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IronMagazine.com™ LLC Newsletter

Date Published 7-01-2006

July Newsletter 2006

In this month's issue...  Editor's Note - by Robert DiMaggio  E-Book - No Non-Sense Muscle Building  New Articles - Training, Diet & Nutrition  Featured Website - Ag-Guys.com  Monthly Article - L-Taurine (supplement review)  Expert Q & A - by Tom Venuto  Merchandise - IronMagLabs Anabolic-Matrix Rx™  Marc's Fitness Zone - Soy Protein and Bodybuilding  Site Sponsors- Please visit! ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Editor's Note Hello Fellow Bodybuilders & Fitness Enthusiasts, Can you believe we are already in July? Wow, does time fly! IronMagLabs is having a 10% off special all through July! Use coupon Voucher tenpercent06 in the shopping cart to apply. We have a new writer at IronMagazine, Vince Delmonte, author of best selling ebook No Non-Sense Muscle Building. Be sure to check out his article in this newsletter too. We launched a new affiliate program at IronMagLabs and we are paying a 15% commission on all referred sales, click here for more info and to join. IronMagLabs is producing CEE (Creatine Ethyl Ester HCL) in a 240 capsule bottle. We expect to have it out in the next two weeks, more info here: http://ironmaglabs.com/creatine-ethyl-ester.php We have another jam packed newsletter with great content, so read on... Yours in Fitness, Robert DiMaggio - Owner/President IronMagazine.com LLC ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Featured E-Book No Non-Sense Muscle Building Do you want to gain mass muscle, learn how to bulk up fast (even gain weight if you are underweight) and discover how to get huge muscles? Do you want to gain some serious muscle in those underdeveloped body parts so that you can feel more muscular, stronger and turn more heads? For Vince DelMonte's Complete No Non-Sense Muscle Building System CLICK HERE! ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top July 2006 Articles How to Repair a Damaged Metabolism by Tom Venuto The Reality Of Strength Training Exercise by Sean Nalewanyj How To Build Muscle And Gain Weight Quickly by Vince DelMonte Training With Muscle Soreness: Should You Do It? by Nick Nilsson ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Featured AG-Guys carries all of your research chemical needs. Unlike other fly by night sites or ones that started up last week, AG-Guys have been in business for three years. "J" at AG- guys took it over about 1 1/2 years ago, and basically runs a top notch operation. They hope to earn your business by continuing to provide top quality products at fantastic prices, as well as the best customer service in the industry. They use high-quality European products rather than low-grade Chinese compounds. Give www.ag-guys.com a try and you will be impressed and you will help support IronMagazine at the same time. ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Monthly Article - L-Taurine Review by David Tolson (courtesy of BulkNutrition.com) Introduction Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid that is the most abundant free amino acid in many tissues. Taurine is different than most other amino acids because it is not incorporated into proteins, but it does play many roles in the body, including bile acid conjugation, detoxification, membrane stabilization, osmoregulation, and modulation of excitatory neurotransmission and intracellular calcium levels. The mean taurine intake in humans is estimated to be around 60 mg daily, but supplementation can far exceed this amount and readily increases taurine levels in many tissues. This article will briefly cover some of the many possible utilities of taurine supplementation. Exercise Exercise causes a significant reduction of taurine levels in skeletal muscle, as does aging [1-3]. In these conditions, supplemental taurine improves exercise performance and electrical and contractile properties of skeletal muscle in rodents, respectively [1, 3]. In healthy rats, taurine increased running time to exhaustion from 73.8 minutes to 98.8 minutes. Additionally, the weights of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were increased, but the difference was not statistically significant [1]. A beverage containing taurine, caffeine, and simple carbs increases endurance performance in humans, and a significant portion of these effects is due to the taurine alone [1, 4]. However, it has not been established if it was due to a synergistic relationship, as taurine-only studies have not yet been conducted in humans. Taurine also counteracts exercise-induced weakness in a mouse model of dystrophy, and is superior to creatine in this regard [5], and it protects muscle tissue from ischemia-reperfusion injury [6]. Among the postulated mechanisms of action are membrane stabilization and modulation of ion channels or calcium ion storage capacity [1, 3-4], although there could be a wide variety of reasons for this effect (such as osmoregulation). Cardiac health The concentrations of taurine in the heart are very high, and