Muscle

How does type 1 diabetes alter muscle structure and blood supply?

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How Type 1 Diabetes Alters Muscle Structure and Blood Supply?
Expression of myosin heavy chain isoforms 1 (A, E), 2a (B, F), 2x/d (C, G), and 2b (D, H) in successive cross-sections of gluteus maximusmuscle of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice (A–D) and age-matched non-diabetic mice (E–H). The scale bar indicates 50 μm.

In a recent study conducted by the Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, researchers have provided new insights into the detrimental effects of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) on skeletal muscle structure and capillary networks. Utilizing state-of-the-art 3D imaging technology, this comprehensive study marks a significant leap in understanding the multifaceted impact of T1DM on the body’s muscular system.

Diabetes mellitus disrupts the regulation of glucose levels, leading to high blood sugar and a myriad of related health issues. T1DM, characterized by the immune-mediated destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β cells, has profound effects on various organs, especially skeletal muscles, which play a crucial role in glucose uptake and regulation.

This study, published in the journal Biomolecules and Biomedicine, aimed to explore the structural and functional adaptations of skeletal muscles to the metabolic disturbances caused by T1DM.

The hidden changes in muscle and blood vessels

Conducted on female C57BL/6J-OlaHsd mice using a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced model to simulate T1DM, the research focused on critical muscles like the soleus, gluteus maximus, and gastrocnemius. Researchers meticulously analyzed the expression of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms and the intricacies of the 3D capillary network.

“Our study provides a deeper understanding of how type 1 diabetes not only affects muscle fiber composition but also significantly alters the capillary networks that are essential for muscle health,” explained Nejc Umek, the study’s lead author.

How Type 1 Diabetes Alters Muscle Structure and Blood Supply?
Numerical density and diameter of (A,D) gluteus maximus,(B,E) soleus, and (C,F) gastrocnemius muscle fibers. Comparison between type 1 diabetes mellitus mice (black columns; n=12) and non-diabetic mice (gray columns; n=12). Data are presented as mean±standard deviation. *P<0.05.

The research revealed that, despite the composition of fast-twitch type 2b fibers remaining consistent, notable differences were observed in the diabetic mice’s soleus muscle, which showed a reduced proportion of type 2a fibers and diminished fiber diameters across all muscles analyzed.

Additionally, an intriguing increase in capillary length per muscle volume was discovered in the gluteus maximus of diabetic mice, suggesting an adaptive mechanism to counterbalance muscle fiber atrophy induced by diabetes.

Methodological advances and key discoveries

The study utilized female mice, addressing a gap in diabetes research that often overlooks gender differences in disease progression and response to treatment. Through a single intraperitoneal administration of STZ, researchers successfully induced T1DM, confirmed by significantly elevated fasting glucose levels. This model allowed for an in-depth examination of diabetes-induced changes in a controlled environment.

By employing antibodies specific to different MyHC isoforms and cutting-edge 3D imaging, the team could precisely quantify changes in muscle fiber types and the capillary network. “The advanced 3D imaging techniques we used represent a significant improvement over traditional 2D analyses, offering a more detailed and accurate depiction of the capillary network changes in diabetic muscle tissue,” stated Erika Cvetko, the study’s senior author.

How Type 1 Diabetes Alters Muscle Structure and Blood Supply?
Capillaries and muscle fibers in gluteus maximus muscle of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice (B, D) and age-matched non-diabeticmice (A, C).(A and B) Immunofluorescent staining with volume rendering of capillaries; (C and D) Reconstructed muscle fibers with supplying capillaries. The scale bar indicates 50μm.

Implications for diabetes management and future directions

The findings from this collaborative research effort highlight the necessity for comprehensive diabetes management plans that encompass not only glucose regulation but also the preservation of muscle structure and function. “Understanding the specific alterations in muscle tissue due to type 1 diabetes paves the way for developing targeted therapies that could significantly improve patient outcomes,” Cvetko added.

The study’s revelations about the increased capillary length per muscle volume in diabetic mice underscore the body’s potential compensatory responses to the structural changes induced by diabetes. These insights are crucial for designing interventions that aim to mitigate muscle deterioration and enhance overall diabetes care.

This novel study contributes significantly to the body of knowledge on diabetes and its systemic effects, particularly on skeletal muscle health. By highlighting the critical role of maintaining muscle integrity and vascular supply in the management of T1DM, the research opens new avenues for therapeutic strategies and underscores the importance of multidisciplinary approaches in tackling this complex disease.

Excess Body Fat Can Age Your Brain Faster Than Muscle

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Research shows that maintaining healthy levels of muscle mass has a beneficial effect on your brain and may slow your rate of cognitive aging. Here’s the strategy you should strive for.

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

  • Increasing research shows that maintaining healthy levels of body fat and greater muscle mass has an effect on your brain health and may slow your rate of cognitive aging
  • People with higher amounts of abdominal fat had worse fluid intelligence with age, while those with greater muscle mass were more protected against such declines
  • Women who had greater muscle mass tended to have better scores in fluid intelligence during the study period
  • Past research has linked midlife obesity with an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment, changes in short-term memory and executive functioning and dementia

Staying fit as you age is about far more than aesthetics. Increasing research shows that maintaining healthy levels of body fat and greater muscle mass has an effect on your brain health and even your rate of cognitive aging. It’s known, for instance, that being obese in midlife and early late-life is associated with worse cognitive aging.[1]

What’s more, the amount of muscle and fat you have may be a more important factor in how your level of fluid intelligence decreases over time than your chronological age. Your chronological age, i.e., your age in years, is just a numerical measurement, but your real age is your biological age as dictated by your choices and habits, as well as your modifiable risk factors like levels of muscle and fat.

While many people tend to gain fat and lose muscle mass as they age, this can be largely combated by staying active and eating right — lifestyle choices that will influence your cognitive function significantly.

More Muscle, Less Fat Protects Your Brain

In a study by Iowa State researchers, data from 4,431 adults were examined to compare levels of lean muscle mass, abdominal fat and subcutaneous fat with changes in fluid intelligence — the ability to solve problems in new situations — over a six-year period.[2][3]

Those with higher amounts of abdominal fat had worse fluid intelligence with age, while those with greater muscle mass were more protected against such declines. In fact, women who had greater muscle mass tended to have better scores in fluid intelligence during the study period.

