Top 10 Health & Fitness Articles Of 2011

In 2011 over a quarter of a million people read our blog articles as it has become more and more popular over the past several months. In this posting we take a look at the top ten most popular health and fitness articles posted in 2011. To determine popularity we looked not only at the number of ‘Likes’ and ‘Tweets’ but also factored in the number of readers and reader response. Hopefully some of your favorites made it into the final top ten list and I am sure that you will find a few other gems that you may have missed! Thanks again for the continued support!

Top 10 Health & Fitness Articles of 2011

10. The Anti-Aging Properties Of Weight Training & Resistance Exercise

A detailed look at how our body ages on a cellular  level and how weight training and resistance exercise can play a significant role in maintaining quality of life as you get older. You can read the article in its entirety here.

9. Sweating Has Nothing to Do With Losing Fat

Getting a good sweat is thought of as the key to a good fat burning workout, however sweating has nothing to do with fat loss and is a poor indicator of how much fat you are burning while training or doing any physical activity. Read the article in its entirety here.

8. Tongol Tuna- A Safe Real Food Choice

I started writing about the benefits of tongol tuna several years ago and in this article we go over the problem of mercury in fish and the role of tongol tuna as a lower mercury alternative to traditional albacore tuna. You can read the article in its entirety here.

7. Six Pack Abs- It’s Not What You Do- It’s What & How You Eat

The quest of six pack abdominals has become the Holy Grail for many as the ultimate goal of their diet and exercise program. Unfortunately a surge of exercise products and services have sprung up over the years offering consumers much in the way of false hope by promoting various exercises as the way to a chiseled midsection. As lucrative as these products may be they not only don’t work, but distract us from the reality that a six pack comes from what and how you eat more than what type of exercises you do. You can read the article in its entirety here.

6. Multi-Vitamins & Vitamin Supplements Do More Harm Than Good

Multi-vitamins have long been thought of as a must have for anyone serious about their health. However hundreds of studies show that not only are multi-vitamins unnecessary for a population that is not clinically deficient in any major nutrient, but that they may actually increase the likelihood of certain diseases. If you take multi-vitamins or any vitamin supplement this is an article that you owe it to yourself to read.  You can read the article in its entirety here.

5. The Economics Of Obesity- Why The Food Industry Needs Us to Overeat

One of the biggest problems we face in the fight against obesity and growing diet related problems is the fact that the government plays a key role in supporting and promoting the food industries that make the very foods that we ought to avoid. In this in depth two part article we take a look at how the industry makes us eat more and how important overeating has become for the sustainability of the American economy as we know it. A must read for anyone interested in the behind the scenes machinery that allows corporations to wreak havoc with public health. You can read the article in its entirety here.

4. Can Bread Make You Gain Weight?

There is a common belief that bread will make you gain weight but the truth is that if you eat anything more than you should you’ll put some extra pounds on. In this article we take a look at the history of one of our oldest foods and debunk some of the myths about bread while showing the major differences between what we eat today and the bread that sustained our forefathers. You can read the article in its entirety here.

3. How Do Muscles Get Bigger And Stronger?

While many slave away at the gym in the quest for bigger and stronger muscles, few take the time to understand the mechanisms by which our muscles grow. In this comprehensive piece we take a look at our body’s response to stress, how it translates into improvements in our physiques and our performance and why training less is best. You can read the article in its entirety here.

2. Rethinking The Need For Cardio- Why Aerobics Don’t Work Well For Fat Loss

Aerobic type exercise is without question the most popular fitness activity for those bent on losing weight- however numerous studies and an understanding of the physiology of how our cardiovascular and muscular systems interact show that it isn’t the most effect form of exercise if weight loss is your ultimate goal. You can read the article in its entirety here.

1. Are Protein Shakes Bad For You?

The most popular article of the 2011 is about the now ubiquitous protein shake. While a staple in the dietary regime of almost all gym goers there is yet no real evidence that protein shakes actually help increase muscle mass or improve performance. In fact, evidence suggests that they might not necessarily be a good choice for someone interested in getting into peak shape. You can read the article in its entirety here.

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Celebrity NYC personal trainer Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss e-book here. You can contact Kevin at 1-800-798-8420.

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How much do you know about health and fitness?

Take our quiz based on our blog articles, daily Twitter & Facebook health tips and see where you stand. Good luck!

Quizzes by Quibblo.com | SnapApp Quiz Apps

How Did You Do?
90 to 100%- You are a tried and true expert in all things related to health and fitness.
70 to 89%- You know your stuff, but could do with a little brushing up on your diet and exercise knowledge.
50% to 69%- You passed, but just barely. Lot’s of catching up to do.
49% or less- You didn’t pass, but don’t despair, keep reading our blogs and articles and be sure to follow Kevin on Twitter for daily fitness updates and you’ll be up to scratch in no time!

The answers:

1. Someone who is overweight has a slower metabolism than someone with a healthy body weight.

False- The heavier you are the faster your metabolism will be- read more here

2. An apple really has 70,000 calories.

True. Strictly speaking an apple has 70,000 calories- since the energy content of food is measured in kilocalories which is one thousand calories. Confused? Read my article on understanding calories here.

3. If you follow a proper diet you can lose 10 lbs of fat in 1 week.

False- it’s mathematically  impossible if you are eating any food at all to lose that much fat in a week given the fact that you need to expend 36000 kcals for every 1 pound of fat. Read more here.

4. As little as 40 kilocalories over your daily energy requirements can lead to a weight gain of over 40 lbs in ten years.

Sad but true. A small intake over what your body really needs creates the silent, cumulative weight gain that seems to sneak up on you over the years – read more here.

5. Regular Snapple juices have less sugar than Coca Cola

False. Regular Snapple drinks have more sugar than an equal amount of Coca Cola even though it is marketed as a healthier alternative to sodas. Check out Kevin’s Twitter and Facebook updates for daily health tips!

