Post by cuts280 on Mar 14, 2007 20:14:08 GMT -5
Old article but quite interesting.
What do you think of when you hear the word scientist? Pasty white beanpoles snorting with laughter at incomprehensible DNA jokes? White-coated puds wearing safety goggles who haven't seen the light of day for months and by the looks of their flabby physiques, haven't seen a set of weights since junior high when the jocks used to put chili powder in their Incredible Hulk underoos?
If that's your concept of the typical scientist you may not be far off, but just for the sake of fairness, you should show up at one of the big sports medicine/exercise physiology conferences the next time they roll into your town. You might be in for an interesting and atypical surprise.
This month, the American College of Sports Medicine, one of the most well respected "academic" organizations out there, held their annual national scientific conference at the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. There were several thousand scientists and science wanna-be's in attendance for the five-day extravaganza. And guess what? A good number of them actually looked like they were (gasp) in shape! Many of the male attendees were sporting some downright impressive musculature while the females ? aah, the females ? were tanned and fit in all of their intellectual glory!
There was even a fight between a prominent Canadian researcher and a well-known supplement supplier. The argument started over protein synthesis of all things. Actually, cooler heads intervened before things could get too ugly, but it was a very Testosterone-ish event nonetheless.
It all started during a presentation by well-known supplement researchers Dr. Jose Antonio and Dr. Jeffery Stout. Drs. Antonio and Stout were giving an enlightening lecture on dietary supplements and their role in physique and athletic enhancement, covering topics from the use of performance boosters like creatine and ribose to the use of testosterone boosters like androstenediol and Tribulis.
During the discussion some contentions made by the presenters about their belief that supplements like creatine and andro might increase the synthesis of new proteins apparently lit a small but smouldering fire under a prominent Canadian researcher's tail end. This researcher, whose name we will protect from a second public episode, fired out of his chair to inform the audience that the presenters had no data to suggest these conclusions and were just speculating about these effects. Moreover, he shared his feelings that the ACSM conference was not a place for speculation but for real scientific discussion. To understand this mindset you must realize that most scientists are trained to only believe hard data. No data, no proof. No proof, no claims. Period.
Although the feelings of the audience were mixed, one particular individual decided to speak up for "the cause." This individual, a well-known supplement supplier, jumped up and aggressively asserted that bodybuilders have successfully been using these supplements for years.
In his opinion, just because there was no hard evidence to back up the presenter's claims of effectiveness, there are real world results. In addition, he went further, perhaps too far, and attacked the Canadian personally saying that obviously he had never used creatine or any of the other compounds discussed and from the looks of him, he had never even lifted a weight in his life! Well, this ignited the place and the two verbal combatants nearly came to blows, charging each other to "discuss the science of protein synthesis" in a little more detail. Thankfully for ACSM, cooler heads prevailed and the "debate" was diffused.
Maybe next year we'll see a rematch.
Summaries and Cutting Edge Info — The Good Stuff
Although there was no bloodshed, there was quite a bit of science discussed and debated. Hundreds of sessions were held in the interest of discussing everything from the elastic structures in the foot and leg to mild traumatic brain injury; from the energy cost of Tae-bo to the passing mechanics of NFL quarterbacks; and from the effects of vitamin C on cardiovascular performance to the effects of Testosterone and prohormones on muscle mass and performance. If you ever attend one of these seminars, you'll quickly find out there are too many fascinating presentations and too little time. As a result of the meeting, over 1500 scientific studies were publicly presented, 1877 abstracts to be exact. My job has been to read them all (yes, every last one of them) in the interest of bringing T-mag readers the most cutting edge training and nutritional information available.
I've covered three main areas of interest: strength training and performance, diet and nutritional supplementation, and drugs. Since all research starts with a question, that's how I'll present the info.
STRENGTH TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE
Does one heavy set of bench press increase subsequent explosive power?
The Study: Ten males threw a 6.6 pound medicine ball as far as they could, rested 4 minutes, performed a set of bench presses to failure at 5 reps, rested 4 minutes, and threw the medicine ball again.
The Result: After performing the bench press, the subjects increased their throwing distance by over 5%.(1)
Comments: Strength coaches like Ian King have speculated for years that the performance of explosive weight lifting movements directly before competition could improve anaerobic power. This study shows that this may be true. A word of caution, though. I would've liked to have seen whether the improvement on the second throw was really a result of the performance of the bench press, the performance of a practice throw, or the combination of the two. The second throw might be improved by simply performing a practice throw or two. So the next time you're involved in a keg-tossing contest, warm up with a practice throw followed by a 5 rep set of bench. Then chuck that keg halfway across your poor neighbor's yard. There's no doubt you'll be the stud of the party after that!
