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I swiped this from a post on the AF Board.
Here is an article that I saved along time ago. Unfortunately, I have no clue who the author is, so sorry
Nutrition 101 article - Bodybuilding Nutrition
This is long, but I figured it would be good for some of the bros who are wondering why they aren't gainig........
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To those who already know "everything": Please remember that this was written to give beginners a place to start in terms of nutrition. I could get into much more detail, but the object of this article is to be brief and explain the very basics of bodybuilding nutrition. This gives the beginner a place to start, so that when they read the articles in the magazines, they aren't completely lost. Hopefully after reading this, Snackwell's fat free cookies will no longer be considered a good diet food and protein will no longer be considered just a supplement.
Beginners, hopefully this will spark your interest enough to get you to read articles and books and further educate yourself, so that you will get the results that you want. In my opinion, nutrition is 50% of the equation when trying to achieve your goals, training is 40%, and the correct use of anabolics is 10%. Yes, anabolics do make more than 10% of a difference, but that's only if you are eating right and training hard. Anabolics, in my honest opinion are merely supplements that actually do what they are supposed to.
Part I - Macronutrients
What are macronutrients?
It's actually very simple. All foods fit into these three categories: Protein, Carbohydrates, or Fats. As a bodybuilder (or anyone trying to get fit or get bigger), you need to know this and you must know what each one does in your body.
Protein
Literally, protein is the essential building block of muscle. Without this, you cannot and will not grow, even if you are on a boatload of drugs! As a matter of fact, without sufficient protein you will lose muscle. Strive for a bare minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each and every day. Most bodybuilders keep protein intake at 2 grams per pound or more. All protein has roughly 4 calories per gram. Remember that the body will use protein as a source of energy instead of using it to build muscle if you aren't getting sufficient calories from carbohydrates and dietary fats. This will rob your muscles of this essential building block, so you must take in sufficient quality carbs and fats as well, but more on that later.
Protein sources include:
All meats - including beef, poultry, and fish.
Protein powdesr - Adding this to your diet is probably the only way you will get 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight on a daily basis unless you have nothing to do all day except eat, train, and sleep.
Nuts, legumes (includes peanuts, soy beans, etc.) - Not the best choices, but remember not to worry so much about what kind of protein you get as much as you should worry about how much protein you're getting every day. Adding nuts to your diet is a good way to add protein and healthy fats.
Carbohydrates
The body's preferred source of energy. Carbohydrates also provide your brain with energy, which is why you will be somewhat "out of it" when you first start a low carb diet. Most bodybuilders will strive to get 2-3 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight when bulking. (i.e. A 200lb. bodybuilder would strive for 400-600 grams per day). All carbohydrates have roughly 4 calories per gram. In my opinion, it's very important to eat some carbs before training to provide you with energy that you will need.
Too many calories from carbohydrates at one time will be stored as fat. Carbohydrates that are digested fast (called sugars, simple carbs, or simple sugars) will be more likely to be stored as fat because the body doesn't get enough time to burn the calories. Foods that include simple carbs and sugars are fruits, fruit juice, sweets and junkfood containing sugar (including candy, cookies, cakes, soda, etc.) Obviously, you will want to limit the amount of simple carbs that you take in. The only time it is advantageous to take in simple carbs is immediately after training, when your body's glycogen stores are low. Taking in simple sugars at this time will allow your body to replenish glycogen stores more quickly (in short, this means faster recovery, which translates to quicker growth).
Carbohydrates that are digested by the body more slowly (referred to as complex carbohydrates) are less likely to be stored as fat and tend to be high in dietary fiber. These are the bodybuilder's preferred source of carbohydrates.
These slow burning carbohydrate sources include:
Oatmeal
Whole Grain Bread (nothing with the word "enriched" in the list of ingredients)
Grains
Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
Vegetables - These will be mainly used as a source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and not as a source of energy
Pasta
Rice - Brown rice tends to burn slower and because of that, it is a better choice than white rice.
Not all complex carbs burn as slowly as others, for instance whole wheat bread (not enriched) burns much slower than white bread, white rice burns faster than brown rice, also note that pastas burn faster than most other complex carbs.
Faster burning carbohydrate sources include:
Candy
Soda
Cakes, Pies
Sugar of any type
Fruit Juice - Not as good as fruit, but a better choice than the above mentioned foods.
Fruits - Still a very good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Carbohydrates also affect blood sugar, muscle glycogen levels and insulin production. But for the purpose of keeping this article "beginner friendly", I won't get into all of that. Just remember that when you take in simple carbs (sweets/sugars) your blood sugar spikes relatively fast and then drops that much faster (unless they are taken in after training), which will leave you feeling tired, sleepy, and even a craving for more sugar or carbs. This is another reason why slow burning carbs are preferred.
Fats
Some dietary fats are good for your fitness goals and other dietary fats are very bad for your fitness and your health. Fats, like carbohydrates can either be burnt as energy or stored as bodyfat. Fats generally burn faster than carbs, therefore they are more readily stored as bodyfat. Dietary fats have roughly 9 calories per gram, as opposed to 4 calories per gram for protein and carbs. Along with being used as energy, healthy fats provide a host of other benefits, including maintaining overall health and even making your skin and hair look better. Unhealthy fats (saturated fats) can do just the opposite, especially to your skin.
Sources of "good" or "healthy" fats include but are not limited to:
Fish Oil (basically fats found in fish)
Nuts (good source of protein and healthy fats)
Olive Oil
Flaxseed Oil - can be found in most nutrition stores like GNC
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) - also can be found nutrition stores
Sources of "bad fats" include, but are not limited to:
Anything that it deep fried (french fries, fried chicken)
Fat from animal sources, such as the saturated fats found in beef and pork and the saturated fat found in milk.
Part II - Diet Types
What kind of diet should I be on?
This depends on what you want to accomplish. We'll look at two categories of diets, "bulking" and "cutting".
Bulking
This is the term we use to describe diets where you are ultimately trying to add muscle. The only way this can be done is to take in more calories than your body uses. Most bodybuilders will tell you that it's easier to add muscle when a small amount of fat is added along with it. That being said, if your body fat is over 20%, you should probably consider cutting down to around 12-15% before you think about bulking or you will end up looking like an fat person rather than a bodybuilder.
To build muscle, you need to take in adequate protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, and even some sugars (Candy bars aren't really what I mean). As you already know, protein is what builds muscle. But, without sufficient calories coming from complex carbs and healthy fats, your body will use that protein as a source of energy, which will in turn rob your muscles of this very important building block.
*To find out how many calories you need to build muscle and what form they should be in (Protein/Carbs/Fats), you will want to multiply your bodyweght by 15-17 for starters (use a higher number if you don't see desired results).
200 lbs x 15-17 = 3000-3400 calories. So, a 200 lb bodybuilder will need 3000-3400 calories per day.
Chris Aceto, a popular nutritionist used by many pro bodybuilders recommends a protein/carbs/fats ratio of 35/55/15, which means 35% of calories come from protein, 55% come from carbs, and 15% come from dietary fats.
We'll use that 200 lb bodybuilder at 17 calories per pound as an example.
3400 calories x 0.55 = 1870 calories from carbs (1870 divided by 4 calories per gram = 467.5 grams of carbs per day)
3400 calories x 0.35 = 1190 calories from protein (1190 divided by 4 calories per gram = 297.5 grams of protein per day)
3400 calories x 0.15 = 510 calories from dietary fats (510 divided by 9 calories per gram = 56.67 grams of fat per day)
*Click on Nutritional Calculator for help with calculating this.
