July 19, 1999
Volume 2, Number 13
Research Update
by Bryan Haycock MSc., CSCS
bryan@thinkmuscle.com
Please send us your feedback
on this article.
As we approach the new millennium we find the science of building
muscle progressing faster than ever before. Long gone are the days of
simple trial and error when it comes to building muscle. The modern
bodybuilder demands more than just "hear say" if they are to
adopt a new training routine or nutritional supplement. This column was
created to keep today’s bodybuilder on the cutting edge of scientific
research that might benefit them in their quest for body perfection.
Human studies finally show insulin to be
extremely anabolic in human muscle tissue... in vivo.
Title: Extreme hyperinsulinemia unmasks insulin's
effect to stimulate protein synthesis in human forearm.
Researchers: Teresa A. Hillier, David A. Fryburg, Linda
A. Jahn, and Eugene J. Barrett Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism,
Department of Internal Medicine, and General Clinical Research Center,
University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, Virginia
22908
Source: Am. J. Physiol. 274 (Endocrinol. Metab. 37):
E1067-E1074, 1998
Summary: In 14 healthy volunteers, forearm insulin
concentrations were raised 1,000-fold above basal levels while
maintaining euglycemia for 4 h. Amino acids (AA) were given to either
maintain basal arterial (n = 4) or venous plasma (n = 6) AA or increment
arterial plasma AA by 100% (n = 4) in the forearm. Measurements were
taken of forearm muscle glucose, lactate, oxygen, phenylalanine balance,
and [3H]phenylalanine kinetics at baseline and at 4 h of insulin
infusion.
Results: Extreme hyperinsulinemia strongly reversed
postabsorptive (fasting) muscle's phenylalanine balance from a net
release to an uptake. This marked anabolic effect resulted from a
dramatic stimulation of protein synthesis and a modest decline in
protein degradation. Furthermore, this effect was seen even when basal
arterial or venous aminoacidemia was maintained. With marked
hyperinsulinemia, protein synthesis increased further when plasma AA
concentrations were also increased. Forearm blood flow rose at
least two fold with the combined insulin and AA infusion, and this
was consistent in all groups. These results demonstrate an effect of
high concentrations of insulin to markedly stimulate muscle protein
synthesis in vivo in adults, even when AA concentrations are not
increased. This is similar to prior in vitro reports but distinct
from physiological hyperinsulinemia in vivo where stimulation of protein
synthesis does not occur. Therefore, the current findings suggest that
the differences in insulin concentrations used in prior studies may
largely explain the previously reported discrepancy between insulin
action on protein synthesis in adult muscle in vivo vs. in vitro.
Discussion: Insulin is an obvious topic of interest
among the largest physiques in the culture of bodybuilding. In my
search for definitive answers as to the anabolic potential of exogenous
insulin administration, I have been sorely disappointed in the lack of
human studies showing the anabolic properties of insulin in
adults. Many studies show insulin to slow protein break down but
data showing insulin to be truly anabolic in muscle tissue was virtually
non-existent. Despite this lack of clinical evidence, insulin use
still pervades in bodybuilding.
There are a few things that need to be addressed when considering this
study. First, the amount of insulin used in this study is extemely
high. The quantities of insulin used are far above what should
ever be attempted by bodybuilders. Second, the anabolic properties
of extreme hyperinsulinemia are likely do to insulin's interaction with
IGF-1 receptors, not traditional insulin receptors. Finally, the
anabolic effects of extreme hyperinsulinemia were only seen with
concomitant amino acid infusion. This means that if there
are no amino acids floating around, you will not build muscle no matter
how much insulin you are using.
The high levels of insulin used in this study are not practical for
bodybuilders to consider using. The subjects blood glucose was
kept constant through artificial means to prevent hypoglycemic
coma. In other words kiddies, DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!
Besides the danger involved with raising insulin levels 1,000 times
above normal without a controlled infusion of glucose, it isn't really
necessary if you want to get an anabolic response. Think of what
was done in this study like flooding the basement in order to water the
lawn. The anabolic effects produced in this study were most likely
due to excess insulin binding to hybrid IGF-1 receptors. The same
effect through can be achieved without all the insulin by simply adding
a little IGF-1. After all, you should always use the right
tool for the job. I will admit that further research is necessary
to further support my (and the authors of this study) assertions that
the anabolic effect of insulin seen in this study was caused by
interaction of insulin with IGF-1 receptors. Nevertheless, it
would be nice to see bodybuilders use less insulin and perhaps begin to
incorporate a mixture of compounds that more closely resembles the
complex interaction of hormones which exist naturally in the body.
Oxandrolone offers relief to spinal cord
injury patients.
