tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44472491235196583472024-03-16T08:08:59.659+01:00SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for EveryoneWhere BRO- and PRO-Science Unite in the Spirit of True WisdomAdel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comBlogger2437125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-22960235101461890842020-12-22T05:26:00.001+01:002020-12-22T05:27:33.332+01:00Breakfast of the Healthy: Coffee... or a Purple-Orange Carrot Smoothie? Chlorogenic Acid in Coffee and Beyond<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6LvVzVo2Lt_fJOWIUkdQpk3xY6cS6bYeCWHswUlLPYtt98ttfj6cLvxigRjuzTUy0M41Ye7xP7Pbu7CaiTvnOSDOBmuRA_5OJbfIIm3Ph7Eagjpan4hhr8bJ6YLBJAhQr0M0OERF1s8/s1280/a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6LvVzVo2Lt_fJOWIUkdQpk3xY6cS6bYeCWHswUlLPYtt98ttfj6cLvxigRjuzTUy0M41Ye7xP7Pbu7CaiTvnOSDOBmuRA_5OJbfIIm3Ph7Eagjpan4hhr8bJ6YLBJAhQr0M0OERF1s8/s320/a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't worry you <i>can</i> stick to coffee</td></tr></tbody></table>Good news has become scarce in 2020, it feels. So, let's appreciate the ones we have: <i>A coffee shortage is not in sight</i>. Reason enough for me to write another "latest coffee research"-article. One that turned out to be a <i>chlorogenic acid (#CGA)</i> article because ... <p></p><p>well, it's still 2020, so scientists drink coffee to speed up their warp-speed operations and don't spend time investigating the effects of the stimulant the world is craving (Think you're drinking a lot of coffee? <a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/8602/top-coffee-drinking-nations/" target="_blank">Are you a Fin</a>?). </p><div class="bottomLineDark" style="height: 155px; padding-right: 20px;">
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<b>You can learn more about <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/coffee">coffee</a> and <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/caffeine" target="_blank">caffeine</a> at the <i>SuppVersity</i> </b></div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/08/when-timing-matters-when-is-best-time.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rMAV8-PWYS6QJ4rDEEezsjZdj2knad5ik3WSZ-gJxtvT_5IgT8Ak605p2hgwnHbOJaZ8J4mjHyCsDUMg1WRa3Vx1cQovdDBnwTxP1b86LYkl_aak1KcPa-tymZXMoNoi7oAUkpHwxtk/s100/a.png" /></a><br />
For Caffeine, Timing Matters! 45 Min or More?</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/07/caffeine-timing-revisited-taking-your.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgSgbbIxxpKQ2XjXagmmFEbQ34Z37KPVJpCVODffZG4MjKZ0oG4H_QOsd5q8iUK2ixN0rZ0DzpXhN1uEAgVQmU25I2_GBERrOhZt8pAGYnh3dUqXiLqIq4vynTOnboyqD8YTpzIjYs4s/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Caffeine Helps When Taken Intra-Workout, too</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/12/not-getting-into-ketosis-try-plain-old.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTbVF1oHxxlt_hr2_kzDYzd5FjTlK-tqp0aLj3wV9M-nWcGQAvwe2nSqJ7ILPrKyACxwDlD1LZTVoUepF2V4a0tAdIzCoU9k8Cka6jCgxSMJW0PQnr6qa-nmmaPwp6xqbgWE8JziEXbE/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Coffee can Help You Get into Ketosis</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/02/more-evidence-in-favor-of-post-workout.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwXq4DON36QGfCLl3bbrKZwL96WaBBukDAc85FgJLW60YYZH2m6xBiu4XC_g-phfxzhyphenhyphen8uhsQdDOXPcO817V2XgEold_UQleWuEiL2C45n-0aC3JIIL0Se_hnDYXBIFb1yT0fYRZ4IXY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Post-Workout Coffee Helps With DOMS</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/06/buying-roasting-grinding-brewing-coffee.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24shHDZJCu98IFlZ_9Cr4vpzYcNvxwhWPEqjeXcYaSEslccADJZ8gmVqI01XeO4e3bvTmIAWcFGuU1CDbWwescxRANGuacBUVuFUBCJJ3Jj0GslzIsacF9hx6Gfq9CemMVvKNb-9U6vc/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Coffee Brewing 101 (Optimal Health)</div>
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<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/12/caffeine-as-testosterone-booster-70.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4N7SH0Ey2POmIigGajDpDD22BNaZX9xWJqGJyMWCziwjfRqWW83HauFrOzvA4GgdgxhZozZTLq7lUxsamK5oOrPgg2qGNnfdSozlShhrquImCpwDX-j4KfIAcR0XKxewlPmY60ezSNY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Caffeine dosing 4 Testosterone:Cortisol Increase</div>
</div>Needless to say that previous research shows (<a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/ciemd/2017/00000004/00000001/art00007" target="_blank">Sinisi 2017</a>) that - coffee, and the previously mentioned polyphenol CGA, can take on respiratory viruses and would thus make a good addition to the warp-speed agenda - cannot be worse than all the b*s* about vitamin D ;-)<p></p><ul><li><b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -6px 0px 0px 25px; width: 200px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CxBgu-RISpQGNz83UqlXeadTB6qWbvxWrGXgwXzpm8HxtiWa4HU2wI0LpQJdOUC_GbVkFpdLiUbNpMo9VCKXMJ3JrOt7nDWZV64kPJ9JEV9AoRpYChePrX0WM0ScZ1iunHmif9za4uw/s1074/a.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CxBgu-RISpQGNz83UqlXeadTB6qWbvxWrGXgwXzpm8HxtiWa4HU2wI0LpQJdOUC_GbVkFpdLiUbNpMo9VCKXMJ3JrOt7nDWZV64kPJ9JEV9AoRpYChePrX0WM0ScZ1iunHmif9za4uw/s320/a.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chlorogenic acid (5-CQA) content of plant dietary sources (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33337063/" target="_blank">Lu 2020</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>Review of chlorogenic </b>acid discusses 5-CQA's including neuroprotective, cardiovascular protective, gastrointestinal protective, renoprotective, hepatoprotective, glucose and lipid metabolism regulatory, and anticarcinogenic effects (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33337063/" target="_blank">Lu 2020</a> | cf. Figure 2).<br /><br />The review is very detailed and honestly rather something for science vs. coffee nerds. This, however, turns out to be its strength. After all, you'd probably not have the extensive information about the chlorogenic acid content of non-coffee sources of CGA in a less comprehensive review.<br /><br />You can find this data in the tabular overview on the right. The values are far lower than those in green, raw coffee beans, but the not so humble purple-orange carrot powder rivals a lightly roasted coffee, be it <i>Arabica</i> (~12 mg/g of beans | 7 minutes of roasting) or <i>Robusta</i> (~14mg/g of beans | 5 minutes of roasting).<br /><br /><b>I am sure that all of you know the <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/buying-roasting-grinding-brewing-coffee.html" target="_blank">SuppVersity Coffee Brewing 101</a>, right?</b><br /><br />Now, most of us don't eat our coffee powder by the pound. In fact, the #1 way to consume coffee is not Starbucks (yet?), but the good old filtered coffee (learn more about filtered coffee in this <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2020/02/coffee-related-research-from-early-2020.html" target="_blank">older special</a> and how it relates or, rather, doesn't relate to <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2015/06/if-your-buttered-coffee-aka-bulletproof.html" target="_blank">high cholesterol</a>) Hence, it is important to know how much of the CGA can actually be extracted by common preparation methods and the data in <i>Figure 1</i> originally collected by Budryn et al. (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00217-008-1004-x" target="_blank">2009</a>) who probed the effect of different extraction methods on the recovery of chlorogenic acids, caffeine and Maillard reaction products in coffee beans:<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7viHKC0_5due1xWEaJ6A6I177aPH4YEukENHU9dQO4ZPb1abmmqtrBG7PhGEVvbAo8GXPLgjahqI4s47NQ0uSHZyR9Zw60teDkbLW0r0U9dSLCLdiFt9iSQIacXEvmP2HOYB643LTHk/s0/a.png" style="clear: right; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7viHKC0_5due1xWEaJ6A6I177aPH4YEukENHU9dQO4ZPb1abmmqtrBG7PhGEVvbAo8GXPLgjahqI4s47NQ0uSHZyR9Zw60teDkbLW0r0U9dSLCLdiFt9iSQIacXEvmP2HOYB643LTHk/s500/a.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: 5CGA and total CGA content (total includes all sorts of caffeoylquinic acids, as well as caffeic acid and ferulic acid) of coffee brewed or cooked in and pressurized into 100ml of water (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00217-008-1004-x" target="_blank">Budryn 2009</a>); if we assume you absorb 100% of the CGA, this means that a cup (237ml) of coffee should yield between 0.72 grams and 0.011 grams (720mg and 11mg) per cup, for water-boiled green (no roast) and dark roast, respectively - not shabby, considering supplements contain 0.1-0.3 g only, no? </td></tr></tbody></table>The values have been calculated based on 100 ml samples that were prepared with 5g of the respective type of coffee. How much of the CGA that is contained in the coffee (which was then dried to analyse it) would finally end up in your blood is still debated, or as the authors of the review argue wrt #bioavailability."<blockquote> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -20px 0px 0px 25px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohTnJPuaDxNUSun4Uh4p3UghooIP0c3psQ33HvpbUkjdO1l7hmg9D-8M9rUFu8EMhrMwlD5VSE2CjXbuv78cODkMLtawE9C9oWDAYyufUGsxRkBTyrkKGCW8XuHxI5YuuDcqqaCCFj5g/s741/a.png" style="clear: right; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="741" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjohTnJPuaDxNUSun4Uh4p3UghooIP0c3psQ33HvpbUkjdO1l7hmg9D-8M9rUFu8EMhrMwlD5VSE2CjXbuv78cODkMLtawE9C9oWDAYyufUGsxRkBTyrkKGCW8XuHxI5YuuDcqqaCCFj5g/w320-h196/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-top: -15px;">Figure 2: Physiological actions of 5-CQA (Lu 2020).</div></td></tr></tbody></table>[...] However, the absorption and bioavailability of 5-CQA
are still controversial due to the large interindividual variations in its utilization, metabolism, and excretion in both
basic and clinical studies." (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33337063/" target="_blank">Lu 2020</a>) </blockquote><br />Ah, and just in case you already forgot why on earth you'd drink coffee not just for its taste and #theBuzz but also as your #1 chlorogenic acid source (let's be honest: how many purple-orange carrots have you had today?), I decided to include a nice visual illustration of 5CQA's physiological actions (Figure 2), which I found in the very same review in the aptly named journal <i>Comprehensive Reviews</i>.</li><li><b>Coffee works instantly, that's why people love it ... and guess what the same goes for the heart-health benefits of CGA</b>! And even a single cup of <u>mildly</u> roasted coffee (total CGA content, i.e. 5CQA + all other forms per 160mg/100ml for arabica and 255mg/100ml) delivers effective doses of CGA. Let's assume you like it bitter and choose the lightly roasted robusta coffee and pour a regular cup of brewed coffee, that would be 237ml of coffee with ~604mg total CGAs. The type of beans and, even more so, degree of roasting is key. After all, from a dark-roasted arabica coffee, you'll get only 90mg (note: most cheaper commercially sold coffees are blends), according to the data presented in the previously discussed review (Lu 2020).<br /><br />It's not impossible that the 90mg would have a beneficial effect on your cardiovascular system, too, but the lowest dose tested in an international study by Naylor et al. (2020) was 156mg CGA from a green coffee bean extract. The subjects were healthy, normal-weight, and in the age range from 45–65 y (women were post-menopause) and the study seems to confirm what some people won't believe: <i>Yes, you can have too much coffee </i>- even decaffeinated one.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3BCC89nYu1uFXPUU3Y_2qWco8HjDV9Hun8MqweSUuYs6vStKx3zdBP2cBzOeZC9uIpXWtECD2WKwg79BEjWeRelVdp927mC4KgrbxWJN5gNjWopoSLyqLukH4HJbr3wEYMe1oCyKxgE/s0/a.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3BCC89nYu1uFXPUU3Y_2qWco8HjDV9Hun8MqweSUuYs6vStKx3zdBP2cBzOeZC9uIpXWtECD2WKwg79BEjWeRelVdp927mC4KgrbxWJN5gNjWopoSLyqLukH4HJbr3wEYMe1oCyKxgE/s0/a.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3: Flow-mediated dilation in healthy 45–65 y-olds 0-24h after the ingestion of low (302mg) or high (906mg) increases significantly over placebo wit the lower dose, not with the high one (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33330899/" target="_blank">Naylor 2020</a>).</td></tr></tbody></table>In fact, the lowest dosage of decaffeinated green coffee extract (302 mg DGCE, 156.4mg total CGA), was the only one (302, 604, and 906mg were tested) to significantly increase flow-mediated dilation (%FMD) compared to a placebo. Both, the medium and high dose failed to produce consistent (significant benefits) in the 5 female and 16 male subjects in the first 8.5 h, 12 h, and 24 h after product intake.</li></ul><div class="redBand"><b>More doesn't help more - That's not unusual for polyphenols. </b>As Naylor et al. point out previous studies on CGA and other polyphenols also observed a nonlinear relation between coffee compounds and FMD, with "several meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials which [finding] that the relation between the doses of different types of polyphenols and FMD follow[s] an inverted U-shape and that high doses of polyphenols [, including those from blueberries, for example (Rodriguez-<a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article-abstract/98/5/1179/4577219" target="_blank">Mateos 2013</a>), can] have smaller effects on endothelial function than lower doses" (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33330899/" target="_blank">Naylor 2020</a>).. Finally, a previous study testing the effect of purified CGA (5-CQA) at different doses (450 and 900 mg) did not show any significant effect on peak FMD response relative to control although a post hoc analysis found a significant effect on the continuous FMD assessment compared with control at 1 and 5 h, respectively (14).</div><ul><li style="list-style: none;">If you look at the magnitude of the effect, though, you will realize that the increase, as statistically significant as it may be, amounted to no more than a 1% - So the question is:<br /><br /><b>How relevant is a small 1% increase in FMD?</b><br /><br />How do you even answer this important question? Well, if we look to the left and the right we see studies "similar acute effects on FMD" for purified compounds or extracts from other polyphenol-containing foods such as <i>cocoa, tea, grape, apple, and blueberry. </i>In other words: It's by no means a prerogative of coffee or its polyphenols. In fact, for cacao flavanols (~200mg | <a href="https://www.onlinejacc.org/content/46/7/1276.abstract" target="_blank">Heiss 2005</a>) FMD increases from 4.5% to 6.9% have been reported, similar improvements were seen with trans-resveratrol (300 mg | <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10641963.2017.1288741?casa_token=FJk6tk98-awAAAAA:9JI3uK5nD2zGZ3rWZHl5J0yb0WFAyq5x3SyL9JuBDGJN_6_x2btniOQyr7xCoMojCqB1h6TCAVaDd8o" target="_blank">Marques 2018</a>), and a single dose of blueberry anthocyanins (160 mg | <a href="https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/article/74/7/967/5321875" target="_blank">Rodriguez-Mateos 2019</a>) acutely improved FMD by 1.3% and 1.1%. So, coffee's CGA is nothing extra-ordinary, here, but what about the more general question: Does 1% even matter?<br /><br /><b>Yes, it matters: "Every 1% increase in FMD has been associated, in several systematic reviews and meta-analyses, with a 10%–13% lower risk of cardiovascular events" (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33330899/" target="_blank">Naylor 2020</a>).<br /></b><br />So, your morning joe, and your afternoon cup <i>will</i> contribute to heart health... also because they contain CGA (and related polyphenols). There are two questions that new research will have to answer: (a) Whether the caffeine in regular coffee may (partly) reverse the effects (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn2010137" target="_blank">Buskemi et al. 2010</a> would suggest just that, but epidemiological data indicate a net positive effect in form of a J-shaped relation between coffee consumption and the risk of developing CVD, stroke, heart disease, or acute coronary syndromes). And (b) which of the CGA-related polyphenols and their metabolites is eventually the driving force behind the benefits Naylor et al. observed is not yet clear, though, and should - just like the effects of darker roasts with less CGAs as well as the effect of co-administration of caffeine - be investigated in future studies.</li></ul><div class="bottomLineDark"><b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-top: 2px!important; width: 200px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmlGygjnSO7BOFhTN5YTzKbZKJqlaq-VE2YVXI_F0gZ-PvujOcJdVTU2-UzCNyK7brzp64du9zFH3BK9j4SDmV5BZIqwhIfFfBJeKGvI_mbF9H2KZzchiIOoLwkkRgriNkpXoBfz0TTc/s340/a.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmlGygjnSO7BOFhTN5YTzKbZKJqlaq-VE2YVXI_F0gZ-PvujOcJdVTU2-UzCNyK7brzp64du9zFH3BK9j4SDmV5BZIqwhIfFfBJeKGvI_mbF9H2KZzchiIOoLwkkRgriNkpXoBfz0TTc/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Needless to say that someone already cashes in on the purported health benefits of purple (-orange) carrots. I'd still advise against consuming liquid calories - avoid juices and start thinking about smoothies as a meal, not a superfood.</td></tr></tbody></table>Cheers ☕! I have to warn you about your morning Joe's caffeine content, though.</b> While it seems to contribute to your metabolic (especially liver) health, it seems that it counters and even overcompensates the acute FMD%-improving effect of CGA and other coffee polyphenols, but ... it's certainly better to bridge periods of acute fatigue with a good cup of coffee than with alternatives such as energy drinks or pre-workouts. Ah, and let's not forget: After having read both items in today's coffee research update, you know that there's a non-energizing alternative: purple-orange carrot smoothies as a snack 😋 | <a href="facebook.com/SuppVersity" target="_blank">Comment on Facebook</a>!</div><p></p>
References:
<ul><li>Budryn, Grażyna, et al. "Effect of different extraction methods on the recovery of chlorogenic acids, caffeine and Maillard reaction products in coffee beans." European Food Research and Technology 228.6 (2009): 913-922.</li><li>Buscemi, S., et al. "Coffee and endothelial function: a battle between caffeine and antioxidants?." European journal of clinical nutrition 64.10 (2010): 1242-1243.</li><li>Heiss, Christian, et al. "Acute consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa and the reversal of endothelial dysfunction in smokers." Journal of the American College of Cardiology 46.7 (2005): 1276-1283.</li><li>Marques, B. C. A. A., et al. "Beneficial effects of acute trans-resveratrol supplementation in treated hypertensive patients with endothelial dysfunction." Clinical and Experimental Hypertension 40.3 (2018): 218-223.</li><li>Naylor, et al. "Acute dose-response effect of coffee-derived chlorogenic acids on the human vasculature in healthy volunteers: a randomized controlled trial." Am J Clin Nutr. 2020 Dec 16;nqaa312. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa312. Online ahead of print.</li><li>Rodriguez-Mateos, Ana, et al. "Intake and time dependence of blueberry flavonoid–induced improvements in vascular function: a randomized, controlled, double-blind, crossover intervention study with mechanistic insights into biological activity." The American journal of clinical nutrition 98.5 (2013): 1179-1191.</li><li>Rodriguez-Mateos, Ana, et al. "Circulating anthocyanin metabolites mediate vascular benefits of blueberries: insights from randomized controlled trials, metabolomics, and nutrigenomics." The Journals of Gerontology: Series A 74.7 (2019): 967-976.</li><li>Sinisi, Valentina. "Coffee: A Rich Source of Antimicrobial and Antiviral Compounds." Clinical Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Drugs 4.1 (2017): 19-32.</li></ul>Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-26929320326496828472020-10-21T11:34:00.004+02:002020-10-21T11:48:19.098+02:00Fish Oil for Athletes? Fish for Everyone? Not for Ergogenic Benefits | Summary of Latest Metas + Umbrella Review <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -5px 0px 0px 25px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtCnxFrX_bhPnDqPq9s4hYL1ry67v4N0p7NTuXllHOUVDRsSkeZfgXaT2L6wJNRO0imIdIX5s0rYp4TJD6eM6SCNsUQWV3jZ1T9krpt_bWFY3czjohh4NQORzGrz-a1HIbKH80N4XMjc/s1344/a.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="1344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtCnxFrX_bhPnDqPq9s4hYL1ry67v4N0p7NTuXllHOUVDRsSkeZfgXaT2L6wJNRO0imIdIX5s0rYp4TJD6eM6SCNsUQWV3jZ1T9krpt_bWFY3czjohh4NQORzGrz-a1HIbKH80N4XMjc/s320/a.jpg"/></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An illustrated synthesis of the most recent evidence.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>There are two fishy articles in the latest issue of <i>Advances in Nutrition</i>, two articles worth taking a closer look at, as I've found. Paper 1 and probably the more SuppVersity-ish paper comes from the <i>University of Bath</i> and is, as the authors themselves highlight, the first systematic review of fish oil supplements (#FS) in athletes that has ever been conducted in the 25-years+ history of fish oil supplements 😮 (the "fish-eating" <a href="https://academic.oup.com/advances/article-abstract/11/5/1123/5811305" target="_blank">umbrella review</a> is addressed in the infobox).<br /><div class="bottomLineDark" style="height: 135px; padding-right: 20px;">
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<b>You can learn more about <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/summary/-/omega-3/?max-results=9999">omega-3</a> & co. at the <i>SuppVersity</i> </b></div>
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<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2019/02/high-fish-oil-diet-n3-oxidation-fat.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbjzvWmvu3JUiXDw2iUzRCiEEPDHQq7B5qdxD41TZycy6n9b9YhEI8DPXTC_ZSdjbtRiml-D2VCMcrWid2ISZcuP6cAZAkKkcE-lTUgym15YSkDdS3Ok-CLDWwVHIjaNcutyvQ7wSddk/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Don't drink rancid fish oil</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/05/eat-your-fish-oil-and-digest-it-too.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Lu8Flr2rNTB7w3D3-D2SgZkSXGxjvW1hLeML_DHlCpWnaEHhIXwmrXSfUHPZ5-aaA7avzSyJxKKfHMzIUsMFUsx_OlC313K0iD2yF4uavzvMZP4lp3k2e_sLZUXsD5L20NMFfs0zINk/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
How to Avoid N3 Oxidation</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/04/no-magic-numbers-omega-3omega-6-n3n6.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHwbwFK8VM3NzRm5LiBjvSJDyiI-UqdKuT5Ob89KH3uY76iZohnhBkMXvjM7rBmB9tPtB-MOOQXYKZLN3bWnA2JzjKzLYqO-Z8jxBMgaO4cZtxEtFhRzBXQZAgZhGCsDzWUtg_RPhJc8/s100/a.png" /></a><br />
N3/N6 Ratio Doesn't Matter!?</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2013/08/fish-oil-oleic-acid-counter-each-others.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHYYdzIsePJOZUcVMALXLYgY721h786ODOIOv62WEb8VHbhBg-KYwojMTbsllBu4B9vrPZ3V0dNTmC5FnczL_pG_D1uj973Lyn2NyMsSLlRE0lrSvjuEz6tv4G9vWuUkLn8V1LSjmEgA/s100/a.jpg" /></a><br />
MUFA & Fish Oil Don't Match</div>
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Fish Oil Doesn't Help Lose Weight</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2013/07/fish-oil-with-high-peroxide-indices-is.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ubbkycS3ni4Dt5I3yiYZ5-kD9BGBDIKeNVw7O07xAXxUEi-lzvrFG_b3dovl44hnp8MFg1DQNNSPOFhMkhSpCeNUEYUzZszMXtUFm-UUyUN-IXuunH7JpImmeVLwUsVps1llCiC8-VU/s100/a.jpg" /></a><br />
Rancid Fish Bad 4 Health</div></div>Impossible? Everybody knows that fish oil is rather a vitamin than a supplement, right? So why wouldn't athletes benefit? Ahh... Wrong question: The right question would read "In which domains of health and performance will athletes benefit?" and the answer is both exciting and disappointing:<br /><br /><div><b>No performance benefits (no benefits in <u>any</u> of the reviewed studies), but overall beneficial trends in central nervous system (#CNS), cardiovascular system (#CVS), proinflammatory cytokines, and certain aspects of skeletal muscle physiology.</b></div><br />
The N=32 RCTs that made the cut were all rather small-scale studies, averaging only 27 participants (ranging from 15-81 athletes per study). That's 32 out of 137 papers the researchers identified and eliminated the 115 papers that "failed to report fully the methodology and statistical approach were excluded, [and] studies where the participants were not classified as athletes (i.e., recreationally or physically active, or resistance-trained were excluded)" (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/advances/article-abstract/11/5/1300/5834649" target="_blank">Lewis 2020</a>).<div class="lightBand"><b>Bias? </b>"Sponsorship and research funding by the fish oil industry was clearly reported in 7 RCTs," the authors report. When this came in combination with a lack of blinding on part of the authors, this is an issue to consider. With the share of single-blind studies being only 20%, it's yet not surprising that excluding those won't generally change the results.</div>What the scientists generously overlooked were studies in which the fish oil came as part of an (antioxidant) supplement stack, and that few studies actually tested the n–3 fatty acid status. Moreover, they included studies in a diverse group of athletes (sport, sex of participants), didn't pre-specify the fish oil dose, or the duration of the study, and whether supplements were EPA or DHA only.<div><br /><b>"We are not aware of any RCTs that have demonstrated a negative effect of FS on performance"</b><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: 5px 0px 0px 25px; width: 200px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrt9KTxULGG_ECvr-Tpo7kFI4O8rCCaGo_s_10B6ihe39WmayC28FctGBd6DZ6M4eSGUq-Y6egrwbTFJxCsV2opdXS6LoMsUsxyGh8qaJV3gg9A4vSLXLoawQjCCOYnE5qNuyeOKkPHCk/s570/a.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrt9KTxULGG_ECvr-Tpo7kFI4O8rCCaGo_s_10B6ihe39WmayC28FctGBd6DZ6M4eSGUq-Y6egrwbTFJxCsV2opdXS6LoMsUsxyGh8qaJV3gg9A4vSLXLoawQjCCOYnE5qNuyeOKkPHCk/s320/a.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: There was no evidence of performance benefits in 2016 (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128028445000105" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Peoples 2016</a>) and there are non, today (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/advances/article-abstract/11/5/1300/5834649" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Lewis 2020</a>). But does this make supplementation 'useless'? Not really.</td></tr></tbody></table>This is good news! But performance benefits were not confirmed, either. As previously hinted at, that doesn't mean the products are totally useless, they're just not acutely ergogenic - and that's something we have known for several years (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128028445000105" target="_blank">Peoples 2016</a>). <br /><br />Figure 1 illustrates the proven benefits and underlines the lack of ergogenic effects in athletes in form of either maximal aerobic power or sports-specific exercise performance ... with the list of sports in Lewis 2020 including cycling, judo, soccer, basketball, swimming, paddling, marathoning, track and field, rugby, wrestling, football, etc.<br /><div class="lightBand"><b>Will fish work just as well?</b> As the authors of the meta-analysis point out, the majority of studies used dosages of DHA and EPA that are "achievable through the consumption of oily fish" (Lewis 2020). Good sources are Mackerels (5,134 mg/100g), Salmon (2,260 mg/100g) or Herring (2,366 mg/100g | total n-3 content). Plus: All of those contain plenty of protein, and other essential nutrients while having negligible on your levels of unwanted heavy metals (<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2014/11/farmed-vs-wild-caught-pollutants-and.html" target="_blank">learn more</a> about the 'healthiest' fish). <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin: 0px 25px 0px 0px; width: 200px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGXZJkDdceOkUcBz7sae1-Kuq3x7cwyBIwLEQ27QR4uRw_M2KhRZZ31DVnaD7PneaeZ5aIbhG3fo8EJC3kGJxtz9epPrSnHFNu1pySKyU2m4d7MZANEs-51NVtjMr00yjxYakC0Ghz9M/s480/a.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="480" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGXZJkDdceOkUcBz7sae1-Kuq3x7cwyBIwLEQ27QR4uRw_M2KhRZZ31DVnaD7PneaeZ5aIbhG3fo8EJC3kGJxtz9epPrSnHFNu1pySKyU2m4d7MZANEs-51NVtjMr00yjxYakC0Ghz9M/w200-h121/a.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Risk reduction per additional 100g of fish/day (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/advances/article-abstract/11/5/1123/5811305" target="_blank">Jayedi 2020</a>). <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>According to the latest <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224419310532" target="_blank">umbrella meta-analysis</a> "[e]very 20 g/d increment could decrease 2%–7% risk of various health outcomes" (Li 2020); a result that is in line with the significant evidence from another 2020 meta-analysis that demonstrated that every 100-g/d increment in fish consumption was associated with a 8% lower risk of all-cause mortality, 25% reduced cardiovascular mortality, 22% risk reduction of coronary heart disease, and more in the figure to the left based on data from <a href="https://academic.oup.com/advances/article-abstract/11/5/1123/5811305" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Jayedi 2020</a>. </div><div>The benefits the latest meta-analysis confirmed were a general reduction in inflammation was the most
frequently studied variable in athletes, with doses
of EPA ranging from 300 to 2400 mg/d, and of DHA from 400
to 1500 mg/d. In that, different markers of inflammation reacted differently with particularly significant effects (4/5 studies) for TNF-α for which we have no evidence that it could make an important (positive) contribution to training-induced adaptation. But wait, there's more:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>insufficient evidence for reduced incidence of upper respiratory tract illness (URTI),</li><li>muscle recovery in 4/7 RCTs, as measured in form of muscle soreness, countermovement jump, creatine kinase activity </li><li>positive effects of EPA and DHA at various doses were
observed on cardiovascular and oxygen kinetics in all
studies of cyclists [cycling efficiency, maximal oxygen uptake
(VO2max)]</li></ul></div><div>Great? Well, even though Lewis et al. al didn't find evidence of ergolytic (performance impairing) effects, I would like to note that the increased (unwanted) oxidation of fatty acid you may have heard about is real:</div><blockquote><div>"Three RCTs with various doses of EPA and DHA showed
that FS increased biomarkers of lipid peroxidation (i.e.,
malondialdehyde, F2-isoprostanes) at rest, and
4 RCTs reported this postexercise" (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/advances/article-abstract/11/5/1300/5834649" target="_blank">Lewis 2020</a>).</div></blockquote><div>With albeit few studies detecting cognitive benefits and positive effects of DHA on biomarkers of neuronal injury it still seems to be a (literally) smart move to eat the generally recommended two servings of fish per week - that will also help you to avoid the <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/12/33-top-selling-us-fish-oils-exceed.html" target="_blank">rancid supplements</a>. </div><div class="bottomLineDark"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -7px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/08/krill-vs-fish-krill-oil-still-more.html" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="720" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRe094Z9UiGiyQp6Ik0WIHUK3dU2EcP80FCqUWSRp49q-AghDx4NFHoJUR94Pyw0-QRs1SIoW9lmLMtfZO45n0FvkcU4MeRKHKykYl8XDXyzlpC-rs3MtlNTzDUFS-e91qDMlE4OtdLCo/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bio-advantage of krill may not be relevant in the long run | Plus: What we learned about krill oil in 2018 | <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/08/krill-vs-fish-krill-oil-still-more.html" target="_blank">Archive</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>Two servings of fatty fish a week? Yes, you can... </b>eat that much fish conveniently and cheaply, even. After all, it can be canned (no pun intended) fish, too: as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691514002919" target="_blank">Tenore et al. (2014)</a> highlight, canned bluefin tuna s not just a "cardioprotective functional food" but also "potentially safer than commercial fish oil". With more than 1g of DHA and EPA, each 50g serving of canned tuna also contains slightly more long-chain n3s than your average fish oil cap. Plus: The main nutrient loss/deterioration occurs way before canning during <i>chilling, freezing, cooking</i> which you'll do w/ "fresh" fish as well (<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1106/4h8u-9gad-vmg0-3glr" target="_blank">Aubourg 2001</a>) | <a href="facebook.com/SuppVersity" target="_blank">Comment</a>!</div><div>References:</div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Aubourg, Santiago P. "Loss of quality during the manufacture of canned fish products." Food Science and Technology International 7.3 (2001): 199-215.</li><li>Jayedi, Ahmad, and Sakineh Shab-Bidar. "Fish Consumption and the Risk of Chronic Disease: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses of Prospective Cohort Studies." Advances in Nutrition (2020).</li><li>Lewis, Nathan A., et al. "Are there benefits from the use of fish oil supplements in athletes? A systematic review." Advances in Nutrition (2020).</li><li>Li, Ni, et al. "Fish consumption and multiple health outcomes: Umbrella review." Trends in Food Science & Technology (2020).</li><li>Peoples, Gregory E., and Peter L. McLennan. "Fish oil for physical performance in athletes." Fish and Fish Oil in Health and Disease Prevention. Academic Press, 2016. 119-136.</li><li>Tenore, Gian Carlo, et al. "Canned bluefin tuna, an in vitro cardioprotective functional food potentially safer than commercial fish oil based pharmaceutical formulations." Food and chemical toxicology 71 (2014): 231-235.</li></ul></div>Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-39931288475168676322020-10-14T09:54:00.001+02:002020-10-14T10:07:17.950+02:00Coffee Research 10/2020: Coffee's Origin Affects Glucose Effects | Coffee, Tea & Cancer - Similar but Different + More<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; width:200px; margin:-25px 0 0 25px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl20IJOh7BULRyoVqTYaWwGhVIbMye07U2PGqmGibCj_baKOIev23Xl-8zhiacSsB6TDf6vbLbIvyH1bF8EFqPt7JI-rysc4NwTQNrJLvFRUJyu3M_cgCQrd0zDb5TJJ_8_IgnkKiTrmI/s1344/a.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl20IJOh7BULRyoVqTYaWwGhVIbMye07U2PGqmGibCj_baKOIev23Xl-8zhiacSsB6TDf6vbLbIvyH1bF8EFqPt7JI-rysc4NwTQNrJLvFRUJyu3M_cgCQrd0zDb5TJJ_8_IgnkKiTrmI/s320/a.jpg"/></a></div></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-top:-15px;">Why are the captions in the thumbs back? Facebook won't allow replacing the preview picture of links easily.</div></td></tr></tbody></table>Don't worry, not all news in 2020 is bad news... unfortunately, though, there's some 'bad coffee news' out there, too. In the following overview, I am going to cover a bunch of interesting studies - good and bad news, just as you'd see them in the ever-more non-scientific apocalypse that we live in. <br /><br />Enough said, here's what I've found being published from late September to early October 2020:<div class="bottomLineDark" style="height: 155px; padding-right: 20px;">
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<b>You can learn more about <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/coffee">coffee</a> and <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/caffeine" target="_blank">caffeine</a> at the <i>SuppVersity</i> </b></div>
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For Caffeine, Timing Matters! 45 Min or More?</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/07/caffeine-timing-revisited-taking-your.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgSgbbIxxpKQ2XjXagmmFEbQ34Z37KPVJpCVODffZG4MjKZ0oG4H_QOsd5q8iUK2ixN0rZ0DzpXhN1uEAgVQmU25I2_GBERrOhZt8pAGYnh3dUqXiLqIq4vynTOnboyqD8YTpzIjYs4s/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Caffeine Helps When Taken Intra-Workout, too</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/12/not-getting-into-ketosis-try-plain-old.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTbVF1oHxxlt_hr2_kzDYzd5FjTlK-tqp0aLj3wV9M-nWcGQAvwe2nSqJ7ILPrKyACxwDlD1LZTVoUepF2V4a0tAdIzCoU9k8Cka6jCgxSMJW0PQnr6qa-nmmaPwp6xqbgWE8JziEXbE/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Coffee can Help You Get into Ketosis</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/02/more-evidence-in-favor-of-post-workout.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwXq4DON36QGfCLl3bbrKZwL96WaBBukDAc85FgJLW60YYZH2m6xBiu4XC_g-phfxzhyphenhyphen8uhsQdDOXPcO817V2XgEold_UQleWuEiL2C45n-0aC3JIIL0Se_hnDYXBIFb1yT0fYRZ4IXY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Post-Workout Coffee Helps With DOMS</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/06/buying-roasting-grinding-brewing-coffee.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24shHDZJCu98IFlZ_9Cr4vpzYcNvxwhWPEqjeXcYaSEslccADJZ8gmVqI01XeO4e3bvTmIAWcFGuU1CDbWwescxRANGuacBUVuFUBCJJ3Jj0GslzIsacF9hx6Gfq9CemMVvKNb-9U6vc/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Coffee Brewing 101 (Optimal Health)</div>
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Caffeine dosing 4 Testosterone:Cortisol Increase</div>
</div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Kenyan coffee - a special bru for glucose management? </b>(<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33024458/" target="_blank">Okada 2020</a>) Japanese researchers report in their latest paper that coffee of different origins will affect one's glucose levels differently.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: 0px -20px 0px 25px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmUfp4ermsUDnl0WoznmFnSEgrCQGpbU669_6mRnm41BpaL1hx58DPBMuL_0SoAROk_CYWKEpLvqHqaKCUvlYIImBs1lrZ6Ym7iji9RZaI6ntO5pj3ELN80jpv78TZ15__wWc3jZWTnY/s870/a.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="870" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmUfp4ermsUDnl0WoznmFnSEgrCQGpbU669_6mRnm41BpaL1hx58DPBMuL_0SoAROk_CYWKEpLvqHqaKCUvlYIImBs1lrZ6Ym7iji9RZaI6ntO5pj3ELN80jpv78TZ15__wWc3jZWTnY/s250/a.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turns out that origins matter - for coffee.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Okada et al. studied the effects of the intake of 3 different types of coffee (Tanzanian, Ethiopian, and Kenyan) on postprandial interstitial glucose levels. What's interesting is that they measured the interstitial glucose levels every 15 minutes using the <i><a href="https://www.freestylelibre.us/system-overview/freestyle-14-day.html" target="_blank">FreeStyle Libre</a> </i>glucose monitoring system (Abbott Diabetes Care Ltd, Witney, United Kingdom) in each individual after drinking coffee compared with when not consuming coffee. <p>The results were unexpected - at least for me:</p> <blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; width: 200px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTcQyNXOUS20W7d-fX-P0YgpbafX68hrhjayroB0pWRTnV8Yv98d_fco1sDbDLKZDYZIwsqAvxTPNWb1E5M3-14aMv885Xeqmjh6Mfi_EPwZIAwHGkZaFcu9cVVdTWns3sQN0a_iGpZA/s920/a.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTcQyNXOUS20W7d-fX-P0YgpbafX68hrhjayroB0pWRTnV8Yv98d_fco1sDbDLKZDYZIwsqAvxTPNWb1E5M3-14aMv885Xeqmjh6Mfi_EPwZIAwHGkZaFcu9cVVdTWns3sQN0a_iGpZA/s250/a.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>Figure 1: The significant difference in both, glycemia (left) and uric acid (right) could be a result of a significantly higher chlorogenic:caffeine ratio in Kenyan coffee, which contains 0.69 (vs. 0.23) g per 100g of the former and only 1.12 (vs. 1.33) g per 100g of everyone's favorite drug, caffeine.</div></td></tr></tbody></table>"Unlike Tanzanian and Ethiopian coffees, Kenyan coffee suppressed the increase of postprandial interstitial glucose levels. Kenyan coffee beans contain less anhydrous caffeine and more chlorogenic acid than Tanzanian and Ethiopian coffee beans. These findings may explain the different effects of these coffee types on postprandial interstitial glucose levels." (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33024458/" target="_blank">Okada 2020</a>)</blockquote>If you look at the glycemic and uric acid data in <i>Figure 1</i> you will see that improved glucose management was not the only benefit of the high chlorogenic acid coffee from Kenya. The production of potentially gout-triggering and heart-damaging #<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/uric%20acid" target="_blank">uricAcid</a>, which was increased significantly when the subjects consumed Tanzanian coffee and dropped back to lower than pre-intervention levels after 2 months on the Kenyan variety.<br /><br />The mechanism has also been found to partly depend on α-glucosidase activity, i.e. a "carb blocker" effect that won't work with glucose or other simple sugars. Apropos things to consider: Another thing you should remember when looking at <i>Figure 1</i>, though, is that the interstitial glucose levels that were measured in the study at hand have been found to give you an adequate assessment of your blood glucose levels, <u>but</u> one that is delayed by >15 minutes (<a href="https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/26/8/2405" target="_blank">Kulcu 2003</a>). This, and the overall more important limitation <u>that the study used exactly one subject</u> (different occasions, but still).</li></ul><div><b>Caffeine seems to be the bad guy in coffee for people with elevated uric acid (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33025883/" target="_blank">Towiwat 2020</a>): </b>Study comparing decaffeinated to caffeinated coffee shows significant decline in uric acid, in the #decaf phase.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Your instant coffee deserves an upgrade and scientists have just come up with one (</b><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814620320550" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Zanin 2020</a><b>): </b>Microparticles of roasted coffee oil do the flavor-enhancing trick.<br /><br />In "Food Chemistry", Brazilian scientists report, on the successful addition of spray-dried microparticles containing roasted coffee oil, to soluble coffee (SC) and instant cappuccino (IC), to increase and tailor aroma release. <br /><br />Microparticles with higher loads of roasted coffee oil were effective in increasing aroma intensity in SC while, for IC, all loads of microparticles improved aroma intensity. Volatility drove the VOC release in SC, and volatility and polarity for IC. Most compounds reached maximum headspace concentration in < 16 s upon start of reconstitution. <br /><br />"These results open new perspectives for the development of instant coffee products and demonstrate their unique aroma release characteristics," the authors conclude.</li><li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; width: 200px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqMORESVVZ17ngOYl9knmZeU6v5dF5U6cqajCBZn2UntN27G6syMw_1GtoEqV0nEta3THENo9_NORcD8Jj_mgJmmq8Vkr2_ciY3uBzsqjJniTnXqemQUlk_2iNi-SlAzJFgfqIHpSzjo/s959/a.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="959" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqMORESVVZ17ngOYl9knmZeU6v5dF5U6cqajCBZn2UntN27G6syMw_1GtoEqV0nEta3THENo9_NORcD8Jj_mgJmmq8Vkr2_ciY3uBzsqjJniTnXqemQUlk_2iNi-SlAzJFgfqIHpSzjo/s250/a.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 1: Comparison of anticancer effects in humans <br />between tea and coffee (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/19/4553" target="_blank">Hayakawa 2020</a>).
</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Coffee, tea, and #cancer - Similar but different (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/19/4553" target="_blank">Hayakawa 2020</a>): </b>Reviewers confirm that #EGCG and #chlorogenic acid both work their anti-cancer magic by their anti-oxidant effects, however...<br /><br />"EGCG and CGA have also different target molecules which might explain the site-specific differences of anti-cancer effects found in human studies" (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/19/4553" target="_blank">Hayakawa 2020</a>).<br /><br />Exact underlying mechanisms still unknown. This means we cannot tell what exactly is to blame for the observed cancer-specifity with breast, colon, lung and blood cancers being prevented by green tea consumption and those such as liver, endometrial, and skin cancers by coffee consumption (see <i>Table 1</i>). </li></ul><div class="bottomLineDark"><b>Coffee will be back... in the @SuppVersity news:</b> With the exception of my good friend Carl Lanore from <a href="superhumanradio.net" target="_blank">SuperHumanRadio</a>, everyone seems to love coffee, so you can safely expect a November issue of the "Coffee Research Update" in about a month | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/3670221499676640" target="_blank">Comment</a>!</div></div><div>References:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Hayakawa, Sumio, et al. "Anti-Cancer Effects of Green Tea Epigallocatchin-3-Gallate and Coffee Chlorogenic Acid." Molecules 25.19 (2020): 4553.</li><li>Kulcu, Eray, et al. "Physiological differences between interstitial glucose and blood glucose measured in human subjects." Diabetes care 26.8 (2003): 2405-2409.</li><li>Okada, Junichi, et al. "Differences in the effects of Kenyan, Tanzanian, and Ethiopian coffee intake on interstitial glucose levels measured by FreeStyle Libre: A pilot case study." Current Therapeutic Research (2020): 100606.</li><li>Towiwat P, Tangsumranjit A, Ingkaninan K, Jampachaisri K, Chaichamnong N, Buttham B, Buttham B, Louthrenoo W. Effect of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee on serum uric acid and uric acid clearance, a randomised within-subject experimental study. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2020 Oct 1. Epub ahead of print. </li><li>Zanin RC, Smrke S, Kurozawa LE, Yamashita F, Yeretzian C. Modulation of aroma release of instant coffees through microparticles of roasted coffee oil. Food Chem. 2020 Sep 25;341(Pt 1):128193. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128193. Epub ahead of print. </li></ul></div><p></p>Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-56293191320985117672020-10-11T12:17:00.005+02:002020-10-11T12:37:40.553+02:00Probiotic Hair Care - Where is it, When You Need it? #SV Reviewing the Research that Could Bring Your Hair Back
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -15px 0 0 25px; width:200px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNJkJTPUdbYU8ZU2vkv4bqbzZriNjsdB6W-eBCXuPWPZpMmKwk3ZMrsjg1Hud7rjCI0ZxKACjMrN3cqUHDPLerjD8WL2bChd3ZNc2-eba7y9Th9PeDpACOGlo2p8uREZ4s3CqgdDplwg/s610/a.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNJkJTPUdbYU8ZU2vkv4bqbzZriNjsdB6W-eBCXuPWPZpMmKwk3ZMrsjg1Hud7rjCI0ZxKACjMrN3cqUHDPLerjD8WL2bChd3ZNc2-eba7y9Th9PeDpACOGlo2p8uREZ4s3CqgdDplwg/s250/a.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The idea of probiotic shampoos has been thrown around for quite some time, now. Gonna get rid of the text-containing thumbs, btw.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I've recently got a request by a SuppVersity reader suggesting I write something about #hairloss... well, I thought: "I've addressed all there is in the two older articles on hair loss," and a cursory search of the latest literature seemed to confirm just that. It (or the absence of corresponding research) did yet also trigger my interest in the role of the microbiome in hair loss, hair maintenance, and hair regrowth... and I am not referring to expensive (useless) probiotics you'd swallow and hope for magic on your scalp. What I wanted to know was: Do we know anything about the <i>scalp microbiome</i>?<div class="bottomLineDark" style="height: 130px; padding-right: 20px;">
<b>Overdoing it on <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/fasting" target="_blank">fasting</a> may also promote <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/hair%20loss" target="_blank">hair loss</a></b><br />
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Monthly 5-Day Fast Works</div>
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"Lean Gains" Fast Works</div>
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Habits Determine Effects of Fasting</div>
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Protein Modified Fast 4 Health</div>
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IF + Resistance Training = WIN</div>
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ADF Beats Ca-lorie Restriction</div>
</div><div>And *bang* 107 results on scholar.google.com related directly or indirectly to the "scalp microbiome". Many of them are related to non-hair-loss conditions, though. Still, the mere existence of a hitherto completely ignored (by the hair product industry) bacterial ecosystem on your head is mindboggling.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What do we know about the scalp microbiome, in general?</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Certain characteristics, like high Propionibacterium levels, and lower bacterial diversity have been linked to sensitive scalp skin (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jocd.12736" target="_blank">Ma 2019</a>). An even more recent review presents evidence in favor of a continuous exchange between the microbes on your skin with the cutaneous immune system in healthy skin, where hair follicles (HFs) provide unique anatomical niches, stating: </div><div><blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -25px 0px 0px 25px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MVVyD1DnXHVw0nP3wQiLBO7gP2htxavgjfJeLRuqlMdvmU5ZcbTYI-4IVaEDgsOw-L9xCGoVckyUucrXxvm_MPr0JjksPMPPCwQX5qUTs4IF6Rwc-36T80KS_bmy_Xr38UuENFFCdMM/s452/a.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MVVyD1DnXHVw0nP3wQiLBO7gP2htxavgjfJeLRuqlMdvmU5ZcbTYI-4IVaEDgsOw-L9xCGoVckyUucrXxvm_MPr0JjksPMPPCwQX5qUTs4IF6Rwc-36T80KS_bmy_Xr38UuENFFCdMM/s250/a.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Illustration of the proposed mechanism.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>"Especially, scalp HFs form large tubular invaginations, which extend deeply into the skin and harbour a variety of microorganisms. The distinct immunology of HFs with enhanced immune cell trafficking in superficial compartments in juxtaposition to immune‐privileged sites crucial for hair follicle cycling and regeneration makes this organ a highly susceptible structure. Depending on composition and penetration depth, microbiota may cause typical infections, but may also contribute to pro‐inflammatory environment in chronic inflammatory scalp diseases." (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/exd.13935" target="_blank">Polak‐Witka 2020</a>)</blockquote></div><div><i>Pro-inflammatory?</i> Now, your alarm bells should be ringing. Inflammation is, after all, at the root of all modern chronic diseases. Your dome could thus be an "inflammatory disease" and the latter could be triggered by effects of your scalp microbiome on hair cycle regulation and immune cell maturation. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Is there a role in androgen-induced (or ascribed) hair loss?</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>The issue of having the wrong scalp microbiome (or none at all?) obviously matters for alleged androgen-induced hair loss, too. Either by making the sufferers more susceptible to DHT's effects on their hairline or because the supposedly androgen-related receding hairline is in fact 'eaten away' by bacteria - more or less irrespective of DHT. </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYvm-BG3Jw_PUWVFHUn1UZyS3or6DUWY6jkz3wp7srg-Y_NLKn2D4R3CZMRw5qHlI0PVuJRbh8BOljbdrL69O9AValJZ7j2_MrL3OaKikfnWZhTk7EO3ORLywUpgf7MAAsNQVEOqwGPY/s474/a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYvm-BG3Jw_PUWVFHUn1UZyS3or6DUWY6jkz3wp7srg-Y_NLKn2D4R3CZMRw5qHlI0PVuJRbh8BOljbdrL69O9AValJZ7j2_MrL3OaKikfnWZhTk7EO3ORLywUpgf7MAAsNQVEOqwGPY/s16000/a.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2: Left - Control. The arrow shows a biofilm in the cuticle of the hair bulb. In green, along the hair shaft there are two fragments of epithelial root sheaths. Right - Patient suffering from <i>folliculitis decalvans </i>and hair loss. Hair plucked in normal‐appearing skin. Biofilms (arrows) are situated in the suprabulbar area, along the cuticle of the hair shaft, growing in the thickness of the inner root sheath (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-3083.2012.04591.x" target="_blank">Matard 2013</a>). The same mechanism is supposed to play an important role in other diagnoses that involve hair loss ... maybe your's too?</td></tr></tbody></table>In fact, this form of hair loss experts call "androgenetic alopecia" (#AGA) features shortening of the anagen phase and a slowly progressing miniaturization of the hair follicle over time, an impairment that could be related or even triggered by a messed up microbial colony on your scalp... and voilà </div><blockquote><div>"Infiltration of mononuclear cells and lymphocytes is detected in about 50% of skin samples [of patients with diagnosed androgenetic alopecia]. This micro‐inflammation takes place in the upper third of the [hair follice] HF, where a great number of microorganisms are harboured. Moreover, porphyrins stimulating the production of complement and produced by Cutibacterium spp. were identified in the pilosebaceous duct of 58% of patients with AGA compared to 12% of the control group." (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/exd.13935" target="_blank">Polak‐Witka 2020</a>)</div></blockquote><div>In view of these scientific facts, it cannot be surprising that researchers report significant improvements of #AGA after application of antimicrobial agents - the same agents that have a much broader scientific backing for <i>seborrheic scalp dermatitis </i>(<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4135103/" target="_blank">Kibar 2014</a>) or <i>acne vulgaris</i>.</div><div class="lightBand"><b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin: 15px 25px 0px 0px; width: 250px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdADzUlWFvkR6eBUyl2MDxcsA0fwicB1gu_rEbfn66SAbGY3aXaQ2F01v1KC95TYdZlhpE_4BbJB3jH0XLAbXlErbWp_RbyHKiDgDt__Qd7xWQer-1yRDErdvuGfGaifE9pwLFbQx_szM/s698/a.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdADzUlWFvkR6eBUyl2MDxcsA0fwicB1gu_rEbfn66SAbGY3aXaQ2F01v1KC95TYdZlhpE_4BbJB3jH0XLAbXlErbWp_RbyHKiDgDt__Qd7xWQer-1yRDErdvuGfGaifE9pwLFbQx_szM/s200/a.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dandruff sufferers are more likely to suffer from a lack of microbial diversity and an increased population of certain scalp bacteria (<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2018.00346/full" target="_blank">Saxana 2018</a>).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Also on the list of potentially microbial scalp issues are:</b> Everything from <i>excessive dandruff (see figure on the left), over</i> <i>Folliculitis decalvans, </i>a type of primary cicatricial alopecia with unclear pathophysiology, and <i>Psoriasis, </i>a chronic T cell‐mediated disorder, probably developing as a result of a combination of genetic background and external triggering factors, such as drugs, microorganisms and stress, to patches of <i>Alopecia areata </i>a type of non‐scarring alopecia considered to be of autoimmune origin. And theoretical they could be involved mechanistically and/or as a symptom of all sorts of reasons of weight loss 🤔.</div><div>No wonder scientists have long been excited that their research results and methodology related to the far-reaching effects of stool microbiome will soon be adapted to the skin. They propose a similar protective effect of the 'right' bacteria that prevent the "unwanted pathogens from colonizing" (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4135103/" target="_blank">Kibar 2014</a>). This could correlate with intestinal issues but certainly doesn't have to, as it seems quite clear that the bacteria invade the follicle from the surface, and are not transported via the portal vein into the blood circulation and from there into your hair... that a healthy gut will help with skin health stands out of question, though.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>'Topical probiotics' 🦠 to the rescue? </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Compared to oral probiotics and the microbiome of your digestive tracts, little research exists on interventions to improve the scalp microbiome. On the other hand, there's plenty of evidence of the usefulness of washing your hair with certain essential oil... and those, you know that, are notorious for having anti-microbial effects. The same goes for <i>lauric </i>and <i>sapienic acids </i>from coconut oil (the former), and fatty cheese and meats (the latter), respectively.<br /><br />Other agents that even have scientific back-up for their ability to modulate scalp microbiome in hair loss scenarios are based on traditional medicine <i>Lindera strychnifolia roots (#LsR) </i>extract, for example, has been shown to be a natural solution for the modulation of the scalp microbiome in androgenetic alopecia (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ics.12657" target="_blank">Filaire 2020</a>). And the results of the recently published paper are promising as they "suggest that LsR extract may be a potential remedy for scalp microbiota re‐equilibrium."(<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ics.12657" target="_blank">Filaire 2020</a>).</div><div class="bottomLineDark"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -5px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/07/hair-loss-finasteride-laser-light-or.html" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3NSnGFYSYoRufCtrbOk2PJ2eBB3_rPhs4aqnmz-UAXgienD4hNHqWVfyRrY79IBoxdGyK4Nd4nmlggWaf9bsVJhe42Pw9GZkuKuN5Ugup9Apc47PCyPwDbz39XKoOtSkFCWxuiytqJw/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hair Loss: Finasteride, Laser Light or Minoxidil - What Will Really Help Men & Women Regrow Lost Scalp Hair? <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/07/hair-loss-finasteride-laser-light-or.html" target="_blank">This is one</a> of the articles from the SV archives, the other one is on <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/05/hair-loss-nutrient-deficiencies-supplements-egg-yolks.html" target="_blank">nutrients and supps vs. hair loss</a>; and the latest article addresses the hair growth prowess of (synthetic) sandalore (<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/09/can-sandalore-cheap-synthetic.html" target="_blank">check it out! in the SV archive</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>No products on the mass market, yet, but just wait...</b> I can almost guarantee that the big players will jump the probiotic train (as usual with underdosed products) as soon as a start-up started collecting money for their probiotic hair care on <i>indiegogo.</i> (a <a href="https://www.dsm.com/personal-care/en_US/products/skin-bioactives/pentavitin.html" target="_blank">small company</a> already sells a product in Europe and North-Africa | #noRecommendation). That's how this industry is operating. <br /><br />In the meantime, it may be a good idea not to wash your hair every day or to stick to products with few ingredients of which you can be sure that they don't trigger an imbalance of your scalp's microbiome. Using topical antibiotics, though, is not recommended before we know how to replace the by then eradicated pathogenic microbiome with a healthier one (just as in the gut, the antibiotics my actually promote the post-treatment growth of harmful bacteria) | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/photos/a.406548419377314/3661180833914040/?type=3" target="_blank">Comment</a>.</div><div>References:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Kibar, Melike, Şebnem Aktan, and Muza
severity." Annals of dermatology 26.4 (2014): 478-484.</li><li>Ma, Li, et al. "Sensitive scalp is associated with excessive sebum and perturbed microbiome." Journal of cosmetic dermatology 18.3 (2019): 922-928.</li><li>Matard, B., et al. "First evidence of bacterial biofilms in the anaerobe part of scalp hair follicles: a pilot comparative study in folliculitis decalvans." Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology 27.7 (2013): 853-860.</li><li>Polak‐Witka, Katarzyna, et al. "The role of the microbiome in scalp hair follicle biology and disease." Experimental dermatology 29.3 (2020): 286-294.</li><li>Saxena, Rituja, et al. "Comparison of healthy and dandruff scalp microbiome reveals the role of commensals in scalp health." Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology 8 (2018): 346.</li></ul></div>Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-53880739194125350642020-07-22T14:24:00.000+02:002020-07-22T14:38:31.549+02:00Washing Down 6g/d of Beta-Alanine not Enough to Saturate Muscle Carnosine? Beta-Alanine Research Update 07/2020<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgylkcp56hbgdRq5m-qlPqZlS2QeChyphenhyphenw4UDl7YOcwtB-xA3C2OvsWd3dCl5Y9zHI-0eufalEZpK8CyDfmvVxADQIMrP7fpFiX66N4mWOuxMILRbUoPcyaAF0ERZwoB9tUhO_88p7iU8BKM/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: -10px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgylkcp56hbgdRq5m-qlPqZlS2QeChyphenhyphenw4UDl7YOcwtB-xA3C2OvsWd3dCl5Y9zHI-0eufalEZpK8CyDfmvVxADQIMrP7fpFiX66N4mWOuxMILRbUoPcyaAF0ERZwoB9tUhO_88p7iU8BKM/s240/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carnosine saturation!? It may occur (if at all) only at much higher dosages / longer supplementation periods than they're currently recommended.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you've been a faithful SuppVersity reader for the last almost 10 years, you will have noticed that my initial excitement about beta-alanine (#BA) has been fading ever since the classic <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%252Fs00726-011-1200-z" target="_blank">meta-analysis by Hobson et el.</a> was published in 2012. Yes, there were small benefits (2%) but only in the high(er) intensity 'long sprint' exercises... after having read the latest meta-analysis by Rezende et al. (2020), I am asking myself if this rather mediocre result could be in part due to the relatively low median dose of BA. In the studies Hobson et al. reviewed, the median amount of cumulative #BA intake was 179 g of β-alanine.<br />
<div>
<br />
<b>Now, Rezende et al. hypothesize that "commonly used BA supplementation protocols may not come close to saturating muscle carnosine content?"</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Let's take a look at how a group of Brazilian scientists came up with this idea and why they confidently report the suboptimal dosing schemes as early as in the abstract to their <a href="https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/944697/the-muscle-carnosine-response-to-beta-alanine-supplementation-a-systematic-review-with-bayesian-individual-and-aggregate-data-e-max-model-and-meta-analysis" target="_blank">latest paper in <i>Frontiers in Physiology</i></a> (Note: Mentioning it that early is in itself worth mentioning 😎 because that's the kind of "theory" you'd expect to find as a possible explanation to rather disappointing results in the discussion part of a paper, not necessarily as one of the main outcomes in the abstract).</div>
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<b>If it works (no runs + high intensity+volume exercise) <a href="https://www.blogger.com/suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/bicarbonate">bicarbonate</a> is the king of H+buffers:</b></div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/03/caffeine-bicarbonate-individuality-is.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3SnsLYJRIWSWgSD-aR3y_pVvtAHIzCUbZyYNGZmvCyydsHBmVbzoY_58RJN3gQFP9uHwpnBOobGiAa79W3vK3JSOtlUzw_TY6lMn0CJhumFARYuXApWQfhcLowyoT85VDQ1w_mm_JCNA/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Caffeine + Bicarb Make Champions</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/08/aspartatenahco3-maintain-muscle.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagLXw1c_3nqiwtFNsmrIpgw-xFlkn2ly9pjMlj5ilrazij0IIeN4F_7fEr1YglmJ3Scgp0W-8bXAeEv8U-uTQEBPB6fSjKNWk7v0DdMMwDpGYj3eXEeRGHEvCeZHc0eFVQOWhXDwhcaY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Bicarb + Asp = Muscle Magic!?</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2015/05/03gkg-bw-nahco3-power-up-your-most.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uiSivgi3cdM-wMehjDAgPAMUlTLBwTaMIPhCeMfRq0dni_0pe1be7zp-W7oNFcCuDRIBtSDWTlRjam2TAdLic93klZ2jT8etSVoOIvdOWjNeRMaHxu35TyBE3n1LVhxqCTjHfuZqYyE/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
NaCHO3 & Leg Days're a Breeze</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/03/sodium-bicarbonate-doubles-athletes.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpSKtC1oX0d63ak3ihgb8eoJfZVBy-SScwENWyARhpN8xPUlwyN1FNtKBQvG8Yzwgh2fyC0quZ1_-MG0RvFfjMTgGPIlXvbe2RV6igg3h_BP3aiMSdm79W4pISQ7QiU5rLArRS8uUyKA/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
+100% Anaerobic Endurance</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2012/04/supercharging-creatine-with-baking-soda.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgM6XmYqJVJSKOqFQjnvoM3smMom_yq3B_SFM2cVc9cdooPJBgBjs4GIrOj5rRvWGrx5jJVp0BdjOu-t7taFoEJ3SHQSQFBj4ZPskzMknt8MajzyfrLFtp7H01u8RA8R0QNDNMwmKK4_k/s80/imagesCARJABVP" /></a><br />
Bicarb Buffers Creatine</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 0;">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/06/bicarbonate-strikes-again-instant-14.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_7ud0I6mfy_TXm8NC81rGLd2Gwo-5ShwhLkI-9Q9J_x7PYuGFqRf0-JO9eaopm1krGMdDwKIrqZmBqs8mCt-R3bzce0_Bmw8vFvLkaJC3ESJbk2Q67qCOVT7eA9y5LwITZCsgBG3CBI/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Instant 14% HIIT Boost</div>
</div>
<div>
Obviously, the saturation effect at 1.5g of beta-alanine per day researchers estimated in the earlier studies did not come as a total surprise, as it mirrored the saturation effect we know from <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/creatine" target="_blank">creatine</a>, <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/creatine" target="_blank">carnitine</a> and other <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/supplements" target="_blank">dietary supplements</a>; however, as the authors of this new meta-analysis point out ...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[their] data provides <u>new insight</u> into the nature of the MCarn [muscle carnosine levels, which is how BA actually works - by increasing this intra-cellular H+ buffer] response to BA supplementation, and how this differs to other commonly used dietary supplements, such as creatine" (<a href="https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/944697/the-muscle-carnosine-response-to-beta-alanine-supplementation-a-systematic-review-with-bayesian-individual-and-aggregate-data-e-max-model-and-meta-analysis" target="_blank">Rezende 2020</a>).</blockquote>
In contrast to creatine, #<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/carnosine" target="_blank">carnosine</a>, which is the actual active downstream metabolite you want to boost with BA supplements, does <u>not</u> saturate within 5 days of high-dose (<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/04/creatine-17-20g-for-loading-is-bogus-5.html" target="_blank">loading</a>) supplementation and depend on baseline levels with largest benefits in athletes w/ low(er)-creatine.<br />
<br />
<b>Does it take almost 400g (cumulative) to get to ~50% max muscular BA levels?</b><br />
<br />
Using data from their meta-analysis, Rezende et al. predicted a maximum effect of BA supplementation (Emax) at 3.0 [50% | CrI: 2.2 – 3.7]. This corresponds to an estimated total cumulative dose of 377g [50% | CrI: 210 – 494].<br />
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<b>What can you do to get the most of whatever dose of beta-alanine you may be taking?</b> In view of the fact that scientists have hitherto believed that with 2x1.5g/d pretty much everyone will arrive at maxed-out <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/carnosine" target="_blank">#carnosine</a> levels. It is thus rather logical and not negligent that co-variates that determine how BA is absorbed, metabolized, and stored have not gotten much scientific attention. In fact, I could find only one recent paper dealing with the topic in some detail and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2019.00135/full" target="_blank">Perim et al. 2019</a> had to resort to secondary, tertiary, or merely coincidental observations in a plethora of studies to identify the following factors:<br />
<ol style="list-style-type: upper-roman;">
<li><i>total and relative dose </i>-- previous research confirms that 'more helps more' but as you can see in <i>Figure 2</i> the response is non-linear. So don't expect 2x the effect from 2x3g/d vs. 2x1.5g/d.;</li>
<li><i>supplement duration</i> - scientists still believe that BA doesn't have to be consumed daily, because it takes weeks for elevated levels to return to baseline, <u>but</u> to keep at super-natural carnosine levels you'd better do just that;</li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: 7px -20px 0 15px; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJdu3lvoTWuq1GDSNxQlU02QaPD-aQARqZgYlNg4Z4IrXQaUqTuN4HxMt0X2gWnNQU0cf7RAszXjyd3sFaUm8EmrETv3OjoWuEfanjzbp4t_GAn_cTdrl_edy3_n407Yzxj4a-3-9mns/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="838" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJdu3lvoTWuq1GDSNxQlU02QaPD-aQARqZgYlNg4Z4IrXQaUqTuN4HxMt0X2gWnNQU0cf7RAszXjyd3sFaUm8EmrETv3OjoWuEfanjzbp4t_GAn_cTdrl_edy3_n407Yzxj4a-3-9mns/s200/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Overview of the few known modulators of BA supplementation's effects on muscle carnosine; there's still room for research here - especially when saturation is not achieved as easily as previously thought.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li><i>form of beta-alanine</i> -- you will have seen that supplement vendors sometimes include time-released beta-alanine in their preparation, the only rationale to do so is to circumvent the tingling (of which we still don't really know what causes it) some people don't like (on average, I know many people who love just that 'I feel it works' effect of BA and I am sure that's why time-released is NOT really popular), if the absence of spikes in the blood level of beta-alanine affect its ability to boost muscular carnosine levels is hitherto under-investigated, with <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00726-011-1169-7.pdf" target="_blank">Decombaz et al.</a> suggesting(!) that you may pee out a little less at low(ish) dosages, related research on the downstream effects on carnosine is conflicting with a study providing 4.8g/d showing no (<a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/55724467.pdf" target="_blank">Stegen 2013</a>), and a study providing 6g/day for 28 days (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00726-018-2609-4" target="_blank">Varanoske 2019</a>) detecting significant benefits of slow-release;</li>
<li><i>effects of food (CHO and insulin)</i> -- while the reliance of the taurine transporter on the insulin-sensitive Na+/K+-ATPase pumps would suggest so, scientists have struggled to demonstrate actual benefits of co-ingestion of CHOs or foods in general, only a single study (<a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/55724467.pdf" target="_blank">Stegen 2013</a>) found muscle-specific benefits for the soleus (slow twitch) but no effect on the gastrocnemius (fast-twitch) muscle, others (non-muscle specific) demonstrated no insulin-advantage (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32101455/" target="_blank">Gonzales 2020</a>).</li>
</ol>
Before we call it a day with the interactions I should probably point out that research has shown quite consistently that (esp. sprint and/or resistance) <i>training is an incentive for your body to increase muscle carnosine</i>. As a study in vegetarians (<a href="http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/34076/" target="_blank">de Salles Painelli 2018</a>) shows this increase occurs irrespective of dietary or supplementary BA intake, though - the effects of beta-alanine supplements, on the other hand, does not seem to be augmented by exercise.
