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11 Core Exercises for People Who Hate Crunches, Sit-Ups and Planks
Is there anything more depressing than heading into the gym on core workout day? You've got forty-five minutes to an hour of crunches, sit-ups and planks in several variations to look forward to, and you won't even get to look good doing it. (Trust us, nobody looks good in that ridiculous vertical crunch machine, hunched over, red-faced, with your hands grasping those handles over your head.)And here's the thing. All those bicycle crunches, hanging sit-ups, and time spent in the side lateral machine aren't even all that good for you. (Planks might have some utility, but further down, we'll have an alternative for that too.)Researchers have determined that it would take about 250,000 crunches to burn one pound of body fat. Crunches also tend to activate limited muscle groups (abs, obliques) while elevating neck and lower back compression and increasing the risk of injury. Those lateral twist machines are also an injury waiting to happen. Sit-ups have lost so much credibility that trainers don't even mention them anymore. Some people hate core day so much, they refuse to even do one. (ProSource's own fitness guru, Darrin Hills comes to mind.)So. What to do? Well, the good news is, if you're pursuing a well-rounded regimen of weekly weight training that incorporates free weights and compound movements, you're already doing core work. Likewise, any kind of bodyweight bearing exercise or training that requires and improves balance and coordination. Think of it as a stealth core workout hidden within your normal regimen.Can you get six-pack abs without ever doing a plank again? Maybe that's a stretch, but you can work your abs in plenty of alternative ways. And defined abs actually have more to do with losing excess fat and water-weight anyway. For our purposes here, we're talking about building core strength and flexibility. Let's talk about core exercise alternatives and how you can make them work for you.SquatsYeah, yeah, we know. We're offering to take away the drudgery of Core Day, and offering you Leg Day. But squats are the gift that keeps giving: a fantastic compound exercise that primarily targets your lower body, including your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. If you're doing them correctly, you're powerfully engaging your core muscles, especially your lower back and abdominal muscles. To maximize the engagement of your core, focus on maintaining a tight and upright posture throughout the movement.DeadliftsHere again, you were doing core work all along. Deadlifts are another excellent compound exercise that primarily works your posterior chain, including your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. When performing deadlifts correctly, you automatically engage your core muscles to stabilize your spine and maintain proper form. Keep a neutral spine throughout the movement to protect your lower back. Oh, and enjoy that clang and crash of weights hitting the floor, something you'll never enjoy doing crunches. LungesHere's a great core alternative that also eliminates the need for two of our least favorite machines: the leg curl machine and the leg extension machine. Lunges are great for targeting your lower body, specifically your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. To engage your core during lunges, focus on maintaining your balance and stability by keeping your abdominal muscles tight and your torso upright. You can perform walking lunges or stationary lunges, depending on your preference and space availability.Push-UpsThe Big Daddy of bodyweight-bearing exercises. While push-ups are a classic exercise for targeting chest, shoulders, and triceps, they also nurture your core. Think of them as planks before your grandpa knew what a plank was. While performing push-ups, your core muscles work to stabilize your body, especially your lower back and abdominals. To engage your core effectively, focus on maintaining a straight line from your head to your heels, avoiding sagging or raising your hips. Need more of a challenge? Ramp up balance difficulty by alternating one-arm push-ups. Or try vertical pushups in a doorway.Renegade RowsOr take the push-up to an entirely new level with the renegade row. Renegade rows are a compound exercise that combines elements of both push-ups and rowing. This exercise targets your chest, back, shoulders, and arms while also engaging your core muscles for stability. Start in a push-up position with a dumbbell in each hand, then alternate rowing one dumbbell at a time, keeping your hips and shoulders squared and stable. Balance and bodyweight bearing equals a sturdy core.Kettlebell SwingsIt pains us every time we walk into a gym and see a full rack of kettlebells neglected in a far-off corner. Kettlebells are the world's most versatile free weights. You can use them to target specific muscle groups and you can also execute total-body movements that emphasize balance, stability and your core. Kettlebell swings, specifically, are a powerful exercise that targets your posterior chain, including your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. The explosive hip thrust motion in kettlebell swings engages your core muscles to stabilize your spine and maintain control throughout the movement. The better you get at it, the heavier the bell you use. Standing Bicep CurlsWe kid you not. The ultimate gym flex is also good for your core, if you're doing them right. The key is to emphasize proper form over using too-ambitious of a weight. If you're swinging your back even an inch or so, or using momentum to complete the movement, you're cheating yourself. Get a lighter weight and start over. Keep your back straight; execute both the concentric (curl) movement and the eccentric (extension) movement slow and steady. Dumbbells or curl bar -- take your pick and build both arm and core strength.Step-UpsTime to think outside the box by getting out the box. Step-ups are a simple yet effective exercise that primarily targets your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. By incorporating a step or box, you can increase the range of motion and engage your core muscles for stability. Step onto the elevated surface with one foot at a time, then step back down. Focus on maintaining proper posture and engaging your core throughout the exercise. Mountain ClimbersThe key here is to not let your body form a tent. If your butt is in the air, you're transitioning your bodyweight stability efforts away from your core and toward your knees and wrists. Not good. Done correctly, mountain climbers are a dynamic exercise that targets multiple muscle groups, including your core, shoulders, and legs. Start in a push-up position and bring one knee toward your chest, then alternate quickly as if you're running in place. Engage your core by keeping your hips stable and maintaining a neutral spine throughout the movement.Medicine Ball ExercisesLike kettlebells, another piece of old-school gym equipment that is sadly under-used. The medicine ball, typically eight to fifteen pounds, is an incredibly versatile thing. Incorporate it into some of the movements cited above, like mountain climbers or lunges. Do squat jumps by simply holding one in your hands before you, doing a deep knee bend and springing up out of it. Do Russian twists or reclining side-to-side passes. Do pistol squats in which you balance on one leg, dip while flexing your free leg out with the medicine ball held out before you. Or do one of our favorites -- the kneeling medicine ball slam. Get into a lunge position, hold the medicine ball over your head, then SLAM it to the ground on the side of your high leg. Now switch. Enormously satisfying!Yoga TrainingIf you think yoga is plank exercises with a side order of mysticism, you don't know yoga. Yoga poses are ideal for enhancing balance, flexibility and stability, which are key to strengthening your core. Each movement (or asana) requires the activation and engagement of a range of muscles in the body, including the muscles which make up the core – the abdominals, lower back, hips, and glutes. Holding and transitioning between different asanas will help you enhance core strength while also building a stronger mind-body connection. The argument for yoga is simple: Why endure core training in lonely misery when you can exercise your core in a context of positive mindfulness in the company of others? Get out your yoga mat and join in!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.
