The (Underestimated) Caloric Cost of Anaerobic Exercise

For some readers, the findings of this article will come as no surprise. For others (particularly those that count caloric expenditure), this post may just be the cue that you needed to incorporate some anaerobic exercise into your regime without the guilt of feeling as though you weren't maximizing your energy output.

Traditional May Not Always Be Best

Traditionally, the energy expenditure of anaerobic exercise (a.k.a. weights, etc) has been calculated by measuring oxygen uptake during a trial. Critical thinking should lead us to the obvious that this method would drastically underestimate the effect that anaerobic (coming from the Greek word meaning 'no air') exercise has on participants in comparison with aerobic exercise.

A New Method?

I will grant the researchers originality points for their novel way of measuring energy expenditure in anaerobic exercise. Basically, oxygen uptake was assessed during recovery rather than activity. 

Now, readers should be aware that the reason that I don't like the idea of counting calories expended is due to the flaws in the measurement systems. The calorie counter on your treadmill won't give you accurate numbers, and even your heart-rate monitor can only provide a ball park. 

As such, I believe that real-world results are the gold standard for measuring calories burned. The weight-loss and health benefits achieved by those performing anaerobic or high-intensity interval exercise would, in my mind, support the notion that our current understanding of the extent to which these exercises tax the human body (energy-wise) is under-stated.

Figure 1. Energy expenditure due to bodyweight exercise based on oxygen uptake during exercise (traditional) and at rest (improved). Taken from SuppVersity

As you can see in the figure above - the researchers in this study found that traditional methods of calculating the energy-burning impact of anaerobic exercise was underestimating it's impact by nearly half.

Take-Away

What all of this hullabaloo would translate to in the real world is a typical 120 pound (54kg) woman burning not 150 calories (as shown below), but approx 300 calories in 30 minutes of weight training, which trumps the 259 calories burned by the same amount of jogging.

So next time you feel that going into the weights room for some resistance training would be a waste of calories, think again and make a decision that, long-standing real world results have shown us, will take you to the body of your dreams.

Reference:

Vezina, Jesse W., et al. (2014) An Examination of the Differences Between Two Methods of Estimating Energy Expenditure in Resistance Training Activities. Journal of strength and conditioning research/National Strength & Conditioning Association. Epub ahead of print.

PDCAAS - Not All Protein is Created Equal

Have you ever wondered which protein sources rank among the most useful in your aspirations to build a better body? Well, the 'Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score' (PDCAAS) can give us a reliable measure of exactly how useful various protein sources are for humans.

The formula, for those who are interested, is -

(mg of 'limiting amino acid' in 1g of test protein / mg of same amino acid in 1g of reference protein) x fecal true digestibility percentage.

Though the PDCAAS was originally designed to evaluate the ideal sources of protein for malnourished children, it is perhaps one of the most useful tools we have in this regard (for now).

Don't be scared by the decimal points, etc. Basically, we can convert this into a percentage score by multiplying the PDCAAS by 100%.

As such, we can see that casein (milk protein) and egg whites are perhaps most useful to the human body, while everything else begins to drop thereafter.

The Takeaway:

We can see from the PDCAAS that the most useful forms of protein come from animal products. Regardless of it's intended use, one of the most important points to take away from the PDCAAS is the superiority of certain sources of protein in comparison to others.

Though the human body does receive and utilise some portion of the protein found in vegetarian sources, these figures are indicative that vegans and vegetarians may want to be particularly careful in their selection of complementary protein sources, given the lack of certain amino acids in vegetarian foods.

For your convenience, perhaps the most common way to complement  a grain based mean (for a vegetarian / vegan), for example, is using nuts / seeds.

Grip Strength - Your Key to a Bigger Deadlift

Though the squat is often hailed as the 'king of exercises', I contend that the deadlift imparts just as many benefits for trainees, if not more, making it comparably useful as a powerhouse movement in one's training repertoire.

The deadlift strengthens the entire back and surrounding muscles, making it a god-send for both rehabilitation and prevention purposes; builds core strength, and is a significant calorie burner through it's simultaneous usage of multiple muscles in the body.

 

The Weakest Link

Unfortunately, for many, the limiting factor for a strong deadlift is grip strength. Assuming proper form and flexibility are established and maintained throughout a lifter's life cycle, grip is the remaining factor in the trifecta that can skyrocket your successes in many a movement.

The Soft Option

Many fitness enthusiasts, frustrated with their less-than-instantaneous progress, turn to lifting aids such as wrist wraps and lifting belts to barrel past such obvious weaknesses as grip strength and form. However, I would argue that an over reliance on these, sometimes beneficial, tools creates more problems in the long run than it fixes.

