Ask the Exercise Scientist

[MuscleScience]

yo MS.

This is food related, not exercise, but what the hell...

I keep reading conflicting articles on cooking(heating) with olive oil.
Some say yeah you can, it only changes the flavor, and others say its a bad idea because it goes over its smoke point???

What do you know my good man?

it may change some of the general properties of the oil, but it is far better than cooking with vegetable oil that is for sure.

[IM708]

Not exactly, GH gut as its known is cause by the the enlargement of the internal abdominal organs. Generally this is a consequence of very high levels of HGH.

That can't be very healthy.

[scibble]

dont know that there's any data on it, but what's your op?

we hear that some estrogen is needed for maximum gains, they say.

I am wondering whether the amount of estrogen needed for benefit is increased in proportion to the level of testosterone or whether it's likely to be an independent low level.

for instance, a natty guy with total test 700 and estro 20; compared to him would a juicer with high test levels benefit from supranormal levels of estro in his system or would gains be optimized at the normal "20" level.

[peachfuzz]

^good question as i have wondered this myself...

from my understanding you need to maintain a certain ratio, but we will see what MuscleSci has to say.

[Swifto]

So in a sense SHBG is not a bad thing under normal conditions, it can became a problem when androgen levels are low or someone is in a fasting state. The higher the levels the greater proportion of T that is being bound. Which if your trying to recover from a cycle would most likely be a bad thing. Since you may have high SHBG and lower T than normal.



The above statement is right up your alley Swifto - as this would seem to suggest proviron may be very prudent in a pct protocol....(and is often recommended in some as well)

I actually wrote an article stating Proviron can be and should be used during PCT. But after reading some of BigCats/Nandi's posts at another forum, I wasnt so sure.

[MuscleScience]

dont know that there's any data on it, but what's your op?

we hear that some estrogen is needed for maximum gains, they say.

I am wondering whether the amount of estrogen needed for benefit is increased in proportion to the level of testosterone or whether it's likely to be an independent low level.

for instance, a natty guy with total test 700 and estro 20; compared to him would a juicer with high test levels benefit from supranormal levels of estro in his system or would gains be optimized at the normal "20" level.

Thats a very good question Scibble. I have not read much of anything in the literature regarding estrogen and muscle mass. Classically it is taught that testosterone is the key hormone in development of muscle mass in men, which explains the relative difference in muscle mass between men and women. However studies related to bone density show a synergistic effect of estrogen and testosterone on bone mineral density, in both males and females. With more importance on estrogen in women of course. That leads one to believe that there is a similar effect with muscle mass as well.

My take on the subject based on reading I have seen recently is that for the purposes you described above that estrogen may have some relative effect on muscle mass but clearly higher T levels offset any gains that would be lost by lowering estrogen. I think it is more important for estrogen to be maintained at a normal level more for the immune system to work properly. Certainly higher levels of estrogen effects how much fat mass one carries as well as how much water weight is maintained on cycle. I do not think that lowering estrogen levels to nothing is a good idea, I also do not think it is a good idea to have higher than normal estrogen levels for any slight positive effect it may have on muscle mass while cycling.

Here is a paper that has shown some possible effect on muscle mass and the estrogen receptor in mice. This is about the only paper that I was able to find that shows estrogen having a direct effect on skeletal muscle mass.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum

[MuscleScience]

That can't be very healthy.

It isnt great, its probably more a cosmetic issue than anything. I seem to recall conditions in acr*****ly and gigantism related to increase in organ size and health issues.

[Dinosaur]

hey science guy im back with my question.
do you have to have 8hrs sleep or more to wake and work fresh?
i;ve heard that statement from a handful of doctors that have done that study but i truly don't believe it. some bodybuilders have broke those rules including jay cutler i ve heard him saying in his video that he wakes up two times at night just to eat. although his not the only person that does that. are this people trying to prove a point that is pointless or what?

do have any input on that?

[run_n_fool]

MS,

Still interested in the *ideal* # of sets you see for each body part, when you get a chance.

