Jade Teta ND, CSCS

The Paleodiet is the ultimate fat loss diet, yet so many people have an extremely difficult time sticking to it.  The reason, may be branched chain amino acids (BCAA).  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the paleodiet it is a dietary philosophy based on the diet that humans evolved on for millions of years and is the diet that our genes and metabolism are most aligned with. Up until about 10,000 years ago humans lived on lean animal protein, vegetables, nuts and seeds, tubers, and a few fruits when they were in season. Grain (wheat, corn, rice, etc) and dairy (milk and cheese), and legumes (beans) were not part of the diet.  The technology did not exist to consume these foods.  The agricultural revolution occurred 10,000 years ago and up until that time humans did not possess the tools and knowledge to eat grain and process legumes/beans.  Likewise dairy did not exist as it would have been very difficult to milk a wild animal. Humans did not start to domesticate and milk animals until roughly 5,000 years ago. Legumes/beans were not edible without significant processing (soaking in water or fermenting) and again, humans did not develop the skill to process them except in the last 10,000 years. The paleodiet approach is different than any other dietary system because it is not based on bias, flawed studies, or some charismatic diet guru.  It is based on the largest human trial ever conducted, human evolution.  There have been reams of research published on this approach to nutrition, most of which is free at the website www.thepaleodiet.com. This is the website of Dr. Loren Cordain the foremost expert on this style of eating.

Two very important concepts come out of this approach to eating both of which are 100% validated by science (please see www.thepaleodiet.com to see the vast amount of published studies by Dr. Loren Cordain on this diet).

1) Humans were more healthy then than now.   Our hunter-gatherer ancestors lived long healthy lives and did not suffer from the chronic disease of today. This is a fact most people our ignorant of mistaking the fact that our ancestors had high infant death rates with not living long and healthy lives.  If a population has a very high death rate in infancy the calculation for average life expectancy will be artificially reduced. High infant mortality rates along with the hazards of living in close proximity to wild animals that view you as food are the reasons early man’s average life expectancy was close to 30 years old.  However, those who lived past infancy and avoided accidental death were exceedingly healthy. Infection, injuries, and other types of accidental deaths (i.e., being gored by a Woolly Mammoth) were a significant factor as well, but chronic disease for those who did live long was not an issue. If you are skeptical on this point, there is plenty of research supporting this claim.

2) This health has been shown to be a consequence of the diet these people ate which was rich in lean, clean wild animals.  Had an extraordinary amount of plant material and no grain or dairy at all. There is no healthier diet on the planet than the paleodiet. A recent study published in the journal Diabetologia compared this dietary approach to the much heralded Mediterranean diet.  The paleodiet intervention was shown to surpass the Mediterranean diet in its health giving properties (Diabetologia. 2007;50:1795-1807).

How it works clinically?

In my clinical practice I have never seen any dietary or nutritional program even compare to the paleodiet in terms of fat loss results. However, I also have never seen a dietary practice more difficult to stick to.  For most people, the complete avoidance of grain and dairy is a serious issue. The cravings for starchy foods and dairy can be insatiable to many. However, there is a supplement that can make this approach much easier to stick to, branched chain amino acids (BCAA) supplements. BCAA supplements work on several levels.  They decrease cravings and hunger signals at the level of the brain, they spare muscle loss, and they provide key elements in glucose metabolism through the ability to modulate both glutamine and alanine, amino acids key in the production of glucose. There is much research on BCAA supplementation.  As with most research the studies show mixed results in efficacy.  However, the research is slowly moving toward a consensus on their benefit, especially the BCAA leucine. Clinically, I have seen supplementation with BCAA be a key element in the sustainability of lower carbohydrate diets like the paleodiet.  One of the interesting things about BCAA is that they can stimulate insulin without help from carbohydrate sources.  This may be a benefit since insulin production in the presence of key components of muscle building and maintenance would shift resources of the body to both maintain and perhaps build muscle.  This is a difficult process when carbs are depleted in the diet because of the often elevated stress hormone response. For me, BCAA supplementation is the missing link in lower carb diets and amplify the fat burning effect while severely blunting and even reversing any loss in muscle. Most importantly, I have seen sometimes profound shifts in energy and cravings which often keep clients from sustaining a paleodiet over the long run

How I supplement.

To get the best effects from BCAA supplementation the dosing needs to be rather high.  This dosing schedule comes from my review of studies on rats and humans as well as my own clinical experience. I dose my BCAA by leucine (the major component in BCAA supplements). I use 3 to 6 grams of leucine per 100lbs of body weight in divided doses daily.  For those used to dosing amino acids they will likely see this as a very high dose.  The range is based on level of activity and the degree of cravings, hunger, and energy levels.  The higher and more intense the activity level and the more pronounced hunger, cravings, or lows in energy on a paleo-type diet,  the higher the dose should be. I also frequently dose Omega-3 fatty acids along with BCAA.  The two seem to work well together. If you have never used BCAA please realize to get the upper doses you will do much better with a powder.  Also understand that the powder is not very soluble in water and has an extremely bitter taste. I usually dose my BCAA in 4 oz grape juice before and after a workout for those focusing on muscle building, and after a workout and before bed for those interested in fat loss.

A pilot study on a similar regime

There is one study, a pilot study, on high dose BCAA and omega 3 with promising results (AGE 2008;30:201–208). This research was a double-blind placebo controlled trial.  Subjects were given high dose (12g/day BCAA) or Low dose (6g/day BCAA) along with high dose DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, or olive oil (12g/day) or low dose DHA or olive oil (6g/day).  The placebo was a fiber supplement. In this study, the results showed a trend towards significance with higher dose BCAA and higher dose DHA despite a very short study period of two weeks.  I have attached two tables from the studies so you can view both the mechanisms of the nutrients used and the results of the studies. I have also included some other references to studies and research on BCAA that substantiate their potential benefit.

1. Diabetes 2007; 56:1647–1654 (Leucine decreases food intake and fights obesity through multiple mechanisms)
2. Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 291, E621–E630. (Increases leptin)

3. Cell Metabolism 2007;6:181–194. (Review on BCAA Molecular Effects)

4. Neurochem Res (2008) 33:279–284 (regulation of brain cravings and energy)

Jade Teta ND, CSCS

It is common thinking in bodybuilding and athletic training circles that glycogen (stored sugar in the liver and muscle) should be maximized at all times. The theory goes something like this: intense exercise is required to progress in performance and to stimulate muscles to grow, and glycogen is required to sustain intense exercise. Therefore, you should maximize glycogen at all times especially after exercise where there is a unique window of opportunity where most extra carbohydrates will be stored as glycogen instead of fat. I agree with this theory 100% as I have used it both in myself as an athlete and bodybuilder and in my clients. However, this theory has been over applied in my opinion.

Performance, bodybuilding, or fat loss?

There is a difference between maximizing performance or building muscle and maximizing fat loss. Sure, there are strong arguments that can be made such as: “maximizing glycogen storage allows you to train harder and therefore both burn more calories and build more muscle which in the end maximizes fat loss”. I get these arguments and dont disagree entirely, I just feel it is an “over-prescribed” tool. The vast majority of people engaging in exercise are doing it specifically for fat loss and not to be bodybuilders or become bigger, faster, or stronger to compete in an athletic event. So, the question is why do fitness professionals use a “glycogen loading” centered philosophy with their fat loss clients? In my clinical experience both as a physician and personal trainer the “glycogen loading” belief system is keeping many people from  burning fat.

Should we make the same recommendations for performance and fat loss?

