Understanding Supplement Research! is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

We all know about the cardiovascular health benefits of fish oil, and in a previous article I covered the fat loss effect of fish oil. Now let’s take a look at the potential application of fish oil for those of us who are interested in muscle growth…

Anti-catabolic effects of fish oil

Muscle protein undergoes a continuous process of synthesis (anabolism) and degradation (catabolism). In a healthy state, the anabolic and catabolic processes are balanced to maintain stability of or even increase muscle mass (as is observed with resistance training combined with proper nutrition).

Catabolism of muscle tissue is common in both clinical states (for example diabetes, renal failure, trauma and cancer) and during diet-induced weight loss and other stress conditions ^1-6. During these catabolic states, muscle protein degradation exceeds muscle protein synthesis, which results in muscle loss and weakness.

Muscle protein catabolism is primarily caused by the ubiquitin-proteasome system ^{3 6-11}. It is here fish oil enters the picture, since its fatty acid EPA significantly decreases the activity of the muscle protein catabolic (ubiquitin-proteasome) system ^{2 4 5 12-16}.

Another mechanism by which fish oil exerts its anti-catabolic effect is by reducing cortisol levels ^{17 18}. As we all know, cortisol breaks down muscle tissue ¹⁹ and has a host of other detrimental effects when present at chronically elevated levels (which is a topic in its own right), so this is a beneficial effect of fish oil beyond anti-catabolism.

Anabolic effects of fish oil

What makes fish oil especially interesting is that it seems to promote muscle growth by not only inhibiting muscle catabolism, but also by stimulating muscle anabolism. Recent studies showed that supplementing for 8 weeks with 4 g per day of fish oil concentrate providing a daily dose of 1.86 g EPA and 1.5 g DHA, significantly increases the anabolic response of muscle protein synthesis to amino acids and insulin ²⁰. The augmented anabolic response to amino acids and insulin was shown to be due to an increased activation of the mTOR/p70S6K signalling pathway, which is considered an integral control point for muscle protein anabolism ²¹ and muscle cell growth ^22-25.

Other mechanisms probably contribute as well. The same study showed that the fish oil supplementation in  25-45 year old healthy subjects doubled the proportion of EPA, DPA (another less talked about omega-3 fatty acid) and DHA in muscle cell membranes, at the expense of omega-6 fatty acids and mono-unsaturated fatty acids, with no change in saturated fatty acid) concentrations ²⁰. Thus, it is also possible that fish oil supplementation influences anabolic signalling cascades by affecting membrane lipid composition and/or fluidity ^26-29.

Are you older than 45 yr? Don’t fret, you will still benefit from the muscle anabolic effects of fish oil. The same research team conducted another study, using an identical research protocol (1.86 g EPA and 1.5 g DHA for 8 weeks), in healthy elderly subjects over 65 years (mean age 71 years). The results were the same as in the younger subjects; the fish oil supplementation significantly increased the muscle protein synthetic response to amino acids and insulin ³⁰. Thus, fish oil seems to attenuate the anabolic resistance associated with old age ^31-33. The researchers were so impressed with the response that they concluded fish oil can be useful for both prevention and treatment of sarcopenia ³⁰.

In both of these studies, muscle mass was not measured because the interventions only lasted for 8 weeks. However, taking into consideration that changes in muscle protein metabolism precede corresponding changes in muscle mass ^34-36, these results are promising. It is going to be interesting to see longer term studies that measure actual fish oil induced gains in muscle mass, and also how the anabolic response to fish oil interacts with resistance training.

Wrap up

Whether you’re looking to build muscle or prevent loss of muscle during a diet, evidence supports the addition of fish oil to your supplement regimen. Fish oil, and especially EPA, not only counteracts the detrimental loss of muscle mass that we see in stressful and catabolic states, but also boosts the anabolic response to nutritional stimuli in healthy muscle from both young, middle-age and older adults. Thus, it beneficially affects both the catabolic and anabolic sides of the muscle protein balance equation.

The studies to date used a fish oil dose corresponding to 1.86 g EPA and 1.5 g DHA (which can be considered to be a medium high dose). We don’t know yet if a higher or lower dose would have a greater/smaller effect, but this dose a good guideline to start with.

In my next article I will cover the safety aspects of high dose omega-3 supplementation regimens, and discuss the different supplemental sources of omega-3. For now, I can say that the dosages used to achieve the muscle anabolic and fat loss effects (see my other article “Fish Oil for Fat Loss“) are safe for healthy folks who are not taking any prescription medications. Stay tuned!

References:

1. Bailey JL, Wang X, Price SR. The balance between glucocorticoids and insulin regulates muscle proteolysis via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Miner Electrolyte Metab 1999;25(4-6):220-3.

2. Ross JA, Moses AG, Fearon KC. The anti-catabolic effects of n-3 fatty acids. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care 1999;2(3):219-26.

3. Ventadour S, Attaix D. Mechanisms of skeletal muscle atrophy. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2006;18(6):631-5.

4. Whitehouse AS, Smith HJ, Drake JL, Tisdale MJ. Mechanism of attenuation of skeletal muscle protein catabolism in cancer cachexia by eicosapentaenoic acid. Cancer Res“2001;61(9):3604-9.

5. Whitehouse AS, Tisdale MJ. Downregulation of ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis by eicosapentaenoic acid in acute starvation. Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2001;285(3):598-602.

6. Wing SS, Goldberg AL. Glucocorticoids activate the ATP-ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic system in skeletal muscle during fasting. The American journal of physiology 1993;264(4 Pt 1):E668-76.