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Meta-Analysis: Omega-3 Supplementation Reduces Markers of Inflammation and Muscle Damage Post-Exercise, Improving Recovery
If you take your training seriously, then you've undoubtedly encountered the philosophy of "No Pain, No Gain." The idea is that you're not going to make any progress toward your physique and performance goals unless you push yourself to your limits and then some small stretch beyond them. This philosophy can also be brought to bear at the cellular level, in the notion that you have to break down some muscle tissue in order to build it back better, bigger and stronger.Like any simple maxim, this philosophy is true up to a point. Hard work has its rewards: if you're just going to coast along at minimal effort, you're never going to get anywhere. However, there is a point at which excessive workload and excessive damage becomes detrimental to your overall progress.Injury is an obvious example. If you push yourself past your breaking point and suffer a severe injury, you're going to have to curtail or suspend entirely your training regimen and you're obviously going to lose ground in pursuit of your fitness goals.Slowed, inefficient or incomplete recovery from exercise can also undermine your progress toward muscle size and strength gains. When you engage in strenuous resistance exercise, you damage muscle cells and inflammation occurs as your body directs increased blood flow to muscle tissue to replenish oxygen, fuel muscles, and clear out waste. Among these waste products generated by muscle stress are creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and myoglobin (Mb) concentrations leaked into the bloodstream.These symptoms express themselves in the form of reduced range of motion, decreases in neuromuscular function, and extended periods of swelling, which can impair muscle function and inhibit the potential to engage in high‐intensity exercise on subsequent days. You can ameliorate the counterproductive effects of this exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) by simply getting sufficient rest between bouts of exercise, so your body can fully recover. Problems result however if your muscles are recovering too slowly. Insufficiently recovered muscle tissue breaks down further and more swiftly during successive bouts of exercise, and both performance and subsequent growth is impeded.Of course, you can attempt to push through these negative outcomes, but slow or incomplete recovery from high-intensity exercise can create a negative feedback loop in which strength and size gains are undermined by weakened cell function and decreased workload capacity.So what is the solution? Well, you can get even more rest. Or you can incur less EIMD by training less aggressively. Or perhaps, as researchers are finding, you can turn to a powerful nutrient closely linked to anti-inflammatory properties, cell membrane integrity and muscle recovery.Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Super-Versatile Wellness NutrientFish oils rich in Omega-3 fatty acids are something of a wonder nutrient for typical health-conscious individuals and hard-training athletes alike. When untrained people go to the doctor and receive blood test results that suggest their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels are high or their blood pressure is borderline high, they are very likely -- at least in the beginning -- to receive a prescription for a high-quality fish oil supplement high in the fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), that may confer important health benefits.What are these health benefits? Ongoing research suggests that in addition to potentially increasing levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and lowering levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, Omega-3s may be helpful in regulating blood pressure, reducing plaque build-up in arteries, supporting bone health and improving immune function.Some of these health benefits are still subject to further clinical investigation. Another robust area of clinical investigation involves the interaction between bodily inflammation and Omega-3 supplementation. And here, a recent meta-analysis of numerous studies suggests that hard-training athletes may accrue significant benefits from adding Omega-3s to their supplementation regimen.Meta-Analysis of Omega-3 Studies Highlights Reduction of Exercise-Induced Muscle DamageIn this recent survey of studies (1 Gao Xin), published in the scientific journal Food Science & Nutrition, researchers considered randomized placebo-controlled trials published between 2002 and 2017 in which subjects were supplemented with Omega-3 fish oils or placebo and tested for creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and myoglobin (Mb) concentrations, all markers of EIMD and resulting inflammation."The aim of this review," the researchers stated, "was to assess whether Omega-3 consumption affected the response of muscle damage indicators to physical activity followed by the start of a training program. The current meta‐analysis results, conducted on 10 Research Control Trials, displayed beneficial effects of Omega-3 supplementation in reduction in EIMD indicators during exercise protocols of various periods."This included significantly reduced levels of CK, LDH and Mb concentrations in all Omega-3 supplemented subjects, leading the researchers to conclude, "most of these studies suggested Omega-3 consumption attenuates the magnitude of the serum muscle enzymes response to damaging exercise, lower inflammatory response, and less myofibrillar disturbance."Some studies suggested that, since docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are incorporated into phospholipids of muscle cell membrane, Omega-3s may help to improve muscle cells' membrane stability and subsequent lowered release of enzymes. Regardless, the researchers summed up their findings, stating that "outcomes within the current meta‐analysis indicate that Omega-3 supplementation is effective for alleviating EIMD after exercise muscle damage," and advised that "further studies with diverse dosages of Omega-3 and different exercise protocols are required to assess the best dosage and repetition per day for optimized recovery." Superior-Quality Sources of Omega-3s Offer the Best ProtectionHere's where we can offer a little of our own advice: Quality is of the essence. "Best dosage" involves seeking out the absolute highest-quality sourcing of Omega-3s possible. Many low-grade, supermarket-shelf fish oil products from generic manufacturers are rife with alarming levels of contamination and contain very little actual active-ingredient DHA and EPA. ProSource’s own Omega-1250 has long been a quality leader in this category. It is derived from pure deep-sea, cold-water sources that are molecularly distilled and highly purified. Each softgel capsule contains an ultra-potent 750 mg of the highest quality Omega-3 fatty acids, including high amounts of EPA (450 mg) and DHA (300 mg).ProSource has long recognized the critical health and exercise advantages provided by Omega-3s, and our super-premium fish oil supplement reflects that commitment. Reduce excessive muscle damage, shorten recovery, and pave the way to improved performance and greater results with pure, premium-grade Omega-3s. Scientific References1 Gao Xin and Hesam Eshaghi. Effect of omega‐3 fatty acids supplementation on indirect blood markers of exercise‐induced muscle damage: Systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials. Food Sci Nutr. 2021 Nov; 9(11): 6429–6442.Use products as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise 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. These products are 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.
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Research Update: Whey Protein Supplementation Linked to Enhanced Muscle Mass and Function in 4-Week Clinical Study
