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Mike T Nelson

Where Are My Ramblings Updates? Extreme Human Performance has them!

Just a heads up that for those that are on the emails to your inbox from my Ramblings, I am working on switching the RSS feed to update you from the new site below. Thanks for your feedback.

If you want, you can just go to the site below and hit the RSS feed and do it yourself in the meantime.

Http://www.ExtremeHumanPerformance.com

I will have all my updates there from now on, so check it out. Working to get the other links out there pointed to the new site also

See ya over there!
Rock on
Mike T Nelson

New Site Is Up! Xtreme Human Performance!

I've moved!
The new site is up and running, so please click below and check it out.

Http://www.ExtremeHumanPerformance.com

I will have all my updates there from now on, so check it out

Http://www.ExtremeHumanPerformance.com

I have even transferred all the older material here, going back over 2 years to the new site; so you will not miss anything there.

See ya over there!
Rock on
Mike T Nelson

New Blog and Energy Drink Study almost done!

I apologize for the delays here, but I have been working on the new blog like a crazy man and it is almost done! It will be live some time on Monday, so check back here for all the info. I have tons of great stuff lined up too!

Jodie and I are off to a friends cabin up north tomorrow as soon as I complete my last test for the Monster Energy Drink study in the lab that AM.

Wow, I can't wait for that. I started testing subjects in early January and to date I will have completed 50 tests, each one taking about 2.5 hours or so. Lots of data to analyze now and I am over half way through it. I will be sure to update everyone on the results as soon as I can.

Special HUGE thanks to all the volunteers for the study, as I could not have done it without you.

Have a great weekend everyone and here is a hint on the new site coming on Monday

Extreme human performance powered by kettlebells, strength, mobility, and muscle through neurology

I am really excited to get the site up and going and get lots of killer info out to everyone!

Rock on!
Mike T Nelson

Kettlebells Are Great For Women Too!

Kettlebells are perfect for women also. The nice part about the RKC is that it is expected that you lift heavier weights, yes, even for women.

Rant Coming
If I hear one more woman complain that they "don't want to get too big" I am going to scream. That is the EXCEPTION and not the rule. I am sure it has happened to a couple people, but that is far from the norm. Don't let the fear of success stop you from even starting! If it does happen for some odd reason, it is quite easy to loose muscle.

Women are way more capable than most stupid magazines and bad infomercials give them credit for. Stop with the Kettlenetics, Kettleworx and all that other crap that tells you not to lift heavy (again, heavy is always relative to the individual). You MUST give your body a REASON to adapt.

Below is an inside look at the RKC. Watch closely for a cameo from Adam T Glass and a large spiky thing and local RKC Fawn Friday, Ellen Stein and others.

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

PS
If you are interested in Kettlebells and taking your performance to a new level, I will have a special announcement coming soon for you! Stay tuned.

RKC Certification St Paul MN: Completed!

Just a super quick note that I did my re-cert for the RKC and passed, so that was good.

I was there Thurs night until Sunday evening and it was a great experience to be able to assisst many new candidates become RKCs. It is a little hard to explain unless you have experienced it first hand, but I will do my best coming up very soon.

My hats off to everyone on Team DuCane and everyone else there this past weekend in sunny St. Paul Minnesota.

More soon!
Rock on
Mike T Nelson

PS
New site is still on track and about a week to go. I am working on a special report for all my newsletter insiders too.

Muscle vs Fat Video

Off to the RKC meet and greet tonight and then I will be there helping assist Fri-Sun, so more updates coming on Monday here. Just finished a great Z Health session with an RKC candidate and he did awesome! We got his right psoas and right glute to fire much much better along with some increased shoulder range of motion and worked out a massive kink in his upper thoracic spine between his shoulder blades. Very cool!

Here is a new video showing the difference between fat and muscle. I think you will find it very interesting.




Iron Maiden DVD/CD
Jodie and I were able to see the Iron Maiden movie Flight 666 a couple month back in the theater and it was AWESOME! I am a huge music fan and Iron Maiden is one of the best live bands EVER.

It shows them taking a custom plane with all their crew and gear around the world to play in front of thousands of fans. Lead singer Bruce actually flew the plane. Using a plane enabled them to play in a new country almost every day.


The best part was watching all the members of the band doing something that they are so passionate about. They didn't do it to try to "cash in" on another tour, they did it because they knew that many fans wanted to see them play songs live for the first time. I love watching people do things that they are passionate about and if you are a music fan at all, you will love this DVD or CD.

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

Vitamin D Update

New Bog Update
Just wanted to drop everyone a line to say that I am still alive! The cut over of the blog is going well and much of the old info you have come to know and love will all be on the new site, including all the comments. Yep, all 303 entries over 2 years will be on the new blog and special thanks to my web guy for doing that portion.

Still on target for the third week in June to have it up and running.

Vitamin D Testing
In the meantime, here is a very important letter from Dr. John Cannell about Vitamin D testing and reimbursement. The reality is that unless it is covered under insurance, most will never have their levels of Vitamin D tested.

One of the items in the list is hypovitaminosis D (aka low vitamin D levels), but your doc can't do a test as a screen. If he/she knows you are low in Vitamin D, the test is covered.

