It's All In the Timing - The Latest On Pre/Post Workout Nutrition

Most people are aware that nutrient timing is as important as nutrient composition. In other words, it’s not just what you eat, but when you eat it that gives optimal results. As the man says, “Timing is everything.” Consuming the right foods at the right time can have positive effects on body composition: which means more muscle and less body fat. Health-conscious people are told to avoid simple carbohydrates, and for good reasons. It’s not true all the time and in every situation, however. Following a heavy workout, there is a metabolic “window” - so to speak - where the body preferentially shuttles glucose into the liver and muscles to replace lost glycogen via both insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent transport mechanisms. Translated, this means your body will shuttle carbs and protein into the tissues you want (muscle) instead of storing them as fat after a workout. To carry the analogy further, the metabolic window doesn’t stay open indefinitely, so you need to take advantage of the opportunity while it lasts. A number of studies have found that a post-workout drink containing simple, high-GI carbs and protein increases protein synthesis dramatically. The two work synergistically to create an anabolic environment that’s superior to either nutrient alone. In addition, some recent work suggests that a pre-workout drink may be superior to a post-workout drink, and consuming both may be best of all! Research looking at the issue has gotten a great deal of attention in the sports nutrition world. One particularly interesting study, “Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise.” (Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2001 Aug;281(2):E197-206), compared the anabolic responses to a carbohydrate and amino acid supplement taken either before or after resistance exercise. It’s counterintuitive to think taking in these nutrients before the workout is superior to post-workout, but according to this small study: “…results indicate that the response of net muscle protein synthesis to consumption of an EAC solution [carb/amino acid drink] immediately before resistance exercise is greater than that when the solution is consumed after exercise, primarily because of an increase in muscle protein synthesis...” Since this study was published, several researchers have proposed that providing amino acids/protein and carbs both before and after a resistance workout represents the best of both worlds. This is the premise of the book “Nutrient Timing” by John Ivy and Robert Portman. They present compelling evidence that the right mixture of nutrients, taken at key points in the muscle growth cycle, will optimize improvements in muscle growth, strength, and power, as well as enhance recovery from exercise. Overall, there’s a solid body of scientific evidence to support using a blend of fast-acting carbs and amino acids/protein for both pre- and post-workout nutrition. It’s definitely a “hot” topic among sports researchers. It’s also a topic that seems to create endless speculation and conversation with non-scientists looking to get the most of their time in the gym. Everyone wants to hear the latest word, it seems. So what’s the latest word? The place to discover cutting edge research on a topic is to attend conferences where researchers present their most recent findings. This is a much faster way of getting current info than reading scientific journals, as it can take many months (even years!) to publish the work researchers submit for review and publication. Each year, I attend various scientific conferences that apply to my interests, research, and business. This year I attended the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) conference in Las Vegas. The ISSN is a relatively new organization and this was their third conference to date.* A session on the role of nutrition in exercise and recovery was particularly interesting. One standout study**, “Effects of protein and carbohydrate on anabolic responses to resistance training” looked at the effects of carbs, creatine, and whey - taken alone and in different combinations - on LBM and/or strength. The conclusion was that the combination of all three (whey, carbs, and creatine) was the most effective and that there appeared to be a true synergism between these nutrients. This study also confirmed that these nutrients, taken both before and after training, have a greater effect on lean mass and strength than when taken at other times of the day. I don’t think that comes as a big surprise to most people “in the know” about such things, but it’s good to see it confirmed under controlled conditions. The take home lesson is this: if you want to optimize your nutrition to gain muscle mass and strength, it’s vital to consume a combination of fast-acting carbs and protein during the workout “window.” Here’s what I recommend: mix 30-50g of high quality whey with 75-100g of high GI carbs (such as glucose, maltodextrin, etc.,) and 3-5g of creatine monohydrate and drink half immediately before you hit the gym, and the other half immediately following your workout. To make it extra simple, I use a pre-made carb drinks (e.g., TwinLab Ultra Fuel, etc.) and add the whey and creatine to that and mix it up. You can “roll your own” of course by buying various carb powders in bulk. I just like the convenience of the pre-made carb mixtures myself. As you can see, I don’t use a complicated formula for the amounts of protein, carbs, and creatine to take pre- and post-workout. Why? Because - while focusing on such minutiae would make me look smart - it probably won’t have any effects on you. Following the K.I.S.S. (“Keep It Simple, Stupid”) system works best here. The above formula is more then sufficient to supply the nutrients required to take advantage of the metabolic window. Some people take it a step further by dividing the formula into three parts, to be consumed before, during and after the workout, but I don’t see the need for that either. I doubt there are any real benefits to it, but more research is needed there. This isn’t a miracle mixture, of course. If your training and/or nutrition over the rest of the day aren’t up to snuff, this pre- and post-workout drink won’t make up for those shortcomings. In conjunction with a good training program and diet however, combining pre- and post-workout nutrition will clearly add to your success. And remember, it’s not rocket science, so don’t make it any more complicated then it needs to be. *I recommend that anyone interested in the topic of sports nutrition - lay person or scientist - should join the ISSN.* Visit their web site at http://www.sportsnutritionsociety.org for more information. **Presented by Dr. Paul Cribb About the Author - William D. Brink Will Brink is a columnist, contributing consultant, and writer for various health/fitness, medical, and bodybuilding publications. His articles relating to nutrition, supplements, weight loss, exercise and medicine can be found in such publications as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors. He is the author of Priming The Anabolic Environment , Body Building Revealed & Fat Loss Revealed. He is the Consulting Sports Nutrition Editor and a monthly columnist for Physical magazine, Musclemag and an Editor at Large for Power magazine. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies. He has been co author of several studies relating to sports nutrition and health found in peer reviewed academic journals, as well as having commentary published in JAMA. He runs the highly popular web site BrinkZone.com which is strategically positioned to fulfill the needs and interests of people with diverse backgrounds and knowledge. The BrinkZone site has a following with many sports nutrition enthusiasts, athletes, fitness professionals, scientists, medical doctors, nutritionists, and interested lay people. William has been invited to lecture on the benefits of weight training and nutrition at conventions and symposiums around the U.S. and Canada, and has appeared on numerous radio and television programs. William has worked with athletes ranging from professional bodybuilders, golfers, fitness contestants, to police and military personnel. See Will's ebooks online here: Brink's BodyBuilding Revealed "Bodybuilding Revealed is a complete blue print to muscle building success. Everything you need to know about diet & muscle building nutrition, over 50 bodybuilding supplements reviewed, weight training routines, high intensity cardio, the mental edge, pre made muscle building diets and an online private members forum, diet planner, meal planner and much more. It's all in Will Brink's ultimate guide to gaining muscle mass." Fat Loss Revealed "Fat Loss Revealed is the ultimate fat loss manual. A complete online and offline system used by anybody looking to attain a fantastic lean physique. A complete fat loss diet plan, with pre made diets, over 40+ fat loss supplement reviews, resistance workouts, and cardio , along with motivation and goal setting and a huge online private members area and forum form Will Brink's Ultimate Fat loss Program.