7. Attaix D, Aurousseau E, Combaret L, Kee A, Larbaud D, Ralliere C, et al. Ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent proteolysis in skeletal muscle. Reprod Nutr Dev 1998;38(2):153-65.

8. Attaix D, Ventadour S, Codran A, Bechet D, Taillandier D, Combaret L. The ubiquitin-proteasome system and skeletal muscle wasting. Essays Biochem 2005;41:173-86.

9. Jagoe RT, Goldberg AL. What do we really know about the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in muscle atrophy? Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care 2001;4(3):183-90.

10. Mitch WE, Goldberg AL. Mechanisms of muscle wasting. The role of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. The New England journal of medicine 1996;335(25):1897-905.

11. Tisdale MJ. The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway as a therapeutic target for muscle wasting. J Support Oncol 2005;3(3):209-17.

12. Fearon KC, Von Meyenfeldt MF, Moses AG, Van Geenen R, Roy A, Gouma DJ, et al. Effect of a protein and energy dense N-3 fatty acid enriched oral supplement on loss of weight and lean tissue in cancer cachexia: a randomised double blind trial. Gut 2003;52(10):1479-86.

13. Smith HJ, Greenberg NA, Tisdale MJ. Effect of eicosapentaenoic acid, protein and amino acids on protein synthesis and degradation in skeletal muscle of cachectic mice. British journal of cancer 2004;91(2):408-12.

14. Smith HJ, Khal J, Tisdale MJ. Downregulation of ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation in murine myotubes during hyperthermia by eicosapentaenoic acid. Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2005;332(1):83-8.

15. Smith HJ, Lorite MJ, Tisdale MJ. Effect of a cancer cachectic factor on protein synthesis/degradation in murine C2C12 myoblasts: modulation by eicosapentaenoic acid. Cancer Res 1999;59(21):5507-13.

16. Smith HJ, Tisdale MJ. Induction of apoptosis by a cachectic-factor in murine myotubes and inhibition by eicosapentaenoic acid. Apoptosis 2003;8(2):161-9.

17. Delarue J, Matzinger O, Binnert C, Schneiter P, Chiolero R, Tappy L. Fish oil prevents the adrenal activation elicited by mental stress in healthy men. Diabetes & metabolism 2003;29(3):289-95.

18. Noreen EE, Sass MJ, Crowe ML, Pabon VA, Brandauer J, Averill LK. Effects of supplemental fish oil on resting metabolic rate, body composition, and salivary cortisol in healthy adults. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2010;7:31.

19. Rooyackers OE, Nair KS. Hormonal regulation of human muscle protein metabolism. Annual review of nutrition 1997;17:457-85.

20. Smith GI, Atherton P, Reeds DN, Mohammed BS, Rankin D, Rennie MJ, et al. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids augment the muscle protein anabolic response to hyperinsulinaemia-hyperaminoacidaemia in healthy young and middle-aged men and women. Clin Sci (Lond) 2011;121(6):267-78.

21. Drummond MJ, Fry CS, Glynn EL, Dreyer HC, Dhanani S, Timmerman KL, et al. Rapamycin administration in humans blocks the contraction-induced increase in skeletal muscle protein synthesis. The Journal of physiology 2009;587(Pt 7):1535-46.

22. Bodine SC, Stitt TN, Gonzalez M, Kline WO, Stover GL, Bauerlein R, et al. Akt/mTOR pathway is a crucial regulator of skeletal muscle hypertrophy and can prevent muscle atrophy in vivo. Nature cell biology 2001;3(11):1014-9.

23. Rommel C, Bodine SC, Clarke BA, Rossman R, Nunez L, Stitt TN, et al. Mediation of IGF-1-induced skeletal myotube hypertrophy by PI(3)K/Akt/mTOR and PI(3)K/Akt/GSK3 pathways. Nature cell biology 2001;3(11):1009-13.

24. Baar K, Esser K. Phosphorylation of p70(S6k) correlates with increased skeletal muscle mass following resistance exercise. The American journal of physiology 1999;276(1 Pt 1):C120-7.

25. O’Neil TK, Duffy LR, Frey JW, Hornberger TA. The role of phosphoinositide 3-kinase and phosphatidic acid in the regulation of mammalian target of rapamycin following eccentric contractions. The Journal of physiology 2009;587(Pt 14):3691-701.

26. Mansilla MC, Banchio CE, de Mendoza D. Signalling pathways controlling fatty acid desaturation. Sub-cellular biochemistry 2008;49:71-99.

27. Stillwell W, Wassall SR. Docosahexaenoic acid: membrane properties of a unique fatty acid. Chemistry and physics of lipids 2003;126(1):1-27.

28. Armstrong VT, Brzustowicz MR, Wassall SR, Jenski LJ, Stillwell W. Rapid flip-flop in polyunsaturated (docosahexaenoate) phospholipid membranes. Archives of biochemistry and biophysics 2003;414(1):74-82.

29. Stillwell W, Shaikh SR, Zerouga M, Siddiqui R, Wassall SR. Docosahexaenoic acid affects cell signaling by altering lipid rafts. Reprod Nutr Dev 2005;45(5):559-79.

30. Smith GI, Atherton P, Reeds DN, Mohammed BS, Rankin D, Rennie MJ, et al. Dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation increases the rate of muscle protein synthesis in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition 2011;93(2):402-12.

