Nutrition

Jun 09, 2021

20 mainstream nutrition myths scientifically disproved

Mainstream nutrition is full of nonsense. Despite clear advances in the field of nutritional science, the old myths seem to persist. Here are 20 nutrition myths that have been debunked by scientific research.

Myth 1: The healthiest diet is a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet with lots of cereal products

A few decades ago, the entire population was advised to eat a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. But at that time, not one study had shown that this type of diet could actually prevent disease.

Since then, many high-quality studies have been conducted, including the Women's Health Initiative - the largest nutrition study in history.

The results were very clear... this type of diet does not cause fat loss, cannot prevent cancer or reduce the risk of heart disease (1, 2, 3).

Myth 2: Salt consumption should be limited to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke

The salt myth is still very much alive, even though there has never been good scientific research to support it. Although reducing salt intake can lower blood pressure by an average of 1-5 mm/Hg, it has no effect on the incidence of heart attacks and strokes or the risk of death (4, 5).

Of course, you may be an exception to this if you have a condition such as salt-sensitive hypertension (6). However, the public recommendation that everyone should reduce their salt intake (and eat boring and tasteless food) is not based on scientific fact.

Myth 3: It's best to eat many small meals throughout the day to "keep the metabolic flame burning."

It is often claimed that you should eat many small meals throughout the day to keep your metabolic rate high.

However, scientific studies clearly contradict this. Eating 2 to 3 meals a day has exactly the same effect on the amount of calories burned per day as eating 5 to 6 (or more) smaller meals (7, 8).

Eating many small meals might be beneficial for some people (e.g. to prevent excessive hunger), but it is incorrect that the number of meals we eat affects the amount of calories we burn.

There are even studies that show that eating too often can be harmful. A recent study showed that eating more frequent meals on a high-calorie diet can dramatically increase the amount of liver and abdominal fat (9).

Myth 4: Egg yolks should be avoided as they are high in cholesterol, which promotes heart disease

We have been advised that we should reduce our consumption of whole eggs because egg yolks are rich in cholesterol. However, dietary cholesterol has a surprisingly small effect on blood cholesterol levels - at least for the vast majority of people (10). Studies have shown that eggs increase levels of the "good" HDL cholesterol and do not increase the risk of heart disease (11).

A review of 17 studies with a total of 263,938 participants showed that the consumption of eggs has no effect on the risk of heart attack or stroke in non-diabetic individuals (12). However, it should be kept in mind that some studies have observed an increased risk of heart attack in diabetics who ate eggs (13).

Whole eggs are one of the most nutrient dense foods and almost all nutrients are found in the yolk. So telling people to throw away egg yolks is perhaps the most nonsensical advice in the history of nutrition.

Myth 5: Whole wheat is a health food and an essential part of a balanced diet

Wheat has long been a part of the human diet, but this changed due to genetic manipulation in the 1960s. The "new" wheat is significantly lower in nutrients than older varieties (14).

Preliminary studies have shown that modern wheat may increase cholesterol levels and inflammatory markers compared to older wheat varieties (15). It can also cause symptoms such as pain, bloating, fatigue and reduced quality of life in people with irritable bowel syndrome (16).

While some older varieties such as einkorn and kamut may be relatively healthy, modern wheat is not.

In addition, it should be remembered that labeling as "whole grain" is often a pure joke. These grains have usually been pulverized into a very fine flour that has similar metabolic effects to white flour.

Myth 6: Saturated fats increase LDL cholesterol levels in the blood and the risk of a heart attack

For decades we have been told that saturated fats increase cholesterol levels and cause heart disease. In fact, this view is one of the cornerstones of modern dietary guidelines.

However, several recent large-scale study reviews have shown that saturated fats are not associated with an increased risk of dying from heart disease or stroke (17, 18).

The truth is that saturated fats increase the levels of good HDL cholesterol and change the size of LDL cholesterol particles from small to large, which is associated with a reduced risk (24).

For most people, eating saturated fats in reasonable amounts is perfectly safe and even healthy.

Myth 7: Coffee is unhealthy and should be avoided

Coffee has long been considered unhealthy, mainly due to its caffeine content. However, most studies show that coffee has clear health benefits.

This could be related to the fact that coffee is one of the best sources of antioxidants in the Western diet, outperforming both fruit and vegetables in this respect (20).

Coffee drinkers have a lower risk of depression, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and studies even show that they live longer than people who don't drink coffee (21, 22).

Myth 8: Eating fat will make you fat. So if you want to lose weight, you need to eat less fat

Fat is the stuff under our skin that makes us look soft and flabby. For this reason, it only seems logical that eating fat would make us even fatter.

However, this depends entirely on the context. Diets that are high in fat and carbohydrates can make you fat, but it's not the fat that makes you fat. In fact, diets that are high in fat but low in carbohydrates consistently lead to greater weight loss than low-fat diets - even when the low-fat diet group reduces calories (23).

Myth 9: A high-protein diet increases the burden on the kidneys and the risk of kidney disease

It is often claimed that protein puts a strain on the kidneys and increases the risk of kidney failure. However, even if it is true that people with existing kidney disease should reduce their protein intake, this does not apply to healthy people.

Numerous studies, including those conducted on athletes who eat large amounts of protein, show that a high-protein diet is completely safe (24).

A higher protein intake can even lower blood pressure and help fight type 2 diabetes - which are two of the main risk factors for kidney failure (25, 26).

It's also important to remember that protein reduces appetite and supports weight loss - and obesity is another strong risk factor for kidney failure.

Myth 10: Full-fat dairy products are high in saturated fat and calories and increase the risk of heart disease and obesity

High-fat dairy products are among the richest sources of saturated fat and are very high in calories. For this reason, we have always been told that we should eat low-fat dairy products instead.

However, studies do not support this. Eating full-fat dairy products is not associated with an increased risk of heart attack and is even associated with a lower risk of obesity (27).

In countries where cows are grass-fed, the consumption of full-fat dairy products is even associated with a 69% lower risk of heart disease (28).

The primary benefits of dairy products are based in part on their fat content, which is why choosing low-fat dairy products is a bad idea.

Of course, this doesn't mean you should go completely overboard and add massive amounts of butter to your coffee, but it does imply that reasonable amounts of full-fat dairy products from grass-fed cows are safe and healthy.

Myth 11: All calories are the same and it doesn't matter what type of food they come from

It is simply false that all calories are the same. Different foods go through different metabolic pathways and have different influences on fat burning, hormones and the areas of the brain that regulate appetite (29).

