Training

Tools or crutches?

What's the deal with weightlifting belts, pulling aids and special weightlifting shoes for Olympic weightlifting? Are they good tools or do they do more harm than good? Many trainers who promote "functional training" will tell you that you should do without all these tools. Many strength coaches, on the other hand, will tell you that these tools are a necessity. Which is true? Unfortunately, there is no simple, one-size-fits-all answer to this question.

1 - Pulling aids

Pulling aids are associated with a weak grip by many hardcore strength athletes. Not using pulling aids during basic exercises such as deadlifts, rows and lat pulldowns can be good for building strength in the hands and forearms, but there are also strategic applications where pulling aids are ideal.

Pulling aids should primarily be used when grip strength is the limiting factor, or when performing exercises to create a stronger mind-muscle connection in specific muscles. Here is an overview of the situations in which you should use pulling aids and other situations in which you should avoid using pulling aids.

When it makes sense to use pulling aids

To make progress in the gym, you need a constant, long-term overload. But as you approach your full physical potential, more obvious weak links in the chain will show up in training - and this will make it harder to keep increasing the weights on the big heavy basic exercises.

The use of grip aids on supra-maximal loads can be beneficial as this can prevent you from being limited by your grip strength and allow you to overload other muscles of the body.

The muscles of the hands, wrists and forearms are dominated by slow contracting muscle fibers, meaning that these muscles are designed to withstand long periods of tension. Your grip is designed for endurance, but there are times during an advanced workout when the total time under tension can be limited by your grip.

In more advanced bodybuilding programs that involve high intensity training, as is the case with extended descending sets, partial reps and isometric holds, your grip should not be the limiting factor if you really want to reap the benefits of extended sets and chasing the pump.

For pulling exercises that use intensity techniques, grip aids are a preferred tool to maximize the challenge of each set. You can also use grip aids in isolation exercises to emphasize the muscle actions of the back, shoulders or even the lower body.

If we use lat pulldowns as an example, then the primary muscle engaged should be the latissimus. In many cases, forearms and biceps can take tension off the latissimus and make it extremely difficult to elicit strong, quality muscle contraction.

However, by using grip aids, the grip can relax while also reducing the involvement of the biceps, shifting the load more directly to the latissimus. This principle can also be applied to deadlifts with higher repetitions with an emphasis on the back, direct shoulder training such as side raises and even lower body exercises such as lunges with heavy dumbbells.

When you should NOT use grip aids

If you are new to strength training, you should refrain from using grip aids. During this phase, you will improve your motor skills and learn to achieve full-body tension. Avoiding grip aids completely for the first year or two will help you to strengthen your joints and avoid unnecessary shoulder, elbow and spinal pain.

Train with your bare hands and improve the transmitting effects that transfer force from the hands to the kinetic chain. Sure, such an approach will limit the amount of weight you can move, but this is a good thing if you are just starting to develop movement patterns.

What about more advanced exercisers? Even if you have earned the right to train heavy, the use of grip aids is a double-edged sword. You should therefore use grip aids carefully.

Sure, grip aids will allow you to move heavier weights - which is especially true if your fingertips are the weakest link in the chain, but even experienced strength athletes should use grip aids sparingly and only use them occasionally during heavy sets. All warm-up sets and sets where you gradually increase the weight should be performed with bare hands and the vast majority of supportive pulling exercises should also be performed without grip aids.

Finally, remember that if your bicep strength is a weak link in the chain, training without grip aids will help to increase this strength. When your grip and forearms are emphasized more during a bare-handed workout, your biceps will also be recruited at a higher rate. Although this is a great thing for more advanced exercisers to bring these problem areas up to par with the rest of the body, it can be challenging when your grip and biceps take over during pull-based exercises. Use grip aids wisely when this happens.

2 - Weightlifting belt

This is the most abused and misused accessory of all. As polarizing as the topic of core strength and back pain is, this tool is at the center of a hotly debated question:

"Will continuous use of a weightlifting belt weaken your core?"

