Sunday, September 18, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
TO CRUNCH OR NOT TO CRUNCH
To Crunch Or Not To Crunch, That Is the Question
There is a lot of crazy advice out there on the internet. After all, that’s one of the
main reasons that you guys look to me – for sound advice that is backed by credible
science.
One of the craziest recommendations that I am seeing lately is fitness “experts”
warning that crunches are DANGEROUS!
What?!
Yes, there is an entire camp of fitness “experts” that claim that crunches are bad for
your spine and that you should completely stop doing them. In fact, over a year ago
our online editor for muscleandfitness.com posted an article by a so-called fitness
expert that warned our readers against doing crunches. I was horrified when I
saw the article on our website and had the online editor remove it promptly. I was
shocked that anyone would be so idiotic to think that doing crunches is bad for your
back. That’s like warning people to stop doing curls because they are bad for your
elbows! But I quickly learned that this guy was not alone and that there is a whole
slew of fitness “experts” claiming the same ridiculous thing.
But don’t just take my word for it.
Luckily, the National Strength & Conditioning Association’s (NSCA) Strength and
Conditioning Journal published a review paper on whether or not the crunch is a
dangerous exercise. Here is a summary of what they found:
There is research showing that when you flex your spine forward, like you do when
you do a crunch, it can cause damage to the spinal discs.
However, all of this research was done in animal spines and in vitro! In vitro
basically means “outside the body”. So basically these studies were done in isolated
animal spines. There are many problems with this technique.
For starters, the majority of these were done with the cervical (neck) portion of pig
spines and not even the lower back portion. There is a big difference between the
spine in your neck and the spine in your lumbar (lower) back. A BIG difference!
Another problem is the fact that in the body there are muscles that support the
spine and take much of the load and reduce the stress on the spine and discs. There
are no muscles working with the spine in an isolated animal spine.
Another issue is that when you do a crunch you increase the pressure inside the
abdominal cavity. An increase in pressure inside the abdominal cavity reduces the
stress on the spine and discs. An isolated animal spine has no abdominal cavity
working with it and therefore no extra pressure to support it.
So most of these fitness “experts” claiming that crunches are bad for your spine are
making these conclusions are this ridiculous research in pig cervical spines. What
they forgot to read were all the studies showing that flexion of the spine is actually
beneficial to the discs, as the Strength & Conditioning Journal article points out.
Research shows that flexion of the spine increases nutrient delivery to the discs.
And research also shows that exercise programs involving spinal flexion have been
proven to reduce low back pain and increase flexibility of the spine. Not to mention
that the ONLY way to increase muscle hypertrophy of the major midsection muscles
– the rectus adbominis (the abs) and obliques as well as their strength is by doing
exercises with resistance that involve spinal flexion!
So if you read in a book, or magazine, or online that you should stop doing crunches,
get a good laugh, and ignore it. Crunches and other ab exercises that involve flexing
the spine are one of the healthiest things you can do for your back and your body.
In my opinion, I think that these fitness “experts” that warn against crunches are
just looking for excuses not to train their abs. And I’ll bet that the majority of them
have less than impressive abs.
Conditioning Journal published a review paper on whether or not the crunch is a
dangerous exercise. Here is a summary of what they found:
There is research showing that when you flex your spine forward, like you do when
you do a crunch, it can cause damage to the spinal discs.
However, all of this research was done in animal spines and in vitro! In vitro
basically means “outside the body”. So basically these studies were done in isolated
animal spines. There are many problems with this technique.
For starters, the majority of these were done with the cervical (neck) portion of pig
spines and not even the lower back portion. There is a big difference between the
spine in your neck and the spine in your lumbar (lower) back. A BIG difference!
Another problem is the fact that in the body there are muscles that support the
spine and take much of the load and reduce the stress on the spine and discs. There
are no muscles working with the spine in an isolated animal spine.
Another issue is that when you do a crunch you increase the pressure inside the
abdominal cavity. An increase in pressure inside the abdominal cavity reduces the
stress on the spine and discs. An isolated animal spine has no abdominal cavity
working with it and therefore no extra pressure to support it.
