Top 5 Supplements

I've wasted some money on supplements in my life. Hopefully this post will save you time trying to work out what is worth taking and what is not, money on wasted supplements (and i will post some links to the cheapest ones I have found) and hopefully they can give you a better quality of life or help you in your particular sport or hobby.

In order of importance:

FISH OIL

This is the single best supplement out there. There is too much to say here so I will link to some other sites if you want to read more. Benefits include reduced risk of cancer, Alzheimer's, lupus, diabetes Parkinson's, depression, improved blood circulation, immune system, arthritis, weight loss, acne, fertility. 3-5g p/day. If you can get this amount without supplementation- great, but it will mean eating oily fish every day. See See how much DHA/EPA is in fish.             http://alanaragon.com/fish-oil.html   http://www.leangains.com/2011/05/omega-3-fatty-acids-for-muscle-growth.html   http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/qa-2.html

WHEY PROTEIN

see my post on is whey protein optimal? on why it is important for anyone on a high protein diet. I advise 1g of protein p/lb of DESIRED body weight e.g. you are 200lbs and you want to get down to 180lbs= 180g protein. Likewise if you are 150lbs and want to bulk up to 180= 180g protein. Anyone that wants to know why I advise such high amounts (and that might be as sad as me and has 2.5hrs of their life to spare) see first and second halves of the protein roundtable hosted by Ian McCarthy.

MULTIVITAMIN

I want to stress the importance of a good quality multi. First, check the doses, you need to be looking at the % of its daily value. The FDA's values are not recommendations, but simply the MINIMUM amount required to prevent deficiencies. Therefore a good quality multi will usually have over 100% of the daily values. Anything less than 10mg of any of the vitamins is too low.  Another tip- look at the vitamin B12 and see what form it is in, eitter cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin. If it is the former, it is B12 with a cyanide molecule attached to it. It is cheaper and of very little use to the body. B12 helps with liver function but if you take cyanocobalamin, the liver has to break down the cyanide which is toxic to the human body before it can use it- defeating the purpose of liver restoration in the first place. I believe that it does more harm than good. In the past used to take a multi with cyanocobalamin after drinking alcohol thinking it could help my body recover but i dread to think what stress I was putting my liver under. Last of all- do not rely on a multi to get all your vitamins. Evidence suggests that real food vitamins and minerals are more efficiently absorbed in comparison to supplementing so make sure to get plenty of fruit, vegetables (especially green) and whole eggs.

VITAMIN D
Ever wondered why everyone seems happier when the sun is out? Most people that do not live near the equator are deficient in vitamin D3 which is why I take this and there is growing evidence to support my claims that supplementing with 200iu a day can boost your energy and increase strength and performance. I think you will be hearing a lot about vitamin D in the next few years. Other health benefits are explained here.

CREATINE  MONOHYDRATE

If you do not do any type of resistance training- ignore this one. If you do, see this study to see why creatine can and will improve your strength and power. It is so cheap so there is no reason why you can't take this. 5g a day. A few tips 1- creatine timing doesn't matter, you can take it all at once at any time of the day. 2- There is no need to 'load' it as anything over about 8-9g your body cannot absorb. 3- 5g is all you need to maintain muscle saturation. 4- All the other types of creatine are inferior to monohydrate that means kre-alkalyn, ethyl ester, phosphate and citrate. Forget them all they are not as effective and more expensive so don't read into the marketing. 5- There is no need to cycle creatine as there is no evidence whatsoever that the body becomes desensitised to it- I believe that it was a marketing technique to make it sound more potent (i.e anabolic steroids are cycled on and off). 

DISCLAIMER

I am in no way financially benefiting from recommending the following supplements:
Fish oil
Whey protein
Multivitamin  - I am aware this one is not cheap but quality wise it is so far ahead so is the only one I will take, but if anyone can find an alternative without lower quality I am all ears!
Creatine Monohydrate
Vitamin D

And that is it. That is all i recommend you take. Pretty much all other supplements are useless. I do take some other supplements (mainly my pre-workout cocktail!) but I did not want to confuse this post I just want to keep it basic with my top 5 so people don't think it is necessary to take loads of things. My other supplements do help me but are certainly not essential. If anyone wants to know my other supplements I take just ask and I will comment back in the comment section below. Also, if anyone is thinking of purchasing a supplement, PLEASE comment below before buying and I will let you know what I think, I will respond as quick as I can.