Much of the belief and research about glycogen comes from performance studies on distance runners which clearly show those who are glycogen loaded perform better (graph D below).  However, these same studies show the amount of glycogen a person has stored in their muscle and liver is inversely proportional to how much fat they burn.  In other words, the more glycogen you have stored in your body the less fat you burn at rest and during a workout. The graphs below were taken from a study in 1991 by Wagenmakers, et. al. (Am J Physiology.260:E883).  The red line represents subjects who were glycogen depleted (low sugar storage) and the yellow line represents subjects glycogen loaded (maximum carbohydrate in the muscle and liver). In graphs “B” & “C” you can see very clearly the difference in fat metabolism in the two groups.  If you compare those graphs to graph “A” you will notice a very simple law that is all to often forgotten…..the easiest and most abundant fuel to burn is the one your body uses in exercise.  In the case of glycogen loading, carbohydrate is easy to burn and excessively available, therefore it is used preferentially.   While it is clear you are more likely to win a race if you are carb loaded, you will not maximize fat loss.

In addition to the ability to burn more fat during exercise, the ability to burn more fat after exercise is enhanced in a glycogen depleted state as well. Exercising in a carbohydrate depleted state has been shown to have several hormonal advantages resulting in an elevated “afterburn” (an enhanced state of calorie burning that takes place after a workout).  This includes increased catecholamine production (adrenaline and noradrenaline; these are your body’s fat burning gas peddles), human growth hormone release (HGH), glucagon levels, and testosterone production.  At the same time it lowers insulin a major fat storing hormone.

Studies show glycogen depleting exercise great for fat loss?

A October 2009 study by Bahadori & McCarty published in the journal Medical Hypothesis shows how effective glycogen depletion can be. In this study, participants were instructed to fast for 12 to 14 hours daily.  In addition, they were instructed to engage in a “prolonged, moderate-intensity exercise session” within this fasting time period.  The researchers reported the average participant did brisk walking for 60 minutes or less as their chosen exercise.  The study subjects were followed for 12 weeks.  At the end of the study participants lost on average 4.2kg (~ 9 lbs). Interestingly, most of the weight lost was fat.  The average fat loss in the subjects was 7.4 kg (16.28 pounds).  If you are confused how they lost more fat than pounds, it is likely because the participants added muscle during the study period as well.  In my opinion, the results of this study are striking.  Walking, while healthy, has never been shown to be an effective exercise for fat loss (fat loss= weight loss without muscle loss).  The combination of fasting and the exercise together seemed to have a synergistic effect.  Based on the discussion above regarding glycogen, these results seem to make good sense.

More research needs to be conducted with a much bigger sample size to further evaluate this method, but I personally have seen this technique work both in myself and my patients. The idea that glycogen should be maximized is a great idea for high performance athletes and muscle building weight lifters, but may not be ideal for fat loss seekers.

How we use it?

At Metabolic Effect and at my clinic we use this technique with certain weight loss resistant clients. To make the process easier we usually recommend the client eat their last meal between 6 and 8pm. We then have them exercise when they wake in the morning before eating any food (between 6 and 8am).  We then have them eat breakfast within 2 hours of their workout. I realize many personal trainers, bodybuilders, and conditioning specialist will likely frown on this technique because of the “glycogen dogma”.  However, I have found this technique to be reasonably adhered to and highly effective. It is true however that 95% of my clients are interested in fat loss. I rarely have more than 2 to 5 athletes and/or bodybuilding clients I am training at one time. This is NOT a technique I recommend for these types. One caveat is that long duration workouts (lasting over 40 minutes) especially if they are intense in nature are not tolerated well by most in this state.  However, long duration light activity like walking or high intensity short duration workouts (less than 30 minutes) work very well with this technique and rarely cause difficulty.

See more on exercise and glycogen levels at my post on exercising on an empty stomach.

Jade Teta ND, CSCS.  Keoni Teta ND, LAc, CSCS. Jillian Sarno ND.

A recent discussion about Soy from Natural Triad Magazine:

In response to Dr. Tabors concerns about our recent article on soy and hypothyroid: He raises several valid points that we would like to clarify and expand on. Additionally, we would like to offer several more reasons why we do not recommend soy to our clients and look to soy consumption as a potential cause of weight loss resistance in people with hypothyroidism.

As we pointed out in the article, there is far more to thyroid function than normal levels of thyroid hormone. Additionally, there are a significant number of people out there with undiagnosed thyroid issues and/or insufficient iodine intake. These people do not have “normal” thyroid function and could be impairing their thyroid further with soy consumption. It is also well established in the literature that soy interferes with thyroid medication, making it less effective. There is also anecdotal evidence that excessive soy consumption has the potential to cause thyroid problems in previously “normal” individuals. Now we will discuss these concepts point by point.

Dr. Tabor is correct in saying that the article we cited was not a human study.  However, it along with other studies does show, in our opinion, “isoflavones in soy are potentially damaging to adults and especially worrying in children”. Let us discuss soy’s actions on the thyroid. The study we quoted, along with another published the previous year by the same authors, clearly show the anti-thyroid effects of soy. Dr. Tabor himself quotes two more articles, which clearly show soy acts as a goitrogen. (1,2) Although these studies are just examples, we feel that a strong precedent has been established in the literature for soy as a thyroid disruptor. It has been shown conclusively that soy disrupts thyroid peroxidase (TPO), the chief enzyme involved in the synthesis of thyroid hormone. As a matter of fact, it was reported as far back as the 1930s that chickens and other animals fed soy developed goiter (20, 21, 22, 23). Furthermore, many studies showing no changes in thyroid hormone levels are short feeding studies and likely were not long enough to see the effects if they did occur. There are few if any long-term studies on this subject that we are aware of. The fact that not ALL research demonstrates soy has detrimental thyroid effects should not make us less concerned.  There is general consensus among researchers, as Dr. Tabor points out, that soy does not seem to affect thyroid hormone levels in normal thyroid people despite the disruption of the thyroid enzyme systems.  However, our article was more focused on those with abnormal thyroid function.

It is our opinion and clinical observation that soy can and does affect not only thyroid enzymes but thyroid hormone levels in susceptible individuals.  There is also at least one study that shows this as well (5).  In our article, “Tried Every Diet & Still Can’t Lose Weight? Consider Your Thyroid Function,” published in last months Natural Triad Magazine our intention was to highlight the potential of an underlying thyroid dysfunction in those with weight loss resistance. There are those with diagnosed or hidden thyroid issues, and/or inadequate iodine intake and/or subclinical hypothyroid that we specifically were trying to address.  The two latter groups, by the way, are not an insignificant part of the population.  It is estimated that 25% of the world population is iodine insufficient including up to 10% of the United States; and it is estimated that 8% of American women and 3% of American men has a subclinical thyroid condition (8). Other researchers go further. The endocrinologist Ridha Arem, M.D., out of Baylor College of Medicine published a book on thyroid issues and believes this number is much higher saying 1 in ten Americans are dealing with low thyroid.  This would mean almost 20 million people do NOT have normal thyroid function and may be at risk from soy consumption  (6,7). This is becoming a real issue because iodized salt, the number one source of iodine in the American diet, is frequently avoided due to concerns of blood pressure. Furthermore, most salt used today does not contain iodine, unless it specifically states “Iodized Salt,” and even this is no guarantee (15). Adequate iodine intake is important because it seems to be the factor that protects against the soy-induced disruption of the thyroid. As Dr. Tabor has pointed out in his citations, soy does indeed block thyroid production unless there is adequate iodine intake. This has led many to assume it is a simple matter of increasing iodine along with thyroid.  However, there is a narrow window of iodine intake beyond which it will also begin to disrupt thyroid function (19).