The true answer is almost always somewhere in the middle between polarizing views. And in this case, it depends heavily on the individual exerciser and their technique.

When it makes sense to use a weightlifting belt

Everyone wants specific numbers when it comes to using a weightlifting belt for the big heavy basic exercises. Should you start using a weightlifting belt as soon as you reach 200 kilos in deadlifting? Or should you use it whenever you plan to move 90% of your maximum weight?

However, since every exerciser has an individual body type, individual goals and an individual history of training experience and injuries, there is no strict rule for using a weightlifting belt for squats and deadlifts. The best indicator is a combination of the number of years of training experience in the basic heavy exercises and the ability to generate a hard and stable support through the shoulders, hips and core.

Serious strength training that consists of periodized barbell exercises for two years or more is the training age at which an exerciser can potentially achieve success using a weightlifting belt. If this seems like a long time, then you have not been training long enough. It takes years, if not decades, to develop proper supportive technique in the basic exercises. It is a continuous process. But this leads me to the next basic requirement for successful training with the support of a weightlifting belt: sufficient endogenous support function.

This refers to the ability to generate maximum torque in the joint head based hip and shoulder joints in conjunction with 360 degrees of active expansion through the torso, core and chest. This is a prerequisite for introducing a weightlifting belt into the training equation.

Losses of strength or tension that occur in exercisers who have not yet mastered this basic tension and stabilization can actually be exacerbated by the use of a weightlifting belt. Just as we don't add weight to a faulty basic movement pattern, we shouldn't add an external stabilizing component to a faulty support and tension mechanism.

Once you've mastered the ability to build such basic supportive tension and have decided to use a weightlifting belt strategically, the next question is when to use it for maximum benefit.

A vast majority of barbell athletes and recreational athletes will be successful with the use of a weightlifting belt on working sets (not warm-up sets) of squats and hip flexion exercises and variations thereof. So if you are at the upper end of load or relative intensity for these two movement patterns, you can use a weightlifting belt to increase your performance and maximize support function.

When you should NOT use a weightlifting belt

Most exercisers who use a weightlifting belt have no idea what it's for or how to use it. It's just another trend among idiots who strap a weightlifting belt around their midsection before hurting their lower back right after.

If you are a beginner or suffer from a lower back problem, then you should make sure you know how to properly stabilize your core and maintain adequate tension in this area. Your lack of basic core stability could be the reason why you are constantly experiencing back problems - with or without a weightlifting belt.

The weightlifting belt is an advanced training tool for advanced athletes who have earned the right to use this tool as part of their training to improve stability during heavy basic exercises. A weightlifting belt is not a fashion accessory!

It should not be put on in the changing room before training and only taken off again before showering. And a weightlifting belt should certainly not give you the confidence or false sense of security that it will protect you from injury. A 6 mm thick piece of leather cannot compensate for poor exercise execution and was not designed to do so.

Even for experienced exercisers, there are times when training completely without equipment is the preferred method. If an exercise targets core strength, then you should not use a belt. For upper body exercises such as pushes and pulls, as well as single-leg lower body exercises such as lunges and split squats, you should train without a belt. And it shouldn't need to be mentioned (although I've seen the hell out of it) that you should take your belt off when doing cardio or arm workouts.

Reducing your reliance on a weightlifting belt will enable you to generate a more authentic and functional full body tension in all your exercises and will teach you to appreciate what it means to generate internal tension through muscle, fascia and soft tissue connections of your body that you have control over.

As we always say with our powerlifters training with supports, the stronger you are without support, the stronger you will be when you use that support again.

3 - Shoes for Olympic weightlifting

These shoes were originally developed for the sport of Olympic weightlifting. By reinforcing the heel of the shoes in conjunction with a stiff and flat sole, these shoes are able to maximize ground reaction force while helping the ankles, knees, hips and spine to explosively move a weight up from the ground.

But over the years, these shoes have become a common crutch among athletes who have no aspirations of ever competing in weightlifting. Here is a brief overview of who should use these shoes and who should avoid them.

