Body Power 2009. MuscleTalk is partnering with the organisers to bring you the biggest event UK bodybuilding has seen. More information here
New articles, interviews and reports in July:
- A Guide to Post-Injection Muscular Pain -
- Nutritional Myths :: The Verdicts!
Past articles at Bodybuilding Articles, with categories of all our main articles and past newsletters contributions.
You can also view the MuscleTalk Glossary of Technical Terms. Here you can see the definitions of complex terms and acronyms which are used in the forum. It's ever expanding so use it for reference.
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*** Best wishes from James Collier and The MuscleTalk team! ***
See you at www.MuscleTalk.co.uk
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The Muscle Shop! - More Muscle at Tastier Prices **
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You can see the all new Muscle Shop at www.muscle-shop.co.uk and the rest of our special offers at www.muscle-shop.co.uk/special-offers/!
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*** Red Rice Yeast - can it really help cholesterol? ***
James Collier - MuscleTalk Moderator and Nutrition Consultant
Red rice yeast is a nutritional supplement also known as Cholestin and has been available in the Western World for a couple of decades. Its claimed benefits are that it can favourably control blood cholesterol levels. Although fairly new to the West, it has been around in Chinese medicine for hundreds of years however. Unlike many supplements, where the claims are faddy, red rice yeast can actually help lower high cholesterol levels and this has been backed up by studies.
Natural red rice yeast contains the active constituent lovastatin. Yes, this is the very same lovastatin prescribed by doctors as a drug to control cholesterol levels; it's one of the statin drugs, the clinically proven most effective cholesterol-lowering agents used in medicine today, which were originally derived from yeast products. It's true to say that if the Chinese had never discovered red rice yeast, then it's likely we wouldn't have statins today. There is very strong evidence demonstrating both lovastatin and natural red rice yeast in reducing total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, due to the effect of lovastatin on inhibiting an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase which is responsible for cholesterol production.
This all seems too good to be true doesn't it? Red rice yeast is a natural powder supplement which will help improve heart disease outcome? And it's clinically proven to do so?... Yes, I'm afraid it is too good to be true! Here we have a supplement with 'drug-like' effects, so in 1999 the US FDA regulated it and red rice yeast cannot now be sold, in its natural form, in health food stores.
You will still see red rice yeast available on the shelves of health food stores, but this is new stuff that is now apparently fermented using a different process, and apparently (though it is in fact extraordinarily difficult to find out what dietary supplements do and do not contain) does not contain lovastatin. Therefore, as the active ingredient has been removed its ability to lower cholesterol levels is probably nil.
Conclusion: yes red rice yeast should be very effective at controlling blood cholesterol, but unfortunately the stuff that's available to us today, probably is useless, unless you can find a brand which does contain lovastatin.
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** Tailored Nutrition Advice from Experts!
Healthy Action Nutrition Consultancy. A team of consultants are available to provide on line nutrition advice completely tailored to suit you and your goals. For more information email
info@healthyaction.co.uk
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*** Hamstring Training with a Bad Back ***
By James Collier - MuscleTalk Co-Owner
Back in April's The MuscleTalker I covered Quad Training with a Bad Back aimed at people like me, who suffer with lower back pain. This month, we'll turn to the back of the legs and look at ways of building huge hams when back pain will not permit you to do deadlifts. As much as deadlifts are possibly the best exercise they are definitely not an option if you have lower or mid back pain.
Any leg day should begin with a good stretch and warm up; particularly important if you have a bad back. Try to spend 5-10 minutes stretching all the muscles in the legs. Ham day is often in conjunction with quads so your hams will probably been warmed up anyway. If you can't do deadlifts or stiff legged deadlifts then your compound movement will have been leg press from earlier in your workout. After quads I'd recommend two hamstring exercises. Firstly, machine reverse hamstring curls will be a great first choice, followed by either lying or standing leg curls. With each, feel the movement and contract the hams fully. On extension, don't lock out as this will keep the tension on.
Stretch and warm up
Quad workout
Reverse Leg Curls
1 x warm up 15 reps
2 x 8-10 reps
Lying Leg Curls
1 x warm up 10 reps
2 x 8-10 reps
Your hamstrings will be worked after this, and, if you have performed each exercise carefully, you should have no (additional) back discomfort. Follow a leg workout with brief stretch to warm down and minimise DOMS.
