Bulletin #166 – Rest, Recuperation & GH

Rest and recuperation can work in conjunction with growth hormone (GH) if this relationship is properly understood. For background, growth hormone (GH) is a protein hormone made by the pituitary gland, a small secretory gland at the base of the brain. Hormones, chemical messen-gers secreted by endocrine glands into the bloodstream, are delivered to target tissues, where they exert their effects. (1) Although growth hormone is of interest to adults, its primary function is to promote growth during childhood. Actively growing children have the highest levels of growth hormone. Gradu-ally, GH release decreases with age. The decline in GH levels may in fact be the cause of some of the processes of aging. If you haven’t made good gains in awhile try to incorporate some of the following GH-releasing ideas.GH & Rest between SetsAn important exercise parameter that seems to enhance GH release is to use shorter rest intervals when training. To do this, of course, you have to use lighter weights (and more reps).

Parrillo Performance
800-344-3404

A difficult protocol that works well to increase GH levels is to train to failure at 10 reps (use 10 rep maximum weight) combined with one-minute rest intervals (5). If you’re used to resting 3-5 minutes between sets, shorten up the rest in-terval to one minute or less; it will work wonders. Sometimes body-builders get into a rut; they plateau and can’t figure out the problem. It might be that they’re training like powerlifters: very heavy weights, very low reps with long rest inter-vals. In 1993 a scientific study compared the GH-release of 20 sets of one rep each (done maximally) to 10 sets of 10 reps (also maximum) and found the 10 sets of 10 reps resulted in greater GH release (6). Why? Prob-ably the larger volume of work, done with enough reps to result in some lactic acid production, com-bined with short rest intervals, is the best way to trigger GH release. It may prove beneficial to include some high intensity aerobics as part of your cardiovascular train-ing.

There seems to be theoretical justification to include sprinting for better results.A postscript here: Weight training is incredibly intense exercise and within seconds of the commence-ment of a heavy set, energy reserves are depleted and waste products be-gin to accumulate (1-4). Creatine phosphate serves as an energy donor and helps to maintain the supply of ATP, the molecule used by muscles to power contractions. ATP is rap-idly depleted and strength fades as a heavy set proceeds, muscular con-tractions soon stop altogether. Dur-ing the rest interval between sets ATP and creatine phosphate stores are repleted. Supplementation with Creatine Monohydrate can help the entire depletion-regeneration pro-cess as it increases intracellular Creatine pools(5-6). Supplement with our Creatine Monohydrate Formula™ and you will get a bet-ter training effect.Sleep & Stress Issues Always try to get enough sleep, es-pecially since GH is naturally re-leased at night. If you are unable to sleep optimally, your recovery will suffer and you won’t be able to train each muscle group as frequently.

You can also stimulate the release of growth hormone through the in-gestion of amino acids. Arginine Pyroglutamate and Lysine Mono-hydrochloride, two potent amino acids, when isolated and grouped together and taken on a regular basis have been shown to promote the secretion of growth hormone in the body. Parrillo Performance has grouped this amino duo in its Enhanced GH Formula™. These two aminos have been shown to stimulate the release of GH in test subjects. Growth hormone is the mightiest of all hormonal secretions as it increases mass and decreases bodyfat simultaneously, and aids injoint repair! This particular amino grouping is best taken on an empty stomach and it is suggested to take Enhanced GH Formula™ immediately upon awaking, before training and just before bedtime. Taken before bed (2 to 3 capsules), these easy to di-gest capsules will dissolve as you sleep, providing you with GH-trig-gering amino acids. Grow while you sleep! Take them in the morn-ing too, and prior to training. Muscle growth and decreased body fat are the ultimate goals of every hard-train-ing bodybuilder and strength athlete and muscle can’t grow without growth hormone. Growth hormone increases lean body mass by stimulating protein synthesis and increasing nitrogen re-tention. GH is anabolic, meaning that it acts to promote incorporation of nutrients into new body tissues (1,2).

One way to increase your natural GH levels is through supplementation with a special combination of amino acids (3), combined with adequate rest and sleep. Nutrition plays an absolutely central role in the rest and recovery process. The foods you eat supply you with the building blocks the body needs to repair itself. If you are train-ing intensely and getting enough sleep but not eating right, then your growth potential will be severely limited. You should be getting one to two grams of protein per pound of body weight ev-ery day for optimal growth and recov-ery (7-10). Most bodybuilders use a protein sup-plement as the foundation for their nu-tritional program. We think the best protein on the market is our Hi-Protein Powder™ or Optimized Whey Pro-tein™. Our whey protein is fortified with extra glutamine and branched chain amino acids. In terms of recov-ery and growth the two most impor-tant supplements are protein powder and Creatine Monohydrate. Carbohy-drates are required to maintain your muscle glycogen stores. When muscle glycogen is depleted, strength and endurance drop off markedly (1-4).

If you are no longer getting a good pump after a set, this is a sign that you are running low on glycogen. In this case, increase your carbs by using two to four scoops of Parrillo Pro-Carb™ after your workout. This is the per-fect time to supplement with carbs as they will be stored as glycogen. Don’t forget to take your vitamins and minerals. I suggest six meals a day, spaced at regular intervals. Each meal should include a pro-tein source (such as lean chicken or turkey), a starch, and a fibrous vegetable. Good starches include potatoes, rice, beans, and corn. Stay away from simple sugars and refined carbohydrates such as pas-ta or bread. Metabolically, refined carbohydrates behave much like simple sugars. Also avoid milk and fruit, which are rich in sugars. Consult the Parrillo Performance Nutrition Manual for detailed in-structions. Adequate nutrition and sleep are two critical ingredients in achieving optimal recovery. Don’t be afraid to vary and experiment with your rest intervals and train-ing frequency.

References

1. McArdle WD, Katch FI, and Katch VL. Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Per-formance. Lea & Febiger, Philadel-phia, 1991.

2. Wilmore JH and Costill DL. Physiology of Exercise and Sport. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, 1994.

3. Essentials of Strength Trainingand Conditioning, Thomas R. Baechle, editor, National Strength and Conditioning Association, Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, 1994.

4. Guyton AC. Textbook of Medi-cal Physiology, W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 1991.

5. Maughan RJ. Creatine supple-mentation and exercise perfor-mance. International Journal of Sport Nutrition 5: 94-101, 1995.

6. Greenhaff PL. Creatine and itsapplication as an ergogenic aid. International Journal of Sport Nu-trition 5: S100-S110, 1995.

7. Tarnopolsky MA, MacDougall JD, and Atkinson SA. Influence of protein intake and training sta-tus on nitrogen balance and lean mass. J Appl Physiol 64: 187-193, 1988.

8. Lemon PWR. Influence of di-etary protein and total energy intake on strength improvement. Sports Sci Exch 2, 1989.. Celejowa I and Homa M. Food intake, nitrogen, and energy bal-ance in Polish weight lifters dur-ing training camp. Nutr Metab 12: 259-274, 1970.

10. Laritcheva KA, Yalovaya NI, Shubin VI, and Shirnov PV. Study of energy expenditure and protein needs of top weight lift-ers. In: Nutrition, Physical Fitness and Health, eds. Pariznova J and Rogozkin VA, 155-163. Univer-sity Park Press, Baltimore, 1978.

Bulletin #165 – 8 Secrets to Keep Your Six-Pack Ripped

Ripped abs – every fitness-conscious person wants them, but few know ex-actly how to get them, and do so health-fully, without sacrificing lean muscle. The secrets are out – here’s how.

Parrillo Performance
800-344-3404

Secret #1:Eat fewer starchy carbohydrates.Reducing your intake of starchy car-bohydrates – potatoes, yams, whole grains, and brown rice, for example – is an amazing way to start stripping away fat. Metabolically, this dietary reduction helps shift your body into a fatburning mode. Your body sim-ply starts burning fat for energy, since there is a deficit of carbs in your body. How much of a reduction will work? A good rule of thumb is to adjust your carbohydrate-to-protein ratio to be-tween 1 to 1 or 1.5 to 1.Be aware that one problem with reduc-ing carbohydrate intake is a potential decline in your energy levels. To com-pensate, try supplementing your diet with CapTri®, our medium-chain tri-glyceride oil (MCT oil). This is a spe-cial type of lipid that provides quality calories and, unlike conventional di-etary fats, is not likely to be stored asbody fat. Calorie for calorie, CapTri® contributes less to body weight gain (fat gain) than carbohydrates or con-ventional dietary fat. Think of Cap-Tri® as an immediate energy source that will get burned before the body has time to store it. It is an excellent metabolic-support supplement. After a few days, increase to one ta-blespoon with each meal. During hard training, many athletes go as high as two to three tablespoons per meal – a level they have found to be benefi-cial.