When to use weightlifting shoes

Use these shoes when performing Olympic weightlifting exercises during a competition. However, it would be short-sighted to think that better performance on the competition stage correlates directly with long-term orthopaedic health and function of the body.

At a high level of competitive sport, there is always a give and take for every training variable implemented during training and competition. And if your goal is to stride onto the competition stage and move maximum weight from the ground to an overhead position - and increased plantar flexion, increased knee flexion and a better torso angle help achieve that goal - then the cost-benefit ratio is in line.

But there are also anatomical outliers who suffer from limitations in joint range of motion and arthrokinematics (the minor movements in the joint space) that allow tricky joint movements such as components of dorsiflexion to occur.

There are legitimate orthopaedic situations where the joint structure does not allow certain movements. These are types of problems that can never be improved with soft tissue work such as stretching or a fascia roll. It can even be harmful to use such techniques. They don't change the real problems, which are the joints themselves.

Many exercisers take the conservative route with soft tissue work, stretching or perhaps even some joint mobilization training in the ankle and hip area. But if after a few sessions of these theoretically "correct" measures no results are visible and the problems have perhaps even worsened, an orthopaedic assessment of these problems should be the next step on your to-do list.

Differentiating between joint blockage of the joints and soft tissue dysfunction will save you a lot of time and frustration. And if those locked joints are the hips, ankles or any other joint, then adaptive aids like Olympic weightlifting shoes that change the relationship between the foot and the ground will help you continue to train while minimizing pain and complications in your movement patterns.

The key to success, as with any tool, is to first find potential functional pitfalls, correct them as much as possible, and THEN use the tool to enhance training performance. Stay strategic with your tools and you will reap all the benefits.

When you should not use Olympic weightlifting shoes

Often people will diagnose themselves with mechanical movement issues when in reality they simply have neurological structuring issues that hinder their coordination and ability to move without pain. And for this reason, they get weightlifting shoes. If this external crutch is used, then their poor neurological control, which is the root cause of the problem, will never improve. In fact, the pain usually gets worse in these cases.

Unless you are planning on competing in weightlifting, you should avoid adaptive weightlifting shoes and use a pair of shoes that allows you to move as naturally as possible.

If you are using a more minimalist shoe, then you should consider motor control of your functional weak points such as ankle dorsiflexion and hip flexion and rotation. These weak points are common among those who regularly use their shoes as a crutch for their heavy basic exercises.

Even if you are an Olympic weightlifter, powerlifter or CrossFitter, you should use minimalist shoes for all sport-specific barbell exercises other than power exercises to take advantage of the benefits of ground contact and ankle and foot complex function.

As a general rule of thumb, you should use adaptive equipment such as Olympic weightlifting shoes in a minimal effective dosage to gain the most benefits while allowing your body to move as naturally as possible.

By Dr. John Rusin

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/the-truth-about-belts-lifting-shoes-and-straps

Like many other people, I first came into contact with high-density training through EDT (Escalating Density Training), which I used as a hypertrophy program. I built some muscle and got much leaner at the same time. When I started manipulating the training density of my clients' training programs for increased hypertrophy, I again noticed increased fat loss.

It didn't take long for a light to dawn on me. I realized in due course that a training density-based program, with some modification, might be able to dramatically increase the rate of fat loss. (In retrospect, this should not have been surprising given the pace of this type of training. Always trying to beat the previous workout's numbers, I was training at such a high pace that my heart rate was consistently high and I was always completely exhausted by the time I finished).

So I used the concept of high density training, combined it with other successful components of my fat loss program and created - without exaggerating - one of the most effective fat loss training methods I had ever seen. I've been using this program for the past four years and have come to the conclusion that it's time to stop being stingy and share what I've learned with the rest of the world.

Wait. What the heck is high density training?

Before we can get into the specifics of this program, we first need to define the term training density, which is the result of looking at two very specific factors of training: volume and duration. Volume is the total workload or how many sets and repetitions you perform during a given training session. Duration describes the length of your workout. By combining these two factors, we arrive at training density.

