Many body builders turn to discount bodybuilding supplements in order to achieve more noticeable results in a shorter amount of time. In addition, supplements can help to maintain energy levels so that workouts can be longer and more effective. However, both brand name and discount supplements can cause side effects, which should be considered before starting a supplement regimen.

One of the most popular bodybuilding supplements is creatine. Creatine monohydrate is used to increase muscle fullness and body mass. It also helps in shortening the recovery time after an intense workout. Creatine can cause your muscles to retain water, which can lead to dehydration in some people. Also, there might be up to a five pound weight gain during the first week. There are no major known side effects of taking creatine, but some people experience gas, bloating or diarrhea during the first few weeks of use.

Glutamine is taken by those who are doing frequent intense workouts. It is an amino acid that occurs naturally in your muscles, and it also works to help maintain your immune system. It can become depleted through diet or hard workouts, and a supplement can help to keep up immune response. There have been no reported side effects.

Andro supplements have received a lot of negative press as androstenedione is banned at the Olympics. However, andro supplements are not illegal and many believe they help build muscle mass and strength. Andro supplements cause an increase in female sex hormones. When taken by men, it can cause breast growth as well as a decreased sex drive. It also increases the risk of heart disease.

Caffeine is used to burn fat in a way that discourages fatigue. It can increase concentration and some feel it helps with motivation. It also has an effect on muscle contraction. It can be easy to take too much caffeine because many people also drink soda, coffee, or eat chocolate while taking the supplements. If too much caffeine is consumed, side effects include heart palpitations, nervousness, irritability, dehydration and diarrhea.

As with any type of medication or vitamin, you should make yourself aware of the possible side effects of the drug to determine whether the benefits of taking it outweigh any negative outcomes. While many supplements do not have any side effects, some have side effects which should make you think twice before purchasing them. All it takes is a little bit of research and you should be able to take supplements without having to worry about any unwanted results.

Natalie Aranda writes about health. Many body builders turn to planetarynutrition.com discount bodybuilding supplements in order to achieve more noticeable results in a shorter amount of time. In addition, supplements can help to maintain energy levels so that workouts can be longer and more effective. However, both brand name and planetarynutrition.com discount supplements can cause side effects, which should be considered before starting a supplement regimen.

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Anabolic steroid use appears to be on the rise. With the great increase in modern recombinant DNA technology, steroids such as growth hormone, growth factors and testosterone-based analogs have become increasingly more available and affordable. Despite their renewed popularity however, anabolic steroids are illegal and have negative effects on health, reproductive status and even personality. In response, this article aims to provide some basic information on anabolic steroids and how to boost the body’s own production levels naturally, using exercise.

What is an anabolic hormone?

The definition of anabolic is “to build up”- therefore anabolic steroids are hormones that cause increases body and muscle size. Actually, not all “anabolic steroids” are steroids but they are all hormones. An example of an anabolic steroid hormone is testosterone and its analogs. An example of an anabolic polypeptide/non-steroid hormone is growth hormone. Basically, hormones are chemical messengers released from certain tissues into the blood in response to a stimulus. Their role is essentially to help the human body adapt and remain in a state of balance or “homeostasis”. While the body is quite efficient at regulating its anabolic state on its own – the temptation exists to use large quantities of anabolic hormones to magnify the results. As recently as 15-20 years ago, growth hormone had to be extracted form the pituitary glands of cadavers. Now however, modern science is able to manipulate the DNA of bacteria to produce large quantities of the hormone. Steroid use has always been rife in bodybuilding arena, but with peer pressure and ever-increasing expectations of sport performance, anabolic steroid use has become commonplace in sports too - even among high school age athletes.

How do I boost my levels of testosterone and growth hormone?