So most of these fitness “experts” claiming that crunches are bad for your spine are
making these conclusions are this ridiculous research in pig cervical spines. What
they forgot to read were all the studies showing that flexion of the spine is actually
beneficial to the discs, as the Strength & Conditioning Journal article points out.
Research shows that flexion of the spine increases nutrient delivery to the discs.
And research also shows that exercise programs involving spinal flexion have been
proven to reduce low back pain and increase flexibility of the spine. Not to mention
that the ONLY way to increase muscle hypertrophy of the major midsection muscles
– the rectus adbominis (the abs) and obliques as well as their strength is by doing
exercises with resistance that involve spinal flexion!
So if you read in a book, or magazine, or online that you should stop doing crunches,
get a good laugh, and ignore it. Crunches and other ab exercises that involve flexing
the spine are one of the healthiest things you can do for your back and your body.
In my opinion, I think that these fitness “experts” that warn against crunches are
just looking for excuses not to train their abs. And I’ll bet that the majority of them
have less than impressive abs.
JUMPING ROPE
Jumping Rope: 780 calories per hour
Only got ten minutes? You can still squeeze in cardio with this highly effective activity, which can have you burning 130 calories every ten minutes (or 780 calories per hour). According to MedicineNet.com, you’d have to run an eight-minute mile to burn as many calories as jumping rope for the same amount of time, making it a good choice for someone who is starting a fitness regime and may not have the endurance to maintain a fast running speed for an extended period of time. If you have limited space and time, jumping rope is the most efficient way to see results. In addition, the high-impact nature of this workout means you’ll add bone mass, increasing your bone health, according to 24 Hour Fitness Club's Website and BoneHealth.com, while you lose fat.
Only got ten minutes? You can still squeeze in cardio with this highly effective activity, which can have you burning 130 calories every ten minutes (or 780 calories per hour). According to MedicineNet.com, you’d have to run an eight-minute mile to burn as many calories as jumping rope for the same amount of time, making it a good choice for someone who is starting a fitness regime and may not have the endurance to maintain a fast running speed for an extended period of time. If you have limited space and time, jumping rope is the most efficient way to see results. In addition, the high-impact nature of this workout means you’ll add bone mass, increasing your bone health, according to 24 Hour Fitness Club's Website and BoneHealth.com, while you lose fat.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Friday, November 12, 2010
7 FAT BLASTERS
We all have days when there's no time to get to the gym. So we wondered: Which close-to-home cardio activities blast fat fastest?
Wonder no more. Here are the top seven fat-and-calorie burners, from Los Angeles based celeb trainer Ramona Braganza.
Try any one of these, and you'll boost your metabolism for up to a whole day afterward. One small workout, one giant payoff.
1. Inline skating
Burns 425 calories in 30 minutes
2. Running
Burns 374 calories in 30 minutes
3. Jumping rope
Burns 340 calories in 30 minutes
4. Hula hooping
Burns 300 calories in 30 minutes
5. Tennis
Burns 272 calories in 30 minutes
6. Dancing
Burns 221 calories in 30 minutes
7. Walking vigorously
Burns 170 calories in 30 minutes
Wonder no more. Here are the top seven fat-and-calorie burners, from Los Angeles based celeb trainer Ramona Braganza.
Try any one of these, and you'll boost your metabolism for up to a whole day afterward. One small workout, one giant payoff.
1. Inline skating
Burns 425 calories in 30 minutes
2. Running
Burns 374 calories in 30 minutes
3. Jumping rope
Burns 340 calories in 30 minutes
4. Hula hooping
Burns 300 calories in 30 minutes
5. Tennis
Burns 272 calories in 30 minutes
6. Dancing
Burns 221 calories in 30 minutes
7. Walking vigorously
Burns 170 calories in 30 minutes
Thursday, September 9, 2010
AMAZING AMINOS
Amazing Aminos – the key to unlocking Amazonian Muscle Growth
Proteins are macro-molecules that are composed of amino acids. Halt! You're bored already. Right! Why? Because most of the crud you read about amino acids is as exciting as watching sand shift in the Mohave desert.
