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By The Expert Q&A By Steven J. Fleck, PhD PDF Print E-mail
Written by Steven J. Fleck, PhD   
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Q: Due to muscular pain from my training, I have gotten into the habit of taking a pain reliever, like ibuprofen, on almost a daily basis…sometimes several times per day. Recently I heard that taking a pain reliever might decrease my ability to increase my muscle size. Is this really true?
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When Is The Best Time Of Day To Train? PDF Print E-mail
Written by Robbie Durand   
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
branch_dumbell_press.jpgIt’s 8:00 a.m. and all the football players have arrived for preseason “max out” in the bench press, squat and power clean. Many of the players still look like they are not completely awake and others just seem stiff, yet they are expected to max out! I never understood when I was a strength coach why these sessions were scheduled so early in the morning, when the latest research suggests that maximal strength is best achieved in the afternoon.1
In the July issue of the International Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers examined peak strength at four different times of the day (7 a.m.-8 a.m., 12 p.m.-1 p.m., 5 p.m.-6 p.m., 10:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m.) for two consecutive days. The researchers reported that the morning values were significantly lower when compared to the rest of the day. There are many variables which can affect a lifter’s ability to generate peak force; however, none of the variables measured (sleep, stress level, normal circadian rhythms of the person, morning or night person) had a significant effect on the outcome. This study was similar to an earlier study, which had subjects perform peak isometric strength parameters from 8 a.m.-9 a.m., 1 p.m.-2 p.m. and 6 p.m.-7 p.m.; peak strength was greatest between 6 p.m.-7 p.m. When they compared the percent increase from session to session, there was a 2.76 percent increase from the morning to afternoon session, but an 11.13 percent increase from the afternoon to the evening session.5
Similar results were also reported in the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. Researchers found that peak muscle strength was higher at 6 p.m. compared to 6 a.m.4 The average increase in strength from morning to evening was 4.6 percent. Clearly, this is not a psychological issue, yet more of a physiological condition. This is not the first study to demonstrate this effect; at least two other studies have demonstrated peak strength to be higher at 6 p.m. than at 6 a.m.2, 3 This means that much like there are changes in GH/cortisol throughout the day, there are also circadian rhythms in strength during the day, with strength being higher in the afternoon/early evening.
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Whey Protein Research Update: Fat Loss, Myostatin-Binding Proteins And Androgen Receptors! PDF Print E-mail
Written by Robbie J. Durand, MA   
Sunday, 12 July 2009
Whey proteins modulate several hormones that are conducive for weight loss. Acute studies have reported that whey protein isolate (60 grams per day) evaluated over six months resulted in significantly lower hyperinsulinemia (less fat storage potential), lower cortisol levels (lean muscle preservation) and increased ghrelin release (satiety enhancement). A new study released in Nutrition & Metabolism reported that people on whey protein supplementation lost more weight than a control group receiving maltrodextrins in conjunction with a calorie-restricted diet. Each subject was instructed to consume one supplement 20 minutes before breakfast and one supplement 20 minutes before dinner. The whey protein supplement contained 10 grams of protein per serving as a combination of intact whey protein and peptides. It also contained minerals that were purified from milk. The control group received an isocaloric beverage containing maltodextrin. After 12 weeks, weight loss was consistently higher in the whey protein subjects, primarily the result of losing body fat (subjects taking whey protein lost 6.1 percent of their body fat mass). The whey protein group subjects also lost significantly less lean muscle mass compared to control subjects. Whey protein may be the perfect fat-loss supplement when dieting for an important event or for targeting fat loss while maintaining lean muscle.7
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Testosterone Unrelated To Prostate Cancer PDF Print E-mail
Written by Dan Gwartney, M.D.   
Saturday, 11 July 2009
As this article is being written, Roger Clemens is appearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to testify as to whether or not he used anabolic steroids or human growth hormone. Interestingly, prior to this, a scathing commentary from a member of the Cato Institute (a libertarian think-tank based in Washington, DC) on CNBC (February 13, 2008) condemned Congress for becoming involved in regulating professional sports, spending extensive time and resources on a matter that is not within their purview and pales in comparison to the critical matters of national security and prosperity (Iraq, housing crisis anyone?) to serve their addiction for media exposure. The comment was made that were cameras not present, the Mitchell Report and related investigations would not exist. Some may have noticed that this was the treatment given to Barry Bonds, whose claim of the career home run record went relatively unnoticed and unheralded due to his (Bonds’) alleged use of numerous performance-enhancing drugs. It is a sad commentary on our elected officials, the media and the public. Frankly, there is a more critical need for all members of Congress, state and local legislatures, as well as teachers, to be subjected to random drug and alcohol testing.
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The Paleolithic Diet “Fat Loss & Heart Healthy Diet— So Easy A Cave Man Could Do It!” PDF Print E-mail
Written by Dan Gwartney, MD   
Wednesday, 08 July 2009
As a matter of full disclosure, I do watch the GEICO Insurance commercials and laugh at nearly every version. In fact, the one with Talia Shire (Rocky Balboa’s wife from the “Rocky” movies) playing a therapist represents the apex of commercial comedy in my opinion. The punch line, “So easy a caveman could do it,” suggests that the act of saving money on car insurance requires no more brainpower than discovering fire or inventing the wheel. After all, anything accomplished by the cranially challenged Neanderthal should be simple for modern man.  Of course, as any blue-collar worker will gladly discuss over a draft beer, book smarts don’t get much work done. Mankind has evolved from his cave-dwelling days (whether he got there by being a hairless ape or a divinely sparked lump of clay is outside the scope of this article), graduating from taming fire to splitting the atom. Yet, despite all the knowledge and wisdom gained by walking upright for millennia, in some matters, modern man could learn a few things from his primordial ancestors.
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Insulin Control For Maximum Fat Loss PDF Print E-mail
Written by Dan Gwartney, MD   
Monday, 06 July 2009
In games and contests, there are always elements that are devastating in their dominance. It may be as simple as rock always beating scissors in the hand game “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” or it may be as complex as the M1A1/2 Abrams main battle tanks loaded with depleted uranium penetrators in Operation Desert Storm. In the battle against fat, the devastator is insulin.  Body fat generally reflects long-term energy balance. In other words, it is a sign of how your eating habits (calories in) compare to your metabolic demand (calories out). It is not as simple as that though, as many people can attest after diligently carrying calorie tables about in a futile effort to match the numbers to the readout of a treadmill or recumbent bike.
For decades, nutritionists and cardiologists extolled the virtues of low-fat dieting to reduce the risk of heart disease and aid in weight loss. On the surface, it made sense to replace the most calorie-dense macronutrient (fat) with carbohydrates, which contain less than half the number of calories, gram for gram. Yet, cardiovascular health was not greatly improved and the prevalence of obesity nearly tripled in the United States.
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