6. When eating at a restaurant anything labeled ‘Crispy’ is fine to eat as a healthier choice.

False. The word ‘crispy’ is code for fried. Read more in our guide to healthy restaurant eating here.

7. Oats contain gluten.

False, pure oats do not contain gluten proteins. Read more on oats and gluten here.

8. Cane sugar is healthier than corn syrup.

False, several notable health organizations have affirmed that there is no distinction that should be made between the two in terms of health risk when consumption is immoderate. Read more here.

9. Weight training can’t protect you from bone loss over time.

False. It does and you can read more about the mechanisms of increasing bone density through resistance exercise here.

10. Feeling guilty after eating junk food can help you not eat it again.

False. The more you think about a food you ate the more likely you are to continue eating it. Read more about how guilt can sabotage your diet here.

11. Multi-vitamins have been conclusively proven to make you healthier.

False. Every study on the matter has found no health benefit to those without significant vitamin deficiencies (which contrary to popular belief if almost non-existent in developed countries). Read more about it here.

12. Soil today has 50% less of the nutrients it had 50 years ago and so do the fruits and vegetables grown in them.

False. While there is some reduction in soil nutrients over time, the amounts found in produce isn’t significantly lower, nor does it justify the use of vitamin supplementation. Read more here.

13. When you buy fruits and vegetables the growers get get as much as 50-60% of the profits.

False. Farmers get as little as 4% of the profit at times for produce- a figure that is far higher for those who raise animal stocks. That’s one of the reasons fruits and vegetables aren’t promoted as much as meat and high profit junk foods- the profit margins are simply too low. Read more about the economics behind the food that you eat here.

14. It is the interest of the US economy for you to eat more of the foods that aren’t good for you.

True. The food industry not only generates over 8% of the U.S. GDP with a trillion dollars in annual sales, but it also employs 12% of working Americans. Given these figures it isn’t surprising that government programs are in place to support their marketing  strategies to get you to eat more. Read more here.

15. Eating foods with added Omega 3 fats can improve your health.

False. Studies have shown this to not all be the case. Read more on how adding omega 3 fats to products do little to help anything but profit margins here.

16. Fasting is a great way to detoxify your body.

False and the only way to give your body a break from foods you believe to be toxic is to not eat those foods in the first place. Read more here on fasting and what it can and cannot do.

17. Aerobic exercise is essential for building endurance, losing body fat and working your heart.

False. It’s not the only way as studies have shown that you can increase endurance, lose body fat and get a significant improvement in cardiovascular efficiency from high intensity resistance training alone. Read how you can get fit in less time here.

18. Early man did not eat bread during the Paleolithic era and thus it is not a natural part of our diet.

False. Recent archeological digs in Italy, Russia and the Czech Republic have revealed the use of flat breads dating back as far as 30,000 years ago into what is commonly called the Paleolithic era. Read more about bread and its role in weight gain here.

19. Protein shakes are just as good as solid foods for your protein needs.

False. Contrary to marketing that masquerades as science, protein shakes are not only unnatural and highly processed products, but they can actually make you gain body fat. Read more here.

20. Tongol tuna is a better choice because it has lower mercury levels than regular tuna.

True. It’s a smaller fish and thus is lower in methyl-mercury. Read more about tongol tuna here.

21. The longer and more often you train the bigger and stronger your muscles will become.

False. Without continued overload to the point that stimulates an adaptive response, after becoming accustomed to the stimulus your muscles will have no reason to get bigger or stronger. It’s not always how much you do, it’s how you do it. Read more about how muscles get bigger and stronger here.

22. Eating for  your blood type is a proven way to ensure that you eat what is best for your body.

False. There is no science behind the idea that blood type has anything to do with food intake. Read more about the misinformation behind blood type diet theory here.

23. A drink or two a week won’t make a difference in your weight loss efforts.

False. Alcohol goes a long way in stopping your efforts to lose body fat. Read more about drinking and weight loss here.

24. Carbohydrates can make some people gain weight faster than anything else.

False. Any food, be it a protein, carbohydrate or fat consumed in quantities exceeding the caloric requirements of your body will make you gain weight. Fats, with a caloric value of 9 kcals per gram are actually more likely to make you gain weight as they have more calories than carbohydrates which have 7 calories per gram, but all things being equal eating anything more than you should will make you gain weight. Regardless of genetics. Read more about calories here and read more about the lack of evidence supporting a genetic link to modern obesity here.

25. The simplest way to eat well is to eat foods in as natural a form as possible with some degree of moderation.

True. The more unnatural a product is, the more likely it may not be the best decision for you to eat it. Read more by following updates on my Twitter account here.

Thanks for taking the test!

Kevin Richardson is an award winning fitness writer, one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training^TM. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and need help losing weight or toning up and taking your body to the next level with a time saving and practical system of diet and exercise, give Kevin and his team a call at 1-800-798-8420 or click here to get started with 50% off your trial personal training session.

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The Slow Metabolism Myth- Understanding The Role Of Metabolism in Weight Gain

It is a disarmingly simple concept- some people are cursed with a naturally slow metabolism and gain weight in spite of how carefully they watch what they eat. On the other side of the spectrum, a fortunate few are blessed with fast metabolisms which allow them to eat any and everything without gaining weight. As a central aspect of the idea of genetic predispositions towards weight gain and obesity, the slow metabolism hypothesis has long been hailed as a common explanation as to why some individuals appear to gain weight no matter what they do. As popular an argument as this may be there is ample evidence to the contrary  (read my article on genetics and weight gain) and the rationale of genetically predetermined disorders can’t account for the prevalence of obesity throughout Westernized populations. Such notions nevertheless do increase the sales of many fitness related products while adding to the cacophony of misinformation regarding the role of our metabolism in losing and gaining weight. Unfortunately, an individual lacking in-depth knowledge of nutrition and physiology can’t necessarily see any distinctions between rational deductions from observable evidence and baseless speculation. Most of what passes for fitness related information today is either a form of entertainment or ideologically driven pseudoscience, propagated by those who stand to profit the most. The complex nature of how our body works is often dumbed down to simple concepts that people feel they can relate to easily. The idea of slow metabolisms being a widespread problem for millions of people and the cause of your own seemingly inexplicable weight gain is one that is delightful empowering as it lays the ‘blame’ for your extra pounds on your somewhat underperforming metabolism. This argument makes you feel better about yourself and more inclined to purchase products that purport to help you lose weight by speeding up your metabolism in one way or the other but this is hardly the case. The reality is that weight gain isn’t mysterious and slow metabolisms are hardly to blame.