Study co-author Auriel Willette, assistant professor of food science and human nutrition at Iowa State University, said in a news release, “Chronological age doesn’t seem to be a factor in fluid intelligence decreasing over time. It appears to be biological age, which here is the amount of fat and muscle.”[4]

What’s more, the study revealed a link between the immune system and how changes in fat levels affect cognition. Previous research suggests a higher body mass index (BMI) leads to greater immune system activity in the blood, which in turn activates the immune system in the brain, with a negative outcome on cognitive function.[5]

The featured study also found that changes in white blood cells called lymphocytes and eosinophils explained the link between abdominal fat and worsening fluid intelligence in women. In men, basophils, another type of white blood cell, were linked to about half of the link between fat levels and fluid intelligence, the study found.[6]

“Lymphocytes, eosinophils, and basophils may link adiposity to cognitive outcomes,” the researchers explained.[7] Similar research has revealed that overweight and obese individual have greater brain atrophy in middle-age, corresponding with an increase in brain age of 10 years.[8]

How Obesity Affects Your Brain

Obesity has multiple effects on the brain, including anatomically speaking. Obese individuals may have reduced gray matter in brain regions such as the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and other subcortical regions. Atrophy in the hippocampus, in turn, has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.[9]

Gray matter is the outer layer of the brain associated with high-level brain functions such as problem-solving, language, memory, personality, planning and judgment. Even in elderly people who are otherwise cognitively normal, obesity is associated with measureable deficits in brain volume in the frontal lobes, anterior cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, and thalamus compared to individuals with a normal weight.[10]

Further research published in Radiology found that obesity may lead to alterations in brain structure, shrinking certain regions.[11] Among men, higher total body fat percentage was linked to lower brain gray matter volume. Specifically, 5.5% greater total body fat percentage was associated with 3,162 mm3 lower gray matter volume.

Among men, 5.5% greater total body fat was also associated with 27 mm3 smaller globus pallidus volume, an association also seen in women. In women, 6.6% greater total body fat percentage was associated with 11.2 mm3 smaller globus pallidus volume.

The globus pallidus is a brain region that plays a role in supporting a range of functions, including motivation, cognition and action.[12] Obesity was also associated with changes in white matter microstructure, which may be related to cognitive function.[13]

Cognitively speaking, there’s also a strong link between obesity and deterioration in cognitive function, as well as to other brain disorders such as dementia, anxiety and depression. Further, past research has linked midlife obesity with an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment, changes in short-term memory and executive functioning and dementia.[14]

Obesity-Associated Health Problems Also Harm Your Brain

Obesity’s effects on brain health are also due to its associated health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and atherosclerosis, each of which can have its own deleterious effects on your brain. For instance, as noted in Frontiers in Neuroscience:[15]

“Obesity-derived vascular problems, such as atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis, which are systemic diseases, are known to affect the steady blood flow of vessels that feed the brain, thus contributing to cognitive impairment or even stroke, where large areas of the brain die due to the stop in the blood flow of a major brain artery caused by a blood clot.”

In terms of diabetes, of which obesity is a key risk factor, having this condition in midlife is associated with a 19% greater cognitive decline over 20 years compared with not having the condition.[16] Even those with prediabetes had significantly greater cognitive decline than those without.

Indeed, “Epidemiological studies have linked type-2 diabetes mellitus with cognitive impairment and dementia, with insulin resistance and hyperglycemia as the probable mechanistic links,” researchers noted.[17]

Coming full circle, eating a highly processed, junk food diet not only increases obesity risk but also can lead to normal but elevated blood sugar levels that, in turn, can lead to impaired glucose metabolism and Type 2 diabetes. Both diabetes and higher fasting glucose levels are linked with lower total brain volume.[18]

Impaired glucose metabolism is then associated with neurodegeneration that impairs cognitive function. This connection begins not in old age but much earlier, such that following a healthy lifestyle in young adulthood may be protective against cognitive decline later.[19]

The Inflammation Connection

Obesity can trigger chronic inflammation in your body, and chronic inflammation in your brain (neuroinflammation) is known to impair neurogenesis, your brain’s ability to adapt and grow new brain cells. It’s also linked to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and it’s been suggested that “Obesity may serve as an amplifier or initiator of the chronic inflammation observed in AD patients.”[20]

Further, higher levels of inflammatory markers have also been associated with lower brain volume, including “greater atrophy than expected for age.”[21] Excess body fat, particularly visceral fat, is also related to the release of proteins and hormones that can cause inflammation, which in turn can damage arteries and enter your liver, affecting how your body breaks down sugars and fats.

According to a study in the Annals of Neurology, “[A]dipose-tissue derived hormones, such as adiponectin, leptin, resistin or ghrelin, could also play a role in the relation between adipose tissue and brain atrophy.”[22] Further, obesity may also be associated with lower volume in brain regions that regulate food-reward circuitry,[23] possibly influencing overeating.

Strength Training Is Good for Your Brain

While obesity takes a toll on your brain, increased muscle mass protects it, which is likely one reason why strength training has been found to be beneficial for your brain. In other words, your body’s physical strength may serve as a marker of your brain power.

In fact, strength training is known to trigger beneficial neurobiological processes,[24] leading to positive functional brain changes, including in the frontal lobe, with corresponding improvements in executive functions. One systematic review even found that strength training led to less white matter atrophy in the brain, with researchers noting:[25]

“Taken together, during aging processes, a substantial decline in muscular strength, especially in lower limb muscles, occurs, and accumulating evidence suggests that lower muscular strengths are linked to poorer cognitive performance.

Hence, resistance (strength) exercises (a single bout of resistance exercise, also referred to as acute exercise) and resistance (strength) training (more than one resistance exercise session, also referred to as chronic exercise … ) seem to be promising activities to ensure the preservation of physical functioning and cognitive functions with aging.”

Regular strength training, in addition to other forms of exercise and daily activity, is an important strategy for keeping your brain sharp and may help to offset some of the cognitive decline that occurs with age.

FIVE DAYS OF EATING FATTY FOODS CAN ALTER HOW YOUR BODY’S MUSCLE PROCESSES FOOD

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You might think that you can get away with eating fatty foods for a few days without it making any significant changes to your body.

Think again.

After just five days of eating a high-fat diet, the way in which the body’s muscle processes nutrients changes, which could lead to long-term problems such as weight gain, obesity, and other health issues, a new study has found.

“Most people think they can indulge in high-fat foods for a few days and get away with it,” said Matt Hulver, an associate professor of human nutrition, foods, and exercise in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “But all it takes is five days for your body’s muscle to start to protest.”

In an article published recently in the online version of the journal Obesity, Hulver and other Virginia Tech researchers found that the manner in which muscle metabolizes nutrients is changed in just five days of high-fat feeding. This is the first study to prove that the change happens so quickly.

