Here are the best sports science findings EVER!

ONE Carbo and Protein Recovery Drinks

Without doubt the ability to recover quickly after hard training is a key to increasing mass and strength. During training you use carbohydrate: the harder you exercise the greater the drop in muscle stores of carbo's. At the same time you will lose body water through increased sweating.

Therefore at the end of exercise you are in a sorry state:

* reduced carbohydrate stores
* muscle fibre damage
* dehydration
* mentally tired

Recovery drinks which combine easily absorbed carbohydrates and quality proteins have been proven to accelerate carbo re-stocking by 38% compared to carbo only drinks!1 Carbohydrate and protein combinations have also been shown to increase insulin levels twice the value of carbohydrates only 1b.This has been reported previously in MMI2. But, forget protein only drinks after exercise as these are ineffective at re-stocking carbohydrate stores1.


Take Home Lessons

1. After hard training sessions carbohydrate and protein recovery drinks need to be consumed at the end of the session or at most within 15 minutes of warming down

2. The addition of creatine monohydrate (5 grams) will further accelerate glycogen re-stocking

3. Tropicana Peak Force and T-Max provide a great "stack" (3 sccops of T-max plus 2 scoops of Peak Force)

4. Eat 'real" food about 1 to 2 hours later. This should be rich in carbohydrate, quality protein and antioxidants.





TWO Creatine Monohydrate

For years athletes tried supplements in a haphazard way and this led to a general concensus that the "supplement" industry was selling unrealistic dreams. Then science interveined, supplements got tested and real ergogenic products started to be used. Creatine monohydrate (CM) is without doubt the biggest success story of the ergogenics in the nineties.
   Europe is the creatine research hot-bed. Early research showed that CM supplementation could raise muscle levels3. Which has subsequently been shown to increase performance4,5,6,7,8, 9.
   MMI first gave you news of the "Super-Load" 10, now it's time to reveal that a "Slow-Load" has just been proven to be effective at raising creatine stores in muscle11.


Take Home Lessons

* To get creatine loading results quickly use the "Super Load": two scoops of PEAK FORCE, six times a day for 5 days.

* To "Slow Load" take 3 grams, once a day (one and a half scoops of PEAK FORCE) for 28days.

* However you load-up the effects will be lost after one month if no maintenance dose is taken.

* To maintain "loaded" muscles take approximately 2 grams per day (one scoop of PEAK FORCE)

* Look out for a MMI special: "Everything you ever wanted to know about creatine monohydrate"





THREE ECCENTRIC RESISTANCE TRAINING

Despite every article that has ever promoted supplements the bottom line is that you need to train hard to get reasonable results. During sports nutrition lectures I have one common saying: No supplement ever lifted a weight or ran a mile all on its own!
   So if you training its better to do the most effective techniques which maximise your time. Hot new research shows that eccentric contractions cause more muscle damage (and nervous stress) than concentric ones12,13,14. So exercises that lengthen the muscle whilst you try to shorten it are slightly more effective than concentric ones. Not to say concentric are useless, but make sure you get plenty of eccentric work (get a spotter to assist with the concentric phase). Data show that damage occurs to fibres immediately after exercise 13, 15, so it is important to restock carbohydrates and rest after a hard training session.


Take Home Advice

* include some eccentric exercises once or twice every 7 to 10 days

* have a training partner help to "raise" the weight so that you can resist it lowering back down

* plan a rest day after eccentric training

* watch out for new on EMS training which looks to be the new super training method for maximum muscle growth





FOUR CARBO DRINKS DURING TRAINING

Probably the largest area of research over the past twenty years has been in the area of carbohydrates. As resistance training is high "torque" it is reliant on carbohydrates however eccentric work (see above) can impair glycogen (carbohydrate) re-stocking in the trained muscle16.
   Recent advice suggests that using carbohydrate during your resistance training will increase insulin and growth hormone levels after exercise17. This "spiking" may lead to improved protein synthesis and muscle fibre growth17. Also, eating a meal 90 minutes before training combined with a carbo drink after exercise leads to phenomenal rates of glycogen re-stocking18. Despite publicity for cortisol reducing supplements the best prevention of exercise induced cortisol release is by drinking a carbohydrate drink during exercise19.
  