What Does Metabolism Really Mean?

Metabolism is defined as the total sum of all the chemical reactions taking place in your body. Our metabolic processes fall into two categories, they are either anabolic- which refers to the action of building up, or catabolic- which refers to the mechanism of breaking down. A classic example of an anabolic process in our metabolism is muscle building, where as a response to the stress of exercise our body increases the amount of skeletal proteins. An increase that we externally observe as our muscles getting bigger and stronger (see my article on how muscles get bigger and stronger for a more detailed description). Catabolic metabolic processes are the exact opposite and a common example would be the breaking down of our foods to provide energy for the cells in our body and thus keep us alive. When we are healthy these processes occur in a state of equilibrium, a balance that is referred to as homeostasis.

There is one other important but somewhat complex concept to contend with in understanding metabolism and that is the first law of thermodynamics. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed and so conceptually in a fixed physiological system such as a living organism, total energy coming in must be the same as the total energy out, unless some of it is lost or stored. Energy coming into our body refers to the calories we obtain from food and drink. Energy going out refers not only to energy used in physical activity but also for the work performed by the cells in our body. Work in this context also applies to the biological work of repairing cells, and our body’s struggle to maintain homeostasis such as the constant regulation of body temperature. Even reading this article requires some element of biological work as your muscles contract to keep your eyes focused on the screen.

How We Measure Metabolism

The primary way that our body produces energy is through the combustion of carbohydrates and fats in the presence of oxygen. This function is called aerobic metabolism, and it leaves behind measurable byproducts in the form of carbon dioxide and water. That being the case we can roughly  estimate an individuals’ metabolism by measuring the amount of oxygen consumed and the volume of carbon dioxide produced. The process to measure metabolism is called indirect calorimetry. Calorimetry means the measuring of heat energy given out or taken in and the term ‘indirect’ is used since we can’t exactly measure the amount of carbon dioxide coming out of each cell in your body at any given time. We can however get an overall view of what’s going on by observing the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen from your lungs.

A device called a metabolic cart is used to measure these gases and it requires you to wear a mask very similar to what a scuba diver would wear, except it doesn’t provide air but rather records air coming from your lungs. From indirect calorimetry we can calculate your basal metabolic rate- which is the minimum metabolic rate your body requires to maintain your body weight and functions.[1] Many factors can affect your basal metabolic rate such as genetics, age, gender, hormones and most importantly for our purposes- diet and activity level. When the amount of food energy (calories) ingested is more than what your body uses then  there is a concurrent gain in body mass.[2] This gain in body mass is our body’s way of storing energy for a time when it isn’t readily available and the way it does so is in the form of fat tissue. Our ability to store considerable reserves of energy in the form of fat is one of the hold offs from our past, serving to help our ancestors of survive countless famines and the scarcity of food that has defined human life for the past several thousand years.

The Slow Metabolism Myth

Getting back to the idea of a slow metabolism, average metabolic rates for men are estimated to be about 1.0 kilocalories per hour per kilogram of bodyweight. Women usually have slightly slower metabolisms than men (and we will explain why) and their metabolic rates are usually about 0.9 kilocalories per hour per kilogram of bodyweight. It seems natural to think that someone who is overweight and has difficulty losing weight might have a slower pthan normal metabolism but contrary to popular opinion, someone who is obese would have a GREATER energy expenditure than someone who is thin.(3) The mechanics of it makes total sense as it takes more energy to maintain a larger body mass.[3] The bigger the organism the more energy is needed for homeostasis as someone weighing over 400lbs has far more biological and mechanical work to do than someone weighing 150lbs. So why do some people struggle with weight gain while others don’t? It must be emphasized that the causes of obesity are complex however differences in rates of metabolism are not valid explanations as to why it happens.

One key issue is our inherent difficulty in estimating exactly how much food we consume  during the course of a day- a challenge that studies have shown can be even harder for those who are overweight.[4] As much as we may think we know how much we eat on a regular basis, indirect calorimeter testing has shown time and time again that even the most conscientious among us tend consistently under-report our food intake. Compounding this issue is the unfortunate reality that it doesn’t take much for our body to gain weight. Our bodies have no way of knowing that food is available to many of us in developed countries to the point where we throw away billions of pounds of it every year. All our bodies know is that storing excess energy is critical for our survival as it is nevertheless designed to endure continued periods of low food supply. That being said we are all very much efficient at gaining weight and keeping it on and we do so with an ease that is hard for most to fathom. To put the average human’s weight gaining ability in perspective, a weight gain of 44 pounds over the course of ten years would only require you to eat 30-40 kilocalories more than your body needed everyday.[5] That’s all it would take. Not a ton of junk food nor hefty servings of high calorie food and drink. Just half of an apple, a plum, a cup of asparagus, 1/7 of a cup of rice, 1/3 of an ounce of cheese, or 2 fluid ounces of soda over your daily energy expenditure requirements would add over forty pounds in a decade if there was no change in energy requirements. A sobering thought, but one of the many reasons so many people gain weight. It really doesn’t take much at all for it to happen.