“This shows that our bodies are can respond dramatically to changes in diet in a shorter time frame than we have previously thought,” said Hulver, who is the head of the department and a Fralin Life Science Institute affiliate. “If you think about it, five days is a very short time. There are plenty of times when we all eat fatty foods for a few days, be it the holidays, vacations, or other celebrations.  But this research shows that those high-fat diets can change a person’s normal metabolism in a very short timeframe.”

When food is eaten, the level of glucose in the blood rises. The body’s muscle is a major clearinghouse for this glucose. It may break it down for energy, or it can store it for later use. Since muscle makes up about 30 percent of our body weight and it is such an important site for glucose metabolism, if normal metabolism is altered, it can have dire consequences on the rest of the body and can lead to health issues.

Hulver and his colleagues found that muscles’ ability to oxidize glucose after a meal is disrupted after five days of eating a high-fat diet, which could lead to the body’s inability to respond to insulin, a risk factor for the development of diabetes and other diseases.

To conduct the study, healthy college-age students were fed a fat-laden diet that included sausage biscuits, macaroni and cheese, and food loaded with butter to increase the percentage of their daily fat intake. A normal diet is made up of about 30 percent fat and students in this study had diets that were about 55 percent fat. Their overall caloric intake remained the same as it was prior to the high fat diet. Muscle samples were then collected to see how it metabolized glucose. Although the study showed the manner in which the muscle metabolized glucose was altered, the students did not gain weight or have any signs of insulin resistance.

Hulver and the team are now interested in examining how these short-term changes in the muscle can adversely affect the body in the long run and how quickly these deleterious changes in the muscle can be reversed once someone returns to a low-fat diet.

New study explains why men’s noses are bigger than women’s.

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Human noses come in all shapes and sizes. But one feature seems to hold true: Men’s noses are bigger than women’s. A new study from the University of Iowa concludes that men’s noses are about 10 percent larger than female noses, on average, in populations of European descent. The difference, the researchers believe, comes from the sexes’ different builds and energy demands: Males in general have more lean , which requires more oxygen for muscle tissue growth and maintenance. Larger noses mean more oxygen can be breathed in and transported in the blood to supply the muscle.

The researchers also note that males and females begin to show differences in nose size at around age 11, generally, when puberty starts. Physiologically speaking, males begin to grow more lean muscle mass from that time, while females grow more fat mass. Prior research has shown that, during puberty, approximately 95 percent of body weight gain in males comes from fat-free mass, compared to 85 percent in females.

“This relationship has been discussed in the literature, but this is the first study to examine how the size of the nose relates to body size in males and females in a longitudinal study,” says Nathan Holton, assistant professor in the UI College of Dentistry and lead author of the paper, published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. “We have shown that as body size increases in males and females during growth, males exhibit a disproportionate increase in nasal size. This follows the same pattern as energetic variables such as oxygenate consumption, basal metabolic rate and daily energy requirements during growth.”

It also explains why our noses are smaller than those of our ancestors, such as the Neanderthals. The reason, the researchers believe, is because our distant lineages had more muscle mass, and so needed larger noses to maintain that muscle. Modern humans have less lean muscle mass, meaning we can get away with smaller noses.

“So, in humans, the nose can become small, because our bodies have smaller oxygen requirements than we see in archaic humans,” Holton says, noting also that the rib cages and lungs are smaller in modern humans, reinforcing the idea that we don’t need as much oxygen to feed our frames as our ancestors. “This all tells us physiologically how have changed from their ancestors.”

Holton and his team tracked nose size and growth of 38 individuals of European descent enrolled in the Iowa Facial Growth Study from three years of age until the mid-twenties, taking external and internal measurements at regular intervals for each individual. The researchers found that boys and girls have the same nose size, generally speaking, from birth until puberty percolated, around age 11. From that point onward, the size difference grew more pronounced, the measurements showed.

“Even if the is the same,” Holton says, “males have larger noses, because more of the body is made up of that expensive tissue. And, it’s at puberty that these differences really take off.”

https://i0.wp.com/cdn.physorg.com/newman/gfx/news/2013/thebigmaleno.jpg

Holton says the findings should hold true for other populations, as differences in male and female physiology cut across cultures and races, although further studies would need to confirm that.

Prior research appears to support Holton’s findings. In a 1999 study published in the European Journal of Nutrition, researchers documented that males’ energy needs doubles that of females post-, “indicating a disproportional increase in energy expenditure in during this developmental period,” Holton and his colleagues write.

Another interesting aspect of the research is what it all means for how we think of the nose. It’s not just a centrally located adornment on our face; it’s more a valuable extension of our lungs.

“So, in that sense, we can think of it as being independent of the skull, and more closely tied with non-cranial aspects of anatomy,” Holton says.

Pillownauts Rest For Science.

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Ah, the things we do for the sake of scientific inquiry. These volunteers for the European Space Agency just got out of bed for the first time in 21 days. To examine the effects of spaceflight on astronauts’ bodies, the “pillownauts” laid at a 6 degree angle with their feet up in a medical facility in Toulouse, France while scientists poked and prodded them for three weeks.

No bathrooms, no showers, no getting up for a quick stretch. The paid volunteers were subjected to a strict high-protein, high-salt diet and an exercise routine “that involves pushing the volunteers down onto vibrating plates while doing upside-down squats,” according to ESA. Researchers from the University of Bonne hypothesized that this diet and exercise routine might lessen the bone and muscle loss associated with long-term missions in microgravity. The crazy sci-fi headgear they’re wearing is designed to measure how much oxygen each person breathes in and how much carbon dioxide comes out, as a way to study the links between diet, breathing and energy consumption.

Estrogen, testosterone play role in development of hypogonadal symptoms.

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In a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers suggest revisiting the approach to evaluation and management of hypogonadism due to data showing that declining levels of estrogen as well as androgens contribute to negative changes in body composition, strength and sexual desire in men.

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Researchers evaluated two cohorts of healthy men aged 20 to 50 years. All patients received goserelin acetate (Zoladex, AstraZeneca) 3.6 mg subcutaneously at weeks 0, 4, 8 and 12 to suppress endogenous gonadal steroids. Subsequently, patients in cohort 1 (n=198) were randomly assigned to placebo or 1.25 g, 2.5 g, 5 g or 10 g of topical 1% testosterone gel (AndroGel, Abbott Laboratories) daily for 16 weeks. In addition to goserelin acetate and placebo or the same doses of testosterone, patients in cohort 2 (n=202) received anastrozole (Arimidex, AstraZeneca) 1 mg daily to block aromatization of testosterone to estrogen, researchers wrote.