An overwhelming amount of scientific research evidence suggests that increasing dietary whey protein intake, when combined with a regimen of regular resistance exercise, will facilitate positive physiological outcomes including enhanced muscle mass and strength. The additional protein in the form of high biological value (BV) whey protein improves body composition and function even when traditional whole food sources of protein (beef, eggs, chicken, etc) are already present in the diet.Yeah, yeah, we know: Spoiler alert. But you may be surprised at just how effectively whey protein intake can increase mass and performance, and how quickly you can expect to see results. One recent study, conducted in South Korea and published in the scientific journal Nutrients in February of 2023, explored the relationship between whey protein supplementation and augmentation of muscle mass and function. It also had some pretty interesting test controls in place. Its time frame? Just four weeks.A Whey Protein Study With Unique ControlsIn the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (Chae-Been Kim 1), researchers were seeking to investigate the effect of whey protein supplementation under dietary control on improvements in muscle mass and function following resistance exercise training. Thirty-two healthy men in their 20s and 30s were randomly assigned to either a whey protein supplementation group taking whey protein isolate or a placebo group. (The whey protein supplement and placebo were formulated in chocolate-flavored powder form, with one pack of whey protein powder supplement containing 20 g of whey protein isolate, 8 g of carbohydrate, and 6.4 g of dietary fiber, while one pack of placebo contained 25 g of carbohydrate instead of protein.)Both groups underwent resistance exercise training for 4 weeks. All participants performed resistance exercise at 60%–70% of 1-repetition maximum (RM) for 60 minutes per day, 6 days per week. For dietary control, each participant was given 3 meals per day corresponding to the estimated daily energy intake calculated by the individual amount of exercise and resting metabolic rate for the entire period of the study. Body composition and isokinetic muscular function were measured before and after the intervention.The structure of this study is important because few studies have investigated the effects of whey protein supplementation under dietary control. In typical studies, the subjects' diet is determined via a diet log or questionnaire, without strict supervision, and the longer the study period, the more inaccurate the study participants' records can become. Here, that variable has been removed by controlling the participants' diet. All participants were provided 3 pre-packed meals per day, each containing a ratio of 10% protein, 30% fat, and 60% carbohydrates based on the individual’s calculated daily caloric intake. Compelling Results in Just 4 WeeksOnce the intervention period was concluded, the subjects' body composition was measured via bioelectrical impedance analyzer and muscular strength and endurance were measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. The results they found should be of great interest to anyone seeking to enhance physique and performance. "After four weeks of resistance exercise, the change in muscle mass was significantly different between the two groups," the researchers stated. "The whey protein group showed significantly increased muscle mass, whereas the placebo control group did not. Although the increase in muscle mass was relatively small, considering that body weight was also significantly decreased, this increase in muscle mass could be meaningful. These results suggest that whey protein supplementation has an additional effect on resistance exercise-induced increases in muscle mass."The researchers also reached similarly encouraging conclusions about whey protein's effect on muscular function. "After 4 weeks of resistance exercise ... the whey protein group showed significantly increased strength of both the dominant and non-dominant knees and shoulders, whereas the placebo control group did not," they stated. "Similar to the results for muscular strength, there were also significant differences between the two groups in selective muscular endurance of the knee and shoulder. The whey protein group showed significantly increased endurance of the dominant knee and shoulder, whereas the endurance of the placebo control group did not change."The researchers concluded, "The results of this study indicate that whey protein supplementation promotes muscle mass increase and selective increases in muscular strength and endurance from resistance exercise. This suggests that whey protein supplementation is practically effective independently of the normal diet."These developments come as welcome validation to those in the sports nutrition community who have long championed superior-quality whey protein formulations as valuable complements to a healthy and balanced dietary regimen. More (and better) protein is your pathway to enhanced physique and performance. Advanced Protein Science for Enhanced ResultsHere is where we emphasize the importance of "better protein." The protein marketplace has been in a state of upheaval for at least ten years now, as raw material demand has escalated dramatically and manufacturing capacity has remained static or even declined. Post-COVID supply chain issues have only made the situation worse.Not surprisingly, many less-than-scrupulous manufacturers have taken to cutting corners on everything from ingredient quality to the actual amount of real protein found in each container. Cheap whey concentrates, inert fillers, and deceptive protein-spiking methods are once again in the ascendant. Some of these lesser proteins, nutritionally speaking, are little better than the placebo controls in the study cited above when it comes to building new muscle mass or enhancing training.In trying times like this, a savvy consumer is well advised to stick with manufacturers who have a long history of setting very high standards for ingredient quality and manufacturing protocols -- and sticking to them.ProSource's own NytroWhey Ultra Elite has been helping serious athletes achieve their training and physique goals for almost two decades now. Our flagship protein formula is famous for its unsurpassed matrix of protein technologies designed to exponentially increase protein synthesis, support recovery, and drive significant growth.The ultra-premium-grade, cold-processed CFM whey protein isolate in NytroWhey Ultra Elite is loaded with critical growth catalysts primed for rapid-action muscle support. For even faster uptake, advanced whey protein hydrolysates yield extremely low-molecular-weight peptides for super-swift absorption into muscle tissue. NytroWhey Ultra Elite also contains a state-of-the-art leucine peptide technology designed to transport leucine to muscle tissue more efficiently, increasing muscle power and work output.Because ProSource is committed to improving even its best products on an ongoing basis, NytroWhey Ultra Elite has been subtly modified to make it even more ideal for fitness-conscious people intent on eating clean and eating well. Several adjustments to NytroWhey Ultra Elite's nutritional profile have made it simpler, more natural, more digestible and more bioavailable. The last traces of gluten and soy have been removed, fiber content has been reduced and healthy fats sourced from sunflower oil have been added. NytroWhey Ultra Elite has been the industry leader in purity, potency and power since the day it first appeared; now its superiority is beyond question.As the latest scientific research continues to highlight the importance of whey protein supplementation for hard-training athletes, ProSource's NytroWhey Ultra Elite continues to be their #1 option for real physique and performance results.Scientific Reference1 Chae-Been Kim, Jong-Hoon Park, Hyoung-Su Park, Hye-Jin Kim and Jung-Jun Park. Effects of Whey Protein Supplement on 4-Week Resistance Exercise-Induced Improvements in Muscle Mass and Isokinetic Muscular Function under Dietary Control. Nutrients 2023, 15(4), 1003. Published: 16 February 2023.Use products as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise 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. These products are 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.
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Are Low Testosterone Levels Making You Fat?
Americans are getting heavier. It's a national epidemic. We all know that. Today, about 65% of adults in the United States are overweight or obese.When asked to consider the causes for this state of affairs, medical professionals trot out all the usual suspects: Americans don't get enough exercise; they eat too much junk food; they don't make healthy choices.And while that may be true for many people, it may not be true for you. In fact, it may be a little frustrating to hear. There are plenty of men out there who are hitting the gym regularly, eating a varied and healthy diet, and they're still carrying extra belly weight and are firmly entrenched in the "overweight" column of the BMI scale.If you're one of these frustrated men, you should know that there are other mitigating factors that can contribute to retaining stubborn excess body fat. Too much stress, lack of proper rest, nutrient deficiencies, even over-training or too much steady-state cardio exercise. Another factor could be low testosterone levels.Before you say that you're too young, too vital, too good-looking to have that problem, you should know that low testosterone levels are more common than you may think, even among younger men.In a recent study presented at the 2020 American Urological Association Virtual Experience (1 Patel), researchers used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) from 1999 to 2016 to analyze serum testosterone level changes over time in 4,045 young adult males (defined as age 15-39).After controlling for variables -- including year of study, age, race, BMI, comorbidity status, alcohol and smoking use, and level of physical activity -- total testosterone was found to be lower among younger male subjects in the later (2011-2016) versus earlier (1999-2000) cycles. In fact, mean total testosterone decreased from 1999-2000 (605.39 ng/dL), 2003-2004 (567.44 ng/dL), 2011-2012 (424.96 ng/dL), 2013-2014 (431.76 ng/dL), and 2015-2016 (451.22 ng/dL).It should be noted that measurements of 300 ng/dL or lower mark