Anabolic Aerobics Part 2

In the previous article I went against the grain and explained how cardio can increase gains in muscle and keep unwanted body fat to a minimum in the process. The Key word there being, can. There are a number of things that need to be addressed before you can get the maximum results.

CORTISOL

SUPPLEMENTATION

This is where so many go wrong. As I stated in the previous article, cardio creates the same anabolic state and window of opportunity as heavy weight training4,5.Sucking back a few grams of Glutamine just won’t cut it. To make this as effective as possible, a pre & post work out supplementation protocol should be followed, very much in the same fashion as most do for weight training sessions. First and fore most is our good friend, insulin. Keeping insulin up in the period surrounding a cardio session is critical. Having Insulin and carbohydrates present before and during a cardio session seems to slow the muscle destroying action of cortisol, epinephrine and nor epinephrine.

This aspect single handedly slows the start of Gluconeogenesis6.  Gluco = sugar/blood sugar, neo = new, genesis = formation or creation. It means the formation of blood glucose from non – carbohydrate sources, or in most cases, muscle protein. This is exactly what we don’t want. Secondly, Protein should be added to the mix. High intensity cardio uses a lot of muscle groups and makes use of a lot of the Type II fibers. The same ones we use during weight training. This action alone will be drawing the glucose and amino acids directly to every last one of them. Cardio accelerates the rate of protein synthesis and break down7,8. If you don’t address that with added protein, its going to hurt you in the long run6,7,9. This is what most bodybuilders attributes as “burning up muscle”.

Creatine should also be included into the mixture as well. Although the exact reasons aren’t fully understood, creatine has the unique ability to preserve and even accelerate muscle growth in times of caloric restriction and a negative nitrogen balance10. I would be lead to believe its has much to do with its cell volumizing properties which leads to greater protein synthesis. If you are one who uses creating before and after weight training an does cardio in the evening, I would recommend that a small 2g dose before and after should be enough. Or 5g only to the post work out supplementation.

Glutamine is another supplement I suggest to add in at this time. Aside from its anti-catabolic properties and its ability to accelerate protein synthesis, an 8g dose replenishes glycogen stores with out added carbohydrates. And is even more effective when carbohydrates are included11. So, we have dextrose, whey protein, creatine, and glutamine so far. This is very similar to the supplement composition that not only minimizes cortisol secretion and lactic acid build up over continual training, but it also maximizes the Anabolic hormones. Namely, we are taking advantage of insulin, IGF-I and Growth hormone7.  I think that it’s very important to get these nutrients in at this critical time and as soon as possible. Secondly I think its important that the protein and carbohydrates be liquid in nature. Solid foods simply take longer to digest in the stomach.

The longer we need to wait for the nutrients to be delivered to the small intestine for absorption, the more tissue breakdown can occur. More over, after intense training, the rate that material is actually dumped into the small intestine from the stomach is much slower. So Liquid supplements are highly sought after at this time12,13 . I would also recommend taking some anti-oxidants after cardio as well, like vitamin C, E, beta-carotene, alpha lipoic acid, NAC, etc. Most free radicals are nothing more than un-paired Oxygen molecules. So I think it is safe to say aerobic exercise will create more of them than resistance training.

    You’re probably thinking a Meal Replacement would fit the bill at this time, but there is only one problem. Most MRPs are comprised mainly of casein, which takes a very long time to digest. Whey hydrolysates, isolates and concentrates, in order of preference, are what should be taken in the period immediately after any work out. The longer it takes the nutrient to get into the blood, the more muscle breakdown can occur. Whey is a much faster “acting” protein than casein.14,15

DIETARY NEEDS

First and foremost is the protein issue. As the work load increases, so does the need for proteins. Both strength and endurance athletes are instructed to intake amounts of protein well above normal requirements16,17 When you combine the two, the demand is even higher. Throughout the data I have read there was one common occurrence. The people who did both cardio and weight training seemed to gain more muscle and loose more fat, but they were in a negative nitrogen balance.6,7,18,19   Don’t skimp on the protein folks,  simply adding calories from fat and carbs will not, I repeat, will not increase gains in muscle6,8  imagine how much muscle these people would have put on if they had consumed enough!

