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Archive for the ‘Building Muscle’ Category
Tuesday, January 4th, 2011
Dominique Adair, MS, RD
*courtesy of HFPN.com*
Weight loss drugs, referred to as pharmacotherapy, have been popularly used since the 1950s, though long before that there were products available claiming to contain sanitized tapeworms available for purchase. Following several drugs such as dinitrophenol and the amphetamine-like compounds that posed serious side effects, the weight-loss drugs most commonly used today are appetite suppressants and nutrient absorption blockers.
While lifestyle measures remain the cornerstone of prevention and treatment of obesity, adding anti-obesity agents is considered by some physicians for obese patients who did not achieve sufficient weight loss after lifestyle modifications. Often positioned as an adjunct to diet and exercise, weight loss drugs are meant to supplement these behavior interventions and not to replace them. This article will review these classes of drugs, how they work, and the criteria with which physicians prescribe them to their patients.
Classes of Drugs
Today, most commonly prescribed weight loss drugs are either appetite suppressants or fat absorption blockers. For both, the goal of pharmacological intervention is to decrease feeding behavior and reduce weight. Appetite suppressants facilitate weight loss by tricking the body into believing that it is not hungry or that it is full. Most of them decrease appetite by increasing serotonin or catecholamine — two brain chemicals that affect mood and appetite. For example, the drug Subutrimine acts by increasing noradrenaline and serotonin levels in the hypothalamus, nucleus accumbens and the brainstem, all regions associated with energy homeostasis (1). Other centrally acting drugs that also work through the modification of neurotransmitters are presently being aggressively researched to determine if these novel approaches lead to clinically meaningful weight loss and improvements in comorbid conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders.
Clinical experience data on the success of these drugs suggests that weight loss produced by any one agent is limited and rarely exceeds 10% of the starting weight (2). This initial drop also plateaus. The ‘ceiling effect’ observed is probably due to adaptive changes as the body continues to maintain a balance in favor of energy conservation or the body’s metabolic “slow-down” in response to chronic underfeeding. One approach that some weight loss specialists have adopted to overcome this issue is to develop combination therapies that tackle the problem through more than one mechanism in an effort to minimize the impact of these adaptive changes.
Fat absorption inhibitors work by preventing the body from breaking down and absorbing ingested fat. These medications act on the gastrointestinal system and work by blocking the action of lipase, the fat-digesting enzyme, thereby reducing fat absorption in the gut. The non-absorbed fat is then eliminated in bowel movements. It also blocks the availability of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K), so patients may also take a vitamin supplement (3).
The most commonly prescribed fat absorption blocker is the prescription drug Orlistat (brand name Xenical). Research has explored the effectiveness of Orlistat compared to other drug treatments, placebo, or behavior-focused interventions. Avenell et al. carried out a systematic review of trials involving a combination of diets, drug therapy, exercise, and behavior therapy and concluded that adding Orlistat to a dietary intervention improved weight loss by 3.26kg up to 24 months (4). Research also indicates that Orlistat reduces cholesterol and blood pressure levels and improves glycemic control when compared to placebo (5).
As of 2007, Orlistat became available over-the-counter (OTC). Sold as the brand name “Alli,” which is half the strength (60mg versus 120mg) of the prescription drug, Orlistat was the first clinically-proven OTC product to be combined with a comprehensive support program. Research indicates that both Orlistat and Alli can improve weight loss if used alongside behavioral and lifestyle interventions, however due to unpleasant side effects (urgent bowel movements, diarrhea, and gas with oily spotting/anal leakage) there remain problems with adherence and much variability in patient outcomes.
The Best Candidates
While each physician develops their own specific criteria for prescribing weight loss drugs, guidelines do exist. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute’s evidence statement on pharmacotherapy for weight loss asserts:
“Weight loss drugs approved by the FDA may only be used as part of a comprehensive weight loss program, including dietary therapy and physical activity, for patients with a BMI of 30 with no concomitant obesity-related risk factors or diseases, and for patients with a BMI of 27 with concomitant obesity-related risk factors or diseases. Weight loss drugs should never be used without concomitant lifestyle modifications. Concomitant assessment of drug therapy for efficacy and safety is necessary. If the drug is efficacious in helping the patient lose and/or maintain weight loss and there are no serious adverse effects, it can be continued. If not, it should be discontinued” (6).
Before selecting a medication(s), physicians will also consider health history, possible side effects, and potential interaction of weight-loss drugs with other prescribed and OTC medications.