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7GfcergQLEzwr4BKHGFJaWOYUpuSKQYFIRRBaQh8Mms9qF5HHVuWzOh6Oqo6WM0dWHWdILN8CXgd635nzPz92lP6uPpjHjbdsUq27b5HJB4R4k-Vc3SZKe3-9gC-4DIbVR8ZGkenSXY/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7GfcergQLEzwr4BKHGFJaWOYUpuSKQYFIRRBaQh8Mms9qF5HHVuWzOh6Oqo6WM0dWHWdILN8CXgd635nzPz92lP6uPpjHjbdsUq27b5HJB4R4k-Vc3SZKe3-9gC-4DIbVR8ZGkenSXY/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2: The data on which we can rely when making prognosis about is everything but extensive... both in the time and dosing domain (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00726-018-2646-z/figures/3" target="_blank">Spelnikov 2019</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And, as the plot depicting the carnosine content in muscle biopsies according to the duration of supplementation in Figure 2 suggests, there's room for more!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"An extrapolation of posterior samples from the Emax model was performed to estimate probabilities that percentage of maximum effect could be achieved with cumulative doses ranging from 1000 to 1500g. These results estimated, for example, that the probability of obtaining at least 70% of maximum effect with a cumulative dose of 1000g was 0.68" (<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00913." target="_blank">Rezende 2020</a>).</blockquote>
</div>
<div>
<div>
In the absence of actual studies that were designed to figure out what the optimal value is one needs to interpret the results of the extrapolation at high(er) than experimentally investigated amounts, we do yet have to be skeptical about the accuracy of their prediction.<br />
<br />
<b>Don't be fooled by the meta-analysis, as any meta is only as reliable as its input data</b><br />
<br />
After all, the estimates at the higher end of the curve described in Figure 2 suffer from a paucity of data from studies using high(er), let alone very high doses. In addition, we should not forget that these questionable estimates are based on the median expected effect, and considerable inter-individual variation is likely.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eo9pwWWCi8gVPnkzDVyJ_OEz0y_GDgim_SV_WCVoQ_bOL8vpeIynvpfmBtYDou1pK9RMC9c8a0l-Rm4-KNsnftK83AU_ps7LcQMrdi4RmWqWB2_NxkzsW2p2FxOhzVjGe2d8BrnHNX0/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eo9pwWWCi8gVPnkzDVyJ_OEz0y_GDgim_SV_WCVoQ_bOL8vpeIynvpfmBtYDou1pK9RMC9c8a0l-Rm4-KNsnftK83AU_ps7LcQMrdi4RmWqWB2_NxkzsW2p2FxOhzVjGe2d8BrnHNX0/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3: Mean ΔM-Carn in m. gastrocnemius (Gastr) and m. tibialis anterior (TA) following 14 BA supplementation at different dosages. Data from Stellingwerff et al. as published in (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00726-018-2646-z" target="_blank">Spelnikov 2019</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The model also indicates that MCarn increase in response to BA supplementation is non-linear, and that the greatest increases occur in the earlier stages of supplementation. In that, it is important to consider, as Spelnikov & Harris do in their model, both, <i>synthesis <u>and</u> decay</i> of muscle carnosine. In their model, tissue saturation represents the point at which the rates of synthesis match decay, and so content remains constant despite continued supplementation.<br />
<br />
<b>The exact point, and nature, of this 'saturation point' is not currently known. </b><br />
<br />
Moreover, the possibility of tissue/muscle-specific saturation points complicates things even further; and, eventually, it's <i>not even clear that further increases in carnosine level are actually associated with measurable performance and/or health benefits</i> - despite the fact that "[t]heoretically, the greater the increase in MCarn content, the greater its ability to buffer, and to contribute to other processes such as anti-oxidation and anti-glycation" (<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00913" target="_blank">Rezende 2020</a>). Logical, but not fully supported by science, as Rezende et al. point out:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"But evidence on [the more carnosine = more performance] hypothesis is conflicting. Two individual studies reported that larger MCarn increases were associated with greater performance effects, but this assertion is not supported by meta-analytic data, which indicates that the total dose ingested does not influence its effect on exercise performance" (<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00913" target="_blank">Rezende 2020</a>). </blockquote>
That we don't know if we're chasing <u>elusive</u> and <u>useless increases in carnosine levels</u> is yet by no means the only important research gap Rezende et al. found ...<br />
<ul><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: 3px -20px 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_VikRMetR94Nb3krkJpYBKKIjVNQQ2qPBs3dN21FGmwUcnNU5EfflGLRpAGu4es12EKYwdGRMYtcBlxCrvTLuINpnAU7mTEK4dLRMJz-LGZc3-e-QEiMAcmS_uLSqO0yLtyTJgBRpOg/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_VikRMetR94Nb3krkJpYBKKIjVNQQ2qPBs3dN21FGmwUcnNU5EfflGLRpAGu4es12EKYwdGRMYtcBlxCrvTLuINpnAU7mTEK4dLRMJz-LGZc3-e-QEiMAcmS_uLSqO0yLtyTJgBRpOg/s360/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reductions in muscle and especially serum taurine have indeed also been observed in humans, but the fact that they do not occur in lower dose studies and cannot be observed consistently in studies using higher dosages (6g) suggests that they shouldn't be a problem for the average BA user | <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2019/05/beta-alanine-widely-used-but-hardly.html" target="_blank">more</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li>we don't know threshold values or ranges at/in which performance benefits occur;</li>
<li>the effect of supplementation strategies such as meal co-ingestion, intake in proximity to training or intake in slow-release capsules is not fully understood (check out the previous infobox containing <i>Figure 1</i> for some pointers;</li>
<li>safety and advocacy are still a problem; not the least because we still don't understand (a) what the 'BA tingles' are, and (b) whether the "paresthesia" (i.e. the "tingling") is in fact as harmless for the CNS as researchers have come to believe; moreover, (c) taurine depletion can become an issue at higher dosages (animal studies using much more BA than those max 3x1.5g/d commonly used in human studies suggest just that);</li>
<li>that the co-administration of histidine is beneficial, maybe even necessary has only been refuted for limited time low(er) dose supplementation.</li>
</ul>
Accordingly, future studies should quantify the carnosine loss at rest and during exercise (individual data from the meta-analysis at hand suggests approximately 4 mmol/kgal cross a 4-week period).<br />
<br />
We also need future studies that assess the influence of age and provide the hitherto insufficient data in older groups, and generate data for younger (teen or earlier) groups... and while we are at it: It would obviously be nice to get to understand why women have generally lower carnosine concentrations than men and what that means for the benefits they can expect to see.<br />
<br />
Until we have data to support the extrapolations from Rezende's meta-analysis, it is unwarranted to recommend taking more than 6g/d of beta-alanine ... ideally in 3-4 smaller servings. Still, the fact that saturation is not as easily achieved as is the case for e.g. creatine is something worth remembering.<br />
<div class="bottomLineDark">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: 1px 0 0 1em!important; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/54/15/925/F1.large.jpg?width=800&height=600&carousel=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONd5lTTbaYf3wPl7kA9VjEigj9i7ECYXQHetmknij8Cxok788dhiBrFupip7to_nNImAjCuYcDAn1rHK7nlxDcrg0ubJEGTmJrFopxvKUMLzgTM1jQANepee0FRzFH_BXEN_x3-ILnbU/s220/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Adam Virgil's illustration of another recent meta-analysis focusing more on the question(s): "What can you expect of beta-alanine | <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/54/15/925/F1.large.jpg?width=800&height=600&carousel=1">check it out in BMJ</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>What else is going in the buffered world of beta-alanine? </b>Now that we are about to delve into a SuppVersity-ish look on what else has been going on in beta-alanine research.<br />
<br />
Let me remind you, though, one thing you shouldn't forget is that beta-alanine clearly isn't (and will not be at higher dosages) the TOP ergogenic supplement producers want you to believe. It's probably better than BCAAs but, as the name implies, a 'supplement' - not a must-have! 🤔<br />
<br />
For beta-alanine as a supplement there's almost no other research to freak out about in 2020, yet: <a href="http://anaerobic%20exercise%20performance%20in%20collegiate%20rugby%20athletes/" target="_blank">Smith et al.</a> found <i>no effect of BA on anaerobic exercise performance in collegiate rugby athletes</i>. And the only effect <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32138563/" target="_blank">Varanoske et al. </a>observed in their high-dose (12g/day), short-duration BA supplementation before intense military training was the onset of negative mood states in healthy, recreationally-active males - the beneficial effects on cognitive function or circulating BDNF the authors expected did not occur, though... worth mentioning: with a daily dose of 12g/d the last-mentioned study should remind you of being skeptical about "more helps more" - although, yes... could be the short duration 🙄 | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/3402983506400442" target="_blank">Comment</a>!</div>
</div>
<div>
References:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>de Salles Painelli, Vitor, et al. "HIIT augments muscle carnosine in the absence of dietary beta-alanine intake." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2018).</li>
<li>Décombaz, Jacques, et al. "Effect of slow-release β-alanine tablets on absorption kinetics and paresthesia." Amino acids 43.1 (2012): 67-76.</li>
<li>Gonçalves, Lívia de Souza, et al. "Insulin does not stimulate β-alanine transport into human skeletal muscle." American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology 318.4 (2020): C777-C786.</li>
<li>Hobson, Ruth M., et al. "Effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysis." Amino acids 43.1 (2012): 25-37.</li>
<li>Perim, Pedro, et al. "Can the skeletal muscle carnosine response to beta-alanine supplementation be optimised?." Frontiers in Nutrition 6 (2019): 135.</li>
<li>Rezende, Nathália S., et al. "The muscle carnosine response to beta-alanine supplementation: a systematic review with bayesian individual and aggregate data e-max model and meta-analysis." Frontiers in physiology (2020).</li>
<li>Saunders, Bryan, et al. "Infographic. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of β-alanine supplementation on exercise capacity and performance." British Journal of Sports Medicine (2019): bjsports-2019.</li>
<li>Spelnikov, Dmitry, and Roger Charles Harris. "A kinetic model of carnosine synthesis in human skeletal muscle." Amino Acids 51.1 (2019): 115-121.</li>
<li>Stegen, Sanne, et al. "Meal and beta-alanine coingestion enhances muscle carnosine loading." Med Sci Sports Exerc 45.8 (2013): 1478-85.</li>
<li>Varanoske, Alyssa N., et al. "Comparison of sustained-release and rapid-release β-alanine formulations on changes in skeletal muscle carnosine and histidine content and isometric performance following a muscle-damaging protocol." Amino Acids 51.1 (2019): 49-60.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-11350194069420778902020-06-15T13:02:00.005+02:002020-06-15T13:36:43.723+02:00Alkalizing Accelerates Fat Loss: Multimineral Supplement Boosts Fat Loss & Performance in Intermittent Fasters<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -2px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: right; width:200px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpO7N9hr8HS6yXe64CB9Ad_KvUH3NlJ8rUyhyphenhyphenegB-qqQFEHETvKw60RGChVYc6jHZofyCP7oMDaEOMpMZkJ8JWI4OdN6ZQ9JxzWqvhz4-oCMvCrnJhDDRcYq0RW3tF_T2IExc9mFWZpg/s1812/alkalizing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="1812" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpO7N9hr8HS6yXe64CB9Ad_KvUH3NlJ8rUyhyphenhyphenegB-qqQFEHETvKw60RGChVYc6jHZofyCP7oMDaEOMpMZkJ8JWI4OdN6ZQ9JxzWqvhz4-oCMvCrnJhDDRcYq0RW3tF_T2IExc9mFWZpg/s320/alkalizing.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Works, ... whether that's solely due to pH modulation is not clear. So we don't know if simply using bicarbonate as an alkalizer will do the same<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Let's get this straight, right away. While the authors ascribe the body weight and performance benefits they observed in their latest study solely to the pH modulating effects of their multimineral supplement, it's by no means clear that the minerals themselves do not at least contribute the effect. But before we get into the nitty-gritty of the discussion, let's first see how the mixed-sex population in the study at hand boosted their weight loss and training efforts ...<br /><br /><div>
The RCT was conducted by German scientists from the <i>Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg</i> (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/10/5/74/htm" target="_blank">Hottenrott 2020</a>). Hottenrott et al. recruited their subjects, a total of 80 healthy (40 females), normal-to-overweight subjects who were aged 20–60 years, and had been physically slightly active before the onset of the trial (1–2 h exercise/week).<br /><div class="bottomLineDark" style="height: 150px; padding-right: 20px;">
<div>
<b>Mineral <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/water" target="_blank">water</a> will contain some of the minerals in this supplement, too:</b></div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/10/hydrogen-rich-h-water-helps-athletes.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE45TLT7H6FLurq9-m3FFW6fC99na8WuM_xcVdkHvPPalyKmoV6IJTLfTJuIa8qMqMJXU1LRwBxokSQN_96YongfDcHI-FgWh8kAuKPxqiyXwthNMAOEK3KApxBzEhwV1H2KeI0Q5mfIo/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Hydrogen Rich Water = Quackery?</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/09/water-before-meals-doubles-weight-loss.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGRS1Fvxa_xsxq2ut6nUbZaC3_X0ouqtcKyQ1Cu8XzMNeaxAtdo36ngl25RTCu8CY0b1qZ5XfmgP_0jdq2IxBoCsRn6rD5OfJ-CX4PXoOcAtkQHzBG-hKCwzncgj-QY0yDNb6xfMNq1E/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Glass of Water Before Meals as Diet Tool</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/07/every-sip-of-plain-water-reduces-your.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsppsaU-Qbodbc3MA59sa78nAnHb3GangqMx3o0CCl2_rUGcnrLjuOKBU5BU3qTSRkqSuEn_kSHGTLKSSwPJX1LTYx0XbXjIJDVkeqEDksIoalbmo1x55TiRwbuI9i7K1lqZu3-CSOlkc/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Every Sip of Water Cuts 'ur T2DM Risk</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/10/skipping-breakfast-decreases-energy.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs18_hlD5nPbFkGmOlzxpMoMe6fPJWQ_1NDnSkA18t-cuoIRZLtQZCo7Nt36tC6z-fXzVuQjISsOaabsnsSfTOEuVCgHz9EdxFwcBvlmqYK7SB9ZjEPrcAmEaAuxAiU4kj0KNytv4Hi0E/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Chilled Water Also Serves as a Nootropic + More</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/07/weight-loss-myth-confirmed-drinking-15l.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHvNZXL5uGUB79pyx3ko_v8D_-1jzmMLgHpzPkEUdB-te6oL5NvaBQyv2R5FyuU-frrxkdOEnbSoQjrhZ_URueC1Vo574ee5LyeaVnrGSw3JJaXmxGM03WUoKey84cf5OWXpGNqm58QU/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
2.5 lbs/8wks of Weight Lost W/ Plain Water</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 0px;">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/07/deep-mineral-water-maximizes-recovery.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7rtYqKL6vranjJ3inFHwFkTDV7yRHcDQ-ycZdg1T8Lp_On9IGCZi4Uq3eSuVNwXQ3c6bP61eu1xRJ2Eh-nhxiegrIiyW7Zupgl4t5L3ZyrItnQE1dZOfMq2puaqTgJPMO8gCpasGXAw/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Mineral Water Supercharges 'ur Performance?!</div>
</div>
The subjects, 40 men and 40 women were randomly assigned to two groups. One intermittent fasting and one non-fasting group. Within the group a second randomization process yielded another two subgroups of subjects who received either...<br />
<ul>
<li>an alkaline supplement (IF-v, nIF-v) or </li>
<li>a placebo (IF-p, nIF-p)</li>
</ul>
Said "alkaline mineral supplement" is a standard product from German drugstores: <i>Basica Direkt® </i>(contains<i> </i>and all subjects had to consume one serving (comes in sachets) in the AM and another one in the PM, with the placebo being an equally-looking and -tasting placebo (ingredients: citric acid, sorbitol, lemon flavor, and calcium stearate).<br />
<br />
<b>"One stick of Basica Direkt® contains 120 mg calcium, 200 mg magnesium, 2.5 mg zinc, 25 µg molybdenum, 20 µg chromium, 15 µg selenium" (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/10/5/74/htm" target="_blank">Hottenrott 2020</a>).</b><br />
<br />All subjects had to participate in an <u>obligatory individualized exercise program</u> for a total of 12 weeks during which the scientists didn't just monitor their subjects' body weight, but also (and more importantly), their body composition, running performance, dietary intake, and acid-base balance.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"All participants performed a personalized endurance training based on heart rate determined by an incremental lactate threshold field-test before the start of the 12-week program (incline in running velocity of 1.5 km/h every 800 m until exhaustion starting at an initial speed of 6 km/h for women and 7 km/h for men) Following the test results, subjects received training plans based on performance status and individual heart rate training zones. The 12-week exercise program consisted of 30–60 min running and 20 min of strength training 3 to 4 times a week. Additionally, all participants completed a walking program up to 2 h every weekend. The training was done individually and training plan adherence was monitored by protocol" (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/10/5/74/htm" target="_blank">Hottenrott 2020</a>).</blockquote>
<div>
Doesn't sound like much of a weight-loss trial, yet? You're right. That's because I still owe you the information about the <u>dietary protocol</u> the 80 subjects were subjected to: </div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>dietary intake of all subjects was monitored with standardized protocols for 7 days</li>
<li>at the start of intervention, to <u>adjust</u> to the fasting program, IF-participants started with half-day fasting (800/1200 kcal per day, women/men) <i>three times a week for the first three weeks</i></li>
<li>after the initial adjusting period, the following IF program included </li>
<li><i>two fasting days weekly with a daily caloric intake of 400 kcal for female and 600 kcal for male participants </i>and 5 days of ‘normal’ caloric consumptions (covering the individual demand)</li>
<li>diet plans for <i>fasting (half-)days </i>were provided; both, nIF and IF participants, received advice about a balanced diet in a <i>two-hour seminar</i> and a guidebook.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
The diet itself was a classic "sports nutrition" = <i>low fat, high carb diet </i>containing 50–60% carbohydrates, 25–30% fat, and 15–20% protein. All participants received recommendations on their individual daily caloric intake based on their basal metabolic rate and their activity level... </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>...and the results were quite impressive - with and without alkaline supplementation</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
As you can see in <i>Figure 1</i>, the (rather easily) achieved deficit led to a significant reduction in body weight (not shown) and, more importantly, in <i>body fat.</i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2smSnA6xpQ2conE0qftY6KFpp7sKgM6QYA7Y0ER1VOEwtIBBspmO18naK_7hUIBkzKAZWVOWsT2JlX75rZQR6w8o24DpUkG6FWH26-WsCi0x8ZoCPtHFg_e1KKUXEWItUF65PD7yaqkg/s1600/a.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2smSnA6xpQ2conE0qftY6KFpp7sKgM6QYA7Y0ER1VOEwtIBBspmO18naK_7hUIBkzKAZWVOWsT2JlX75rZQR6w8o24DpUkG6FWH26-WsCi0x8ZoCPtHFg_e1KKUXEWItUF65PD7yaqkg/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: The plot of the body fat loss (kg) tells you two things: (A) Intermittent fasting allows for significantly greater fat loss and (B) combining IF with a multi-mineral alkalizing supplement boosts its effects (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/10/5/74/htm" target="_blank">Hottenrott 2020</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
You will probably already have noticed that "fasting" was generally superior to the non-fasting control regimen and IF led to significantly higher fat mass loss than nIF (IF-p: −3.59 ± 0.45 kg and nIF-p: −2.63 ± 0.30 kg, p = 0.044). Now, that alone is awesome, 'cause it seems to support anecdotal evidence from all over the internet. Anecdotal evidence that's still not been convincingly confirmed in non-obese, physically active subjects, yet. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>To be more precise, the authors found "a <u>significant effect of the supplement</u> on body fat loss in IF only (IF-v: −5.12 ± 0.62 kg and IF-p: −3.59 ± 0.45 kg; p = 0.028)" (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/10/5/74/htm" target="_blank">Hottenrott 2020</a>). </b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>The changes in body fat came hand in hand with two other health- and performance-relevant improvements Hottenrott et al. ascribe to the alkalizing multi-mineral supplement - just as the authors had speculated when they planning their trial to check if "[a]lkaline supplementation may circumvent fasting-induced acidosis, leading to enhanced weight loss and improved performance" (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/10/5/74/htm" target="_blank">Hottenrott 2020</a>).<br />
<br />
<b>Wait: That's too good to be true, isn't it?</b><br />
<br />
The above is a valid question. In fact, as a healthy skeptic, you should be asking questions such as: <i>Did the authors work for the supplement producer? Was the study sponsored by Protina Pharmazeutische GmbH, Ismaning, Germany? And, most importantly: Wheres' my sodium bicarbonate?</i> The answers are simple: No, no, and... I don't know. So, what I know is that...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[...]he authors declare there are no conflict of interests that would influence the quality or outcome of our research. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results" (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/10/5/74/htm" target="_blank">Hottenrott 2020</a>).</blockquote>
<div>
That doesn't change that there was a funder and that this funder happened to be, you guessed it, the <i>Protina Pharmazeutische GmbH</i> that produces the <i>BASICA</i> powder. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfruDw1PzTJSxgkUmYAeq6vP9vLbOwhypIvEfcQPZVY7XRxlsBpz6cqVfgitk5WbPm4EIGbHFwoT_PmAelpFKuCa60imtCpBv-66axa_VoUJGhf-1wB4A6v1PawKk90qih8iMfk2FDKk/s1600/a.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="1190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfruDw1PzTJSxgkUmYAeq6vP9vLbOwhypIvEfcQPZVY7XRxlsBpz6cqVfgitk5WbPm4EIGbHFwoT_PmAelpFKuCa60imtCpBv-66axa_VoUJGhf-1wB4A6v1PawKk90qih8iMfk2FDKk/s280/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure *: In <a href="http://completed%20a%2035-day%20controlled%20feeding%20study%2C%20with%20a%207-day%20weight-maintenance%20phase%20followed%20by%20a%2028-day%2030%25%20energy-restriction%20phase/" target="_blank">Margolis 2018</a> the alkalizing effects of potassium bicarbonate KHCO3 (filled circles) saved the dieting guys net protein balance from declining into the negative as it did in the placebo condition (open boxes).</td></tr>
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<b>No quackery, bro!</b> People way too often discard studies that even mention the word "alkalization" as quackery. The evidence that even the mild (but chronic) changes in pH management our bodies experience in response to certain dietary compounds and/or behavior (bed-rest, exercise, etc.) is yet very real: The alkalizing effects of <i>potassium bicarbonate</i>,<i> </i>for example, have been observed to significantly increase the total glutathione concentrations of young, male volunteers who were investigated at the end of two 21-day bed rest periods, one with, and the other without, daily potassium bicarbonate supplementation (90 mmol × d−1)... <br />
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oh, and did I mention that "[a]fter alkalinization, <i>net protein balance </i>in the postabsorptive state <i>improved significantly </i>by 17 ± 5% (p < 0.05)" (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0261561418301365" target="_blank">Biolo 201</a>9) ... oh, and I should add that the alkalization also increased the sum of n-3 PUFA and the n-3-to-n-6 PUFA ratio in erythrocyte membranes, no?<br />
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If you've been following the SuppVersity news for some time, this may not come as a total surprise. After all, alkalization regimens have already been shown to be particularly useful in phases with increased (tissue) protein breakdown, such as the previously cited bed-rest study or a much older study, in which scientists conserved much more of the deficiency level of protein they fed ten healthy obese females during a VERY low energy weight loss intervention (412 kcal, all protein! | <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0026049589901637" target="_blank">Gougeon-Reyburn 1989</a>). Needless to say that lean mass conservation is a good thing for anyone trying to lose fat... not muscle or bone, and it seems to work even in those at greatest risk - older people: In <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/5/624" target="_blank">Margolis 2018 study</a> those happened to be men, but it can be expected that similar effects of alkalizing potassium bicarbonate as you see them in Figure * could be observed in women at a 28-day 30% energy deficit, too.</div>
<div>So, while we know that the sponsors of the study, who allegedly didn't influence design and/or results + interpretation, had a vested financial interest in proving the efficacy of their product, it is not clear why they mixed 120 mg calcium, 200 mg magnesium, 2.5 mg zinc, 25 µg molybdenum, 20 µg chromium, 15 µg selenium to "supply more alkaline minerals", counter the metabolic impairments and reduced lipolysis when your pH level declines to the low(er) part of the 'normal range' where a suboptimal pH poses a bottleneck to ketosis and fatty acid oxidation (<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0081692" target="_blank">Miller 2013</a>; <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJM199809173391207" target="_blank">Hood 1998</a>). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJPyI7TPPxil9Jdc2ECC2Cf0BGgMPsYQ-UblMYSIsDsLl5SX7E72kcoyMSB0j57SoYv6pmOc_OOzYyiyG8y3fc6cJmSQzFPwFNAyux2pFV0tbjz8hyphenhyphenrn-PJYLACZ_RMebg5Ht70aepAo/s1600/a.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJPyI7TPPxil9Jdc2ECC2Cf0BGgMPsYQ-UblMYSIsDsLl5SX7E72kcoyMSB0j57SoYv6pmOc_OOzYyiyG8y3fc6cJmSQzFPwFNAyux2pFV0tbjz8hyphenhyphenrn-PJYLACZ_RMebg5Ht70aepAo/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2: Alkaline supplementation group (verum) significantly differed in urinary pH from the start to the end of the intervention in nIF only. * p < 0.05. In other words: It mostly compensated fasting-induced pH reduction.</td></tr>
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<div>Now, with the scientists having measured serum HCO3 and urine pH, their data unquestionably supports this 'ph bottleneck'-hypothesis (<i>Figure 2</i>) - at least for those who were fasting on three (later only two) days a week. What's as of now unproven, though is the scientists' conclusion that the "lack of differences in serum concentrations of Mg2+, Ca2+, K+ and Na+ [would indicate that] the effect of the supplement is due to its alkalinity" and not a result of an increase in vital minerals whose serum content will stay within their tightly controlled normal range in response to supplementation, anyway. So, even if the tissue levels of one or all of the minerals improved that wouldn't necessarily have shown on the authors' radar.</div><div class="bottomLineDark"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/01/alkaline-diet-4-9-days-reduce-urinary.html" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfB0vgLllGAu7nNGW4DGvXGy6VdFb3nOgoq_RgJ6ZRA6zdMIXFisM3kb4an8dLX_1YfBntZ9KvN6d2dppwyMk7YceGGhironxRt_wK-fgvQsj_iDjVs032jv8Smt4uZk7fuKRc37IcN6Y/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the <a href="instagram.com/SuppVersity" target="_blank">@SuppVersity</a> archives: "Alkaline Diet - 4-9 Days Suffice to Boost Urinary pH, Boost Time to Exhaustion (21%) + Fat Oxid. During Exercise (10%)" | <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/01/alkaline-diet-4-9-days-reduce-urinary.html" target="_blank">learn more</a>!</td></tr>
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<b>We don't know if its "just pH", "also pH", or "unrelated to pH"!</b> The product <i>"Basica Direkt®" </i>contained <i>sorbitol</i>, as well as the minerals <i>calcium-citrate</i>, <i>potassium-tartrate </i>as an acid regulator, <i>magnesium-citrate</i>, <i>magnesium-oxide</i>, the obligatory calcium salts of dietary fatty acids that are supposed to stop the powder/perls from clumping, and the trace amounts of <i>natrium-molybdate</i>, <i>chromium-chloride</i>, and <i>natrium-selenite </i>(that's the more precise ingredient profile from the <a href="https://www.basica.com/de/Sortiment/Basica-Direkt" target="_blank">producer's website</a>). <br /><br /><b>Any of these supplement ingredients and or their specific combination could have mediated the increase in fat loss magic. By pH modulation? <br /></b><br />Possibly, but it cannot be excluded that downstream effects on diet or physical activity confounded the results. After all, the subjects' diet and exercise regimen were monitored for only three out of eight weeks, which left plenty of room for dietary modification (e.g. increased protein) that could well explain the difference - irrespective of the <i>Basica Direkt®</i> pearls | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/3299358560096271" target="_blank">Comment</a>!</div>
References:<br />
<ul>
<li>Biolo, Gianni, et al. "Alkalinization with potassium bicarbonate improves glutathione status and protein kinetics in young volunteers during 21-day bed rest." Clinical nutrition 38.2 (2019): 652-659.</li>
<li>Hietavala, E. M., et al. "Effect of diet composition on acid–base balance in adolescents, young adults and elderly at rest and during exercise." European journal of clinical nutrition 69.3 (2015): 399-404.</li>
<li>Hood, Virginia L., and Richard L. Tannen. "Protection of acid–base balance by pH regulation of acid production." New England Journal of Medicine 339.12 (1998): 819-826.</li>
<li>Hottenrott, Kuno, et al. "Exercise Training, Intermittent Fasting and Alkaline Supplementation as an Effective Strategy for Body Weight Loss: A 12-Week Placebo-Controlled Double-Blind Intervention with Overweight Subjects." Life 10.5 (2020): 74.</li>
<li>Miller, Clint T., et al. "The effects of exercise training in addition to energy restriction on functional capacities and body composition in obese adults during weight loss: a systematic review." PloS one 8.11 (2013).</li>
</ul>
</div></div>Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-20965081330322991712020-06-06T13:06:00.000+02:002020-06-06T13:06:11.199+02:00Scientists Find Whey to Significantly Boost D3 Absorption: Whey Isolate +50%, Casein(ate!) +25% Vitamin D3 Levels<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -15px 0 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskAvCQEWXc0Z-nZZD-vQOV4pKcLEguAHxlvc_SxqH_oH5j-DSn0723ceFrJCeqDDecBkxK-P2v52oKrlozcDcDuk8hw-_GKZChwwQBT1euGjMffzjadR9YDZhfVUhFcWIhAjFFmxZKuE/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="1224" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskAvCQEWXc0Z-nZZD-vQOV4pKcLEguAHxlvc_SxqH_oH5j-DSn0723ceFrJCeqDDecBkxK-P2v52oKrlozcDcDuk8hw-_GKZChwwQBT1euGjMffzjadR9YDZhfVUhFcWIhAjFFmxZKuE/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's worth peeling the protective layer scientists use to cover up potential methodological holes in practical relevance. </td></tr>
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Studies usually make it to the <i>SuppVersity</i> news if they are educative, informative, or practically relevant. In the case of the latest paper by Emilie Lindahl et al. (<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/02/want-to-home-brew-your-own-15x-more.html" target="_blank">2020</a>), one could - at a surface level - argue that all three criteria apply.<br />
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But hey, this is the <i>SuppVersity</i> so we're going unpeel the surface and look for cancerous growth in the methodology section 🤣...<br />
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<b>Learn more about <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/vitamin%20D">vitamin D</a> at the <i>SuppVersity</i> </b></div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/05/based-on-latest-evidence-who-would.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7IFqKT_Z4Qh8mK_8-1dRa_1ObDdqd0uhrPL_fqs9XMgsWFs7De0iRw14q7JogLRs5-zANKOaYY_ieAYygJJ2VKpsBlGrfx-aBIdzCpoOBHuiKcZVwnYrElPyrZ0slqVLxB3QTyBH9wU/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
How Much Vitamin D Shall You Take?</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2013/12/leucine-insulin-vitamin-d-hypertrophy.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUbV_TfcmI8UcOZgDVB86VRw05mhiV0wabfsgYODbIk4KZHEYVWemvVFb13qP06GwnYwp88MjxatXhacOMK2gW5N8elUBM7Rvjvp7vC39IIjqylcES1qYBKrLqXErQjBifnyNcZdjMcs/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Leucine, Insulin, Vitamin D and Your Gainz</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2013/12/d-finitively-relevant-news-vitamin-d.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUJGrj-wiXzzbZmN3IvmntgbJQuBAavyp3q3uhyphenhyphen-8EEMZumFMOCOcEuxt8-WWJbCwNFHYOAy-IYnHs12lEgva8n6wWd6rrSsoWZV5XZ6x9jxvblcnNs4zNhZVBR26OXQEKJr2zn3QNyw/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Vitamin D Speeds Up Exercise Recovery</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/06/preformed-vitamin-d-one-serving-of-fish.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCHIIpoTVMEZRPrlHwnGNFz0E8-ETorqSlEVoPVB4C2m_ssMNiuB0lViF5B6ymyDMIxCOCaUAsqZq3o5Eow4O7fWR70aCcYamORUXrU3eDTjHmuIZNGSM5UCDX-jvHIgZUfXhFvr_qwA/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
One Svg of Fish or Eggs Satisfy Your Needs?</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2013/07/vitamin-d-for-athletes-20000-40000iu.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNNvqz9ln9RDvpgnObSGoTvj3lPQFGGSrkvnNfl0R5LhBpBhgIR80c5_FO7t2TQx2uSgkaZFT0mHHbxvoSdYbedvzmR2rVLurSxZCRazlfXCrDF9nUVBN-Btd528LZkkSGDQcaCnp9YU/s80/a.jpg" /></a><br />
Vitamin D an Essential Supp For Athletes?</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/12/2909-iu-of-vitamin-d3-per-day-thats.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCZ4hmjrg_ihZXmccH5eWE5iscD7_5qkmYUsrA_bgb3I-OcAAcPIkqFeoz5T0w7IRswxhQVAjmJ5pc9kT7j3nPHiaI49J-6e5tNexDbpVjUYb_7r9Ke_V0WE3ECz65m7-HujC3lbqYVA/s200/a.png" /></a><br />
New Dosing Suggestions for Mr./Mrs. Average</div>
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In their study, the scientists from the "Department of Food Science" at the <i>Aarhus University </i>investigated the effect of "complexation" of vitamin D3 and either whey or casein (#caseinate) protein on the bioavailability of the <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/vitamin%20D3" target="_blank">sunshine vitamin</a>.<br />
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For some time, researchers have known that milk proteins have the astounding ability to <u>self-assemble</u> and form complexes with otherwise poorly soluble compounds (see my previous article about <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/02/want-to-home-brew-your-own-15x-more.html" target="_blank">buttermilk + curcumin fermentation</a>). This makes whey, casein, and natural mixe of both particularly interesting as 'nutrient delivery shuttles' - shuttles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP43E_S0Rd8ZePmNJfjBeoDQnlUYvFQTysS4aAXBGVZK2xldpcfiykOiEa9lVn8p4Dy6C9ORRrDCCiksZDBjcgyGjrVz6Jw3C2vtxZk1OxwuWmgcgUUMpUbCAE4LuSL1-3MU9h4lSN7_0/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP43E_S0Rd8ZePmNJfjBeoDQnlUYvFQTysS4aAXBGVZK2xldpcfiykOiEa9lVn8p4Dy6C9ORRrDCCiksZDBjcgyGjrVz6Jw3C2vtxZk1OxwuWmgcgUUMpUbCAE4LuSL1-3MU9h4lSN7_0/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Area under curve (AUC) for vitamin D3 (left) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (right); 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin (not shown) reacted similarly to 25-OHD levels - long-term effect unknown, though.</td></tr>
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In that, the Danish researchers are not the first to suspect that these proteins or specific peptides n them could "have a potential for improving stability and bioaccessibility of vitamin D." And indeed, Lindahl et al. point out that Abbasi et al. as early as in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24054255/" target="_blank">2014</a> that encapsulation with whey protein isolate increased the stability of vitamin D3 during storage (<a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2020/fo/d0fo01062f" target="_blank">Lindahl 2020</a>) - Would it do the same during the transit through your gastrointestinal tract?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/12/magnesium-could-be-in-charge-of-your.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEw_qXlsI7OQ_JBW3CjKjQeq0eF-mZDSw7FIScfnzN03JiPwJ91NrCTnbWJ8v-S8JmGa_LGb_iUT1mEloZsc09xDCm0ZuQ4BwT1QiY43ZI83oyrgYjE9d-s5vmaHbPusX7UZT-ioVCiE/s380/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D3 and Mg Supplements not mandatory w/ sun + balanced diet</td></tr>
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<b>Also, don't forget your magnesium! </b>As you've learned from this <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/12/magnesium-could-be-in-charge-of-your.html" target="_blank">2018 news article</a> here at the <i>SuppVersity</i> the macro-mineral that's in short supply on the standard American diet, is a prerequisite for optimal 25OHD management - bi-directionally, i.e. it will normalize both, high and low 25OHD levels (<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/12/magnesium-could-be-in-charge-of-your.html" target="_blank">learn more</a>)!</div>
Well, to be honest, the word 'your' in 'your gastrointestinal tract' is not exactly accurate. After all, the study was done in Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 78) who were administered 840 IU vitamin D3 (that's 1.3x the amount they get from chow | <i>in humans we may be talking about 1,100IU/d</i>) dissolved in ethanol and either (i) complexed with whey protein isolate (protein : vitamin ration 2 : 1), (ii) complexed with caseinate (protein : vitamin ration 2 : 1), or (iii) provided in a water solution. The scientists analyzed the animals' blood for the concentration of vitamin D3, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 before and 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 hours after administration of vitamin D3.<br />
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<b>"Significant effects of complexation on serum concentrations of vitamin D3, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 were demonstrated," the abstract highlights.</b><br />
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When the two treatments were compared, "the complexation with whey protein isolate resulted in the fastest and highest absorption of vitamin D3 while an effect of complexation with caseinate was evident but more modest and non-significant" (<a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2020/fo/d0fo01062f" target="_blank">Lindahl 2020</a>).<br />
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The authors propose that the reason is an improvement of vitamin D3s solubility after complexion with whey protein, with the resulting molecule being protected against degradation in the acidic environment in the stomach. In view of casein's tendency to aggregate (not solve/dilute) in the acidic environment of the stomach, this hypothesis may also explain why the micellar casein Considering the properties of whey protein and caseinate, where whey protein exerts high solubility in the gastrointestinal tract while casein can be expected to aggregate in the stomach, the present data indicate that solubility in the gastrointestinal tract is of utmost importance for bioaccessibility of vitamin D3... in theory, 'cause the aggregation effect is significantly reduced for sodium caseinate (vs. micellar caseinate) as it was used in the study at hand and is often found in cheap(er) protein powders. This leaves room not just for alternative explanations (e.g. certain peptides that are whey-specific may do the trick) and warrants testing if the micelle-structure of <i>real</i> casein doesn't provide additional benefits that couldn't be observed with the sodium caseinate in the study at hand.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/02/want-to-home-brew-your-own-15x-more.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfgtj0NXeKBdM6Cld-pZNoj5hjdgBJ1UigbZ_tEQEODkwX5jxJScD_TISXZPFo3xzgRb-N4I3PXxPm-b9bZdLn82pXBamVE9OmVoLVmQtXTFBecowU_RUjf-gOW2rVx7rAMKILjO-heE/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You will probably remember that there's another, much less bioavailable supplement the bioavailability of which can be boosted by <u>factor x15</u>(!); it's curcumin ... <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/02/want-to-home-brew-your-own-15x-more.html" target="_blank">in buttermilk w/fermentation</a> and I covered the <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/02/want-to-home-brew-your-own-15x-more.html" target="_blank">corresponding study</a> in February 2016.</td></tr>
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<b>That' sounds too good to be true?</b> Well, it could be... it is, after all, not clear, if simply washing down your vitamin D3 with a whey protein shake leaves enough time, room, temperature, and kinetic energy the D3+whey complexes need to self-assemble. In the study, this was achieved by putting the vitamin D3 into centrifuge tubes, where whey/caseinate complexes "were prepared by dissolving Lacprodan DI-922A and MIPRODAN 30 <i>Sodium Caseinate </i>(Arla Foods Ingredients, Viby J, Denmark), respectively, in 55 mg/mL H2O" (<a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2020/fo/d0fo01062f#" target="_blank">Lindahl 2020</a>). So, while there were no additional chemicals, it's still questionable, whether a jog or other activity that's shaking your tummy thoroughly is going to have the same or at least similar effects as the centrifuge had on the 2 : 1 milk protein : vitamin D mix that eventually had a vitamin D3 concentration of 30 μg/mL 🤔<br />
<br />
In addition, it cannot be excluded that the stomach acid will (negatively) affect the process the result of which is supposed to protect the D3 from this very acid. Hence, it would make more sense to use the poor man's centrifuge - a mixer - before washing down the shake, to ensure that the way you prepare your D3+Whey complex is as "efficient" a strategy "to enhance bioaccessibility of vitamin D3" (<a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2020/fo/d0fo01062f#" target="_blank">Lindahl 2020</a>) as the provision of pre-complexed vitamin D3 + whey 'supplements'... and, needless to say: you could always simply take more D3 to achieve a D3 boost | <a href="http://facebook.com/SuppVersity" target="_blank">Comment!</a></div>
References:<br />
<ul>
<li>Abbasi, Azam, et al. "Stability of vitamin D3 encapsulated in nanoparticles of whey protein isolate." Food chemistry 143 (2014): 379-383.</li>
<li>Lindahl, Emilie I., et al. "Milk protein complexation enhances post prandial vitamin D3 absorption in rats." Food & Function (2020).</li>
</ul>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-15992600986748153592020-04-21T05:11:00.000+02:002020-04-21T05:58:23.567+02:00Quick Take: Only 25% Putatively Anabolic Laxogenin Supps Contain Measurable Amounts of the Alleged Muscle Builder<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -8px 0 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVXo9ngJyh-fE_bdAlMX3nKN2Z6hqx9wFSCtXaA_EzVJs-NJ6SSXw6mD2SoMsNgckf2C6HDMf0EZZe5QcS6YtsLWuLbyXj0X2nnlEKAyVaJNWfqwe4-jQNWXoWVHkaI8MxCROeP2u2QM/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVXo9ngJyh-fE_bdAlMX3nKN2Z6hqx9wFSCtXaA_EzVJs-NJ6SSXw6mD2SoMsNgckf2C6HDMf0EZZe5QcS6YtsLWuLbyXj0X2nnlEKAyVaJNWfqwe4-jQNWXoWVHkaI8MxCROeP2u2QM/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You may find this supplement albeit with a less honest label at your favorite 'hardcore'-supplement store.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You will have seen them pop up (and already begin to disappear again) in almost every supplement store that considers itself 'hardcore' but 'natural': <i>laxogenin</i> supplements. By their producers and the shops that sell them corresponding products are marketed as an agent that "can help you add muscle and shed fat", that is "not classified as a prohormone", that "doesn’t need to be cycled" and that "delivers results" and targeted at natural bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts.<br />
<div class="bottomLineDark" style="height: 155px; padding-right: 20px;">
<b>Read more about studies involving <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/TRT" target="_blank">TRT/HRT & co</a> on suppversity.com:</b><br />
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/06/trt-how-healthy-lean-and-muscular-will.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AZePERhMfLDYj1c7TBgTCYlBCdiDngrssuPQoNZs9vksuSjf97n5HP8wdHkr9x2q7ASCoexAISGXP7C1g6GDGJqYaHpueSpM-zFAFhhPJwgOp-WJUtc_Dm8X8U26wgjCRD3FLJTPLP4/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
What to expect from normalizing Testosterone</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/09/testosterone-gel-augments-increases-in.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_oBFvwCnCTMnNQkm53LDvAlbufoH-Xer74rghHCoMtewPE351I-EDOcGK4u02r9MyC7DxpNTyVvJdJUDFVrTo1PtUiRH9SyHyGPk7v2YyawhXT19r01ixUklmf_steTaGh2fG45vHbA/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Testosterone Gel Augments 'ur Gainz</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/12/hormonal-response-to-exercise-revisited.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTESoQyAFHbt_x_zf26421ItDI6_REXwZCJ3-nrrev2ZBpAUOOUqPn4uFxEWXL7U7OgAA6nju5xKsBLZHe4EFghnD-30MFyU3-7Gz18p4653smyBCvN_Nu-GFTTj-bTeoNmtCMJGiL-fQ/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
PWO T-Increases Don't Determine Your Gainz</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2012/01/intermittent-thoughts-on-building_29.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBo7a5NYOM5nLhRvfe07TVXRWCy3Vq1DrUpEy3V-uV9L-2k9QrKwCvhyphenhyphenz7iPcIn8VPF8QXvgVoDkiGxC2VkV6107UoVWQb79t3zrucwhPucNlU9mAvEe2nQshoYage6VktCvar_bVNW8/s80/hypertrophy.png" /></a><br />
The Hormonal + Other Underpin-nings of Gainz</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/06/tribulus-boosts-testosterone-12-igf-1.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQr0xm0Pfx3W8yNHsE3mhWYteQZSgkkySnoXswEMjkb5j70ukpjsz1B2wNTiG84abbRj7mSJR_GXIHhqD_inp89dBecLdpmGCkaan5ijEnoBPRJKgQMw4rFqkpRwN728q1P4BnrSWo7eQ/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Impressive 12% T-Boost (+20% IGF1) W/ Tribulus</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 0;">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-effect-of-testosterone-with-and.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuqGUDNz8Mvxx87SWh9kYv4lKAG5SKI720af3GKy9g3mGgPWmlwygmlSKusYPS0ukbAtIUpcJTKHYePMemUSGGJ-aezDMV1XfplF95YGDAvKr68XtzW8qTU19Eo1ka4ZUkgGJ8htD12U/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
T +/- Exercise to Rejuvenate Old Muscle?!</div>
</div>
Sounds too good to be true? Well, at least one of the claims is no longer 100% valid, since it has recently been listed among the "Dietary Supplement <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplement-products-ingredients/dietary-supplement-ingredient-advisory-list" target="_blank">Ingredient Advisory List" of the FDA</a>. As the FDA-website informs you, this list provides an overview of "[t]he ingredients listed below do not appear to be lawful ingredients in dietary supplements" (<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplement-products-ingredients/dietary-supplement-ingredient-advisory-list" target="_blank">FDA</a>). This is <u>not a ban,</u> yet(?), but, as of October last year, the FDA has officially been advising retailers, manufacturers, and other businesses to "avoid selling, making, or distributing dietary supplements" and consumers "to avoid purchasing or consuming dietary supplements" (<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplement-products-ingredients/dietary-supplement-ingredient-advisory-list" target="_blank">FDA</a>) that <u>supposedly</u> contain "laxogenin".<br />
<br />
<b>"Supposedly contain"? What does that mean?</b><br />
<br />
As the headline already says, the FDA's implicit assumption that consumers could rely on their laxogenin-based muscle booster to actually contain relevant (or even measurable) amounts of 5-alpha-hydroxy-laxogenin, is hilariously optimistic. After all, the analytical study discussed in this <i>SuppVersity article</i>, shows that your chances of actually getting some of this questionable stuff in a given product is 1 out of 4. Accordingly, it seems more than appropriate to use the attribute "supposedly" in the subheading of this part of the article about 'laxogenin' or, which is, by the way, 5-alpha-hydroxy-laxogenin a plant steroid that is usually produced synthetically ('natural anabolic'? As if!).<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuN4GHz436H75a4zRr5FjFD2IwXdaUcDDYlrV0WW27ZHopT7Xa5Gx2_2nm-Jmw9sLVOXZZiECyLOjnTmKHApsyA7Z4rXpACHDHz-NJgvIl68_jGkJBdukDrHtLD_1HPhw1oJc_lf-yO3g/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuN4GHz436H75a4zRr5FjFD2IwXdaUcDDYlrV0WW27ZHopT7Xa5Gx2_2nm-Jmw9sLVOXZZiECyLOjnTmKHApsyA7Z4rXpACHDHz-NJgvIl68_jGkJBdukDrHtLD_1HPhw1oJc_lf-yO3g/s300/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 1: Label information and actual contents of the 4 out of 6 NIH-listed dietary supplements (the other 2 couldn't be acquired) claiming to contain 5-alpha-hydroxy-laxogenin (<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2764399" target="_blank">Cohen 2020</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In their study, the results of which have recently been published as <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2764399" target="_blank">research letter</a> in the "Public Health" section of <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/currentissue" target="_blank">JAMA</a>, Cohen et al. (<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2764399" target="_blank">2020</a>) "analyzed the actual contents of supplements categorized as containing <i>5-alpha-hydroxy-laxogenin</i> in the NIH database to determine whether they are accurately labeled"; and what they found is not going to make you happy:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="width: 215px;">
"Only 1 product (25%) contained 5-alpha-hydroxy-laxogenin, an ingre-dient with purported anabolic effects in rats that, to our knowledge, has <u>not been studied in humans</u>" (<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2764399" target="_blank">Cohen 2020</a> | my <u>emphasis</u>).</blockquote>
Originally, the scientists planned to test all six supplements "that were categorized in the NIH database as containing 5-alpha-hydroxy-laxogenin" (ibid.).