But you know what? The EAAs (essential amino acids) are the single most important dietary factor in promoting muscle mass gains and expediting recovery. Why? Because your body doesn't naturally make them. Hence, they are essential!
If you slept through high school biology (admit it, we all did), remember that amino acids are the building blocks of protein. So for any given protein that you consume, whether it is beef, chicken, or beans, the amount of each specific amino acid differs. Most plant sources of protein for example do NOT have enough of the essential amino acids; that's why they are incomplete proteins. And that's why most athletes are carnivores.
Conversely, the non-essential amino acids are made by your body; therefore, you don't necessary need to consume them in your diet. Though if you consume meat or milk-based proteins, then you will always get a mix of essential and non-essential amino acids.
So what are the essential amino acids or EAA?
Of the 20 amino acids that are used to form proteins, 9 are essential or indispensable; meaning that you need to consume them in your diet because your body does not normally make them. (See Table 1)
Table 1 - Essential Amino Acids
1. Phenylalanine
2. Valine
3. Tryptophan
4. Threonine
5. Isoleucine
6. Methionine
7. Histidine
a. (arginine)
8. Lysine
9. Leucine
________________________________________
And these EAAs are the holy grail of muscle recovery and growth.
For those of you with the attention span of a fruit fly, here's a summary:
• Consuming the essential amino acids after lifting weights leads to a large increase in the rate of muscle protein synthesis which means in gym lingo, your muscles get bigger.(1)
• A high proportion of leucine, the key essential amino acid, is required for optimal stimulation of the rate of muscle protein synthesis; i.e. big muscles again.(2)
• Net muscle protein gain is significant when essential amino acids and/or protein are consumed immediately post-exercise. There is also evidence to show that consuming essential amino acids pre-exercise is even more anabolic.(3) So friggin' eat protein or aminos right after you train as well as before!
• According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, their position stand states that, �Post-exercise ingestion of amino acids, primarily essential amino acids, has been shown to stimulate robust increases in muscle protein synthesis, while the addition of CHO may stimulate even greater levels of protein synthesis. Additionally, pre-exercise consumption of a CHO + PRO supplement may result in peak levels of protein synthesis.(4)� Yeah yeah�boring science stuff. But hey, it's proof that it works!
Boring Science Stuff to Read – But it's Proof!
1. Drummond MJ, Dreyer HC, Fry CS, Glynn EL, Rasmussen BB. Nutritional and Contractile Regulation of Human Skeletal Muscle Protein Synthesis and mTORC1 Signaling. J Appl Physiol 2009.
2. Katsanos CS, Kobayashi H, Sheffield-Moore M, Aarsland A, Wolfe RR. A high proportion of leucine is required for optimal stimulation of the rate of muscle protein synthesis by essential amino acids in the elderly. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2006;291:E381-7.
3. Tipton KD, Rasmussen BB, Miller SL, et al. Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2001;281:E197-206.
4. Kerksick C, Harvey T, Stout J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2008;5:17.
Proteins are macro-molecules that are composed of amino acids. Halt! You're bored already. Right! Why? Because most of the crud you read about amino acids is as exciting as watching sand shift in the Mohave desert.
But you know what? The EAAs (essential amino acids) are the single most important dietary factor in promoting muscle mass gains and expediting recovery. Why? Because your body doesn't naturally make them. Hence, they are essential!
If you slept through high school biology (admit it, we all did), remember that amino acids are the building blocks of protein. So for any given protein that you consume, whether it is beef, chicken, or beans, the amount of each specific amino acid differs. Most plant sources of protein for example do NOT have enough of the essential amino acids; that's why they are incomplete proteins. And that's why most athletes are carnivores.
Conversely, the non-essential amino acids are made by your body; therefore, you don't necessary need to consume them in your diet. Though if you consume meat or milk-based proteins, then you will always get a mix of essential and non-essential amino acids.
So what are the essential amino acids or EAA?
