Well 2008 came and went. Did you achieve your goals for 2008? Did you lose the fat you needed to lose or gain the muscle mass and strength you had hoped for?

For some reason I always seem to end up writing articles about contaminants found in various supplements we ingest, in particular creatine, but there have been others. First I wrote “What’s in your creatine?” which exposed the fact not all creatine supplement are created equal. That article single handedly changed the creatine market at the time. I followed that up with “What’s in your supplements” which was really just a continuation of the first article, with additional testing and comments. I’m calling this one, “What’s in your water?!” for lack of a better title.

I have always been conscious of the potential impurities in drinking water. My town sends out a yearly report on water quality, and has always been well below EPA limits on the chemicals they test for. Regardless, I have always used a water filter to filter my drinking water. (1)

GH therapy and possible applications to connective tissue/joint degeneration in active populations.

A common issue for athletes and other active populations (e.g. SWAT, SOF, etc.) is joint and connective tissue pain with various causes and diagnosis such as tendonitis, bursitis, cartilage degeneration, to name a few.

The use of various anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as nutritional supplements (e.g., Glucosamine, fish oils, etc,), and other therapeutic modalities are of value, but are far from a cure at this point.

A topic I have been researching for some time is the use of GH and other growth factors as a possible treatment for joint/connective tissue degeneration.

The causes of joint pain are multi factorial, but in active populations are often training related: over training, lack of proper warm up, loading and exercise choices, and other variables.

That’s the first place people should look when having chronic joint issues, but not everyone has a choice in the matter as to how much exercise they do and or the types of exercise they perform; various athletes, special operations soldiers, SWAT operators, etc.

The Science of Pre, During, and Post Workout Nutrition

The issue of post and pre workout nutrition, or “nutrient timing” is a never ending discussion among dedicated athletes and weekend warriors. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) has recently put out a position paper on the issue of nutrient timing. This paper is a must read for those who want the latest science on the issue. Abstract follows with link to full paper:

Review

International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Nutrient timing

My own TV show on The Science Channel? Nope, but I just about spit my protein drink out my nose when I saw the new show on The Science Channel called Brink. It’s a science based show -which is fitting to the name at least- with topics like: Be on the Brink, To Brink or not to Brink, This week on Brink, and all manner of Brink/science related stuff. If they start a section called Brink Zone, I may need to speak with my lawyer! Funny stuff, and actually a good show, though I may be biased…check it out:

BRINK

It could be worse I suppose, could be some horrible gossip show or a fan show dedicated to Celine Dion fans or something…

Process Training Vs. End Point Training
By Will Brink

The title of this blog is not actually a type of training, but a personality type. People who train only to achieve an endpoint I refer to as “Endpoint Trainers” and those who integrate and internalize the process of training into their life, I call Process Trainers. The endpoint Trainer is always focused on the endpoint, and views the process of training as just a means to an end to achieve that end point/goal.

Perfect example of that is the person who is training to hit a specific goal of losing 30lbs, and once they achieve that goal, stop training. People who enter a weight loss contest at work or at the gym, achieve that goal, then stop exercising. This phenomena is not limited to weight loss by any means. We see it a lot with high level athletes at the college and professional levels. Once they stop playing the sport, they stop exercising altogether. I have seen this way too many times to count.

As some of you may know, via my vids and articles, I do some training with tactical law enforcement (e.g., SWAT, etc) as well as other groups.

As I have mentioned before in my articles on the topic, supplement use appears to be very common among Special Operations military, such as Navy SEALs as well as others. In addition to my reading what you would expect me to read, such as various medical/nutritional research, I read quite a bit of military biographies and other related topics. Once in a while you will see “real world” references to supplement use by Special Operations Forces (SOF) in some biographies, especially newer biographies.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About CrossFit

Gang. CrossFit is a popular method of exercising these days and has generated many questions for yours truly. CrossFit is both popular and controversial. Chris Shugart - a well respected coach in his own right - who has done an extensive report on CrossFit, the good and the bad and the ugly.

This is an extensive report, and goes into an amazing level of detail about CrossFit. He also interviews other respected coaches regarding CrossFit, as well as additional info, background, vids, etc. I was very impressed with this report from Chris and if you want to total picture of CrossFit, this THE report to read:

Owner of “Male Enhancement” Pill Gets 25 Years

I’m sure you all have seen those moronic commercials with “Bob” and his happy wife. The wheels of justice grind slowly, but grind they do. Will this stop all the other manufacturers of “male enhancement” supplements which don’t work? Don’t count on it. Bob won’t be smilin’ from jail:

Enzyte Manufacturer Sentenced To 25 Years in Prison
Don’t expect to see much of Smilin’ Bob in the near future.