Secret #2:Avoid or limit alcohol consumption.Beer, wine and hard liquor are high in sugar and empty calories you don’t need. In fact, each gram of alcohol has 7 calories, compared to 4 calories per gram for other carbs. Alcohol also stimulates your appe-tite. Plus, new research shows that heavy drinkers tend to gain weight in their abdomen area, giving credence to the idea of a “beer belly.” When there’s alcohol in your system, the liver has to work overtime to process it, so it doesn’t have adequate time to process fat. A study conducted at the University of Lausanne in Swit-zerland found that the addition of only 3 oz of alcohol per day to the diet resulted in about one-third less fat being processed. You can avoid drinking alcohol and still remain so-cial by sipping on juice, seltzers, club soda or sparkling mineral water on the rocks with a citrus twist.

Secret #3:Shun fructose.Of course, I’ve been saying this for decades. Now new research shows that fructose, found naturally in sug-ar and as high-fructose corn syrup in sodas and junk food, promotes belly fat. The reason for this is because the calories from fruit come in the formof fructose, which is quickly and eas-ily converted to fat in the liver. Excess calories from any carbo-hydrate source can be converted to fat. The enzyme that regulateswhether carbs are stored as gly-cogen or fat is phosphofructoki-nase-I. The job of this enzyme is to shuttle carbs into glycogen stores until full, then switch the flow of carbs from glycogen syn-thesis to fat synthesis. Fructose, however, skips this step in the liver where it is converted to fat.

Secret #4:Manage stress.Stress churns out and elevates cortisol, a hormone. If cortisol stays elevated, it directs fat stor-age to the abdominal area. If you’re like most people, you’ll need to let off some steam dur-ing stressful times, and exercise is the perfect stress reliever. Plus, it helps to burn off fat. So why not engage in a little additional aerobics to keep stress under con-trol? Do a bit more of your usual aerobic activity or try some new types just for fun. Spend an af-ternoon at an ice or roller-skating rink. Whack a ball around the racquetball court. If the weather permits, hit the ski slopes, try your hand at crosscountry skiing or rent some snowshoes and go exploring. Or get in the pool and swim a few laps.

Secret #5:Increase the duration and/or frequency of your usual aerobic exercise routine.Duration refers to the length of time that you work out. It’s amazing how many additional calories you’ll con-sume by pushing your body just a little longer. Increase your exercise frequency too: working out more times per week to obtain a greater caloric expenditure and burn more fat. In one study, men who worked out at moderate intensity on exercise bikes six days a week, twice a day, for 100 days lost an average of near-ly 18 lbs—and most of it was pure fat. Although you don’t have to work out this much to keep your six-pack ripped, these findings demonstrate that increased workout frequency translates into more fat loss.Aerobic exercise, even something as simple as walking is great for obtaining and keeping ripped abs. Researchers at the Washington Uni-versity School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, put a group of men and women, aged 60 to 70 on a nine to 12-month exercise program that consisted of walking or jogging. On average, the subjects exercised 45 minutes several times a week. By the end of the study, both the men and the women had lost weight. But get this: Most of their weight was shed from the abdominal area. This all goes to show that a simple exercise program like walking or jogging can melt off abdominal fat, which creeps on as we get older. From a health perspective, this type of exercise — by fighting waistline flab — may reduce the risk of diseases linked to abdominal fat. Compared to other fat storage sites on the body, the ab-dominal region is “lipolytically ac-tive.” This means it gives up fat eas-ily. A group of Canadian researchers put this to the test. In their study, 13 obese women exercised moderately for 90 minutes four to five times a week for 14 months. At the end of the study, the women underwent CT scans to detect any changes in body fat patterning. More flab was lost from the abdominal region than from the mid-thigh, proving that ab fat is easily burned with a consis-tent, long-term exercise program.Always concentrate on beefing up your aerobic intensity. Make the effort count. For optimum fatburn-ing, you should exercise at a level that is hard enough to raise your heart rate to 70 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. (You can calculate your desired heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 and multiplying that number by 70 or 80 percent.)

Secret #6:Cut the bad fats.Cutting fatty foods such as red meats, other fatty cuts, butter, and margarine from your daily diet should be part of a total plan to zap tummy fat. Interestingly, when a group of 124 women reduced di-etary fat, they each lost 10 to 15 pounds, and more than half the women lost body fat mostly from their abdomen. See the Parrillo Nutrition Manual for how much fat to include in your diet, includ-ing essential fatty acids.

Secret #7:Stop yo-yo dieting.Be forewarned about dieting: Go-ing on and off a reducing diet can make your waistline look like the equator. The proof is in some in-teresting research conducted at Yale University several years ago. Researchers there studied pre-menopausal women who had gone up and down in weight many times during their lives — a result of re-peated efforts at dieting. What they found was intriguing: Those women with a history of on-again, off-again dieting and fluctuations in weight tended to gain fat mostly in the ab-dominal region. In other words: When fat returns after you go off a diet, it returns to your waistline. It’s best to not diet too drastically, but rather follow a healthy nutritional plan, like the Parrillo Nutrition Pro-gram.

Secret #8:Work your six-pack.True, waistline exercises will firm up abdominal muscles underneath the fat and wake up sluggish circu-lation so fat-burning can proceed. So don’t neglect your ab work. Oneof my favorites is the knee –up. You’ll need a dip stand to perform this exercise. Facing away from the stand, hoist yourself up between thetwo parallel dipping bars and sup-port yourself there with your legs straight. Bend your knees and pull your thighs in toward your midsec-tion. Return to the starting position and repeat. Perform as many repeti-tions as you can.Good looks aren’t the only benefit you get from your ab workout. The four sets of muscles that make up your abdominal column work to-gether with your back muscles to help you sit straight, stand tall, and move with ease. If you’ve ever had a low-back problem, you know that one of the first rules in restoring health and preventing future back ailments is to strengthen your ab muscles.  Remember too: Trimming that rollaround the middle lowers your riskfactor for heart disease, high bloodpressure, diabetes, some cancers,and many other life-shorteningdiseases. There’s a healthy payofffor anyone who gives the abdomi-nals individual attention.

References

Rodin J, Radke-Sharpe N, Rebuffe-Scrive M, Greenwood MR:Weight cycling and fat distribution.International Journal of ObesityApril 1990;14(4):303-310.Kohrt WM, Obert KA, HolloszyJO: Exercise training improves fatdistribution patterns in 60 to 70-year-old men and women. Journalof Gerontology July 1992;47(4):M99-105.

Bulletin #164 – Supplementing For The Endurance Edge

Endurance is critical in athletic training and bodybuilding. Can you increase your endurance through the use of nutritional supplementation? Science says yes. Endurance can be bumped up, regardless the degree of fit-ness, with a balanced nutrition program aided by supplementa-tion. One of the supplements we recommend is Parrillo Max En-durance Formula™. It is special-ly formulated with the following nutrients:InosineThough it sounds like one, ino-sine is not an amino acid but is classified as a nucleoside, one of the basic compounds compris-ing cells. It plays many roles, one of which is helping to make ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the body’s main form of usable energy. Inosine plays many other roles in the body, including re-leasing insulin, facilitating the use of carbohydrate by the heart and, potentially, participating in oxygen metabolism and protein synthesis which improves oxygen utilization.

Parrillo Performance
800-344-3404

DL-PhenylalanineDL-Phenylalanine is an amino acid known to improve mental acuity and pain tolerance. Some interesting research has looked into whether this amino acid canimprove mental focus and alle-viate attention problems. In one study, adults with attention deficit disorder were given a 2-week double-blind crossover of DL-phenylalanineversus placebo. A significant im-provement was noted on mood and attention. Treatment with DLphenyl-alanine also appears to ease depres-sion in patients receiving opiates for chronic non-malignant pain. This amino acid is included in Max En-durance™ to help maximize focus and minimize pain for more produc-tive workouts.Ferulic AcidThe phytochemical ferulic acid is found in the leaves and seeds of many plants, but especially in cere-als such as brown rice, whole wheat and oats. Ferulic acid is also present in coffee, apples, and artichokes. As an effective antioxidant, ferulic acid helps protect the body against free radicals and bodily stress, which can otherwise cause fatigue and illness.

This lessens the total body burden of free radical damage, which is a ma-jor contributing factor as to why we age and suffer from degenerative dis-eases. Ferulic acid also helps to in-crease energy, as well as stimulate an increase in strength and lean musclemass and a decrease in body fat.In one study of 7 Olympic weight-lifters, all experienced an increase in strength and endurance, a decrease in waist circumference and reduced residual joint and muscle soreness. Studies have shown that ferulic acid can decrease blood glucose levels and can be of help to diabetes patients. In addition, ferulic acid seems to pro-tect against cancer, bone degeneration, menopausal symptoms (hot flashes). Like many other antioxidants, ferulic acid reduces the level of cholesterol and triglyceride, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.Potassium & Magnesium AspartateHave you ever noticed an ammo-nia smell in your clothes after a hard workout? This is because your body was using some amino acids as fuel but was not able to clear the waste products efficiently. When this hap-pens the carbon skeleton of amino acids is burned, leaving ammonia as a byproduct.