[dehydromethandrotren]

is it true that muscle growth occurs best within the 6-12 rep range (to failure), stimulating teh type 2b muscle fibers which have the greatest potential for growth (100%) ?

if so, why?

Any info on the best ways to specifically increase muscle size, as opposed to increase purely strength, woul dbe great as well

[MuscleScience]

MS,

Still interested in the *ideal* # of sets you see for each body part, when you get a chance.

Ok this is a basic breakdown per muscle group. Keep in mind this may vary from person to person. This includes compound movements as the total volume counted.

Quads-4-6
calves 2-4
Traps-3-4
biceps-2-4
triceps 3-6
Pecs- 2-4
Forearms-4-6
lats/scapula retraction-4-6

There is evidence that the upper body musculature recovers quicker than the lower body musculature. There is also evidence that exercise that involves a single joint are easier to recover from than multiple joint exercises. This needs to be kept in mind when performing or designing your own program.

[MuscleScience]

hey science guy im back with my question.
do you have to have 8hrs sleep or more to wake and work fresh?
i;ve heard that statement from a handful of doctors that have done that study but i truly don't believe it. some bodybuilders have broke those rules including jay cutler i ve heard him saying in his video that he wakes up two times at night just to eat. although his not the only person that does that. are this people trying to prove a point that is pointless or what?

do have any input on that?

Sleep is very important for full recovery. The general recommendation is to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep per night. However not everyone absolutely needs that much sleep. There are people that seem to require very little sleep to function normally throughout the day. The interesting thing about sleep is that you cant build it up or store it. There is an absolute requirement for each individual. The good thing about sleep is that one good nights sleep can fully restore someone for a weeks worth of bad sleep.

Quality of sleep is also as important as quantity of sleep. A person should be able to fall asleep and achieve a certain period of REM sleep per night. If you sleep off and on for 8 hours, it is not the same as 8 hours of full REM sleep.

When you read some of these studies they are talking about a certain percentage of people. The majority of people need 8 hours of sleep. If you look at the data from these studies you will see that people that get 4 hours of sleep score just as well on the surveys or indexes that these studies use. There are always variations in a population and for the majority of people it is a good recommendation.

Bottom line is, you know better than anyone else on how much sleep you need to function. Me myself if I could get 12 hours of sleep a day I sure as heck would do it.....

[MuscleScience]

is it true that muscle growth occurs best within the 6-12 rep range (to failure), stimulating teh type 2b muscle fibers which have the greatest potential for growth (100%) ?

if so, why?

Any info on the best ways to specifically increase muscle size, as opposed to increase purely strength, woul dbe great as well

It use to be thought that there was a certain rep range for strength or hypertrophy, or power. However recently this thought has fell out of favor by some experts and within the literature itself. There of course has to be a basic program design with every program. Right now it is more a matter of trial and error as to what will work for each person. What is apparently clear no matter what school of though you go by it is important to follow and adhere to an exercise program. Whether it is high volume, low volume high intensity, or a mixture of the two.

I know this sounds vague but its the best conclusion that can be concluded with present state of the literature. Anything else would be a matter of dogma and not particularly a accurate representation of current knowledge.

[10nispro]

Is there a rule of thumb about sickness and training? I have heard that training can lower t-cell count, which helps fight sickness. Correct me if that's wrong. Do you stop all together and get well or would continuing the training be non-beneficial to each?

[MuscleScience]

Is there a rule of thumb about sickness and training? I have heard that training can lower t-cell count, which helps fight sickness. Correct me if that's wrong. Do you stop all together and get well or would continuing the training be non-beneficial to each?

Lowering T-cell count is a bad thing and would hinder your immune system, exercise does not lower T-cell counts unless one is over training. There is a general rule of thumb and that is to not train if you have moderate to severe cold/flu symptoms. All and all exercise generally improves overall immune function, unless your in a state of over training. It does not tend to help acute cold symptoms and can actually cause them to worsen.