Peace and love x

Ephedrine for fat loss

I am addressing this topic as I have been asked by a reader what my views are on Ephedrine.

DISCLAIMER

I do not advise or condone the use of Ephedrine. This article is purely for information and entertainment purposes.

For anyone that does not know what Ephedrine is, it is a substance that commonly used as a stimulant, appetite suppressant, concentration aid, decongestant and most commonly used as a fat burner. This is going to be a short article. I do not want to get into why is is a controlled substance (in the USA) or anything like that as it has all been said before.

For more information regarding Ephedrine see WIKIPEDIA or for doses etc or see this well written FAQ

Why Ephedrine is so effective

What separates ephedrine from other fat burners for me is the fact that it actually increases effectiveness with prolonged use. This study shows an improved fat loss in the second half of the trial compared with the first half. This study also suggests prolonged use is more beneficial than 'cycling' the substance.

The second reason ephedrine is so good when used as a fat burner is that it preserves muscle mass- particularly useful for bodybuilders whom it is very commonly used by on strict calorie deficits. See this study (which they actually gained some muscle while losing fat) which proves this.

Other than that, it's not a magic pill, it will increase energy output but about 3-5% if dosed correctly. A few negative effects include sweating, nausea, insomnia but the main one is heart palpitations. Another issue I have with it is that is is commonly sold as an ECA stack (e-ephedrine, c-caffeine, a-aspirin). The aspirin is of very little use, it is put in the stack to try and reduce blood pressure but prolonged use of aspirin can cause stomach ulcers so I would recommend either removing it all together or simply buying the substances separately and using gastro resistant aspirin.

Other than that, I don't have much more to say. There is so much material on this on the internet I would just be repeating stuff. I have never taken it myself so this is all the information I have to go on rather than past experience. If anyone does decide to take it, please be careful and read the FAQ i linked to earlier. Please see http://www.ephedrinehcl.org/index.html to see the studies done on blood pressure which prove you have nothing to worry about. The only reason it is banned is because it is a stimulant it is put in some party pills as it is cheaper alternative which gives a similar euphoric and energetic feeling.

Peace and love x


References
1) Toubro S, Astrup A, Breum L, Quaade F "The acute and chronic effects of ephedrine/caffeine mixtures on energy expenditure and glucose metabolism in humans." Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1993 Dec, Vol 17 (Suppl 3), Pg S73-7; discussion S82, PMID: 0008124407.
2) Astrup A, Lundsgaard C, Madsen J, Christensen NJ "Enhanced thermogenic responsiveness during chronic ephedrine treatment in man" Am J Clin Nutr 1985, Vol 42 (1), Pg 83-94, PMID: 0004014068.
3) Astrup A, Buemann B, Christensen NJ, Toubro S, Thorbek G, Victor OJ, Quaade F. The effect of ephedrine/caffeine mixture on energy expenditure and body composition in obese women. Metabolism 1992 Jul;41(7):686-8 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...5&dopt=Abstract

Effects of energy drinks on cardiovascular exercise

This article is addressing the following query i received from a reader:

'I'd love to read one about energy drinks and the effects of caffeine, taurine etc. Yours, Jonathan'

 Modern energy drinks tend to contain 3 main ingredients; caffeine, taurine and some form of carbohydrate. There are also usually some electrolytes in there to combat those lost in sweat. I have some doubts on the effectiveness to increase cardiovascular performance. Caffeine has been conclusively shown to increase mental focus and intake in sufficient doses can delay the onset offatigue and increase maximal power output during exercise (ref-2). 100-300mg is an acceptable dose for an average adult. I have come across some studies that put energy drinks to the test.

A study (ref-1) was done to assess the effects of energy drinks on energy expenditure and use of fat and carbohydrate as energy sources at rest and during submaximal exercise. the subjects engaged in 15 minutes of treadmill exercise at 50% of their VO2max during which oxygen consumption (VO2; as a measure of energy expenditure)


The following drinks were examined: Drink one= Red Bull. Drink two= Rockstar. Drink three= Monster. Drink four= Fresca, the placebo(an american UNcaffeinated softdrink). Here is a list of their ingredients. As stated above, the main ingredients are caffeine, taurine and carbohydrates (sucrose, glucose).