<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 25px; text-align: left; width: 200px;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Dietary supplement products labeled with a specific caffeine label: mean percentage difference from label | on average the levels differed by +/-16% (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00216-007-1437-2" target="_blank">Andrews 2007</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>That's a total exception, right?</b> By no means, problems with the amount, quality, and even the actual type of supplement ingredients are the norm, not the exception in "specialty" products like "muscle builders" or "fat burners". Two of the best-sellers in every supplement shop who fancy themselves 'hardcore' 😏. Wannabe bodybuilders and fitness junkies are yet not the only groups that may already have taken supplements that contained either too little or too much of a specific ingredient (e.g. <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/08/915-berberine-supps-names-included-on.html" target="_blank">berberine</a>, <a href="https://www.fasebj.org/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.28.1_supplement.634.5" target="_blank">energy drinks</a>), rancid or inactive ingredients (e.g. <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/12/33-top-selling-us-fish-oils-exceed.html" target="_blank">fish oil</a>), and ingredients that are not on the label but explain why the "100% natural fat burner" you bought makes you sweat like the Niagara Falls (possibly potentially fatal DNP | <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13181-011-0162-6" target="_blank">12 recorded deaths in 2001-2010</a>).<br />
<br />
Obviously, a single positive or negative test result doesn't mean <i>your</i> product will also contain exactly what's on the label or what said test says. In fact, studies like Attipoe et al. (<a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/26/5/article-p413.xml" target="_blank">2016</a>) show hilarious <b>–7% to +266% differences </b>in individual supplements that were <i>re-analyzed after 9 months.</i> That's obviously extreme and a larger scale US study from 2007 (n = 25) found average <b>deviations of +/-16% (see <i>Figure 1</i>), 'only</b>' - that's even with products that were bought at the same time, though. Moreover, there's the issue of <u>getting what you didn't pay for</u> that is the elephant in the room: In their review of N=25 studies that were looking for 'contamination' with prohibited substances in supplements commonly marketed to athletes, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/9/10/1093/htm" target="_blank">Martinez-Sanz 2017</a> report that <b>12% of the products that were tested contained (pro-)hormones</b> and <b>58% were enhanced</b> (or do you really believe that was a contamination?) <b>with </b><b>non-WADA </b><b>compliant stimulants </b>(find out which agents are banned in your sports at <a href="http://globaldro.com/Home">globaldro.com/Home</a>).</div>
Since it turned out that one of them wasn't even available for purchase and another one was "sold out", the researchers from the <i>Cambridge Health Alliance</i>, <i>Harvard Medical School</i>, <i>Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health</i>, and <a href="https://www.sciensano.be/en/about-sciensano" target="_blank"><i>Siensano</i></a>, a commercial research institute that had no (disclosed) financial interest in the study, were limited to <u>only four different products</u> (see <i>Table 1</i>).<br />
<br />
In their pre-analysis of the labels, the scientists found a "total [of] 16 ingredients, excluding expedients, minerals, and plant species" on the labels of the four products they had gotten their hands on (brand names <u>not disclosed</u>). These ingredients were included in the analysis and supplements were considered accurately labeled, if the measured value was within +/- 20% of the label claims. And much to everyone's *surprise* (?) 😂...<br />
<br />
<b>"No product was accurately labeled" </b>(<a href="http://in%20total%2C%2016%20ingredients%2C%20excluding%20expedients%2C%20minerals%2C%20and%20plant%20species%2C%20were%20declared%20on%20the%204%20product%20labels.%20%20compared%20with%20their%20actual%20chemical%20contents%2C%20no%20product%20was%20accurately%20labeled%20%28table%29.%20of%20the%2016%20ingredients%2C%206%20%2838%25%29%20were%20not%20detected%20in%20the%20supplements.%20only%204%20of%2014%20ingredients%20%2829%25%29%20with%20quantities%20provided%20on%20the%20label%20were%20present%20in%20the%20specified%20amounts.%20quantities%20detected%20ranged%20from%20less%20than%205%25%20to%20109%25%20of%20what%20was%20listed%20on%20the%20label.%20two%20products%20contained%20an%20ingredient%20not%20declared%20on%20the%20label.%20%20only%201%20product%20%2825%25%29%20contained%205-alpha-hydroxy-laxogenin%2C%20an%20ingredient%20with%20purported%20anabolic%20effects%20in%20rats%20that%2C%20to%20our%20knowledge%2C%20has%20not%20been%20studied%20in%20humans.%20the%20supplements%20contained%20phenibut%2C%20an%20unapproved%20drug%20with%20abuse%20potential%20that%20is%20used%20in%20russia%20to%20treat%20a%20variety%20of%20neurologic%20conditions%3B%20arimistane%2C%20a%20designer%20steroid%20that%20may%20function%20as%20an%20aromatase%20inhibitor%3B%207-keto%20dehydroepiandrosterone%2C%20a%20minor%20metabolite%20of%20dehydroepiandrosterone%3B%20ecdysterone%2C%20a%20steroid-like%20compound%20found%20in%20many%20insects%20and%20plants%20that%20may%20have%20anabolic%20effects%20in%20humans%3B%20and%20diosgenin%2C%20a%20steroid-like%20compound%20found%20in%20trace%20amounts%20in%20several%20plants%20and%20synthetically%20produced%20for%20use%20in%20the%20industrial%20production%20of%20some%20commercial%20steroids%20%28figure%29.%20none%20of%20these%20ingredients%20has%20an%20fda-approved%20indication./" target="_blank">Cohen 2020</a>)<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ucM3JEx7XTS3InGPWHnRMQR-oUZK83_DeHbnDxJKRIqCFTav0kNdojbAc2Hg6ahQX0XYl53MWRfktF6y1J9cl0x4htGdq73EVgjr5cuPVZCs5_S3A6OTipImrD1e1kbgeB__uAkmGSk/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1117" data-original-width="810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ucM3JEx7XTS3InGPWHnRMQR-oUZK83_DeHbnDxJKRIqCFTav0kNdojbAc2Hg6ahQX0XYl53MWRfktF6y1J9cl0x4htGdq73EVgjr5cuPVZCs5_S3A6OTipImrD1e1kbgeB__uAkmGSk/s280/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 2: Pharmacologic Class, Chemical Structure, and Legal Status of Compounds Detected in Dietary Supplements Categorized as Containing 5-Alpha-Hydroxy-Laxogenin (<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2764399" target="_blank">Cohen 2020</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
More specifically, Cohen et al. report that "[o]f the 16 ingredients, 6 (38%) were not detected in the supplements. Moreover, for those ingredients that were detected, ...<br />
<ul style="width: 290px;">
<li>only 4 of 14 ingredients (29%) were detected <i>at the quantities provided on the label</i>, ...</li>
<li>the <i>mismatch between label and actual quantity </i>ranged from 5% to 109%, and... </li>
<li>two products contained an <i>ingredient not declared on the label</i>.</li>
</ul>
Most hilariously, however, <b>actual <i>5-alpha-hydroxy-laxogenin </i>was detected in only <u>one of the four</u> sample supplements</b>. But don't fret *irony*. If you bought one of them, you'd get some free (and in many cases unlabeled) agents, including <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/phenibut" target="_blank">phenibut</a>, the aromatase inhibitor <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/aromatase" target="_blank">arimistane</a>, the purported cortisol-blocker 7-keto dehydroepiandrosterone aka <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/7-keto" target="_blank">7-keto</a>, the purported <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/DHEA" target="_blank">DHEA</a> booster diosgenin, as well as another 'plant anabolic': <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/phenibut/ecdysterone" target="_blank">ecdysterone</a>, the 'insects steroid' of which Cohen et al. rightly say that it "<u>may</u> have anabolic effects in humans" (ibid.).<br />
<div class="redBand">
<b>Laxogenin is only <i><u>supposedly</u> anabolic, anyway</i>:</b>
If you've read the previous quote from Cohen's study closely, you will have realized that there's another "supposed", "supposedly", or "putatively" that we have to mention, here: "putative anabolic". The reason this attribute must not be missed is that there is, much in contrast to real steroids, <u>absolutely no evidence from human studies</u> to support the "putative" benefits of laxogenin on skeletal muscle gains of athletes - and the alleged <i>Sowjiet history </i>of the agent is an urban myth without reliable support in the literature!</div>
That's bad news. Eventually, it does, however, only confirms that a listing in the NIH list tells you nothing about the accuracy of the label information, as the NIH does neither verify or check for conformity with existing US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations. 😥 You would rightly expect at least some data exchange between the two institutions so that adulterated products could be flagged in the NIH's "Dietary supplement label database" (<a href="https://www.dsld.nlm.nih.gov/dsld/index.jsp" target="_blank">#DSLD</a>). After all, the NIH describes the mission of its database as follows:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[The DSLD] was developed to <i>serve the research community </i>and as <i>a resource for health care providers and the public</i>. It can be an educational and research tool for students, academics, and other professionals" (<a href="https://www.dsld.nlm.nih.gov/dsld/index.jsp" target="_blank">NIH website</a> | <i>my emphasis</i>)</blockquote>
I guess you will (rightly) expect such a valuable "educative resource" to flag supplements that contain ingredients not listed on the label, do not contain ingredients that are promised by the label (or even the name), provide inaccurate quantities for the ingredients that are on the label, or contain prohibited ingredients - right? Well, without the involvement of the FDA (or its own tests, of which there are none), the NIH cannot provide any of this potentially vital information 😮.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2014/07/is-resistance-training-in-pm-more.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWN7LIY0oKri1HiH7SE755ldMknYCLkgQkbvtLVfM95o0bqQHdulHJ-TKCNra6P9RFQwok2XAw8UBjVmoV5wbiaNWINDJFebBDpTd1LrLWYTkOQRw_ISovW8ZnWM1apjiBhAczuJqrdY/s1600/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun is setting and you're still working out. Could this disrupt your circadian testosterone rhythm? Or is it maybe even beneficial?</td></tr>
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<b>There are two points I want to emphasize before closing this article with the obligatory list of references:</b> <br />
<div style="margin-top: 8px;">
(A) Rule of thumb, "the more exotic your supplement, the more likely it does not contain any or enough of the advertised ingredients." Laxogenin is only one out of several examples where gullible supp manufacturers may even have thought, they'd use the labeled ingredient but were in fact supplied with something different by their suppliers. </div>
<div style="margin-top: 8px;">
(B) There is no, I repeat, <u>absolutely no</u> credible evidence from peer-reviewed human studies with practically relevant primary outcomes to confirm the relevance of the in-vitro anabolic effects.</div>
<br />
Accordingly, my parting advice to you, bros, is not to falsely assume that the supplement your friends or you, yourself, have used previously was a total waste of money, only because it didn't contain the actual active ingredient. And, on the contrary, if your supplement <i>did</i> work, you should be concerned about adulterations that deliver | Any experience with laxo-products? <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/3156777881021007" target="_blank">Comment</a>!</div>
References:<br />
<ul>
<li>Andrews, Karen W., et al. "The caffeine contents of dietary supplements commonly purchased in the US: analysis of 53 products with caffeine-containing ingredients." Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 389.1 (2007): 231-239.</li>
<li>Attipoe, Selasi, Patrick Singley, and Patricia Deuster. "The accuracy of reported caffeine content in energy drinks and energy shots (634.5)." The FASEB Journal 28.1_supplement (2014): 634-5.</li>
<li>Attipoe, Selasi, et al. "Variability of stimulant levels in nine sports supplements over a 9-month period." International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism 26.5 (2016): 413-420.</li>
<li>Cohen, Pieter A., et al. "Analysis of Ingredients of Supplements in the National Institutes of Health Supplement Database Marketed as Containing a Novel Alternative to Anabolic Steroids." JAMA Network Open 3.4 (2020): e202818-e202818.</li>
<li>Grundlingh, Johann, et al. "2, 4-dinitrophenol (DNP): a weight loss agent with significant acute toxicity and risk of death." Journal of medical toxicology 7.3 (2011): 205.</li>
<li>Martínez-Sanz, José Miguel, et al. "Intended or unintended doping? A review of the presence of doping substances in dietary supplements used in sports." Nutrients 9.10 (2017): 1093.</li>
</ul>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-57958279990875035182020-04-16T06:50:00.002+02:002020-04-17T10:26:36.883+02:00Freezing, Defrosting, Toasting, and Your Glucose Response to White Bread | Additives Ruin Part of the 30-37% Benefit<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0y5yd_IADePw6ivg5hGGUfYpd5Y87CtTbd_Ir835Lw-yCuKsACPnqVg_bUsOp1kCmD5kZsSQaCxNGjASCdIlYgG-noBIh2RxFtuBM2y8gZZrnLiXbQK7bx_K7fHfF-40Ofxs7qhhmzC0/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="1420" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0y5yd_IADePw6ivg5hGGUfYpd5Y87CtTbd_Ir835Lw-yCuKsACPnqVg_bUsOp1kCmD5kZsSQaCxNGjASCdIlYgG-noBIh2RxFtuBM2y8gZZrnLiXbQK7bx_K7fHfF-40Ofxs7qhhmzC0/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who would have thought that: More convenient, in the eyes of most people better tasting and still better for your blood glucose management: Take white bread from the freezer, defrost at room temperature overnight, and toast it for a 30% reduction in postprandial glycemia even if you're perfectly healthy!</td></tr>
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In the <i>SuppVersity <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/kitchen%20science" target="_blank">Kitchen Science</a> </i>article-series, I address questions that may have passed your mind when you've been cooking, doing the groceries, or looking at the photos of your favorite Insta-Foodies. Today's article addresses the reality of "Making white bread great(er) again!" Or, shall I write "making the glucose excursions from eating white bread smaller again" - having more than 30% less glucose trickling into the blood of absolutely healthy subjects who were recruited for a study at the <i>Oxford Brookes University </i>(<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/1602746" target="_blank">Burton 2007</a>).(three male and seven female) sounds "great", no?<br />
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<b>Review older articles about <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/bread" target="_blank">bread & co. and your health</a> at the SuppVersity</b></div>
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<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/gut-bugs-determine-health-benefits-of.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75aBGm29O-F8u4seTfdEbll3BllZ3iv4_I80gkmlLyEkB8luOTaPjjTWc_21g8wABfLoALupXKW3B4iPz6O9QYYDEN3Rk_MXeQCrEPHakry78LDUZB8bCewXfUtDJxPJoVyMY2daeMts/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Best Bread Depends on Bugs</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 9px;">
<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/04/baking-bread-with-100g-extra-fat.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9SB-lk4KB_c21aBqw8C6nZAsgeozgDPbM2Btzs1RxFpI0qGNhGdeFsz-b2eexm_UHWEHBXiL14Nqdbu0psFD2qxCSfY1EbRp4U4xd7V0Z2TrTVmbHVo-3tV17gswY7MwIamMXVgQu04/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Fat Bread = Better Bread!?</div>
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<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2015/05/resistant-starch-powered-health-bagels.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1OqxsG023ElYngTz5XxVi-CnUkrqod7uegieomNT522cEZlnT72RwRc9jzUkLgP5psAdYHwg6d2e7M10deoxrCCXxyqNA_n3Ai4rawME6J3KlTvuzjuMb9qc_hwLITYfjnpETYsc33Q/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Resistant Starch Health Bagels</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 9px;">
<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2015/09/gluten-research-update-cesarean-section.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LXKIOc10qwy3ZvAFvCtG4f_-fV2_KBRkfk7_6Ri2Bsqo7tdEMzRFYbnv7tGyRhUDqkjjscH0q_bLqRceHoMxQqXNpaLziSWlndezblCTMtDy1ysyrybNXI8r_kgsD8q07ASWSRgxxLs/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Gluten in Your Head?</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 9px;">
<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-gluten-solution-aspergillus-niger.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHRFn9tnfPWaj9pe5uKf5nED6c_Qeyvsx_TtFxS0qZePzNsz1ECVPHeucc_HsCAhHjShOQgb8tfc20HCg2MWr-0_A-t4OCzZn73UIotzhFRgOFjhB9serzpsripZjFH-7WzO4bpqHlNQ/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Gluten-Tolerance in a Small Pill</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 0px!important;">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/03/is-noneliac-gluten-sensitivity-legit.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIbYl3tsbxtQRY06WRFHYjth29UjcmMtVrv9mdu8S8ycPrtqLRaldqP6yoidbR-YtVIeGOq_MfOH0C_FvescvkyrnmHFMtVZ875l0u6FsnLMeCDPJmm4JENHLqoWVz1nuMxomsgp5xtE/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Is Gluten Intolerance Real?</div>
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To participate, subjects were required to be between 18 and 59 years of age, with a body mass index (BMI) <30 kg/m2. Interested subjects were asked to complete a health screening questionnaire to check against possible health problems, including, and most importantly, clinically abnormal glucose metabolism (fasting blood glucose >6.1 mmol/l) and any medical conditions or medications that might affect glucose regulation, gastric emptying, body weight, appetite or energy expenditure. <br />
<br />
<b>In other words: This study is also interesting because we're talking about a clientele that is for once not overweight/obese and sick 😎 and thus significantly more relevant for those of you who have hitherto managed to avoid insulin resistance or type II diabetes.</b><br />
<br />
On different occasions, the subjects were fed either a <i>homemade white bread </i>(the study used a standard "Breadman Pro" by Russell Hobbs, regular flour, no additives) or a <i>commercial white bread </i>- both in all of the following four conditions:<br />
<ol>
<li><i>
fresh</i> - tested on the morning following baking or purchase</li>
<li><i>frozen and defrosted </i>- frozen bread (2-7 days) was defrosted overnight at room temperature </li>
<li><i>toasted </i>- fresh bread was toasted on the morning following baking or purchase </li>
<li><i>toasted following freezing and defrosting </i>- bread was toasted after defrosting </li>
</ol>
In all cases, the toaster was set to medium heat, "ensuring consistent moderate toasting" (ibid.), and, I should add, avoiding <i>acrylamide</i> formation (e.g. moderate toast 10.9–213.7 µg/kg vs. dark toast 43.7–610.7 µg/kg; both modest in comparison to fries which have up 2130 µg/kg acrylamide | <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/0-387-24980-X_34" target="_blank">Jackson 2005</a>). The study used a <i>randomized repeated measures design </i>and measured <i>incremental blood glucose</i>, <i>peak glucose </i>response, <i>2 h incremental area under the glucose response curve </i>(IAUC).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/gut-bugs-determine-health-benefits-of.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwlYfiN5WJSqF_NnHMVllTgky_dKwPSpbFRps9nvoJ-6pwODCNM4pVKSoyLHNDIhBpN4pY_FeDuUvJBgk2pXaB8nAtV0A3cxA8chzr7Z5L-LBSvGe6aEit_-kjN3-34rQHLDlOsvl9ug/s275/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/gut-bugs-determine-health-benefits-of.html" target="_blank">Israeli scientists</a> found no difference in glycemic response between 'healthy' sourdough and 'unhealthy' white bread when they analyzed their whole study population. On an individual level, however, the microbiome dictated whether the white or the sourdough bread spikes blood glucose; and this disposition cannot be modified in the short run.</td></tr>
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<b>Which bread is right for you? </b>Yes, <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/gut-bugs-determine-health-benefits-of.html" target="_blank">you've read that before</a>:<i> White bread isn't worse for everyone. </i>Israeli scientists from the <i>Weizmann Institute </i>(<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413117302887" target="_blank">Korem 2017</a>) were the first to show not only that the glycemic response to the two types of bread varies greatly across people but that the variation they observed "accurately predicts glycemic-response" to sourdough vs. white bread. Furthermore, a more recent paper from the <i>Mayo Clinic</i> (<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2723644" target="_blank">Mendes-Soares 2019</a>) confirms and highlights that "the microbiome, in addition to nutrient content [not CHO content]" should "inform tools to control the glycemic responses" in both, healthy and diabetic individuals.<br />
<br />
Now, having the right microbiome is one thing researchers are looking at. The influence of <b>additives </b>is another one. In the study at hand, enzymes and co. in the commercial bread reduced the healthfulness of bread indirectly by inhibiting <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/resistant%20starch" target="_blank">resistant starch</a> formation. <br />
<br />
Other additives are yet thought to improve the healthfulness and nutritious value of bread. The addition of <i>pulses</i>, for example, <i>increases the protein content</i>, <i>improves the amino acid composition</i> and could also have beneficial effects on the <i>fiber/RS content </i>(<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224418304205" target="_blank">Boukid 2019</a>). The <i>Macrominerals P, Mg, </i>and <i>K </i>(<a href="http://www.emro.who.int/images/stories/emhj/documents/in_press/macromineral_enrichment_of_white_bread_reduces_postprandial_glycaemia_without_alerting_sensory_properties.pdf?ua=1" target="_blank">El Khoury 2019</a>), or soluble fiber like arabinoxylan (<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/19390211.2016.1156798" target="_blank">Falchi 2016</a>) improve glycemia and the addition of <i>wheat germ</i>-enriched bread (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-019-02045-x" target="_blank">Moreira-Rosário 2019</a>) will even yield changes in your microbiome that could then change how other types of bread affect your glucose and overall metabolism. It should be said, though, that not every additive that seems promising will also work: the addition of<i> polyphenol extracts</i>, for example, failed to produce improvements in glycemic response or satiety (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0271531715002559" target="_blank">Coe 2016</a>). </div>
In order to standardize the tests, subjects were asked to <i>restrict their intake of alcohol and caffeine-containing drinks </i>and to <i>refrain from intense physical activity </i>(e.g., long periods at the gym, excessive swimming, running, aerobics) on the day preceding the individual testing sessions. Moreover, ...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcaMVsuy-z5aGo_rsMFkV7rtJGwPWsc0fG5_WIW1O4ez8Nf2axyNrZP_7iXCkjIsPK9Q18eNr7oLuwZBNAzNG8jEV7QQUFqlUVJ9o2DqNYt_EIEU6-SwxDaX4yuOtYzotxaGbHUIYwJ0/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="443" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcaMVsuy-z5aGo_rsMFkV7rtJGwPWsc0fG5_WIW1O4ez8Nf2axyNrZP_7iXCkjIsPK9Q18eNr7oLuwZBNAzNG8jEV7QQUFqlUVJ9o2DqNYt_EIEU6-SwxDaX4yuOtYzotxaGbHUIYwJ0/s220/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Nutritional composition (per 100 g) of test breads, <i>Hovis Classic </i>and <i>homemade white bread </i>made from <i>Carr's white strong bread flour </i>| <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/1602746" target="_blank">Burton & Lightower (2009)</a>
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"[...t]o minimize the possible influence of the second meal effect, subjects were asked to refrain from eating an extra-large evening meal or have an unusually high or low food intake throughout the day preceding a test[; and w]here possible, subjects ate a similar meal type on the evening before testing; however subjects were asked to avoid consuming pulses for this meal to avoid the effects of colonic fermentation on postprandial glycaemic" (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/1602746" target="_blank">Burton 2009</a>).</blockquote>
All foods were tested in subjects <u>after a 12 h overnight fast</u>, which is why we can assume that their overall insulin sensitivity was slightly better than what you'd see with fully charged liver glycogen later in the day (breakfast effect) and a different position of the hands of your internal clock.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/03/latest-study-on-breakfast-skipping.html" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMczTtfT9LkFAg__Xw0DtrnYRRF9-XexNlYDTgq1aL4SfllhK0i9Iw0x0gpVP8CbLuS_itLwsbZ0Hr_vm5zSesZD0cDr1R794tbnIHdciQQn56HiRYX3ZZWs76AYJuBc10p4cUa_TfvE/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did you know that your habits determine your <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/03/latest-study-on-breakfast-skipping.html" target="_blank">breakfast response</a>?!</td></tr>
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"As blood glucose responses vary within subjects from day to day, the reference food (glucose) was tested 3 times in each subject. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Thus, subjects tested each test bread once and the reference food 3 times in random order on separate days, with at least a one-day gap between measurements to minimize carry-over effects. <br />
<br />
All test slices of bread and the reference food were served with 200 ml water. A further 200 ml water was given during the subsequent 2 h" (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/1602746" target="_blank">Burton 2009</a>).</blockquote>
Subjects were asked to <i>eat the test breakfast within a 10–12 min </i>period to reduce the influence of chewing on particle size and plain glucose was used as a comparator yielding the same <i>50g of non-fiber (='available') carbohydrate</i> (see detailed macro-break-down in Fig.1).<br />
<div class="redBand">
<b>With commercial bread, you get more than you want... <i>additives</i> </b>like dough conditioners and improvers. These ingredients (often 'designer enzymes' and proteins) are widely used in commercial bread and are designed to optimize dough formation and quality, reduce staling rate and maintain water retention during baking (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224404001906" target="_blank">Goesaert 2005</a>) - they are the reason you can buy shelf-stable bread for a few cents per slice at the supermarket. <br />
<br />
As the authors of the study under review point out, these magic ingredients could, however, be the reason why freezing and defrosting works magic for homemade (additive-free) but not commercial bread: "[W]ater content and activity within the dough facilitates the retrogradation process. Moreover, amylopectin retrogradation, together with moisture transfer between bread components, may be reduced by the use of dough improvers (<a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf025776t" target="_blank">Baik et al., 2003</a>)".</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzXhiHwj1UFFyU18RbhNUq8B61l9_NddzElrACO4oa8XKYawu0NOA9wuIazGeXy_HZjLNvh1mRfKqVYOVfQbZUpcUC699DkvzVJu5zrfSX_bmCFZ2QsqGp_Ed3hDI0mTdydc11t8KsCs/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="521" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzXhiHwj1UFFyU18RbhNUq8B61l9_NddzElrACO4oa8XKYawu0NOA9wuIazGeXy_HZjLNvh1mRfKqVYOVfQbZUpcUC699DkvzVJu5zrfSX_bmCFZ2QsqGp_Ed3hDI0mTdydc11t8KsCs/s275/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2: Changes in blood glucose for homemade (left) and commercial (right) bread and 2h-glucose AUC (measure of total glucose influx over time | bottom) - Blood glucose response curve for commercial white bread: Glucose (*); fresh (○); frozen, defrosted (•); fresh, toasted (□); frozen, defrosted, toasted (▪).</td></tr>
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Details about the additives (e.g. enzymes) in the commercial bread (in the EU and the US many don't have to be labeled, anyway) are unfortunately not available. Hence, we cannot fact-check their individual effects. Personally, I'd say, though, that it's very likely that the changes in glycemia are due to additive interference w/ the structural changes in the starch molecules. <i>How's that?</i> Well, legally undisclosed additives in commercial white bread could also explain why the commercial bread reacts less favorably to all three treatments because enzymes or other additives inhibit the formation of resistant starch RS3 (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224404001906" target="_blank">Goesaert 2005</a> | see red box), of which you've learned in <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/SCFA" target="_blank">previous SuppVersity articles</a> that it's mostly fermented to SCFA in the colon and will thus not increase your blood glucose.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/04/is-air-frying-healthier-than-deep.html" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pUkk4TD-ia5jNuhFBYOqMAtz_lH8eX-LHe4v3tVYr79pRh72KhvJsmm471PDzT6N8LtPyw1EBqR937RUB6ymlbPAaJvD51nGUfSWHN-nn8gQP42uDgA_BSALV18N6j9bomBC3mDRr_U/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More cooking science from the SuppVersity Archives: "Is Air Frying Healthier Than Deep Frying?" | <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/04/is-air-frying-healthier-than-deep.html" target="_blank">read it</a>!</td></tr>
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<b>But wait, does that even matter?</b> Well, it does matter for taste. After all, most people prefer toasted over floppy sandwiches. As far as the differences in glucose peaks and the 2h-AUC are concerned, actual health benefits will accumulate over several years, only, and we cannot say exactly how relevant they're going to be. What we can say for sure, at least, is (a) that the carcinogenic Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814607011673" target="_blank">#PAH content won't explode</a> when you toast your white bread properly, i.e. without direct contact to the heat source, like it would occur in a pan (<a href="https://s3-media0.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/02q3dWPir8nmlJiScCZj_w/348s.jpg" target="_blank">this is what you should not do</a>!), on coal, on an open fire, etc.</div>
<div class="lightBand" style="margin-bottom: -10px!important; margin-top: -10px!important;">
<b>Addendum on storage effect:</b> While there's no evidence from studies using wheat bread, breads based on other grains (here <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11130-017-0641-2" target="_blank">tef</a>), show a significant decline in readily available starch when stored. So significant that after only 5 days the tef bread in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814618307994" target="_blank">Shumoy et al.</a> went from a GI of 75 to 57 (-24%)!</div>
<div class="bottomLineDark">
Moreover, the study at hand shows that it's not just OK to 'conserve' your (ideally homemade) white bread by storing it in the freezer. No, it's more than OK! Maybe even "the better way"! The defrosted slices of additive-free bread may, after all, yield <i>glucose 2h-AUC improvements of -39% </i>if you also toast the bread! Plus, even if you like it floppy (don't toast), there's a smaller but still significant glycemic advantage (-31%) over fresh <u>homemade</u> bread. While the still significant values are smaller for commercial toast, even the additive-laden white bread benefits - especially from toasting, but less from freezing and defrosting. Speaking of toasting, the -28% reduction you get with commercial bread upon toasting the slices tells you that the short time it takes to toast your sandwich slices in the AM is well-spent for texture <u>and</u> health | While your bread's baking, defrosting or been toasted, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/3144526298912832" target="_blank">comment on Facebook</a>!</div>
References:<br />
<ul>
<li>Baik, Moo-Yeol, L. Charles Dickinson, and Pavinee Chinachoti. "Solid-state 13C CP/MAS NMR studies on aging of starch in white bread." Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 51.5 (2003): 1242-1248.</li>
<li>Boukid, Fatma, et al. "Pulses for bread fortification: A necessity or a choice?." Trends in Food Science & Technology (2019).</li>
<li>Burton, P., and H. J. Lightowler. "The impact of freezing and toasting on the glycaemic response of white bread." European journal of clinical nutrition 62.5 (2008): 594-599.</li>
<li>Coe, Shelly, and Lisa Ryan. "White bread enriched with polyphenol extracts shows no effect on glycemic response or satiety, yet may increase postprandial insulin economy in healthy participants." Nutrition Research 36.2 (2016): 193-200.</li>
<li>El Khoury, Rania, et al. "Macromineral enrichment of white bread reduces postprandial glycaemia without altering sensory properties: a crossover study." East Mediterr Health J (2019).</li>
<li>Giulia Falchi, Anna, et al. "Effects of a bioavailable arabinoxylan-enriched white bread flour on postprandial glucose response in normoglycemic subjects." Journal of dietary supplements 13.6 (2016): 626-633.</li>
<li>Goesaert, Hans, et al. "Wheat flour constituents: how they impact bread quality, and how to impact their functionality." Trends in food science & technology 16.1-3 (2005): 12-30.</li>
<li>Korem, Tal, et al. "Bread affects clinical parameters and induces gut microbiome-associated personal glycemic responses." Cell metabolism 25.6 (2017): 1243-1253.</li>
<li>Mendes-Soares, Helena, et al. "Assessment of a personalized approach to predicting postprandial glycemic responses to food among individuals without diabetes." JAMA network open 2.2 (2019): e188102-e188102.</li>
<li>Moreira-Rosário, André, et al. "Daily intake of wheat germ-enriched bread may promote a healthy gut bacterial microbiota: a randomised controlled trial." European journal of nutrition (2019): 1-11.</li>
<li>Rey-Salgueiro, Ledicia, et al. "Effects of toasting procedures on the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in toasted bread." Food Chemistry 108.2 (2008): 607-615.</li>
<li>Sęczyk, Łukasz, et al. "Antioxidant, nutritional and functional characteristics of wheat bread enriched with ground flaxseed hulls." Food chemistry 214 (2017): 32-38.</li>
<li>Shumoy, Habtu, et al. "Effect of sourdough addition and storage time on in vitro starch digestibility and estimated glycemic index of tef bread." Food chemistry 264 (2018): 34-40.</li>
</ul>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-26266077301216673212020-04-11T09:36:00.003+02:002020-04-11T09:36:43.610+02:00Does Eating Beans W/B4 Meals Have the Same Blood Sugar Lowering, and Fat Loss Promoting as 'Carb-Blockers'?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -12px 0 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1qosMzi2O0kxQJ2AWqk9Pt_048lBJ5mUe2jjsEVn9NIRdSXQFKdnlKxHdYIe94ivxYpK-tGfgFJYdJhxPTsV-EdVoKc2xU3C8EVxeDtFFL6oc1BARykqLtozOYk9BMdif4dp31-h3fE/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="1462" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1qosMzi2O0kxQJ2AWqk9Pt_048lBJ5mUe2jjsEVn9NIRdSXQFKdnlKxHdYIe94ivxYpK-tGfgFJYdJhxPTsV-EdVoKc2xU3C8EVxeDtFFL6oc1BARykqLtozOYk9BMdif4dp31-h3fE/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reader's question from the SuppVersity's Instagram page: "I wonder if just having a small serving of beans before a meal would have good effects also. Red velvet, black, etc." - Johan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Those of you who already follow the <a href="http://facebook.com/SuppVersity" target="_blank">SuppVersity on Facebook</a> will have seen the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/photos/a.3011626945536102/3058957517469711/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">news item</a> (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/photos/" target="_blank">in the infographic section</a>) about the latest bean-carb-blocker study. Some may even have seen that there were a lot of comments, comments in which you repeatedly found the question whether, instead of the stupid bean extract, one wouldn't be able to simply eat a bunch of beans before or with the meal and see the same potentially weight-reducing effects that were reported in the study.<br />
<br />
Well, it turns out it is not that easy to find an answer to this question - especially not one that is workable, i.e. "eat exactly X grams of THIS type of beans at timepoint T to improve your glucose metabolism by Z and lose BETA kg of weight in GAMMA weeks." What I could come up with, however, is the following review of relevant studies and data and a bottom line in which I will at least try to formulate the aforementioned workable answer to the question.<br />
<div class="bottomLineDark" style="height: 150px; padding-right: 20px;">
<div>
<b>Learn more about the <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/satiety" target="_blank">satiety effects</a> of foods, supplements and exercise</b></div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/10/total-protein-not-its-whey-to-casein.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLaLeFPkyr9bTN3U0GViKrfH6uExp5nFsXI7B938blnHBz7lk1W3qJ-YsAqsWKxHvr_jmPllzM-aL0beFS176eb6KhSPgm5xet6F6P8h59Dl8jwmJ8gThWtGzt0eVuonw0WdCDLhHqns/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Whey to Casein Ratio not a Satiety Factor</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/01/overeating-natural-response-to-strict.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNtcNajudrD2P0VeAkWoceYVU26agBCNI-9udw09OlzTEiXkizl5isf5QVzxzwrkU3KlhPqjcnus_faHzPOCbq_OxWKRryJpzrpBfdU36bzVLttbwynPi1MM_9PamDJDVScrRH8KvOeA/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Binging is just a natural starvation response</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/05/when-it-comes-to-its-satiety-effect.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdo9_OgZ0zgRboWLuZ6CAZYlZvBJ-6cXHFUWB6x2LczWB23kJG9N3hcSGEJ1YOKzBz05zZ1vPL5I2MwNcuU4oOBfqezPh-Y2Tn1kDvyP2OSiKE9ML1tJA6qsxYGnAHGRaXcBrAHmouIU/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
More Protein Doesn't Always More Satiety</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/05/hunger-satiety-is-it-all-just-in-our.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqI2xGurUOIvmzzOZdr2G9itfebfFTYvsKZgxQVJfpdECMVjIc2uJ8yHjqMQ4IANNxGswMrLOanYi01rqD65lG2Qhh8yBbx3PVs7kCm7_WBu_LjK3KVcpWPBxCmaTLYJia1HsOgJAdXk8/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Fluids and solids - What's More Satiating?</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/01/l-tryptophan-is-reduced-while-dieting.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJa6GVrQdx1txOvlBIfF0sysRu5imwHBusTvH13y9IVIdu9OfaItwrYcoZ_nONkKmLE7jICMwYikunj66GLaEmgbzPJFecOY_KFi92KX7ZbKsxLi8l0OZvhcuWreq67jM1DLNa0MZ0Rs/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Tryptophan, the Satiety Amino Acid?</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 0;">
<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/11/choosing-and-producing-foods-for.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-DcYz9mkyoVPaBj669q57prGVaEUqu8YHrKxPvcZ7Ne84ET2O2lgKcKfua5RtwEl9b_qUX5cN7psDjU4nJ5ZwHEujdpjqynJds08yFlB-Qg4hjhtGZbp43wY_Q-jyO_pbKAejdsAwtY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Always Hungry? What's Triggering Your Craving?</div>
</div>
In my quest for some concrete advice, I will start by addressing the "why?", i.e. why do certain substances in beans significantly improve the glucose response to a meal? Well, the answer is not as simple as it may seem. In contrast to what most people believe, the benefits are mediated only in parts by the inhibition of the amylase enzymes your body needs to 'digest' (=break down) complex starches like those in pasta or rice - it is this ability to block, or at least hinder, the enzymatic breakdown of complex carbs, that makes Phaseolus vulgaris an attractive 'carb blockers'.<br />
<br />
<b>Mechanism? Wait, there's more... probably</b><br />
<br />
As already hinted at, the 'carb-blocker' effect is part of it, but there's more: Lentils are also high fiber foods, and full of antioxidants, all of which contribute to the well-established health, body-comp, and metabolic benefits that have been observed (albeit with high heterogeneity in terms of the effect sizes). One such example is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114514003031" target="_blank">Luhovyy et al.'s</a> 2015 study in N=14 overweight/obese subjects.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjgDX088WVL5-PB0yIjSPkPzKfV144RwwV6LFmnI6TeXRtNWi1YZ3vKLFbQHPCzLog0uEWMHfmAWwSQXlPfDNPSUpZPLia7LHrA2YAigA4c_LrbKfNGExHHx2pDjCNPilrXBlikMYz0s/s1600/a.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="647" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjgDX088WVL5-PB0yIjSPkPzKfV144RwwV6LFmnI6TeXRtNWi1YZ3vKLFbQHPCzLog0uEWMHfmAWwSQXlPfDNPSUpZPLia7LHrA2YAigA4c_LrbKfNGExHHx2pDjCNPilrXBlikMYz0s/s570/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Metabolic changes in overweight/obese subjects after consuming 5 cups of canned navy beans per week for 4 weeks / no other mandatory dietary changes (graph created based on data from <a href="https://dcjournal.ca/doi/abs/10.3148/cjdpr-2014-030" target="_blank">Luhocyy 2015</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As you can learn from the caption of <i>Figure 1</i>, <a href="https://dcjournal.ca/doi/abs/10.3148/cjdpr-2014-030" target="_blank">Luhocyy's (2015)</a> study did not rely on <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> extracts. The subjects were simply fed meals that contained 5 cups of canned navy beans. The benefits are quite pronounced but the fact that they were cumulative (i.e. occurred over the course of the 4-week study) tells us: It's not all just about carb blockin'.<br />
<br />
In fact, a closer look at the data reveals that some of the benefits may be mediated by nothing else than measurable (but not significant) changes in the baseline diet; dietary modifications the subjects undertook without even realizing it, modifications such as reduced intake of classic side dishes like rice, pasta, bread, and co, and a surprising increase in fruit and vegetable intake.<br />
<br />
<b>Eating beans goes hand in hand with an extra serving of fruit & veg + lower intakes of grains.</b><br />
<br />
Furthermore, the <a href="https://dcjournal.ca/doi/abs/10.3148/cjdpr-2014-030" target="_blank">Luhocyy (2015)</a> shows that benefits in the blood lipid department are at least as significant as those related to glycemia (obviously, you'd expect insulin, glucose, and, of the lipids, at best triglycerides to be the primary benefactors of a 'carb blocker'). In conjunction with the lack of improvement in HbA1c the study clearly questions the notion that beans work their metabolic health magic or he 2.5 and 2.1 cm reduction waist circumference in female and male study participants, respectively, by 'blocking carbs'.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -25px 0 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBHYrObYpT20aG5BhLTwdmQfcS71sSbOf9Dr7H3Y-SowLjylJiHOr_d8A2NRLx-EWJM5L57Mvs9CUtQqAx8ZxyAe2H5QbNxgmNlZDkVtpAunji7QUnMZEDnVbTv_TAdNdxV8GZAllkPo/s1600/a.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="501" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBHYrObYpT20aG5BhLTwdmQfcS71sSbOf9Dr7H3Y-SowLjylJiHOr_d8A2NRLx-EWJM5L57Mvs9CUtQqAx8ZxyAe2H5QbNxgmNlZDkVtpAunji7QUnMZEDnVbTv_TAdNdxV8GZAllkPo/s400/a.png" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2: Number of studies (total 20) showing health/metabolic benefits in the latest meta-analysis by <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408398.2020.1716680" target="_blank">Ferreira (2020)</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What's important to point out is that the Luhocyy study is not the only one that would support the conclusion that there's more than just 'carb blocking' going on here. Similar results have been observed by <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408398.2020.1716680" target="_blank">Ferreira et al. (2020)</a> who calculated significant improvements in blood lipid profile, blood pressure, inflammation biomarkers, as well as, body composition in people who consumed ~150g of cooked pulses per day (minimum-maximum: 54-360 g/day).<br />
<br />
What is important to remember is that both the Luhocyy as well as the studies that were included in the 2020 meta-analysis by Ferreira et al. used <i><u>whole</u> beans (or other pulses), no flour, powder or extracts</i>. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 0 -15px; text-align: left; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AAdMzQw5YOY5neryeUwQBZIOFPFtHFRLZ6n_wcn5NQ6HALjqq-Jsl-7XvjJ6r__mpUpRjwQh0_0OzzrKShT_ou5jTg8nvR8qjjEzOZ3bbXPG4Hx9MsuMp1XreYmUBXBR7xMnde-j0Ao/s1600/a.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AAdMzQw5YOY5neryeUwQBZIOFPFtHFRLZ6n_wcn5NQ6HALjqq-Jsl-7XvjJ6r__mpUpRjwQh0_0OzzrKShT_ou5jTg8nvR8qjjEzOZ3bbXPG4Hx9MsuMp1XreYmUBXBR7xMnde-j0Ao/s290/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not all "common" beans are equal but the following overview of the "effect of bean colour on α-amylase inhibitory activity of P. vulgaris" should calm your fears of missin' out: they are all similarly effective and it's not like one is useless while the other brings your CHO digestion to a screeching halt (data from <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jf020191k#" target="_blank">Lajolo & Genovese 2002</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>How are carbohydrates digested, anyway?</b> <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1475-2891-10-24" target="_blank">Barrett & Undani (2011)</a> describe the process in their review of the "clinical studies on weight loss and glycemic control"
in response to the use of the best known 'bean-based' carb-blocker: the common <i>white bean </i>(Phaseolus vulgaris) quite nicely: "Digestion of carbohydrates begins in the mouth, with amylase secreted by salivary glands. This action accounts for only about 5% of the breakdown of carbohydrates. The process is halted in the stomach due to the high acid environment destroying the amylase activity. When the food enters the intestine, the acidic pH is neutralized by the release of bicarbonate by the pancreas and by the mucous that lines the walls of the intestine. Amylase is secreted into the small intestines by the pancreas. Alpha-glucosidase enzymes are located in the brush border of the small intestines. Amylase breaks down the carbohydrates into oligosaccharides. The glucosidase enzymes (including lactase, maltase and sucrose) complete the breakdown to monosaccharide units. It is only the monosaccharide units that are absorbed into the body." What the enzymes cannot digest - like the previously discussed resistant starches will be passed from the intestine to the colon", where they are fermented by colonic bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids, carbon dioxide and methane" (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1475-2891-10-24" target="_blank">ibid</a>)... I what you're thinking not: #cow-farts, #climateChange</div>
The previously referenced studies are thus of particular relevance to finding an answer to the question Johan and Amaan asked on the <a href="http://instagram.com/Suppversity" target="_blank">SuppVersity's Instagram page</a>:<br />
<blockquote>
"I wonder if just having a small serving of beens before a meal would have good effects also. Red velvet, black etc." - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9qCPkXKzON/" target="_blank">Johan</a></blockquote>
So, yes this could work, but it is unlikely that there are acute benefits of timing the beans/pulses before a meal. It <i>could</i> be that the glucose spike is further reduced as this may guarantee that the amylase inhibitors will already be present in your gut when the spaghetti start their journey from stomach to colon to... you know where ;-) <br />
<div class="redBand">
<b><u>Warning</u>: </b>The bean trick works for starchy foods like <i>pasta </i>(polysaccharides <span style="font-family: "wingdings";">Ü</span> broken down by amylase which is blocked by bean proteins), it won't work for sugary foods like <i>Ben & Jerry's </i>(mono-/disaccharides <span style="font-family: "wingdings";">Ü</span> disaccharidase, not blocked by 'carb blockers' in )!</div>
On the other hand, the previously discussed studies leave little doubt that the inhibited complex carbohydrate intake cannot fully explain all the benefits. To add the missing piece to the puzzle it's worth taking a look at (a) the high nutrient density of pulses, and the largely ignored fate that's awaiting the largely undigested spaghetti chime in your large intestine.<br />
<br />
<b>Let's talk dirty... about what happens to your spaghetti if they survive the upper gastrointestinal tract - keyword: #resistantStarch 😮</b><br />
<br />
So, the most likely candidates for the benefits of increased pulse consumption are their high (micro-)nutrient content and their potent prebiotic effects (<a href="http://search.proquest.com/openview/904c56cb6e687d2236e1df0d5efcd01a/1" target="_blank">Siva 2019</a>), which are based on (a) fermentable fiber the beans themselves contain, and (b) the previously mentioned spaghetti which will not be properly broken down to simple sugars before they are 'fed' to the myriads of gut bugs in your colon.<br />
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQY-yqqUQyAfBrJJIaNqXk3_BDM41Ac9GVmZ2efRX-IrTscrE4ZG5_YKLfMk919z_dEW-zwHKK9jlRvZFsTp587xsuOCKzfhzT-1VLWIgfBP_RwT4iHSeKhDHQPlDWTrREiDpTXMpi194/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="904" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQY-yqqUQyAfBrJJIaNqXk3_BDM41Ac9GVmZ2efRX-IrTscrE4ZG5_YKLfMk919z_dEW-zwHKK9jlRvZFsTp587xsuOCKzfhzT-1VLWIgfBP_RwT4iHSeKhDHQPlDWTrREiDpTXMpi194/s570/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3: SEM images of starch granules of (top) cooked, (middle) cooled, and (bottom) reheated pinto beans. Plus: Resistant starch (RS) concentrations of different common bean
(a and c, respectively) and chickpea (b and d, respectively) market classes after cooking,
cooling, and reheating (from <a href="http://search.proquest.com/openview/904c56cb6e687d2236e1df0d5efcd01a/1" target="_blank">Siva 2019</a>). </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As the data in <i>Figure 3</i> shows, this overall (probiotic and metabolic) health effect can be increased by cooking and cooling your beans - a process that has been shown to increase the content of resistant starch, i.e. starch that is not broken down and make it to the large intestine where they are then fermented and act as prebiotics the postbiotics (products they are transformed to by the gut microbiota) have been linked to significant health benefits (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/8/1833" target="_blank">Snelson 2019</a>).<br />
<br />
<b>Indeed, resistant starches #RS could contribute significantly to the benefits</b><br />
<br />
As a <i>SuppVersity veteran</i>, you know about the way heated/cooled/reheated starches contain higher amounts of that <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/resistant%20starch" target="_blank">from previous <i>SuppVersity</i> articles</a> as well as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/" target="_blank">news items</a>. Nevertheless, I was still pretty sure you'd appreciate the inclusion of <i>Table 1</i>, which shows the RS content (percentage dry matter basis) of a selection of repeatedly heated/cooled foods; and yes, there are beans (kidney beans) and its relatives (lentils and peas) on the list.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rPuSSen8W2WNC0Wu333n3PwipLl6o5_AfO7qkR5yEVPbVoVW6ukGISCnUqv4PFRmyZlYICLJyuEQgc-pGoXec4MJ1aKpwt6eIrjTdI0FXg7A6J3l13b3kIaEomt1bpnPaiz97DZ5y9g/s1600/a.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rPuSSen8W2WNC0Wu333n3PwipLl6o5_AfO7qkR5yEVPbVoVW6ukGISCnUqv4PFRmyZlYICLJyuEQgc-pGoXec4MJ1aKpwt6eIrjTdI0FXg7A6J3l13b3kIaEomt1bpnPaiz97DZ5y9g/s570/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 1: RS content (percentage dry matter basis) of heated/cooled foods (<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/figure/10.1080/09637480902970975" target="_blank">Yadav 2009</a>). Even higher RS values can be achieved if you repeat the process twice or thrice - with lentils being the unchallenged #1 that will double it's already high RS content of 4.89% to 9.21% over 3x heat-/cooling cycles 😮.</td></tr>
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For all of them, the #RS increase is significant after only one heating/cooling cycle (which will significantly reduce the 'load' on your taste-buds). The study I borrowed the table from did yet also show that you can increase the RS content of kidney beans by another >2% if you heat/cool your beans thrice... whether you'll be left with anything that you will be voluntarily eating, let alone enjoy, wasn't accessed by <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/figure/10.1080/09637480902970975" target="_blank">Yadav et al. (2009)</a> but my personal experience would say... "NAH! 🤢" <br />
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What you should have realized by now is that kidney beans are by no means the only 'carb blocker' option you have... there are alternatives like lentils and, as you can see in <i>Figure 3</i> other, more exotic beans - often with even higher resistant starch content to maximize the non-carb-block benefits.<br />
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You have to be careful, though two of these rather 'exotic' beans actually show a paradox reaction to the heating and cooling. Beans like "small red" aka <i>Adzuki beans </i>or "cranberry" aka <i>Borlotti bean</i>, to be precise show a decline in RC content when you apply the cooling/(re-)heating trick 😪.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2014/11/chicken-rice-vegggies-oil-and-how-their.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqOKDQqqmxcLrPP27bW5glcxSSEAg8pN9NUvnSKfNkxoGLMjkUHwFkFfncHfORVngSBXlKgxbYRWxj7PfgQtQ7SNZPVq-wfS-yVmqByzHrcUX9wHDrPZG6QGtDWF33bdbJnkHB2QlYqI/s1600/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whether or not you benefit will also depend on the food matrix the beans are part of | <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2014/11/chicken-rice-vegggies-oil-and-how-their.html" target="_blank">learn why</a>!</td></tr>
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<b>Benefits could be the largest/smallest for... </b>people with (A) low fiber intake, who get a large fraction of their energy from 'slow', starchy carbs and lowest for the health-conscious (B) low-carber who fibers up his diet with veggies, fruit & co. Why? Easy: (A) If your fiber intake is already high (~30g/d or more) the effects on the microbiome as well as downstream effects on your metabolism won't be as pronounced and if (B) you're not eating significant amounts of starchy carbs, the alleged 'carb-blocker'-effects are useless because sugar(s), HFCS and other carbs that come as mono- or di-saccharides don't need to be broken down by the enzymes that are 'blocked' by the 'carb blocker' in beans, peas, and other pulses.</div>
I just realize we've deviated from the initially introduced carb-blocker quite a bit. So, let me remind you: The "blocking" of carbs is facilitated by molecules in the beans that can block the enzyme that would normally dismantle the starch granules to simple(r) sugars (monosaccharides) that will then be transported by various transporters right into the portal vein and into the liver. In conjunction with (micro-)nutrient density, resistant starch and unconscious changes in dietary habits this 'carb blocker' effect produced the initially referenced 'magical' weight loss of -2kg in about a month <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fsn3.1299" target="_blank">Wang et al. (2020)</a> report in their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/photos/a.3011626945536102/3058957517469711/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">initially cited paper</a> in <i>Food Science and Nutrition.</i><br />
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<b>Overall, we seem to be able to answer the main question of whether you "cannot simply eat a serving of beans instead of using a bean extract similar to the one in the Wang study" affirmatively and based on a plethora of research - not all in well-controlled human studies, though.</b><br />
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The whole idea that beans could have a unique effect on body weight that goes beyond a satiating effect and reduced energy intakes dates back to the 1990s when scientists such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1079/BJN19980033" target="_blank">Pusztai et al. (1998)</a> observed that fat rodents that were fed with a diet containing 18% <i>raw </i>kidney beans had such profound effects on the digestibility of a low-fat diet that the fat Zucker rats in the 'bean group' of the study ended up being significantly leaner, not just lighter than their peers - with the highest dose of raw beans yielding a 7% lower total body fat content compared to the standard diet - or, as the scientists write: They "deposited essentially no body fat in 10 d" (<a href="https://doi.org/10.1079/BJN19980033" target="_blank">Pusztai 1998</a>). Even if it was not for the ill effects on the rodents' pancreases that were observed in the long term, no one would be able to stomach that amount of raw beans and, if you look closely at the body composition data, you will realize that, unlike the total lean mass, the gastrocnemius weight (=proxy of muscle weight) <i>was</i> reduced by 11%... 😱<br />
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<b>Note:</b> 'Carb blocking' and existing (enhanced) resistant starch content are two pairs of shoes which -just like real shoes - serve practically the same purpose: <i>feed your gut bugs!</i> And since those excrete digestible short-chain fatty acids, the energy is at best partly lost. So, yes - the CHOs in beans and even more so of those meals you use them with as a 'carb-blocker' count... at least a significant %-age of them. On the other hand, try stuffing yourself with beans before your next spaghetti meal: I bet you're gonna eat less and hence reduce your total energy intake, as well.</div>
So, based on what we knew at the turn-of-the-century about simply eating copious amounts (including non-deactivated <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf020191k" target="_blank">lectins</a> due to the raw nature of the beans the rodents were fed) the verdict would be something between "not possible" and "not healthy". This very inability to consume "enough" beans is probably also the reason that today, roughly 22 years later, we have only very limited data from #humanStudies in which subjects consumed their beans/peas/lentils as whole foods. The few human RCTs are yet in line with the 2nd generation rodent studies showing similarly huge benefits of feeding chow based on cooked (and dried) pulses - essentially the same flours and powders that also caught the food industry's interest (<a href="https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20103109110" target="_blank">Patterson 2010</a>).<br />
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<b>Yes, beans (or rather pulses in general) work - Meta-analysis: 'It takes 1 serving per day (132 g/d), or more to make a difference...' - with <u>no evidence that more pulses help more</u></b><br />
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One of the most recent meta-analyses that went beyond the often-reported improvements in blood lipids and quantified the effect of "dietary pulse consumption on <i>body weight</i>, <i>waist circumference</i>, and <i>body fat</i> by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials" (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/103/5/1213/4569588" target="_blank">Kim 2016</a>). Overall, Kim et al. analyzed data from 21 trials with 940 participants, who were even locked up in <u>metabolic wards</u> in n = 5 studies, so that compliance shouldn't have been an issue (not sure about methane production, though 😋). The researchers' analysis of the data revealed ...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[... ]an overall significant <i>weight reduction </i>of −0.34 kg (95% CI: −0.63, −0.04 kg; P = 0.03) in diets containing dietary pulses (median intake of 132 g/d or ∼1 serving/d) compared with diets without a dietary pulse intervention over a median duration of 6 wk" (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/103/5/1213/4569588" target="_blank">Kim 2016</a>). </blockquote>
What is particularly interesting is that significant benefits were observed in <u>both</u>, studies where the subjects were in a <i>matched energy-deficit </i>(weight-loss diets | P = 0.02; N=5) and those in which the subjects were on <i>energy-balance balanced diets</i> (weight-maintaining diets | P = 0.03; N=17).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/12/nutrientmeal-timing-dozen-examples-of.html" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="511" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMt3CCSeDKTIUEOcnQji9I19wAmGUchHVCOtZl-y8AWo00rcKhaMFNFaklcL7rNsFlDcjRjTfGWGyzaua6FcwyKuw9iwW1FOb4x0IxXELzxcA0KacEDj7sRfkWFmLie1m8hBs7qbc7bMI/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nutrient timing in <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/12/nutrientmeal-timing-dozen-examples-of.html" target="_blank">general contexts</a>.</td></tr>
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<b>So, 100-150g/day, pulses in general work, supplements are not necessary?! </b>That's at least what the not exactly overwhelming evidence suggests. That's also in the range of the 5 servings kidney beans per week the subjects of the initially discussed study by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114514003031" target="_blank">Luhovyy et al.</a> consumed with quite satisfying metabolic results. In that, it is no coincidence that the studies discussed align so well with each other (and the rest of the literature). After all, Kim et al. highlight in their meta-analysis that there's "low evidence of between-study heterogeneity" (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/103/5/1213/4569588" target="_blank">Kim 2016</a>). Moreover, the very same <i>low inter-study heterogeneity</i> was observed for the "6 included trials [which] suggest that dietary pulse consumption may <i>reduce body fat </i>percentage" (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/103/5/1213/4569588" target="_blank">Kim 2016</a>).<br />
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❕All in all, this review of the albeit astonishingly scarce non-supplement and hence relevant research in humans suggests that Johan's & Amaan's question must be answered affirmatively: "<b>Yes, you can eat beans instead of taking bean extract supplements!</b>" It also suggests that <i>you <u>don't</u> need to pound raw beans </i>like the rodents in the earliest studies to see results on the scale.<br />
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👨⚕️The corresponding <u>workable advice</u> is thus: 'Make beans, chickpeas, and other pulses a regular part of your diet. Aim for <b>100-150g of these nutritional powerhouses per day </b>and consume them with or, probably even better (no good evidence available to confirm this hypothetical advice), 30-45 minutes before a starchy meal (not a sugary meal | see 1st red box). <b>If you can't imagine eating beans that often, just eat them regularly </b>and consider one or two or even three (if you can still tolerate their taste and texture by then)<b> heating > cooling > reheating cycles </b>to further increase their already significant resistant starch content.' I guess that's it ... <i><a href="http://facebook.com/suppversity" target="_blank">may the farts be with you</a>!</i></div>
References:<br />
<ul>
<li>Ferreira, Helena, et al. "Benefits of pulse consumption on metabolism and health: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials." Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (2020): 1-12.</li>
<li>Lajolo, Franco M., and Maria Inés Genovese. "Nutritional significance of lectins and enzyme inhibitors from legumes." Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 50.22 (2002): 6592-6598.</li>
<li>Luhovyy, Bohdan L., et al. "Canned navy bean consumption reduces metabolic risk factors associated with obesity." Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research 76.1 (2015): 33-37.</li>
<li>Patterson, C. A., H. Maskus, and C. M. C. Bassett. "Fortifying foods with pulses." Cereal Foods World 55.2 (2010): 56-62.</li>
<li>Pusztai, A., et al. "Lipid accumulation in obese Zucker rats is reduced by inclusion of raw kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in the diet." British Journal of Nutrition 79.2 (1998): 213-221.</li>
<li>Siva, Niroshan. Prebiotic Carbohydrate Profiles of Lentil, Chickpea, and Common Bean. Diss. Clemson University, 2019.</li>
<li>Snelson, Matthew, et al. "Metabolic effects of resistant starch type 2: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials." Nutrients 11.8 (2019): 1833.</li>
<li>Wang, Shenli, et al. "Regular intake of white kidney beans extract (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) induces weight loss compared to placebo in obese human subjects." Food Science & Nutrition (2020).</li>
<li>Yadav, Baljeet S., Alka Sharma, and Ritika B. Yadav. "Studies on effect of multiple heating/cooling cycles on the resistant starch formation in cereals, legumes and tubers." International journal of food sciences and nutrition 60.sup4 (2009): 258-272.</li>
<li>Yao, Yang, et al. "Comparisons of phaseolin type and α-amylase inhibitor in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in China." The Crop Journal 4.1 (2016): 68-72.</li>
</ul>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-55017729539535088002020-03-31T05:17:00.001+02:002020-03-31T06:04:36.709+02:00Alternate Day Fasting & Classic Dieting: Same >5% Weight Loss in 57 vs. 67 Days W/ Unwittingly Increased Deficits<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 20px; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55ARK1uL0JqWXESD9TJ0XKxjNcjhFylVu6CCQ6B5tZp0nVzrecPZJZ8AeTwBA1iwnP6Iw3K86AnlaatafxWoDZa10ECY1sq9V2xFR8j1sYLVhH5Q0PX46O7aqIjK_CetJYrOFffA2j-Q/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="1100" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55ARK1uL0JqWXESD9TJ0XKxjNcjhFylVu6CCQ6B5tZp0nVzrecPZJZ8AeTwBA1iwnP6Iw3K86AnlaatafxWoDZa10ECY1sq9V2xFR8j1sYLVhH5Q0PX46O7aqIjK_CetJYrOFffA2j-Q/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ADF vs. continuous dieting in overweight/obese women: ADF marginally faster, about identically satiatin' but not per se 'superior'</td></tr>