31. Cuthbertson D, Smith K, Babraj J, Leese G, Waddell T, Atherton P, et al. Anabolic signaling deficits underlie amino acid resistance of wasting, aging muscle. The FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 2005;19(3):422-4.

32. Guillet C, Prod’homme M, Balage M, Gachon P, Giraudet C, Morin L, et al. Impaired anabolic response of muscle protein synthesis is associated with S6K1 dysregulation in elderly humans. The FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 2004;18(13):1586-7.

33. Rasmussen BB, Fujita S, Wolfe RR, Mittendorfer B, Roy M, Rowe VL, et al. Insulin resistance of muscle protein metabolism in aging. The FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 2006;20(6):768-9.

34. Hawley JA, Tipton KD, Millard-Stafford ML. Promoting training adaptations through nutritional interventions. Journal of sports sciences 2006;24(7):709-21.

35. Hawley JA, Burke LM, Phillips SM, Spriet LL. Nutritional modulation of training-induced skeletal muscle adaptations. J Appl Physiol 2011;110(3):834-45.

36. Rennie MJ, Wackerhage H, Spangenburg EE, Booth FW. Control of the size of the human muscle mass. Annual review of physiology 2004;66:799-828.

About Monica Mollica > www.trainergize.com

Monica Mollica has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Nutrition from the University of Stockholm, Sweden, and is an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer. She works a dietary consultant, health journalist and writer for www.BrinkZone.com, and is also a web designer and videographer.

Monica has admired and been fascinated by muscular and sculptured strong athletic bodies since childhood, and discovered bodybuilding as an early teenager. Realizing the importance of nutrition for maximal results in the gym, she went for a major in Nutrition at the University.

During her years at the University she was a regular contributor to the Swedish bodybuilding magazine BODY, and she has published the book (in Swedish) “Functional Foods for Health and Energy Balance”, and authored several book chapters in Swedish publications.

It was her insatiable thirst for knowledge and scientific research in the area of bodybuilding and health that brought her to the US. She has completed one semester at the PhD-program “Exercise, Nutrition and Preventive Health” at Baylor University Texas, at the department of Health Human Performance and Recreation, and worked as an ISSA certified personal trainer. Today, Monica is sharing her solid experience by doing dietary consultations and writing about topics related to bodybuilding, fitness, health and anti-aging.

Fish Oil for Muscle Growth is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

Fish oil is well known for its beneficial cardiovascular and cardiac health effects. In 2004 FDA approved a prescription fish oil preparation for treatment of high blood triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia) ¹. However, recently several studies have shown that fish oil also has other beneficial effects, which might appeal more to the younger population, and especially to fitness and bodybuilding enthusiasts. One of these effects is fat loss.

Fish Oil Induced Fat Loss

In the 80s early 90s, several animal studies showed that fish oil reduces body fat ^2-5 and weight gain ^6-9, and limits adipose tissue expansion ^10-12. These effects have been seen during both a decreased ^{3 7}, constant ⁵ or even increased energy intakes ⁶. This indicates that the fatty acids in fish oil, notably EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), have an effect on the partitioning of fat between oxidation (fat burning) and storage in the body.

Mechanism – how does it work?

In search for the mechanisms behind fish oil induced fat loss, it has been found that fish oil exerts favorable metabolic effects by modulating gene expression (which is the process by which the information encoded in a gene is converted into protein)^{2 13-26}. While we inherit our genes (or blueprints) from our parents, what determines the way in which our blueprints are interpreted is largely dictated by a collection of environmental factors. The nutrients we consume are among the most influential of these environmental factors ^{27 28}. One dietary constituent that has a strong influence on our genetic makeup is dietary fat ^{2 13 14 16-19 21-23 25 29}. Fatty acids of dietary fat not only influences hormonal signaling events, but also have a very strong direct influence on the molecular events that govern gene expression. More specifically, it has been shown that the fatty acids EPA and DHA from fish oil (by affecting gene expression) inhibit the activities of fat synthesizing (lipogenic) enzymes ^30-37, while at the same time stimulating the activities of key enzymes that govern fat oxidation (fat burning) ^{2 38-46}.

Fish oil also has been shown to increase levels of adiponectin and decrease levels of cortisol ^{47 48}. Adiponectin is a novel adipose tissue-specific protein that circulates in human plasma at high levels ⁴⁹. It is one of the physiologically active polypeptides secreted by adipose tissue, whose multiple functions have started to be understood in the last few years. Some of its beneficial effects are enhanced insulin sensitivity, and lowered plasma glucose (blood sugar) and triglyceride levels ^{49 50}. A reduction in adiponectin expression is associated with insulin resistance ⁴⁹, and adiponectin levels are inversely related to the degree of adiposity ⁵⁰. The activity of adiponectin has also been associated with steroid and thyroid hormones, glucocorticoids, and nitric oxide, and has anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory properties ⁵⁰. Thus, it is plausible that fish oil induces some of its effect by affecting adiponectin levels. While the functions of adiponectin are just starting to emerge, it is likely to become a target for therapeutic applications in the future.

It is also interesting that fish oil lowers cortisol. While the exact role of cortisol in obesity isn’t fully elucidated ^{51 52}, it is known that excessive cortisol levels result in substantial fat mass gain ^{53 54}. Thus, the reduction in cortisol levels after fish oil supplementation could contribute to the fat loss effect of fish oil.

What’s in it for me?

At this point you might be thinking “ok, that all sounds nice, but I’m not a rat. Does it work in humans”?