the threshold at which physicians may offer a diagnosis of clinically low testosterone levels and may suggest treatment (of which testosterone replacement therapy is one). Still, however, the results of this study show a substantial decrease in testosterone levels in ostensibly young men.The researchers then went further, digging deeper into the data, and noted that elevated BMI was associated with reduced total testosterone levels in test subjects, with the mean BMI increasing from 25.83 in 1999-2000, to 27.96 in 2015-2016. They concluded that even men with a normal BMI (18.5-24.9) had declining total testosterone levels during the same time frames.These are sobering conclusions. But what of this relationship between low testosterone levels and elevated BMI? Do low testosterone levels cause increased excess body fat retention? Or does excess body fat undermine testosterone levels?The truth is, it works both ways. The two factors can, in fact, form a vicious cycle in which each symptom exacerbates the other. Testosterone plays a crucial role in maintaining muscle mass, which burns body fat as fuel. Testosterone also plays a role in supporting efficient metabolism and thus, better body composition. So lower testosterone levels correlate to increased body fat.On the other hand, having excess weight, especially in the form of belly fat, can boost the activity of an enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen, which in high levels, is linked to obesity in men.What to Do If You Think You Have Low T LevelsFirst of all, let us state emphatically that no physician anywhere is going to prescribe Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) as a weight loss treatment. Nor should they. While generally safe, TRT products carry a packaging warning stating that they may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, including strokes and heart attacks. These treatments are also, by their very nature, temporary. The effect lasts only as long as the therapy continues.Having said that, you should by all means schedule an appointment with your doctor to have your testosterone levels checked. Two measurements (usually taken in the morning when T levels are peaking) below 300 ng/dL may result in a diagnosis of chronically low testosterone levels. In which case, TRT may be for you. That's up to you and your doctor to decide.Natural Ways to Support Male Testosterone ProductionBut what if your testosterone levels are low, but not low enough to merit pharmaceutical intervention? Here you are, probably suffering from one or more of the typical symptoms of low T levels -- low energy, slow metabolism, reduced sex drive, reduced response to resistance exercise. And you've still got this nagging and persistent roll of belly fat. What then?In that case you should know that you have safe, all-natural approaches to supporting and maintaining testosterone levels at your disposal. Many of them are simple, common-sense measures that can make a significant change in your T levels and in your overall health and well-being.Simply training correctly can have a positive effect on T levels. High-volume workouts that emphasize heavy compound moves (squats, deadlifts, bench presses) can facilitate testosterone production increase. Beware over-training that places your body under more stress than it can handle. This will send levels of cortisol soaring, which in turn will depress your testosterone production. And keep the steady-state cardio to a minimum. A well-planned training program that prioritizes volume, brevity, adequate work-to-rest periods and recovery time will help elevate and maintain testosterone levels.Dietary fats have also been linked to healthy levels of testosterone in males. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reported that a diet with fat content exceeding 100 g per day resulted in increased free testosterone in healthy male subjects. When subjects were put on a low fat diet (<20 g of fat per day), the authors reported that blood cholesterol levels (which are used to produce testosterone) decreased (2 Reed).You may also want to consider a Vitamin D supplement, particularly in the winter months when exposure to sunlight (the body's principle means of producing Vitamin D) is in short supply. In a 2010 study published in the journal Hormone and Metabolic Research, healthy male subjects given 3332 iu of Vitamin D3 for a year ended up having 25.2% higher T-levels when compared to placebo (3 Pilz).You also need to address some of the lifestyle factors that may be undermining your T levels. We know you're not spending your days eating bags of potato chips in front of the TV. But are you getting enough rest? Are you avoiding unnecessary stress? You should be shooting for eight or nine hours of quality sleep per night, establishing consistent turn-in and wake-up times, and avoiding stimulants starting several hours before bedtime. Daily chronic stress tends to elevate cortisol, which negatively impacts free testosterone levels and health. Learn to effectively manage your time and look to other stress-reducing options like meditation or hiking. Consider a Natural Testosterone-Boosting SupplementIf you've ever seen products in this category before and been a little skeptical, we can't blame you. Wherever there's a discipline of scientific research and development that offers dramatic benefits to an especially large demographic (in this case men looking to maintain their youthful vitality and well-being) there will be less-than-scrupulous marketers looking to take advantage.You should know, however, that the latest breakthroughs in this area of supplement science have been genuinely exciting. In particular, there has been an amazing amount of scientific progress in recent years regarding the efficacy of protodioscin-rich botanical extracts derived from the herb Tribulus terrestris. Indeed, new evidence suggests that these extracts, when subjected to new and advanced methods of processing, can have positive effects on testosterone production in males.In one of several recent studies, published in the journal Andrologia in 2016, 65 men (aged 18-65) with no hormonal issues took an herbal extract containing 112 mg of protodioscin daily for 12 weeks. It was concluded that taking the protodioscin-rich extract led to an increase in blood testosterone levels, which coincided with decreased body fat percentage, and increases in lean mass (4 Salgado).The Product Research Team here at ProSource has long been among the industry leaders in this highly specialized area of research and product development. This groundbreaking scientific research effort, conducted over decades, forms the foundation of AndroTest, the first true clinical-grade natural testosterone support supplement for men.The key active ingredient in AndroTest is derived via a rigorous and highly complex multiple-extraction process under the most stringent protocols utilizing state-of-the-art laboratory procedures. This meticulous process, which entails up to twenty different extractions, results in a Tribulus extract standardized to contain an unprecedented 40% to 48% protodioscin, which is up to 40 times more potent than existing Tribulus-based products.What about results, you say? Well, in a 4-week, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, product-specific study, subjects using AndroTest experienced statistically significant increases in total testosterone levels, averaging 59.88% over baseline, with some subjects showing total increases as high as 275% over baseline. Subjects also experienced major increases in free testosterone, averaging 59.75% over baseline, with some subjects reaching up to 218% over baseline. Results of this kind are truly unprecedented for products of this kind. Of course, AndroTest is just one of several natural methods of supporting T levels. The key is recognizing how crucial the all-important male hormone testosterone is to so many markers of health and well-being (including losing excess body fat) and prioritizing the lifestyle strategies that will peak them peaking as the years go by.Scientific References1. Patel P, Fantus R, Lokeshwar S, et al. Trends in Serum Testosterone Levels Among Adolescent and Young Adults Men in the United States. Presented at: 2020 AUA Virtual Experience; May 15, 2020. Abstract MP78-01.2 Reed MJ, Cheng RW, Simmonds M, Richmond W, James VH. Dietary lipids: an additional regulator of plasma levels of sex hormone binding globulin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1987 May;64(5):1083-5. 3 S Pilz, S Frisch, H Koertke, J Kuhn, J Dreier, B Obermayer-Pietsch, E Wehr, A Zittermann. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men. Horm Metab Res. 2011 Mar;43(3):223-5.4 Salgado RM, Marques-Silva MH, Gonçalves E, Mathias AC, Aguiar JG, Wolff P. Effect of oral administration of Tribulus terrestris extract on semen quality and body fat index of infertile men. Andrologia. 2016 Jul 12. Use AndroTest as directed. Read all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. A 4-week study of healthy males showed a 59.75% average increase in free testosterone compared to baseline and 59.88% average increase in total testosterone compared to baseline. 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.
