Exercise & Fitness Terminology

Aerobic

Exercise with oxygen.

Anaerobic

Exercise in the absence of oxygen.

Anabolic/Anabolism

To build or repair muscle tissue.

Amino Acids

Twenty-two basic building blocks of which make up protein.

Aromatase

Enzyme responsible for converting the hormone Testosterone into Estrogen.

ATP

Adenosine Triphosphate. The molecular “currency” that provides energy within cells.

Atrophy

The decrease in size of a muscle, gland or organ.

BMI

Body Mass Index.

BMR

Basal Metabolic Rate. The number of calories consumed by the body whilst at rest. It is measured by the rate at which heat is given off, and is expressed in calories per hour, per square meter of skin surface.

Body Fat Percentage

A person’s body fat percentage is the total weight of the person’s fat divided by the person’s weight and consists of essential body fat and storage body fat.

Bulking

To increase size and mass, most preferably lean muscle tissue.

Calorie

A unit of energy.

Catabolic/Catabolism

The breakdown of muscle tissue.

Compound

Exercise which targets mutliple muscle groups.

Creatine

An amino acid that does not occur in proteins but is found in the muscle tissue of vertebrates both in the free form and as phosphocreatine; supplies energy for muscle contraction.

Cutting

To lose bodyfat, preferably with little loss of muscle mass.

EFA

Essential fatty acids such as Omega-3.

Essential Amino Acids

Amino acids which cannot by synthesized by the body and thus must be present in the diet.

Estrogen

A type of hormone made by the body that helps develop and maintain female sex characteristics.

Glycogen

A polysaccharide that is the main form of carbohydrate storage in animals and occurs mainly in liver and muscle tissue; it is readily converted to glucose.

Hypertrophy

The increase in size of a muscle.

Insulin

Hormone that promotes the uptake of nutrients, most notably carbohydrates.

Isokinetic

An exercise with varying intensity.

Isolation

An exercise which targets one muscle group or head.

Isometric

An exercise with no movement.

Isotonic

An exercise with varying intensity.

LBM

Lean Body Mass.

MHR

Maximum Heart Rate.

One Repetition Maximum(1-RPM)

1 Repetition Maximum is the greatest amount of weight that can be handled by a lifter for a single repetition in correct form.

Pre-Exhaustion

To pre-exhaust the muscle usually with single joint/isolation movements prior to a compound exercise.

Pro-Hormones

A substance which is a pre-cursor to a hormone.

Repetition

A Repetition is one executed movement of a single exercise for e.g 1 bench press or 1 squat.

Resistance Training

Training with weights or other sources of resistance beyond the natural movement itself.

ROM

Range of motion/movement.

Set

This is a series of repetitions done without rest i.e 10 reps = 1 set.

Testosterone

The primary androgenic and anabolic steroid hormone found in the body.

Body Power is Britains largest health and fitness exposition and is a 3 day event which will take place from the 18th-20th of May 2012.

Body Power Expo 2012

A number of professional bodybuilders, strongman and other athletes will be attending this years Body Power Expo including Ronnie Coleman, Flex Lewis, Ricky Hatton, Dorian Yates, Flex Wheeler, Kai Greene, Mariuz Pudzianowski and many more.

All the big bodybuilding and sports supplements manufacturers will have their stalls at the Body Power expo and from what i hear about those who have attended in the past years they are very generous with handing out samples, t-shirts and so on.

There will be a number of different events and things going on at the Body Power Expo so best idea if interested is to vist the site below for more information on prices and where the Birmingham NEC is located.

To find out more details about the Body Power Expo 2012 please visit – Body Power Expo

What is L-Glutamine

Glutamine is one of 20 amino acids which make up proteins and is considered to be non-essential which means that it can be synthesized by the body. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in the body, in particular in the blood and muscle tissue.

Although L-Glutamine is not considered an essential amino acid, it may become conditionally essential during certain situations such as illness, injury, intense athletic training and gastro-intestinal disorders. I would go as far as saying that Glutamine is one of the most important amino acids when it comes to bodybuilding, promoting an anabolic enviroment in the body and preventing catabolism(muscle break down).

Glutamine may be considered basic in comparison to the latest and greatest fancy supplements of recent times, but in my opinion L-Glutamine is one of the best anti-catabolic supplements around and helps you recover faster, burn fat and increase lean muscle mass.

