Recent Blog Posts
Nutrition
May 14, 2010
You may have seen commercials for a product called Vitamin Water. Vitamin Water is marketed as a “great-tasting, healthy enhanced water that is packed with nutrients” as well as “…providing a perfect complement to everyone’s less-than-perfect diet…” However, a look at the ingredients reveals otherwise…
Vitamin Water is not simply water with added vitamins. It contains 50 calories of sugar, which come in the form of crystalline fructose. Now 50 calories of sugar by itself is generally no big deal, but the calories definitely add up if you consume multiple bottles of the product–which apparently many people do. Moreover, fructose has been shown to be lipogenic, meaning it preferentially promotes fat storage. Given that the body has limited ability to store fructose as glycogen (only the liver can store fructose–muscles lack an enzyme critical for storage), gulping down several drinks could easily result in an increase in body fat.
More to the point, you would be much better served by taking a multi-vitamin/mineral complex to satisfy any additional micronutrient needs not met by the foods in your diet. You can get a month’s worth of vitmains and minerals from a one-a-day supplement for what you would pay for a single bottle of Vitamin Water!
Bottom line: Save your money on Vitamin Water–the costs outweigh the benefits. If you want to add taste to your water, squeeze in some lemon or lime. It’ll be better for your waist line and your wallet.
Stay Fit!
Brad
Media Appearances
May 12, 2010
I will be giving a webinar on the “Facts and Fallacies of Fitness” on Wednesday, June 16 at 2 pm, EST. The webinar is being hosted by the NSCA and will debunk some of the common myths associated with exercise and nutrition in an evidence-based fashion. The webinar is open to the general public and will involve a question/answer session following the presentation. I guarantee it will be informative for all attending. You can register for the webinar at the link below:
Brad Schoenfeld Webinar: “Facts and Fallacies of Fitness”
Stay Fit!
Brad
Fitness
May 10, 2010
Is it possible to be fit if you’re fat? A study by Weinstein et al. (2008) sheds some light on the issue. The study investigated the relationship between being overweight/obese (as measured by BMI) and indices of cardiovascular health in over 38,000 middle-aged and older women. Results showed that the overweight/obese subjects who were physically active significantly reduced their risk of coronary heart disease, with greater levels of physical activity associated with an greater reduction in risk. Sounds good, right? Not so fast…
Unfortunately, women who were overweight/obese showed an increase risk for coronary heart disease regardless of physical activity compared to lean women. These results held true even in those who engaged in high levels of exercise. What’s more, the study didn’t consider other health issues associated with obesity, such as cancer, metabolic disorders, and joint disease.
The bottom line is that just because you exercise doesn’t give you Carte Blanche to eat whatever you want. Exercise certainly will make you “fitter” if you’re fat, but the excess weight poses a health risk no matter how active you are. Regardless of activity levels, you still need to watch your waistline!
Stay Fit!
Brad
Weinstein AR, Sesso HD, Lee IM, Rexrode KM, Cook NR, Manson JE, Buring JE, Gaziano JM. The joint effects of physical activity and body mass index on coronary heart disease risk in women. Arch Intern Med. 2008 Apr 28;168(8):884-90
Exercise
May 4, 2010
Of all the emails I receive, the most common question asked is, “How can I reduce my (fill in the blank with a given body part).” Whether it’s the belly, thighs, butt or any other problem area, my answer is always the same: Sorry, but you can’t spot reduce!
Simply stated, there is no way to dictate what area of your body you lose fat from. It’s a physiologic impossibility. All the sit-ups in the world won’t give you a flat stomach; no amount of lower body exercises will directly diminish the size of your thighs. In reality, trying to eradicate your problem areas with targeted movements is literally an exercise in futility.
A recent study conducted by Redman et al. (2007) demonstrated the senselessness of trying to spot reduce. Thirty-five overweight subjects were placed into one of three random groups: a control group who ate their normal diet; an energy restricted group who reduced calories by 25%; or an energy restriction plus exercise group who reduced calories by 12.5% and increased energy expenditure through exercise by 12.5%. After six months, results showed that although fat depots were reduced by approximately 30% in men and 25% in women in both the calorie restricted and the calorie restricted plus exercise groups, the distribution of the fat depots were reduced equally throughout the whole body. This study used both dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and multi-slice computed tomograpy (CT) to evaluate fat mass, adding to the validity of results.
