Fundamentals of Building Muscle: The Top 30 - The Second Ten

Every issue of Muscular Development is packed with the latest cutting-edge research and authoritative information on building muscle, burning fat, increasing strength, achieving optimal health and maximizing performance. 2016 was a banner year for research on training, nutrition and fat loss, and we have compiled the top breakthroughs and best science to enable you to train smart and effectively in 2017. In total there are 30 fundamentals.

11) Forced Reps for Greater Muscle Growth

Muscles grow in response to time under tension, metabolic stress and muscle damage. Australian researchers Daniel Hackett and Theban Amirthalingam explained how forced reps could take athletes to the next level of intensity in their programs. The technique involves assistance with additional reps after the lifter has reached momentary muscular failure. Assistance might vary from the “magic fingers” (spotter puts fingers on the bar and the lifter “magically” completes the rep) to significant assistance, where the spotter does much of the work. Unfortunately, few studies have examined the effects of forced reps on muscle mass and strength. The technique increases the risk of overtraining and overuse injury. Strength guru Dan John, chosen by JMax Fitness as the most influential fitness professional in America, says, “Everything works.” Forced reps overload the muscles, so they will promote muscle mass and strength. Like any training method, don’t overdo it. (Strength and Conditioning Journal, 37(5): 14-20, 2015)

12) Mirabegron Fights Fat by Activating Adrenaline Receptors

Hormones work by first binding with specific hormone receptors in the cells. Beta-3 adrenergic receptors, found mainly in fat cells, promote fat breakdown and turn on uncoupling proteins to release energy as heat. Exercise, which triggers the release of adrenaline, helps control body fat by activating these receptors. Unfortunately, most people don't meet even minimal exercise recommendations and would prefer to take a pill rather than modify their lifestyle. Researchers from the Institute of Endocrinology and Obesity Management Center in Prague, Czech Republic reported that mirebegron, a drug used to treat overactive bladder (OAB), activated brown adipose tissue. Brown fat is important for weight control because it dissipates energy as heat rather than storing it as fat. Patients taking the drug for OAB burned calories 13 percent faster than before. Animal studies showed that the drug also improves blood sugar regulation. Mirabegron is not currently approved for weight loss but is widely available on the Internet. (Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, 20:1-3, 2016)

13) Frequent High-Protein Meals Enhance Fat Loss

Consuming high-protein meals six times a day for 56 days caused larger decreases in body fat and abdominal body fat than consuming meals containing moderate amounts of protein three times a day— according to a study led by Paul Arciero from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. Energy intake for subjects in both groups was reduced by 25 percent during the last 28 days of the experiment. The most significant finding in the study was that lean body mass increased in the high-protein, frequent-meal group. A recent study by Phillips and co-workers from McMaster University in Canada showed that high-intensity exercise plus caloric restriction triggers substantial changes in body composition and strength, and that the changes are most significant during a high-protein diet. (Obesity 21:1357-1366, 2013; American Journal Clinical Nutrition, published online January 27, 2016)

14) Vitamin D Enhances Fat Loss

Vitamin D is synthesized in the body in a reaction involving sunlight. Vitamin D can also be consumed in the diet by eating fatty fish, mushrooms and supplements. Several recent studies have linked low vitamin D levels to poor bone health, muscle weakness, deficiencies in reproductive hormones, low aerobic capacity and increased body mass index (the proportion of weight to height). A Korean study showed that vitamin D triggered fat loss in fat cells exposed to vitamin D. Vitamin D also affected genes that affect fat cell formation, fat breakdown and fat use as energy. Recent research has shown that 4,000 IUs of vitamin D-3 is most effective for weight loss and fat loss. The only health claims allowed by government agencies for vitamin D are reducing the risk of osteoporosis, preventing inflammation and promoting normal muscle function. (Nutrition, 32: 702-708, 2016)

15) Green Tea Extract May Be Toxic to the Liver

Green tea extract contains a chemical called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) that promotes weight loss by boosting thermogenesis (increased calorie burning) and curbing appetite. Green tea extract is a popular weight-loss supplement, but it could be toxic to the liver— according the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. They have received at least 20 consumer complaints linking the supplement to liver damage. Animal and human studies have found links between EGCG and liver damage in people with metabolic diseases. Obese people often have poor metabolic health, so they might experience side effects from green tea extract when they are trying to lose weight. You can reduce the risk of liver toxicity by avoiding these supplements or taking them with meals. (Nutraingredients.com, March 18, 2016)

