Nutrition
Buffalo were once so numerous on the Great Plains that they looked like blades of grass in the wind. Scientists estimate that around 60 million buffalo lived on the Great Plains in 1800. Due to shameless slaughter of the animals as part of the fur trade by Native Americans and buffalo hunters such as "Wild Bill" Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, Wyatt Earp and Pat Garret, as well as hunting by railroad workers as a food source, buffalo were nearly extinct by 1880. A few buffalo survived in Yellowstone Park and on private land.
In the 1970s, CNN founder Ted Turner tried to revive the buffalo on his 1.9 million acres of ranchland. He was successful mainly because Americans had acquired a taste for buffalo steaks and burgers.
Health experts praise buffalo meat for its lower fat content compared to beef and its content of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids!
Environmentalists are delighted because the animal is thriving again. There are now more than 500,000 buffalo again, with herds increasing in size due to the popularity of the meat. Ironically, the buffalo have come back because people want to eat them.
Buffalo meat is a good source of protein for bodybuilders because it is low in fat and high in protein. Buffalo meat tastes best medium rare.
(The New York Times, February 12, 2016)
Adding carbohydrates to a post-workout supplement has no additional effect on increasing muscle mass, abdominal fat loss or total body fat loss, according to a study from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland.
Untrained men participating in a 12-week weight training program were given a supplement containing either 30 grams of whey protein, protein and carbohydrates or carbohydrates only. The drinks were consumed directly after training. Training with weights increased lean mass, muscle size and strength. The whey protein group showed the greatest reduction in abdominal fat and the greatest increase in lean body mass. None of the supplements produced significant changes in body composition, but whey protein alone had the greatest effects on abdominal fat and lean mass.
It may be that these results are not transferable to intensively training strength athletes or bodybuilders.
(Journal International Society Sports Nutrition, 12: 48, 2015)
Here's what you need to know about curcumin...
- Curcumin shows anti-catabolic effects.
- Curcumin can optimize the effects of insulin.
- Curcumin has been shown to reduce estrogen levels, which could lead to increased testosterone levels.
The anti-catabolic potential of curcumin
Curcumin is known as an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving supplement, but new scientific research suggests that it may also have anti-catabolic effects, improve insulin sensitivity and may even have androgenic properties.
Studies have shown that curcumin supplementation inhibits protein breakdown after injury and in cachexia (a general physical decline usually associated with chronic disease), suggesting that curcumin does indeed have anti-catabolic properties.
In addition to this, curcumin supplementation after eccentric exercise resulted in a reduced inflammatory response and reduced markers of muscle damage after exercise, while also improving recovery. It has even been shown that curcumin supplementation can reduce muscle atrophy.
Although no study has yet investigated the effects of curcumin on muscle hypertrophy in weight-trained individuals, scientific research suggests that it is entirely plausible that this yellow-colored phenol could have anti-catabolic effects. This means that curcumin supplementation could be useful when it comes to building muscle and post-workout recovery.
Conclusion: Curcumin supplementation appears to have anti-catabolic effects and curcumin could therefore be an effective supplement for promoting muscle growth and recovery.
The anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin
Although a certain amount of inflammatory response is necessary for the healing process, too much inflammation is not desirable and can keep you from training for days, weeks or even months. The scientific literature shows quite clearly that curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties as it inhibits the primary inflammatory pathway (Tnf-α and nF-kB). Even though most of the research on this topic is based on medical applications, these results are also transferable to resistance training.
Curcumin is interesting because it appears to prevent the onset of inflammation and reduce existing inflammation, based on its ability to mimic aspirin as a COX-2 inhibitor. Perhaps the greatest benefit of curcumin's anti-inflammatory properties is its ability to reduce joint inflammation and arthritis. Scientific research has shown that curcumin supplementation can reduce the severity of joint pain in subjects with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Although not all scientific studies have shown a reduction in markers of joint inflammation, people who suffer from joint pain and supplement with curcumin experience a significant reduction in symptoms.
Conclusion: Curcumin supplementation appears to have anti-inflammatory effects and is effective in reducing symptoms of joint pain, allowing you to improve your exercise performance.