The Religion of Pre and Post Workout Nutrition

Written by Will Brink

Oct 28, 2007 at 07:25 PM

Pre- and post-workout nutrition is all the rage these days, and for good reason. For some, however, it’s become more than a science—it’s become their religion, or perhaps just a place to focus their OCD-like tendencies. Regardless, people have taken the topic of pre- and post-workout nutrition to a level that is not justified by the research, or at least not confirmed by the research that currently exists. Readers should realize I may have my membership card to the Bodybuilding Nutrition Guru Society torn up and thrown at me for what I am about to share in this article… As expected, supplement companies—and self–proclaimed ‘net guru types—have used what does exist for research to convince everyone that that if they don’t take in exactly 98.7 grams of carbohydrates and 37.2 grams of protein within 28 seconds after they leave the gym, their muscles will be attacked by every muscle-hating hormone they possess in their body by second 29; with the prior year of hard work in the gym totally wasted by second 30! People are fixated on this particular topic like nothing else, and when you throw in the other possible ingredients that can be added to the post-workout drink, such as creatine, glutamine, and many others, it’s taken to the level of psychosis! Of course supplement companies have come out with their own “techno-functional ultra-repartitioning multi-dimensional”* post-workout drink formulas that are claimed to be the latest breakthrough. Besides the carbs and protein in these formulas, many of the additional compounds are either under dosed (ergo the ‘label decoration’ syndrome), have no particular justification for being in the formula in the first place, or both (ergo, the ‘shot gun’ approach)…but I digress. Now I have to take at least some blame—or credit—for this predicament, depending on how you want to view it. I have written extensively about the importance of post-workout nutrition in all manner of articles, and give the topic extensive focus in my Bodybuilding Revealed e-book . Unlike many of the supplement companies and ‘net experts’ out there, however, I never claimed you would shrivel up into Pee Wee Herman in a matter of minutes if you didn’t get your ultra high-tech post-workout drink 29 seconds after your last set of squats. I have always taken a balanced view on the topic, by pointing out that food is still more important in the overall equation of muscle growth. Thus, what I can say is that research—and common sense—tells us it’s advantageous to get some fast-acting carbs and protein after a hard workout to optimize the time we put in the gym. From there, however, people have relied more on wishful thinking than science for their pre- and post-workout nutrition. People who have poor diets and poorly thought-out training routines, but focus on the latest magic pre- and post-workout elixirs are missing the point. Their approach is like trying to hold up a three-legged stool with one support leg and the other two missing. General Considerations of Research vs. the “Real World” As we all know, a great deal of research is performed that—although interesting—has very little “real world” application to bodybuilders and other athletes. This is because scientists do everything in their power to study their chosen topic in isolation. In other words, they go to great lengths and trouble to control variables that will impact the outcomes of their studies. For example, in a study looking at the effects of a drug or supplement, a placebo group is matched to the “active” group. The scientists want to make sure the effect they get—or don’t get—is due to the drug/supplement and not the placebo effect. Making the study double-blind is another way of attempting to prevent the bias of the scientists from influencing the study. The point is that, when they attempt to isolate an effect of something being tested, scientists often end up with results that may not always be directly applicable to the “real world” of Joe Schmoe gym goer. When study designs don’t reflect “real world” conditions, they need to be taken with a grain of salt. Were the study participants fasted? What type of exercise did they perform? What effects did the researchers actually look at and how does that apply to the “real world” or athlete in question? Were the study participants new to the form of exercise being utilized in the study or were they experienced athletes? How many people were in the study? Who do the results apply to: endurance or strength athletes? Both? Neither?! Those are just a few of the essential questions that have to be asked and answered before you can even begin to draw any useful “real world” conclusions from the studies that come out. Yet this doesn’t stop people and supplement companies from jumping on the latest studies as the last word in nutrition and start making recommendations from them. They also tend to ignore the studies that contradict or fail to replicate the advice they are giving out. Let’s look at some examples… The Fast vs. Slow Protein Craze.. The use of fasted subjects in nutrition studies illustrates how researchers can end up with results that may not apply well to the real world. As the name implies, the study subjects are a group of people who have not eaten for an extended period of time. In many cases, they haven’t eaten for 8 – 10 hours or more, which of course does not reflect how the average person eats, at let alone how the average athlete eats—especially bodybuilders looking to add muscle mass. Enter stage right, the “fast vs. slow” protein craze. The study that got this craze rolling was called “Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion” and was responsible for causing a resurgence of interest in casein. The basic premise of this much-touted study was that the speed of absorption of dietary amino acids (from ingested proteins) varies according to the type of dietary protein a person eats. The researchers wanted to see if the type of protein eaten would affect postprandial (e.g., after a meal) protein synthesis, breakdown, and deposition. To test the hypothesis, they fed casein (CAS) and whey protein (WP) to a group of healthy adults, a single meal of casein (CAS) or whey WP following an overnight fast (10 h). Using this specific study design, they found: •WP induced a dramatic but short increase of plasma amino acids. •CAS induced a prolonged plateau of a moderate increase in amino acids (hyperaminoacidemia) •Whole body protein breakdown was inhibited by 34% after CAS ingestion but not after WP ingestion. •Postprandial protein synthesis was stimulated by 68% with the WP meal and to a lesser extent (+31%) with the CAS meal. The basic non-science summary is: the study found that CAS was good at preventing protein breakdown (proteolysis), but was not so good for increasing protein synthesis. WP had basically the opposite effects: it increased protein synthesis but didn’t prevent protein breakdown. The problem is that they were using fasted subjects for a single meal. *** Keep that in mind as we move along here… So far so good right? So what can we conclude from this study and how useful are the results? Like so many studies, the results were interesting—and of little use to people in the real world. Do these results hold up under more “real world” conditions where people are eating every few hours and/or mixing the proteins with other macronutrients (i.e., carbs and fats)? The answer is probably not, which is exactly what the researchers found when they attempted to mimic a more realistic eating pattern of multiple meals and or the addition of other macronutrients. The follow up study was called “The digestion rate of protein is an independent regulating factor of postprandial protein retention.” Four groups of five to six healthy young men received: • a single meal of slowly digested casein (CAS). • a single meal of free amino acids mimicking the composition of casein (AA). • a single meal of rapidly digested whey proteins (WP). • repeated meals of whey proteins (RPT-WP) mimicking slow digestion rate of casein (i.e., reflecting how people really eat). So what did they find? In a nut shell, giving people multiple doses of whey—which more closely mimics how people really eat-—had basically the same effects as a single dose of casein, and mixing either with fats and proteins pretty much nullified any big differences between the two proteins. Even that’s not the end of the story, however, as multiple follow up studies done by the same group and others found these effects could also be different in older versus younger people and male versus female! How messed up is that?! So how much press did these follow up studies get? Little or none, as I recall. Now, a later study did attempt to examine the actual net amino acid uptake after resistance training with whey vs. casein, and found both proteins had essentially the same effects on net muscle protein synthesis after exercise despite different patterns of blood amino acid responses. Does that put to rest the issue or debate of one protein vs. the other post-workout? No, as there are yet more conflicting studies out there and my bet is still on whey as the superior post-workout protein, but it’s important to realize the answer is far from established at this time. Got Milk? Milk: nature’s original MRP. Despite all the fancy proteins out there all claiming to be the next step in the evolution of proteins that “will blast you past your plateaus in the gym,” good old milk seems to be competing—and winning—against some “high tech” products on the market. We have various studies finding increased protein synthesis and other positive effects when a purified protein supplement (e.g., whey, soy, casein, etc.) ingested right after or before a workout—usually in conjunction with carbohydrates—but what about good old milk, a “real” food? One recent study found good old milk to be an effective post-workout drink that increased net muscle protein synthesis after resistance training. Yet another recent study compared 2 cups of skim milk as a post workout drink compared to a soy drink and a “sports drink.” In this study, the milk and soy drinks were matched for basic macronutrient ratios and calories and all three were matched for total calories. 56 male volunteers were split into three groups, with all put on a resistance training program for 12 weeks. The volunteers were then randomly assigned one of the three drinks to consume as a post workout drink and again one hour after the workouts. Although no major differences were found in strength between the 3 groups, the group getting the milk had the greatest increase in muscle mass (via increases in Type I and II fibers) with researchers concluding “…chronic postexercise consumption of milk promotes greater hypertrophy during the early stages of resistance training in novice weightlifters when compared with isoenergetic soy or carbohydrate consumption.” But it gets better: how about our favorite childhood drink, chocolate milk? How about chocolate milk vs. two commercial energy/fluid replacement drinks, such as Gatorade and Endurox R4? One recent study—albeit a small one—found chocolate milk as effective as Gatorade, and more effective than Endurox, as a recovery drink for trained cyclists between exhaustive bouts of endurance exercise. Now is this a condemnation of sports drinks and an endorsement for milk/chocolate milk as the last word on post-workout drinks? Not at all: remember those essential questions I mentioned above? You have to look at such a study in context—in other words, at the experimental design and how that applies to the “real world.” The subjects fasted for 10 - 12 h prior to the chocolate milk experiment, and these drinks were the only food these guys had for 14 - 16 hours. The results may have been quite different had they been following their normal eating patterns. They also measured effects on endurance vs.