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Cut The Fat, Keep The Muscle

Cut The Fat, Keep The Muscle
Two Powerful Transformational Technologies
Take Your Physique to the Next Level!


With the turning of the page to a new year, many bodybuilders begin the transition from a mass-gaining phase to a cutting phase. After all, what better time than the new calendar year to get a shredded new physique in preparation for the upcoming summer season? Of course, bodybuilders don’t approach a cutting phase the way a common dieter tries to “lose a few pounds.” Even when shedding fat, their primary focus is on maintaining lean muscle mass. This is the double bind bodybuilders find themselves in: they want to shed unwanted body fat while still holding onto their hard earned muscle or even packing on a few more pounds of lean mass.

From a physiological standpoint, the two goals are usually reached via opposing trajectories. One typically requires a calorie surplus while the other requires a caloric deficit. Likewise, there is a fine line between eating enough to support gains in lean muscle mass and overeating to the point of adding unwanted body fat. In the past, it has even been argued that it’s impossible to lose body fat and put on muscle at the same time, although we’ve all seen some physiques out there that would seem to put the lie to this pessimistic viewpoint. Is it a challenging goal? Yes. Emphatically yes. Can it be done? The answer is that new technologies of physique transformation are placing that elusive goal within your grasp.

The Physiology of Fat Loss

When getting lean, your primary enemies are reductions in metabolic activity, loss of muscle mass and crashes in energy or mental alertness. All of these obstacles are essentially the result of the body perceiving that it is in a state of starvation. Once this trigger has been switched, your body will attempt to do what it can in order to preserve body mass. This perceived state of starvation typically results in an immediate drop in one’s metabolic rate as a survival mechanism making further weight loss more challenging. Unfortunately, if proper precautions are not taken, this could lead to losses in muscle mass as the body may break down muscle tissue for fuel if it has no other options. In addition, drops in energy, motivation to train and the ability to recover from training sessions also become a brutal reality that bodybuilders may face because of the drop in calories consumed. These adaptive responses, referred to as metabolic adaptation, ultimately make fat loss a constant struggle.

The good news is that these negative outcomes can be mitigated if the right steps are taken. Because of the small margin of error when it comes to manipulating energy balance during a cutting phase, nutrition and supplement strategies need to become the primary focus. If we take a step back and look at the overall goals of losing body fat and increasing muscle mass, two categories of supplements rise to the top of the list in terms of their ability to play a key role in optimizing body composition. These categories are thermogenics or fat-loss catalysts and protein supplements which together will help ramp up metabolism, burn more fat and promote increases in lean mass. And it is here where new cutting-edge technologies are coming to your rescue.

Cut the Fat with a Powerful
Multi-Pathway Agent of Transformation

In order to ensure that you are doing everything in your power to help you rip your physique, the addition of a thermogenic to your nutrition plan is essential. The leader in the category, BioQuest’s BetaStax® Elite is a dynamic all-in-one thermogenic aid that was specifically designed to maximize fat loss and therefore will be a crucial supplement in your regimen. This is thanks in large part to its patented PureWay-Slim® technology, which contains a matrix of bioactive compounds designed to enhance fat loss. An unpublished clinical trial out of the University of Miami found that when subjects consumed PureWay-Slim®, they lost an additional 3.8 pounds and experienced improvements in hip and waist circumference in as little as 4 weeks when compared to those consuming other leading weight-loss compounds. Not only that, subjects consuming the PureWay-Slim agent lost more weight in 2 weeks than the other groups lost in 8 weeks total!

BetaStax® Elite also contains Razberi-K®, which has been shown to be one of the most effective raspberry ketone extracts available. Research has shown that raspberry ketones have the ability to support the mobilization and utilization of fat, which may in turn ultimately help preserve some lean muscle during weight loss as your body uses fat for fuel more efficiently. Researchers also found that PureWay-Slim supported plasma levels of Cholecystokinin (CCK), which acts as a satiety hormone and may help to curb hunger cravings during periods of calorie restriction.