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<i>"When Weight Loss is Standardized (to 5%), Overweight / Obese Women are Neither Hungrier Nor More Satiated When Eatin' in an Alternate Day vs. Chronic Energy Deficit. Implications?" </i>⬅ that's the title of a <a href="http://suppversity.com/" target="_blank">#SuppVersity</a> <a href="http://facebook.com/SuppVersity" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://instagram.com/SuppVersity" target="_blank">Instagram</a> post I was just about to publish yesterday to then decide: 'Hey, you've spent a lot of time to summarize the results of this study. Spend another 10 min (which became 1h) and you've got a <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/on%20short%20notice" target="_blank">short news item</a> and hence a new article many of you may be (rightly) waiting for...'<br />
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<b>Learn more about <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/fasting" target="_blank">fasting</a> at the <i>SuppVersity</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/02/monthly-5-day-fast-supposedly-helps.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4r0zrhX582StcT8eINBQ8Lnfhb1XAqSWcUafEGMqZJU2g8p4l_Vu87lBgn7SYdvGRne6jb9qTz0ZtOx979qmnaw91x91ta8W_JvSM6yGSRWY0b4XENXmlz6ZcK65bLIXrOoGVWemQeM/s80/a.png" style="height: 60px!important;" /></a><br />
Monthly 5-Day Fast Works</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/10/new-lean-gains-study-confirms-if-gets.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttAbyyUXiQiYgZPe7UN9vc2D0izlvK3m_jPm_Shq0qwZ8jEPGhYJ46Qis04hR8kkzdGVnGkGIJ9H9Sllhbs-t688Y8YU7JHgeQjpHUeLkF3ufA4Wk09FEfRlzdEy_01AVnUTlnYxq21s/s80/a.png" style="height: 60px!important;" /></a><br />
"Lean Gains" Fast Works</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/03/latest-study-on-breakfast-skipping.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMczTtfT9LkFAg__Xw0DtrnYRRF9-XexNlYDTgq1aL4SfllhK0i9Iw0x0gpVP8CbLuS_itLwsbZ0Hr_vm5zSesZD0cDr1R794tbnIHdciQQn56HiRYX3ZZWs76AYJuBc10p4cUa_TfvE/s80/a.png" style="height: 60px!important;" /></a><br />
Habits Determine Effects of Fasting</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/06/7-day-protein-modified-fast-all.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZapc2ak1dJ61KtZ20y3q0EU__xc6uo19Xd0sydiVGNTd4_EOmH0hXB2fWPB33wg9gN5Ydmcv-SI4NkXlsQAt6KHGs8slnWxOXITh2s6SwyEAaQUDrWZLRGfK4a5sEu0X2zOY5pFc1Ano/s80/a.png" style="height: 60px!important;" /></a><br />
Protein Modified Fast 4 Health</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/09/intermittent-fasting-resistance.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeox2w0s451RrFnzYzJ26hPx5Inx3SO7Ieob9Q4qY5vilRPgyDuhoJMG3KHgDmRhdg5cuMMPkVoaWZVgOku-Zho_gmKKeiDF-NUeXJZgvrFzWR4tbfpPsicHZzUcKR_IPTNu6KRutOyk/s80/a.png" style="height: 60px!important;" /></a><br />
IF + Resistance Training = WIN</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/09/true-alternate-day-fast-beats-classic.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-tHWD6pHYgpYbA95HKSAqXR83MbCNvzW-P6O-FPXLYzFL1ptEQvbqDyYx6W8DSkTTs3Cbk4rg7qDZM8zgPeuy8hSgoIR-WziCH8NgKSxa758J2xunMXV7B_5UHONDns4qKeatTEAUoA/s80/a.png" style="height: 60px!important;" /></a><br />
ADF Beats Ca-lorie Restriction</div>
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Now, that I am actually in the process of writing it, I also notice other, more tangible advantages: (1) there's room for figures and, (2) maybe even more important additional calculations; (3) there's no limit to the number of characters and words, and (4) you have the guarantee that you can always come back to this article as a reference in your online feuds with friends and foes over the one question that has split the health & fitness community in ways that may remind some of you of the partisanship in US politics.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJ3EBGsRww_tBNg_tAv04nyGyiUc9tJbaLH8clUXhB_9DXlTA9INmov0d1gzs871fYlwMyvAfagq6BnLUqg-1_hIwLZs34y3Xs3dGDn3wtlyzN-1sOKGIZaiTWQMMOh5z5VupLUC8iqA/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJ3EBGsRww_tBNg_tAv04nyGyiUc9tJbaLH8clUXhB_9DXlTA9INmov0d1gzs871fYlwMyvAfagq6BnLUqg-1_hIwLZs34y3Xs3dGDn3wtlyzN-1sOKGIZaiTWQMMOh5z5VupLUC8iqA/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: My plot of the self-reported (baseline and final week of intervention) and prescribed (final week of intervention) energy as well as the relative difference between baseline and end-of-intervention energy intakes (in %) on top of the bars to give you a better idea of what the study protocol actually involved (data from <i>Table 2</i> in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jn/article-abstract/150/3/623/5673202" target="_blank">Beaulieu 2020</a>)</td></tr>
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For this study (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/jn/article-abstract/150/3/623/5673202" target="_blank">Beaulieu 2020</a>), which happens to be called the <a href="https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03447600" target="_blank">"DIVA" study</a> (even though Maria Carrey was not one of the overweight subjects ;-), the researchers from the UK and the US recruited <i>37 women with <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/overweight" target="_blank">#overweight</a> / <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/obesity" target="_blank">#obesity</a> (BMI 25.0–34.9 kg/m²; age 18–55 y)</i> who were then fed energy-restricted diets either continuously #CER (25% daily energy restriction) or intermittently #IER (alternating ad libitum and 75% energy restriction days). Food intakes were assessed using a validated online self-administered 24-h dietary record tool (<a href="http://myfood24.org/">myfood24.org</a>) over a 7-d period at the beginning and end of the weight-loss period.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZUTWi873IdeXuobSFBNbYtujf4lMc_4k5lrR0Knujnc6MhQNJcLELBm2rB9UXNMqt3ENWtQ-D3-6LKbKVqEtUJTHNzluZJ7myg7XzopjnA1afwSM2wVb87IOTpGKx-OxvQDzbPglAi4/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZUTWi873IdeXuobSFBNbYtujf4lMc_4k5lrR0Knujnc6MhQNJcLELBm2rB9UXNMqt3ENWtQ-D3-6LKbKVqEtUJTHNzluZJ7myg7XzopjnA1afwSM2wVb87IOTpGKx-OxvQDzbPglAi4/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2: Schematic of the trial. Anthro, anthropometrics; Bfast, breakfast; BW, body weight; EBQ, eating behavior questionnaires; LFPQ,
Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire; RMR, resting metabolic rate; SWA, SenseWear Armband; VAS, visual analogue scales for appetite ratings;
WL, weight loss (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/jn/article-abstract/150/3/623/5673202" target="_blank">Beaulieu 2020</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All participants were given specifics meal plans, the energy content of which had been calculated based on measured RMR × PAL obtained from the SenseWear Armband and in line with the subjects' individual dietary preferences. Adherence to the meal plans was considered when reported
energy intake in the weekly meal plan booklets did not exceed the prescribed energy intake by >75 kcal. The average relative <i>macronutrient composition</i> (expressed as % of total energy intake) was identical in both groups when the actual real-world intakes were considered.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is intermittent dieting the better form of dieting? Results are promising, but far from conclusive - even in 2018. Check my recent <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/12/intermittent-fasting-beats-isocaloric.html" target="_blank">review article</a> in the SuppVersity Archive's <a href="http://suppversity.com/search/label/ADF" target="_blank">ADF-related articles</a>.</td></tr>
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IER, IDR, IDF or ADF - wtf #acronyms? I personally would say that the study at hand used an <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/ADF" target="_blank">#ADF</a> protocol, i.e. a rather significant reduction in dietary energy intake that has to be adhered to alternatingly: You diet on Mo, Wed, Fri, Sun and eat ad-libitum on the other days (days will change from week to week to maintain the scheme) - hence, "alternate day" fasting.<br />
<br />
#ADF is also not new and, obviously, you can find a lot of information about it in the SuppVersity Archive at <a href="http://suppversity.com/search/label/ADF">suppversity.com/search/label/ADF</a>.</div>
In reality, though, the overweight/obese subjects cut their calories slightly more than what was required: Their energy intakes went down by...<br />
<ul>
<li>-28% for a <i>total deficit per week of -3857 kcal/wk </i>in those who reduced their intakes by cutting 551kcal/d every day (CIE), by </li>
<li>-67% on the fasting days and quite surprising -10% on the ad-libitum days of the IER group, on which the subjects were allowed to eat "ad-libitum", i.e. 'as much as they want' 😮</li>
</ul>
This 'extra-cut' on ad-libitum days (and hence 'feasting' days) implies that the ADF group averaged a deficit of -39% and -9632 kcal/week!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/05/study-suggests-superiority-of-dieting.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdlnc20D9jA_3p_8nxQdueTLFSAlUGYrZVS0Tlof0Wc5Rmue7supmQr7iwSveyIrPIBjP4ilWQ3W5rasj_VVqI7hyySj03tcRSsrScsdTWZtRWO0hIA2YKWS0wSXJ_hIrO381kF1kfNc/s200/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/05/study-suggests-superiority-of-dieting.html" target="_blank">the archives</a>: Study Suggests Superiority of Dieting With 2 Refeeds/Week vs. Continuous Dieting <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/05/study-suggests-superiority-of-dieting.html" target="_blank">learn more</a>! In essence a slightly similar approach to intermittent energy restriction, albeit one that's harder to handle than the every-other-day 'refeeds' on #ADF protocols. Another similar alternative: "Calorie Shifting (Refeeding) for Max. Fat Loss" in overweight women | <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2014/11/calorie-shifting-refeeding-for-max-fat.html" target="_blank">read more</a>!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This impressive, automatic/voluntary extra-restraint may, at least partly, explain why the IER group needed 10 days less to lose their weight... with huge standard deviations of 16 days in the IER and still 13 days in the CIE group, though and virtually identical weight loss at the 12-week mark: -6.3 ± 0.8% in 57 ± 16 d, in the #IER group (n = 12), and - 6.6 ± 1.1% in 67 ± 13 d; in the #CER group.<br />
<br />
<b>What's left to report in terms of results?</b><br />
<br />
The satiety quotient which represents the "difference between the subjective ratings of motivation to eat before and after a meal by the ingested energy intake during the eating episode" (<a href="https://www.sizes.com/people/satiety-quotient.htm" target="_blank">learn more</a>) remained unchanged and was similar in both groups. This observation is in line with the identical improvements in dietary restraint, craving control, as well as the susceptibility to hunger, and binge Eating (P < 0.001).<br />
<br />
So, everything was the same in both groups? Not exactly: The <i>self-selected meal size </i>decreased after the ≥5 % reduction in CER (P = 0.03) but not in IER (P = 0.19). In other words, the subjects' perception of what's a normal meal size improved significantly only when they weren't allowed to serve as much as they wanted every other day - just like almost all other changes, there was yet no significant inter-group for this 'learning effect', either.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvWdWRHHnJTrTEBV4HHFx0kpxI5yaUTUS4BDIPc_8Sc9ETjP4SbLcrJzE2EStiSRV_eNde6tFDeJdQ_DlCbP_nqHEgIWbT2iQb91xLVArsBI3S_DSlOb5QOID5yuEGmll4a-WE9qSa7T8/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvWdWRHHnJTrTEBV4HHFx0kpxI5yaUTUS4BDIPc_8Sc9ETjP4SbLcrJzE2EStiSRV_eNde6tFDeJdQ_DlCbP_nqHEgIWbT2iQb91xLVArsBI3S_DSlOb5QOID5yuEGmll4a-WE9qSa7T8/s420/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3: Subjects did not differ significantly in their post-weight loss perception of fullness (top) or desire to eat after a standardized breakfast. That's a result that is in line with the previously mentioned lack of difference in perceived hunger.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>The best diet will always be the one you can best <u>adhere</u> to...</b> but if that's an alternate day fasting, or IER regimen, as it is labeled in the study at hand, this <i>may </i>have significant advantages for <u>some</u>. <br />
<br />
The latter are not a result of fasting's often proposed (and non-validated) metabolic advantage (aka magic, REE remained the same in both groups), though, but rather due to the increased <i>overall energy deficit</i>: from the targeted 25% and the already augmented 28% in the CER group to a whopping -39% in the IER/ADF group that took place unwittingly/automatically and may even have been larger in the 'biggest losers', i.e. those who did very well with the IER/ADF diet. <br />
<br />
Those who didn't do well with this form of dieting, though, were according to the FT of the study, not just more likely to <i>overeat</i> on the feed days, they also tended to introduce cheat days and ended up in the group of those who failed to lose the ≥5% within the 12-week period or dropped out (N=6 vs. N=3 in IER vs. CER).<br />
<br />
So, <i>if </i>you know you're going to fall off the wagon on days with a deficit of ~75% or overboard on the ad-libitum dieting / (re-)feed days: Don't try the IER/ADF approach. <i>If</i>, on the other hand, you're like many of the subjects at hand and are so happy that you can eat 'as much as you want' every other day and thus able to 'keep your shit together' or even stay in a marginal deficit (here 10%) on the feeding days, go for it... ah, intermittent energy restriction (#IER) in form of alternate day fasting (#ADF) it's likely you see benefits, even if those are small | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/3102464406452355?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARD9DjyNorRuv_qDgCnxo1dhs7CInHkqGyPsdpMSO0gThjKC_nRCv5ySUhHoLUo9p1ibHtsVgtqygeDpAmFq3YFJ7r0x8GP-4UdkhljYSu_y8001Rn9lJkulzAFCgGFBd59IOqSPPQROsM1psPTOsaWHWBcxzki5p6V2gD8yleiJEZ5hxnona0Cv5GsCxy6jI4eEALE6pbC6uUXbKeg1FF-8xQRYCFEt8WG1kRjS7037i9pvCQqV1HksKvGLA1Ot9dDKvUjMo7qRqbhkpO-5d4qmzxMzNAHBZYCNgQ1C1_oDQF34ah8yYsHXWEy_KTgwuyDF6N9ujQo8wDUYqSfzZscCqw&__tn__=-R" target="_blank">Discuss the study on Facebook</a>!</div>
References:<br />
<ul>
<li>Beaulieu, Kristine, et al. "Matched Weight Loss Through Intermittent or Continuous Energy Restriction Does Not Lead To Compensatory Increases in Appetite and Eating Behavior in a Randomized Controlled Trial in Women with Overweight and Obesity." The Journal of Nutrition 150.3 (2020): 623-633.</li>
</ul>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-67279212047198591222020-02-23T03:33:00.001+01:002020-02-23T03:41:59.384+01:00'Spiking' (not Replacing) Suboptimal Amounts of #Whey With #EAAs Yields Increase in Net Protein Balance, Yet not(!) Protein Synthesis in Muscle - Acute Response Study<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi962EvfCtIJqXyxaJgZoynrDBeRTP-xFvI0aNAQcTifmjDsotDRNlYgvsQFrf7Cmwlz1FzpKC_IJs4B-ABA_-DZbCoUnThf3YECX9owozX1k0bm4yEPducsVjRlB1eW1kviDJuPnIlCbo/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="1352" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi962EvfCtIJqXyxaJgZoynrDBeRTP-xFvI0aNAQcTifmjDsotDRNlYgvsQFrf7Cmwlz1FzpKC_IJs4B-ABA_-DZbCoUnThf3YECX9owozX1k0bm4yEPducsVjRlB1eW1kviDJuPnIlCbo/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You will probably have read about the results of this recent study from the University of <i>Arkansas for Medical Sciences</i> elsewhere already - hopefully in an article that applied the same rigorous scrutiny as this one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"Wait: EAAs are better than whey?" If that's your overgeneralized and essentially wrong (there was no comparison of EAA vs. Whey, but one of EAA+whey vs. whey 😎) take-home message from the abstract of a recent study in the <i>Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition</i> you may have recently read about on Facebook, you better read the rest of today's SuppVersity article on Park's paper, of which I would like to point out that the authors come to a very different, accurate, and more nuanced conclusion, that reads as follows:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"that a composition of a balanced EAA formulation combined with whey protein is highly anabolic as compared to a whey protein-based recovery product, and that the response is dose-dependent" (<a href="https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-0340-5" target="_blank">Park 2020</a>). </blockquote>
Ok, that's correct and nuanced, but we should be more specific with respect to the real-world implications, and more nuanced when it comes to describing and reflecting on the methodology. A classic <i>SuppVersity 'On the Other Hand' (<a href="http://superhumanradio.net/" target="_blank">Carl Lanore</a>) </i>if you will; and an article that may help you answer the question: "Do I have to add EAAs to every meal?"<br />
<div class="bottomLineDark" style="height: 140px; padding-right: 20px;">
<b>Study at hand could be relevant for <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/fasted%20cardio">fasted cardio</a> (w/out proper meal thereafter) here's more:</b><br />
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/11/fasted-cardio-before-breakfast.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjfJZKtVG78NI3bQcStLXXcK8wrhUGFw5B0T1iTqM9x89HPwy3mNbilulh6Y3JnLDCoUNYDCtJcpv4sSpn5seeBF_ofr15otpfHcaTlrzbCiDPBOpdXG2XKsVnbEhZZWKNcKuWRJ3svY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
+50% 24hFat Ox. W/ Fasted Cardio</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2013/01/fasted-cardio-beyond-optimal-24h-fatty.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiEwU9yC0W54i2-nGZu_HFgdSbpV7jiIC4_cGq6hdlPlbWa7yQNkxE-Q36Sbmq4GSOl8foxHzKaPmXwyB-sOI7HYX6to-4Qao9AOfbVsY8xQJeU6dkMjpa-3wuJQf28X8hDpO7L7I22X9/s80/a.JPG" /></a><br />
Fat Ox. Beyond Fasted Cardio</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/03/am-pm-or-ampm-cardio-and-their-effects.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hsobptEZTK3rO5HTgAG4UVZ1U-tfnCvV8IS7BNkLQ1hgovVWAnQRWDnOFwwkPNv_jQLTmQ8z1Ex01r1FcGOB6UQG6QRnvDrDIUlgUDhkF6ZOHgDyEWPIIACDnfO8G6qBsoVrpteRAW0/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
AM, PM or AM+PM Cardio?</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/11/new-fasted-cardio-study-falsifies-myth.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_YfxTiC5Vo0BgJAk0UXgVuE8KFdHr-4L1W7pzc8wuxAvoFhQPxWjzumEaIoI6OMi3PylxtGtTNi3AJLugwTlGGOq2RMPD11cdZLDo9K5Nl_jMMCO3wv5sIEYr-aZnXN45acs1Iv0c-w/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Fasted Cardio no Magic Bullet!</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/03/non-fasted-cardio-true-key-to-weight.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLKzOtCzOCqayJjAZDMFFigyTuVj3BhePgbHQDwySUpbiIfCwovEUz_KmcMd7Mq2Gyl8qj2rWK3P4ZRR4uZ5Gd9qaaJLg1x5KdnREAIPSLGJsrNod6VvoV1EhdjuC0aJN8HfbyEUKLRY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Burn More Ener-gy Non-Fasted</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 0;">
<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.de/2013/08/want-to-clean-up-cellular-garbage-train.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZATsItWzGlTZBSXZDFJafnItXCO5W9-l6yYXiFdE8JG4_OeUu77jam3UHrBtIOi8O7M1lgV8CBqPyN5RM5cI3gvoUJUEW3ym94Kr05WzSq4Kl3Li8QIvRVHrDP1dD5tPYyMtzXi25MmQ/s80/a.jpg" /></a><br />
Health Benefits of Fasted Cardio</div>
</div>
As you may already have learned from the abstract, the scientists have "determined the acute response of protein kinetics to one or two servings (6.3 g and 12.6 g) of a proprietary composition containing free-form essential amino acids (EAA) (3.2 g EAA per serving) and whey protein (2.4 g per serving), as well as the response to consumption of a popular whey-based protein supplement (Gatorade Recover) (17 g; 12.6 g protein)" (<a href="https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-0340-5" target="_blank">Park 2020</a>).<br />
<br />
<b>We're talking about an overall low(ish) if not clearly insufficient amount of protein</b><br />
<br />
Those < 13g of protein are insufficient - at least, if maximal <u>skeletal muscle</u> protein synthesis is the goal which has been shown to saturate (#ceilingEffect | see 1st infobox) at >20-25g in healthy, young (early to mid-twenties) male and female subjects as they participated in the study at hand.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-chv9pemtmTJuTRlJRtTGb8adPob5nNSDZeH3D-kMe6OCQRdGBLssaWzNKsZ-WljPQz1S2DinBD3mh77f7Y-4_IHLLWMi6i2XCVIK7FBGn-_lw-vCbbndr1BqRDXUWs4TK1x0z-WV2Q/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="948" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-chv9pemtmTJuTRlJRtTGb8adPob5nNSDZeH3D-kMe6OCQRdGBLssaWzNKsZ-WljPQz1S2DinBD3mh77f7Y-4_IHLLWMi6i2XCVIK7FBGn-_lw-vCbbndr1BqRDXUWs4TK1x0z-WV2Q/s570/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Previous studies such as <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/99/2/276/4571468" target="_blank">Churward-Venne et al (2014)</a> show that extra leucine (low: 2.25g; high: 4.25g) can boost the protein synthetic effects of insufficiently low amounts of whey (6g) dose-dependently to what you'd see w/ 25g of whey (required addition of 4.25g of leucine). Moreover, 15g of EAA administered to elderly subjects were found to surpass the anabolic effects of 15g of whey in an often-cited study by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0531556505002548" target="_blank">Paddon Jones, et al. (2006)</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In this regards, the study at hand is neither the only nor the first study to suggest that 'spiking' a suboptimal amount of whey protein with BCAAs (especially leucine) or EAAs can further promote the postprandial increase in post-prandial (=after a meal) protein synthesis. In that, the studies by Churchward-Venne where 6g of whey +4.25g of leucine mirrored the effects of 25g of whey (see <i>Figure 1, left</i>) and Paddon Jones' study which directly compared 15g of EAAs to whey (see <i>Figure 1, right</i>) are yet only the most positive examples of an overall rather heterogenous research (e.g. no leucine effect in <a href="https://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/h09-006" target="_blank">Tipton 2009</a>), which suggests that any benefits of EAAs and/or additional leucine begin to vanish when the amount of whey that's used as a comparison passes the 20-25g threshold (in the elderly 30-40g may be necessary).<br />
<div class="lightBand">
<b>What's a ceiling effect?</b> At lower protein intakes, there's a clear "more helps more"-effect for each additional gram of protein. When the serving size increases beyond 20-30g (sex-, age-, exercise-, weight-, type-, [...], and diet-dependent), however, 'more does no longer help more', the measurable fractional protein synthesis rates max out and the superfluous protein is used as an energy substrate, instead of being incorporated into the muscle cells. Learn more about the protein requirements of athletes in the <a href="https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8">ISSN Position Stand</a> (free full-text!).</div>
One thing that Park et al. rightly highlight in the introduction of their paper is the fact that the putative effects of (extra) EAAs cannot be equated to the amount of leucine in the added free-form amino acids. The previously cited study by Churchward-Wenne, for example, administered leucine alongside the two other BCAAs, isoleucine and valine, and combined them with the non-essential amino acids alanine and glycine (note: the content of the NEAAs is relatively low in regular whey protein).<br />
<br />
And in fact, the Churward-Wenne study is one of several examples that would support the notion that you want to spike a specific (low) amount of protein with amino acids (especially the EAAs) this type of protein is naturally low in. Accordingly, Park et al. formulate a hypothesis in their paper that focuses, on the putative benefits of '#EAA-spiking':<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 1: Test product composition (<a href="https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-0340-5" target="_blank">Park 2020</a>). As you can see it's not the higher leucine content that could possibly make a difference (wih 20% vs. 24% it's even lower in the EAA supplement), <u>but</u> what differs profundly is the histidin content of the treatments, which is more than 3x higher in the added EAAs trial compared to the Gatorade (whey) trial.</td></tr>
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"The EAA with the lowest concentration relative to demand will limit the anabolic response, regardless of the extent of excess of the other EAA, including leucine. Consequently, maintaining a balance of EAA that is roughly proportionate to the demand for each EAA is important. For this reason, the idea of combining a balanced formulation of all of the EAA with an intact protein is appealing. A combination of a balanced formulation of EAA and a high-quality intact protein should provide the beneficial effect of a rapid and large increase in leucine concentration to activate the protein synthesis at a molecular level, while also providing sufficient other EAA to maintain a prolonged availability of all the necessary precursors for protein synthesis" (<a href="https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-0340-5" target="_blank">Park 2020</a>).</blockquote>
That EAAs in general and more specifically the mTOR-activator leucine is not the key to unlock limitless protein synthetic potential has also been confirmed in a recent study by researchers from Brazil and Canada (<a href="http://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002307" target="_blank">de Andrade 2020</a>) who fed twenty-five, resistance-trained men (27 ± 5 y; 78.4 ± 11.6 kg; 24.8 ± 3.0 kg/m²) 1.8 ± 0.4 g protein·kg/d plus either 2 x 5 g/d of either free leucine (LEU n=12) or alanine (PLA n= 13), while undergoing a supervised 12-week, twice-weekly lower-limb RT program. Their results were not what supplement producers would like to hear: there was no effect of extra leucine ingested on top of an already high protein diet (the regular diet provided 11g of leucine, alone) - <i>That's the ceiling effect in (real-world vs. lab) action!</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2: Not what the #snakeOil... ah, amino acid vendors wanted to see - If the baseline protein intake is high (in th study at hand that was 1.8g/kg; with 11g leucine in it), additional free-form leucine doesn't add to the size gains in 12-week study with twenty-five, young, resistance-trained men (<a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/publishahead/Leucine_Supplementation_Has_No_Further_Effect_on.96364.aspx" target="_blank">de Andrade 2020</a>).</td></tr>
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When we're evaluating the significance of the results of the study at hand we do thus have to look at the subjects baseline protein intake <i>and</i> the amount of nitrogen the subjects consumed while keeping in mind that as a single <u>acute response study</u> Park's latest investigation can tell us very little about the practical relevance of the results in terms of #gainz over weeks and months. So, let's see...<br />
<br />
<b>Acute effects, fasted subjects, no training, low(ish) amount of whey... no way this study will deliver definitive answers about the usefulness/superiority of EAA > whey.</b><br />
<br />
To validate their EAA hypothesis, Park et al. used a randomized, two-period, stable isotope infusion protocol that compared the net protein balance in a 4.5 h basal fasted period to the 4 h post-meal period (total 8.5 h) after the ingestion of either...<br />
<ul>
<li>two doses of the <i>proprietary free-form EAA/protein study supplement </i>(6.3 g and 12.6 g | containing a total of 4.284 g leucine), or</li>
<li>17.6 g of a product (<i>Gatorade Recover</i>) containing 12.6 g of <i>whey protein,</i> of which 24%, i.e. 3,024 g were leucine</li>
</ul>
...with a >1 week washout period in-between the two isotope infusions and <u>in the absence of exercise</u> (needless to say that the latter could have had significant effects on the results).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3: This figure from the FT suggests a huge effect... an effect that was however measured in response to a single meal, in the absence of training, with suboptimal amounts of whey and in a fasting context where any ceiling effects would disappear (<a href="https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-0340-5" target="_blank">Park 2020</a>)... judge for yourself how large the real-world relevance of this experimental set-up is 🙄.</td></tr>
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While this <i>is </i>a classic protocol and certainly better than measuring mTOR activity, only, the study design suffers from the previously hinted-at <u>short-comings</u>:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 4: This graph can mislead you to believe that adding EAAs to whey would significantly add to its effect; the "*", however, denotes a p<0.05 difference to the fasted state - an <u>inter-treatment</u> difference on the fractional synthesis rates was <u>not</u> observed!</td></tr>
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<li>the study investigates only the 4h post-feeding window; hence, it is an <i>acute phase study </i>that won't tell us much about the long(er)-term effects of EAA vs. whey on muscle or strength gains;</li>
<li>the subjects <i>were fasted</i>, to begin with, and they were not fed anything but the supplement, which eliminates the <i>ceiling effect</i> that people on high(er than RDA | 1.6-1.8g/d) protein diets | see previous remarks on the de Andrade study and the corresponding infobox;</li>
<li>the amount of <i>whey was way below the threshold value of 20-30g </i>of which previous studies suggest that it is required to maximize protein synthesis;</li>
<li>the subjects <i>did not train! </i>If they had trained, the study may have yielded completely different results;</li>
<li>due to its design, the study was unable to account for <i>additional metabolic, anabolic, and health-relevant effects of whey peptides </i>as they have been reported by Saito 2008, Athira 2013, or Tsutsumi 2014 (<a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3a77/be3900f6ca5ca6adca0d5c461163bd7cdf17.pdf" target="_blank">read this review</a>) have reported - those could become relevant especially in the long-run.</li>
</ul>
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Also worth mentioning: The data in <i>Figure 4</i>, which I grabbed directly from the FT, can easily be misread as 'EAA + Whey = significantly better than whey, alone,' when a significant difference in the amount of protein that was actually pumped <u>into the muscle</u> (vs. other organs/tissues) was not observed. Yep, you read that right! The '*' signifies a significant increase over the fasted state, not one between EAA+whey vs whey, alone 😮.<br />
<br />
<b>The scientists <u>are right</u>, though, when they conclude: "The principal finding of this study is that a combination of free EAA and whey protein is highly anabolic in healthy young volunteers."</b><br />
<br />
This is an appropriate (yet hardly comprehensive) conclusion you may find to be in stark contrast to what you've probably read in some blogs and on industry-funded websites. Again: <u>there was no increase in muscle protein synthesis</u> with either low or high dose EAA + whey compared to whey and the calculated increase in protein efficiency (increase in protein balance + gram of powder) must not be mistaken as an increase in the amount of protein that went into the muscle.<br />
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<b>EAAs are fast: Too fast to sustain muscle growth</b> -- Yep, you read that right. As Park et al. admit, they deliberately mixed EAA with whey, instead of using them straight, because the "rapid peak response in plasma EAA", which "is likely a key reason for [free form EAAs'] effectiveness also limits "the total duration of the response", because "just as the concentrations of EAA in the blood rise rapidly, they fall rapidly as well". Hence, "the composition tested in this study contain[ed] protein in addition to the EAA to prolong the anabolic response in the time after consumption" - #hearHear.</div>
The net protein balance leads us to an essential problem: due to its lack of tissue-specificity the reductions in total body protein breakdown and increases in synthesis <u>must not</u> be equated or used as an indicator of muscle gains. Accordingly, the allegedly <i>3x and 6x greater gains </i>Park et al. calculated based on the net protein balance (<u>not</u> muscular FSR) you may have heard people rave about would probably not have manifested in terms of <i>muscle</i> gains - this is, by the way, in line with the paper by <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpendo.00481.2014" target="_blank">Bukhari et al 2015</a>, which Park et al. claim would have shown that...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[...t]he stimulation of <u>muscle protein synthesis</u> by consumption of less than 4 g of EAA has been reported to be as great as the response to consumption of 25 g dose of whey protein" (my <u>emphasis</u> in Park 2020).</blockquote>
That's de facto <u>not</u> correct, as Bukhari et al. found that - I quote - "both WP [whey] and LEAA [EAA] <u>equally</u> stimulated MPS 0–2 h (P < 0.05), abating thereafter (0–4 h, P > 0.05)" (<a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpendo.00481.2014" target="_blank">Bukhari 2017</a>). I'll leave it up to you to decide if this is a random misunderstanding of the Bukhari study or whether it was done with a purpose... anyway, it adds to the previously outlined caveats and the unmistakable reek of bias. In all fairness, it should be added that the scientists explicitly address the limitation in a paragraph of the discussion, where Park et al. admit that their ...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[...] results reflect a pooling of the responses of all proteins in the body, and muscle protein may constitute as little as 25% of the total rate of whole body protein synthesis in some circumstances. Because the <u>majority of whole body protein synthesis occurs elsewhere than the muscle</u>, the rate of whole-body protein synthesis may not directly correspond to muscle protein FSR in some circumstances" (my <u>emphasis</u> in <a href="https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-0340-5" target="_blank">Park 2020</a>). </blockquote>
And the 'trends' (statistical significance not established) the authors highlight for FSR, i.e. the proxy of the amount of protein that actually ended up in skeletal muscle, may point into the right direction but they are not statistically significant differences that would warrant the conclusion that a <i>relevant </i>part of "the gain in net protein balance occurred in the muscle" (<a href="https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-0340-5" target="_blank">Park 2020</a>).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhIYOC0R6qu0Cggaw3TX_1dh6TrUYKRkkCOR8b2b98iHT5DNU8Nut3F_f9LeIkaDgIHnTWUBJPWXo3MKAcKRHzxyBKeYFNuEnbd2xibz2IdceS25wh6qoomAwMqZXOXd2FGNuPpZQ9Kc/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhIYOC0R6qu0Cggaw3TX_1dh6TrUYKRkkCOR8b2b98iHT5DNU8Nut3F_f9LeIkaDgIHnTWUBJPWXo3MKAcKRHzxyBKeYFNuEnbd2xibz2IdceS25wh6qoomAwMqZXOXd2FGNuPpZQ9Kc/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 5: Relative contribution of individual amino acids (in %) to total EAA content of the powders used in the study (my illustration of <a href="https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-020-0340-5/tables/2" target="_blank">Table 2</a>. Take a look at phenylalanine and histidine, of which whey has comparatively low concentrations the differences are not discussed in the paper, but they should be if your theory is that the magic lies in the contribution of non-leucine EAAs as authors of the study at hand claim, both in the introduction and discussion section of their paper.</td></tr>
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Ok, enough of that... one last thing, though: Maybe you too have asked yourself why one would mention the brand name of the placebo but avoid naming the producer and product name of the "proprietary free-form EAA/protein study supplement" the authors repeatedly call "a balanced formulation of free EAA" or "a composition of exact proportions of EAA" (no idea whatever "balanced" is supposed to mean in this context and there's no mention of potential implications of most striking difference in EAA make-up, i.e. histidine and phenylalanine, see <i>Figure 5</i>). Ha? I don't know the answer either.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Article from the archive addresses question: "Would it be advisable to switch from the large scoop with protein (red) to the small one with (EAAs) or take both?" | <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/09/accelerated-muscle-repair-and-function.html" target="_blank">read it</a>! </td></tr>
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<b>Don't be fooled: </b>No study will ever be able to 'prove' the superiority of one supplement over another, once and for all. This is particularly true when the study cannot measure the two actually relevant outcomes: here, <i>muscle </i>and <i>strength gains </i>because it was an acute response study, an acute response study with rather low amounts (probably too low) of protein that was conducted in a fasted state that precludes ceiling effects as they've been observed when doses were escalated (to 20-30g in young and 30-40g in older people) or the baseline protein intake was high (~2x the RDA or more | note: in the study at hand, the intake was ZERO - at least for the relevant time window).<br />
<br />
In view of the previously discussed caveats, the only thing you can conclude with some confidence is that the provision of a relatively small quantity of "balanced" (again, no idea what that's supposed to mean) <u>proprietary blend</u> of extra EAAs on top of an insufficient amount of whey protein to fasted non-trained subjects can lead to short-lived improvements in the subjects' net protein balance, which are driven largely by a reduction in <i>protein breakdown </i>all over the body and not by a significantly increased protein synthesis in skeletal muscle 😑 | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/3017919444906852" target="_blank">Comment on Facebook</a>!</div>
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References:<br />
<ul>
<li>Athira S, Mann B, Sharma R, Kumar R. "Ameliorative potential of whey protein hydrolysate against paracetamol-induced oxidative stress." J Dairy Sci. 96.3 (2013).</li>
<li>Churchward-Venne, Tyler A., et al. "Leucine supplementation of a low-protein mixed macronutrient beverage enhances myofibrillar protein synthesis in young men: a double-blind, randomized trial." The American journal of clinical nutrition 99.2 (2014): 276-286.</li>
<li>de Andrade, et al. "Leucine Supplementation Has No Further Effect on Training-induced Muscle Adaptation" Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: February 19, 2020 - Volume Publish Ahead of Print</li>
<li>Jäger, Ralf, et al. "International society of sports nutrition position stand: protein and exercise." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 14.1 (2017): 1-25.</li>
<li>Paddon-Jones, Douglas, et al. "Differential stimulation of muscle protein synthesis in elderly humans following isocaloric ingestion of amino acids or whey protein." Experimental gerontology 41.2 (2006): 215-219.</li>
<li>Park, Sanghee, et al. "Anabolic response to essential amino acid plus whey protein composition is greater than whey protein alone in young healthy adults." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 17.1 (2020): 9.</li>
<li>Saito T. "Antihypertensive peptides derived from bovine casein and whey proteins." Adv Exp Med Biol. 606:295 (2008).</li>
<li>Tipton, Kevin D., et al. "Stimulation of muscle anabolism by resistance exercise and ingestion of leucine plus protein." Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 34.2 (2009): 151-161.</li>
<li>Tsutsumi R, Tsutsumi YM. "Peptides and proteins in whey and their benefits for human health." Austin J Nutri Food Sci. 1:1 (2014).</li>
</ul>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-54059543003261764012020-02-15T04:39:00.000+01:002020-02-15T04:39:13.328+01:00Blood Flow Restriction Training 2020: What's New on Age, Sex, and Contralateral Gains | Plus: Limiting Discomfort!?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -8px 0 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvEyso6vrmuSiD6rsq8rD9ha6zDe_H66L9k5xhPSTMKTXuseA1nxYGk3SaXPYBzyddfI56g6bjEQM10ykR5iEEXolWCQtb-8yfYsuWDUhRZAHPU6gbPerOXo_cLrbEVeCiCKzFt5YcS0/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1356" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvEyso6vrmuSiD6rsq8rD9ha6zDe_H66L9k5xhPSTMKTXuseA1nxYGk3SaXPYBzyddfI56g6bjEQM10ykR5iEEXolWCQtb-8yfYsuWDUhRZAHPU6gbPerOXo_cLrbEVeCiCKzFt5YcS0/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It may sound awesome but eventually training only one arm is no viable long-term strategy. Having learned about the ability of BFR to increase/facilitate contralateral gains in today's <i>SuppVersity</i> article, you could yet well use it when you're injured and unable to train one of your limbs (legs/quads should work, too). </td></tr>
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In today's third installment of the <i>2020 research updates</i>, I want to take a look at all that's new and interesting in the realms of blood flow restriction aka #<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/BFR" target="_blank">BFR</a>. How effective is it? Who benefits? Who benefits the most? Will it speed up or slow down recovery? And why will it help you make gains even on untrained limbs? <i>Sounds interesting?</i> Well, here you go: My overview of selected new studies investigating the effects of blood flow restriction from early 2020 will answer these and (hopefully) any related questions you may have.<br />
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<b>"Blood Flow Restriction" aka #<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/BFR">BFR</a> is becoming more and more popular - rightly so?</b></div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/02/more-bfr-lovin-can-cortisol-gh-response.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_DiZPs9rTkcDhmwErWAR8dMwPDqCvVQF0JOCuEqfMGCW81Y5UojWCKHhdB5AXH6XjaZK-TLA4why40j9D6BGZ13CY8URJLr8LT5oSIPuOnR4q3YWo0P8sgAzfid_CCR1O1nVMZeajxs/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
BFR, Cortisol & GH Responses</div>
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<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/10/under-pressure-whats-new-on-bfr.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWjI-yuLailU-nHJ5y0s9wM7JJxLnQNBatlaw7h74I1jOd3x5x7bGrdVvoyA2PfddPy2ujExEzFZjJEjyqw0CiYE_hrVq9pNJq4-yFfhB1Obgv-AP5JXiI2ne1tjcbNPMkKrhURW2BJc/s80/under-pressure.png" /></a><br />
BFR & Compres-sion Gear News</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/03/finally-1st-blood-flow-restriction.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qPn0rgMg_b_NW65dKy-_olGZ-ylB8faFMNBwb9updyMw3LqQJBfbjHXqq7EDOOW4c8z1Vebz4YbIWtH4ZhCjpgudV99lAAWO2vDRYxyovtuRFGYtIHw1dWJ1kguRL9mpY2n9E5__jRY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
BFR as Add-On to Classic Lifts</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2013/11/blood-flow-restricted-biceps-growth-in.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-KXWLPPLpYJlQUcywJyc8FqQjHzK2Wczbth2QStWT2xec4HVuA_zOJUnetpQCYK9HSsiS11TEini-esEOCPjlC6HnLI8NCMBEqSVWXUx9Q4EdtbrdR3nyJRK6_3DlxpPEZv8pDPxU5k/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
BFR for Injured Athletes</div>
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<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2019/09/blood-flow-restriction-bfr-works-in.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxBum5kIrRQG0KhntjYvRHvPG_JfYziQENtheoPKuFebOXYc0nlstXauZyjthT-In8gdmK8N2jjxr5HRRiI-Mn-4KnCFeO7kpnQNIvUTBo0vlHpy9kg-bfrAYMHeYYjXSHwC3WiuvCts/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
What's the best pressure & size?</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/08/blood-flow-restricted-liss-but-not-hiit.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5gTv_ovlyTQLgYXdQtR8w9XVkdZRKPobGVyxF9hlaRUB14h8k7_52VHDq9zOqfTEmIYO_RunRjr0NW9PimXqTeWnSLP2SkdAb4SZ429-29BOgZ04nBGmDgBdjHKonXSbTEySJQ_bi70/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
BFR + Cardio = GainZ?</div>
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<ul>
<li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -7px 0 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1NvHw0MtxmkvkirUx_gncoj_GPnUxpQOs5mkE3CWqYYpzoEMk0UmbJlByyGWz29xxEkfrNeuVB9Ta9QRgO9rN2bdZuDH5VN6QnwxNl3h7QwDQ2P4lD3PMtB6TMwm_TG7i-WGesNtJEE/s1600/a.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="833" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1NvHw0MtxmkvkirUx_gncoj_GPnUxpQOs5mkE3CWqYYpzoEMk0UmbJlByyGWz29xxEkfrNeuVB9Ta9QRgO9rN2bdZuDH5VN6QnwxNl3h7QwDQ2P4lD3PMtB6TMwm_TG7i-WGesNtJEE/s320/a.png" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 1: comparison of strength gains for #BFR vs HLT - in some studies BFR was even superior (from <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/doi.org/10.1111/sms.13632" target="_blank">Gronfeldt 2020</a>)</td></tr>
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<b>Strength gains with low-resistance #BFR vs. classic heavy-load strength training (HLT) - Meta-analysis reports identical gains in 20-to-80-year-old healthy and habitually active adults </b>-- based on <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32031709-effect-of-blood-flow-restricted-vs-heavy-load-strength-training-on-muscle-strength-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis/?from_term=BFR+resistance+training&from_sort=date&from_pos=1" target="_blank">Gronfeldt et al. 2020</a><br /><br />Important FYI: The scientists selected studies w/ "equal training outputs between HLT and BFR; e.g. training to fatigue/failure" (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/sms.13632" target="_blank">ibid.</a>)<br /><br />These results are particularly interesting, because previous studies had suggested that BFR may be equivalent in terms of size gains, yet not when it comes to strength.<br /><br />As the individual datasets from the studies under review indicate, there are even instances where the BFR training was significantly better at improving strength compared to heavy-load strength training 😮... a generalization of the results to e.g. training noobs or pro-athletes is yet unwarranted.</li>
<li><b>BFR will make women 'bulky'... ah, as 'jacked' as men - Study confirms </b>"[f]emales can produce muscular gains with ECC [eccentric] and BFR training similar to previous results seen in males" -- based on <a href="https://doi.org/10.23736/s0022-4707.19.09573-2" target="_blank">Wells et al. 2019</a>.<br /><br />The fact that female athletes are more than just smaller and less muscular copies of their male counterparts is still (too) often ignored by researchers. Accordingly, it made sense for Elizabeth Wells and colleagues to assess the mechanical and metabolic effects of eccentric (ECC) resistance training and blood flow restriction (BFR) exercise on the elbow flexors, i.e. the biceps, in recreationally trained females.</li>
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<b>BFR adds to gains but will also require long(er) recovery</b> - While that may be expected, I shall emphasize that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02701367.2019.1699234" target="_blank">Penaillino et al. 2019</a> have recently reported that, compared to non-cuffed eccentric cycling, augmenting the training stimulus with cuffs "induces similar cardiovascular stress, <i>greater lactate production </i>and [will require] <i><u>longer time to recover</u> </i>than ECC alone" (<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02701367.2019.1699234" target="_blank">ibid.</a>)</div>
<ul>
<li style="list-style: none;">With N=17 normal-weight subjects aged 20-35 who had been randomized to two groups and trained twice weekly for four weeks, Wells' study protocol was realistic and relevant for the average female gymrat, who may expect similar rather disappointing results:<blockquote>
"There was <b>no significant group difference </b>for any of the variables (P < 0.05). A training effect was shown with both groups increasing right arm circumference (P=0.004), muscle thickness (P < 0.001), CSA (P=0.001), 1-RM for the right (P=0.001) and left arms (P=0.014), and inverted rows (P=0.001). Both groups showed significant decreases in lactate (P=0.047) and RPE (P < 0.001).</blockquote>
As far as the details of the intervention are concerned, it's important to note that the ECC+BFR group trained at 30% 1-rep max (1-RM), 3x20 repetitions, and the ECC group trained at 60% 1-RM, 3×10 repetitions. The BFR cuff was pressurized to 60% of maximal occlusion. Moreover, both groups performed the ECC portion of a bicep curl to failure, i.e. so that they would need assistance to return the arm back to starting position. <br /><br />Testing was conducted at baseline and post-training and included: body composition, thickness and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the elbow flexors, arm circumference, bicep curl 1-RM, and inverted rows to exhaustion. With the latter being a well-known trigger for increasing (metabolic) stress, 'going to failure' may well explain why no significant inter-group differences were detected... a result, of which a brief review of the literature suggests that it is analogous to what we've seen in men and which suggest that BFR will be of greatest use to you if an injury keeps you from training heavy.</li>
<li><b>Trainers must individually prescribe the 'optimal' #BFR protocol for a given athlete at a given time/point in the season/his career, German review highlights</b> -- based on <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00113-020-00779-6" target="_blank">Hanke et al. 2020</a>. Ok, you're probably not really surprised to hear that individualization and personalization are key - they always are! But maybe you find one of the other interesting findings intriguing:</li>
<ul>
<li>more <b>experienced athletes see lower hypertrophy and strength gains </b>with #BFR, whether that's more pronounced than the decline with regular training remains to be established, though</li>
<li><b>muscle activation </b>(as measured by EMG) increases, as well - this is in line with individual reports of "bro, absolutely great mind-muscle-connection" 🤣</li>
<li>the results were, on average, <b>comparable to those achieved with classic high-load resistance training </b>- even if intensities of only 20 % of the subjects 1 RM was used</li>
<li>it seems feasible to significantly increase the <b>training frequency</b>; one study of track and field athletes observed a more pronounced muscle hypertrophy, increased strength, and improved sprinting performance compared to a regular training group within only 8 days of 2 times 3 sets of 15 repetitions each day (20% 1RM |BFR squats and leg curls).</li>
<li>a high training frequency for #BFR has also been found to <b>facilitate VO2Max gains</b> in female basketball players who used the cuffs during a walking exercise</li>
<li>#BFR can also be a <b>useful addition to your warm-up </b>as it has been found to improve local blood flow and to improve muscular oxygenation in American Football players</li>
<li>as far as the <b>#BFR parameters </b>are concerned, the studies included in the review used blood pressures of 160-240mmHg and cuffs (<u>preliminary</u> evidence suggests: higher pressure = greater results) with a width of 3.3-11 cm (some research suggests that wider cuffs require lower blood pressure elevations to see results | <a href="https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/s-0029-1239499" target="_blank">Loenecke 2010</a>)</li>
</ul>
<li style="list-style: none;">The review also highlights that you don't necessarily have to measure the blood pressure during the sessions but could also be gauged subjectively, as long as the bands are <u>elastic</u>! <br /><br />What remains to be determined irrespective of how you achieve #BFR is where and in which ways you can use it as an <i>alternative or adjunct</i> during different periods of micro-/macrocycles and/or when you're injured or sick. Overall, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00113-020-00779-6" target="_blank">Hanke et al.</a> agree with the conclusion of older English-language reviews that #BFR for athletes "seems promising" (ibid.).</li>
<li><b>Collateral strength gainz!? 🤔 When training your left arm w/ eccentric #BFR you'll note strength gains in the untrained arm, too </b>-- based on <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32035361-eccentric-but-not-concentric-blood-flow-restriction-resistance-training-increases-muscle-strength-in-the-untrained-limb/?from_term=blood+flow+restriction&from_sort=date&from_pos=1" target="_blank">Hill 2020</a> -- #crossEducation is the keyword that describes strength and size gains in an untrained limb that occurs in response to the training of another limb.<br /><br />The study was conducted in N=36 women who were randomly assigned to 4-wks of unilateral resistance training with Ecc-BFR (n = 12), Con-BFR (n = 12) or control (no intervention, n = 12) group. Eccentric peak torque, concentric peak torque, maximal voluntary isometric contraction torque, muscle thickness, and muscle activation were assessed from the contralateral, untrained arm.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV74ftfWkxQeoZ49DDvon29EyeW8ql90Rq8c6CQW-m6320SVveRoZQhBp0p6MP3nd4y6c7_vg6PQIbEGTIsAIzAoZQjkRUTAtS1_9yqPOJ5Pntt4akVD0Og6qc1BdJpiuEoVoWKPhyphenhyphenSlU/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="83" data-original-width="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV74ftfWkxQeoZ49DDvon29EyeW8ql90Rq8c6CQW-m6320SVveRoZQhBp0p6MP3nd4y6c7_vg6PQIbEGTIsAIzAoZQjkRUTAtS1_9yqPOJ5Pntt4akVD0Og6qc1BdJpiuEoVoWKPhyphenhyphenSlU/s500/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 2: Unfortunately, neither of the training regimen the subjects followed for 3 training sessions per week (75 eccentric or concentric isokinetic (120°·s-1) biceps curls over 4 sets (1×30, 3×15)); 30 s rest between sets) yielded significant muscle size gains which is at least slightly disappointing (<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ptsp.2020.01.013" target="_blank">Hill 2020</a>).</td></tr>
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With increases of 4.9% within two and 13.0% within 4 weeks, the training turned out to be pretty productive. Importantly, though, the latter was observed <u>only</u> when the subjects used BFR and focussed on the eccentric portion of the exercise. Moreover, there were increases in muscle activation (collapsed across mode and group) regardless of training modality, but there were no changes in muscle size for any of the conditions.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -7px 0 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2019/10/new-barbell-design-20-increased.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjGOj4BPbp4as2N41J744OQeHr6J42PQhelpfUinAGShucPn8uCjJLEfheMoLZ465FnC6RUMzmTkeXwqamfFtVZOkRZPXY3Zwt9M4M2p3dopQG3TKOBA6kc2Fmp1aYZOZGpX5iRB2OeQ/s225/free-grip-barbell.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Needless to say that the magic contralateral gains will occur only in muscle groups that can be trained separately... that's not the case for "left and right chest" aka the left and right part of the pectoralis major, which in turn would benefit from the use of a recently invented new "Free-Grip Barbell" you can read about in the <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2019/10/new-barbell-design-20-increased.html" target="_blank">SuppVersity archives</a>.</td></tr>
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This obviously leaves us with the initially voiced question "Why will [BFR] help you make gains even on untrained limbs?" the answer is not 100% clear, but it seems likely that the counter-lateral effects of resistance training are mediated by signaling molecules and metabolic byproducts that arise when muscles contract. If we assume that that's the case, these signaling molecules and triggers of strength increases would accumulate to a greater extent when #BFR cuffs are applied. This could well explain the observation in the study at hand, in which <u>only</u> the BFR + eccentric training worked the "counter-lateral gains"-magic. <br /><br />And yes, this does also mean that the eccentric only and the concentric isokinetic training didn't work. Why? Well, for the eccentric only prescription, the accumulation of signaling molecules and metabolic garbage from the trained arm won't accumulate to a sufficient degree in the contralateral arm. With concentric isokinetic training, the ipselateral (=trained) muscle may simply not release enough signaling molecules and metabolic byproducts to see an effect. What clearly remains to be determined is if a longer study would facilitate greater <i>size</i> gains as well... remember: those were not significantly different in this relatively short 4-week study.</li>
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<b>Avoiding that #BFR becomes a pain in the ass (literally)</b>: Ok, so far you've learned that <i>BFR can keep up with classic high resistance training</i>, not just in young people but also - and maybe even especially - in <u>elderly </u>subjects. You have read that <i>BFR makes women as <u>non</u>-bulky (but jacked) </i>as regular eccentric training but <i>requires extra recovery</i>. And you got to know that <i>BFR can even grow an untrained limb </i>if you train the other one using a cuff.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px!important; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2019/09/blood-flow-restriction-bfr-works-in.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="1024" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxBum5kIrRQG0KhntjYvRHvPG_JfYziQENtheoPKuFebOXYc0nlstXauZyjthT-In8gdmK8N2jjxr5HRRiI-Mn-4KnCFeO7kpnQNIvUTBo0vlHpy9kg-bfrAYMHeYYjXSHwC3WiuvCts/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Want to know more about the "optimal" cuff pressure? This article from the <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2019/09/blood-flow-restriction-bfr-works-in.html" target="_blank">SV-archives</a> has what you're lookin' for.</td></tr>
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There's another thing I would like to address briefly, though: BFR can be a (literal) pain in the ass (and elsewhere) and a recent <a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/publishahead/Blood_Flow_Restricted_Exercise_and_Discomfort__A.94519.aspx" target="_blank">review by Spitz et al. (2020)</a> tried to figure out what you can do to minimize any discomfort you may be feeling during your BFR sessions. They found that <i>applied pressure, width of the cuff, cuff material, sex, and training to failure</i> seem to determine whether if you experience discomfort or not, as well as the severity of the pain.<br />
<br />
Based on their analysis of N=38 studies (I quote), it was found that (1) BFR training causes <i>more discomfort than exercise without BFR</i>; (2) <i>chronic use of BFR may increase tolerability</i>, but discomfort may still be elevated over traditional non–blood flow restricted exercise; (3) discomfort can be attenuated by the application of <i>lower applied pressures </i>and <i>stopping short of task failure</i>; (4) in the <i><u>upper body</u>, wider cuffs seem to increase ratings of discomfort </i>compared with more narrow cuffs. So if you're feeling "uncomfortable" with your BFR workouts, you may want to try to tweak these parameters. I must warn you - if you reduce the cuff pressure too much and/or stop training to failure this <u>could</u> negatively affect (<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2019/09/blood-flow-restriction-bfr-works-in.html" target="_blank">small effect size</a>) your results ... I guess there's at least some truth to "no pain, no gain" or, rather, "no discomfort, no gain" [exercise should never be downright painful] | <a href="http://facebook.com/SuppVersity" target="_blank">Comment</a> on the <i>SuppVersity Facebook Page</i>!</div>
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References:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Grønfeldt, B.M., Lindberg Nielsen, J., Mieritz, R.M., Lund, H. and Aagaard, P. (2020), Effect of blood‐flow restricted vs. heavy‐load strength training on muscle strength: Systematic review and meta‐analysis. Scand J Med Sci Sports. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1111/sms.13632</li>
<li>Hanke, A.A., Wiechmann, K., Suckow, P. et al. Effektivität des „blood flow restriction training“ im Leistungssport. Unfallchirurg (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00113-020-00779-6</li>
<li>Hill, E. C. (2020). Eccentric, but not concentric blood flow restriction resistance training increases muscle strength in the untrained limb. Physical Therapy in Sport.</li>
<li>Loenneke, J. P., Wilson, G. J., & Wilson, J. M. (2010). A mechanistic approach to blood flow occlusion. International journal of sports medicine, 31(01), 1-4.</li>
<li>Spitz, RW, Wong, V, Bell, ZW, Viana, RB, Chatakondi, RN, Abe, T, and Loenneke, JP (2020). Blood flow restricted exercise and discomfort: A Review. J Strength Cond Res. Ahead of print.</li>
</ul>
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Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-45813533335336684942020-02-08T02:27:00.002+01:002020-02-08T02:27:44.959+01:00The Latest on Artificial Sweeteners: #Sucralose Good for the Lean, Bad for the Obese? #Acesulfame-K, the Healthier Alternative? As If! Plus: There's All Wrong w/ the Research<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9L9EDpMohaRO91dtSRTTNWbU19wmZh2QTJ5rUhWgJNauQaVHM7a0U0h-8nwlDTGnVa2VSaiAPoxqzWTxRoT9MYjUMom3uNgi8IwAPKEZ9Xh7Ui6XKsUA-W-bRlAKWk4R0ZdZafEnDY8/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="1336" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF9L9EDpMohaRO91dtSRTTNWbU19wmZh2QTJ5rUhWgJNauQaVHM7a0U0h-8nwlDTGnVa2VSaiAPoxqzWTxRoT9MYjUMom3uNgi8IwAPKEZ9Xh7Ui6XKsUA-W-bRlAKWk4R0ZdZafEnDY8/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to stop discriminating against low-calorie (#LCS) or artificial sweeteners as a category, time to start considering the molecule and subject-dependence of these substances and to get the research back on track. Not sure if this article will achieve the latter but if <i>you</i> realize that generalizations are misplaced when it comes to alleged sugar-alternatives are unwarranted that would be an educational success worth celebrating for the <i>SuppVersity</i>, as well.</td></tr>
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Still on schedule! As promised last week, I will continue to do my very best to supply you with at least one in-depth exercise, nutrition, and supplementation article per week again. Worked out last week, worked out this week, will work out next week - promise ;-) -- With that being said, you may look forward to a 2020 research update on the use(fulness) of artificial sweeteners that will hopefully add some color to your perspective on 'artificial sweeteners' as a category and the vast, in many cases dubitable re-search cherry pickers like to cite to pro-vide "evidence" that their #black&white stance towards 'artificial' or, even more generally, 'low-calorie sweeteners' was 'evidence-based', true, and indisputable.<br />
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<b>You can learn more about <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/sweeteners">sweeteners</a> at the <i>SuppVersity</i> </b></div>
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Aspartame & Your Microbiome - Not a Problem?</div>
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Sucralose 2018 Update #1 - Does it Make Us Fat?</div>
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Diet Soda Beats Water as Dieting Aid in RCT</div>
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Experiments Don't Support AS<>Obesity link</div>
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<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2019/07/stevia-whats-new-in-2019-appetite-food.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLyXTU-TGNreHSfBuKrPQ1AiADdMyNRl-aEPe3I1GC4BpHbyYWsS8ELjnzKC-3HravYOzfZnQsjHfN8vq_SFqs2mif3zS3NvQ0Dwm9vAZKMjK2SZzZyMkZtKlfE6ML44_Qg6ZdoOMhZw/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Stevia, a 2019 research update - #natural=good?</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/11/sweeteners-in-real-world-12-increase-in.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WDSSjQy3U4giEQuKHiyvH24E80iiejPg6yvBUHZOdh2ymCh_xjvDnwdv9XIeaEdZcclRUyjTc25HjNuYyMgvsDvaijiC14g46-wl3ifyVnHh84RNxnP3rPyBN7UB7sazjtlJ5X2bVkQ/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Other Diet Soda Additives May be the Real Problem</div>
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<ul>
<li><b>Building a case against <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/sucralose" target="_blank">#sucralose</a> - Is it especially bad for the obese and beneficial for the normal-weight? </b><i>based on <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/1/29/htm" target="_blank">Nichol 2019</a> </i>-- A new study seems to suggest that the dreaded artificial sweetener sucralose may differently affect the insulin sensitivity of lean and healthy versus obese individuals.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwf78f7VEoSQpYV8jgGPJItjSk3tfx0D1KFEjPidXD8Gb6UbOqfn65vdnUG6BgrQIPv7KCZrEY98sfL0XfFNXPkeeWawRrbV-gnhyZLYHVj-18Sn1bWNhHdUaBH8XbXqJlWU1gfF6rhQg/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwf78f7VEoSQpYV8jgGPJItjSk3tfx0D1KFEjPidXD8Gb6UbOqfn65vdnUG6BgrQIPv7KCZrEY98sfL0XfFNXPkeeWawRrbV-gnhyZLYHVj-18Sn1bWNhHdUaBH8XbXqJlWU1gfF6rhQg/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Insulin sensitivity in 10<sup>−5</sup> dl/kg/min/(pmol/L); calculated based on data from OGTT (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/1/29/htm" target="_blank">Nichol 2019</a>)</td></tr>
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In fact, the 48 mg of sucralose the subjects consumed 10 minutes before an oral glucose tolerance test #OGTT in a recent study by scientists from the University of Illinois had opposing effects on normal-weight and obese adults (see <i>Figure 1</i>).<blockquote>
"Sucralose ingested (but not sham-fed) increased SI in normal-weight participants by 52 ± 20% but did not affect SI in participants with obesity. Sucralose did not affect glucose rates of appearance or β-cell function in either weight group" <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/1/29/htm" target="_blank">Nichol 2019</a>.</blockquote>
Even more so, an albeit non-significant decline in insulin sensitivity of -14% was observed in the N=11 subjects with obesity compared to the water condition - pretty much the opposite of what we see in the N=10 normal-weight subjects of this <i>randomized crossover study</i>.