Antioxidant properties of curcumin
The original use of curcumin was as a powerful antioxidant. Supplementing with antioxidants is of course a tricky business, as there is still debate as to whether antioxidant supplementation could reduce exercise effectiveness. Although oxidation of muscle tissue may play a major role in muscle catabolism, exercise-induced oxidation could serve as a hermetic stressor that signals muscles to grow.
However, preventing excessive oxidation may aid recovery and muscle growth, and there is ample evidence from human and animal studies to suggest that curcumin is an effective antioxidant that may help prevent an excessive oxidative environment.
Conclusion: Curcumin is an effective exogenous antioxidant.
Insulin sensitivity enhancing properties of curcumin
Insulin signaling in muscle cells results in muscle protein synthesis. Anecdotal and scientific evidence shows that optimizing insulin signaling after exercise in combination with appropriate carbohydrate and protein consumption results in increased muscle growth.
Of course, like any hormone, insulin signaling is regulated and the anabolic signal is not infinitely strong, but curcumin can help you get a little more anabolic action out of insulin. Curcumin is believed to prevent the negative feedback mechanism that reduces the signaling effects of insulin, suggesting that curcumin may help enhance the anabolic signaling effects of insulin by improving insulin sensitivity.
Conclusion: Supplementation with curcumin may increase insulin sensitivity, suggesting that curcumin may help to enhance the anabolic effects of insulin in skeletal muscle.
Possible properties of curcumin to increase testosterone levels
Testosterone is the king of the world of anabolic hormones. It increases the rate of protein synthesis, it increases lean muscle mass and it promotes overall health and well-being. Although curcumin is touted as a supplement that increases testosterone levels, there is a lack of scientific research to back this up.
At the moment, we know that curcumin has a protective effect on testicular function, particularly in the case of excessive alcohol consumption. In addition to this, scientific studies have shown that curcumin inhibits the conversion of testosterone into the more active androgen DHT (dihydrotestosterone), but due to the extremely high doses used in these studies, it is not particularly likely that this is the case in humans. However, there is some plausible evidence that curcumin may reduce estrogen levels, which would result in an increase in testosterone levels.
Ultimately, the last word on the exact effects of curcumin on testosterone levels in humans has not yet been spoken.
Conclusion: Curcumin supplementation appears to protect testicular function.
Dosage and safety
A recently published meta-analysis that looked at six human studies concluded that curcumin is completely safe and harmless, even at supraphysiologic doses, and that there is no evidence of toxicity. The LD50 dosage (the dosage that is lethal in 50% of the test animals) in mice is above 2000 mg per kilogram of body weight, which, converted to humans, corresponds to an LD50 dosage of 160,000 mg for a man weighing 80 kilograms. Considering that the standard dose of curcumin is between 80 and 750 mg, it is safe to say that curcumin supplementation in this dosage range is safe and harmless.
Conclusion: Curcumin supplementation is safe and harmless at the recommended dosages and side effects appear to be negligible to non-existent.
References
- Deng YT, Chang TW, Lee MS, Lin JK. Suppression of free fatty acid-induced insulin resistance by phytopolyphenols in C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2012 Feb 1;60(4):1059-66.
- Li YP, Chen Y, John J, Moylan J, Jin B, Mann DL, Reid MB. TNF-alpha acts via p38 MAPK to stimulate expression of the ubiquitin ligase atrogin1/MAFbx in skeletal muscle. FASEB J. 2005 Mar;19(3):362-70.
- Deepa Thaloor , Kristy J. Miller , Jonathan Gephart , Patrick O. Mitchell , Grace K. Pavlath. Systemic administration of the NF-κB inhibitor curcumin stimulates muscle regeneration after traumatic injury. American Journal of Physiology - Cell PhysiologPublished August 1, 1999, Vol. 277no. C320-C32.
- Chainani-Wu N. Safety and anti-inflammatory activity of curcumin: a component of tumeric (Curcuma longa). J Altern Complement Med. 2003 Feb;9(1):161-8.
- R.R. Kulkarnia, P.S. Patkia, V.P. Joga, S.G. Gandagea, Bhushan Patwardhan Treatment of osteoarthritis with a herbomineral formulation: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. J Ethnopharmacol. 1991 May-Jun;33(1-2):91-5.