The thyroid effects of soy go beyond disrupting TPO. Soy isoflavones act as weak estrogens and therefore impact thyroid hormone indirectly (18).  It is well known that women tend to have bigger thyroids (9) than men because of estrogen’s action on the thyroid. In light of this, it is questionable in our opinion, to recommend the consumption of soy, as it can have estrogen-like effects on the thyroid. If research shows that soy decreases the action of thyroid hormone and primary care physicians and other clinicians consistently observe that soy decreases the action of thyroid medication and have observed hypothyroid effects in presumably normal patients, then how can we in good conscience recommend that our clients consume soy, especially the ones that are experiencing difficulty with weight loss?

To us this opens up a whole other can of worms.  If we are going to acknowledge that soy interrupts the action of thyroid hormones given as medication, then it is reasonable to assume that soy impacts the action of endogenous thyroid hormone.  In those who are weight loss resistant, which our article was focused on, soy would seem to have no place in the dietary recommendations.

Furthermore, there is much debate and discussion about what is actually “normal” as far as the thyroid is concerned. As we mentioned above, undiagnosed, subclinical hypothyroidism is a real concern and deserves careful attention. The actual definition of subclinical hypothyroid is someone who has normal thyroid hormone with slightly elevated levels of TSH.  However, many health practitioners and researchers question this definition since we frequently see clients who are completely normal in their thyroid numbers and have overt hypothyroid symptoms. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) released a statement in Jan 2001 that said: “Even though a TSH level between 3.0 and 5.0 uU/ml is in the normal range, it should be considered suspect since it may signal a case of evolving thyroid underactivity.” Therefore the number of those with compromised thyroid function could be even larger.  This is a major point we were attempting to make in our article.  Weight loss resistance is increasing and there seems to be an increase in those with thyroid issues as well as issues with iodine insufficiency.  As healthcare providers why would we want to recommend soy, a known thyroid disruptor, to these people especially when thyroid is by far not the only issue where we feel soy’s health benefits should be questioned?

Soy is a known endocrine disruptor. These effects have been seen for some time and have been reported consistently in the literature (10, 11).  It has been shown in animals from rats to monkeys, and in humans, that isoflavones disrupt sexual maturation in males (12) and speed it up in females (13, 14). The thyroid issues of soy may be much worse in human children suggested by two recent reviews on soy isoflavones and their thyroid effects related to thyroid auto-antibodies and autism (16, 17).  While none of this can be seen as conclusive, taken as a whole the vast amount of research should make us more cautious not less. Researchers and doctors like to make arguments as to whether these effects occur consistently in humans, but we tend to take the stand of Dr. Richard Sharp who is the Director of the Medical Research Centre for Reproductive Biology in Edinburgh Scotland who said in regard to soy: “I’ve seen numerous studies showing what soy does to female animals and until I have reassurances that it doesn’t have this effect in humans, I will not give soy to my children”.

Isoflavones in soy are not the only issue – soy is also high in manganese and can be contaminated with aluminum.  The excess estrogen, manganese and aluminum are, in our opinion, extremely detrimental to children and their brain and sexual development.  It appears the health departments of several countries, such as Great Britain, New Zealand and Israel agree with us, strongly recommending against the use of soy and soy formula (24, 25, 26). The reason we single out soy as “perhaps one of the worst goitrogenic foods” is because unlike other goitrogenic foods whose goitrogens are neutralized through cooking, soy’s goitrogens are not degraded, resulting in the full delivery of thyroid interrupting chemicals to the body (3,4)

Let us recap the major points we were trying to make about soy.  Genistein, the major isoflavone present in soy, is a strong TPO inhibitor.  As we have pointed out this may or may not be of concern for normal thyroid people, but it most certainly is for those with thyroid issues and those taking thyroid medications.  In addition, a large number of people have as-of-yet undiagnosed thyroid conditions and/or iodine intakes that are insufficient, for which soy consumption would be a risk.  We have personally worked with those who have been, in our opinion, extremely negatively impacted by soy consumption.  We strongly feel that soy has no place at all in the diets of children. Many of the soy-based products on the market today are not only made from GMO (genetically modified organism) soy, which raises several additional questions beyond the scope of this paper, but also concentration levels of soy isoflavones that have been purposely elevated to such a high level that does not occur in nature and would never be eaten as a food.  This creates yet another big question mark regarding what is or is not safe as far as soy is concerned.

One last point, that I think Dr. Tabor will agree with, if we consider soy a medicinal food (which we do if soy is used as it has historically been in the Asian culture) then inherent in that definition, any food that is considered a medicine can also be poison.  The jury is still out on the safety of soy and in our opinion is not the superfood the media and big industry have made it out to be.

1.  Divi RL, Chang HC, Doerge DR. Anti-thyroid isoflavones from soybean: isolation, characterization, and mechanisms of action.  Biochem Pharmacol 1997; 54(10):1087-1096.

2.  Doerge DR, Sheehan DM.  Goitrogenic and estrogenic activity of soy isoflavones. Environmental Health Perspectives 2002; 110(Suppl 3):349-353.

3. Draft report of the COT Working Group on Phytoestrogens, 4. Sources and concentrations of phytoestrogens in foods and estimated dietary intake.

4. Coward L, Smith M et al. Chemical modification of isoflavones in soyfoods during cooking and processing. Am J Clin Nutr, 1998, 68, 1486S-1491S.

5.  Hampl R, Ostatnikova D, Celec P, Putz Z, Lapcik O, Matucha P.  Short-term effect of soy consumption on thyroid hormone levels and correlation with phytoestrogen level in healthy subjects. Endocrine Regulations 2008; 42:53-61.

6. Arem, Ridha. The Thyroid Solution (Ballantine, 1999).

7. Arem R, Escalante D. Subclinical hypothyroidism: epidemiology, diagnosis and significance. Adv Int Med, 1996, 41, 213-250.

8. Hollowell J, Staehling N et al. Iodine Nutrition in the United States. Trends and Public Health Implications: Iodine Excretion Data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys I and III (1971-1974 and 1988-1994). J Clin End and Metab, 1998, 83 no.10, 3401-3408.

9. Bates Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking (9th ed)

10. Waring RH, Ayers S, Gescher AJ, Glatt HR, Meinl W, Jarratt P, Kirk CJ, Pettitt T, Rea D, Harris RM. Phytoestrogens and xenoestrogens: the contribution of diet and environment to endocrine disruption. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2008 Feb;108(3-5):213-20.

11. Jefferson WN, Padilla-Banks E, Newbold RR. Disruption of the developing female reproductive system by phytoestrogens: genistein as an example. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2007 Jul;51(7):832-44.

12. West MC, Anderson L, McClure N, Lewis SE. Dietary oestrogens and male fertility potential. Hum Fertil (Camb). 2005 Sep;8(3):197-207.

13. Fortes EM, Malerba MI, Luchini PD, Sugawara EK, Sumodjo L, Ribeiro Neto LM, Verreschi IT. High intake of phytoestrogens and precocious thelarche: case report with a possible correlation. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metabol. 2007 Apr;51(3):500-3.