Dietary Sources Of L-Glutamine

The best dietary sources of L-Glutamine are lean beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy products such as milk and cheese, cabbage, beets, beans and legumes.

L-Glutamine Benefits & Functions

L-Glutamine has shown a number of possible benefits in studies, some of which include :

• Prevent Muscle Breakdown(Catabolism)
• Promote Muscle Growth
• Encourage Healthy Growth Hormone(HGH) Levels
• Gastro-intestinal Health, Specifically Maintaining The Intestinal Tract Lining & Preventing/Repairing Leaky Gut(Increased Intestinal Permability).
• Normal Healthy Immune System
• Helps Your Body Produce The Master Antioxidant Glutathione.
• Regulates Blood PH

How Much & When To Take

The best time to consume L-Glutamine in my opinion is straight after a workout as this is when your muscles are most depleted. Most experts suggest taking 5-20 grams of L-Glutamine per day when needed. Many experts also recommend taking L-Glutamine before sleep or exercise in order to help encourage growth hormone release.

Whilst you can get the benefits of Glutamine by using the regular free-form powder(L-Glutamine), there is another type known as Glutamine Peptides which is thought to be a superior form with around 2 times better for absorption. Glutamine peptides is simply the amino. Personally ive had great results from the regular free form l-glutamine powder myself, also bear in mind that glutamine peptides most often contain gluten so they are not recommended for those who are sensitive to gluten or wheat.

Where To Purchase

There are a variety of different Glutamine supplements on the market ranging from powders to capsules and enhanced forms with great absorption such as mentioned above. Personally i find the basic cheap regular free-form(L-glutamine) powder from My Protein to be just as effectiver as the more expensive branded products.

Both L-Glutamine powder & Glutamine Peptides are available from – My Protein

To visit myprotein.com use the link below.

We are looking for 4 testers who will leave a log on the forum with pics, diet information, supplementation etc and just generally log the product whilst using it.

Bioforge Pro Max Ingredients:

Directions For Biotivia Bio Forge Pro Max: 1 capsule twice a day 30 minutes before meals.

Warnings: Pregnant/lactating women should avoid this product.

Get in touch by replying to this thread, first come first served.

If you wish to purchase Bioforge Pro Max please visit Predator Nutrition .

Not today.

Here, we review the curious case of casein protein in-depth. Step into the courtroom as we judge what it is, how it works, and how it can help your goals.

Case Study: Casein Protein

Casein protein, like whey, comes from cow’s milk. It accounts for roughly 80% of milk’s total protein content, with whey constituting the other 20%. Casein is insoluble, which means it’s the solid protein in milk.

You might hear casein referred to as calcium caseinate, which is a nod to the calcium ion associated with its protein structure. (If any gym rats ask you, now you can set ‘em straight.)

In addition to being used as a supplement, casein’s unique ability to gel has made it popular as a binder, filler, and a crucial part of the cheese-making process. Interestingly, casein’s gel-power has also made it useful in plastics and glues.

Don’t go eating that tube of Elmer’s just yet. Casein supplements are a more effective way to get the protein you crave.

Case-in-Point: Casein Supplementation

Casein’s crazy ability to gel and glob makes it a unique and diverse protein supplement. During digestion, casein gels as it hits stomach acid. This reduces the rate of digestion and allows for a slower, steadier, more efficient release and utilization of casein’s amino acids. (Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.)

This basically means that your muscles receive a “trickle” of food over a longer period of time.

A slow digestion rate is also beneficial because it might reduce protein breakdown and amino acid oxidation–the burning of amino acids for energy. Casein can even increase your feeling of fullness, so you’ll feel like you’ve got a full gut without having to carry one.

Casein And Whey: Gram To Gram

Casein can be a slow-digesting, double-edged sword, especially when compared to whey. On the plus side, casein’s ability to slow down digestion extends the release of amino acids to muscle tissue and provides a more sustained boost to nitrogen balance. (A positive nitrogen balance is crucial to building muscle.)

However, casein’s slow release of aminos also tends to reduce the body’s peak anabolic response. This means that casein might not stimulate muscle protein synthesis as powerfully or quickly as whey. Because it digests slowly, casein is less anabolic (muscle-building) than whey when compared gram-to-gram.

Additionally, casein protein has a relatively low leucine content (8%) compared to whey (11%). Leucine is the amino acid responsible for the peak anabolic response to protein ingestion. Basically, leucine signals the body to stimulate protein synthesis and build muscle.