In cohort 1, body fat percentage increased significantly among patients who received placebo or testosterone 1.25 g or 2.5 g daily vs. those who received higher doses, according to data. Additionally, lean mass and thigh-muscle area decreased in patients who received placebo and in patients who received testosterone 1.25 g daily vs. higher doses. Leg-press strength was weakened in the placebo group only, according to data.

In cohort 2, body fat percentage rose in all groups, with similar increases seen in the placebo and testosterone 1.25-g, 2.5-g and 5-g groups. Significant decreases in total-body lean mass were observed in the placebo group vs. the testosterone 1.25-g, 2.5-g or 10-g groups. Researchers found reductions in thigh-muscle area in patients receiving placebo vs. any dose of testosterone. Similar to cohort 1, leg-press strength decreased in the placebo group, researchers wrote.

Overall, sexual desire declined with decreased testosterone doses in both cohorts, they added.

“By examining these relationships with and without suppression of estrogen synthesis, we found that lean mass, muscle size, and strength are regulated by androgens; fat accumulation is primarily a consequences of estrogen deficiency; and sexual function is regulated by both androgens and estrogens,” Joel S. Finkelstein, MD, from the endocrine unit in the department of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, and colleagues wrote.

In an accompanying editorial, David J. Handelsman, MB, BS, PhD, director of the ANZAC Research Institute and head of the department of andrology at Concord Hospital and the University of Sydney, Australia, wrote that longer studies are required to separate the effects of testosterone on bone density and fractures or on prostate growth and diseases.

“Nevertheless, this excellent study contributes to our expanding appreciation of the complex mechanisms of action of testosterone,” Handelsman wrote.

 

PERSPECTIVE

 

·         Part of the action of testosterone is actually mediated by aromatization to estradiol. Men with genetic aromatase deficiency cannot produce estrogens and show increased adiposity, decreased bone mass and reduced libido. This study shows that in normal men estrogens are important for body fat; androgens are important for muscle; and both estrogens and androgens are important for libido. These data explain why different men have differing sexual symptoms and metabolic risk profiles, despite equivalent systemic testosterone exposure and could lead to a rational approach to developing designer androgens, with varying aromatizability that would promote certain actions and not others. The full clinical implications of this important mechanistic study require the development of these novel androgens and estrogens.

o    Peter Y. Liu, MD, PhD, FRACP

o    Visiting professor in the division of endocrinology, metabolism and nutrition
Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center

Source: Endocrine Today

Low Testosterone and Heart Disease Linked—But What’s Really Causing Them?

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Story at-a-glance

  • After age 30, a man’s testosterone levels begin to decline, and continue to do so as he ages, leading to symptoms such as decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, depressed mood, and difficulties with concentration and memory
  • According to a recent analysis, low testosterone may increase a man’s risk for cardiovascular disease. The mechanism of harm in still unknown, and both low testosterone and heart disease may simply be the result of poor overall health
  • Estrogen, the female sex hormone, plays a much bigger role in men’s heath than previously thought. Both hormones have been found to be important for sexual function, and a deficiency in either has a negative impact on a man’s libido
  • While testosterone deficiency accounts for decreases in lean mass, muscle size and strength, estrogen deficiency in men is the primary culprit when it comes to increases in body fat
  • Dietary and exercise changes, particularly limiting sugar/fructose, eating healthy saturated fats and engaging in high-intensity exercises, Power Plate, and strength training, can be very effective at boosting testosterone levels naturally.
  • Heart Problems

Testosterone is an androgenic sex hormone produced by a man’s testicles, and to a lesser degree, in smaller amounts, by the ovaries in women. While testosterone is stereotypically associated with virility, it also plays a role in maintaining muscle mass, bone density, red blood cells, and a general sense of well-being. 

Beginning around age 30, a man’s testosterone levels begin to decline, and continue to do so as time goes on—unless you proactively address your lifestyle.

Chemical exposures, including prescription drugs like statins, can also have an adverse effect on your testosterone production. Symptoms of decliningtestosterone levels include:

  • Decreased sex drive
  • Erectile dysfunction and/or problems urinating
  • Depression
  • Difficulties with concentration and memory
  • Weight gain and/or breast enlargement

According to a recent analysis,1 low testosterone may also increase a man’s risk for cardiovascular disease. As reported in the featured article:2

“To arrive at their findings, the research team examined previous studies that analyzed cardiovascular disease and testosterone levels between 1970 and 2013. The review of the studies revealed modest evidence that low testosterone levels are linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

However, the researchers note there was little evidence of a link between low testosterone and artherosclerosis – the hardening and narrowing of the arteries that can lead to heart attacks and strokes, and there was no evidence of a specific link between heart attacks and testosterone levels.”

The Importance of Testosterone for General Health

While the exact mechanism linking low testosterone to heart disease could not be ascertained, the researchers suggest the effect might be related to thrombosis or arrhythmia. Thrombosis is when a blood clot develops, and arrhythmia is basically a condition in which your heart beats erratically. Previous research has linked low testosterone with both of these conditions, plus a number of others, including:

  • Increased blood pressure
  • Dyslipidemia
  • Endothelial dysfunction
  • Impaired left ventricular function

Interestingly enough however, they also found that testosterone replacement therapy did NOT have any positive effect on cardiovascular health. This could potentially indicate that low testosterone does not in and of itself promote heart disease, but rather that low T and heart disease are both caused by something else. As stated by lead researcher, Dr. Johannes Ruige:3

“Based on current findings, we cannot rule out that low testosterone and heart disease both result from poor overall health.”

Indeed, I know first-hand that low testosterone is not an automatic outcome of aging, provided you incorporate certain lifestyle strategies that can naturally boost your testosterone levels, which I’ll review below. These strategies are part and parcel of an overall healthy lifestyle, so they also automatically reduce your risk of most chronic disease, including heart disease.

It actually makes logical sense that failure to incorporate these foundational health-promoting strategies could be the root cause of low testosterone, heart disease, and all the heart-related adverse effects listed above.

The Role of Estrogen in the Aging Male

Both men and women make estrogen out of testosterone. As a result, some men can actually end up with close to twice the amount of estrogen found in postmenopausal women. Still, the levels of both testosterone and estrogen both tend to decline with age, and as they do, your body changes. So far, researchers have almost exclusively focused on estrogen’s effect on women, and testosterone’s impact on men. But that may soon change.