Cutting
This is the term we use to describe diets where the reason is to reduce bodyfat. There are many different approaches to doing this, in terms of diet. You will most likely need to experiment to find out which one is for you and which type of cutting diet your body responds to best. On any cutting diet you choose, you need to take in less calories than your body uses. Without turning this into a training article, cardio is another very important factor here. The basic idea when cutting (in my opinion) is to eat a little less, and move a lot more (cardio). Cardio should be performed anywhere from 3 times per week to twice per day.
One thing to consider while cutting is muscle loss. If you restrict your maintenance calories by more than 500-750 per day, you will likely lose some muscle. That being said, try to allow yourself 1 week for every 2 lbs of fat you want to lose. If you are losing much more than 2 lbs per week, it's safe to say that you are probably losing muscle mass.
Here are a couple of types of cutting diets. All of these diet types will need to be considerably high in protein.
Low carb - The basic idea here is to reduce calories by restricting carbohydrates considerably, while allowing more dietary fats. After you have used up the small amount of calories that comes from carbs, the body will be using mostly dietary fats (healthy fats only) as it's primary source of fuel. Sugars are basically eliminated on this diet.
Ketogenic - Also known as the Cyclic Ketogenic Diet (CKD) The idea here is similar to the low carb diet, except carbs are virtually eliminated from the diet completely which makes the body go into ketosisr (produce ketones which are reported to be anabolic while promoting fat loss at the same time...For simplicity's sake, we won't get into all of that here.) As with a low carb diet, the body will be using mostly dietary fats (healthy fats only) as it's main source of fuel. Carbs are generally kept at around 15-20 grams per day.
Low fat - The way this type of diet reduces calories is by virtually eliminating dietary fats, while keeping carbohydrate intake relatively high compared to the above two diet types. The body uses carbs as it's main source of fuel. While on this diet, you will still want to get around 20 grams of healthy or "good" fats per day.
*To find out how many calories you need to reduce bodyfat, you will want to multiply your bodyweght by 12-14 to start (use a higher number if you are losing more than 2.5 lbs per week).
200 lbs x 12-14 = 2400-2800 calories. So, a 200 lb bodybuilder will need 2400-2800 calories per day. As he loses weight he will want to recalculate this every 4 weeks or so.
Although a 55/35/15 carb/protein/fat ratio used above would probably work, the ratio will be different depending on what type of cutting diet you choose, which can get a little confusing. For further detail, I suggest getting a book focusing on one of these diet types and reading the nutrition articles in the magazines.
Part III - Timing
One thing you will learn with bodybuilding, is that timing truly is everything.
Eat at least 5 times per day!
Your body needs nutrients provided in a steady stream throughout the day, meaning you need to eat 5-8 times per day. If you don't eat for an extended period of time (over 3-4 hours), your body will go into a catabolic state, meaning it will literally feed off of muscle. Not eating for extended periods also causes your metabolism to slow down and hold on to stored bodyfat that you already have and even store more bodyfat when you do get to eat. This is because your body has determined that you are out of food and may not get any food in the near future. This is the body's defense against famine...good for survival, bad for bodybuilding/fitness goals.
Another benefit of eating every few hours, is the thermogenic effect of food. When your body digests food, your body temperature rises slightly, burning calories along the way. Make sure that there is always some protein in there every time you eat (before training excluded).
That being said, you should try to eat every 3 hours or so.
Don't skip breakfast!
Your mom isn't pulling your chain. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day (or a tie with the meal following your workout). I can't stress this enough. If you don't eat within an hour of when you get up, you are cheating yourself to put it mildly. If you are getting the 8-9 hours of sleep that you should be, then you haven't eaten for 8-9 hours...this is not good for bodybuilding. Some bodybuilders even wake up in the middle of the night and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when trying to bulk, so don't think you can get away without eating breakfast because you can't.
Late night snacks
Carbs and Fats are important, but if it's late at night and you are trying to lose bodyfat, a protein shake may be all you need. If you're having trouble gaining muscle, eat protein, carbs, and fats before bed.
If you are cutting and you get hungry when you go to bed, try eating a teaspoon of natural peanut butter. This is low in carbs and high in healthy fats and protein and should stop cravings for food long enough to let you get to sleep.
Eat before and after you train!
I like to have some carbs before I train in order to provide me with fuel for my workout. I usually try to take in 40-50 grams of carbs about 30-45 minutes before I train. I tend to get sick if I eat a significant amount of protein or fat this close to when I train, so it's mainly just carbs at this time.
The worst mistake you can make is to not eat after your workout. When you train, you are breaking muscle down. If you do not provide your body with sufficient nutrients within 45 minutes of training, you are robbing yourself of recovery and muscle growth. Unless you are cutting carbs, you should try to consume some simple carbs (fruits or fruit juice, not cookies and junk food) after you train. This will allow your body to replenish it's glycogen stores more quickly...allowing for quicker recovery. You should also consume protein after you workout.
Part IV - Convenience
The easiest way to make sure you stick with your diet is to make it convenient. It's not going to taste all that good, so you might as well make this as easy as possible on yourself. Needless to say, it's pretty challenging to go out of your way 5 or 6 times per day to find clean food when Taco Bell and Burger King is right across the street. Don't do this to yourself, it's not fun.
If for some reason you have to eat fast food, at least go out of the way to find a Subway or similar sandwich shop and order a sub. If you're cutting, order a 6 inch sub on wheat bread to keep the carbs low, with double meat to keep protein high. Cheese and Mayo should be avoided, but mustard is a good topping when you're dieting.
Prepare ahead of time.
Take your meals with you when you aren't going to be home for an extended period of time. You don't want to be forced to choose between Taco Bell and not eating when you are on a cutting diet.
When you're bulking, there's no better way to get fat than by eating the wrong kind of carbs and fats. Even though you don't have to be as strict as you do when you're cutting, you still need to eat quality calories. Even when bulking, try to prepare your meals at home and take them with you.
I prepare all of my food for the week on Sundays, put each meal in a plastic container and freeze them until the day I plan to eat them. Then all you need to do is pack a grocery bag with 2-3 meals out of the freezer and a 32 oz. Rubbermaid container full of protein or MRPs and take it to work (or wherever) the next morning. People at work will think you're a little different when your "lunch" sack is usually a full grocery bag. If you aren't going to have access to a refridgerator, buy a cooler and an ice pack.
Don't forget Protein Powders and MRPs (Meal Replacement Powders).
The difference between a meal replacement powder (MRPs) and protein powder is that MRPs have carbs included in them, so they tend to taste a little better. The carbs in MRP's aren't really slow burning like oatmeal, etc. but they are decent calories for bulking. I don't recommend MRPs for cutting purposes.
If you try to get all of your protein from solid food, it can get very expensive and is just hard to do. Meal replacement and protein powders are a great way to get extra calories and protein. When dieting down, I prepare about 120 grams of protein powder and water in a 32 oz. container to take with me to work the next morning. I leave it in the refridgerator and drink about 1/3 of it at 3 different times during the day (in between meals). I do the same thing when bulking, but with a couple of MRP's and some protein powder instead of just protein powder.
For those who don't put on fat easily, another variety of MRPs is the so-called "Mass" drinks. These come pre-bottled or the do-it-yourself powder form. They are usually full of carbs (including a lot of sugar) with a nice amount of protein, and some fat. If you put on fat easily, "Mass" type drinks are probably not for you. These can be a very useful tool for bulking, but can also make you fat, so I generally only recommend these to people that don't put on fat very easily (no matter what they eat).
Part V - Water
Drink plenty of water!!
This is an easy concept. Water is the most overlooked part of nutrition. Drink 1-3 gallons (depending on your size) every day wether bulking or cutting. If you aren't getting enough water, you won't grow muscle as quickly and you won't lose fat as quickly. Enough said.