Title: Treatment with an anabolic agent is associated
with improvement in respiratory function in persons with tetraplegia: A
pilot study.
Researchers: Spungen AM., Grimm DR., Strakhan M.,
Pizzolato PM., & Bauman WA.
Work originated at Spinal Cord Damage Research Center, Mount Sinai
School of Medicine, New York, NY; and Medicine and Spinal Cord Injury
Services, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Room 1E-02, 130 West
Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468
Source: Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine 66(3):201-205,
1999
Summary: The effect of one-month treatment with
oxandrolone on weight gain and pulmonary function was studied in ten
subjects with complete motor tetraplegia. Spirometry,
maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures, and resting self-rating of
dyspnea (Borg Scale of perceived exertion) were measured at baseline and
repeated again at the end of one month of oxandrolone therapy (20
mg/day). Serum lipid profiles and liver function tests were
performed before and after treatment. A paired t-test was used to
determine pre- and post-treatment differences on the dependent
variables. Percent change from baseline was calculated for
each variable and tested using a one- sample t-test.
Results: On average, the subjects gained 1.4+/-1.5
kg, a 2+/-2% increase in weight. A significant, ~9% improvement was
found in the combined measures of spirometry. Maximal inspiratory
pressure improved an average of ~10%. Subjective self rating of
dyspnea decreased an average of ~37%.
Discussion: The only reason I decided to include this
study was that it demonstrated the usefulness of anabolic drugs outside
of bodybuilding. Having been involved in bodybuilding for many,
many years I have seen steroids go from relative obscurity to
blacklisted as one of the major ills of modern society. I have
always felt I was born at the wrong time considering my intrinsic
aspirations for unimaginable muscle mass. Consequent to the
criminalization of using steroids by our society, my aspirations have
been left largely (no pun intended) unrealized. I'm sure there are
many out there who have also had to adjust their physique goals in order
to accommodate the double standards and ignorance of the general public,
not to mention politicians. Now if you will excuse me as I
step off my soap box we can discuss the study at hand.
There are approximately 200,000 people who have suffered spinal cord
injuries (SCI) in the US. Statistics show that there are about
7-10,000 new cases occurring each year. Perhaps now more
than ever, attention has been drawn to research aimed at finding a cure
for SCIs thanks in large part to the activism of Christopher Reeves who
suffered injury to his spinal cord after falling from a horse.
Because the diaphragm muscle is enervated from the 1st cervical to the
12th thoracic vertebrae, any damage within this region, or worse yet
upstream, has devastating effects on the individuals ability to
breath. This poses problems not only because of insufficient
oxygen intake but also because they are unable to effectively cough and
expel airway secretions. This leads to pneumonia and other similar
conditions which are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality during
the period following the initial injury.
These researchers found that through the use of Oxandrolone (Anavar)
they could increase the mass of the diaphragm muscle, thus improving
indicators of respiratory function. Subjects also gained an
average of 3 lbs in 4 weeks using 20 mg of oxandrolone per day and
eating about 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per
day. The researchers chose Oxandrolone because of it causes
relatively few side effects and is also considered to have a high
anabolic/androgenic ratio.
This study is another clear indicator that anabolic compounds need not
be demonized. Was that the point of this study? Of
course not. The point of this study was to show that by using
drugs that increase muscle mass you can increase the quality of life of
people with spinal cord injuries. In the case of Christopher
Reeves and others suffering from SCIs, it may soon be an option to not
only improve respiratory function but also as a strategy to retain
muscle mass and integrity in paralyzed limbs while scientists scurry to
find a cure.
Can't wait for Ski season to begin? New
study reveals that lifting weights may not be best for downhill and
Giant Slalom skiers.
Title: Muscle control in elite alpine skiing
Researchers: Berg HE., and Eiken O.
Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
31(7):1065-1067, 1999
Summary: The purpose of this study was to determine
whether muscle control may be influenced by accelerative forces
brought about by the downhill displacement of body mass in
combination with the sharp turns during alpine skiing.
Methods: Sixteen elite skiers performed either super
G (SG), giant slalom (GS), slalom (SL), or freestyle mogul (FM)
skiing. Knee and hip joint angles and electromyographic (EMG)
activity of the knee extensors were recorded. Results: During the
course of a turn, the minimum (deepest stance position) knee angle of
the outside (main load- bearing) leg ranged from 60 degrees to 100
degrees, where the smallest angle was obtained in the FM event.