- Chandran B, Goel A. A Randomized, Pilot Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis. Phytother Res. 2012 Nov;26(11):1719-25.
- G.K. Jayaprakasha, L. Jaganmohan Rao, K.K. Sakariah. Antioxidant activities of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Food Chemistry. Volume 98, Issue 4, 2006, Pages 720-724.
By Brad Dieter, PhD | 09/19/13
Increase your insulin sensitivity to get lean and build muscle:
Carbohydrate restriction is bad news
Insulin can make you fat or lean and muscular. It all depends on whether you are insulin resistant or have good insulin sensitivity. Without optimal insulin sensitivity, not all the protein you eat will get to your muscles. Instead, a lot of it will end up as fat.
Because they are not aware of this physiological fact, many people tend to avoid insulin by eating a continuous low-carb diet. Avoiding insulin not only doesn't solve the problem, it also impairs your muscle growth.
The only smart option is to optimize insulin sensitivity and start using carbohydrates to build muscle. So instead of worrying about carbs and insulin, make them both work for you. Here are 5 nutritional strategies you should use:
1 - Eat protein and fat first
Whenever you sit down to eat a meal, make sure you eat some protein, vegetables and fat before you even put the first bite of ciabata bread, pasta or rice in your mouth. Eating carbohydrate-free foods first leads to lower glucose and insulin levels after eating. Instead of dreading carbohydrates, eliminate some of their fat-building potential by moving them to the end of the meal.
Studies have shown that eating protein, vegetables and fats before carbohydrates leads to significantly lower blood sugar levels - 29 percent, 37 percent and 17 percent in blood samples taken 30, 60 and 120 minutes after the meal, respectively.
As an added bonus, eating your food in the order described after lunch will also make you much less sleepy, as eating some protein at the beginning of the meal will affect the production of the sleep-inducing neurotransmitter serotonin.
Eat carbohydrates first after your workout
There is one time of the day when you should think about carbohydrates first and that is around your workout. You want an insulin surge that maximizes nutrient uptake into your muscles (carbohydrates and fast-digesting protein) during and after your workout. You need carbohydrates to build muscle efficiently. Remember.
The message: To control insulin, eat your protein, veggies, and fat before you even put the first carbs in your mouth. However, during the window of opportunity around exercise, reverse this strategy and eat your carbs first.
2 - Use cyanidin 3-glucoside
Cyanidin 3-glucoside (C3G) is a naturally occurring anthocyanin found in many types of dark berries. When isolated and taken in exponentially larger amounts in supplement form, it has powerful blood sugar lowering properties.
One of dozens of laboratory experiments conducted with C3G showed a dose-dependent reduction in blood sugar levels of 33 and 51%, leading the study authors to note how favorably it compares to blood sugar-lowering pharmaceuticals.
C3G acts slightly differently to other insulin modulating substances or protocols as it appears to be a potent AMPK modulator, leading to increased glucose and fat uptake specifically into muscle cells, which again is great news for athletes and anyone wanting a better body composition.
Aside from being a powerful blood sugar lowering agent, C3G also increases adipokinectin levels while lowering leptin levels, both of which lead to less body fat. People who take C3G can eat more calories and watch them end up in muscle cells instead of fat tissue.
The message: Take 2,400 to 3,600 mg of C3G 30 minutes before your biggest meals of the day or pre-workout meal.
3 - Pour vinegar over everything
Whenever you eat a salad, use vinegar as a dressing. Vinegar not only dampens the glucose and insulin response to carbohydrates, but also increases insulin sensitivity.
Several studies have confirmed this and one study reported that vinegar increased insulin sensitivity by an impressive 34% 60 minutes after a meal. Vinegar does this because the acetic acid suppresses disaccharidase activity.
In another study, 29 subjects were divided into three groups: one with type 2 diabetes, one with prediabetic symptoms and one group of healthy subjects. All groups were given apple cider vinegar before a meal. The results were quite impressive:
- All three groups showed better blood sugar levels after taking vinegar than after taking a placebo
- In the diabetes group, blood glucose levels improved by 25%
- The group with prediabetic symptoms even had lower blood glucose levels than the group with healthy volunteers
- The group with prediabetic symptoms benefited the most, as their blood glucose levels were almost halved
A follow-up study also showed that continued use of vinegar led to an average weight loss of 2 pounds within 4 weeks. Another study found that in people suffering from type 2 diabetes who took two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar before going to bed, fasting blood sugar levels were reduced by 4 to 6 percent the next morning.
