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.  

Lack of Sleep Causes Sweet-Tooth and Overeating!

 

You heard that right - not getting enough quality sleep is directly linked to craving sweets, weight gain, and difficulty losing weight!

Sleep: Your Body’s Best Friend

Sleep is important for just about all the systems in your body, and lack of sleep reduces cognitive function including reduced reaction time, impaired decision making and memory.  Sleep is also essential for the repair and recovery of your body.

Even if you think you get enough shut-eye you may still be suffering from the symptoms of sleep deprivation.   Unfortunately, just a little sleep deprivation can have a significant effect on weight gain.

How Lack of Sleep Causes Weight Gain

Lack of sleep increases the levels of a stress hormone called cortisol, and cortisol increases appetite significantly.  Sleep deprivation also saps willpower and decision-making ability so not only are you hungrier – you are more likely to make poor food choices.     Sleep deprivation is a stressor and when you feel stressed you tend to choose high carb foods which boost serotonin.

At the same time, the body’s ability to handle carbs properly is reduced.    Your cells become less sensitive to the effects of insulin called insulin insensitivity which is what type 2 diabetes is all about.   If lack of sleep is a chronic condition you quite literally can make yourself gain weight and become diabetic!

In addition, when you are tired, a hormone called Ghrelin is boosted while Leptin levels drop.   This is quite literally a double whammy because Ghrelin increases hunger and Leptin tells you when you are full and satisfied.   Lack of sleep makes you hungrier, but you do not feel satisfied when you do eat so you eat more!

In fact, studies have shown increased calorie intake of over 300 extra calories per day in sleep-deprived people.

Sleep is as important as exercise and diet so make it a priority and check out this previous blogpost on how to improve your sleep: http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2020/04/sleep-in-time-of-coronavirus.html 

Nutrition Strategies for Fall Allergies

 

It's time for fall allergy symptoms to start kicking in.   Treating allergies with nutrition and nutritional supplements can be very helpful.   

Allergy medication most commonly comes in the form of antihistamines, and there are some problems with long-term use of these medications.   It is now known that prolonged use of antihistamines decreases levels of acetylcholine in the brain which is a key neurotransmitter involved in memory and other important functions.   In fact, long-term use of antihistamines increases the risk of senility, dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease in older adults.

What are Allergies Anyway?

Allergies are abnormal immune reactions to specific agents (proteins) known as antigens/allergens, which include many substances such as foods, drugs, pollens, dust mites, animal danders, feathers, along with many others. 

Since there are multiple pro-inflammatory chemicals produced in your body in allergies it is rare to obtain adequate control with single products/medications.  The most potent chemical mediators in allergies and asthma are leukotrienes.  Some leukotrienes are one thousand times more potent than histamine as stimulators of bronchial constriction and allergy. 

Interestingly, many medications that reduce one inflammatory pathway actually boost leukotrienes. For example, Aspirin and other NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs like Ibuprofen) result in the production of excessive levels of leukotrienes in sensitive individuals although they decrease prostaglandins associated with inflammation and thereby relieve pain.  

Asthma is linked to allergies and can be a severe and life threatening condition.   Do NOT try to self-treat Asthma – see a physician!

Strategies for Allergies

Try to avoid allergens by using air filters, regularly cleaning all surfaces and vacuuming and keeping your air-conditioning system on while regularly changing filters to filter out as many allergens as possible.   Remember your car cabin filter as well and take showers and wash clothes after being outside for long periods of time.

Change your diet to reduce inflammation.   Increase your intake of low glycemic, organic fruits and vegetables such as berries, broccoli, brussel sprouts, etc.   These plant foods contain polyphenols which are potent anti-oxidants and help to reduce inflammation and allergies without side effects.

Increase your intake of Omega 3 Fatty Acids from cold water fish such as Alaskan Wild Salmon and/or take an Omega 3 Supplement.   Omega 3 fatty acids will always reduce inflammation if taken in sufficient dosages so this should be a primary strategy for allergy sufferers because they produce many side benefits.   The only exception is people taking any type of blood thinner medication.   In this case the combination can be dangerous!