14. McLachlan JA, Simpson E, Martin M. Endocrine disrupters and female reproductive health. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Mar;20(1):63-75

15.  http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20080201/can-us-shake-iodine-deficiency-risk

16. Melarova, Et. Al. actual levels of soy phytoestrogens in children correlate with thyroid laboratory parameters. “Clin Chem Lab Med. 2006;44(2):171-4

17. Roman, Et. Al. Autism: transient in utero hypothyroxinemia related to maternal flavonoid ingestion during pregnancy and to other environmental antithyroid agents. “J Neurol Sci. 2007 Nov 15;262(1-2):15-26.

18. Doerge. Et. Al. Goitrogenic and estrogenic activity of soy isoflavones. Environ Health Perspect. 2002 Jun;110 Suppl 3:349-53.

19. Lee Et Al. Too much versus too little: the implications of current iodine intake in the United States.Nutr Rev. 1999 Jun;57(6):177-81.

20. Matrone, G. et al., “Effect of Genistin on Growth and Development of the Male Mouse”, Journal of Nutrition (1956) 235-240.

21. McCarrison R. The goitrogenic action of soybean and ground nut. Indian J Med Res.1933, 21:179

22. Patton AR, Wilgus HS et al. The production of goiter in chickens. Science, 1939, 89, 162

23. Sharpless GR et l. Production of goiter in rats with raw and treated soybean flour. J Nutr, 1939, 17, 545-555

24. www.foodstandards.gov.uk

25. www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/downloads/mohsoy.pdf

26. www.naba-breastfeeding.org/news05.htm

Jade Teta ND, CSCS

With the holidays upon us, we have been getting many questions about what can be done to control the fat storing effects of this time of year. Obviously, the best way is to stay on a fat burning diet and continue to exercise, but there are other more effortless ways to at least lessen the impact of holiday meals.  Here they are:

1) Drink 2 large glasses of water before every meal- Research has shown this technique can help in 2 ways, increase caloric burn and help us stay full.  In a study in 2007 out of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Volume 92 number 8, 500ml of water induced a 24% increase in thermogenesis compared to an equal amount of saline. Another study published in November 2008 in the Journal Obesity (Vol. 16 # 11) showed dieting women lose greater amounts of weight as they increase the amount of water they drink. Finally, in the November 1993 issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol. 47 # 11) 2 glasses of water taken with meals increased and sped up feelings of being full from a meal.

2) Choose Sourdough or Rye as your choice of bread- Rye bread decreases the amount of insulin released compared to regular wheat bread.  Research in the September 2009 Nutrition Journal reported not only does Rye bread decrease insulin response, but it increases satiety (feelings of fullness) compared to other bread. The researchers do not yet know what is causing this effect, but believe it is related to some yet to be identified bioactive compound. In addition, a June 2008 article in Acta Diabetologica (vol. 45 # 2) showed eating sourdough bread compared to other breads improves blood sugar and insulin responses in people with insulin resistance.

3) Eat vinegar before each meal- There is a way to lower the detrimental effects of a starchy meal, vinegar. Vinegar is able to decrease blood sugar responses and insulin levels that normally accompany a high starch meal. It can also make you feel full faster and longer.  The more vinegar, the better the response.  There are two ways to do this, like the Italians (take a shot of a high end balsamic vinaigrette before each meal) or put extra vinegar on your salad. (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2005 Sep;59(9):983-988.)

4) Eat veggies first, protein second, and starch last- By eating your vegetables and protein before you eat the starch you will feel satisfaction from your food more quickly, you will eat less, and the negative hormonal responses of your meal will be decreased.

5) Spice up your food- Breakout the pepper, cayenne, peppers and hot sauce.  Spicy foods can slow down the rate at which sugar enters your blood stream.  It can also increase the amount of calories you burn in response to a meal. (American Journal of Clinical Digestion 2006 July;84(1):63-69.)

6) Choose desserts with berries cinnamon or chocolate- While no dessert is optimal, if you are going to do it try to choose the ones that have some healthy aspects to them.  Berries, cinnamon and chocolate have compounds in them that can aid metabolic processes.  While they cant completely overcome the huge amount of fat and sugar they are accompanied by in a dessert, they may lessen the effects. The benefit of cocoa is not for metabolism stimulating effects, but rather for its ability to help improve mood.  Small amounts of cocoa can help improve mood, reduce cravings, and reduce subsequent food intake.  In my clinical practice I frequently recommend people drink pure cocoa powder in water with a non-calorie sweetener to improve mood and reduce cravings.  In animal models cocoa raises serotonin one of the major brain chemicals reduced in cravings and uncontrollable eating. (Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2009 Dec;20(12):948-55). Cinnamon helps optimize blood sugar and insulin metabolism (J Med Food. 2009 Jun;12(3):467-72.). Berries believe it or not have some fat burning potential and delay weight gain from a high fat diet.  Read more at one of my past blogs here @ berries to burn fat?

7) Drink green tea with high fat meals- Green tea and tea in general is what is known as a weak lipase inhibitor.  Basically it decreases the absorption of fat (J Nutr Biochem. 2007 Mar;18(3):179-83.).  It also has been shown to increase fat loss by stimulating fat burning genes (Ann Nutr Metab. 2009;54(2):151-7.). Drink green tea and drink it often.

Drink red wine instead of beer or booze- No alcohol is good for fat burning, but if you are going to drink alcohol it might as well come with some resveratrol.  Resveratrol is a plant chemical found in wine that has positive impact on insulin metabolism (J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2009 Jan;113(1-2):17-24.).

9) Exercise 1 hour before all heavy meals and/or exercise after- Ok, so this one is not effortless, but exercising prior to a big meal is a good idea as some of the calories can go to building muscle rather than storing fat. Exercising after a meal is also not a bad idea.  It is both the worst and best time to eat.  It is the worst time because you are unlikely to get the same fat burning punch from your workouts, but it is also one of the best times as it can undo some of the damage of a high fat/high starch meal.

10) Fast until the big meal- Another way to make the big meals of the holidays less damaging, is to do modified fasting until the meal. By drinking lots of water, drinking tea, making unsweetened cocoa, eating foods heavy in water and fiber (celery, cucumbers, fiber supplements, green/red peppers, etc) you can keep yourself from getting hungry and craving until you eat.

Jade Teta ND, CSCS

Many of our clients ask us about fasting and how that may impact weight loss vs fat loss.  I have blogged previously on how years ago I would “fast” (go all day without any food) once or twice a week as an aid to burning fat. This technique has recently gained support among many seeking body change and restored health. This is being promoted as a technique called “alternate day fasting”. The question is can this approach work to burn fat and optimize muscle for long term body change?

It is important to remember that fat  loss and weight loss are not the same thing.  Weight loss is usually about indiscriminately decreasing calories while fat loss is about manipulating hormones so that you eat less naturally. In general, long-term fasting is not a useful technique to use if you want to burn fat. This is not because it does not work, it is because it is not sustainable for most people. However, under the right circumstances you may be able to use fasting to your advantage. The problem is that many people will simply use this technique in the same way they use other crash diets.  They will ignore exercise and food quality and decide to fast to reduce calories.  This approach is playing the weight loss game and will likely end up causing you to lose muscle, creating the all too frequent YO-YO effect. In order to use this technique to lose fat and spare muscle, it would be wise to pay attention to food quality, exercise, and supplementation. If you are the type that just wants the skinny on what to do rather than all the details, skip down to the bottom.  Otherwise read on to hear metabolic effects take on fasting.

