The key to weight loss and keeping it off

One of the most common questions I see on the internet is “How can I lose weight?” Firstly this isn’t an accurate statement you don’t desire to lose weight if anything you should want to drop body fat. Secondly it isn’t a quick fix, if you want to make a change to your body you need to stick with it otherwise it is pointless.

Weight loss is easy:

1.       Change your eating habits so you are taking in fewer calories.

2.       Change your activity patterns so you are expending more calories

3.       Continue to do this until you reach your desired bodyweight

4.       Maintain for the rest of your life, if you go back to your old habits you will gain weight again.

Almost every book, website or seminar on diets & weight management revolves around the first 3 steps, The vast majority of these people however do not mention the fourth step because it isn’t a strong selling point (people like a quick fix) and it also impacts on sales (Yo-Yo Dieting feeds the industry).

Unfortunately weight loss is a lifelong choice, but for anyone who is physically unhealthy or overweight it is a choice they should make. You have one life, make the most of it and live it the healthiest way you can.

ZMA: Wonder supplement or hoax?

ZMA or Zinc monomethionine aspartate and Magnesium Aspartate, is a supplement that was created in the late 90’s by Victor Conte (the same Victor convicted in 2005 of money laundering and distributing steroids) for his company BALCO Laboratories.

However, before I go into detail on the research into ZMA, first we need to examine the importance of the vitamins and minerals which are being discussed. Zinc has been linked to slowing down the aging of cells [1] (including muscle cells) as well as decreasing the healing time from an injury [1].  Unfortunately in high amount zinc stops the absorption of copper and iron, furthermore in extreme cases zinc is poisonous [2].   

Magnesium however is one of the most important minerals in the human body, since the 1970’s magnesium has been linked to over 300 biological reactions in the body including the synthesis of fat, protein, and nucleic acids, neurological activity, muscular contraction and relaxation, cardiac activity and bone metabolism. For an athlete all of those processes are important, none more so than its role in both anaerobic and aerobic energy production, particularly in the metabolism of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the ‘energy currency’ of the body. (I will discuss ATP in another blog, however for those who take creatine works by increasing your ATP level.)

Vitamin B₆ plays a role in gluconeogenesis (stops blood glucose levels from dropping too low), further to this it is involved amino acid, glucose and lipid metabolism. If you do not have enough B₆  in your system your body will slow down the growth of muscle cells.

Now that we understand the important of these minerals and vitamins we can evaluate the two many studies into ZMA. The first study was conducted by SNAC Systems Inc (a company Victor Conte has equity in)[3], this study concluded that by taking these tablets the athletes had increased muscle strength. It is important to note that this study was never accepted and has not been peer reviewed. Since this study two further studies the first by Cytodyne[4] and a second[5] conducted by a group of German scientists (in 2006) found that the was no significant effects on total and free testosterone between the control group and test group.

Since these studies it is slowly becoming accepted that ZMA was not a wonder supplement as initially advertised. The reason why? Everyone involved in athletics, bodybuilding or who eats a healthy diet can easily get enough Zinc, Magnesium and Vitamin B₆. Those who don’t should go back to the drawing board and re-work their daily diet rather than wasting money on another supplement.

1 Milbury, Paul E.; Richer, Alice C. (2008), Understanding the Antioxidant Controversy: Scrutinizing the "fountain of Youth", Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 99, ISBN 0275993760

2 Fosmire, G. J. (1 February 1990). "Zinc toxicity". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 51 (2): 225–227.

3 L. R. Brilla, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, and V. Conte, BALCO Laboratories, Burlingame, CA 94010. A Novel Zinc and Magnesium Formulation (ZMA®) Increases Anabolic Hormones and Strength in Athletes. Sports Medicine, Training and Rehabilitation Journal, November 1998 (in press).

4  http://www.jissn.com/content/1/2/12

5 http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v63/n1/abs/1602899a.html

Is Glutamine An Effective Supplement?

Glutamine is an amino acid; used in the synthesis of protein and thus supports the production of muscle, it also supports & regulates the immune system, it is an alternative fuel source for the brain and it also supports & regulates the dietary system.


So the short answer is yes, glutamine is useful in the production of muscle and thus bodybuilding in general.
However, the long answer is a lot more complex.


Glutamine is an easily attainable amino acid, especially for bodybuilders. It can be found in almost all major food sources that are also rich in protein for instance:

• Beef
• Chicken
• Fish
• Eggs
• Milk
• Dairy products
• Cabbage
• Beets
• Beans
  ...to name a few.

Now if there is an excess of glutamine in the body, it just goes to waste. It can't be stored for an extended period of time in the body, so if you are on a maintenance diet - not trying to lose or gain weight (muscle or fat) or you are bulking (putting on muscle/fat or just muscle) then you probably do not need to use glutamine supplements.


However, for those who are cutting (losing fat and attempting to maintain muscle) then glutamine is a fantastic supplement. One that should definitely be recommended to everyone.


In two studies conducted on glutamine by the Journal of Applied Physiology and The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research they found that taking glutamine as part of your normal diet did not increase; bench press strength, knee-extension torque or lean muscle mass when compared to controls taking a placebo. ^1,2
However, as outlined above the study was not conducted on people who were cutting. This of course explains why glutamine as a supplement was not useful. They had too much in their system already.


On a side note - studies have shown for endurance athletes, such as long distance runners or people who lead a very active life-style glutamine is a helpful substance. ³


In conclusion, Glutamine is a useful supplement but only for those who are in the process of lowering bodyfat through a restricted diet. If you are eating healthy, above your maintance calories and gaining weight you do not need to waste money on Glutamine.

1. Candow DG, Chilibeck PD, Burke DG, Davison KS, Smith-Palmer T. (2001) Effect of glutamine supplementation combined with resistance training in young adults, European Journal of Applied Physiology?
   
2. Antonio, J., Sanders, M., Kalman, D., Woodgate, D. and Street, C. (2002) The effects of high-dose glutamine ingestion on weightlifting performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 16, 157-160
   
3. Castell, L. and Newsholme, E. (1997) The effects of oral glutamine supplementation on athletes after prolonged, exhaustive exercise. Nutrition 13, 738-742