Ammonia is quite toxic and is converted to urea in a meta-bolic pathway called “the urea cycle,” which prepares it to be excreted in the urine. The urea cycle requires certain chemical compounds called aspar-tates, which are included in our Max Endurance Formula™. Aspartates are used by the body to detoxify the waste products of protein catabolism.They also help filter out toxic waste products your body generates during intense training. Eliminating these waste products helps you have more energy and recover faster. Ammonia is very toxic and will stop energy pro-duction in the cell. Using the aspar-tates in Max Endurance™ to neutral-ize the ammonia as soon as it forms enables you to have more energy and endurance. We suggest the product be used consistently every day, not just on days of endurance events. Take 5-10 capsules before training.  In addition to Max Endurance Formu-la™, there are other unique and power-ful nutritional supplements for endur-ance. Anyone who wants more energy, strength and stamina should consider ad-ditional supplementation.

I suggest you start with the Liver-Amino Formula™, since it provides protein and heme iron — the precise nutrients your body needs to build muscle, red blood cells and energy producing systems. If you’re not getting enough protein from conventional sourc-es, the Hi-Protein Powder™ is probably the next thing to add. If you need more calories, go with Pro-Carb™, CapTri® or any of our Supplement Bars or pud-dings. If you’re training on the edge andwant to explore the limits of your poten-tial, add in Muscle Amino™.In general, I suggest you begin using endurance supplements when training hard and definitely for at least three to six weeks before your event to build up your nutrient level reserves. This is es-pecially true for Liver-Amino™, since it takes about six weeks to build red blood cells. You’ll get better results if the nu-trition and supplements regimen is fol-lowed daily, not just around competition time. Consistency and dedication make the difference between champions and recreational athletes, and that applies to nutrition and supplementation as well as to training.P.S. Don’t forget your Essential Vitamin Formula™ and Mineral Electrolyte For-mula™, both of which can be doubled when in hard training.

Bulletin #163 – Protein Power – More Proof

The optimal amount of protein for athletes and exercisers has been de-bated ad nauseam, as have other is-sues related to protein. Finally, last year, the International Society of Sports Nutrition took a positive re-search-based position on protein, saying, really, what we have be-lieved in at Parrillo Performance for decades. Let me give you a run-down of what this information tells us – and my take on it as it relates to your nutrition and training.

Parrillo Performance
800-344-3404

The Society has put together seven points related to the intake of protein for healthy, exercising individuals:1) Vast research supports the con-tention that individuals engaged in regular exercise training require more dietary protein than seden-tary individuals. Absolutely! What stirred the debate early on was that the National Research Council put the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein intake at 0.8 grams protein per kg body weight per day (g/kg/day). This works out to be 0.36 grams per pound body weight each day (g/pound/day), which is 56 grams per day for a typical male and about 72 grams per day for a 200 pound bodybuilder. This value was determined to be the amount required by most of the av-erage population – not for athletes or other very active people. The RDA protein recommendation may be enough for sedentary people but en-durance athletes and very muscular athletes need more.2) Protein intakes of 1.4 – 2.0 g/kg/ day for physically active individuals is not only safe, but may improve the training adaptations to exercise train-ing. On The Parrillo Performance Nutrition Program, we recommend that bodybuilders consume 1.5 grams or more of protein a day per pound of body weight. At least one gram per pound of body weight should come from lean proteins, with the re-maining .

5 gram per pound of body weight coming from starchy and fi-brous carbs. We’ve seen bodybuild-ers greatly improve their physiques by following these guidelines.3) When part of a balanced, nutrient-dense diet, protein intakes at this lev-el are not detrimental to kidney func-tion or bone metabolism in healthy, active persons. True, there is no evi-dence suggesting that strength ath-letes consuming a high protein diet have an increased incidence of kid-ney disease. The data suggesting that a high protein diet contributes to the progressive nature of kidney disease come from people with pre-existing kidney problems.4) While it is possible for physical-ly active individuals to obtain their daily protein requirements through a varied, regular diet, supplemental protein in various forms are a prac-tical way of ensuring adequate and quality protein intake for athletes. Amen – which is why Parrillo Per-formance has a full range of protein supplements available to you.

To help you meet your protein needs, for example, we have developed Hi-Protein Powder™. Each serving provides 31 grams of ultra quality protein. Other high-protein supple-ments include our Protein Bars™, 50/50 Plus™ powders, Optimized Whey Protein™ supplements, and All-Protein™.5) Different types and quality of protein can affect amino acid bio-availability following protein sup-plementation. The superiority of one protein type over another in terms of optimizing recovery and/ or training adaptations remains to be convincingly demonstrated. Our protein supplements give you a variety of protein types, from whey to casein, and all have benefits. For example, research shows that whey protein diets increase the amount of glutathione in body tissues. Glu-tathione is a peptide (an amino acid derivative) that is involved in strengthening immunity. The eleva-tion of glutathione has been shown to inhibit the development of sev-eral types of tumors, according to numerous studies. Whey protein is found in the following products: Op-timized Whey Protein™, Hi-Protein Powder™, 50/50 Plus Powder™, Parrillo Sports Nutrition Bars™, Parrillo Protein Bars™, Parrillo En-ergy Bars™, Protein Chew Bars™, Pancake & Muffin Mix™ and Cake & Cupcake Mix™. We also offer our All-Protein Pow-der™, which covers just about every protein base there is.

Plus it’s fortified with amino acids: glycine, l-glutamine, l-leucine, l-isoleucine, and l-valine. Our suggested usage is one or more serv-ings (2 scoops mixed with 8 ounces or ¼ liter of water or beverage) taken as needed with or between meals, and taken before, during, and after work-outs. All-Protein Powder™ can also be mixed with food as needed.6) Appropriately timed protein intake is an important component of an over-all exercise training program, essential for proper recovery, immune function, and the growth and maintenance of lean body mass. Used to be that carbs took precedence over any other nutri-ent as a post-workout recovery agent. Not any more. Protein is equally as im-portant and pairs up with carbohydrate as a double punch for muscle building. Various research studies have proved that a carbohydrate/protein supple-ment triggers the greatest elevations in insulin and growth hormone levels in exercising study subjects. Clearly, protein works hand in hand with post-exercise carbs to create a hormonal environment that promotes the great-est increase in muscle growth.

This nutrient combination also jump-starts your body’s glycogen-making process — faster than if you just consumed carbs. Research has found that a balanced amino mixture (0.15 gm per kg of body weight) taken immediately af-ter resistance exercise will produce a better anabolic effect than when the same mixture was taken later. We think one of the best times to take our 50/50 Plus™ or protein supplements is right after you train, based on this cutting edge research. If you want to take your recovery efforts up one more notch, consider supplementation with 50/50 Plus™, Hi-Protein™, Opti-mized Whey Protein™ and All-Protein™.7) Under certain circumstances, specific amino acid supplements, such as branched-chain amino ac-ids (BCAA’s), may improve exercise performance and recovery from exercise. Parrillo Performance sup-plies BCAAS in its Muscle Amino Formula™. A good time to use this product is immediately before and after training, as well as with meals. Hard dieting is a great time to supplement with branch-chain amino acids.During times of energy insufficien-cy (dieting), your body will actu-ally break down its own muscle to use as fuel if no other is available. Catabolism is a dreadful metabolic state that occurs when glycogen stores have been depleted and fat oxidation has maximized. Meta-bolically, your body requires a cer-tain level of glucose (blood sugar) to be maintained in order for the brain to function. While body fat provides a long-lasting energy sup-ply, fat cannot be converted into carbohydrate by the human body. But protein (amino acids) can.

Un-der adverse conditions, carbohy-drates are exhausted and your body breaks down protein stores (muscle tissue) to convert into carbohydrate to supply energy. Branched-Chain Amino Acids are effective because they form a substrate for growth and are metabolized as fuel direct-ly within muscle cells. A handful of Muscle Amino Formula™ cap-sules will help prevent the onset of catabolism and has both anabolic and anti-catabolic properties. Hi- Protein™ and Optimized Whey™ are fortified with extra BCAAs for just this reason. We suggest two or more with every meal. Remember that BCAAs require insulin for ab-sorption into muscle cells so take them with food (carbs) rather than on an empty stomach!For more information on protein and athletes, read the “Internation-al Society of Sports Nutrition Posi-tion Stand: protein and exercise,” published in the September 2007 issue of the Journal of the Interna-tional Society of Sports Nutrition.