Brief history of fasting

One important thing to understand is that the idea that humans should eat three meals a day, or 6 small meals per day (as many in the fitness industry, including ME, advocate), is a completely made up construct.  In other words, it is not actually how we humans evolved.  Studies of modern day hunter gatherers suggest humans in natural conditions only ate 1 time per day after gathering or hunting for food all day (1-4). There was no breakfast, no lunch and rare snacking. I point this out because it is an often neglected insight in understanding the natural eating habits our metabolisms evolved with.  Another important point is that food was not always available and there were likely days where much less food was consumed. So the idea that food was eaten everyday, is also wrong. Our physiology evolved under feast and famine circumstances and even when food was available we had to work to get it.

Even with these considerations, we must not forget we live in an entirely different time.  Food in modern times is easily accessible all day everyday. It is likely true that if early humans were confronted with an environment where food was abundant and easily available without physical effort they would have had eating patterns more in line with what were used to today. The reason I believe, and often recommend, eating 6 small meals a day is because not many people in today’s culture can voluntarily abstain from food. Especially when it is cheap, abundant, tasty and just a walk to the pantry or a trip up the street away.  We are programmed through our ancient physiology to eat whenever food is available, and since food is always available, we eat almost constantly.  Eating 6 small meals per day of high fiber and protein foods can help us reduce hunger and cravings creating the key elements for fat loss 1) reduced calories and 2) Proper hormone balance. However, there is a way to imitate the fat-loss secrets of our ancestors while avoiding the binging scenarios that often ensue after haphazard fasting. It is called alternate day fasting, intermittent fasting, or night time fasting.

Understanding fasting and how to do it right

The vast majority of people who decide to abstain from food for the day will likely make it to early afternoon or maybe evening before they scarf down a whole pizza or inhale a fast food burger and fries while guzzling down a liter of soda. Once we get hungry and we know food is around all bets are off. The idea of fasting in this way will fail for most of those who try it.  There is a better way, but before I talk about that it is important to understand the physiology of fasting.  Afterall, body change is about fat loss, not weight loss.  Understanding exactly how the body partitions its fuel during fasting is key to doing it right.

During the first six to twenty-four hours of avoiding food, your body will use stored sugar called glycogen (gleye-co-gin). This fuel does not last forever, and once it is gone the body will spend the next two  to ten days using amino acids from your muscle tissue to make more sugar for the body. This is not a lucky thing since a loss of muscle means a less efficient metabolism overtime. This may be surprising to some who think fat is the primary fuel during times of fasting.  While some fat is being burned, it does not become the primary fuel until after a fast has lasted greater than ten days.  Only then will you begin to really ramp up fat loss.  This is an ancient survival mechanism of our ancestors that served them well.  However, for us it is a liability since long before 10 days have gone by, you will have likely already broken the fast by inhaling large amounts of sweets and/or fatty foods (this is what the body craves after it is deprived).

So, rather than fasts that lasts days or weeks, it is far better to engage in short fasts. Remember within one day of a fast you can begin stripping muscle off of your body which is something you will regret overtime as your body begins to sag. A soft skinny body “skinny fat” is a sure sign of chronic low calorie diets and/or fasting without exercise. I recommend fasting for no longer than 24 hours and doing this no more than three times per week. This technique has been shown to produce the same health effects of low calorie dieting while also giving you the energy and fuel to exercise and maintain muscle mass. However, even one day of fasting is something most people will fail at. That is where 3 techniques come into play:

1) Modified alternate day fasting- In this technique you dont completely abstain from food on your fasting day, but instead only eat 1 meal or maybe a meal and a snack.  In other words, the amount of food is still very minimal. This technique works better for most people who dont have an iron will to keep themselves from eating all day, but still want to reap some of the benefits.

2) Using supplements to control hunger and cravings- Another technique is to fast for the whole day but use non-calorie functional foods and supplements to control your hunger, cravings and energy.  A fiber supplement taken 3 times a day along with branched chain amino acids (BCAA) and unsweetened cocoa powder in water work great in this way. These items provide zero calories but balance hunger hormones and brain chemistry and work very well to shut off the hunger and craving mechanism that can sabotage any body change program.

3) Night time fasting- Perhaps my favorite variation of alternate day fasting is to give equal time every 24 hour period with and without food. I feel this is an even better option since during the day you eat normally and at night you abstain from eating.  The key is to break the day into two 12 hour periods.  12 hours for eating (during the day) and 12 hours for fasting (at night). In this regime, the last meal for most people will come between 6pm and 8pm, while the first meal will come between 6am and 8am. Research has shown this approach works and can provide the same benefit as alternate day fasting. IN my clinic I often adjust the timing of this “overnight” fast to the individual. Usually I prescribe 10 to 14 hours of a “night time” fast.

Why fast in the first place?

You may ask why fast in the first place. The benefits of short term fasting is its ability to reduce your glycogen stores forcing the body to tap into it fat stores more readily when you engage in exercise. The other point about fasting is it is a powerful detoxification mechanism. During times without food, the body can mobilize its resources away from the digestion of food towards repair and regeneration. Finally, short term fasting that lasts less than a day will actually raise HGH levels and re-sensitize the body to its metabolic hormones. When eating resumes the metabolism is far more efficient then it was.

For the fitness enthusiasts who is looking to maximize fat loss and is wants to be optimally healthy, this is a technique to consider.  A final warning however is that if done incorrectly (fasting for too long, fasting without weight training, fasting along with excessive aerobic exercise, fasting without adequate protein intake on eating days) the metabolism will suffer. This is not a technique that should entered into lightly.

1. Osgood, C. Ingalik Social Culture. Yale University Press, New Haven, 1958, p 166.
2. Clastres, P. The Guayaki. In: Hunters and Gatherers Today, Bicchieri, M.G. (ed), Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., New York, 1972, p.151.
3. Lee, RB. The !Kung Bushmen of Botswana. In: Hunters and Gatherers Today, Bicchieri, M.G. (ed), Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., New York, 1972, p.151.
4. Lewis ND. The Pacific Islands. In: The Cambridge World History of Food, Volume Two, Kiple, KF. 9ed), Cambridge University Press, New York, 2000, p. 1358.

Jade Teta ND, CSCS

If you are a personal trainer, nutritionist, physician, or fitness enthusiast and you still think being overweight is all about calories in vs. calories out, here is some new research that may finally change your mind.  A new study published in the April 13th, 2009 issue of the journal PLoS ONE  has shown environmental toxins are a significant factor in obesity (4). This is an issue I deal with in my clinic everyday.  Since I work as both a personal trainer and physician I have seen first hand how metabolic fat-burning can be drastically impacted by food quality (i.e., bad fats, white carbohydrates., etc) food toxicity (i.e., gluten sensitivity/allergy) and chemical toxicity (mercury, pesticides, plasticizers, etc). It is a huge oversight among many in the weight loss industry and something that is becoming a much bigger issue than many professionals understand.

Pollutants do make us fat

Persistent organic pollutants (POPS) is the term researchers use to describe chemical toxins found in ground water and soil that have been shown to concentrate in plants and animals, move up the food chain, and can be consumed by humans. Past research by Lee Et. Al. in 2006 (1) has already shown a positive association between elevated blood levels of POPS and severe metabolic dysfunction. One particularly prevalent toxin is the herbicide atrazine.  Atrazine is sprayed on crops, especially corn, and is found in high concentrations across the US with the highest concentrations in the Midwest and Southeast. This is also the area of our country with the highest prevalence of obesity. Interestingly, several review studies have been published that show that the introduction and use of atrocine starting in the early 1960’s closely matches the rise of obesity in many areas of our country (2,3). I posted the diagrams in the article showing this trend (the concentrations of atrocine are shown on the top, while the obesity concentrations are shown on the bottom).