Here is another on Glycogen:
by Rehan Jalali
Do you want your muscles to feel pumped all the time? Do you want more energy during your workouts? Then fill up your glycogen stores! Glycogen is the storage form of glucose (blood sugar). Muscle glycogen resynthesis or as some say glycogen supercompensation is an important aspect in bodybuilding. Some bodybuilders are so bent on only protein intake that they forget that 2/3 of total glycogen stores are found in skeletal muscle (the other 1/3 being found in the liver). The glycogen found in muscle is generally used for the muscle only and not to maintain blood sugar levels. The glycogen stores in the liver are responsible for maintaining proper blood sugar levels. There are several ways to enhance or improve glycogen stores which will be discussed in a latter part of this article. In this short synopsis of glycogen metabolism as it relates to bodybuilding, I want to explore the details of this interesting topic.
2. Biochemistry
Let's start with some basics of glycogen metabolism. If you don't have some knowledge of biochemistry or just simply don't care how it works, please skip to the part about how to increase glycogen stores and current research on this topic. Carbohydrates, specifically glucose, are an important energy source for many human tissues including skeletal muscle. It would not be practical or efficient for your body to store significant amounts of glucose in solution. Therefore, carbohydrate reserves are stored in the form of the branch chained polysaccharide called glycogen. The average bodybuilder sustains about 85 millimoles of glycogen per kilogram of skeletal muscle. A millimole is a simple measurement of the amount of certain compounds in your body. Supercompensation glycogen studies have shown that a trained athlete can achieve at least 175 millimoles. I will discuss how to achieve these glycogen levels in a latter part of this article. When a glycogen-containing muscle cell requires glucose, say during weight training, glucose monomers are removed one at a time from glycogen molecules. This reaction is catalyzed by glycogen phosphorylase. The glucose at this point is released in the form of Glucose-1-phosphate. The first step of glycolysis (the energy producing pathway in muscle cells) is glucose-6-phosphate. Muscle cells contain an enzyme called phosphoglucomutase which can convert glucose 1-phosphate to glucose 6-phosphate at which point it can take part in the steps of glycolysis. Due to the attached phosphate group in this process, none of the glucose resulting from glycogen hydrolysis are able to leave the cell in which they were produced. Liver cells on the other hand, are able to dephosphorylate glucose. Due to this dephosphorylation, the glycogen stores in the liver can release glucose into the blood stream to regulate blood sugar. Glycogen synthesis (the production of glycogen to be stored ) requires the phosphorylation of glucose or the addition of a phosphate group. This allows for activation of the molecule as well as containment within muscle cells. After phosphorylation, glucose reacts with UTP (uridine tri-phosphate) to form UDP glucose. This reaction is effectively irreversible. UDP- glucose monomers are then converted to glycogen by the enzyme glycogen synthase (with the liberation of the UDP). Glycogen synthase activation is considered to be an important regulatory step in glycogen synthesis (1). Glycogenin, a glycoprotein, serves as a guide for all glycogen synthesis. It has a function of priming glycogen synthesis as well as activating glycogen synthase. I will discuss this interesting compound further a little later. Muscle glycogen reserves are mobilized in situations of stress. Phosphorylase kinase is an enzyme which catalyses glycogen phosphorylase. The activity of glycogen phosphorylase is increased by epinephrine (adrenaline). Muscle contraction is initiated by a rise in Ca+2 ion concentration. Ca+2 ions also increase the activity of phosphorylase kinase. Proper calcium intake is essential for muscle contraction . I would recommend at least 1600mg of calcium daily for bodybuilders. A secondary beneficial effect of calcium is that it has been shown to lower blood pressure. Magnesium and potassium supplementation may also be necessary for proper electrolyte balance if taking a calcium supplement.
When glucose is ingested and goes into the blood stream from the digestive tract, it stimulates the release of the peptide hormone insulin from the pancreas. Insulin binds to specific receptors in cell membranes and facilitates diffusion of glucose into the cell. Normally the cell membranes are impermeable to glucose , but when a cell receptor is activated the membrane allows for a rapid entry of glucose into the cells. Insulin also helps activate glycogen synthase (2) and allows cell membranes to become more permeable to certain amino acids, creatine, and some minerals. Insulin causes glucose transport proteins (GLUT) to increase their activity allowing for increased glucose uptake by muscle cells. Two of these transporters have been found in skeletal muscle: GLUT 1, which is present in low levels, and GLUT 4, which is the major isoform in muscle and is responsible for the increase in glucose transport in response to insulin and muscle contractions (2, 3, 4, 5) A rapid transport of glucose into the cell requires the presence of GLUT 4 transporters on the cell surface, and translocation of these from the Golgi apparatus requires insulin. It is believed that both insulin and exercise stimulate the translocation of GLUT 4 transporters from an intracellular pool to the plasma membrane of skeletal muscle (6). According to some research, there may be two separate intracellular pools of glucose transporters, one accessible for translocation by the actions of insulin and one accessible by the effect of exercise (7). Both exercise (muscle contraction to be specific) and insulin stimulate an increase in glucose uptake by muscle. It has also been established that glycogen can be resynthesized from lactate in skeletal muscle (8). There is ample evidence which suggests that exercise during recovery impede glycogen synthesis. This is why I recommend that you refrain from any cardiovascular work right after resistance training. It may inhibit glycogen resynthesis and not let you recover from your weight training session. The best time for cardiovascular work is early in the morning on an empty stomach. This may allow for the most fat loss.
There have only been two comprehensive studies (9,10) that have investigated muscle glycogen synthesis after resistance exercise. Pascoe et al (9) reported a 31% decrease in muscle glycogen levels after resistance training. Robergs et al (10) reported muscle glycogen degradations of about 38% after resistance training. Muscle glycogen resynthesis after resistance exercise (weight lifting) is considerably faster than prolonged aerobic exercise (8). Eccentric exercise has been associated with ultrastructural muscle damage, leakage of intracellular enzymes, delayed onset muscle soreness , AND reduced rates of glycogen resynthesis (11,12). Some evidence suggests that the anti-inflammatory cells which enter muscle tissue in response to the eccentrically induced damage compete with the muscle cells for available plasma glucose (12). In addition, these inflammatory cells may produce a metabolic factor that shifts muscle metabolism towards glycogenolysis (glycogen breakdown) and away from glycogen synthesis. It is speculated that the damage resulting form eccentric exercise interfered with the insertion of the GLUT 4 protein into the plasma membrane and increased the rate of degradation or the rate of production of this glucose transporter protein (12). The evidence sited above shows that eccentric contractions and subsequent muscle damage impair muscle glycogen resynthesis. I would recommend more explosive, concentric type of movements to enhance glycogen resynthesis after resistance training. This would especially be necessary while carbohydrate loading/depleting (before a bodybuilding competition for example). The recruitment of more fast twitch glycolytic muscle fibers may also enhance glycogen synthesis (8).
Exercise stimulates muscle glucose uptake both directly and by increasing the sensitivity of this process to insulin. Increased fat intake and intracellular triglycerides may cause insulin resistance and hamper muscle glycogen resynthesis. According to one study, exercise increased insulin sensitivity in normal subjects because of a two fold increase in insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis in muscle, due to an increase in insulin-stimulated glucose transport-phosphorylation (13). Since insulin sensitivity is highest after resistance exercise, it is vital to take a high glycemic index drink immediately after training. This stimulates the secretion of insulin to allow rapid muscle glycogen resynthesis. The general formula is to consume about 1.5 grams of high glycemic index carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight after weight training. Glycogen restoration rate is higher following glucose feeding as compared with fructose feeding because of glucose's higher glycemic index rating. Some people have mentioned to me that protein is also needed along with carbohydrates to increase muscle glycogen resynthesis. I believe if you consume a high glycemic index carbohydrate after training at the amount given above, then additional protein will not improve muscle glycogen resynthesis (14). If you are on a ketogenic type of a diet than consuming certain amino acids (namely branched chain) may allow for an insulin response causing an increase in muscle glycogen resynthesis. By the way, supercompensated muscle glycogen levels can maintained at least three days after carb loading on a moderate carbohydrate diet according to a study at the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego.