A recent article in the New York Times4 highlighted research demonstrating the intricate play of women’s sex hormones in aging men’s health—a factor that has so far been largely ignored:

“Estrogen, the female sex hormone, turns out to play a much bigger role in men’s bodies than previously thought, and falling levels contribute to their expanding waistlines just as they do in women’s. The discovery of the role of estrogen in men is ‘a major advance,’ said Dr. Peter J. Snyder, a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, who is leading a big new research project on hormone therapy for men 65 and over. Until recently, testosterone deficiency was considered nearly the sole reason that men undergo the familiar physical complaints of midlife. “

The study in question, published in the New England Journal of Medicine5 (NEJM), found that there were significant individual variations in the amount of testosterone required for any particular man to maintain lean body mass, strength, and sexual function.

However, they were able to determine that testosterone deficiency accounted for decreases in lean mass, muscle size and strength, while estrogen deficiency was the primary culprit when it came to increases in body fat. Both hormones were found to be important for sexual function, and a deficiency in either had a negative impact on the men’s libido. According to the lead author, Dr. Joel Finkelstein, an endocrinologist at Harvard Medical School:

“Some of the symptoms routinely attributed to testosterone deficiency are actually partially or almost exclusively caused by the decline in estrogens.”

Despite individual variations, Dr. Finkelstein’s research offers valuable insight into the function and behavior of estrogen and testosterone at different levels in a man’s body. For example, they found that less testosterone is actually needed for muscle maintenance than previously thought. They also found that:

  • In young men, the average testosterone level is about 550 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl)
  • Muscle size and strength does not become adversely affected until testosterone levels drop below 200 ng/dl, which has previously been considered extremely low
  • Fat accumulation, however, increases at testosterone levels of 300-350 ng/dl, due to its impact on estrogen
  • Libido increases steadily with simultaneous increases in testosterone and estrogen

Please note that men are NOT advised to take estrogen replacement therapy, as this could cause feminization, such as enlarged breasts. As your testosterone levels rise, your body will automatically produce more estrogen, so the key is to maintain your testosterone level—ideally by incorporating the strategies I will discuss below.

How to Raise Your Testosterone Levels Naturally Through Exercise

Personally, I do not recommend using testosterone hormone replacement. If you indeed have low testosterone, you can consider trans rectal DHEA cream, which I’ll discuss below. DHEA is the most abundant androgen precursor prohormone in the human body, meaning it’s the largest raw material your body uses to produce other vital hormones, including testosterone in men and estrogen in women. However, I believe many of you may not even need that, were you to take full advantage of your body’s natural ability to optimize hormones like testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH).

Just like testosterone, your HGH levels also sharply decline after the age of 30, as illustrated in the graph above. Both of these hormones are also boosted in response to short, intense exercise. As I do not take any hormone or prohormone supplements, I’ve been doing Peak exercises for just over three years now, and at the age of 59, my testosterone level (done last month) and HGH levels (listed below) are still well within the normal range for a young adult male without the aid of ANY prescriptions, hormones and hormone precursor supplements:

  • Total testosterone: 982 ng/dl (normal test range: 250-1,100 ng/dl)
  • Free testosterone: 117 pg/ml (normal test range: 35-155 pg/ml)
  • HGH: 14,000 pg, more than three times the normal test range of 1,000-4,000 pg/24 hours

Below is a summary and video demonstration of what a typical high-intensity Peak Fitness routine might look like. As you can see, the entire workout is only 20 minutes, and 75 percent of that time is warming up, recovering or cooling down. You’re really only working out intensely for four minutes. It’s hard to believe if you have never done this, that you can actually get that much benefit from only four minutes of intense exercise, but that’s all you need!

  • Warm up for three minutes
  • Exercise as hard and fast as you can for 30 seconds. You should feel like you couldn’t possibly go on another few seconds
  • Recover at a slow to moderate pace for 90 seconds
  • Repeat the high intensity exercise and recovery 7 more times.

Four Additional Ways to Boost Testosterone and HGH

Besides high intensity exercise, there are several other strategies that will also boost your testosterone levels naturally. These are appropriate for virtually anyone, male or female, as they carry only beneficial “side effects.” For even more tips, please see my previous article, “9 Body Hacks to Naturally Increase Testosterone.”

    • Weight training. When you use strength training to raise your testosterone, you’ll want to increase the weight and lower your number of reps. Focus on doing exercises that work a wider number of muscles, such as squats or dead lifts. You can take your workout to the next level by learning the principles of Super-Slow Weight Training. For more information on how exercise can be used as a natural testosterone booster, read my article “Testosterone Surge After Exercise May Help Remodel the Mind.”
    • Whole body vibration training (WBVT) using a Power Plate. In addition to the Peak Fitness exercises, I do 10 minutes of Power Plate training twice a day and this likely also improved my hormones. WBVT in some ways simulate high intensity exercise by stimulating your white (fast-twitch) muscle fiber. This kick-starts your pituitary gland into making more growth hormone, which helps you build lean body mass and burn fat.
    • Address your diet. This is critical for a number of reasons. First of all, if you’re overweight, shedding the excess pounds may increase your testosterone levels, according to recent research.6 Testosterone levels also decrease after you eat sugar. This is likely because sugar and fructose raises your insulin level, which is another factor leading to low testosterone. Ideally, keep your total fructose consumption below 25 grams per day. If you have insulin resistance and are overweight, have high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol, you’d be well advised to keep it under 15 grams per day.

The most efficient way to shed excess weight and normalize your insulin levels at the same time is to strictly limit the amount of sugar/fructose and grains in your diet, and replacing them with vegetables and healthy fats, such as organic pastured egg yolks, avocado, coconut oil, butter made from raw grass-fed organic milk, and raw nuts.

Saturated fats are in fact essential for building testosterone. Research shows that a diet with less than 40 percent of energy as fat (and that mainly from animal sources, i.e. saturated) lead to a decrease in testosterone levels.7 My personal diet is about 70-80 percent healthy fat, and other experts agree that the ideal diet includes somewhere between 50-70 percent fat. I’ve detailed a step-by-step guide to this type of healthy eating program in my optimizednutrition plan.

  • Intermittent fasting. Another effective strategy for enhancing both testosterone and HGH release is intermittent fasting. It helps boost testosterone by improving the expression of satiety hormones, like insulin, leptin, adiponectin, glucacgon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), cholecystokinin (CKK), and melanocortins, which are linked to healthy testosterone function, increased libido, and the prevention of age-induced testosterone decline.

Why I Recommend DHEA Over Testosterone Replacement

I personally do not use any hormone or prohormone treatments as I’ve been successful in getting my hormone levels within the healthy young adult range using the protocols described above. However, if you chose to use hormones it is really crucial to use bioidentical versions. There are synthetic and bioidentical hormone products out on the market, but I advise using bioidentical hormones like DHEA if you opt for this route. DHEA is a hormone secreted by your adrenal glands. Again, this substance is one of the most abundant precursor hormones in your body, and it’s crucial for the creation of hormones, including testosterone and other sex hormones.