Bulletin #130 – Creatine

Creatine does it all: increases muscle mass, builds strength, and enhances endurance, according to a growing body of scientific research. (1-6). We’ve been doing our own trials here as well and have seen impressive results . What is creatine, and how does it work? For background, the immediate source of energy for all cellular activity, including muscle contraction, is a mol-ecule called ATP. This stands for adenos-ine triphosphate. ATP is formed from the chemical energy contained in food. Food is oxidized, or burned, in the body to re-lease energy. This energy is used to form ATP, which then goes on to power cellular activity. The body’s stores of ATP are very limited. In fact, each muscle cell contains only enough ATP to power contractions for a few seconds. Therefore, ATP must be continuously regenerated . That’s where creatine fits in. When ATP is broken down to as part of the en-ergy-producing process, creatine (in the form of creatine phosphate, or CP) steps in and chemically regenerates ATP (1). This allows high energy muscle contractions to continue. After about 45 seconds to 2 min-utes (depending on the intensity of effort) the creatine phosphate is also used up, and power production by the muscle rapidly declines.

Parrillo Performance
800-344-3404

This is what happens when you fail at the end of a set – you’ve used up all your ATP and CP, which means you’re out of fuel. This is also why high intensity weight lifting sets usually last about a min-ute before you fail. After the CP is used up, ATP cannot be regenerated fast enough to maintain a high level of intensity. Lower intensity exercise (aerobic exercise like bike riding) can be continued almost in-definitely because you can generate CP and ATP fast enough to keep up with the energy demands of the activity. You’ll notice supplemental creatine comes in the form of creatine monohydrate. Why isn’t creatine phosphate or ATP itself used as a supplement instead? Simply put, because it doesn’t work. Molecules such as CP and ATP are not absorbed through the intestine . Creatine monohydrate, on the other hand, is readily absorbed and does in fact reach the muscle cell when administered orally (2).

This is why it can be used as an effective supplement. Once inside the muscle cell it is converted to creatine phos-phate. What about the sublingual route? This is bogus, since the molecule still has to cross cell membranes to reach the circu-lation. What about liquid creatine? Doubly bogus, since creatine tends to break down when stored as a solution. So how exactly does creatine increase muscle size and strength? It increases strength by increasing the intracellular lev-els of creatine and creatine phosphate, which allows more rapid ATP production. This means more energy is available to the cell, allowing it to work harder. This same mechanism explains why creatine increases endurance performance too. If you increase the creatine pool inside the muscle this increases the cell’s energy reserve, allow-ing longer, as well as more powerful, con-tractions. Creatine is very popular among endurance athletes, and is widely used in track and field. Creatine increases muscle size because it attracts water. Creatine is absorbed into the muscle cell and pulls a lot of water along with it, causing the muscle to swell.

This results in larger, firmer muscles and a better pump. Please realize that creatine itself does not directly increase muscle protein. As with all supplements, it is vital that you use creatine in conjunction with a solid bodybuilding diet. You need protein to build muscle tissue and carbohydrates to provide energy. Creatine itself is not burned to produce energy, rather it acts as an energy buffer to transfer the energy derived from carbohydrate and fat oxida-tion to ATP. Creatine is not incorporated into protein. It will, however, indirectly increase the protein mass of muscles over time by allowing you to perform higher in-tensity workouts. That is, of course, if you are eating enough lean protein and quality calories to support muscle gains . What can you expect from creatine? Typically in hard-training bodybuilders, we observe an increase of 4-14 pounds of lean mass during the first month of using creatine. This is remarkable. This does not mean you have to consume 4-14 pounds of creatine. Remember, most of the weight gain and size increase comes from water.

Creatine is stored in muscle cells, where it attracts water. The more muscle mass you have to start with, the more creatine you can assimilate and the more weight you will gain from using creatine. Small bodybuilders usually gain 4-6 pounds and the really big guys gain 10-14 pounds. We have verified that this weight gain shows up as an increase in lean body mass when you do body composition testing. Remember that lean mass is a measure of everything in your body that’s not fat, including the skeleton and muscle, including water. It’s hard to imagine anybody happier than a bodybuilder who gains 10 pounds of lean mass in one month .Regarding performance, we’ve seen ath-letes experience a 5-15% increase in strength on their maximum lifts, and an increase of about 2 reps per set with their working weight. This increase in training intensity allows you to put a greater load on the muscle, which will indeed increase your gains in muscle protein mass over time. The amount of strength gain each in-dividual can make may differ considerably, because the strength of your tendons also determines how much weight the muscle can lift. While it seems clear that creatine will allow faster and greater gains in size and strength over the long-term, firm num-bers cannot be attached at the onset. A lot depends on whether you are eating enough protein and calories to support gains.

If you don’t eat enough to support muscle gain, you won’t see any, it’s that simple. But with a solid, high-calorie, high-protein diet and intense training, your muscle gains can be incredible. Regarding endurance exercise, we’ve seen athletes experience a 5-10% increase in speed and a 10-20% increase in time to fatigue. As with nearly all supplements, actual usage will vary from person to person and will likely change as your body and train-ing changes. To start out, I recommend for the first one to two weeks you use 20-30 grams a day divided into even servings taken with each meal, or with a Hi-Pro-tein/Pro-Carb drink. This is the loading phase . One scoop or heaping teaspoon is five grams, so one of these with each meal is about right. Use the lower end of these ranges if you’re 150-200 pounds, and the upper end if you’re over 200 pounds. We recommend one to two weeks, but the load-ing phase may take as many as four weeks. When you find that you’re really getting a good pump, the loading phase has filled the creatine stores in your muscle. After that, 5-10 grams a day is enough to maintain your creatine stores. Cycling creatine is of no advantage. If you stop taking creatine, you simply deplete your existing store, which takes 4-8 weeks. Creatine can be mixed in plain wa-ter too. Don’t be concerned that creatine doesn’t dissolve fully; just drink the sus-pension.

It gets absorbed very well. Don’t’ mix creatine in water too far in advance of when you take it, however, since it begins to break down. A great way to pack creatine is to take a shaker bottle with a scoop of Hi-Protein or Pro-Carb, plus a scoop of cre-atine and put it in your gym bag or cooler. Then just add water, shake, and drink. An-other convenient way to use creatine is to mix it into oatmeal. Creatine has no flavor, but it is a little grainy. Are there any medical concerns with taking creatine? If you have any blood work done you might find that creatine elevates your creatinine level. Doctors use the creatinine level in the blood as an index of kidney function. If your doctor notices an increase in your creatinine level and ex-presses some concern about your kidneys, tell him or her that you’re using creatine . Creatine does not damage the kidneys in any way, but is contraindicated if you have pre-existing severe kidney disease (for ex-ample, renal dialysis or kidney transplant patients). People with severe kidney dis-ease have trouble eliminating creatinine, and creatine supplementation would in-crease creatinine levels further.

References

1. Maughan RJ. Creatine supplementa-tion and exercise performance. Interna-tional Journal of Sport Nutrition 5: 94-101, 1995 .

2. Greenhaff PL. Creatine and its ap-plication as an ergogenic aid. International Journal of Sport Nutrition 5: S100-S110, 1995 .

3. Crim MC, Munro HN. Proteins and Amino Acids. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease 8: 9-10, 1994 .

4. Greenhaff PL, Casey A, Short AH, Harris AC, Soderlund K, and Hultman E. Influence of oral creatine supplementation on muscle torque during repeated bouts of maximal voluntary exercise in man. Clin. Sci . 84: 565-571, 1993 .

5. Harris RC, Viru M, Greenhaff PL, and Haltman E. The effect of oral creatine supplementation on running performance during maximal short term exercise in man. J. Physiol. 467: 74P, 1993.

6. Ernest CP, Snell PG, Mitchell TL, Rodriguez R, and Almada AL. Effect of creatine monohydrate on peak anaerobic power, capacity, and fatigue index. Med. Sci. Sports. Exerc. 26: S39, 1994.

Bulletin #129 – Hormone Help

Through diet and exercise, you can control all of the major hormones in-volved in muscle growth and fat loss, namely insulin, glucagon, and growth hormone. Your diet and exercise habits set up a “hormonal environment” inside your body which determines if nutrients will be stored in the lean compartment or the fat compartment. A few fairly simple manipulations in your food intake and in your workouts will make all the difference in the world. Let’s take a look at how this all works. Dietary Manipulation of Hormones The best place to start in explaining these hormones is with insulin and gluca-gon . These hormones are among the most potent determiners of fat storage and fat loss. Luckily, the levels of these hormones are entirely determined by diet, so you can have control over them by carefully regu-lating what you eat. Insulin and glucagon are both produced by the pancreas, but have exactly opposite effects. Their chief concern is the regulation of blood sugar (glucose) levels.