Glycogenin, which I mentioned previously, primes glycogen synthesis. The amount of glycogenin will influence how much glycogen a cell can store (15). Thus the production of active glycogenin primer in the cell has the potential to be the overall rate limiting process in glycogen formation. A company called Upstate Biotechnology markets glycogenin but not for human consumption. I don't believe that the FDA has approved synthetic glycogenin for human consumption. Another component of glycogen metabolism has been discovered which may even have greater influence on total glycogen stores than does glycogenin. This is the low molecular mass form of glycogen called proglycogen (15). If proglycogen could be converted into macroglycogen , muscle glycogen levels may increase significantly. I believe that this will be the next big step in glycogen resynthesis advancements.
3. Increasing muscle glycogen levels
Now on to the most critical part of muscle glycogen resynthesis. How do you increase muscle glycogen levels? There are several supplements and techniques to allow for increased glycogen storage. One way is taking a glutamine supplement. Glutamine causes a significant increase in muscle glycogen deposition through an unknown mechanism. According to one university study, a physiological concentration of glutamine stimulates glycogen synthesis from glucose and gluconeogenic pre-cursors (16). So glutamine along with your post workout high glycemic index carbohydrates may increase glutamine and glycogen in the muscle. I would recommend at least 5-10 grams of glutamine at this time to allow for glycogen recompensation. In another research study on humans, an intravenous drip of glutamine, raising blood levels about 70% above normal, increased muscle glycogen (17). Some top quality glutamine supplements I would recommend are Cytovol by EAS and SuperGlu by GURUetc. There is also a doctor named Elias Meezan who is in the process of patenting artificial primers for glycogen synthesis. Properties of these compounds enable them to readily penetrate cells chemically intact so that they have access to glycogenin and glycogen synthase. The unique structural and metabolic properties of these compounds make it highly likely that in addition to priming glycogen synthesis on their own, they could act synergistically with other drugs to stimulate glucose disposal and glycogen synthesis. This is real exciting news for bodybuilders and diabetics as well. Next, there are those glucose disposing agents or so called "insulin mimickers" such as vanadyl sulfate, chromium picolinate, metformin, and phenformin. Alpha lipoic acid also shows potential as a glucose disposing agent. In Germany, it is used as a treatment for peripheral neuropathy, a common complication of diabetes. It speeds the removal of glucose from the blood stream, at least partly by enhancing insulin function and reducing insulin resistance. The richest food source of alpha lipoic acid is red meat. Vanadyl sulfate helps to trigger glucose transporters much like insulin, obviously meaning increased glycogen stores and better assimilation of protein by muscle tissue. <Picture: Glucophage - brand of metformin>Higher glycogen stores mean better "pumps" in the gym and more energy during workouts. Chromium picolinate helps insulin function by regulating glucose tolerance factor which helps insulin bind to muscle cells. This may especially be important to insulin resistant bodybuilders. Metformin, which is sold as Glucophage in America, is an extremely powerful glucose disposing agent used to manage diabetes. Phenformin is similar but causes the negative side effect of lactic acidosis. Metformin is a prescription item. Phenformin can be found in Mexico where it is sold under the brand name of Debeone. Doing explosive concentric movements and limiting eccentric type of training (i.e. long negatives) may also increase glycogen stores. Carbohydrate depleting and then reloading (glycogen supercompensation) may allow you to increase glycogen stores two fold, as mentioned above.
So basically to allow for the most glycogen stores I would definitely recommend a vanadyl or chromium supplement. V2G by EAS and Vanadyl ph by Sportpharma seem to be two effective vanadyl supplements. Training intensely, depleting glycogen stores, may also allow for rapid glycogen resynthesis. There is a great advantage to carb loading before a bodybuilding competition. The method I recommend is this: 7 days out from a show, start carb depleting by consuming 1 gram of carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight. This depleting phase will increase glycogen synthase activity and prime your body for glycogen supercompensation. Training during this time should consist of heavy, explosive (concentric) movements for low repetitions. Glucagon levels will start rising at this point to help maintain blood sugar levels. After three days of depleting, start carb loading by consuming 3 grams per kilogram of bodyweight daily along with a glutamine and glucose disposing supplement for three days. Consume a greater amount of those carbs earlier in the day and taper down as the day progresses. Make sure to consume plenty of complex carbohydrates during the loading phase such as sweet potatoes ,vegetables, brown rice, and multi-grain oatmeal. The loading phase should allow for glycogen supercompensation and fill your glycogen stores to the gills causing enlarged muscles and harder definition. You should try carb loading/depleting about 3 weeks before the show to make sure it works perfectly. The slightest mistake can cause water retention and a smooth appearance to muscles. This formula has worked for me in many competitions over the years.
In conclusion, glycogen resynthesis plays an important role in bodybuilding and proper carbohydrate depleting/loading can make the difference between winning a bodybuilding competition or looking like a balloon and losing. Advances in glycogen synthesis are currently being made and the future looks bright for bodybuilders who want to get larger muscles and increase energy levels through glycogen recompensation. In my opinion, Glycogenin and proglycogen supplementation hold the key to future advancements in muscle glycogen resynthesis.
References
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2. Newsholme EA, Leech AR. (1984). Biochemistry for the medical sciences. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 38-42; 312-30; 444-454
3. Friedman JE, Neufer PD, Dohm GL. (1991). Regulation of glycogen resynthesis following exercise. Dietary considerations. Sports Med 11(4), 232-243.
4. Rodnick KJ, Henriksen EJ, James DE, et al. (1992). Exercise training, glucose transporters, and glucose transport in rat skeletal muscles. Am. J. Physiol. 262(1), C9-C14
5. Klip A, Ramal T, Young DA, et al. (1987). Insulin-induced translocation of glucose transporters in rat hindlimb muscles. FEBS Lett. 224(1), 224-230
6. Wallberg-Henriksson H, Constable SH, Young DA, et al. (1988). Glucose transport into rat skeletal muscle: interaction between exercise and insulin. J. Appl. Physiol. 65(2), 909-913
7. Gao J,Ren J, Gulve EA, et al. (1994). Additive effect of contractions and insulin on GLUT-4 translocation into the sarcolemma. J Appl Physiol 77(4), 1597-1601
8. Pascoe DD, Gladden LB. (1996). Muscle glycogen resynthesis after short term, high intensity exercise and resistance exercise. Sports Med 21(2), 98-118
9. Pascoe DD, Costill DL, Fink WJ, et al. (1993). Glycogen resynthesis in skeletal muscle following resistive exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 25(3), 349-354
10. Robergs RA, Pearson DR, Costill DL, et al. (1991). Muscle glycogenolysis during differing intensities of weight-resistance exercise. J Appl Physiol 70(4), 1700-1706
11. O'Reily KP, Warhol MJ, Fielding RA, et al . (1987). Eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage impairs muscle glycogen repletion. J. Appl. Physiol. 63(1), 252-256
12. Costill DL, Pascoe DD, Fink WJ, et al. (1990). Impaired muscle glycogen resynthesis after eccentric exercise. J Appl Physiol 69(1), 46-50
13. Perseghin G, Price TB, Petersen KF, Roden M, Cline GW, Gerow K, Rothman DL, Shulman GI (1996). Increased glucose transport-phosphorylation and muscle glycogen synthesis after exercise training in insulin-resistant subjects. N. Engl. J. Med. 335(18), 1357-1362
14. Zawadski KM, Yaspelkis BB, Ivy JL. (1992). Carbohydrate-protein complex increases the rate of muscle glycogen storage after exercise. J Appl Physiol 72(5), 1854-1859
15. Alonso MD, Lomako J, Lomako WM, Whelan WJ, et al. (1995). A new look at the biogenesis of glycogen. FASEB J. 9(12), 1126-1137
16. Lavoinne A, Baquet A, Hue L (1987). Stimulation of glycogen synthesis and lipogenesis by glutamine in isolated rat hepatocytes. Biochem. J. 248(2), 429-437
17. Varnier M, Leese GP, Thompson J, Rennie MJ, et al. (1995). Stimulatory effect of glutamine on glycogen accumulation in human skeletal muscle. Am. J. Physiol. 269(2), E309-E315
Maybe that will help you out some. After you post your training and sleep, Ill take a look and reply my opinons for you.