Nutritional Supplements for Allergies

There are several highly effective nutritional supplements for allergies including some key herbs.

Local Raw Honey – it MUST be local and must be raw because it will contain small amounts of local pollen and works by getting the body used to pollen much like an allergy shot. A tablespoon a day is as much as you need.   Many people swear by this simple and safe remedy!

Stinging Nettle Extract – this herb has a long history of effective use for allergies and freeze-dried preparations seem to work the best and are best taken BEFORE allergy season even begins to put a damper on symptoms before they start – this is true of all nutritional approaches to allergy by the way!

Euphrasia Officianalis – aka “Eyebright” is an herb whose name says it all – it is highly effective for eye allergy symptoms.

Quercetin – is a flavonoid contained in high amounts in capers, apples, peppers, red wine, dark cherries and berries, tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and sprouts, and raw red onions.   To treat allergies taking supplemental quercetin is the way to go and the best Quercetin Supplements are Quercetin Phytosome supplements. An excellent product is Mercola Quercetin and Pterostilbene which can be purchased on Amazon.  Two 250mg capsules a day is a good dose. Quercetin is also proven to decrease your chance of contracting a viral illness like the cold or flu by 9 times!

Boswellia Extract – Boswellia aka Frankincense (yes the herb mentioned in the bible!) can be highly effective for allergies and other forms of inflammation including arthritis because it blocks the formation of leukotrienes!   To get the benefits you must take 5-loxin which is a specific extract.   Note that in some individuals 5-loxin can cause or exacerbate heart burn so it is not for everyone, but when it works it can be highly effective!

Butterbur Extract – this plant extract can be highly effective for inhibiting leukotrienes and allergy symptoms or side effects.   You need to take a standardized extract with standardized levels of Petasin and Isopetasin) and free of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids aka PA.  High quality brands include Life Extension, Swanson, and Enzymatic Therapy to name a few.   This product can also help many migraine sufferers and is a well-researched, proven treatment.

NAC – N-Acetyl Cysteine - helps thin mucus naturally and boost levels of the body’s most important antioxidant Glutathione – every allergy sufferer should be taking 600 – 1,200mg per day!

 

You will also find combination of these ingredients in particular products, and it is worth experimenting a bit because if you find the right product or combination of natural products you can find relief without sedation and without the side effects associated with antihistamines and more potent

 

Isometric Exercise is the Most Effective Exercise for Blood Pressure Lowering

 

You heard that right – isometric exercise is superior to all other forms of exercise for lowering blood pressure!   This includes all forms of cardiovascular exercise and all other forms of strength training exercise.  Many studies have shown this including a large meta-analysis which showed that isometric exercise is as effective as  blood pressure drugs for lowering blood pressure. 

Isometric exercise compresses the blood vessels (particularly the veins which old over 60% of your blood). If you think of your blood vessels like a garden hose, think of what happens when you pull on both ends of a rubber garden hose - the inside diameter shrinks - and this means increase pressure is required to get the same amount of blood through the center. However if you push both ends of the hose together towards the center (like isometric exercise) the diameter actually increases and you need less pressure to move the same amount of blood!

In addition, isometric exercise has side benefits - not side effects like drugs! For example - isometrics improve joint health, improve muscle imbalances, improve performance, and are very safe and time efficient!

A simple routine done 3 times per week can provide big benefits. Just do the following three exercises 3 - 5 times per week holding each one for 30 -90 seconds:

Wall Sit

Plank

Side Plank

To learn how to do these simple exercises and more check out this short article with links to exercise videos: https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/isometric-exercises#exercises-to-try or here:  https://redefiningstrength.com/isometrics/

Eating Sugar at Breakfast Can Sabotage Weight Loss!

Many people notice that eating breakfast makes them hungrier throughout the day, and this is probably NOT their imagination!   In this case the culprit is likely what they eat.  Specifically, refined carbohydrates, including sugar, can drive hunger particularly if they are consumed with no fat or protein.