Slow Metabolism Versus Fast Metabolism Explored

A study presented at the 2008 annual Endocrine Society Conference in San Francisco further highlights the problems with the slow metabolism concept as it was demonstrated that obese people process food at exactly the same rates way thin people do when they are in a rigidly controlled environment. In a study conducted at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, 26 naturally thin individuals with Body Mass Index (BMI) counts between 19 and 23 who considered themselves to have a fast metabolism were compared in a carefully monitored environment to 23 individuals with BMI’s of 23-27 who identified themselves and family members as ‘obesity prone’ to see if they could overeat and not gain weight since they appeared to have a naturally higher metabolic rate than those who had problems with weight gain.

In both groups metabolic rates were tested after the subjects ate a normal diet and again after three days of eating 40% more food than their individual energy requirements. All subjects underwent two one-week dietary study periods, with four days of a control diet followed by three days of either eating exactly the amount of calories for their calculated energy expenditure or overeating. Metabolic rates were tested using the indirect calorimetry method and all foods were carefully prepared and monitored following a standard of 20% protein, 30% fat and 50% carbohydrates. At the end of the study researchers found that both groups had higher metabolic rates at rest after overeating for three days compared to when they ate a normal diet but the increase was the same for both groups. Researchers had theorized that energy expenditure and fat oxidation would increase following overfeeding in the ‘fast metabolism’ group, which would explain the process protecting them from gaining weight, but this turned out not to be the case at all.

Difficulties in Estimating Food Intake As A Weight Gain Factor

These findings were consistent with what many other studies have found  time and time again, which is that some people have a hard time balancing their daily caloric intake with how it relates to their actual energy needs. Thin people don’t have faster metabolisms that somehow save and protect them from weight gain, and those with problems losing weight don’t have slow metabolisms. Over the past twenty years of my career as a personal trainer I have had very similar experiences. I started out being convinced that there were people who suffered from slower metabolisms and that they would gain weight easily while others (myself included) found it ridiculously hard to gain weight. As time went on my observations and personal experiences proved both concepts to be flawed as everyone who trained consistently and ate in accordance to their individually designed dietary plans were able to get into fantastic shape as long as they stuck to the program. It didn’t matter if they were overweight all their lives or if they were previously unable to lose weight, the only differences were that those who had more weight to lose took longer to get to a point where they had a high degree of definition as compared to those who started at a lower body fat percentage to begin with. On the other hand- everyone who had trouble gaining weight because they thought they had a ‘fast metabolism’ was able to gain significant amounts of muscle mass as long as they adhered to the diet prescribed for them and a training program designed to stimulate muscle growth.

I always believed that I had a fast metabolism as I was painfully thin for the earlier part of my life. I started weight training at 125 lbs at six feet even, but my metabolism had nothing to do with my ability to gain weight. As long as I ate in accordance with  the dietary plan designed to help me get bigger I gained weight. It took a lot longer for me to do so to the point where it would show but I was able to put on over a hundred pounds of lean muscle mass over the course of 17 years or so without the use of any drugs whatsoever. As for the protective aspect of a ‘fast metabolism’, in the days when I ate junk- I got fat like everyone else. Today I stay steady at 225lbs at about 6% body fat not because of a fast metabolism but because I am always on point with what I eat and my program of high intensity training. When I didn’t eat as well as I do now I tipped the scale at an ungodly 252 lbs looking nothing like how I do today. If I ‘relax’ my eating there isn’t a magic parachute waiting to protect me from getting fatter if I overeat and indulge in the wrong foods and the same applies to everyone else.

Beyond The Energy Balance Theories- How What You Eat Plays A Part In What You Weigh

As straightforward as this may sound it isn’t the end of the story, as weight gain is even more complex than simply saying that eating too many calories will make you gain weight. The laws of thermodynamics and the theory of energy expenditure versus energy requirements don’t completely explain why people keep gaining weight as the years go by. Given the energy balance principles there should be a finite point where weight gain reaches a plateau as energy demand rises with increases in body mass but this doesn’t happen at all as many continue to gain weight throughout the course of their lives.[7] Alternate and perhaps more accurate models take a look at the role of modern food ingredients as a reason some people keep accumulating those extra pounds. Fructose derived sweeteners (sucrose and high fructose corn syrup) can trigger increased fat tissue accumulation in addition to increasing appetite- a vicious cycle which usually leads to a decrease in activity.[7] This model for why we gain weight places emphasis more on what you eat in addition to how much you eat as the two seem to be very closely related.

In the end it is hard not to make simple cause and effect judgments. The slow/fast metabolism neatly explains everything and in many cases places an uncontrollable factor into the equation. One that can be easily blamed for the extra pounds around your waist, but this simply isn’t the case for the vast majority of individuals. Hormonal disorders and some medications seem to have a part in weight gain as well but in most instances it really comes down to an awareness of what you eat, how much of it you eat and how active you are to deal with the calories you are taking in.

Related Articles:

Why We Regain Weight- The Leptin Connection

Food And Self Control- How Do You Stop Cravings?

Obesity And Chronic Disease- Is It Genes Or Lifestyle?

References:

1. Kaiyala KJ, Ramsay DS: Direct animal calorimetry, the underused gold standard for quantifying the fire of life. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 25 April 2010

2. Canadian clinical practice guidelines on the management and prevention of obesity in adults and children

3. Kushner, Robert (2007). Treatment of the Obese Patient (Contemporary Endocrinology). Totowa, NJ: Humana Press. pp. 158. ISBN 1-59745-400-1. Retrieved April 5, 2009.

4. Peter G. Kopelman, Ian D. Caterson, Michael J. Stock, William H. Dietz (2005). Clinical obesity in adults and children: In Adults and Children. Blackwell Publishing

5. Björntorp P. Obesity. Lancet 1997; 350: 423–6

6. Carlsson B, Lindell K, Gabrielsson B, et al. Obese (ob) gene defects are rare in human obesity. Obes Res 1997; 5: 30–5

7. Wells JC, Siervo M. Obesity and energy balance: is the tail wagging the dog? Eur J Clin Nutr. 2011

Kevin Richardson is an award winning health and fitness writer, one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training™. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and need help losing weight or taking your body to the next level give Kevin and his team a call at 1-800-798-8420 or click here to get started with 50% off your trial personal training session.