It is possible to increase anabolic hormone production naturally however - the simplest method of doing this is by regulating the intensity of the weightlifting session. This is achieved by manipulating volume (sets and reps), load (%1RM*) and rest periods. Evidence indicates that exercises that recruit large muscle groups (legs and back) in exercises such as squats and deadlifts and that are performed with high intensity and moderate volume boost serum testosterone concentrations. Therefore the exerciser should use heavy loads (85-95% 1 RM) and multiple sets/exercises separated by short rest periods (30 –60s). Testosterone, the male sex hormone is responsible for the increased muscle mass and strength observed in men. This steroid hormone operates both on a gene level to increase muscle protein production (increased gene transcription). It is also suspected to work on the central nervous system, allowing greater muscle activation by motor neurons, resulting in greater force production. (It is unlikely that herbal testosterone “precursors” such as tribulus terestris have a large impact on production - the exerciser should save his time and money and devote more effort into sensible eating and exercising according to these guidelines.)

Human growth hormone (HGH) is a polypeptide (non steroid) hormone released form the pituitary gland at the base of the brain, and its release similar to testosterone, is dependent on the level of “stress” experienced by the body. Its main functions are to increase the transport of amino acids over cell membranes and to increase the synthesis of muscle protein, connective tissue (e.g. collagen) bone and cartilage thus directly causing “growth”. It also is responsible for increasing the level of glucose and fatty acids in the blood, and therefore has a direct body-fat reducing quality. Studies involving the release of growth hormone during exercise indicate that a typical bodybuilding program of multiple sets (higher volumes) of moderate intensity (e.g. 10RM) separated by short (1 min.) rest periods produce the largest increases. Many of the actions of growth hormone are actually mediated by another hormone called IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) released by the liver and other organs in response to HGH. The release of this powerful stimulator of muscle growth has been shown to increase in response to the consumption of a carbohydrate and protein supplement before and immediately after a weightlifting workout.

In conclusion, it is hoped that this article has demonstrated that there are alternatives to using illegal and health threatening anabolic steroids. The human body is a marvel at adapting to stresses such as exercise and weightlifting without the need for external hormone administration. This article has highlighted that is in fact possible to manipulate the body’s own natural production of the same substances simply by regulating the intensity of the weightlifting session.

*1RM = the maximum amount of weight that can be lifted with good form for a single repetition.

David Petersen is a Personal Trainer/Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and the owner and founder of B.O.S.S. Fitness Inc. based in Oldsmar, Florida. More articles and information can be found at bossfitness.com bossfitness.com

NOTE: You’re free to republish this article on your website, in your newsletter, in your e-book or in other publications provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this note, author information and all LIVE website links as above.

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One of the hallmark features of aging is the loss of muscular mass and strength. Much of this loss can be explained by changes to the neuromuscular system such as decreased number of motor neurons, decreased number of muscle fibers, and decrease muscle fiber size. But it is important to ask whether these changes are a consequence of aging or simply a result of an inactive lifestyle.

Age-Related Changes to Muscle

The age related decline in muscle mass appears to occur in 2 phases. The first or “slow” phase of muscle loss, in which 10% of muscle mass is lost, occurs between the ages of 25 and 50. The majority of muscle loss occurs thereafter where an additional 40% is lost from the ages of 50 to 85. Overall, the human body loses 50% of its muscle mass by the age of 80. This muscle atrophy can be explained by significant decreases in both the total number of muscle fibers, as well as in muscle fiber size.

It has been shown that aging results in a loss of the power and speed producing fast twitch fibers (particularly IIb) and an increase in the more aerobic slow twitch fibers. This seems to make sense since movements that demand a high velocity of contraction (such as jumping and sprinting) tend to be less in the older years.

Mechanisms of Strength Loss

The problems with decreasing strength can be seen in its contribution to osteoporotic decline in bone density, arthritic joint pain, and an overall reduced functional capacity.

With the loss in muscle mass evidently comes a decrease in muscular strength. However, as with muscle loss, most strength losses are not significant until the sixth decade. As briefly mentioned, this loss in strength can be attributed to a decrease in the number of motor units (nerve-muscle fiber complex), the decreased number of muscle fibers and the reduction in muscle fiber size. It is also known that a decline in leg strength precedes upper extremity strength loss in the elderly. This is important due to the fact that strength, rather than cardiovascular function, is considered to be the most physically limiting factor in the elderly. This is apparent when considering strength-limiting activities faced by many seniors such as getting up from a seated position or walking up stairs.