The Right Option

Fortunately, there are several practical ways in which grip can be improved, translating in a better deadlift that can continue to develop your physique  and strength to the maximum possible extent.

Hanging:

As simple as this sounds, hanging can be used to overcome weaknesses in grip. Just jump onto a pull up bar and allow the forces of gravity to take their toll. Aim for increasing your hanging time to 60 seconds before looking to move to more difficult progressions such as the one-arm hang.

Farmers Walks:

Another deceptively simple exercise. This involves picking up a pair of heavy dumbells and walking a length of distance while carrying them. Many of us will willingly carry 20 shopping bags in each hand following our weekly supermarket run, rather than make two trips to the car; as such, apply the same principles in the gym. As well as being a great grip builder, you will find that heavier weights will also impart a cardiovascular workout.

Plate Pinches:

Stack two plates together, with the smooth sides facing each other, and hold them between your thumb and remaining fingers (See below).

Programming

Like any body part, you want to ensure that you are not taxing your CNS with grip training to a great extent. When programming the above movements into your workouts, I would suggest dedicating one day a week (when grip-heavy exercises are not on the agenda) to grip training. Utilising a 5 reps of 5 sets method will ensure outstanding strength gains.

Alternatively, you can use the above exercises as supplemental movement at the end of a workout. For example, after your workout has finishes, get on the pull-up bar and perform 5 minutes of hangs before hitting the shower and your post workout meal!

Good luck!

Debunking 'Negative Calorie' Foods

 

 

Q: What do the above foods all have in common?

A: They are often touted as the poster children for 'negative calorie' foods.

Definition:

A negative calorie foods is a popular term used within the diet and fitspo blogosphere to describe foods which are believed to require more energy to digest than they provide. The theoretical net result is a caloric deficit which is oft hailed as a 'diet & weight loss secret'.

Debunking the Myth:

The idea of negative calorie foods sounds amazingly convenient - we can eat an unlimited amount of the above foods which will pave a guilt-free path to skinniness that we all desire. That ... plus, it sounds 'legit'.

Unfortunately, when we shine the light of evidence-based practice upon this assertion, the testable truth sounds somewhat less sexy than the miraculous claim.

To understand the fallacy of 'negative calorie' foods, we must first understand the thermic effect that food has within the body. The thermic effect of food is, essentially, the caloric 'cost' of digesting it. It is also the reason why negative calorie foods, by simple explanation, cannot burn more calories than they contain. If we examine the thermic effect of different nutrients we see that the magnitude depends on the composition of the food consumed:

Carbohydrates: 5 to 15% of energy consumed
Fat: 5 to 15% of energy consumed
Protein: 20 to 35% of energy consumed

To burn more calories than it contains, an item would be required to have a thermic effect of greater than 100%. Unfortunately, even proteins, which require the most energy to digest, only burn anywhere between 20 - 35% of the energy contained.

What about Bioactives, etc?

Though there is a possibility that there could be bioactive compounds in certain foods which increase metabolic rate, this would depend on ingestion of certain foods (e.g. grapefruit) and would not apply to all 'negative calorie' foods.

Your best bet would appear to be to pepper your food with chilli or MCT (e.g. coconut oil), which has been shown to increase diet induced thermogenesis by over 50%. But, even then, your negative calorie foods would fall short of their 100% target.

Bottom Line: Who Cares Anyway?

Assuming that a kilogram of fat requires a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories to burn, 10 calories of celery here (even if it were negative calorie), would not produce significant effects to any dieter's weight loss goals.This is especially so in our contemporary world, built so heavily around the instant gratification of desire.

A better strategy for any dieter would be to focus on appropriate macro-nutrient intake, particularly increasing protein to adequate amounts. This, in combination with the insulin sensitizing effects of a lower carb / high fat diet as well as high intensity training will produce measurable and visible effects that you can bank on.

Unfortunately, negative calorie foods are no 'magic bullet' for those seeking weight loss. However, they do tend to provide higher water and fiber content which can assist with improving satiety and controlling hunger. This, in itself, can be a benefit in the battle of the bulge.

Reference:

Clegg, M. E., Golsorkhi, M., & Henry, C. J. (2012). Combined MCT and chilli feeding increases diet induced thermogenesis in normal-weight humans. European Journal of Nutrition, 52(6), 1579-1585.