It is important not to draw exaggerated conclusions from this data.  There are many other factors that have even closer correlation to obesity in our country.  However, it is interesting to me that many people blame calories and especially high fat diets as the major reason there is a problem.  Research studies do not bare this out.  As a matter of fact calorie consumption has not changed much and fat intake has actually decreased during the time obesity has risen in our country. Evidence shows fat intake has actually dropped in the US  between 1971 and 2000 while at the same time obesity rates skyrocketed from 14.5% to 30.9% over the same time.  However, dietary carbohydrate intake increased significantly along with reductions in activity (5,6). Based on this information toxicity, carbohydrate intake, and decreased physical activity may be more to blame for the obesity epidemic than fat and calories.

How atrazine and other pollutants interrupt metabolism

In this recent study is was shown that atrozine acts as a “hormone disruptor”. Trace amounts of this chemical resulted in negative and persistent alterations in insulin and leptin levels, two hormones that impact fat storage and appetite respectively.  Rats fed trace amounts of this chemical developed metabolic derangement and fat loss resistance while rats not exposed showed no effect. For those who like to understand some of the in-depth science, atrozine was shown to interrupt the key energy producing materials in cells (mitochondria).  This could lead not only to difficulty burning fat, but also fatigue. This same chemical along with others has been implicated in cancer as well.

Obesity and weight loss are not simply a matter of calories, and it is the dogmatic adherence to this belief by many top professional in all areas of our health care system that is impeding the ability to make meaningful headway against the obesity epidemic. This study should give pause to anyone in the weight loss industry as well as those who are weight loss resistant. The dogmatic adherence to the calorie model may work some of the time, but it is inadequate for a rising majority of obese client

1. Lim S, et. al. Chronic exposure to the herbicide, atrazine, causes mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance. PLoS One. 2009;4(4):e5186
2. Lee, et. al. A strong dose-response relation between serum concentrations of persistent organic pollutants and diabetes: results from the National Health and Examination Survey 1999–2002. Diabetes Care 2006;29: 1638–44
3. Flegal, et. al. Prevalence and Trends in Obesity Among US Adults, 1999–2000. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association 2002;288: 1723–7.
4. Kuczmarski, et. al. Increasing prevalence of overweight among US adults. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 1960 to 1991. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association 1994;272: 205–11.
5. Wang, et. al. Will all Americans become overweight or obese? estimating the progression and cost of
   the US obesity epidemic. Obesity. 2008;16:2323-2330.
6. Wright, et. al.  Trends in intake of energy and macronutrients- United States, 1971-2000.
   Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report 2004;53:80-82.

By Jill Coleman

I am embarrassed to say that when I first started personal training several years ago, I would frequently make my clients puke.  It wasn’t on purpose and it wasn’t on principle, it was simply because I had no intuition when it came to training.  I couldn’t pick up subtle cues that clients needed more rest or were too de-conditioned for the exercises I was giving them and I certainly didn’t understand “Rest-based Training”, a concept that is used by us at Metabolic Effect.  Instead, I just came at them with “I know you have a few more in you!!” or “Don’t give up!!” or “Don’t stop, you got this!!”  In retrospect, I feel that this sort of obliviousness was unacceptable, and it is no wonder I lost clients early on.  I have learned a lot since the beginning, to say the least!  Every client is as different on the inside as they are on the outside.  So, it goes without saying that training all clients the exact same way is nonsensical, and of course everyone needs a little bit different protocol.  You would never give an older adult the same workout as an elite athlete, right?

So why are trainers, coaches and “diet experts” still giving clients a one-size-fits-all diet plan?  As a figure competition coach, this is a huge pet peeve of mine.  In the bodybuilding world, there seems to be set “rules” that must be followed or else you will not be ready for competition.  Here is an example: “Fruit is off-limits if you are training for a show,” and another: “Sweet potatoes, oatmeal and brown rice are the only acceptable carbs.” And yet another: “You must eat whey protein immediately after your workout.”

Unfortunately, in today’s disease-ridden day, more and more food allergies are popping up, of varying severities.  More people are insulin-resistant, have thyroid disorders and are simply weight-loss resistant.  I think in the bodybuilding world, we tend to think that if someone is not losing weight, they must be “cheating” on their diet, or not disclosing all that they are eating, or maybe their portions are too big…or maybe they are just lazy…or maybe they are just not exercising enough.  All valid suspicions, and while many times one of these is the culprit, for a minority of people, the bodybuilding way of eating simply does not work, period.  Remember, all people are as different on the inside as they are on the outside, right?  For these people, their hormonal environment has been disrupted beyond repair and their fat loss machinery was turned off years ago.  They could be eating a 1200 calorie/day diet of oatmeal, chicken and broccoli, going to the gym every day, and their weight will not budge.  There is so much more to the equation than calories in versus calories out; these people’s metabolisms need to be repaired and it’s time for the diet expert to go back to the drawing board and individualize a plan based on unique metabolic circumstances.

Here’s an example of what I am talking about.  I had a client who seemed to be eating perfectly: a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, vegetables, whey protein powder and some whole grains like the newly-popularized quinoa and old-fashioned oatmeal.  This person was training for a figure competition and though she was losing weight, it was painfully slow for the kind of effort she was exerting, and all the while she had this “puffy look”, maintained by subcutaneous water retention.  Though she was following all the “rules,” the results were not nearly as drastic as they needed to be for competition.  What the heck?  I racked my brain about what to do.  After a little research and help from Jade, we drastically changed her diet away from this typical BB protocol and put her on a hypoallergenic Paleolithic diet and decreased her protein while increasing green leafy veggies.  The results could not have been more drastic.  In the first week on the new plan, the client lost 7 lbs (mostly of water) and striations on the shoulders and abs became visible.  A huge difference.  It turns out that she had mild allergies to grains and dairy and was getting too much of an insulin response from the high protein.  Yes, that’s right.  Too much protein was creating an insulin response in this person!  I know it sounds strange, but this phenomenon often happens with whey protein powder, for example.  Though it is usually very low-carb, whey is derived from dairy (milk) and though dairy is considered a low glycemic index food, it creates an elevated insulin response.  And while for many people, insulin, along with whey protein is the perfect recipe for muscle building, for some, they will instead respond by stubbornly hanging onto fat, as well as subcutaneous water.   Increasing green leafy vegetables helped shed water from her legs like crazy due to their natural diuretic effect.  These small differences in metabolisms and hormonal make-up have got to be taken into account when prescribing diets for fat-loss.

In a perfect world, everyone could be eating quinoa and oatmeal and losing weight.  Unfortunately, there can be a lot more to the equation and it is important for competitors, competition coaches and diet experts to realize that “the way” may, in fact, be several different ways.  The take home message is this: understand your body, get to know your food sensitivities, track your cravings, mood and energy levels, and get with a diet coach who can individualize a program based on these variables.  Diet individualization is one of the strengths of “The New ME Diet” book by Jade and Keoni Teta, being released in March 2010 by Harper Collins.  Check it out in March and start losing fat based in your specific metabolic tendencies

Would love to hear from you!  jill@metaboliceffect.com

Jade Teta ND, CSCS

This post is a little more technical than usual and is geared mainly towards the science junkies and personal trainers who want to understand mechanisms to apply to their own training and that of their clients.  Lately we have been getting questions about the post-exercise elevation in calorie usage called EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). People are fascinated by this subject and want to know how it works. Others are skeptical of EPOC and feel its impact is marginal. This post reveals the inside scoop on EPOC, why it is important and why it falls short in detailing the full power of higher intensity exercise for fat loss.