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Research Science Update -- L-Carnitine L-Tartrate Supplementation Improves Recovery and Endurance in Men and Women
If you think of a muscle cell as a furnace generating energy to facilitate work output, then L-carnitine is the tireless worker shoveling coal into that furnace to start the whole process. Without L-carnitine, long-chain fatty acids would never reach the mitochondria of muscle cells, they would never be oxidized to generate energy, and the ATP cycle (the engine of all work output) would ground to a halt. This would (and does) result in muscle fatigue and eventual failure.L-carnitine offers other profound benefits as well. It has been associated with more efficient muscle recovery after exercise by virtue of its role in enhancing blood flow and oxygen supply to muscle tissue via improved endothelial function, thereby reducing hypoxia-induced muscle soreness and breakdown. Research also suggests that L-carnitine may help facilitate increased uptake of testosterone by promoting the expression of androgen (testosterone) receptors in skeletal muscle tissue (1 Kraemer).You would think, given L-carnitine's key primary role in muscle function and the fact that your body exhausts its stores of L-carnitine fairly quickly during high-intensity exercise, that L-carnitine would be a common supplement staple much like creatine monohydrate. L-carnitine, however, tends to fly under the radar. One reason for this is that supplemented pure L-carnitine by itself is assimilated very slowly and inefficiently by the body. This barrier to L-carnitine supplementation, however, was overcome several years ago, when extensive research and development resulted in the formulation of L-carnitine L-tartrate. A salt of tartaric acid, L-tartrate facilitates and greatly shortens the interval of uptake of L-carnitine into muscle tissue, while also acting as an antioxidant in the body. The blend of L-carnitine and L-tartrate produces a highly stable and bioavailable form of L-carnitine.Researchers in the Product Research Team at ProSource were at the forefront of this area of investigation. Their work led to the formulation of a legendary L-Carnitine L-Tartrate (LCLT) supplement introduced under the Cytodyne Technologies brand called Cytodyne AAC. Cytodyne AAC was the secret ingredient in many an athlete's supplementation regimen, and a refined evolution of that technology continues to help serious athletes turn higher volumes of training into greater muscle mass to this day, as we shall see.In the meantime, studies of the benefits of LCLT supplementation are always ongoing. One such study, published recently in the journal Nutrients, offers very encouraging news for both men and women seeking to enhance physique and performance.Clinical Study Links LCLT Supplementation to Increased Endurance and Faster RecoveryIn this study, a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, eighty participants, men and women 21- to 65-years-old, were split into two groups of forty participants each, a placebo group and a L-Carnitine L-Tartrate group. Participants underwent pre-study baseline testing which included serum analysis of muscle damage and oxidative stress markers, maximal isometric strength, maximal muscle power and body composition analysis. Subjects then engaged in a moderate 5-week exercise training program twice per week with the final training session on the fifth week of supplementation consisting of a supervised lower-body exercise challenge specifically constructed to induce muscle damage. Subjects continued to supplement for two days after completing the exercise challenge and then underwent baseline testing again.Researchers found that, compared to placebo, L-carnitine L-tartrate supplementation was able to improve perceived recovery and soreness and lowered serum creatine kinase (a marker of muscle degeneration). In addition, L-carnitine L-tartrate supplementation was able to blunt declines in strength and power compared to placebo following an exercise challenge. Two sub-analyses indicated that these results were independent of gender and age.The researchers concluded that "these findings agree with previous observations among healthy adult subjects and demonstrate that L-carnitine L-tartrate supplementation beyond 35 days is beneficial for improving recovery and reducing fatigue following exercise across gender and age." Of course none of this comes as a surprise to members of the ProSource Product Research Team. It is nice though to see ongoing research continue to validate the foundations upon which first Cytodyne AAC and then our current LCLT-based growth complex, Aminodrol, evolved. Aminodrol: A Powerful Nutritional Tool For Recovery and GrowthProSource's Aminodrol contains a specialized form of L-carnitine L-tartrate extremely efficient in replenishing the body's stores of L-carnitine and thereby enhancing the production of energy in the form of ATP. ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) is literally the currency of all cellular activity, facilitating DNA and RNA synthesis and triggering muscular contraction during explosive, high-intensity physical activity.L-carnitine L-tartrate, as we noted earlier, may also help facilitate increased uptake of testosterone by promoting the expression of testosterone receptors in skeletal muscle tissue, which would also support subsequent muscle mass increase.A comprehensive growth-support complex, Aminodrol has much more to offer highly trained individuals. Beta alanine supports muscle endurance during high-intensity exercise by increasing muscle carnosine levels, which in turn buffer skeletal muscle pH (acidity) during fatiguing exercise. The BCAAs leucine, isoleucine and valine (much like LCLT) are key factors for muscle recovery after exercise. Leucine in particular is a primary activator of the mTOR anabolic pathway that governs protein synthesis and consequent muscle repair and growth. Additional muscle-building support in Aminodrol comes in the form of L-glutamine, which supports protein synthesis and nitrogen retention, as well as taurine, which helps to optimize cellular hydration and maximize muscle function. Finally, Aminodrol contains phosphatidylserine and inositol. Phosphatidylserine is a specialized fat that resides in nervous tissue and, when taken regularly, may reduce blood cortisol levels which spike after intense training. Inositol may have indirect effects on cortisol levels by improving mood and brain neurochemical balance.A Legendary Growth Support TechnologyAminodrol has been helping serious athletes attain new benchmarks of muscle growth for years now. And, as contemporary science continues to validate its key mechanisms, it will continue to help well-trained individuals achieve real physique and performance improvements for years to come. Scientific References1 Kraemer WJ, Spiering BA, Volek JS, Ratamess NA, Sharman MJ, Rubin MR, French DN, Silvestre R, Hatfield DL, Van Heest JL, Vingren JL, Judelson DA, Deschenes MR, Maresh CM. Androgenic responses to resistance exercise: effects of feeding and L-carnitine. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Jul;38(7):1288-96. 2 Matthew Stefan, Matthew Sharp, Raad Gheith, Ryan Lowery, Charlie Ottinger, Jacob Wilson, Shane Durkee, and Aouatef Bellamine. L-Carnitine Tartrate Supplementation for 5 Weeks Improves Exercise Recovery in Men and Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2021 Oct; 13(10): 3432. Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise 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. These products are 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.
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Time to Grow! Your Supplement Guide to a Successful Bulking Phase
Ah, the winter winds, the spring thaw. For the aspiring bodybuilder, they can mean only one thing. It's the season to get BIG.Chances are, if you’re even considering entering into a bulking phase, you’ve already got your training regimen pretty much dialed in. Your work output is increasing gradually but steadily; your splits are fine-tuned; your intensity is on point. If you're doing any extravagant cardio, you're already cutting back on that now.The real challenge is going to present itself in eating more. A lot more. And making every calorie count so as to ensure that a significant proportion of your added mass is muscle, not fat. Calculate Your Real Caloric Needs and Fine-Tune Your MacrosHow much more will you be eating? Well, to start with, about 10% to 20% more. To find out your total daily caloric needs, seek out one of the many Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) calculators online and enter in your information. The TDEE calculator will output an optimum daily number of calories you should be consuming to stay about where you are right now, physique-wise. Eat less, you'll lose weight. Eat more, you'll gain weight.Let's say your TDEE calculator spits out a number like 3,000 calories per day to maintain the status quo. That means that you're going to have to add from 300 to 600 calories per day to start growing. Seems easy, right? Well, no. Because they can't just be any calories. They have to conform to your macronutrient ratios, and they have to be high-quality calories. A good benchmark for macros is 45% carbs / 35% protein / 20% healthy fats. Generally speaking each gram of carbs corresponds to about 4 calories, protein also 4, and more calorie-dense fats provide 9 calories.So, doing a little math, we find that 45% of 3,300 calories is 1,485 calories or 371 grams of carbs. Thirty-five percent of 3,300 is 1,155 calories or 288 grams of protein. And finally 20% of 3,300 is 660 calories or 73 grams of healthy fats.How hard could that be? Well, a typical 5-oz