Conditioning Research

there is also some interesting commentary with videos of the same guy missing at 42"

Again the full text of this one is available and - if you are interested in this topic then I would suggest you read the whole thing. Here is the summary: The impact of resistance training on muscle hypertrophy is well known. For years, resistance training athletes have been interested in identifying which forms of nutritional supplementation will provide the greatest support in an effort to maximize the training adaptations from resistance training. Many findings and suggestions have been reported in this regard and are outlined below: • Resistance training modestly stimulates protein synthesis and further stimulates protein breakdown resulting an overall negative protein balance after exercise. • As the training status of an individual progresses, the magnitude of changes seen in protein synthesis and breakdown diminishes after each exercise bout as well as a diminished increase of protein synthesis after each subsequent exercise bout. • Infusion or ingestion of amino acids is an ef...

One of the things that is not discussed that often with respect to nutrition at least, is that men and women are different. (Of course they are, I've noticed) Hormonally and in terms of their broader physiology there are significant differences. Lyle McDonald talks about this a bit in his Stubborn Fat book but I've not seen it addressed much elsewhere. Anyway, this is an interesting study - the full text of which is available - it is mainly about carb loading for endurance events (a topic also discussed here recently strangely in the context of intermittent fasting ) but there is good stuff there about how carbs are actually burned and how men and women differ in this respect. The abstract is below Gender differences in carbohydrate metabolism and carbohydrate loading. Prior to endurance competition, many endurance athletes participate in a carbohydrate loading regimen in order to help delay the onset of fatigue. The "classic" regimen generally includes an inten...

I find this one pretty interesting. I'm not immediately sure what the application is but there are some intriguing issues here. The experimenters looked at how many reps guys could do with 70% of their 1 rep max and then correlated this with different measures of the physiological make up of the muscles. Anyway, they found that the fibre type was not that important but that the capilliary density was the important factor. There are trainers out there that make a lot out of the different fibre types. In this - admittedly specific - case that was not the important factor. Application? If you want to maximise your reps at 70% of 1 rep max work to increase the capilliary density in the muscles. Now how do you do that? Fiber Type Composition and Capillary Density in Relation to Submaximal Number of Repetitions in Resistance Exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between skeletal muscle fiber type composition and the maximum number of repetition...

Spotted a couple of interesting protein studies today, both of which seem to indicate that moderate protein intake is enough....... Moderate protein intake improves total and regional body composition and insulin sensitivity in overweight adults. A high protein intake (~40% of energy intake) combined with aerobic and resistance exercise training is more closely associated with improved body composition and cardiovascular risk profile than a traditional protein intake (~15% of intake) combined with moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. However, there is concern that such high-protein diets may adversely affect health. We therefore tested the hypothesis that moderate protein intake (~25% of energy intake) would elicit similar benefits on body composition and metabolic profile as high protein intake. Twenty-four overweight/obese men and women (body mass index [BMI] = 32.2 +/- 3.4, percentage of body fat [%BF] = 37.3 +/- 8.0) were matched for BMI and %BF and randomly assigned to one of 3 gr...

In all the discussion of the composition of diets - low fat or low carb etc - and the potential for "metabolic advantage" we can sometimes forget the simple fact that calories still matter. If you are eating too much, you are not going to lose weight no matter how low your carbs are. Dr Eades had a post on this today: Low carb and calories Although the lowered insulin and elevated glucagon open the doors to the fat cells allowing fat to come out to be burned, the fat comes out only if it’s needed. If you are meeting all your body’s energy needs with the food you eat, the body doesn’t need the fat in the fat cells. On a low-carb diet your body burns fat for energy. But it doesn’t care where this fat comes from; it can come from the diet or it can come from the fat cells or it can come from both. If you are consuming enough fat to meet all your body’s requirements, your body won’t go after the fat in the fat cells no matter how severely you restrict your carbs. You will burn...