Shepphird, S. F. (2009). Question 74: 100 Questions and Answers about Anoerxia Nervosa. Jones & Bartlett, p. 171.

Plyometrics as a Prevention Strategy for Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a worldwide health problem that affects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men, over 50. Data from the International Osteoporosis Foundation indicates that an osteoporotic fracture occurs every 3 seconds, resulting in 8.9 million fractures annually.

If you're not a post-menopausal woman or elderly man, you may be struggling to care about an issue that may not affect you for the foreseeable decades; however, in the case of osteoporosis (much as many things in life), it would seem that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

I would draw your attention to research which suggests that increasing bone mass during and after 'growth' may be an important strategy to ensure the outlook for your future is fifty and fit as a fiddle. Specifically, that increases of Bone Mineral Density of just 3 - 5% can reduce fracture risk by up to 30%. That's a 30% decrease in the likelihood that you will spend your twilight years in and out of hospitals for various replacements or worse - wheelchair bound and institutionalised in a nursing facility.

Plyometric Prevention Plan

In the study at hand, the researchers aimed to investigate the effects that 9 months of plyometric jump training would have on the Bone Mineral Content of adolescent girls (aged 14.6, give or take 6 months, and 22.7, give or take 14 months).

Exercise Protocol

Participants trained three times a week for 30 - 45 minutes. They began with progressive resistance exercises (squats, forward and side lunges, bench stepping and jumping on and off of a 20cm box).

They did about 2 sets, comprising 8 - 12 reps and the intensity was slowly taken from 5 - 15% of their bodyweight over a number of months. This means that a 55kg participant wore a nylon weighted vest weighing 2.75kg - 8.25kg.

The girls also did various plyometric exercises ranging from simple two footed jumps to stair jumping, bounding, and depth jumps from 12 to 24 inch boxes (see below).

Plyometric drills progressed from two sets, 10 reps of five to seven different exercises (100 - 140 jumps) to two to three sets,  2 - 20 reps of 12 - 20 exercises in the final months (360 - 1000 total jumps). While that number sounds extremely high, the researchers were careful to choose the exercises in such a way that the number of high intensity jumps was only between 40 - 100 in the final months.

Results

At the end of 9 months, the trends in bone mineral density observed in the participants led the researchers to suggest that plyometric jump training continued over a longer period may in adolescents may increase peak bone mass.

This could indeed be a novel way to help prevent the onset of osteoporosis in later years by instituting safe and effective behavioural changes in those of a younger age.

Not an adolescent? Fear not, it's never too late to start to reap the benefits of loading on bone mass. In my next blog, I will provide some good starting examples of exercises that can be both practical plyometric methods of inducing bone mineral density and uptake, as well as, fun ways to alter an otherwise boring training routine.


Reference:

Witzke, K. A., & Snow, C. M. (1999). Effects of plyometric jump training on bone mass in adolescent girls. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 0195-9131/00/3206-1051/0.

Quest Protein Bars - Simply, The Best

A quest can be defined as a long or arduous search for something. If you're reading this blog, then it's a safe bet that for you, much like for me, that 'quest' is defined by a search for greater health, fitness and wellbeing. During my journey, I have ingested all sorts of products ranging from multi-vitamins and amino acids to protein powders / bars and pre-workouts.

Most of these have fallen by the wayside, clumped into the category of 'poisons' based on the plethora of nasty ingredients contained therein. However, one product has stood out for it's unwavering commitment to quality.

Before I give you the skinny on why Quest Protein Bars should replace all other gunk in your protein pantry, let me start by saying that I am writing this review completely unsolicited. Okay, now that we've got that sorted, lets dive right in!

'The Power of Milk'

  Quest Nutrition has used both Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) and Milk Protein Isolate (MPI) in the formulation of their product. Now, before any of you start jumping up and down, beating the drum about the hazardous effects of milk (?), let me direct you to an outstanding review of whether milk is indeed has as many negative side effects as some would like you to believe (SuppVersity). Read it, and make up your own minds!

MPI differs significantly from WPI in that, Milk Protein Isolate should contain all of the proteins naturally found in milk (a.k.a. approx. 80% casein and 20% whey). On the other hand, Whey Protein Isolate is just that, 100% whey protein.

The fact that Quest Nutrition has incorporated both WPI and MPI into their bars will provide a more sustained release of protein, giving your body and muscle the sustenance it requires over a prolonged period.

IMO Fiber

Before you get freaked out by the long-ass name, be aware that iso malto-oligosaccharides are normal components of the human diet that occur naturally in a number of fermented foods including rice miso, and sake

A number of studies have found IMO Fiber exerts numerous benefits on the human digestive tract as a prebiotic. Also, to address the elephant in the room, Quest Nutrition have done their research with regards to the less desirable effects of fiber (i.e. flatulence).