First a brief review of EPOC. EPOC used to be called oxygen debt, which is a much better term to describe what it is. When you exercise at higher intensities, usually defined as greater than 55% Vo2 max for untrained individuals and 75% Vo2 max for trained persons (72% MHR and 85% MHR respectively. Based on equation= %MHR=.64X%Vo2+37), you will quickly begin to dip into your anaerobic energy systems. When this happens there is no longer a direct relationship between oxygen consumed and energy used.  In other words, using respiratory exchange ratios (CO2 vs O2) to determine fat vs. carbohydrate use becomes difficult.  To make up for this discrepancy, researchers use EPOC.  Once the body begins recovery after intense exertion, it will compensate by increasing oxygen consumption to make up for the “deficit” created during exercise. We all know what this feels like.  If you walk up a flight of steps, you experience and acute example of EPOC.  In this scenerio you will breathe harder after reaching the top of the stairs than you did while you are walking up.  This is a micro-example of the EPOC effect. By waiting until recovered from intense exercise to again to capture CO2 and O2 (carbon dioxide and oxygen) researchers can extrapolate the energy expenditure during the period of time during exercise that was lost. However, this is being shown to be only partially true.

This is where confusion about EPOC comes in.  The metabolic effect of exercise, also called the after-burn, is more than just EPOC.  EPOC is an important part, but it is not the whole story. We will get to that in a minute, but first lets define how big of an impact EPOC can have.  Some experts say that EPOC is normally 15% of total calories burned in a workout.  So if you burned 100 calories in your workout, the EPOC effect would be 15 calories for a grand total of 115 calories.  This leads many people to say that EPOC is insignificant and provides no real advantage.  However, it is impossible to make such a statement about EPOC because it is impacted by so many variables.  EPOC depends on the type of exercise done (cardio, intervals, weights), the weight and body composition of the person doing the exercise (the heavier the person the greater the EPOC), the gender (men have a greater EPOC then women), glycogen reserves (more glycogen reserves = less EPOC), the order of exercise (cardio before weights = increased EPOC), workout timing (2 short bouts of exercise in the same day have greater EPOC than 1 long one) exercise intensity (higher intensity = greater EPOC), exercise duration (longer workouts = greater EPOC), and training status (trained individuals have less EPOC compared to untrained). There are other factors as well, but you get the point. There are many ways to raise EPOC. If you look at low intensity aerobic exercise you will see EPOC magnitudes that are low and dont last long.  Ironically, this is where most of the insignificant claims about EPOC come from. However, if you look at interval training and resistance training exercise you will see EPOC values that are larger and last much longer.

How Long does it last and how significant is it?

There are several studies that challenge the notion that EPOC is insignificant.  One of the most important was published in  2002 in the European Journal of Applied Physiology. In this study Schuenke et. al. showed a circuit resistance training program utilizing heavy weights, short rest periods and lasting only thirty-one minutes was able to generate an EPOC that persisted for 48 hours (1). The results showed that metabolism 24 hours and 48 hours after the exercise session was increased by 21% and 19% respectively. The researchers point out that for a typical 180-pound individual “This equates to 773 calories expended post exercise”. This is far from insignificant and greatly exceeds the 15% number many researchers quote for EPOC.  Similar findings have been shown in women using a similar resistance training protocol. In women the elevation in metabolic rate lasted 16 hours (2). Women likely have a lower response due to lower muscle mass and decreased levels of testosterone.Similar findings have been seen with interval training as well with significant EPOC values lasting up to 24 hours (3-4).

Metabolic Effect’s after-burn is more than just EPOC

While the EPOC effect can be significant as demonstrated above, it does not explain the complete impact of a metabolic workout because standard methods for calculating energy use are ineffective. This is an important point and requires some explanation. When exercise researchers calculate energy use from a workout, they cannot measure it directly so they use respiration to indirectly measure the amount of energy burned as well as the type of fuel (sugar or fat).  The ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen, called the respiratory exchange ratio or RER in research studies, is used by researchers to make these calculations.  This works very nicely at low intensity exercise done at steady state. However, once the exercise intensity goes above the anaerobic threshold, the Co2 and O2 measurements can no longer predict calorie use or substrate metabolism.

Dr. Christopher Scott of the University of Southern Maine is an expert in the full contribution of energy from both anaerobic metabolism, aerobic exercise and EPOC. Where as many people use EPOC to extrapolate the anaerobic energy use during exercise, Dr. Scott has shown this approach leaves 30-70% of the actual calories burned uncounted (5-9).  Dr. Scott emphasizes that to fully account for calories burned during intense exercise three components must be measured: calories burned aerobically during exercise, calories burned aerobically after exercise (EPOC), and anaerobic calories burned from exercise (5-9). The latter point is not insignificant and requires a measures of blood lactic acid to quantify. It is this anaerobic measurement through lactic acid that is left out in calorie calculations of intense exercise. EPOC and the anaerobic lactic acid measurements for exercise are considered separate by Dr Scott. While I understand this discussion is getting very technical, it is important to understand these issues to fully understand Metabolic Effect.

The major take home message in regards to the metabolic after-burn of intense exercise is this, EPOC is not only more significant than we may think, but it cannot fully explain the metabolic advantage of metabolic conditioning.  A full 30% or more of calories burned during intense exercise will be neglected if only EPOC is used to measure the after-burn of exercise. If EPOC  is also left out of the calculation, as some researchers are still doing, over 90% of calories burned during a higher intensity metabolic conditioning workout will be neglected and uncounted. This explains why so many practitioners of metabolic exercise see such a drastic change in their body’s compared to standard exercise programs.

How can you generate the greatest metabolic effect?

Using this new understanding of exercise and following what the research says, there are 4 reliable ways to stimulate the maximum caloric burn both during and after the exercise session. We call these the “Bs” and the “Hs”, breathless, burning, heavy and heat. Each workout should work to genrate all four of these components.

1. Get Breathless- you have to be panting for breath in order to reap the full benefits of a metabolic workout.  If you can talk, you are not doing metabolic conditioning. This aspect correlates with the degree of EPOC and anaerobic calorie burn. It is important to minimize pacing yourself which is why we have developed a system of exercise we call rest-based training that allows each exerciser to generate the correct intensity required for their unique metabolism to reap the rewards…hence the ME acronym.

2. You need to get Burning- You have to get to the point of “metabolic failure”.  Metabolic failure is a term I use to describe the need to stop exercise because of an intense burn in the muscles, not necessarily because the weight is too heavy to lift.  This is directly related to the lactate generation in a workout and how much growth hormone and testosterone you will generate from the workout (more a HGH determining factor than a testosterone one).  What many people are unaware of is that lactic acid acts like a hormone and may actually cause/contribute to the release of HGH and testosterone (10-14). In other words the degree of burn in your muscles is directly correlated to the proper hormone response for increased muscle building and fat burning.

3. You need to lift heavy- if you are not incorporating heavy weighted movements into your workout you are missing a key component of the after-burn.  In the 2002 research by Schuenke the weights used were very heavy (a 10 rep max) and the exercises were full body movements.  Heavy barbell squats, explosive power cleans, and maximal dead lifts or similar full body exercises are key to the metabolic effect.  If you don’t have access to heavy weights, then you need to use body-weight exercises and explosive movements that come close to mimicking the same effect (single leg squats, pull-ups, push-ups, explosive jumps, and other plyometrics).  This one is all about the type IIb muscle fibers.  Heavy weights trigger HGH and testosterone (more testosterone than HGH).  This is what I call “mechanical failure”.  As opposed to metabolic failure, this is when the weight just gets to heavy to overcome gravity and go no longer be lifted.