Among the traditional alpine disciplines, smaller knee angles were
obtained in the high-speed events (i.e., knee angle:
SG<GS<SL). Knee angular velocity of the outside leg ranged
from 15 degrees to 300 degrees per second, with the slower movements in
the high-speed disciplines (i.e., knee angular velocity:
SG<GS<SL<FM). In all disciplines, EMG activity reached
near-maximal levels during the course of a turn. In SG, GS, and
SL, but not in FM skiing, a marked predominance of eccentric over
concentric muscle actions was observed. The dominance of slow
eccentric muscle actions has not be observed in other athletic
activities.
Discussion:
There is a very basic training principle referred to as the
S.A.I.D. principle. It stands for Specific Adaptation to
Implied Demands. Simply put, it means that your muscles or body
will adapt in such a way that is specific to the stimulus.
It makes sense when considering that your body as an organism tries to
accommodate its environment by changing itself in an energy efficient
way. Where am I going with all this? Well, when people are
trying to come up with better ways of training athletes, they first look
at what is physically required by their sport. Unfortunately
people are often tied down by paradigms that limit their view of
"training". Because they generally think of strength in
terms concentric muscle actions, they often forget the involvement of
eccentric muscle actions. The researchers of this study
specifically wanted to discern what muscle actions were involved in
downhill skiing. What they found was that the larger faster events
such as giant slalom and super G involved primarily eccentric muscle
actions. Not only that but the eccentric contractions were
relatively slow and near maximum in intensity.
Now I will be the first to admit that I am very partial to eccentric
training for bodybuilders. It is the simplest way to increase the
load without having to be able to complete concentric muscle
actions. Truthfully, which ever contraction is performed, if the
load is sufficient, the muscle will grow. Likewise, if the load is
insufficient, the muscle will not grow. When people begin a
resistance exercise program for the first time, or after an extended
layoff, the load produced with traditional concentric contractions is
often great enough to elicit a growth response. Shortly
thereafter, the muscle will have adapted structurally, neurally, and
enzymatically to the chosen load and no further growth will occur.
Fortunately the muscle will not atrophy either. So what you get
is a situation where more and more of the work you put in at the gym
simply goes towards maintenance of you muscle mass rather than
increasing your muscle mass. Sound familiar? This can last
for years at a time until either concentric strength is increased via
pharmaceuticals or the load is increased via dedicated eccentric work,
or you strategically decrease the adapted condition (i.e. its toughness
or its ability to withstand loading) of the muscle therefor making the
load more effective without having to increase it. This is one
topic I would like to go further into but we will have to save that for
another time.
The results of this study show that intense, slow eccentric contractions
were prominent over concentric muscle actions especially in the Super G
(SG) and Giant Slalom (GS). It is then logical to assume
that by training in such a way that incorporates slow, intense eccentric
contractions you should provide some performance advantage to these
athletes. Here are some suggestions for your own training if you
participate in the above mentioned skiing events. [Note: I would highly
recommend that you have access to a professional strength and
conditioning specialist before attempting to incorporate these
suggestions into your program.]
- Avoid being seduced by plyometric training that involves simply
jumping from side to side. It looks cool and everything but
we're more concerned with effectiveness. This type of
training is best suited for Freestyle Moguls. Although this
may offer some benefit to SG and GS competitors don't rely on it too
heavily. If you do decide to do them, using a weighted vest
may increase its usefulness.
- Use the hip sled (leg press) for heavy eccentric work. This
piece of equipment is valuable because of its safety with heavy
loads. Try to incorporate both 2 legged eccentric actions if
you have a willing training partner, as well as single leg eccentric
work using the opposite leg for assistance in raising the weight.
- Using one dumbbell, do one leg eccentric squats. Stand to an
upright position with both legs then lower yourself into the squat
position using only one leg. When using the right leg, hold
the dumbbell in the right hand and vice versa. This difficult
because of balance which is the point of doing them in the first
place. Because of the awkwardness of this exercise it will not
replace using very heavy loads on leg press, or when possible, 2 leg
squats.
- Do heavy eccentric squats. If you have 2 training partners
at your disposal, have them assist you when raising the weight, then
drop slowly and deeply into the squat position on your own.
Always use a squat rack with safety supports. Do not do these
without something to catch the bar before you hit the floor.
A preparatory period is necessary before beginning this type of
training. By this I mean that you must periodize your training so
that you are properly conditioned before you attempt to use loads
greater that 100% of your 1RM. These are just suggested exercises
that you might consider incorporating into your strength phase of
training. You will have to use your own judgement and
hopefully that of a qualified strength coach to properly incorporate
these movements into your program.
Of course, nothing you do in the gym is going to exactly mimic what you
will experience on the slopes. Even so, by concentrating on muscle
actions that are specific to your sport, you will be able to maximize
the effectiveness of your training.
Please send us your feedback
on this article.
by Bryan Haycock MSc., CSCS
bryan@thinkmuscle.com