*** Food of the Month - Linseeds ***
By James Collier BSc (Hons) - Nutrition Consultant and MuscleTalk Moderator
Linseeds are also known as flaxseeds and are available in golden and brown varieties, both with similar nutritional profiles. The cheaper variety are the brown ones which are often found sold as bird seed in pet shops, but can also be found in high street health food stores. Golden linseeds are the type most often found in supermarkets. Linseeds are the richest plant source of omega-3 fats, so those who do not eat oily fish, can get their intake of omega 3 oils by consuming flaxseed oil or linseeds. The seeds have a subtle nutty, slightly earthy flavour and are a cheap superfood that everyone can include in their diet. They are available whole, split, ground or as flaxseed oil. Flaxseed oil is a very popular food supplement however it is expensive and has only a short shelf life, so many people are now moving over to the seeds themselves.
Linseeds have a fibrous seed coat which swells-up when wet and passes through the gut undigested. Therefore in order to get the benefit from the protein, omega-3 fats and minerals, the seeds need to be ground before consumption. This can be done by a pestle & mortar, blender or a coffee grinder. The powder is great to add to smoothies, cereals or salads, although never cook with linseeds or their oil, as the heat will render them unstable. Another good way to get the best from them is to soak them first. Put one heaped dessertspoonful of seeds into a glass, cover with water and leave overnight. Add the swollen seeds and water to a drink such as fruit juice or a smoothie, or to your cereal or yogurt, or drink it on its own.
Although whole linseeds will keep at room temperature, once ground, keep them refrigerated in an air-tight container to minimise oxidation of the exposed fat and never use the oil or the seeds for cooking. They are fine sprinkled over hot food as long as the food is eaten shortly afterwards. Oxidised flaxseed oil tastes bitter and has lost any health benefits it had when fresh.
Linseeds are also fairly high in phytoestrogens, which may help to reduce high levels of oestrogens. This may be of an advantage to bodybuilders. There is also ongoing research into the benefits of including phytoestrogens in diets aimed at preventing cancer.
As men are much poorer converters of alpha-linolenic acid (the omega-3 fatty acid in linseeds) into the longer-chain omega-3 fatty acids than women, men may need to eat approximately 50g of ground linseeds per day and women need to eat approximately 25g per day. The suggested daily amount of flaxseed oil for men is 20g and the daily amount for women is 10g.
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** Informed Bodybuilding Nutrition eBook by James Collier - the ULTIMATE nutrition bible for bodybuilding.
For more information click here:
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*** MT Powerlifting Totals Competition ***
Check out the latest totals
Also check out the Test your Mettle... What's your best? competition - open to all MuscleTalk members, just for fun so please join in!
Keep lifting and keep working!
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** IMPROVE YOUR GRIP with 'Grippers - Getting the most from your gripper'. The informative ebook from grip champion Steve Gardener tells you how to use your gripper more effectively to improve your performance in your sport:
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*** Recipe - Mocha Smoothie ***
By Nicole Bremner, Recipe Consultant and MT Moderator
Taken from Muscle Menus Shakes, Bars & Smoothies
** Ingredients
200ml cold water
1 cup crushed ice
1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 100ml boiling water, cooled
2 tsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp protein powder, chocolate or vanilla
** Method
Blend all ingredients well.
** Information
Serves 1. Per serving: 167kcal, 31g protein, 5g carbs, 2.5g fat, 1g fibre.
More great bodybuilding recipes can be found in the eBooks 'Muscle Menus', 'Muscle Menus 2', 'Muscle Menus Vegetarian' and Muscle Menus Shakes, Bars and Smoothies
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*** DVD Review - Best of Women's Muscle Power ***
Review by Hazel - MuscleTalk Moderator
Available here
This is a single disc produced by GMV productions lasting 90 minutes. It is advertised as a 'feast of feminine muscle' presenting some of the best female bodybuilders from around the world. Many famous names appear, Bernie Price, Juliette Bergmann, Lenda Murray and Dayana Cadeau to name but a few.
There is no commentary, just the women showing their competition posing routines. As it says, it showcases some of the best female bodybuilders from recent years so there are some fantastic physiques. Some parts you may want to skip through, especially with cheesy music in parts.
Overall a reasonably good watch if you want to see your favourite star or to get some inspiration for choreographing a routine!
The articles in The MuscleTalker are for information purposes only and are the sole expressions of the individual authors opinion and are those not necessarily shared by the owners of www.MuscleTalk.co.uk