How long should I rest between sets?
The Study: On separate days, 15 men completed 3 sets of bench press to exhaustion at 85% of their 1RM with 1, 2, 5, 8, 12, and 15 minutes rest between sets.
The Results: Average repetition performance (around 6 reps per set) was greater in the 5-plus minute ranges. The authors conclude that resting from 3 — 6 minutes between sets may optimize time without sacrificing performance.(2)
Comments: Finally, the recommendations for rest between sets have been investigated! This study was fairly well designed and it does appear that if you're training for strength, you should be resting about five minutes between sets. These recommendations, however, are valid for strength training only and don't necessarily apply when training for hypertrophy or to get leaner. When training for hypertrophy or fat loss, I'd recommend between 1 — 2 minutes between sets.
Does warming up affect my power?
The Study: 12 men warmed up with either 10 concentric reps at 50% 1RM, with 6 concentric reps at 75% of 1RM, or with 4 eccentric (negative) reps at 120% of 1RM. After 2 minutes of rest, they did a set of bench press at 70% of 1RM (this is usually between 9 and 14 reps). Muscle power was analyzed.
The Results: Average power and peak power were increased with the 75% of 1RM and 120% of 1RM warm-ups vs. the 50% of 1RM warm-up.(3)
Comments: During this hypertrophy-type set scheme (9 — 14 reps), it appears that while warming-up, using heavier loads performed short of failure is the way to go. Once again, the strength coaches are ahead of the researchers in recommending lower reps with heavier loads during warm-ups for increasing power during work sets. For safety reasons, I prefer the set of 6 reps at 75% to the heavy negatives for warm-up. For ego reasons, I hate the idea of unloading the bar after the warm-up set to perform my work set, but this appears to be the best method.
Is there a shoe that makes you run faster and jump higher?
The Study: Seventeen men were trained for 8 weeks using resistance training and sprint/plyometric training. Group one wore regular athletic shoes. Group two wore the Meridian Sports training shoe designed to increase speed and jumping ability.
The Results: Subjects in group two improved by about 2% over group one in the 60-yard sprint and in vertical leap height. There were no differences between groups in max squat, 40-yard sprint times or jump squats.(4)
Comments: So there is a shoe that can make you run faster and jump higher. So much for all the old jokes. Although the increases weren't huge, it has been estimated that a small increase in performance on these tasks could mean the difference between winning and losing in elite athletes. A 2% increase in the vertical leap means that a 30 inch vertical leap becomes a 30.6 inch vertical leap and that a 4.5 second 40 yard sprint becomes a 4.4 second sprint. Not outstanding, but not too shabby.
Does it matter which bar I use when doing seated rows?
The Study: 33 subjects did a set of 10 reps (70% 1RM) of seated rows with a vertical grip (hands close and facing each other) or with a horizontal grip (hands wide and facing down).
The Results: Muscle electrical activity showed greater recruitment of both the upper and lower trapezius fibers with the horizontal grip (wide).(5)
Comments: Surprise, the old parallel grip row bar (V-bar) that nearly everyone uses for the seated row sucks! From now on, when I'm doing seated rows, it will be with the wide, palms down grip. Look out Ronnie Coleman!
How can I get the best hamstring development?
The Study: 11 subjects did both standing leg curls and Romanian dead lifts.
The Results: Standing leg curls showed greater activation of surface hamstring muscles while Romanian dead lifts showed superior recruitment of deeper muscle fibers. Overall the deadlifts recruited more muscle fibers.(6)
Comments: So mass movements like deadlifts actually increase muscle recruitment over leg curls? Shocking! Subjects not only recruited more fibers but also experienced more soreness. For freaky big hams, do your deadlifts!
Am I going to get killed lifting weights?
The Study: Research was conducted on weight training injuries and deaths in 1998.
The Results: Weight training accounted for an estimated 60,000 emergency room visits and at least 6 deaths in 1998. Deaths were a result of home bench press and other supine (lying) free weights. 79% of the injured were males. 38% of the visits were by 25 — 44 year olds and 35% were 15 — 24 year olds.(7)
Comments: Lifting weights might kill you! Then again, that which does not kill you only makes you stronger. I like the idea of that. Just be careful out there, okay?
