med Sci Sports Exer. 31:483.

Conclusion:
Testosterone is an important muscle-building hormone. Eat right, drink alcohol in moderation, train with the big core exercises and supplement the appropriate minerals to T up. 7) Creatine Turbocharger

The nutrient alpha-lipoic acid may favorably affect creatine uptake. Sixteen men, aged 18 to 32, used one of three creatine-loading regimens: 1) 20 grams a day of creatine monohydrate

2) 20 grams a day of creatine monohydrate and 100 grams of sucrose (table sugar)

3) 20 grams of creatine, 100 grams of sucrose, 1,000 milligrams of alpha-lipoic acid.

All subjects stayed on the regimens for five days. While they all experienced the same gain in bodyweight, those in the alpha-lipoic acid group showed a significantly higher level of creatine storage in muscle than the others.

Alpha-lipoic acid increases glucose transport into muscle’its insulinlike effect’so it seems logical that it would also favorably affect creatine uptake. Alpha-lipoic acid is unique in that it shows activity as both a water- and fat-soluble antioxidant, making it what some call a universal antioxidant. It helps convert other antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, from their oxidized form back to their antioxidant state. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of alpha-lipoic metabolism is that when it’s combined with acetyl L-carnitine, it can restore mitochondrial function in aged cells. That would have the effect of cellular rejuvenation.

Burke, D.G., et al. (2003). Effect of A-lipoic acid combined with creatine monohydrate on human skeletal muscle creatine and phosphagen concentration. Int J Sports Nutr Exer Metab. 13:294-302.

Conclusion:
Add a gram of alpha-lipoic acid to your creatine to give it more power.

8) N.O.’s Muscle-Building Mechanics

Nitric oxide is a very small molecule’found in the form of a gas’produced locally in most cells of your body. It’s gotten a lot of publicity due to its association with Viagra, which is, among other things, a pharmaceutical NO booster.

As for its bodybuilding implications, when NO production in rats is blocked, there’s a rapid reduction in the rate of skeletal-muscle protein synthesis’by almost 15 percent. Scientists have concluded that NO ‘is responsible for maintaining optimum skeletal-muscle protein synthesis.’1 In other words, even though NO is not a hormone, it’s still a very important anabolic factor.

When researchers apply overload to the muscles of rats, hypertrophy occurs after a short time, but if they block NO production, growth response is impaired. In rats that got a placebo plus a muscular overload, the size of the targeted muscles increased by 76 percent within two weeks.2 In rats that got an NO blocker, the increase in muscle size was only 39 percent.

Obviously, NO is not the only consideration involved in overload-induced growth, as its inhibition does not completely eliminate hypertrophy; however, the study clearly demonstrates that it has a major impact on the muscle-building processes. NO inhibition reduces the growth rate by almost 50 percent.

Preedy, V.R. (1997). Does nitric oxide have a role in regulating skeletal-muscle protein synthesis? Clin Sci (Lond). 92:10.

Conclusion: You want to optimize NO production to get the most anabolism possible’and possibly a nice uptick in the bedroom. The amino acid L-arginine may help, as well as other NO’potentiating supplements.

9) More Creatine Muscle Magic With Magnesium

Research suggests that combining the mineral magnesium with creatine may increase the effectiveness of creatine in helping to build muscle and strength. Thirty-five subjects took a placebo, creatine combined with magnesium oxide or creatine combined with magnesium chelate for two weeks. The doses were 800 milligrams of magnesium and five grams of creatine, and the researchers took various measurements of power, strength and both intracellular and extracellular water.

While both creatine groups gained weight and peak muscle torque, only those in the magnesium-chelate group experienced a decrease in extracellular water and an increase in intracellular water, leading to a cellular swelling effect that acts as an anabolic signal to initiate upgraded muscle protein synthesis.

Combining creatine with magnesium makes sense from a biochemical viewpoint, since magnesium is required to activate cellular enzymes involved in the production of the most basic source of cellular energy, adenosine triphosphate. Creatine works by helping to regenerate ATP, so it’s clear that creatine and magnesium have synergy. Adding magnesium to creatine also appears to emphasize creatine’s cellular hydration effect, which may help muscle protein synthesis. The study shows that the best form of magnesium for magnifying creatine’s effects is magnesium chelated with an amino acid such as magnesium aspartate, which is a combination of magnesium and aspartic acid.

One caveat, however, is that more is not better when it comes to minerals, and magnesium is no exception. The 800-milligram dose used in this study is considerably higher than the 400-milligram USRDA. In some people taking any more than 800 milligrams is likely to cause diarrhea. Brilla, L., et al. (2003). Magnesium-creatine supplementation effects on body water. Metabolism. 52:1136-40.

Conclusion:
A magnesium supplement along with your creatine may give you better muscle-building effects.

10) L-Carnitine: More Force, Better Recovery

Carnitine is important not only for transporting long-chain fats into the mitochondria but also for its ability to help you recover from a killer lifting session. A study at the University of Connecticut had 10 healthy men who were recreational lifters take two grams of L-carnitine daily (a divided dose at breakfast and lunch) for three weeks. The subjects performed a squat protocol consisting of five sets of 15 to 20 repetitions. They repeated the exercise bout under placebo and carnitine-supplemented conditions. As expected, immunoreactive growth hormone and immunofunctional GH increased above resting levels during the first 30 minutes after exercise, and testosterone increased during the first 15 minutes, but there were no differences between the carnitine and placebo groups.

The real difference came in the muscle-damage arena: 16 to 23 percent in the carnitine group vs. 29 to 39 percent in the placebo group. In other studies L-carnitine improved the contractile force in the latissimus dorsi of dogs by 34 percent and overall force production by 31 percent. Kraemer, W.J., et al. (2003). The effects of L-carnitine L-tartrate supplementation on hormonal responses to resistance exercise and recovery. J Strength Cond Res. 17:455-462.

