10 - Dec - 2013

11 The Dirty Dozen: 12 common diet guru fallacies.
By Mike Howard
15 Interview with Bret Contreras.

By Alan Aragon
Copyright December 1st, 2013 by Alan Aragon

Home: www.alanaragon.com/researchreview
Correspondence: aarrsupport@gmail.com
A critique of the recent multivitamin rant in the

Annals of Internal Medicine.
By Alan Aragon
The effects of a combined resistance training and

endurance exercise program in inactive college
females: does order matter? [Reviewed by Brad
Schoenfeld, PhD, CSCS, CSPS, FNSCA]
Davitt PM, Pellegrino J, Schanzer J, Tjionas H, Arent SM. J
Strength Cond Res. 2013 Dec 27. [Epub ahead of print]
[PubMed]
No evidence of dehydration with moderate daily

coffee intake: a counterbalanced cross-over study
in a free-living population.
Killer SC, Blannin AK, Jeukendrup AE. PLoS ONE 9(1):
e84154. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0084154 [PLOS ONE]
Supplemental vitamin D enhances the recovery in

peak isometric force shortly after intense exercise.
Barker T, Schneider ED, Dixon BM, Henriksen VT, Weaver
LK. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2013 Dec 6;10(1):69. [Epub ahead
of print] [PubMed]
Glycogen resynthesis in skeletal muscle following

resistive exercise.
Pascoe DD, Costill DL, Fink WJ, Robergs RA, Zachwieja
JJ. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1993 Mar;25(3):349-54.
[PubMed]
Alan Aragons Research Review December 2013
[Back to Contents]
Page 1
A critique of the recent multivitamin rant in the Annals

of Internal Medicine.
By Alan Aragon
____________________________________________________
Secondly, Guallar et al once again skip mention of this studys

main limitation, which according to the authors was
considerable nonadherence and withdrawal which may well
have confounded the results. Specifically, 46% of the subjects
discontinued the vitamin regimen, and 17% of the subjects
dropped out of the study completely. Overall, these studies paint
a mixed picture of multivitamin supplementation, but its best
described as having neutral-to-minor benefit.
What provoked the rant?

To understate things, the Annals of Internal Medicine is a big
journal. Its been around since 1927, and is one of the most
widely cited journals of its kind. So, when their editors speak up
about something, the word spreads far and wide. In this case,
Guallar et al leveled a volley of righteous indignation against
vitamin and mineral supplementation.1 The title of the article is
one of the most provocative Ive seen in the peer-reviewed
literature: Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin
and Mineral Supplements. That is a serious call to arms; its
tone is very certain and absolute. It doesnt fit the tentative,
open-ended nature of scientific research; its more like a
permanent stamp of blood in wool. The question is, how strong
is the scientific support of this adamance?
Adverse potential?
The 3 papers presented as proof of uselessness
Next up, Guallar et al cite a systematic review by Bjelakovic et

al, which found that overall, antioxidant supplements were
associated with neither higher nor lower all-cause mortality.9
However, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and higher doses of vitamin
A were associated with higher mortality. I tend to agree with the
authors conclusion that, The optimal source of antioxidants
seems to come from our diet, not from antioxidant supplements
in pills or tablets. Notably, they acknowledged that the trials
were conducted mostly in countries without known antioxidant
deficiencies, so supplementation in the face of sufficiency may
have simply been redundant.
Guallar et als rant is based upon three recent papersall

published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. First up, a
systematic review by Fortmann et al examined the benefit and
harm of vitamin & mineral supplements in community-dwelling,
nutrient-sufficient adults for the prevention of cardiovascular
disease (CVD) and cancer.2 Guallar et al reported that these
authors found no clear evidence of a beneficial effect of
supplements on all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, or
cancer. However, they omitted an important detail: two large
trials totalling 27,658 subjects found lower cancer incidence in
men taking a multivitamin for more than 10 years.3,4 Notably,
this was seen despite Fortmann et als analysis only including
adults with no known nutritional deficiencies.
Next up, Guallar et al cite a randomized controlled trial (RCT)
by Grodstein et al, who found that long-term use of a daily
multivitamin did not provide cognitive benefits in male
physicians aged 65 years or older.5 However, Guallar et al omit
Grodstein et als acknowledgment that the subjects of their study
may have been too well-nourished to see any benefit from
multivitamin supplementation. To quote their concession of this
studys limitation:5 When cognitive benefits have been
observed in other trials of nutriceuticals, these benefits are
usually in groups with inadequate dietary intakes of the relevant
vitamin. In contrast to Grodstein et als findings, Grima et als
recent meta-analysis of RCTs found that multivitamin
consumption enhanced immediate free recall memory.6
Guallar et al cited 3 papers to support their concern of not just a