Parrillo Performance
800-344-3404

Your brain requires a constant supply of glucose for fuel, so the blood glucose level is tightly regulated to make sure the brain never runs out of gas . When you eat carbohydrates, they are digested and absorbed by the small intestine and transported directly to the liver via the portal vein. Essentially, all of the carbohydrate you eat is converted to glucose by the liver before being released into the bloodstream. After a meal your blood glucose level rises as carbohydrates are released. This rise in blood sugar trig-gers a release of insulin from the pancreas. Insulin is required to help move glucose into cells . Once inside cells, the glucose is burned for energy or stored as glycogen. Everything is fine so far. The problem arises when carbohydrates are released into the bloodstream too fast. This causes too much insulin to be released. When insulin levels get too high, some of the carbohydrate is converted to fat instead of being stored as glycogen. Also, if insulin levels get too high this actually causes too much sugar to be moved into cells. This results in “hypoglycemia,” which means low blood sugar. If your blood sugar is too low, you feel very tired. Simple sug-ars cause your blood sugar level to spike, then paradoxically to decrease to a lower level than before (because of insulin over-release).

This is why the rate of digestion of your meals is important. Stay away from foods containing simple sugars (sweets, fruit, dairy products) and refined carbo-hydrates (bread and pasta) because these are released into the bloodstream too fast, causing too much insulin to be released. This channels calories to fat stores. Combining protein and fibrous carbs with your starches, and avoiding simple and refined carbohydrates, slows the release of glucose into the blood-stream resulting in a lower, but longer, insulin release. This gives you a uni-form energy level and channels calo-ries toward muscle and away from fat. Glucagon has the opposite effect of insu-lin. An increase in blood sugar triggers a release of insulin but inhibits glucagon re-lease.

Glucagon is released several hours after a meal when blood sugar levels drop. Glucagon reduces glucose for energy and stimulates breakdown of body fat and the use of fat for energy. Glucagon also stimu-lates glycogen breakdown. The net result of glucagon is to raise the glucose levels back to normal and to signal the body to begin using fat for energy since it ís run-ning low on carbs. Your body’s ratio or insulin to gluca-gon is determined solely by the ratio of protein to carbohydrate in your diet. For weight loss, you generally want to limit your carb:protein ratio to 1.0:1.5 and use CapTri® to make up for the carb energy you’ve reduced (CapTri® is a specially engineered fat that is burned like a carb in the body). For muscle gain, you will want to increase the carb:protein ratio as well as increasing total calories .

Generally, you want to consume about 1.5 times as many calories from carbohydrate as protein. When you’re trying to gain weight, you want a little more insulin so you eat a little more carbohydrate. One last thing about insulin. In addi-tion to it enhancing transport of glucose inside cells, it is also required for trans-port of certain amino acids into cells. These include the branched chain amino acids, and this is why it is important to take your Muscle-Amino Formula™ with meals and not on an empty stomach. It has been found that neither insulin nor growth hormone alone is sufficient to stimulate growth; you have to have both of them together at the same time. This is at least partly due to the fact that these two hormones act to transport different sets of amino acids inside cells, and you need all of the amino acids present at the same time in order for growth to occur (1).

Exercise Manipulation of Hormones While insulin and glucagon are con-trolled entirely by diet, the most effective way to control growth hormone (GH) is by exercise (2,3). This is why exercise is required to gain muscle and lose fat. If you try to lose weight by cutting calories, about half of the weight you lose will be muscle. Conversely, if you gain weight simply by increasing calories (without exercising) you’ll just get fat. Exercise is required to set up the proper hormonal mi-lieu allowing selective fat loss and muscle gain. The favorable effects of exercise in increasing muscle mass while decreasing fat stores are mediated largely through growth hormone, testosterone and epinephrine. Therefore, to sculpt the ultimate physique, we have to talk about effective training strategies to optimize growth hor-mone.

Growth hormone is the most important hormone responsible for normal growth during childhood. Without growth hormone, a person will never at-tain adult stature. Growth hormone has profound effects on the growth of the skeleton as well as the muscles. Tes-tosterone and estrogen produced during puberty cause the skeleton to mature and stop growing, but growth hormone still promotes muscle growth and fat loss in adults . There are several things you can do to naturally increase your GH levels. One is to get a good night’s sleep. Growth hor-mone is released maximally during sleep, normally about three hours after you fall asleep. Trying to build muscle without getting enough rest is nearly impossible. Second, GH release is increased during and just after intense exercise (2,3). The most effective training style for increas-ing GH release is high volume training (2,3,4). I recommend a mixture of low rep, medium rep and high rep work to maximally stimulate all the muscle fibers as well as train the nervous system. This results in optimal increases in size and strength .

Third, eat a high-protein diet con-sisting of egg whites, white meat poul-try, fish, and protein supplements such as Parrillo Hi-Protein™ Powder. Protein not only stimulates GH release, but also provides the building blocks you need to build new muscle tissue. Fourth, certain combinations of amino acids have been shown to increase GH release and result in increased lean body mass (4). Enhanced GH Formula™ contains the most effec-tive combination ever developed. Take it on an empty stomach just before training and before bed. Of course, merely having a detailed intellectual understanding of how nutri-tion and exercise come together in your body to build muscle and burn fat does nothing to achieve those results. It’s up to you to put this information to use in the gym and at the dinner table.

References

1. de Castro JM, Paullin SK and DeLugas GM. Insulin and glucagon as determinants of body weight set point and microregula-tion in rats. J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol. 92: 571-579, 1978 .

2. Remington DW, Fisher AG, and Parent EA. How to Lower your Fat Thermo-stat. Vitality House International, Provo, 1983 .

3. Guyton, AC. Textbook of Medical Physiology. W.B. Saunders, 1991.

4. Johnson LR. Essential Medical Physi-ology. Raven Press, New York, 1992.

Bulletin #70 – The Impact of Dietary Energy of Body Composition, Part II

What is the effect of diet composition on the hormones that act to control body composition? This topic is quite involved and we will deal with some basic concepts. The major players in this drama are insu-lin, glucagon, cortisol, growth hormone, thyroid, and to some extent testosterone. The most important relationship is the in-sulin-glucagon axis. These two hormones are made by the pancreas and act to control nutrient storage and nutrient utilization . Insulin is essentially a storage hormone and is released in response to eating .

Parrillo Performance
800-344-3404

The most potent stimulus for insulin release is car-bohydrate ingestion, followed by protein ingestion. Insulin shuttles carbohydrate molecules (glucose) inside cells for stor-age. It promotes the use of carbohydrate as fuel and stores carbohydrate as glycogen. After a meal, insulin is released and acts to help store nutrients and use glucose as fuel. Insulin promotes fat storage and converts excess carbohydrate into fat. Although under normal conditions, not much car-bohydrate is converted into fat — insulin does promote this. Insulin also prevents the release of fatty acids from adipose tissue and decreases the use of fat as fuel. Insulin behaves like a switch that turns off fat burn-ing and turns on carbohydrate burning. Glucagon is a counter-regulatory hor-mone.

It has the opposite actions of insulin. Several hours after a meal, when most of the ingested nutrients have been burned or stored, glucagon levels increase. This promotes fat utilization and decreases carbohydrate oxidation. Immediately after a meal, insulin acts to promote fat storage, but after several hours of fasting, glucagon acts to promote fat oxidation. After the calories from your last meal have been used you begin to switch over to a fat burning mode. Of course, by this time most people get hungry and eat again, so they spend relatively few hours a day burning any significant amount of fat. The complete picture is much more complicated . The pri-mary site of glucagon action is in the liver, with relatively little impact on peripheral fat stores. The main stimulus for release of fat from adipose tissue is the sympathetic nervous system.

The nerve endings release norepinephrine at the adipose cell, which in turn stimulates breakdown of stored tri-glyceride and fatty acid release. The major reason for considering the use of fat in a bodybuilding diet is that fat causes very little insulin release. By eating a low car-bohydrate diet higher in fat, insulin levels should remain lower. Also, if carbohydrates are not available the body shifts into a fat burning metabolism during the day. Other studies (in rats) have demonstrated that the protein-to-carbohydrate ratio in the diet determines to a large extent the ratio of insulin-to-glycogen in the blood (11-13). These hormones seem to be almost entirely controlled by diet. Furthermore, studies suggest that the insulin-glycogen ratio influences bodyfat levels (11-13).

For the same number of calories, more will be stored as fat if insulin levels are higher, simply because insulin promotes fat storage and prevents fat utilization. On a different diet, providing the same number of calories, we would expect bodyfat levels to be lower if insulin levels are lower. This is logical. For these rea-sons we have seen the emergence of diets higher in fat and lower in carbohydrate. The disadvantages are problems inher-ent to fat metabolism, discussed above. One desirable alternative would be to use another energy source besides carbohy-drate - which had favorable effects on the insulin profile — but which avoided the other problems faced by conventional fats. Medium chain triglycerides, such as CapTri®, offer such an alternative. Con-ventional fats are comprised of long chain fatty acids, usually 16 to 20 carbon atoms long. Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) are a specially engineered, semi-synthetic fat that is built from fatty acid molecules that are only eight to 12 carbon atoms long.