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Do You Really Need Aerobics? Rethinking The Need For Cardio

Walk into any major gym in America and the first thing you will see is the cardio equipment. Mention the word  ‘exercise’ and for most people the first images to come to mind are aerobic in nature- running, treadmills, Zumba classes, elliptical machines, Stairmasters and the like. Say ‘weight loss’ and the images get sharper, as it is a commonly held position that you need to do cardio if you want to lose weight and maintain a healthy body weight. Gyms are filled with people eager to shed a few extra pounds, and yet in spite of the innumerable  number of hours spent sweating, few ever attain the lean and sculpted look that has become the Holy Grail of our time. Most of us double our efforts after seeing so little in terms of improvement after slaving away doing hours of aerobics in the hope that maybe just a little more of the same will bring us that all-so elusive look. We persist for months, sometimes for years, trying to eat better and train harder until finally, over-trained, frustrated and very often injured, we quit. Relegating ourselves to the ranks of those-who-can’t-lose-weight-because-of-bad-genes. It can be an incredibly disheartening and depressing experience to do so much work and get so little back in terms of tangible changes in your body, but it most of the time has nothing to do with our inability to lose weight. In most cases the blame lies squarely on the fact that cardio is not an efficient method for weight loss and that it simply cannot give you the toned and trim body of your dreams. Perhaps millions can attest by their lack of results, that using aerobics as a tool for getting in shape is driven primarily by advertising and misinformation, not results. And yet many experts in the field cling to the idea that cardio is an irreplaceable part of any fitness regime. The science of how our bodies work don’t support this notion, nor do the countless number of frustrated gym goers still waiting to see their six packs. The reality is that you don’t need cardio and anaerobic resistance exercise alone can provide superior results in  terms of weight loss, increasing endurance and improving overall health parameters.

Cardio and Weight Loss- The Case For Anaerobic Exercise Over Aerobics

It goes without saying that if everyone who ever ventured out regularly for a run or frequented a cardio machine was able to lose weight and keep it off that we would have had a simplesolution to our growing obesity problems several decades ago, (as well as an influx of six pack sporting magazine cover models.) We all know this not to be the case and many recent studies affirm what so many have learned the hard way, namely that cardio is a poor method of weight management. One study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine tracked the results of 58 sedentary overweight/obese men and women who participated in a 12 week course of supervised aerobic exercise. The results were positive in terms of increased endurance and decreased systolic and diastolic pressure but not at all glowing in terms of weight loss. The mean weight loss was only a bit over seven pounds in three months, with most of the group losing barely half of that amount. [1]

In terms of fat burning, new research has continued to show that short high intensity, anaerobic type exercise do far more to reduce body fat than conventional aerobic exercise. A study done at Laval University investigated the impact of aerobics versus high intensity anaerobic exercises on body fat using young adults and the findings were quite eye opening. Participants took part in either a 20 week endurance training regime of sustained aerobics or a 15 week high intensity intermittent training protocol. Despite the fact that participants doing the aerobic exercises expended over twice as much energy as the anaerobic group- (120.4 MJ as opposed to 57.9 MJ), those in the anaerobic group lost significantly more body fat than the cardio exercise group.[2] When corrected for the energy cost of training, the decrease in the sum of six skinfold tests induced by the anaerobic exercise was impressively nine times greater than that of the aerobic group.[2]

Many other studies show similar outcomes. A study done at the University of New South Wales inadvertently found that women taking part in anaerobic high intensity interval training burned fat at a rate three times higher than those doing aerobic exercises.[3] This result came from a total of only 20 minutes of anaerobic exercise on a stationery bike, while the second group exercised at a consistent pace in standard target heart rate zones for twice as long. After 15 weeks, researchers found that the women in the high intensity group lost three times more weight than those who rode the bicycles for twice as much time.[3] A testament to the inefficiency of cardio over more intense anaerobic forms of training.  Other studies have found similar patterns with even shorter durations of high intensity anaerobic exercise.

Dispelling The Myth Of Cardio’s Afterburner Effect

For years the party lines for using cardio to promote fat loss have that that increased activity burns more calories- which is true and not at all in dispute and that aerobic exercise elevates the metabolism for prolonged periods after the training session. As standard an idea as this has been for many, it has not stood up to the test of scientific scrutiny, nor has it helped produced a new generation of trim and slim waistlines. The afterburning effect sought by cardio enthusiasts is really what scientists call excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC. Exercise brings about a change in the equilibrium of our body (See our article on responses to exercise stress here). Our body will always do its best to revert to a resting state of homeostasis and this requires an increase in the amount of oxygen (EPOC) which is needed for our bodies to return to its normal state and adapt to the exercise performed. As a result, there is a measurable increase in metabolism and fat burning after exercise. [3,4,5] This increase was originally thought to occur only with aerobic exercise, but studies have shown that it actually is far more prevalent in anaerobic exercise of sufficient intensities.[2]

Cardio And  Heart Health- Do You Really Need It?

Weight loss aside, you must need some form of cardio to increase your endurance and to keep your heart healthy, right? Again, the science disagrees with what has become practiced convention. Aerobic exercise can indeed increase lung capacity and strengthen the heart muscle which is related to a decrease in cardiovascular disease[6] but it isn’t the only way to do it nor the most efficient.  With regards to your heart and lungs it should be noted that

THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM WORKS TO SUPPORT THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!

