Archives for July 2011

Steroids. Who is Using them? More people than you think!

Testosterone. Growth Hormone. Insulin. Insulin Like Growth Factor. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG). Thyroid Hormone, Gamma Hydroxybutyric Acid (GHB). Clenbuterol. Aldactone, Lasix (diuretics).

This is just a short list of the drugs that characterize the bodybuilding and fitness industry, as well as professional athletes and celebrities.

More people are on these drugs than you think

People at the very top of their professions use drugs just like the people who are at the entry level looking to get their foot in the door. From MVP baseball players like Alex Rodriguez, to 5 time olympic gold medalist Marion Jones, to iconic Hollywood celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, all have admitted using some sort of drug. (makes you wonder if anyone at the top can do it without some ‘help’)

Without a doubt more people use them than you think. It becomes obvious on top level bodybuilders – but it’s not so obvious when a pro athlete uses something for recovery, or when a celebrity uses something to redefine their look for an upcoming role.

The legal status of these drugs does not deter any of theses people from using them for their obvious performance enhancing and physique enhancing benefits.

They simply do what it takes to achieve the level of condition/performance that their given industry requires. It’s not a moral decision, it’s not a decision about integrity. It’s about staying competitive in their chosen fields.

In today’s podcast, I talk to our industry insider about the world of performance and physique enhancing drugs. We’ll get the lay of the land as it is today and discuss just how pervasive drug use is in each of these industries.

John

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Omega 3 Fats and Fish Oils: Everything You Need to Know

Fish Oils and more specifically Omega 3 Fatty acids are one of the most well researched supplements on the global market, and it’s become a billion dollar industry. Omega 3 fats get promoted for all kinds of health benefits but do you  really know why they’re recommended? Do you really know what scientific proof we have for each of the purported claims?

Do you have to get your Omega 3 fats from fish?

 

In today’s podcast I talked to an expert in the Fish Oil industry Colin Garrioch from Nutrasource Diagnostic Inc. They are a consulting and contract research organization that works with supplement companies to bring their brands to market, testing for quality, purity, and efficacy as well as legal compliance.

This type of service is bringing more legitimacy to the supplement industry and provides a structure for consumers to validate that their supplements are of high quality and purity.

We discuss everything about fish oils from the raw materials, to the processing and the final product doses. We talk about the recommended doses, where those recommendations come from, what the health benefits are and how to go about looking for a quality Omega 3 (fish oil) supplement.

If you ever had a question about fish oil and omega 3 supplements, we’ll have it answered by the end of this podcast.

John

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PS: Here is the link to the IFOS consumer reports program Colin mentions in the podcast: IFOS Consumer Reports

Fitness and Diet Research – How They Are Misinterpreted

“New study says…” Whenever you see these words my first thought would be to ask, what does all of the other research say?

Some diet and fitness claims simply don't fit with reality

In health and fitness one research paper will never be the final answer about weight loss, or muscle building, or why a particular food is ‘more healthy’ than another.

Each study is designed to answer one specific question in a specific group of people. In  most cases the exact thing being measured and the group of people it’s being measured in is likely not representative of most people.

The problem arises because of a fundamental gap between what type of research academics are doing, and the claims they are willing to make vs the claims the media and bloggers are willing to make on the same information.

Academic papers are written for the most part for other academics to read, they’re not typically written to generate claims for people to then act on for weight loss, or muscle gaining, or general health.

In todays podcast we’re going to explain why this gap exists and how some of the most commonly held beliefs in the diet and fitness industry come from a misinterpretation of research by the media.

John

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When is a Calorie finally “In” You?

The amount of food energy you need to consume in a day can be scientifically determined if you have access to a metabolic lab. Most of us will never actually be in such a lab, and therefore we are left taking our best guess at how many calories we really need to eat in any given day.

Food energy isn't technically "in" you until it absorbs into your blood

The first place to start is with an estimate of your Basal Metabolic Rate based on known equations for your height. These equations are also estimates based on averages. Some people will be above the average and some will be below the average. In both cases it’s perfectly normal as we’re all slightly different than one another.

The calorie balance that will dictate if you gain or lose weight will also change over time throughout your life. This change will depend on your life stage, your training status and your relative health.

In today’s podcast we’ll talk about the calorie equation and how it is constantly changing depending on what state you are in. Managing bodyweight will always be about calories in vs out, but it’s worth defining what calories ‘in’ even means, and where all the possible ‘outs’ are.

 

John

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