Studies on the fermentation of fiber in the human gut have found that IMO's were effective at increasing beneficial bacteria, whilst generating the least gas.

 

Almonds, Peanuts & Cashews

We've all heard about the magical health properties of nuts (and if we haven't, see below for a summary).




Quest Nutrition Nutrition's use of almonds, cashews and peanuts perfectly accentuates each bar, never overpowering the taste, but creating delicate undertones that leave you feeling like you're eating a decadent dessert (when you're not!).

Sea Salt, Natural Flavours

This is perhaps one of my favourite aspects of the Quest Protein Bar Range. Quest Nutrition uses sea salt which still has all of the trace minerals in tact as well as natural flavours to make an outstanding product.

When I say 'natural flavours', you can be sure that it is exactly that! If you treat your body like a temple, fear not - Quest Nutrition will not defile it. There is no marketing double talk here. After contacting Quest Nutrition for clarification, I was put to ease by the information they provided. For example, Quest's 'Natural Strawberry Flavor' is made from organic fresh strawberries, differentiating it from other products which can often use less than natural ingredients that will make you cringe.

Stevia

For those worried about  potential insulin effects of sweeteners, fear not - stevia does not induce a glycemic response and has been found to enhance insulin levels above baseline without altering blood sugar (Jeppesen, et al,. 2002). If this wasn't enough, here are 5 other reasons why stevia may be a worthwhile investment for any health-conscious reader:

• Antitumor and anticancer activity
• Antihypertensive activity
• Anti-diarrheal activity
• Renal (liver and kidney) protective activity
• Antioxidant activity

Quest Nutrition also uses the Chinese fruit Luo Han Guo as a sweetener. I won't bore you with the nitty gritty; however, this fruit shares many of it's health benefits with stevia.

Erythritol

While I would prefer the lack of any sugar alcohol's in my products, erythritol is general considered safe for consumption. The only side effects of excessive consumption of this and other sugar alcohols is gastric distress.

However, much like chewing gum - you'd need to consume a considerable amount of the product to produce any undesirable effects.

Sucralose

Here, we come to the only product that I would try to avoid. Some sources will argue that artificial sweeteners will likely wreak havoc on your body, impeding your appetite regulation, reducing good bacteria in the intestine, increasing your intestine's pH levels, etc. However, I'll once again point to a great blog post by the SuppVersity author on Sucralose in which he reviews the available evidence for such claims.

Adel concludes his review by commenting that 'derangements that occur in response to changes in the gut microbiome, endocrine system or toxic effects of sucralose would only become visible after weeks or months of chronic ingestion of this globally approved artificial sweetener.'

Meaning, you'd need to ingest a bucket-load daily in order to see the negative reported effects. Personally, I prefer to play it safe with anything artificial. Luckily, Quest Nutrition, unlike other products, gives you a choice. You can buy a range of Quest 'Naturals' which are just as delicious as the original line, which do not use sucralose as a sweetener. Smart product planning at it's best.

How does it compare to Others?

Now that you know what's on the label for Quest Bars, it's important to compare them with some popular products for an understanding of exactly how superior they are. I recommend 'Lean It Up's' excellent ranking of the top 30 protein bars on the market for a snapshot of exactly how much rubbish goes into products.

Quest Nutrition has shown us that you can make a delicious and nutrition protein bar using a handful of wholesome ingredients. A quick Google Search on 'negatives effects of [insert unknown ingredient]' will produce information that will allow you to make an informed decision about the product you're buying.

Remember, if you can't identify it in a supermarket, it's always worth a quick search to see exactly what that item is, how it's produced and what effects it will have on your body in the long-term.


Price Point

At a reasonable $2.00 USD per bar (a far cry from the circa $4.00 you'll expect to pay in supplement shops), the Quest Nutrition website is the best and cheapest place to purchase bars.

For those of you still complaining about the price, remember that you cannot put a price on health. If you're following a well-controlled diet and exercise program and looking for that extra boost - Quest should definitely be the product that gets you there!


Reference:

Rycroft, C. E., Jones, M. R., Gibson, G. R., & Rastall, R. A. (2008). A comparative in vitro evaluation of the fermentation properties of prebiotic oligosaccharides. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 91(5), 878-887.