It is physically impossible to train your muscles without working your heart as well. The two are not disconnected, yet this basic fact of physiology is often overlooked in discussions regarding aerobic exercise requirements. Any improvement in muscle mass and strength brought on by anaerobic exercise of adequate intensity will correspond with an improvement in cardiovascular health parameters as well. The impact of a high intensity workout to your cardiovascular system should not be underestimated, and those who argue that it doesn’t stimulate your heart and lungs have simply never executed a compound resistance movement to a point of momentary muscular failure or beyond. Needless to say, a high intensity set of squats to even close to the threshold of muscular failure leaves even the most conditioned of athletes gasping for air. You can’t work muscles at high intensities without significantly elevating your heart rate.

Cardio Is Not The Only Way To Increase Endurance

The idea of a need for repetitive steady state aerobic exercise to improve endurance has been a constant theme in modern sports medicine, however this theory also fails to hold up to the rigors of scientific testing. A study done by Martin Gilba of McMaster University in Ontario found that short, anaerobic high intensity bouts of exercise produced far greater improvements in endurance as compared to conventional aerobics and not only in terms of performance but also with regards to molecular changes in mitochondria related to increased endurance.[7] In one group participants were made to cycle as hard as they could for 20 to 30 seconds for a total of two to three minutes per session while the other group rode a stationary bike at a sustainable pace for 90 to 120 minutes. Each group trained three times a week, and at the end of the two week study both groups showed almost the same increases in overall endurance, with the high intensity anaerobic exercise group having slightly better aerobic performance over their aerobic exercise counterparts, even though they only trained for six to nine minutes a week in while the other group had trained for an weekly average of five hours.[7] Similar findings have been reported in studies by the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Japan and many experts in the field of sports medicine have begun to question the validity behind the theory of sports specificity for increases in endurance and performance given the new findings on anaerobic high intensity training.[8]

Anaerobic Exercise Conveys The Same Benefits As Aerobics If Not More

So what about the other benefits of aerobic exercise? Pretty much all of them can be replicated or improved upon with resistance exercise of adequate intensity. High intensity anaerobic training has been shown to:

• Improve depression as well as aerobics.[9,10,11,12]
• Reduce insulin sensitivity and the risk of diabetes.[13,14,18]
• Increase bone mass and decrease the risk of osteoporosis.[15]
• Reduce visceral abdominal fat and decrease the risk of metabolic syndrome.[16, 17, 18
• Improve circulation, blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease.[18]
• Strengthening and safely enlarge the heart muscle, to improve its pumping efficiency and reduce the resting heart rate [20, 21, 22, 23]

Cardio Won’t Give You ‘The Look’

It should be said that the toned and defined look sought by most gym-goers is unattainable from simply doing aerobic exercise. As with all steady state type movements, the body quickly adapts and learns to burn less and less calories the more the exercise is continued and there are no profound changes in body fat or muscle mass as there is no stimulation intense enough to bring about an adaptation response in skeletal muscle. No matter how hard you may think that aerobics class may be or that session on the bike was- it can’t make profound changes in the way you look the way weight training can as there is no continued overload. Doing aerobics in conjunction with weight training doesn’t always give the best of both worlds either as the extra work can have a counterproductive effect on your weight loss efforts, since the added workload can lead to overtraining and consequently less results than you would get from resistance exercise alone.

Now it would be inaccurate to say that aerobic exercise is without merit- as such a statements fly in the face of countless studies that show very real benefits to doing it, but it may not be the only path to optimum health and fitness. I personally have not done any aerobic type exercise over the past 23 years and during that time I have been able to distinguish myself as a successful drug free bodybuilder, maintain year round body fat percentage of 6% all while  sustaining an extremely high degree of cardiovascular conditioning. I have personally trained endurance athletes such as triathletes, marathon runners and distance cyclists and helped them increase their performance times using only three ten minute high intensity weight training a week and no cardio exercise whatsoever. Add to that twenty years of helping dozens of fitness models and bodybuilders get into contest winning shape using only high intensity training and proper dietary practices and the  hundreds I have helped lose anywhere from 30 to as much as a 100 pounds- all without the use of aerobics or steady state exercises.

The appeal of cardio is easy to understand, as it requires little in terms of instruction and women for one tend to find it less intimidating than weight training. Cardio exercise are also easy for researchers to study, as creating controlled exercise protocols for groups is far less involved and costs far less to supervise and execute as compared to anaerobic type resistance training. Logically there are more aerobic exercise studies than anaerobic ones, which explains the initial bias towards cardio over resistance exercise in terms of weight loss and health benefits, but as more studies emerge using resistance training, we are learning that it can be equally beneficial and far less time consuming. There are also entire industries based on aerobic exercise- gyms, home exercise equipment, exercise classes and even the sneaker industry all invest heavily in promoting it, while there is very little in the way of promotion of weight training as dumbbells don’t sell gym memberships- cardio machines do. Nevertheless if you are serious about getting into great shape or looking for a more efficient way to improve your health and fitness, high intensity training might be a better fit for you over cardio. So get off the treadmill and pick up the weights if you really want ‘the look’ and don’t forget to watch what you eat as neither aerobic nor anaerobic exercise can negate the ill effects of an unhealthy diet.

Related Articles: Aerobics & Strength Training- Does It Help Or Does It Hurt?

Kevin Richardson is one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training™. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and need help losing weight or taking your body to the next level give Kevin and his team a call at 1-800-798-8420. Check out Kevin’s personal training services here.