The message: Use vinegar on your food. Or take two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before your largest, most carbohydrate-rich meals, but not before meals around exercise.
4 - Use psyllium seeds like a grandpa
Sure, psyllium will boost your bowel movements, which I refer to as the Fed-Ex treatment that makes you "deliver" efficiently wrapped packages on time, but psyllium will also reduce your post-meal blood sugar levels.
In one study, 34 men with type 2 diabetes were divided into two groups that took either 5 grams of psyllium or a placebo twice a day for 8 weeks. The psyllium group showed after-lunch blood glucose levels that were 19.2 percent lower than the placebo group and all-day blood glucose levels that were 11 percent lower than the placebo group.
The message: Take a teaspoon of psyllium seeds twice a day with water. Although there are some benefits to taking it before a carbohydrate-rich meal, the blood sugar-lowering effects appear to be somewhat independent of meal timing. Avoid taking before meals immediately before and after exercise.
5 - Use fish oil
Google any disease known to mankind and you will find either studies or logical conclusions supporting fish oil as a treatment.
Insulin sensitivity is no different, except perhaps that there is a tremendous volume of studies supporting the use of fish oil in improving this condition. This link is so strong, in fact, that fish oil is said to have similar effects to exercise on blood sugar. New research conducted with 344 subjects also suggests that fish oil in combination with exercise has a synergistic effect on lowering blood sugar levels that goes beyond the individual effects of fish oil and exercise.
Furthermore, it was shown that fish oil not only increases the insulin sensitivity of the cells, but also reduces the secretion of insulin by the pancreas.
The message: Take a minimum of 3 grams of a combination of DHA and EPA (omega-3 fatty acids) for therapeutic purposes (reducing blood sugar levels, fighting inflammation). Also, fish oil should not be taken before meals immediately before and after exercise.
References
- Alpana, P., et al, Food Order Has a Significant Impact on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Levels, Diabetes Care July 2015 vol. 38 no.7 e98-e99.
- Anderson, James, et al, Effects of psyllium on glucose and serum lipid responses in men with type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolemia, Am J Clin Nutr October 1999 vol. 70 no. 4 466-473.
- Johnston, Carol S., et al, Vinegar Improves Insulin Sensitivity to a High-Carbohydrate Meal in Subjects With Insulin Resistance or Type 2 Diabetes Care, January 2004 vol. 27 no. 1 281-282.
- Grace, et al, Hypoglycemic activity of a novel Anthocyanin-rich formulation from Lowbush Blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton, Phytomedicine, 2009, May: 16(5): 406-415.
- Muldoon, et al, Concurrent physical activity modifies the association between n3 long-chain fatty acids and cardiometabolic risk in midlife adults, J Nutr. 2013 Sep;143(9):1414-20.
- Sasaki, R, et al, Cyanidin 3-glucoside ameliorates hyperglycemia and insulin sensitivity due to downregulation of retinol binding protein 4 expression in diabetic mice, Biochem Pharmacol. 2007 Dec 3;74(11):1619-27. Epub 2007 Aug 10.
from TC Luoma | 09/14/15
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/5-ways-to-turn-food-into-muscle-not-fat
Metabolism stands for the entirety of all energy reactions that take place in the body. We eat to provide the body with energy for training, nerve impulses, tissue repair and energy storage. Maintaining these bodily functions is responsible for about 70 percent of daily calorie expenditure, while physical activity (exercise and movement) is responsible for 25 percent of calorie expenditure and the energy cost of digestion (the thermic effect of food) accounts for the remaining five percent. Meal frequency and timing can influence the energy cost of digestion.
Researchers from the University of Nottingham in England found in a study of obese women that irregular eating patterns reduced the calorie expenditure associated with digesting food.
This was only a two-week study, so it is not surprising that the eating patterns did not affect body weight or body measurements.
(Proceedings of the Nutritional Society, 75: E7, 2016)