What sense does that make? If your doc knows you are low already, why would they need another test to tell them that? How do they get the first test to tell them that you are low unless you did it yourself via lab testing paying out of your own pocket! Crazyness.....

See the previous post below
http://miketnelson.blogspot.com/2009/06/vitamin-d-and-athletic-performance.html

From Dr. John Cannell

Dear Readers:

Medicare is up to it again, again trying to put dangerous restrictions on Vitamin D testing. Although the proposed guidelines for reimbursement are not as restrictive as Medicare's recent proposal, this proposal is restrictive none the less and, within a few months, will be adopted by your insurance company and every major insurance company in the country. Here is Medicare's new proposal:

http://www.highmark medicareservices .com/policy/ mac-ab/dl30273. html

Measurement of vitamin D levels would only be indicated for patients with:

* chronic kidney disease stage III or greater
* cancer
* cirrhosis
* diabetes
* fibromyalgia
* granuloma forming diseases
* hypocalcemia
* hypercalcemia
* hypovitaminosis D
* long term use of anticonvulsants or glucocorticoids
* malabsorption states
* obstructive jaundice
* osteoporosis (unresponsive to therapy)
* osteomalacia
* osteosclerosis
* psoriasis
* rickets
* vitamin D deficiency on replacement therapy; to monitor the efficacy of treatment

It would forbid screening, the most important use of the test. That is, hypovitaminosis D is covered but your doctor can't order the test to find out if you suffer from low Vitamin D in the first place.

You can send your comments via the Internet using the link below. For using the link below for your comments, this proposal's LCD number is DL30273. The name of the proposal is "Vitamin D Assay Testing."

http://www.highmark medicareservices .com/policy/ form-comments. html

If you'd rather send a letter, which is better, sent it to:

Ms. Anna Gene Risoldi
Senior Research Analyst
Highmark Medicare Services
1800 Center Street, 1AL3
Camp Hill, PA 17089

May I also ask that you send an email with your comments to Dr. Daniel B. Kimball, Jr., drdankimball@ gmail.com> He's on the AMA board that reviews this policy.

John Cannell, MD
The Vitamin D Council
585 Leff Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

More Mobility Videos

Some cool videos Zzzzz sent to me awhile back.

Yes, you should be able to do these moves as they are not "impossible" (but it may take some work to get there). As always, make sure you are not doing any movement in pain.

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

Who Uses Kettlebells?

New video from Dragon Door on Kettlebell athletes.

I can say that all types of athletes can use them, just be sure to get some good instruction so that you are using them properly. Even endurance folks can use them to balance out there training and I just did a Z Health/Kettlebell session with a top RAAM cyclist the other night.

Be sure to keep about from that Kettleworx crap though!

Mike T Nelson Ramblings: Kettleworx As Seen on KARE 11 TV Can Kiss ...

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

Dynamic Joint Mobility (Z Health) vs Static Stretching: Q and A Time

I had a great question from the wonderful post Smitty from Diesel Crew put up recently about static stretching (thanks again Smitty---you da man). I though I would post it here for those that missed it.

Be sure to check out The Diesel Crew

Hello mike,

I wouldn't want to ask you anything to sell your secret.

I don't understand how it could be any more efficient then foam rolling
with a combination of dynamic and static stretches. Say you have a tight
muscles whats the difference between massaging it, stretching it, or
doing some z health> which lasts the longest? etc.

Ha! No worries. Ask away--no secrets, but some things are just really
hard to explain over the internet at times.

Good question. For long term, permanent change we need to elicit
learning a new pattern/program.

Passive work (somebody doing something to you or you yourself as you lay
their like a dead fish) in general does not "hold" for a long period of
time since the learning effect in the brain is small. This does not
mean it is NOT effective in certain cases, but in general it needs to be
repeated quite frequently to be effective.

Foam rolling kind of falls into that area as you are moving, but not a
ton. Also, people tend to foam roll trying to INDUCE pain, which is a
bad idea as pain will inhibit performance. If you have a right shoulder
problem I can take a cow Massage falls into this category of a more
passive therapy. Want to drive your massage therapist nuts? When they
are done working on an area--get up and walk around the room and see if
there is still any difference. If NOT, what makes you think it will
stay once you even get home, much less tomorrow?

For increased learning, we need to do more active, controlled, precise,
movement. This is probably dynamic drills are better---more movement.
More movement= more motor learning. Z Health is based on dynamic,
ACTIVE mobility work. In my experience, after doing a Z Health drill
to target a muscle, it will stay "on" for about 2-5 hours; so I have
athletes do some high pay off drills for only 3-5 reps, but done 3-4
times during the day. This promotes more motor learning by getting some
overlap of the new patterns (increased reps promote learning too).
After about 3-4 weeks at 90% compliance, this new program is pretty well
wired into your body and we move on to the next issue.

Stretching can work, but be careful of what you are teaching your body.
The definition of static stretch is to put the limb/muscle into an
elongated position and teach it to be WEAKER. Can this help with some
muscles that may be "overactive"---yes, but you will most likely need a
trained eye/hands on work to find them. Dynamic joint mobility work
(like Z Health) can also target this muscles too. Randomly static
stretching is teaching your body to be weaker. DJM (dyn joint mobility)
is teaching STRENGTH, esp at an end range of motion. How many athletes
are weak during a mid range movement? Very few. How many are weak at
an end range of motion? Many (myself included on certain exercises).