References

1. Beneficial effects of exercise: shifting the focus from body weight to other markers of health, N. King, M. Hopkins, P Caudwell, J. Stubbs, J. Blundell. The British Journal of Sports Medicine 2009

2. Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Tremblay, A. et al., Physical Activities Sciences Laboratory, Laval University, Quebec, Canada Metabolism.1994;

3. Bahr R (1992). “Excess postexercise oxygen consumption–magnitude, mechanisms and practical implications”. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica. Supplementum

4. Bahr R, Høstmark AT, Newsholme EA, Grønnerød O, Sejersted OM (September 1991). “Effect of exercise on recovery changes in plasma levels of FFA, glycerol, glucose and catecholamines”. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica

5. Bielinski R, Schutz Y, Jéquier E (July 1985). “Energy metabolism during the postexercise recovery in man”. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

7. High-intensity Interval Training: A Time-efficient Strategy for Health Promotion. Martin J. Gibala, PhD, Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada Current Sports Medicine Reports 2007

8. Specificity of training adaptation: time for a rethink? John A. Hawley-J. Physiol. 2008

9. Singh NA, Clements KM, Fiatarone MA. A randomized controlled trial of progressive resistance training in depressed elders. Journal of Gerontology Medical Sciences

10. Doyne EJ, Ossip-Klein DJ, Bowman ED, Osborn KM, McDougall-Wilson IB, Neimeyer IB. Running Versus Weight Lifting in the Treatment of Depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

11. Martinsen EW, Hoffart A, Solberg O. Comparing aerobic and non aerobic forms of exercise in the treatment of clinical depression: a randomized trial. Comprehensive Psychiatry

12. Singh NA, Stavrinos TM, Scarbeck Y, Galambos G, Liber C, Singh MA. A randomized controlled trial of high versus low intensity weight training versus general practitioner care for clinical depression in older adults. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences

13. Pedersen BK, Saltin B: Evidence for prescribing exercise as therapy in chronic disease. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2006

14. Extremely short duration high intensity interval training substantially improves insulin action in young healthy males- John A Babraj , Niels BJ Vollaard , Cameron Keast, Fergus M Guppy, Greg Cottrell and James A Timmons

15. High-intensity resistance training and postmenopausal bone loss: a meta-analysis.Martyn-St James M, Carroll S. Osteoporos Int. 2006

16. Influence of exercise intensity on abdominal fat and adiponectin in elderly adults. Coker RH, Williams RH, Kortebein PM, Sullivan DH, Evans WJ.Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2009

17. Effect of exercise training intensity on abdominal visceral fat and body composition. Irving BA, Davis CK, Brock DW, Weltman JY, Swift D, Barrett EJ, Gaesser GA, Weltman A.Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Nov;40(11):1863-72.

18. Resistance training in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of resistance training on metabolic clustering in patients with abnormal glucose metabolism. Strasser B, Siebert U, Schobersberger W.Sports Med. 2010

19. Resistance training in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of resistance training on metabolic clustering in patients with abnormal glucose metabolism. Strasser B, Siebert U, Schobersberger W.Sports Med. 2010

20.  Graf Ch., e.a.: Fachlexikon Sportmedizin: Bewegung, Fitness und Ernährung von A-Z, Deutscher Ärzteverlag, 2008, p. 209, ISBN 3769112237, here online

21. Reuter P.: Der grosse Reuter: Springer Universalwörterbuch Medizin, Pharmakologie und Zahnmedizin, Birkhäuser Verlang, 2005, p. 1300, ISBN 3540251049, here online

22 Woolston, Chris. “Ills & Conditions – Athletic Heart Syndrome”. CVS Caremark Health Information. 17 January 2007

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Why We Regain Weight And How To Stop It- The Leptin Connection

Losing weight is easy- most of us have done it several times over the course of our lives. The problem is that after faithfully following a regime of diet and exercise, something happens.  A shift occurs. Not all at once, but subtly. You find yourself after weeks or perhaps even months of dedication, slipping back into the old unhealthy eating habits. Foods that you religiously avoided suddenly seem to regain their appeal. A hole opens up in your stomach that begs to be filled and your appetite once again becomes a raging and uncontrollable beast! Fast forward several weeks and you’ve regained the weight that you worked so hard to lose. What gives us cause for alarm is that this Sisyphean tale isn’t an extraordinary case- it is the plight that most people face when trying to lose weight. Today, weight loss has become almost a national preoccupation as we spend billions of dollars in the quest to lose weight and not regain it. In spite of the fact that more people are trying to lose weight ( more than at any time in our history) the average American’s BMI has increased steadily over the past 20 years. [1,2] In fact studies have found that the more we diet, the more likely we are to regain weight in the future. [4, 5] That being said, why is keeping the weight off so hard?  How can we stop this seemingly never ending cycle of losing weight and regaining it? The answer may lies in understanding a hormone called leptin.

Why We Regain Weight- The Leptin Connection

Leptin, (coming from the Greek word, leptos which means ‘thin’) is an important hormone responsible for regulating our caloric intake, metabolism and appetite and is one of the most important hormones produced by adipose (fat) tissue. [6] Leptin sends information about our food intake to key regulatory centers in our brain called hypothalamus.

Studies have found that increased body fat is associated with increased levels of leptin, which then acts to reduce our food intake by killing our appetite so we don’t get too fat. Unfortunately,  although it works as a signal to reduce appetite, most obese individuals have an unusually high circulating concentration of leptin.[6] These people are said to be leptin resistant  in very much the same way people with adult onset (type 2) diabetes are resistant to the effects of insulin. The high concentrations of leptin from high levels of fat tissue seems to result in leptin desensitization thus people with high fat levels don’t always feel sated after eating and will tend to overeat. There are many theories as to why this occurs- some studies have found connections to high fructose corn syrup. [6,7,8,9] but there are several questions yet unanswered.

While we understand how leptin resistance can make us overeat,  what most fail to realize is that leptin can also sabotage our attempts to lose weight as well. Any decrease in body fat will, as a rule, lead to a decrease in circulating leptin levels, which stimulates food intake and reduces energy expenditure. [10] Our urges to eat are enormously complex, and don’t only fall within the realm of hormones.  There are also sizeable social, behavioral and sensory components to our eating habits that make it intrinsically difficult to change our eating habits in the first place. Add to this, the unconscious urges to eat brought on by leptin and other hormones and you have a recipe for throwing diet to the wind after losing a certain amount of weight.

