moderate cardio training/preventing muscle catabolism

[eck]

I'm training for a specific timed run that will happen in a few months so I'll be doing moderate cardio(running) at least 3 times a week and weight resistance 3 times as well.

I'm looking for suggestions as far as nutrition/supplements that can help prevent muscle catabolism. I used to do HIIT but moderate cardio is a new one for me.

Thanks,

Eve

 

[Griz1]

I don't know the answer to your question but I can tell you this that may help.

While you are excersising monitor your olfactory senses in regards to an ammonia type of smell. Like windex or urine kind of a smell. That is a signal that your body has started to break down muscle (i.e. protiens) to use for energy instead of blood sugars or fats. The by product of breaking down protien (muscle tissue) for energy is nitrogen which builds up in your blood. Because of the capilleries in your nose and the blood flowing through the membrane that you smell with you sense this N as an ammonia type of smell.

It's at that point that you should consider stopping your excersise or reducing your effort significantly and ingesting something that will enter your system quickly and stop your body from using muscle for energy.

That's my understanding of it anyway. I bounced this off a biologist (PhD) and he confirmed this process for me. I usually eat right after my workouts so when I am going hard HIIT, and I start to notice that "smell", I quit and go eat lunch. I should probabbly take something like dextrose or other ingestable (exactly what you are asking here) to stop it dead in it's tracks.

Mind you, if you are truely doing "moderate" cardio this should not be a problem except after extended periods of time.

 

[eck]

I don't know the answer to your question but I can tell you this that may help.

While you are excersising monitor your olfactory senses in regards to an ammonia type of smell. Like windex or urine kind of a smell. That is a signal that your body has started to break down muscle (i.e. protiens) to use for energy instead of blood sugars or fats. The by product of breaking down protien (muscle tissue) for energy is nitrogen which builds up in your blood. Because of the capilleries in your nose and the blood flowing through the membrane that you smell with you sense this N as an ammonia type of smell.

It's at that point that you should consider stopping your excersise or reducing your effort significantly and ingesting something that will enter your system quickly and stop your body from using muscle for energy.

That's my understanding of it anyway. I bounced this off a biologist (PhD) and he confirmed this process for me. I usually eat right after my workouts so when I am going hard HIIT, and I start to notice that "smell", I quit and go eat lunch. I should probabbly take something like dextrose or other ingestable (exactly what you are asking here) to stop it dead in it's tracks.

Mind you, if you are truely doing "moderate" cardio this should not be a problem except after extended periods of time.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Griz1]

Always happy to help someone out in "Lotusland". While us poor Albertans freeze to death...

 

[Nichole]

WOW...GRIZ1!!!

You just answered a question that I have asked about a thousand times without ever getting an answer. I like to run...ALOT, esp in the sprin and summer, as my form of cardio. I enjopy the intensity, the runners high...and when accopanied with diet and lifting...for my body, I just love the way it leans me right out and shows incredible definition....HOWEVER,

after runs (and it seems to be when I am getting smaller and smaller) I sometimes will catch that "ammonia"-type smell.
I would come in the house after a run and ask if anyone else could smell it...and they thought I was crazy! FINALLY...I KNOW WHAT THAT IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wish I had known this a long time ago.


I must say, I just recently joined this board...and am very impressed so far with the woman's forum. I look forward to reading more from all forums.

 

[Griz1]

Nic,

Glad I could help!

 

[Nichole]

Apologies for all of the misspells and typos in my last post...lol...I just got my nails done...thus making typing a little more cumbersome.

 

[wend]

Wow. I've gotta thank you, too, Griz, for the info.

I have NEVER noticed that smell. I've been backing off cardio after reading at this board, even though I've got about 10-15 lbs of fat I'd like to lose, without, of course, losing the muscle I've worked so hard to build.

I'd been doing much more than what many consider to be moderate cardio, but I'm insanely conditioned, after having used a bicycle as my major form of transport for about 6 years.

Now I can go gangbusters and not worry about it...I'll just keep a bar on hand and keep my nose open for that smell.

 

[Nichole]

A "nutritionist" that works out of my gym had rebutted that this smell could also be due to "clothing detergent"...I thought this was REDICULOUS...but just for the sake of argument next time I see him, could this also be a possiblity, or is he just a dumbass?

 

[wilson6]

During very high intensity workouts, muscle can be a source of ammonia, and NH3 being very volatile, will be detected while ventilating.

During very high intensity exercise (hard HITT), in order to regenerate ATP the following occurs.

ADP + ADP = ATP + AMP

ATP is then used for further muscle contraction.

AMP + H20 = IMP + NH3 via AMP deaminase

Some of my clients will note the ammonia smell or taste after an interval set of heavy leg presses.

It is not muscle breaking down, but deamination of AMP in an effort to generate some ATP for continuing contraction.

It is NOT your clothes and dextrose won't help because you've already inhibited anaerobic glycolysis because of high Pi and H+ or low muscle pH. Creatine supplementation might help, but even the PCr will be exhausted and you'll still get some of the NH3 taste.


W6