Research from my Ph.D thesis demonstrated that the anabolic response to a meal was closely associated with that meal’s leucine content. Because casein contains less leucine than whey, it’s not as directly anabolic.

Casein and Whey: A Match Made In Heaven

As discussed, casein doesn’t provide whey’s peak anabolic response, but it does provide a more sustained amino stream. To maximize this effect for the best of both worlds, consider combining casein with a rapid-digesting protein like whey. By doing so, you might benefit from high leucine plus a steady feed of amino acids.

Mixing a protein cocktail might allow you to reap the benefits of casein while potentially improving or overcoming some of its downsides. Alternatively, you could combine casein with rapid-digesting free-form BCAAs or leucine, which might offer a similar benefit.

Taking Casein 101

On its own, casein can be used by anyone looking to increase their overall daily protein intake. It’s incredibly useful for those allergic to protein sources like whey or egg.

Casein, like whey, is easy to use and can be consumed any time of the day. However, due to casein’s slow digestion and amino acid release, it’s generally taken when you might be without food for a long period of time.

As such, many people prefer to consume casein at night with the thought that consuming a slow-digesting protein will help stave off catabolism (muscle breakdown). While there is little research examining the use of casein overnight, it has been shown to reduce protein breakdown and thus may be useful in such situations.

How much casein to consume depends on a number of factors like weight, total protein intake, and whether you’re consuming it alone or with other protein sources.

Therefore, if you’re taking casein alone, it can be beneficial to devour a large dose to try and maximize anabolism. I’d recommend 40 to 50 grams of casein protein (if consumed alone) for a 200-pound muscle-building male who wants to maximize the muscle-building response.

Casein, Shopping, And You

As a rule, I recommend purchasing supplements whose maker can provide lab analysis of their products. This ensures that what’s on the label is actually in the bottle.

Also note that many companies sell protein blends containing both casein and whey. Since these blends are typically more expensive, remember that you can always craft your own casein-whey cocktail. Please, don’t actually add any liquor. (If you do, go vodka.)

Safety First

A small number of people are actually allergic to casein protein. They might experience side effects such as upset stomach, pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and/or other GI problems.

Additionally, consuming large amounts of casein might cause a bit of digestive distress even in the non-allergic. Because casein gels, it can lead to a spot of bloating and general discomfort in mega-doses-especially for the people around you.

The moral of this story? Don’t use casein protein if you’re allergic, or if your physician has advised you against it. Furthermore, don’t Hoover casein by the fistful unless you’re shooting to feel like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

Casein Protein: Case Closed

Casein protein usually works the graveyard shift. People take it before bed, it works overnight, and then it fades from view as whey takes center stage.

Not anymore.

Use casein when you need a slow-digesting protein source. Use it to keep you satiated and your muscle satisfied. Use it with whey for the best of both worlds.

For all these reasons, get glued to casein.

BY LAYNE NORTON

I’m Layne Norton, a natural pro bodybuilder and Ph.D. in Nutritional Science. With my background, I can cut through the bro-science and bring you the true science.

Let’s clear the field and get to the core.

Creatine monohydrate is one of the most heavily researched and widely debated supplements available. Ever. It’s also one of the most effective. Learn what it is, how it works, and why you should be using it.

Crea-what?

Let’s start at the top. Creatine mono isn’t some super-chemical created by a bodybuilding Tony Stark. It’s actually an organic acid found naturally in food, and it exists in significant quantities in meats like beef and fish.

Creatine is nitrogenous, which means it’s nitrogen-containing, and is made from a combination of 3 amino acids (the building blocks of protein): glycine, methionine and arginine.

In humans, approximately 95% of creatine is stored in skeletal muscle where it exists as creatine phosphate and can donate its phosphate molecule during certain metabolic processes. We’ll discuss the importance of this in greater detail soon.

Crea-who?

If you’re wondering whether you can benefit from creatine supplementation, consider your fitness goals. Creatine is primarily for people who are looking to maximize muscle, strength, and/or performance gains.

So, if you’re trying to get bigger, stronger, and maybe even lift longer and heavier, creatine can help. If you’re not trying to do any of these things, go take a nap and come back when you’re ready.

The Energizer Bunny

Creatine supports these goals because it can be used as a source of energy for anaerobic work, which includes high-intensity weight training and cardio work like sprinting.