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It shouldn't go unmentioned, by the way, that the study also shows that the benefits (and detriments) are at best partially mediated by sweet taste (sensed in the mouth), as the sham-administration where the subjects were not allowed to actually ingest the sucralose had much less pronounced beneficial or detrimental effects. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_f_Ir7S29oxt9uozsGq9gIYgOSjymnYVkvQB64zyrZGDg-6QEi2ERbSv02Z1x3hVLKhroG0FeKLMIhrgwnK9MMoZsrTU9cnkeX8d0aPOaUQ_rASBf7fdTQRWjE-LtZNpuc8k19wbk18/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="453" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_f_Ir7S29oxt9uozsGq9gIYgOSjymnYVkvQB64zyrZGDg-6QEi2ERbSv02Z1x3hVLKhroG0FeKLMIhrgwnK9MMoZsrTU9cnkeX8d0aPOaUQ_rASBf7fdTQRWjE-LtZNpuc8k19wbk18/s235/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#Sweeteners - How much can you use supposedly consume safely? The FDA's ADIs and how to get to those for several artificial sweeteners (<a href="http://mayoclinic.com/">MayoClinic.com</a>)</td></tr>
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The mere existence of this (un)tasty side effects of 'super-sweet', on the other hand, these "findings underscore a physiological role for taste perception in postprandial glucose responses, which supports the notion that sweeteners, regardless of their associated caloric contribution, should be consumed in moderation" (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/1/29/htm" target="_blank">Nichol 2019</a>) - by the obese, I should add... <br /><i><br />...ah, and no the study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, not by CocaCola, dear sweetener conspiracy theorists </i>😗</li>
<li><b>Brain = explode!? #InRodents, Acesulfame can boost the release of neurotransmitters - What's the implication?</b> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-019-04036-6" target="_blank">based on Yin 2020</a>. If you've been following the <i>SuppVersity </i>sweetener coverage for some time, you will be aware that Acesulfame-K is by no means harmless... if you check out the limited research, this is not the first but certainly one of the more concerning studies suggesting detrimental effect of this sweetener that has a comparably good reputation compared to sucralose, let alone aspartame (outside of people with phenylalanine issue the latter is largely unwarranted, btw).<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2Zc5K8UrQwN4Z5jJ_wxb5D4l30-dXmo5JIj7Ohy2gX_kjnpLx0DPbT9xU8RlPM4xVUdWayxA6KT3Ia5NhmW23wD1etYyABiNZ01yqg5TDY3kfvYtYpHY8udTTE95Tsz4KcAwZUt_uzc/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="684" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2Zc5K8UrQwN4Z5jJ_wxb5D4l30-dXmo5JIj7Ohy2gX_kjnpLx0DPbT9xU8RlPM4xVUdWayxA6KT3Ia5NhmW23wD1etYyABiNZ01yqg5TDY3kfvYtYpHY8udTTE95Tsz4KcAwZUt_uzc/s500/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2: None of the sweeteners made the rodents overeat (from <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13197-019-04036-6" target="_blank">Yin 2020</a>)</td></tr>
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In their recently published <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-019-04036-6" target="_blank">paper</a>, scientists from the <i>Huazhong Agricultural University</i>, describe an experiment with four natural sweeteners (<i>sucrose, stevioside, maltose, </i>and <i>xylitol</i>) and six artificial sweeteners (<i>acesulfame, sucralose, aspartame, cyclamate, saccharin, </i>and <i>neotame</i>) that studied their effects on the behavior and neurotransmitter release of 190 male Kunming mice. With astonishing results:<ul>
<li>only(!) the consumption of the 10 mM Acesulfame (treatments were standardized for equal sweetness) solution triggered a significant difference in the <b>release of neurotransmitters</b></li>
<li><u>none</u> of the other bad artificial sweeteners had an effect on <b>brain chemistry</b>; more specifically, the release of neurotransmitters was significantly <u>greater</u> (p < 0.05) than that of the control group (water group), but there was no significant difference in feed intake.</li>
<li><b>no effect on neurotransmitters </b>was observed for any other of the artificial sweeteners - including the dreaded aspartame and sucralose</li>
<li>appetite and <b>food intake </b>were <u>not</u> affected by any of the artificial sweeteners, the same goes for the normal <b>body weight </b>gain in all groups</li>
</ul>
<br />What makes the neurotransmitter-messing effects of Acesulfam particularly 'interesting' is that they are pretty much identical with devil's excrement: simple table sugar (sucrose).<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LxwK76xhTriQKno2kzWB3tYw8xWYxN5HqH9-MB8pyYZ-kgZnGWIxJNSN7uQeHMSJTXKfoY2OtIC_CS61BazBB1HGF5ROFq2-FdI6Jmglakb0S4_ZBOfM9AqdzWf2kLTSWTpuA198v2o/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="685" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LxwK76xhTriQKno2kzWB3tYw8xWYxN5HqH9-MB8pyYZ-kgZnGWIxJNSN7uQeHMSJTXKfoY2OtIC_CS61BazBB1HGF5ROFq2-FdI6Jmglakb0S4_ZBOfM9AqdzWf2kLTSWTpuA198v2o/s320/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3: The contents of neurotransmitters in mice (n = 10). a Dopamine (DA) content; b 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) content; c Norepinephrine (NE) content; d Epinephrine (EPI) content. The different lower-case letters indicate significant difference (p < 0.05)
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<b>
That's bad news: <u>Only</u> acesulfame shares the putatively addictive quality of sugar as it messes w/ <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/dopamine" target="_blank">dopamine</a> & <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/serotonin" target="_blank">serotonin</a>.</b><br /><br />Why exactly is that bad news? Well, <i>if</i> there is such a thing as sugar-addiction, it will probably be upheld or even triggered with the artificial sweetener Acesul-fame-K that you will find predominantly in products marketed as "aspartame free" and "sucralose free" <br /><br />... what a mess. If there's anything you take away from the study at hand (which doesn't disqualify itself by being done in rodents, PubMed warriors), it should be that talking about "artificial sweeteners" as a category is about as accurate as talking about dietary fat as category as if all fats were created equal.</li>
<li><b>#BadScience without practical relevance: </b>"Approaches in animal studies, such as <i>very <u>excessive</u> dose loading</i>, may be appropriate for some safety and toxicological research but can have distorting consequences for nutrition-related outcomes." - (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/advances/advance-article/doi/10.1093/advances/nmz137/5700481" target="_blank">Mela 2020</a>) It's a problem I've mentioned in almost every 'sweeteners-are-the-devil' studies discussed on the <i>SuppVersity. </i>In order to confirm their preformed conviction that artificial sweeteners must be inherently dangerous, scientists actively choose to poison their lab animals with amounts of artificial sweeteners - amounts, even the greatest <i>Diet Coke junkie</i> is never going to achieve. <br /><br />These and a good dozen of other methodological (and reporting) problems all contribute to said "distortion" of the research the authors of a recent paper seek to rectify. In their paper "Perspective: Standards for Research and Reporting on Low-Energy (“Artificial”) Sweeteners" researchers from the Netherlands published a comprehensive list of requirements for future low-calorie-sweetener (#LCS) research (I quote directly from Mela et al. 2020):</li>
<ul>
<li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-case-against-saccharin-weight-gain.html" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaKVKkpX-DlgsXu3_oyrdUtz3R3gOV3BOrBTDcQ3zocTLxrNIE2jOC6RmAEGMuPEtqlfqMqosUfFf-FPNvT_j0bXqVj3fFtkNGObbo-bsHlwUCYmmoF-dOMLaICLqFFA0NW7uyP9KixI/s220/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To talk about "sweeteners" as a category - even if you restrict it to 'artificial' - is absolutely inappropriate if your studies rely on studies w/ only one of them. Saccharin, for example, may well be <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-case-against-saccharin-weight-gain.html" target="_blank">the black sheep of the family</a>.</td></tr>
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Research <b>hypotheses should be explicit a priori</b>, and the underlying research question(s) reflected in the choice of exposures, comparators and analyses. </li>
<li>Primary research studies and their representation in reviews should <b>reflect the stated hypotheses</b>, with particular regard to caloric vs. noncaloric comparators, and potential for extrapolation to LES in general vs. specific LES. </li>
<li>Where outcomes are not attributable to energy reduction or perceived sweetness, interpretation relies on the <b>chemical and ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) properties </b>of specific LES. </li>
<li>The selection and citation of existing research should <u>fairly</u> represent (<b>#noCherryPicking</b>) the balance and weight of different types of evidence, particularly where there are data from RCTs with relevant exposures and populations. </li>
<li>Animal research and other studies generating evidence related to <b>safety and toxicology </b>should specifically refer to that literature. </li>
<li>Reporting of evidence on health associations with LES from <b>observational studies, including prospective cohort studies, should be clear that these are subject to residual confounding, including reverse causality</b>, and may have been designed to answer a different research question. </li>
<li><b>Hypotheses generated by observational and animal data </b>must be interpreted in relation to the specific exposures, plausible causal pathways, and results of any related human intervention trials. </li>
</ul>
<li style="list-style: none;">If all future research adheres to these principles, the next #sweetener-science-update may well deliver better answers to a question that must, as the authors emphasize, not be answered applying the "precautionary principle" as there's not doubt that there may also be value gained from the use of LES—for example, as a tool for maintaining the acceptability of foods, beverages, and diets reduced in sugar, facilitating progress towards widely advised goals to reduce sugar intakes." (Mela 2020)... and you know that? The <i>SuppVersity </i>is where you'll see this (improved) research being discussed 🤩</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_HXV6H9e-nYGTcID6wGHfZRlAoV__fC4CGgW3x8XXxHbpb35qTbymoAGG1c8NSxyB8jIhMT7DLm08u8zT1qTNyIEGpZOwHV0zj465MumymbKXPC5ymWNah6BE5ftPpbiLXtIo3sFAmM/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_HXV6H9e-nYGTcID6wGHfZRlAoV__fC4CGgW3x8XXxHbpb35qTbymoAGG1c8NSxyB8jIhMT7DLm08u8zT1qTNyIEGpZOwHV0zj465MumymbKXPC5ymWNah6BE5ftPpbiLXtIo3sFAmM/s320/a.png" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This old advertisement for the saccharine-based sweetener T@B is spot on: Since they all use slightly (sometimes profoundly) different sweetener blends, one diet beverage is unlike the other... about time people, including researchers, realize that!</td></tr>
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<b>Stay tuned!</b> If you're looking for the ultimate acquittal (or conviction) of artificial sweeteners, you will have to wait for future research updates. What this update taught you is (as usual): <i>you got to be specific</i>. As the Nichol study shows, the effects of #<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/sucralose" target="_blank">sucralose </a>critically depend on your <i>body fat levels </i>as the same supersweet substance that's making obese individuals' lives more miserable seems to have beneficial (if any) effects in normal-weights. That's in line with the often overlooked specificity of individual artificial sweeteners, of which the Yin study shows you that their effects can differ widely according to the structure of the molecule. In that, it is particularly interesting that with #<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/acesulfame%20k" target="_blank">acesulfam-K</a> which is unwarrantedly considered to be the healthier alternative to <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/sucralose" target="_blank">sucralose</a> or <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/aspartame" target="_blank">aspartame</a> and can often be <i>found in protein powders and functional beverages </i><u>could</u> be among the worst offenders.<br />
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And as if that was not enough, there's also Mela's verdict on the laughable (or pathetic) quality of studies that conflate correlation and causality, deliberately overdose to be able to measure any effect, at all, and carelessly ignore the previously highlighted molecule- and subject-specificity ... <br />
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...speaking of which, if the authors' advice on how to do sweetener research 'the right way' will be of avail, you can expect more well-conducted quality studies with practical significance to be published in the future - studies, you will obviously see covered here at <a href="http://suppversity.com/">suppversity.com</a> or in the <a href="http://facebook.com/SuppVersity" target="_blank">SuppVersity Facebook News</a>, where you can also leave a <a href="http://facebook.com/SuppVersity" target="_blank">comment</a> on this article!</div>
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References:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Mela, David J., John McLaughlin, and Peter J. Rogers. "Perspective: Standards for Research and Reporting on Low-Energy (“Artificial”) Sweeteners." Advances in Nutrition (2020).</li>
<li>Nichol, Alexander D., et al. "Effects of Sucralose Ingestion versus Sucralose Taste on Metabolic Responses to an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test in Participants with Normal Weight and Obesity: A Randomized Crossover Trial." Nutrients 12.1 (2020): 29.</li>
<li>Yin, Kai-Jing, et al. "Effects of different sweeteners on behavior and neurotransmitters release in mice." Journal of Food Science and Technology 57.1 (2020): 113-121.</li>
</ul>
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Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-54502920117661128422020-02-01T03:22:00.000+01:002020-02-01T06:14:55.140+01:00#Coffee & Related Research from Early 2020: #FilterHeight Matters | #Leaves Better Than Beans | #Probiotic Coffee <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxzvVTy1T7XaFTXFyGZ_MSDrUZ1d5F2QKIxFZFUbTbU3JcK1ts4FhjuiJBpr8oyFqez8ysfi7l5Qz3vRUtWUX-FhGa7uSLMgSM49NoQcRLZLjDZoOOimLK9jzhM1PWP9GE6GqgNzmy74/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1432" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxzvVTy1T7XaFTXFyGZ_MSDrUZ1d5F2QKIxFZFUbTbU3JcK1ts4FhjuiJBpr8oyFqez8ysfi7l5Qz3vRUtWUX-FhGa7uSLMgSM49NoQcRLZLjDZoOOimLK9jzhM1PWP9GE6GqgNzmy74/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee junkies, recoice! The <i>SuppVersity</i> is back ... and how can this be celebrated? With a research update on ☕ - a review discussing the latest science from coarsness to leaf-extracts, and beyond.</td></tr>
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Long time no read,... I know but after a period with a severe lack of motivation and a lot to do outside the virtual walls of the SuppVersity, I will try to come back with (not yet daily but) weekly articles on topics near and dear to your and my heart. And if you've been following the SuppVersity for some time, now, you will see that it's only logical to do so with an article about coffee. <br />
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If you want daily articles/news, by the way, I would suggest that you follow the <i>SuppVersity </i>on <a href="http://facebook.com/SuppVersity">Facebook</a> + <a href="https://www.instagram.com/SuppVersity/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.
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<b>You can learn more about <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/coffee">coffee</a> and <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/caffeine" target="_blank">caffeine</a> at the <i>SuppVersity</i> </b></div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/08/when-timing-matters-when-is-best-time.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rMAV8-PWYS6QJ4rDEEezsjZdj2knad5ik3WSZ-gJxtvT_5IgT8Ak605p2hgwnHbOJaZ8J4mjHyCsDUMg1WRa3Vx1cQovdDBnwTxP1b86LYkl_aak1KcPa-tymZXMoNoi7oAUkpHwxtk/s100/a.png" /></a><br />
For Caffeine, Timing Matters! 45 Min or More?</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/07/caffeine-timing-revisited-taking-your.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgSgbbIxxpKQ2XjXagmmFEbQ34Z37KPVJpCVODffZG4MjKZ0oG4H_QOsd5q8iUK2ixN0rZ0DzpXhN1uEAgVQmU25I2_GBERrOhZt8pAGYnh3dUqXiLqIq4vynTOnboyqD8YTpzIjYs4s/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Caffeine Helps When Taken Intra-Workout, too</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/12/not-getting-into-ketosis-try-plain-old.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTbVF1oHxxlt_hr2_kzDYzd5FjTlK-tqp0aLj3wV9M-nWcGQAvwe2nSqJ7ILPrKyACxwDlD1LZTVoUepF2V4a0tAdIzCoU9k8Cka6jCgxSMJW0PQnr6qa-nmmaPwp6xqbgWE8JziEXbE/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Coffee can Help You Get into Ketosis</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/02/more-evidence-in-favor-of-post-workout.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwXq4DON36QGfCLl3bbrKZwL96WaBBukDAc85FgJLW60YYZH2m6xBiu4XC_g-phfxzhyphenhyphen8uhsQdDOXPcO817V2XgEold_UQleWuEiL2C45n-0aC3JIIL0Se_hnDYXBIFb1yT0fYRZ4IXY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Post-Workout Coffee Helps With DOMS</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/06/buying-roasting-grinding-brewing-coffee.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24shHDZJCu98IFlZ_9Cr4vpzYcNvxwhWPEqjeXcYaSEslccADJZ8gmVqI01XeO4e3bvTmIAWcFGuU1CDbWwescxRANGuacBUVuFUBCJJ3Jj0GslzIsacF9hx6Gfq9CemMVvKNb-9U6vc/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Coffee Brewing 101 (Optimal Health)</div>
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<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/12/caffeine-as-testosterone-booster-70.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4N7SH0Ey2POmIigGajDpDD22BNaZX9xWJqGJyMWCziwjfRqWW83HauFrOzvA4GgdgxhZozZTLq7lUxsamK5oOrPgg2qGNnfdSozlShhrquImCpwDX-j4KfIAcR0XKxewlPmY60ezSNY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Caffeine dosing 4 Testosterone:Cortisol Increase</div>
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<li><b>Beyond grinding your coffee coarser </b><i>| based on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814620300674" target="_blank">Khamitova 2020</a> --</i> You probably will have read that coarser grinds make better <i>espressos</i> in the SuppVersity news or other news outlets. The grind is yet not the only set-screw for<i> espresso </i>quality (I've discussed several of them in <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/buying-roasting-grinding-brewing-coffee.html" target="_blank">my Coffee 101</a>). That is also what the latest study from the <i>University of Camerino </i>in Italy suggests, a study that also shows clear benefits of finer particle size, when it comes to bioactive components (the previously referenced study investigated taste). <br /><br />The Italians' research aimed to investigate ground beans at specific particle sizes <u>in three variously designed filter</u> (new!) baskets and to compare the concentration of bioactive compounds while decreasing the amount of ground coffee.<br /><br /><b>Filter baskets and various heights of perforated disc influenced EC extraction.</b><br /><br />As you can see in <i>Table 1</i>, the <i>caffeine, trigonelline </i>and <i>chlorogenic acids </i>(3-CQA, 5-CQA and 3,5-CQAs) content of the final product was significantly affected by the heights of perforated disc used for the espresso machines filter basket.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dfSQFy-IvrlvuHulz85M8neVM-yC3ky-ESWu6zcoiAjITabbnieosw4tdYDiH2ElVr43jXPagiNOmafUIRiGJIwt3CsUpb3hj-R4pRTA8D465OJism6G9WpX1E7eMW3K2hTkIvo664k/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="1044" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dfSQFy-IvrlvuHulz85M8neVM-yC3ky-ESWu6zcoiAjITabbnieosw4tdYDiH2ElVr43jXPagiNOmafUIRiGJIwt3CsUpb3hj-R4pRTA8D465OJism6G9WpX1E7eMW3K2hTkIvo664k/s500/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 1: Milligrams of caffeine, trigonelline and chlorogenic acids (3-CQA, 5-CQA and 3,5-CQAs) obtained in Arabica EC samples (n = 3, RSD% < 5.86) by using 12 and 14 g
of ground coffee with various heights of perforated disc used for filter basket A at a constant time (25sec) and volume (50 ml for double EC) | from <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31982858-optimization-of-espresso-coffee-extraction-through-variation-of-particle-sizes-perforated-disk-height-and-filter-basket-aimed-at-lowering-the-amount-of-ground-coffee-used/" target="_blank">Kamitova et al. 2020</a>.</td></tr>
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For you, the potential health benefits are probably most interesting. For Barrista, it could be the ability to reduce the amount of ground coffee during the extraction process - money, money, money 💲💲💲: if you sell 1,000 espressos per day the 2g reduction that's facilitated by a reduced coarseness and the use of the "optimal" perforated disc, for example, it'll save the company $40... probably better for business to use the tastier, coarser ground espresso beans.</li>
<li><b>Coffee's a hitherto largely ignored </b><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/prebiotic" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">prebiotic</a><b> prowesses - How to optimize/control the effect? | b</b><i>ased on <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2020/fo/c9fo02589h" target="_blank">Sales 2020</a> --</i><b> </b>First study to investigate the effects of <i>coffee species, roast degree </i>and <i>decaffeination </i>on in vitro probiotic bacterial growth, and to identify the major coffee compounds responsible for such effects. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: -50px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0byNcY45WknK2UIj0ln0uFSc7VtfYwaZcXGOcW1N1CcasuHBy__JwZvgRqLpM3D3dlSXawHwnsR6Or9RKmWVl7dAy0XdxsA4j_Mu_y0u42lCFzUj_sS0YTdrQqBtvFiAV2mYELzIC8Y/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0byNcY45WknK2UIj0ln0uFSc7VtfYwaZcXGOcW1N1CcasuHBy__JwZvgRqLpM3D3dlSXawHwnsR6Or9RKmWVl7dAy0XdxsA4j_Mu_y0u42lCFzUj_sS0YTdrQqBtvFiAV2mYELzIC8Y/s500/a.png" /></a><br />
<div style="font-size: 10px; left: 10px; position: relative; text-align: left; top: -80px; width: 300px;">
Figure 1: In view of its myriad of proven health benefits, it should hardly surprise you that coffee will also affect your microbiome in a positive way.</div>
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Six C. arabica aka 'arabica' and C. canephora extracts aka 'robusta (regular medium and dark roasted and decaffeinated medium roasted), and five bioactive compounds (chlorogenic acid, galactomannan, type 2 arabinogalactan, caffeine, and trigonelline) were individually incorporated into a modified low-carbon broth medium-(mMRS), at different concentrations (0.5 to 1.5% soluble coffee and 0.05 to 0.8 mg/mL standard solutions). <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/inulin" target="_blank">Inulin</a> and <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/FOS" target="_blank">fructooligosaccharides</a> (FOS) were used as prebiotic references. MRS and mMRS were used as rich and poor medium controls, respectively. The effects on Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103-(<a href="http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/APJCN/15/4/558.pdf" target="_blank">GG</a>), L. acidophilus LA-5-(<a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1075-9964(18)30209-9" target="_blank">LA</a>), Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173010-(<a href="http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/APJCN/15/4/558.pdf" target="_blank">BA</a>) and B. animalis subsp. lactis BB12-(<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5029483/" target="_blank">BB12</a>) was investigated.<blockquote>
"Overall, after 48 h incubation, the medium roasted arabica coffee extract increased the growth of GG, LA and BA (range: Δlog CFU/mL = 0.5 to 1.8), while the dark roasted arabica coffee extract increased BB12 growth (range: Δlog CFU/ml = 0.9 to 1.7), in a dose dependent manner. Improved performances of GG, LA and BA were promoted by higher polysaccharides and CGA concentrations, with better performance for Lactobacillus sp," ...</blockquote>
the authors report. As far as the mechanisms are concerned, they were able to show that the tested coffee bioactive compounds promoted the poor growth of BB12. Plain caffeine did not promote Bifidobacterium sp. growth and limited the growth of Lactobacillus sp. <br /><br />What's important though, is this <u>downside</u> of <i>decaffeinating </i>coffee, i.e. the fact that arabica and robusta (<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/buying-roasting-grinding-brewing-coffee.html" target="_blank">learn more</a> about differences) extracts inhibited the growth of the pathogenic E. coli bacteria, while the decaffeinated extracts promoted its growth - clearly not ideal!</li>
<li>😮 <b>"a beverage prepared from leaves (coffee leaf tea) could be a rich source of phytochemicals and antioxidants with therapeutic and pharmacological values for human health" </b>| <i>quote from <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/2/93" target="_blank">Acidri 2020</a> -- </i>In fact, the leaves outperformed the beans with respect to their antioxidant effects (TEAC and TROLOX assays).<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYMNgiN2rZUhULIf_1s5Fg2FQ7oE02mACuyojMFrOpCvrJnQy829RzmTfCdPs3FENKb_6tnhPA1cSceOXyVLl5KSiyV2ljPqJiTESCFVRIJE6UPaFHAPp2FBiQO0NUiNVTZAv9NHUhuM/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="883" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYMNgiN2rZUhULIf_1s5Fg2FQ7oE02mACuyojMFrOpCvrJnQy829RzmTfCdPs3FENKb_6tnhPA1cSceOXyVLl5KSiyV2ljPqJiTESCFVRIJE6UPaFHAPp2FBiQO0NUiNVTZAv9NHUhuM/s500/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 2: Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity of the coffee plant organs | from <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/2/93" target="_blank">Acidri 2020</a></td></tr>
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The leaves should be fresh/young, though, as "among the leaves, the youngest (L1) contained the highest content at 8.23 mg/g dry weight (DW), which gradually reduced with leaf age to 5.57 mg/g DW in the oldest (L6)" (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/2/93" target="_blank">Acidri 2020</a>). The woody stem (WS) and the roots are less interesting for functional beverages, though.<br /><br /><i>You are at a loss of how to prepare those leaves? </i>Well, the <a href="https://thedailytea.com/taste/coffee-leaf-tea/" target="_blank">thedailytea.com</a> offers some orientation. The guys also know: "This tasty infusion has been consumed in Ethiopia for over 200 years. Sumatrans also drink coffee leaf tea rather than roasting beans because they believe it to be more nutritious" (<a href="https://thedailytea.com/taste/coffee-leaf-tea/" target="_blank">thedailytea.com</a>).</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6FiQx0_PnJ-s1or3VfihpJ0o-tX7rvnNgrgHUnxkaLu0dxPNd4EtyAgzdp_3hUlRXXN3nqB1fHB8VNATfW8kkp3W5duY8lOtgH1pU4hqGVQVPPNI5EnszAyDSK_X1wWDz3VneDXtH_Y/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6FiQx0_PnJ-s1or3VfihpJ0o-tX7rvnNgrgHUnxkaLu0dxPNd4EtyAgzdp_3hUlRXXN3nqB1fHB8VNATfW8kkp3W5duY8lOtgH1pU4hqGVQVPPNI5EnszAyDSK_X1wWDz3VneDXtH_Y/s200/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least in terms of its effects on the extraction of healthy ingredients from espresso beans, the perforated disc for the filter basket is a new parameter - one I haven't discussed in the infamous <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/buying-roasting-grinding-brewing-coffee.html" target="_blank">Coffee 101</a>, before.</td></tr>
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<b>What does that mean for me?</b> (A) <i>Keep drinking your coffee</i>... beware, though, previous research suggests that the benefits seem to peak at 4 cups of the brew of Gods that are worth roughly 400mg caffeine. If you go higher the #testosterone-to-#cortisol ratio <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/12/caffeine-as-testosterone-booster-70.html" target="_blank">tanks</a> and your CNS will need a break very soon. <br />
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(B) If you want the maximal concentration of active ingredients in your espresso,<i> use finely ground beans and a high (=4 cm or more) perforated disc </i>for the filter basket.</div>
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(C) <i>Avoid decaffeinated coffee.</i> It's not rat poison, but it's clearly inferior to the 'real deal' which, on top of promoting good gut bacteria, also protects you from the nasty E. coli bacteria. Moreover, it's the caffeine that is largely driving the anti-<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/NAFLD" target="_blank">NAFLD</a> effects of coffee.</div>
(D) If you have your own organically grown coffee plants, consider trying to add some young leaves to the concoction - their anti-oxidant prowess is even higher than the one of fresh beans.<br />
<br />
And while your coffee water is heating up, I suggest you read all other coffee-related articles at the <i>SuppVersity</i> and comment on the article at hand on the <a href="http://facebook.com/SuppVersity" target="_blank">@SuppVersity Facebook page</a>.</div>
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References:</div>
<ul>
<li>Acidri, Robert, et al. "Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Capacity of Coffee Plant Organs Compared to Green and Roasted Coffee Beans." Antioxidants 9.2 (2020): 93.</li>
<li>Khamitova, Gulzhan, et al. "Optimization of espresso coffee extraction through variation of particle sizes, perforated disk height and filter basket aimed at lowering the amount of ground coffee used." Food Chemistry (2020): 126220.</li>
<li>Sales, Amanda, et al. "Effect of regular and decaffeinated roasted coffee (Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora) extracts and bioactive compounds on in vitro probiotic bacteria growth." Food & Function (2020).</li>
</ul>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-58884281313840145452019-10-24T07:25:00.000+02:002019-10-24T07:30:56.979+02:00In Triathletes, Marathoners & Co! Potato Purée Can Replace Conventional Carbohydrate Gels W/Out Performance Loss!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oFkC8zyw202FkDcoQGtqkMlcxJgZ3qTH77remjT39fwpZxxKgm5EpNsUCYeuD8JUCg4orpiTMRSSnl0nKne5kVT4T_el6dncsQKtLvJz6runTqqLcLeWlucH2Mr9JPdRHLRRObL-KSI/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1280" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oFkC8zyw202FkDcoQGtqkMlcxJgZ3qTH77remjT39fwpZxxKgm5EpNsUCYeuD8JUCg4orpiTMRSSnl0nKne5kVT4T_el6dncsQKtLvJz6runTqqLcLeWlucH2Mr9JPdRHLRRObL-KSI/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gastrointestinal issues may have been a problem for a few of the testers, but some clever "natural workout nutrition" company is certainly going to eliminate this minor obstacle very soon... and who knows: maybe they make the product more potent by adding <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/whey" target="_blank">whey</a>, <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/07/resistant-starch-rs4-for-fat-loss.html" target="_blank">resistant starches</a>, <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/bicarbonate" target="_blank">bicarbonate</a>, or other potentially performance-enhancing ingredients on the way.</td></tr>
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It's 2019 and everyone has been infected by the <i>"sugar is the devil" </i>and <i>"carbohydrates are not essential"</i> viruses. Everyone? No, there's a small group of loyal sugar-guzzlers who keep Gatorade & Co in business (for a good reason, by the way, 'cause CHO supplements are the best-researched ergogenic for endurance athletes).<br />
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Now, a new study by scientists from the <i>University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign </i>(<a href="https://www.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/japplphysiol.00567.2019" target="_blank">Salvador 2019</a>) shows that homebrew... ah, homecooked potato puree will have the same ergogenic effects in non-pro cyclists as the expensive CHO gels.</div>
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<b>One clear disadvantage of potato purée is that it doesn't blend well (tastewise) w/ <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/coffee">coffee</a></b></div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/08/when-timing-matters-when-is-best-time.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rMAV8-PWYS6QJ4rDEEezsjZdj2knad5ik3WSZ-gJxtvT_5IgT8Ak605p2hgwnHbOJaZ8J4mjHyCsDUMg1WRa3Vx1cQovdDBnwTxP1b86LYkl_aak1KcPa-tymZXMoNoi7oAUkpHwxtk/s100/a.png" /></a><br />
For Caffeine, Timing Matters! 45 Min or More?</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/07/caffeine-timing-revisited-taking-your.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgSgbbIxxpKQ2XjXagmmFEbQ34Z37KPVJpCVODffZG4MjKZ0oG4H_QOsd5q8iUK2ixN0rZ0DzpXhN1uEAgVQmU25I2_GBERrOhZt8pAGYnh3dUqXiLqIq4vynTOnboyqD8YTpzIjYs4s/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Caffeine Helps When Taken Intra-Workout, too</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/12/not-getting-into-ketosis-try-plain-old.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTbVF1oHxxlt_hr2_kzDYzd5FjTlK-tqp0aLj3wV9M-nWcGQAvwe2nSqJ7ILPrKyACxwDlD1LZTVoUepF2V4a0tAdIzCoU9k8Cka6jCgxSMJW0PQnr6qa-nmmaPwp6xqbgWE8JziEXbE/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Coffee can Help You Get into Ketosis</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2012/11/can-5-cups-of-coffee-boost-testosterone.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTfgO7IQhh5vXymu6pG04bqQkrpDg2hCEIoNyZLsPvd8S917dBTPhQUW7mGYKd9YCCkGvVC-Aywq4KpKt8j-FXJFPTUtltKFZPrO9Nx5fK6Dhjkqe1wuqy6MoEOIbZnuMBQ_5EwKcwQqu/s100/imagesCAT8BE94" /></a><br />
Caffeine's Effect on Testosterone, Estrogen & SHBG</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/06/the-coffee-advantage-equation-3-x-250ml.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkT7ZZ-k89ep7I9ltoVnqhIuVYu1B2ebt7VyyHO7JB_XW-QUdh4wLXvR9aFSJtx3v22_L2sB5698Xsh4AS19Jb8Pcjns0DMP49w1zomvZrI-wmuAm_WuRQEqi0ZwWB8AiN39Wn0FmDLec/s100/a.png" /></a><br />
The Coffee³ Ad- vantage: Fat loss, Appetite & Mood</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/01/put-up-or-shut-up-how-effective-is.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCFxLOkBKge-jtqVuyGu9t9kj2mbK15Ip_wVX2muMhMxKcLEf3hkJYd8Bpb31qF4PuUaGM7qU24b0UcEju-Jby3VSSspJwK5OFAtqeMSEsTjSexWWLe-iABodnRD8JlydcCa0p6aLbgI/s200/a.png" /></a><br />
Quantifying the Benefits of Caffeine on Ex.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -6px 0 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3jLQ8WMAmQ9DKVffjfA0Hs8fCoX0F3xImuJAp0hI4fOPrD6_HIPGHqM6PjwustgXrF4dAiiosFHjUz5kWpqlZbwXQ9xE-eXBpelxeZ0DRvcTz-zCb6pRcjNDl3_cyj5RnXe7PH75Azk/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="321" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3jLQ8WMAmQ9DKVffjfA0Hs8fCoX0F3xImuJAp0hI4fOPrD6_HIPGHqM6PjwustgXrF4dAiiosFHjUz5kWpqlZbwXQ9xE-eXBpelxeZ0DRvcTz-zCb6pRcjNDl3_cyj5RnXe7PH75Azk/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Graphical illustration of sport-specific VO2Max (ml/gk/min) in athletes.</td></tr>
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From the corresponding press-release, we learn that the authors' goal was "to expand and diversify race-fueling options for athletes and offset flavor fatigue." To this end, Andrew John Wilhelmsen and colleagues recruited 12 participants: hobby cyclists with quite impressive VO2Max scores of 60.7 ± 9.0 mL/kg/min. While this leaves room for differences in both less and even better-trained cyclists, the subjects probably represent the average CHO gel consumer - hobby-cyclist with few years of successful training under their buttcheeks; and people who hope to improve their speed and endurance by squirting CHO containing gels (usually a mix of glucose and fructose) into their mouths.<br />
<br />
In 16(!) individual sessions the participants consumed either <i>water alone</i>, a commercially available <i>carbohydrate gel </i>or an equivalent amount of carbohydrates obtained from a potato purée while they performed a 2 h cycling challenge (60-85%VO2PEAK) followed by a time trial (TT, 6kJ/kg body mass) in a randomized crossover design that included a definite nutrition prescription for the 24 hours before each of the tests.<br />
<br />
<b>When the absence of differences is evidence of benefits</b><br />
<br />
To gauge the gastrointestinal passage and individual physiological effects of the treatments, the researchers administered both treatments with U-[13C6]-labeled glucose. This allowed them to estimate the gastric emptying rate of which previous studies show that it is blunted by suboptimal carbohydrate supplementation (Sutehall 2018).<br />
<br />
Based on the corresponding data and blood samples that were collected throughout the trials, the scientists determined that...<br />
<ul>
<li><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: 0 -15px 0 30px; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLD2cVU_hIgJlOtVYs75wpkGCF16Yh-96wr9I-FRstnis9liP-SHcR7wjlm3M0RKwCSS4kug4-KSe7VymJax1d1IgY9ol8tn3S6ja3mTyr4vtUSnVX6u9SaiE8X_mMnRRfYYSXYyEmQRI/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLD2cVU_hIgJlOtVYs75wpkGCF16Yh-96wr9I-FRstnis9liP-SHcR7wjlm3M0RKwCSS4kug4-KSe7VymJax1d1IgY9ol8tn3S6ja3mTyr4vtUSnVX6u9SaiE8X_mMnRRfYYSXYyEmQRI/s320/a.png" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 1: Nutrient composition of treatment conditions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
blood <b>glucose </b>concentrations were higher (P<0.001) in potato and gel conditions when compared to the water condition</li>
<li>blood <b>lactate </b>concentrations were higher (P=0.001) after the TT completion in both CHO conditions when compared to the water condition</li>
<li><b>TT performance </b>was improved (P=0.032) in both potato (33.0 ± 4.5 min) and gel (33.0 ± 4.2 min) conditions when compared to the water condition (39.5 ± 7.9 min); </li>
<li>in that, no difference was observed in TT performance between CHO conditions (P=1.00), in other words: <b>potato mash was equally effective but <u>not</u> better </b>than the CHO gel (see data in <i>Figure 2</i>, as well)</li>
</ul>
All in all, the evidence does, therefore, support the scientists' conclusion that "potato and gel ingestion equally sustained blood glucose concentrations and TT performance" (<a href="https://www.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/japplphysiol.00567.2019" target="_blank">Salvador 2019</a>). There's one caveat though: gastrointestinal side effects.<br />
<br />
<b>Plain potato purée can easily replace your super-sweet CHO gels <u>if you can stomach it</u>!</b><br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the scientists reported significantly higher rates of gastrointestinal bloating, pain and flatulence with potato purée versus CHO gel and/or water - an effect of which co-author Nicholas A. Burd said that it "may be a result of the larger volume of potatoes needed to match the glucose provided by the gels" (<a href="https://www.news-medical.net/news/20191018/Potatoes-as-effective-as-carbohydrate-gels-for-boosting-performance-in-trained-athletes.aspx" target="_blank">press-release</a>).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tQJOEo3TmDBluMAIMNjKvuRpq-T2v7W37BqHW16qLeITqW5AzHmexoxVsTPeQVwxdi5aG2UhSoYCLMKe4fv1H2DST_vlae7gUSfxOl5x86bJwCGkVezf4GpwmvCQOGYohxW0SepFlIg/s1600/mashedPotato.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tQJOEo3TmDBluMAIMNjKvuRpq-T2v7W37BqHW16qLeITqW5AzHmexoxVsTPeQVwxdi5aG2UhSoYCLMKe4fv1H2DST_vlae7gUSfxOl5x86bJwCGkVezf4GpwmvCQOGYohxW0SepFlIg/s1600/mashedPotato.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2. For the important performance markers, time-trial and power output, the pureed potatoes are just as good as the CHO gels, they are not (yet?) better as some internet news outlets claimed (<a href="https://www.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/japplphysiol.00567.2019" target="_blank">Salvador 2019</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The scientists did yet also point out that the average GI symptoms were lower than in previous studies, indicating that both (carbohydrate) conditions were well-tolerated by the majority of the study's cyclists and, as I should add, there's always room for innovation in the form of reformulating plain potato purées in ways that improve their digestibility (and augment its putative performance benefits).<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2015/03/true-or-false-intra-workout-bcaa.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-jd7b-KFtEzVqiTBAiJbHBGV0R8UjI7FllZ18Y0B3DMDjyVrUNhRIaqBTMHVg8f3JRJAyXnAkabcSh7Mk0SHjqm5ku1GZCdD_5_6Z63UIYsHj-46gcrLBcA7OgR5qpN1lwlSzoBaLtI/s1600/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intra-workout BCAA supplements are marketed specifically to resistance trainees. If they do have anti-catabolic effects, though, those are - just like potential fatigue reducing effects - significantly more likely to occur in endurance trainees | <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2015/03/true-or-false-intra-workout-bcaa.html" target="_Blank">learn more</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><u>Bottom line:</u> CHO gels may still have the digestibility edge, but if you tolerate them, they're just as effective as specifically designed CHO gels for endurance athletes.</b><br />
<br />
Overall, the study at hand must yet be considered a proof of concept; one that expands the range of intra-workout CHO supplement options with a non-innovative whole-food alternative, which is <u>not better</u> than CHO gels but as effective as the <a href="https://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20150524/NEWS/305249991/company-believes-energy-gels-are-booming-business" target="_blank">booming sugary ergogenics</a> to diversify hobbyists and professionals race-fueling choices.<br />
<br />
Future studies should now elucidate, whether mixing in more potato starch or specifically designed resistant starches can change the situation and make the "natural energy gel" not just equally but even more potent than the gluey top dogs among endurance athletes' intra-workout supplements. <br />
<br />
Using those "advanced" products and/or a similar plain potato purée 'supplement' as the study at hand, future studies should also include real-world tests during marathons and/or triathlon competitions to complement the results from well-controlled but eventually not 100% realistic exercise tests as they were used in the study at hand. In the meantime, why don't you just try if it works for you? 'cause if there's one thing that exercise science has shown and yet forgotten to mention time and again: <i>individuality is king!</i> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/2746738278691638" target="_blank">Comment</a>!</div>
References:
<br />
<ul>
<li>Salvador, AF. et al. "Potato ingestion is as effective as carbohydrate gels to support prolonged cycling performance." Journal of Applied Physiology (2019 | ahead of print).</li>
<li>Sutehall, Shaun, et al. "Sports Drinks on the Edge of a New Era." Current sports medicine reports 17.4 (2018): 112-116.</li>
</ul>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-29583568926243087392019-10-21T07:49:00.000+02:002019-10-21T07:55:50.382+02:00New Barbell Design: ~20% Increased Pectoralis Activity, Dumbbell-ish + Natural Movement, Lower Load, Lower Injury Risk - Is the 'Free-Grip' Barbell Worth Investing in?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjGOj4BPbp4as2N41J744OQeHr6J42PQhelpfUinAGShucPn8uCjJLEfheMoLZ465FnC6RUMzmTkeXwqamfFtVZOkRZPXY3Zwt9M4M2p3dopQG3TKOBA6kc2Fmp1aYZOZGpX5iRB2OeQ/s1600/free-grip-barbell.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="1280" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjGOj4BPbp4as2N41J744OQeHr6J42PQhelpfUinAGShucPn8uCjJLEfheMoLZ465FnC6RUMzmTkeXwqamfFtVZOkRZPXY3Zwt9M4M2p3dopQG3TKOBA6kc2Fmp1aYZOZGpX5iRB2OeQ/s320/free-grip-barbell.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't pre-order yet: We don't know if you are a 'responder' and even if you are whether your gains will actually benefit from allegedly increased muscle activity (eventually it's not even clear that high EMG = high motor unit activity, cf. <a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2017/01000/Greater_Electromyographic_Responses_do_Not_Imply.31.aspx" target="_blank">Vigotsky 2017</a>). The promise of achieving greater muscle activity at lower weights while embracing the strengths of barbells (stability, easily rackable) and dumbbells (natural/optimal movement pattern) is yet intriguing, I must admit 😏.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The "good old barbell" is just that. It's "good" and it's "old" and it has proven its efficacy for generations of bodybuilders and strength athletes. So why would you even consider replacing it with a barbel-ish new device? Maybe because of the results of a recent study from the <i>University of Cassino and Southern Lazio</i> which promise increased muscle activation at lower loads and correspondingly reduced injury risk? Sounds good? Well, we'll see...<br />
<br />
In the study, Andrea Melani et al. (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/7/10/224/htm" target="_blank">2019</a>) compared a new, experimental barbell to its classic counterpart and found avg. EMG increases of 19.5% for the pecs.<br />
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<b>Learn all about training your <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/chest" target="_blank">chest/pectoralis muscle</a> at the <i>SuppVersity</i></b></div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/02/bench-press-study-higher-weight-less-of.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkJYUFYpAMZNCZUPPkGXrOBs-BfvHzgnlceQzSI0zfBsqNjjRu7e4rG4nw3VpffQ90m3mXrYIJH8_wDMu2U_-ViU7mCIDhxNS-6rf2cr7iZYep7hvfKsc1YhhwHDg-o7qC3dCVtItIWs/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
High Weight = High EMG = ?</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/bench-press-pre-exhaustion-pe-science.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kKWOEVZUdwpqtu1NBLt8UNA6uEilTG5Efd9_dIFO5yeHWOCLmy0fRwo46Ysoj-Uo8z6-NDwGEnxVBmk9rHonTyUTUl9XKyXzTBiRcKVJfCl4bvDbyB8HhhQUcLqBYNNK4JEGxdDSc78/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Pre-exhaust your chest or not?