A recent study tested this hypothesis with 16 healthy young women between the ages of 18 and 30 who had a stable body weight for the last 3 months.   Anyone with diabetes or on medications that affect appetite was excluded along with people who were allergic to any part of the meals given as part of the study.

Participants fasted for a minimum of 8 hours prior to the study.   In the morning participants came to the laboratory and were given a standardized test meal consisting of passion fruit juice, one cup of coffee, French bread and 5 grams of margarine.   The two drinks had no sugar added and the participants were instructed to sweeten to their preferred taste.

The sugar container given to the participants was weighed both before and after its use by each person to know the amount of sugar each person added to their drinks.   After completing the entire meal participants did not eat or drink anything (except water) until lunchtime.

Lunch was served 3 hours after breakfast and consisted of pasta with tomato sauce, and participants were instructed to eat until they felt satisfied. 

Study Results

The participants were divided into two groups based on the amount of sugar they elected to add to their breakfast.   The high sugar group added about 25 grams of sugar to breakfast while the low sugar group only added 14 grams of sugar.

Both groups were evaluated for their perception of hunger and satiety.   The high sugar group had significantly higher levels of hunger during the three hours after breakfast AND consumed significantly more pasta at lunch!

Take Home Message

Avoid high sugar breakfasts such as standard breakfast cereal, fruit juices (eat fruit don’t drink it!) and consume 15 – 20 grams of protein and a small amount of fat.   Also try to add higher fiber carb choices like berries instead of banana, adding spinach to an omelet, etc.  Examples include an omelet with spinach with berries or a shake with protein, greens, and a small amount of MCT oil for fat.

Is Coffee a Superfood?

 

Coffee does not just taste good and provide increased energy – it is an anti-aging superstar.   In fact it is one of the healthiest and most beneficial foods you can drink!

Regular Coffee consumption benefits

2 – 3 cups of Coffee cuts type 2 diabetes risk by up to 60%.  This benefit occurs in large part because caffeine in coffee activates the AMPK enzyme enhancing blood sugar regulation and fat burning.

Regular coffee intake reduces cardiovascular disease risk by 10 -15% including stroke and heart attack.

Caffeinated coffee reduces the risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms)

Coffee activates the NRF2 enzyme which increases the production of cellular anti-oxidants including glutathione.  Glutathione is often called the Master Anti-Oxidant and levels decline with age.

Coffee reduces DNA damage which is the primary trigger for cancer.   Dark coffee drinkers have a 23% lower level of double-strand DNA breaks.  Double strand DNA breaks are the worst type of DNA damage and directly associated with cancer initiation.

Coffee reduces liver cancer risk by 15 – 20% and endometrial cancer by about 10% and decreases the risk of liver cirrhosis.

Maximum cancer-protective benefits are observed with 4 – 5 cups daily.

Coffee and the Brain

Regular coffee intake has powerful brain benefits including:

Regular coffee drinkers consuming 3 – 4 cups per day experience a 34% – 37% drop in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's risk.

Even moderate caffeine intake (2 cups per day) slows cognitive decline

Caffeine is key to brain benefits - caffeine blocks adenosine A2A receptors – reducing inhibitory signals in Parkinson's and reduces neuroinflammation.

Polyphenols in coffee improve blood flow and oxygen to the brain and increase Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and decrease inflammation through the activation of the NRF2 enzyme.   Caffeine increases the absorption of these beneficial polyphenols.

Coffee and the Microbiome

Each cup of coffee delivers 2 grams of soluble fiber and a pharmacy of beneficial polyphenols.   Coffee intake is likely the single strongest dietary factor shaping the microbiome – enriching 115 bacterial species in your gut. These polyphenols increase Short Chain Fatty Acid production which has numerous benefits.   Feeding beneficial bacteria in the gut ecosystem generates metabolites that lower inflammation, lower cholesterol and provide neuroprotection to the brain.