—say—strength or increased protein synthesis, etc. So, in the context of this particular study design, look at it this way: chocolate milk has casein (a “slow” protein), and whey (a “fast” protein) as well as calcium, some vitamins and a bunch of carbohydrates—so it makes a pretty good, cheap MRP, if that’s all you are going to get all day long. It’s not a half-bad post-workout drink either. It’s not the best MRP—or post workout drink—I could design, but it’s cheap and easy to find. The reality is that there are some inexpensive foods out there can be used, and most of your old school bodybuilders and strong men used milk as the original post workout drink/MRP. The study that looked at milk vs. soy and sports drink, was done in novice weight lifters, so that too needs to be taken into consideration. Regardless, milk, in particular chocolate milk, should make a perfectly acceptable and inexpensive post workout drink and people who think it’s too “old school” or not “high tech” enough to be if any use are clearly misinformed and the victim of marketing. Now the study we need to see that does not exist, of course, is milk or chocolate milk vs. a well thought out post-workout drink of—say—whey and maltodextrin (high GI carb source), in experienced weight lifters who are not fasted—but don’t hold your breath on that one. Studies like that get expensive quickly and also pose practical issues. For example, if you wanted to match the protein content of—say—2 scoops of whey isolate to chocolate milk (so the groups were getting an equivalent amount of protein), the subjects would need to drink a large volume of milk (remember, milk is mostly water). My hunch is that a correctly designed post-workout drink would be superior to chocolate milk, but it would be nice to see the two compared, no? The Pre-Workout Drink The pre-workout drink craze followed the post-workout craze after a study found pre-workout nutrition may be more effective than post-workout nutrition. The study that got this craze going was called “Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise” which found that drinking a mixture of essential amino acids and carbohydrates induced a greater anabolic response (i.e., a net increase in muscle protein balance) when taken right before weight training vs. right after. **** This study had everyone taking in a pre-workout drink as well as a post-workout drink in an attempt to cover all the bases. It should be noted, however, that—once again—they were using fasted subjects. Think of it like this: you have not eaten in 8-10 or more hours, then you are made to work out on a (very) empty stomach. Under those particular circumstances, does it not make sense getting something to eat before the workout would be superior to after the workout? We all know hitting the weights on an empty stomach is not an optimal method to preserve—or build—muscle mass. Nor is it reflective of real world eating patterns where the vast majority of people have eaten a full meal at least a few hours before they hit the gym. After this study, everyone started drinking a protein drink before they hit the gym. Interestingly, however, a recent study done by the same group who did the pre-drink study mentioned above, found whey taken before hitting the gym did not result in an improved net protein balance vs. taking it after the gym. “Well wait a dang minute Will, now I am really confused!” you are saying angrily to your comp screen! Does this new study show pre-workout nutrition is no more effective than post workout nutrition? No, and here’s why. It’s an apples vs. oranges study. The first study used free amino acids plus carbohydrates, and the follow up study used whey alone without carbohydrates—which is very odd if they were truly trying to see if free aminos were superior to a whole protein such as whey. Unfortunately this latter study really didn’t do much to confirm or deny the first study’s findings. And, don’t forget my comments regarding using fasted subjects, which adds yet another wrinkle to all this. So does that essentially disprove the pre-workout drink vs. the post-workout drink studies? Nope. One recent study did look specifically at the issue of timing and does support the idea that the pre- and post-workout window is the most effective period for ingesting some fast-acting protein and carbs. This study, titled “Effects of supplement timing and resistance exercise on skeletal muscle hypertrophy,” has gotten a fair amount of attention in the bodybuilding/sports nutrition oriented publications. The researchers examined the effects of a drink of whey, glucose and creatine given to two groups of experienced weight lifters, either morning and evening (M/E) or pre- and post-workout (PP), to see if the actual timing of the drink had an effect on muscle hypertrophy or strength development. The study found that the group getting the drink PP had an increase in lean body mass and 1RM strength in two of three assessments that were tested. The group getting the drink PP also experienced greater creatine retention and glycogen resynthesis, which means timing of specific nutrients is an important strategy for optimizing the adaptations desired (e.g., increased muscle mass and strength) from your hard work in the gym. So does this study finally put to rest the issue of pre- vs. post-workout nutrition? No, it did not compare one strategy to the other per se, but did confirm that nutrient timing is an important aspect. One obvious issue is that this study used a drink that contained creatine throughout, so technically it’s not a pro + carb study, but a pro + carb + creatine study. On the plus side, it was done in experienced weight lifters and they were not fasted, so it does at least represent the metabolic realties of “real world” people looking to get the most of their nutrition. Either way, it supports the idea of taking in the right nutrients both pre- and post-workout, but people should not be under the impression that this issue of timing has been “put to bed,” so to speak, and realize there are still plenty of unanswered questions yet to be explored. Of course, there are more studies than just the ones mentioned above, so there are plenty of measurements on indicators of recovery from exercise, such as effects on glycogen resynthesis, alterations in hormones, and hormone levels. Nonetheless, I prefer to look at the actual endpoint that really matters at the end of the day: did this person gain muscle mass, strength, or performance by using this product? Without that, everything else—though potentially interesting—is mental masturbation. Conclusions, and Real World Recommendations. Now I didn’t write this article to confuse you, but to demonstrate that the optimal strategy for increasing strength and LBM in response to resistance training is not as cut and dried as you are often led to believe. However, it’s also probably simpler than you are led to believe, as the human body is far more adaptable to the types of protein it receives as well as the amounts it receives. Thus, the people who stress over whether they got 35g of protein and 60g of carbs in their post workout drinks vs. 32g of protein and 70s of carbs in the drink are probably wasting their time, and causing what is known as “paralysis by analysis.” Put more practically, the amount of cortisol you produce from worrying about such minutia probably offsets any gains you might make from one drink vs. another!***** I also wanted to dispel some of the hype over one protein vs. another, and the fact that expensive pre-made high tech drinks that are all the rage right now are just that: expensive and over hyped. In the real world, people have used variations of the idea that fast acting proteins and a good dose of simple carbs can improve the effects of resistance training for many years. My good friend, the late Dan Duchaine, used to give people whey mixed in water and Corn Flakes with skim milk as their post workout meal. One bodybuilder I knew who went onto be a well known IFBB pro, used to have a drink of whey after his workouts and several slices of apple pie at the local Friday’s restaurant next to the gym for his post-workout meal. Most of your old time strong men and bodybuilders drank quite a lot of milk, and as we have seen from the research, it’s not a half bad post workout drink either. If people want to buy pre-made carb/protein mixtures with other nutrients added (e.g., creatine, glutamine, various vitamins, etc) out of convenience and don’t care that they can “roll their own” for less money, there’s nothing wrong with that. Just don’t think there’s anything magical about the pre-made post-workout drinks, no matter what the marketing material or web site says to entice you to purchase it. Comments of interest: * = yes, I have seen every one of those words used in the marketing of a product; sadly it's not exaggeration! ** = Brink’s Body Building Revealed *** = The reason for this is that whey is absorbed rapidly (being a highly soluble protein) and much of it is oxidized while casein forms a “clot” in the gut and is absorbed slowly (being a fairly insoluble protein), thus causing a steady level of amino acids. That’s why they dubbed whey a “fast” protein and casein a “slow” protein. **** = Measured as the Phenylalanine disappearance rate - considered an indicator of muscle protein synthesis - via femoral arteriovenous catheterization, as well as muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis were used to determine phenylalanine concentrations ***** = Credit for that statement/joke has to be given to nutrition writer Lyle McDonald who said something very similar in a post on the news group misc.fitness.weights a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away about a topic I don’t remember…. References Boirie Y, et al. Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Dec 23;94(26):14930 Dangin M, et al. The digestion rate of protein is an independent regulating factor of postprandial protein retention. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Feb;280(2):E340-8. Dangin M, Boirie Y, Guillet C, Beaufrere B. Influence of the protein digestion rate on protein turnover in young and elderly subjects. J Nutr. 2002 Oct;132(10):3228S-33S. Dangin M, et al. The rate of protein digestion affects protein gain differently during aging in humans. J Physiol. 2003 Jun 1;549(Pt 2):635-44. Epub 2003 Mar 28. Demling RH, DeSanti L .Effect of a hypocaloric diet, increased protein intake and resistance training on lean mass gains and fat mass loss in overweight police officers. Ann Nutr Metab 2000;44(1):21-9 Tipton KD, et al. Ingestion of casein and whey proteins result in muscle anabolism after resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004 Dec;36(12):2073-81. Elliot TA, et al.Milk ingestion stimulates net muscle protein synthesis following resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Apr;38(4):667-74. Hartman JW, et al. Consumption of fat-free fluid milk after resistance exercise promotes greater lean mass accretion than does consumption of soy or carbohydrate in young, novice, male weightlifters. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;86(2):373-81. Karp JR, et al. Chocolate milk as a post-exercise recovery aid. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2006 Feb;16(1):78-91. Tipton KD, et al. Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Aug;281(2):E197-206. Tipton KD, et al Stimulation of net muscle protein synthesis by whey protein ingestion before and after exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Jan;292(1):E71-6. Cribb PJ, Hayes A. Effects of supplement timing and resistance exercise on skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Nov;38(11):1918-25. Additional citations of interest: Rankin JW, et al. Effect of post-exercise supplement consumption on adaptations to resistance training. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Aug;23(4):322-30. Børsheim E, et al. Effect of carbohydrate intake on net muscle protein synthesis during recovery from resistance exercise. J Appl Physiol. 2004 Feb;96(2):674-8. Epub 2003 Oct 31. Bird SP, Tarpenning KM, Marino FE. Liquid carbohydrate/essential amino acid ingestion during a short-term bout of resistance exercise suppresses myofibrillar protein degradation. Metabolism. 2006 May;55(5):570-7. Baty JJ, et al. The effect of a carbohydrate and protein supplement on resistance exercise performance, hormonal response, and muscle damage. J Strength Cond Res. 2007 May;21(2):321-9. About the Author - William D. Brink Will Brink is a columnist, contributing consultant, and writer for various health/fitness, medical, and bodybuilding publications. His articles relating to nutrition, supplements, weight loss, exercise and medicine can be found in such publications as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors. He is the author of Priming The Anabolic Environment , Body Building Revealed & Fat Loss Revealed. He is the Consulting Sports Nutrition Editor and a monthly columnist for Physical magazine, Musclemag and an Editor at Large for Power magazine. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies. He has been co author of several studies relating to sports nutrition and health found in peer reviewed academic journals, as well as having commentary published in JAMA. He runs the highly popular web site BrinkZone.com which is strategically positioned to fulfill the needs and interests of people with diverse backgrounds and knowledge. The BrinkZone site has a following with many sports nutrition enthusiasts, athletes, fitness professionals, scientists, medical doctors, nutritionists, and interested lay people. William has been invited to lecture on the benefits of weight training and nutrition at conventions and symposiums around the U.S. and Canada, and has appeared on numerous radio and television programs. William has worked with athletes ranging from professional bodybuilders, golfers, fitness contestants, to police and military personnel. See Will's ebooks online here: Brink's BodyBuilding Revealed "Bodybuilding Revealed is a complete blue print to muscle building success. Everything you need to know about diet & muscle building nutrition, over 50 bodybuilding supplements reviewed, weight training routines, high intensity cardio, the mental edge, pre made muscle building diets and an online private members forum, diet planner, meal planner and much more. It's all in Will Brink's ultimate guide to gaining muscle mass." Fat Loss Revealed "Fat Loss Revealed is the ultimate fat loss manual. A complete online and offline system used by anybody looking to attain a fantastic lean physique. A complete fat loss diet plan, with pre made diets, over 40+ fat loss supplement reviews, resistance workouts, and cardio , along with motivation and goal setting and a huge online private members area and forum form Will Brink's Ultimate Fat loss Program.