Conclusion:
Use two to three grams of L-carnitine for better workouts and optimal recovery. One gram before training and one gram after may be a good starting dose.

11) Steroidlike Results?

Scientists reported still another unexpected effect from supplementing L-carnitine tartrate. This study examined the effects of carnitine on testosterone responses and androgen receptors after heavy weight training and a postexercise carb-and-protein meal. Ten men, average age 21, took either a placebo or two grams of L-carnitine tartrate for 21 days.

Baseline androgen-receptor content was higher in the carnitine group. Plasma testosterone levels dropped after the postworkout meal and were lower in the carnitine group. It appears that carnitine increases the number of androgen receptors when the body’s at rest. While it also appears to lower testosterone, that could merely be a reflection of the bigger pool of androgen receptors; that is, the testosterone was lower because it was interacting with the increased number of androgen receptors. Anabolic steroids increase the number of androgen receptors, as does exercise. Kraemer, W.J., et al. (2004). Effects of L-carnitine tartrate supplementation on testosterone and muscle androgen-receptor content after resistance exercise. Presented at Experimental Biology 2004, April 2004, in Washington, D.C.

Conclusion:
Another reason to take L-carnitine. 12) The Water/Fat-Burn Connection

Researchers conducted a study to test the thermogenic effect of water; that is, its conversion of fat calories into heat. Seven men and seven women, all healthy, with an average age of 27, drank 500 milliliters, or about half a quart, of water. That caused a metabolic increase of 30 percent over resting levels. The increase occurred within 10 minutes, reaching a maximum 30 to 40 minutes after the subjects drank the water. It lasted for more than an hour, and it led the authors to suggest that drinking 1.5 liters of water daily (just over a quart) would augment daily energy expenditure by 200 kilojoules. That’s like taking a dose of 50 milligrams of ephedrine three times a day, which results in an increased energy expenditure of 320 kilojoules. Granted, that adds up to only about 100 extra calories burned daily, but it does add to weight loss when coupled with diet and exercise.

Boschmann, M., et al. (2003). Water-induced thermogenesis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 88:6015-6019.

Conclusion:
Drink as much water as you can throughout the day to augment fat loss.

13) Preworkout Fiber for Energy to Grow On

Fiber may be useful to bodybuilders because it can slow down the absorption of high-glycemic carbs. That lowers insulin release, which encourages more rapid bodyfat loss. When athletes eat a high-soluble-fiber meal before training, they maintain a more stable blood glucose level throughout the workout. Adding some fiber to a protein drink slows gastric emptying, making you feel fuller and less hungry.

A study of 50 men and 94 women, aged 30 to 80, compared the effects of eating low-fiber and high-fiber breakfasts. Subjects on the high-fiber breakfast reported less emotional distress, fewer cognitive problems and less fatigue. Although the authors didn’t explain those effects, the likely mechanism was better glycemic, or glucose, control.

Smith, A., et al. (2001). High-fiber breakfast cereals reduce fatigue. Appetite. 37:249050.

Conclusion:
Add some fiber’like fruit’to your preworkout protein drink to keep your blood sugar stable and your energy high throughout your training session.

14) Low-Carb-Diet Caution

Research suggests that attempting to lose bodyfat on a low-carb diet may lead to muscle loss. Most scientists feel that you need adequate carbs to power the intense training required for maintaining muscle under dieting conditions. On the other hand, you need increased protein because when you restrict calories, protein is diverted to energy pathways. What’s more, the thermic effect of protein helps foster bodyfat loss while you’re dieting.

As you get lean, you need to make sure you don’t cut calories too much. That’s a mistake many bodybuilding competitors make. In an effort to appear as defined as possible, they either do excessive aerobics or cut too many calories or both. That leads to a stringy, catabolic appearance that some refer to as looking flat.

Lambert, C.P., et al. (2004). Macronutrient considerations for the sport of bodybuilding. Sports Medicine. 34Z:317-27.
v Conclusions:
Following a low-carb diet helps reduce bodyfat. To use that strategy without sacrificing muscle, try having a higher-carb day at least once a week to replenish any lagging glycogen stores.

15) Contractions and X-treme Growth Reactions

Using rats, researchers at the University of California, Irvine, compared the effects of eccentric (lengthening), isometric and concentric (shortening) contractions on muscle growth. Interestingly, muscle mass increased most in isometric conditions (14 percent), second most in shortening conditions (12 percent) and least in lengthening conditions (11 percent). All three modes of training stimulated similar increases in total muscle DNA and RNA.

Conclusion:
According to Jose Antonio, Ph.D., those results tell us that it behooves bodybuilders to practice all types of contractions. So it’s a good idea to perform, on occasion, high-load isometric and eccentric work in addition to the typical loading schemes. He also says that for the purposes of bodybuilding, the goal is to make all fiber types bigger.

As an experiment Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson used a variety of contraction modes in order to hit as many fiber types as possible in their training at the IRON MAN Training & Research Center last summer in preparation for a photo shoot. It worked, especially during the last month, when they added near-isometric contractions at the point of maximum force at the end of sets on specific exercises and got an unprecedented acceleration in muscle gains. They dubbed what they did partial-pulse X Reps. Their before and after photos are a testament to the effectiveness of targeting all fiber types as well as the anabolic power of near-isometric contractions. For more see ‘Train, Eat, Grow’ on page 74. To see the before and after photos, taken one month apart during their experiment, see page 126. For more visit the Web site www.x-rep.com. IM