A high-protein diet, for example, can increase the metabolic rate by 80 to 100 kcal per day and significantly reduce appetite (30). In one study, such a diet resulted in subjects automatically eating 411 kcal less per day and also losing 11 pounds in 12 weeks - just by adding more protein to their diet (31).

There are many other examples of how different foods have very different effects on hunger, hormones and health - because a calorie is not a calorie.

Myth 12: Low-fat foods are healthy because they are lower in calories and saturated fat

When the low-fat diet guidelines came out, food manufacturers responded with all kinds of "health foods". The problem is that these foods taste terrible when the fat is removed, so food manufacturers added large amounts of sugar.

However, the truth is that excess sugar is very harmful, whereas this is not true for the fat naturally occurring in foods (32).

Myth 13: Red meat consumption increases the risk of all kinds of diseases including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer

We are constantly warned about the dangers of red meat. It's true that some studies have shown negative effects, but these studies have usually lumped processed and unprocessed meat together.

The largest studies (one with over a million participants and the other with over 400,000) show that unprocessed red meat is not associated with an increased risk of heart disease or type 2 diabetes (33, 34).

Two review studies have also shown that the link to cancer is not as strong as some people would have you believe. The link is weak in men and non-existent in women (35, 36).

So don't be afraid of red meat. Just make sure you eat unprocessed meat and don't burn it, as too much burnt meat can be harmful.

Myth 14: The only people who should eat a gluten-free diet are people with coeliac disease, about 1% of the population

It is claimed that no one except coeliac disease patients benefit from a gluten-free diet. This is the most severe form of gluten intolerance, affecting about 1% of all people.

However, another condition called gluten sensitivity is more widespread and may affect around 6 to 8% of the population, although there are no good statistics on this yet. Studies have shown that a gluten-free diet can reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, as well as schizophrenia, autism and epilepsy (37, 38).

It is best for people to eat foods that are naturally gluten-free (e.g. plants and animals) - and not gluten-free products. Gluten-free junk food is still junk food.

However, keep in mind that the gluten situation is quite complicated and there are no clear answers yet. Some new studies suggest that it may be other compounds in wheat that are causing some of the digestive problems - and not the gluten itself.

Myth 15: Weight loss is all about willpower and eating less and exercising more

It's often assumed that weight loss (and weight gain) is all about willpower and "calories in vs. calories out".

However, the body is a highly complex biological system with many hormones and brain centers that regulate when, what and how we eat. It is well known that genetic predisposition, hormones and various external factors have a major influence on body weight (39).

Junk food can be downright addictive and cause people to lose all control over their food intake (40).

While it is still the responsibility of each individual to do something about their weight problem, it is neither helpful nor accurate to attribute obesity to some kind of moral failing.

Myth 16: Saturated fats and trans fats are similar. They are both "bad" fats that we need to avoid.

Mainstream health organizations often lump saturated fats and artificial trans fats together and label them both as "bad fats".

It is true that trans fats are harmful. They have been linked to insulin resistance and metabolic damage, and they dramatically increase the risk of heart disease (41). Saturated fats, on the other hand, are harmless, so it makes absolutely no sense to consider these groups together.

Interestingly, the same health organizations promote vegetable oils such as soybean oil and canola oil. However, both of these oils are packed with unhealthy fats. One study found that 0.56 to 4.2% of the fatty acids contained in these oils are toxic trans fats (42)!

Myth 17: Protein removes calcium from bones and increases the risk of osteoporosis

It is commonly believed that eating protein increases the acidity of the blood and removes calcium from the bones, which can lead to osteoporosis. However, while it is true that high protein intake can increase calcium excretion in the short term, this is not true in the long term.

The truth is that high protein intake is associated with a massive reduction in the risk of osteoporosis and fractures (43).

This is an example of how blindly following conventional dietary wisdom can have the exact opposite effect of what you intend.

Myth 18: Low-carb diets and diets are dangerous and increase the risk of heart disease

Low-carb diets have been popular for many decades. However, mainstream nutrition experts have continuously warned us that these diets will eventually clog our arteries.

Since 2002, over 20 studies have been conducted on low-carbohydrate diets. These have concluded that such diets cause greater weight loss and improve most risk factors for heart disease compared to low-fat diets (44).

Although opinions are slowly changing, many "experts" still claim that low-carbohydrate diets are dangerous while promoting the outdated dogma of low-fat diets, which science has now shown to be completely useless.

Of course, low-carb diets are not for everyone, but it is very clear that they can have great benefits for people suffering from obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (45, 46).

Myth 19: Sugar is mainly harmful because it provides 'empty calories' Pretty much everyone will agree that sugar is unhealthy when consumed in excessive amounts. However, many people believe that sugar is only bad because it provides empty calories.

Well, nothing could be further from the truth. When sugar is consumed in excessive amounts, it causes serious metabolic problems (47).

Many experts now believe that sugar could be the driving force behind some of the world's biggest killers...including obesity, heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.

Even though sugar is okay in small amounts (especially for physically active and metabolically healthy people), it can be a complete disaster if consumed in excessive amounts.

Myth 20: Refined seeds and vegetable oils such as soybean oil and corn oil lower cholesterol and are super healthy

Vegetable oils such as soybean oil and corn oil are rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to lower cholesterol levels. However, it's important to remember that cholesterol is a risk factor, not a disease.

Just because something changes a risk factor doesn't mean it also affects "hard endpoints" like heart attack or death...the things that really matter. The truth is that several studies have shown that these oils increase the risk of death from cancer and heart disease (48, 49).

Even though these oils have been shown to cause disease and kill people, mainstream health organizations are still telling us to eat these oils. They still don't understand that when we replace real foods with processed foods, we get fat and sick.

References:

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http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.e8539
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http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa111201
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Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/20-mainstream-nutrition-Mythoss-debunked#section3

May 28, 2021

The Zone Diet - a complete overview

The Zone Diet has been popular for several decades. It encourages its followers to consume a certain amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat at each meal to reduce inflammation in the body, among other health benefits.

However, critics have questioned some of these health benefits.

This article provides a detailed overview of the Zone Diet, including what it takes to follow it and what the pros and cons are.

What is the Zone Diet?

The Zone Diet instructs its followers to follow a specific ratio of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 30% fat.