Results

The results were quite surprising...
There were no differences in heart rate during submaximal exercise after consumption of any of the drinks. There were no differences in VO2 (liters/minute) during submaximal exercise after consumption of any of the drinks.There seems to be no added benefits to drinking caffeinated energy drinks before cardiovascular training in terms of increased performance.

Another (albeit not so controlled) study backs the previous results up further (ref-3). Subjects were given caffeinated energy drinks before intense cardiovascular exercise and the results actually showed that the group that were given the energy drinks actually had LOWER fitness levels.



The last piece of information I am going to share with you is this study where subjects were either given either a glucose drink (flavoured) or a maltodextrin drink (unflavoured) or neither. Subjects were told to simply rinse them around the mouth and spit them out. They were tested via a time-trial course. The results showed that athletes given the glucose or maltodextrin drinks outperformed those on 'disguised' water by 2-3% and sustained a higher average power output and pulse rate. "Much of the benefit from carbohydrate in sports drinks is provided by signalling directly from mouth to brain rather than providing energy for the working muscles," said Chambers.

Summary

What the evidence suggests to me is that there is no actual significant cardiovascular benifits to consuming common energy drinks before exersise. The last study seems to suggest that overconsuming liquids can actually have negative effects (possibly due to liquid in the stomach 'sloshing' about and not digesting properly). On the other hand, caffeine can have some great benifits before resistance exercise.

References
1)Effects of Energy Drinks on Metabolism at Rest and During Submaximal Treadmill Exercise in College Age Male JANAE NIENHUESER1*, GREGORY A BROWN1‡, BRANDON S. SHAW2‡, and INA SHAW3‡
2) 16. Graham TE. Caffeine, coffee and ephedrine: impact on exercise performance and metabolism. Can J Appl Physiol 26 Suppl: S103-S119, 2001.
3)The effect of a caffeine energy drink on cardiovascular responses during intense exercise Joe Sillivent (Tarleton State University), Kim Coffman (Tarleton State University), Jennifer Blevins-McNaughton (Tarleton State University)


Thanks for reading,Tom

Myth-busting Monday #1

Every monday, I will try to put to bed one common, yet untrue misconception that I see floating about. It annoys me when misinformation is passed about and spreads like wildfire with no evidence or data to back it up. This week:

"Eating carbs after 6/7/8/9 whatever o'clock makes you store fat"

This is such bullshit and anyone that says it really does not know anything about thermodynamics or basic nutrition. Ever heard of glycogen? Excess energy not directly used is stored as glycogen in cells which can be used when required. Everyone stores glycogen and an average male would have to eat over 1000g carbs before filling up their stores. Thermodynamics says that you cannot gain weight at all unles you are in a calorie surplus which again proves the above statement wrong. Are men's health and flex magazine seriously claiming that you can eat less calories than you burn but if the carbs are eaten before bed you will store it as fat!?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21475137 (sorry link not working. Having technical issues so please copy and paste into searchable until I get it sorted!)

This study shows improved fat loss, insulin sensitivity and satiety in a diet with the majority of dietary carbohydrates consumed later in the day.

Myth #1 done. A new one next Monday. Please comment with any claims that you would like me to clear up.

Peace x

Jack3d review

The pre-workout Jack3d from USP labs seems to be becoming more popular these days so here is my review of the product. I have never bought the product but have taken it on many occasions before a workout.

Let me start off by saying i DO NOT recommend this product. Why? The ingredients are not broken down individually- they advertise it as a 'Proprietary Blend' which anyone who knows anything about marketing knows that this is just a bullshit technique so they do not have to let people know their shitty doses. This way they can add high amounts of the cheaper ingredients and smaller amounts of the more expensive ones. I will break down the ingredients and their effectiveness anyway but please do not read too much into them we do not know the doses and when I asked them if they could provide me with the amounts they said 'No, sorry, this is part of USPLabs’ proprietary blend.'

Ingredients:

1,3-Dimethylamylamine HCL- often shortened to DMAA.