Exercise can benefit the bone mineral density which is a good thing - especially in older women who are prone to osteoporosis. However, you have to keep it up to maintain the benefits....... The beneficial effects of exercise on BMD are lost after cessation: a 5-year follow-up in older post-menopausal women This study investigates whether the positive effects on bone mineral density (BMD, g/cm2) and neuromuscular function following a combined weight-bearing program are sustained in older women, a longer period after cessation of training. Thirty-four women (18 exercisers and 16 controls) aged 73–88 years, who completed a 12-month randomized-controlled trial, were invited to a 5-year follow-up assessment of BMD and neuromuscular function. Both groups sustained significant losses in BMD of the femoral neck, trochanter, and Ward's triangle during the follow-up period. Significant losses were also seen in all neuromuscular function tests. The inter-group change was, however, significa...

Fish Oil is often recommended. For example Lyle McDonald says: Of the total fat intake, the only requirement is fish oils. A minimum of 6 X 1 grams standard capsules (180 mg EPA/120 mg DHA) should be taken daily. This can be increased to ten capsules per day for athletes who are either larger, simply want to, or have the calories to do it. Beyond that, I don’t get overly hung up on fat intake. Source here (I am actually a big fan of fat, like Peter ) Here is a study explaining another of their benefits..... Inclusion of fish or fish oil in weight-loss diets for young adults: effects on blood lipids Objective: To assess the effects of fish (lean or oily) and fish oil consumption on blood lipid concentration during weight loss. Design: Randomized, controlled 8-week trial of energy-restricted diet varying in fish and fish oil content. Subjects, 324 men and women, aged 20–40 years, body mass index 27.5–32.5 kg m- 2, from Iceland, Spain and Ireland, were randomized to one of four groups...

More from the International Journal of Obesity: Effects of continuous versus accumulated activity patterns on postprandial triacylglycerol concentrations in obese men - Exercise reduces the level of fats in your blood after a meal.....but it doesn't matter if the exercise is one long session or several shorter ones. I wonder if several short bursts (intervals?) are actually more convenient? Objective: There is limited information regarding the effects of short ( Design: Each subject completed three 2-day trials at least 1 week apart in a randomized, repeated-measures design. On day 1, subjects rested (no exercise) or cycled at 60% of maximum heart rate in either ten, 3-min bouts (30 min rest between each), or one continuous 30-min bout. On day 2 of each trial, after an overnight fast, the subjects consumed a standardized test meal for breakfast. Venous blood samples were obtained in the fasted state (0 h), and 2, 4 and 6 h postprandially on day 2. Subjects: Eight sedentary men (a...

There were a couple of interesting studies this month in the International Journal of Obesity : Physical activity energy expenditure has not declined since the 1980s and matches energy expenditures of wild mammals - so the fatties can't blame it all on their "sedentary lifestyle". If you want to lose fat, you are going to have to get serious with your diet - what you eat and how much of it you scoff. It reminds me a little of Taubes piece here , and Matt's comments : Food versus Exercise Objective: Obesity results from protracted energy imbalance. Whether this comprises excessive energy intake, lowered physical activity or both, remains disputed. Design: Physical activity energy expenditure, evaluated in three different ways from daily energy expenditure (DEE) measured using doubly labelled water, was examined for trends over time. Data included subjects in Europe (Maastricht, the Netherlands) and North America extending back to the 1980s. These data were compa...

I love eggs and tend to eat them everyday - scrambled usually, but fried or boiled is great too as long as the yolk is nice and runny. I am glad that lots of research keeps indicating that they are good for you. Here is another : Eggs used to get a bad rap for their cholesterol content, which many thought led to a build up of cholesterol in the blood. That's not necessarily true. Saturated fats and trans fats are a bigger concern than the cholesterol in eggs. However, old beliefs die hard, so here's another piece of evidence. In this Univ. of Connecticut study, researchers put a group of young, unfit subjects on a 6-week endurance training program. One group of subjects ate 12 eggs a week as part of their diet; the other group ate none. After 6 weeks, both groups had the same improved profile in the blood cholesterol levels. Their cholesterol markers moved 10 to 20 percent in "good" directions. The eggs had no effect . Source: The Journal Of Nutritional Biochemistry ...