Carbohydrates should have a low glycemic index, which means that they ensure a slow release of sugar into the bloodstream to allow for longer satiety. Protein should come from lean sources and fat should consist mainly of monounsaturated fatty acids.

The Zone Diet was developed more than 30 years ago by Dr. Barry Sears, an American biochemist. His bestseller "The Zone" was published in 1995.

Dr. Sears had developed this diet after the early loss of a family member to a heart attack and felt that he too was at increased risk until he found a way to combat this.

The Zone Diet claims to reduce inflammation in the body. Dr. Spears believed that inflammation is the reason why people gain weight, get sick and age faster.

Advocates of this diet claim that once you reduce inflammation, you lose fat at the fastest rate possible, slow down aging, reduce your risk of chronic disease and improve your performance.

What do you need to do to follow the Zone Diet?

The Zone Diet has no specific phases and is meant to be followed for a lifetime. There are two ways to follow this diet: The hand-eye method or the use of Zone food blocks.

Most people start with the hand-eye method and later move on to Zone food blocks as they are more advanced. You can switch back and forth between the two methods if you wish, as both have their own benefits.

The hand-eye method

The hand-eye method is the easiest way to start the Zone diet. As the name suggests, your hand and your eye are the only tools you need to get started - although it is also recommended to wear a watch to keep an eye on when you should eat.

In this method, your hand serves multiple purposes. You use it to determine your portion sizes. Your five fingers remind you to eat five meals a day and never go longer than 5 hours without eating.

At the same time, you use your eye to estimate the portion sizes on your plate. To create a Zone-friendly plate, you first need to divide your plate into three thirds.

One-third low-fat protein: One-third of your plate should be filled with a low-fat protein source that is roughly the size and thickness of the palm of your hand.
Two thirds carbohydrate: Two thirds of your plate should be filled with low glycemic index carbohydrates.
A little fat: Add a dash of monounsaturated fat such as olive oil, avocado oil or almonds to your plate.

The hand-eye method was developed as an easy way for beginners to follow the Zone diet. It is also flexible and allows you to eat in a restaurant while following the Zoe Diet by using your hand and eye to choose options that fit the Zone recommendations.

The Zone food block method

Zone Food Blocks allow you to personalize the Zone Diet for your body by calculating how many grams of protein, carbohydrates and fat you are allowed to eat per day.

The number of Zone blocks you should eat per day depends on your weight, height and waist size. You can find an online calculator here:

https://zonediet.com/resources/body-fat-calculator/

The average man eats 14 Zone Blocks per day and the average woman eats 11 Zone Blocks per day.

A main meal such as breakfast, lunch and dinner comprises three to five Zone Blocks, while a snack only ever comprises one block.

Each Zone Block consists of a protein block, a fat block and a carbohydrate block.

Protein block: Contains 7 grams of protein.
Carbohydrate block: Contains 9 grams of carbohydrates.
Fat block: Contains 1.5 grams of fat.

What foods can you eat on the Zone Diet?

A lot of the Zone Diet's favorite foods are similar to those of the Mediterranean diet, which is one of the healthiest diets around. In fact, the creator of the Zone Diet recently published a book called "The Mediterranean Zone" in which he describes the similarities and benefits of the two diets.

Protein

Protein options in the Zone Diet should be low in fat. Good options include:

Lean beef, pork, lamb, veal and venison
Skinless chicken and turkey breast
Fish and shellfish
Vegetarian protein, tofu and soy products
Egg white
Low-fat cheese
Low-fat milk and yogurt

Fat

The Zone Diet encourages choosing a type of monounsaturated fat. Good options include:

Avocados
Nuts such as macadamias, peanuts, cashews, almonds and pistachios
peanut butter
Tahini (sesame paste)
Oils such as rapeseed oil, sesame oil, peanut oil and olive oil

Carbohydrates

The Zone Diet encourages its followers to choose vegetables with a low glycemic index and some fruit. Good options include:

Fruits such as berries, apples, oranges, plums and more
Vegetables such as cucumbers, peppers, spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms, squash, chickpeas and more
Grains such as oats and barley

What you can't eat on the Zone Diet

Nothing is strictly forbidden on the Zone Diet. However, certain foods are considered undesirable as they promote inflammation.

High sugar fruit: such as bananas, grapes, raisins, dried fruit and mangoes.
High sugar or starchy vegetables: Such as peas, corn, carrots and potatoes.
Refined and processed carbohydrates: Bread, rolls, pasta, and other white flour products
Other processed foods: Including breakfast cereals and muffins.
Foods with added sugar: Such as sweets, cakes and cookies.
Soft drinks: Neither sugar-sweetened nor sugar-free drinks are recommended.
Coffee and tea: These should be kept to a minimum as water is the drink of choice.

A sample nutrition plan with food blocks

Here is a sample 14-block meal plan for an average man Breakfast (4 food blocks): Scrambled eggs with turkey ham, vegetables and fruit

2 eggs as scrambled eggs
3 strips of turkey ham
30 grams of low-fat cheese
1 apple
3 1/2 cups (630 grams) cooked spinach
1 cup (156 grams) cooked mushrooms
1/4 cup (53 grams) cooked onions
1 1/3 teaspoon (6.6 ml) olive oil

Lunch (4 food blocks): Grilled chicken and egg salad with fruit

90 grams grilled skinless chicken
1 hard-boiled egg
Up to 2 heads of iceberg lettuce
1 cup (70 grams) raw mushrooms
1 cup (104 grams) cucumber slices
1 sliced red bell bell pepper
2 tablespoons avocado
1/2 teaspoon walnuts
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vinegar dressing
2 plums

Afternoon snack (1 food block): boiled egg, nuts and fruit

1 hard-boiled egg
3 almonds
1/2 apple

Dinner (4 food blocks): Grilled salmon, lettuce and sweet potato

170 grams grilled salmon
1 cup (200 grams) baked sweet potatoes
Up to one head of lettuce
1/4 cup (37 grams) raw tomato
1 cup (104 grams) cucumber slices
2 tablespoons avocado
2/3 teaspoon (3.3 ml) olive oil

Evening snack (1 food block): Cottage cheese, nuts and fruit

1/4 cup (56 grams) cottage cheese
6 peanuts
1/2 orange

How does the Zone Diet work?

The Zone Diet claims to optimize your hormones to allow your body to enter a state known as "the zone". This is the state in which your body is optimized to control inflammation through your diet.