Of the 20 amino acids that are used to form proteins, 9 are essential or indispensable; meaning that you need to consume them in your diet because your body does not normally make them. (See Table 1)
Table 1 - Essential Amino Acids
1. Phenylalanine
2. Valine
3. Tryptophan
4. Threonine
5. Isoleucine
6. Methionine
7. Histidine
a. (arginine)
8. Lysine
9. Leucine
________________________________________
And these EAAs are the holy grail of muscle recovery and growth.
For those of you with the attention span of a fruit fly, here's a summary:
• Consuming the essential amino acids after lifting weights leads to a large increase in the rate of muscle protein synthesis which means in gym lingo, your muscles get bigger.(1)
• A high proportion of leucine, the key essential amino acid, is required for optimal stimulation of the rate of muscle protein synthesis; i.e. big muscles again.(2)
• Net muscle protein gain is significant when essential amino acids and/or protein are consumed immediately post-exercise. There is also evidence to show that consuming essential amino acids pre-exercise is even more anabolic.(3) So friggin' eat protein or aminos right after you train as well as before!
• According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, their position stand states that, �Post-exercise ingestion of amino acids, primarily essential amino acids, has been shown to stimulate robust increases in muscle protein synthesis, while the addition of CHO may stimulate even greater levels of protein synthesis. Additionally, pre-exercise consumption of a CHO + PRO supplement may result in peak levels of protein synthesis.(4)� Yeah yeah�boring science stuff. But hey, it's proof that it works!
Boring Science Stuff to Read – But it's Proof!
1. Drummond MJ, Dreyer HC, Fry CS, Glynn EL, Rasmussen BB. Nutritional and Contractile Regulation of Human Skeletal Muscle Protein Synthesis and mTORC1 Signaling. J Appl Physiol 2009.
2. Katsanos CS, Kobayashi H, Sheffield-Moore M, Aarsland A, Wolfe RR. A high proportion of leucine is required for optimal stimulation of the rate of muscle protein synthesis by essential amino acids in the elderly. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2006;291:E381-7.
3. Tipton KD, Rasmussen BB, Miller SL, et al. Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2001;281:E197-206.
4. Kerksick C, Harvey T, Stout J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2008;5:17.
A tale of Leucine, Valine and Isoleucine – the terrific trio of amino acids!
Guess what? The BCAA (branched-chain amino acids) leucine, valine, and isoleucine can help improve muscle recovery and even enhance performance in endurance events. Yep, that's right. We have science to prove it. But first, let's go back to school.
Trivia Question: Which of the following macronutrients are "essential" in the human diet? (The word �essential' as it refers to our diet means that we need to consume that food or nutrient because our bodies do not make that nutrient naturally; hence, it is �essential' we get it in our diets).
Your choices are:
A. Carbohydrate
B. Protein
C. Fat
D. All of the above
E. Two of the above
Did you figure out the answer?
The Answer is.... "E"
Yes, that's right. Only two of the three are essential. And they are protein (with amino acids as the building blocks) and fat (i.e. the essential fatty acids).
In the protein category, there are amino acids are unique in their own right. They're the branched-chain amino acids (valine, leucine, and isoleucine). And of the three BCAA, leucine is very important. Here's why.
So what are the essential amino acids or EAA?
One study looked at the effects of dietary leucine supplementation on exercise performance of outrigger canoeists (i.e. paddlers). Thirteen (ten female, three male) competitive outrigger canoeists underwent testing before and after 6-week supplementation with either capsulated L-leucine (45 mg/kg.d) [that's equal to 3.15 grams of leucine for a 154 lb individual] or placebo (corn flour). Testing included anthropometry, 10 second upper body power and work and a row to exhaustion at 70-75% maximal aerobic power where perceived exertion (RPE), heart rate (HR) and plasma BCAA and tryptophan concentrations were assessed. What happened?