In order to appreciate why spot reduction doesn’t work, it is necessary to understand how fat is synthesized. When calories are consumed in abundance, your body converts the excess nutrients into fat-based compounds called triglycerides, which are then stored in cells called adipocytes. Adipocytes are pliable storehouses that either shrink or expand to accommodate fatty deposits. They are present in virtually every part of the body. There is a direct correlation between the size of adipocytes and obesity: the larger your adipocytes, the fatter you appear.
When you exercise, triglycerides are broken back down into fatty acids, which are then transported via the blood to be used in target tissues for energy. Because fatty acids must travel through the circulatory system—a time-consuming event—it is just as efficient for your body to utilize fat from one area as it is another. In other words, the proximity of fat cells to the working muscles is completely irrelevant from an energy standpoint. Since the body can’t preferentially use fat from a particular area, it simply draws from adipocytes in all regions of the body including the face, trunk and extremities.
Bottom line: When you exercise, fat will be burned globally throughout your body. Some areas will be more sensitive to fat loss than others, but over time you will lean out even the most stubborn problem areas provided you stay regimented with your exercise routine and maintain a caloric deficit.
Stay Fit!
Brad
Redman LM, Heilbronn LK, Martin CK, Alfonso A, Smith SR, Ravussin E; Pennington CALERIE Team. Effect of calorie restriction with or without exercise on body composition and fat distribution. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Mar;92(3):865-72
Speaking
April 28, 2010
I will be speaking at this years NSCA National Conference. The conference takes place in Orlando, Florida at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel from July 14-17. The topic of my seminar is “Facts and Fallacies of Fitness.” I’ll be debunking many of the most common fitness myths so be sure to attend!
Stay Fit!
Brad
Uncategorized
April 13, 2010
There remains great debate as to whether a high carb/low fat or low carb/high fat diet is best for weight loss. The majority of research seems to suggest that there is no definitive answer on the topic; results ultimately depend on individual genetics. Studies show that people respond differently to different dietary protocols; some do better with higher carbs, some with lower carbs. I’ve addressed this issue in a previous post on Diets for Your Genotype.
One thing that is not in doubt, however, is that a higher protein intake is universally essential when restricting calories–much more important than the percentage of carbs versus fat. A large body of evidence shows that when dieters consume a low protein intake, the body cannibalizes muscle tissue for fuel. As much as 1/3 of the body’s muscle is lost on a calorie-restricted diet when protein is kept at the RDA (approximately 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight). Given that muscle plays a role in helping to maintain metabolism, its loss is a primary factor in weight loss plateau and subsequent weight regain.
Fortunately, muscle loss is significantly attenuated when greater levels of protein are consumed. A recent study by Gordon and colleagues showed that increasing protein from 15% of total calories to 30% of total calories reduced the amount of muscle loss by more than half in subjects consuming a low-calorie diet! These findings are supported by multiple other studies on the subject.
So how much protein should you consume when dieting? Studies suggest that about one gram of protein per pound of ideal bodyweight is needed to confer optimal benefits. Thus, if your target weight is 130 pounds, then you should consume about 130 grams of protein a day. Of course, adding resistance training to the mix can not only completely reverse muscle loss, but actually promote muscle development while losing body fat. So if you’re looking to get lean and defined, cut calories while maintaining a higher protein consumption and remember to lift those weights!
A word of caution: If you have existing kidney disease, higher protein intakes are generally contraindicated as they can overstress damaged kidneys. Make sure you coordinate any dietary changes with your physician.
Stay Fit!
Brad
Gordon MM, Bopp MJ, Easter L, Miller GD, Lyles MF, Houston DK, Nicklas BJ, Kritchevsky SB. (2008). Effects of dietary protein on the composition of weight loss in post-menopausal women. J Nutr Health Aging, 12(8):505-9.
Exercise
April 9, 2010
I receive thousands of emails over the course of a year, but wanted to share one I received recently. It is reprinted here unedited in its entirety:
Dear Brad,
Just a quick note to THANK YOU for putting together your 28-day Body Shapeover book. It is “THE” book that just takes out all the guesswork in resistance training, and from wasting ridiculous amounts of money on lazy personal trainers!
I have been heavy-set for as long as I can remember, but got even heavier after having my three children who are now ages 17, 11, and 10. At my highest, I was 320 lbs and that was back in 2006. Since that time, I have been one of those who went through the yo-yo diet and exercise phases going from 320 to 240 then back to 300 and down to 280 – ridiculous times. I finally found myself and decided that if I just accept the challenge as part of my everyday life, as opposed to a chore or “must do” then I would enjoy working out and eating right.