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Here is an article that I saved along time ago. Unfortunately, I have no clue who the author is, so sorry
Nutrition 101 article - Bodybuilding Nutrition
This is long, but I figured it would be good for some of the bros who are wondering why they aren't gainig........
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To those who already know "everything": Please remember that this was written to give beginners a place to start in terms of nutrition. I could get into much more detail, but the object of this article is to be brief and explain the very basics of bodybuilding nutrition. This gives the beginner a place to start, so that when they read the articles in the magazines, they aren't completely lost. Hopefully after reading this, Snackwell's fat free cookies will no longer be considered a good diet food and protein will no longer be considered just a supplement.
Beginners, hopefully this will spark your interest enough to get you to read articles and books and further educate yourself, so that you will get the results that you want. In my opinion, nutrition is 50% of the equation when trying to achieve your goals, training is 40%, and the correct use of anabolics is 10%. Yes, anabolics do make more than 10% of a difference, but that's only if you are eating right and training hard. Anabolics, in my honest opinion are merely supplements that actually do what they are supposed to.
Part I - Macronutrients
What are macronutrients?
It's actually very simple. All foods fit into these three categories: Protein, Carbohydrates, or Fats. As a bodybuilder (or anyone trying to get fit or get bigger), you need to know this and you must know what each one does in your body.
Protein
Literally, protein is the essential building block of muscle. Without this, you cannot and will not grow, even if you are on a boatload of drugs! As a matter of fact, without sufficient protein you will lose muscle. Strive for a bare minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each and every day. Most bodybuilders keep protein intake at 2 grams per pound or more. All protein has roughly 4 calories per gram. Remember that the body will use protein as a source of energy instead of using it to build muscle if you aren't getting sufficient calories from carbohydrates and dietary fats. This will rob your muscles of this essential building block, so you must take in sufficient quality carbs and fats as well, but more on that later.
Protein sources include:
All meats - including beef, poultry, and fish.
Protein powdesr - Adding this to your diet is probably the only way you will get 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight on a daily basis unless you have nothing to do all day except eat, train, and sleep.
Nuts, legumes (includes peanuts, soy beans, etc.) - Not the best choices, but remember not to worry so much about what kind of protein you get as much as you should worry about how much protein you're getting every day. Adding nuts to your diet is a good way to add protein and healthy fats.
Carbohydrates
The body's preferred source of energy. Carbohydrates also provide your brain with energy, which is why you will be somewhat "out of it" when you first start a low carb diet. Most bodybuilders will strive to get 2-3 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight when bulking. (i.e. A 200lb. bodybuilder would strive for 400-600 grams per day). All carbohydrates have roughly 4 calories per gram. In my opinion, it's very important to eat some carbs before training to provide you with energy that you will need.
Too many calories from carbohydrates at one time will be stored as fat. Carbohydrates that are digested fast (called sugars, simple carbs, or simple sugars) will be more likely to be stored as fat because the body doesn't get enough time to burn the calories. Foods that include simple carbs and sugars are fruits, fruit juice, sweets and junkfood containing sugar (including candy, cookies, cakes, soda, etc.) Obviously, you will want to limit the amount of simple carbs that you take in. The only time it is advantageous to take in simple carbs is immediately after training, when your body's glycogen stores are low. Taking in simple sugars at this time will allow your body to replenish glycogen stores more quickly (in short, this means faster recovery, which translates to quicker growth).
Carbohydrates that are digested by the body more slowly (referred to as complex carbohydrates) are less likely to be stored as fat and tend to be high in dietary fiber. These are the bodybuilder's preferred source of carbohydrates.
These slow burning carbohydrate sources include:
Oatmeal
Whole Grain Bread (nothing with the word "enriched" in the list of ingredients)
Grains
Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
Vegetables - These will be mainly used as a source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and not as a source of energy
Pasta
Rice - Brown rice tends to burn slower and because of that, it is a better choice than white rice.
Not all complex carbs burn as slowly as others, for instance whole wheat bread (not enriched) burns much slower than white bread, white rice burns faster than brown rice, also note that pastas burn faster than most other complex carbs.
Faster burning carbohydrate sources include:
Candy
Soda
Cakes, Pies
Sugar of any type
Fruit Juice - Not as good as fruit, but a better choice than the above mentioned foods.
Fruits - Still a very good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Carbohydrates also affect blood sugar, muscle glycogen levels and insulin production. But for the purpose of keeping this article "beginner friendly", I won't get into all of that. Just remember that when you take in simple carbs (sweets/sugars) your blood sugar spikes relatively fast and then drops that much faster (unless they are taken in after training), which will leave you feeling tired, sleepy, and even a craving for more sugar or carbs. This is another reason why slow burning carbs are preferred.
Fats
Some dietary fats are good for your fitness goals and other dietary fats are very bad for your fitness and your health. Fats, like carbohydrates can either be burnt as energy or stored as bodyfat. Fats generally burn faster than carbs, therefore they are more readily stored as bodyfat. Dietary fats have roughly 9 calories per gram, as opposed to 4 calories per gram for protein and carbs. Along with being used as energy, healthy fats provide a host of other benefits, including maintaining overall health and even making your skin and hair look better. Unhealthy fats (saturated fats) can do just the opposite, especially to your skin.
Sources of "good" or "healthy" fats include but are not limited to:
Fish Oil (basically fats found in fish)
Nuts (good source of protein and healthy fats)
Olive Oil
Flaxseed Oil - can be found in most nutrition stores like GNC
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) - also can be found nutrition stores
Sources of "bad fats" include, but are not limited to:
Anything that it deep fried (french fries, fried chicken)
Fat from animal sources, such as the saturated fats found in beef and pork and the saturated fat found in milk.
Part II - Diet Types
What kind of diet should I be on?
This depends on what you want to accomplish. We'll look at two categories of diets, "bulking" and "cutting".
Bulking
This is the term we use to describe diets where you are ultimately trying to add muscle. The only way this can be done is to take in more calories than your body uses. Most bodybuilders will tell you that it's easier to add muscle when a small amount of fat is added along with it. That being said, if your body fat is over 20%, you should probably consider cutting down to around 12-15% before you think about bulking or you will end up looking like an fat person rather than a bodybuilder.
To build muscle, you need to take in adequate protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, and even some sugars (Candy bars aren't really what I mean). As you already know, protein is what builds muscle. But, without sufficient calories coming from complex carbs and healthy fats, your body will use that protein as a source of energy, which will in turn rob your muscles of this very important building block.