This ingredient is a stimulant which gives you a focused, energetic feeling. It has no beneficial effects whatsoever performance wise to your workout apart from making you feeling pumped up. This is a very strong ingredient which is often used as a 'filler' in ecstasy pills as it gives a similar feeling but is obviously much cheaper. There have been some cases of death after taking large quantities of this substance and for anyone that likes DMAA I would recommend stocking up on it ASAP- believe me it will not be long before it is made a controlled substance in the USA and the UK. New Zealand made the substance illegal on April 7th 2012. The substance is also not permitted for some bodybuilding competitors (WADA,MLB,NCAA). There are some negative effects to this- increased heart rate, nausea, sweating, anxiousness and a feeling of depression a few hours after taking it due to low serotonin levels. This is not highly tested and some long term effects are not known. 

**UPDATE 16/07/12**- after releasing this article, a few people disagreed with the statement that DMAA has no beneficial effects on performance. Just thought I would add this study from dmaaresearch.com which shows 'that acute oral ingestion of caffeine and 1,3-D alone or in combination does not significantly improve exercise performance'. I think anyone that thinks that it does help are feeling placebo effects but then again if that works for you then by all means use it. 

Caffeine

This is  the best pre-workout supplement out there hands down. I do not need to talk too much about this as we all know it's effects. Cheap, safe, works. This will probably be at 150mg -200mg per scoop as it is so cheap so please be careful taking 2 scoops as 400mg is a very high amount and can cause stress on the heart due to increased heart rate.

Arginine

This is a form of Nitric Oxide which increases blood flow to muscles. There is absolutely NO evidence whatsoever that 'the pump' or this ingredient in particular does anything for muscle performance.

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine is a very good supplement. I have 2 problems with this is- an average male needs >3g p/day to stay at muscle saturation and we don't know what how much we are getting per scoop which is not helpful. It is a very cheap ingredient so it is likely a high amount but not enough and if you are not taking this product every day then it is pointless. The second problem is- this can be taken at ANY TIME OF DAY. Taking it pre-workout has no benefits (no negative effects either, it just seems like a waste putting it in and taking advantage of people not knowing when it can be taken). However, I do recommend supplementing with creatine. For more info regarding creatine see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creatine

Beta Alanine 

This is another great pre-workout ingredient but I do not think they have dosed it high enough (studies show 3-6g is effective) for 2 reasons: 1) It is expensive. 2) You get what is called 'beta alanine tingles' after consuming this amount which I did not feel. This is like an itchy feeling on your skin 10-15 mins after consumption. People say you get the feeling after taking 2 scoops so it is most likely dosed at 1.5g but like I said- with 2 scoops you are getting dangerous amounts of the stimulants. This controlled study shows the effectiveness of beta alanine: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20091069/? H 

Price

I can find it for £18.99 for 250g ($24). This is 45 servings. I did some quick calculations at a bulk ingredient supplier and i can get all these ingredients separately, mix them together AT SAFE AND TESTED DOSES and this will cost me about £20 for about 150 servings rather than 45. So unless you are just buying it for the taste then I think Jack3d is overpriced and do not recommend buying it for the reasons stated above. I would recommend making it yourself. And like I said, stock up on DMAA if you love it as it will be banned soon YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST!! The FDA love controlling poorly tested stimulants when a couple of people take too much on a night out (heard of ephedrine?) even though it can be safe in small quantities.


Any questions, please ask.
Tom

Dramatic weight loss in the first week of dieting

A quick note on how people can lose so much weight within the first couple of days or first week of dieting following on from my recent article Do low carb diets work?

You often hear people say:

'I have only been dieting for a week/xyz days and I have already lost xyz lbs'

This is down to WATER LOSS. Calorie restriction and primarily carbohydrate restriction causes the kidneys to get rid of water due to a drop in insulin and the ketones that are released cause a dehydrating effect on the body. It is not uncommon to lose up to 15lbs (over a stone) in a large individual and around 6-8lbs (half a stone) in an average individual in the first week of dieting. Glycogen in muscle cells will also be lower which will decrease weight further. After the initial drop- your weight loss will slow down as you have lost the water weight and now you can see actual fat loss.

After a carb-up or binge- you will notice a huge increase in weight- again this is not fat but just water storage and glycogen.

So next time someone says they have lost a dramatic and seemingly impossible amount of weight (or maybe you have yourself), think 'Is this just water weight or actual fat loss?'

Thanks for reading, any questions please ask.
Tom x

Do low carb diets work?