What do you think of when you hear the word scientist? Pasty white beanpoles snorting with laughter at incomprehensible DNA jokes? White-coated puds wearing safety goggles who haven't seen the light of day for months and by the looks of their flabby physiques, haven't seen a set of weights since junior high when the jocks used to put chili powder in their Incredible Hulk underoos?
If that's your concept of the typical scientist you may not be far off, but just for the sake of fairness, you should show up at one of the big sports medicine/exercise physiology conferences the next time they roll into your town. You might be in for an interesting and atypical surprise.
This month, the American College of Sports Medicine, one of the most well respected "academic" organizations out there, held their annual national scientific conference at the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. There were several thousand scientists and science wanna-be's in attendance for the five-day extravaganza. And guess what? A good number of them actually looked like they were (gasp) in shape! Many of the male attendees were sporting some downright impressive musculature while the females ? aah, the females ? were tanned and fit in all of their intellectual glory!
There was even a fight between a prominent Canadian researcher and a well-known supplement supplier. The argument started over protein synthesis of all things. Actually, cooler heads intervened before things could get too ugly, but it was a very Testosterone-ish event nonetheless.
It all started during a presentation by well-known supplement researchers Dr. Jose Antonio and Dr. Jeffery Stout. Drs. Antonio and Stout were giving an enlightening lecture on dietary supplements and their role in physique and athletic enhancement, covering topics from the use of performance boosters like creatine and ribose to the use of testosterone boosters like androstenediol and Tribulis.
During the discussion some contentions made by the presenters about their belief that supplements like creatine and andro might increase the synthesis of new proteins apparently lit a small but smouldering fire under a prominent Canadian researcher's tail end. This researcher, whose name we will protect from a second public episode, fired out of his chair to inform the audience that the presenters had no data to suggest these conclusions and were just speculating about these effects. Moreover, he shared his feelings that the ACSM conference was not a place for speculation but for real scientific discussion. To understand this mindset you must realize that most scientists are trained to only believe hard data. No data, no proof. No proof, no claims. Period.
Although the feelings of the audience were mixed, one particular individual decided to speak up for "the cause." This individual, a well-known supplement supplier, jumped up and aggressively asserted that bodybuilders have successfully been using these supplements for years.
In his opinion, just because there was no hard evidence to back up the presenter's claims of effectiveness, there are real world results. In addition, he went further, perhaps too far, and attacked the Canadian personally saying that obviously he had never used creatine or any of the other compounds discussed and from the looks of him, he had never even lifted a weight in his life! Well, this ignited the place and the two verbal combatants nearly came to blows, charging each other to "discuss the science of protein synthesis" in a little more detail. Thankfully for ACSM, cooler heads prevailed and the "debate" was diffused.
Maybe next year we'll see a rematch.
Summaries and Cutting Edge Info — The Good Stuff
Although there was no bloodshed, there was quite a bit of science discussed and debated. Hundreds of sessions were held in the interest of discussing everything from the elastic structures in the foot and leg to mild traumatic brain injury; from the energy cost of Tae-bo to the passing mechanics of NFL quarterbacks; and from the effects of vitamin C on cardiovascular performance to the effects of Testosterone and prohormones on muscle mass and performance. If you ever attend one of these seminars, you'll quickly find out there are too many fascinating presentations and too little time. As a result of the meeting, over 1500 scientific studies were publicly presented, 1877 abstracts to be exact. My job has been to read them all (yes, every last one of them) in the interest of bringing T-mag readers the most cutting edge training and nutritional information available.
I've covered three main areas of interest: strength training and performance, diet and nutritional supplementation, and drugs. Since all research starts with a question, that's how I'll present the info.
STRENGTH TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE
Does one heavy set of bench press increase subsequent explosive power?
The Study: Ten males threw a 6.6 pound medicine ball as far as they could, rested 4 minutes, performed a set of bench presses to failure at 5 reps, rested 4 minutes, and threw the medicine ball again.
The Result: After performing the bench press, the subjects increased their throwing distance by over 5%.(1)
Comments: Strength coaches like Ian King have speculated for years that the performance of explosive weight lifting movements directly before competition could improve anaerobic power. This study shows that this may be true. A word of caution, though. I would've liked to have seen whether the improvement on the second throw was really a result of the performance of the bench press, the performance of a practice throw, or the combination of the two. The second throw might be improved by simply performing a practice throw or two. So the next time you're involved in a keg-tossing contest, warm up with a practice throw followed by a 5 rep set of bench. Then chuck that keg halfway across your poor neighbor's yard. There's no doubt you'll be the stud of the party after that!