5 Ways to Make Your New Year's Resolution a Reality

For many, the New Year heralds the start of a fresh beginning, as well as a cognitive 'restart button' through which we often believe all of our perceived inadequacies can be erased with the use of a 'resolution'.

According to Forbes Magazine, 40% of Americans make New Year's resolutions. This tells us that the rest of the first world is probably not far behind. The success rate for change attempts is much more sobering. University of Scranton research suggests that just 8% of people achieve their New Year's goals. Furthermore, longitudinal examination of change attempts over a 2 year period indicated only 19% of participants were able to maintain their pledges for two years.

In principle a resolution should be simple to keep. You make a promise and then follow it through. So, what is it about New Years resolutions that is so hard to maintain?

The Major Players:

1. Lack of willpower
2. Inability to control the 'stimulus' (events in the environment that influence behaviour)

In the example of weight loss / gain - junk food may be considered a 'stimulus'. Thus, your inability to control your family's or partner's purchasing and stocking of all of the yummy junk food's you so decadently indulge in, can be seen as a barrier to maintaining your New Year's resolution.

Now before you sign the divorce papers or lock yourself in the basement for 6 months to ensure the success of your goals, we should look at another elements of maintaining goals - slips. Approximately 53% of the people in the study cited earlier that managed to maintain their goal, experienced at least one slip. Over two years, the average number of slips for successful participants was 14. This should tell you something: nobody is perfect, and nobody has willpower of steel. Slips were found to be precipitated by:

1. Lack of personal control
2. Excessive Stress
3. Negative Emotion

Sticking with my former example, who hasn't felt the call of the ravenous beast within during a particularly 'low' period filled with stress and negative emotions (e.g. EXAM TIME!). If you have, then fear not - you're not a bad human being .... you're just normal!

So, apart from placing yourself into a impenetrable fortress of solitude (or a research lab with a perfectly controlled environment), what can you do to make sure this year's New Year resolutions are a great success!

• Set S.M.A.R.T. goals:

Saying 'I want to lose weight' is tantamount to saying 'I want to fail' - you haven't set an appropriate goal for yourself. Goals should always be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound.

As such plan:

1. Exactly what you want to accomplish, e.g. I want to lose 5kg.
2. How you will measure it, e.g. Using mirror-check's, body fat measurements, tight clothes and track my weight on a scale.
3. Make sure that the goal is something you can achieve, e.g. don't tell yourself you'll be a fitness model in 2 months if you think that the road to your goal will take 2 years.
4. Keep the goal personally relevant - something that's important to you.
5. Set a time-limit, e.g. I will lose 5kg in 5 weeks.

• Fading:

Fading is a principle in psychology where you first use prompts to promote an action before gradually withdrawing them until the need for them fades away.

A simple application in the context of fat loss and muscle gain is images of an achievable physique that you wish to aspire to, or a meal plan stuck on a fridge.

Hanging a tight fitting pair of jeans in the living room can be a reminder of the goal you are working towards. When I was adjusting to a healthy eating plan, I often referred to my meal plan before every meal to ensure that I knew that the food I was about to eat was my 'quota' and that I should enjoy it, because no snacking would come thereafter.

• Counter Conditioning:

Counter Conditioning is essentially replacing an unwanted response with a new response. It is seen is smokers frequently, when they replace a cigarette with a sandwich to quell their addiction.

Instead of that, try replacing your unwanted behaviour with another more healthy one. For example, when you start to feel hungry and you know that this is simply the call of your former over-eating habits, try brushing your teeth or making a pot of tea. This will quell your hunger and condition your body back into a healthy eating regime.

• Give yourself permission to fail:

As evidenced in the above study, a major portion of people have difficulty setting and maintaining long term goals. So why should you be different? I'll tell you why - because we usually set unrealistically higher expectations for ourselves rather than those around us.

Instead of throwing away your resolution with that first sip of alcohol or that first bite of a pizza - try being gentle with yourself and not making a mountain out of a molehill. I guarantee that one or two slips will not result in a broken promise; however, throwing away your resolution for a better you at the first sign of failure is a sure-fire way to ensure that your goal will never be achieved.

• Ask yourself 'how's that working for you?'

Finally, don't be afraid to try something new. If you're a cardio bunny and your goal is to lose weight - why not try to hit the weights. As intimidating as it can be learning a new skill, if you sit with the discomfort of pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone - you will ultimately thank yourself (and me) for it afterwards.

Reference:

J. C. Norcross, & D. J. Vangarelli. (1989). The resolution solution: longitudinal examination of New Year's change attempts. Journal of Substance Abuse, 1(2), 127 - 134.