By increasing the amount of work you perform during a given period of time, you also increase your ability to perform more work, also known as improving your work capacity. Although some will argue that this is not necessarily the best way to achieve hypertrophy, the results are undeniable.

Increasing your training density will help you to increase both your strength and strength endurance, which will ultimately have an impact on your muscle growth.

Increasing training density

Traditionally, there are two ways to increase training density:

Method 1: Keep the workload constant and reduce the training duration

If you perform 10 sets of 12 repetitions of squats, you will perform a total of 100 repetitions. Let's say you perform these repetitions within 40 minutes. If I tell you to perform this workout in 30 minutes, this will require a drastic increase in training density as I'm asking you to perform the identical amount of work in 25% less time. You'd probably swear at me while doing this workout too.

Method 2: Keep the duration constant and increase the workload

Sticking with the same example, you have another option: you keep the workout duration at 40 minutes and simply try to do more work within that time span by performing additional sets of squats. So instead of doing 10 sets, you would aim to do as many sets as possible within 40 minutes, perhaps ending with 12 or even 15 sets. (Alternatively, you could do more reps per set).

In both cases, to achieve the goal while staying within the parameters, you would need to increase the speed of the workout and reduce the duration of the rests. This would also increase your work capacity.

The new way: High-density training as a fat loss method *

* I speak of a "method" because this is not a complete fat loss program. This is something you can add to a good program.

In previous versions of high-density training, the idea was to perform a few exercises for a specific amount of time, achieving as many reps as possible while trying to exceed the reps of previous workouts. And this is a great method for building muscle with fat loss as a consequence.

However, if fat loss is the primary goal, then I approach things a little differently.

As with almost every excellent plan designed for drastic fat loss, I fall back on the good old standby: circuits performed at high speed. First, we choose a set of exercises (more on that below) and put them together in a non-competitive manner.

Sounds like pretty much any other circuit training program, right? Wrong!

Instead of following a predetermined number of repetitions, you'll perform each of these exercises for time - you'll simply perform as many repetitions as possible within a given amount of time. This is where overall training density comes into play. The idea is to perform more reps on each exercise and this is where increasing training density becomes a crucial factor.

And this is where things start to get crazy: On your second circuit, you'll be using heavier weights - significantly heavier weights. Instead of just using high-density circuits, I also use some other cool things to my advantage that happen when your body adapts and seems to get stronger with immediate effect.

So not only are we trying to increase the number of reps, but we're also increasing the weight before we repeat a given circuit.

Here is an example to illustrate:

Let's say you performed each of the following exercises for 30 seconds*: Overhead Press, Bent Over Row, Squat.

* Note: Depending on the exercise, you will vary the amount of time in each set from exercise to exercise and circuit to circuit. Exercises that are performed over a larger range of motion are performed over a longer period of time than exercises with a smaller range of motion. You can find a table on this below.

If you perform a circuit like this, your results could look like this:

Overhead barbell press: 100 pounds for 12 reps
Bent-over barbell row: 165 pounds for 15 reps
Squats: 185 pounds for 11 reps

Your second attempt at this circuit could look like this:

Overhead barbell press: 110 pounds for 15 reps
Bent-over barbell rows: 190 pounds for 18 reps
Squats: 200 pounds for 14 reps

How is it that you are able to perform more repetitions with more weight? It's simple: your nervous system is running at full speed. Basically, you are increasing neuromuscular activation.

This phenomenon has been written about extensively in many places, so I won't repeat too much of it. Suffice it to say that the degree to which you can stimulate your nervous system translates to how much muscle power you can generate. The more neural activation you can achieve, the easier it will be for you to move heavier weights as you will find it easier to recruit muscle fibers for the task.

So the purpose of the set is twofold: firstly, you establish a baseline number of reps for all exercises, giving you a frame of reference for your performance and also a goal. Secondly - and perhaps even more importantly - your first set serves as neurological preparation. The weight is relatively heavy on the first set and will certainly already activate the metabolic processes involved in fat loss, but the best part about this is that you are igniting neural activation.