The Religion of Pre and Post Workout Nutrition

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I thought you would want to know about a new resource I've just discovered...

It's called Workoutpass.com by Ryan Lee and he claims whether you want to lose weight or you're an athlete who wants to take your game to the next level, he has the solution for you.

Every workout in the network was created by a fitness expert. There are no computerized programs created by a geeky IT department, our workouts are battle-tested, easy to follow and ready for you.

But there was something missing from Workoutpass.com's 43 different workout websites. Something that wasn't quite there.

Find out if Workoutpass.com really does what the "gurus" are telling you... before you order. You will joyful you heard me out...

Enjoy!

Marc C. DavidAuthor of the Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding

Fitness Pros Pitch In To Help Find Cure For Cancer

Meet Alwyn Cosgrove (pronouced Allen). Alwyn is a well respected in the fitness, fat loss and sports training industry. What you don't know about Alwyn is that he's a two time cancer survivor and underwent a complete stem cell transplant in June of 2006! Upon returning from his second recovery, Alwyn decided it was time to give something back to help continue to support the funding needed to find a cure.

To find a cure for cancer -- we need to fund research. To fund research -- we need money. Plain and simple. - Alwyn cosgrove

He approached several of his close fitness friends, and asked them to contribute to a little book project. As it turned out, his "little book" project turned into an 800 page monster from some of the finest fitness minds in the industry. Of course, nobody wants to print out 800 pages right off or be mailed a dictionary and charged for shipping so he put all these articles including his own "live" in-the-trenches-on-the-frontline account of cancer treatment - everything that went through his head onto a CD (the articles in a PDF format).

Alwyn says he is alive today because of advanced medical treament..

Medical treatment was discovered through research…

Research that required funding…

Funding that was sourced by donations…

Donations that came from people like you and me…

All the proceeds from the sale of this product go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

In the first week alone, his creation raised $10,000 and was read by over 22,000 readers on T-Nation.com With a few more liked mined people spreading the word, it's unknown what could happen.

If all of us in the Internet fitness community - readers/enthusiasts and trainers/professionals alike - would all pitch in, just imagine how much more we could raise for the Society…

Alwyn has asked us all to donate by purchasing a copy of LIFT STRONG. He has also asked us all to spread the word…

STOP...

If you were about to purchase the next hyped up supplement that promises amazing muscle growth then THINK about what's being offered here.

A vast amount of industry expert knowledge. Not skinny guys who just figured out eating was the key to building muscle. Not a person who lost 10 lbs and now is a fat loss expert.

But certified fitness professionals with certifications and credentials.

Alwyn has done his part. Members of the fitness industry have pitched in and done their part. Now he is asking you to do your part. Won’t you support this cause by going to http://www.liftstrong.com/ and purchasing a copy of LIFT STRONG?

You won't find any sales mumbo jumbo on that page. I've done that here . What you will find is a list of the contributors (except me because Alwyn claimed he didn't know me). Do a Google search first to see who they are or whatever you want to do to ensure the information you are going to get on this CD is something of high value.

PPS - I personally lost my Aunt to a 2-year battle with cancer. It was horribly painful to slowly watch her die and never understand the reason's why she got it. But she kept her head high and always believed one day she would be cured.

PPPS - My wife lost her brother to stomach cancer 6 months before I meet her. He went in for a stomach ache and died 3 weeks later.

PPPPS - No matter your position on this the informaiton on the CD you'll get it worth more than most products on the market today.

Bodybuilding Revealed Review

Bodybuilding Revealed Review
The Most Comprehensive Muscle Building Program

Brink's Bodybuilding Revealed [BBR], consists of the BBR 630 page e-book, a number of high quality bonuses and 12 months access to the private members area that accompanies the e-book.

The BRR E-book.

At the heart of the BBR system is the BBR e-book. Some 630 pages of quality information that forms amuscle building nutrition unique and powerful bodybuilding system. The e-book is split up into 5 components which are each covered in depth and allow the user to follow a clear blue print to achieve the lean mass results they are looking for.

The 5 components of the e-book are:

* Nutrition and Muscle Building Diet
* Supplement Reviews & Advice (Over 50 reviews are included)
* Training - From beginner to Advanced.
* Cardio / HIIT
* Motivation and the Mental Edge.

The BBR Bonus Material

With the BBR system customers receive 5 additional reports.

The 5 Reports are:

* Individualization Of Mass Gaining Principles by Charles Poliquin B.Sc M. Sc.
* DOMS : Misconceptions of Muscle Soreness by Evan Peck MD
* Periodization: Overcoming Training Plateaus by Evan Peck MD
* Weight Training Injuries : How to Avoid & Treat Them by Evan Peck MD
* Hybrid Training Solutions by Will Brink.

Video Review of Bodybuilding Revealed

The BRR Private Members Area

In addition to the quality bonus material BBR customers receive, a large part of the value a customer receives when purchasing BBR is the 12 months access to the BBR private members area.