Take Home Lessons

1. ensure a carbohydrate rich meal is eaten 90 minutes before training

2. throughout training sip on a carbohydrate energy drink

3. immediately after training have a carbo-drink mix (or carbo and protein-see above)

4. take at least two days of low level exercise each week to allow cabohydrate stores to be re-stocked



REFERENCES:

1. Zawadski, K.M. et al (1992) Carbohydrate-protin complex increases the rate of muscle glycogen storage after exercise. J. Appl. Physiol. 72(5): 1854-1859.

1b. Nuttall, F.Q. et al (1984) Effect of protein ingestion on the glucose and insulin response to a standardized oral glucose load. Diabetes Care. 7(5): 465-470.

2. Beer, J.M. (1996) The Cutting Edge: 38% Improved Muscle Recovery. Muscle Magazine International. October, (173): 50.

3. Harris, R.C. (1992) Elevation of creatine in resting and exercised muscle of normal subjetcs by creatine supplementation. Clinical Science. 83: 367-374.

4. Balsom, P.D. et al (1993) Creatine supplementation and dynamic high-intensity intermittent exercise. Scand. J. Med. Sci. Sports. 3: 143-149.

5. Casey, A. et al. (1993) Creatine ingestion and exercise performance. Int. J. Sports Med. 14; Abstract: 297.

6. Dawson, B. et al (1995) Effects of Oral Creatine Loading on Single and Repeated Maximal Short Sprints. The Australian Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 27(3): 56-61.

7. Greenhaff, P.L. et al (1994) The effect of oral creatine supplementation on skeletal muscle ATP degradation during repeated bouts of maximal voluntary exercise in man. J. Physiology. 476: 84.

8. Havenetidis, K. et al (1995) The effects of creatine supplementation on elite swimming performance. The British Association of Sports and Exercise Science, Abstracts presented at Annual meeting: Abstract: 103-104.

9. Rossiter, H.B. et al (1995) The effect of oral creatine supplementation on 1km simulated rowing. The British Association of Sports and Exercise Science, Abstracts presented at Annual meeting: Abstract: 136

10. Beer, J.M. (1996) "Creatine Peak Force Part 2" Research and Development. Muscle Magazine International. 170: 92-93.

11. Hultman, E. et al (1996) Muscle creatine loading in men. J. Appl. Physiol. 81(1): 232-237.

12. Stevens, D. (1996) Effect of phase of stimulation on acute damage caused by eccentric contractions in mouse soleus muscle. J. Appl. Physiol. 80(6): 1958-1962.

13. Gibala, M.J. et al (1995) Changes in human skeletal muscle ultrastructure and force production after acute resistance exercise. J. Appl. Physiol. 78(2): 702-708.

14. Hortobagyi, T. et al (1996) Adaptive responses to muscle lenthening and shortening in humans. J. Appl. Physiol. 80(3): 765-772.

15. Lieber, R.L. et al (1996) Muscle cytoskeletal disruption occurs within the first 15 min of cyclic eccentric contraction. J. Appl. Physiol. 80(1): 278-284.

16. Widrick, J.J. et al (1992) Time course of glycogen accumulation after eccentrci exercise. J. Appl. Physiol. 72(5): 1999-2004.

17. Conley, M.S. & Stone, M.H. (1996) Carbohydrate Ingestion/Supplementation for Resistance Exercise and Training. Sports Med. 21(1): 7-17.

18. Pascoe, D. & Gladden, L.B. (1996) Muscle glycogen resynthesis after short term, high intensity exercise and resistance training. Sports Med. 21(2): 98-118.

19. Mitchell, J.B. et al (1990) Influence of carbohydrate ingestion on counterregulatory hormones during prolonged exercise. Int. J. Sports Med. 11(1): 33-36.