The first set should serve to give you the right feel for the exercise - a kind of warm-up. The limiting factor should be time, not exhaustion.

So at the end of the first set of each circuit you should feel "Oh damn, I ran out of time, I could have done a few more reps" and not "Bloody hell, that was intense! I can't believe that was only 30 seconds!".

The first set prepares you to perform the exercises at a fast but constant speed. Do not increase the execution speed as the time approaches its end. Instead, use the same speed continuously until the end of the set.

In your second set, however, you should give it your all. As you approach the end of the set, you should increase the speed and try to perform as many repetitions as possible.

All in all, you'll be doing more reps with more weight in the same amount of time over an entire circuit of exercises. A few of these sets and you'll see that rapid fat loss - as well as the obvious increase in both efficiency and capacity - will be the end result.

The best part about high-density training is how much fun it can be. Because this training is based on challenges, you have one goal with every set and every training session - to do more than you did before.

And because it's more of a method than a specific program, this version of high-density training can be instantly adapted to any type of workout. I've included two high-density circuits below - one with weights and one using just your own bodyweight (which you can try right now just to see how great it is). However, a high-density workout works with all sorts of equipment like kettlebells, resistance bands, sandbags and pretty much anything else you feel is worth lifting and lowering.

In the case of a bodyweight-only circuit, you may ask how you're supposed to increase the weight. This is of course a good argument. You will of course make progress without increasing the weight, but to get the most out of a circuit or training session of this type, I would recommend using a heavier variation of each exercise for the second circuit (such as using push-ups with elevated feet instead of regular push-ups for the second circuit).

The most important thing is that you work harder on each subsequent set and aim to get the most benefit from the neural activation to do more work and burn a bunch of calories.

As a further benefit (in case you haven't noticed it yourself), high density training is a great way to maintain existing lean muscle mass.

The right combination of high-density training sessions

Now that we know the method and its benefits, it's time to talk about the training. As mentioned earlier, the aim of this article is to provide you with a training method and template that you can use to put together your own training sessions using this method.

With this in mind, let's first cover a few basic rules when putting together high-density training sessions:

• Each training session should consist of 2 to 3 different circuits, each of which is performed twice, bringing you to a total of 4 to 6 cycles.
• Each circuit should contain no fewer than 3, but no more than 6 exercises.
• I recommend one pulling exercise, one pressing exercise, one dynamic leg exercise (such as lunges), one stationary leg exercise (such as deadlifts with legs extended) and one abdominal exercise (optional). However, this is more of a guideline than a rule.

Of course, the most important aspect of a high-density training circuit is the length of time you have to perform each exercise. While you can ultimately choose whatever length of time you want, the table below provides the recommended durations that I have found to be most effective for the types of exercises listed.

General recommendations for the duration of sets:

And so as not to leave you hanging, I have also put together two sample circuits that you can try out.

Fat loss circuit with weights and high training density

Execution: Perform as many repetitions of exercise A1 as possible within the specified time and then pause for the specified time while you write down your repetitions. Then perform as many repetitions of exercise A2 as possible within the specified time and then pause again for the specified time. Continue with this pattern for all further exercises. Then pause for 120 seconds. For the second circuit, increase the weight by 10 to 20% and repeat the exercises, trying to exceed the number of repetitions from the first circuit within the specified time.

Training with high training density for fat loss using your own body weight

Execution: Perform as many repetitions of exercise A1 as possible within the specified time and then pause for the specified time while you write down your repetitions. Then perform exercise A2 in the same way, pause, etc. Pause for 90 seconds after you have completed all the exercises. Repeat the same exercises in the second cycle and try to exceed the number of repetitions from the first set.

Final thoughts

Even though training density manipulation was originally intended for hypertrophy, we've seen that with some ingenuity we can further modify this approach for fat loss. I would even go so far as to say that this is one of the best fat loss methods I have ever come across. High-density workouts are fun, challenging and very effective.

By John Romaniello

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/density-training-for-fat-loss

Intense training activates protein synthesis - but only if the right nutrients are available to support it.