Long winded answer, but I believe PRECISE joint mobility work can
actually replace about 90% of foam rolling, massage and static
stretching. Beyond this, think of how the brain gets info--1) eyes 2)
vestibular (inner ear "balance") 3) proprioception--joint information.
A system for extreme human performance, should target all 3 of these
areas---at a high level, this is what Z Health does. You can also add
to this very specific hands on holding of tissue while athletes do
certain drills also, but that is another can o' worms.

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

Related posts

More Brain Science and BAHG

Neuroplasticity and Human Athletic Performance

Z Health, Proprioception, Neuroplasticity all on Super Human Radio

Super Human Radio: Visual Aspect of Performance

Vitamin D and Athletic Performance

Greetings! ACSM was great and I am working on getting the info out to you soon. I am probably driving my poor web person batty as I am posting in a blog that will be transferred over to a new site soon. I am hoping to have it all up and running by the third week of June, so posting here may be a bit sparse in the cut over period; but fear not as I will have tons of killer new performance enhancement items for you soon.

Athletic Performance and Vitamin D
Something I have been following for some time now is the building research on Vitamin D. Vitamin is technically a hormone that does a myriad of functions in the body.

Vitamin D comes mainly from fatty, wild caught fish (hmmmmmm fresh sockeye salmon with some Cajun spice and a nice glass of Cabernet wine; oops back on track here) or your body can make it from sunlight (UVB) exposure. The downside for those that live in the northern climates like myself in Minnesota and my friends even further north in that tundra they call Canada, is that the amount of UVB during most of the year is not enough for adequate Vitamin D production.

What about muscle?
The cool part is that in research by Birge et al. in 1975 Vit D (in the 25 (OH)D form--the "natural" form in the body) has been shown to to directly increase protein synthesis (e.g. adding new muscle)

Optimal Levels?
The optimal level in this study is quoted at 50 ng*ml-1 for 25 (OH)D levels. Since there is so much literature showing all the issues of Vitamin D deficiency, future trials may become more scarce since it could be argued that to have control or untreated Vit D group may be unethical!

How To Determine Levels?
Keep in mind I am not a medical doctor (although I did stay at a Holiday Inn recently), and I am only providing you the information to make an intelligent decision about your health and athletic performance. An option is to get your Vit D level tested through your local doc. If that is not an option, ZRT labs does Vit D testing by mail, so see the info below.

http://www.zrtlab.com

As a personal experiment of n=1 I will have my levels tested soon and keep you all updated on what I find.

Here is the abstract for you. For my newsletter friends, I will have an exclusive heads up on a video with tons of Vit D info out to you all soon.

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

Athletic Performance and Vitamin D.

APPLIED SCIENCES
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 41(5):1102-1110, May 2009.
CANNELL, JOHN J. 1; HOLLIS, BRUCE W. 2; SORENSON, MARC B. 3; TAFT, TIMOTHY N. 4; ANDERSON, JOHN J. B. 5


Abstract:
Purpose: Activated vitamin D (calcitriol) is a pluripotent pleiotropic secosteroid hormone. As a steroid hormone, which regulates more than 1000 vitamin D-responsive human genes, calcitriol may influence athletic performance. Recent research indicates that intracellular calcitriol levels in numerous human tissues, including nerve and muscle tissue, are increased when inputs of its substrate, the prehormone vitamin D, are increased.

Methods: We reviewed the world's literature for evidence that vitamin D affects physical and athletic performance.

Results: Numerous studies, particularly in the German literature in the 1950s, show vitamin D- producing ultraviolet light improves athletic performance. Furthermore, a consistent literature indicates physical and athletic performance is seasonal; it peaks when 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels peak, declines as they decline, and reaches its nadir when 25(OH)D levels are at their lowest. Vitamin D also increases the size and number of Type II (fast twitch) muscle fibers. Most cross- sectional studies show that 25(OH)D levels are directly associated with musculoskeletal performance in older individuals. Most randomized controlled trials, again mostly in older individuals, show that vitamin D improves physical performance.

Conclusions: Vitamin D may improve athletic performance in vitamin D-deficient athletes. Peak athletic performance may occur when 25(OH)D levels approach those obtained by natural, full-body, summer sun exposure, which is at least 50 ng[middle dot]mL-1. Such 25(OH)D levels may also protect the athlete from several acute and chronic medical conditions.

Damien Walters Showreel 2009--A Must See

You MUST watch this! Wow! Amazing athletic movement. I can't wait to free up more time in my schedule post graduation to working on my standing back flip goal.




What do you think about this video? Place a comment below.

Rock on
Mike T Nelson
PS
Thanks to MC for this one! Check out her blog at Begin To Dig

Kettlebell Interview Series

My good buddy Geoff Neupert is doing a series of interviews with many KB experts and wanted to pass along the good news to all of you.