*To find out how many calories you need to build muscle and what form they should be in (Protein/Carbs/Fats), you will want to multiply your bodyweght by 15-17 for starters (use a higher number if you don't see desired results).
200 lbs x 15-17 = 3000-3400 calories. So, a 200 lb bodybuilder will need 3000-3400 calories per day.
Chris Aceto, a popular nutritionist used by many pro bodybuilders recommends a protein/carbs/fats ratio of 35/55/15, which means 35% of calories come from protein, 55% come from carbs, and 15% come from dietary fats.
We'll use that 200 lb bodybuilder at 17 calories per pound as an example.
3400 calories x 0.55 = 1870 calories from carbs (1870 divided by 4 calories per gram = 467.5 grams of carbs per day)
3400 calories x 0.35 = 1190 calories from protein (1190 divided by 4 calories per gram = 297.5 grams of protein per day)
3400 calories x 0.15 = 510 calories from dietary fats (510 divided by 9 calories per gram = 56.67 grams of fat per day)
*Click on Nutritional Calculator for help with calculating this.
Cutting
This is the term we use to describe diets where the reason is to reduce bodyfat. There are many different approaches to doing this, in terms of diet. You will most likely need to experiment to find out which one is for you and which type of cutting diet your body responds to best. On any cutting diet you choose, you need to take in less calories than your body uses. Without turning this into a training article, cardio is another very important factor here. The basic idea when cutting (in my opinion) is to eat a little less, and move a lot more (cardio). Cardio should be performed anywhere from 3 times per week to twice per day.
One thing to consider while cutting is muscle loss. If you restrict your maintenance calories by more than 500-750 per day, you will likely lose some muscle. That being said, try to allow yourself 1 week for every 2 lbs of fat you want to lose. If you are losing much more than 2 lbs per week, it's safe to say that you are probably losing muscle mass.
Here are a couple of types of cutting diets. All of these diet types will need to be considerably high in protein.
Low carb - The basic idea here is to reduce calories by restricting carbohydrates considerably, while allowing more dietary fats. After you have used up the small amount of calories that comes from carbs, the body will be using mostly dietary fats (healthy fats only) as it's primary source of fuel. Sugars are basically eliminated on this diet.
Ketogenic - Also known as the Cyclic Ketogenic Diet (CKD) The idea here is similar to the low carb diet, except carbs are virtually eliminated from the diet completely which makes the body go into ketosisr (produce ketones which are reported to be anabolic while promoting fat loss at the same time...For simplicity's sake, we won't get into all of that here.) As with a low carb diet, the body will be using mostly dietary fats (healthy fats only) as it's main source of fuel. Carbs are generally kept at around 15-20 grams per day.
Low fat - The way this type of diet reduces calories is by virtually eliminating dietary fats, while keeping carbohydrate intake relatively high compared to the above two diet types. The body uses carbs as it's main source of fuel. While on this diet, you will still want to get around 20 grams of healthy or "good" fats per day.
*To find out how many calories you need to reduce bodyfat, you will want to multiply your bodyweght by 12-14 to start (use a higher number if you are losing more than 2.5 lbs per week).
200 lbs x 12-14 = 2400-2800 calories. So, a 200 lb bodybuilder will need 2400-2800 calories per day. As he loses weight he will want to recalculate this every 4 weeks or so.
Although a 55/35/15 carb/protein/fat ratio used above would probably work, the ratio will be different depending on what type of cutting diet you choose, which can get a little confusing. For further detail, I suggest getting a book focusing on one of these diet types and reading the nutrition articles in the magazines.
Part III - Timing
One thing you will learn with bodybuilding, is that timing truly is everything.
Eat at least 5 times per day!
Your body needs nutrients provided in a steady stream throughout the day, meaning you need to eat 5-8 times per day. If you don't eat for an extended period of time (over 3-4 hours), your body will go into a catabolic state, meaning it will literally feed off of muscle. Not eating for extended periods also causes your metabolism to slow down and hold on to stored bodyfat that you already have and even store more bodyfat when you do get to eat. This is because your body has determined that you are out of food and may not get any food in the near future. This is the body's defense against famine...good for survival, bad for bodybuilding/fitness goals.
Another benefit of eating every few hours, is the thermogenic effect of food. When your body digests food, your body temperature rises slightly, burning calories along the way. Make sure that there is always some protein in there every time you eat (before training excluded).
That being said, you should try to eat every 3 hours or so.
Don't skip breakfast!
Your mom isn't pulling your chain. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day (or a tie with the meal following your workout). I can't stress this enough. If you don't eat within an hour of when you get up, you are cheating yourself to put it mildly. If you are getting the 8-9 hours of sleep that you should be, then you haven't eaten for 8-9 hours...this is not good for bodybuilding. Some bodybuilders even wake up in the middle of the night and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when trying to bulk, so don't think you can get away without eating breakfast because you can't.
Late night snacks
Carbs and Fats are important, but if it's late at night and you are trying to lose bodyfat, a protein shake may be all you need. If you're having trouble gaining muscle, eat protein, carbs, and fats before bed.
If you are cutting and you get hungry when you go to bed, try eating a teaspoon of natural peanut butter. This is low in carbs and high in healthy fats and protein and should stop cravings for food long enough to let you get to sleep.
Eat before and after you train!
I like to have some carbs before I train in order to provide me with fuel for my workout. I usually try to take in 40-50 grams of carbs about 30-45 minutes before I train. I tend to get sick if I eat a significant amount of protein or fat this close to when I train, so it's mainly just carbs at this time.
The worst mistake you can make is to not eat after your workout. When you train, you are breaking muscle down. If you do not provide your body with sufficient nutrients within 45 minutes of training, you are robbing yourself of recovery and muscle growth. Unless you are cutting carbs, you should try to consume some simple carbs (fruits or fruit juice, not cookies and junk food) after you train. This will allow your body to replenish it's glycogen stores more quickly...allowing for quicker recovery. You should also consume protein after you workout.
Part IV - Convenience
The easiest way to make sure you stick with your diet is to make it convenient. It's not going to taste all that good, so you might as well make this as easy as possible on yourself. Needless to say, it's pretty challenging to go out of your way 5 or 6 times per day to find clean food when Taco Bell and Burger King is right across the street. Don't do this to yourself, it's not fun.
If for some reason you have to eat fast food, at least go out of the way to find a Subway or similar sandwich shop and order a sub. If you're cutting, order a 6 inch sub on wheat bread to keep the carbs low, with double meat to keep protein high. Cheese and Mayo should be avoided, but mustard is a good topping when you're dieting.
Prepare ahead of time.
Take your meals with you when you aren't going to be home for an extended period of time. You don't want to be forced to choose between Taco Bell and not eating when you are on a cutting diet.
When you're bulking, there's no better way to get fat than by eating the wrong kind of carbs and fats. Even though you don't have to be as strict as you do when you're cutting, you still need to eat quality calories. Even when bulking, try to prepare your meals at home and take them with you.
I prepare all of my food for the week on Sundays, put each meal in a plastic container and freeze them until the day I plan to eat them. Then all you need to do is pack a grocery bag with 2-3 meals out of the freezer and a 32 oz. Rubbermaid container full of protein or MRPs and take it to work (or wherever) the next morning. People at work will think you're a little different when your "lunch" sack is usually a full grocery bag. If you aren't going to have access to a refridgerator, buy a cooler and an ice pack.
Don't forget Protein Powders and MRPs (Meal Replacement Powders).