Encouraging is the finding that aging does not seem to effect eccentric strength. This phase of contraction is an important consideration for the elderly due to the possible linkage between poor eccentric strength and the incidence of falls in the elderly.

The Importance of Active Living

Regular exercise is the most effective way to slow and counteract the effects of age-related muscle and strength loss. Comparisons between active and sedentary older adults suggest that much of the strength loss with aging is due lifestyle factors. For example, individuals who continue to use certain muscles on a regular basis do not show the same age-related decreases in strength. In general, muscle atrophy, and thus strength loss, will occur any time the muscles are not required to work against a given load. The result will be a decrease in protein synthesis accompanied by an increase in protein breakdown. Overall, the muscle atrophies and loses much of its strength, characteristics commonly seen in astronauts during space flight. Incorporating regular resistance training is the most effective means of attenuating this effect.

Encouraging Findings

Studies have consistently shown that regular exercise can improve muscular endurance and strength in the elderly in a manner similar to that observed in young people. One of the largest studies in this field was done at McMaster University several years ago. The researchers looked at the effects of 2 years of twice/weekly strength training (80-85% 1RM) across 114 subjects between the ages of 60-80 years. The results indicated steady increases in strength in each of the muscle groups tested with no evidence of plateauing. There were also significant increases in muscle mass accompanying the gains in strength and, perhaps more importantly, there was evidence that these strength gains translated into improved function (as measured by walking and stair climbing performance).

Although there are certain unavoidable changes that occur with aging, it is possible to delay or attenuate the losses muscle mass and strength normally accompanying these changes. Since so many daily living activities such as walking, climbing stairs, and standing up from a chair are so dependent on strength it is imperative to minimize the age-related loss in strength as much as possible. The muscles in older adults maintain their ability to adapt; therefore, regular resistance training (2-3x/week) should be implemented into the lifestyle of such individuals. Moreover, a similar strength training protocol needs to be employed in younger adults as means of prevention and staying healthy into the golden years!

Written by Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK. Do not reprint without permission
Copyright 2006 © Total Wellness Consulting.

Yuri Elkaim is the owner and founder of Total Wellness Consulting, a leading health, fitness, and wellness company offering health-conscious individuals innovative programs and technologies to help reach their goals of physical and mental well being. He is a highly acclaimed personal trainer, certified kinesiologist, and former professional soccer player.

Through properly prescribed functional exercise and nutrition programs, as well as attention to the inner person, Yuri has helped thousands of individuals reach their health and fitness goals.

He can be reached at
mailto:yuri@totalwellnessconsulting.ca yuri@totalwellnessconsulting.ca
totalwellnessconsulting.ca totalwellnessconsulting.ca

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Anti-aging articles are all the rage these days, so I thought I would chip in my two cent’s worth. Well, at a penny a tip, four cents.

We cannot do much about the fact that we age, but we can do something about the effects that aging has on us. Here are four simple things you can do to delay and diminish the effects of aging.

Exercise

Eat

Play

Sleep

Think you can handle that assignment?

Exercise

One of the most obvious effects of aging is what happens to the outward appearance of our bodies as well as what happens to our ability to use them. When we age, systems slow down, or even break down, we lose muscle mass, our heart begins to have problems, we lose our balance more often, we are more likely to break bones. If injured, we recover more slowly. Wrinkles form, breasts sag, stomachs poke out, and we gain weight.

Simple fact: Regular moderate exercise tightens muscles, builds lean muscle mass, helps keep us flexible and strong. It keeps systems and organs in peak health and operating at optimum efficiency. There are people in their 80’s and 90’s who are doing “athletic” things. While some of this is related to our genetic makeup, of course, almost anyone can improve their overall fitness through an exercise program.