Production of this prohormone peaks during your late 20s or early 30s. With age, DHEA production begins to decline, right along with your testosterone and HGH levels. Your adrenal glands also manufacture the stress hormone cortisol, which is in direct competition with DHEA for production because they use the same hormonal substrate known as pregnenolone. Chronic stress basically causes excessive cortisol levels, thereby impairing DHEA production, which is why stress is another factor for low testosterone levels.

It’s important to use any DHEA product with the supervision of a professional. Find a qualified health care provider who will monitor your hormone levels and determine if you actually require supplementation.

Also, rather than using an oral hormone supplementation, I recommend trans-mucosal (vagina or rectum) application. Skin application may not be wise, as it makes it difficult to measure the dosage you receive. This may cause you to end up receiving more than what your body requires. Applying a trans-mucosal DHEA cream to your rectum (or if you are a woman, your vagina) will allow the mucous epithelial membranes that line your mucosa to perform effective absorption. These membranes regulate absorption and inhibit the production of unwanted metabolites of DHEA. That said, I do NOT recommend prolonged supplementation of hormones, even bioidentical ones. Doing so can trick your body into halting its own DHEA production and may cause your adrenals to become impaired.

Other Helpful Supplements

Besides DHEA, there are also nutritional supplements that can not only address some of the symptoms commonly associated with low testosterone, but may help boost your testosterone levels as well. These include:

    • Saw palmetto. Besides addressing symptoms of low testosterone, this herb may also help to actually increase testosterone levels by inhibiting up-conversion to dihydrotestosterone.8 Research has also shown it can help reduce your risk of prostate cancer. When choosing a saw palmetto supplement, you should be wary of the brand, as there are those that use an inactive form of the plant. According to industry expert Dr. Rudi Moerck, what you want to look for is an organic supercritical CO2 extract of saw palmetto oil, which is dark green in color. Since saw palmetto is a fat-soluble supplement, taking it with eggs will enhance the absorption of its nutrients.
    • Astaxanthin in combination with saw palmetto. There is also solid research indicating that if you take astaxanthin in combination with saw palmetto, you may experience significant synergistic benefits. A 2009 study published in theJournal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that an optimal dose of saw palmetto and astaxanthin decreased both DHT and estrogen while simultaneously increasing testosterone.9
    • Ashwagandha. This ancient Indian herb is known as an adaptogen, which can help boost stamina, endurance, and sexual energy. Research published in 201010 found that men taking the herb Ashwagandha experienced a significant increase in testosterone levels.

Ashwagandha also helps promote overall immune function, and can help increase your resistance to occasional stress.11 It also supports healthful levels of total lipids, cholesterol, and triglycerides already in the normal range. While some adaptogens are stimulants in disguise, this is not the case with Ashwagandha. It can give your morning exercise routine a boost, and when taken prior to bed, it can help you get a good night’s sleep as well. I recommend using only 100% organic Ashwagandha root, free of fillers, additives and excipients, to ensure quality.

Low Testosterone Is Not an Inevitable Fate for Aging Men

I strongly recommend implementing lifestyle strategies that are known to optimize testosterone levels naturally before you do anything else to address the symptoms associated with low testosterone. If you’re still deficient in testosterone after implementing high intensity exercise and strength training, along with the dietary strategies detailed above and, ideally, intermittent fasting, then you could try trans-mucosal DHEA. Again, remember to confer with a qualified health care practitioner and get your levels tested before supplementing with DHEA or any other hormone, including testosterone.

Personally, I’ve been able to maintain both testosterone and HGH levels comparable to that of a young healthy male, simply by implementing high intensity exercise, Power Plate exercises, and intermittent fasting, along with my standarddietary recommendations. I would strongly encourage you to review my nutrition plan if you haven’t already done so.

Add to that some regular sun exposure, and you’ll be well ahead of most people. Vitamin D, a steroid hormone, also helps to naturally increase testosterone levels. In one study,12 overweight men who were given vitamin D supplements had a significant increase in testosterone levels after one year. As in most instances, given half a chance, your body will actively and automatically strive to maintain optimal health. So as long as you incorporate the foundational basics of a healthy lifestyle, you can stay healthy and strong well into your old age.

How To Find and Keep Your Balance.

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Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harm. ~Thomas Merton

When our resilience is low it’s often because we’re focussing our energies on one area of our lives over the others – usually some stressful event, work, or a collection of things that are taxing. What goes out of the window are the counter balancers – the things that are soothing, the slow, the easy going, the nourishing.

BALANCEEE

I once had an amazing yoga teacher who would change the focus of her classes each week. We’d never know what each class’s emphasis would be until we got there so there was always an air of excitement and anticipation as to what we’d find.

Sometimes they would be 2 hour, intense workouts that would leave us drenched in sweat with muscles crying out for their Mummy’s.

Other times she would have us do laughing yoga and headstands against the wall like when we were at school.

And at other times the movements would be so gentle, the poses held for so long that it was almost like we were working in slow motion; languid, soothing and elastic.

One thing I remember her talking about was the fact that yoga is all about balance – when we stretch one side of the body we must stretch the other or our muscles will be out of whack. When we’re energetic one day, we must be calm another.

But in our modern lives we don’t get this. We get overwhelmed, run on empty or adrenaline long past the point where every fibre of our bodies is telling us to cool it, take a break, have a rest. We tell ourselves we can’t just yet, we will when we get the chance, once things calm down, as soon as this project’s out of the way, after the holidays, when I’m earning a bit more money ….etc.

We all know what it’s like to have a vacation and immediately fall ill. We know what it’s like to spend our vacations feeling so exhausted we can barely function, or to spend the first week getting into the ‘zone’ of not being on the go all the time, only to spend the second week getting revved up for it again.

If sounds like you then I have news for you – you’re completely out of balance.

Just like in yoga, our minds need periods of activity and calm. We need to feel inspired and totally unplugged at different times. Think of it like an elastic band – if you keep it taut all the time it’s eventually going to snap. But if you stretch and release, stretch and release, it will last a lifetime.

What You Can Do

What are you doing to stay busy that you could drop right now? Be honest with yourself – do the kitchen cupboards need to be washed down every day? Do you need to iron the underwear (I mean, who’d know if you didn’t?) How many calls do you make or emails you write that make no real contribution to you productivity and output?