</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2013/03/exercise-science-true-of-false-large.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZ8COUq2nWnYa1tRwDIyOU2zPJkgZxQxlzgeOvVOwSpax1mEgq1lBgd2wdwfJVKY8Cs1TcbsPyUZP1uC7B4B4hpnd8R_2JQb-B3zQy1BnqiKngJ0YLjEIIldzMm8lB3xLdTT_nG5sVLY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Alternative Pec Ex. Equip.</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/04/bench-press-truth-about-effects-of.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsI7Ua3sa7CsOVaD8kjvKTTFoeSJZ5-8x8PorYa6ctNO8Zlc_sDbAtoXX1uBfLrrqMdMA5_STIQiZFYPaxxLQxmsew5_CQBAtGkVYQJY89WDFIcDRQtknYGCTg5AKMoQ9AbLGmDy-ErA/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Truth About the Bench Angle</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/02/angle-grip-width-free-weight-or-machine.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeC-E6x4JzPaKkYoroTvpjONgvwy3vVK211Ck0Pbse7gGfAcooWs4s-Rd4tfV4zlOHauIXv8ODOP9zEsppGy9mY3387ygWIVWWuYmsM8cVKu3kimJNwPZ4JxJCh2dvC7SB6ayyKItYwj0/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
What are Optimal Angles & Grips</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 0;">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/10/emg-study-can-tell-us-something-about.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPaRZRGOY-q4Q-UnWdI58s1WsW5laBWCik7NtUEr_lvEO-NO94saYICJrG2-ECdjVMsSDgMgNdDI4UqPd9dnpFxb_oylO5tOrlUVJyOUcqlpusuC48KTfZfoD93q8sY8oDQ-SunqkIB9U/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
DB, BB or Machine for BPs</div>
</div>
Many trainees have long argued in favor of dumbbell vs. barbell bench presses 'cause "they allow for greater isolation of the pectoralis major by facilitating dynamic changes in the angle of the elbow joint. In their latest study", the Italian study under review suggests: a modified barbell can offer the same benefits. In their paper Melani et al. describe the effects and efficacy of a device that's supposed to merge the benefits of bar- and dumbbell, the so-called <i>"free-grip barbell" </i>(see 'lightsaber' in Figure 2).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvi6P954IOLdubStoE8_kzxXNKBJ7t8NRnc1CLsuhUR_RUzPzEF6kJ3I1hrEY-J7qYlxc1Op4nOcxEpUeQzB35_88UrLb6D_-LwRKVz3QjuBsSZ7f2Xg9eJluRz7A9KXs3JGl1EY4nLuw/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="99" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvi6P954IOLdubStoE8_kzxXNKBJ7t8NRnc1CLsuhUR_RUzPzEF6kJ3I1hrEY-J7qYlxc1Op4nOcxEpUeQzB35_88UrLb6D_-LwRKVz3QjuBsSZ7f2Xg9eJluRz7A9KXs3JGl1EY4nLuw/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: The three phases of the barbell bench-press using a "free-grip barbell" (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/7/10/224/htm" target="_blank">Melani 2019</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As <i>Figure 1</i> illustrates, the grips of the free-grip barbell are constantly aligned with the vertical to the elbow (90° angle), thus "allowing both an overload optimization and a complete muscular excursion from maximum elongation (panel 1) to maximum shortening (panel 3), an intermediate position between the maximum elongation and the maximum shortening (panel 2)" (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/7/10/224/htm" target="_blank">Melani 2019</a>).<br />
<br />
<b>So, can this device really merge the strengths of barbells and dumbells?</b><br />
<br />
The movement pattern is thus similar to what you'd (ideally) see with dumbells. In contrast to the classic dumbbell bench press, however, using the free-grip barbell offers trainees who have experience with the device increased stability and the potential to lift higher weights (plus: you don't need a spotter to get things going at higher weights)... that's at least what the authors believe and the data they gathered in an experiment with two female and seven male volunteers (aged 22 to 49 years—average 29.9 years) they made an important first step to confirm this hypothesis.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sX4Mt3taWDIZ-2867oqr819PG1OcVT2npW7h8Z-n-ZY-z3x8Msms3aJj_G2LYVLfm-YhL2myvxCmMP5TsNmxY-lq8dOJiCG5bYVPeF8ZbtMcQNlNEoUVARVtTX2j_kz_phkglBKSNcg/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="128" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sX4Mt3taWDIZ-2867oqr819PG1OcVT2npW7h8Z-n-ZY-z3x8Msms3aJj_G2LYVLfm-YhL2myvxCmMP5TsNmxY-lq8dOJiCG5bYVPeF8ZbtMcQNlNEoUVARVtTX2j_kz_phkglBKSNcg/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2: No it's no laser-sword, it's a schematic representation of the device. The handle (mobile grip) is tied to a cable (1st end, red line) that runs in the opposite direction through a pulley engaging (2nd end) the contralateral grip. A second cable (blue line) is engaged to the handles and run on the pulley at the opposite end of the barbell (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/7/10/224/htm" target="_blank">Melani 2019</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I mean, while it cannot be emphasized enough that increased EMG activity does not necessarily translate to increased strength/size gains, it is unquestionably remarkable that, after only <i>4 series of familiarization sets</i>, the scientists observed...<br />
<ul>
<li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -15px -15px 0 25px; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHI32BQ3Q5MNkkuci99KpKN-vu4V1DtZdCETiwm5qxalwxY0zafkddWeJewQQduP233OaLPZdTe1BnfJvkToxjZ8q9DCDlNJnGGKFns-AZdl0IVLfHLuoqkL7PPjh2Y30D_muDVYQ_M_E/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHI32BQ3Q5MNkkuci99KpKN-vu4V1DtZdCETiwm5qxalwxY0zafkddWeJewQQduP233OaLPZdTe1BnfJvkToxjZ8q9DCDlNJnGGKFns-AZdl0IVLfHLuoqkL7PPjh2Y30D_muDVYQ_M_E/s280/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3: EMG analysis of upper body muscles during bench press training (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/7/10/224/htm" target="_blank">Melani 2019</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>impressive increases in <i>pectoralis major </i>activity </b>for the free-grip vs. fixed-grip barbell (6646.74 ± 1738.07 vs. 9056.51 ± 740.62), as well as </li>
<li><b>marginal increases in in <i>anterior deltoid </i>activity </b>(6791.02 ± 8708.87 vs. 6840.23 ± 6503.47),</li>
<li><b>measurably increased <i>triceps brachii</i> activity</b> (3932.57 ± 1901.41 vs. 4226.38 ± 1339.26) and </li>
<li>impressive but <b>extremely variable increase in <i>biceps brachii</i> activity </b>(1855.24 ± 972.98 vs. 4991.33 ± 8440.59).</li>
</ul>
<div>
What's notable (but unfortunately characteristic of EMG studies) are the huge inter-individual differences for some of the measures, which render the differences of group means statistically non-significant. Still, the authors of the study are right, when they point out that their results are generally ...</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[...] consistent with a greater involvement for the PM [pectoralis major] caused by less weight overload thanks to the constant arm-balance incidence angle and a greater muscular excursion for the same time that translates into a more efficient transfer of load." (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/7/10/224/htm" target="_blank">Melani 2019</a>)</blockquote>
<div>
What remains to be seen, though, is whether grabbing the free-grip barbell (pun intended) is superior to using dumbells right away. The authors themselves address this important question in the discussion where they acknowledge that "[s]ome authors could observe that similar results in peak of muscle activity could be expected with dumbbell presses" (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/7/10/224/htm" target="_blank">Melani 2019</a>). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Does the increased activation time make free-grip barbells more effective than dumbells?</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In this context, Melani et al. argue that their experimental free-grip barbell design would allow for "greater activation time[s]" compared to the classic dumbbell bench press. In that, they refer to previous research by Welsch, Bird and Mayhew (<a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2005/05000/ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC_ACTIVITY_OF_THE_PECTORALIS_MAJOR.34.aspx" target="_blank">2005</a>) "who showed that the barbell bench press determined greater activation time both in the pectoralis major and in anterior deltoid, with respect to dumbbell bench press" (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/7/10/224/htm" target="_blank">Melani 2019</a>). </div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXv1RcKOIGUYb0JwwnU24c0KNMBVmcnn13xFYcGL0ZRYO9wgvu1lS1JPWa9_N-mlQexeWrIxv2SAId_-_047Ykyq9YCYdpUsW_pPb_MfP_6t7yXht-l_EgrGLTN1lo6HOQcS8gZCJ5C38/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="570" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXv1RcKOIGUYb0JwwnU24c0KNMBVmcnn13xFYcGL0ZRYO9wgvu1lS1JPWa9_N-mlQexeWrIxv2SAId_-_047Ykyq9YCYdpUsW_pPb_MfP_6t7yXht-l_EgrGLTN1lo6HOQcS8gZCJ5C38/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 4: The fact that a <a href="http://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2010.543916" target="_blank">2011 study by Saeterbakken</a> et al. found no 'pec-advantage' for the dumbbell could be a consequence of the <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/02/bench-press-study-higher-weight-less-of.html" target="_blank">previously discussed link</a> between high(er) weights and greater EMG activity and the comparably lower weight that can be used on the less stable dumbbell bench press (vs. both Smith machine and barbell).</td></tr>
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In view of the the comparatively reduced stability requirements (<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640414.2010.543916" target="_blank">Saeterbakken 2011</a>) and the resulting ability to <u>safely</u> handle greater weights, as well as the added resistance in the horizontal plane due to the resistance caused by the sliding of the handles, the authors feel confident that 'their' device (note: they explicitly declare no conflict of interest) may offer advantages, not just over the classic fixed-grip barbell but also over the more flexible dumbells. Needless to say, though, that future studies will have to confirm this hypothesis and, more importantly, how that translate to pec size and strength gains.</div>
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<b>Bottom line:</b> There's no debating: The 20% increased pectoralis activity Melani et al. report is exciting, a high inter-individual variability (hence the non-significance of the results) and the inconclusive if not non-existing evidence that increases in EMG activity will eventually translate to increased gains are yet reason enough <u>not</u> to email the researchers to obtain one of their prototypes for several hundred bucks ;-)</div>
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<b>I cannot emphasize this enough, "greater electromyographic responses do not imply greater motor unit recruitment and 'hypertrophic potential' cannot be inferred"! </b>The latter is, in fact, the title of an excellent letter to the editor by Vigotsky et al. (<a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2017/01000/Greater_Electromyographic_Responses_do_Not_Imply.31.aspx" target="_blank">2017</a>), in which the authors voice their (warranted) "concerns regarding the confusion of EMG amplitude with MU [motor unit] recruitment [and] note that inferring chronic adaptations from acute, mechanistic variables is very difficult." (<a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2017/01000/Greater_Electromyographic_Responses_do_Not_Imply.31.aspx" target="_blank">ibid.</a>)</div>
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With that being said, you may consider investing in a "free-grip barbell" and/or sturdy extra-grips for regular barbells in the future, especially if you're the guy/gal who has successfully used bench press machines that mimic a similar movement pattern. Let's hope that, by then, there'll be more experimental data providing evidence of (a) the <i>superiority of the free-grip barbell over dumbells </i>and - what's even more important - the super-barbell's <i>ability to boost pectoralis size and strength gains </i>over time because, let's be honest, that's what we're training for, no!? <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/2740131526018980" target="_blank">Comment</a>!</div>
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References:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Melani, A. "Muscle Activation in Traditional and Experimental Barbell Bench Press Exercise: A Potential New Tool for Fitness Maintenance."Sports 7:10 (2019): 224.</li>
<li>Saeterbakken, Atle H., Roland van den Tillaar, and Marius S. Fimland. "A comparison of muscle activity and 1-RM strength of three chest-press exercises with different stability requirements." Journal of sports sciences 29.5 (2011): 533-538.</li>
<li>Vigotsky, Andrew D., et al. "Greater electromyographic responses do not imply greater motor unit recruitment and ‘hypertrophic potential’cannot be inferred." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 31.1 (2017): e1-e4.</li>
<li>Welsch, Elizabeth A., Michael Bird, and Jerry L. Mayhew. "Electromyographic activity of the pectoralis major and anterior deltoid muscles during three upper-body lifts." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 19.2 (2005): 449.</li>
</ul>
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Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-11411378133600739972019-10-18T05:09:00.000+02:002019-10-18T05:18:11.695+02:00'Training Low[Carb]' Requires 0.12g/kg Extra-Protein | Fitbit Fitness Data Decently Reliable | Plus: Salt vs. Passin' Out<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJoabQfO4bYBJkSjPyU8pnKX-XWW7_3vAXhKFwajdr8uJIA01nzlWv2lMqgZCgFnnwrJaIoKmxwAYJ5WHHELVMvOkUvtf5Y7ucaVUcD9jINzeQGZF0VMA734trGbds8UTQTAOiIG2THg/s1600/shortNews.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="1508" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJoabQfO4bYBJkSjPyU8pnKX-XWW7_3vAXhKFwajdr8uJIA01nzlWv2lMqgZCgFnnwrJaIoKmxwAYJ5WHHELVMvOkUvtf5Y7ucaVUcD9jINzeQGZF0VMA734trGbds8UTQTAOiIG2THg/s320/shortNews.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixed news about nutrition, exercise, and supplementation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the absence of game-changing nutrition, exercise, and supplementation science I decided to post one of the recently rare installments of the good old "<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/on%20short%20notice" target="_blank">on short notice</a>" column at the <i>SuppVersity</i>.<br />
<br />
This installment of the "<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/on%20short%20notice" target="_blank">short news</a>" features two plus one papers from the latest issue of <i>"Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise"</i> and their, as of yet, unpublished "ahead of print" articles.<br />
<br />
While we'll start with a short discussion of the latest investigation into the <i>accuracy (or rather usefulness) of your (old) Fitbit Charge 2.0</i>, I suspect that most of you will be more interested in the "training low [carb/glycogen]" study which is the first to quantify the (to be expected) <i>increase in protein/amino acid requirements in those who avoid carbs to maximize the mitochondrial response </i>to exercise (see "Maximizing Training-Induced Cellular Adaptation: Training Low, Carb Cycling, Altitude & Hypoxia Training for Athletes" | <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/06/maximizing-training-induced-cellular.html" target="_blank">check it out</a>).<br />
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<b>Are you looking for more information about <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/fasted%20cardio">fasted cardio</a>? Find inspiration in these articles:</b><br />
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/11/fasted-cardio-before-breakfast.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjfJZKtVG78NI3bQcStLXXcK8wrhUGFw5B0T1iTqM9x89HPwy3mNbilulh6Y3JnLDCoUNYDCtJcpv4sSpn5seeBF_ofr15otpfHcaTlrzbCiDPBOpdXG2XKsVnbEhZZWKNcKuWRJ3svY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
+50% 24hFat Ox. W/ Fasted Cardio</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2013/01/fasted-cardio-beyond-optimal-24h-fatty.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiEwU9yC0W54i2-nGZu_HFgdSbpV7jiIC4_cGq6hdlPlbWa7yQNkxE-Q36Sbmq4GSOl8foxHzKaPmXwyB-sOI7HYX6to-4Qao9AOfbVsY8xQJeU6dkMjpa-3wuJQf28X8hDpO7L7I22X9/s80/a.JPG" /></a><br />
Fat Ox. Beyond Fasted Cardio</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/03/am-pm-or-ampm-cardio-and-their-effects.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hsobptEZTK3rO5HTgAG4UVZ1U-tfnCvV8IS7BNkLQ1hgovVWAnQRWDnOFwwkPNv_jQLTmQ8z1Ex01r1FcGOB6UQG6QRnvDrDIUlgUDhkF6ZOHgDyEWPIIACDnfO8G6qBsoVrpteRAW0/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
AM, PM or AM+PM Cardio?</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/11/new-fasted-cardio-study-falsifies-myth.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_YfxTiC5Vo0BgJAk0UXgVuE8KFdHr-4L1W7pzc8wuxAvoFhQPxWjzumEaIoI6OMi3PylxtGtTNi3AJLugwTlGGOq2RMPD11cdZLDo9K5Nl_jMMCO3wv5sIEYr-aZnXN45acs1Iv0c-w/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Fasted Cardio no Magic Bullet!</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/03/non-fasted-cardio-true-key-to-weight.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLKzOtCzOCqayJjAZDMFFigyTuVj3BhePgbHQDwySUpbiIfCwovEUz_KmcMd7Mq2Gyl8qj2rWK3P4ZRR4uZ5Gd9qaaJLg1x5KdnREAIPSLGJsrNod6VvoV1EhdjuC0aJN8HfbyEUKLRY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Burn More Ener-gy Non-Fasted</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 0;">
<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.de/2013/08/want-to-clean-up-cellular-garbage-train.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZATsItWzGlTZBSXZDFJafnItXCO5W9-l6yYXiFdE8JG4_OeUu77jam3UHrBtIOi8O7M1lgV8CBqPyN5RM5cI3gvoUJUEW3ym94Kr05WzSq4Kl3Li8QIvRVHrDP1dD5tPYyMtzXi25MmQ/s80/a.jpg" /></a><br />
Health Benefits of Fasted Cardio</div>
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Accurate... or <u>not</u>? Fitbit predicts VO2max at "an acceptable level of validity": </b>I've previously addressed the (in-)accuracy of fitness trackers. In the corresponding studies (<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/03/how-accurate-are-activity-counters-ee.html" target="_blank">learn more</a>: "Activity Trackers, How Accurate are They?"), however, the focus was on energy expenditure. For today's short news, I have picked a study in which scientists evaluated the accuracy of the Fitbit Charge 2's ability to quantify (or rather qualify) your cardiorespiratory fitness.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2GKahvNdm-BEZ0sWpvxhtOmloKddq-xaoRyxDquB3j35gP7Dza1HODI7GA4tBEKitEPwzdJqwQZludAkuba9h-e5TqQmUKhxwPex8gSp1h5-SnxhZVOIlUKhFuFp1kb8tGhOm8eVHu4/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2GKahvNdm-BEZ0sWpvxhtOmloKddq-xaoRyxDquB3j35gP7Dza1HODI7GA4tBEKitEPwzdJqwQZludAkuba9h-e5TqQmUKhxwPex8gSp1h5-SnxhZVOIlUKhFuFp1kb8tGhOm8eVHu4/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. For basic, rather qualitative fitness assessments, the 60s CRF is sufficiently accurate (<a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2019/11000/Validity_of_Cardiorespiratory_Fitness_Measured.9.aspx" target="_blank">Klepin 2019</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To this ends, researchers from California (<a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2019/11000/Validity_of_Cardiorespiratory_Fitness_Measured.9.aspx" target="_blank">Klepin 2019</a>) tested N=65 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 45 yrs (55% female, 45% male) using the "gold standard VO2max testing" and compared the result they got with their pro-equipment to the assessment of a <i>Fitbit Charge 2 </i>which had to be worn continuously for 1 wk during which the subjects were instructed to complete a qualifying outdoor run to derive the Fitbit CRF (units: mL/kg/min). </li>
</ul>
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<b>How did the test work?</b> Basically, we're talking about a maximal graded exercise test on the treadmill. After a 5-10 min warm-up at a self-selected pace, participants started running at 5 mph (8 km/h) with 0% incline for 3 min. Subsequently, the workload was increased by approximately 0.75 METs every minute. "This was achieved via an increase in speed (0.5 mph·min−1) for the first 2 min, and an increase in incline by 1.5% every minute thereafter," the authors explain. When the subjects reported or showed signs of volitional fatigue, the treadmill was immediately slowed to 2.0 mph, and participants were encouraged to walk until completely recovered. The data from both pro-device and Fitbit was eventually analyzed in 15- and 60-s epochs - 60s, because the longer epochs supposedly have a lower susceptibility to overestimate subjects' VO2max.</div>
<ul>
<li style="list-style: none;">The scientists' <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bland%E2%80%93Altman_plot" target="_blank">Bland–Altman</a> analyses revealed that Fitbit CRF had a <b>positive bias of 1.59 mL/kg/min compared with laboratory data epoched at 15 s and 0.30 mL/kg/min compared with data epoched at 60 s (n = 60). That's not too bad... </b>and with a mean absolute percentage error of <u>less than 10%</u> for each comparison, using the Fitbit is unquestionably better than having no data. <br /><br />Now, you may (rightly) argue that this is still pretty inaccurate, but let's be honest: Who needs to know his exact VO2max? As an athlete you're interested in making progress and the latter can be monitored pretty well by comparing how your Fitbit data changes over time.<br /><br />Before you head over to Amazon to grab one of the meanwhile outdated fitness trackers, you should remember that the results were generated in <u>young</u>, <u>healthy</u>, and <u>fit</u> adults who are able to run. It's thus not clear if the device is similarly accurate and the methods feasible for those who are in the direst need of improving their fitness: very unfit, potentially obese, and metabolically impaired people for whom even their ability to perform the VO2max test is questionable. Finally, it is also worth considering that we're talking about one specific device. In that, it may be reasonable to assume that the quality of the fitness analysis didn't deteriorate with ongoing R&D, but eventually one'd have to test each and every of the subsequent Fitbit generations for their accuracy, as well.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><b>Burning protein as Fuel: If you go low carb, you better eat that extra steak:</b> A new study from the <i>Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education </i>at the <i>University of Toronto </i>claims "Low-Carbohydrate Training Increases Protein Requirements of Endurance Athletes" (<a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2019/11000/Low_Carbohydrate_Training_Increases_Protein.14.aspx/" target="_blank">Gillen 2019</a>).</li>
<br />The authors base this statement on data from an experiment, in which Gillen et al. had <i>N=8 endurance-trained males </i>who regularly ran 56 ± 16 km·wk−1 undergo a study protocol that mirrored those of a previous acute “sleep-low” training protocol (<a href="https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00857.2014" target="_blank">Lane 2015</a>).<br /><br />As you can see in <i>Figure 1</i>, the participants completed two metabolic trials in a randomized crossover design, with each trial separated by a minimum of 5 d. <blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -10px -20px 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtpc14smCdRaYxk_5a_1a45LkJhMbHfMvNyqRZcKzt4r8A3ibTCtrWqzkN7tR82Vx21hJeyBGVhuEQjdoPISti_VkrZEe25Tu9gYBqfywF9C_Zwo8-15Pr_WW5wrNhv2RrjrGIC9rIMY/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="617" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtpc14smCdRaYxk_5a_1a45LkJhMbHfMvNyqRZcKzt4r8A3ibTCtrWqzkN7tR82Vx21hJeyBGVhuEQjdoPISti_VkrZEe25Tu9gYBqfywF9C_Zwo8-15Pr_WW5wrNhv2RrjrGIC9rIMY/s320/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2. Overview of the study design. CHO periodization in LOW and HIGH before determination of postexercise protein requirements. 10 × 5 min run intervals at 10 km race pace, 1 min recovery; Run, 10 km run at ~80% HRmax.</td></tr>
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"In each trial, participants performed an evening session of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on day 1, followed by a moderate-intensity 10 km run on the morning of day 2. In the low-CHO availability trial (LOW), participants consumed the majority of their daily CHO intake before the evening HIIT session (7.8 g·kg−1), and subsequently withheld CHO postexercise and overnight (0.2 g·kg−1)," the authors elaborate. </blockquote>
In the high-CHO availability trial (HIGH), participants consumed less than half of their daily CHO intake before the evening HIIT session (3 g·kg−1), with the majority of CHO consumed postexercise (5 g·kg−1). In both trials, participants left the laboratory overnight before returning in the morning of day 2 to perform the 10-km run in either the fasted- (LOW) or CHO-fed (1.2 g CHO·kg−1; HIGH) state. Immediately after the 10-km run, participants received a postexercise meal (LOW: 1.8 g·kg−1; HIGH: 0.6 g·kg−1) to ensure groups were energy-matched before commencing the 8-h IAAO protocol (described below).
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<div class="lightBand">
<b>What were the subjects fed?</b> In the 24h before the 10k, the subjects received diets containing 1.6× their resting energy expenditure (#REE). For the guys in the study, this amounted to impressive 3574 ± 453 kcal, which were consumed in the form of macronutrient-matched (8 g CHO/kg, 1.4 g protein/kg) meals. The missing energy was then provided in the form of fat (e.g. 1000kcal from protein, 1500kcal from carbs = 1000kcal from fat). With the exception of the total amount of fat and energy content the meals were thus identical for all subjects (and 100% identical in the intra-subject comparison, e.g. subject 1 vs. subject 1) but the timing of CHO consumption was not (see <i>Figure 2</i>).<br />
<br />
The foods were prepackaged and consumed in an order that would allow for the intended distinction between LOW (5.8 g CHO·kg−1, 0.85 g protein·kg−1 and ~0.80 g fat·kg−1) and HIGH (1 g CHO·kg−1, 0.68 g protein·kg−1 and ~0.52 g fat·kg−1) experiment. For more details on the timing, please refer to <i>Figure 2</i>.</div>
<ul>
<li style="list-style: none;">Likewise identical were the HIIT and MICT sessions the subjects underwent on the evening of day 1 (HIIT in form of 10 × 5 min run intervals at 10-km race pace, interspersed with 1 min of recovery) and on the morning of day 2 (MICT in form of 10-km run at ~80% HRmax using speeds that were predetermined during baseline testing).<br /><br /><b>And where does the protein come into play? </b><br /><br />Easy... after the 10-km run and postexercise meal, the authors used the IAAO technique to assess differences in postexercise phenylalanine metabolism as an estimate for protein requirements. You may remember this from previous studies (see red box for an example).</li>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin: 0 25px 0 -20px; text-align: center; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5t1aRQUoWg1SKFJiv0coQMEaRW8R8yeaORYkCSF8q1q16W7vVupLcjRtDu8I3BkPPWA-nBq3PLtQicWdRoDqWb8tUAuX-wt0X3IG0eFqZRx57XISZsGmaxG_k7Eqj93PX1ebyN9FtbM/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="520" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5t1aRQUoWg1SKFJiv0coQMEaRW8R8yeaORYkCSF8q1q16W7vVupLcjRtDu8I3BkPPWA-nBq3PLtQicWdRoDqWb8tUAuX-wt0X3IG0eFqZRx57XISZsGmaxG_k7Eqj93PX1ebyN9FtbM/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure *. You may remember that Arash Bandegan et al. (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/147/5/850/4584703" target="_blank">2017</a>) recently calulated the protein requirements of male bodybuilders on <u>non-training</u> days using the same technology. Back in the day, the figure they came up with looked familiar: 1.7 - 2.2 g/kg, which is pretty much in line with various guidelines.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Remember! The study results are athlete- and training-type specific!</b> In other words, it would be foolish to assume that you or a client who's doing a 1h full-body resistance training workout would see a similar, let alone the same increase in protein requirements as the "low" (=low glycogen = increased reliance on alternative fuel, including protein) training endurance athletes in the study at hand. A very long bout of fasted AM-cardio, on the other hand, comes much closer to the situation in the study and may, if done at an appropriate intensity and alongside a low(er) carb diet, increase your protein requirements to a similar extent.</div>
<ul>
<li style="list-style: none;">In that, each meal provided 1/12th of the participants' total daily energy requirement and a protein intake of 0.93 g·kg−1 - with excess phenylalanine (the indicator amino acid; 30.5 mg·kg−1·d−1) and tyrosine (40 mg·kg−1·d−1) ensuring that the indicator amino acid was directed toward oxidation. <br /><br /><i>Put simply: When your body needs energy it will begin oxidizing amino acids to fuel its energy demands. With the tracer-aminos the scientists are able to quantify the amount of amino acids that are "burned" to fuel the workout in the absence of sufficiently stocked glycogen stores.</i><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -10px 0 -10px 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wdC45lKDXpVwwlGXk-kYxlEVfyOe87hnH16xYTtf0KOcQFoz9fkzdiwCeV4B-ulD-BySSUFHYUDUa7Jfj3iy66nfLJaN_GpXezom79FJmQ5Ukc1oxqQx5REnCjEdVIULBr2ymOQRTe0/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wdC45lKDXpVwwlGXk-kYxlEVfyOe87hnH16xYTtf0KOcQFoz9fkzdiwCeV4B-ulD-BySSUFHYUDUa7Jfj3iy66nfLJaN_GpXezom79FJmQ5Ukc1oxqQx5REnCjEdVIULBr2ymOQRTe0/s320/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3. Postexercise net protein balance in LOW and HIGH after a 10-km run performed with low or high CHO availability. *Significantly different vs HIGH (P < 0.05 | <a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2019/11000/Low_Carbohydrate_Training_Increases_Protein.14.aspx" target="_blank">Gillen 2019</a>).
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In the study at hand, the phenylalanine flux was not different between trials. The oxidation, on the other hand, was 11% higher in the LOW compared with HIGH trial (P = 0.03). Based on this observation, <b>the authors calculate an increase in the subjects' daily protein requirements of 0.12 g/kg</b>, or for the avg. subject: 75kgx0.12g/kg = 9g of (preferably high EAA) protein. <br /><br />Accordingly, we may assume that <b>9g of high EAA protein should compensate for the 12% reduction in <i>net protein balance</i> the researchers observed in the LOW vs. HIGH trial</b>. What we don't know, though, is how practically relevant this compensation would be in the long term. After all, we're dealing with an N=9 subjects (only) acute response study, and <u>not</u> with the long-term investigation into effects on exercise performance and body composition we'd need to answer this important question.<br /><br />As the authors point out, it is still logical to assume, "[g]iven the importance of dietary protein for postexercise remodeling of muscle proteins", that their "findings may have important implications for optimizing recovery in athletes performing endurance sessions with low-CHO availability" (<a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2019/11000/Low_Carbohydrate_Training_Increases_Protein.14.aspx" target="_blank">Gillen 2019</a>). In this state, the exercise-induced amino acid losses that incur via the direct oxidation of AAs in muscle mitochondria and/or amino acids hepatic extraction of circulating AAs as a substrate for gluconeogenesis (the liver turns the aminos into sugar) has been shown to increase significantly. What exactly the effects of proper compensation are, will yet, as the authors themselves acknowledge, have to be elucidated in future research that "should consider the impact dietary protein intake (especially from whole foods) has on postexercise recovery, skeletal muscle adaptations, and performance outcomes with contemporary low-CHO availability training strategies" (<a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2019/11000/Low_Carbohydrate_Training_Increases_Protein.14.aspx" target="_blank">Gillen 2019</a>).</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 4. The effects were exclusively seen for the systolic blood pressure and are within the ~5mmHg range (<a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/publishahead/Salt_Loading_Blunts_Central_and_Peripheral.96485.aspx" target="_blank">Babcock 2019</a>) - just make sure you're not passing out 'cause of high blood pressure before trialing the salt-load protocol ;-)</td></tr>
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<b>Let's end this news potpourri on a 'trick of the trade' note: <i>Salt loading!</i></b><i> </i>With the contemporary fear about elevated salt consumption in the general population and the scientifically unwarranted but often-heard recommendation to drink <u>beyond</u> thirst when you work out, many people literally 'crash' after intense workouts and long runs when their blood pressure drops from the necessarily elevated levels you'd see during the workouts into the netherlands of hypotension. <br />
<br />
Babcock and colleagues (<a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/publishahead/Salt_Loading_Blunts_Central_and_Peripheral.96485.aspx" target="_blank">2019</a>) from the <i>Universities of Delaware </i>and <i>Connecticut </i>have a simple solution - one that wasn't meant to solve this problem, though.<br />
<br />
In that, it is a bit ironic that their study was originally intended to provide more evidence for those who point with a finger to the fatal side effects of the salt shaker. I am thus repurposing their investigation into the effects of a 10-day "loading" protocol which involved upping their (previously standardized) daily salt intake by 1300mg/d <b>from 2300 to 3600mg/d </b>on the blood pressure of healthy subjects to formulate advice to those of you who experience spells of low blood pressure immediately after or in the hours after your workouts. How's that? Well, the study shows that salt loading 'successfully' abolishes the postexercise hypotension that's at the heart of the strange feeling you may be having after your workouts ever since you've gone low-carb and/or thrown away the salt shaker. Hence, salt loading, or, at least, salting to taste can be a very good strategy to keep the blood pressure from dropping too much after a workout. <br />
<br />
Now, it should be obvious that this is not some kind of health or performance enhancement strategy that suits everyone. In fact, I cannot end this article without the following words of warning: <i>if you suffer from salt-sensitive hypertension this is <u>not</u> a viable strategy for you to use </i>| <a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/publishahead/Salt_Loading_Blunts_Central_and_Peripheral.96485.aspx" target="_blank">Comment</a>! </div>
References:
<br />
<ul>
<li>Babcock, M. et al. "Salt Loading Blunts Central and Peripheral Postexercise Hypotension" Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: October 9, 2019. Published Ahead of Print.</li>
<li>Bandegan, Arash, et al. "Indicator amino acid–derived estimate of dietary protein requirement for male bodybuilders on a nontraining day is several-fold greater than the current Recommended Dietary Allowance." The journal of nutrition 147.5 (2017): 850-857.</li>
<li>Gillen, JB. "Low-Carbohydrate Training Increases Protein Requirements of Endurance Athletes." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: November 2019 - Volume 51 - Issue 11 - p 2294–2301</li>
<li>Klepin, K. et al. "Validity of Cardiorespiratory Fitness Measured with Fitbit Compared to V˙O2max." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: November 2019 - Volume 51 - Issue 11 - p 2251–2256.</li>
<li>Lane, Stephen C., et al. "Effects of sleeping with reduced carbohydrate availability on acute training responses." Journal of Applied Physiology 119.6 (2015): 643-655.</li>
</ul>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-24140950781153485272019-09-28T03:40:00.000+02:002019-09-28T03:44:57.598+02:00Baking Soda Loading Protocol Achieves 30% Higher Bicarb Levels W/ ZERO GI Distress | Plus: Post-Workout NaHCO3 Boosts Acute Recovery & Performance in Boxing<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XbDIaoSQ8UHmEA63VWdzCsUNz25DI6a2qW9C0x2BSswnGJRVrJcS-1iqMyZB60AJh7oCfisyiYDBf5cqE2mklOVBUW_g5Hcqgytye-2NsAL7_ieAHRV2Rcw3QoEuYguriWlRNj0GHAY/s1600/bicarb_loadingAndPostWorkout.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="1280" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XbDIaoSQ8UHmEA63VWdzCsUNz25DI6a2qW9C0x2BSswnGJRVrJcS-1iqMyZB60AJh7oCfisyiYDBf5cqE2mklOVBUW_g5Hcqgytye-2NsAL7_ieAHRV2Rcw3QoEuYguriWlRNj0GHAY/s320/bicarb_loadingAndPostWorkout.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You will be pleased to hear that the 30% increase in serum bicarbonate observed in the loading study was achieved in the absence of gastrointestinal distress in ALL subjects.</td></tr>
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Sunday, September 22, 2019, was 'bicarbonate day' in the <i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/" target="_blank">SuppVersity Facebook News</a></i>: What does that even mean? Well, the daily 'classics', i.e. links to archived SuppVersity articles, were <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/bicarbonate" target="_blank">all about the polyatomic anion HCO3</a>. Today's article brings NaHCO3, aka baking soda, back into the limelight - as a <b><u>post</u>-workout re-alkalizer</b> that can be used with a newly developed and proven <b>bicarbonate loading protocol </b>that will help you avoid diarrhea and work even more efficiently than the classic 0.3-0.5g/kg protocols 😮<br />
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<b>Read more about exercise-related studies at the <i>SuppVersity</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/09/tri-set-ts-or-multi-setms-training-ms.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPrbziRZdmF8B5oLPJ3bd3EaZSCbCtBVZOBjK3ceqzOrBmY-ITEG7xe2AcG8Mzt5mUV_gzRblUVfX6RKW4vE3xMGxREQShJFvioO6SVStsoK6Si9pT8ZLzIlB2bOOyb_IUaZSlRh3FBY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Tri- or Multi-Set Training for Body Recomp.?</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/08/nitrate-for-musclebrain-performance.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHhLMe0ViWvVUhH-pEr4qfm_EV5fKX75EikseHxA9-rjpkfj3Wymr_KCLvkOuhNYTmB_7u8srhi38ykfgVOl1iDmRo2dg5KF4bFMjMkYZNOVPVc1f8slHO55QWcfmw7yFbSc51aIVTC0/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Aug '15 Ex.Res. Upd.: Nitrate, Glycogen, and ...</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/08/significant-strength-gains-with-all-out.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiskt2SHWBAsU5zDxiKpG53qT9XMFSTAYTtHTKk2Zxbu-prc2FHyWhhmPAxslyBdfBnCUtZ59RDKVaAsKVksitNblgyzyK4NXGmPAKvijxtJsEY8Ot_o5tRH9zZLN5zLaXcUC1K-KkbqA/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Pre-Exhaustion Exhausts Your Growth Potential</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2013/05/full-rom-more-growth-more-strength-more.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtgpo9tj_AwpodFcCAQI9A1LyD5iULv1ligDjsoUQ51ScF14dxBw3I06ndUs7b8rju8vEL1tJUrr2TC1NqNgpPiqlQRBj41PeYIkcwF0imZTMvKmNDWafQ3zGhCfq7swNLAxV_SAIai7s/s100/a.jpg" /></a><br />
Full ROM ➯ Full Gains - Form Counts!</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/10/bfr-preconditioning-not-better-than.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mAQwNeP1FfIjSxnP0nh6fzL9KAXR1sSt4w-zBCoVtSURo9NneQl50l16nN2ZuugP840BQgtq9ZnE1_eXGIKB5NEzAadn68Wju2_WA8TTPZyx1AgDPRyc0QSygiuInxlUEj_ib0c3Rcs/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
BFR-Preconditio- ning Useless for Weights?</div>
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<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/08/cut-volume-still-make-gains-performance.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7tw70hvR92Ml03frk3xzpkfOjD67OjUEZ0mIjCEfffyfrCMT1rVMNqOflEzcDIo_4ppU5S0jkfJq6O9FZ_jefjuMIY8lSrb6_XWuE0BRudfR1B1BHLaOfXonws1XNg6FwryAMX8Rlq30/s100/a.png" /></a><br />
Study Indicates Cut the Volume Make the Gains!</div>
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IMHO, it's however the latter study by <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12970-019-0309-4" target="_blank">Amerigo Rossi et al. (2019)</a> that warrants the previously used 😮-emoji as it could allow a large group of people whose digestive tracts have hitherto prevented them from using the #4 ergogenic on the <i>SuppVersity short-list of "supplements that work"</i> (#1 <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/whey" target="_blank">whey</a>, #2 <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/creatine" target="_blank">creatine</a>, #3 <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/caffeine" target="_blank">caffeine</a>, ...). <br />
<br />
Amerigo Rossi and his colleagues were obviously well-aware of both, (a) the "explosive" problems the ingestion of large amounts of bicarbonate can have on the largely undigested content of your intestines, and (b) the ergogenic prowess of the salty H+ buffer. Accordingly, ...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"the purpose of [their] study was to determine whether a modified sodium bicarbonate (SB) ingestion protocol would elevate serum bicarbonate concentration more than previous methods without causing gastrointestinal distress" (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12970-019-0309-4" target="_blank">Amerigo Rossi 2019</a>).</blockquote>
To this ends, the US researchers recruited seven (5 men, 2 women) <i>elite middle-distance runners </i>who, in a random order, ingested either placebo (calcium carbonate which has repeatedly been used successfully in previous sodium bicarbonate research), modified SB (600 mg·kg− 1 over 19.5 h), or acute SB (300 mg·kg− 1) in opaque gelatin capsules <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/01/serial-loading-stomach-nahco3-and.html" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="1050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrt5AMjfdxvnn8oaHyQwDMXV0rw7hSnW-AXxedAUukbmJYbkGjJVAqZESwaWzCtkhZVSU-NMEn5mmwME7M7VDs-E034LXWyPT4GDLlTeV7HTy_PA1aCH4HKYrM-QgFUuBVw0gFTifshk/s250/a.png" /></a>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learn more about "serial loading" in <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/01/serial-loading-stomach-nahco3-and.html" target="_blank">the archive</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Bicarbonate in capsules? </b>The capsules (size "oo") may have a marginal beneficial effect on the tolerability of NaHCO3. In the study at hand, however, they were used to mask the flavor and granularity of the respective substance.<br />
<br />
Since the same caps were used in all groups, it can be excluded that they significantly contributed to the benefits of serial loading that were observed in the study under review.</div>
In order to maintain the double-blind design of the study, the first three doses of the Acute SB protocol contained the placebo, and only the last dose contained 300 mg/kg of SB... <i>Table 1</i> shows the exact ingestion pattern:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyTMQHPNBInjQjHs0bNL0_vDMbPyrXUSpKF2PmUE9INwA2IGSqVAj2Ql06-qbLum5k4A0DiQgigGvDrVZdhvSdQuzo2dy7DiamLL2ABB8uMJk9PRnDPdeBw7w4UlgmAPijXkQ6SQecFo/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyTMQHPNBInjQjHs0bNL0_vDMbPyrXUSpKF2PmUE9INwA2IGSqVAj2Ql06-qbLum5k4A0DiQgigGvDrVZdhvSdQuzo2dy7DiamLL2ABB8uMJk9PRnDPdeBw7w4UlgmAPijXkQ6SQecFo/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 1: Timing and dosages of the three ingestion protocols (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12970-019-0309-4" target="_blank">Amerigo Rossi et al. (2019)</a>).</td></tr>
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To assess the effects of sodium bicarbonate (#<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/baking%20soda" target="_blank">SB</a>) and the way it was administered, baseline and post-ingestion blood samples were analyzed for bicarbonate, pH, sodium, hematocrit, and lactate; the corresponding data was then analyzed by repeated-measures ANOVA (2 time points × 3 conditions) to determine differences in serum bicarbonate, lactate, sodium, blood pH, and hematocrit.<br />
<br />
<b>No, athletic performance wasn't measured directly in the loading trial, but one can assume...</b><br />
<br />
So, while the study unfortunately lacks an exercise part, the subjects' individual gastrointestinal distress was assessed - via <u>self-report</u> on a Likert scale of 1–10. Simple (condition) and repeated (time) within-participant contrasts were used to determine the location of any statistically significant main and interaction effects (p ≤ 0.05).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Correcting a diet-induced <u>low-grade </u>metabolic acidosis with K-bicarbonate reduces the nitrogen loss of 750mg - 1000mg per day (per 60kg BW) in postmenopausal women (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/82/1/254/2823423" target="_blank">Frassetto. 1997</a>) - previous studies suggest identical benefits for sodium bicarb.</td></tr>
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<b>Special service for the healthy skeptics who are just about to post in the comments that 'you cannot change your body's pH, anyway':</b> "Previous physiologic studies in normal adults have shown that differences in dietary acid affect extracellular pH and serum bicarbonate (<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199406233302502" target="_blank">Sebastian 1994</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0085253815330805/pdf?md5=6f5e4fb068f3bc996806733094cb1386&pid=1-s2.0-S0085253815330805-main.pdf&_valck=1" target="_blank">Kurtz 1983</a>). [...] Our results extend these findings to indicate that dietary acid plays a role in determining acid–base status <u>on a population-wide level</u> and that this effect is most pronounced among older persons" (<u>my emphasis</u> in Amodu 2013).
It's correct that your kidneys (and lungs) will always return your pH to the normal range (unless you're too old and/or your organs are malfunctioning), <u>but</u> this doesn't mean that putative benefits of not making them work over-time are unscientific.</div>
Speaking of <i>distress</i> the latter was not the reason that 3 of the initial N=10 subjects dropped out of the study. Two of the <u>very fit</u> subjects (BF <9% and VO2max >70 ml/kg/min sustained injuries during private training sessions and one withdrew for undisclosed private reasons (pretty much the dropout you, unfortunately, have to expect in scientific studies).<br />
<br />
<b>Significant alkalizing effects... 🤔 but there's something missing, isn't it?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
As hypothesized the scientists twist on <i>serial loading</i> <u>did</u> "significantly elevate serum bicarbonate concentration and produce less GI distress than typical acute SB ingestion". More specifically,...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"There was a significant interaction effect between condition and time (F = 9.52, p < 0.01) for serum bicarbonate concentration (Fig. 1). Although the placebo trials induced a small (2.7 mmol·L− 1) but significant (p < 0.01) increase in serum bicarbonate concentration, contrasts revealed that <b>there were significantly greater increases in serum bicarbonate concentration for the AcuteSB (5.8 mmol·L− 1, p < 0.01) and ModSB (7.6 mmol·L− 1, p < 0.01) conditions </b>compared to the placebo from Baseline to post-ingestion. Furthermore, post-ingestion serum bicarbonate concentration was significantly higher (p = 0.05) for the ModSB condition (34.7 ± 2.2 mmol·L− 1) than the AcuteSB condition (33.5 ± 2.0 mmol·L− 1)" (<b>my emphasis</b> in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12970-019-0309-4" target="_blank">Amerigo Rossi 2019</a>)</blockquote>
<div>
Cool, ha? Well, yes and no, 'cause measuring the bicarbonate level alone relies on the previously observed correlation of serum bicarbonate levels and the ergogenic benefits - a link that has been observed in studies most of which have used acute administration protocols. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXUKUwYMhhoZfqkxHdJMruPWNXNeur0-iUZ9HGk_vrpHswVfqunPpJ7Hh7qupP3AYb03leVze9cHepnehKvasV9yiSMUWPx4SJTj51D7AbyeXRzgKEabv3tMXhedHZlxPzCt25ekYCqs/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXUKUwYMhhoZfqkxHdJMruPWNXNeur0-iUZ9HGk_vrpHswVfqunPpJ7Hh7qupP3AYb03leVze9cHepnehKvasV9yiSMUWPx4SJTj51D7AbyeXRzgKEabv3tMXhedHZlxPzCt25ekYCqs/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Serum bicarbonate concentration at baseline, post-ingestion. * Significantly different from placebo. † Significantly different from Acute SB (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12970-019-0309-4" target="_blank">Amerigo Rossi 2019)</a>).