Leucine supplementation resulted in significant increases in plasma leucine and total BCAA concentrations. Upper body power and work significantly increased in both groups after supplementation but power was significantly greater after leucine supplementation compared to the placebo. Rowing time significantly increased and average RPE significantly decreased with leucine supplementation while these variables were unchanged with the placebo. Leucine supplementation had no effect on the plasma tryptophan to BCAA ratio, HR or anthropometric variables. Six weeks' dietary leucine supplementation significantly improved endurance performance and upper body power in outrigger canoeists.(1)
During exercise, muscle protein synthesis decreases together with a net increase in protein degradation and stimulation of BCAA oxidation (the BCAAs are of course leucine, valine and isoleucine). Thus, both insulin and leucine are key regulators in muscle protein synthesis!(2) In other words, they're friggin' important.
Another interesting tidbit is that leucine by itself increases muscle protein synthesis.(3) By combing leucine with protein and carbohydrate, you get quite the anabolic super-effect. For example, in one study eight male subjects were randomly assigned to three trials in which they consumed drinks containing either carbohydrate (CHO), carbohydrate and protein (CHO+PRO), or carbohydrate, protein, and free
Another interesting tidbit is that leucine by itself increases muscle protein synthesis.(3) By combing leucine with protein and carbohydrate, you get quite the anabolic super-effect. For example, in one study eight male subjects were randomly assigned to three trials in which they consumed drinks containing either carbohydrate (CHO), carbohydrate and protein (CHO+PRO), or carbohydrate, protein, and free leucine (CHO+PRO+Leu) following 45 min of resistance exercise. They discovered that plasma insulin response was higher in the CHO+PRO+Leu compared with the CHO and CHO+PRO trials. Whole body protein breakdown rates were lower, and whole body protein synthesis rates were higher, in the CHO+PRO and CHO+PRO+Leu trials compared with the CHO trial; moreover, the addition of leucine in the CHO+PRO+Leu trial resulted in a lower protein oxidation rate compared with the CHO+PRO trial. And to top it off, muscle protein synthesis, measured over a 6-h period of post-exercise recovery, was significantly greater in the CHO+PRO+Leu trial compared with the CHO trial with intermediate values observed in the CHO+PRO trial.(4)
Another study discovered that 2 grams of the BCAA with some arginine actually lessened the amount of muscle breakdown during endurance exercise.(5)
Valine, Isoleucine, and Leucine. They do the body good.
References
1. Crowe MJ, Weatherson JN, Bowden BF. Effects of dietary leucine supplementation on exercise performance. Eur J Appl Physiol 2005:1-9.
2. Norton LE, Layman DK. Leucine regulates translation initiation of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle after exercise. J Nutr 2006;136:533S-537S.
3. Lang CH. Elevated Plasma Free Fatty Acids Decrease Basal Protein Synthesis but Not the Anabolic Effect of Leucine in Skeletal Muscle. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2006.
4. Koopman R, Wagenmakers AJ, Manders RJ, et al. Combined ingestion of protein and free leucine with carbohydrate increases postexercise muscle protein synthesis in vivo in male subjects. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2005;288:E645-53
5. Matsumoto K, Mizuno M, Mizuno T, et al. Branched-chain amino acids and arginine supplementation attenuates skeletal muscle proteolysis induced by moderate exercise in young individuals. Int J Sports Med 2007;28:531-8
Guess what? The BCAA (branched-chain amino acids) leucine, valine, and isoleucine can help improve muscle recovery and even enhance performance in endurance events. Yep, that's right. We have science to prove it. But first, let's go back to school.
Trivia Question: Which of the following macronutrients are "essential" in the human diet? (The word �essential' as it refers to our diet means that we need to consume that food or nutrient because our bodies do not make that nutrient naturally; hence, it is �essential' we get it in our diets).
Your choices are:
A. Carbohydrate
B. Protein
C. Fat
D. All of the above
E. Two of the above
Did you figure out the answer?
The Answer is.... "E"
Yes, that's right. Only two of the three are essential. And they are protein (with amino acids as the building blocks) and fat (i.e. the essential fatty acids).
In the protein category, there are amino acids are unique in their own right. They're the branched-chain amino acids (valine, leucine, and isoleucine). And of the three BCAA, leucine is very important. Here's why.