How long should I rest between sets?
The Study: On separate days, 15 men completed 3 sets of bench press to exhaustion at 85% of their 1RM with 1, 2, 5, 8, 12, and 15 minutes rest between sets.
The Results: Average repetition performance (around 6 reps per set) was greater in the 5-plus minute ranges. The authors conclude that resting from 3 — 6 minutes between sets may optimize time without sacrificing performance.(2)
Comments: Finally, the recommendations for rest between sets have been investigated! This study was fairly well designed and it does appear that if you're training for strength, you should be resting about five minutes between sets. These recommendations, however, are valid for strength training only and don't necessarily apply when training for hypertrophy or to get leaner. When training for hypertrophy or fat loss, I'd recommend between 1 — 2 minutes between sets.
Does warming up affect my power?
The Study: 12 men warmed up with either 10 concentric reps at 50% 1RM, with 6 concentric reps at 75% of 1RM, or with 4 eccentric (negative) reps at 120% of 1RM. After 2 minutes of rest, they did a set of bench press at 70% of 1RM (this is usually between 9 and 14 reps). Muscle power was analyzed.
The Results: Average power and peak power were increased with the 75% of 1RM and 120% of 1RM warm-ups vs. the 50% of 1RM warm-up.(3)
Comments: During this hypertrophy-type set scheme (9 — 14 reps), it appears that while warming-up, using heavier loads performed short of failure is the way to go. Once again, the strength coaches are ahead of the researchers in recommending lower reps with heavier loads during warm-ups for increasing power during work sets. For safety reasons, I prefer the set of 6 reps at 75% to the heavy negatives for warm-up. For ego reasons, I hate the idea of unloading the bar after the warm-up set to perform my work set, but this appears to be the best method.
Is there a shoe that makes you run faster and jump higher?
The Study: Seventeen men were trained for 8 weeks using resistance training and sprint/plyometric training. Group one wore regular athletic shoes. Group two wore the Meridian Sports training shoe designed to increase speed and jumping ability.
The Results: Subjects in group two improved by about 2% over group one in the 60-yard sprint and in vertical leap height. There were no differences between groups in max squat, 40-yard sprint times or jump squats.(4)
Comments: So there is a shoe that can make you run faster and jump higher. So much for all the old jokes. Although the increases weren't huge, it has been estimated that a small increase in performance on these tasks could mean the difference between winning and losing in elite athletes. A 2% increase in the vertical leap means that a 30 inch vertical leap becomes a 30.6 inch vertical leap and that a 4.5 second 40 yard sprint becomes a 4.4 second sprint. Not outstanding, but not too shabby.
Does it matter which bar I use when doing seated rows?
The Study: 33 subjects did a set of 10 reps (70% 1RM) of seated rows with a vertical grip (hands close and facing each other) or with a horizontal grip (hands wide and facing down).
The Results: Muscle electrical activity showed greater recruitment of both the upper and lower trapezius fibers with the horizontal grip (wide).(5)
Comments: Surprise, the old parallel grip row bar (V-bar) that nearly everyone uses for the seated row sucks! From now on, when I'm doing seated rows, it will be with the wide, palms down grip. Look out Ronnie Coleman!
How can I get the best hamstring development?
The Study: 11 subjects did both standing leg curls and Romanian dead lifts.
The Results: Standing leg curls showed greater activation of surface hamstring muscles while Romanian dead lifts showed superior recruitment of deeper muscle fibers. Overall the deadlifts recruited more muscle fibers.(6)
Comments: So mass movements like deadlifts actually increase muscle recruitment over leg curls? Shocking! Subjects not only recruited more fibers but also experienced more soreness. For freaky big hams, do your deadlifts!
Am I going to get killed lifting weights?
The Study: Research was conducted on weight training injuries and deaths in 1998.
The Results: Weight training accounted for an estimated 60,000 emergency room visits and at least 6 deaths in 1998. Deaths were a result of home bench press and other supine (lying) free weights. 79% of the injured were males. 38% of the visits were by 25 — 44 year olds and 35% were 15 — 24 year olds.(7)
Comments: Lifting weights might kill you! Then again, that which does not kill you only makes you stronger. I like the idea of that. Just be careful out there, okay?