If you've spent any time thinking about this topic, you'll probably be familiar with the concept of the 'anabolic window' and the importance of nutrition around training.

What happens at a cellular level during the hours after your workout will determine your long-term gains. Use this "anabolic window" to your advantage and you will grow like never before. If you continually miss this window of opportunity, then... well, good luck.

Consuming the right macronutrients at the right times is one of the keys to success, but these macronutrients are only one part of the big picture. An important, yet often overlooked aspect of muscle protein synthesis is cell volume. Increased cell volume isn't just cosmetic, as it makes your muscles look bigger and plumper - it's also one of the key drivers of amino acid transport, working in the background to activate protein synthesis and prevent protein breakdown.

Cell volume: the missing link

A full/volumized muscle is an anabolic muscle. Although we have known for over 20 years that swelling of cells in certain body tissues inhibits protein breakdown and stimulates protein synthesis (1-3), the mechanisms linking cell volume to muscle protein synthesis have been a mystery.

Today we know that protein synthesis is controlled by the enzyme mTOR, which is activated by mechanical stress, growth factors and the amino acid leucine.

While all three of these factors are important for the training stimulus, mTOR signaling is dependent on cell volume (4). This is particularly important in skeletal muscle, where cell volumization activates glycogen synthesis and protein synthesis and inhibits protein degradation (5, 6).

The scientific breakthrough that led to the discovery of the link between cell volume and protein synthesis was achieved in 2005, when a group of scientists discovered that it takes more than just leucine to activate mTOR - glutamine is also needed (7).

This was a surprise. Although glutamine is considered a conditionally essential amino acid that inhibits protein degradation during severe trauma and stress, this amino acid had never before been associated with mTOR activation.

Glutamine is necessary for both leucine uptake and cell volume - both factors required for activation of protein synthesis. The authors of the study were also able to show that cellular depletion of glutamine reserves not only resulted in reduced cell volume, but also reduced the ability of leucine to activate protein synthesis (7).

This was a groundbreaking discovery as it provided a direct link between glutamine, cell volumization and protein synthesis. For the first time, glutamine was shown to be necessary for the activation of protein synthesis by leucine.

Key messages of this study:

• Glutamine is required by leucine to gain access to the cell and activate protein synthesis.
• Glutamine-induced cell volumization is necessary to activate mTOR and protein synthesis.

Although this study suggested that glutamine is a very important piece of the puzzle linking cell volume and protein synthesis, the exact mechanism was not identified until 2009, when Nicklin et al. discovered that glutamine export is coupled to leucine import and mTOR activation (8).

To transport leucine into the cell, an initial phase of "glutamine loading" is required. This also draws water into the cell and thus increases cell volume. After the "glutamine loading phase", glutamine is transported out of the cell in exchange for an import of leucine into the cell.

Nicklin et al. also discovered that cellular glutamine levels are the limiting factor for the activation of protein synthesis by leucine. When cells were simultaneously treated with glutamine and a mixture of EAAs containing leucine, activation of protein synthesis only occurred after a delay of 60 minutes. When the same cells were previously "loaded" with glutamine, protein synthesis was activated within 1 to 2 minutes of leucine administration.

This result was important because it explained the time delay in activation of protein synthesis by leucine in this experimental model.

Key messages of this study:

• Glutamine is the factor that limits the rate of activation of protein synthesis by leucine.
• A cell must first be loaded with glutamine in order to import leucine.

These results ultimately shed light on the cellular machinery that regulates amino acid transport and how this is coupled to the control of protein synthesis.

However, this work must be interpreted with a degree of caution. An important caveat is that these studies were performed in vitro (i.e. with cell cultures), where regulation of protein synthesis is much easier. Muscle cells are capable of producing glutamine on demand from other amino acids and depletion of glutamine reserves in cell cultures is not representative of more physiological situations in vivo.

High rates of protein synthesis cannot be sustained indefinitely in muscle tissue with or without glutamine supplementation. However, glutamine can be used to strategically support protein synthesis by optimizing cell volumization during the post-exercise phase.