See the details below and yes it is FREE!
Go to the link below and sign up or see all the details below
http://kettlebellsecrets.com/aff.php?url=/markr/index.html&aff=kbfitness

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

How would you like to sit down from the comfort of your own home and pick the brains of the best kettlebell instructors on the planet at absolutely no cost to you?

Well, that's EXACTLY what you can do, starting Thursday, May 28th at 8pm EST.

Geoff Neupert, Senior RKC, will be interviewing the Master and Senior RKC Instructors, along with the Chief Instructor, Pavel Tsatsouline, about every conceivable angle and form of kettlebell training--from losing fat, to finding and fixing weak points, to training athletes, to growing muscle, and much, much more.

Just take a look at some of the topics that will be covered:

Master RKC, Brett Jones reveals the 7 key areas that are inhibiting your progress and teaches you how to uncover and fix potentially fatal flaws that will allow your performance to soar to new heights...

Master RKC, Mark "Rif" Reifkind explains the importance of identifying your breaking point—before it finds you—and the 5 things you can do to right now to reverse the results of any accidental discovery...

Master RKC, Andrea "Goddess" Du Cane shares why kettlebells are more than just tools for jocks and the military and are actually one of the BEST tools for training the elderly and de-conditioned...

Senior RKC, Will Williams debunks some of the most common misconceptions about training with a limited number of kettlebells, and why doing so can lead to some of the best results you've experienced so far...

Senior RKC, Jeff O'Connor reveals not only little known techniques for training kids with kettlebells, but also the safest, most effective ways to do so, explaining why kettlebell training for kids can be more beneficial than traditional styles of strength training...

Senior RKC, Brad Nelson reveals the ONE thing you must know about training athletes—especially young athletes—with kettlebells and how "sports-specific" training can actually ruin a young athlete's chances for future success...

Master RKC, "Dane of Pain" Kenneth Jay unveils the ONE most overlooked component in any athletic conditioning program that if violated inhibits recovery and impedes performance, PLUS he'll release a few of his secrets for training Elite and Olympic athletes that you can apply tomorrow morning to your kettlebell training...

Senior RKC, Jon Engum, also a Tae Kwon Do Grandmaster, will show you how to use kettlebells to "amp up" your striking power, regardless of style. Learn his secret "tried and true" field-tested kettlebell techniques to skyrocket your martial power and endurance. Grandmaster Engum promises you'll be laughing at your opponent...

Senior RKC, Doug "I Kilt You" Nepodal uncovers the 3 hallmarks of success to the Gracie Brazillian Ju-Jitsu School and shows you how you can implement them into your kettlebell training along with the 4 reasons kettlebell training is superior to other forms of physical conditioning for BJJ...

Senior RKC, Sara Cheatham divulges the exact kettlebell exercises and programming necessary for Active Duty Military and reveals how traditional exercise programs can actually be detrimental to the lives of our Armed Forces...

Senior RKC, David Whitley teaches you the 3 key ingredients you must include for successful fat loss in any kettlebell training program and troubleshoots the exact reasons you may be actually sabotaging your own fat loss progress...

Senior RKC, Shaun Cairns unlocks the hidden power in just ONE kettlebell and reveals not only which exercises to include in your program for maximum usable functional strength in any endeavor but how to modify them to your current abilities...

Chief Instructor, Pavel Tsatsouline simplifies the process of muscle-building, identifying the only 3 components necessary for building slabs of rock-hard muscle, dispelling the myths of the "musclemags"..

And a whole lot more!

So, no matter how you use a kettlebell, or kettlebells, whether you're an enthusiast who trains alone or in classes, or you're an RKC who teaches those classes, if you want to understand how to accomplish your goals faster, get results quicker, and live life fuller by refining your techniques gleaned from the insights of these Kettlebell Masters, you just cannot afford to miss even one of these interviews.

So how do you get on these exclusive calls that will never be repeated?

Go to: http://kettlebellsecrets.com/aff.php?url=/markr/index.html&aff=kbfitness

and register for this Life-Changing Teleseminar series.

To Your Improved Kettlebell Success,

John Du Cane and Geoff Neupert

P.S. We are so convinced that these interviews will take your kettlebell training to the next level and change your life for the better, we will be running replays of the calls for 24 hours after each call, just in case you have to miss one.

Its coming

More soon!

ACSM update and new hydrolyzed protein study

Greetings from Seattle WA. I just have a sec here due to limited internet access and more things to do yet today; but wanted to get this brand new study out to all of you.

Jodie and I just finished an amazing breakfast here by our kind hosts. Fresh espresso, pumpkin pancakes and an omelet with red pepper and roasted garlic. Yummmmmy.

ACSM was killer and tons of info coming soon (soon being early this coming week as I may not have Internet access until then). I cut down on my notes this year and only have 20 pages.

Dave Barr and I saw a killer lecture from Dr. Stu Phillips about testosterone levels and training--short version is that if you are in the normal range, being high or low will NOT accelerate or alter muscle size or strength gains (this excludes the very very low end and the very very high end--those using exogenous testosterone). Exclusive updates to my newsletter group too (thanks for your patience).

Here is the study

Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 May 27, 2009

Ingestion of a protein hydrolysate is accompanied by an accelerated in vivo digestion and absorption rate when compared with its intact protein.

