The Official Aminogen Blog

Pain In the Neck

Um, no.  Actual physical pain in the muscles of the neck and shoulder.

A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology explored treatments for women with chronic neck and shoulder pain. The women were divided into three groups: strength training of the neck and shoulder, aerobic exercise (bicycling), or no exercise.

Researchers found that strength training reduced trapezius muscle pain for the women in that group.  The other two groups did not experience a reduction of pain.

 

Natural Products Insider Explores Enzymes, Aminogen and More

Enzymes: Catalysts for Healthy Living," an article in the January issue of Natural Products Insider, includes some good inside information on the enzyme industry. 

It also features some quotes from Triarco President Rodger Rohde Jr.:

 

“One of the biggest myths there may be about digestion is that everything that you eat will be absorbed. The fact is that the body’s ability to absorb the foods, beverages and supplements that we take depends on our age, the quality of the product, what other products are taken with it, gastrointestinal transit time and so on. In order to benefit from the foods and nutrients we take in, we must break them down properly during digestion and absorb them.”

 

 

  

 

Want to know more? Be sure to check out NPI's article, and read some of our previous posts on the effects of gastrointestinal transit time and aging on protein absorption. 

Further reading:

Prebiotics, Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes

Enzymes Not Included: Why Adding Aminogen Makes Sense

 

Oh, and speaking of myths... have any of your own? Let me know what have you learned about protein and nutrition along the way and how that's changed your health habits and goals.

It All Adds Up

While we're talking about improving our fitness and nutrition choices this year... I came across an article in the LA Times that reminds us what a difference even small changes can make in our health.

The newspaper reports that drinking one soda every day for a year could result in gaining 10 pounds of fat.

But if simple daily habits, like having a soda with lunch, can make such a big difference over time, then the reverse is also true.

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center reports that eating just 100 fewer calories each day can help curb unintended weight gain.  They've put together a great list of foods and snacks to help you identify and eliminate those extra 100 calories from your diet.

And how about a healthy drink alternative? Whey protein shakes can be delicious, deliver nutrients you need, and keep you feeling fuller longer.

Plus, maintaining healthy protein intake (especially when dieting!) helps to promote the RIGHT KIND of weight loss.  If you haven't already read this post on the importance of protein intake when cutting calories, take a minute to check it out.

So let me know, what will you be adding or cutting back on this year?

Resolutions: Make It or Break It Research You Need to Know Now

It's that special time of year again, the post-holiday mass-exodus to the local gym and health food store.  Most of us have resolved to get back on the fitness track and want to stay there. (This IS a good time to find a great deal on a gym membership, so use that to your advantage if your plan includes finding a gym.) 

But no matter how you plan on taking on your fitness and nutrition goals this year, you won't be rockin your resolution if you run out of resolve.

That's right.   You can have the best exercise and diet regimen in the world, but it you run low on mo-jo,  you plans will fall to the wayside faster than a re-gifted sweater.

In fact, according to this article from The Wall Street Journal, 88% percent of resolutions end in failure. Yikes!

But also outlined in the article is research that just might save your 2010 fitness plans. Cliffs note version:

Willpower is a finite resource. 

If you use your willpower to fend off temptation in one area of your life, you are less likely to hold up against temptation in another. And less likely to adhere to your plan to exercise.

This is partly due to the fact that we tend to think, if we are "good" in one instance, we "deserve" to indulge a little in another (ie. "I did that extra 15 minutes on the elliptical today, I think I've earned a donut.")

Willpower also takes a physiological toll.

Resisting temptation uses up brain power and depletes your body's main energy source, glucose.

So how can you use this information to avoid resolution crash and burn?

Don't bite off more than you can chew.

Don't take on too many changes at once. Choose one goal and focus only on that one goal. When you feel like you've made the kind of progress you wanted to see, then start on another. 

Know your enemy.

Make a list of your typical fitness pitfalls and budget your willpower accordingly.  Remember to figure in non-fitness trouble-makers too.  For instance, if you have a weakness for shopping, know that resisting those shoes on sale at the mall might make you feel more entitled to buy an ice-cream on the way out. 

Schedule rest and reduce stress.

Being tired, hungry or cranky will make it harder to stick to your goals.  Find ways to sneak some fun, relaxation and healthy snacks into your day to keep up your willpower energy reserves.

 

Five Ways to Lose Muscle Fast

There's a lot of information out there on how to BUILD muscle.

But are there things you do that could actually make you LOSE muscle?

The answer is yes. Following are five things you may do that could lead to lean muscle loss:

 

1. You're not getting enough exercise. 

With muscles it's use it or lose it, just ask an astronaut. Specifically, weight-bearing activity stimulates muscles and is necessary to prevent muscle loss. Gravity alone provides some resistance to for muscles, but a good strength training routine is what really fires them up.

 

2. You're getting too much.

Ironically, too much exertion can throw you into an exhaustion. Chronic over-exercising can deplete muscles of vital amino acids and make you more vulnerable to illness. Scheduling a reasonable exercise routine that allows for recovery can help keep your muscles happy and healthy. Speaking of which...