chicken breast provides about 30 grams of protein and two grams of fat. Five ounces of broccoli provide 10 grams of carbs. So as you can see, you've got some eating to do. And keep in mind, that 3,300 calorie figure is your starting point. You're going to be stepping on the scale 3 to 4 times a week and watching for weight gain. Quality weight gain. If it's not there, you're going to have to step up your caloric intake again.This is where so many people looking to add muscle mass fail. They simply underestimate the sheer number of calories they need to consume daily to grow.You've got to pre-prepare meals and have them always ready to go. You've go to eat six or seven meals spaced out through the day to consistently maintain a caloric surplus. You've got to track your macros, being smart about protein, carbs, and fats.This is where a high-quality dietary supplement or two (or three) can come to your rescue. Let's take a look at a few. Supercharge Your Growth With a Superior-Quality Mass BuilderHere at ProSource, we talk all the time about how important protein -- whether from whole food sources or from the highest-quality whey protein supplement formulas -- is for support of a highly active lifestyle, peak physique and overall wellness. Our own flagship protein NytroWhey Ultra Elite is at the absolute scientific vanguard here in terms of ingredient quality and processing. We're justly proud of it.We realize sometimes though, that some of our readers aren't quite clear about the difference between a protein formula and a mass builder. Yes, a whey protein formula is essential to building and maintaining lean muscle mass. But a mass builder is something different. Think of a protein formula -- the best ones, anyway -- as a highly specific, precision-targeted infusion of nutrition. A snack, if you will, that muscles thrive on. A mass builder, on the other hand, is a banquet. It's a wider spectrum of nutrients with a special purpose and best used at a very specific time.After a strenuous workout, your muscles have been ravaged and are crying out for fuel, your glycogen stores have been depleted, and protein synthesis is declining precipitously. MyoZene from BioQuest addresses each of these dire situations with the help of a number of highly advanced technologies.MyoZene's protein component is perfectly suited to your increased bulking-phase requirements. It is comprised of a blend of highly specialized hydrolyzed whey rich in essential di- and tri-peptides for ultra-rapid absorption into the muscle, and also fortified with an advanced leucine peptide technology to enhance muscle protein synthesis.Just as importantly for those looking to add significant lean muscle bulk, MyoZene contains an advanced carbohydrate matrix designed to raise blood glucose levels, potentiating insulin release, which in turn plays a key role in skeletal muscle protein synthesis by activating ribosomal activity and growth initiation factors within skeletal muscle.Finally, to ensure that MyoZene is your one-stop shop for post-workout muscle growth, MyoZene contains creatine monohydrate for cell volumization and strength support, taurine and glutamine for recovery support, and L-carnitine L-tartrate for additional hormonal support. How well do all these components work together? Spectacularly well, according to the results of a landmark brand-specific clinical study presented at the prestigious American College of Sports Medicine Annual Conference (1 Lou, Feldman, et al). This independently conducted research study found that after 28 days of MyoZene supplementation in conjunction with a bodybuilding training regimen, subjects experienced a 24% increase in muscular endurance mid-way through the study and a 32% increase after one month of training. Crucially for people engaged in serious bulking up, subjects also experienced a notable reduction in body fat as well. MyoZene clearly is a powerful tool in your bulking-phase toolbox. Feed the Beast with a Potent and Calorie-Dense Mass-Gain Muscle-Support FormulaAs we said above, when it comes to bulking up, calories are the name of the game. But not just any calories. Typical "hard-gainer" or "mass gainer" formulas on the market are notorious for being dumping grounds for manufacturers' least nutritionally useful ingredients -- poorly processed ion-exchange whey, absolutely inert protein fractions, and lots and lots of simple sugars.After-Mass from ProSource contains an ample amount of calories alright -- 310 per serving. But those calories derive from a nutritional profile engineered to fuel growing muscle tissue over both the short and long term. The 25 grams per serving of cutting-edge tri-phasic protein complex in After-Mass is composed of hydrolyzed whey to support protein synthesis in the immediate aftermath of your workout, while whey protein concentrate and hydrolyzed casein provide an extended flow of aminos to keep your muscles in a growth-favorable state.After Mass also contains 48 grams of precision-targeted, high-glycemic carbs that will restore glycogen reserves depleted during exercise, raise blood glucose levels and potentiate insulin release for improved nutrient delivery to muscles, and support the secretion of insulin-like growth factors. Additional glutamine, leucine, taurine and other key aminos enhance recovery and growth as well. That's a lot of nutrition in one affordably priced mass-gain supplement! Facilitate Digestion and Nutrient Utilization with a Super-Complete Daily MultiIt's all very well to task your body with assimilating lots of extra caloric content, but you have to give your body the tools it needs to absorb and utilize all that extra nutrition. At any given moment, your bodily systems are executing countless tiny mitochondrial transactions aimed at shoring up metabolism, organ health, muscle growth and overall wellness. These physiological actions are dependent on dozens of trace minerals, enzymes, antioxidants and vitamins that are not always abundant in your diet, if they're present at all. If you're looking to radically transform your physique, now is not the time to reach for a generic grocery-shelf daily multi. ProSource's Super MegaMax is designed specifically with the athlete and highly active person in mind. It contains a complete spectrum of essential nutrients formulated from the highest-quality sources and provided in dosages specifically intended to support and fuel your unique dietary requirements. In addition to a full complement of vitamins and minerals, Super MegaMax provides vital nutrients for optimized cardiovascular health, key co-factors for hormonal support, powerful botanicals for optimized free radical protection, and highly bioactive forms of immune-supporting vitamins C and D. To support the kinds of high-intensity exercise you engage in, Super MegaMax also contains joint health support compounds MSM, calcium and boron, plus NAC, CoQ10 and alpha lipoic acid for cellular energy production, as well as trace minerals for hydration and muscle endurance support. Bulking up can be stressful! Ease the burden with a wide-spectrum, super-comprehensive daily multi like Super MegaMax.Support Strength and Muscle Volumization with the World's Best Creatine Finally, no physique enhancement program would be complete without the proven strength-building power of pure creatine monohydrate. ProSource Creatine Monohydrate is 100% Creapure® sourced from Alzchem of Germany, the world leader in superior creatine manufacturing. Creapure's ultra-pure, micro-crystallized creatine monohydrate provides the muscle volume and strength-increase results that will convert ramped-up caloric intake into dramatic new mass. For creatine monohydrate, athletes everywhere know they can trust ProSource for the world's purest, most potent form.Keep the Big Picture in MindNow that you've got your calorie intake ramped up and elevated in overall quality, you really need to put all that fuel to work. As we've said, your training regimen should already be fine-tuned, high-volume, and driven by max intensity. Don't be afraid to change things up to shock your muscles into growth, but keep your overall work output at optimum levels.Ease off the cardio. Research backs the notion that trying to combine resistance training with significant amounts of cardio exercise creates an interference effect in which each type of exercise undercuts the body's metabolic response to the other. If you must indulge in cardio, stick to one or two sessions per week and stay away from steady-state, growth-dampening pursuits like distance running or circuit training. Try some sprints or swimming short, high-intensity lengths in the pool instead.Tinker with your caloric volume and macros. Weigh yourself 3 or 4 times a week to see how you're progressing and adjust your consumption appropriately. Unless you're starting at absolute zero in terms of muscle mass, growth should be slow but steady -- about .25% to .5% of your body weight per week. To put your expectations in perspective, only about one pound of that will be new muscle tissue. Mass gain is a long game.Finally, get adequate rest. Real growth is impossible unless you give your body and your muscles the rest they need to repair and recover. Okay now. Ready? Go grow!Scientific References1 From "An Open Label Clinical Trial Evaluating the Effects of MyoZene with Resistance Training on Changes in Body Muscle Strength." Lidia Lou, MS, Samantha Feldman MS, RD, William Chong BS, Douglas Kalman PhD, RD, FACN, Diane R. Krieger, MD. May 2008. Presented at the 2008 American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, IN.Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise 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. These products are 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.