Yes! Read on…

In a landmark study, healthy male participants were given a diet where 6 g of fat from butter, olive oil, sunflower oil and peanut oil was replaced with 6 g fish oil (corresponding to 1.1 g EPA and 0.7 g DHA) per day ⁵⁵. After 3 weeks the researchers noted a significant increase in resting fat oxidation (fat burning) and a 1.94 lb (0.88 kg) decrease in body fat (measured by DEXA), in the face of a constant energy intake. Since there was no change in body weight, this implies that the fish oil supplement increased lean body mass (more on that in an upcoming article). This effect was seen despite the fact that the subjects were told not to change their usual exercise and diet habits.

Another study confirmed the ability of fish oil supplementation to increase fat oxidation (fat burning) during exercise ⁵⁶. In this study, recreationally active men were given a daily fish oil supplement corresponding to 2400 mg EPA and 1600 mg DHA for 3 weeks. At the end of the study subjects performed a 60 min jogging exercise bout at 60% of VO2max, during which fat metabolism was measured. It was shown that the fish oil supplementation significantly increased the oxidation of fat for energy (e.g. fat burning) during the exercise session ⁵⁶. It has also been shown that supplementing with fish oil for 3 weeks (1.1 g EPA and 0.7 g DHA daily) significantly decreases insulin levels and increases fat oxidation (fat burning) by 35% (!) after consumption of carbohydrate rich meals ⁵⁷.

Recently, more studies have been published on the topic. In overweight men and women, the effects of the addition of 6 g of fish oil daily (corresponding to 360 mg EPA and 1560 mg DHA) in combination with regular aerobic activity (walking 45 min three times per week at an intensity of 75% of age-predicted maximal heart rate) for 12 weeks, was investigated ⁵⁸.

The results showed that the combination of fish oil and regular aerobic activity not only improved several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but also significantly reduced the amount of body fat ⁵⁸. It is interesting that these effects were noted even though the subjects did not change their usual food habits other than adding the fish oil supplement. This indicates the great potential benefits of fish oil combined with regular physical activity for improving body composition and cardiovascular health. In this study, no fat loss was seen in fish oil only group (that didn’t exercise). This could be due to the older age of the subjects (47-51 yrs) in this study compared to the previous studies, and the relatively low dose of EPA. Fish oil supplementation has also been shown to result in a 2.22 lb (1 kg) greater weight loss after 4 weeks of dieting (reduced caloric intake) ⁵⁹.

Perspective on fish oil and fat loss

In contrast to the positive studies, there are a few that didn’t show any fat loss with fish oil supplementation ^60-63. This could be due to differences in subject characteristics (age, initial body fat mass, baseline physical activity), methodological differences, and differences in fish oil preparations (see below). However, several high quality studies have shown that fish oil supplementation has a significant fat loss effect in addition to all its other health promoting effects. Overall, fish oil seems to have the ability to shift fat metabolism away from storage toward burning of body fat.

It’s getting better – fat loss combined with lean mass (muscle) gain

In one of the most recent studies on fish oil’s fat loss effect, men and women (mean age 33 yrs) where given 4 g of fish oil corresponding to 1600 mg EPA and 800 mg DHA ⁴⁸. After for 6 weeks, the placebo group, which was given 4 g of safflower oil, showed a tendency towards fat gain.

The fish oil group instead had lost 0.5 kg of fat mass and gained 0.5 kg of lean mass, with no change in body weight. This is a very beneficial body composition effect and underscores the importance of investigating fat mass and lean mass separately, since just measuring body weight will not tell anything about potential compositional changes, which after all is what is interesting from both a health, esthetic and physical performance viewpoint. I will cover the anti-catabolic and potential lean mass gaining effects of fish oil in more detail in an upcoming article.

Wrap up

Whether you are on a diet or not, adding a fish oil supplement to your regimen can effectively help you get in shape. The additional calories from the fish oil will not get stored ⁶⁴; quite to the contrary, fish oil will help you get rid of calories you already have stored in your body fat. What’s interesting is that fish oil supplementation seems to reduce body fat and waist circumference despite unchanged exercise and/or other dietary practices.

Aim for a daily fish oil intake that provides you with at least 1600 mg EPA and 800 mg DHA, but a higher dose, 2400 mg EPA and 1600 mg DHA (a total of 4 g EPA and DHA total), might result in a larger fat loss. To achieve this high intake of EPA and DHA it is advisable to take a fish oil concentrate. In an upcoming article I will go into more detail about fish oil concentrates, different ratios of EPA to DHA in fish oil preparations, their relative effectiveness, safety aspects of high dose fish oil supplementation, and sort through the myriad of fish oil supplements currently available on the market, to help you find a good fish oil supplement that will give you the best bang and effectiveness for your buck.

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46. Reddy JK, Mannaerts GP. Peroxisomal lipid metabolism. Annual review of nutrition 1994;14:343-70.

47. Delarue J, Matzinger O, Binnert C, Schneiter P, Chiolero R, Tappy L. Fish oil prevents the adrenal activation elicited by mental stress in healthy men. Diabetes & metabolism 2003;29(3):289-95.

48. Noreen EE, Sass MJ, Crowe ML, Pabon VA, Brandauer J, Averill LK. Effects of supplemental fish oil on resting metabolic rate, body composition, and salivary cortisol in healthy adults. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2010;7:31.

49. Diez JJ, Iglesias P. The role of the novel adipocyte-derived hormone adiponectin in human disease. European journal of endocrinology / European Federation of Endocrine Societies 2003;148(3):293-300.

