Newsletter
HotBod Winter 04
Welcome to all the new subscribers to the HotBod newsletter as well as those who have been with us from the beginning. Each month we'll explore issues relating to the three major areas of fitness: exercise, nutrition and supplementation. As always, your comments, questions and suggestions are always appreciated.
TRAINING CORNER: Developing the Biceps
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when trying to improve their biceps is to increase the number of sets performed. This is a mistake. Don't fall into the trap that a higher training volume will bring about better muscular development. You must realize that it's the quality-not the quantity-of training that breeds results. This is particularly true of the biceps, which are heavily active in exercises for the back as well as some chest movements and therefore get significant ancillary work during these movements. And given that the biceps is a small muscle complex that is easily overtrained, you should heed the adage that less is more and keep volume to no more than about 6 to 9 total sets per week.
That said, a couple of strategies can be used to maximize biceps development. For one, you should, train them from multiple angles. The biceps have two heads: a short head and a long head. Exercises where the arms are extended behind the body (such as incline curls) will stress the long head; exercises where the arms are in front of your body (such as preacher curls) focus more on the short head; and exercises where your arms are at your sides (such as straight bar curls) involve fairly equal activation of both heads. Best results are achieved by using a combination of these types of movements, selectively varying your exercises from one workout to the next.
Moreover, it can be beneficial to prioritize the biceps and train them first in your routine. This will ensure that you are fresh and have the energy to commit total intensity to the lagging muscle group. When you employ this strategy, just make sure to structure your routine so that the biceps are not trained on the same day as the back or chest. As previously stated, exercises for the back and chest require significant biceps involvement and, by pre-fatiguing the biceps, you'll compromise their ability to sustain performance.
NUTRITION CORNER: Protein Intake and Kidney Damage
You've probably heard the claims of some nutritionists that high protein diets will readily lead to kidney problems. Is there any basis to these assertions?
Provided you are free from any kidney problems, the answer is an unequivocal no. Here's why. The association between protein and renal function is related to the intricacies of protein assimilation. The metabolism of protein entails a complex sequence of events in order for proper absorption to take place. During digestion, protein is broken down into its component parts, the amino acids (via a process called deamination). A byproduct of this occurrence is the production of ammonia-a toxic substance-in the body. But ammonia doesn't stay in the body for long. Rather, it is rapidly converted into the relatively non-toxic, highly soluble substance urea. And while a large build-up of urea can theoretically overtax the kidneys, this doesn't happen in practice. The body is a very adaptive organism and increases the activity of urea cycle enzymes to compensate for higher protein intakes, thereby ensuring that urea is efficiently transported to the kidneys for excretion.
Studies have repeatedly shown that healthy individuals can consume over three times the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein without ill-effects. An analysis of peer reviewed research shows the correlation between the consumption of protein and kidney problems to be virtually non-existent. The consensus is that those with normal renal function are readily able to filter out urea; any excess is simply expelled in the urine.
These findings also have been confirmed empirically. Consider that, over the past century, millions of athletes have consumed large quantities of protein (as much as ten times the RDA!) without ill-effect. They'll scarf down chicken breasts by the dozen and protein shakes galore. Surely, if high protein diets caused kidney disease, these athletes would be all on dialysis by now. Yet, by all accounts, no reported renal abnormalities have been directly attributable to an increased intake of protein.
An important consideration for those consuming a high protein diet is fluid intake. Fluids help to flush your system, facilitating the excretion of urea from the body. A good rule of thumb is to take in at least ½ ounce of water per pound of bodyweight, spacing out intake throughout the day. Thus, a person who weighs 120 pounds should consume at least 60 ounces of water.
SUPPLEMENT REVIEW: L-carnitine
What it is: L-carnitine is a compound synthesized from the two amino acids, lysine and methionine.
What it does: The primary function of L-carnitine is to transport long-chain fatty acids across the mitochondrial membrane so they can be oxidized for energy.
The verdict: Theoretically, since L-carnitine shuttles fat into the mitochondria (the body's cellular furnace), increasing levels of this compound should help to improve fat burning. Unfortunately, this does not happen in practice. Provided you consume adequate dietary protein, the liver and kidneys synthesize all the L-carnitine that you need. Any extra is simply excreted without additional benefit. Although no significant side-effects have been reported with supplementation, the expense is simply not justified.
Supplement Grade: D
