Bigger Muscles in a Can

[0nyx]

http://www.pdrhealth.com/content/nut...s/fgnt21.shtml

Body-Building Specialties: Bigger Muscles in a Can?

How can you develop the strength and musculature of a Hercules or an Amazon? "It's easy," say unscrupulous manufacturers. "Simply open a can and follow the directions."

Scientists from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reviewed hundreds of self-proclaimed body-building, energy-releasing, and muscle-enhancing products. None were found to have any positive effect whatever on muscle size or strength.

Yet the market for protein- and amino acid-based products is a tremendously profitable one. Why? The answer lies in the consumer: Men and women who are avid body-builders and fitness enthusiasts are extremely susceptible to the aggressive marketing efforts of companies who promise them better bodies. In a study of competitive body-builders, 90 percent of the men and 100 percent of the women were found to use nutritional supplements.

Though no study exists to prove that using amino acid or protein supplements will enhance musculature, there are reliable studies proving that athletes and body-builders believe in the effectiveness of ergogenic (performance-enhancing) drugs and aids. As long as this misconception exists, so will the market for worthless and potentially dangerous muscle-building formulations.

Doesn't Protein Build Muscles?
According to one expert, the only way to get muscles from a protein or amino acid supplement is by lugging the can home from the store.

What, then, is behind "protein builds muscles" theory? Protein contains certain amino acids that trigger the release of growth hormone. As its name implies, this hormone stimulates muscle growth, thereby decreasing fat storage. So, if some amino acids are good, more must be better, right?

"Wrong," say the experts. It's true that when you eat a protein such as meat, your body uses the amino acids to make new protein in the form of hormones, enzymes, and, yes, muscle tissue. But doctors, dietitians, and physiologists now know that more protein doesn't equal more muscle formation. Extensive research proves that adequate calorie intake, combined with exercise, is what really builds and strengthens muscles.

Most of us get twice the amount of protein we need every day. Your body cannot store unused protein. The excess makes fat or is converted into energy in an unusually complicated process. Waste products from this conversion are excreted through urine, which places strain on the kidneys and liver. Excess protein consumption also slows the absorption of much needed calcium.

So adding even more protein by taking dietary amino acid and protein supplements is not only ineffective, it could harm your body over time. And if you want another good reason not to buy these supplements, check out their labels. According to the Tufts University Diet & Nutrition Letter, some of the safer ingredients in these supplements include couch grass, adrenal gland concentrate, and insect hormone.



Ten Steps to Naturally Stronger Muscles

No one needs steroids, protein powders or exotic, expensive dietary supplements to build a better body. If you really want a more powerful physique, follow these steps:

1.
Strength train 3 times a week—for an hour only.

2.
Exercise the major muscle groups first.

3.
Perform one set of exercises for each muscle group.

4.
Generally, don't do less than 8 or more than 12 repetitions per exercise.

5.
Lift until you can't lift again.

6.
Increase your calories. Add 500 from carbohydrates. Include 1.5 grams of protein for each kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight.

7.
Make carbohydrates 60 to 70 percent of your diet.

8.
Eat carbohydrates two hours before you exercise and immediately after you finish.

9.
Drink fluids before, during, and after you exercise.

10.
Add one hour of rest for every hour you exercise.



http://www.pdrhealth.com/content/nut...s/fgnt21.shtml
----------------------------------------------------------------------

thoughts?

[BrianJG054]

so what your saying is the protein we buy does nothing and isnt really needed as long as we eat right ?

[0nyx]

thats not what im saying.. thats just an article i found when i was reading about stuff last night. just wondering other peoples thoughts on the article. hopefully yj or someone knows :S

[Behemoth]

Yes, all protein powders are useless because some how your body knows the protein is from a powder and so it shits the stuff right out without bothering to digest it. Yep, there is a little known tube connecting your stomach directly to your anus that evolved specifically to rid the body of protein powders.


I love stuff like this that tries to boil everything down to one simple thing. It's retarded because it tries to show a training method as well as a diet. If it had stuck to just telling people what they should eat, it would have fared better. The fact is, pretty much any training method will work if someone eats enough food. So the fact that we've got alll these natural people walking around with decent muscles that they earned doing nothing that this article says kind of attests to this articles lack of credibility.

[Behemoth]

Oh, to Brian - yes, you don't need protein powders if you eat right. But you might as well just get some whey protein anyway, because it makes it a lot easier to get enough protein each day.