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20 Lifestyle Tips For Achieving Your Peak Physique in 2023 -- Darrin Hills
Happy New Year everyone. Can you believe that it is 2023? Crazy thought, especially as I get older. I graduated high school in 1988! Cell phones? Forget it! But I do have to say that since I started my fitness journey, I feel much better than ever and have a great release when the days are tough. It's called high-intensity weight training and I am addicted. For those of you that don’t know much about me, I started my fitness journey in early-mid 2015 at age 45. Not very savvy to the proper lifting, eating, and supplementation for growth, so the first year or two I was hit and miss with all of the above, including a few injuries. I had the weight training underway, but just start somewhere, right? Sure, lift some weights and read up on what others are doing, apply, and see what you get. What about supplementation? Being that I had a heavy search history on weight training, various target ads started showing up about T-boosters, proteins, and amino acids. My initial response was that I'd better look into this because I was a sponge. I wanted to put weight on, I wanted to stay lean, I wanted to be vascular, something most of us are after. You know, look like the big guys. This is when I found ProSource in 2015. I started with some aminos, then some proteins, then some T-boosters and I could not believe how much better I felt in so many different ways. But growth was still lagging. Why? Diet. Don’t forget to get your diet dialed in. Eat clean, small meals. My eating plan consists of 8 small meals per day currently and I will increase amounts on those 8 meals depending on what I am trying to do. Build muscle or lean out. Always remember that there is no magic pill. It takes Intense exercise, a good healthy diet geared towards building or leaning out, quality supplementation of which the likes of only ProSource can deliver, and REST! And please remember, it is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time. I am about to hit year 9 on my journey, 70 plus pounds heavier, more confident, strong, and healthy. And as always, thank you ProSource for the incredible proteins and supplements that have helped me get to this point at the very young age of 53. 20 Lifestyle Tips For Achieving Your Peak Physique in 2023 1. Minimize alcohol at all cost, it is poison 2. Eat slower to allow leptin to release in your body. This tells your body when you are full 3. Sugar does not make you fat 4. Watching the news is a documented depressant. Exercise is a documented anti-depressant 5. Cardio is like day trading for quick profits. Weight training is like investing for retirement; it boosts metabolism 6. Muscle confusion is not a real thing 7. Eat as much fruit as you want. Nearly impossible to overeat 8. Black coffee and sparkling water are great appetite suppressants 9. To avoid after-dinner eating, brush your teeth 10. Cold showers minimize stress 11. The quantity of your food affects how you look. The quality of your food affects how you feel 12. If you struggle to consistently hit your workouts, do it first thing in the morning 13. Eggs are a superfood, not a food to avoid 14. You don’t need any gym equipment. All you need is your body 15. Minimize liquid-calorie sources like soda pop, cooking oils, and Starbucks sugar shakes 16. More muscles equals higher metabolism 17. A high-protein diet is the best diet 18. The way you think about yourself drives default actions. Stop saying you are lazy or worthless 19. Get plenty of sleep – Lack of sleep increases your hunger during the days, making it harder to lose fat 20. Water. Drink a lot of water – Relieves fatigue, enhances skin clarity, weight control, blood pressure regulation, body temp regulation, supports energy boosting, kidney function, digestive efficiency, and joint health There are some things to keep in mind as you kick off the new year. Stay focused, stay positive, and when you do go to the gym or exercise, give your 100% for that day. Thanks so much for reading and you can always find me on IG @darrinjhills The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent those of ProSource Performance Products, LLC. The articles featured on this site 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. Endorsers used products in conjunction with diet and exercise and may have been compensated for their appearance. Endorser's results are not typical. 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.
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Research Update -- Increased Protein Intake Preserves Muscle Mass and Enhances Diet Quality During Weight Loss
There are certain universal truths of nutrition and fitness that emerge as anecdotal evidence long before they are validated by clinical science. One of these truths is this: Increasing protein intake makes dieting easier, makes portion control easier, and just generally makes you feel stronger, better and more vital during times of caloric restriction.Nutrition experts have long known that simply cutting calories indiscriminately is not a pathway to successfully losing weight. It's hard to do first of all, and the results -- even if you attain them -- are virtually impossible to maintain over the long term. Eventually you're going to start consuming more calories again and the excess weight is going to return. Likewise, fad diets and gimmicky low- or no-calorie snacks are dead ends because they contain none of the nutrition your body needs to perform necessary tasks -- like burning fat and utilizing it for energy, for instance.The bottom line is this: To lose excess weight, you can't just eat less. You have to eat better.In recent years, a number of clinical studies have been undertaken to investigate the relationship between increased protein intake and improvements in overall body composition. Reliably, these studies have shown that ramping up your protein consumption is a winning strategy for losing weight slowly and steadily and keeping those pounds off. Protein can also help support the lean muscle mass that caloric deprivation tends to diminish over time. This second point is especially important because diminishments in lean muscle mass make your body a less efficient fat-burning machine.Here at ProSource, your #1 resource for all things fitness-related, we try to keep you updated on these scientific developments. But there's a lot of studies out there. Fortunately, one recent analysis has pooled the data from multiple trials to make a pretty convincing case that protein is your dietary ally in the war against excess body fat.The Correlation Between Increased Protein Intake, Better Quality Diet and Improved Body CompositionIn the analysis, published in the July 2022 issue of the scientific journal Obesity, data was pooled from several studies conducted at the same laboratory at Rutgers University over a dozen years, in which subjects participated in a 6- to 12-month weight-loss intervention. Subjects in each of the studies were between 24 and 75 years of age, manifested BMI (body mass index) consistent with overweight or obesity and completed weekly counseling sessions with a registered nutritionist. All participants were advised to maintain their usual physical activity during the intervention.Subjects were divided into two groups -- a High Protein Group (average of 79 grams/day) and a Low Protein Group (average of 58 grams/day. During the studies, subjects' diet quality was evaluated by way of food intake records submitted by the participants and assessed using the Health Eating Index standard. Body composition was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.At the end of the studies, researchers found that Healthy Eating Index scores among the High Protein Group were consistently higher than those in the Low Protein Group, a finding the researchers attributed to participants in the HP Group self-selecting greater green vegetable intake and reduced refined grain and added-sugar intake, as well as the additional protein (as documented in food intake records). This preference for healthier eating and less junk-food snacking may correspond with overall greater feelings of satiety and/or general health and fitness consciousness.At the same time, while both protein groups lost a similar amount of weight and fat mass during caloric restriction, there was a greater decrease in lean muscle mass in the Low Protein Group as compared with the High Protein Group, whether calculated as percentage or as kilogram loss. Greater retention of lean muscle mass correlates well with a dieter's capacity for sustaining weight loss over time while maintaining increased vitality.Protein is the Perfect Weight-Loss FoodWhile none of the conclusions arrived at above should come as a surprise to fitness-conscious people who are careful about what they eat, it's always nice to see anecdotal evidence borne out in a clinical setting. Simply put, extra dietary protein has a lot to offer in terms of enhanced body composition. Protein is naturally thermogenic because it requires extra energy to digest. High protein intake has been shown to significantly boost metabolism and increase the number of calories you burn. It promotes a feeling of fullness, decreasing junk-food cravings. And it supports the muscle tissue you need to burn fat.The protein intake for the High Protein Group in the above-cited meta-analysis is consistent with the daily RDA for protein intake of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass each day. However, many nutrition experts suggest that higher intakes of protein (as much as 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass per day) is indicated for highly active people seeking to limit the loss of muscle while restricting calories. Whole food sources of protein (beef, chicken, fish, eggs, etc.) should form the foundation of your high-protein, muscle-sustaining diet during periods of caloric restriction. Supplementing with a high-quality protein formula once or twice during the day is also highly recommended for lean-muscle support and keeping fat utilization at optimum levels. As we always say, choosing the right protein for you is of utmost importance. ProSource's own NytroWhey Ultra Elite is famous for its unsurpassed matrix of protein technologies designed to exponentially increase protein synthesis, support recovery, and drive significant growth. The ultra-premium-grade, cold-processed CFM whey protein isolate in NytroWhey Ultra Elite is loaded with critical growth catalysts primed for rapid-action muscle support. For even faster uptake, advanced whey protein hydrolysates yield extremely low-molecular-weight di- and tri-peptides for super-swift absorption into muscle tissue. And its state-of-the-art leucine peptide technology is designed to more efficiently transport leucine to muscle tissue, making it a muscle-building powerhouse of unprecedented power and productivity. ProSource has also recently reformulated its NytroWhey Ultra Elite to make it even more ideal for fitness-conscious people intent on eating clean and eating well. Several adjustments to NytroWhey Ultra Elite's nutritional profile have made it simpler, more natural, more digestible and more bioavailable. The last traces of gluten and soy have been removed, fiber content has been reduced and healthy fats sourced from sunflower oil have been added.Prioritize Protein in Your Weight Loss PlanIf simply decreasing caloric intake were the sole driver of excess weight loss, there would be a lot more diet successes than failures out there. Instead, the opposite is true. To improve your odds of success, you need to choose not just less food, but healthier food options. Protein, whether from whole food sources or from a superior-quality whey formula, is a big part of a higher-quality diet and more sustainable weight loss.Scientific ReferencesAnna R. Ogilvie, Yvette Schlussel, Deeptha Sukumar, Lingqiong Meng, Sue A. Shapses. Higher protein intake during caloric restriction improves diet quality and attenuates loss of lean body mass. Obesity, Volume 30, Issue 7, July 2022, Pages 1411-1419.Use products as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise 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. These products are 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.