It is extremely important for physicians to emphasize to their patients that weight-loss drugs don’t replace the need for changes in eating habits and activity level. In fact, several studies on drug intervention alone demonstrate that once patients stop taking the drug, they may have a higher rate of regain compared with people who also have some behavior modification support (7).
Weight-Loss Drugs and the Fitness Professional
When combined with a low-calorie diet and regular exercise, weight-loss drugs produce an average weight loss of 5% to 10% of total body weight within a year, a typical initial goal for any weight-loss effort. Losing 5% to 10% of total weight may not seem like much, but even modest weight loss can improve health by:
* Decreasing blood pressure
* Decreasing lipid levels
* Decreasing blood glucose levels
* Increasing insulin sensitivity
With interventions that combine lifestyle behavior change and pharmacotherapy, it is difficult to determine how much of weight loss success can be attributed to each. Regardless, both during drug intervention and after, lifestyle behaviors, as supported by fitness professionals, remain an exceptionally important part of the success equation.
References:
(1) Sargent B and Moore, NA. New central targets for the treatment of obesity. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2009 December; 68(6): 852–860.
(2) Tziomalos K, Krassas GE, Tzotzas T. The use of sibutramine in the management of obesity and related disorders: an update. Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2009; 5: 441–452.
(3) Hollywood A, Ogden J. Taking Orlistat: Predicting Weight Loss over 6 MonthsObes. 2011;2011:806896. Epub 2010 Nov 11.
(4) Avenell A, Brown TJ, McGee MA, et al. What interventions should we add to weight reducing diets in adults with obesity? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of adding drug therapy, exercise, behaviour therapy or combinations of these interventions. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. 2004;17(4):293–316
(5) Padwal R, Li SK, Lau DCW. Long-term pharmacotherapy for overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Obesity. 2003;27(12):1437–1446
(6) http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/e_txtbk/txgd/4325.htm last accessed 12.12.10.
(7) Warziski Turk, M Randomized Clinical Trials of Weight-Loss Maintenance: A Review. J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2009; 24(1): 58–80.
Tags: aerobic exercise, benefits of exercise, corporate fitness, Eating Right, employee wellness, exercise, exercise programs, fit tips, fitness activities, fitness programs, Food Labels, health, health and wellness, healthy foods, heart disease cancer, metabolism, muscle supplements, Nutrition, nutritional supplements, physical exercise, protein diet, supplements, time exercise, vitamin reaction, weight reduction, wellness program, woman
Posted in Building Muscle, Eating Right, Expert Tips, Fitness Training, General Information, improve your health, Nutrition, Programs, tips to living better | Comments Off
Friday, June 25th, 2010
Chere A. Lucett, NASM CPT, PES, CES
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When it comes to keeping your body healthy, your bones may not be receiving enough attention. Their functional counterparts, the muscles, always seem to benefit from our focus because of our ability to view them. Meanwhile, our bones go unnoticed and untreated, abused by our lackluster diets and inactive lifestyle. Well, it’s time to shift our focus to our bones, because like muscle, bones are alive and needing a little consideration from you!
From the beginning of life, your body is continually producing and losing bone. This is a two part process where bone is remodeled, old tissue is broken down and removed while new tissue is laid down to replace the old. Up until the age of 20, bone formation occurs at a more rapid pace than bone loss, helping to create strong, healthy bones. However as we age our bodies undergo change and as such, bone loss begins to occur faster than bone growth.
Here’s the surprising news, the pace at which our bodies lose bone can be declined or even stopped with proper diet and exercise! Healthy bones are generated from a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D in addition to a healthy lifestyle that includes weight-bearing exercise, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. When we neglect our bones by not following recommended dietary guidelines and reducing our daily activity, we move closer to obtaining a bone-weakening disease termed osteoporosis. According to research, osteoporosis affects nearly 15 million Americans, mostly women. Surprisingly, numerous studies have shown a positive effect of adequate calcium intake and regular exercise, yet many women only consume one-third to one-half of the required daily calcium consumption needed to prevent bone loss. Don’t be a statistic! Add calcium rich foods to your diet such as, milk, yogurt, cheese and vegetables like broccoli and start a weight-bearing exercise program such as walking and resistance training to help keep your bones healthy and strong. Simple changes today can mean a better life tomorrow – and who doesn’t want to enjoy all the years to come?As always, consult a physician before making changes to your diet and physical activity!
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Tags: bone health, bones, functional counter parts
Posted in Building Muscle, Expert Tips | Comments Off
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
By Anthony Lee
The main difference between a man and a woman in terms of body building is their metabolism. A woman has a harder time metabolizing fat than a man. Women also have a harder time gaining muscle than men. This is important when choosing a female body building diet to enter into.