This small difference in chemical structure results in very different biological effects. MCT has a much higher thermogenic ef-fect than conventional fat - probably higher than carbohydrate (14-19). MCT does not require the carnitine shuttle for transport inside the mitochondria and its oxidation is essentially unregulated. MCTs are oxidized very rapidly, more rapidly than glucose (14-19). The liver converts the excess en-ergy to ketones, or beta-hydroxy butyrate and acetoacetic acid. These ketones are used as an immediate fuel source by the muscles. While conventional fats are preferentially stored, MCT are im-mediately oxidized as fuel. This results in almost no storage of MCT as adipose (14-19). MCT thus represents a dietary energy source, which has the advantages of fat but does not elicit much insulin response . MCT does not contribute to adipose depots. In our experience the 30 percent protein, 40 percent carbohydrate, 30 percent con-ventional fat diet works adequately - but not optimally — as long as an energy de-ficient diet is consumed.

If fewer calories are consumed than expended, weight loss will result no matter what the diet composi-tion. This diet (or practically any diet) will promote weight loss as long as an energy deficit is maintained. The high-fat diet can actually promote fairly rapid weight loss because of its favorable effects on insulin. However, you will run into problems on this diet when you approach maintenance level, calorically. Disaster occurs during calorie-excess when using the high-fat diet. Fat intake does not promote fat oxidation. If you consume excess calories supplied in the form of fat, they will be stored as fat. Period. You cannot use this diet to gain weight, unless you want to gain fat. By using MCT as the fat source — instead of long chain triglyceride — you can avoid the inherent problems. This results in a favorable insulin profile and eliminates the metabolic complications of consum-ing conventional fat. And since MCT is not retained as adipose, this makes it an ideal energy substitute during a weight gain phase . MCT use seems to minimize fat deposition during weight gain.

Another problem with the conventional 30:40:30 high-fat diet is the inclusion of sugars, particularly in the form of fruit. Fruit can blow a diet. Fruit provides most of its calories in the form of simple sug-ars: glucose and fructose. Fructose is an especially bad choice for bodybuilders be-cause it bypasses the phosphofructokinase enzyme step during glycolysis (20). This enzyme acts as a switch and determines whether sugars are stored as glycogen or burned as fuel. Fructose enters the glyco-lytic pathway and bypasses this enzyme. The fructose molecules are automatically shunted toward oxidation. During carbo-hydrate oxidation the carbon skeleton is converted to acetyl-CoA in the process of ATP generation. Fructose is rapidly con-verted into acetyl-CoA, which overwhelms the pathway that converts it into ATP. The acetyl-CoA piles up in the liver. Acetyl-CoA, it turns out, is the building block for fatty acid synthesis. Most of the fructose-derived energy is converted into fat by the liver and is subsequently released into the blood to be stored in fat cells (20). This is bad news! The argument used by fruit lovers is that eating it has almost no effect on increasing insulin release. True, but this has not been totally thought through.

The reason fruit doesn’t increase insulin levels is that it is released from the liver as fat instead of carbohydrate, and fat doesn’t stimulate insulin release . If you want to try the high-fat diet ap-proach we would suggest you use MCT in place of conventional fat and avoid simple sugars, particularly fructose. This is very similar to some of the competition diets we have been devising for bodybuilders over the years. In the Parrillo version, start by eating one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. Limit conventional fat as much as possible and provide 30 percent of total calories from CapTri®. Derive the remainder of your calories from complex carbohydrate. Avoid simple sugars, includ-ing those found in milk and fruit. Avoid refined carbohydrates such as bread and pasta as well. Divide your daily total num-ber of calories into five or six small meals, with roughly equal amounts of protein and carbohydrate at each meal. If your goal is to gain muscle mass, increase overall calories by increasing carbohydrates. If your goal is to lose bodyfat, decrease calories by de-creasing carbohydrates. For exact instruc-tions on how to construct meals, consult the Parrillo Nutrition Manual.

Bulletin #162 – The Alternating Diet

A successful approach to losing body fat while keeping your metabolism revved up involves alternating one month on a weight gain cycle and one month on a fat loss cycle. The first month you would gain a pound each week (four pounds) and 75% of it is muscle. In the second month you lose a pound a week (four pounds to-tal) and 75% of that loss is fat. At the end of the two month cycle you will have gained two pounds of muscle and lost two pounds of fat. Extend that to a year and you’re looking at 12 pounds of muscle gained and 12 pounds of fat lost. You’re constantly making progress, and your metabo-lism never gets the chance to slow down. I believe these goals are quite real-istic and very easily attainable for anyone, and particularly if you’re giving 100% effort to the training and nutrition program.

Parrillo Performance
800-344-3404

The beauty of this idea is that you’re constantly making progress; you’re always ei-ther gaining muscle or losing fat; and the constant change prevents your metabolism from adapting so you can make continual progress without wasting time being stuck on a plateau and trying to figure out what to do.In principle, you could keep this upyear after year. If you’re 20% body fat or more, you may want to devotea few months to getting in shape first, or if you’re really skinny, you may want to spend a few months just putting on size. But if you’re some-where in the middle, maybe around 10% to 15% body fat, you might con-sider giving this program a try. To gain a pound a week increase your calories to 300-500 more a day, do 20-30 minutes of aerobics a day, and train your top sets with heavy weights in the 3-6 rep range. To lose a pound a week, decrease carbs slightly if you have to, do 45-60 minutes of aerobics a day, and train with increased vol-ume and moderate weight in the 8-12 rep range for your top sets.

There are other ways you can maxi-mize this fat-burning mode. For ex-ample:• Continue to eat five, six or more meals a day to keep your metabolism in a constant state of acceleration. This has several beneficial effects. Every time you eat, your metabolic rate increases a little due to the ther-mic effect of feeding (also known as diet-induced thermogenesis). Eating frequently keeps your internal fur-nace stoked and keeps your metabo-lism speeding along. If you go too long without eating, your metabolism begins to slow down.• Eliminate as much fat as possible from your diet, since fat has a slow-ing effect on metabolism. Dietary protein and complex carbohydrates have negligible tendency to be con-verted to fat, whereas dietary fat is very prone to be stored as body fat (1,2,3,4). This is a hot topic in scien-tific literature these days and is a matter of debate in bodybuilding circles. (It is less a matter of debate in the scientific journals, where actual research is reported.)

Very little of your body fat comes from complex carbohydrates or protein being converted into fat; almost all of it comes from fat you eat. How much fat your body stores seems to be more closely related to how much fat you eat rather than how many calories you eat.• Decrease your carbohydrate in-take, thereby lowering insulin levels and activating fat-burning mechanisms in the body. But: How do you cut down on carbs without decreasing calories? You consume more of something else. Fat is not an option,so your only other choic-es are protein or CapTri®. Either one will work, but a combination of both probably works best. Let’s be brutally honest about this. If you’re used to getting most of your calories from carbs, cutting back significantly on carbs makes you feel bad, at least for a while. People who cut their carbs dra-matically have low energy levels, are irritable and grouchy, and get headaches. CapTri® is more ef-fective at relieving some of these symptoms than protein because it’s more readily used as an energy source.

Protein is not a very effi-cient energy source. Its role is to serve as a building block for repair and maintenance of tissues, not to pro-vide metabolizable fuel. Using protein for energy is kind of like trying to burna wet log. Carbs, on the other hand, are a great energy source. So if you want to reduce carbs in your diet to manip-ulate hormone levels and promote fat metabolism it makes sense to replace those calories with another fuel source, namely MCT oil. This supplement is a good choice because it is readily burned as fuel and won’t be stored as body fat, (5, 6).I suggest you ease into this slowly. Start by eliminating starchy carbs (potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, and so forth) from your last meals of the day. Replace those lost calories from carbs with an equiva-lent number of calories from CapTri®. It actually has a higher thermogenic effect than carbohydrate, meaning that more of this dietary energy will be lost as body heat with less energy available for storage. This further promotes addi-tional fat loss. Continue in this way un-til you reduce your daily carbohydrate grams to about half of what you nor-mally consume. At this point you’ll be eating mostly protein, vegetables, and CapTri®.•

Do your aerobics when you are rela-tively carb-depleted. This will cause your body to burn more fat for energy during your workout because fewer carbs are available. The best time is first thing in the morning before break-fast. Your glycogen stores are the low-est they’ll be all day, so you’ll rely more heavily on stored fat. To prevent muscle loss, consume two scoops of a quality protein powder prior to performing your aerobics.For maximizing fat loss, another good time to perform aerobics is right after weight training, because then you’re rel-atively glycogen depleted too. You should do moderate to fairly high intensity aerobics, so that you’re breathing hard and sweating. While it’s true you burn a higher percentage of calories from fat dur-ing low intensity aerobics, you will burn more grams of body fat if you perform high intensity aerobics, because you’ll burn so many moretotal calories.