it constitutes over 50% of the total free amino acid pool [7]. Among the multiple roles it plays are protecting from excessive or inadequate intracellular calcium, acting as a membrane stabilizer, and protecting from injury and oxidative stress [7-8]. Although the taurine content in the heart is tightly regulated and not as subject to deprivation as many other tissues, chronic taurine depletion can result in severe cardiomyopathy [8]. Certain conditions, such as congestive heart failure, can cause a disruption of taurine homeostasis. In a trial with 14 patients with congestive heart failure, 6 grams per day of taurine lowered the heart-failure score from 5.8 to 3.7 where no benefit was seen in the placebo group, and in an animal model of congestive heart failure, 100 mg/kg of taurine reduced mortality from 52% to 11% [7]. Both in vivo and in vitro, taurine protects the heart from ischemic damage by acting as an antioxidant and membrane stabilizer [8, 9]. Taurine also reduces arrhythmias induced by chemicals or ischemia [7, 9]. Finally, taurine administration improved heart function in rats submitted to a high stress load (forced swimming) [10]. Hypertension Commonly used animal models for hypertension include the spontaneously hypertensive rat, the DOCA-salt rat, the salt sensitive Dahl-S rat, and the renovascular hypertensive rat, and taurine alleviates hypertension in all of these models. Taurine also prevents hypertension in rats fed a high fructose diet and rats treated with alcohol. In humans with hypertension, 6 grams of taurine daily resulted in significant reductions in blood pressure, and this was independently verified in two other studies, one of them with only 3 g of taurine. Taurine does not cause a reduction in blood pressure in normotensive humans, indicating that the mechanism of action is specific to the pathology. Both effects in the CNS and modulation of hormone levels are involved [11]. Atherosclerosis Taurine has a beneficial effect on a number of markers of atherosclerosis, and reduces the development of atherosclerosis in animals. Animal models in which taurine has improved cholesterol levels (by reducing LDL or total cholesterol or increasing HDL cholesterol) include spontaneously hyperlipidaemic mice, rats and rabbits fed high cholesterol diets, genetic type 2 diabetic GK rats, and normal rats [12-15]. In a single-blind placebo-controlled study with healthy individuals fed a diet designed to raise cholesterol levels, 6 g daily of taurine reduced total and LDL cholesterol levels [7]. The reduction of cholesterol levels is due to increased bile acid conjugation and antioxidant effects [7, 12-14]. Additionally, taurine prevents stress on the endoplasmic reticulum induced by homocysteine [16] and improves endothelial function in young cigarette smokers, having a greater effect than vitamin C [17-18]. Maximum Pump™ contains 2 Grams of L-Taurine per serving! Neuroprotection The brain is another area where taurine is particularly important. Taurine plays an essential role in both brain development and regeneration and promotes the survival and proliferation of neurons [19]. Additionally, supplemental taurine exerts a definite pharmacological effect in the brain [20]. Taurine is a potent neuroprotectant, protecting against glutamate excitotoxicity, cerebral ischemia, oxidative stress, and the buildup of toxins (including carbon tetrachloride and ammonia) [21-25]. Among other things, this neuroprotection is due to regulation of calcium homeostasis and apoptosis, direct scavenging of toxins, and a reduction of oxidative stress [23-26]. Taurine also holds promise as an anticonvulsant and in the prevention of epilepsy [7, 27-28]. Memory Taurine plays an important role in long-term potentiation. Taurine improves memory in mice treated with a variety of amnestic agents, such as pentobarbital, cycloheximide, sodium nitrite, and alcohol. However, it does not improve memory in healthy, untreated mice [29]. Taurine also imrpoves memory in rats exposed to ozone [30]. Taurine increases brain levels of acetylcholine in animals, and decreased levels of taurine have been found in Alzheimer's patients [7]. It is yet to be seen whether taurine improves memory in humans, but it is likely to have an effect at least in individuals with impaired memory. Diabetes & insulin sensitivity When administered to mice receiving a glucose infusion for six hours, taurine inhibited the development of insulin resistance, which occured primarily in skeletal muscle [31]. Taurine also inhibited hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in fructose-fed rats [32]. For this and other reasons, taurine holds promise in the treatment of diabetes. In diabetic subjects, the amount of arachidonic acid required to induce platelet aggregation is lower, and taurine reduces this effect [7]. Furthermore, taurine improves kidney function in animal models of diabetes [59-60]. In addition to antioxidant mechanisms, taurine may also exert these benefits by increasing the excretion of nitrite and the formation of kinins [32]. Cystic