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<div>
The observed improvements in blood bicarbonate levels are thus <u>likely</u> to translate to performance increases (during high-intensity exercise) but only a follow-up study will show if those benefits are as impressive as the changes in bicarbonate you see plotted in <i>Figure 1</i>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>If the bicarbonate levels accurately predict the performance benefits, the serial loading protocol should translate into performance benefits of up to 30% even compared to the acute protocol!</b></div>
<br />
Overall, it would seem unrealistic to expect that the >30% difference in bicarbonate levels observed in the study at hand will produce similarly large performance benefits in terms of total time to exhaustion or time trial times. I'd rather expect the dose-response curve for serum bicarbonate vs. performance to be logarithmic. This means that, at low bicarbonate levels, any increase in buffering capacity that comes with bicarbonate supplementation is going to yield much greater performance benefits than the same increase from already elevated levels.<br />
<br />
But let's leave that for future studies to investigate and turn to the other study I've mentioned in the introduction.<br />
<br />
<b>Study 2, suggests that the repeated provision of bicarbonate and fast restoration of the acid-base balance after workouts allows for greater performance on subsequent high-intensity workouts.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
If you belong to the aforementioned group of acid-base skeptics (see red box), you'll probably be "offended" (as everybody is these days) by the results of Lewis A. For <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2019.00155/abstract" target="_blank">Gough's paper</a>, the researchers from the UK and South Africa tested the effects of either 0.3 g/kg body mass NaHCO3, or 0.1 g/kg body mass sodium chloride (PLA) in seven <i><u>elite</u> male professional boxers </i>who performed an initial bout of exhaustive exercise comprising of a boxing specific high-intensity interval running (HIIR) protocol, followed by a high-intensity run to volitional exhaustion (TLIM1), before a 75 min passive recovery period that was kickstarted with the "salt fix" being ingested 10 minutes into the recovery (the delay may be important for tolerability issues, hence I mention it explicitly).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXr1-is9lakQ1eBxnQewSSlymHB0XEE5YujgcMKG6EKgNnIURvOsPQR_qXEy1wF5ISpAcoqeI5pLLogMUSEUcfLJCvdWf9Wg8Me5MlUy2BiFxEaVZnrcRBaeoRpye8uQmpqBZl_fRyEw/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="725" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXr1-is9lakQ1eBxnQewSSlymHB0XEE5YujgcMKG6EKgNnIURvOsPQR_qXEy1wF5ISpAcoqeI5pLLogMUSEUcfLJCvdWf9Wg8Me5MlUy2BiFxEaVZnrcRBaeoRpye8uQmpqBZl_fRyEw/s570/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2: The rapid increase in pH after the workout (inset) supposedly facilitated the significant increase in time to exhaustion in the high-intensity run to volitional exhaustion (<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2019.00155/abstract" target="_blank">Gough 2018</a>).</td></tr>
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After the 1 1/4h rest period, the boxers underwent a standardized sports-specific high-intensity exercise test involving a boxing specific punch combination protocol, followed by a second high-intensity run to volitional exhaustion (TLIM2).<br />
<br />
<b>Unlike in the 1st test, TLIM1 (before supplementation), where the scientists observed no inter-group differences, Gough et al. detected significant differences in performance from TLIM1 to TLIM2 with NaHCO3 allowing the athletes to run a whopping ~125% longer 'on bicarbonate' than on the placebo supplement (+164 ± 90 vs. +73 ± 78 sec; p = 0.02, CI = 45.1, 428.8, g = 1.0) 😍. </b><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmSHSGpL92Di4hYO4K2OQsBcfESpRl3dyeVwSLa8jd1mFsPWXoqTBuOyinoLvb5kdLTaLmpe87N4uN4wouFtRu6CRzC_rihqfdURS5UFfOrThTaqk0X9Af_c4SWZkfQa05-7os8IUD2I/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmSHSGpL92Di4hYO4K2OQsBcfESpRl3dyeVwSLa8jd1mFsPWXoqTBuOyinoLvb5kdLTaLmpe87N4uN4wouFtRu6CRzC_rihqfdURS5UFfOrThTaqk0X9Af_c4SWZkfQa05-7os8IUD2I/s300/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3: The acute provision of high amounts of NaHCO3 in the <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2019.00155/abstract" target="_blank">Ghough study</a> produced only short-lived GI discomfort wich could likely be reduced by appropriate serial loading protocols.</td></tr>
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The mechanism behind what, in this case, can be considered <u>proven ergogenic effects</u> can be ascribed to the increase in pH after the exhausting initial bout of exercise; an increase of 0.11 ± 0.02 pH units (1.4%) (p <0.001, CI = 0.09, 0.13, g = 3.4), and 8.8 ± 1.5 mmol HCO3- per liter of blood over placebo (26.3% | p <0.001, CI = 7.3, 10.2, g = 5.1); and a difference of which the authors say that it "suggests that these marked increases in acid-base balance during post-exercise recovery facilitated the improvement in the subsequent bout of exercise" (<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2019.00155/abstract" target="_blank">Gough 2018</a>). <br />
<br />
Considering the non-significant increase in GI distress (<i>Figure 3</i>) that was observed, the scientists' verdict that that "[f]uture research should continue to explore the role of NaHCO3 supplementation as a recovery aid in other combat sports" should yet be expanded to "role of bolus and serial loading with NaHCO3". Where that's practically feasible (considering time-constraints), the serial loading may well eliminate the (albeit tolerable) side effects that were observed in the study at hand.<br />
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<b>The most important message of the two studies is undisputable: <i>24h serial loading helps you avoid the nasty GI distress </i>while boosting serum bicarbonate impressively<i>. </i></b>In fact, <u>not a single subject</u> from the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12970-019-0309-4" target="_blank">Amerigo Rossi study</a> reported GI distress in the modified SB trials, while two of seven subjects suffered from GI problems in the acute SB trials.<br />
<br />
As previously hinted at, it is now imperative to test whether the impressive alkalization effect will actually produce performance gains that are at least comparable, if not superior to the standard regimen; a protocol which involves administering highly diarrhea-prone 0.3-0.5g/kg NaHCO3 ~60 minutes before testing. As previously explained, I personally expect the same, not augmented performance benefits, from serial loading vs. acute bicarbonate supplementation.<br />
<br />
There's one disadvantage the loading cannot negate: It takes time. It thus doesn't seem feasible to replace the acute supplementation protocol from the <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2019.00155/abstract" target="_blank">Gough study</a> 1:1 by a serial load... at least not if whatever 2nd bout of exercise comes so close (75 min) to the initial assault on the acid-base balance as it did in the boxers | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/2689333727765427" target="_blank">Comment on Facebook</a>!</div>
References:<br />
<ul>
<li>Amerigo Rossi, M.A. et al. "The effects of a novel bicarbonate loading protocol on serum bicarbonate concentration: a randomized controlled trial." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 16.1 (2019): 1-7.</li>
<li>Amodu, Afolarin, and Matthew K. Abramowitz. "Dietary acid, age, and serum bicarbonate levels among adults in the United States." Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology 8.12 (2013): 2034-2042.</li>
<li>Gough, Lewis A., et al. "Post-exercise supplementation of sodium bicarbonate improves acid base balance recovery and subsequent high-intensity boxing specific performance." Frontiers in Nutrition 6 (2019): 155.</li>
<li>Frassetto, L., R. Curtis Morris Jr, and A. Sebastian. "Potassium bicarbonate reduces urinary nitrogen excretion in postmenopausal women." The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 82.1 (1997): 254-259.</li>
<li>Kurtz, Ira, et al. "Effect of diet on plasma acid-base composition in normal humans." Kidney international 24.5 (1983): 670-680.</li>
<li>Sebastian, Anthony, et al. "Improved mineral balance and skeletal metabolism in postmenopausal women treated with potassium bicarbonate." New England Journal of Medicine 330.25 (1994): 1776-1781.</li>
</ul>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-75097181410673626552019-09-21T12:33:00.001+02:002019-09-21T12:50:17.332+02:00Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Works in Broad Cuff Pressure Range: Lower (40%) & Higher (80% AOP) Similarly Effective<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -10px 0 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxBum5kIrRQG0KhntjYvRHvPG_JfYziQENtheoPKuFebOXYc0nlstXauZyjthT-In8gdmK8N2jjxr5HRRiI-Mn-4KnCFeO7kpnQNIvUTBo0vlHpy9kg-bfrAYMHeYYjXSHwC3WiuvCts/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="1024" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxBum5kIrRQG0KhntjYvRHvPG_JfYziQENtheoPKuFebOXYc0nlstXauZyjthT-In8gdmK8N2jjxr5HRRiI-Mn-4KnCFeO7kpnQNIvUTBo0vlHpy9kg-bfrAYMHeYYjXSHwC3WiuvCts/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Go super tight or go home"? Nope, we're not talking 'bout NC-17 rated websites... this provocatively phrased statement about how to wear your <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/BFR" target="_blank">#BFR cuffs</a> at the gym is probably as faulty as the notion that you can judge the effectivity of a workout by how much it hurts.</td></tr>
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Based on personal observation I can say with certainty that #<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/BFR" target="_blank">BFR</a>, i.e. Blood Flow Restriction during resistance training is becoming mainstream. Even in German mainstream gyms you'll see guys many of you would probably ask "do you even lift" if you met them outside of the gym cuffing themselves up to the point where their arms are close to start necrotizing...<br />
<br />
That's not just potentially dangerous but, as a recent study from the <i>Brigham Young University </i>in UT suggests, it's also unnecessary.<br />
<div class="bottomLineDark" style="height: 140px; padding-right: 20px;">
<div>
<b>"Blood Flow Restriction" aka #<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/BFR">BFR</a> is becoming more and more popular - rightly so?</b></div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/02/more-bfr-lovin-can-cortisol-gh-response.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_DiZPs9rTkcDhmwErWAR8dMwPDqCvVQF0JOCuEqfMGCW81Y5UojWCKHhdB5AXH6XjaZK-TLA4why40j9D6BGZ13CY8URJLr8LT5oSIPuOnR4q3YWo0P8sgAzfid_CCR1O1nVMZeajxs/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
BFR, Cortisol & GH Responses</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/10/under-pressure-whats-new-on-bfr.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWjI-yuLailU-nHJ5y0s9wM7JJxLnQNBatlaw7h74I1jOd3x5x7bGrdVvoyA2PfddPy2ujExEzFZjJEjyqw0CiYE_hrVq9pNJq4-yFfhB1Obgv-AP5JXiI2ne1tjcbNPMkKrhURW2BJc/s80/under-pressure.png" /></a><br />
BFR & Compres-sion Gear News</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/03/finally-1st-blood-flow-restriction.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qPn0rgMg_b_NW65dKy-_olGZ-ylB8faFMNBwb9updyMw3LqQJBfbjHXqq7EDOOW4c8z1Vebz4YbIWtH4ZhCjpgudV99lAAWO2vDRYxyovtuRFGYtIHw1dWJ1kguRL9mpY2n9E5__jRY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
BFR as Add-On to Classic Lifts</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2013/11/blood-flow-restricted-biceps-growth-in.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-KXWLPPLpYJlQUcywJyc8FqQjHzK2Wczbth2QStWT2xec4HVuA_zOJUnetpQCYK9HSsiS11TEini-esEOCPjlC6HnLI8NCMBEqSVWXUx9Q4EdtbrdR3nyJRK6_3DlxpPEZv8pDPxU5k/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
BFR for Injured Athletes</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/08/95-reduced-ck-marker-of-muscle-damage.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWeozd8803QdaIEcawHgSLiAZZ5IVFj7tGUO4FieOlLfB8r_zOdXvh2Yb10PNZ1D3McaPfBEDy0p2f3PXPSAbCc33MYotJlPHePtnC_bAKmKphQLdzflgxtdaAPJJvXFlYUai5SRHl5GY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
BFR B4 Workouts = WIN!?</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 0;">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/08/blood-flow-restricted-liss-but-not-hiit.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5gTv_ovlyTQLgYXdQtR8w9XVkdZRKPobGVyxF9hlaRUB14h8k7_52VHDq9zOqfTEmIYO_RunRjr0NW9PimXqTeWnSLP2SkdAb4SZ429-29BOgZ04nBGmDgBdjHKonXSbTEySJQ_bi70/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
BFR + Cardio = GainZ?</div>
</div>
Why? It may sound astounding, but a higher cuff pressure doesn't translate to practically relevant changes in blood flow restriction. That's the main finding of a new study some of you may have heard about in the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/" target="_blank">@SuppVersityFacebookNews</a>, when the data was first presented at a conference. Data representing the results of an experimental investigation by Kent W. Crossley, and colleagues, who studied the relationship between <i>blood flow restriction (BFR) cuff pressure </i>and <i>blood flow at rest </i>and <i>during exercise</i>. Their goal: to answer the practically (and potentially health-)relevant question:<br />
<br />
<b>Will lower cuff pressures provide an ischemic stimulus comparable to higher pressures?</b><br />
<br />
The relationship between blood flow and cuff pressure at rest was determined by measuring blood flow (Doppler Ultrasound) through the superficial femoral artery (SFA) in 23 adults across a range of pressures (0-100% <i>Arterial Occlusion Pressure</i> at <u>rest</u>, <u>r</u>AOP vs. <u>e</u>AOP which denotes testing during exercise, i.e. <a href="https://i1.ytimg.com/vi/ak-LQboTk24/maxresdefault.jpg" target="_blank">plantar flexion exercise</a>).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxR-GgTc1P0xb1ZRMoMZRFjzBFjCiDnylIYLll5OhJ-5mv5ApcfM4e1vWeLO99FNwBS1CqkmJaWYfq1LavF4RO6yJbbPka28ZJhE8yY44_E3BWtrBBjJ0iWPd00FGQbCRccWngHPK9W0k/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="726" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxR-GgTc1P0xb1ZRMoMZRFjzBFjCiDnylIYLll5OhJ-5mv5ApcfM4e1vWeLO99FNwBS1CqkmJaWYfq1LavF4RO6yJbbPka28ZJhE8yY44_E3BWtrBBjJ0iWPd00FGQbCRccWngHPK9W0k/s570/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Overview of the study design; the exercise was basically "<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/calves" target="_blank">calf training</a>" (<a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/publishahead/Effect_of_Cuff_Pressure_on_Blood_Flow_during_Blood.96492.aspx" target="_blank">Crossley 2019</a>).</td></tr>
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Somewhat to their own surprise the cuff pressure / blood flow relationship was not linear, but plateaued as early as with 40% (see <i>Figure 2</i> further below in this article). What this means is that...<br />
<br />
<b>...you can well apply more than 40% of the arterial pressure to the cuff and still won't see much more actual blood flow occlusion than at this rather moderate level.</b><br />
<br />
Ok, the blood flow wasn't 100% identical but the differences were - within the statistical and experimental margins of error so small that you will not be able to argue based on <i>Figure </i>that they were statistically significant (in fact, p = 1.0) different when he external pressure was increased from 40 to 80% of the previously determined rAOP.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">According to the results of a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-017-3644-7" target="_blank">2017 study by Mouser et al.</a> cuff width and other differences in your gear are less important than you'd think - assuming you achieve the 'correct' aortic pressure reduction.</td></tr>
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<b>"Which device was used and will the results apply for my gear, too?"</b> In the study the authors used 10 cm cuff and a <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/hoth.bizango/images/270426/Screen_Shot_2016-12-08_at_12.04.17_AM_sidebar.png" target="_blank">Hokanson E-20</a> rapid cuff inflator device, and claim that "while there are several other types of devices (Kaatsu, B-strong, Delphi) and cuff sizes that can be utilized for exercise that yield very different cuff pressures, since the cuff pressure was primarily analyzed as a percentage of AOP, the results of this study are likely applicable to other BFR devices, regardless of type or cuff size, <u>when considered in terms of %AOP</u>." They base this argument on data from a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-017-3644-7" target="_blank">2017 study by Mouser et al.</a> that found that three different cuffs used under identical relative levels of restriction (40 to 90% of AOP) "appear to decrease blood flow to a similar degree". </div>
In the absence of significant effects of AOP in the 40-80% range, the authors conducted the final exercise test (eAOP) <u>only at 40% AOP</u>; and while Crossley et al. observed in this calf-raise(-ish) test that "eAOP was greater than rAOP (229±1.5 vs. 202±1.5 mmHg, P<0.01)", i.e. that...<br />
<br />
<b>...the real-world blood pressure building up in the arteria was 20% higher when the subjects exercised compared to the sedentary condition.</b><br />
<br />
The actual blood flow [the amount of blood per minute] did "not significantly differ (P=0.49) between 40% rAOP or 40% eAOP". This means that the resting vs. exercise condition at a given external cuff pressure of 40% of the pre-determined e- and rAOP were identical. From a mechanistic standpoint it is likely that the greater pressure normalizes the amount of blood that's bypassing your calves and reaching your feet to what previous research suggested to be "optimal" levels, i.e. 60-70% of the unrestricted blood flow (~ 70-80 ml/min vs. 120 ml/min without cuff) whenever you apply cuffs at a pressure in what I deemed following the use of the phrase in astronomy the "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumstellar_habitable_zone" target="_blank">goldilocks zone</a>" (cf. <i>Figure 2, green mark-up</i>).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCbOnVDZQLzX0sBZPgRMp7C2DJ6W8gCo3YWiLQqNNQWv2D_DtH11ub9DjAvm3eo92Dh1nGeiIrslh486ZtcqqorgW62ccdiXUBZFtVVV_OZaAheUSwYWGUvh2Bg6HE9bhFKt8pK0cwp0/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCbOnVDZQLzX0sBZPgRMp7C2DJ6W8gCo3YWiLQqNNQWv2D_DtH11ub9DjAvm3eo92Dh1nGeiIrslh486ZtcqqorgW62ccdiXUBZFtVVV_OZaAheUSwYWGUvh2Bg6HE9bhFKt8pK0cwp0/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2: Blood flow through the superficial femoral artery at different cuff pressures as %-age of resting Arterial Occlusion Pressure (rAOP); mind the non-linear plateau in the "goldilocks zone" (my term added to <a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/publishahead/Effect_of_Cuff_Pressure_on_Blood_Flow_during_Blood.96492.aspx" target="_blank">Crossley 2019</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Overall, and most prominently in view of the previously discussed non-linear nature of the effects on actual blood flow, it does thus seem logical to follow the authors' conclusion that "BFR interventions opting for lower (e.g. 40% AOP), more comfortable pressures will likely provide an ischemic stimulus comparable to that of higher (80% AOP), less-comfortable pressures" (<a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/publishahead/Effect_of_Cuff_Pressure_on_Blood_Flow_during_Blood.96492.aspx#pdf-link" target="_blank">Crossley 2019</a>).<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qPn0rgMg_b_NW65dKy-_olGZ-ylB8faFMNBwb9updyMw3LqQJBfbjHXqq7EDOOW4c8z1Vebz4YbIWtH4ZhCjpgudV99lAAWO2vDRYxyovtuRFGYtIHw1dWJ1kguRL9mpY2n9E5__jRY/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qPn0rgMg_b_NW65dKy-_olGZ-ylB8faFMNBwb9updyMw3LqQJBfbjHXqq7EDOOW4c8z1Vebz4YbIWtH4ZhCjpgudV99lAAWO2vDRYxyovtuRFGYtIHw1dWJ1kguRL9mpY2n9E5__jRY/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you don't remember <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/03/finally-1st-blood-flow-restriction.html" target="_blank">my 2016 article</a> about combining #BFR and #regularResistanceTraining it's about time to <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/03/finally-1st-blood-flow-restriction.html" target="_blank">find it up in the archive</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>So what's the verdict then?</b> In short? Well, cuff pressures seem to be yet another instance where the popular BB-mantra <i>"no pain, no gain"</i> fails to apply ;-) Due to the fact that there's no further decrease in blood flow (#<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/BFR" target="_blank">BFR</a>) until you reach the 90% of arterial pressure mark and are actually starting to run the risk of suffocating your limbs (here the lower legs), it simply seems to be a waste of time to inflate the cuffs even further... the message for those of you that just adjust the pressure with a non-inflating cuff instinctively it underlines that you don't have to tighten them to the point where you're feeling your limb go numb | Let me know if that's not hardcore enough for ya <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/2676058809092919" target="_blank">on Facebook</a>!<br />
<br />
Ah, and yes. The above conclusion depends on the assumption that the reduced blood flow, alone, and not a potential extra increase in blood pressure or other cuff-induced "collateral damage" drives the effects of #BFR training on muscle gainz.</div>
References:<br />
<ul>
<li>Crossley, Kent W., et al. "Effect of Cuff Pressure on Blood Flow during Blood Flow–restricted Rest and Exercise." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2019). Ahead of print.</li>
<li>Mouser, J. Grant, et al. "A tale of three cuffs: the hemodynamics of blood flow restriction." European journal of applied physiology 117.7 (2017): 1493-1499.</li>
</ul>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-28676199415845545922019-08-21T04:27:00.000+02:002019-08-21T04:32:25.340+02:00Full vs. Half-Squats - Study Measures Actual Size Gains! A Tie for Quads, a Fail for Hams, and a Small Win for Glutes<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -10px 0 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraM875c7MaAO2EJuhzJOKBKtVQRtNEyFUO3G2twN7IFdFifChw58s8SZJEV8DNumTbXyJQDXoEjF0j3jLM_wu8t1PPG_qjX_hoW_C9nnqcsEgyPG0yyF7h0lMYVoHRjeLCak1EG7nH20/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="1280" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraM875c7MaAO2EJuhzJOKBKtVQRtNEyFUO3G2twN7IFdFifChw58s8SZJEV8DNumTbXyJQDXoEjF0j3jLM_wu8t1PPG_qjX_hoW_C9nnqcsEgyPG0yyF7h0lMYVoHRjeLCak1EG7nH20/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The result, the full-squat is slightly superior, is not as clear as you may have expected it to be. Furthermore, the study suggests that you won't get away without an additional hamstring exercise if you want tree-trunk legs and a fabulous behind.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A new study (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-019-04181-y?wt_mc=alerts.TOCjournals&utm_source=toc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=toc_421_119_9" target="_blank">Kubo 2019</a>) in the "European Journal of Applied Physiology" compared the effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes (that's news as previous studies measured way too often only the acute EMG response | <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6544005/" target="_blank">Neto 2019</a>)... with a realistic workout program and a sensible study duration of 10 weeks. over which twenty young men were randomly assigned to a full squat group (#FST, n = 10) or half squat group (#HST, n = 10 at study onset).<br />
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Eccentrics For Excellent Gains?</div>
</div>
The subjects were matched to the two groups according to their average baseline physical characteristics and the one-repetition maximum (#1RM) of full and half squats between the two groups. The latter, i.e. the 1RMs were ~1.25x and ~1.5x the guys' body weight on the full and half-squat, respectively - an observation that tells you that all participants, who were in their early twenties, were not exactly powerlifters, but they were also no couch-potatoes. Still, theywere required <u>not</u> to have participated in any organized resistance training program involving regular exercise for at least 1 year before testing.<br />
<br />
<b>Why would one use untrained subjects?</b><br />
<br />
The authors explain the decision to use 'untrained' subjects with the argument that "the obtained results would be affected by the effects of training experiences before the experiment".<br />
<div class="Table" id="Tab1">
<div>
<table style="margin: 12px auto 9px auto; width: 570px;"><colgroup><col class="tcol1 align-left"></col><col class="tcol2 align-char"></col><col class="tcol3 align-char"></col></colgroup><thead>
<tr><th></th><th><div class="SimplePara">
Full-squat group (<em class="EmphasisTypeItalic ">n</em> = 8)</div>
</th><th><div class="SimplePara">
Half-squat group (<em class="EmphasisTypeItalic ">n</em> = 9)</div>
</th></tr>
</thead><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="SimplePara">
Age (years)</div>
</td><td><div class="SimplePara">
20.7 (0.4)</div>
</td><td><div class="SimplePara">
20.9 (0.8)</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div class="SimplePara">
Height (cm)</div>
</td><td><div class="SimplePara">
173.6 (4.1)</div>
</td><td><div class="SimplePara">
172.3 (5.8)</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div class="SimplePara">
Body mass (kg)</div>
</td><td><div class="SimplePara">
63.2 (6.6)</div>
</td><td><div class="SimplePara">
64.1 (6.1)</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div class="SimplePara">
1RM of full squat (kg)</div>
</td><td><div class="SimplePara">
78.8 (14.6)</div>
</td><td><div class="SimplePara">
82.8 (15.2)</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div class="SimplePara">
1RM of half squat (kg)</div>
</td><td><div class="SimplePara">
95.0 (16.0)</div>
</td><td><div class="SimplePara">
96.7 (15.0)</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px; margin: 8px auto 12px auto; text-align: center;">
Table 1: Age, physical characteristics, and 1RM before training in both groups mean (sd) *1RM one repetition maximum.</div>
</div>
As in every training study, the "subjects were instructed to <i>maintain their normal diet </i>and <i>avoid taking any supplements </i>during the experimental period." While that's standard practice, it's worth noting that the assessment of muscle gains which was <u>not</u> done by DXA or simple circumference measures, but via a series of cross-sectional images of the lower limb muscles using magnetic resonance imaging (FLEXART MRT-50GP, Toshiba Medical Systems, Tokyo, Japan). The muscle sizes the sizes of which the researchers measured were the...<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJiEmPK-FfZxji3i9Uc-qG120xouC71ew23xry-8KdIw1h8u6jPyJCtXW21WLNV4lmn4cpWw0x5eeIypCc-tKetTGV_I4wMS-XXB3VeQ5LKLWVg5fIdhbOC203FJEzhQdLe9-TXhHLZw/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="570" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJiEmPK-FfZxji3i9Uc-qG120xouC71ew23xry-8KdIw1h8u6jPyJCtXW21WLNV4lmn4cpWw0x5eeIypCc-tKetTGV_I4wMS-XXB3VeQ5LKLWVg5fIdhbOC203FJEzhQdLe9-TXhHLZw/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-top: -10px;">
Figure 1: Muscles of the lower limbs | <a href="https://courses.lumenlearning.com/ap1x94x1/chapter/muscles-of-the-lower-leg-and-foot/" target="_blank">Lumen Learning</a></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><b>knee extensor muscles: </b>rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL), vastus intermedius (VI), and vastus medialis (VM),<br /> </li>
<li><b>hamstring muscles: </b>biceps femoris short head (BFs), biceps femoris long head (BFl), semitendinosus (ST), and semimembranosus (SM), and<br /> </li>
<li><b>adductor muscles: </b>adductor magnus, adductor longus, and adductor brevis</li>
</ul>
The number of axial images obtained for each subject was the same before and after training and was 39.5 ± 2.3 for the knee extensor muscles: 37.2 ± 2.4 for the hamstring muscles, 29.4 ± 3.1 for the adductor muscles, and 28.5 ± 1.5 for the gluteus maximus muscle. Images obtained with magnetic resonance imaging were transferred to a computer and analyzed using Osirix DICOM image analysis software (Pixmeo, Geneva, Switzerland).<br />
<div class="lightBand">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin: 3px 25px 0 -10px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgE2wJNSsEHClzR7hp9bKxe5ttQPrLty6caS2L869Afl4LXaDQLxsyPQ_z2LZXaqKrJ7Dny9D6kGCZNj6f_qj0heyrnBX3Q_v9ZuKV8PjMUcXfimVk8CPh4ZI2VW2UkQZEG3d1yY9W60/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin: 9px auto 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="320" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgE2wJNSsEHClzR7hp9bKxe5ttQPrLty6caS2L869Afl4LXaDQLxsyPQ_z2LZXaqKrJ7Dny9D6kGCZNj6f_qj0heyrnBX3Q_v9ZuKV8PjMUcXfimVk8CPh4ZI2VW2UkQZEG3d1yY9W60/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a half squat: Knee angle 90°</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Full- vs. Half-Squat: Defined! </b>I guess we are far from having a clearcut, universal definition of what constitutes a full- or half-squat, but what I can tell you is what the subjects in the study at hand did:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>#FST - The full squat </b>was performed <i>from complete knee extension </i>to <i>approximately 140° knee flexion</i> and then <i>immediately returned to the extended knee position</i>.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>#HST - The half-squat</b> was performed at the <i>half range of motion squat (from complete knee extension to approximately 90° knee flexion)</i> and then immediately returned to the extended knee.</div>
The subjects' actual training consisted of 2 workouts per week (for 10 weeks). For both groups, subjects were instructed that <i>stance width </i>was almost the same as <i>shoulder width</i>. The barbell was positioned across their shoulders <i>on the trapezius</i>. All subjects were allowed to use a <i>lifting belt </i>during squat training. All training sessions were <i><u>monitored</u> </i>and supervised to ensure correct squat depth and form by at least one experienced investigator. The authors describe the exact protocol as follows (my <i>emphasis</i>):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"In order to become accustomed to training and acquire a correct form, subjects performed 3 sets of <i>60% 1RM × 10 repetitions in the first week</i>, <i>3 sets of 70% 1RM × 8 repetitions in the second week</i>, and <i><b>3 sets of 80% 1RM × 8 repetitions </b>in the third week</i>. [...] If subjects were able to perform 3 sets of 8 repetitions per set, the training <i>load was increased by 5 kg </i>for the next training session."</blockquote>
Another detail of the methodology section that's important is the way the scientists calculated the <i>training volume </i>as the arithmetic product of load × repetition × <i>movement</i> distance of the barbell - that's important, because it takes into account that, due to the greater range of motion (87.9 ± 2.1 cm in FST and 53.8 ± 1.8 cm in HST), the full-squat will require significantly higher workloads on a per rep basis. This assumption does yet require that both train with identical weights. In view of the fact that the half-squat allowed for greater weights, it is still not surprising that - within the intra-group standard-deviations, there was ...<br />
<ul>
<li>no significant difference in the <b>total training volume </b>between FST (186.4 ± 34.0 kg*rep*m) and HST (198.4 ± 19.9 kg*rep*m | p = 0.388, ES = 0.45) </li>
</ul>
Unlike <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/08/full-squat-for-full-size-gains-partial.html" target="_blank">previous studies</a>, which suggested slight benefits of partial vs. full squats for strength and power, the study at hand accounted for training specific specifications (keyword: you're getting better at the exact exercise you practice) by comparing the two groups on both, the half- and full-squat 1RM performance.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWvDPIEczaLK0WYHMjhx8VfPGXmkLFpZEcRPIuW8kRDI1wlYTI91emX2izSgKECtvCyfM5zKDPx6_rdz-dAVEdu67m0i4yitJk5MEUoOW-8kbnV1fe3ZmsKVQxLf4EtjO0oJ_wd9_XWU/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWvDPIEczaLK0WYHMjhx8VfPGXmkLFpZEcRPIuW8kRDI1wlYTI91emX2izSgKECtvCyfM5zKDPx6_rdz-dAVEdu67m0i4yitJk5MEUoOW-8kbnV1fe3ZmsKVQxLf4EtjO0oJ_wd9_XWU/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2: Relative changes in one repetition maximum in full (upper) and half (lower) squat exercises for full squat training (open) and half squat training (closed) groups. *Significantly different from before (**p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001). #Significantly different between the two groups (##p < 0.01) | <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04181-y" target="_blank">Kubo 2019</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In that, <i>Figure 2</i> clearly indicates that trainees who are doing only half-squats progress well, <u>but not better</u> than their full-squatting peers on this very exercise (i.e. the half-squat | <i>Figure 2, </i>right). However, compared to their peers, who've been squatting "ass to the grass" over the whole study period, the <u>partial squatters sucked on the unaccustomed full squat</u> (<i>Figure 2</i>, left) - and the difference is <u>both</u> statistically and practically relevant (~30% w/ doing the actual full squat vs. ~10% increase in 1RM/10wk with the half-squat - that's worlds apart).<br />
<br />
<b>But who cares about 1RMs? Gainz is what ya want, right? </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The question: What's best for your gains has likewise been addressed before. In many cases, such as the <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/08/full-squat-for-full-size-gains-partial.html" target="_blank">previously cited 2016 study</a>, with slight advantages (in terms of hypertrophy, <u>not</u> strength) for the full squat, i.e. "ass to the grass". The study at hand confirms that, <u>but</u> it adds that the size of the difference (pun intended) depends on the muscle group we're looking at (see <i>Table 2</i>). So, ...<br />
<ul>
<li>the <b>volumes of knee extensor muscles </b>significantly increased by 4.9 ± 2.6% in FST (p < 0.001, ES = 0.34) and 4.6 ± 3.1% in HST (p = 0.003, ES = 0.43) - Note: This was <u>not a significant effect-size difference</u> (p = 0.812, ES = 0.11) favoring the full squat for a muscle group we often refer to as the "quads" as a whole or for the muscle volumes of VL, VI, and VM between the two groups (p = 0.497–0.892, ES = 0.02–0.34), individually;</li>
<li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -10px 0 0 35px; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2014/06/romanian-deadlift-is-hamstring-exercise.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcfzIx5cqyHIx7XpDxM-n4E2jR3cnUp055U3DDrfYdm5DLk87BHuiT75kuOlil9qW1h7z246AK4_9p3605wPoIEpihFtsK5ho2463bZpMMS1xhYqcajc9SatajmqeV5ViaPm7ndu-LnI/s1600/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Study leaves no doubt: For the <i>biceps femoris, </i>Romanian deadlifts rule.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
the <b>volumes of each constituent of all hamstring muscles </b>did not significantly change after training in either group (p = 0.129–0.911, ES = 0.01–0.07) - Note: For this muscle group, the often-heard superiority of "going all the way" down is absent in <u>all</u> submeasures, i.e. both heads of the biceps femoris, the semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscle 😮... and <i>this</i> is probably the actual (disappointing) surprise result for some of you;</li>
<li>the <b>volumes of the adductor muscles </b>significantly increased by 6.2 ± 2.6% in FST (p < 0.001, ES = 0.55) and 2.7 ± 3.1% in HST (p = 0.030, ES = 0.33) - Note: This time, however, with measurable, statistically and (potentially) practically <u>relevant advantages for the full squat</u>: More specifically, the volume of the gluteus maximus muscle significantly increased by 6.7 ± 3.5% in FST (p < 0.001, ES = 0.35) and only 2.2 ± 2.6% in HST (p = 0.041, ES = 0.14); a difference that was also observed for the adductor and gluteus maximus muscle volumes which were significantly greater in FST than in HST (p = 0.026, ES = 1.23 for the adductor muscles, p = 0.008, ES = 1.50 for the gluteus maximus muscle).</li>
</ul>
<div>
So, there's some truth to the often-heard recommendation to squat deep to form a strong and muscular behind. What is more important to remember, IMHO, is the fact that scientists rightly point out that "[t]he main results of the present study were that 10 weeks of full and half squat training increased the volumes of the vasti muscles, but <u>not rectus femoris or hamstring muscles</u>". Essentially, this implies that you will have to train both separately - for example by doing stiff-legged deadlifts (learn more about the best exercises in <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2014/06/romanian-deadlift-is-hamstring-exercise.html" target="_blank">this previous article</a>). </div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrghWcHz0o7_SoC-SN-pm6u8kSjE_UQpwV629hFq7yEYuCTuvoG0yT6zC-LHgGZuqNc_I3olPNrXkpC45hJ6dIVz5bmHU04n0FMot1X38iufzUYd8bWk1usyHNGtOAHaTZI6kWkSG8z4/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="143" data-original-width="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrghWcHz0o7_SoC-SN-pm6u8kSjE_UQpwV629hFq7yEYuCTuvoG0yT6zC-LHgGZuqNc_I3olPNrXkpC45hJ6dIVz5bmHU04n0FMot1X38iufzUYd8bWk1usyHNGtOAHaTZI6kWkSG8z4/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 2: Muscle volume of each
constituent of knee extensor
muscles before and after
training mean (sd)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Compared to the unexpected shortcomings of squatting in terms of hamstring gains, the observation that "the volumes of the adductor and gluteus maximus muscles were greater with full squat training than half-squat training" will hardly come as a surprise most of you, I guess... don't worry, though, if you cannot squat ass-to-the-grass you can still do other <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/gluteus" target="_blank">exercises for your glutes</a> - including the <i>stiff-legged</i> deadlift I've previously recommended as a hamstring adjunct to the squat.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/11/weightlifting-shoes-what-does-research.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="332" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgo_KICE95oDM3v0tGLF_b65EZEILYrlPDAxw0zcvnUj9DuleClpbhmFpomRC07v9c7sv2kc1kdbmvVb5KN2G8N3dOmK7vUTOk6AMo5CgTvDXpafn9tzyk8Lh3iugc-dPVDCvbYcFvcyY/s200/a.png" width="169" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice gimmick or must-have gym equipment? <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/11/weightlifting-shoes-what-does-research.html" target="_blank">Answer</a>: "It depends".</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Bottom line:</b> The study at hand confirms two advantages of having the full- vs half-squat exercise in your workout program: (a) You'll significantly increase your bragging rights (1RM) on the full-squat only by squatting over the whole range; (b) you will make greater (albeit suboptimal) gains on the adductor muscles and the glutes.<br />
<br />
If we are honest, though, those are fewer and (if you look at the figures) also smaller benefits than broscience would dictate. Worst of all, though 😨, neither of the tested squat varieties targeted the hamstring muscles appropriately. So, even if you squat deep, a hamstring exercise such as <i>stiff-legged deadlifts</i> is a must.<br />
<br />
<b>No EMS/gainz disconnect for this, but older studies...</b><br />
<br />
Unlike the study at hand, the previously cited "Romanian(stiff-legged) deadlift"-study by <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2014/06/romanian-deadlift-is-hamstring-exercise.html" target="_blank">McAllister et al.</a> and hip thrust studies such as <a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jab/32/3/article-p254.xml" target="_blank">Contreras et al. 2016</a> did not measure the actual hypertrophy response to the exercises (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6544005/" target="_blank">Neto 2019</a>). Hence, we simply have to assume that an increased EMG activity will also yield increased size gains | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/2617171688314965" target="_blank">Discuss</a>!</div>
</div>
References:<br />
<ul>
<li>Kubo, Keitaro, Toshihiro Ikebukuro, and Hideaki Yata. "Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes." European journal of applied physiology (2019): 1-10.</li>
<li>McAllister, Matt J., et al. "Muscle activation during various hamstring exercises." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 28.6 (2014): 1573-1580.</li>
<li>Neto, Walter Krause, Thais Lima Vieira, and Eliane Florencio Gama. "Barbell Hip Thrust, Muscular Activation and Performance: A Systematic Review." Journal of sports science & medicine 18.2 (2019): 198.</li>
</ul>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-10290956257149155852019-07-18T10:29:00.000+02:002019-07-18T10:35:26.327+02:00High CGA Instant Coffee for High Potency Fat Loss: Visceral and Total Fat Loss Increase 6-9-fold 😮, But...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChbUdQUghkZEpJcxgF4WSqchyr_sBPzcddprP3TSXowKZhlWctf0cREBkjTYWW3gMVX3Jwy7nHbFPLKyH4YqDo6_vWPX2hTmZ9sKjM7Rk76FQB0FoFt1B-dKTjV-Zm0bwdSUCGxF03UM/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChbUdQUghkZEpJcxgF4WSqchyr_sBPzcddprP3TSXowKZhlWctf0cREBkjTYWW3gMVX3Jwy7nHbFPLKyH4YqDo6_vWPX2hTmZ9sKjM7Rk76FQB0FoFt1B-dKTjV-Zm0bwdSUCGxF03UM/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truth is in the numbers... the <u>absolute</u> numbers, not the impressive relative visceral fat loss that doesn't show on either scale, measuring tape, or mirror... and yes, that means that Kao's high-octane CGA enhanced coffee is not going to make you lean out effortless- and visibly in 12 weeks in the absence of making the necessary but (by way too many) dreaded dietary / lifestyle changes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"No", it's not #inMice, but "yes", it's sponsored research by the Kao Corporation about whose "High Octane Coffee" <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/04/scientists-test-effects-of-fat-burning.html" target="_blank">I've written last year</a>, already. In their latest paper the Japanese authors of the paper (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/7/1617/htm" target="_blank">Watanabe 2019</a>) investigated the effects of daily consumption of coffee enriched in chlorogenic acids (CGA) on abdominal fat area in a 12-wk randomized, double-blind, parallel controlled trial w/ healthy, overweight men and women (n = 150, body mass index (BMI) ≥25 to <30 kg/m²) who were randomly allocated to high-CGA (369 mg CGA/serving) or control (35 mg CGA/serving) coffee groups.<br />
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<b>You can learn more about <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/coffee">coffee</a> and <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/caffeine" target="_blank">caffeine</a> at the <i>SuppVersity</i> </b></div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/08/when-timing-matters-when-is-best-time.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rMAV8-PWYS6QJ4rDEEezsjZdj2knad5ik3WSZ-gJxtvT_5IgT8Ak605p2hgwnHbOJaZ8J4mjHyCsDUMg1WRa3Vx1cQovdDBnwTxP1b86LYkl_aak1KcPa-tymZXMoNoi7oAUkpHwxtk/s100/a.png" /></a><br />
For Caffeine, Timing Matters! 45 Min or More?</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/07/caffeine-timing-revisited-taking-your.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgSgbbIxxpKQ2XjXagmmFEbQ34Z37KPVJpCVODffZG4MjKZ0oG4H_QOsd5q8iUK2ixN0rZ0DzpXhN1uEAgVQmU25I2_GBERrOhZt8pAGYnh3dUqXiLqIq4vynTOnboyqD8YTpzIjYs4s/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Caffeine Helps When Taken Intra-Workout, too</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/12/not-getting-into-ketosis-try-plain-old.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTbVF1oHxxlt_hr2_kzDYzd5FjTlK-tqp0aLj3wV9M-nWcGQAvwe2nSqJ7ILPrKyACxwDlD1LZTVoUepF2V4a0tAdIzCoU9k8Cka6jCgxSMJW0PQnr6qa-nmmaPwp6xqbgWE8JziEXbE/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Coffee can Help You Get into Ketosis</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/02/more-evidence-in-favor-of-post-workout.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwXq4DON36QGfCLl3bbrKZwL96WaBBukDAc85FgJLW60YYZH2m6xBiu4XC_g-phfxzhyphenhyphen8uhsQdDOXPcO817V2XgEold_UQleWuEiL2C45n-0aC3JIIL0Se_hnDYXBIFb1yT0fYRZ4IXY/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Post-Workout Coffee Helps With DOMS</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2014/06/the-coffee-advantage-equation-3-x-250ml.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkT7ZZ-k89ep7I9ltoVnqhIuVYu1B2ebt7VyyHO7JB_XW-QUdh4wLXvR9aFSJtx3v22_L2sB5698Xsh4AS19Jb8Pcjns0DMP49w1zomvZrI-wmuAm_WuRQEqi0ZwWB8AiN39Wn0FmDLec/s100/a.png" /></a><br />
The Coffee³ Ad- vantage: Fat loss, Appetite & Mood</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 0;">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/01/put-up-or-shut-up-how-effective-is.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCFxLOkBKge-jtqVuyGu9t9kj2mbK15Ip_wVX2muMhMxKcLEf3hkJYd8Bpb31qF4PuUaGM7qU24b0UcEju-Jby3VSSspJwK5OFAtqeMSEsTjSexWWLe-iABodnRD8JlydcCa0p6aLbgI/s200/a.png" /></a><br />
Quantifying the Benefits of Caffeine on Ex.</div>
</div>
The subjects were recruited from among <i>men <u>and</u> women</i> (it's a bit suspicious that the authors don't report the sex-ratio <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/7/1617/htm" target="_blank">in the FT</a>, though) residing in the Hokkaido area in Japan.<br />
<ul>
<li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -7px 0 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/buying-roasting-grinding-brewing-coffee.html" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="720" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24shHDZJCu98IFlZ_9Cr4vpzYcNvxwhWPEqjeXcYaSEslccADJZ8gmVqI01XeO4e3bvTmIAWcFGuU1CDbWwescxRANGuacBUVuFUBCJJ3Jj0GslzIsacF9hx6Gfq9CemMVvKNb-9U6vc/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Must read: "Buying, Roasting, Grinding, Brewing: Coffee 101 -- How to Do it to Get the Optimal Stimulant and/or Health Effects" | <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/buying-roasting-grinding-brewing-coffee.html" target="_blank">read the SuppVersity Classic</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The <b>inclusion criteria </b>were as follows: body mass index #BMI ≥ 25 to <30 kg/m² (=obesity class 1; often just labeled as 'overweight'); visceral fat area #VFA ≥ 80 cm² (rather high levels of pro-inflammatory organ fat); age 20 to <65 years. </li>
<li>The <b>exclusion criteria </b>were as follows: allergy to drugs or food; current disease or history of severe disease related to the liver, kidney, heart, lungs, or digestive system; systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg or ≥160 mmHg; heavy drinking (>30 g alcohol/day) or smoking; extremely irregular dietary habits; and shift work or late-night work. </li>
</ul>
The scientists also (pre-)calculated the sample size based on data from the <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/04/scientists-test-effects-of-fat-burning.html" target="_blank">previously discussed paper</a> assessing the effects of CGA-containing pre-packed coffee beverages on overweight subjects:<br />
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The number of subjects (71 subjects/group) was calculated on the basis of the assumption of a change in VFA (ΔVFA) of 5 cm², standard deviation of 15 cm², significance level of α = 0.05, and power (1 − β) = 0.80. To account for the potential for dropouts, the target number of subjects was set at 150" (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/7/1617/htm" target="_blank">Watanabe 2019</a>). </blockquote>
Moreover, the trial was registered at www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/ as UMIN000036011. Now, none of these parameters guarantee that the study is unbiased, objective, practically relevant, etc. but trial registration, power calculations, inclusion of only "healthy" overweight subjects, a study duration of 12 weeks, dietary control that shows a lack of differences between the two study groups (see <i>Table 1</i>) are indicators of <i>study quality </i>and <i>real-world relevance</i> of a study you will certainly see being referred to in adds for the instant coffee I previously labeled as "high octane coffee".<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 0 -10px; text-align: left; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApPBR9KVOEWqkl29qq2bKtl1D4vI4Vq3egdf-7Y4drLPqBb1dlI1mlVWe_l3Y8xtDkWaEbiAkiEBUuMq7dSKX0dhJAWk2ZJLqCHjbRAFSPkLfummR5eAHJP31NtNPoyJFMiV6ELNUAEE/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApPBR9KVOEWqkl29qq2bKtl1D4vI4Vq3egdf-7Y4drLPqBb1dlI1mlVWe_l3Y8xtDkWaEbiAkiEBUuMq7dSKX0dhJAWk2ZJLqCHjbRAFSPkLfummR5eAHJP31NtNPoyJFMiV6ELNUAEE/s280/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Composition and nutritional content of test coffee. CGA—chlorogenic acid (from <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/7/1617/htm" target="_blank">Watanabe 2019</a>); note the difference in energy content (and carbs 😯 that would suggest weight loss advantages for the control coffee)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>What's <i>in </i>the high octane coffee?</b> From the <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/buying-roasting-grinding-brewing-coffee.html" target="_blank">Coffee 101 on <i>SuppVersity.com</i></a> you know that you can control the CGA content of your coffee by buying, roasting, grinding, and brewing your coffee 'the right way'. Even with your "greenest" roast and minimal processing, though, you're unlikely to squeeze out >300mg of <i>chlorogenic acid #CGA </i>as a "minimum guaranteed amount per serving" while simultaneously decreasing the oxidant components through a previously described and tested adsorptive treatment with activated carbon (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/hr2009132" target="_blank">Ochiai 2009</a>; <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-018-1611-7" target="_blank">Kajikawa 2019</a> | both studies show benefits for <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/heart%20health" target="_blank">CV health</a>). <br />
<br />
In general, the coffee doesn't differ much from your average instant coffee which is likewise prepared after spray-drying but contains less than 1/10th of the amount of CGA in Kao's 'high octane coffee' - it's thus quite credible that the scientists claim that their CGA coffee with 369 mg of CGA/serving and the 35 mg of CGA/serving control coffee were "indistinguishable".</div>
Only a <b>single serving did the trick</b>! All instant coffee was consumed (only) once daily for 12 weeks, with four-week pre- and post-observation periods. Abdominal fat area and anthropometric measurements were analyzed at baseline and at four, eight, and 12 weeks, and 142 subjects completed the study - that's pretty much in line with what the power-analysis suggested to be necessary.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-xWA73h6K05kTV00XiVy6f_y1xxyksfe3DmzKdgIJI8ChCu5FOmkMsTSrjdf6hxEtXe2WvRaDwOF0dyau61mhVFvXadV_oT5npa2PJXM7vTzrtxYbsJcJUdcONceTO9hecSlSkOiny0/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-xWA73h6K05kTV00XiVy6f_y1xxyksfe3DmzKdgIJI8ChCu5FOmkMsTSrjdf6hxEtXe2WvRaDwOF0dyau61mhVFvXadV_oT5npa2PJXM7vTzrtxYbsJcJUdcONceTO9hecSlSkOiny0/s570/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 1: Dietary intake at 0 and 12 weeks in control and CGA groups. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Control (n = 70), CGA (n = 72). Group represents p-value in effect of group. Time represents p-value in effect of time. Group × time represents p-value in effect of group × time interaction - all analyses by repeated-measures ANOVA (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/7/1617/htm" target="_blank">Watanabe 2019</a>).
