Strength Training for Heart Health

 

Research published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise showed that resistance training – even without doing any cardio – will strengthen the heart and help prevent a heart attack and stroke.

The study looked at data from 12,591 men and women who came into the Cooper Clinic for at least two preventive health screenings between 1987 and 2006.

The researchers found that a little resistance training can go a long way!    The research showed that even one resistance training session per week cut peoples’ risk of heart disease and dying from a cardiovascular event by 40 – 70 percent – even if they did not get the recommended amount of cardiovascular exercise.

Bottom line – do NOT skip your cardio workouts but make sure you get at least one strength training session per week in!

Choline - The Most Important Nutrient You Never Hear About!

 

Choline is a nutrient needed for the brain to produce a key neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.  Acetylcholine is synthesized from choline and involved in memory, circadian rhythm and muscle control. Each of these specific functions contribute to the impact it has on cardiovascular health, liver diseases, neural tube defects and cognitive health.

There are synapses between nerves throughout the brain that rely on acetylcholine to communicate. Scientists have found using drugs that inhibit levels of enzymes that break down acetylcholine increases acetylcholine in the brain, and this has proven useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s dementia.

Further many drugs, including most over the counter allergy medications, have an anticholinergic action meaning they cause decreases in acetylcholine.   Research has proven that regular intake of these medications increases the risk of dementia in people 55 years and older.  

To make matters worse studies have show that up to 90% of US Citizens have a choline deficiency.   When you combine deficient choline intake from diet with commonly used drugs that deplete acetylcholine you set-up the perfect storm for dementia!   The good news is that with targeted eating or supplementation it is easy to take in adequate choline levels to help prevent dementia!

There are several foods with high levels of choline.   The food with the highest level of choline is liver with a whopping 356mg per 3 ounces.   Another food with high levels is egg yolks.    Beef, seafood, and poultry are also good sources of choline.  Unfortunately, many of these foods, such as egg yolks, have been unfairly demonized and incorrectly connected with causing high blood cholesterol.    This is NOT the case! One egg yolk contains about 130mg of choline which is 25% - 30% of your daily requirement. 

For adults the daily requirement is 400mg for female and 545mg for males. Without eating egg yolks or liver regularly you are almost surely deficient in choline which is where supplementation comes in.

Choline Supplements

Another way to ensure adequate choline intake is to supplement.    There are four types of choline supplements - plain choline and choline bitartrate are the least expensive types but do not support production of acetylcholine as well as DFP-choline aka citicoline or Alpha GPC choline.

Benefits of Choline Supplements

Alpha GPC supplements have been proven to help maintain an improve cognitive function - including memory, focus, and learning. It has also been shown to improve symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Alpha GPC has also been shown to help increase physical power and endurance as well as boosting growth hormone section and strength gains.

Alpha GPC helps many increase motivation and promote a calm mood without the jitteriness associated with stimulants.

Exercise Vs Diet for Weight Loss

 

Many people believe that our overweight and obesity epidemic is caused by a lack of activity – but is that really the case?   While most Americans do not move enough to be healthy - decreased movement and activity is not the primary driver of weight gain and obesity!

A new study looking at 34 populations across six continents debunked the movement hypothesis.   

Using the doubly labeled water method—the gold standard for measuring total energy expenditure—researchers examined 4,213 adults from 34 populations from hunter-gatherers to highly industrialized societies. 

They found that absolute total energy expenditure (TEE), basal energy expenditure (BEE), and activity energy expenditure (AEE) were all higher in more economically developed locations—largely because bodies are bigger there. Importantly, activity energy expenditure and physical activity levels did not significantly change with development level of the population studied. 

In other words, the common theory that modern populations burn fewer calories because they move less does not hold up when expenditure is measured with doubly labeled water and appropriately adjusted for important confounding factors.

When body size was accounted for physical activity levels and energy expenditure were very consistent across different populations.

Diet is the Key Factor in Weight Gain and Obesity!

Increased calorie intake – especially from ultraprocessed foods (UPF”s) – was estimated to be ten times more important than changes in activity level in driving modern obesity.   

Why Ultra-Processed Foods Drive Overeating

Ultra-processed foods (UPF’s) now account for the majority of calories consumed in industrialized nations—nearly 60% of daily intake in the United States alone—and their link to obesity is becoming undeniable. 

There are several other reasons why UPFs have such powerful effects on intake and adiposity:

They're hyper-palatable and highly rewarding. Foods that combine refined fats and carbohydrates (hallmarks of UPFs) hijack the brain’s reward systems in ways greater than the sum of their parts. This “engineered” appeal can drive persistent overconsumption.