Caffeinated vs Decaffeinated Coffee

Although there are definite benefits to drinking caffeinated coffee – decaf coffee still confers benefits.   However some benefits - like the cognitive benefits - are less pronounced when caffeine is removed.   Decaffeination is not a big issue from a toxin standpoint.  Chemical residues in decaffeinated coffee are way lower than stringent standards set by the FDA.   In addition there are solvent free decaffeination processes and products available.

In addition caffeine intake in the afternoon is not a good idea because it disrupts circadian rhythm – even if you feel you still sleep well. So if you are a fan of coffee in the afternoon it is best to switch to decaf!

Is Organic Coffee worth it?

The short answer is yes – particularly if you drink a lot of coffee. Non-organic coffee is among the most heavily chemically treated foods, with beans exposed to compounds such as glyphosate (Roundup), organophosphates, pyrethroids, and carbamates. While roasting reduces some residues, studies confirm that small amounts can remain and make their way into your cup. Over time, cumulative exposure—even at low levels—has been linked to risks including neurological disorders, hormone disruption, respiratory issues, weakened immune function, and increased cancer risk.

What about mold in coffee?

Large scale testing shows that mycotoxin levels from mold in coffee are not a concern and roasting destroys 70 – 90% of mycotoxins.  In addition, brewing further reduces any remaining traces of these toxins.   Coffee drinkers have lower kidney and liver disease risk suggesting minimal mycotoxin concern.

What about adding milk/dairy to coffee?

Dairy in coffee binds to beneficial polyphenols and reduces their absorption substantially so black coffee is better.

Another alternative is using plant-based milks which minimally affect polyphenol absorption.

What about Medium Chain Triglycerides?

MCT’s do not bind polyphenols and in small doses may improve the cognitive benefits by boosting ketone production.

What about the Brewing Method/Variety of Coffee/Growing Region?

Brewing method matters – filtered coffee is better – and unfiltered types of coffee reduce the benefits of coffee.   Diterpenes in unfiltered coffee can increase LDL cholesterol.  

Dark Roasting reduces polyphenol content including the most studied coffee polyphenol chlorogenic acids. 

Cold brew has the highest anti-oxidant/polyphenol content because these compounds are not destroyed by brewing.

Instant coffee also has high levels of anti-oxidants and polyphenols for the same reason.

The Arabica variety of coffee plant tends to have less polyphenols than the Robusta variety which have higher caffeine content and higher levels of chlorogenic acids.

Coffee beans from higher elevations have fewer antioxidant – think Columbian coffee.

Coffee beans from equatorial regions (think Ethiopia and Kenya) have higher levels of antioxidants

Does L-Theanine reduce coffee anxiety?

The combination of 100mg – 200mg of L-Theanine with 200mg caffeine improves focus and mental performance while reducing anxiety and mitigating increases in blood pressure higher doses of caffeine can cause.   L-Theanine is very safe, and the powder has no taste and easily dissolves in coffee!

The Many Benefits of Creatine

Creatine provides a key source of energy for your cells including muscle and brain cells.   Creatine regenerates ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) which is the energy currency used by all your cells.    

Creatine for Increased Muscle Strength, Size, and Power

Creatine supplementation can help build muscle strength, size and power through several important mechanisms including improving muscle recovery.

Creatine improves muscle recovery between sets of resistance training exercise allowing you to recover faster so you can do more sets in a fixed amount of time.

Creatine allows you to recover more between repetitions of an exercise within a set meaning you can do more repetitions during a set of exercise.

Creatine also helps you recover faster between workouts allowing you to workout more frequently.

Collectively this allows you to use heavier weights, do more repetitions and more sets of exercise which is key to building muscle strength, size and power!

Creatine and the Brain

Research has proven that creatine supplementation can improve brain function.  Just like with muscles the brain uses creatine as a fuel source.

Brain levels of creatine are affected by aging, depression, schizophrenia, panic disorder and reduced physical activity.

Several studies have shown improved brain function from creatine supplementation.  A 2018 systemic review examined 6 of these studies and concluded that creatine can indeed improve short-term memory, intelligence, and reasoning.    