This study popped up today: Study identifies food-related clock in the brain Findings could help travellers, shift workers adjust to changes in time zones and overnight schedules It is basically about another potential effect of intermittent fasting : The findings, which appear in the May 23 issue of the journal Science, help explain how animals adapt their circadian rhythms in order to avoid starvation, and suggest that by adjusting eating schedules, humans too can better cope with changes in time zones and nighttime schedules that leave them feeling groggy and jet-lagged. If you are interested, the story was commented on elsewhere: Fasting may starve off jet lag Are mealtimes the answer to jet lag?

I've said before that I am a sucker for videos of big jumps..... (remember this one? ) Anyway, Mark recently posted a good article on Plyometrics..."to make you fitter, faster and stronger" He includes some the video above of extreme bounding: Starting from a gentle jog, push off the ground with your left foot and bring the leg forward with knee bent and thigh parallel to the ground. Extend the right arm forward as the left leg comes through and swing back as left foot touches floor. Then the right leg drives forward, with opposite arm extending and then flexing back. By keeping foot strikes (that is, the time that your foot is in contact with the ground) to a minimum, you will execute a series of quick, long strides that attempt to cover as much distance as possible

Of course it is not as simple as that..... Lyle McDonald has just posted a couple of good thought provoking articles on this. You may not agree with them all, but they are a good read: Carbohydrate and Fat Controversies Part 1 Carbohydrate and Fat Controversies Part 2

I thought this was interesting. I do not add salt to my food in general - I don't really like it. I suppose I've also had a view that excess salt is unhealthy . This study casts doubt on that idea.... New study casts further doubt on risk of death from higher salt intake May 15, 2008 – (BRONX, NY) – Contrary to long-held assumptions, high-salt diets may not increase the risk of death, according to investigators from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. They reached their conclusion after examining dietary intake among a nationally representative sample of adults in the U.S. The Einstein researchers actually observed a significantly increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with lower sodium diets. They report their findings in the advance online edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The junkfood science blog had a good post on this subject last year: Salt Shaking News

While I am not a massive fan of distance running, if it is your sport, you may find this study of interest. I'm sure you could design a better training programme, but even 4x4 half squats improved strength, running economy and the time to exhaustion. So if you want to improve your running there is an argument for adding strength training to the mix..... Maximal Strength Training Improves Running Economy in Distance Runners. Purpose: The present study investigated the effect of maximal strength training on running economy (RE) at 70% of maximal oxygen consumption (V[spacing dot above]O2max) and time to exhaustion at maximal aerobic speed (MAS). Responses in one repetition maximum (1RM) and rate of force development (RFD) in half-squats, maximal oxygen consumption, RE, and time to exhaustion at MAS were examined. Methods: Seventeen well-trained (nine male and eight female) runners were randomly assigned into either an intervention or a control group. The intervention group (four mal...

Just had an excellent week in the highlands. Seven new Munros climbed (223 total now, only 61 to go). The weather was surprisingly good all week. Windy, but otherwise excellent. This photo above looking over to Ben Nevis from Aonach Beag, last Wednesday. A hard day - only about a 15km walk but over 1200m of ascent which was tough. Back to normal posting activity now....

