The latest buzz words in sports nutrition is “nutrient timing”. I used to think the key to body recomposition was simply making sure the calories going in the “pie hole” did not exceed what was expended by exercise. That didn’t really work for me and a number of other strategies failed as well.

Nutrient timing comes down to what and when you eat in relation to your training. I have previously written of my experiences with the Warrior Diet, written by Ori Hofmekler. A number of years ago, Ori personally taught me the principles of what to eat, when and why it works. I again would strongly recommend reading Ori’s work on the topic. My results were striking.

Additionally, I have read an abstract from the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Take a look; the bold was added by me for emphasis:

International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient
timing.
J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2008 Oct 3;5(1):17. [Epub ahead of print] Links

Kerksick C, Stout J, Campbell B, Wilborn C, Kreider R, Kalman D,
Ziegenfuss T, Lopez H, Landis J, Ivy J, Antonio J.

ABSTRACT: Position Statement: The position of the Society regarding
nutrient timing and the intake of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats
in reference to healthy, exercising individuals is summarized by the
following eight points:

1.) Maximal endogenous glycogen stores are best promoted by following
a high-glycemic, high-carbohydrate (CHO) diet (600 - 1000 grams CHO
or ~ 8 - 10 g CHO/kg/d), and ingestion of free amino acids and
protein (PRO) alone or in combination with CHO before resistance
exercise can maximally stimulate protein synthesis.

2.) During exercise, CHO should be consumed at a rate of 30 - 60
grams of CHO/hour in a 6 - 8 % CHO solution (8 - 16 fluid ounces)
every 10 - 15 minutes. Adding PRO to create a CHO:PRO ratio of 3 -
4:1 may increase endurance performance and maximally promotes
glycogen re-synthesis during acute and subsequent bouts of endurance
exercise.

3.) Ingesting CHO alone or in combination with PRO during resistance
exercise increases muscle glycogen, offsets muscle damage, and
facilitates greater training adaptations after either acute or
prolonged periods of supplementation with resistance training.

4.) Post-exercise (within 30 minutes) consumption of CHO at high
dosages (8 - 10 g CHO/kg/day) have been shown to stimulate muscle
glycogen re-synthesis, while adding PRO (0.2 g - 0.5 g PRO/kg/day) to
CHO at a ratio of 3 - 4:1 (CHO: PRO) may further enhance glycogen re-
synthesis.

5.) Post-exercise ingestion (immediately to 3 h post) of amino acids,
primarily essential amino acids, has been shown to stimulate robust
increases in muscle protein synthesis, while the addition of CHO may
stimulate even greater levels of protein synthesis. Additionally, pre-
exercise consumption of a CHO + PRO supplement may result in peak
levels of protein synthesis.

6.) During consistent, prolonged resistance training, post-exercise
consumption of varying doses of CHO + PRO supplements in varying
dosages have been shown to stimulate improvements in strength and
body composition when compared to control or placebo conditions.

7.) The addition of creatine (Cr) (0.1 g Cr/kg/day) to a CHO + PRO
supplement may facilitate even greater adaptations to resistance
training.

8.) Nutrient timing incorporates the use of methodical planning and
eating of whole foods, nutrients extracted from food, and other
sources.

The timing of the energy intake and the ratio of certain ingested
macronutrients are likely the attributes which allow for enhanced
recovery and tissue repair following high-volume exercise, augmented
muscle protein synthesis, and improved mood states when compared with
unplanned or traditional strategies of nutrient intake.

Dr. John Berdardi writes about nutrient timing in great detail in his article “The Science of Nutrient Timing, first published in 2004 and can be read at his website, www.johnberardi.com.

I have been enjoying my organic chocolate milk (3:1 ratio) after my heavy lifting days. It’s not as satisfying as a cold beer, but it is good enough!

nutrient timing, International Society of Sports Nutrition, creatine, protein, carbohydrate, sports nutrition, Warrior Diet, John Berardi, Ori Hofmekler,

It may be time to save your money on expensive post-workout drink concoctions and go to an old reliable, milk, or more specificially, chocolate milk. Now, how can that not be good news! Besides recovery, according to the studies, milk may be effective against DOMS.

Here are some of the delicious details concerning the chocolate milk and click for the entire story of milk for exercise recovery.