UPFs are high in calories and sold in larger default portions.  Reducing portion size alone can lower daily intake by ~140–230 calories.

We eat UPF’s faster and feel less satisfied.  Beverages are particularly worrisome in this regard, and high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages is consistently associated with weight gain. "Don't drink your calories" is sound advice.

UPF’s are low in protein.  To get enough protein to satisfy minimum biological requirements - people unconsciously eat more total calories, a concept known as the protein leverage hypothesis.

UPF’s are low in fiber and micronutrients.

UPF’s contain additives that alter the gut microbiome. 

UPF’s are cheap and convenient. On a per-calorie basis, UPF’s are cheaper and more accessible than whole foods, reflecting a structural incentive toward UPF consumption, especially for lower-income families.

Final Thoughts

It is important to remember that population level averages and trends do not account for each person’s unique biology and psychology.. When it comes to weight loss or improving body composition, the most effective approach will be the one that aligns with your physiology, preferences, and lifestyle.   This is why professional coaching with a knowledgeable trainer can be so helpful.

For some people, exercise is the easier lever to pull. Increasing calorie burn while maintaining a stable diet can be a sustainable and enjoyable path. Although critics often state that exercise causes increased hunger and compensatory eating, this is not universally true. In fact, research shows that high-intensity exercise—through mechanisms such as lactate production—can suppress appetite in the short term, meaning some individuals may actually eat less, not more, after a hard workout! 

Others may find that a stronger focus on their diet is more feasible. It is, after all, often easier to avoid consuming 500 extra calories than to burn the same amount through physical activity. Adjusting the percentage of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins can also help control total caloric intake, satiety, nutrient partitioning, and even energy expenditure itself.  For example protein enhances satiety and carries a higher thermic cost to digest, while the quality of carbohydrates and fats can dramatically influence downstream metabolic effects.

The reality is that neither diet nor physical activity is more important than the other. Both are indispensable, not just for weight management, but for optimizing longevity, metabolic resilience, and overall well-being. Obesity may be driven primarily by excess dietary intake at the population level, but for each individual, sustainable health will always require a mix of movement and nutrition.

Can You Turn Fat into Muscle?

The short answer is no – fat cannot be directly transformed into muscle. Fat and muscle are two different tissues. You can increase muscle mass while you decrease fat mass, but fat is not converted into muscle.  In the same way muscle cannot be converted into fat. Fat is created whenever we take in excess calories from fat, protein, carbohydrate (or alcohol). In this case the calories ultimately end up being converted to triglyceride and stored in fat cells.

Each molecule of triglyceride (fat) consists of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.  To get rid of a single molecule of triglyceride takes many enzymes and biochemical steps to completely oxidize fat. The complete oxidation of 22lbs of fat requires 63lbs of oxygen consumption and the production of 62lbs of carbon dioxide and 24lbs of water.   The carbon dioxide is excreted by the lungs while the water is excreted as urine, sweat, breath, tears or other bodily fluids.  

Building muscle is a whole different process. Three key mechanisms are responsible for initiating muscle growth:

Muscle Tension – all forms of resistance training force muscles to create tension to support and move the load.   When enough tension is created this causes changes in the chemistry of the muscle allowing growth factors to be secreted along with satellite cell activation.  

Tension can come from active tension when muscles actively contract and also from passive tension which is stretching which tends to occur during the lengthening (eccentric) phase of a resistance training exercise.    

Active tension tends to result in muscle fibers becoming wider while passive tension can make them longer.

Muscle Damage – damage to muscle cells causes a release of inflammatory chemicals and immune cells that activate satellite cells to come into action. This also initiates muscle growth.

Metabolic Stress – When you feel the “burn” or the “pump” when lifting weights, you are feeling the effects of metabolic stress. Metabolic stress from high levels of anaerobic energy production helps contribute to muscle growth. The muscles adapt to this type of challenge by storing higher levels of glucose, creatine, and fluid.   This type of growth is often referred to as “Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy” and produces larger muscles - think body builder muscles.

Resistance training that focuses purely on maximal muscle tension without a lot of metabolic stress like Power Lifting causes more “Myofibrillar Hypertrophy” which refers to more growth of the actual tension producing muscle fibers called myofibrils without pronounced increases in fluid and glucose.  Pure Power Lifters are very strong but their muscles are not as large because their training focuses purely on maximal tension meaning lifting heavier weight for less repetitions with more rest between sets.  

Most strength training results in a combination of sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar hypertrophy depending on the levels of tension produced, the length of sets of exercises, and recovery time used between sets. 

In summary, for muscle building to occur you must force your muscles to adapt by creating stressors including increased tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress and then eating properly and resting to allow the muscles to recover and grow.