Another crucial difference between a man and a woman are the hormones they produce. Specifically, men produce testosterone while women cannot. Testosterone is an important hormone used to increase the size of your muscles. This is the reason why men have bigger muscles than women.
Women who undergo weight training thus cannot become bulky. What a lot of female body builders do is that they take steroids, which have synthetic testosterone, together with their female body building diet. This is what makes these women muscular.
To be able to keep yourself fit, you also have to engage in an effective female body building training program. Your training program should be suited to your body building goals.
Typically, a good training program combines cardiovascular exercises, such as running on a treadmill, alternating with weight training exercises. Cardiovascular exercises help you lose fat, while weight training exercises help you build muscle. Some women can also include additional stretching and flexibility exercises to their workout.
Of course, an effective body building training program has to be combined with specialized female body building diet program to produce the best results.
Just because you exercise does not mean you can eat anything you want. The amount of calories you burn depends on your metabolism. Thus, your metabolism also dictates how much you can eat. If you eat more calories than the amount your body can burn, the calories will become stored as body fat.
Since women store fat more readily than men, a general rule for women body builders is to lessen the amount of fat and cholesterol in their female body building diets. Healthier low-fat and low-cholesterol alternatives to most foods, such as milk and yogurt, are now available for you to include in your female body building diet.
Tags: gaining muscle, healthy life, metabolism, weight training, woman
Posted in Building Muscle | 1 Comment »
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
By Elle Nash
I want to show you how to build muscle as a female. This is a much more difficult task than it is for men, but there are some underlining principles that can be followed to give you much better results.
The first and most underline principle of female muscle building is sleep. You need to be getting the necessary sleep to build muscle. When you’re asleep, your body goes into high repair mode. This is when most muscle tissue repair will occur. The problem is that most people aren’t getting enough to sleep. They only do 5-6hrs a night and they wonder why their muscle results are poor. You need to be getting a full 9 hours of sleep to maximize your results. Anything else and you’re wasting your time.
The second thing you need to get down is that you should be doing compound exercises. That’s not to say you can’t do isolated exercises, but compound should always have more priority. A compound exercise works many different muscle groups at the same time. The most common forms are squats and deadlifts. These will work your legs, back, shoulder and all the core.
Lastly, you’ll want to change up your diet and starting every 2-3hrs. This is important because you need a steady flow of nutrients coming into the body to repair muscle tissue. If your body doesn’t get this, your results will suffer. Since muscle repairs gradually through time, you should be eating around the same amount of protein at each meal.
Tags: build muscle, exercise, female fitness, muscle building, repair mode
Posted in Building Muscle | Comments Off
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
By Anthony Lee
The main difference between a man and a woman in terms of body building is their metabolism. A woman has a harder time metabolizing fat than a man. Women also have a harder time gaining muscle than men. This is important when choosing a female body building diet to enter into.
Another crucial difference between a man and a woman are the hormones they produce. Specifically, men produce testosterone while women cannot. Testosterone is an important hormone used to increase the size of your muscles. This is the reason why men have bigger muscles than women.
Women who undergo weight training thus cannot become bulky. What a lot of female body builders do is that they take steroids, which have synthetic testosterone, together with their female body building diet. This is what makes these women muscular.
To be able to keep yourself fit, you also have to engage in an effective female body building training program. Your training program should be suited to your body building goals.
Typically, a good training program combines cardiovascular exercises, such as running on a treadmill, alternating with weight training exercises. Cardiovascular exercises help you lose fat, while weight training exercises help you build muscle. Some women can also include additional stretching and flexibility exercises to their workout.
Of course, an effective body building training program has to be combined with specialized female body building diet program to produce the best results.
Just because you exercise does not mean you can eat anything you want. The amount of calories you burn depends on your metabolism. Thus, your metabolism also dictates how much you can eat. If you eat more calories than the amount your body can burn, the calories will become stored as body fat.
Since women store fat more readily than men, a general rule for women body builders is to lessen the amount of fat and cholesterol in their female body building diets. Healthier low-fat and low-cholesterol alternatives to most foods, such as milk and yogurt, are now available for you to include in your female body building diet.
Tags: body building, female body building, metabolism, woman, women
Posted in Building Muscle | Comments Off
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
The deluge of dietary supplements on the market today provides countless avenues for the fitness enthusiast to achieve their goals. Rather than drawing into a fitness lifestyle through proper nutrition, exercise, and rest, many will turn to dietary supplements as a panacea for all their fitness dreams. With all of the misinformation and empty promises that accompany many products, trying to keep afloat on all of the new breakthroughs can be overwhelming. Protein powders are the original bodybuilding supplement and continue to be a staple in the bodybuilders diet.