The difference between a meal replacement powder (MRPs) and protein powder is that MRPs have carbs included in them, so they tend to taste a little better. The carbs in MRP's aren't really slow burning like oatmeal, etc. but they are decent calories for bulking. I don't recommend MRPs for cutting purposes.
If you try to get all of your protein from solid food, it can get very expensive and is just hard to do. Meal replacement and protein powders are a great way to get extra calories and protein. When dieting down, I prepare about 120 grams of protein powder and water in a 32 oz. container to take with me to work the next morning. I leave it in the refridgerator and drink about 1/3 of it at 3 different times during the day (in between meals). I do the same thing when bulking, but with a couple of MRP's and some protein powder instead of just protein powder.
For those who don't put on fat easily, another variety of MRPs is the so-called "Mass" drinks. These come pre-bottled or the do-it-yourself powder form. They are usually full of carbs (including a lot of sugar) with a nice amount of protein, and some fat. If you put on fat easily, "Mass" type drinks are probably not for you. These can be a very useful tool for bulking, but can also make you fat, so I generally only recommend these to people that don't put on fat very easily (no matter what they eat).
Part V - Water
Drink plenty of water!!
This is an easy concept. Water is the most overlooked part of nutrition. Drink 1-3 gallons (depending on your size) every day wether bulking or cutting. If you aren't getting enough water, you won't grow muscle as quickly and you won't lose fat as quickly. Enough said.
Here is another on Glycogen:
by Rehan Jalali
Do you want your muscles to feel pumped all the time? Do you want more energy during your workouts? Then fill up your glycogen stores! Glycogen is the storage form of glucose (blood sugar). Muscle glycogen resynthesis or as some say glycogen supercompensation is an important aspect in bodybuilding. Some bodybuilders are so bent on only protein intake that they forget that 2/3 of total glycogen stores are found in skeletal muscle (the other 1/3 being found in the liver). The glycogen found in muscle is generally used for the muscle only and not to maintain blood sugar levels. The glycogen stores in the liver are responsible for maintaining proper blood sugar levels. There are several ways to enhance or improve glycogen stores which will be discussed in a latter part of this article. In this short synopsis of glycogen metabolism as it relates to bodybuilding, I want to explore the details of this interesting topic.
2. Biochemistry
Let's start with some basics of glycogen metabolism. If you don't have some knowledge of biochemistry or just simply don't care how it works, please skip to the part about how to increase glycogen stores and current research on this topic. Carbohydrates, specifically glucose, are an important energy source for many human tissues including skeletal muscle. It would not be practical or efficient for your body to store significant amounts of glucose in solution. Therefore, carbohydrate reserves are stored in the form of the branch chained polysaccharide called glycogen. The average bodybuilder sustains about 85 millimoles of glycogen per kilogram of skeletal muscle. A millimole is a simple measurement of the amount of certain compounds in your body. Supercompensation glycogen studies have shown that a trained athlete can achieve at least 175 millimoles. I will discuss how to achieve these glycogen levels in a latter part of this article. When a glycogen-containing muscle cell requires glucose, say during weight training, glucose monomers are removed one at a time from glycogen molecules. This reaction is catalyzed by glycogen phosphorylase. The glucose at this point is released in the form of Glucose-1-phosphate. The first step of glycolysis (the energy producing pathway in muscle cells) is glucose-6-phosphate. Muscle cells contain an enzyme called phosphoglucomutase which can convert glucose 1-phosphate to glucose 6-phosphate at which point it can take part in the steps of glycolysis. Due to the attached phosphate group in this process, none of the glucose resulting from glycogen hydrolysis are able to leave the cell in which they were produced. Liver cells on the other hand, are able to dephosphorylate glucose. Due to this dephosphorylation, the glycogen stores in the liver can release glucose into the blood stream to regulate blood sugar. Glycogen synthesis (the production of glycogen to be stored ) requires the phosphorylation of glucose or the addition of a phosphate group. This allows for activation of the molecule as well as containment within muscle cells. After phosphorylation, glucose reacts with UTP (uridine tri-phosphate) to form UDP glucose. This reaction is effectively irreversible. UDP- glucose monomers are then converted to glycogen by the enzyme glycogen synthase (with the liberation of the UDP). Glycogen synthase activation is considered to be an important regulatory step in glycogen synthesis (1). Glycogenin, a glycoprotein, serves as a guide for all glycogen synthesis. It has a function of priming glycogen synthesis as well as activating glycogen synthase. I will discuss this interesting compound further a little later. Muscle glycogen reserves are mobilized in situations of stress. Phosphorylase kinase is an enzyme which catalyses glycogen phosphorylase. The activity of glycogen phosphorylase is increased by epinephrine (adrenaline). Muscle contraction is initiated by a rise in Ca+2 ion concentration. Ca+2 ions also increase the activity of phosphorylase kinase. Proper calcium intake is essential for muscle contraction . I would recommend at least 1600mg of calcium daily for bodybuilders. A secondary beneficial effect of calcium is that it has been shown to lower blood pressure. Magnesium and potassium supplementation may also be necessary for proper electrolyte balance if taking a calcium supplement.
When glucose is ingested and goes into the blood stream from the digestive tract, it stimulates the release of the peptide hormone insulin from the pancreas. Insulin binds to specific receptors in cell membranes and facilitates diffusion of glucose into the cell. Normally the cell membranes are impermeable to glucose , but when a cell receptor is activated the membrane allows for a rapid entry of glucose into the cells. Insulin also helps activate glycogen synthase (2) and allows cell membranes to become more permeable to certain amino acids, creatine, and some minerals. Insulin causes glucose transport proteins (GLUT) to increase their activity allowing for increased glucose uptake by muscle cells. Two of these transporters have been found in skeletal muscle: GLUT 1, which is present in low levels, and GLUT 4, which is the major isoform in muscle and is responsible for the increase in glucose transport in response to insulin and muscle contractions (2, 3, 4, 5) A rapid transport of glucose into the cell requires the presence of GLUT 4 transporters on the cell surface, and translocation of these from the Golgi apparatus requires insulin. It is believed that both insulin and exercise stimulate the translocation of GLUT 4 transporters from an intracellular pool to the plasma membrane of skeletal muscle (6). According to some research, there may be two separate intracellular pools of glucose transporters, one accessible for translocation by the actions of insulin and one accessible by the effect of exercise (7). Both exercise (muscle contraction to be specific) and insulin stimulate an increase in glucose uptake by muscle. It has also been established that glycogen can be resynthesized from lactate in skeletal muscle (8). There is ample evidence which suggests that exercise during recovery impede glycogen synthesis. This is why I recommend that you refrain from any cardiovascular work right after resistance training. It may inhibit glycogen resynthesis and not let you recover from your weight training session. The best time for cardiovascular work is early in the morning on an empty stomach. This may allow for the most fat loss.
There have only been two comprehensive studies (9,10) that have investigated muscle glycogen synthesis after resistance exercise. Pascoe et al (9) reported a 31% decrease in muscle glycogen levels after resistance training. Robergs et al (10) reported muscle glycogen degradations of about 38% after resistance training. Muscle glycogen resynthesis after resistance exercise (weight lifting) is considerably faster than prolonged aerobic exercise (8). Eccentric exercise has been associated with ultrastructural muscle damage, leakage of intracellular enzymes, delayed onset muscle soreness , AND reduced rates of glycogen resynthesis (11,12). Some evidence suggests that the anti-inflammatory cells which enter muscle tissue in response to the eccentrically induced damage compete with the muscle cells for available plasma glucose (12). In addition, these inflammatory cells may produce a metabolic factor that shifts muscle metabolism towards glycogenolysis (glycogen breakdown) and away from glycogen synthesis. It is speculated that the damage resulting form eccentric exercise interfered with the insertion of the GLUT 4 protein into the plasma membrane and increased the rate of degradation or the rate of production of this glucose transporter protein (12). The evidence sited above shows that eccentric contractions and subsequent muscle damage impair muscle glycogen resynthesis. I would recommend more explosive, concentric type of movements to enhance glycogen resynthesis after resistance training. This would especially be necessary while carbohydrate loading/depleting (before a bodybuilding competition for example). The recruitment of more fast twitch glycolytic muscle fibers may also enhance glycogen synthesis (8).