Back in a week

from Scrapper It is interesting that the key move in these - like in the kettlebell swing - is the hip drive.

this BBC news page has some interesting information on how Dwain Chambers managed his drug programme and avoided detection by the authorities. There is also a video of his former Balco supplier, Victor Conte, explaining the doping regime. I have a funny attitude towards steroids. I would never take them because I would be scared of causing myself harm. However I have known people who have taken the gear, although this was around 15-20 years ago when things were less sophisticated. The drugs worked I could see that. They grew fast and got strong. Is it cheating though? Yes. But sometimes I think that you could argue that altitude training is cheating or that particularly streamlined swimsuits are cheating. People are never on an level playing field. It doesn't seem right, but maybe we should not be so nieve. The world is a tough and unpleasant place. People use drugs. What I don't like is the deception - the lies that people are clean when they are not. If they ...

This video is kicking around the internet at the moment, but I think it deserves a wide exposure. At the APF/AAPF Master's Nationals held May 4 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Mike Hummel, 242, bench pressed 600 pounds as an M1. That, in itself, is not an insignificant achievement. Even more impressive, Hummel did it with only one arm. Hummel lost his left arm a few years ago at the mid-forearm. After extensive rehabilitation, he began training again and with the help of a prosthetic is able to compete. The prosthetic features a hinge and screw clamp, allowing him to "grip" the bar. Here's video of Hummel's feat: Amazing. Ross makes some good comments on this in the context of thinking about people's general negativity in "Life is tough, deal with it"

Mark Twight says: One-Piece Dan John originally said that the body is one-piece, and joked that there is no core . We couldn't see how rolling around on a Swiss Ball could do any more than help stabilize muscles around one's center. However, we learned that many other exercises taught one to initiate movement from the centre without ever being recognized as " core exercises" so we filmed some. Check out the Turkish Get ups at the end.... There is no core......The body is one piece....

I've pointed out recently that keotgenic diets are used to treat epilepsy and possibly benefit other neurological conditions. However each time this is mentioend the science will often say something like: However, the mechanism(s) by which the Ketogenic Diet achieves neuroprotection and/or seizure control are not yet known. Here is a study which makes a guess at what is going on. Increases in ATP - the basic fuel of cells Are purines mediators of the anticonvulsant/neuroprotective effects of ketogenic diets? Abnormal neuronal signaling caused by metabolic changes characterizes several neurological disorders, and in some instances metabolic interventions provide therapeutic benefits. Indeed, altering metabolism either by fasting or by maintaining a low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diet might reduce epileptic seizures and offer neuroprotection in part because the diet increases mitochondrial biogenesis and brain energy levels. Here we focus on a novel hypothesis that a ketogenic die...

this is pretty sick....a climber doing a one handed pull up:

well ok it is good for rats. It increases the level of Glutathione, an important antioxidant. So forget your 5 a day, just dump the carbs? The Ketogenic Diet Increases Mitochondrial Glutathione Levels. The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low carbohydrate diet that is used as a therapy for intractable epilepsy. However, the mechanism(s) by which the KD achieves neuroprotection and/or seizure control are not yet known. We sought to determine whether the KD improves mitochondrial redox status. Adolescent Sprague-Dawley rats (P28) were fed a KD or control diet for 3 weeks and ketosis was confirmed by plasma levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). KD-fed rats showed a 2-fold increase in hippocampal mitochondrial glutathione (GSH) and GSH/GSSG ratio compared to control diet-fed rats. To determine whether elevated mitochondrial GSH was associated with increased de novo synthesis, the enzymatic activity of glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL) (the rate limiting enzyme in GSH biosynthesis) and pr...

I'm sure this is a potential ankle breaker!

Protein in optimal health: heart disease and type 2 diabetes Diets with increased protein and reduced carbohydrates have been shown to improve body composition, lipid and lipoprotein profiles, and glycemic regulations associated with treatment of obesity and weight loss. Derived from these outcomes, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets are also being examined for treatment of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets have been found to have positive effects on reducing risk factors for heart disease, including reducing serum triacylglycerol, increasing HDL cholesterol, increasing LDL particle size, and reducing blood pressure. These diets appear particularly attractive for use with individuals exhibiting the atherogenic dyslipidemia of metabolic syndrome. High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets have also been investigated for treatment of type 2 diabetes with positive effects on glycemic regulation, including reducing fasting blood glucos...