Here’s another question to ask yourself – if you we suddenly told you were invited onto the Oprah show/Top Gear/X-factor (delete depending on which one rocks your boat the most!) but had to be on a plan by lunchtime tomorrow to get there – what would you drop from your schedule? What could you delegate/postpone/outsource? Of the things you definitely HAD to do, how much more quickly would you get them done if you knew you only had a limited timescale?

What would you do with an extra hour a day?

What would you do if you ONLY had one hour a day? (This will help you get super focused on what’s really essential to you.)

Imagine you’re looking back one year from now. What would you regret not doing more/less of?

Once you have the answers to these questions list 3 things you are GOING TO DO in the next 7 days to get more balance in your life and if you feel comfortable, share them with us in the comment section bellow. It could be doing less housework, spending more time in nature, eating out for dinner once per week so that you’ve some extra time with your family.

Theory is great but if you don’t put some of it into action it’s for nothing – and nothing will change. So choose 3 things, share them with us if you feel comfortable in the comment section bellow, commit to them and regain your equilibrium.

Source: purposefairy.com

CrossFit is intense, effective, and hugely popular. But is it also too dangerous?

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Ryan Palmer had a tough week. On Monday, the 26-year-old job battled squat presses and ring dips. Tuesday, a clean and jerk set where he squeezed out 30 reps with 135 pounds. The following day, even though his muscles were still aching, he performed a total of 150 pull-ups and 150 burpees.

Palmer took a break from exercise on Thursday, but the next morning he went for a long bike ride. The following day his arms were uncharacteristically sore and swollen, his urine the color of black tea that had been seeping for hours. Instead of suiting up in workout gear on Sunday, he found himself in a hospital gown hooked up to an IV drip that flushed his kidneys with more than nine liters of saline. As his creatine kinase levels—the amount of muscle protein broken down poisoning his blood stream— declined at the pace of a snail, he pulled out his phone to send a tweet to his fellow athletes. With one flash of the camera, Palmer revealed the frightening results of a kidney test, and offered a simple caption: “Uncle Rhabdo, is that you?”

“Normal people don’t get it. It’s like being in the mafia. You can’t understand what it’s like unless you’re on the inside.”

33-year-old Jennifer Wielgus, who’s been doing CrossFit in Philadelphia for about a year.

The Evolution of Exercise

A little more than a year ago, I pulled up to a garage one evening ready to get my ass kicked. I wanted to try a CrossFit workout. I’d heard the rumors. I knew what was coming was probably more than I could handle—and that not even my athletic background as a gymnast, weightlifter, running back or point guard would prepare me. So, I ate a light dinner that wouldn’t taste horrible if I ended up hurling it onto my sneakers after overworking myself. And I sucked up my fear.

When I arrived, nothing seemed too intimidating except for the big clock with red numbers. It was those numbers that would define my ability to survive. The workout started well, but right around my fifth set of squats, when the weight became a little too heavy and my form began to falter, I put the bar down. But the clock did not approve.

2:37….2:36…2:35…

While the athletes around me kept moving, bewildered by my inaction, I knew my time was up. I could feel a twinge in my spine reminiscent of an old stress fracture. Everything—aside from the environment—told me to stop.

“Pick it up! Finish it out! Two minutes! As many rounds, let’s go!” The coach’s hands clapped together, lips pursed tightly in frustration for the mental and physical break I gave myself. So, I picked up the bar. And, moving as slowly as possible with as best form one can do when they’re tired and hurting, I finished it out. That night I needed a double dose of ibuprofen and an ice bath.

That was my first experience with CrossFit, a workout methodology created by former gymnast Greg Glassman in 2001. CrossFit consists of a stew of exercise variety: Olympic-like lifts, cardio training and other seemingly basic, but multi-joint movements (like box jumps, pullups and jumping rope) are combined in each class. CrossFit aims to “forge a broad, general and inclusive fitness,” according to the brand’s guidebook. The workout phenomenon has been steadily growing for a decade, and according to CrossFit headquarters, there are more than 3,000 CrossFit affiliated gyms worldwide, with 332 in California alone.

Every day, thousands of CrossFit athletes faithfully arrive at their respective gyms: warehouses filled with boxes, ropes, Olympic rings, kettlebells and a never-never-quit atmosphere. The defining characteristic of CrossFit is the intensity. The programs are hard as hell. Its “prescription,” as the guide states, is for “constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movements that will optimize physical competence in ten physical domains: cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance and accuracy.”

The key to the high-voltage workouts is a digital clock that holds prime real estate in most CrossFit facilities. Most of the workouts are time-based, meaning you don’t stop until the clock hits zero. Even as your muscles fail and your mind weakens, coaches and fellow gym goers push each member to completion.

Peter Villahoz, a 30-year-old New York Police Department Officer from East Meadow, NY, says a lot of his close friends are from CrossFit, and that they are there to push each other.

“If I finish first, I wait till these guys are done and I motivate them,” he says.
The camaraderie in the gym is nothing short of contagious. As such, the program has earned its skeptics and, of course, true believers.

“As an adult competitive athlete, there’s nothing else like this. You get that adrenaline rush that you got from being in sports in high school,” says 33-year-old Jennifer Wielgus, who’s been doing CrossFit in Philadelphia for about a year.

That rush and love of the gym is far from a bad thing, but the no-quit atmosphere has generated questions. And the mob mentality has taken the healthiest of behaviors and turned it into a growing danger.

The Dark Side

Uncle Rhabdo represents a character in the CrossFit community and is short for rhabdomyolysis, a kidney condition most commonly induced by excessive exercise, according to Heather Gillespie, a sports medicine physician from UCLA. The potentially life-threatening state, which can also be caused by underlying genetics, occurs when muscle breaks down and myoglobin, the biproduct of muscle fibers, is released into the blood stream, essentially clogging up the kidneys and poisoning them.

“If you’re dehydrated, which sort of goes along with rhabdo, you can’t clear these toxins, the kidney can’t filter the byproduct,” Gillespie says. It can lead to kidney failure and electrolyte imbalances that can ultimately affect your heart.

Uncle Rhabdo was originally invented to shed light on “the inappropriate use of intensity,” according to CrossFit’s Training Guide. The haunting image of Uncle Rhabdo is a cartoon of a blue-haired-red-nosed clown with face paint, panting from exhaustion with organs and blood spilling from its body, a set of weights in the background.

Some in CrossFit use these clowns as a humorous way to prove that they’ve worked hard. But problems arise when CrossFit athletes and their trainers simply don’t know when—or choose not—to pull the plug.