16) Brown Fat: The New Frontier for Fighting Obesity

The human body contains small amounts of a calorie-burning tissue called brown fat (brown adipose tissue, BAT) that converts food energy directly into heat. White fat does the opposite— it stores energy. BAT is an important heat-generating tissue that helps animals and humans adapt to the cold. Individual differences in BAT content and activity play important roles in human obesity. A review of literature led by Antonio Giordano from the University of Pavia in Italy concluded that converting abdominal fat to BAT might result in a breakthrough in the obesity epidemic. Increasing brown fat activation helps people expend more calories and burn more fat. Key nutrients, such as L-arginine, L-citrulline and L-glutamate, can increase brown fat activity, which will increase caloric expenditure and promote fat burning. Scientists are actively seeking drugs to turn on brown fat and promote weight loss. (Nature Reviews Drug Discoveries, published online March 11, 2016)

17) Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Is Linked to Lower Abdominal Fat

People who strictly follow the Mediterranean diet tend to have lower body mass index (a measure of the proportion of weight to height) and waist circumference— according to a large population study led by Simona Bertoli from the Nutritional Research Center in Milan, Italy. The Mediterranean diet is high in fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, olive oil and other mono and polyunsaturated fats and whole grains. This diet reduces LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and maintains blood sugar levels on an even keel. The diet does not affect insulin resistance, but maintains daylong insulin and blood sugar concentrations at lower levels for extended durations. We have good evidence that the Mediterranean diet promotes metabolic health, prevents obesity and may increase longevity. (Clinical Nutrition, 34: 1266-1272, 2016)

18) Big Pharma Searching for Plant Extracts to Turn On Brown Fat

Brown fat (brown adipose tissue, or BAT) converts food energy directly into heat, while white fat does the opposite— it stores energy. BAT promotes non-shivering thermogenesis, which generates heat and helps animals and humans adapt to the cold. Brown fat accounts for as much as 10 percent of the fat mass in people living in cold climates, such as northern Finland. Individual differences in BAT content and activity play important roles in human obesity. BAT is turned on by the sympathetic nervous system, which is the body’s fight-or-flight system for coping with stress and emergencies. Increasing brown fat activation promotes caloric expenditure and fat loss. European biotech companies Pierre Fabre Laboratories and Plasticell are seeking plant extracts that will increase brown fat activity. Their ultimate goal is to find a product that will promote weight loss without dieting and exercise. Good luck on that one. (Nutraingrediets.com, February 23, 2016) For more information on brown fat, go to advancedmolecularlabs.com.

19) Bile Acids Help Regulate Energy Expenditure and Weight Control

Recognizing factors controlling the balance between food intake and energy expenditure is important in understanding the physiology of obesity. Energy metabolism works through a series of coupled reactions. This means that energy released by breaking down fats, carbohydrates and proteins is captured in other reactions such as making ATP (a high-energy chemical) or storing fats and carbohydrates. Uncoupling occurs when the energy from food breakdown is released as heat instead of capturing it as ATP. The human body contains small amounts of brown fat and uncoupling proteins that convert energy directly into heat. Polish researchers from the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw— in a study on rats— found that bile acids produced in the liver as part of digestion triggered uncoupling proteins to increase energy expenditure. This study shows another mechanism the body uses to control bodyweight. (American Journal Physiology Endocrinology Metabolism, published online December 29, 2015)

20) Turn on Brown Fat for More Rapid Weight Loss

The human body contains small amounts of a calorie-burning tissue called brown fat (brown adipose tissue, BAT) that converts food energy directly into heat. White fat does the opposite— it stores energy. BAT is an important heat-generating tissue in hibernating animals. It promotes non-shivering thermogenesis, which generates heat and helps animals and humans adapt to the cold. Brown fat accounts for as much as 10 percent of the fat mass in people living in cold climates, such as northern Finland. Individual differences in BAT content and activity play an important role in human obesity. BAT is turned on by the sympathetic nervous system, which is the body’s fight-or-flight system for coping with stress and emergencies. Increasing brown fat activation helps people expend more calories and burn more fat. Dietary supplements, such as AML’s Thermo Heat, can increase brown fat activity, which will increase caloric expenditure and promote fat burning. The drug classes proposed to alter BAT metabolism include the thiazolidinedione (TZD) class of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonists and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) analogs. These drugs aren’t ready for prime time. (Frontiers in Endocrinology, 6: article 174, 2015)

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