In the BBR members area, customers have access to a vast number of high quality tools:

Some of these tools include:

* 1 on 1 on access to Will Brink and paid, trained coaches
* A highly organized and moderated private forum
* An online Diet Planner which amongst other functionality, allows users to store their diets, create recipes, view their progress, tally macro nutrients, create meals, provide a visual graph of LBM gained and fat lost, and log every single piece of food the eat with real time analysis. In general keep a tight grip on their muscle building diet
* Exercise Videos: Customers can watch all the exercises from the training section with online videos.
* Nutrition Database, allows customers to find out the protein, fat, carb and other values of over 20,000 foods, these can then be implemented as custom foods into the Diet Planner
* Gallery, users can upload photos and get feedback from others
* Pre Made Diets and Workout Charts, customers can download dozens of pre made diets in Excel/PDF format, as well as printable workout charts for all the workouts in the e-book (including charts for Charles Poliquin's section)
* Daily motivation quotes and a weekly bodybuilding video are shown.
* Users can chat in real time with the popular chat box
* Resources, such as body fat % calculators, 1 rep max calculator are all included
* Guru Articles, a section with exclusive content from authors such as Will Brink, Tom Venuto, Charles Staley, Milos, John Berardi and others.

I can't recommend it enough.

Cardio Kills

What's the media trying to tell us now? First it was exercise doesn't really matter in terms of weight loss and now it's cardio is a waste of your time.

Folks, where's the "Cigarette and Coffee Diet?"

Here was a question from a concerned reader...

"I've heard about a few programs that advocate doing no cardio whatsoever. The descriptions are along the lines of "Cardiovascular workouts do burn a few calories, but far fewer than you think. And the more cardio you do, the hungrier you feel. Not only does cardio fail to help you lose weight, but it kills -- it kills your time, your energy, your joints, and your motivation. You burn a few measly calories but then eat twice as many afterward. The result? Weight gain -- and lots of it."

Now, listen to this very carefully...

Cardiovascular training is not a waste of your time. From a fat loss perspective, these programs make sense. You build more muscle which in turn burns more fat. Your metabolism is increased.

The simple fact remains that many individuals including some fitness professionals, appear to have only a minimal understanding of what constitutes sound aerobic fitness.

Is it a misconception that you should do cardio and eat right to lose weight?

In a sense, yes! Cardio as the foundation for a weight loss program with minimal to no strength training is a mistake.

You should be doing:

1- Proper nutrition to burn the fat and feed the muscles; no starvation diets.

2- Proper training of all systems. This includes strength training to build lean muscle and cardiovascular training to increase your oxygen capacity and efficiency.

Many of these gimmicky programs are only looking at a single perspective and not the overall goal of your fitness program.

Healthy living and longevity.

Taking an absolutist view of a fitness program is and always will be a mistake.

But do you have to sacrifice your joints?

If you are running on hard pavement with improper foot ware, you can damage your joints.
But there's several cardio activities you can engage in today that low to no impact and are joint friendly.

How about it kills your time? Or you burn a few measly calories?

Again, hasn't anybody heard of Sean O'Malley or Cardio Coach? Maybe interval training rings a bell? For many people, the mere mention of 'aerobic fitness' means some strange group of people who spend hours and hours doing cardio trying to achieve some "runner's high."

Cardio does not have to be excessive. Many people still believe that any level of aerobic fitness means committing a substantial amount of time and energy. They are mistaken.

While excessive cardio is indeed a waste of time and can be detrimental to those looking to build muscle, it seems there are some specific cardiovascular benefits that help with athletic performance that go beyond just "heart health" benefits.

Fact: Research on people (untrained) who did bike-cardio to failure 3x a week showed that the number of capillaries increased 100% in the leg...this means better nutrition and oxygen to the affected area and all that that imparts!

Cardio training provides new pathways to the muscle where strength training alone cannot.
Stick to short, effective, efficient sessions and go and have some fun in the real world!
Is there something to be said for modeling successful people?

You bet!

Athletes look the way they do for a reason. It's their training. Effective, functional training will result in great progress in less time.

As with many of these "new" programs they all seem to skim over the fact that the REAL results come from changing the person’s diet. Not eliminating cardio or eliminating weights or fruits or fats or anything else. Some have diets so low in calories it’s not a surprise people would lose weight.

I would say that making dietary changes is the most deciding factor in all these programs.
Will Brink, the author of Bodybuilding Revealed, said there are many energy pathways in existence. If you leave out something like cardiovascular training (because these programs give you the same heart healthy benefits) you are really ignoring one of those energy pathways. If you just do strength training, you’re not training or expanding the capacity of the other systems that are important to athletic performance.

How many times have you heard these...

"I run so I don't need to train legs."

"Calves are genetic so training them won't help."

"I don't train shoulders as they get worked when I do chest."

Sure the body parts DO get the benefits of a secondary muscle group but skipping them is ignoring a body part and the opportunity to focus on it.

In the above example...

Your shoulders might be tone and strong but they will never be able to support going to new levels with the bench press if they are not directly trained to move past their current level. In fact, if you bench too heavy and never directly focus on the shoulders that could lead to injury as your secondary muscle group isn't strong enough to support the work.

Making the point that every muscle needs some direct training.

While strength training might give you the heart healthy benefits of cardio, you are then ignoring a major muscle called the heart by indirectly training it and assuming it's work as a secondary muscle will be good enough.

While excessive cardio is indeed a waste of time and can be detrimental to those looking to build muscle, it seems there are some specific cardiovascular benefits that help with athletic performance that go beyond just "heart health" benefits.

Did you know you can achieve a high level of aerobic fitness in as little as 20 minutes, 2 to 3 times a week?

If you are looking for the proper way to eat and train that doesn't require any excessive methods, then look no further than the Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding.

How To Make Your OWN Bodybuilding & Fat Loss Supplements

Just like perfume companies take high-dollar designer brands and “copy” their formula to develop and market a much cheaper alternative, you too can “knock off” the “secret formulas” of supplement manufacturers and make them much cheaper yourself.

Now there ARE some obstacles you’re going to face if you try to do this…

First you have the earlier problem of knowing which ingredients that are listed actually WORK…and which ones are WORTHLESS.

Second, you need to know in what QUANTITIES effective supplements must be used so you’re not wasting your time with your OWN “sprinkle” problem.

Third, you need to know WHERE to find the ingredients you’re going to use at a cost low enough to make it worth your while.

Fourth, you need to know exactly HOW the ingredients listed interact with one another to either boost the effectiveness of each supplement alone…or in some cases even NEGATE the effects of other ingredients (yes…sometimes the ingredients companies use can actually cancel each other out!)

Now, on the front end, this may look like a LOT of work…and it IS if you’re doing the research yourself. In fact, it typically takes me about 2 DAYS to fully investigate a product’s claims and ingredients and then ANOTHER day to prepare my “attack plan” to formulate my own homemade formula.

But you’re in luck because here’s how you can completely eliminate the “research and development” learning curve with my special little “shortcut”…

On May 2nd, I’m going to be releasing a 200 page manual called “Homemade Supplement Secrets” that does ALL of the legwork for you.

I’ve decided to take the “fight” to the greedy supplement manufacturers and give the “Average Joe” the ammunition to keep their hard earned money where it belongs…in their own pockets!

So just how much savings are we talking about?

What if I told you that you can EASILY take a “fat burner” supplement that NORMALLY costs up to $99.98…and make it YOURSELF for just $5.00 a month?

Or how about a popular “muscle-builder” that normally costs $79.90…that you can make for just $6.29 a month?

These are just a COUPLE of examples of how you can start “fighting back” against the companies that are sucking money out of our pockets like a Hoover vacuum.

In “Homemade Supplement Secrets”, here’s what I do…

Expose all of the scams, cons, tricks, and downright FRAUDS that plague the supplement industry! There are GOOD companies…and there are “BAD” companies. I show you how to spot the cons like an FBI interrogator!

Show you how you can set up your own “home base lab” with everyday items and utensils you never expected had an “alternative” use. No need to break out that chemistry set your mom and dad bought you back in 3rd grade. EVERYTHING you need to get started can be found at your local grocery store!