The purported benefits of the Zone Diet include:

A quickest possible loss of excess body fat
Maintaining wellness at an older age
Slowing down the rate of ageing
Improved physical and mental performance

Dr. Sears recommends having blood tests done every 3 months to determine if you are in "the zone".

The TG/HDL ratio

This is the ratio of bad fats, known as triglycerides, to good HDL cholesterol in your blood. A lower value means you have more good cholesterol, which is healthier.

The Zone Diet recommends a value below 1 as a good value, which is low. A high value for your TG/HDL ratio increases the risk of heart disease (1).

The TG/HDL ratio can only be determined by a doctor.

The AA/EPA ratio

This is the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the body. A lower value means that you have more omega-3 fatty acids in your blood, which has an anti-inflammatory effect.

The Zone Diet recommends values between 1.5 and 3, which is low. A high AA/EPA ratio is associated with a higher risk of depression, obesity and other chronic diseases (2, 3).

You can determine this ratio at home with a test kit available on the Zone Diet website.

HbA1c, also known as glycated hemoglobin

This is a marker for your average blood sugar over the last three months. A lower value means that you have less sugar in your blood.

The Zone Diet recommends a value below 5%, which is low. A higher HbA1c value is associated with a higher risk of diabetes (4).

The HbA1c value can only be determined by a doctor.

Supplements recommendations

The Zone Diet recommends the use of omega-3 supplements such as fish oil to maximize the health benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids lower levels of bad LDL cholesterol and may also reduce the risk of other chronic diseases (5).

The Zone Diet also recommends the use of polyphenol supplements, which contain molecules found in plants with antioxidant properties.

The scientific evidence on polyphenols is mixed. Although they have benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease, they can also have risks such as reducing iron absorption (6, 7).

Benefits of the Zone Diet

Following the Zone Diet can have many benefits.

Unlike other diets, the Zone Diet does not have strict prohibitions on certain foods. However, it does recommend avoiding options such as added sugars and processed foods that are considered unfavorable. This can make the Zone Diet more appealing to people who find it difficult to cope with food restrictions.

The foods recommended in the Zone Diet are very similar to the foods in the Mediterranean Diet. The Mediterranean diet has been shown in numerous studies to be one of the best diets for long-term health (8, 9).

The Zone diet also allows for some flexibility as there are two ways to follow the diet. The Zone food block method can also help with fat loss as it controls the amount of calories consumed daily. It is well known that controlling calorie intake can help with weight loss.

Disadvantages of the Zone Diet

In addition to the benefits mentioned, the Zone Diet also has some disadvantages.

The Zone Diet makes some claims about health benefits based on the theory behind this way of eating. However, there is little scientific evidence that this theory can produce the claimed results (10).

For example, the Zone diet claims to improve performance. However, a study conducted on athletes following the Zone Diet found that the athletes lost weight as well as endurance and became exhausted faster than other athletes (11).

Another claim regarding the Zone Diet is that it reduces inflammation. The Zone Diet claims that your body is in the optimal "zone" once your blood levels reach target levels.

However, although some research shows that the Zone Diet may improve blood levels, more research is needed before we can say whether it significantly reduces inflammation in the body (12).

There is also little scientific evidence to support the 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 30% fat ratio as the optimal ratio for fat loss and health benefits.

Another study compared the effects of a 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 30% fat diet with the effects of a 60% carbohydrate, 15% protein and 25% fat diet. This study concluded that the subjects who followed a diet similar to the Zone diet lost more weight (13). However, this difference could also be related to the higher protein intake (14).

Interestingly, this study found no significant differences in blood glucose, fat and cholesterol levels between the two groups.

This does not fit with the claims made about the benefits of the Zone Diet and could mean that the improvements in blood lipid levels seen in other studies may have more to do with omega-3 fatty acid and polyphenol supplementation and less to do with the Zone Diet itself.

Should you try the Zone Diet?

At the end of the day, you should choose the diet that best suits your lifestyle.

The Zone Diet might be ideal for you if you're looking for a diet that includes similar food options to the Mediterranean Diet, but gives you clearer guidelines to follow. However, the purported health benefits of the Zone Diet should be viewed with skepticism. Although the theory behind this diet could be linked to better health, there is not enough scientific evidence to say that the Zone Diet will reduce your risk of chronic disease, slow down the aging process or improve physical and mental performance.

If you want to adopt healthy eating habits, the Zone Diet could help you get started and help you control your portions.

In the end, however, what matters in the long run is that your diet is based on whole and unprocessed foods - regardless of the name of the diet you choose.

References:

Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/zone-diet

May 26, 2021

10 health and performance benefits of creatine

Creatine is a natural supplement that increases athletic performance. Not only is it safe and harmless, it is also one of the most popular supplements for building muscle and strength.

Here are 10 science-based benefits of creatine.

1. creatine helps muscles produce more energy

Creatine supplements increase the phosphocreatine stores in your muscles (1). Phosphocreatine helps create new ATP, the key molecule your cells need for energy and all the basic functions of life.

During exercise, ATP is broken down for energy and the rate of AT resynthesis limits your ability to exercise continuously at maximum intensity as you use ATP faster than your body can restore it (2).

Creatine supplements increase your phosphocreatine stores, which allows you to produce more ATP energy to fuel your muscles during high-intensity exercise (3). This is the primary mechanism behind creatine's performance-enhancing effects.

Summary: Supplementing with creatine provides additional ATP energy, which improves your high-intensity exercise performance.

2. creatine supports many other functions of your muscles

Creatine is a popular supplement for building muscle mass. It can alter numerous cellular pathways that lead to new muscle growth. For example, it increases the production of proteins that form new muscle fibers (4, 6).

It can also increase IGF-1 levels - a growth factor that promotes an increase in muscle mass (6).

In addition, creatine can increase the water content of your muscles. This is known as cell volumization and can rapidly increase the size of your muscles (7).

In addition to this, some research suggests that creatine reduces myostatin levels. Myostatin is a molecule that is responsible for inhibiting muscle growth. Lowering myostatin levels can help you build muscle faster (8). Summary: Creatine can stimulate several biological processes that can lead to increased muscle growth.

3. creatine increases high-intensity exercise performance

Creatine's direct role in ATP production means that it can dramatically increase high-intensity exercise performance (9).

Creatine improves numerous factors, which include the following:

Strength
Ballistic power
Sprinting ability
Muscle endurance
Resistance to fatigue
Muscle mass
regeneration
Brain performance

Unlike other supplements that only provide benefits to advanced athletes, creatine provides benefits regardless of fitness level (10).