50. Nedvidkova J, Smitka K, Kopsky V, Hainer V. Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived protein. Physiological research / Academia Scientiarum Bohemoslovaca 2005;54(2):133-40.

51. Walker BR. Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in obesity: cause or consequence? Growth hormone & IGF research : official journal of the Growth Hormone Research Society and the International IGF Research Society 2001;11 Suppl A:S91-5.

52. Salehi M, Ferenczi A, Zumoff B. Obesity and cortisol status. Hormone and metabolic research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et metabolisme 2005;37(4):193-7.

53. Bjorntorp P, Rosmond R. Obesity and cortisol. Nutrition 2000;16(10):924-36.

54. Pasquali R, Vicennati V, Cacciari M, Pagotto U. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2006;1083:111-28.

55. Couet C, Delarue J, Ritz P, Antoine JM, Lamisse F. Effect of dietary fish oil on body fat mass and basal fat oxidation in healthy adults. International journal of obesity and related metabolic disorders : journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity 1997;21(8):637-43.

56. Huffman DM, Michaelson JL, Thomas T, R. . Chronic supplementation with fish oil increases fat oxidation during exercise in young men. . JEPonline 2004;7(1):48-56.

57. Delarue J, Couet C, Cohen R, Brechot JF, Antoine JM, Lamisse F. Effects of fish oil on metabolic responses to oral fructose and glucose loads in healthy humans. The American journal of physiology 1996;270(2 Pt 1):E353-62.

58. Hill AM, Buckley JD, Murphy KJ, Howe PR. Combining fish-oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise improves body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors. The American journal of clinical nutrition 2007;85(5):1267-74.

59. Thorsdottir I, Tomasson H, Gunnarsdottir I, Gisladottir E, Kiely M, Parra MD, et al. Randomized trial of weight-loss-diets for young adults varying in fish and fish oil content. Int J Obes (Lond) 2007;31(10):1560-6.

60. Brilla LR, Landerholm TE. Effect of fish oil supplementation and exercise on serum lipids and aerobic fitness. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness 1990;30(2):173-80.

61. Warner JG, Jr., Ullrich IH, Albrink MJ, Yeater RA. Combined effects of aerobic exercise and omega-3 fatty acids in hyperlipidemic persons. Medicine and science in sports and exercise 1989;21(5):498-505.

62. Krebs JD, Browning LM, McLean NK, Rothwell JL, Mishra GD, Moore CS, et al. Additive benefits of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and weight-loss in the management of cardiovascular disease risk in overweight hyperinsulinaemic women. Int J Obes (Lond) 2006;30(10):1535-44.

63. DeFina LF, Marcoux LG, Devers SM, Cleaver JP, Willis BL. Effects of omega-3 supplementation in combination with diet and exercise on weight loss and body composition. The American journal of clinical nutrition 2011;93(2):455-62.

64. Bays HE, Maki KC, Doyle RT, Stein E. The effect of prescription omega-3 fatty acids on body weight after 8 to 16 weeks of treatment for very high triglyceride levels. Postgraduate medicine 2009;121(5):145-50.

About Monica Mollica > www.trainergize.com

Monica Mollica has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Nutrition from the University of Stockholm, Sweden, and is an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer. She works a dietary consultant, health journalist and writer for www.BrinkZone.com, and is also a web designer and videographer.

Monica has admired and been fascinated by muscular and sculptured strong athletic bodies since childhood, and discovered bodybuilding as an early teenager. Realizing the importance of nutrition for maximal results in the gym, she went for a major in Nutrition at the University.

During her years at the University she was a regular contributor to the Swedish bodybuilding magazine BODY, and she has published the book (in Swedish) “Functional Foods for Health and Energy Balance”, and authored several book chapters in Swedish publications.

It was her insatiable thirst for knowledge and scientific research in the area of bodybuilding and health that brought her to the US. She has completed one semester at the PhD-program “Exercise, Nutrition and Preventive Health” at Baylor University Texas, at the department of Health Human Performance and Recreation, and worked as an ISSA certified personal trainer. Today, Monica is sharing her solid experience by doing dietary consultations and writing about topics related to bodybuilding, fitness, health and anti-aging.

Fish Oil for Fat Loss is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

Recent cancer findings:

A 2010 study in the Journal of Dairy Science (1) called “The effect of bovine milk lactoferrin on human breast cancer cell lines” gave additional support to lactoferrin as an anti cancer nutrient. In this study specifically, lactoferrin’s effects on human breast cancer cell lines. The authors of this study summarized well the effects of this bio-active peptide; “Lactoferrin is an iron-binding protein that has been reported to inhibit several types of cancer.”

