Written by justis berg
26 January 2011

Hor-Moaning

 

A month ago while I was training in my gym, I overheard a comment that still rings in my ears like the morning after going to a concert and being in the front row. The gym or locker room is a fantastic ‘testing lab’ for hearing what people are eating or not eating, what’s the hottest supplement, how to take it, how to train, and of course Hor-Moaning.

This day’s contestant for being crowned as his Royal Highness, Hor-Moaner XXXII uttered a clutch of statements that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up… and even a few fall out. Having seen him in the gym and overhearing his dialogue, I knew that he is a real estate agent (he may also be a closet muscle or nutritional biochemist— one never knows). As the Hor-Moaner candidate popped some capsules into his mouth, a nearby, apparent resistance-training novice (sporting a waist-to-bicep ratio greater than 3) asked what he was taking. Mr. prospective Hor-Moaner is the kind of person who, if asked what time it was, would reply with a step-by-step description of how to build an atomic clock. Here’s what he said:

“After I train, I take a testo [testosterone] booster with my protein drink, to maximize my anabolic response. I then go into the sauna for 30 minutes, to spike up my HSPs [Heat Shock Proteins] and my GH [Growth Hormone]. I eat low-carb, high-protein meals after 12 noon, to keep my insulin down and inhibit fat storage.”

The novice resistance-trainer instantly became a loyal subject— indentured for life. Had I a crown, sword, and robe in my gym bag, I would have performed a coronation ceremony right there, on bended knee, and then begged King Hor-Moaner XXXII to knight me.

To the novice, untrained (scientifically), undertrained (knows a little about a lot of topics; ‘dangerous’ level of knowledge) or the gullible (like the chap with the waist-to-bicep ratio greater than 3), such statements could be captivating, even downright infectious. Hormones are cool. They are biochemical couriers delivering packages that, upon opening, promise to increase muscle mass, decrease fat mass, or enhance muscular performance. But do they?

Applying the CSI rule— Common Sense Investigation— let’s see what we get. How many placebo-controlled studies (you have to remove the placebo effect, which can be massive; see my column in the July issue) have been done with dietary supplement testo boosters/prohormones— even androstenedione and 19-nor, etc.— be they real or mythical? My count is at least two dozen. Of these studies, how many have shown some significant elevation in testosterone. At least half have. “Ah-ha, Almada!” you may say. “They do work!”

OK, OK. Hold on to your lifting straps. Next question: How many of these studies have shown an impact on muscle mass, fat mass, and/or strength, that was significantly greater than a placebo? One, maybe two… at best. The other studies show it to be no better than placebo. So… spiking testo can happen with a supplement, but you or your friends would not be able to SEE a difference in your physique or performance. Why spend cash on something that produces invisible ‘results’? The insatiable quest for gains...

Let’s go to the second statement, about the hot sauna and spiking HSPs and GH. Applying the CSI rule gives the following: Yes, there are studies in humans showing that sauna-associated heat stress can elevate GH, and that heat/thermal stress can induce HSPs. Now are there any studies showing that frequent sauna use has GH-like action, the kind that the Hor-Moaner raves about, e.g., increased muscle mass, decreased fat mass, and/or increased endurance or strength? Nope.

Indeed, a bunch of studies have shown that a sauna, which can have a profoundly dehydrating effect, reducing strength and endurance. Other CSI query: what is the age and physique of persons who are sauna junkies? If your experience is like mine, these people are poster people for sarcopenia— reduced muscle mass/wasting and increased fatness. No cause and effect here, but a real-world consideration.

One study showed L-glutamine to boost GH (although the study did not disclose a magic ingredient that was included in the glutamine drink that may have allowed it to boost GH after a single dose). Even L-glutamine (in doses up to about 45 grams/day), hailed by many to be anti-catabolic, anabolic, and essential to resistance-training recovery, has been shown in at least three studies to be no better than placebo in boosting muscle mass or strength.

Any studies in healthy humans showing superior strength or muscle mass gains with L-glutamine, relative to a placebo? Still waiting for a shred of evidence. (Confession: Back in 1994 while being co-owner and president of EAS, I developed a few products that provided glutamine and the glutamine precursor, alpha-ketoglutarate. I used studies from critically ill and burn (metabolic stress) patients to support the need for glutamine among persons engaged in intensive training, claiming that this was another form of metabolic stress…)

Are there any human studies showing that inducing HSPs, through thermal stress or even a supplement, produces significantly greater, favorable changes in muscle mass and/or muscular performance, compared to a placebo? (A sauna ‘placebo’ is a mind-stretcher— maybe hypnosis?) Not that I’ve seen. If they do exist, please send them my way and I’ll mention them in one of my next columns.

And of course the last CSI query applies to insulin and low-carb/high-protein diets. The high-protein/low-carb/low-insulin statement is one of the most frequent Hor-Moanings I have heard in the gym, at bodybuilding shows, and in forums. Even being uttered from fellow scientists. So we ask the question: Does consuming a low-carb meal keep insulin down? Answer: absolutely— if you eat as much protein as a goldfish does in a day! Dozens of human studies have shown that dietary protein— the mainstay of a low-carb diet— or amino acids, are quite potent insulin releasers.

“You’re a heretic, Almada. We’re going to burn you at the stake!” Before you get out the fire starter, read the research. Dietary proteins, when digested, lead to the absorption of amino acids into the blood. Certain amino acids are potent insulin-releasing agents, like L-arginine, L-phenylalanine, and branched-chain aminos. That’s why whey protein, cottage cheese (a high-casein protein source), beef, and certain amino acid blends spike insulin sharply. A 40/40/20 (protein percentage/fat percentage/carb percentage) meal spikes insulin almost as a 10/25/65 meal. What protein/amino acids don’t do is spike blood sugar.

His Highness King Hor-Moaner: if you are reading this column, please forgive me.

 

Anthony Almada (B.Sc., M.Sc.) has worked within the dietary supplement industry since 1975. He has a B.Sc. in physiology and nutritional biochemistry minor from California State University, Long Beach, and an M.Sc. from Berkeley. He has been a co-investigator on over 60 university clinical trials, ranging from arthritis to muscle building and fat loss. Anthony Almada is a member of the executive board of ISSN, and is a fellow of the ISSN.