A study review also concluded that creatine can increase high-intensity exercise performance by up to 15% (9).

Summary: Creatine is the most effective supplement for high-intensity sports. It provides benefits regardless of fitness level.

4 Creatine accelerates muscle growth

Creatine is the most effective supplement for building muscle mass (11). It has been shown to significantly increase lean muscle mass and weight from as little as 5 to 7 days of supplementation.

This initial increase is caused by an increase in water content in the muscle (12). In the longer term, this also supports the growth of muscle fibers via key biological pathways and increases performance in the gym (13, 14).

In a study involving a six-week training program, subjects using creatine were able to gain an average of 2 kilos more muscle mass than the control group (14). A comprehensive study review also showed clear gains in muscle mass in those who used creatine, which were greater than those in the control group who completed the same training program without creatine (11).

The review also compared the most popular muscle-building supplements and concluded that creatine is the best of all supplements available on the market. Its benefits include being less expensive and far safer than most other supplements (11).

Summary: Creatine can increase both short-term and long-term muscle mass. It is the most effective muscle building supplement available on the market.

5 Creatine could help with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's is a disease characterized by a reduction of the key neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. This severe reduction in dopamine levels leads to brain cell death and several serious symptoms including tremors, loss of muscle function and impaired speech.

Creatine has been associated with beneficial effects in Parkinson's disease in mice and was able to prevent 90% of the drop in dopamine levels (15).

In an attempt to prevent the loss of muscle function and strength associated with Parkinson's, Parkinson's patients often perform weight training. In one study, creatine combined with weights training improved strength and daily function in Parkinson's patients to a greater extent than exercise alone (16).

However, a recent analysis of five controlled trials of Parkinson's patients did not significantly improve daily activities when taking 4 to 10 grams of creatine per day (17). Summary: Creatine may reduce some symptoms of Parkinson's by improving strength and muscle function. However, certain studies have not observed any effects.

6 Creatine may combat other neurological diseases

Reducing phosphocreatine levels in the brain is a key factor in several neurological diseases. Since creatine can increase these levels, it could help slow the progression of these diseases.

In mice with Huntington's disease, creatine was able to increase brain phosphocreatine levels to 72% of pre-disease levels, while the levels of mice in the control group were only 26% of normal in healthy animals (18).

This restoration of phosphocreatine levels in the brain helped to maintain daily function and reduced cell death by 25% (18).

Animal studies suggest that creatine supplements may also treat other diseases including the following (19, 20, 21, 22):

Alzheimer's disease
Ischemic stroke
Epilepsy
Injuries to the brain or spinal cord

Creatine has also been shown to help treat ALS - a disease that affects the motor neurons essential for movement. It improved motor function, reduced muscle loss and increased survival by 17% (23).

Although further human studies are needed, many scientists believe that creatine supplements may provide relief from neurological disorders when used in conjunction with conventional medications.

Summary: Animal studies show that creatine may help with symptoms, disease progression and prolongation of life expectancy in neurological diseases.

7 Creatine could lower blood sugar levels and fight diabetes

Scientific research suggests that creatine supplements may lower blood sugar levels by improving the function of GLUT 4 - a transport molecule that transports blood sugar to the muscles (24, 25).

A twelve-week study investigated how creatine affects blood glucose levels after a high-carbohydrate meal. People who combined creatine and exercise were better at controlling blood glucose levels than those who exercised alone (26).

The short-term blood glucose response to a meal is an important marker of diabetes risk. The faster the body removes sugar from the blood, the better.

Although these benefits are promising, further human studies are needed on the long-term effects of creatine on blood glucose control and diabetes.

Summary: Some evidence suggests that creatine may help lower blood glucose levels after meals, but there is little data on the long-term effects.

8 Creatine may improve brain function

Creatine plays an important role in brain health and function (27). Scientific research shows that the brain requires significant amounts of ATP when performing difficult tasks (27).

Creatine supplements can increase phosphocreatine levels in the brain to help produce more ATP. Creatine may also support brain function by increasing dopamine levels and improving mitochondrial function (28, 29).

Since meat is the best food source of creatine, vegetarians often have low levels. A study conducted with vegetarians found that creatine supplements improved scores on some memory and intelligence tests by 20 to 50% (27).

In older individuals, two weeks of creatine supplementation significantly improved memory performance (30). In older people, creatine could improve brain function, protect against neurological diseases and reduce age-related loss of muscle and strength (31).

Despite such positive results, further studies are needed with young, healthy individuals who regularly eat meat or fish.

Summary: Supplementation with creatine could provide the brain with additional energy and thereby improve memory and intelligence in people with low creatine levels.

9. creatine could reduce fatigue and tiredness

Creatine supplements may also reduce fatigue and tiredness (32).

In a six-month study of people with traumatic brain injuries, those who supplemented creatine experienced a 50% reduction in drowsiness compared to the control group (32).

In addition, only 10% of patients in the creatine group experienced fatigue - compared to 80% in the control group (32).

Another study found that creatine reduced fatigue and increased energy levels during sleep deprivation (33).

Creatine has also been shown to reduce fatigue in athletes completing an endurance test on an ergometer and has also been used to reduce fatigue during exercise in high heat (34, 35).

Summary: Creatine can reduce symptoms of fatigue and tiredness by providing your brain with extra energy and increasing dopamine levels.

10: Creatine is safe and easy to use

Along with its numerous benefits, creatine is also one of the most popular and safest supplements on the market.

Creatine has been studied for 200 years and numerous studies support its long-term safety. Clinical studies lasting up to 5 years have reported no serious side effects in healthy individuals (36).

In addition, supplementation is very simple - just take 3 to 5 grams of creatine monohydrate powder per day (37).

Summary: Creatine is one of the safest supplements available and has been studied for over two centuries.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, creatine is an effective supplement with powerful benefits for athletic performance and health.

It can improve brain function, combat certain neurological diseases, improve exercise performance and accelerate muscle growth.

Try adding creatine to your supplement program and see if it works for you.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11851597
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2780977/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7572228
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1765242
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8098459
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3143906/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8098459
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20026378
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12701815
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1158155
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12433852
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC155510/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3143906/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10408330
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10222117
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17312085
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5457735/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11274790
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1510941/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16773141
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19393274
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12185606
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10086395
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11445755
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11147785
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17396216
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1691485/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10484486
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10759600
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17828627
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4304302/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18053002
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16416332
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18039377
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18826587
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2048496/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8899067

Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-creatine#section3

May 14, 2021

Tips of the week Tips: How should you cheat?