Tertiary active transport (TAT): How leucine enters the cell

Cells are very busy and there are many membrane-bound ion channels and transport proteins that regulate "traffic" into and out of the cell. There are two classes of amino acid transporters that are important at this point: "System L" and "System A" amino acid transporters are most closely associated with mTOR signaling and protein synthesis (8-10).

The activity of system L and system A transporters is coupled, which allows leucine and the other BCAAs to be taken up into the cell (11). System L transporters are responsible for the influx of leucine and the other BCAAs in exchange for a flow of glutamine out of the cell.

System A transporters, however, work by a different mechanism in which glutamine is coupled to sodium uptake (12, 13). This coupling of sodium uptake and system L / system A amino acid transporters is referred to as tertiary active transport (TAT for short). It is this TAT that ultimately transports leucine into the cell, leading to activation of mTOR and protein synthesis (11).

You can see how the TAT works in the figure below:

First, a membrane-bound pump called the sodium-potassium ATPase pump (Na+/K+ ATPase, shown in red in the figure above) uses energy from ATP to transport sodium out of the cell against the concentration gradient.

The increased sodium concentration outside the cell is coupled with the import of glutamine into the cell by the system A transporter (shown in yellow in the figure above). The glutamine and sodium influx into the cell also draws water into the cell, resulting in cell swelling. This puts the cell in an anabolic state and prepares the protein synthesis machinery for activation.

When the glutamine concentration within the cell is high enough, the system L transporters (shown in blue in the figure above) are activated, which transport glutamine out of the cell in exchange for an uptake of leucine. The influx of leucine into the cell is the trigger for protein synthesis.

Although this article has been a great lesson in biochemistry so far, the discovery of TAT is not only important for cell biologists. Now that we know how cell volume is linked to amino acid transport and protein synthesis, we can develop some nutritional strategies to maximize this process when it matters most - during the critical post-workout period.

Strategy #1: Maximize your hydration

Protein synthesis is heavily dependent on cellular hydration - even if you are only minimally dehydrated, your ability to recover from intense exercise is severely compromised. Drinking enough water should be a given in this context, but water alone is not enough.

Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, chloride and phosphate also act as osmolytes as they draw water into the cell. After an intense training session, we need water, amino acids and electrolytes to maximize the cell volumization process that drives protein synthesis.

Sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphate and chloride (to name a few) are all important at this point. Up to a certain level, you should not shy away from sodium before or after exercise (unless advised to do so by your doctor). If you lack sodium, your pump from training will be non-existent and sodium is also needed for glutamine uptake.

To eliminate any guesswork, you can turn to electrolyte drinks that contain the ideal ratio of electrolytes to support cell volume and protein synthesis.

Strategy #2: Glutamine loading

Glutamine intake into the cell causes cell volumization and prepares the muscle cell for protein synthesis. As mentioned earlier, a full/volumized muscle is an anabolic muscle. In addition to driving amino acid transport, cell volumization also increases glycogen synthesis and inhibits protein degradation (4-6).

Protein synthesis is suppressed by depletion of glutamine reserves, which has huge implications for hard-training athletes. After an intense training session, an inflammatory response sets in, allowing immune cells to enter damaged muscle tissue and begin the repair/rebuilding process (14).

Glutamine is taken up by immune cells so quickly that it is considered the "energy carrier of the immune system" (15). It is therefore not surprising that intense exercise results in a sharp drop in plasma glutamine levels (16-18).

For this reason, glutamine requirements increase rapidly during the post-exercise phase, as during this time the immune response competes for available glutamine with muscle cells, which require glutamine to prepare for amino acid uptake and protein synthesis.

Premature loading of cells could also potentially reduce the time delay of leucine activation of protein synthesis. If you are not already doing so, you should therefore strongly consider taking 10 to 15 grams of glutamine or glutamine peptides directly after training.

Since BCAAs are preferred substrates for muscle glutamine synthesis and have been shown to increase glutamine production (19-21), BCAAs and leucine are useful during the pre-workout phase to help maximize endogenous glutamine production.