Unfortunately, many fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders’ love and devotion to protein far surpass their knowledge of how protein works in the body. Why do so many fitness enthusiasts have such a limited understanding of protein and amino acids? We hope that the information in this article will serve as a beacon among the sea of misinformation about protein and amino acids.
The ultimate value of a food protein or a protein supplement is in its amino acid composition. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and muscle tissue. Many physiological processes relating to bodybuilding from energy, recovery, muscle hypertrophy, fat loss, and strength gains are linked to amino acids.
The twenty-three amino acids are the molecular building blocks of protein. The amino acids can be divided into two groups: essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids. The nine essential amino acids are so designated because they must be supplied by the foods we eat. The twelve non-essential amino acids are so designated based on the body’s ability to synthesize them from other amino acids.
How The Body Handles It
The fate of an amino acid after it is transported to the liver is highly dependent on the body’s needs for that moment. Some amino acids enter the blood stream, where they join amino acids that have been liberated during the constant breakdown and synthesis of body tissue. Other amino acids are used by the liver to manufacture many of the specialized proteins such as liver enzymes, lipoproteins, and the blood protein (albumin).
As these amino acids circulate throughout the body, each cell directed by its own DNA blue print, draws from the common pool of available amino acids to synthesize all the numerous proteins required for its functions.
In order for protein synthesis to occur, an adequate supply of both essential and non-essential amino acids is vital. If one of the essential amino acids is missing then synthesis is halted. These partially assembled proteins are disassembled and the amino acids returned to the blood. Any amino acids that are not used within a short time can not be stored for future use. They are delivered back to the liver and stripped of their nitrogen. Which is then incorporated into urea and excreted by the kidneys. The remaining protein skeleton will be converted to glucose and burned as energy or converted to fat or glycogen for storage.
Although protein synthesis is very important, the body’s number one priority is to obtain sufficient energy to carry on vital functions such as circulation, respiration and digestion. Therefore, in the absence of adequate dietary carbohydrates and fat calories, the body will break down not only dietary protein but protein in the blood, liver, pancreas, muscles, and other tissues in order to maintain vital organs and functions
Application to Body Building
As we have already discussed, the fate of an amino acid after it is transported to the liver is highly dependent upon the body’s needs at that moment. Immediately after exercise, when the muscle is receptive to nutrients and the blood flow to the exercise muscles remain high; a window of opportunity exists to aid muscular growth and recovery. Unfortunately, a high protein meal will not put significant levels of amino acids into your blood stream until a couple of hours after you eat it, especially if blood flow to the gastrointestinal tract has been diminished by a hard training sessions.
The most reliable way to deliver specific amino acids is to administer the particular amino acids themselves through free form amino acids. The value of free form amino acids is first and foremost is that they do not require digestion. They are free of chemical bonds to other molecules and so move quickly through the stomach and into the small intestine, where they are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream within fifteen minutes. This quick absorption helps prevent muscle catabolism.
Without sufficient energy, the human body as discussed above, has the innate ability to break down muscle tissue for use as an energy source during heavy exercise. This process is known as gluconeogenesis, which is the production of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources. The part of the reaction that pertains to our discussion is known as the glucose �” alanine cycle. During this cycle, BCAAs (three of the essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine) are stripped from the muscle tissue and parts of them are converted to the amino acid alanine, which is transported to the liver and converted to glucose.
Branched-chained amino acids are metabolized directly in the muscle and can be converted into energy to prevent muscle catabolism. If you supplement with BCAAs the body does not have to break down muscle tissue to derive extra energy. A study conducted at the School of Human Biology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, confirmed that the use of BCAAs (up to 4 grams) during and after exercise could result in a significant reduction of muscle breakdown during exercise.
Amino acids are truly the building blocks of muscle tissue and protein. We hope that the article clarifies the importance of amino acid supplementation to your diet as well as reinforce amino acids many physiological contributions to bodybuilding.
Article Source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa89.htm
Tags: amino acids, body building, health, muscle, protein
Posted in Building Muscle, Expert Tips | 18 Comments »
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
You can find thousands of articles discussing muscle breakdown and how to slow down the process during an intense workout or how to recover quickly after a prolonged session. It all comes down to natural processes whereby muscles obtain the energy and protein needed to work efficiently and maintain mass. In the muscle the two are intricately entwined – energy and protein.