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KNOW Your BCAAs, GROW Like Never Before
If you follow enough workout warriors on social media, you’re probably familiar with a common genre — the video clip of someone customizing their own pre- or post-workout supplement formula. Some of these efforts are misguided, but others are genuinely enlightened, particularly when it comes to pre-workout formulations.In these short clips, you might see a suitably well-trained individual creating their own pre-workout formula from scratch or starting with a standard-issue pre-workout and augmenting it with extra ingredients, such as arginine-AKG, creatine monohydrate, beta alanine, glutamine, and/or BCAAs.There's a good reason for this. While many people believe that garden-variety pre-workout formulas contain all the necessary ingredients to support both training performance and recovery, the truth is a little more complex. Manufacturers will often tout a lengthy laundry list of ingredients in their pre-workout formulas, but then microdose these ingredients so meagerly that they offer no real performance benefit. Or they will simply omit some highly useful co-factors entirely. In fact, some of the category's biggest sellers contain little more than stimulant content in various forms. (For a true all-in-one pre-workout formula that contains individual performance co-factors in science-based dosages sufficient to facilitate enhanced power, endurance and intensity, look no further than BioQuest's Fusion Force.)One particular under-supplied ingredient in most pre-workout formulas is branched-chain amino acids or BCAAs. This is unfortunate because BCAAs not only provide a ready source of fuel your muscles can tap into to postpone fatigue and maintain work output, they also help support muscle recovery after high-intensity training. Powering Productivity Before, During and After Your WorkoutBCAAs -- the branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine -- are considered essential because, unlike non-essential amino acids, your body cannot make them. You need to get them from your diet. They are also unique in that they are metabolized directly by muscle tissue during high-impact exercise. Of the three BCAAs, leucine offers the most performance and recovery benefit.When you begin to exercise, your muscles tap into muscle glycogen (a stored form of carbohydrates) for fuel, but this stored energy doesn't last very long. When these are diminished, your muscles will turn to blood glucose to keep going. (This is where isoleucine and valine, which help support blood sugar levels, both play an important role.) Blood glucose is derived from carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Carbohydrates and fats fuel the majority of your energy needs at the outset of exercise, but as your exercise interval lengthens, your body will scavenge proteins from existing muscle tissue. BCAAs make up a great proportion of the total amino acid content in skeletal muscle and are readily catabolized during exercise. Indeed, BCAAs may provide as much as 20% of your body's energy needs in the course of your workout.When your high-intensity workout is completed, you've inflicted considerable damage to muscle tissue. This damage must be repaired and your body will endeavor to add more muscle mass to survive future bouts of exercise-induced stress. The availability of leucine is absolutely crucial during this post-exercise juncture, as it is the trigger for the protein synthesis that is the engine for muscle recovery and growth.Clearly then, BCAA supplementation -- especially leucine -- would appear to offer valuable benefits for highly active people. Science supports this notion. In a study published in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine in 2017, researchers sought to evaluate the effect of a 12-week leucine-rich amino acid supplementation in combination with moderate training. In the study, 48 healthy subjects exercised for 30 minutes three times per week and received either a leucine-rich amino acid supplementation or a placebo. Before and after supplementation, subjects performed an exhaustive eccentric exercise protocol. Maximal concentric strength and safety assessments were performed before exercise and after 3, 24, 48 and 72 hours.The researchers found that the supplementation with leucine resulted in reduced loss of strength at zero and 3 hours after downhill walking compared with the placebo. They concluded that the "principle findings show that leucine-rich amino acid supplementation can counteract the negative effects of eccentric exercise. The treatment resulted in a reduction of exercise-induced strength loss." (1 Reule CA, et al)BCAAs also offer a prominent benefit in the form of post-workout recovery. In another study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, highly trained resistance athletes were provided 20 grams of BCAAs per day for seven days before and four days after completing a damaging bout of exercise. The ratio of the provided BCAAs was 2:1:1 (leucine: isoleucine: valine).A number of variables were measured including changes in force production, markers of muscle damage in the blood, muscle soreness, vertical jump performance, and thigh and calf circumference. The damage bout caused significant changes in nearly all variables. In particular, changes in creatine kinase (a marker of damage found in the blood) were significantly improved when BCAAs were ingested when compared to placebo. In addition, the recovery of the ability to produce maximal force was also improved to a greater extent in the BCAA group. The authors of the study concluded that providing BCAAs before and after damaging exercise can reduce the recovery time. (2 Howatson, Hoad et al.) Supplementing with BCAAsWhen adding BCAAs to your supplement regimen, sufficient dosing is critically important. As we've said, most pre-workout formulas simply don't supply BCAAs in amounts that provide performance or recovery benefits. The solution to this problem is simple. Just add additional BCAAs to your pre-workout drink taken 30 to 45 minutes before training and then add some more to the water bottle or shake cup you take out onto the gym floor with you.Of course, proper sourcing of precious BCAAs is also important. ProSource has always led the way when it comes to ingredient purity, potency and power, and that is true for BCAAs as well.ProSource's Mega BCAA, available in both powder and capsule formats, contains vastly superior, premium-grade aminos, provided in the preferred ratio of 2:1:1 leucine, isoleucine and valine. And it provides them in an 8-gram per serving dosage designed to fully energize, protect and build muscle tissue. Like all ProSource sports nutrition supplements, Mega BCAA Powder and Capsules are made with the absolute highest quality ingredients available industry-wide to ensure maximum purity, potency and results!Scientific References1 Reule CA, Scholz C, Schoen C, et al. Reduced muscular fatigue after a 12-week leucine-rich amino acid supplementation combined with moderate training in elderly: a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2017.2 Howatson, G., M. Hoad, et al. (2012). "Exercise-induced muscle damage is reduced in resistance-trained males by branched chain amino acids: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study." J Int Soc Sports Nutr 9(1): 20.Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise 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. These products are 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.
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