fibrosis Taurine can aid in the treatment of cystic fibrosis in two ways. The first is by inhibiting nutrient malabsorption – a double-blind study found that 30 mg/kg daily helped alleviate steatorrhea in children with cystic fibrosis [7]. Taurine supplementation also helps maintain taurine levels in the lung, and along with niacin taurine reduced lung injury and fibrosis in a mouse model [33]. Taurine also protects the lungs from oxidative stress due to ozone exposure [34]. Eye health The retina is another area where taurine is found in particularly high concentrations, although its role there is not well established. Visual dysfunction in both humans and animals has been linked with taurine deficiency that can be reversed with supplementation [35]. Along with diltiazem and vitamin E, taurine helped reduce the progressive visual field reduction caused by retinitis pigmentosa, but as monotherapy results have not been clinically significant [7, 36]. Taurine also inhibits oxidative stress in cataractous lenses [37] and protects from retinal abnormalities due to diabetes in rat models, proving more effective on various levels than vitamin E and selenium [38-39]. Maximum Pump™ contains 2 Grams of L-Taurine per serving! Heavy metals & toxins Taurine protects many of the body's organs against toxicity and oxidative stress due to various substances. Taurine neutralizes the toxin hypochlorous acid, thus protecting from DNA damage [7]. In the liver, taurine inhibits the toxic effects of high fructose feeding, alcohol, acetaminophen, and thioacetamide in rats; taurine also improves some markers in patients with hepatitis [7; 40-43]. In the kidneys, taurine protects against cisplatin toxicity and prevents renal damage from salt feeding in salt-sensitive rats [44-45]. Taurine also protects against ulcers caused by monochloramine, a toxin associated with H. pylori infection [46]. Accumulation of heavy metals can have a variety of toxic effects, and taurine reduces the damage caused by excess levels cadmium, copper, and lead in rats [47-49]. Taurine also reduces the toxic effect of oxidized fish oil in rats [50]. Skin health In vitro, taurine improves recovery from burn injured skin, and a topical taurine gel accelerates wound healing in mice [51-52]. As an osmolyte, taurine helps maintain hydration in the epidermis when it is exposed to a dry environment [53], but the effect of oral taurine supplementation on skin hydration and healing has not been determined. General health & life extension Aging is associated with a decline in taurine content in various tissues, including liver, kidney, cerebellum, eye, spleen, blood, and skeletal muscle, and dietary supplementation with taurine can increase the taurine content to levels even above those of healthy adults [3, 54-55]. Taurine supplementation also reduces the elevated protein carbonyl levels associated with aging, aids in the restoration of protein and acid-soluble thiols in aged rats, blunts the age-related decline of IGF-1, and aids in the retention of antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin E and vitamin A [54-57]. Dosage & toxicity Toxicity is not a concern with taurine, as no signs of toxicity have been indicated in animal studies [58]. For general health and increased exercise performance, 1-4 g daily is commonly used (with at least 1 g prior to exercise), while most clinical trials for treatment of conditions have utilized dosages in the range of 3-6 g daily. ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Expert Q & A by Tom Venuto Question: What's the deal with "body wraps"? Do they really shrink fat cells or this just another weightLoss scam? Answer: Body wraps do not shrink fat cells or burn body fat - no matter what type of wrap: bandages soaked in herbs or minerals, plastic, foil, vinyl, seaweed, clay, mud - it doesn't matter, body wraps don't burn fat. And those "sauna wraps" or rubber "wraps" that go around your waist? They can't "burn" an ounce of fat either. Fat can only be lost with a caloric deficit from a reduction in food intake, an increase in activity or ideally, a combination of both. Whenever you see fat loss claims for wraps or any other product which doesn't involve nutrition or exercise, you could certainly call that a "scam" and you should always stay away, no matter how compelling the sales pitch Furthermore, the companies making fat loss claims would be in hot water with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) if they were investigated because claims for bodyfat reduction from wraps cannot be supported with scientific evidence. The FTC as well as various state attourney general's offices have already taken action against body wrap companies in the past for false advertsing and unsupported claims. Some simply had to stop making false claims, others had to pay stiff fines as well. Some of these products defintely CAN take off inches (for example reduce your waist measurement), but it's temporary and it's not fat, its water weight and fluid. Remember, "inches" and "fat" are not the same thing. Suppose this claim