Protein, weight management, and satiety Obesity, with its comorbidities such as metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases, is a major public health concern. To address this problem, it is imperative to identify treatment interventions that target a variety of short- and long-term mechanisms. Although any dietary or lifestyle change must be personalized, controlled energy intake in association with a moderately elevated protein intake may represent an effective and practical weight-loss strategy. Potential beneficial outcomes associated with protein ingestion include the following: 1) increased satiety—protein generally increases satiety to a greater extent than carbohydrate or fat and may facilitate a reduction in energy consumption under ad libitum dietary conditions; 2) increased thermogenesis—higher-protein diets are associated with increased thermogenesis, which also influences satiety and augments energy expenditure (in the longer term, increased thermogenesis contributes to...

I've previously pointed out some of the research stating that cancer can be treated with a ketogenic diet, starving the cancer cells of the glucose that they need to survive. Here is a new and related study. Carbohydrate intake, glycemic index, glycemic load, and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in a prospective study of French women Background: Diets high in carbohydrates may result in chronically elevated insulin concentrations and may affect breast cancer risk by stimulation of insulin receptors or through insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I)–mediated mitogenesis. Insulin response to carbohydrate intake is increased in insulin-resistant states such as obesity. Objective: We sought to evaluate carbohydrate intake, glycemic index (GI), and glycemic load (GL) and subsequent overall and hormone-receptor-defined breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women. Design: A prospective cohort analysis of dietary carbohydrate and fiber intakes was conducted among 62 739 postmenopausa...

We have mentioned coffee before with respect to its impact on insulin. Here is another related study. Caffeine makes you insulin resistant? Caffeinated coffee consumption impairs blood glucose homeostasis in response to high and low glycemic index meals in healthy men Background: The ingestion of caffeine (5 mg/kg body weight) and a 75-g oral glucose load has been shown to elicit an acute insulin–insensitive environment in healthy and obese individuals and in those with type 2 diabetes. Objective: In this study we investigated whether a similar impairment in blood glucose management exists when coffee and foods typical of a Western diet were used in a similar protocol. Design: Ten healthy men underwent 4 trials in a randomized order. They ingested caffeinated (5 mg/kg) coffee (CC) or the same volume of decaffeinated coffee (DC) followed 1 h later by either a high or low glycemic index (GI) cereal (providing 75 g of carbohydrate) mixed meal tolerance test. Results: CC with the high G...

........researchers determine that the number of fat cells in a human's body, whether lean or obese, is established during the teenage years. Changes in fat mass in adulthood can be attributed mainly to changes in fat cell volume, not an increase in the actual number of fat cells. This is interesting. Read the rest here.

Nick McKinless is a British Strongman (and stuntman and grip monster) whose blog I keep an eye on. I've noted before that I am a sucker for vertical jumps. Take a look at this video and make sure that you keep watching until the end when, at about 2:06 you will see a massive jump.....

The impact of freezing and toasting on the glycaemic response of white bread Then again, don't eat the bread at all and the GI is even better. Of course the GI concept is not without problems

You are what you eat? That is Mark, age 54. His diet works out at about 58% of calories from fat, not as high as some.....but certainly higher than many! Otherwise there is: 2,458 calories, 58% of which was from fat; 165 grams of protein (1 gram per pound of body weight) and 114 grams of carbs. Now some might say that eating less than 2500 calories is too low for a moderately active man, but there are two points to make here. First, I am never really hungry. On this Primal Blueprint eating style, I eat when I want to and stop when I no longer feel hungry. Pretty simple. If I skip meals, I don’t get light-headed or famished. I don’t ever feel like I need more calories or that I am missing out on anything or “sacrificing” some guilty pleasure. I get plenty of protein to spare muscle and add to protein turnover. I get plenty of fat for fuel – sometimes 65% of daily calories. Second - and this goes to the heart of the Primal concept – when you eat fewer carbs, your body readily accesses...