Koopman R, Crombach N, Gijsen AP, Walrand S, Fauquant J, Kies AK, Lemosquet S, Saris WH, Boirie Y, van Loon LJ.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that a protein hydrolysate, as opposed to its intact protein, is more easily digested and absorbed from the gut, which results in greater plasma amino acid availability and a greater muscle protein synthetic response.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare dietary protein digestion and absorption kinetics and the subsequent muscle protein synthetic response to the ingestion of a single bolus of protein hydrolysate compared with its intact protein in vivo in humans.

DESIGN: Ten elderly men (mean +/- SEM age: 64 +/- 1 y) were randomly assigned to a crossover experiment that involved 2 treatments in which the subjects consumed a 35-g bolus of specifically produced l-[1-(13)C]phenylal anine-labeled intact casein (CAS) or hydrolyzed casein (CASH). Blood and muscle-tissue samples were collected to assess the appearance rate of dietary protein-derived phenylalanine in the circulation and subsequent muscle protein fractional synthetic rate over a 6-h postprandial period.

RESULTS: The mean (+/-SEM) exogenous phenylalanine appearance rate was 27 +/- 6% higher after ingestion of CASH when compared with CAS (P < p =" 0.10)." style="font-weight: bold;">CONCLUSIONS: Ingestion of a protein hydrolysate, as opposed to its intact protein, accelerates protein digestion and absorption from the gut, augments postprandial amino acid availability, and tends to increase the incorporation rate of dietary amino acids into skeletal muscle protein.

ACSM updates

Just have a few secs here before the next lecture, but check out my twitter updates on the following lower right for some cool stuff.

Gotta run to another lecture, but more coming soon!

thanks for your patience!

Rock on
Mike N

Performance Research for May: Fat Loss and Exercise

Greetings from sunny Seattle WA. Yes, it is actually sunny out here!

Jodie and I finally made it here ok and we are off to tour the Space Needle, the Experience Music exhibit and Jim Hensen's Muppets exhibit too

I am off to ACSM tomorrow through Friday, so I will hopefully have updates here but that will all depend on my internet connection. I will have exclusive newsletter only updates for my newsletter friends too.

A few short studies on fat loss in the meantime.

Addition of aerobic exercise to a weight loss program increases BMD, with an associated reduction in inflammation in overweight postmenopausal women.

Silverman NE, Nicklas BJ, Ryan AS. University of Maryland School of Medicine, Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center of the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, GRECC (BT/18/GR), 10 North Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-1524, USA.


Increased inflammation and weight loss are associated with a reduction in bone mineral density (BMD). Aerobic exercise may minimize the loss of bone and weight loss may contribute to a decrease in cytokines. We tested the hypothesis that aerobic exercise in combination with a weight loss program would decrease circulating concentrations of inflammatory markers, thus mediating changes in BMD. This was a nonrandomized controlled trial. Eighty-six overweight and obese postmenopausal women (50-70 years of age; BMI, 25-40 kg/m(2)) participated in a weight loss (WL; n = 40) or weight loss plus walking (WL + AEX; n = 46) program. Outcome measures included BMD and bone mineral content of the femoral neck and lumbar spine measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, soluble receptors of IL-6, and TNF-alpha (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2; receptors in a subset of the population), VO(2) max, fat mass, and lean mass.


Weight decreased in the WL (p < p =" 0.001)," style="font-weight: bold;">


CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the addition of aerobic exercise is recommended to decrease inflammation and increase BMD during weight loss in overweight postmenopausal women.

My notes: Nothing earth shattering here---you need to EXERCISE (heck, even walking) for weight loss and better health (less inflammation).

Effect of calorie restriction on subjective ratings of appetite.

Anton SD, Han H, York E, Martin CK, Ravussin E, Williamson DA. Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA. santon@aging.ufl.edu


BACKGROUND: Energy or calorie restriction (CR) has consistently been shown to produce weight loss and have beneficial health effects in numerous species, including primates and humans. Most individuals, however, are unable to sustain weight losses induced through reductions in energy intake, potentially due to increased hunger levels. The effects that prolonged CR has on subjective aspects of appetite have not been well studied. Thus, the present study tested the effect of 6 months of caloric restriction on appetite in healthy, overweight men and women.

METHODS: Forty-eight overweight men and women with a body mass index (BMI; kg m(-2)) between 25-29.9 took part in a 6-month study and were randomised into one of four groups: healthy diet (control); 25% CR; 12.5% CR plus exercise (12.5% increased energy expenditure; CR + EX); low-calorie diet [LCD; 3724 kJ day(-1) (890 kcal day(-1)) until 15% of initial body weight was lost, then maintenance]. Appetite markers (i.e. hunger, fullness, desire to eat, etc.) were assessed weekly during a fasting state.


RESULTS: Body weight was significantly reduced in all three energy-restricted groups (CR = -10.4 +/- 0.9%; CR + EX = -10.0 +/- 0.8%; and LCD = -13.9 +/-0.7%), indicating that participants were adherent to their energy restriction regimen, whereas the healthy diet control group remained weight stable (control = -1.0 +/- 1.1%). Despite these significant weight losses, appetite ratings of participants in the three energy-restricted groups at month 6 were similar to the weight stable control group.