lack of effects, but adverse effects of vitamin and mineral
supplementation. First up, a systematic review by Huang et al
found an overall lack of evidence to prove the presence or
absence of benefits of multivitamin supplementation for
preventing chronic disease and cancer.8 As for adverse effects,
they explicitly concluded that prolonged consumption of
multivitamins appears to be safe. Furthermore, they conceded
the following point of importance: Evidence accumulated to
date suggests potential benefits of multivitamin and mineral
supplements in the primary prevention of cancer in persons with
poor nutritional status or suboptimal antioxidant intake.
The final study Guallar et al cited to support adverse potential

was a meta-analysis by Miller et al, who found a doseresponsive increase in all-cause mortality with vitamin E
supplementation greater than 150 UI/day.10 They concluded that
high-dose vitamin E (at or more than 400 IU/day) appears to
increase all-cause mortality. However, they also acknowledged
that the trials indicating this lacked statistical power due to small
subject numbers. Furthermore, these subjects had chronic
diseases, thus compromising relevance to healthy populations.
The third highlighted study was by Lamas et al, who reported

that high-dose multivitamins and multiminerals did not
significantly reduce cardiovascular events in patients on standard
medications after myocardial infarction (MI).7 First of all, this
finding is hardly a strong basis for proclaiming the universal
uselessness of multivitamin supplementation, since obviously
not everyone has suffered an MI and is on meds to manage it.
It should be noted that the aforementioned studies examined the

supplementation of isolated nutrients, not a multi. A recent
systematic review by Alexander et al found that multivitaminmultimineral (MVM) supplementation in healthy adults does not
increase all-cause mortality or cancer incidence, and may
provide a slight protective benefit.11 Furthermore, they stated
that, It is also important to note that RCTs in nutritionally
deficient populations have observed benefits of MVM
supplementation. Collectively, these studies do not build a
strong case to support Guallar et als absolutism against vitamin
& mineral supplementation, but they do raise questions about
non-deficient folks supplementing with high doses of isolated
antioxidant vitamins. Now let's take a look at populations that
Guallar et als editorial completely overlooked.
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Page 2
Dieters should not be ignored

While a fair body of data casts doubt upon the benefits of
vitamin & mineral supplementation in non-deficient populations,
it would be a mistake to automatically assume that this is the
case with all populations. Calton recently analyzed the
micronutrient sufficiency of four popular diet programs by
comparing their content of 27 essential micronutrients with
whats officially recommended by Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
standards. The findings were interesting and concerning:12
The Best Life Diet (Mediterranean-type) was 55.56%
sufficient, providing 100% of the RDI for 15 out of 27
essential micronutrients, and contained 1,793 calories.
The DASH diet (low-fat) was 51.85% sufficient, providing
100% of the RDI for 14 out of 27 essential micronutrients
and contained 2,217 calories.
Atkins for Life diet (low-carbohydrate) was 44.44%
sufficient, providing 100% RDI sufficiency for 12 out of
27 essential micronutrients, and contained 1,786 calories.
The South Beach Diet (low-carbohydrate, minimizes
saturated fat) was 22.22% sufficient, providing 100% RDI
sufficiency for 6 out of 27 essential micronutrients and
contained 1,197 calories.
All four diet plans failed to deliver 100% sufficiency for
the selected 27 essential micronutrients, based on RDI
guidelines, when followed as recommended by their
suggested daily menus using whole food alone.
Six micronutrients (vitamin B7 (biotin), vitamin D, vitamin
E, chromium, iodine, and molybdenum) were identified as
consistently low or nonexistent in all four diet plans.
A typical dieter on any of these four popular diet plans
would be, on average, 56.48% deficient in obtaining RDI
sufficiency, and lacking in 15 out of the 27 essential
micronutrients analyzed.
Whats notable is that with the exception of the South Beach
Diet checking in at just under 1200 kcal, the other diets were not
aggressively low in total energy. Yet, essential micronutrient
shortfalls were substantial. Calton makes the important point that
only Atkins and Best Life diets required followers to take a daily
multivitamin. He concludes the study by recommending that all
dieters take a multivitamin due to the high likelihood of
incurring micronutrient deficiencies. Based on his analysis of a
wide range of diet types that for the most part were not
starvation plans, I would have to agree.
In addition to the aforementioned dieters, vegetarians (especially
vegans) fall into the food-restriction camp, and thus are
candidates for supplementation. The key micronutrients of
concern in fully plant-based diets are iron, zinc, vitamin B12,
vitamin D, calcium, and possibly selenium.13-16 Vegetarians are a
similar case to dieters in that the consumption of a moderately
dosed, full-spectrum multivitamin/mineral supplement could
provide protective benefits with minimal risk.
food exclusion and food abundance. Kleiner et al examined the