One has to remember that exercise is a traumatic stimulus to the body and the body will react accordingly. You do not want to go kick your ass in the gym while your battling a cold that wont go away. Your body will have to take resources away from fighting the cold to help repair the damage done to the bones and soft tissues after a bout of exercise. Energy that could be better used to help fight the cold is now being diverted away to help repair damaged structures. Its basically like fighting a war with two front lines.

Now thats not to say that if you have a runny nose to not go and workout, or if you feel a little tired from work to skip your workout. It means if your running a fever, have a bad head ache or sore and achy or are losing fluids from both ends then its probably best to train another day when you feel better.

[gst528i]

Alright im not sure if you would be able to answer this but here goes.

I have been training slightly less than a year. Anyway i weighing in at about 138lbs. While i was skinny around arms, legs neck etc i started to develop a slight belly. I think due to my body trying to conserve as i use to eat only one meal a day.
Fass forward 5 months of diet and training i weighed in at about 158lbs. Happy with results i had but have stopped making progress. i now weigh 168lbs and can't seem to gain.
My diet and training worked well. Do you think my body has adapted and now need a change of diet.
Everyone says keep doing what has worked so i have kept with the routine.
Also when do you know you have hit your natural potential level?

[MuscleScience]

Alright im not sure if you would be able to answer this but here goes.

I have been training slightly less than a year. Anyway i weighing in at about 138lbs. While i was skinny around arms, legs neck etc i started to develop a slight belly. I think due to my body trying to conserve as i use to eat only one meal a day.
Fass forward 5 months of diet and training i weighed in at about 158lbs. Happy with results i had but have stopped making progress. i now weigh 168lbs and can't seem to gain.
My diet and training worked well. Do you think my body has adapted and now need a change of diet.
Everyone says keep doing what has worked so i have kept with the routine.
Also when do you know you have hit your natural potential level?

I think the routine needs to be changed up, generally every 12 weeks an exercise program needs to be changed up some to prevent a plateau effect. It would take many years of training I think to hit your genetic limit. I have been training for 14 years straight and i still make gains here and there. When you first start exercising the gains you see are generally very rapid. It then starts to taper off some but with consistency and proper diet. There is no reason that one could not make gains for many years to come.

[run_n_fool]

Ok this is a basic breakdown per muscle group. Keep in mind this may vary from person to person. This includes compound movements as the total volume counted.

Quads-4-6
calves 2-4
Traps-3-4
biceps-2-4
triceps 3-6
Pecs- 2-4
Forearms-4-6
lats/scapula retraction-4-6

There is evidence that the upper body musculature recovers quicker than the lower body musculature. There is also evidence that exercise that involves a single joint are easier to recover from than multiple joint exercises. This needs to be kept in mind when performing or designing your own program.

Thanks, am I safe to assume this is exercises vs sets? b/c I am pretty sure there is no way I can work my chest completely on 2-4 sets

[jimmyinkedup]

Muscle - please explain the theory which states too much protein in your diet will put strain on your kidneys.
1- Is it true?
2- How does excess protein do so?
3 - Is it a legitimate factor to consider when also using certain steroids which may do the same?

[MuscleScience]

Thanks, am I safe to assume this is exercises vs sets? b/c I am pretty sure there is no way I can work my chest completely on 2-4 sets

You are correct, I was referring to the number of exercises per muscle group. Sorry for not clarifying.

[jimmyinkedup]

oh yeah ..i thought i read/heard somewhere before that there are sticks you can pee on to see if protein is being expelled rather that utilized? true or false? if so what are they?

[SampsonandDelilah]

what are the best pre and post workout supplements (meals/drinks) on the market?

[MuscleScience]

Muscle - please explain the theory which states too much protein in your diet will put strain on your kidneys.
1- Is it true?
2- How does excess protein do so?
3 - Is it a legitimate factor to consider when also using certain steroids which may do the same?