Provide an “ingredient-by-ingredient” analysis of the “major supplements” in 8 different supplementation areas to show you what independent research has to say about its TRUE effectiveness so you can make your own decision about what is right for YOU. I take all of the “top sellers” and turn them inside out. You’ll know how REAL science weighed in on some of the highest priced supplements!

Break open my own personal “knock off” formulas for 24 (yes, that’s TWENTY-FOUR!) of the top selling supplements available today! I won’t spare a single secret as I spill the beans on how YOU can whack off as much as 98% on your supplement bill…starting TOMORROW!

GIVE you my own “little black book” of the very BEST resources for quality supplement ingredients that will SHOCK you with their prices. I’ve turned over every rock I could find for the past 2 years in looking for the very best deals available on supplements. You’ll be amazed at some of the deals that are literally HIDDEN from the average person and tucked away in the darkest corners you may never even think to look. I found them…and now their YOURS!

This is just a quick sample of what I’ll be revealing in this controversial “how-to” guide!

But here’s the catch…

…I’m ONLY going to release 1,000 copies of the program at 12:00 noon (US Central Time) on Wednesday, May 2nd…and notice is going out to over 500,000 email subscribers!

Why only 1,000 copies?

Well, even though I’ve remained as “politically correct” as possible, I’ve already ticked off quite a few people by stepping on the toes of the “big boys”.

I’ve even been turned down by some major fitness magazines for advertising simply because it would “hurt the feelings” of their major advertisers who are pushing $10,000 per page ads trying to get us to fork over our hard-earned money.

Quite frankly, I have NO IDEA what public reaction is going to be.

I have a feeling that the “regular working guys” who are looking to save a TON on their supplement bill will send me flowers…

But “backroom” supplement manufacturers who are pumping out worthless bottles of crap are going to contact my local Chicago mafia representative to take out a “hit” on me.

Not that I’m really concerned with assassination attempts (I’ve seen enough Schwarzenegger movies to handle myself!)…but I DO have some friends in the industry (both in the manufacturing AND marketing ends) and I’ve decided that while I don’t care about hurting the feelings of the big box supplement companies, I’m NOT looking to damage the business of friends who ARE putting out some quality supplements.

After the 1,000 initial copies, I’m going to assess whether or not it’s worth it to re-release the manual…or shut it down permanently.

I may release it again…I may not…but I can assure you of one thing…

On May 2nd, I’m going to release it at a price so unbelievable, you would be INSANE not to be waiting by your keyboard for my launch notification just so you can grab your copy before they’re all gone.

BUT…I’m going to give you a chance RIGHT NOW to sign up for my “Early Bird” Notification List where you can get an extra ONE HOUR headstart on the rest of the world (yes…this program MAY sell out in under 1 hour! If you don’t want to take the chance, then I suggest you secure your spot in line right now! No kidding!)

If you’re currently using ANY supplements, I urge you to get on my “early bird” notification list so you can be one of the 1,000 people who will gain access to this controversial new program.

E.L.M. -- 3 Bodybuilding Truths You MUST Learn

How the ELM Tree Can Help You Achieve the Body of Your Dreams!

Last Wednesday, April 9, 2007 I was kidnapped!

Into attending a positive coaching session at the local high school. The flyer said "parents strongly urged to attend." The minute I got there I had a feeling it was going to be a long night. And I didn't even have any gum.

When I flipped thru the manual and listened to the speaker, I tried desperately to think all this talk about coaching had anything to do with fitness. You know what I'm talking about right? I was desperate to find some personally connection to stay awake.

Then it HIT ME like a piano from the 30th story window!

Something called the ELM Tree. And if I had known about this when I first stared, maybe I wouldn't have made so many damn mistakes that held me back for years.

"What is holding people back from achieving total success?" Or...

"What individuals who have achieved success are doing differently than 95% of the population?"
If you know the ELM Tree which stands for:

* Effort
* Learning
* Mistakes are OK

Then you'll know how all these gurus, fitness experts and people who have achieve success do it. It's the way in which they approach their goals. And it's as simple as changing the definition of "winning" in your own mind that will make all the difference.

No need to pay a dime for this. It's just a quick and easy way to look at how you've been taught and how you should think that will flip that light switch and actually change your life.

Look, I'm human too. I've made my fair share of mistakes. Bought too many tapes and books that just pitched some backend program.

Nobody every told me my thinking in approaching my fat loss or muscle building goals were probably being derailed by my DEFINITION of success. Once I realized how the maters think, it became clear how to get the results I wanted from almost any program.

Now let me tell you about the ELM Tree. It will take just a few minutes of your time to listen. And hopefully that little light switch will get flicked on and you'll have one of those million dollar "ah-ha" moments.

The REAL Effects of Alcohol on Your Body

If you are curious as to the effects of alcohol on the body, this could be the most eye-opening article you will ever read.

Many of us associate the effects of alcohol on the body with the heart, lungs, liver, brain, memory, etc. Furthermore, if asked about effects of drinking alcohol in terms of our fitness goals, most people will let you know about the infamous beer belly.

You know what I'm talking about right?

Drink too much and you end up storing too many calories as fat.

Many people will choose low calorie alcohol drinks or low carb alcoholic beverages in an attempt to avoid the fat storage issue. They feel that by making this choice the only bad effects of alcohol - increased fat storage - will be minimized.

But what you didn't know is that only about 5% of the calories from alcohol are stored as fat! [14]

Then it hit me as it should hit you right about now...

The effects of alcohol on the body are far more damaging than can be predicted by the number of empty calories in some alcoholic beverage.

The truth is...

1- Alcohol really affects the amount of fat your body can and will burn for energy!

In a study done by the American Journal of Clinical Research [4] they concluded that just a mere 24g of alcohol consumption showed whole-body lipid oxidation ( the rate at which your body burns fat) decreased by a whopping 73%!

When alcohol goes thru the liver, the by-product is called Acetate. It would appear that acetate puts the proverbial brakes on fat burning.

Your body can use many types of fuel. Protein, carbohydrates and fat. In many cases, the fuel used is dictated by it's availability.

Trouble is...

Your body tends to use whatever you feed it for fuel right? As your acetate levels increase, your body burns more acetate as fuel.

What this means is...

Fat burning takes a back seat!

What it all boils down to is this...

a) You consume a couple of alcoholic drinks or more.
b) Your liver metabolizes that into acetate.
c) Your body uses the acetate for fat as fuel.

2- Increase in appetite

In another American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study, there was evidence to suggest that consumption of alcohol lead to an increase in appetite over that of any other carbohydrate type drink. [5]

Researchers over in the Research Department of Human Nutrition and Center for Advanced Food Studies in Denmark [8] concluded that consumption of alcoholic beverages, and wine in particular, may enhance total energy intake at a meal relative to a soft drink, when served with no restriction.

3- Decrease in Testosterone and an Increase in Cortisol

A study of 8 healthy male volunteers observed that after drinking alcohol, the effects of a significant decrease in testosterone and an increase in cortisol (a muscle destroying hormone) lasted up to 24 hours! [6]

The only real question to ask yourself is this...

If you are serious about building muscle and burning fat, you want all the free testosterone levels you can get and you want to reduce cortisol in any way you can. That means go lite on the drinking because it does affect your hormones.

What more...

Is that the effects were even worse if you exercise before drinking. [1] This means that if you are going out and will be drinking more than a small amount of alcohol, you might as well skip the gym.

Not shocking is a study done by the Department of Radiology, Sahlgrenska Hospital, Goteborg, Sweden [2] that determined increased waist to hip ratio of alcoholics may include not only changes in adipose tissue, but also in muscle tissue distribution.

In layman's terms.. that means more fat around the waist and less overall muscle mass.

4- Decrease in vitamin and mineral absorption

When you consume large quantities of alcohol, your liver is busy converting the alcohol to acetate and any vitamins and minerals that it might process are taken up by the detoxification process.

