SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone

No, this is not the first time you read about "battling the rope" and how it could be an excellent form of fat burning and conditioning HIIT training. In my previous article "Want to Get Ripped & Strong? 'Battling the Rope' Could be THE Exercise to Do!" I've already discussed the proven long-term benefits of this intense conditioning exercise | learn more . Usually, I handpick the three best studies for overviews like this , but with the Journal of Strength and Conditioning  research, this is not always easy. With the September issue, only some studies are interesting, and there are no real "blockbuster" that would deserve an article on their own. Don't get me wrong. There's still interesting information, there but I guess what's most interesting is significantly more open to debate than usually. Accordingly, today's research update contains my very personal favorites from September 2015  issue of this journal. Well, m...

Is milk the perfect fluid replacement + anti-post-workout binge + muscle protector for gymrats, fitness junkies and professional athletes?  It stands out of question. Compared to Coke and many of the so-called "sports-" or "energy drinks" that are in fact no much more than over-caffeinated liquid sugar bars, milk is a healthy beverage. Whether it's also a potent ergogenic though, is still intensely debated. A recent study from the McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontaria, for example, indicates that the initial surge in post-workout protein synthesis cannot be sustained solely by the low amount of protein in regular milk (Volterman. 2015). Its inability to trigger longlasting increases in protein synthesis and thus to promote a positive whole body protein balance does yet not negate the already proven benefits milk and some of its less-known constituent (I am not talking about whey or casein!) may have for athletes and gymrats. You can learn more about ...

Salt reduction is for "hard-sweating" athletes not. Whenever I am browsing the latest studies, I see at least one of those hilarious "salt kills" papers citing official recommendations to reduce sodium intake, in order to lower your risk for hypertension, diabetes, stroke and what not. So, if everyone recommends it and scientists write about, it must be true, right? Well, I guess after reading today's SuppVersity article, you may question the way the average Westerner thinks: What the government suggests you should do is not always good for you. You, a decently lean & insulin sensitive individual who works out at least thrice a week, and someone who takes the stairs instead of the elevator at least every other day, may in fact put himself / herself at risk of hampering your workout performance and eventually even your health if you reduce your salt intake too much. Normal salt and sodium bicarbonate are not bad for athletes: The Hazards of Acid...

Thirsty? Drink mineral water and recover faster! If you have seen the FIFA World Cup quarter finals, France vs. Germany, you will be aware that the Germans could use a supplement that speeds up regeneration after dehydrating physical activity in the heat. Interestingly enough, a "supplement" like that has been identified only recently by Loreta Stasiule and her colleagues from the Lithuanian Sports University (Stasiule. 2014). In the corresponding paper, which has been published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition roughly a week ago, the researchers report the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover human study to evaluate the effect of ingestion of natural mineral water extracted from a depth of 689 m on recovery from prolonged fatiguing aerobic running conducted at 30°C. You can still drink your protein shake just add the water on top! Are You Protein Wheysting? Blends over Isolates! Protein requ...

If you want to stay smart, you should join hands w/ water! Those of you who are following the 10+ SuppVersity Facebook news on a daily basis, will remember my post about the recent paper - co-authored by Brad Schoenfeld (Ribeiro. 2014) - about the significant "water gain" after workouts. I wrote about that myself, a couple of weeks before in "Cell Swelling Keeps Muscles "Pumped" For More Than 52h. Size Increases of Up to 16% After a Single Leg Workout!" | read more , and mentioned that the intra -muscular swelling is probably a necessary prerequisite, if not driver of skeletal muscle growth. In today's SuppVersity article, I will now take a step back, away from the musclehead's only interest and peek at other health aspects that are influenced by the hydration status not just of your muscles, but of your whole body. Hydration Tip of the Century: Many of you will accidentally (or because they read it here, at the SuppVersity , before) alr...