For me it usually starts with an afternoon spent at the Boston University medical library or the Harvard University medical library looking at journals, trying not to drool on them if I fall asleep. The last time I fell asleep I woke up to some dweeb in a white lab coat looking down at me who said "can I read that journal or do you want to drool on it some more?" Talk about embarrassing. Anyway, Friday afternoon is my favorite day to hang out at one of these medical libraries and do some research. I sit in a chair with a stack of journals (keeping my cell phone close by in case I have to call for an emergency pizza) and look for something to hit my noggin with information I can make an article out of. Some times I find a bunch of research that is interesting and potentially useful to bodybuilders, but each article in each journal is not at all related to the other and so I can't do much with the information. Generally I just file the information for future use. However, this time I decided, "what if I take a stack of this interesting - though unrelated - research and put it together as a single article?" Sort of like my Intake Update column in MuscleMag International but a little longer. Below is a brief description, with my own brand of sarcasm...err commentary, of some research I think has potential applications to bodybuilders.

Vitamins:

Study #1: "Modulation of insulin-like growth factor-1: A specific role for vitamin B1 (thiamine)." This study was published in the journal Nutritional Biochemistry (1996, 7:207-213) , one of my favorite journals. Thiamine (A.K.A vitamin B1) is a water soluble vitamin in the vitamin B family. As with all the B vitamins, thiamine is particularly important for energy production in the body and serves as a co-factor for certain enzymes involved with intermediate metabolism which are directly involved with converting glucose to energy. As with many vitamins and other essential nutrients, it is well known that a deficiency in thiamine impairs growth, and animals fed thiamine deficient diets do not grow nearly as well as animals fed thiamine sufficient diets. No big news here. However, based on some of their previous research, these researchers surmised that thiamine may be a specific modulator of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). For six weeks they fed two groups of rats the same number of calories and other nutrients except one group was deprived of the vitamin thiamine. As expected, the rats who did not get the thiamine did not grow well compared to the rats who ate adequate thiamine. After six weeks of no thiamine, IGF-1 was reduced by 40%, GH was suppressed dramatically, insulin was suppressed by 30%, and the muscle wasting hormone cortisol was 95% higher than the group of rats who got the thiamine. These were some seriously catabolic rats! The researchers concluded: "these findings suggest the the regulation of IGF-1 and IGFBPs (insulin-like growth factor binding proteins) are uniquely modulated during thiamine deficiency, and that this modulation is distinctly different from any other model of nutrient deprivation and fasting, where the regulation of IGF-1 or its binding proteins is highly dependent on either energy availability, substrate delivery or the prevailing hormonal milieu." The ability of thiamine as an important modulator of IGF was independent ofcaloric intake, and this is an important point.

So what's the take home here? If you eat a decent diet and take a good multi vitamin, getting enough thiamine is not a problem. And no, I don't think eating extra thiamine would raise IGF, though it wont stop some unscrupulous supplement company from taking the findings of this study out of context and claiming thiamine raises IGF (Anyone remember boron?). The main point here is (1) our knowledge of how all the micro and macro nutrients work and interact is still quite crude. To think otherwise would be both ignorant and arrogant. (2) that a single micro nutrient deficiency could totally screw up the entire IGF-1, GH, and insulin production axis, is yet more proof of the importance of proper nutrient supplementation for maximum growth.

Fats:

Study #1: "Inhibition of steroid 5 alpha-reductase by specific aliphatic unsaturated fatty acids." Now this is a really cool study that came from my favorite biochemistry journal (Biochem. J., 1992, 285: 557-562) and it certainly got me to thinkin. The study found that certain unsaturated fatty acids were potent inhibitors of the enzyme 5 alpha reductase (5AR). 5AR is the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is involved with male pattern baldness, acne, female hirsutism, and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Of all the unsaturated fatty acids tested, the researchers found the most potent inhibitor of 5AR was Gamma-Linolenic acid (GLA). Also, this inhibition was seen at very low concentrations in vitro. The question is, would taking large amounts of GLA stop hair loss? I don't know, but its interesting research. Plenty of bodybuilders already take GLA for its known abilities to protect the liver, reduce inflammation, etc. The researchers found that various unsaturated fatty acids had 5AR inhibiting abilities that ranged from strong to none at all. They also found that certain phospho-lipids actually increased the activity of 5AR and that the presence of a double bond was required for any inhibitory activity of fatty acids on 5AR (i.e. saturated fats had no effect).