Here is another study of the impact of a Paleolithic diet. The abstract is linked to below, but I also managed to get the whole paper this time. So click on the tables to see the results Effects of a short-term intervention with a paleolithic diet in healthy volunteers Looking at the results in the full study, there are some interesting bits. In terms of macro nutrient ratios the diet went from 13.5% / 54.3% / 29.6% protein / carbs / fat to 23.9% / 40% / 35.8% (% of calories). Total energy intake went down from 2478 to 1584. I suppose if you wanted to link the changes in blood lipids etc to the diet you'd have to make is iso-calorific. Otherwise all we can say is that taking in fewer calories has an effect..... Interesting anyway and worth reading. UPDATE Br Briffa comments on this here . And of course the establishment do not like it !

almost a 32kg bottoms up TGU...... from Rif

Beneficial Effects of Subcutaneous Fat Transplantation on Metabolism Subcutaneous (SC) and visceral (VIS) obesity are associated with different risks of diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. To elucidate whether these differences are due to anatomic location or intrinsic differences in adipose depots, we characterized mice after transplantation of SC or VIS fat from donor mice into either SC or VIS regions of recipient mice. The group with SC fat transplanted into the VIS cavity exhibited decreased body weight, total fat mass, and glucose and insulin levels. These mice also exhibited improved insulin sensitivity during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps with increased whole-body glucose uptake, glucose uptake into endogenous fat, and insulin suppression of hepatic glucose production. These effects were observed to a lesser extent with SC fat transplanted to the SC area, whereas VIS fat transplanted to the VIS area was without effect. These data suggest that SC fat is intrinsically diffe...

According to the press release , this one sounds a lot like Taubes' Good Calories, Bad Calories..... In making her argument, Leas offers some startling facts. For example: Overweight people live longer than those in the so-called “healthy” range of the BMI scale. No one has ever shown a correlation between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease. Doctors often prescribe statin drugs when our cholesterol level reaches 240, even though this is actually within the normal range. A porterhouse steak contains more unsaturated fat than saturated fat. Today Americans consume 15 percent less fat than we did in 1970, yet overall we are 20 percent fatter. Leas points to a number of studies that offer convincing evidence that the over-consumption of carbohydrates and the past proliferation of synthetic transfat—a truly dangerous fat—are actually to blame for the obesity and heart disease epidemics. Throughout the book, Leas explains the science behind fats in a manner that the layperson can...

I am sure that there are lots of clever people reading this blog that will be able to make more of this study than I can but how about: Resistance training still has effects on older men Taking protein around training in older men reduces the usual resultant levels of testosterone in the blood; but Taking protein around training did not affect the gene expression associated with other hormonal growth factors. So in the light of this study and of this one - Protein co-ingestion stimulates muscle protein synthesis during resistance type exercise - is it a good idea to eat protein around your training? I don't know and I can't really comment since I've not tried it, but I can't help thinking that I would throw up. Androgen receptors and testosterone in men-Effects of protein ingestion, resistance exercise and fiber type. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of protein ingestion on circulating testosterone and muscle androgen receptor (AR) as well as on i...

Just a quick round up of things I've spotted of interest in the last couple of days: Weight loss when it is hard - read all the comments too Roman Gladiators were fat vegetarians! Fat cells die and are replaced - Every year, whether you are fat or thin, whether you lose weight or gain, 10 percent of your fat cells die. And every year, those cells that die are replaced with new fat cells, researchers in Sweden reported Sunday. Exercise and diet enhance fat oxidation and reduce insulin resistance in older obese adults - In conclusion, these data show that exercise training improves resting substrate oxidation and creates a metabolic milieu that appears to promote lipid utilization in skeletal muscle, thus facilitating a reversal of insulin resistance. We also demonstrate that leptin sensitivity is improved but that such a trend may rely on reducing caloric intake in addition to exercise training. "You can strive for excellence without being burdened by a need for perfection...