Also, if you do rea-sonably intense aerobics you will get the added benefits of increased vascular density and enhanced fat burning capacity. Increase the vol-ume of aerobics progressively as you get leaner. If your fat loss plateaus, the first thing to try is to do more aerobics. If that doesn’t work you should probably back off for a couple weeks, increase your calories, put on some muscle, and get your metabolism going again. How do you know if you’re losing fat and not muscle? By having your body measured once a week with an ac-curate assessment method such as our BodyStat System. With the in-formation you attain, you can de-termine your pounds of lean mass and pounds of fat every week and make adjustments in your training and diet accordingly to make sure you stay on track.With proper assessment, you can pinpoint exactly what the problem is and make detailed adjustments to fix it. Otherwise, if you’re just go-ing on what “feels right” or seems to make sense, and you don’t make good progress, you’re not sure what to change. Remove the guesswork from your bodybuilding program. Don’t leave anything to chance.

References

1. Flatt JP. 1987. Dietary fat, carbo-hydrate balance, and weight main-tenance: effects of exercise. Amer-ican Journal of Clinical Nutrition 45: 296-306.

2. Flatt JP. 1995. Use and storage of carbohydrate and fat. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 61: 952s-959s.

3. Swinburn B and Ravussin E. 1993. Energy balance or fat bal-ance? American Journal of Clini-cal Nutrition 57:766S-771S.

4. Acheson KJ, Flatt JP, and Je-quier E. 1982. Glycogen synthesis versus lipogenesis after a 500 gram carbohydrate meal in man. Metab-olism 31: 1234-1240.

5. Baba N, Bracco EF, and Hashim SA. 1982. Enhanced thermogenesis and diminished deposition of fat in response to overfeeding with diet containing medium chain triglyc-eride. American Journal of Clini-cal Nutrition 35: 678-682.

6. Bach AC and Babayan VK. 1982. Medium chain triglycerides: an up-date. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 35: 678-682.6. Bach AC and Babayan VK. 1982. Medium chain triglycerides: an up-date. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 36: 950-962.

Bulletin #161 – Using Creatine As a Weight-Loss Tool

Attention: if you’re ready to add a new tool to your fat-burning tool-box, try creatine. It’s a non-drug alternative that really works. It is one of the most important natural supplements available for exercis-ers because of its ability to extend endurance and coax the body intoproducing hard, firm muscle.Creatine is produced naturally in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas – at the rate of about 1 to 2 grams a day – from the amino acids ar-ginine, glycine, and methionine. Most of your body’s creatine is de-livered to the muscles, heart, and other body cells. Inside muscle cells, creatine helps produce and circulate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecular fuel that powers muscular contractions.

Parrillo Performance
800-344-3404

Creatine is also found naturally in red meat. About 2 ½ pounds of raw steak yields roughly the equivalent of a single 5-gram dose of creatine.Creatine is available from Parrillo Performance as Parrillo Creatine Monohydrate™. Through supple-mentation, you can build the vol-ume of creatine in your muscle cells. There, creatine increases levels of a high-energy compoundcalled creatine phosphate, which serves as a tiny fuel supply, enough for several seconds of action.Creatine phosphate also allows more rapid production of ATP. The more ATP that is available to muscle cells, the longer, harder, and more powerfully you can work out.

Thus, creatine monohydrate can indirectly help you lose body fat, since longer, more intense workouts help incinerate fat and build lean muscle. The more muscle you have, the more efficient your body is at using energy and burning fat.Many creatine supplementation studies have shown gains in lean body mass, averaging 2 to 6 pounds, usually within several weeks of use. It can work fast too – in as little as one week. A study conducted at the Pennsylvania State University Center for Sports Medicine demon-strated the immediacy of creatine’s power. The researchers recruited 14 weight-trained men and divided them into a creatine group and a pla-cebo group. Both groups performed bench presses and a jump-squat ex-ercise in three different sessions, each separated by 6 days. Prior to the first session, neither group re-ceived any supplements. During the period leading up to the second session, both groups took placebos.

Then, prior to the third session, the creatine group took 25 grams of creatine monohydrate a day, and the placebo group took a 25-gram placebo. All the participants were asked to follow their normal diets and keep food records during the study.With this well-designed experimen-tal situation, the researchers could easily observe and measure any changes due to supplementation. What happened was quite remarkable. In just a week, the creatine takers gained an average of 3 pounds of muscle. As for their strength, it went through the roof. The creatine takers upped theirreps significantly on the bench press and could perform more jump squats. Those in the placebo group didn’t fare as well in either performance or mus-cle gain.Creatine increases muscle size be-cause it attracts water. Creatine is ab-sorbed into the muscle cell and pulls a lot of water along with it, causing the muscle to swell. This results in larg-er, firmer muscles and a better pump. Please realize that creatine itself does not directly increase muscle protein. As with all supplements, it is vital that you use creatine in conjunction with asolid bodybuilding diet.

You need pro-tein to build muscle tissue and carbo-hydrates to provide energy. Creatine itself is not burned to produce energy, rather it acts as an energy buffer to transfer the energy derived from car-bohydrate and fat oxidation to ATP. Creatine is not incorporated into pro-tein. It will, however, indirectly in-crease the protein mass of muscles over time by allowing you to performhigher intensity workouts. That is, of course, if you are eating enough lean protein and quality calories to support muscle gains.What can you expect from creatine? Typically, hard-training bodybuilders can expect an increase of 4-14 pounds of lean mass during the first month of use. The more muscle mass you have, the more creatine you can assimilateleading to greater weight gains. We’ve seen athletes experience a 5-15% in-crease in strength on their maximum lifts and an increase of about 2 reps per set with their working weight dur-ing the first month. This increase in in-tensity allows you to put a greater load on the muscle, which will indeed in-crease your gains in muscle mass over time.

Endurance athletes can experi-ence a 5-10% increase in speed and a 10-20% increase in time to fatigue.Increasing the levels of creatine and creatine phosphate in your muscles gives them another fuel source be-sides glycogen from carbohydrates. The question is: how much creatine do you need? To start, we recommend for the first one to two weeks you use 20-30 grams each day, divided into even servings of 5 grams each taken with each meal or with a Hi-Protein™/Pro-Carb™ or 50/50 Plus™ drink. This is the loading phase. Use the lower end of these recommendations if you’re in the 150-200 pound range and the upper end if you’re over 200 pounds. We recommend one to two weeks, but the loading phase can last up to four weeks in some individuals. After this, 5-10 grams a day should be sufficient to maintain elevated muscle stores ofcreatine. It takes approximately 4-8 weeks to deplete creatine stores after you stop taking it.To support muscle growth, Parrillo Creatine Monohydrate™ works best with a nutritious diet that supplies ample calories, as outlined in the Parrillo Nutrition Program. Remem-ber, creatine itself has little impact on gaining muscle when taken alone.

The building blocks (amino acids) and extra calories must also be pres-ent in the muscle for serious gains to be made. Most people will see a significant increase in size and strength when using creatine, but a lot of this depends on the amount of protein and quality calories you are eating. If you don’t eat enough to support muscle gain, you won’t see any, it’s that simple.Weight gain resulting from cre-atinesupplementation may happen dur-ing the first month when you’re loading the muscle cells with cre-atine. You will experience an im-mediate gain in strength at the outset because of the increased leverage advantage from the in-creased water gain as well as the creatine phosphate stores. At some point the creatine pool becomes saturated and the muscle can’t hold any more. So you can expect a very rapid and dramatic gain in lean mass (muscle + water) for the first month, but after that creatine supplementation is mainly mainte-nance.Remember, proper nutrition from food, increased calories and nutri-ents from supplements and intense training are the keys to packing on more lean muscle month after month, year after year.

By using creatine you can improve the in-tensity and duration of your train-ing for better overall workouts. And when you add to this proper nutrition, which includes plenty of high quality protein and increased calories, you’ll be right on track to gain one pound of lean mass each week.Are there any medical concerns with taking creatine? Creatine is nontoxic even when taken in huge doses. The only known side effect is stomach upset if you take too much at once. Five to ten grams shouldn’t bother you. If you take 30 grams at once you might feel stomach cramps or nausea, but usually not. Excess creatine is converted into creatinine (note the similar spell-ing) and excreted in the urine. If you take too much creatine you’ll just lose the excess in your urine. If you have any blood work done you might find that creatine elevates your creatinine level. Doctors use the creatinine level in the blood as an index of kidney function. If your doctor notices an increase in your creatinine level and expresses someconcern about your kidneys, tell him or her that you’re using creatine. Cre-atine does not damage the kidneys in any way, but is contraindicated if you have pre-existing severe kidney disease (for example, renal dialysis or kidney transplant patients).