Alcohol interferes with the metabolism of most vitamins, and with the absorption of many nutrients. Alcohol stimulates both urinary calcium and magnesium excretion. [13]

This just means that you'll get less of a benefit from the "healthy" meal you may be consuming.
Food in the stomach will compete with ethanol for absorption into the blood stream. It is well known that alcohol competes and influences the processing of nutrients in the body. [12]

5- Decrease in protein synthesis of type II fibers

This means the actual building of muscle is slowed down by 20%+ or more. This included a 35% decrease in muscle insulin-like growth factor-I (GF-I). [9]

6- Dehydration

A common side effect of alcohol is dehydration. Alcohol is a diuretic. Drinks containing 4% alcohol tend to delay the recovery process. [11]

Considering how important water is to muscle building and general health, it's clear that dehydration can put a damper on your progress. After alcohol consumption the first thing you might want to do is drink coffee. But that's a diuretic as well. How to avoid dehydration? Drink more water.

7- Sleep

Alcohol consumption, especially at the times when you would normally sleep, can have effects on the quality of sleep. Clearly high quality sleep is extremely important to the rebuilding and growth process of muscle. Without proper rest and recovery, your gains will be affected.

Alcohol consumption can induce sleep disorders by disrupting the sequence and duration of sleep states and by altering total sleep time as well as the time required to fall asleep. [10]

8- The next day

A rather obvious conclusion but if you plan on drinking on a Friday night in excess then the leg workout you thought of doing on Saturday morning won't be top notch. It takes a bit to recover, your body to detoxify and for you mentally to be prepared to workout.

Not to mention you need energy for the workout ahead.

Sure you can hit the weights but my point is...

It's not going to be the best workout you've ever experienced.

At this point you might be totally discouraged to ever drink any alcohol again. But there's some good news.

Here's proof...

In the November 2004 issue of the International Journal of Obesity [7] they did a study on the effects of moderate consumption of white wine on weight loss.

Each group consumed 1500 calories. 150 calories came from white wine in one group and 150 calories from grape juice in another.

The conclusion?

An energy-restricted diet is effective in overweight and obese subjects used to drinking moderate amounts of alcohol. A diet with 10% of energy derived from white wine is as effective as an isocaloric diet with 10% of energy derived from grape juice.

It's simple: Moderation is the key! (with first place being abstinence as you already know).
In any event...

The effects of alcohol on your body when it comes to building muscle and burning fat are quite clear. It is a lot more than just some extra calories stored as fat. If you consume too much, it can derail your goals a lot longer after your head has hit the pillow and you've gone to sleep.

References:

1. Heikkonen, E., Ylikahri, R., Roine, R., Valimaki, M., Harkonen, M., & Salaspuro, M. (1996). The combined effect of alcohol and physical exercise on serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and cortisol in males. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 20, 711-716
2. Kvist, H., Hallgren, P., Jonsson, L., Pettersson, P., Sjoberg, C., Sjostrom, L., & Bjorntorp, P. (1993). Distribution of adipose tissue and muscle mass in alcoholic men. Metabolism, 42, 569-573
3. Raben A, Agerholm-Larsen L, Flint A, Holst JJ, Astrup A. (2003). Meals with similar energy densities but rich in protein, fat, carbohydrate, or alcohol have different effects on energy expenditure and substrate metabolism but not on appetite and energy intake. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 77, 91-100
4. Siler, S.Q., Neese, R.A., & Hellerstein, M.K. (1999). De novo lipogenesis, lipid kinetics, and whole-body lipid balances in humans after acute alcohol consumption. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70, 928-936
5. Tremblay, A., & St-Pierre, S. (1996). The hyperphagic effect of a high-fat diet and alcohol intake persists after control for energy density. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63, 479-482
6. Valimaki, M.J., Harkonen, M., Eriksson, C.J., & Ylikahri, R.H. (1984). Sex hormones and adrenocortical steroids in men acutely intoxicated with ethanol. Alcohol, 1, 89-93
7. Flechtner-Mors, M., Biesalski, H.K., Jenkinson, C.P., Adler, G., & Ditschuneit, H.H. (2004). Effects of moderate consumption of white wine on weight loss in overweight and obese subjects. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 28, 1420-1426
8. Buemann, B., Toubro, S., & Astrup, A. (2002). The effect of wine or beer versus a carbonated soft drink, served at a meal, on ad libitum energy intake. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 26, 1367-1372
9. Lang CH, Frost RA, Kumar V, Wu D, Vary TC. (2000). Inhibition of muscle protein synthesis by alcohol is associated with modulation of eIF2B and eIF4E, 3, 322-31
10. Alcohol Alert, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, No. 41 July. 1988
11. Shirreffs, Susan M., and Ronald J Maughan. 91997). Restoration of fluid balance after exercise-induced dehydration: effects of alcohol consumption, Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol. 83, No. 4, pp. 1152-1158
12. "Alcohol, chemistry and you," Kennesaw State University, chemcases.com, Aug. 2002
13. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Report to Congress, 1990
14. "Why alcohol calories are more important than you think," Christian Finn,

Healthy and Nutritious diet

Maintaining a healthy diet is the practice of making choices about what to eat with the intent of improving or maintaining good health. Usually this involves consuming necessary nutrients by eating the appropriate amounts from all of the food groups, including an adequate amount of water. Since human nutrition is complex a healthy diet may vary widely subject to an individual's genetic makeup, environment, and health. For around 20% of the planet's population, lack of food and malnutrition are the main impediments to healthy eating; people in developed countries are however more concerned about obesity.

Only 13 steps to maintain a healthy diet

The following basic guidelines are what you need to know to construct a healthy diet.
1 Eat plenty of high-fiber foods—that is, fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. These are the “good” carbohydrates—nutritious, filling, and relatively low in calories. They should supply the 20 to 30 grams of dietary fiber you need each day, which slows the absorption of carbohydrates, so there’s less effect on insulin and blood sugar, and provides other health benefits as well. Such foods also provide important vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (plant chemicals essential to good health).
2 Make sure to include green, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables—such as broccoli, carrots, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits. The antioxidants and other nutrients in these foods may help protect against developing certain types of cancer and other diseases. Eat five or more servings a day.
3 Limit your intake of sugary foods, refined-grain products such as white bread, and salty snack foods. Sugar, our No.1 additive, is added to a vast array of foods. Just one daily 12-ounce can of soda (160 calories) can add up to 16 pounds over the course of a year. Many sugary foods are also high in fat, so they’re calorie-dense.
4 Cut down on animal fat. It’s rich in saturated fat, which boosts blood cholesterol levels and has other adverse health effects. Choose lean meats, skinless poultry, and nonfat or low-fat or nonfat dairy products.
5 Cut way down on trans fats, supplied by hydrogenated vegetable oils used in most processed foods in the supermarket and in many fast foods.
6 Eat more fish and nuts, which contain healthy unsaturated fats. Substitute olive or canola oil for butter or stick margarine.
7 Keep portions moderate, especially of high-calorie foods. In recent years serving sizes have ballooned, particularly in restaurants. Choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything.
8 Keep your cholesterol intake below 300 milligrams per day. Cholesterol is found only in animal products, such as meats, poultry, dairy products, and egg yolks.
9 Eat a variety of foods. Don't try to fill your nutrient requirements by eating the same foods day in, day out. It is possible that not every essential nutrient has been identified, and so eating a wide assortment of foods helps to ensure that you will get all the necessary nutrients. In addition, this will limit your exposure to any pesticides or toxic substances that may be present in one particular food.
10 Maintain an adequate calcium intake. Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth. Get your calcium from low-fat sources, such as skim milk and low-fat yogurt. If you can't get the optimal amount from foods, take supplements.
11 Try to get your vitamins and minerals from foods, not from supplements. Supplements cannot substitute for a healthy diet, which supplies nutrients and other compounds besides vitamins and minerals. Foods also provide the "synergy" that many nutrients require to be efficiently used in the body.
12 Maintain a desirable weight. Balance energy (calorie) intake with energy output. Exercise and other physical activity are essential.
13 If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. That is one drink a day for women, two a day for men. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits. Excess alcohol consumption leads to a variety of health problems. And alcoholic beverages can add many calories to your diet without supplying nutrients.