is made in an advertisement: * Lose Up To 15 inches in 1 Hour! * This is legal advertising because the claim "lose inches" might be supportable (if enough circumference measurements are taken with a tape measure at enough sites, that might add up to a total of 15 inches in circumference loss) However I feel that these types of claims are misleading (and probably intentionally so), because "inches" is not the same as body fat but you might easily confuse "inches" with "fat." Contrast that claim with this one: * LoseBody Fat without diet or exercise in 1 Hour! * That claim is totally false and usupportable. Again, body wraps cannot burn fat or "shrink fat cells." If fat loss could be achieved with body wraps it would be very easy to test and prove. Body composition (bodyfat) testing (rather than measurements of inches) could be performed before and after the wrap, and the answer ("does it work") would become easily exposed. Since it doesn't work, you won't find any wrap people accepting your challenge to allow you to do independent body composition testing, nor will you find a shred of scientific evidence showing reduction of bodyfat from wraps. Unfortunately, bogus fat loss claims are still quite widespread, as a simple Internet search for "body wrap" will demonstrate. The most frequently used claims however, are for loss of "inches." The inches lost simply come from loss of fluid. And guess what - those inches (and or water weight) will come right back in days if not hours, as soon as you completely re-hydrate yourself. Other claims made for body wraps include detoxification, improved cirulation and tighter, smoother and clearer skin. Most health and fitness researchers, as well as government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will tell you that these claims fall somewhere between "debatable" and "a bunch of pseudoscientific gobblydegook." Some experts even warn that certain types of wraps can be dangerous, mainly due to the rapid and excessive fluid loss/dehydration. If you want to get "mummified" because you find it relaxing or you consider it a "pampering", "spa-like" treatment, that's one thing. Just remember, wraps have absolutely nothing to do with fat loss. I'd suggest completely avoiding any companies that advertise fat loss when it's only water and inches you're losing, because a dishonest company is one you don't want to patronize at all. One last thing -- I felt this was a timely question because although "body wraps" have been around for ages and it's old news, I noticed that TV infomercials for those "waist belts" are BACK and I see that they are replaying them over and over again, which means people are falling for it. Listen: EVERYTHING I just said about body wraps applies to those rubber waist belts too. On a web search I just did for those rubber belt waist wraps, I noticed some of the websites are STILL making claims like "Melt fat" (totally bogus, unsupported and illegal claim). Other sites seem to be wary of the FTC paying them a visit, so they do a whole song and dance around the legal issues by saying stuff like, "sweat away inches," "therapeutic heat", "target your problem areas" and so on. Even if these claims are not illegal, the promotions are still deceptive: The professional fitness model (who trains hours a day, takes body-enhancing drugs or has freak genetics), is pictured taking off the rubber belt, revealing ripped six pack abs below. Yeah right... as if the abs are a result of wearing the belt! These are professional models folks! What a bunch of HOOEY! The people selling this garbage should be tarred and feathered then hung from their little toes in Times Square... (while we're at it, whaddya say we string up those dorks who are back on TV again selling those ab zappers too!) If you sincerely want to learn how to get rid of body FAT permanently, and not just water and inches temporarily, then look into the Burn The Fat program... It's a FAT LOSS program, not a "water loss" program! (and when the inches do go, it will take a little longer, but they will be inches of FAT... gone forever!) If you enjoyed Tom's Q & A be sure to check out his 340 page ebook Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Merchandise ANABOLIC-MATRIX Rx™ Maximize Natural Testosterone Levels   -Increases Natural Levels of Testosterone   -Increases Strength and Stamina   -Stimulates Sexual Drive and Performance   -Promotes Healthy Estrogen Metabolism   -Supports General Health, Energy and Vitality Anabolic-Matrix Rx™ has the highest quality herbal extracts and pharmaceutical grade ingredients. The Tribulus Terrestris in our formula contains a minimum of 20% Protodioscin, the active ingredient that raises LH (Leutenizing Hormone) levels. Most Tribulus based supplements on the market do not contain a high quality Tribulus extract and will do absolutely nothing!        go to store... ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Marc David's Fitness Zone The Scary Truth About Soy Protein and Bodybuilding Inevitably there’s a myth that soy protein is horrible for bodybuilding and that if you are any where near serious about working out or building muscle you will stay away from it. In fact, some sites show ‘studies’ that soy protein and soy products can be detrimental to your health. And while it’s true that early claims of soy wonders might not be entirely true, there’s also myth that soy protein is bad. First off, there’s a concept called the Biological Value Scale that was developed to measure the quality of specific proteins. It basically rates how efficiently your body will use a given protein source. The higher the BV (biological value), the more amino acids and nitrogen your body is retaining from the foods you eat. In sum, it becomes a way to measure the potential for quality muscle growth and strength. There was a time when egg whites were at the top of the BV with a score of around 100. Since then, whey proteins have toped out the scales around 106-159 BV. This means that whey protein is better used for quality muscle growth. But first a warning! This doesn't mean that all you would utilize is whey protein for all your needs. Many times bodybuilders will use a variety of proteins depending on the BV and the times of day and if they just finished a workout. Let me explain… Your protein needs in the morning are different then the middle of the day and are different again AFTER a workout and again different before bed. All this means is that no one protein is the best for any given time. But before I get lost... let me show you the biological value scale in a simple form. Type of Protein :: Biological Value Rating Whey: 106-159 Egg: 100 Cow’s Milk: 91 Fish: 83 Casein: 80 Beef: 80 Chicken: 79 Soy: 74 Wheat Gluten: 54 Kidney Beans: 49 For all these reasons, you can and should see that soy protein is listed lower. That just means it’s not the most anabolic of proteins for optimal muscle growth. But don’t get me wrong... This doesn't mean you shouldn't eat soy protein if you enjoy it. It simply means that barring any religious beliefs or personal preferences, soy would not be the ideal protein source for enhanced muscle gains. This doesn't mean you cannot have it or that it’s bad for you. In fact, let’s continue on with a little example. John Q. Public 13% body fat 184 lbs 160 lbs of LBM (lean body mass) For simplification we'll just say that for every LB of LBM (pound of lean body mass) John wants to get 1 g of protein. John should be consuming 160 g of protein a day. Here’s where the myth and some problems come into play! Read carefully. If you get a vast amount of your protein from less BV sources then optimal (beans, soy) you will not prime your muscles for optimal anabolic growth. John shouldn't be getting 150+ grams of soy protein a day IF he wants to create the most muscle mass and he has no personal reasons not to use better quality sources. John also won’t be in jeopardy of losing muscle or wasting his efforts if he ingests small quantities of soy proteins because he likes them. Having soy in his cereal is not going to make a difference. The myth that soy will cause men to produce estrogen is when VAST quantities are ingested. Far beyond what any rational person would want to do on a prolonged basis. A bodybuilder that has soy will not feel any differences, be any less anabolic then another person who does not consume soy at all. Fact: A long-term metabolic balance study in young men to assess the nutritional quality of an isolated soy protein and beef proteins (VR Young, A Wayler, C Garza, FH Steinke, E Murray, WM Rand, and NS Scrimshaw) was published in 1984 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, Jan 1984; 39: 8 - 15. After 84 days of two groups, one totally isolated soy protein and the other on beef proteins, found a conclusion that: "Body cell mass measurements did not reveal any deterioration in protein nutritional status. These observations confirm the prediction, derived from previous short-term nitrogen balance studies, that the nutritional quality of isolated soy protein is high and that this plant protein can serve as the sole source of essential amino acids and nitrogen for protein maintenance in adults." So let me summarize and review... Soy is not the most biological available source for optimal anabolic muscle growth. If you were to finish a workout, you would want to ingest some high quality whey protein vs. soy proteins. However, simply having soy doesn't mean it’s bad for bodybuilding unless you are getting a majority of your protein from soy products. Then it’s not optimal. You’d also need to ingest quite a bit on a daily basis for any negative effects of soy to manifest (specifically aimed at males in this sentence). Click here to get your FREE ebook! ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top Site Sponsors ..................................................................................................................................................................  Top IronMagazine.com - Bodybuilding & Fitness Magazine IronMagazineForums.com - Bodybuilding & Fitness Community IronMagLabs.com - Bodybuilding Supplements