CONCLUSIONS: CR regimens with low fat diets producing significant weight losses have similar effects on appetite markers over a 6-month time period compared to a weight stable control group.

My notes: I wish they would have measured body fat instead of just using weight and BMI. You want to drop fat NOT muscle; but if you only measure weight you don't know if you are dropping muscle and fat.

Opposite Joints: My elbow hurts, you want me to check my knee?

Here is a question I get a fair amount in relation to the location of pain / loss of function and where to look for a solution.

"He who treats the site of pain is lost" ---Karel Lewitt, M.D., Dr.

Just because you have a chronic shoulder issue does not mean that you can SOLVE that issue by working ONLY on the shoulder! The first place I would look is the opposite joint; so for a right shoulder I would check the LEFT hip. For a right elbow issue, I would check the LEFT KNEE.

The technical term is interlimb neural coupling (see reference below).

How does this help in the real world? Keep on reading


Hey mike...you got me thinking on joint and cross joint and function. My right elbow has chronic arthritis and joint mice built up. I have full supination/pronation. But my extension is to about 130 degrees and my flexion is only at 90 degrees. It's quite limited! So I'm always altering movement. I really don't do much pressing anymore. In Z health should i pay extra attention to my left knee?

Just curious
Thanks a lot man
Jason Ross

The short answer is YES I have a video coming out on this soon, whenever I can steal 5 minutes to upload it.

I can't guarantee that, but for an elbow, the first place I would look at is the opposite knee and I would check the opposite motion too; so knee flexion (hamstring). Have you ever sprained that ankle on that side? I wold check the talocalcaneal aka subtalar joint since that corresponds to hamstring activity due to gait

Let me know what you find!

Mike N


Mike....I actually have sprained the left ankle pretty severely around 12 years ago. It has never felt as stable.

Thanks for your time man. Jason

Be sure to check out all the killer information on Jason's blog

Train Out Pain

For a case study on how to use opposite joints and the results, see the link below

Z Health and Marathon Running

REFERENCE

Brain. 2007 Jan;130(Pt 1):159-69. Epub 2006 Oct 3.

Exaggerated interlimb neural coupling following stroke.

Kline TL, Schmit BD, Kamper DG.

Neuromechanics Laboratory, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA.

The patterns of interlimb coupling were examined in 10 stroke survivors with chronic hand impairment. In particular, the potential roles of postural state and motor tasks in promoting the flexed posture of the upper extremity were assessed. Through the use of electromyography analysis, joint angle measurements and a novel biomechanical apparatus to perturb the digits of the hand into extension, measurements of muscle activity and joint position were compared during multiple postural states, locomotion and voluntary muscle activity. The results demonstrated a significant increase in flexion of the digits (P < class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">flexion and voluntary leg extension produced significant activity in the other impaired extremity, leg and arm, respectively, in the stroke as compared with the control subjects. Thus, rectus femoris in the impaired leg was active during finger flexion of the impaired hand in the stroke survivors and all four tested muscles in the impaired arm were active during extension of the legs (P < class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">interlimb coupling related to active motor tasks, contributing to an upper extremity flexion bias following stroke.

Cardiobots and Cardio Bunnies--Stick to the Hornet's Nest

I just have a sec as Jodie and I are off to the airport in a bit for Seattle WA for 8 days. Well, we were supposed to be on a plane now but there was a change to our flight time and the plane already left at 6:30am instead of 2:30pm today! Thanks for the great notice!
All the details will be in my newsletter that goes out tomorrow if anyone is interested (can still sign up at the bottom on this message).

Some good friends of mine were kind enough to open up their house to us (little do they know what is in store) and time for a much needed vacation. Neither of us have been to Seattle yet either and I will be a the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) conference this coming Wed-Fri sniffing out the latest and greatest for all of you here. I am working on some special updates and perhaps even an interview(s). Some of it will be released here and some tidbits will only be sent to my newsletter group, so be sure to sign up for my newsletter at the end of this post (it is free too).

If you are going to be at ACSM, drop me a note and we can chat live in person!

So it looks like a previous blog post I did stirred up a few comments and I got permission to post one below as this weeks "Letter to the Editor"

Read on

Ok, time for me to say something about the language you use as you may be hurting yourself and not even realize it. First, let me say, I love your blog posts, I can tell you spend a great deal of time and effort to not only "just post links to research articles", but you take the time and effort to break down the research articles and you do an excellent job of summarizing and breaking it down to a lay person's level, who, may be interested and intelligent enough to really "get" the article, but who may not be willing to dedicate the time to actually read the whole study, in part b/c you break it down so well!

Constructive Criticism Details below: Anytime you write on your blog or in these email updates to your blog about strength training, you refer to it as "strength training" or as training for "power/speed athletes", but I have Never read you making Any derogatory remarks about strength training.

Except for the one blog post about "Broscience". At the same time, I have observed, that almost anytime you write, on your blog, or in these email updates to your blog, about endurance training, you Almost Always refer to it as exercise conducted by "cardio bunnies" or as exercise conducted by (in this case) "Cardiobots", or you may use some other derogatory word, but "Cardio bunnies" seems to be your favorite.