Excess protein consumption can cause problems with people that are already in a diseased state. For healthy adults it is really not a problem. There is very little literature to support that excessive protein intake can cause excessive strain on the kidneys. There are case reports of people suffering from kidney stones or renal failure. These are more conjecture and speculation than anything. Well controlled random control studies have not shown much if any effect in healthy adults.

I really do not know where this myth came from to be honest but I have been asked this and heard it numerous times and no one seems to know either.

[MuscleScience]

oh yeah ..i thought i read/heard somewhere before that there are sticks you can pee on to see if protein is being expelled rather that utilized? true or false? if so what are they?

There are test to see if your excreting proteins in the urine. This is not because it is not being utilized it is because there is a physical dysfunction within the kidneys it self.

[jimmyinkedup]

^^^ good stuff MS - thanks bro ...

[MuscleScience]

what are the best pre and post workout supplements (meals/drinks) on the market?

As far as specific brands I dont know. As far as what you should take pre and post somewhat depends on your goals. Generally for athletes a carb source pre workout is a good idea, there is some debate whether or not protein should be consumed pre workout as well. As far as post workout, protein and carbs are the best things to encourage muscle glycogen synthesis and protein synthesis post exercise. This is assuming that you consume these two things within the 2 hour anabolic window after exercise.

If your on a cutting diet, one can get away with not consuming a carb source PWO without sacrificing protein synthesis.

[gst528i]

I think the routine needs to be changed up, generally every 12 weeks an exercise program needs to be changed up some to prevent a plateau effect. It would take many years of training I think to hit your genetic limit. I have been training for 14 years straight and i still make gains here and there. When you first start exercising the gains you see are generally very rapid. It then starts to taper off some but with consistency and proper diet. There is no reason that one could not make gains for many years to come.

Thankyou for helping me further confirm i will not be gettin on the juice for lots of year ..

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

I want to be able to do this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vL19q8yL54


What do I need to do?

[Swifto]

As far as specific brands I dont know. As far as what you should take pre and post somewhat depends on your goals. Generally for athletes a carb source pre workout is a good idea, there is some debate whether or not protein should be consumed pre workout as well. As far as post workout, protein and carbs are the best things to encourage muscle glycogen synthesis and protein synthesis post exercise. This is assuming that you consume these two things within the 2 hour anabolic window after exercise.

If your on a cutting diet, one can get away with not consuming a carb source PWO without sacrificing protein synthesis.

Healthy fats seem to be a very good source of energy PreWO, rather than Carbs.

Healthy fats (*****3) is also needed for protein synthesis PWO.

[dehydromethandrotren]

I think whether carbs or fat is dependant on what kidn of diet you are on and/or what bodyfat percentage you have.

[MuscleScience]

Healthy fats seem to be a very good source of energy PreWO, rather than Carbs.

Healthy fats (*****3) is also needed for protein synthesis PWO.

Good Point Swifto, I completely forgot about fats. I guess I just assumed that someone would be taking them anyway......

Thanks for the catch

[MuscleScience]

I want to be able to do this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vL19q8yL54


What do I need to do?

You need to pick you parents better next time. (genetics)

[Swifto]

Good Point Swifto, I completely forgot about fats. I guess I just assumed that someone would be taking them anyway......

Thanks for the catch

No problem mate.

[VeraDeMilo]

Ok this is a basic breakdown per muscle group. Keep in mind this may vary from person to person. This includes compound movements as the total volume counted.

Quads-4-6
calves 2-4
Traps-3-4
biceps-2-4
triceps 3-6
Pecs- 2-4
Forearms-4-6
lats/scapula retraction-4-6

Hey MS, so are these numbers in reference to training each body part only once per week? And if so, does the NSCA suggest training any of the muscle groups more than once a week?

Also, can you provide any information on what is the suggested set and rep volume for abdominals? Weighted or unweighted exercises and how often?

Thanks again!

[MuscleScience]

Hey MS, so are these numbers in reference to training each body part only once per week? And if so, does the NSCA suggest training any of the muscle groups more than once a week?