I've had posts before on the effectiveness of plyometrics (for example here ). This study looked at the optimal frequency of such training... Once or twice a week is better than 4 times per week...... Low and Moderate Plyometric Training Frequency Produces Greater Jumping and Sprinting Gains Compared With High Frequency. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of 3 different plyometric training frequencies (e.g., 1 day per week, 2 days per week, 4 days per week) associated with 3 different plyometric training volumes on maximal strength, vertical jump performance, and sprinting ability. Forty-two students were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: control (n = 10, 7 sessions of drop jump (DJ) training, 1 day per week, 420 DJs), 14 sessions of DJ training (n = 12, 2 days per week, 840 DJs), and 28 sessions of DJ training (n = 9, 4 days per week, 1680 DJs). The training protocols included DJ from 3 different heights 20, 40, and 60 cm. Maximal strength (1 repetition maximu...

I really didn't think this was news, but it was on the radio this morning Diet treatment call for epilepsy A special high-fat diet helps to control fits in children with epilepsy, a UK trial suggests. The number of seizures fell by a third in children on the "ketogenic" diet, where previously they had suffered fits every day despite medication. The diet alters the body's metabolism by mimicking the effects of starvation, the researchers reported in the Lancet Neurology. The researchers called for the diet to be more widely available on the NHS. A further story gives a case of a young child who improved with the diet and an example of it. The abstract of the study is here . Lyle McDonald explains the history of this diet: The ketogenic diet has been used to treat a variety of clinical conditions, the most well known of which is childhood epilepsy. Writings as early as the middle ages discuss the use of fasting as a treatment for seizures. The early 1900's saw th...

Crossfit , circuit training, metabolic conditioning, GPP . Call it what you will it has become popular in recent years. Scott (The Modern Forager) had an excellent post on this a few days ago: Picking the Right Tool for the Job, Part 1: GPP vs SPP I think there is something of a backlash against crossfit at the moment and it is worth reading all of Scott's post and the comments. It does all depend on what you are training for. Crossfit is about being an all-rounder - and probably fitter than 95% of the population - which is fine. Some of the criticism I think is coming from those who are trying to excel in a specialism while using a generalist programme. For example Mark Twight - the guy who trained the actors for 300 - has moderated his training away from pure crossfit stuff and added in a lot more endurance work. But this makes sense because he is an endurance athlete - doing bike racing. He explains here January 2008: Every now and then someone posts an old quote of mine...

This one just bemused me, mainly due to the photo of the fish. I kept on thinking "I've never seen an obese fish!" Scottish scientists have found that binge eating and crash dieting may significantly reduce life expectancy. Researchers from Glasgow University observed that fish given a "binge then diet" food regime had a reduced lifespan of up to 25%. Their study compared the growth rate, success of reproduction and lifespan of stickleback fish. They believe the findings could have implications for teenagers and children who follow extreme patterns of dieting. I'm really puzzled the way the researchers extrapolate from sticklebacks to humans.

There has been a fair bit of research and some hype about the potential for combating aging via calorie restriction . In light of all this I thought that this study looked interesting. All the usual caveats (like this is mice not humans) but interesting that exercise did not accelerate the accumulation of oxidative damage. Even so, exercise doesn't make you live longer....which is worth bearing in mind Effect of exercise and calorie restriction on biomarkers of aging in mice Unlike calorie restriction, exercise fails to extend maximum life span, but the mechanisms that explain this disparate effect are unknown. We used a 24-wk protocol of treadmill running, weight matching, and pair feeding to compare the effects of exercise and calorie restriction on biomarkers related to aging. This study consisted of young controls, an ad libitum-fed sedentary group, two groups that were weight matched by exercise or 9% calorie restriction, and two groups that were weight matched by 9% calori...

spotted on the Bodyrecomposition forum