Supplementing with creatine has been shown to significantly increase the concentration of creatine in muscle. Remember that, in muscle, creatine is found as creatine phosphate and can act as a phosphate donor. Our body’s energy currency – a molecule called Adenosine Tri Phosphate, or ATP – happens to use phosphate to power certain cellular processes.

During exercise (and other activity), ATP is broken down to Adenosine Di-Phosphate (ADP), where it loses one of its phosphate molecules. The loss of this phosphate essentially provides the energy to power your cells during any activity, including exercise.

As your ATP stores become depleted, performance can suffer. Creatine phosphate can help restore ATP by donating its phosphate to ADP to reform ATP. In this way, creatine can help improve performance and has also been shown to increase strength and power.

Size Matters

While all this performance and strength stuff sounds great, I’m sure you may be wondering what creatine will actually do for your body.

Creatine has also been shown to increase lean body mass, mostly through increasing the fluid content of muscle cells. While this may seem like an ‘artificial’ increase in lean body mass, keep in mind that muscle cells that are better hydrated are also more anabolic.

Additionally, creatine has been shown to increase the activity of muscle satellite cells, which may increase the overall capacity for long-term muscle growth.

So Many Options!

Every few years, it seems like the latest and greatest form of creatine comes out. Creatine monohydrate is the most common, and the most studied, form of creatine on the planet. It has proven its worth in research time and time again.

Nonetheless, many other forms of creatine exist – too many to name here – but none have shown the consistent results of creatine monohydrate. Fortunately for you, creatine mono is generally the least expensive form of creatine available, so it’s good for the muscle and the wallet.

How Much, Man?

There are two traditional ways of taking creatine monohydrate. You can take 3-5g per day (depending upon muscle mass), which will saturate your intramuscular creatine stores in a few weeks. Or, you can load creatine at 15-25g for the first 4-5 days, which will saturate the muscle cells more rapidly.

While loading saturates the muscle cells faster, the downside is that you do not assimilate the majority of that creatine, so those on a budget may consider it wasteful.

Timing Is …

Many people consume creatine post-workout since it’s been speculated that taking creatine after training will lead to better uptake of creatine into the muscle.

In all likelihood, however, this is splitting hairs. Consistent supplementation of creatine at 3-5g per day has been shown to saturate muscle cells, mostly regardless of time consumed. Therefore, I suggest consuming your creatine whenever it’s most convenient.

Pack Your Stack

Creatine has been shown to work synergistically with both beta-alanine and HMB, so users who want to maximize creatine’s benefits should consider supplementing with those products, as well.

Of course, your usual supplement foundation of a multivitamin and protein – whey and/or casein – still applies.

What To Choose

As a rule, I recommend purchasing supplements whose maker can provide lab analysis of their products. This ensures that what’s on the label is actually in the bottle.

Based on current research, it appears that creatine monohydrate is the most effective creatine product available on the market today. If you are going to spring a few extra dollars for anything, then go for a micronized form of creatine monohydrate to improve mix-ability.

Other Sides To The Story?

When creatine was introduced to the market as a supplement in the early 90s, many anecdotal and theoretical side effects were brought up as potential concerns – including kidney and liver problems, dehydration and cramping. Thus far, short- and long-term research studies have demonstrated no side effects of recommended creatine use on kidney, liver and/or the heart. Additionally, creatine has not been shown to increase the incidence of cramping.

There is some evidence that creatine can increase dihydrotestosterone levels. Some have theorized that this may cause an increase in acne, but this has yet to be demonstrated.

Finally, strong anecdotal evidence exists that some users may experience gastrointestinal distress when loading creatine. This is likely caused by excess creatine intake exceeding the GI tract’s capacity to absorb it, which could lead to gas and cramping due to the unabsorbed creatine.

If you experience GI distress during creatine loading, try reducing your creatine intake until you reach a comfortable level of intake. Alternatively, skip loading entirely.

Finally, if your physician has advised you against using creatine, then you should avoid it.

That’s A Wrap

The bottom line is that creatine is one of the most effective and affordable supplements on the market today. I suggest it for anyone looking to improve muscle mass, strength and performance.

Forget the fumble of misinformation. Now that you know the facts, you can grab the ball and claim your creatine.

BY LAYNE NORTON

Keep tuned:).