Exercise stimulates muscle glucose uptake both directly and by increasing the sensitivity of this process to insulin. Increased fat intake and intracellular triglycerides may cause insulin resistance and hamper muscle glycogen resynthesis. According to one study, exercise increased insulin sensitivity in normal subjects because of a two fold increase in insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis in muscle, due to an increase in insulin-stimulated glucose transport-phosphorylation (13). Since insulin sensitivity is highest after resistance exercise, it is vital to take a high glycemic index drink immediately after training. This stimulates the secretion of insulin to allow rapid muscle glycogen resynthesis. The general formula is to consume about 1.5 grams of high glycemic index carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight after weight training. Glycogen restoration rate is higher following glucose feeding as compared with fructose feeding because of glucose's higher glycemic index rating. Some people have mentioned to me that protein is also needed along with carbohydrates to increase muscle glycogen resynthesis. I believe if you consume a high glycemic index carbohydrate after training at the amount given above, then additional protein will not improve muscle glycogen resynthesis (14). If you are on a ketogenic type of a diet than consuming certain amino acids (namely branched chain) may allow for an insulin response causing an increase in muscle glycogen resynthesis. By the way, supercompensated muscle glycogen levels can maintained at least three days after carb loading on a moderate carbohydrate diet according to a study at the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego.
Glycogenin, which I mentioned previously, primes glycogen synthesis. The amount of glycogenin will influence how much glycogen a cell can store (15). Thus the production of active glycogenin primer in the cell has the potential to be the overall rate limiting process in glycogen formation. A company called Upstate Biotechnology markets glycogenin but not for human consumption. I don't believe that the FDA has approved synthetic glycogenin for human consumption. Another component of glycogen metabolism has been discovered which may even have greater influence on total glycogen stores than does glycogenin. This is the low molecular mass form of glycogen called proglycogen (15). If proglycogen could be converted into macroglycogen , muscle glycogen levels may increase significantly. I believe that this will be the next big step in glycogen resynthesis advancements.
3. Increasing muscle glycogen levels
Now on to the most critical part of muscle glycogen resynthesis. How do you increase muscle glycogen levels? There are several supplements and techniques to allow for increased glycogen storage. One way is taking a glutamine supplement. Glutamine causes a significant increase in muscle glycogen deposition through an unknown mechanism. According to one university study, a physiological concentration of glutamine stimulates glycogen synthesis from glucose and gluconeogenic pre-cursors (16). So glutamine along with your post workout high glycemic index carbohydrates may increase glutamine and glycogen in the muscle. I would recommend at least 5-10 grams of glutamine at this time to allow for glycogen recompensation. In another research study on humans, an intravenous drip of glutamine, raising blood levels about 70% above normal, increased muscle glycogen (17). Some top quality glutamine supplements I would recommend are Cytovol by EAS and SuperGlu by GURUetc. There is also a doctor named Elias Meezan who is in the process of patenting artificial primers for glycogen synthesis. Properties of these compounds enable them to readily penetrate cells chemically intact so that they have access to glycogenin and glycogen synthase. The unique structural and metabolic properties of these compounds make it highly likely that in addition to priming glycogen synthesis on their own, they could act synergistically with other drugs to stimulate glucose disposal and glycogen synthesis. This is real exciting news for bodybuilders and diabetics as well. Next, there are those glucose disposing agents or so called "insulin mimickers" such as vanadyl sulfate, chromium picolinate, metformin, and phenformin. Alpha lipoic acid also shows potential as a glucose disposing agent. In Germany, it is used as a treatment for peripheral neuropathy, a common complication of diabetes. It speeds the removal of glucose from the blood stream, at least partly by enhancing insulin function and reducing insulin resistance. The richest food source of alpha lipoic acid is red meat. Vanadyl sulfate helps to trigger glucose transporters much like insulin, obviously meaning increased glycogen stores and better assimilation of protein by muscle tissue. <Picture: Glucophage - brand of metformin>Higher glycogen stores mean better "pumps" in the gym and more energy during workouts. Chromium picolinate helps insulin function by regulating glucose tolerance factor which helps insulin bind to muscle cells. This may especially be important to insulin resistant bodybuilders. Metformin, which is sold as Glucophage in America, is an extremely powerful glucose disposing agent used to manage diabetes. Phenformin is similar but causes the negative side effect of lactic acidosis. Metformin is a prescription item. Phenformin can be found in Mexico where it is sold under the brand name of Debeone. Doing explosive concentric movements and limiting eccentric type of training (i.e. long negatives) may also increase glycogen stores. Carbohydrate depleting and then reloading (glycogen supercompensation) may allow you to increase glycogen stores two fold, as mentioned above.
So basically to allow for the most glycogen stores I would definitely recommend a vanadyl or chromium supplement. V2G by EAS and Vanadyl ph by Sportpharma seem to be two effective vanadyl supplements. Training intensely, depleting glycogen stores, may also allow for rapid glycogen resynthesis. There is a great advantage to carb loading before a bodybuilding competition. The method I recommend is this: 7 days out from a show, start carb depleting by consuming 1 gram of carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight. This depleting phase will increase glycogen synthase activity and prime your body for glycogen supercompensation. Training during this time should consist of heavy, explosive (concentric) movements for low repetitions. Glucagon levels will start rising at this point to help maintain blood sugar levels. After three days of depleting, start carb loading by consuming 3 grams per kilogram of bodyweight daily along with a glutamine and glucose disposing supplement for three days. Consume a greater amount of those carbs earlier in the day and taper down as the day progresses. Make sure to consume plenty of complex carbohydrates during the loading phase such as sweet potatoes ,vegetables, brown rice, and multi-grain oatmeal. The loading phase should allow for glycogen supercompensation and fill your glycogen stores to the gills causing enlarged muscles and harder definition. You should try carb loading/depleting about 3 weeks before the show to make sure it works perfectly. The slightest mistake can cause water retention and a smooth appearance to muscles. This formula has worked for me in many competitions over the years.
In conclusion, glycogen resynthesis plays an important role in bodybuilding and proper carbohydrate depleting/loading can make the difference between winning a bodybuilding competition or looking like a balloon and losing. Advances in glycogen synthesis are currently being made and the future looks bright for bodybuilders who want to get larger muscles and increase energy levels through glycogen recompensation. In my opinion, Glycogenin and proglycogen supplementation hold the key to future advancements in muscle glycogen resynthesis.
References
1. Ivy JL (1991). Muscle glycogen synthesis before and after exercise. Sports Med 11(1), 6-19
2. Newsholme EA, Leech AR. (1984). Biochemistry for the medical sciences. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 38-42; 312-30; 444-454
3. Friedman JE, Neufer PD, Dohm GL. (1991). Regulation of glycogen resynthesis following exercise. Dietary considerations. Sports Med 11(4), 232-243.
4. Rodnick KJ, Henriksen EJ, James DE, et al. (1992). Exercise training, glucose transporters, and glucose transport in rat skeletal muscles. Am. J. Physiol. 262(1), C9-C14
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Maybe that will help you out some. After you post your training and sleep, Ill take a look and reply my opinons for you.
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