In this study, the authors tested lactoferrin on human breast cancer HS578T and T47D cells. Cells treated with lactoferrin had approximately a 2-fold increase in apoptosis (programmed cell death)  for both cell lines. Proliferation of these cancer cells rates decreased by 40.3 and 63.9% for both breast cancer cell lines respectively. The authors concluded “…this work suggest that lactoferrin interferes with some of the most important steps involved in cancer development.” This study supports many prior studies that find bovine (derived from cows milk) lactoferrin is a powerful anti cancer peptide.
The above study is in-vitro (test tube) using cell lines. However, in-vivo (a living system) also continue to find impressive anti cancer effects of lactoferrin for a variety of cancer types. For example, a recent study found immune deficient mice given lactoferrin and then exposed to human B-cell type lymphoma have dramatically increased survival rates, leading the authors to conclude that due to the clear success of lactoferrin as an anti cancer agent against B cell human lymphoma in these immune deficient  mice,  lactoferrin “…warrants further investigation as a novel therapeutic agent for the possible treatment of B-cell  non-Hodgkin lymphomas” (2)

Perhaps most exciting was a recent review entitled “Cancer prevention by bovine lactoferrin: from animal studies to human trial” (3) which reviewed both the animal and human data regarding the effects of lactoferrin as a potential anti cancer nutrient. The authors extensive review of the data concluded,  “Administration of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) suppresses carcinogenesis in the colon and other organs of test animals, and recently it was shown that ingestion of bLF inhibits the growth of adenomatous polyps in human patients.” As mentioned above, the authors review the results of a clinical trial which demonstrated that bLF can reduce the risk of colon carcinogenesis in humans. This study was one of the most promising to date showing the amazing anti cancer effects of lactoferrin. The study was entitled “Effect of orally administered bovine lactoferrin on the growth of adenomatous colorectal polyps in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.” (4)

This was a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial with 104 participants, ages 40 to 75 years, with pre existing polyps  likely to be adenomas. There were three groups to this study, two treatment groups and a placebo.  Group one received 1.5g of lactoferrin daily for 12 months, while  active group two received 3.0g lactoferrin daily for 12 months.  The authors tracked the groups target polyps by colonoscopy.  The authors found “ Ingestion of 3.0-g bLF significantly retarded adenomatous polyp growth in participants 63 years old or younger” and concluded “Our study suggests that daily intake of 3.0 g of bLF could be a clinically beneficial adjunct to colorectal polyp extraction.” That is, their study suggests that people with preexisting colorectal polyps may be able to significantly reduce their size prior to removal, which could have wide ranging benefits.

Other studies suggest continues use of lactoferrin may prevent such growths in the first place, and or, reduce their size and likelihood of being cancer. Recent studies also support the many prior studies showing lactoferrin to be a powerful anti microbial, anti viral agent, and immune modulator (5,6,7, 8, 9, ) covered extensively in  prior articles in the Life Extension Magazine

So What Is Lactoferrin?

As mentioned briefly above, lactofferin is a peptide found in whey proteins, another popular health promoting supplement. Whey – one of two major proteins found in milk – complex protein made up of many smaller protein subfractions (peptides) such as:  Beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, immunoglobulins (IgGs), glycomacropeptides, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and minor peptides such as lactoperoxidases, lysozyme,  and lactoferrin.  Each of the sub fractions found in whey has its own unique biological properties. Up until quite recently, separating these subfractions on a large scale was either impossible or prohibitively expensive for anything but  research purposes. Modern filtering technology has improved dramatically in the past few years allowing a handful of companies  to separate some of the highly  bio active peptides from whey, such as lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase. Many of these sub fractions are only found in very minute amounts in cows milk, normally at less than one percent. For example, though one of the most promising subfractions for preventing various diseases, improving immunity and over all health, lactoferrin makes up approximately 0.5 – 1% or less of whey protein derived from cows milk  (where as human mothers milk will contain up to 15% lactoferrin). Lactoferrin appears to be a truly amazing  subfraction of whey with documented   anti- viral, anti- microbial, anti -cancer, and immune modulating/enhancing effects.  There is little doubt that lactoferrin could  become the natural compound of choice in the treatment and prevention of a host of human ailments and the recent studies outlined above, continues to support that statement. Recapping some of the more amazing potential benefits of lactoferrin:

Lactoferrin and immunity:

Most research points to lactoferrin as being more of an immune modulator  rather than a simple immune stimulant. Needles to say, lactoferrin’s role in the host immune response is extensive and beyond the scope of this article. Published studies  that have examined  the use of lactoferrin as a supplement  and its effects on immunity have been quite promising.  Research using various animals models (i.e., rats, sheep, pigs, cats, as well as others)  has found the ingestion of lactoferrin to have direct protective effects on the regulation and modulation of the immune system.

For example, one study that examined the immune response to an endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) known to cause severe septic shock found feeding lactoferrin to mice “dramatically reduced the lethality” of this endotoxin while improving immune response parameters. Another study with baby pigs found only 17% of the pigs died when fed lactoferrin and injected with the endotoxin escherichia coli as opposed to 74% of the pigs died  without  the lactoferrin! Lactoferrin has been shown to dramatically increase the numbers of good micro flora such as bifidus while decreasing the numbers of bad bacteria such as E.coli, streptococcus, clostridium, and others, when fed to adult animals and human infants, thereby establishing a desirable intestinal flora known to be essential for optimal health, immunity,  and resistance to disease. An extensive review  that examined the role of lactoferrin in inflammation and the health of the intestinal tract stated “The possibility that lactoferrin limits the autodestructive inflammatory response presents a new alternative for the future management of systemic inflammation.”  Some research also suggests lactoferrin  is  able to  stimulate intestinal cell growth and may lead to better digestive functions  in addition to its ability to enhance the growth of “good” microflora in the intestine.

Anti-viral effects of lactoferrin.