In the 90s, low carb diets were very fashionable due to the release of The Atkins Diet book. Dr Atkins claimed that eating few or no carbohydrates was more beneficial for fat loss than a straight calorie deficit. Some of the studies are very out-dated and new research has showed conflicting evidence. The studies done back then were heavily manipulated in the favour of Dr Atkins to produce the results that he wanted. I am addressing this topic because this particular diet is becoming more popular recently under the name of the KETO (Ketogenic) DIET.



Before I get into the science, I am going to put it simply. Do low carb diets work? (assuming one is trying to LOSE weight/bodydfat)

YES if you are in a caloric deficit.
NO if you are at caloric maintenance/surplus.

So if you are in a caloric deficit- is there any need for a low carb diet at all? NO. You can and will lose weight by eating less calories than you use, period. But is there any advantage to eating low carbs? This question is not so simple and we will need to take at a few factors...

INSULIN SENSITIVITY

If you have good insulin sensitivity, you will handle dietary carbohydrates with ease. This is the case for most of the population. If you are towards insulin resistant, you will not respond very well at all. Or you may be completely resistant. This is known as typeII diabetes.
                It all depends on what your body's blood glucose levels are. Blood glucose goes down with age, so this is something you need to take into consideration, the older you are the less carbs you need and the more protein you need (due to decreased amino acid sensitivity which I will not go into!). Another factor is bodyfat %- a person with low bodyfat will be very sensitive to insulin and conversely, an overweight person will be more towards insulin resistant. The main factor that will affect insulin sensitivity is EXERCISE. All exercise, but more so resistance training is extremely beneficial to one's blood glucose levels (this is why you can get overweight people that exercise regularly that have excellent blood glucose levels). The last one is genetics- some people are born with good or bad sensitivity and there is little that can be done about it.

DO YOU HAVE GOOD INSULIN SENSITIVITY?

The only sure way is to get it tested, but that isn't going to happen as it is impractical so this is one way of doing it. Eat a large meal full of carbohydrates. 100g+ of whatever you like, pasta, potatoes, rice, sugar. Someone with good insulin sensitivity will have more energy after consumption and someone with not so good insulin sensitivity will fell tired and sluggish.

You may already know how you react, so keep this in mind and I will come back to it in a moment.

LOW CARB vs MED/HIGH CARB FOR FAT LOSS

see ref (3). Study shows insulin sensitive women on the high carb diet lost nearly double the weight as insulin sensitive women on the low-carb diet. Similarly, insulin resistant women lost twice the weight on the low-carb diet as on the high carb diet. Research conclusively shows that if you have good insulin sensitivity and low insulin secretion, odds are you will do well with a traditional bodybuilding type of diet which means high protein, highish carbs and low fat. If you’re not insulin sensitive and/or have high insulin secretion, a diet lower in carbs and higher in fat would certainly be more beneficial.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

If you still don't know whether you are insulin sensitive or not- try going on a very low carb diet for a week. You will enter ketosis (see ref 5 for more info). You may feel sluggish, tired and have what is known as 'brain fog' which is where you cannot think clearly and feel slow. If this is the case, you most likely have good insulin sensitivity and should go on a higher carb diet. If you feel fine, then you are not insulin sensitive and feel free to carry on and reap the rewards! 

So there you have it. Should you go on a low carb/KETO diet? If you are more towards insulin resistant then YES, but if you are insulin sensitive then NO. 

Thanks for reading, any questions please ask.
Tom

References:

1. Blundell JE, Cooling J. High-fat and low-fat (behavioural) phenotypes: biology or environment? Proc Nutr Soc. 1999 Nov;58(4):773-7.
2. Pittas AG, Roberts SB. Dietary composition and weight loss: can we individualize dietary prescriptions according to insulin sensitivity or secretion status? Nutr Rev. 2006 Oct;64(10 Pt 1):435-48. Review.
3. Cornier MA et. al. Insulin sensitivity determines the effectiveness of dietary macronutrient composition on weight loss in obese women. Obes Res. 2005 Apr;13(4):703-9.
4. Pittas AG et. al. A low-glycemic load diet facilitates greater weight loss in overweight adults with high insulin secretion but not in overweight adults with low insulin secretion in the CALERIE Trial. Diabetes Care. 2005 Dec;28(12):2939-41
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketosis
6. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/insulin-sensitivity-and-fat-loss.html