Why We Regain Weight- The Role Of Hormones On Our Unconscious Urges

Yes, we have the ability to control our eating- and there are many tried and true techniques we can use to distract ourselves- but outside of these methods, most find themselves utterly lost when it comes to self control in the face of long term dieting. From my own experience devouring pizzas (meaning more than one at a sitting) and donuts in the double digits after having reduced my body fat levels to under 4% back in my natural bodybuilding days, I can personally attest to how powerful hormones can be in forcing you to overeat when your body fat levels drop! It isn’t about willpower at that point- the drives are far too primal in nature to be ignored when your fat levels are so low.

Why can’t we always stop ourselves in the face of such urges? Why is motivation almost useless at these times? Feeling hungry is an intense experience. One that seems to turn off the light switch for rational thinking. The more weight you lose, the greater the hunger you will feel, growing more and more in intensity as you lose more and more weight until your conscious desire to lose weight is simply overwhelmed by the primal desire to eat. The basic drive to eat, while not as powerful as our need to breathe, is very similar in that no matter how hard we try to suppress it, in the end our unconscious inevitably wins. Try telling yourself, for example, to hold your breath. You can, using the force of sheer willpower hold your breath for a minute or two, but as time goes in, the need to breathe will always overcome your will to hold your breath and you will exhale. The same plight awaits those who use conventional means of dieting. It isn’t that the overweight among us don’t want to look and feel better by losing weight, but in the process of losing weight, most are doomed to eventually give in to the compulsion to eat everything in sight. A sobering thought, but is there a way around this, or are we hardwired to be fat no matter how hard we try? The answer thankfully, is yes, but it isn’t easy.

Why We Regain Weight- The Need For Building Muscle & Not Following A Fixed Diet

One of the most important aspects of any diet and exercise program has to be an emphasis on muscle building. Its importance comes from the fact that, no matter how hard you try, you will want to eat more as you lose more and more body fat and the more muscle you have- the more you can eat and still keep losing weight! At 6 feet tall, 225 lbs and just about 5-6% body fat, I need a staggering 6 to as many as 7 meals a day to keep from consuming any small land animals that venture in my path. Muscle requires energy to be built and maintained and so, by following a program of high intensity weight training focused on building lean muscle mass, you can offset the reduction in energy expenditure that comes with losing weight and be able to eat more as you may need more calories than you did before you lost weight in the first place! A perfect fix- but not without some key interventions. Your diet has to be regulated and changed as your nutritional and caloric needs change with the reduction in body fat and the increase of activity and muscle mass. If you find yourself feeling really hungry, your diet has to be carefully adjusted to increase your macronutrient intake so that you are not starving at the end of the day when we are most susceptible to food cravings.

This method has been proven over decades to help bodybuilders to fitness models in the know, get lean and stay lean all year round and it isn’t terribly complicated. It can be done on your own, but most need professional help with creating and regulating their dietary intake- as it isn’t a one size fits all situation, and some instruction is usually required in terms of the appropriate exercise intensity that will stimulate muscle growth. The end result of this process are the very stars and fit bodies that we see gracing the covers of magazines, and not the unsightly and over muscled image that most associate with muscle building. This negative image, reinforced by millions of steroid users, is the major reason why weight training is less in vogue and why many shy away from it in favor of aerobic exercise and conventional dieting that almost always ends in failure. The muscle minded fitness boom of the 1980’s saw many people embrace the benefits of weight training as an effective form of permanent weight loss, but the competitive and often drug induced extreme aspects saw to it that it fell very much out of fashion with the general public. High intensity weight training isn’t easy- nor is it as do-it-yourself as hopping on an exercise machine or taking a class and it does require some knowledge in nutrition to make it work – but in my experience it is the only way I have seen anyone who was obese get a six pack and keep it. The focus on self reliance and individuality  as opposed  to a one-size-fits-all approach makes it difficult for the weight loss industry to cash in on it- but it is an important method that needs to be studied and implemented more, as conventional approaches as so many of us know, ultimately fail.

References

1. Flegal KM, Caroll MD, Ogden CL, Johnson CL. Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999-2000. JAMA

2. Ogden CL, Flegal KM, Caroll MD, Johnson CL, Prevalence and trends in overweight among US children and adolescents, 199-2000. JAMA

3. Korkeila M, Rissanen A, Kaprio J, et al. Weight-loss attempts and risk of major weight gain: a prospective study in Finnish adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

4. Gasser GA. Big fat lies: the truth about your weight and your health. Carlsbad: Gurze Books

5. Korkeila M, Rissanen A, Kaprio J, et al. Weight-loss attempts and risk of major weight gain: a prospective study in Finnish adults.

6. “Fructose Sets Table For Weight Gain Without Warning”. Science News. Science Daily.

7. Vasselli JR (November 2008). “Fructose-induced leptin resistance: discovery of an unsuspected form of the phenomenon and its significance. Focus on “Fructose-induced leptin resistance exacerbates weight gain in response to subsequent high-fat feeding,” by Shapiro et al.”. Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.

8. Shapiro A, Mu W, Roncal C, Cheng KY, Johnson RJ, Scarpace PJ (November 2008). “Fructose-induced leptin resistance exacerbates weight gain in response to subsequent high-fat feeding”. Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.

9. Considine RV, Sinha MK, Heiman ML, Kriauciunas A, Stephens TW, Nyce MR, Ohannesian JP, Marco CC, McKee LJ & Bauer TL (1996). “Serum Immunoreactive-Leptin Concentrations in Normal-Weight and Obese Humans”. N Engl J Med

10. Friedman JM. War on Obesity- Not the Obese. Science

Kevin Richardson is one of the most sought after NYC personal trainers and creator of Naturally Intense™ High Intensity Training. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here. If you live in the New York City area and need help losing weight or getting into shape give Kevin and his team a call at 1-800-798-8420.

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