When I was a child, long before I got into bodybuilding, one of my favorite snacks was to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Back then, just about all kids loved the same snack. But the peanut butter necessitated including a drink with the snack. The most common drink consumed … [Read more...]
Carbohydrate Drinks and Anabolic Hormones during Training by Jerry Brainum
A common sight in many gyms are people walking around with water bottles that clearly aren't water. They tend to sip from these bottles throughout the workout. The contents of these bottles differ and can vary from amino acid concoctions to nutrient drinks ostensibly promoted … [Read more...]
The Antioxidant Paradox by Jerry Brainum
The notion that antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamins E, C, and others could aid exercise recovery first appeared in a 1954 animal study. The body is constantly producing byproducts of oxygen metabolism, which is unavoidable unless you stop taking in oxygen. Many of … [Read more...]
Treating Muscle Injuries with Nutrition by Jerry Brainum
Most people who have been involved in regular resistance training for several years will confirm that muscle injuries are common. They are not, however, inevitable and whether you experience any type of muscle injury depends on several factors. The foremost factor … [Read more...]
Vegan Diets, Peanut Butter, Testosterone Boosters and more: Notes From A Science Conference by Jerry Brainum
In past issues of Applied Metabolics, I've discussed the findings presented at various science and nutrition conferences. Such conferences are ostensibly held in often exotic locations to present new information and studies that have not yet been published in … [Read more...]
Show Me Where It Hurts: Foods and Nutrients to Combat Chronic Pain by Jerry Brainum
Anyone who has lived long enough will suffer from some type of chronic pain. An estimated 100 million Americans suffer from some form of chronic pain, according to the WebMD site. A typical example of such pain is that of arthritis or inflammation of joints. This condition is … [Read more...]
Anabolic Failure: Phosphatidic Acid by Jerry Brainum
The pantheon of discarded and failed anabolic food supplements continues to grow. Although drugs such as anabolic steroids, without question, provide potent anabolic effects in muscle in anyone, many people who are concerned about the side effects of such drugs prefer to … [Read more...]
How Sweet It Isn’t: Is Sugar Addiction Real? by Jerry Brainum
A recent study that was widely publicized in the popular press found that the primary reason why people get fat is from eating a combination of fat and sugar. I've said for years that most people don't get fat from eating just fat or just sugar, but when you combine them it's a sure … [Read more...]
Sodium Truths by Jerry Brainum
Perhaps no nutrient is as misunderstood as sodium. If you played a word association game with any knowledgeable person and uttered the word "sodium," the typical response would be "blood pressure." Sodium is closely associated with the control of blood pressure in that an … [Read more...]
Probiotic Supplements: Boon for Health or Waste of Money? by Jerry Brainum
We can thank Elie Metchnikoff for the existence of probiotic supplements. Probiotic supplements are various strains of bacteria that are thought to be beneficial to health because of their favorable effect on the balance of bacteria that exist in the intestinal … [Read more...]