Strategy #3: Prepare the pump

It has recently been discovered that consumption of EAAs increases the expression of system A and system L amino acid transporters (9). Importantly, this occurs at the post-transcriptional level - the level of protein synthesis when existing mRNAs are converted into proteins.

Compared to "de novo" protein expression - where it can take 16 hours or longer to synthesize, process and transport new mRNAs - post-transcriptional activation of protein synthesis can occur within minutes to hours, allowing cells to rapidly increase levels of certain proteins when needed.

Suddenly, we have an even greater incentive to put a solid post-workout nutrition plan into action - EAA supplementation during the pre- and intra-workout phases more than pays off post-workout by increasing the expression of amino acid transporters, priming cells for maximum amino acid uptake and activating protein synthesis.

In addition to isolated EAAs, rapidly absorbable protein isolates and hydrates are ideal during the pre- and intra-workout phase.

Strategy #4: The insulin connection

Insulin is the body's most anabolic hormone. Along with directly activating protein synthesis, insulin also increases the translocation of System A amino acid transporters to the cell membrane (22).

This means that insulin causes more system A transporters to be available at the cell membrane and ready to transport more glutamine into the cell. More glutamine leads to more cell volume, which channels more leucine into the cell and ultimately leads to a higher rate of protein synthesis.

While EAAs increase the expression of amino acid transporters, it is the insulin signal that allows these amino acid transporters to reach the surface of the cell, where they are then ready to transport new amino acids into the cell.

This is another reason why carbohydrates are a good idea before and during exercise unless you are in extreme fat loss mode: Insulin increases the capacity of cellular amino acid transport.

Strategy #5: Insulin potentiating amino acids

Carbohydrates increase insulin levels, but certain amino acids can also be used to increase insulin secretion. Glutamine is a potent activator of incretin hormones, which make insulin-producing cells in the pancreas more sensitive to glucose (23). Glycine also enhances insulin secretion via a different mechanism.

Although carbohydrates alone will increase insulin levels after exercise, by combining these insulin-potentiating amino acids with carbohydrates, you can make your pancreas secrete even more insulin. While it's good to keep insulin levels in the lower range most of the time, elevated insulin levels during the phase around training will maximize amino acid transport, cell volume and protein synthesis while suppressing protein breakdown.

Strategy #6: Buffer lactate production with the help of beta-alanine

The type of intense anaerobic training necessary to build a lot of quality muscle leads to significant lactate production, which lowers the pH in the muscles. Not only does this lead to earlier muscle fatigue and weakness, but certain amino acid transporters, including system A transporters, are inhibited in their activity by a low pH (13).

When the pH within the muscle is low, amino acid uptake is reduced, which inhibits mTOR activation of protein synthesis (24). It has also been shown that inhibition of system A amino acid transporters by low pH increases protein degradation (25).

This is where beta-alanine comes into play. Elevated muscle carnosine levels act as a natural acid buffer and increase the anaerobic stimulus threshold by inhibiting the exercise-induced decrease in muscle pH.

However, beta-alanine also has another important function: it helps to maintain protein synthesis and make it run faster after intensive training by preventing a reduction in amino acid transport.

To increase muscle carnosine levels, you should take 3 grams of beta-alanine daily.

Summary

During intensive training sessions, protein synthesis is reduced and protein breakdown is activated. This is unavoidable for hard-training strength athletes. The degree to which we can minimize the catabolic effects of a hard workout and the faster we can transition back to an anabolic mode after training will ultimately determine how efficiently we recover - and how efficiently we will grow.

The right timing of macronutrients is important, but it is only a means to an end. Cell volume is the driving force for amino acid transport and protein synthesis. If we understand how amino acid transport works and how it is regulated by cell volume, then we can transport more leucine into our training-damaged muscle cells faster, igniting the anabolic fire and ultimately achieving better gains.

The strategies described above are efficient, practical and based on the latest scientific research. Use them to take your training progress to the next level.

By Bill Willis, PhD

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/supplements/how-to-harness-the-anabolic-power-of-cell-volume

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