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In conjunction with the absence of dietary changes illustrated in <i>Table 1</i> (obviously the study wasn't as controlled as a metabolic ward study), the weight ... ah, I should say <u>fat</u> loss effects of the elevated CGA intake was quite impressive: The absolute values and changes from baseline in visceral (#VFA), subcutaneous (#SFA), and total (#TFA) fat area are shown in Table 2.<br />
(<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/7/1617/htm" target="_blank">Watanabe 2019</a>)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvw8J91Gj1CRrxsNNIpf9oBiZ5B_SbWHWzkVfYl5nxmZF4Fs_3gLu7eujf4YIh60GlILdu9XgYWd7f1rqeAsJ2pCUvuIwE721VK1nXU3tOY12am6Xol1CnSTxF5oifb-i4FEkep7jfMI/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvw8J91Gj1CRrxsNNIpf9oBiZ5B_SbWHWzkVfYl5nxmZF4Fs_3gLu7eujf4YIh60GlILdu9XgYWd7f1rqeAsJ2pCUvuIwE721VK1nXU3tOY12am6Xol1CnSTxF5oifb-i4FEkep7jfMI/s570/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 2: Changes in physical assessment parameters in control and CGA groups (</td></tr>
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As the authors point out, "[t]he CGA group exhibited a significant decrease relative to the control group at 12 weeks by t-test in VFA (CGA group: −9.0 cm², control group: −1.0 cm², p = 0.025) and changes in VFA from baseline, i.e., ΔVFA (p < 0.001)" (<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/7/1617/htm" target="_blank">Watanabe 2019</a>). In plain English:<br />
<br />
<b>Even in the absence of a meaningful conscious (or at least detectable) reduction in energy intake, a single cup of the high octane coffee shed 9.0 cm² visceral, i.e. metabolically particularly unhealthy fat - that's 9x more than the obviously non-significant -1.0 cm² the subjects in the control group dropped on their 12-week journey.</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2013/05/coffee-good-bad-interesting-2-4-cups-of.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBc7oO9vrsBDsBcdJ-UFp4dBDDJEHjk95eTis9Get7yqsBYBafVJcIds1W8HnnS-BWxT7oiHLUT9xpNQ-ZMvbLqWpKlQKQE2dQCHPZ2LYfEiidbU_h-mLnA45U3wwNqYif-OEext-Zx6p/s200/a.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is there such a thing as an optimal caffeine:taurine ratio? <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2013/05/coffee-good-bad-interesting-2-4-cups-of.html" target="_blank">Plus MORE!</a></td></tr>
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<b>How high should/can you probably go?</b> You will remember the 25 cups a day study discussed in the <i>SuppVersity News</i> in early June. With those 25 cups you'd get 2-3 times the amount of CGA in the <i>Kao Coffee -</i> without, and that's what the coverage of the <a href="https://heart.bmj.com/content/105/Suppl_6/A8.2.abstract" target="_blank">pertinent study by Fung et al.</a> (2019) seems to suggest increasing your risk of heart disease... Bad news for coffee junkies, though, the statistical analysis compared self-reported coffee consumption habits between only three groups, ie ≤1, 1–3, >3 cups/day - with the lowest group used as the reference in the analyses, the actual study doesn't tell us anything about the health effects of drinking 25 cups of coffee per day (plus: subjects who consumed even mere were excluded from the analysis).</div>
In contrast to what the FT of the study seems to suggest (there it says: "[t]he change in the TFA from baseline (ΔTFA) was significantly smaller [sic!] in the CGA group compared with the control group at 12 weeks" | Watanabe 2019), the significant group × time interaction (p = 0.001) and the group effect (p < 0.001) the scientists observed for the total body fat area (see <i>Table 2 #TFA</i>) clearly favored the CGA coffee of which I am not even sure that it's already on the market, as well.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQA1T1EKcZWlZsW6riX0sHkK2UTVPcKOLAYruTt5B3NA3992UWvDEK8dfGfJR_eWnaeKDldwYZuds4p2b-UHpeLjJiqQ5S32IWYB1jNb8Et1Qzw5YHnHj4Bzi4JHhLAs0hrEhVnWtn0JE/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQA1T1EKcZWlZsW6riX0sHkK2UTVPcKOLAYruTt5B3NA3992UWvDEK8dfGfJR_eWnaeKDldwYZuds4p2b-UHpeLjJiqQ5S32IWYB1jNb8Et1Qzw5YHnHj4Bzi4JHhLAs0hrEhVnWtn0JE/s1600/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: My plot of the absolute visceral (#VFA) and subcutaneous (#SFA) development in <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/7/1617/htm" target="_blank">Watanabe 2019</a> shows: inter-group comparisons as I present them in the headline and relative changes as presented in the arrow an easily mislead you to overestimate the practical (in mirror) significance of the results.</td></tr>
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Against that background, it doesn't come as a surprise that the CGA subjects also lost more body weight, BMI, and inches off their waists (#BW, #BMI, #WC | p = 0.025, p = 0.015, p = 0.001, respectively); a result the authors provide some additional substance to, when they write...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[...] Δweight, ΔBMI, and ΔWC in the CGA group had a significant group × time interaction compared with the control group by repeated-measures ANOVA (p = 0.010, p = 0.006, and p = 0.012, respectively). Moreover, a significant group effect was detected for ΔWC (p = 0.023); i.e., WC in the CGA group was significantly decreased (0.8 cm) relative to that in the control group at 12 weeks (p = 0.001, t-test). With respect to Δweight and ΔBMI, the CGA group showed a decreasing trend relative to the control group (p = 0.080 and p = 0.071, respectively)" (Watanabe 2019).</blockquote>
<div>
What may be surprising and certainly not irrelevant for the <i>discussion of the results in terms of the number of holes the subjects had to tighten their belts</i>. With an average reduction in waist circumference of only 0.7 cm = 0.28 inches, they went from a somewhat tight, to a marginally more comfortable fit in their 36" jeans, which should remind you of the "but" in the headline.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSxu0gqckRlFEmm5uOw8U3qlml-74kzHnq6eB1ENt6NsPghdFikMb0TQTyLRJQE8y4TERv7OWy9JrsElCw96I6Pi5HuWYia9SVb1GjOGQxmEXHoH6Vk6QC3EHB2eaIdzZc_zLeFvv6Sk/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSxu0gqckRlFEmm5uOw8U3qlml-74kzHnq6eB1ENt6NsPghdFikMb0TQTyLRJQE8y4TERv7OWy9JrsElCw96I6Pi5HuWYia9SVb1GjOGQxmEXHoH6Vk6QC3EHB2eaIdzZc_zLeFvv6Sk/s220/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While the comparison to the control group in the study at hand suggests an added benefit of extra-CGA, observational studies show that merely drinking enough coffee is associated with less total and visceral body fat with statistically significant dose-effect trends; values in cm² difference vs non-coffee drinkers (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900713000531#tbl2" target="_blank">Mure 2013</a>).</td></tr>
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<b>Don't expect miracles, the results were relatively (%) huge... absolutely (cm²) tiny and practically (mirror) invisible. </b>W/ a 'weight loss' of 200g and effectively no reduction in the circumference of their bellies, most of the subjects in the study at hand would probably argue that the high octane coffee from the <i>Kao Corporation</i> was as useless as the CGA supplements Dr. Oz promoted in his show; and let's be honest: Who wants to blame them, in the absence of reductions in unaesthetic subcutaneous fat and virtually identical readings on the scale and the measuring tape!? No one. And no one should, either, 'cause the actual take-home message of the study reads: CGA seems to improve the body fat distribution of healthy overweight-to-slightly-obese subjects in a large(r) scale randomized controlled 12-week study <u>without</u> showing on the scale, in the mirror or your waist.<br />
<br />
I guess, now it's up to you decide if you will be willing to pay the CGA premium for <i>Kao's</i> 'high octane' instant coffee (when it's available wherever you may live),<i> </i><i style="text-decoration-line: underline;">or</i> if you simply go back to the #1 article about preparing coffee on the Internet (that's obviously my "<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/buying-roasting-grinding-brewing-coffee.html" target="_blank">Buying, Roasting, Grinding, Brewing 101</a>") to remind yourselves that cold-brewing, choosing <i>Robusta</i> over the more-expensive and valued <i>Arabica</i> beans and consuming a dark(er) vs. medium roast may help you increase the CGA content of <i>your</i> morning, mid- + late-morning, lunch, and PM coffee(s) signif. while providing you with a good rationale to justify consuming way more than one pot of the pro-metabolic, anti-diabetic organ-fat burning brew of the Gods (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261561416001035" target="_blank">Marventano 2016</a>; <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900713000531" target="_blank">Mure 2013</a>) | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/2556749501023851" target="_blank">Comment</a>!</div>
References:<br />
<ul>
<li>Fung, Kenneth, et al. "9 Effect of coffee consumption on arterial stiffness from UK biobank imaging study." (2019): A8-A10.</li>
<li>Marventano, Stefano, et al. "Coffee and tea consumption in relation with non-alcoholic fatty liver and metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies." Clinical nutrition 35.6 (2016): 1269-1281.</li>
<li>Mure, Kanae, et al. "Habitual coffee consumption inversely associated with metabolic syndrome-related biomarkers involving adiponectin." Nutrition 29.7-8 (2013): 982-987.</li>
<li>Kajikawa, Masato, et al. "Coffee with a high content of chlorogenic acids and low content of hydroxyhydroquinone improves postprandial endothelial dysfunction in patients with borderline and stage 1 hypertension." European journal of nutrition 58.3 (2019): 989-996.</li>
<li>Ochiai, Ryuji, et al. "Effects of hydroxyhydroquinone-reduced coffee on vasoreactivity and blood pressure." Hypertension Research 32.11 (2009): 969.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-6112705570406482152019-07-07T11:31:00.001+02:002019-07-07T12:32:34.040+02:00Intermittent Fasting in Trained Women Adds Same Amount of Muscle, Strips Extra Body Fat (4-6%) | No Effect of HMB<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4q97buAz3aqb2Q1WKFEFq_AxNEgt_l0uNbdmcBpPKYjEgUSzezH30V-RK-DK47YFI6SYX_Aj0i5xye8VlRY1JAXc-6bpjs4JgvLZYF-uCnjGBSSqwA29tiyqUfVYUDRLn_mxtEghCYQ/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="1024" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4q97buAz3aqb2Q1WKFEFq_AxNEgt_l0uNbdmcBpPKYjEgUSzezH30V-RK-DK47YFI6SYX_Aj0i5xye8VlRY1JAXc-6bpjs4JgvLZYF-uCnjGBSSqwA29tiyqUfVYUDRLn_mxtEghCYQ/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HMB did matter, but not significantly; and <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/fasted%20cardio" target="_blank">fasted training</a> was not involved in the extra-fat loss and improvement in body composition.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While it has long been discussed if serious gainz are even possible on time-restricted feeding regimen, such as classic 'intermittent fasting', <i>SuppVersity </i>readers <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/10/new-lean-gains-study-confirms-if-gets.html" target="_blank">have known for years</a> that "New 'Lean Gains' Study Confirms: IF Gets Athletes Lean & Improves Insulin Sensitivity W/Out Impairing Their Gains" (➡<a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/10/new-lean-gains-study-confirms-if-gets.html" target="_blank">article discussing</a> Moro 2016) - that's in men, though, and that, in turn, is one of several factors that make the latest study by <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqz126/5527779" target="_blank">Tinsley et al. (2019)</a> worth looking at.<br />
<br />
In their latest study, the <i>Texas Tech University</i> researchers combined two research questions into one study: (a) Does <i>time-restricted feeding</i> affect the adaptive response to resistance training women? (b) Can this effect be augmented and/or modulated by supplementing the leucine-metabolite <i>HMB</i> during the fasting phases (and once in the PM)?<br />
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<b>Learn more about <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/fasting" target="_blank">fasting</a> at the <i>SuppVersity</i></b></div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/02/monthly-5-day-fast-supposedly-helps.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4r0zrhX582StcT8eINBQ8Lnfhb1XAqSWcUafEGMqZJU2g8p4l_Vu87lBgn7SYdvGRne6jb9qTz0ZtOx979qmnaw91x91ta8W_JvSM6yGSRWY0b4XENXmlz6ZcK65bLIXrOoGVWemQeM/s80/a.png" style="height: 60px!important;" /></a><br />
Monthly 5-Day Fast Works</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/10/new-lean-gains-study-confirms-if-gets.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttAbyyUXiQiYgZPe7UN9vc2D0izlvK3m_jPm_Shq0qwZ8jEPGhYJ46Qis04hR8kkzdGVnGkGIJ9H9Sllhbs-t688Y8YU7JHgeQjpHUeLkF3ufA4Wk09FEfRlzdEy_01AVnUTlnYxq21s/s80/a.png" style="height: 60px!important;" /></a><br />
"Lean Gains" Fast Works</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/03/latest-study-on-breakfast-skipping.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMczTtfT9LkFAg__Xw0DtrnYRRF9-XexNlYDTgq1aL4SfllhK0i9Iw0x0gpVP8CbLuS_itLwsbZ0Hr_vm5zSesZD0cDr1R794tbnIHdciQQn56HiRYX3ZZWs76AYJuBc10p4cUa_TfvE/s80/a.png" style="height: 60px!important;" /></a><br />
Habits Determine Effects of Fasting</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2017/06/7-day-protein-modified-fast-all.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZapc2ak1dJ61KtZ20y3q0EU__xc6uo19Xd0sydiVGNTd4_EOmH0hXB2fWPB33wg9gN5Ydmcv-SI4NkXlsQAt6KHGs8slnWxOXITh2s6SwyEAaQUDrWZLRGfK4a5sEu0X2zOY5pFc1Ano/s80/a.png" style="height: 60px!important;" /></a><br />
Protein Modified Fast 4 Health</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/09/intermittent-fasting-resistance.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeox2w0s451RrFnzYzJ26hPx5Inx3SO7Ieob9Q4qY5vilRPgyDuhoJMG3KHgDmRhdg5cuMMPkVoaWZVgOku-Zho_gmKKeiDF-NUeXJZgvrFzWR4tbfpPsicHZzUcKR_IPTNu6KRutOyk/s80/a.png" style="height: 60px!important;" /></a><br />
IF + Resistance Training = WIN</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 0;">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/09/true-alternate-day-fast-beats-classic.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-tHWD6pHYgpYbA95HKSAqXR83MbCNvzW-P6O-FPXLYzFL1ptEQvbqDyYx6W8DSkTTs3Cbk4rg7qDZM8zgPeuy8hSgoIR-WziCH8NgKSxa758J2xunMXV7B_5UHONDns4qKeatTEAUoA/s80/a.png" style="height: 60px!important;" /></a><br />
ADF Beats Ca-lorie Restriction</div>
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You're wondering why on earth someone would still do research on HMB? Well, the study was supported by MTI Biotech Inc. who sell HMB and <u>there's nothing reprehensible</u> about financial support from the supplement industry... as long as it does not lead to irreproducible (and, for many, hardly credible) results as it may have been the case of the <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2014/03/breakthrough-hmb-research-additional-10.html" target="_blank">notorious free-form HMB study by Wilson et al</a>. The reason we should still keep the role of the sponsor of which the scientists write that neither this nor the other supporter, Dyamatize, "play[ed] a role in the overall design or execution of the study, the analysis, and interpretation of the data, or the presentation of the results found in this article" is that sponsorship <i>can</i> lead to an often unconscious reporting bias and/or a certain emphasis on pro-supplement conclusions in the discussion of the results.<br />
<br />
But we will get to potential issues with the presentation and interpretation of the results later. Let's first take a look at the study design as it is described in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqz126/5527779" target="_blank">the abstract</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"This study employed a randomized, placebo-controlled, reduced factorial design and was double-blind with respect to supplementation in TRF groups. Resistance-trained females were randomly assigned to a control diet (CD), TRF, or TRF plus 3 g/d HMB (TRFHMB).</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwLQVm4g7TFx2dQr0Q3uAz9Tn6kaCaggdXFBfuYeZs51Ed_X0PaQghDuegLG-uu6xAuO8JyqNFd_0Csv4fEDTEG_I3ym8DNPRtFsJe-By3-0rRsaePl_lID-SbYp41aiE6w95WG9FRqY/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwLQVm4g7TFx2dQr0Q3uAz9Tn6kaCaggdXFBfuYeZs51Ed_X0PaQghDuegLG-uu6xAuO8JyqNFd_0Csv4fEDTEG_I3ym8DNPRtFsJe-By3-0rRsaePl_lID-SbYp41aiE6w95WG9FRqY/s500/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Study timeline and assessments. RT, resistance training (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqz126/5527779" target="_blank">Tinsley 2019</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
TRF groups consumed all calories between 1200 h and 2000 h, whereas the CD group ate regularly from breakfast until the end of the day. All groups completed 8 wk of supervised RT and consumed supplemental whey protein. Body composition, muscular performance, dietary intake, physical activity, and physiological variables were assessed. Data were analyzed prior to unblinding using mixed models and both intention-to-treat (ITT) and per protocol (PP) frameworks" (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqz126/5527779" target="_blank">Tinsley 2019</a>).</blockquote>
A closer look at what exactly the 18 and 30 y-old women with <i>significant training experience</i> (≥1 y of RT at a frequency of 2 to 4 sessions per week w/ weekly training of major upper- and lower-body muscle groups), who were recruited via posters, e-mail announcements, and word of mouth, did in this prospectively registered (<a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03404271" target="_blank">clinicaltrials.gov</a>) experiment.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 0 -5px; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_In3a-XjPUpeXBh6mqG_gkd5GBLO0f3v061wiQC5TlM8FW_ihXFUKrps_JQ1dWG5J57tugNwfzLsu2uREIX86axWjzTYKPKy5o64OgBmJtUjDfQXki58HKIr54jlY8FmzPTL1_h9e1A/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_In3a-XjPUpeXBh6mqG_gkd5GBLO0f3v061wiQC5TlM8FW_ihXFUKrps_JQ1dWG5J57tugNwfzLsu2uREIX86axWjzTYKPKy5o64OgBmJtUjDfQXki58HKIr54jlY8FmzPTL1_h9e1A/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting to Have Breakfast is Worst New Year's Resolution ... Unless You Want to Gain Weight <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/01/starting-to-have-breakfast-is-worst-new.html" target="_blank">more</a></td></tr>
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<b>Habituation effects were addressed: </b>From my article about the <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2015/03/latest-study-on-breakfast-skipping.html" target="_blank">habituation effect of breakfast eating</a> on the metabolic effects of breakfast skipping and the <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/01/starting-to-have-breakfast-is-worst-new.html" target="_blank">ill effects of changing this habit</a>, you will remember that it <i>can</i> be an issue if you put subjects who are used/not used to eating first thing in the morning on a time-restricted feeding regimen. Against that background it's of particular importance that Tinsley et al. (2019) stratified participant based on not just on BF% at screening (15–21% or >21%) but also based on their habitual breakfast consumption (≥5 d/wk compared with <5 d/wk), before they then randomly assigned the women to one of the three study groups using sequences produced from a random sequence generator.<br />
<br />
<b>Also noteworthy: </b>The way fasting and training were timed precludes interference effects of fasted training... I mean, not that we could assume that this would explain the extra fat loss, anyway.</div>
Here's the gist as far as diet, supplementation, and, obviously, the ladies' training regimen are concerned:<br />
<ul>
<li>⏲ the <i>feeding window</i> of the TRF and TRFHMB participants was set to <i>1200 h - 2000 h </i>each day, while and CD participants were instructed to <i>consume breakfast as soon as possible after waking </i>and to continue to eat at self-selected intervals throughout the remainder of the day;</li>
<li>🍕 the only dietary advice the subjects received was to hit their protein intake goals of by consuming whey protein supplement (regular concentrate, nothing fancy 💲 "Elite 100% Whey", Dymatize Enterprises, LLC) on <u>both training and non-training days</u> in order to achieve a <i>protein intake ≥1.4 g/kg/d; </i></li>
<li>🍣 the <i>target energy intake </i>was prescribed by multiplying resting energy expenditure (REE), assessed via indirect calorimetry, by an activity factor of 1.5 and then subtracting 250 kcal; in that, "[t]he goal of the small caloric reduction was to promote fat loss while still providing adequate nutritional support for muscular hypertrophy"; effectively, the women thus ate more, though that pre-intervention 250, 162, and 90kcal/day for CD, TRF, and TRFHMB, respectively;</li>
<li>🍱 the <i>macronutrients averaged out at 28/40/32 for proteins, carbs, and fats - </i>with no inter-group differences and a de-facto protein intake of 1.6g/kg per day in all three groups</li>
<li>💊 on top of the whey all subjects consumed, they received either placebo (calcium lactate) or calcium <i>3x1g HMB supplements</i>; both were identical in appearance and taste, and were matched for calcium (102 mg), phosphorus (26 mg), and potassium (49 mg) content;</li>
<li><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -10px -15px 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9WJ5rrlqNqa8IfV8iRFB7kem6qIu7Lgm_ZYKImLFSpEAiSdyHsubN9LmI0GR4vqMYf5tGoiWIVsRxULP4r24A_MFkuriotegQBANcIo8C3fDRhkyGg_3OJYyMR0Q7TPCDybsuQAk5E8/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="692" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9WJ5rrlqNqa8IfV8iRFB7kem6qIu7Lgm_ZYKImLFSpEAiSdyHsubN9LmI0GR4vqMYf5tGoiWIVsRxULP4r24A_MFkuriotegQBANcIo8C3fDRhkyGg_3OJYyMR0Q7TPCDybsuQAk5E8/s280/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 1: Overview of the ladies' workout regimen. Workouts were supervised and took place in the PM (12-18h, with fasting subjects consuming their first meal early if they came in between 12-13h); 25g whey were consumed right after every workout (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/view-large/137397211" target="_blank">Tinsley 2019</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
💊x⏲ participants were instructed to ingest <i>2 capsules on 3 occasions each day</i>: upon waking, midmorning <u>while still fasting</u>, and prior to bed, for a <i><u>total dose</u> of 3 g/d</i>;</li>
<li>
💊 the women "were discouraged from consuming any additional sports supplements beyond those provided by study investigators, with the exception of common multivitamin/mineral supplements" (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqz126/5527779" target="_blank">Tinsley 2019</a>).</li>
<li>💪 the ladies trained for <i>8-weeks </i><i style="text-decoration-line: underline;">under supervision</i> and on <i>three <u>non-consecutive</u> days </i>each week (i.e., Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays), and 2 different upper- and lower-body sessions were alternated (Table 1); the women trained to <i>momentary failure</i></li>
<li>🍽 the <i>training times </i>were not set in stone, but <u>nobody was allowed to train fasted</u>; hence participants who came in early in the training window from 12-18h, had to break their fast early</li>
</ul>
In short: The researchers mimicked what a dedicated but not necessarily crazy gymrat could, in fact, be doing for 8 weeks or even longer to improve her physique. Speaking of which, as the scientists report as early as in the abstract, all subjects saw...<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnnogGknKRi12sfri5EGbfjuYZOqKQVnp4UuK1dDxI_cEGQHVq-vJgsfc1tHEg8Xre0GDaUweO2HzlL0m3dyhrSjjixpTNzGvL3QjHG68RRFKQNZsTHt55VwBkMxO1ed27Y0vJEw5zBg/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="570" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnnogGknKRi12sfri5EGbfjuYZOqKQVnp4UuK1dDxI_cEGQHVq-vJgsfc1tHEg8Xre0GDaUweO2HzlL0m3dyhrSjjixpTNzGvL3QjHG68RRFKQNZsTHt55VwBkMxO1ed27Y0vJEw5zBg/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2: Body composition data (per protocol analysis | in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/view-large/figure/137397249/nqz126fig3.jpg" target="_blank">intention to treat analysis</a>, which includes all subjects regardless of adherence, the fat loss advantage was visible but not sign.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><b><u>comparable</u> fat-free mass (FFM) accretion 💪 </b>(+2% to 3% relative to baseline) and <b>skeletal muscle hypertrophy 🤹♀️ </b>occurred in all groups, but ...</li>
<li><b><u>statistically different</u> effects on fat mass 🤟 </b>(CD: +2%; TRF: −2% to −4%; TRFHMB: −4% to −7%) were observed in the per-protocol analysis (meaning, when only those who actually adhered to their protocol were included - for all subjects, including those who didn't fast appropriately the effect was no longer significant).</li>
</ul>
Finally, it's worth mentioning that "[m]uscular performance improved without differences between groups"; and that "[n]o changes in physiological variables occurred in any group, and minimal side effects were reported" (Tinsley 2019).<br />
<div class="bottomLineDark">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-top: 4px!important; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/11/from-hero-to-zero-hmb-doesnt-work-at.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWgLbjLFZEiRsDkV4LmS9lF_Wg6kohzEU3pMuQ5wAV_h-1NyS_HMUF7i0U-sTAyE29SWL0LpEr-K3UWdPIRCCwpbieno1ofU8WlcnUCX6kWVnANra2277tqfTQ-sRSTkTkc775lTOsHk/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This study and the <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/11/from-hero-to-zero-hmb-doesnt-work-at.html" target="_blank">latest meta-analysis</a> show: athletes & experienced gymrats don't benefit from HMB supplements.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Did you notice something? Yes, HMB is even mentioned...</b> at least not until the scientists conclude the abstract to their study by somewhat cumbersomely referring to the fact that <br />
<blockquote style="text-align: left; width: 320px;">
"[s]upplemental HMB during fasting periods of TRF <i>did not definitively </i>improve outcomes" (that's <i>my emphasis</i> in a quote from Tinsley 2019).</blockquote>
To me, this seems to be even a tad bit too unbiased; because, as non-significant as the difference may be, the increased fat loss with HMB the scientists observed (cf. <i>Fig.1 </i>FM dark vs. light grey bars) is a recurring theme in HMB research... one of which the previously discussed HMB ↔ body comp. meta-analysis shows that it is yet by no means observed in every study (see <i>Figure 2</i> | <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/11/from-hero-to-zero-hmb-doesnt-work-at.html" target="_blank">here</a>).<br />
<br />
<b>Hence, the take-home is: breakfast skipping works for both sexes and the combination of a small caloric deficit with plenty of high-quality protein will improve your body composition.</b><br />
<br />
So simply stating that "non-significant benefits" have been observed, in the conclusion to the abstract would be perfectly ok, IMHO. The strange "not definitively", on the other hand, could also imply that there some women would indeed benefit and will rather confuse than enlighten the reader without full-text access, whose take away message should be: in the short run and at moderate deficits of only -250kcal/d, time-restricted feeding in the form of breakfast skipping helps women lose extra body fat without measurable effects on lean mass acquisition (let alone loss) when protein intakes are high and high EAA proteins (whey) are provided | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/2537089566323178" target="_blank">Comment</a>!</div>
References:<br />
<ul>
<li>Moro, Tatiana, et al. "Effects of eight weeks of time-restricted feeding (16/8) on basal metabolism, maximal strength, body composition, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk factors in resistance-trained males." Journal of Translational Medicine 14.1 (2016): 290.</li>
<li>Tinsley, Grant M., et al. "Time-restricted feeding plus resistance training in active females: a randomized trial." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2019).</li>
</ul>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-43303295160561205572019-07-03T03:16:00.001+02:002019-07-03T03:24:57.085+02:00Stevia: What's New in 2019? Appetite, Food Intake, Fertility, Metabolism, Microbiome | Plus: Is Your Stevia 'Natural'?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin:-5px 0 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLyXTU-TGNreHSfBuKrPQ1AiADdMyNRl-aEPe3I1GC4BpHbyYWsS8ELjnzKC-3HravYOzfZnQsjHfN8vq_SFqs2mif3zS3NvQ0Dwm9vAZKMjK2SZzZyMkZtKlfE6ML44_Qg6ZdoOMhZw/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1500" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLyXTU-TGNreHSfBuKrPQ1AiADdMyNRl-aEPe3I1GC4BpHbyYWsS8ELjnzKC-3HravYOzfZnQsjHfN8vq_SFqs2mif3zS3NvQ0Dwm9vAZKMjK2SZzZyMkZtKlfE6ML44_Qg6ZdoOMhZw/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stevia is available in all forms and combinations... often you don't realize before you take a look at the label that it was literally diluted with fillers and other sweeteners such as erythritol etc. Moreover, no one can reliably tell you if the exclusion of the "bitter stuff" and reliance on Rebaudioside A, exclusively, doesn't nullify some of the previously described health benefits of the whole plant.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was just about to simply add the results of a recent study to your daily dose of research news on "<a href="http://facebook.com/SuppVersity" target="_blank">FB/SuppVersity</a>", when it occurred to me that it has been suspiciously quiet on the <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/sweeteners" target="_blank">sweetener front</a>, lately - specifically when it comes to stevia, a sweetener of which many people claim that it was "natural"... But is that true, is what you can buy at the supermarket or online really still "natural"? <br /><br />While the former is certainly a question of your definition of natural" (do you think a highly processed, isolated white powder is "natural"?).<br />
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<div>
<b>You can learn more about <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/sweeteners">sweeteners</a> at the <i>SuppVersity</i> </b></div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/07/anti-microbial-effects-of-artificial.html"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VtXbs2-oK3F86jFpn41_6AYRGD37T-O-2W8vi6g9KfiaNnqAJehIcMUXqHWCOwYgd4ehJn3pvhtKIo4QxRczUY7AMsqd4_pExQrrTeyZsQazRkC1Rdeec7oUDgDyjuChZ4z0bLpQvEo/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Aspartame & Your Microbiome - Not a Problem?</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/09/sucralose-study-seems-to-confirm-pro.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHPd0DWg8BRtIeeoq98NCm68mSM6gpbL-NRfKDFinJamDlW1KxGHifjQBiBIfasD7Pm775Wb7ccwXt0e70mmGVBz_4ozlhJYbWsrqDDG_YQSDj78DDnY02eX5ioVJiZOFa4bmui0vzcg/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Sucralose 2018 Update #1 - Does it Make Us Fat?</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/01/if-you-want-to-lose-weight-and-stave-it.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkPqae9deGPkjrA0tvTke1WHEJ288A1bx95IJnlyt9Ix9MIrZvbXv9JGzIYIsoqWtecWEOCOZOaYYbrqaJvEXqQZO6FIufTxRc6C81hnJVtR7S98qYTMJD48Pa6YO-Erf7XKeSQZkhhk/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Diet Soda Beats Water as Dieting Aid in RCT</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/07/putting-artificial-sweetener-analysis.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtm0fNpD8VtH8EeQSCdcGl7wYUA1BVoRuFwXr9izzLMyKOlow2ma_mo_XclgqMhb-LXrJhkqeC-y4R4-466M-ZQ4U4g6Iv1BNzOGNgLGTOLi2ujIBozFUwuIUkg1XOY3mVJAGAJbd44Bw/s120/a.png" /></a><br />
Experiments Don't Support AS<>Obesity link</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-case-against-saccharin-weight-gain.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaKVKkpX-DlgsXu3_oyrdUtz3R3gOV3BOrBTDcQ3zocTLxrNIE2jOC6RmAEGMuPEtqlfqMqosUfFf-FPNvT_j0bXqVj3fFtkNGObbo-bsHlwUCYmmoF-dOMLaICLqFFA0NW7uyP9KixI/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
The Case Against Saccharin: Why it may be different.</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 0;">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/11/sweeteners-in-real-world-12-increase-in.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WDSSjQy3U4giEQuKHiyvH24E80iiejPg6yvBUHZOdh2ymCh_xjvDnwdv9XIeaEdZcclRUyjTc25HjNuYyMgvsDvaijiC14g46-wl3ifyVnHh84RNxnP3rPyBN7UB7sazjtlJ5X2bVkQ/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Other Diet Soda Additives May be the Real Problem</div>
</div>
There's one issue with the (often) Rebaudioside A based products from the shelves, no one can seriously question: Whether the results of studies that are done with the real thing, i.e. stevia leaves of which you could rightfully claim that they are "natural" sweetening agents, will almost certainly not translate 1:1 to the effects of consuming 'stevia' from commercial foods and beverages.<b><br /></b><ul>
<li><b>So why is your "stevia" not the real deal?</b> In view of the results of a recent study in the <i>"Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis"</i> whose authors (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30286435" target="_blank">Pacifico 2019</a>) report <u>fifty bioactive constituents</u> in stevia leaves (UHPLC-ESI-QqTOF-MS/MS analysis), you cannot seriously expect that the white powder you call "stevia", which usually is water-extracted and chemical processed Rebaudioside A, the steviol with the least bitterness of all, plus all sorts of fillers and anti-caking agents, will have the same physiological effects on your body as this complex mix of phytochemicals.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -7px 0 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/buying-roasting-grinding-brewing-coffee.html" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="720" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24shHDZJCu98IFlZ_9Cr4vpzYcNvxwhWPEqjeXcYaSEslccADJZ8gmVqI01XeO4e3bvTmIAWcFGuU1CDbWwescxRANGuacBUVuFUBCJJ3Jj0GslzIsacF9hx6Gfq9CemMVvKNb-9U6vc/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you want to put that #chlorogenic acid that was lost when your "stevia" was produced back in, study my <a href="https://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/06/buying-roasting-grinding-brewing-coffee.html" target="_blank">Coffee 101</a> it has all the details on how to maximize the CGA content of your home-brewed coffee.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Speaking of compounds, among the fifty the study identified, non-phenol metabolites, such as benzyl <i>primeveroside </i>and <i>roseoside</i>, as well as a <i>lignan polyphenol (5′)</i>, were reported for the first time as constituents of the Stevia leaf. Others, such as <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/chlorogenic%20acid"><span id="goog_2119769948"></span>chlorogenic acid<span id="goog_2119769949"></span></a> (the good stuff from coffee) have been detected before but few people are aware of their presence in the true natural sweetener, i.e. the stevia leaves.<div style="margin-top: 5px;">
Practically speaking, this means: Your "stevia powder" must not boast any of the health-benefits studies ascribe to either stevia leaves or what scientists would call a 'crude extract'.<br />
<br />
This "real deal" forms of stevia have been found to blunt the digestion of carbohydrates, have potent anti-oxidant qualities, and can thus even help alleviate diabetes. With other recent studies showing that the whole leaves (including the bitter compounds) seem to prevent liver disease by modulating hepatic inflammation and fibrosis (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30251285" target="_blank">Ramos‐Tovar 2018</a> & <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30338893" target="_blank">2019</a>), fibrosis and )</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div>
Ok, now that you've learned the news that you should have known all along: To call the white stuff from the supermarket a 'natural' <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/sweeteners" target="_blank">sweetener</a> is certainly questionable and unquestionably irrelevant...<br />
<div class="lightBand">
<b>Latest review confirms what you've read about sweeteners per se at the <i>SuppVersity</i> - Experimental evidence of ill effects = not convincing:</b> If we widen the scope from Stevia to all non-nutritive sweeteners, it's worth mentioning Ahmad et al. published in the July issue of <i>"Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care"</i> (<a href="https://insights.ovid.com/pubmed?pmid=31033578" target="_blank">Ahmad 2019</a>). The scientists pretty much agree with my previous assessment of the literature when they write that "[o]n the basis of the current
evidence, we are still incapable of establishing a definite judgment on whether NNS use truly affects glycaemic control". The authors do however highlight the research on sucralose <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/09/sucralose-study-seems-to-confirm-pro.html" target="_blank">I analyzed in 2018</a>.</div>
...unless you're stupid enough to believe that everything that marketing people label "natural" is healthy. With that being said, you got to be careful not to (over)generalize the results of a recent review in <i>Current Nutrition Reports</i> which concludes:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"A growing body of evidence indicates that Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is protective against malignant conversion by inhibition of DNA replication in human cancer cell growth in vitro. Consumption of Stevia has demonstrated to be generally safe in most reports. Further clinical studies are warranted to determine if regular consumption brings sustained benefits for human health" (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29995279" target="_blank">Rojas 2018</a>)</blockquote>
The same goes for another rave review from last year, in which Samuel et al. praise the promising research on stevia's effects on metabolism, its safety, impact on blood glucose and insulin concentrations, energy intake and weight management, blood pressure, dental caries, naturality and processing, taste and sensory properties (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/jn/article-abstract/148/7/1186S/5049670" target="_blank">Samuel 2018</a>), <u>and</u> obviously the research results from the last 12 months I've promised in the intro of this article:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Artificial and sweeteners, obesity, and (in-)fertility revisited - Stevia sticks out: negatively - even compared to aspartame!</b> You may remember from the good old days of short daily <i>SuppVersity</i> articles that there is evidence (from rodent studies) that stevia may impair female fertility... well, a new study (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/oby.22325" target="_blank">Cho 2018</a>) that investigated the interaction between obesity, low-calorie sweeteners, and prebiotic oligofructose on reproductive parameters - once again in rats, obviously - reports that...<br /><br /><b>... stevia, when delivered at 2-3 mg/kg/d in the drinking water, reduces the rate of successful pregnancies by another -7% over the effects of obesity, alone!</b><br /><br />In this context, it will come as a relief to overweight human mothers to be who are already pregnant that those 53 percent of the rats who became pregnant had 100% pregnancy and delivery indexes - in other words: the effect must occur before the fertilized egg nests and starts to divide. With only a handful of studies on potential fertility effects of stevia, we are yet far from being able to say with certainty that a high/regular consumption of the "natural" (and, hence, in way too many people's minds "healthy") sweetener poses absolutely no threat to female fertility ... especially if the latter is already endangered by obesity!</li>
<li><b>Do sweeteners just make you hungry? No... and for stevia the opposite may be the case!</b> The former is at least what a recent study from the <i>University of Manchester</i> seems to suggest (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31224789" target="_blank">Stamataki 2019</a>).<br /><br />For said study, the authors tested in a randomised controlled double-blind crossover trial, how the energy intake of healthy participants (n = 20, 9 males, mean body mass index 21.8 kg/m²) was affected by having different beverages 30 minutes before an ad-libitum (have as much as you want) lunch condition. The test beverages included (C) 330 mL of water (control-no calories and no taste) and either 330 mL of water containing (1) 40 g glucose or (2) sucrose (sweet taste and calories), (3) maltodextrin (calories and no sweet taste), or (4) 240 ppm all-natural sweetener, stevia (Truvia RA-95-sweet taste and no calories). <br /><br />The additional questionnaires revealed that the <u>stevia and glucose preloads were rated to have equal sweetness levels</u>, while water and maltodextrin the lowest levels of sweetness. As you would expect, though, "only glucose, sucrose and maltodextrin elevated blood glucose" (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31224789" target="_blank">Stamatki 2019</a>) - interestingly, both the almost non-sweet maltodextrin and the similarly sweet calorie-containing glucose and sucrose, and the stevia treatment significantly suppressed the participants' (all compared to water). What's more important, though is that these observations also translated to the objective (and actually relevant) study outcome: food intake on the ad-libitum meal:<blockquote>
"Compared to water preload, food intake was significantly lower after the consumption of each of the sweet or caloric preloads" (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31224789" target="_blank">Stamatki 2019</a>).</blockquote>
What about stevia? Well, the conclusion of the study says that the study "found a beneficial effect of a stevia beverage consumed prior to a meal on appetite and subsequent energy intake" (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31224789" target="_blank">Stamatki 2019</a>) - so where's this benefit? <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: -5px -15px 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuvgyQJe_qWMtL4_w7xS5lKiJxJ6mV6B9LAWdML3YSHarhW_SMyOF-UBOwEV89fmipdb8XfheHITBQyhUB3PBwMSewZpfcIFma_ouOnHjkbe2exGC4vzMd5xdMUhvey7bjegvk6KL3I0/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="389" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuvgyQJe_qWMtL4_w7xS5lKiJxJ6mV6B9LAWdML3YSHarhW_SMyOF-UBOwEV89fmipdb8XfheHITBQyhUB3PBwMSewZpfcIFma_ouOnHjkbe2exGC4vzMd5xdMUhvey7bjegvk6KL3I0/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: The figure depicts the cumulative energy intake for all five intervention groups (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6574976/" target="_blank">Stamatki 2019</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It appears only in the analysis of the subjects cumulative energy intake (preload and lunch), which showed that total energy intake was lower after the stevia preload compared to the water preload.<br /><br /> The latter, i.e. a significant effect compared to water must yet not make us forget that this advantage did not persist when compared to the caloric preloads, which made up for the extra-calories they delivered by suppressing food intake more significantly.<br /><br />Needless to say, that 24h follow-ups, habituation effects, and - most importantly - studies in people whose natural ability to self-regulate their body weight seems to be impaired - are warranted before advising people to consume a stevia-sweetened beverage before a meal to reduce their overall energy intake... 'cause, after all, we all know that that is what really counts.</li>
<li><b>Like everything you eat, stevia will affect your microbiome - the question is: For good or for bad? </b>Further insights into stevia's effects on the microbiome come from University of Calgary (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31159256" target="_blank">Nettleton 2019</a>), where researchers conducted a rodent study the results of which are worth reporting despite the somewhat uncertain transferability to human beings.<br /><br />You've read about a putatively negative effect of stevia and "un-"natural sweeteners on the <i>SuppVersity</i> before. You are also well-informed about the under-researched and overhyped role of the gut microbiota as an "important environmental factor that can mediate metabolism and subsequent obesity and disease risk" (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31159256" target="_blank">Nettleton 2019</a>). To further our insights into what is a much more complex relationship than the NY Times article you may have read (and trusted) suggests, Nettleton et al. didn't just want to confirm and further analyze the stevia-mediated changes in gut microbiota, they also wanted to know if they could be prevented or reserved by the provision of pre-biotics, i.e. food for the allegedly good bacteria. To this ends, they conducted the following experiment: <blockquote>
"Three-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to consume: (1) Water (CTR); (2) Rebaudioside A (STV); (3) prebiotic (PRE); (4) Rebaudioside A + prebiotic (SP) (n = 8/group) for 9 weeks. Rebaudioside was added to drinking water and prebiotic oligofructose-enriched inulin added to control diet (10%). Body weight and feces were collected weekly and food and fluid intake biweekly. Oral glucose and insulin tolerance tests, gut permeability tests, dual X-ray absorptiometry, and tissue harvest were performed at age 12 weeks" (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31159256" target="_blank">Nettleton 2019</a>).</blockquote>
With 2-3mg/kg Rebaudioside A, the rodents were fed the human equivalent of approximately 14-15mg which is way below the ADI set by the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/public-involvement-partnerships/technical-consultation-proposal-allow-use-food-additive-steviol-glycosides-table-top-sweetener/consultation.html" target="_blank">Health Canada</a> (which is 4 mg/kg bw/day for adults). It is thus not 100% surprising that the study did not reproduce the weight loss effects some previous studies using 30-50-fold higher dosages observed. In a similar vein, the rodents glucose tolerance seemed to be pretty stable - and that's despite the fact that ...<blockquote>
"[...] the administration of Rebaudioside A did, however, alter gut microbiota composition and reduce nucleus accumbens tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine transporter mRNA levels compared to CTR" (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31159256" target="_blank">Nettleton 2019</a>). </blockquote>
Now, while this may sound pretty bad, it's where the actual news comes in, as the scientists found that the ill effects on the microbiome was attenuated by the provision of prebiotics in the rodents' diet. Moreover, both the prebiotic, alone, as well as the prebiotic + Rebaudioside A group, had <i>reduced fat mass, food intake, </i><i>gut permeability </i>and <i>cecal SCFA concentration </i>- all four well-known 'side effects' of probiotics. </li>
</ul>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 25px; text-align: left; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBLSUhk6iXdNkMdJeNTkKMCBBCm0Di6al7D-wR_y2Kfs4nyRqNNps3JNSYqRmpGVAtmL06bFxY7EWT1Yg5q4u53FmctZCngEg6iL70CcGoQMo3C8GQsKYw9F7Sk2pSvbA1yhBFINwhGc/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBLSUhk6iXdNkMdJeNTkKMCBBCm0Di6al7D-wR_y2Kfs4nyRqNNps3JNSYqRmpGVAtmL06bFxY7EWT1Yg5q4u53FmctZCngEg6iL70CcGoQMo3C8GQsKYw9F7Sk2pSvbA1yhBFINwhGc/s320/a.png" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While the changes in dopamine availability may suggest that the provision of stevia increases the risk of overeating, the rodents intake of the (albeit blatant) diet was unaffected (top); much in contrast to the composition of the microbiome (bottom).</td></tr>
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<b>Whut? Stevia reduces dopamine?</b> This is exactly what the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31159256" target="_blank">Nettleton</a> study shows. If you scrutinize what the scientists analyzed, though, you will realize that their data relates exclusively to the dopamine production and uptake in the mesolimbic reward circuit, where RebA reduced tyrosine hydroxylase (TH | p = 0.044) and dopamine transporter (DAT | p = 0.044) mRNA levels in the nucleus accumbens. In previous studies, similar changes have been linked to food overconsumption - an effect that was, as the figure on the left goes to show you, yet not observed in the study at hand. In view of the fact that the rodents were fed a rather blatant diet the lack of dopamine (~reward) has been linked specifically to the overconsumption of <i>highly palatable food</i>, in particular, any form of definite all-clear signal seems to be unwarranted - especially in view of the fact that these (anti-)dopaminergic effects may well be a downstream effect of the "natural" sweetener on the microbiome (that would also explain its attenuation by prebiotics in the ventral tegmental area, a group of neurons located close to the midline on the floor of the midbrain).</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li style="list-style: none;">What the study adds, though, is that these benefits were not abolished by the coadministration of Rebaudioside A ... well, ok, if you like to poop, you may complain that 'stevia' triggered a significant reduction in cecal weight. <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin: 0 -10px 0 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/08/probiotics-cause-brainfog.html" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="800" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvT8-BxlGcQvgxzOf8oBxFLR3vY5kJcP3wXXcjIXQ_kMFv_YSrfXQLIJfzUlatGFicwW9kmKOpIoJxYm8V_KSlcGF2iEIhx7_S1ZfY2gCu_yTAb2fTYeGafW93B5syy3IxEQg_svi2h3A/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SIBO-sufferers beware of pre- and probiotics. While they may counter some of the potentially 'bad' effects of stevia, they may mess you up big time | <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/08/probiotics-cause-brainfog.html" target="_blank">more</a>.</td></tr>
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If you're a stevia junkie it would thus seem prudent to make sure that you get your daily dose of probiotic fiber in your diet ... but wait: if you're already suffering from dysbiosis and or SIBO the 10% <a href="http://oligofructose-enriched%20inulin/" target="_blank">FODMAP</a> diet (oligofructose-enriched inulin), the rodents in the study at hand received may actually do more harm than good - as an avid <i>SuppVersity</i> reader you knew that all along, though, right (learn more about <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/SIBO" target="_blank">SIBO and pro/prebiotics</a>)? If you experience abdominal pain, bloating or the previously discussed brain fog in response to adding <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-best-prebiotic-foods#section1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">inulin rich foods</a> to your diet, you're thus better off with stevia alone.</li>
</ul>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a _blank="" auto="" href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/06/can-stevia-help-you-ward-off-type-ii.html" imageanchor="1" margin-right:="" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-0YmS2bKsHH0PQDfPBQcn1tlhJTh_91EaexuCSAh-5s00bkJkqIyOO3b-EXQGxHi6ZuwyR1SLxV-YNKWdjL-0t1dTa20xtkH2kMeaB8OiIVFYvds-boUxH2KOfsfxwar_Dzsjn2x8f8/s200/a.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suggested read from the <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/stevia" target="_blank"><i>SuppVersity</i> Archives</a>: "Can Stevia Help You Ward Off Type II Diabetes? A Review" | Read the <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2016/06/can-stevia-help-you-ward-off-type-ii.html" target="_blank">full article</a> and/or all posts tagged with stevia from the <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/stevia" target="_blank">archives</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Stevia, the microbiome and... your teeth! </b>While I suppose that the previous elaborations already gave you more than enough input to think about, there's still <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30820204" target="_blank">one study from early 2019</a> I would like to mention as it (re-)emphasizes something we tend to overlook over all the hype about the intestinal microbiome: <i>our digestive tract starts in our mouths</i>. In fact, the mouth was the first place where we realized the (in-)direct effects of certain bacteria on our health - the effects of bacteria in the plaque on our teeth on our oral hygiene, the structure of our teeth and, as more recent studies suggest (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11910-013-0384-x" target="_blank">Noble 2013</a>; <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ger.12261" target="_blank">Tonsekar 2017</a>; <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00784-018-2523-x" target="_blank">Maldonado 2018</a>), downstream effects of ill oral hygiene and rotten teeth on our dementia (including Alzheimer's) risk. <br />
<br />
Said <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30820204" target="_blank">study by Siraj et al. (2019)</a> reports that rinsing for 1 minute with 0.2% aqueous solution of Stevia leaf extract at night reduces the number of acid-producing bacteria on the subjects' teeth to an extent that abolishes the pH decrease in response to the consumption of their favorite food: sugar. What is interesting here is that similar effects were observed for the full-spectrum stevia extract and a commercially available stevioside-based sweetener the scientists used as a comparison in their study ... Why's that interesting? Because it suggests that major microbial effects of stevia remain intact when the sweet compounds are isolated, packaged with fillers and sold as a sugar-alternative, exactly those products of which I initially warned you that they are not identical to the actually "natural" sweetener stevia rebaudiana | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/2529596980405770" target="_blank">Comment</a>!</div>
References<br />
<ul>
<li>Ahmad, Samar Y., et al. "Recent evidence for the effects of nonnutritive sweeteners on glycaemic control." Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care 22.4 (2019): 278-283.</li>
<li>Cho, Nicole A., et al. "Impact of Food Ingredients (Aspartame, Stevia, Prebiotic Oligofructose) on Fertility and Reproductive Outcomes in Obese Rats." Obesity 26.11 (2018): 1692-1695.</li>
<li>Nettleton, Jodi E., et al. "Low-Dose Stevia (Rebaudioside A) Consumption Perturbs Gut Microbiota and the Mesolimbic Dopamine Reward System." Nutrients 11.6 (2019): 1248.</li>
<li>Noble, James M., Nikolaos Scarmeas, and Panos N. Papapanou. "Poor oral health as a chronic, potentially modifiable dementia risk factor: review of the literature." Current neurology and neuroscience reports 13.10 (2013): 384.</li>
<li>Pacifico, Severina, et al. "New insights into phenol and polyphenol composition of Stevia rebaudiana leaves." Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis 163 (2019): 45-57.</li>
<li>Ramos‐Tovar, Erika, et al. "Stevia rebaudiana tea prevents experimental cirrhosis via regulation of NF‐κB, Nrf2, transforming growth factor beta, Smad7, and hepatic stellate cell activation." Phytotherapy Research 32.12 (2018): 2568-2576.</li>
<li>Ramos‐Tovar, Erika, et al. "Stevia prevents experimental cirrhosis by reducing hepatic myofibroblasts and modulating molecular profibrotic pathways." Hepatology Research 49.2 (2019): 212-223.</li>
<li>Rojas, Edward, et al. "Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni and its effects in human disease: emphasizing its role in inflammation, atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome." Current nutrition reports 7.3 (2018): 161-170. </li>
<li>Samuel, Priscilla, et al. "Stevia leaf to Stevia sweetener: Exploring its science, benefits, and future potential." The Journal of nutrition 148.7 (2018): 1186S-1205S.</li>
<li>Siraj, E. Saira, K. Pushpanjali, and B. S. Manoranjitha. "Efficacy of Stevioside sweetener on pH of plaque among young adults." Dental research journal 16.2 (2019): 104.</li>
<li>Stamataki, Nikoleta, et al. "Beneficial Effects of Consuming a Natural Zero Calorie Sweetener Preload Prior to Lunch on Energy Intake: A Double-blind Randomised Crossover Study (FS18-01-19)." (2019): nzz041-FS18.</li>
<li>Tonsekar, Pallavi P., Shuying S. Jiang, and Gang Yue. "Periodontal disease, tooth loss and dementia: is there a link? A systematic review." Gerodontology 34.2 (2017): 151-163.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4447249123519658347.post-80878635825793679882019-06-08T01:19:00.000+02:002019-06-08T01:23:17.557+02:0010%(+) Reduction in Testosterone After Glucose and Whey Protein Shakes - Is the Classic #BB Shake Anti-Anabolic?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillOR3yu8ySCwbk-kq1CGs2Jf7JaX8GAHLsg2qrS-BqAqFJUSusAFvlEe_OQ2NCPW4AeYb2RjSHGnVRT82ySPOqtBTeJTJAnlngckuOwSJGhu7A08tsf32HelapY_ZyoS9giAuBpmzO4g/s1600/testosterone_drops_with_whey_or_glucose.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="1510" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillOR3yu8ySCwbk-kq1CGs2Jf7JaX8GAHLsg2qrS-BqAqFJUSusAFvlEe_OQ2NCPW4AeYb2RjSHGnVRT82ySPOqtBTeJTJAnlngckuOwSJGhu7A08tsf32HelapY_ZyoS9giAuBpmzO4g/s320/testosterone_drops_with_whey_or_glucose.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're talking about a cross-over study in adolescent subjects and acute changes but that's neither the only nor the most relevant reason you don't have to be afraid of the bodybuilding staple, now. In fact, a closer look at the data seems to suggest that we're talking about a 'protein-anabolic decrease in testosterone'... sounds odd? Well, here's how it may relate to your #androgenReceptors (AR) and eventually your gainz, irrespective of your age, by the way.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have previously addressed the possible ill effects of very high protein intakes on your <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/testosterone" target="_blank">testosterone</a> levels - in particular, when those intakes are combined with a caloric deficit and, accordingly, reduced intakes of glucose and fat (re-read <i>"True or False - High or Low Protein Intakes Have Profound Influence on Testosterone, SHBG, Estrogen, Cortisol & Co?"</i> | <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2014/01/true-or-false-high-or-low-protein.html">here</a>)... Now, a new study in <i>Clinical Endocrinology</i> (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cen.14005">Schwartz 2019</a>) shows that testosterone ⇆ protein/carbohydrate interactions trigger significant acute decreases in serum testosterone levels in those whose testosterone levels should be soaring: adolescent males.<br />
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<b>Read more about studies involving <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/search/label/TRT" target="_blank">TRT/HRT & co</a> on suppversity.com:</b><br />
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/06/trt-how-healthy-lean-and-muscular-will.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AZePERhMfLDYj1c7TBgTCYlBCdiDngrssuPQoNZs9vksuSjf97n5HP8wdHkr9x2q7ASCoexAISGXP7C1g6GDGJqYaHpueSpM-zFAFhhPJwgOp-WJUtc_Dm8X8U26wgjCRD3FLJTPLP4/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
What to expect from normalizing Testosterone</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/09/testosterone-gel-augments-increases-in.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_oBFvwCnCTMnNQkm53LDvAlbufoH-Xer74rghHCoMtewPE351I-EDOcGK4u02r9MyC7DxpNTyVvJdJUDFVrTo1PtUiRH9SyHyGPk7v2YyawhXT19r01ixUklmf_steTaGh2fG45vHbA/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Testosterone Gel Augments 'ur Gainz</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2015/12/hormonal-response-to-exercise-revisited.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTESoQyAFHbt_x_zf26421ItDI6_REXwZCJ3-nrrev2ZBpAUOOUqPn4uFxEWXL7U7OgAA6nju5xKsBLZHe4EFghnD-30MFyU3-7Gz18p4653smyBCvN_Nu-GFTTj-bTeoNmtCMJGiL-fQ/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
PWO T-Increases Don't Determine Your Gainz</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2012/01/intermittent-thoughts-on-building_29.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBo7a5NYOM5nLhRvfe07TVXRWCy3Vq1DrUpEy3V-uV9L-2k9QrKwCvhyphenhyphenz7iPcIn8VPF8QXvgVoDkiGxC2VkV6107UoVWQb79t3zrucwhPucNlU9mAvEe2nQshoYage6VktCvar_bVNW8/s80/hypertrophy.png" /></a><br />
The Hormonal + Other Underpin-nings of Gainz</div>
<div class="installment">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.de/2016/06/tribulus-boosts-testosterone-12-igf-1.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQr0xm0Pfx3W8yNHsE3mhWYteQZSgkkySnoXswEMjkb5j70ukpjsz1B2wNTiG84abbRj7mSJR_GXIHhqD_inp89dBecLdpmGCkaan5ijEnoBPRJKgQMw4rFqkpRwN728q1P4BnrSWo7eQ/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
Impressive 12% T-Boost (+20% IGF1) W/ Tribulus</div>
<div class="installment" style="margin-right: 0;">
<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-effect-of-testosterone-with-and.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuqGUDNz8Mvxx87SWh9kYv4lKAG5SKI720af3GKy9g3mGgPWmlwygmlSKusYPS0ukbAtIUpcJTKHYePMemUSGGJ-aezDMV1XfplF95YGDAvKr68XtzW8qTU19Eo1ka4ZUkgGJ8htD12U/s80/a.png" /></a><br />
T +/- Exercise to Rejuvenate Old Muscle?!</div>
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Needless to say that this raises the question: Does that mean that a classic #bodybuilding staple, the high carb, high protein post-workout shake, will ruin your 'muscle building hormone' (<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-effect-of-testosterone-with-and.html">learn more</a>)?<br />
<br />
The study Schwartz et al. conducted in twenty‐three adolescent males (12‐18 years old; only those with testosterone levels indicating mid-late puberty were included in the analysis) measured the levels <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/testosterone" target="_blank">testosterone</a>, as well as <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/LH" target="_blank">luteinizing hormone (LH)</a>, <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/GLP1" target="_blank">GLP‐1 (active)</a>, <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/ghrelin" target="_blank">ghrelin (acylated)</a>, <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/glucose" target="_blank">glucose</a>, <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/insulin" target="_blank">insulin</a> and subjective <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/appetite" target="_blank">appetite</a> <u>prior</u> (0) and at <u>20, 35 and 65 minutes after</u> the consumption of a test-beverage; a test beverage that contained...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"...either 1 g of glucose monohydrate (BioShop Canada Inc, Burlington, Ontario, Canada) or 1 g of protein (plain whey protein isolate; BiPro USA) <u>per kg of body weight</u> [...] A noncalorie drink was used as control" (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cen.14005">Schwartz 2019</a>).</blockquote>
With a protein content of 90.4% (5.7% moisture, 2.2% ash, 1.18% fat and 0.6% carbohydrates), these test beverages were eventually only 'almost' isocaloric, though: 3.74 kcal/kg body weight for the protein and 4 kcal/kg body weight for the sugar shake is yet not far enough apart to invalidate the study results and the flavor was standardized:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"All beverages were flavoured with 1.5 mL of chocolate extract (Vanilla Food Company) to account for the flavour differences and mixed with 500 mL of water, similar to previous protocols.The whey protein and control beverages were sweetened with 0.2 g sucralose (Tate & Lyle) in order to match sweetness with the glucose beverage. Sucralose was chosen as it has been shown to have no effect on postprandial plasma glucose or insulin. Test beverages were prepared the evening before the study and refrigerated in order to be served chilled the following morning. Participants were served the drink in a large covered opaque cup through a straw" (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cen.14005">Schwartz 2019</a>).</blockquote>
In the 3xAM sessions that took place, each after a 12h fast, all participants of this cross over trial had to consume the randomly selected beverages (protein, glucose, control) within 5 minutes. In order to wash away any potential aftertaste, they topped that off with 50 mL of plain water.<br />
<div class="lightBand">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 25px; text-align: left; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivp3GGb75U6F1khUNW_C02ixy-1sBuSWHIisqyZeAeCN4ZmzPYtUcyL90lNpnR2N8Ia2jWWOX-l9M6GKN4Bcsw-NVambG5VyWwTUaBq9DA4Felc3rvaZsFhVde5-uvfBb-dGjPs3JphM/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivp3GGb75U6F1khUNW_C02ixy-1sBuSWHIisqyZeAeCN4ZmzPYtUcyL90lNpnR2N8Ia2jWWOX-l9M6GKN4Bcsw-NVambG5VyWwTUaBq9DA4Felc3rvaZsFhVde5-uvfBb-dGjPs3JphM/s300/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Testosterone level changes from baseline to 60 min after ingesting
the glucose/protein beverage in pre-early puberty (n = 8) and mid-late
puberty (n = 13) | results of a previous study by Schwartz (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cen.12630" target="_blank">2015</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Where does the idea of reduced T in adolescents even come from, anyway?</b> Schwartz et al. actually did the study under review as a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cen.12630" target="_blank">follow-up to their 2015 study</a> in which they observed an acute decrease in serum testosterone after the consumption of a mixed glucose and protein beverage in order to identify whether glucose and protein, each on its own would have similar or the same ill effects on male adolescents postprandial testosterone levels as the researchers observed them in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cen.12630" target="_blank">2015</a>. Reductions as high as -20% in male adolescents in the mid-late phase of <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/puberty" target="_blank">puberty</a> (see <i>Figure on the left</i>).</div>
Since the scientists also speculated that these liquid snacks would have different effects on the subjects appetite and, more importantly, ad-libitum food intake, the boys/young men were fed an <i>ad libitum <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/pizza" target="_blank">pizza</a> meal </i>after the final blood draw. In that, the "[p]articipants were instructed to eat [pizza] during the next 20 minutes until comfortably full. Based on prescreening participant preferences" (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cen.14005">Schwartz 2019</a> | Pepperoni pizza (87 g) contained 9 g protein, 6 g fat and 23 g carbohydrates for a total energy content of 180 kcal); three‐cheese pizza (81 g) contained 10 g protein, 6 g fat and 23 g carbohydrate for a total energy content of 180 kcal).<br />
<br />
<b>Significant differences in terms of the number of slices of pepperoni and/or three-cheese pizza were not observed. Neither in form of treatment nor baseline body weight. </b><br />
<br />
In other words, with ~1,300 kcal the pizza love (or rather food intake) of the boys was not influenced by either the beverage or the boys' weight status (F = 2.23, P = 0.14). That's in contrast to the testosterone levels which differed significantly when the scientists compared the testosterone response of <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/overweight" target="_blank">overweight</a> and normal-weight adolescents (<i>Figure 1.B</i>).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XdoJd5x-BUp72AwJ9MUg12cWZl7Hk941POzegUmu4a4Jcqw-zyzHqef29VzIexf0TWfAeg1siH6eqmHmA2hoqtMrCoKVQPUkorwFHFEcHZCu3XG4DdD2W-ZpvZG1wJEgbTUrUh6V0dE/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XdoJd5x-BUp72AwJ9MUg12cWZl7Hk941POzegUmu4a4Jcqw-zyzHqef29VzIexf0TWfAeg1siH6eqmHmA2hoqtMrCoKVQPUkorwFHFEcHZCu3XG4DdD2W-ZpvZG1wJEgbTUrUh6V0dE/s570/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Differential effects of treatments
by weight status (A), overall effect of weight status on plasma testosterone (B).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In that, <i>Figure 1.B</i> seems to suggest that lean individuals (mean BMI = 21.1 ± 0.9 kg/m²) are more susceptible to the detrimental effects of protein/carbohydrate shakes than overweight/obese ones (mean BMI = 29.8 ± 1.2 kg/m²). In fact, though, the differential effects of treatments by weight status that are plotted in <i>Figure 1.A</i>, as well as the lack of an asterisk below the open "normal weight" bar in <i>Figure 1.B </i>tell you that the ostensibly large changes in testosterone the scientists observed in the 12 normal-weight subjects were overall non-significant.<br />
<br />
<b>So, being overweight or obese seems in fact to modulate the effects of glucose and protein beverages on adolescents' ... as it is common for every extra pound you carry, <u>negatively</u>.</b><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMklvjh7oXlgf2lvIDwZEcuo-Q1IJwkSY8bgLjNj1QKahA-qwRuzeaUiFvxzj2QiRC477NO3OgK_h03NjrbrFjSowzNtCB3WHvapKLE9hv5Ko4Q34H3Ujc0uedZIFdOesLb07WNji3AMg/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="455" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMklvjh7oXlgf2lvIDwZEcuo-Q1IJwkSY8bgLjNj1QKahA-qwRuzeaUiFvxzj2QiRC477NO3OgK_h03NjrbrFjSowzNtCB3WHvapKLE9hv5Ko4Q34H3Ujc0uedZIFdOesLb07WNji3AMg/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 1:
<span class="fontstyle0">Baseline levels of appetite‐ and sex‐related hormones</span> (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cen.14005" target="_blank">Schwartz 2019</a>); interestingly enough, the level of these metabolically relevant measures didn't change differently for normal- vs. overweight subjects in response to either PRO or GLU.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Does that mean that being fat sucks? Well, let's check if any of the metabolic parameters can explain the difference: At least based on the changes that were reported in the FT, that was not the case - while insulin, GLP1, and ghrelin increased, increased and decreased in response to the beverages, they did so to a similar extent in all adolescents. More importantly, though, ...<br />
<br />
<b>...there were no differences in the insulin, GLP1 and/or ghrelin response when comparing the protein vs. glucose beverages.</b><br />
<br />
In the absence of treatment effects on the satiety and hunger hormones, it is no longer that surprising that the scientists didn't observe measurable (and significant) effects on the subjects' pizza intake (reported further towards the beginning of this article) - and that despite the fact that all participants' subjective appetite was decreased after the <u>glucose</u> (no, not the protein) beverage (p = 0.0198 for control and p = 0.0247 for protein).<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>So what's the main takeaway message, then? Is it <i>"Boys love pizza, no matter what?"</i> </b><br />
<br />
Well, that could be one takeaway, but I think that Schwartz et al. are right to point towards three other results when it comes to the takeaway messages:<br />
<ul>
<li>
both, glucose and protein shakes acutely lower the testosterone levels of adolescent males, </li>
<li>but the effect is not mediated by the macronutrient composition of the liquid meals, </li>
</ul>
Moreover, the levels of testosterone the scientists measured in their young subjects' blood or, rather, the changes that were induced by the protein and glucose beverages did not correlate with the regulation of appetite or food intake. The latter was, however, what the scientists had expected when they planned this follow-up to their previously mentioned 2015 study.<br />
<div class="redBand">
<b>This is not an outlier study and similar effects can be expected in older men: </b>The study at hand has by no means produced revolutionary new evidence. In fact, it rather adds to the results of previous research and the testosterone decline(s) that were observed in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2265.2012.04486.x" target="_blank">Caronia et al. 2013</a> in men who consumed 75g of glucose and Schwartz' previously referenced <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cen.12630" target="_blank">study in overweight/obese adolescents from 2015</a>, for example (see previous infobox).</div>
The underlying mechanisms of these effects, however, are still not clear. As the scientists from the <i>University of Toronto</i> point out, the changes may be initiated ....<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnzoby4igVFHQnPD9aoDzCUVufrX5b0809jwDBEWKkSNEASVnYbaXk3ZPpBWd62M2fBxpLjdVSRq5sBJyTW7dx1Y_km4Wt63oACcTDR41eVXS93Dw65OpZv08-Xj7ryXTKdg4Lxfldos/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnzoby4igVFHQnPD9aoDzCUVufrX5b0809jwDBEWKkSNEASVnYbaXk3ZPpBWd62M2fBxpLjdVSRq5sBJyTW7dx1Y_km4Wt63oACcTDR41eVXS93Dw65OpZv08-Xj7ryXTKdg4Lxfldos/s320/a.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-top: -10px;">
Table 2: Relationships between testosterone and luteinizing
hormone with dependent measures (Δ from baseline means).</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"by the intake of glucose or amino acids, particularly leucine, which stimulates rapamycin (<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/mTOR" target="_blank">mTOR</a>) signalling and subsequent protein synthesis" and/or their "inhibitory effect on adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase (<a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/AMPK" target="_blank">AMPK</a>)," (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cen.14005">Schwartz 2019</a>)... </blockquote>
which should - theoretically - have increased the androgen receptor (AR) mRNA expression (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcp.24494" target="_blank">Shen et al. 2014</a> observed the opposite effect, i.e. AMPK up = AR down in prostate cancer cells and it's likely similar effects will occur in skeletal muscle).
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/10/if-androgen-receptor-response-to.html" imageanchor="1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lnYn-uds6qjXOpqtAE2B215gYw4LsQbNutApzS8TkZAvGWQcllpWc2H3P8qypqOB_4ZVbBn8IbVCe6yIaaroJyD6BTiaUh-x_Md8D-9BhlHkyZIvWBkO3QeI__22t2LzINpjypLwpJg/s280/androgen-receptor.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your androgen receptor status may not just determine how much muscle you gain - the data from Morton et al. seems to suggest that it even determines <i>if </i>you make visible muscle gains, at all (learn more in my <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/10/if-androgen-receptor-response-to.html" target="_blank">August 2018 article</a> with the title "If the Androgen Receptor Response to Training Determines Your Gainz, the Question is: How Can You Optimize 'ur AR Density? Training-, Diet-, and Supplement-Effects Reviewed".</td></tr>
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<b>So, does it all come back to androgen receptors? </b>Unlike acute changes in testosterone, the androgen receptor density on your muscles has recently been shown to significantly affect the gains of resistance trained men. I discussed the corresponding study at length in a <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/10/if-androgen-receptor-response-to.html" target="_blank"><i>SuppVersity</i> article from August 2018</a>. What I may or may not have highlighted enough in that context is that...<br />
<br />
<b>...any increase in androgen receptor (AR) expression leads to greater testosterone uptake by the muscle tissue which lowers plasma testosterone levels... and that probably to an extent similar to what was observed in the study at hand!</b><br />
<br />
This may also explain why neither glucose nor protein has ever been shown to have anti-anabolic effects. In fact, if their isolated and combined consumption in form of a beverage does indeed increase the AR receptor expression and lower the levels of circulating testosterone only by increasing the amount of T that's bound to receptors, that's even more evidence that, on the endocrine level, both nutrients exert <u>pro-</u> not anti-anabolic effects. Accordingly, the notion that the study at hand would support low-carb keto- vs. classic high protein + low-fat-diets for <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/bodybuilding" target="_blank">bodybuilders</a> and anyone else striving for a <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/build%20muscle" target="_blank">muscular physique</a> would be fundamentally flawed... but let's not jump to conclusions, here! It will be up to other, long(er)-term studies that include resistance training regimen and more relevant outcomes (=changes in body composition) to say which dietary pattern is best for your <a href="http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/gainz" target="_blank">gainz</a> - as of now, it seems to make less of a difference than people on either side of the nutritional divide want to make you believe - that is, assuming that the dietary protein and energy intake are equal in a low vs. high carb diet | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/posts/2483890138309788" target="_blank">Comment</a>!</div>
References:<br />
<ul>
<li>Caronia, Lisa M., et al. "Abrupt decrease in serum testosterone levels after an oral glucose load in men: implications for screening for hypogonadism." Clinical Endocrinology 78.2 (2013): 291-296.</li>
<li>Schwartz, Alexander, et al. "Acute decrease in serum testosterone after a mixed glucose and protein beverage in obese peripubertal boys." Clinical Endocrinology 83.3 (2015): 332-338.</li>
<li>Schwartz, Alexander, et al. "Acute decrease in plasma testosterone and appetite after either glucose or protein beverages in adolescent males." Clinical Endocrinology (2019).</li>
<li>Shen, Min, et al. "The interplay of AMP‐activated protein kinase and androgen receptor in prostate cancer cells." Journal of cellular physiology 229.6 (2014): 688-695.</li>
</ul>
Adel Moussahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282066708304898697noreply@blogger.com