BetaStax® Elite also contains a matrix of energy catalysts which have been shown to support energy expenditure and fat mobilization, as well as help optimize mental alertness, reduce sensations of fatigue and provide the energy needed to train at a high level. As was mentioned previously, bodybuilders shedding fat often experience reductions in their resting metabolism. Several of the aforementioned compounds in BetaStax® Elite are designed to support metabolism, which will help promote further leaning out. BetaStax® Elite is a true multi-faceted tool for shedding body fat.

Now Maintain Muscle With
A Unique Transformational Protein

Maintaining an adequate protein intake will become even more important during a cutting phase if you want to ensure that you preserve muscle mass. While a super-premium protein formula like ProSource’s NytroWhey® Ultra Elite will fuel muscle growth (and should already be part of your nutritional regimen), there is another advanced protein technology that comes well recommended for fat loss. ProSource’s Vectron® contains an elite fractionated protein complex created by one of the industry’s leading protein manufacturers, Glanbia® USA. This key ingredient, known as Prolibra®, has been clinically validated as an effective tool for supporting fat loss while also helping to maintain lean muscle during weight loss.

Prolibra® is comprised of hydrolyzed whey protein isolate compounds and bioactive peptides that not only help stimulate protein synthesis but also enhance the release of satiety hormones within the digestive tract to help curb hunger cravings. A 2008 study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism examined the effects of 12 weeks of Prolibra® supplementation on changes in body composition. Two groups were randomly assigned to ingest Prolibra® or an isocaloric ready-to-mix beverage 20 minutes prior to breakfast and dinner. Subjects were also instructed to reduce their overall caloric intake by 500 calories to promote weight loss. Researchers found that when subjects supplemented with 24.4 grams of Prolibra® they experienced a greater improvement in the ratio of lean mass to fat mass when compared to an isocaloric control. Specifically, subjects consuming the Prolibra® beverage lost more body fat (6% of fat mass) and lost a smaller amount of lean mass throughout the 12-week period.

The added protein in Vectron® will help support muscle even when you may be in a caloric deficit. Furthermore, the added protein will also help to provide a greater thermogenic effect during the digestion process, meaning it takes more energy to digest and absorb when compared to carbohydrates and fat. Most notable is protein’s ability to provide the building blocks for skeletal muscle accretion. Specifically, the aminos in Vectron will provide a rapidly digestible high quality protein that will stimulate protein synthesis and help lay the foundation for a rock-hard, muscular physique.

Conclusion

The better you are at maintaining lean muscle while dieting, the more calories you will burn throughout the day as lean muscle mass is highly correlated with resting energy expenditure. In short, it is an active tissue that requires a lot of energy to maintain. So more muscle equals a higher resting energy expenditure, which directly counteracts the potential reduction in metabolic activity often experienced by those athletes who are restricting calories.

Again, it can be difficult to reduce body fat while trying to maintain or even increase lean mass. However with the proper nutritional program and the best supplemental support that science has to offer, you can get the best of both worlds. So try adding Vectron® and BetaStax® Elite to your regimen for a more efficient cutting phase.


Get Rock-Hard and Lean for 2016! Read more here!


Read more about BetaStax® Elite here.

Read more about Vectron® here.


Scientific References

Frestedt, J. L., Zenk, J. L., Kuskowski, M. A., Ward, L. S., & Bastian, E. D. (2008). A whey-protein supplement increases fat loss and spares lean muscle in obese subjects: a randomized human clinical study. Nutr Metab (Lond), 5(1), 8.

Mettler, S., Mitchell, N., & Tipton, K. D. (2010). Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 42(2), 326-337.


Use as directed with a sensible diet and exercise program that includes reduced caloric intake and increased physical activity. Consult a health care professional before beginning any weight loss program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease

The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.