Also, can you provide any information on what is the suggested set and rep volume for abdominals? Weighted or unweighted exercises and how often?

Thanks again!

This is not necessarily NSCA's recommendations per say. I compiled pretty much everything I could find between three different organizations and recommendations on exercise. They all differ to and extent. For example The American Society of Exercise Physiologist (ASEP) has a paper out that has compelling evidence that one set of exercise to fatigue or failure with strict form is just as beneficial for strength and hypertrophy as the traditional three sets per exercise that we all know and love. Now if I recommended that everyone on this board would run me out of here. I myself would probably never follow that program unless I was injured or taking a light week.

Yes this is in regards to once per workout session typically once per week.
Advanced exercisers could probably do a body part twice a week but the volume would have to be reduced from that of one session set ups. In my experience twice a week is a bit much for most individuals unless we are doing whats called a micro period, based off a larger periodization program. I do not like to go more than a month on the twice per week setup.

I generally only recommend it to someone in two instances. One is if they are new to exercise. I want to take advantage of the neurological adaptation that is very rapid in novel exercisers. The second situation is if its an athlete that has either just came off a mild injury or needs to get a quick jumpstart on their training. Again I do not like to go more than a month on this setup because the risk of over training syndrome and possible injury increases. Basically the risk vs benefit has to assessed on an individual bases.

As far as ab training, which I completely forgot about. I only like to do abs specifically once per week. Simple because when I set up exercises most ever thing I do has some functional component so abs are hit almost every training session. For the typical exerciser abs once or twice a week is ok, depending if they get a lot of ab work in there other exercises. Again generally one day of traditional ab exercises such as crunches, side bends, ect is probably good enough. Over training the abs is possible, which people often forget about. I would say that a good ab session should hit the abs with 2-4 good exercises focusing on strict form and proper breathing. This of course needs to vary if the exerciser is doing other exercises were the abs play a large role.

Thanks for the catch on the abs, that is twice in two days I was caught omitting things. It is again another example of how intelligent everyone on this board is.

[VeraDeMilo]

Thanks very much for the in depth response. I appreciate you taking the time to write all that out.

This thread should become a sticky in my opinion!

[MuscleScience]

Thanks very much for the in depth response. I appreciate you taking the time to write all that out.

This thread should become a sticky in my opinion!

Your welcome, and thanks for the plug...

[Dinosaur]

sleep is very important for full recovery. The general recommendation is to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep per night. However not everyone absolutely needs that much sleep. There are people that seem to require very little sleep to function normally throughout the day. The interesting thing about sleep is that you cant build it up or store it. There is an absolute requirement for each individual. The good thing about sleep is that one good nights sleep can fully restore someone for a weeks worth of bad sleep.

Quality of sleep is also as important as quantity of sleep. A person should be able to fall asleep and achieve a certain period of rem sleep per night. If you sleep off and on for 8 hours, it is not the same as 8 hours of full rem sleep.

When you read some of these studies they are talking about a certain percentage of people. The majority of people need 8 hours of sleep. If you
look at the data from these studies you will see that people that get 4 hours of sleep score just as well on the surveys or indexes that these studies use. There are always variations in a population and for the majority of people it is a good recommendation.

Bottom line is, you know better than anyone else on how much sleep you need to function. Me myself if i could get 12 hours of sleep a day i sure as heck would do it.....

thanks for the answer.

[*RAGE*]

I have read several of post on this thread..You are the man bro. I have learned so much and just want to take the time to thank you...great job....

[tadpoleboyy]

"Fast twitch" muscle vs. "slow twitch" muscle. I have read that there are a few different types actually. Perhaps you can explain these in a bit more detail, I am about to graduate with a degree in biology so lay it on. Maybe some questions to help facilitate conversation:

What types of muscle are there?What is the basic difference in these types of muscle?
What type of training(with weights) fosters growth and each of these?
Any significant weight/strength/size comparisons for these muscles types?
What might be a good routine for just fast twitch? Or slow twitch? A equal combination of both?