And I get that there are people out there who "only" will do endurance training, and I can see how you may feel that strength training is not stressed enough or paid enough attention to and therefore I can see that you may be trying to make a case for why strength training is important. However, at the same time, I think there are probably just as many people out there who "only" engage in strength training and don't see any value in endurance training. And I know, you know the value in endurance training, b/c I've read a number of your blog posts about how amazing you find endurance athletes like the bike race across America.

Plus, I know you are very smart and as a smart person myself (at least I like to think so), who tries to have a good balance of both endurance and strength training, I find it demeaning and simply not necessary, to almost Always make fun of people who engage in endurance training by calling them demeaning names.

This all leads to my question: Why do feel it is necessary to make derogatory remarks about endurance training or people who engage in endurance training, but you (almost) never make derogatory remarks about strength training or people who engage in it, but you in strength training?

Charles


Thanks again for the comments Charles. Much appreciated as it take cajones to actually give constructive feedback.

Yeah, I may be pissing off some cardio people although that is not my intent. I refer to a cardiobot or a cardio bunny as someone who does mindless hours of cardio normally on a treadmill or elliptical without any plan or any change in intensity--just the same thing every day hoping it will work better tomorrow. You can spot these people in big health clubs very easily (and they don't even wear rabbit ears).

I have HUGE respect for ANY athlete (athlete is defined as anyone that trains and uses their body for a living, so that includes pretty much everyone). I totally understand why people run marathons and heck, bike across the entire US from my volunteer stint on the RAAM and I give mad props to all of them. I personally will not be signing up any time soon though.

Don't worry, there are tons of stupid things that weight trainers do in the gym too! I tend to forget about it since the only gym I go to on occasion is at work and that is mostly cardio equipment. I do 95% of my sessions in my garage gym (aka the Xtreme Human Performance Center) and for cardio I primarily do KBs, some biking and now that summer is here more sprints, sledge hammer on the tire, push cars, etc.

I do feel the tide is turning and strength work is getting much more respect in the research community, but the reality is its much easier to study endurance training. I fully admit to falling in that camp too as part of my Monster Energy Drink study is using a bike ride to exhaustion because of previous literature (although not much) and it is easier to measure.

Yes, cardio (cardiorespiratory fitness) is very important! I actually believe that many strength athletes could benefit from more intelligent CRF work in their programs, even if strenght is their main goal. My buddy Aaron S from ND said it best, "it just helps to be 'ft'" I will save you a lecture about HRV and work capacity.

The reality is that this blog will never be a home for die hard endurance fans, and that is fine with me. I don't mean any disrespect to them, but I have to narrow the focus a bit to provide relevant info to the loyal readers

Hope that helps and thanks again for the feedback as most just unsubscribe without any comments or why; which makes it very hard for me to improve them. My goal long term is to make this a trusted home for athletic performance enhancement. I agree with Dr. Cobb when he said "it is actually UNnatrual to NOT be athletic"
Rock on
Mike N
PS
If anyone else has comments on this, post away in the comments section!

PPS
If you want some cool insider scoop from ACSM, sign up to my newsletter below

It's Good to be Fat!

Ok, just when you think you know something, another piece of evidence comes out that is 180 degrees different. While I think we all should question and test all of our assumptions, this is a bit far!

I know the fat vs fit debate has been going on for awhile, but arguing that being fat is better for survival is insane! Even a very thin person has enough fat for a long time as an energy supply. We know that fat cells are VERY active and they don't just sit around on their fat butts all day; they are actually sending and receiving hormonal signals.

The argument that there is only ONE type of heart disease is equally insane, as I would be very surprised if this panned out to be true. Physiology is not that simple.

Just for your reading, here is the source and an article from heart wire, so judge for yourself.
Rock on
Mike T Nelson

Source
Lavie CJ, Milani RV, Ventura HO. Obesity and cardiovascular disease. Risk factor, paradox, and impact of weight loss. J Am Coll Cardiol 2009; 53:1925–1932.

From Heartwire
Obesity Paradox Probed in New Review
Shelley Wood

Despite being a key cause of heart disease, obesity appears to be protective in a range of cardiovascular problems, a new review concludes [1]. But that doesn't mean people shouldn't try to lose weight, lead author on the paper, Dr Carl J Lavie (Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA), told heartwire . Indeed, patients who fare the best seem to be obese patients who manage to lose some weight, he said.

"First, obesity is a very strong risk factor and increases all types of heart disease, but second, once you get heart disease, the obese patients do better, so their prognosis is not doomsday," Lavie explained. "In fact, if you have obese patients with congestive heart failure or coronary heart disease or other heart disorders, those patients actually have a pretty good prognosis if they are treated well. But third, the ones who lose weight do even better."

According to Lavie, there is solid evidence to suggest that being overweight or obese may improve survival, not just in heart failure, but also in diseases like hypertension, coronary artery disease, and peripheral artery disease.

"There are a large number of cardiologists who don't even recognize that this is the case, and they are confused about it, too. It is honestly a confusing topic because if obesity is so bad, and it contributes to all cardiovascular risk factors and markedly increases the prevalence of developing heart disease of almost every type, then why, once they get it, do obese patients do better?"