So what's the take home from this study? At this time there is limited research to show that taking GLA would do anything for hair loss, or other DHT related afflictions, but GLA does have other health benefits. What this research says to me is that fatty acids in the diet have a very important, and often overlooked, role in the metabolism of androgens, leading the researchers in this study to conclude "These results suggest that unsaturated fatty acids may play an important role in regulating androgen action in target cells." The two essential fatty acids Alpha linolenic acid (found in flax oil and other sources) and linoleic acid (found in various vegetable oils) were also found to have some 5AR inhibiting properties, but not as strong as GLA.

I will theorize this: this is yet more proof that a low fat diet lacking in essential fatty acids and other useful fatty acids (i.e. GLA, CLA, etc.) is a piss poor way of gaining muscle, losing fat, and/or improving your health.

Study #2: "Differential effects of w-6 and w-3 fatty acids on interleukin-2 production and mRNA expression by EL-4.IL-2 cells." (Nutritional Biochemistry, 6:467-473, 1995) This study has bodybuilding applications that are more indirect than direct. None the less, it points to the ever growing evidence of the importance of getting adequate amounts of essential fatty acids in our diet in the correct ratios. There are two completely different problems when one examines the issue of the essential fatty acids: (1) is the person getting adequate amounts in their diet and (2) is the person taking them in the correct ratios in respect to one another? The people (i.e. nutritionists, doctors, etc.) who are smart enough to consider the first problem rarely take the time to consider the second. This is a mistake that leads to numerous problems which can effect both bodybuilders and "normal" people alike.

Research has continuously pointed to the anti-inflammatory properties of w-3 fatty acids and their ability to modulate prostaglandin (PGs) and cytokine production and their respective ratios. Certain prostaglandins (PGE-2) and cytokines ( IL-1, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor a [TNFa]) increase inflammation, promote the growth of certain tumors, alter immune function, and affect other complex biological functions. Other cytokines such as IL-2, are anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing. An imbalance between the levels and ratios of the above prostaglandins/cytokines is associated with auto-immune diseases, certain cancers, HIV related diseases, and other additional afflictions we would all like to avoid.

"So where is Brink going with all this and what the hell does this stuff have to do with sports nutrition or bodybuilding?" you are thinking to yourself as you read this techno babble. Here's the rub and the point of the above study. It is well known that w-3 fatty acids (F.Y.I, w = Omega) found in fish, flax oil, and other sources reduce inflammation of all kinds among many of their beneficial effects, and it is well established that w-6 fatty acids found in certain vegetable oils (safflower, sunflower, corn, and others) have pro-inflammatory abilities through their ability to modulate postaglandins/cytokine production. The researchers in this study subjected certain cells to w-3 or w-6 oils. In the presence of the w-3 oils, these cells produced far less pro-inflammatory PGs/cytokines, more IL-2 (an anti-inflammatory cytokine), and were more resistant to oxidative damage. In the presence of higher amounts of w-6 oils, the reverse was true, leading the researchers to conclude: " ...minimal alteration of dietary essential fatty acids may have marked effects on immune responses," and " because eicosanoids, cytokines, and free radicals are known to participate in the pathogenesis of inflammation, w-3 fatty acids may delay the onset of inflammation by preserving and maintaining the delicate balance between the pro- and anti- inflammatory cytokines and lipid mediators."

So what's the take home of the above information? As I have mentioned many times before, w-3 fatty acids (found in flax oil and deep water fish) are anti-inflammatory, anti-catabolic, anti-lipogenic (stop fat storage), and a bunch of other positive "anti's" that are relevant to athletes of all kinds. This study shows us some of the possible mechanisms of these oils. This research also tells us that we need to get these oils in the correct ratios or potential immune changes, more inflammation, and other problems, can be the result of a diet too high in w-6 containing oils and too low in w-3 containing oils. Problem is, that is exactly what is going on in the average Americans diet (including bodybuilders) which is one of many reasons we are a society full of inflammatory diseases. The reader should not come away thinking that w-6 oils are "bad" for you, they are only bad for you when they are out of balance with the w-3 fatty acids and w-6 fatty acids are essential to the diet and our health. Bottom line, take your flax oil (or other oils high in w-3 fatty acids) boys and girls!