The second, and maybe the most important part, is the composition of the rest of your diet. More specifically, how to use the glycemic index in the correct manner to maximize results. There are a number of articles on this web site on the GI. My advice is to read them, know them and love them! But, I can direst you to one of the most complete lists I have ever seen at Mendosa.com.  Most of us understand the importance of carbohydrates that are High on the GI after a work out. But many don’t realize just how important foods low on the GI are during the rest of the day. Just simply by adjusting your food intake to Low GI foods outside of the 3 hour window of opportunity, you will have not only greatly reduced muscle tissue break down, but also increased fat oxidation21,22. And a diet with a large amount of low GI foods increases nitrogen retention even during periods of restricted carbohydrate intake18.

As I talked about in Part I, fat oxidation is already accelerated from the high intensity cardio . But combining that with low GI foods and you are basically throwing napalm on the metabolic fires.  This is an example of what a Bodybuilders “Food Guide Pyramid” should look like. We keep the refined and high GI foods up and the top of the pyramid because they are only for those critical times around workouts.

Next on the list is mod GI carbs and starches such as, oatmeal, pastas, some certain forms of rice, barely, etc. I like to include these in the end of the 3-hour window. Next comes the protein and supplement portion. Milk, meats, poultry and of course Whey. Don’t exclude milk. I’ll have to refer you back to Big Cat’s article on milk. But I have also found that milk raises the level of circulating IGF-I and helps to prevent some forms of cancer24. So drink up.

I know many people like to use whey only for post workouts because its assimilated so fast and leaves you hanging. But, if taken WITH meals and not as a meal replacement its extremely effective. By taking whey with meals, it ensures the presence of insulin and puts you in an absorptive state. Doing so almost guarantees that the why will be channeled to muscle tissue rather than oxidized as an energy source.  I also include other supplements in the category. Things like creatine, glutamine, CLA, fat burners, and so on are very beneficial and are a bigger part of the overall diet than people realize.

Last on the list are Low GI foods. Vegetables in their many forms are very low on the list and should be used often. And you can virtually eat as much as you want. In fact, many of them have a negative caloric value. Meaning it will take your body more energy to digest them than is actually in the food. This is kind of a way to trick your body into thinking its getting more calories than it actually is. However, lets get one thing straight. We aren’t trying to overly restrict calories here. In fact that could be detrimental to the entire process. The data shows with out a shadow of a doubt, that people who participate in high intensity weight training and cardio, use the GI properly are leaner and have more muscle when they ate their normal healthy diets!6,7,18 Even leaner than people who “diet” in the true sense by limiting calories20. I’ve included MRPs to the bottom rung of the latter because they are a staple in a sound diet and are very effective in fat loss endeavors. They are also low on the GI. I know maltodextrin is common in most and is regarded as being HI on the list. However, I took it upon my self to test it out personally. I have a little blood glucose meter and took some test readings. My fasting level is about 85mg/dl. A single MRP raises it to about 125 mg/dl. On the other hand eating potatoes or rice will elevate it close to 190mg/dl. So I think they are a much safer bet.

THE TESTOSTERONE ISSUE

Single bouts of high intensity have been known to elevate testosterone levels post exercise. However, as we continue to train day after day, levels drop off continually with every session7.  So it’s our job to fix the problem with our diet. This is why I’ve included essential fats/oils to the bottom rung of the pyramid. The amount of testosterone is directly correlated to the amount of saturated and monounsaturated fat in our diet25 . Polyunsaturated fats seem to have a negative impact26 . And saturated fat really has no function other than storage, so there’s no need to try to include it in your diet. So keep the olive oil, nuts, and flax seeds handy. But I would include CLA and maybe an EFA supplement as well.

SO NOW WHAT?

In the last article I show that it is in fact possible to loose body fat while gaining muscle mass. The biggest obstacle is to forget what the #s on the scale say. The goal of a “bulking” phase is go gain the maximum amount of muscle in the shortest amount of time. This article gives you an idea of how to manipulate your diet to do just that. And you now have more reason to do cardio during you bulking phase than not. Now I’ll give a couple examples of how to go about pulling all of this information together.