Muscle Talk
Jaime Filer
Jaime Filer graduated with a kinesiology degree from York University, where she was a varsity athlete. She’s also a former competitive bodybuilder who competed in drug-tested events throughout North America. If something new is trending in fitness, chances are Jaime’s already tried it!
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Fenugreek Whey and Forskolin
SUPPLEMENT ZONE
Fenugreek is the new black
Fenugreek, a flowered plant of the pea family used in curry powder, has been studied for years for its anticancer benefits, and more recently for increasing muscle strength. But now, bodybuilders looking to lose fat are getting in on the hype. Japanese researchers gave mice nothing, 150 milligrams, or 300 milligrams (per kilogram of body weight) of fenugreek extract every day for four weeks. By the end, the concentration of free fatty acids in the mice’s blood went down, as did their fat reserves. It’s hard to tell what the human dose equivalent is, but most recommendations hover around 250 to 500 milligrams.
Watch me sip on my whey whey
The myth of the “anabolic window” has been dispelled; the post-workout window of anabolic opportunity is broader than once thought and the amount of protein/leucine consumed in a day is more important than timing. The next myth that was smashed recently was about pre-workout whey versus post. Researchers gave one group of subjects 20 grams of whey immediately before weight training, and they gave another group 20 grams 60 minutes after working out. The muscles of the group who got whey before training took up more amino acids after training than the group who got it afterwards. So while you can drink whey after you train, if you drink it 60 minutes before you train, it’ll be a little more effective.
Forskolin: to be leaner and manlier
Mother Nature has a unique sense of humour. One of the brightest, most colorful, tropical plants is one with the most hardcore, masculinizing benefit. Coleus forskohlii—a purple, tropical perennial plant from India—produces forskolin, an organic compound that activates important enzymes in the human body. Researchers know that forskolin activates the enzyme responsible for receptors in the testes being more sensitive to luteinizing hormone (which is one of the main hormones responsible for controlling the reproductive system and increasing testosterone), and the receptors in fat cells more sensitive to adrenalin (making it easier for them to break down lipids in fat cells). After taking 500 milligrams a day for 12 weeks, 15 men lost 5 kilograms of fat and gained 4 kilograms of lean body mass without changing their diet. The researchers attribute this recomposition effect to the increased testosterone production.
For more information about Fenugreek and Testosterone, click here!
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