Lactoferrin has been found to both directly and indirectly inhibit several viruses that cause disease in humans. Lactoferrin directly inhibits viruses by binding to viral receptor sites thus preventing the virus from infecting healthy cells. In addition to this, lactoferrin indirectly kills or inhibits viruses by augmenting the systemic immune response to a viral invasion. It’s interesting to note that there is a systemic deficiency of lactoferrin in people with HIV infection. One study that examined 22 asymptomatic, 45 symptomatic patients with HIV compared to 30 healthy controls found  “ levels of plasma lactoferrin are decreased in HIV-1 infected patients in relation to the progression of the disease.”  Another study found that the lack of lactoferrin (and secretory Iga) found in the oral cavities of people with HIV correlated strongly with the frequent infections in those areas often seen with patients with AIDS. Lactoferrin was also found to have “potent” anti viral effects against  the replication of both human HIV and cytomegalovirus (CMV) virus in several in vitro studies with no cytopathic effects on healthy cells.
Anti-cancer effects of lactoferrin

As the more recent studies above confirmed, perhaps one of the most promising uses for lactoferrin may be in its potential as a non toxic  anti cancer agent. Multiple studies using both rats and mice exposed to a toxic chemical  (azoxymethane) known to cause tumors throughout the gastro intestinal tract,   administered  concomitantly with lactoferrin,  showed a large reduction in intestinal polyp development throughout the intestinal tract , now with human studies (see above) confirming that effect in humans. Other studies found the addition of lactoferrin to cancer prone mice subjected to cancer causing chemicals reduced the number of tumors and suppressed angiogenesis (the production of new blood vessels) which tumors need to survive. The studies  also found lactoferrin “significantly inhibited”  liver and lung metastasis of cancer cells in these animals.

Conclusion

As the reader can see, very recent studies (2009, 2010, 2011) supports earlier studies findings  recapped above. There is little doubt that lactoferrin is a major find and a potential breakthrough as a natural non-toxic treatment  in an amazing array of human ailments with more studies coming out with ever greater frequency.

Citations:

(1)    Duarte DC, Nicolau A, Teixeira JA, Rodrigues LR. The effect of bovine milk lactoferrin on human breast cancer cell lines. J Dairy Sci. 2011 Jan;94(1):66-76.
(2)    Furlong SJ, Mader JS, Hoskin DW.Bovine lactoferricin induces caspase-independent apoptosis in human B-lymphoma cells and extends the survival of immune-deficient mice bearing B-lymphoma xenografts. Exp Mol Pathol. 2010 Jun;88(3):371-5. Epub 2010 Feb 18.
(3)    Tsuda H, Kozu T, Iinuma G, Ohashi Y, Saito Y, Saito D, Akasu T, Alexander DB, Futakuchi M, Fukamachi K, Xu J, Kakizoe T, Iigo M. Cancer prevention by bovine lactoferrin: from animal studies to human trial. Biometals. 2010 Jun;23(3):399-409. Epub 2010 Apr 21.
(4)    Kozu T, Iinuma G, Ohashi Y, Saito Y, Akasu T, Saito D, Alexander DB, Iigo M, Kakizoe T, Tsuda H.Effect of orally administered bovine lactoferrin on the growth of adenomatous colorectal polyps in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2009 Nov;2(11):975-83. Epub 2009 Oct 27.
(5)    Wiesner J, Vilcinskas A.Antimicrobial peptides: The ancient arm of the human immune system. Virulence. 2010 Dec 22;1(5):440-64.
(6)    Taha SH, Mehrez MA, Sitohy MZ, Abou Dawood AG, Abd-El Hamid MM, Kilany WH. Effectiveness of esterified whey proteins fractions against Egyptian Lethal Avian Influenza A (H5N1). Virol J. 2010 Nov 19;7:330.
(7)    Legrand D, Mazurier J.A critical review of the roles of host lactoferrin in immunity. Biometals. 2010 Jun;23(3):365-76. Epub 2010 Feb 9.
(8)    Puddu P, Valenti P, Gessani S.Immunomodulatory effects of lactoferrin on antigen presenting cells. Biochimie. 2009 Jan;91(1):11-8. Epub 2008 May 21.
(9)    Yamauchi K, Wakabayashi H, Shin K, Takase M.Bovine lactoferrin: benefits and mechanism of action against infections. Biochem Cell Biol. 2006 Jun;84(3):291-6.

* = In the form of iron depletes (apo) bovine lactoferrin (bLF)

Lactoferrin: The Bioactive Peptide that Fights Disease Part II is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

The FACTS On Methylhexaneamine! is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness

FYI, I have gotten emails from people asking where they can find the caffeine product mentioned in this vid. For more info, URL, etc, see my article “What You Need To Know About Caffeine“

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By Will Brink

The above title is one of the best-known expressions in the English language.  It was true when it was penned by  philosopher Sir Francis Bacon in 1597, and it’s true to this very day…  It applies well to the issues of nutrition, supplements, and training, be it to gain muscle mass and strength, or to lose fat.

Can one make progress in their respective goals (e.g., losing bodyfat, gaining muscle mass, increasing strength, etc.) knowing essentially nothing about training, nutrition, or supplements? Maybe….If you do make any progress, it will be slow, hit or miss at best, and often the progress comes in spite of what you did, not because of it! Clearly, a base level of knowledge of a given topic – in this case nutrition, training, and supplements – is essential to obtaining one’s goals. Conversely, does this mean you need to be a rocket surgeon to make steady progress in losing fat or gaining strength and muscle mass? Of course not! As I said in my article  on the K.I.S.S principle for making progress (1) :

“…I find people seem to gravitate toward adding complexity to their approach when it comes to building muscle or losing fat. Not coincidentally, it’s the people who take the most complex approaches to their nutrition, supplements, and training who are always the most confused and least successful. They focus on – and subsequently worry about – minutiae that prevent them from seeing the big picture and making the type of progress they desire. It often leads to what is referred to ‘paralysis by analysis.’ The vast majority of people would have better results, not to mention less stress, if they simplified their approach to losing fat or gaining muscle.”