pre-contest dietary habits of male & female junior national &
national-level competitors.17 Despite consuming adequate total
calories, women were described as remarkably deficient in
calcium intake. This isnt surprising since dairy is often on the
banned list of pre-contest foods. Subsequent work by Kleiner et
al on nationally ranked elite bodybuilders found that men
consumed 46% of the RDA for vitamin D, while women
consumed 0% (yes, zero percent) of the RDA for vitamin D, and
only 52% of the RDA for calcium, in addition falling short of the
recommended intakes of zinc, copper, and chromium.18 Serum
magnesium levels in females were low despite dietary
magnesium intakes above the RDA.
In a similar vein, Misner investigated the adequacy of food alone
for providing 100% of the RDA or newer RDI of the daily
micronutrient requirements in the diets of 14 endurance athletes
(both professional and amateur) and 6 sedentary subjects.19
Males had deficiencies in 40% of the vitamins and 54.2% of the
minerals. Females had deficiencies in 29% of the vitamins and
44.2% of the minerals. Food alone in all 20 subjects failed to
meet the minimal RDA-based micronutrient requirements for
preventing deficiency diseases. These data clearly do not support
the vitamin and mineral supplements are useless mantra
especially in conditions where high energy expenditure is
combined with a poor or incomplete selection of foods.
Potential bias should not be ignored
A common thread among vitamin/mineral supplementation
analyses showing a lack of efficacy is that theyre consistently
published in high-profile medical journals. The same thing
happens with non-pharmaceutical therapies such as fish oil
supplementation.20 A contrasting example is recent work by
Earnest et al who found that the co-ingestion of a multivitamin
and omega-3 supplement synergistically lowered homocysteine,
C-reactive protein, and triglyceride levels in subjects with high
baseline homocysteine levels.21
Is this a case of political foul play? Theres no way to know, but
one cant help but wonder. While the dietary supplement
industry is huge, the drug industry generates roughly a hundred
times more revenueand this is a conservative estimate. The
drug industry has the financial power to bully the little guys, and
it cant be assumed that this never happens. Of course, the other
side of the coin is that the supplement industry can play the same
game of selectively publishing positive-result studies. However,
this would be mostly confined to comparatively obscure
journals; it rarely happens in the medical journals at the upper
tier of prestige and exposure.
Conclusions
Athletic populations have a tendency to create their own unique

set of problems. Bodybuilders are a good example of this since
they are known for their food particularities, both in terms of
It cant be over-emphasized that a poor diet with a multi is still a

poor diet. There are a multitude of biologically active and
beneficial compounds within the matrix of foods that are not
inand may never make their way intoa multivitamin/mineral
supplement. Its important to think of micronutrition not just in
terms of essential vitamins & minerals, but also in terms of
phytonutrients & zoonutrients; compounds that are not classified
as vitamins or minerals but can optimize health and prevent
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Athletes should not be ignored
Page 3
disease. This is why attaining a variety of foods both within and

across the food groups is important for covering all the
micronutrient bases. However, as the evidence indicates, this is
much easier said than done. Guallar et als editorial indeed
contains valid points of contention with vitamin and mineral
supplementation. Nevertheless, its one-sided and highly
omissive rather than objectively reflective of the full range of
evidence. Ill end off with a partial list of populations at-risk for
micronutrient deficiencies, who stand a good chance of
benefiting from supplementation:22
Women of childbearing age (folate, vitamin D, iron)
Pregnant and lactating women (vitamin B 6, folate, vitamin
D, iron)
People on any of the popular weight loss diets (multiple
micronutrients)
Obese individuals (multiple micronutrients)
Infants, children, and adolescents (vitamin D)
People with dark-colored skin (vitamin D)
Those who cover all exposed skin or using sunscreen
whenever outside (vitamin D)
Older adults (vitamin B12, vitamin D, zinc)
Low socioeconomic status (multiple micronutrients)
Patients who have had bariatric surgery (multiple
micronutrients)
Patients with fat malabsorption syndromes (fat-soluble
vitamins A, D, E, and K)
Alcoholics (vitamin A, B vitamins)
Smokers (vitamins C and E)
Vegans and those with limited intake of animal products
(iron, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium)
People taking medications that interfere with the
absorption and/or metabolism of certain micronutrients
(e.g., proton pump inhibitors used to treat heartburn may
impair vitamin B12 absorption; frequent aspirin use can
lower vitamin C status).
People whose diets are not adherent to the USDA
nutritional guidelinesthe vast majority of Americans
(multiple micronutrients)
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
References
1.
2.
3.
4.
Guallar E, Stranges S, Mulrow C, Appel LJ, Miller ER. Enough is