 

3. You're not safeguarding your immune system.

Your body uses certain amino acids like arginine and glutamine to help you fight infection and recover from injury, and if necessary, your body will break down muscle tissue for the amino acids used in healing.  Getting adequate sleep and proper nutrients are two ways you can support your immune system and your muscles. 

 

 

4. You're getting older.

Ok this one's not fair.  First of all, getting older doesn't happen that quickly (if we're lucky).  Second, we all get older ( if we're lucky). 

The point is, that while it may not happen fast per say, age-related muscle loss does happen faster than you would think.  By around age 35, you are losing between one-third and one-half of a pound of muscle each year.  By the time you are 55 this may increase to ONE POUND of muscle each year.  By 85, you could lose as much as 50% of all your muscle mass.

So what to do about this one? Research shows the more lean muscle you have the better, and it's never too late to start exercising. Even elderly subjects who exercise can experience benefits.  

 

5. You're not absorbing your protein.

You probably understand why protein is so important for building and keeping muscle. What some people don't realize is that eating adequate protein is really only half the story.  Your body has to ABSORB that protein. Otherwise, it's getting wasted - passed through your system without being used.

Fortunately, Aminogen was designed for just such a problem.

The Shin Bone's Connected to the...

Calf muscle?

Good Aminogen blog readers will already know that Aminogen triples the rate of protein absorption and supports lean muscle. But where is the connection with bone health? That seems to be this week's theme.

Once again bone strength has been linked with muscle mass.  We reported on how a high protein diet was shown to improve bone mineral content and that the lack leg muscle strength has been associated with knee osteoporosis and hip fracture risk.

Now, take a look at this article from the New York Times describing how increasing calf muscle size and strength can reduce the risk of stress fractures.

You can read the complete study in the Official Journal of the the American College of Sports Medicine.

Weak in the Knees

According to the CDC, almost half of all American adults may develop "symptomatic knee osteoarthritis," a painful condition responsible for a good share of today's knee replacement surgeries.  In fact, the CDC reports a 58% increase in the rate of knee replacements in the U.S. between 2000 and 2006.

Now The American Journal of Sports Medicine has published a study suggesting weak quads and hamstrings may be linked to "runner's knee."  Also called patellofemoral pain syndrome, runner's knee is common among runners and older adults - and can lead to knee osteoarthritis.

It seems that since weakened quads and hamstrings may not support and protect the knee the way they should during the movement and impact of exercise, more pressure is put on the bone and cartilage of the knee.

So don't be weak-kneed.  Read the Aminogen Blog's previous coverage on muscle and knee pain, and more about the importance of muscle in injury prevention and overall health. Read more on Aminogen for runners here and here.

You can also check out ExRx's descriptions and helpful video animations of quadriceps and hamstring-strengthening exercises.

High Protein Diet and Bone Health

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition reports that animals fed a high protein diet had reduced body fat while increasing mineral bone content.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has also reported studies in humans concluding that protein may actually have an overall positive effect on bone health.

Training (and Taming) Your Appetite

Ever notice that if you are accustomed to eating at the same time everyday, you will get hungry at that same time each day... like clockwork?

Scientists have discovered there are cells in your stomach designed to tell time.  These cells function as part of your circadian clock, your body's internal way of keeping vital processes "on schedule."

Food-entrainable oscillators (FEOs),  researchers explain in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are stomach cells that stimulate the release of grehlin, the hormone of hunger. 

It seems these cells can adjust to your daily habits.  Want to eat mid-morning, after exercise, or eat an earlier dinner?  After a few days of changing your schedule, your hunger cues may change with you. Your FEOs may stimulate ghrelin release to coincide with your new routine.

Knowing when you will get hungry means you can be prepared with healthy snacks and meals.

One caveat: lack of sleep elevates ghrelin, so inadequate rest might cause you to eat more.

Training Tip: Eating your meals and snacks at the same time everyday and getting plenty of rest may help you regulate the hormone of hunger.  Also, remember your protein when you want to keep hunger in check.  Protein has been shown to increase satiety and lower ghrelin levels more efficiently than carbohydrates and fats.

 

Lean Muscle and Bone Health

Researchers have found that the amount of lean muscle you have strongly correlates with your bone density.

 

In a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, researchers reported that the more lean muscle a man had, the better his bone density.  Conversely, the more body fat a man had, the weaker his bones tended to be.

We know that maintaining lean muscle mass is important for a number of reasons.   Muscle  functions differently than fat, and is crucial for proper immune function and metabolism.

Lean muscle loss is also associated with other health issues, like osteoporosis. Studies like this one affirm just how important lean muscle mass is for bone health.

 

So how does your muscle measure up?

  

While using the body mass index can give a general idea of norms for weight and height, its simplified calculations of muscle and bone mass can create an inaccurate picture of actual body composition.  For example, someone with a good deal of healthy muscle mass and  low body fat could be inappropriately categorized as overweight.

If you are serious about building muscle and maintaining a healthy body composition, you may want to have your lean muscle measured.

Check out CNN's article describing some of your options for doing this.  Your gym may offer offer a body fat reading using calipers, for example. 

The most accurate method is a low-dose x-ray procedure known as a Dexa Scan - something to ask your doctor about!  While these scans require more time and money than a caliper reading, they can measure bone mass and lean muscle mass quite reliably.