1. the slimmer you are, the more often you can cheat

But don't force it. Calling a binge a cheat meal and using it as an excuse to eat a bunch of junk food is not the way to get lean and muscular.

2. cheat meals should only be planned when you are trying to build mass

During this phase, cheat meals once a week or once every two weeks are fine depending on your goals and body fat percentage.

3. you don't need cheat meals if you eat large amounts of food regularly

You will definitely get all the good calories you need to grow in this case. And you won't feel hungry for junk food. In fact, a good way to determine if you're eating enough good foods each week is to ask yourself if you have cravings for cheat foods. If so, then you need more calories throughout the week. From a scientific perspective, this makes sense because chronic overeating causes the brain to release satiety hormones and these hormones tell the hunger centers of the brain to "shut up."

4. minimize the frequency and/or size of your cheat meals if your body fat percentage is over 20%

Basically, the more excess body fat you have, the more excess food will be channeled towards your body fat stores instead of your muscles. So if you are fat, you should minimize your cheat meals.

5. don't use cheat meals or cheat days while you're trying to lose fat

I know, I know, you've heard over and over about "fueling the metabolic fire" or nonsense like that, but simply put, it's nonsense. Psychologically, it's very hard to stay disciplined during a cheat meal. After weeks of dieting, taste buds that have already given up all hope are brought back to life. Every time you cheat during a diet, it will be harder to resist temptation the next time.

6 From a psychological point of view, there is no sensible reason for a cheat meal

One meal will not revive a dieter's dormant metabolism. Sure, the metabolic rate is ramped up for a few short hours after a big meal, but this thermogenesis is disproportionate to the large amount of calories you're stuffing into yourself at once.

The final message is that it is okay for some people to eat a cheat meal. Others, however, should avoid it. Know which group you belong to.

Tip: Complete this 15-minute pull-up test

Build your biceps (finally) with this progressive weekly workout

By Paul Carter

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-take-the-15-minute-chin-up-test

If curls are the only thing you do for your biceps, you'll never build big arms. Hypertrophy is not a localized process. It is systemic. For this reason, a big healthy meal of pull-ups will do more for your biceps growth than a dessert of dumbbell curls.

Try this:

15 minutes of pull-ups

Perform pull-ups for 15 minutes, pausing when needed. Write down how many pull-ups you can do in 15 minutes.
Here's the key: do this once a week and try to beat your performance from the previous week each week.

Note: Vary your grip as needed during the 15 minutes. You can start with the standard grip - an underhand grip with your palms facing your body and your hands close to medium distance apart. When you get tired, switch to a neutral grip with your palms facing each other. If your pull-up bar does not allow a parallel grip, you can also put a V-grip over the pull-up bar.

If you're one of those 70 kilo guys who can do 4,000 pull-ups in one set, then use enough extra weight so that you can only do about 15 reps on the first set. You can still do direct arm training on another training day for dessert, but eat your fill of a hearty meal of pull-ups to really feed your biceps.

Tip: Use this exercise to sprint faster

Want to be able to run like a cheetah? Then you need more squats, deadlifts and box jumps. You need this exercise for horizontal strength.

By Simen Rise Aaslund

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-this-exercise-to-sprint-faster

Fact: Sprint speed makes it necessary for you to get stronger in the horizontal plane. Moving a weight from top to bottom (vertically) will not make you much faster.

What most people do wrong

Many athletes focus on squats, lunges, deadlifts, Olympic weightlifting exercises and variations of box jumps to increase their sprint speed. All of these exercises involve vertical force production - moving a weight vertically in space in a standing position.

Horizontal force is generated when you lie down horizontally and then produce force against gravity. Here are some of the best exercises for this:

Pull-Through(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSAd6CRsJZ8)
Back extensions
Reverse hyper or glute ham raises
Hip Thrusts

Knowing that horizontal strength is most important for speed may lead you to believe that gluteus and hamstrings are the most important muscles, and you are absolutely correct. EMG activity and joint angle forces show that the strength of these muscles is a good indicator of speed.

Horizontal force = speed

Your ability to produce horizontal force is closely related to your speed. Horizontal force production is more important than vertical forces for both acceleration and maximum speed.

Sure, there are vertical forces in sprinting due to the effects of gravity on your body, but these do not increase as speed increases and faster sprinters do not show a greater ability to produce vertical force than slower sprinters. Of course, vertical exercises have their place in a balanced program, but those who need to get faster should focus on horizontal exercises like hip thrusts.

Tip: Dare to do this half mile from hell challenge

Grab some kettlebells or dumbbells, find an open area and see what you're made of.

By Martin Rooney

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-take-the-half-mile-of-hell-challenge

This 'walking' challenge will test your true limits. If you don't know where your trapezius is, then this challenge will be the best anatomy lesson for you. Here's the half mile from hell challenge.

The execution:

Get a pair of 32kg kettlebells, a 28 kilo kettlebell and a 24 kettlebell. If you must use dumbbells, use two 32.5 kilo dumbbells, one 27.5 kilo dumbbell and one 22.5 kilo dumbbell. Get into a range where you can run 35 meters without having to turn around.
Take the 32 kg kettlebells and walk 35 meters and back.
Take the 28 kg kettlebell in one hand and run 35 meters back and forth with an empty hand, switching hands after 35 meters.
Finish the set with the 24 kilo kettlebell in one hand overhead and the other arm in the air for 35 meters. Switch arms on the way back.
Pause where you need to and repeat for a total of 4 reps.

That's 840 meters and just over half a mile. The aim is to complete this test in less than 15 minutes. If it takes you longer than 15 minutes, stop after 15 minutes and record the distance covered.

Note: If you haven't done distance runs like this before, start lighter with shorter distances and more or longer breaks.

Tip: Try the ultimate chill pill

This natural adaptogen has been shown to reduce excessive cortisol levels caused by stress or hard training.

From TC Luoma

https://www.t-nation.com/supplements/tip-try-the-ultimate-chill-pill

Restore your calm

If you're tired of living with mental or physical stress and elevated cortisol levels, give rhodiola, the adaptogen superstar, a try.