enough: stop wasting money on vitamin and mineral supplements.
Ann Intern Med. 2013;159(12):850-851-851.[AIM]
Fortmann SP, Burda BU, Senger CA, Lin JS, Whitlock EP.
Vitamin and Mineral Supplements in the Primary Prevention of
Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: An Updated Systematic
Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Ann Intern Med. 2013 Nov 12. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-159-12201312170-00729. [Epub ahead of print] [PubMed]
Hercberg S, Galan P, Preziosi P, Bertrais S, Mennen L, Malvy D,
Roussel AM, Favier A, Brianon S. The SU.VI.MAX Study: a
randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the health effects of
antioxidant vitamins and minerals. Arch Intern Med. 2004 Nov
22;164(21):2335-42. [PubMed]
Gaziano JM, Sesso HD, Christen WG, Bubes V, Smith JP,
MacFadyen J, Schvartz M, Manson JE, Glynn RJ, Buring JE.
Multivitamins in the prevention of cancer in men: the Physicians'
19.
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22.
Health Study II randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2012 Nov

14;308(18):1871-80. [PubMed]
Grodstein F, OBrien J, Kang JH, Dushkes R, Cook NR, Okereke
O, Manson JE, Glynn RJ, Buring JE, Gaziano MJ, Sesso HD.
Long-term multivitamin supplementation and cognitive function in
men: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2013;159(12):806-814814. [AIM]
Grima NA, Pase MP, Macpherson H, Pipingas A. The effects of
multivitamins on cognitive performance: a systematic review and
meta-analysis. J Alzheimers Dis. 2012;29(3):561-9. [PubMed]
Lamas GA, Boineau R, Goertz C, Mark DB, Rosenberg Y,
Stylianou M, Rozema T, Nahin RL, Lindblad L, Lewis EF, Drisko
J, Lee KL. Oral high-dose multivitamins and minerals after
myocardial infarction: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med.
2013;159(12):797-805-805. [AIM]
Huang HY, Caballero B, Chang S, Alberg AJ, Semba RD,
Schneyer CR, Wilson RF, Cheng TY, Vassy J, Prokopowicz G,
Barnes GJ 2nd, Bass EB. The efficacy and safety of multivitamin
and mineral supplement use to prevent cancer and chronic disease
in adults: a systematic review for a National Institutes of Health
state-of-the-science conference. Ann Intern Med. 2006 Sep
5;145(5):372-85. [PubMed]
Bjelakovic G, Nikolova D, Gluud C. Antioxidant supplements to
prevent mortality. JAMA. 2013 Sep 18;310(11):1178-9. [PubMed]
Miller ER 3rd, Pastor-Barriuso R, Dalal D, Riemersma RA, Appel
LJ, Guallar E. Meta-analysis: high-dosage vitamin E
supplementation may increase all-cause mortality. Ann Intern
Med. 2005 Jan 4;142(1):37-46. [PubMed]
Alexander DD, Weed DL, Chang ET, Miller PE, Mohamed MA,
Elkayam L. A systematic review of multivitamin-multimineral use
and cardiovascular disease and cancer incidence and total
mortality. J Am Coll Nutr. 2013;32(5):339-54. [PubMed]
Calton JB. Prevalence of micronutrient deficiency in popular diet
plans. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010 Jun 10;7:24. [PubMed]
Craig WJ. Health effects of vegan diets. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009
May;89(5):1627S-1633S. [PubMed]
Calvo MS, Whiting SJ, Barton CN. Vitamin D intake: a global
perspective of current status. J Nutr. 2005 Feb;135(2):310-6.
[PubMed]
Hunt JR. Bioavailability of iron, zinc, and other trace minerals
from vegetarian diets. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;78(3
Suppl):633S-639S. [PubMed]
Strhle A, Waldmann A, Koschizke J, Leitzmann C, Hahn A. Dietdependent net endogenous acid load of vegan diets in relation to
food groups and bone health-related nutrients: results from the
German Vegan Study. Ann Nutr Metab. 2011;59(2-4):117-26.
[PubMed]
Kleiner SM, Bazzarre TL, Litchford MD. Metabolic profiles, diet,
and health practices of championship male and female
bodybuilders. J Am Diet Assoc. 1990 Jul;90(7):962-7. [PubMed]
Kleiner SM, Bazzarre TL, Ainsworth BE. Nutritional status of
nationally ranked elite bodybuilders. Int J Sport Nutr. 1994
Mar;4(1):54-69. [PubMed]
Misner B. Food alone may not provide sufficient micronutrients
for preventing deficiency. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2006 Jun 5;3:515. [PubMed]
Kwak SM, Myung SK, Lee YJ, Seo HG; Korean Meta-analysis
Study Group. Efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplements
(eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) in the secondary
prevention of cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis of
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.Arch Intern
Med. 2012 May 14;172(9):686-94. [PubMed]
Earnest CP, Kupper JS, Thompson AM, Guo W, Church T.
Complementary effects of multivitamin and omega-3 fatty acid
supplementation on indices of cardiovascular health in individuals
with elevated homocysteine. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2012
Feb;82(1):41-52. [PubMed]
Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University. Micronutrient
Information Center: Multivitamin/mineral Supplements. August,
2011. [LPI-OSU]
[Back to Contents]
Page 4
The effects of a combined resistance training and