So in January I did just that – it wasn’t easy – I still failed myself many times by going days/weeks without working out and eating crap; late February was a natural turning point and I haven’t stopped since. I’m a member at my local Gold’s Gym and started doing just cardio + good eating. Last weekend, I went to Barnes and Noble to find the “right” book to guide me with my resistance training (I’ve been out of work since June 2009 and couldn’t afford a trainer; was determined that finances wouldn’t deter me). There were so many books, but many made it seem so much more complicated that what resistance training really is. So I really liked your book because of its preciseness, guidance, versatility, and facts. IT’S THE BEST $20 I’VE EVER SPENT ON MYSELF!!! I have been following the plan since Monday and my body already feels the workouts. I’ve spent on trainers before – and in my opinion were a waste of my time and money.
So long story short (sorry) – I am super excited to have found your book, and super excited in incorporating your exercises into my regimen. I started at 264 on Monday, and am at 261 today.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING RESISTANCE TRAINING EASY AND EXCITING!
More power to you!
Jennifer
I’m always humbled when I receive these kinds of emails. Exercise is a complex science. I pore over dozens upon dozens of research articles every week in my never-ending quest to stay on the cutting-edge of the fitness field. The difficult part is to make this information accessible to the masses and to do so in a manner that can be practically applied to optimize results. I strive to attain this feat in all my writings, including here on this blog. Knowing that I’m accomplishing my goal is ultimately what makes my life’s work worthwhile.
If you have any thoughts you like to share on my blog or books, please send them to me. I read and respond to every one of my emails individually. As I said, it means a great deal to me to know that I’m making an impact.
Stay Fit!
Brad
Exercise
April 8, 2010
I will be doing a live webinar in this coming June, 2010. The webinar will be hosted by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). The topic is one of my favorites: Facts and Fallacies of Fitness. I’ll post additional details shortly. Hope you can attend!
Stay Fit!
Brad
Nutrition
April 7, 2010
If you’ve followed my teachings over the years, you’ll know that I believe in taking an individualized approach to nutrition. Simply stated, there is no one diet that is best for everybody. This view is not simply a personal opinion based on anecdotal experience; it’s backed up by a significant amount of research. Studies consistently show that people respond differently to different macronutrient profiles. Here’s an example. A study by Tay and colleagues reported that LDL (i.e. the “bad” cholesterol) levels remained unchanged after subjects consumed a low carb diet over 24 weeks. However, a closer look at the individual responses of participants in the study paints a vastly different picture. Almost 60% of low carb dieters actually showed a reduction in LDL while 24% showed an increase of at least 10%! Such widespread discrepancies can only be attributed to differences in genotype (i.e. the genetic makeup of an individual).
Now, recent research reveals that we may be closer to having an effective tool in customizing diets based on individual response. Data presented at the American Heart Association’s Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism Conference showed that examining the activity of genes involved in fat metabolism can help predict what type of diet is best for a particular person. The researchers used a cheek swab to obtain genetic info on three genes–fatty acid binding protein 2, peroxisome proliferator- activated receptor gamma, and beta 2 adrenergic receptor–then sought to determine response to various diets (i.e. high-carb, low-carb, etc). The verdict? The genes studied had an extremely high correlation as to what diet worked best for the individuals, with those assigned to a the proper diet for their genotype losing up to three times as much weight after a year compared to those who were not assigned to a genotype-appropriate diet.
Now before we get too caught up in numbers, a few things to keep in mind. First, this was just an abstract and the data have not yet been published in a peer reviewed publication. Hence, results need to be interpreted with caution. Second, several of the researchers have a financial interest in the kit used to collect and interpret the info, which has the potential to introduce bias into results. That said, the research was carried out at a very prestigious university (Stanford) and the theoretical basis behind the approach is certainly sound. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but it represents a potentially exciting development in nutritional science that has important future implications.
In the meantime, the best advice is to experiment with different macronutrient profiles and see how your body responds. A little trial-and-error goes a long way to optimizing a dietary approach that works best for you.
Stay Fit!
Brad
Tay J, Brinkworth GD, Noakes M, Keogh J, Clifton PM. (2008). Metabolic effects of weight loss on a very-low-carbohydrate diet compared with an isocaloric high-carbohydrate diet in abdominally obese subjects. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1;51(1):59-67.
Exercise
April 3, 2010
The abstract of my recent peer-reviewed journal publication titled Squatting Kinematics and Kinetics and Their Application to Exercise Performance is now available for viewing in publish-ahead-of-print format on both Pubmed and the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research website. The article assesses squatting biomechanics and then discusses their application to exercise training. I will post more on the subject in the future.
Stay Fit!
Brad
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