Stress, anxiety, nervousness or whatever you want to call it is just crap. Few of us have been spared the trembling hands, racing pulse and lingering nervousness caused by anxious anticipation of the future.

Your hormones switch into turbo mode. Cortisol levels rise and so does epinephrine - both chemicals that prepare your body to run away from whatever is stressing you out. The problem, however, is that you can't run away from mental stress because it's not caused by a lion, a bear or a robber with a gun. This stress is often with you all the time.

Since you can't run away, your body continues to produce these chemicals. It's like continuously playing the strings of a guitar hard enough that it eventually goes out of tune, but instead of just playing a few wrong notes, your body starts poisoning itself until eventually every system of the body is affected.

What we need in such a situation is something that restores calm and balance, something that Russian scientists in the sixties of the last century called an adaptogen.

Rhodiola Rosea

Adaptogens improve the ability to adapt to stress. One of the most effective is Rhodiola Rosea, a plant that grows in different cold regions of the world. Instead of increasing the levels of one chemical or another, the active ingredients of this plant (salidroside and the group of rosavins) have a controlled, system-wide effect in the body. They virtually retune the instrument - the body - so that it can function harmoniously again.

Rhodiola is the ultimate chill pill. It works by reducing the negative effects of cortisol, which in addition to contributing to the physical manifestations of stress, also brings long-term negative consequences such as inflammation, increased fat build-up around the waist and the inability to build muscle.

In addition to combating cortisol, Rhodiola interacts with hormones and neurotransmitters such as serotonin, while counteracting the catecholamines responsible for the fight or flight mode. Generally speaking, stress begins to decrease.

A favorite of athletes

Rhodiola has even been shown to increase levels of beta-endorphins, giving it a mild opiate-like effect. It is also a favorite of athletes who use it to counteract the physical stress caused by extreme training, which often manifests in the same way as mental or psychological stress.

If you're tired of living with stress and don't have the time for stress-relieving techniques, try Rhodiola. Make sure you use a product that is standardized to at least 1% salidroside and 10% rosavins.

Tip: The 10 Minute Legs Challenge

Test your front squats, deadlifts and balls with this unique workout

By Martin Rooney

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-the-10-minute-leg-day-challenge

Want to try something different with cardio? Ditch the treadmill and head to the squat rack instead. Use this strength training combo to lose fat and build muscle.

The front squat & deadlift challenge

The execution:

Use 60 kilos for the front squats and 100 kilos for the deadlift
Perform 5 repetitions of each exercise directly one after the other without resting between exercises. Repeat this superset eight times. Pause if necessary but remember that the clock is ticking.

That's a total of 80 repetitions and 6400 kilos in a short period of time. The goal is to complete this challenge in under 10 minutes. If you need more than 10 minutes, stop after 10 minutes and write down the number of repetitions. Beat this result next time.

Notes

Adapt the training weights to your fitness level.
If you have not trained this way before, halve the training session during the first few weeks.
Make sure you are using good exercise form before worrying about increasing speed or intensity.

Tip: Perform this exercise first thing on back day

Some of your back muscles are functionally shortened. Performing this exercise first will get these muscles ready for a smooth, heavy workout.

By: Dr. John Rusin

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-this-exercise-first-on-back-day

Perform a stretching exercise before any heavy pulling exercise on back day. This preparatory exercise will bring your body back to a normal posture by putting you in the opposite position to the one you are likely to spend most of the day in.

By far the most effective exercise in this regard is pulldowns with arms extended and its variations. This exercise involves isolation of the latissimus dorsi. In most cases, this is functionally shortened. A stretch at the end with a maximum concentric contraction can work wonders.

Pulldowns with outstretched arms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcVDItawocI

Pulldowns with extended arms are based on internal tension. When you use a cable pulley, it's less about the external load you place on the tissue and more about how you build tension through the full range of motion.

So make sure you leave your ego at the checkroom and do this exercise for the feel and the pump.

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/tip-how-to-know-if-you-should-cheat

By John Berardi, PhD

Mar 26, 2021

How sodium bicarbonate can boost your athletic performance

Sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda, is a widely used household product. It has many uses, ranging from baking and cleaning to personal hygiene. However, sodium bicarbonate may also have some interesting health benefits. Many athletes use it to improve their athletic performance during training and competition.

This detailed guide will tell you everything you need to know about the effects of sodium bicarbonate on your athletic performance.

What is sodium bicarbonate?

Sodium bicarbonate has the chemical formula NaHCO3. It is a mild alkaline salt consisting of sodium and bicarbonate ions.

Sodium bicarbonate is also known as baking soda and is the main ingredient in baking powder alongside starch. It occurs naturally in nature in mineral springs. However, it is best known as a white powder or compressed tablets, which you can find in most supermarkets and drugstores.

How does sodium bicarbonate work?

To understand how sodium bicarbonate works, it's helpful to first understand the concept of pH.

How pH affects exercise performance

In the field of chemistry, the pH scale is used to evaluate how alkaline (basic) or acidic a solution is. A pH value of 7.0 is considered neutral. Anything below 7.0 is acidic and anything above 7.0 is alkaline.

The pH value in the human body is close to the neutral value of 7.0. It normally remains at around 7.4 in the blood and 7.0 in the muscle cells.

The human body functions best when the acid-base ratio remains close to this range, which is also the reason why the body has different mechanisms to maintain these levels.

However, certain diseases or external factors can disrupt this balance. One of these factors is high-intensity exercise, also known as anaerobic exercise (1).

During anaerobic exercise, your body's oxygen demand exceeds the amount of oxygen available. As a result, your muscles can no longer rely solely on oxygen for energy production. Instead, the body must switch to a different pathway - the anaerobic pathway of energy supply.

Generating sufficient amounts of energy through this pathway produces lactic acid aka lactate. Too much lactic acid lowers the pH value in the cells below the optimal value of 7.0 (1).

This disturbed balance disrupts energy production and can also impair the contractility of muscle cells. Both of these effects lead to fatigue and can reduce exercise performance (2, 3).

How sodium bicarbonate helps to maintain the pH value in the optimal range

Sodium bicarbonate has a pH value of 8.4 and can therefore slightly increase the pH value in your blood. A higher blood pH allows lactic acid to pass from the muscle cells into the bloodstream. This allows the muscles to continue to contract and produce energy (1, 4).

Scientists believe this is the primary way sodium bicarbonate can help you train harder and longer (1, 2, 5).