During a workout when you are stressing the muscles, cortisol is produced. The cortisol leads to muscle protein breaking down into amino acids which enter the bloodstream. The amino acids then synthesize glucose in the liver for energy. Naturally, if cortisol levels are too high there will be an excess of muscle breakdown.
A Matter of Preservation
The muscle breakdown process is complex, but it is clear that controlling the cortisol production is one of the best ways to prevent muscle breakdown. Fortunately, that is easy to do by taking specific supplements which directly combat the breakdown process. In fact, there are varieties of supplements which can limit cortisol production and provide a number of other health benefits.
One of the primary supplements known to prevent muscle breakdown is glutamine. Glutamine is an amino acid found in muscle tissue. It plays a critical role in the synthesis of protein and so can offset some of the effects of elevated cortisol levels experienced after intense workouts. The more glutamine available to the body, the better able it is to combat the muscle breakdown process.
Other important supplements which can prevent muscle breakdown include a host of vitamins and minerals. For example, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and fights free radical damage in the cells throughout the body. Healthier cells work more efficiently and are better able to do their job which in the case of muscles is to produce energy. But vitamin C can also reduce the time it takes for the muscle to rebuild connective tissue.
Other essential vitamins which can prevent muscle breakdown include vitamin A and the vitamin B-complex. Vitamin A assists with the building of muscle tissue. The vitamin B-complex promotes a healthy cardiovascular system, which supplies oxygen to the muscles and assists with the digestion of muscle-building protein obtained through diet.
Essential fatty acids also work to prevent muscle breakdown. The Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are used by the body to build strong cell membranes among other benefits. The stronger cells results in stronger body tissue and organs including the muscles.
Don’t Rely Just on Diets
Relying only on diet alone for nutrient balance is difficult when you exercise regularly. This is true for both the average but regular exercise, and the competitive athlete. It is more a matter of degree than anything else, because each person experiences various levels of stress in the muscles which results in the cortical production.
Unless you faithfully record your nutrition plan and the nutrients consumed, it’s hard to know you are giving your muscles the right supply of amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other elements needed to prevent muscle breakdown. And elements such as the Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are obtained through diet and supplements and are not synthesized by the body.
There is really only way to insure you are giving your body the nutrients it needs to manage your workout. That insurance is in the form of dietary supplements.
| Supplements Plus offers the best range of supplements at the lowest prices, guaranteed. We’ll beat any advertised price in Australia and we offer free shipping for orders over $150! To view our range of products, visit Creatine.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Evan_ORourke |
Tags: Building Muscle, muscle breakdown
Posted in Building Muscle, Expert Tips | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
 Protein Diet Who doesn’t want to look smart, feel better? And when you think of all these, your health takes the center stage of all actions. In order to remain in a good state of mind, you need to ensure a good state of health. And for making a body feel healthier, you must take care of your diets, exercise routines, and overall lifestyle. Carbohydrates, proteins and of course vitamins are the prime ingredients of a healthy physique. But when it comes to the muscle part of the body, protein leads the chart doing all the wonders. Protein muscle gained through dietary supplements or natural sources are high on demand today. Protein muscle not only looks stunning but also can be achieved easily only through dedication and proper diet plans.
The importance of protein in the human body is tremendous. It not only helps in the growth of muscles and tissues but also helps in hair and nail development. Recovery of wounds is done only by protein. Protein is equally important for the development of our cells. When we do weight exercise, we tear muscle tissues in the process. If we consume required proteins, our body breaks down it into amino acids thus helping ourselves getting those sinews and muscles. Therefore, after every workout session protein intake is always advised.
Protein muscle depends a lot on our food habits. Besides doing proper exercises, we need to concentrate on our diet for getting that stunning toned look. Proteins are mainly found on meat products like bacon, sausages, ham, beef, chicken breast, turkey breast etc. For vegans, different types of nuts, spinach, soy products, kidney beans, milk, low-fat yoghurt, cheese, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, green peas, green pepper, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard green, onions, cantaloupe, grapefruit, honeydew melon, orange, papaya, peach, pear, pineapple, strawberry are the richest sources of proteins. Among other protein products mention may specially be made of tofu, egg-whites, legumes, beets, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, millet, oatmeal etc.
About the author:
Proteinfactory specializes in Building Muscle Supplement. For more information about Protein Muscle, please visit us at proteinfactory.com/shop/home.php.
Tags: Building Muscle, lifestyle changes, muscle supplements, prime ingredients to health, protein diet
Posted in Building Muscle | 7 Comments »
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