So what are the essential amino acids or EAA?
One study looked at the effects of dietary leucine supplementation on exercise performance of outrigger canoeists (i.e. paddlers). Thirteen (ten female, three male) competitive outrigger canoeists underwent testing before and after 6-week supplementation with either capsulated L-leucine (45 mg/kg.d) [that's equal to 3.15 grams of leucine for a 154 lb individual] or placebo (corn flour). Testing included anthropometry, 10 second upper body power and work and a row to exhaustion at 70-75% maximal aerobic power where perceived exertion (RPE), heart rate (HR) and plasma BCAA and tryptophan concentrations were assessed. What happened?
Leucine supplementation resulted in significant increases in plasma leucine and total BCAA concentrations. Upper body power and work significantly increased in both groups after supplementation but power was significantly greater after leucine supplementation compared to the placebo. Rowing time significantly increased and average RPE significantly decreased with leucine supplementation while these variables were unchanged with the placebo. Leucine supplementation had no effect on the plasma tryptophan to BCAA ratio, HR or anthropometric variables. Six weeks' dietary leucine supplementation significantly improved endurance performance and upper body power in outrigger canoeists.(1)
During exercise, muscle protein synthesis decreases together with a net increase in protein degradation and stimulation of BCAA oxidation (the BCAAs are of course leucine, valine and isoleucine). Thus, both insulin and leucine are key regulators in muscle protein synthesis!(2) In other words, they're friggin' important.
Another interesting tidbit is that leucine by itself increases muscle protein synthesis.(3) By combing leucine with protein and carbohydrate, you get quite the anabolic super-effect. For example, in one study eight male subjects were randomly assigned to three trials in which they consumed drinks containing either carbohydrate (CHO), carbohydrate and protein (CHO+PRO), or carbohydrate, protein, and free
Another interesting tidbit is that leucine by itself increases muscle protein synthesis.(3) By combing leucine with protein and carbohydrate, you get quite the anabolic super-effect. For example, in one study eight male subjects were randomly assigned to three trials in which they consumed drinks containing either carbohydrate (CHO), carbohydrate and protein (CHO+PRO), or carbohydrate, protein, and free leucine (CHO+PRO+Leu) following 45 min of resistance exercise. They discovered that plasma insulin response was higher in the CHO+PRO+Leu compared with the CHO and CHO+PRO trials. Whole body protein breakdown rates were lower, and whole body protein synthesis rates were higher, in the CHO+PRO and CHO+PRO+Leu trials compared with the CHO trial; moreover, the addition of leucine in the CHO+PRO+Leu trial resulted in a lower protein oxidation rate compared with the CHO+PRO trial. And to top it off, muscle protein synthesis, measured over a 6-h period of post-exercise recovery, was significantly greater in the CHO+PRO+Leu trial compared with the CHO trial with intermediate values observed in the CHO+PRO trial.(4)
Another study discovered that 2 grams of the BCAA with some arginine actually lessened the amount of muscle breakdown during endurance exercise.(5)
Valine, Isoleucine, and Leucine. They do the body good.
References
1. Crowe MJ, Weatherson JN, Bowden BF. Effects of dietary leucine supplementation on exercise performance. Eur J Appl Physiol 2005:1-9.
2. Norton LE, Layman DK. Leucine regulates translation initiation of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle after exercise. J Nutr 2006;136:533S-537S.
3. Lang CH. Elevated Plasma Free Fatty Acids Decrease Basal Protein Synthesis but Not the Anabolic Effect of Leucine in Skeletal Muscle. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2006.
4. Koopman R, Wagenmakers AJ, Manders RJ, et al. Combined ingestion of protein and free leucine with carbohydrate increases postexercise muscle protein synthesis in vivo in male subjects. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2005;288:E645-53
5. Matsumoto K, Mizuno M, Mizuno T, et al. Branched-chain amino acids and arginine supplementation attenuates skeletal muscle proteolysis induced by moderate exercise in young individuals. Int J Sports Med 2007;28:531-8
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