Exercise doesn’t HAVE to be exercise, by the way. Gardening is exercise. So is walking, bicycling, aerobics in front of the TV (Richard Simmons, ladies), yoga, weight training, and playing with the grandkids.

Divide exercise into three types: Muscle building and toning, aerobic (cardiovascular) activity, and stretching. A simple weight training routine two or three times a week, a walk five times a week, and a few minutes of stretching every day should do it. Regular exercise keeps you looking, and feeling, good.

Eat

When people age, their nutrition often suffers. First of all, we have all kinds of exhortations to eat less, lose weight, etc. At the same time, as we age, our metabolism slows down and our body’s ability to process certain nutrients diminishes as well. Many seniors lose interest in food. Our taste buds even betray us.

For seniors, eating should be fun, of course, but it needs to become a bit more logical. The body requires nutrients, but is having a hard time processing nutrients. Metabolism drops, fat starts packing on, but we need to keep our nutrient level up at a time that our sense of taste is deserting us and we are losing interest in food and a lot of other things anyway.

The exercise I was talking about earlier will help keep the appetite up while raising metabolism and increasing our enjoyment of life as well. It will also be necessary to make yourself eat what you are supposed to eat when you are supposed to eat it. If you have any doubt about your ability to get the appropriate nutrition from the foods you do eat, supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals. At the least, you might want to take a daily multivitamin supplement. Look for the ones that say they are for seniors.

Seniors also tend to not get enough protein. You might not need to butcher a whole cow, but try to make sure that you are getting your protein. While not perfect answers, supplements such as Ensure can help you get protein and other nutrients if you are not sure.

If you are exercising regularly and eating properly, you will feel more like having fun!

Play

Having fun can have many benefits to anybody at any age, but can be of particular importance to seniors. As we age (I am 62) many of us begin to feel isolated as we quit going to work, friends die, it gets harder to get around, everybody around us (those young folks) seems to enjoy things that seem meaningless to us. Based on what a friend of mine, a geriatric nurse, told me, this is the slippery slope that leads many perfectly healthy and normal people to a chair on a senior daycare porch. She told me that many of her patients were fine, they had just figured that there was no reason to be interested in life any more.

Social interaction can keep juices flowing that otherwise would dry up, and I am talking actual chemicals, hormones, and enzymes. Spend time with friends and family. If you do not have a daily job to go to, volunteer to keep physically, mentally, and socially active. Find something you always wished you could do, but didn’t have the time because you were so busy earning a living. People with partners and pets live longer, healthier lives. There’s a clue.

Keep your mind active with puzzles and games. Believe it or not, a little Sudoku, or a few logic puzzles can not only help mental alertness and thinking ability, but can actually contribute to physical health.

Just thought I’d mention, sex is good for you too!

Sleep

Rest is important at all stages of our lives, and it becomes very important as we age. Regular exercise, proper nutrition, and some fun will help you fall asleep at night and sleep well. Most of us should be getting between six and eight hours of sleep a night. Just because you wake up a couple of times to take care of some urgent business doesn’t mean that you need to stay up.

If you feel you are not getting enough sleep, or are just not rested enough, by all means have it checked out medically. In the meantime, maybe some meditation during the day can help. Hey! That’s M-E-D-I-T-A-T-I-O-N so you don’t need M-E-D-I-C-A-T-I-O-N!

Have a happy, healthy life

Donovan Baldwin is a Texas writer and a University of West Florida alumnus. He is a member of Mensa and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. In his career, he has held many managerial and supervisory positions. However, his main pleasures have long been writing, nature, and fitness. In the last few years, he has been able to combine these pleasures by writing poetry and articles on subjects such as health, fitness, yoga-4-the-health-of-it.com yoga, the environment, happiness, self improvement, and weight loss. He has a collection of articles on nodiet4me.com/articledirectory/ health, fitness, diet, and weight loss at nodiet4me.com/articledirectory/ nodiet4me.com/articledirectory/ .

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