Peo-ple with severe kidney disease have trouble eliminating creatinine, and creatine supplementation would in-crease creatinine levels further. In summary, creatine has been shown in placebo controlled clinical trials to improve exercise performance, both in terms of power output and endurance (1-6). We know from our work here that it increases lean body mass as well. Creatine is stored in the muscle and does not contribute to fat stores. Any weight you gain on creatine will be in the lean compartment. We’ve seen many athletes experience dramatic gains in muscle size and strength during their first month of creatine use. And when you look for a good creatine supplement, make sure it is 100% pure, like our Parrillo Creatine Monohydrate™ supplement. Make sure to look at the nutrient content on the label and not just the price when you’re considering which creatine supplement to take. Parrillo Creatine Monohydrate™ is one more nutritional tool to help you push your physique and performance envelope.

References

1. Maughan RJ. Creatine supplemen-tation and exercise performance.International Journal of Sport Nutri-tion 5: 94-101, 1995.

2. Greenhaff PL. Creatine and its ap-plication as an ergogenic aid. Inter-national Journal of Sport Nutrition 5: S100-S110, 1995.

3. Crim MC, Munro HN. Proteins and Amino Acids. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease 8: 9-10, 1994.

4. Greenhaff PL, Casey A, Short AH, Harris AC, Soderlund K, and Hultman E. Influence of oral creatine supplementation on muscle torque during repeated bouts of maximal voluntary exercise in man. Clin. Sci. 84: 565-571, 1993.

5. Harris RC, Viru M, GreenhaffPL, and Haltman E. The effect of oral creatine supplementation on running performance during maximal short term exercise in man. J. Physiol. 467: 74P, 1993.

6. Ernest CP, Snell PG, Mitchell TL, Rodriguez R, and Almada AL. Effect of creatine monohydrate on peak an-aerobic power, capacity, and fatigue index. Med. Sci. Sports. Exerc. 26:S39, 1994.

Bulletin #160 – Parrillo Nutrition Program Boosters

Whether starting a nutrition plan like the Parrillo Nutrition Program, or re-newing a commitment to get fit, ev-eryone needs some “booster shots” from time to time to shore up motiva-tion.Toward that end, here are 46 of the smartest tips ever for sticking to the Parrillo Nutrition Program so that you burn body fat and look great in 2008:

Parrillo Performance
800-344-3404

1. Eat all required foods on the Par-rillo Nutrition Program: lean proteins, starchy carbs, fibrous carbs, and es-sential fats. Never skip a thing!

2. Use spices and seasonings to flavor your foods.

3. Do not eat fruits, or drink fruit juices or juice-based products. They contain fructose, which is easily converted to body fat.

4. Shoot for 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily. (The Parrillo Nutrition Program builds this requirement in automati-cally – no need to count grams.)

5. If you feel hungry, eat extra protein to tide you over.

6. Eat at least two servings of fish a week to obtain a type of healthy fat called omega-3 fatty acids. These ben-eficial fats help your body in numer-ous ways, including reducing triglyc-erides (fats in your blood), boosting your aerobic power, and normalizing your mood.

7. Remove skin and fat from poultrybefore cooking.

8. Avoid cured and smoked foods. They’re high in fat, salt, and nitrates (which are carcinogens).

9. Choose liberally from fibrous veg-etables, especially for the preparation of salads.

10. Serve up salads prior to your meals to help you feel full and more satisfied faster.

11. Prepare your salads within your daily fat allotment, with fat-free sal-ad dressings, or vinegar.

12. Spice your foods with red pepper (capsicum). This popular seasoning is believed to rev up your metabo-lism by creating heat. You’ve prob-ably noticed this yourself. After you eat hot spicy foods, your body will heat up in a process known as “diet-induced thermogenesis.” When body heat rises, so does metabolism, and more calories are burned.

13. Blend chickpeas into a hummusfor vegetable dips.

14. Try Parrillo’s Hi-Protein Cake and Cupcake Mix™ for a sweet treat.

15. Try using lemon juice or various herbs on your vegetables, rather than eat them with too much added fat.

16. Do not substitute or add to the Parrillo Nutrition Program.

17. Do not drink any alcoholic bev-erages. Have sparkling no-calorie beverages with a twist of lemon or lime when you’re out.

18. Other than water, you may drink the following beverages: regular or decaffeinated tea, green tea, herbal teas, regular or decaf-feinated coffee, carbonated water, mineral water, sugar-free diet so-das, and sugar-free drink mixes.

19. Write down what you will eat each day – for better control over your food intake.

20. Drink eight to ten glasses of water a day. Water aids in weight loss by dulling your appetite and enhancing fat-burning processes in your body.

21. Drink green tea liberally; it can be helpful in burning fat.

22. Add in Parrillo supplements according to your goals. See the Parrillo Nutrition Manual for an explanation.

23. Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals only makes you hungry lat-er.

24. Slow down your eating and chew your food thoroughly. Both actions help you feel full faster and are a proven weight-control mea-sure.

25. Do you overeat or over-snack with fattening foods in front of the television? If so, make it a rule in your house to always eat in the dining room while seated at the table.

26. Never let yourself get bored, stressed out, or depressed, if at all possible. These emotions can trigger cravings for sugary or high-fat foods.

27. If you don’t have time to cut up vegetables, buy pre-cut veggies from the grocery store, or take advantage of the store’s salad bar, which usually has plenty of freshly cut items.

28. Outwait your cravings for sugary or high-fat foods. Cravings generally last no longer than 10 minutes. If you feel the urge to splurge, find some-thing else to do for 10 minutes, or un-til the craving passes.

29. Be assertive when people offer you food that’s not on the program.  Train yourself to say “No, thank you.”

30. Visualize what you will look likein a bathing suit, then believe it will happen. What you believe you can achieve.

31. Hang your bathing suit on a doorhandle, or somewhere visible – as re-minder of what you will accomplish.

32. Clear your kitchen cabinets of binge food.

33. Use non-stick saucepans for cook-ing foods so that you don’t have to add extra fat.

34. Keep plenty of cut-up crunchy raw vegetables around to snack on.

35. Never eat foods out of their origi-nal jars or containers; always eat them on a plate while you are sitting down at the dining table.

36. Tell your friends and family that you’re on the Parrillo Nutrition Program and that you need their support.

37. Grocery-shop only from the list of foods allowed on the Parrillo Nutrition Program.

38. Never go grocery shopping when you’re hungry, but always on a full stomach. That way, you won’t be tempted to buy something that would sabotage your program. Eat a Parrillo bar before going gro-cery shopping.

39. When you lose some pounds, or achieve other important mile-stones while following the Par-rillo Nutrition Program, reward yourself with a non-food treat or gift, something that makes you feel good about yourself and your ap-pearance. Some ideas: a massage, new pair of exercise shoes, new sports gear or equipment, new ex-ercise video, a weekend get-away, a shopping spree, a new outfit, makeover at a day spa, pedicure or manicure, salon haircut, tickets to a concert, jewelry, new CD or DVD, limousine ride to a concert or other event, new addition to something you collect, or an accessory or ac-cent piece for your home.

40. If, after all of your planning and commitment, you do overindulge, try not to feel guilty. Guilt only weakens your resolve to maintain healthy habits.

41. Don’t ever resort to crash di-eting. This can result in a loss of muscle, decreased strength and power, low energy, moodiness or irritability, and compromised im-munity. Lose no more than a pound or two of pure fat a week. That’s a safe rate of fat loss for everyone.

42. Incorporate both aerobic exercise and weight training into your weekly fitness program. Submaximal exer-cise, such as aerobics, uses fat as a fuel source, helping to burn off your fat stores. It also builds your aerobic power, so you can train longer and burn even more fat. Weight training burns fat as well, but in a different way — by creating metabolically ac-tive muscle tissue. Weight training also helps to preserve lean muscle.

43. Incorporate supplements such as Parrillo Hi-Protein Powder™, Par-rillo 50/50™, or Parrillo Optimized Whey Protein™ into your diet. These supplements are great for a post-workout meal. By providing nutrients when your body needs them most, proteins and carbs increase the pro-duction of two hormones (insulin and growth hormone) that are conducive to muscle growth and recovery.

44. Add Parrillo Creatine Monohy-drate™ to your program. This is an effective sports supplement that en-hances strength, promotes muscle growth and reduces body fat. The rec-ommended dose is 5 gm a day.

45. Get enough rest. Lack of sleep has been associated with fat gain. Sleep deprivation increases the stress hor-mone cortisol. At chronically elevated levels, this hormone drives fat to the abdominal area. So get 7 to 8 hours of shut-eye each night.46. Lose body fat for yourself, not be-cause your husband, mate, or parent wants you to.

« Previous Page — Next Page »