Creatine has also been shown to be especially useful in brain injury such as concussions. During many brain injuries there is a cellular energy crisis induced and creatine is a key energy source.

Creatine also supports mental health and helps with depression.   In the review article Creatine Supplementation in Women’s Health: A Lifespan Perspective – authors point out that “dietary creatine intake is inversely proportional with depression occurrence: with a 31% greater incidence of depression in adults in the lowest quartile of creatine intake.”

The Unique Benefits of Creatine for Women

The article goes on to point out several reasons that creatine supplementation can be especially beneficial for women.  For example - women naturally store only 10% as much creatine as men!

The article also points out that “creatine supplementation may be of particular importance during menses, pregnancy, post-partum, during and post-menopause.   The menstrual cycle may influence creatine homeostasis due to the cyclical nature of sex hormone regulation.”

Creatine supplementation is especially useful for people who do not eat meat since this is the primary dietary source of creatine, and this is particularly relevant for women because they are twice as likely as men to say they do not eat meat.

Creatine For Seniors

Another group that can reap benefits from creatine supplementation is seniors!  With aging and inactivity muscle wasting and atrophy occurs – particularly in fast-twitch muscle fibers which produce the most force.   These are the types of muscle fibers that benefit most from creatine supplementation.  

Creatine has been shown to quickly improve muscle strength in conjunction with resistance training significantly more than just resistance training.

Since creatine also improves brain function and memory through improved cellular energy it can produce big benefits all the way around for seniors.

Creatine and Bone Health

Emerging research has also uncovered how creatine improves bone health.   Creatine reduces osteoclast activity which reduces bone breakdown.   It also increases osteoblast activity which increases bone building.   When combined with resistance training this can help prevent osteoporosis.    However this is much more effective if begun before bone loss begins to occur so women should focus on strength training throughout their life and in mid-life to prevent osteoporosis.

Creatine and Sleep Deprivation

Recent research has also shown that high dose creatine supplementation can help mitigate the negative effects of sleep deprivation.    This requires a higher dose of 20 grams.  Studies have shown that creatine supplementation can improve cognitive performance in sleep-deprived individuals, including enhancing processing speed and short-term memory.  

High dose creatine supplementation is not recommended on a regular basis, and it will not substitute for consistent lack of sleep! 

How much creatine to take for benefits? 

For general strength and muscle building 5 grams per day of supplemental creatine is plenty to reap the benefits.  There is science showing that loading doses of up to 20 grams per day can speed up benefits but over time 5 grams on a consistent basis is plenty to get all the benefits.   For bone health a slightly higher dose of 8 grams per day is recommended.

Creatine Safety

Concerns are often raised over creatine and kidney health – like those raised about protein intake harming the kidneys.   This is a myth that simply will not die despite the scientific facts – creatine in moderate doses (like 5 grams per day) does NOT do any damage to normal, healthy individuals with normal kidney function.   For the full low down on this myth see this previous blog post: http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2018/10/is-creatine-safe-for-your-kidneys.html 

The 3/7 Method of Strength Training: Better Results in Less Time!

Strength Training science is always advancing and one of the newer discoveries is the use of a specific strength training protocol called the 3/7 method.  When researcher Jacques Duchateau heard about the protocol from a Swiss Track and field Coach John-Pierre Egger he decided to test it in his lab.

The 3/7 method uses a weight that is 70% of your one-rep max (typically a weight you can perform 12 repetitions of an exercise before reaching momentary muscular failure).   You lift this weight in five sets of 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 reps with just 15 seconds of rest between each set.

The researcher and his colleagues published their study on the method in Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews which compared the 3/7 method against various other protocols for bench press.   For both strength and muscle growth the protocol outperformed 4 sets of 6 reps with 2.5 minutes of rest between sets and produced similar results to 8 sets of 6 reps, all with the same weight!

The key advantage of the 3/7 method is that it takes just 5 minutes.   The key to this and any other protocol is hitting failure.   In this case if you pick the right weight you will hit failure in each of the last 2 sets.

Give it try in order break a plateau in your progress!