posted February 10, 2000 10:47 PM            

This information is based on an abstract that appeared in the FASEB Journal (the official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology), March 10, 1995, Volume 9, Number 4.

The abstract is called The Effect of Experimental Zinc Depletion on Body Composition and Basal Metabolism in Men and was authored by B. Sutherland, N.M. Lowe, M. Van Loan, J.C. King, and J.R. Turnlund of the Nutrition Science Department at the University of California at Berkeley and of the Western Human Nutrition Center, the Presidio, California 94129

In this abstract, the authors note that, in a previous study, men fed a low zinc diet (5.5 mg/d) had a significant decrease in basal metabolic rate (BMR).

The purpose of the new study was to determine if "acute" zinc depletion also decreased BMR and if this was associated with a loss of actively metabolizing tissue, fat-free mass (FFM).

The experiment lasted 85 days, and nine men�not a very large population of subjects�participated in the study.

The bottom line results were these: Total body weight, fat, fat free mass (FFM) and bone mineral did not change during depletion, but total body water increased 5.3 plus or minus 1.9%, or about 2 kg by the end of depletion, and returned to baseline values at the end of repletion. This information suggests that acute zinc depletion in humans impairs water balance, but does not alter basal metabolism or the amount of actively metabolizing tissue.

Comment: If you don't want to be holding four or five pounds of extra water when your contest comes around, make sure the amount of zinc you have in your system is adequate. You can go to the health food store and buy zinc and take it, and this may well help, but it is not the best way to deal with the situation.

It is better to know what you are doing�to know what your present levels actually are, and to have a physician recommend a therapeutic dosage, if a therapeutic dosage is warranted. You can make sure that your trace mineral level is in good shape by getting your trace minerals tested. At least five laboratories in the United States do this kind of analysis. One of them is BALCO Labs, Inc., in Burlingame, California. Their toll-free number is 800 777-7122.

Most physicians will just stare at you when you ask them about "multi-element analysis." They know little about nutrition, and they probably have never heard of this lab test, which uses blood serum and red blood cells to measure the levels of 20 to 30 different trace minerals in your system. If you encounter resistance from your physician, call BALCO, and they'll suggest knowledgeable doctors in your area who understand and can authorize the test.

Are you likely to be "low" or deficient" in zinc? If you're a serious bodybuilder, you are. An estimate based on the experience BALCO has had with many, many different kinds of athletes, including advanced amateur and professional bodybuilders, suggests that around 70% of you out there score "low" or "deficient" in zinc. This is the same type of score typically displayed by groups of professional basketball and professional football players.

(By "low" I mean, technically speaking, possessing a serum zinc measurement in parts per million that falls between one and two standard deviations below the mean score achieved by a hundred healthy individuals. And by "deficient" I mean two or more standard deviations below the mean.}
Where do I find this shit!