As the reader can see, I’m not advocating making the approach to fitness, fat loss, or bodybuilding, an overly complex process. However, to optimize your hard work in the gym, one must have a solid foundational knowledge of nutrition, training, and supplements.

The Goal Setting Continuum…

I see goals setting as a continuum from the very simple and easy to obtain (“I just wanna lose a few pounds”) to extremely advanced and complicated (“I want to be 3% bodyfat when I step on stage at my next bodybuilding show without losing any lean mass during the diet”) with most people falling someplace in the middle of that continuum.

Depending on how extensive or advanced the goals; success will often be directly proportional to your level of knowledge. For example, how much do you need to know to just drop a few pounds of weight? Not all that much and it can be pretty  much  summed up as: “eat less, move more.” That’s about it. If your goals are ultra simple and your expectations low, then you need to know very little about nutrition, exercise, and supplements. Will the weight stay off? Probably not. Will that weight come from fat, or will it be water, muscle, and bone and (hopefully!) some fat? Unknown as you lacked the knowledge needed to track it, and adjust your diet, training, and supplement intake (assuming you’re using any supplements) to make the needed adjustments.

Now, let’s say your goal is you plan to lose 20 lbs of fat (not weight!), then gain 10lbs of lean muscle mass, and improve your strength by 15% in all your lifts. Will the same level of knowledge the person above has who just wants to lose a few lbs be adequate for these more advanced and defined goals? Absolutely not. Depending on what you want to achieve on the goal setting continuum, your level of knowledge will need to reflect the goal, unless you have the money to pay a full time coach, trainer, and cook for the rest of your life.

As the supplement and diet industry is a multi billion dollar industry, and most supplements and diets out there are complete junk, and most people fail at their long term goals, it’s painfully obvious we have a massive number of people  who do not posses even the essential basic knowledge to make informed and educated decisions. That is, informed decisions regarding  which nutritional plan to follow – be it to gain muscle or lose fat – or which supplements to take, or which exercise plans to use, etc., to obtain the goals they have set for themselves.

The bottom line here is: the more knowledge one has about the topic of nutrition, exercise, and supplements, the greater the likelihood they will make informed decisions and smarter choices which ultimately will lead to success in those goals. A bit of a “no duh” of you ask me, but there you have it…

Relevant vs. Irrelevant Knowledge

Clearly, one can fill their head with a bunch of totally irrelevant knowledge that will have no direct impact on their success.  However, people that take the  “I don’t want to learn anything, just tell me what to eat and what supplements to pop in my mouth” approach will always be the suckers the bodybuilding, diet, and supplement industry use to buy new sports cars to drive all their cash to the bank laughing all the way. Guess what, that includes some of you (yes you!) reading this article.  OK, so most people probably fall some place in the middle of the highly informed and the “I don’t wanna learn nothing, just tell me what to eat and what pills to pop” crowed.  Let’s find out…

Do you know what you think you know?

So what does one need to know? If you’re going to use for example a whey supplement to increase your protein intake during a diet, or use as a post workout protein source, should you not know what actually makes a high quality whey, or do you prefer throwing money away? If you are going to take X brand of fat loss supplement,  it behooves you to know if the ingredients in that product  have been shown to be effective – or are in the effective dose in that product – or, you can fall for yet another supplement company scam and add money to their bank account. If you are trying to optimize your fat loss diet, clearly, you will have greater success if you know which macro nutrient is the least likely to convert to bodyfat, or which form of dietary fat is the most effective for fat loss, and so on. If you are taking a supplement that claims to burn bodyfat or increase testosterone, knowing the facts about those supplements is going to save you money and improve the effects, and I don’t think anyone would argue the above.

Test your knowledge!

What I have done is developed two quizzes, one focused on gaining muscle mass, the other focused on fat loss.  The questions in this quiz are directly relevant to your success gaining muscle and or strength, and they come directly from my ebooks Bodybuilding Revealed and Fat Loss Revealed. They are directly relevant to the “real world” knowledge required to obtain your goals along the continuum discussed above. Neither quiz is very long, but gives a solid sample of what people should know if they wish to be informed and educated about nutrition and supplements as it applies to the goals listed in the continuum. Take note, I have put these quizzes on my forums and most members could answer most of them, so they are not designed to simply make people feel ignorant. They are designed to be challenging, and let people test their knowledge of the topic; topics which will ultimately help them obtain their goals. Are you ready?

The BodyBuilding Revealed Quiz

The Fat Loss Revealed Quiz

Conclusion

So how did you do? I would hope those who have not read my ebooks on the topic would get at least 8-10 correct on the Bodybuilding Revealed quiz (out of 15) questions and 10-15 questions (out of 20 questions) correct on the Fat Loss Revealed Quiz. The purpose of this article is to impress on reader the fact that no matter where you decide to get your information from, you  should be aware that  to obtain simple goals, a base knowledge is required. To obtain more advanced goals, more advanced knowledge is required. Just taking other people’s word on it, be it supplement company ads, or “gurus” who are willing to say “just stick this food or this pill in your mouth” via a web site or book without educating you, is a sure road to failure.

See you in the gym!

(1) “Follow the KISS system for success”

Knowledge is power! How To Save Years of Wasted Time and Money!!! is a post from: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Fat Loss, Health & Fitness