It's October's Issue of The MuscleTalker already and it doesn't seem five minutes since we were putting together September's! Don't know about you all but we've certainly felt an increase in traffic on MuscleTalk this month. The faster forum and server are certainly helping.
We need your help! We have many extremely knowledgeable members on MuscleTalk now, why don't you share you're expertise with everyone else? We need articles for The MuscleTalker; the articles section and even as posts on the forums. If you'd like to contribute – let us know your ideas. Philia2 has helped us out this month (see below) – thanks Philia!
If you haven't been to MuscleTalk lately, why not drop back in for discussion and fun! See you on www.muscletalk.co.uk!
**** October's Nutrition Article ****
It's not really a nutrition article this month – but very informative nonetheless.
*** Slimming Gels and Fat Burning Creams
– By Philia2 MuscleTalk Olympian Member
You have all heard talking about slimming gel or fat burning creams. Do they really work and what is it all about?
The action of the creams on the skin are divided into three different phases:
1. First of all you need to massage! The massage causes an increase in circulation promoting a 'good sweat' and helps drain the skin of excess water.
2. The ingredients then penetrate into the skin
3. This results in loss of inches, the skin is more hydrated (and 'active' from all the vigorous massage!) and looks now a lot tighter and smooth (no direct fat loss has been proven!)
Creams typically contain several thermogenic ingredients like:
- Andiroba extract (slimming cream from the Yves Rocher Plant Biology laboratories) which is said to block 88 % of the activity of the enzymes responsible for forming lipids
- Caffeine and Kola which promote elimination of fatty cells
- Aminophylline, similar in fat burning action to ephedrine and clenbuterol
- Yohimbine, another potent compound also similar to ephedrine and clen.
- Forskolen, a compound that activates thermogenic enzymes and DMAE, a precursor to acteylcholine, another powerful thermogenic.
"With these ingredients and from the heat of the massage, the cream 'speeds up' the metabolism in the area that it is rubbed and provokes a chemical reaction that change fat cells into fatty acids that will slip through cell membranes and into the bloodstream to be burned" (Quote from Contour Magic Cream).
"Because the creams are topical, the active thermogenic components are not degraded by stomach acids like oral thermogenics! In other words, the cream does not have to go through the digestion process that all oral supplements must go through. During digestion, oral supplements loose close to 95% of their active ingredients" (Quote from DermaLEAN).
And, what's more, they are claimed to be time released so will maintain both site-specific and overall fat burning processes virtually all day! Couldn't be any better, huh?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (1982) advised one of the distributors of the Fat burning cream "La Crème" that, based on the product's labelling, it should be regulated as a drug because it claimed to alter the size, shape or conformity of the body; a drug function as defined by the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. When the distributor contended that "La Crème" was a cosmetic and therefore not subject to safety and efficacy requirements, FDA replied that claims of even temporary reduction of body measurements were not appropriate to a cosmetic. The company never replied to FDA's comments, but quickly disappeared from the market.
** Side effects?
Although uncommon, as all other thermogenic products it is important to use the cream only as directed and not to exceed 12 weeks of continuous use to reduce the possibility of side effects. Side effects which may occur are loss of appetite, tremors, dizziness, nervousness, restlessness, irregular heart beat, nausea, excessive sweating, diarrhoea and it is also possible to experience other complications due to the weight or body-fat percentage loss that results from its use.
** Recommendations
It is recommended that you apply it correctly (twice a day), keep a healthy diet and maintain a consistent workout regimen. Also stacking it with other weight-loss products will help enhance its effects.
All this sounds as if the fat burning creams and cutting gels are true wonder products for spot reduction, but before you go out and spend a fortune, know that these claims have been written by the companies wanting to sell their products. No one has ever done a scientific study proving that a cream really is able to burn away any fat. "Rub-on gels and creams have not been proven to work, and won't increase your metabolism or help eliminate food cravings" (Dr Chris Lydon from Muscletech); "Just another entrepreneurial activity in the lucrative business of weight-loss and 'fat-burner' fraud" (Tim Gorski, MD 1993)
A magical solution for spot losing or waste of money? Well nobody really can tell.
********************************
To learn more about bodybuilding nutrition read the Informed Bodybuilding Nutrition ebook by James Collier BSc (Hons) SRD click here
********************************
*** Training Tip
** Rest and Overtraining – Article by Ozzy – MuscleTalk Moderator
One of the most common reasons for lack of growth is overtraining and lack of rest. Growth does not take place in the gym, only the stimulus for growth, so by training for hours on end you are going to limit your gains. Being enthusiastic is a good tool to have but learning how to use it wisely will lead you along the road to success.
Overtraining can be identified by numerous symptoms such as:
Frequent colds
Constant injuries that don't heal
Over tiredness/difficulties in getting up
Lack of motivation/enthusiasm
Loss of appetite
Lack of 'pump' during training
Muscle and eyelid twitches
Lack of strength and muscular gains
All of these symptoms equate to overtraining and this is when you will limit your growth. When you feel these symptoms you need to look at your training regime and say “I'm doing to much!” Identifying this will enable you to correct the situation and get back on the to the road to progression more quickly. Scale down your routines and begin training hard again.
Sleep is an essential requirement for a successful bodybuilder. Burning the candle at both ends is all well and good, but it will not lead to good results from your hard work. When you sleep is when your body will repair and regenerate the quickest as the unnecessary bodily functions shut down and the body will be able to focus on troubled areas, i.e. muscle tissue repair. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't go out and display what you have built, but sitting up watching television till 3 in the morning is not going to do you any favours. Eight hours sleep a night is not always possible but it is a good target to aim for. If you have time during the day to catch 30 minutes extra sleep then do so.
October's Recipe – Basic Cheese Omelette
A nice and simple recipe from Nikki
2 cups egg or egg substitute (use as many egg yolks as desired)
10oz frozen vegetables
1 cup grated low-fat cheese
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
pepper to taste
dried chives, parsley or salsa
Rinse and defrost vegetables. Coat a skillet with cooking spray, add veg and sauté. Add eggs, cheese and spices. Turn heat to medium-low; cover and cook about 5-7 mins. Garnish with dried chives, parsley or salsa.
Serves 2. Per serving: 585 kcal, 42g protein, 85g carbs, 13g fat, 10g fibre.
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