The new review appears in the May 26, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) [1].

Obesity Likely Protects Through Various Mechanisms

The protective effects of excess weight have been best documented in heart-failure patients, where patients with higher body weight or percent body fat have demonstrated better event-free survival. In this setting, says Lavie, extra weight may function much the same way it does with cancer and other chronic diseases, by providing the body with additional fuel to help fight the disease.

Less well known is the relationship between obesity and hypertension, Lavie et al note. While people who are obese do have more hypertension, five papers spanning almost 20 years also point to the fact that obese people with hypertension seem to have lower mortality and/or lower stroke risk, despite less effective blood-pressure control, than do normal-weight people. In this setting, obese patients "may have a better prognosis in part because of having lower systemic vascular resistance and plasma renin activity compared with more lean hypertensive patients," Lavie et al write.

Also incompletely understood is the paradoxical relationship of obesity and coronary and peripheral artery diseases. Obesity is believed to play a causal role in the development of a number of major risk factors for arterial disease, among them hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes, and is believed to be, in and of itself, a risk factor for atherosclerosis. But according to the JACC authors, there is also literature to suggest that overweight and obese coronary heart disease patients have a lower risk for mortality compared with under- and normal-weight coronary heart disease patients who have undergone revascularization procedures. A similar contradictory relationship has been seen in patients with peripheral artery disease.

Speaking with heartwire , Lavie emphasized that the protective effects of excess weight and excess fat likely function in different ways in different diseases. "We know that fat cells do a lot of bad things, but it's certainly conceivable that in advanced disease, the fat cell could have some beneficial effects. There's still a lot that needs to be known about this process."

Weight Loss Still Key

A key new piece of the puzzle that emerged in Lavie et al's review, however, is that weight loss, often touted as a way to reduce cardiovascular risk, appears to be a good thing in spite of the protective effects of extra weight.

"For people who follow this field, these kinds of findings have led them to question whether weight loss is good for heart-disease patients. . . . We found that the patients who do the best are the obese patients who lose weight."

This additional contradiction may be explained in part by the theory that heart disease in obese patients is likely "a different disease" than heart disease in lean people, in whom genetic factors are probably more important. "It may be that the obese person wouldn't have even gotten blocked arteries if [he] hadn't gained 70 pounds over a 30-year period," Lavie said. "The thin person who gets blocked arteries or congestive heart failure or high blood pressure is probably different from the obese patient who got the disease from becoming obese."

For now, he says, it's important particularly for the general public to appreciate that the "protective" effects of obesity in no way provide a rationale for weight gain. "Very clearly," he said, "if no one in our country became overweight or obese, heart-disease rates would go down dramatically."

For physicians, the data today are sufficiently comprehensive for them to encourage their overweight and obese patients to stay motivated to reduce their risk factors. That wasn't always the case, he added. "When people were finding this in their data, five and six years ago, they probably had some trouble getting their papers published, because it didn't make any sense."

RKC Certification St Paul MN

Here is a great video to give you an inside look at the RKC done in my back yard (ok, not literally but a few miles down the road).

I will be assisting at the RKC I in June, so please come up and say hi to me if you are going to be there. I also have a limited number of Z Health sessions available on Thurs, so email at me at michaelTnelson@yahoo.com Right now I think I only have 2 slots open---first come first serve.

Hope to see you all soon and enjoy the video
Rock on
Mike T Nelson

Performance Research for May: Ergogenics and Exercise: Creatine

Effects of Creatine Monohydrate and Polyethylene Glycosylated Creatine Supplementation on Muscular Strength, Endurance, and Power Output.

Herda TJ, Beck TW, Ryan ED, Smith AE, Walter AA, Hartman MJ, Stout JR, Cramer JT. 1Department of Health and Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma; and 2Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, Florida.


Herda, TJ, Beck, TW, Ryan, ED, Smith, AE, Walter, AA, Hartman, MJ, Stout, JR, and Cramer, JT.

Effects of creatine monohydrate and polyethylene glycosylated creatine supplementation on muscular strength, endurance, and power output.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a moderate dose of creatine monohydrate (CM) and two smaller doses of polyethylene glycosylated (PEG) creatine on muscular strength, endurance, and power output. Fifty-eight healthy men (mean +/- SD: age, 21 +/- 2 years; height, 176 +/- 6 cm; body mass [BM], 75 +/- 14 kg) volunteered and were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: (a) placebo (PL; 3.6 g of microcrystalline cellulose; n = 15), (b) CM (5 g of creatine; n = 13), (c) small-dose PEG creatine (1.25 g of creatine: PEG1.25; n = 14), or (d) moderate-dose PEG creatine (2.50 g of creatine: PEG2.50; n = 16).


Testing was conducted before (pre-) and after (post-) a 30-day supplementation period. Measurements included body mass, countermovement vertical jump (CVJ) height, power output during the Wingate test (peak power [PP] and mean power [MP]), 1 repetition maximum bench press (1RMBP), 1RM leg press (1RMLP) strength, and repetitions to failure at 80% of the 1RM for bench press (REPBP) and leg press (REPLP). BM and MP (W) increased (p