A Simple Plan for Weight Loss

The math is pretty simple. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Want to lose a pound a week? Then you need to consume 3500 calories less per week than you use. That's about 500 calories a day. By cutting out 500 calories a day from your normal daily diet, while keeping your activity level the same, you can lose approximately one pound a week. All right - that doesn't sound like much, especially if you're more than 25 pounds overweight. Study after study has shown, though, that those people who lose weight gradually - at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week -are far more likely to keep the weight off and maintain a normal weight for a lifetime.
So how much exactly IS 500 calories? If you're going to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories, it helps to know what you need to cut out, right? Here's how easy it is to lose 500 calories a day:
* Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. Savings? 50 calories per cup.
* Skip the butter on your baked potato. Savings? 100 calories
* Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16 ounce soda. Savings? 200 calories
* Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at a whopping 460 calories. A fresh salad with a light dressing? Less than 100! Savings? 360 calories
* Pass by the bag of potato chips. An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. Savings? 300 calories
* Eat your corn on the ear. A 1 cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Savings? 80 calories.* Switch to low-fat cream cheese on your bagel. Savings? 90 calories per ounce.
* Love those fries and can't give them up? Swap the skinny fries out for thick steak-cut ones. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. Savings? 50 calories per 4 ounce serving
If you'd rather look at losing weight from an exercise perspective, you can also lose one pound a week by upping your activity level by 500 calories a day. How easy is that to do? Take a look:
* Take a half-hour walk around the park. Aim for a pace that's a little faster than a stroll, but not fast enough to be breathless. Burn: 160 calories.
* Get out your bike and take a ride. Tackle a few moderate hills and aim for about five miles total. Burn: 250 calories* Go dancing - and really DANCE. The longer you're out on the floor instead of at the table drinking up high-calorie drinks, the more you'll get out of it. Dancing that makes you breathless and warms up your body will net you a nice calorie savings. Burn: 400 calories for one hour* Swimming is great for you, and a lot of fun, too. The water resistance means you burn more calories, and you avoid the stress impact on joints from aerobics, dancing or walking. Do a few laps at a slow crawl - if you can get up to an hour you'll be doing great! Burn: 510 calories* Get out into your garden. An hour of gardening tasks that includes bending and stretching can burn up to as many calories as a brisk walk. Burn: 250 calories.
* Play a game of tennis. Hook up with a friend for a weekly tennis game and you'll be amazed at the difference. One hour of vigorous tennis is one of the best calorie burners around. Burn: 800 calories
It’s important to keep in mind that all exercise/calorie numbers are based on a woman weighing 130 pounds. If you weigh more, you'll burn more. Want an added bonus to burning calories through exercise? When you exercise, you build muscle by converting it from fat. Three guesses which kind of body tissue burns more calories - even when you're not exercising. You got it - your body uses more energy to maintain and feed muscle than it does fat.
For best results, mix and match food savings with exercises that burn calories. Do keep in mind that eating less than 1000 calories a day for more than a few days will convince your body that it's starving and slow your metabolism. Keep calorie ranges reasonable, and consult a doctor if you want a quicker, more drastic weight loss.

Cut down on saturated fat and sugar

To stay healthy we need some fat in our diets. What is important is the kind of fat we are eating. There are two main types of fat:
saturated fat - having too much can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases the chance of developing heart disease
unsaturated fat - having unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat lowers blood cholesterolTry to cut down on food that is high in saturated fat and have foods that are rich in unsaturated fat instead, such as vegetable oils (including sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil), oily fish, avocados, nuts and seeds.

Top tips to cut the saturated fat:

Eating too much saturated fat can increase blood cholesterol levels, which in turn is a risk factor for coronary heart disease.
The healthier type of fat to choose is unsaturated fat (monounsaturated or polyunsaturated), which can actually improve cholesterol levels. But don’t forget all fat is high in calories, so if you are watching your weight, you should limit your overall fat intake.

Here are our tips to help you cut down on saturated fats:

* Not so good fats…

Butter, lard, palm oil, coconut oil/cream and ghee (clarified butter) are all rich sources of saturated fat and are best limited. Replace with small amounts of unsaturated fats such as olive oil, rapeseed oil or corn oil.

* Choose your meat wisely
Have chicken or turkey without skin, lean cuts of meats and trim off any visible fat. Cut back on fatty meat pies, sausages, sausage rolls and breaded meat or chicken etc. Did you know a grilled chicken breast without skin contains a third less saturated fat than with skin?

* Spreads

Use spreads thinly and go for lower fat spreads with the lowest amount of saturates. Avoid butter or hard margarines and choose spreads that mainly contain monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats.

* Check the labels
Cut down on takeaways, ready meals and processed foods. Opt for lower fat versions; check and compare nutrition labels and pick foods with a lower amount of saturated fat.

* Look at your cooking methods
Grill, bake, steam, boil or poach foods instead of frying in lots of oil. Did you know a portion of cod fried in batter has 2.9g of saturated fat and 445 calories, but an average portion of baked cod has just 0.4g of saturated fat and only 115 calories! Rather than adding extra fat like cream or sour cream to recipes why not swap with low-fat yoghurt or fromage frais.

* Dressings and sauces
Make your own low fat salad dressing using ingredients such as low fat yoghurt, lemon juice, herbs, etc rather than shop brought ones. If you do buy dressing or sauces, pick lower fat varieties, e.g. low-fat salad dressing or lower fat mayonnaise.

* Milk it up…
Use semi-skimmed or skimmed milk rather than full fat or condensed milk. For example, swap a 200ml glass of full fat milk for semi-skimmed milk and cut your saturated fat intake by 2.9g and 40 calories.

* To measure or spray
Measure your oil out with a tablespoon rather than just pouring straight out of the bottle. Then you know how much you are using. Or why not use a spray oil to cook.

* Cheesy choice
Check out the nutrition label and opt for cheeses that are lower in fat and saturated fat such as cottage cheese, ricotta and half-fat cheddar. Did you know that a 30g portion of hard cheese is the size of a small matchbox?

* Eat more oily fish
Oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, fresh tuna and sardines are rich in omega 3 polyunsaturated fat; which can help to protect against heart disease.

* Snack attack
For a tasty and nutritious snack, have a handful of unsalted nuts, seeds or dried fruit rather then reaching for fatty snacks such as crisps, pastries, or bombay mix. For those with a sweet tooth choose sugar free jelly or sorbets instead of cakes, biscuits or ice-cream.

* Bulk up
Add less meat to casseroles, stews and sauces and replace with fibre-rich vegetables, beans or pulses.

Mr.Olympia Ronnie Coleman

History:Ronald Dean Coleman is an American bodybuilder and an eight-time Mr. Olympia title winner. He is known mainly as "Ronnie Coleman", and has won the Mr. Olympia contest every year from 1998 to 2005. Coleman is an affiliate of the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB) and is signed to an endorsement contract with BSN. Alongside his eight Olympia wins as a professional bodybuilder, Coleman holds the record for most wins as an IFBB professional with 25 wins. He broke the previous record (held by Vince Taylor at 22 wins) in Moscow on November 5th, 2004. Coleman graduated Cum Laude from Grambling State University (GSU) in 1989 with a degree in accounting. While attending Coleman also played football with the GSU Tigers under famous coach Eddie Robinson.
After graduation, Coleman became a police officer. Coleman, who has won more professional titles than any other bodybuilder, supports the Inner City Games, an organization that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger co-founded in 1991. He was the recipient of the 2001 Admiral in the Texas Navy Certificate Award from Texas Governor Rick Perry for outstanding achievements in bodybuilding and the promotion of physical fitness. Coleman's training consists of simple compound movements with mostly free weights and some powerlifting; he rarely uses machines. He typically trains 6 days a week in the on-season. Ronnie Coleman's First Training Video features Coleman training after the 1997 Mr. Olympia contest.
The Unbelievable features Coleman's day-to-day activities in preparation for the 2000 Mr. Olympia competition. Some of the feats in this video include: 2x800lb deadlift, 12x200lb dumbbell flat bench press, 5x585lb front squat (free). The Cost of Redemption features Coleman's 800 lb (363 kg) squats, 2250 lb (1021 kg) leg press, 495 lb (225 kg) bench press and 75 lb (34 kg) arm curls. Preparation for the 2003 Mr. Olympia. On The Road features 101 minutes of workout action and 14 minutes of special features - Total running time 115 minutes. Filmed in Australia less than a week after the 2005 Mr. Olympia.

About Ronnie:
Born: May 13, 1964
Birthplace: Monroe, Louisiana, USA
Residence: Texas, USA
Height: 5' 11"
Off Season Weight: 330 lbs
Competition Weight: 296 lbs
Arms: 24"
Thighs: 34"
Chest: 58"