4. You need to generate heat- the final parameter is heat. One of the biggest contributors to EPOC and anaerobic energy use is heat. If you are not sweating, your body is not getting hot enough.  As a matter of fact, I use the ability to sweat as a biofeedback tool into how sensitive the body is to its catecholamine response.  If your not sweating in a workout, you are missing out on this heat effect and the after-burn will suffer.

References:

1. Schuenke, et. al. Effect of an acute period of resistance exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption: Implicationsfor body mass management European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2002;86:411-417.
2. Osterberg, et. al. Effect of acute resistance exercise on postexercise oxygen consumption and resting metabolic rate in young women. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2000;10(1):71-81.
3. Tremblay, et. al. Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Metabolism. 1994;43:814-818
4. Treuth, et. al. Effects of exercise intensity on 24-h energy expenditure and substrate oxidation. Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise. 1996;28:1138-1143
5. Scott, et. al. Misconceptions about aerobic and anaerobic energy expenditure. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2005;2:32-37.
6. Scott et. al. Estimating total energy expenditure for brief bouts of exercise with acute recovery.  Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism. 2006;31:144-149.
7. Scott, et. al. Contribution of blood lactate to the interpretation of total energy expenditure for weight lifting. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2006;20:21-28.
8. Scott et. al. Contributions of Anaerobic Energy Expenditure to Whole-body Thermogenesis. Nutrition and Metabolism. 2005;2:14.
9. Scott, et. al. Direct and indirect calorimetry of lactate oxidation: implications for whole-body energy expenditure. Journal of Sports Science. 2005;23:15-19.
10. Turner ET AL. (1995). Effect of graded epinephrine infusion on blood lactate response to exercise. J Appl Physiol,79(4):1206-11.
11. Takahashi ET AL.(1995). Relationship among blood lactate and plasma catecholamine levels during exercise in acute hypoxia. Applied Human Sci,14(1):49-53.
12. Kaiser ET AL. (1983). Effects of acute beta-adrenergic blockade on blood and muscle lactate concentration during submaximal exercise. International Journal Sports Med, 4(4):275-7.
13. Godfrey Et. Al. The role of lactate in the exercise-induced human growth hormone response: evidence from McArdle disease. British Journal of Sports Medicine. July 2009;43(7):521-525.
14. Lin Et. Al. Stimulatory effect of lactate on testosterone production by rat leydig cells. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry. June 2001;83(1):147-154.

Jade Teta ND, CSCS

Foods Hormonal Effects:

Many see food as simply energy.  They remain unaware of the direct and indirect information both macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fat) and micronutrients have on physiology. Similar to the effect high intensity exercise has on the body, food can either elevate fat burning or induce a powerful fat storing effect. Food is able to regulate powerful hormones that predict hunger, energy, mood, and fat burning from one meal to the next. When the proper dietary influences on your hormones are reached the process of sustained fat loss becomes much easier. It is known that protein and fiber together blunt the hunger response and decrease cravings. This is because they each generate a unique hormone response. Fiber drastically decreases the hunger hormone ghrelin and also lowers the fat storing hormone insulin. Protein on the other hand raises the fat burning hormone glucagon and increases the motivating and craving reducing neurotransmitter dopamine. Taken together, protein and fiber intake leads to decreased appetite, lower cravings, and improved fat usage between meals. The most interesting thing about these outcomes is they lead to effortless restriction of calories without the use of willpower. The body automatically regulates calories because it no longer has the constant urge and desire for food. Unlike the starvation effect induced by the calorie model, the hormonal approach to food sends signals that tell the body there is plenty of food and it does not have to worry about conserving fat.

Dietary studies comparing caloric vs. hormonal approaches

In the 2003, May 22^nd issue of the New England Journal of Medicine two different approaches to diet were analyzed. One approach was a traditional low fat and low calorie diet (LC) and the other was a diet where carbohydrate was replaced with higher amounts of protein (HP). In the high protein group dieters were allowed to eat as much food as they liked as long as they kept their carbohydrate intake low. The low calorie group limited their food intake to between 1200 and 1500 calories for women and between 1500 and 1800 calories for men. These two approaches directly compare the old method of calorie reduction versus the new method of hormonal approaches to weight loss. It turns out that the high protein group lost weight more quickly, voluntarily consumed fewer calories, and had improved blood chemistry tests over the calorie restricted group.

Another study published the same year in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (Vol. 88 # 4) found the same results. A high protein diet without calorie restriction yielded better results than the standard calorie reduction approach weight loss experts usually prescribe. This research like the study described above is noteworthy because it shows that the body has the ability to naturally regulate energy consumption. The studies above did not bother to find the underlying mechanism behind this response, but understanding hormonal influences on metabolism would enable you to predict this response. One final study printed in the Journal Nutrition and Metabolism in 2004 looked at 28 overweight men and women. One group was given a low fat, high carbohydrate diet and the other a high protein and low carbohydrate diet. As we have pointed out these two diets will have very different hormonal effects. In this particular study the higher carbohydrate group took in 300 calories less on average than the high protein group (1855 Kcal/day for the high protein group and 1562 Kcal/day for the high carbohydrate group). Even with the consumption of more food daily, the high protein group lost more weight and fat with a greater proportion coming from the midsection.

Taken together these studies demonstrate the power of food as a source of information for the body rather than just simple energy. You can no longer view food as just a source of calories. The ratio of protein, carbohydrate, and fat has dramatic impact on metabolic function. Just as important the micronutrient and phytonutrient (plant nutrients) composition of every meal can be seen as a unique chemical fingerprint that when loaded in the body runs a hormonal software program that can have far ranging effects on physiology including fat burning.

Jade Teta ND, CSCS

At The Endocrine Society’s 91st Annual Meeting, held June 10th-13th 2009 in Washington, D.C., Shalamar Sibley, MD, MPH reported findings on the fat loss impact of vitamin D. Vitamin D is actually more of a hormone than a vitamin and has global actions on the body. The research presented showed men and women with higher vitamin D were able to achieve significantly enhanced weight loss while dieting compared to those with lower levels.

Thirty eight obese subjects followed a very low calorie diet for 11 weeks. Body composition as well as body fat deposition (where on the body fat is stored) were measured before and after the 11 week period. The researchers showed a direct correlation between vitamin D levels and weight loss. One half pound of weight was lost per nanogram increase in plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (the standard lab measure of vitamin D). In additon, the higher  the vitamin D, the greater the abdominal fat loss.

The researchers noted “Plasma vitamin D predicts subsequent weight loss, suggesting a potential role for vitamin D in promotion of weight loss, perhaps through effects on adipose metabolism…………Vitamin D deficiency is associated with obesity…………Our results suggest the possibility that the addition of vitamin D to a reduced-calorie diet will lead to better weight loss.”

In my clinic, I routinely see vitamin D levels below 20. I am starting to recognize this as a key determinant of the ability of a cleint to lose fat. The study highlighted shows again that it is not always about calories in verse calories out, but about hormonal influence on metabolism including those provided by vitamin D.

Low vitamin D often times manifests along with hypothyroid, low adrenal function, and other physical complaints and mental symptoms. It is a major risk factor in cancer protection as well as heart disease and blood sugar regulation.  If you suffer from any of these symptoms or just cant seem to lose weight no matter what you do, you need to consider getting a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D test from your doctor. Research shows that the optimal vitamin D levels would be 80 ng/dl.

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