For years, I have read Usenet postings from Lyle McDonald, mostly, but not exclusively on the nutritional aspects of fitness. I have appreciated his approach from published scientific research and not current fads or copy from supplement companies. He has a great site at BodyRecomposition.com and really gets into the subject of diet and nutrition in a way most internet fitness guys do not. I have posted his recent article on the differences in steady-state cardio and interval-style training. There are very important distinctions McDonald makes and is well worth the read. I also recommend signing up for his free newsletter. Read the rest of this entry »

My favorite diet strategy while I train has been the Warrior Diet. In early 2006, I got started on the Warrior Diet and shortly thereafter, Crossfit. My body comp changed significantly and some health issues cleared up by eating the way Ori teaches.

This time of year, eating sweets is a problem. Ori has an audio clip that you may find to be helpful. There are additional resources and downloads here to help you learn the advantages of a better way of eating and living.

In a nutshell, (he also talks about peanuts). The three Warrior Diet principles are:

1. Eat one main meal at night.
2. Eat low on the food chain.
3. Exercise while undereating.

Does Creatine Supplementation Increase the Risk of Rhabdomyolysis?

When you want to get strong, creatine for many is the supplement of choice. When you train at high intensities, rhabdomyolysis is a potential threat. Below is an example of an adverse reaction to creatine, posted by Ralph Giarnella MD on Supertraining.

For additional reading on creatine and rhabdo, there are some good links posted at the end of the article.

Read the rest of this entry »

My friend, Ori Hofmekler recently gave an interesting interview promoting his new book, “The Anti-Estrogenic Diet” on the Dallas/Fort Worth ABC affiliate on Good Morning Texas.

From Eric Cressey’s newsletter…

Five Random Thoughts from David Barr

1. Soreness = Muscle Growth. In the 1990s, we “realized” that soreness is just a result of the muscle inflammatory response, and has little to do with actual growth. However, consider the following: if Arachadonic Acid (AA) is the fatty acid that gets converted to prostaglandins (PG) during inflammation:

a) Blocking the conversion of AA to PG prevents both soreness and muscle growth
b) Increasing levels of AA increases levels of PG, soreness, and muscle growth
c) The most damaging type of training yields the greatest soreness, strength and muscle gains

2. Short workouts aren’t as great as you think. In the late 1990, it became all the rage to keep workouts to less than 45 minutes. It was believed, based on scientific evidence, that training for longer periods would result in a temporary decrease in anabolic hormone levels. Now, we realize (irony intended) that the impact of acute hormonal regulation is minimal, and it is far better to have a stimulating workout – even if it takes longer.

3. Apparently, pre-training meals suck? In spite of the evidence to show that pre-workout meals result in the greatest observable increases in muscle protein synthesis (the acute measure of muscle growth and recovery), people still refuse to use them. Considering that they also provide a tremendous increase in blood flow during training, which every newbie seems to be after, shouldn’t everyone be using them?

4. Faith vs. Reason. People are going to believe what they want even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Sadly, this even results in people getting upset by the mere presentation of data that contradicts a belief. In the supplement world, if you add in the fact that the placebo effect accounts for >60% of the resulting effect, you’re just asking for people to freak out.

5. Protein Pulse Feeding. The idea of spiking blood amino acids with protein, similar to the way in which we spike insulin with carbs, is the most anabolic nutritional revolution since whey protein was developed. Protein pulsing: not just for post-workout meals!

About David Barr

David Barr is a strength coach and scientist, with research specialty in nutrition and its impact on performance and body composition. In addition to his work for NASA at the Johnson Space Center, David’s research career has involved everything from the cellular basis of muscle breakdown to work on critically ill catabolic patients. He holds certifications with the NSCA as well as USA Track and Field, and can be contacted through his website: http://www.RaiseTheBarr.net.

Ori Hofmekler has posted another excellent nutrition article, “Tactical Nutrition For Intense Prolonged Drills” at his blog. Ori discusses functional pre and post workout meals necessary to sustain and recover from longer, intense training and competitive sessions. This is a good follow-up to his article on recovery meals.

I haved used his Warrior Milk and Warrior Whey products and they are both excellent products to that end.

From Reuters
August 2, 2007 09:32:55 AM PST

There is little evidence that supplements containing the amino acid glutamine can enhance athletes’ performance, according to a research review.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ori Hofmekler advocates eating as close to the bottom of the food chain as possible for a lot of valid reasons. This may be Exhibit “A” for why. The video will make you take pause and consider what goes down your pie hole. Pass (on) the fries.

Hat tip to rosstraining.com