Conclusion: Sodium bicarbonate removes lactic acid from cells, helping to restore optimal pH levels. This can reduce fatigue and increase performance.

How does sodium bicarbonate affect athletic performance?

Scientists have been studying how sodium bicarbonate can affect athletic performance for more than 8 decades. Not all studies show the same effects, but the majority of these studies conclude that sodium bicarbonate is beneficial (5).

Sodium bicarbonate is particularly effective during high-intensity exercise lasting between 1 and 7 minutes and involving large muscle groups (2, 6, 7).

The greatest improvements in performance appear to occur towards the end of a training session. For example, a recent study observed a 1.5 second improvement in time during the last 1000 meters of a 2000 meter rowing race (8).

Similar results have been observed in sports such as cycling, sprinting, swimming and team sports (6, 9, 10).

However, the benefits of sodium bicarbonate may vary from person to person. They may also depend on the type of activity, gender, personal tolerance and training level (2, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12).

Few studies have investigated how sodium bicarbonate affects performance in endurance sports and not all of these studies have observed benefits (13, 14, 15). Further research on this topic is needed before specific recommendations can be made.

Conclusion: Sodium bicarbonate may help to improve performance towards the end of high-intensity exercise. However, further research is needed.

How does sodium bicarbonate affect interval training?

Interval training is a form of exercise in which you alternate between high-intensity and low-intensity phases during a training session.

Some examples include forms of running, cycling, rowing, swimming, Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit.

Scientific studies have looked at this type of training and found that sodium bicarbonate helped prevent a decline in performance (2, 16, 17).

Sodium bicarbonate generally leads to improvements in the range of 1.7 to 8% in these types of exercise (18, 19, 20).

Interval training is common in many sports and studies have found that sodium bicarbonate supplementation can also provide benefits in sports such as judo, swimming, boxing and tennis (21, 22, 23, 24).

In addition, sodium bicarbonate's ability to help you get through the final stages of your training session can also help improve your training results.

For example, participants in a study who used sodium bicarbonate during an eight-week interval training program were able to cycle 133% longer at the end of the study (25).

Conclusion: Sodium bicarbonate may likely improve the body's ability to perform well during interval training, which could improve performance in many sports.

The effects of sodium bicarbonate on muscle strength and coordination

Sodium bicarbonate could also help to increase strength.

In one study, experienced weightlifters who took sodium bicarbonate 60 minutes before a training session were able to perform 6 more repetitions of squats during their first three sets (26). This suggests that sodium bicarbonate may enhance exercise performance in strength sports, which appears to be particularly the case at the beginning of the training session.

In addition to this, sodium bicarbonate may also improve muscle coordination.

One study found that sodium bicarbonate helped tennis players maintain the accuracy of their strokes. Another study found benefits in the accuracy of punches in boxers (23, 27).

These results suggest that sodium bicarbonate may have effects on the brain. However, further studies are needed to find out exactly how this might work.

Conclusion: Sodium bicarbonate could increase muscle strength and improve muscle coordination. It could also increase the number of repetitions you can perform.

Other health benefits of sodium bicarbonate

Sodium bicarbonate may have numerous other health benefits, which include the following:

Reducing heartburn: Sodium bicarbonate is a common ingredient in acid binders, which are often used to reduce heartburn and treat stomach ulcers (28).
Supporting dental health: Toothpaste containing sodium bicarbonate appears to remove plaque more effectively than toothpaste without this ingredient (29).
Improving response to cancer treatment: Sodium bicarbonate may help improve response to chemotherapy. However, there are no human studies on this topic to date (30, 31).
Delaying the progression of kidney disease: Treatment with sodium bicarbonate could help slow disease progression in people with kidney disease (32).
Relief from insect bites: Applying a paste of baking soda and water to insect bites can reduce itching. However, no scientific studies have been conducted on this topic.

Supplementation and dosage instructions

Sodium bicarbonate is available in the form of powder, capsules or tablets. The expected benefits are the same regardless of the form chosen.

Most studies agree that a dosage of 200 to 300 mg per kilogram of body weight can provide benefits and should be taken approximately 60 to 90 minutes before exercise (5).

However, taking sodium bicarbonate so close to training can cause stomach problems in some people. If this is the case for you, then it may be helpful to start with a lower dosage in the range of 100 to 150 mg per kilogram of body weight. It may also help to take the dose earlier than 90 minutes before training.

For example, one study showed that taking 200 to 300 mg of sodium bicarbonate 180 minutes before exercise was just as effective, but reduced stomach problems (33).

Another alternative could be to divide the total dose into 2 single doses 180 and 90 minutes before training. Taking it with plenty of water or with a meal can also reduce potential side effects (11).

Last but not least, dividing the total dose into 3 to 4 doses spread over the day could also improve tolerability. However, you should bear in mind that the effects last for a maximum of 24 hours after the last dose (34, 35).

Conclusion: Doses of 200 to 300 mg sodium bicarbonate should be used 90 to 180 minutes before training or in 3 to 4 single doses spread throughout the day.

Safety and side effects of sodium bicarbonate

Sodium bicarbonate is considered safe and harmless when taken in the doses recommended above.

However, higher doses can seriously increase the pH value of the blood. This is dangerous and can disrupt the heart rhythm as well as cause muscle cramps (36, 37).

In addition, gas is produced when sodium bicarbonate mixes with stomach acid. This can lead to stomach pain, bloating, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting (1, 38).

Not everyone will experience these side effects. The severity of symptoms can vary based on the amount consumed and individual sensitivity (39, 40).

Consuming sodium bicarbonate can also increase your sodium blood levels, which can increase blood pressure in some people.

In addition to this, higher amounts of sodium can lead to water retention. Although increased hydration can be beneficial for those exercising in high heat, it can be problematic for those competing in a certain weight class (5).

Last but not least, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid large amounts of sodium bicarbonate. People who suffer from heart or kidney disease or have a history of electrolyte imbalances such as aldosteronism or Addison's disease should also avoid sodium bicarbonate.

Conclusion: Sodium bicarbonate is generally considered safe and harmless when taken in reasonable amounts. However, it can cause unwanted side effects and is not recommended for everyone.

Conclusion

Taking sodium bicarbonate is a safe and reliable way to increase athletic performance, especially for high-intensity activities and interval training.

Sodium bicarbonate can increase strength and help with the coordination of exhausted muscles. However, this supplement does not work for everyone. The only way to find out if it works for you is to try it.

References:

Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/baking-soda-and-performance

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