Proteins:

Study #1: "Oligopeptides suppress fat deposition and influence on the cellularity of adipose tissue." (Kagawa, et al) This research did not come from a journal but was given to me by a researcher friend who wanted my opinion on the stuff. This is "in house" research done by a Japanese pharmaceutical company. The product is called Peptide FM and it appears to have some very interesting properties. Peptide FM is made from various proteins with specific amino acid sequences. The proteins are fractioned to get specific peptides with certain amino acid sequences of a certain length. Peptide FM appears to be able to reduce fat deposition from both the intake of fat and carbohydrates in the diet. It has effects at both the digestive and cellular level and has been shown to inhibit lipogenesis (fat storage) in both liver and adipose tissue. Peptide FM was shown to inhibit certain enzy mes involved with the production and subsequent storage of fat in fat cells and increases beta-oxidation (fat burning) in several animal models. Peptide FM was also shown to reduce triglycerides in this research. Just as important as its effects, it was found to do all this at very small doses.

Now for the bad news. So far, very little of this research has been published in peer reviewed journals and all of the research has been done by the same group. It is hard to tell just how good this stuff is until it goes through some confirmation by other researchers. Companies involved in making these types of products are sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place. If they publish their material right away someone might steal the idea from them and if they sit on it "in house" it looks as if they are trying to hide something. So will this be the best thing for bodybuilders since the squat rack? It's to early to tell but I would expect to see this stuff pop up in various products in the coming months.

Diet:

Study #1: "The effects of a low fat, high protein v.s a low fat, high carbohydrate diet on cardiovascular risk factors in obese subjects." This study just told us what we have known all along, that a high protein/low carb diet is superior to a high carb/low protein diet for losing fat. The people put on the high protein diet lost considerably more fat than the people on the high carb/low protein diet. This study was published in the International Journal of Obesity (20 [suppl 4]:47, 1996). For me, this, and other research, also shoots to hell the advice that "a calorie is a calorie" as both groups were eating the same number of calories yet the people eating the high protein/low carb diet lost more fat. The best thing about this study is it ran for six months, instead of six weeks, like so many studies (supposedly) designed to asses the effects of dietary changes on body composition. High protein diets are associated with the hormones that lead to increases in lean tissue (muscle) and reductions in bodyfat, such as IGF-1, GH, and thyroid hormones. So why are some nutrition "authorities" still pushing the high carb diet? Beats the hell out of me. When will mainstream nutritionists and doctors catchup to what bodybuilders and other athletes have known for years (i.e. that high protein/low carb diets are better for weight loss than high carb/low protein diets) ? Who knows, or cares for that matter. Fact is, a high protein/low carb diet is far more anti-catabolic (muscle sparing) than a high carb/low protein diet during times of reduced calorie intake.

If you want to lose fat and retain muscle, it's really fairly simple. Eat 1-1.5+ grams per pound of LBM of high quality protein, reduce carb intake to 0.8 gram per pound of LBM of complex only carbs, and add in 2-3 tablespoons of flax oil a day. Spread your intake over 5-6 meals per day and try to eat most of your carbs early in the day and immediately following your workout. Take a good multi vitamin, train with weight three days per week and do cardio as little as possible and as needed. Presto-chango bodyfat is reduced and muscle mass is increased or at least maintained. If you need more information than that, read my book Priming The Anabolic Environment.

Will Brink

See Will's ebooks online here:

Bodybuilding Revealed
http://www.bodybuildingrevealed.com
A complete guide bodybuilding supplements and eating to gain lean muscle

Fat Loss Revealed
http://www.fatlossrevealed.com
A review of diet supplements and guide to eating for maximum fat loss

He can be contacted at: PO Box 812430
Wellesley MA. 02482.
BrinkZone.com
Email: will@brinkzone.com

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