“I do give them a little sticker [if they puke],” says Hollis Molloy, a trainer at CrossFit Santa Cruz, one of the first CrossFit gyms in the country. “Back in the day, we used to give them shirts and the availability of the shirt ran out.”

If most gyms struggle to have their patrons work hard enough, CrossFit gyms struggle on the opposite end of the spectrum. Searching for the words “pain” and “CrossFit” on Twitter yields hundreds of results, nearly every one praising the sting the workout provides. “There’s pushing an athlete to the point of discomfort that is challenging,” says Joe Dowdell, founder and CEO of Peak Performance in New York City. “But then we pull the reigns back. Vomiting is a sign that you’ve hit a point when it’s just too much.”

“CrossFitters put up with burning muscles and overall strain so they’re used to ‘bring it on, gimme more gimme more.’ It gets hard to say oh, that’s pain, I need to stop” says David Geier, Jr., an orthopedic surgeon and the director of sports medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. “I think the benefits of CrossFit outweigh the risks—but the risks are real.”

While all exercise can create injury, Geier sees more injuries with CrossFit because of the high-speed, high-impact approach. Certain exercises implemented by CrossFit (Olympic lifts, specifically) are meant to be done in moderation. But CrossFit preaches pushing to the edge of every set, every rep, until there’s nothing left in the tank. And while training to muscular failure is notoriously debatable, one thing is certain: Regularly pushing your body to failure can lead to serious health risks, like rhabdomyolysis.

“I have always taken the stance that training to failure causes useless fatigue,” says Mark Peterson, an exercise physiologist from the University of Michigan’s department of physical medicine. “Whereas fatigue is a normal side effect of certain types of metabolic training, I do not believe it has a time or place in training for strength and power.”

The real danger is to new athletes, like those who flock to the thousands of CrossFit facilities looking for a great workout. Word of mouth is powerful in the CrossFit community, and maybe the most dangerous element. While the workouts can be performed by beginners, their immature muscles can’t tell the difference between training to failure and simply getting a good workout. In fact, most beginners don’t know when “too much is too much” and don’t understand the unique demand of an exercise session, says Eric Cressey, C.S.C.S., a shoulder and injury prevention expert and owner of Cressey Performance in Hudson, Mass.

Since many explosive movements require technical skill, he says, it is not advisable for Olympic lifts be completed in a fatigued state. CrossFit, and other popular workout schemes like bootcamps, rely on training to excessive exhaustion and failure, and thereby create an artificial perception of effectiveness. “These people might be doing a crazy workout and feel great because their endorphins are flowing, but then they wake up with their shoulder pounding with pain,” Cressey says.

His biggest concern is the technique that goes along with the workout. “When you see a 20-minute circuit of really ugly cleans and ring dips, those are exercises that don’t jive well,” he says.

The Fitness Solution?

This much is certain: When done correctly, CrossFit is not inherently bad or ineffective. Like other training methodologies before it, CrossFit is a form of high intensity exercise, an efficient model of exercise that has helped many people lose weight while improving strength and endurance. But due to its extensive popularity, many CrossFit gyms have diluted the system. Just as some first-time CrossFit athletes rush into overdoing exercises in a fatigued state and, thus, falter in form, CrossFit coaches and affiliates are rushing into setting up CrossFit gyms and are, thus, faltering in form.

The problems stem from inexperienced trainers. CrossFit level-1 trainers are certified after completing a two-day seminar and 50-multiple-choice-question exam. That’s all you need to open up a CrossFit gym and start training as many athletes as you want.

Zach Even-Esh, a CrossFit trainer at New Jersey’s Underground Strength Coach, says the trainers at level-1 are just scratching the tip of the iceberg. “They tell you at level-1 that this is an introduction to understanding the basis of what CrossFit is about and that you need to take it to the next level,” he says. But the reality is, someone with two days of education could be leading your next CrossFit class.

That’s not to say there aren’t well-experienced trainers coaching CrossFit across the country, but with a certification and affiliation so simple to attain, the program’s becoming diluted with inexperienced trainers who are hurting people. Cressey suggests those who want to be trainers should wait one year before getting a certification. “If you have it without any experience, it makes you a liability, not a professional,” he says.

The real question is: Can the growing CrossFit industry slow down to make sure its trainers are adequately prepared to train their clients? According to CrossFit headquarters, 150 applications arrive every month, which amounts to about five CrossFit affiliated gyms per day, assuming all applications are accepted. To put in perspective, in 2006, Starbucks set up an average of six stores per day.

CrossFit trainers and affiliates simply sign up to affiliate after receiving their level-1 certification and pay a monthly fee from then on out. There are never calls from headquarters pushing for further education or refresher courses.

“It does hurt the community because some people don’t go out and educate themselves,” Even-Esh says. And there is no lack of furthering education in the CrossFit community. The program offers level-2 training and specialty seminars in areas like kettelbell, mobility, power lifting, running and more. The classes are offered all over the country; CrossFit comes to the coaches, making it overly accessible. Even-Esh says he thinks CrossFit headquarters should even go as far as requiring coaches to get a specialty certification every once in a while to keep their affiliation.

The presiding hope among the CrossFit community is that this exercise movement can help reverse the growing obesity trend by creating a more active society. “I remember in the early days, Greg [Glassman] saying that CrossFit athletes aren’t found, they’re made,” says CrossFit Santa Cruz’s Molloy. And while CrossFit motivates its followers to exercise, the growing fear is that the current model and lack of monitoring is more likely to build broken bodies than create a healthier nation.

Source: http://www.livestrong.com

Are isometric exercises a good way to build strength?

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Isometric exercises are contractions of a particular muscle or group of muscles. During isometric exercises, the muscle doesn’t noticeably change length and the affected joint doesn’t move. Isometric exercises don’t effectively build strength but can help maintain muscle strength — most often in a rehabilitative setting.

Because isometric exercises are done in one position without movement, they’ll improve strength in only one particular position. You’d have to do various isometric exercises through your limb’s whole range of motion to improve muscle strength across the range. In addition, since isometric exercises are done in a static position, they won’t help improve speed or athletic performance.

Isometric exercises may be helpful to someone who’s been injured or has a condition such as arthritis, which could make movement painful or be aggravated by using muscles to move a joint through the full range of motion. For instance, if you injure your rotator cuff, your doctor or physical therapist might initially recommend isometric exercises involving the group of muscles that helps stabilize the shoulder to maintain shoulder strength during recovery.

It’s also important to note that isometric exercises generally aren’t recommended for people who have high blood pressure or heart problems, because the large increase in muscle tension caused by isometric exercises can dramatically increase blood pressure.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com