endurance exercise program in inactive college
females: does order matter? [Reviewed by Brad
Schoenfeld, PhD, CSCS, CSPS, FNSCA]
Davitt PM, Pellegrino J, Schanzer J, Tjionas H, Arent SM. J
Strength Cond Res. 2013 Dec 27. [Epub ahead of print]
[PubMed]
______________________________________________________
BACKGROUND: While both endurance (E) and resistance (R)

exercise improve various health and fitness variables, there is
still debate regarding the optimal ordering of these modes of
exercise within a concurrent bout. PURPOSE: The purpose of
this study was to determine the effects of performing E before R
(E-R) or R before E (R-E) on strength, VO2max, and body
composition over the course of an 8-wk exercise program.
DESIGN: Inactive college females (N = 23, 19.8 0.22 yrs;
61.0 2.5 kg) were randomly assigned to either an E-R (n = 13)
or an R-E group (n= 10). Subjects trained 4 d/wk over the 8-wk
study. The E portion consisted of 30 min of aerobic exercise at
70-80% HRR. The R portion utilized a 3-way split routine with
subjects performing 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions for 5-6 different
exercises using a load equal to 90-100% 10RM. There were 2
days of testing before and after 8 wk of training to determine
performance and body composition. RESULTS: There were
significant improvements in chest press (P<.001), leg press
(P<.001), VO2max (P<.001), and LBM (P = .005) across both
groups. Weight significantly increased (P =.038), but %BF did
not change (P =.46). There were no differences as a function of
group (P>.267). There were significant improvements in
performance and LBM over an 8-week concurrent training
program in inactive college females, regardless of the order in
which R and E were performed. CONCLUSION: It appears that
fitness markers improve similarly regardless of the order of R or
E in a 4 d/wk program in inactive females. Therefore, the order
of these modalities for beginning exercisers should be based on
personal preference as well as to facilitate adherence.
SPONSORSHIP: None listed.
__________________________________________________
Methodology
The outcome measures were muscle strength, aerobic capacity,

and body composition. Strength was assessed by 10-rep max in
both the chest press and leg press. Aerobic capacity was assessed
by a maximal graded exercise test using a standard Bruce
Protocol, with measurements made via gas collection using a
metabolic cart. Body composition (fat mass and lean body mass)
was assessed by air displacement plethysmography (i.e.
BodPod). A total of 23 sedentary young women completed the
study.
At the end of the 8-week protocol, there were significant
increases in muscle strength, aerobic capacity, and lean body
mass in both groups. However, no significant differences were
seen between groups in any of the outcome measures studied.
These findings would lead to the conclusion that it does not
matter what order you perform cardio and resistance training
when done in the same session.
Commentary
Overall this was a well-designed study that produced some
interesting findings. Namely, there were no significant
differences in the outcome measures evaluated between
performing aerobic exercise before or after resistance training.
When scrutinizing the data, it is particularly interesting that
effect sizes (a measure of the magnitude of results while taking
into account variance) were actually superior when aerobic
exercise was performed prior to resistance training for most of
the measures including strength. This is surprising since logic
would dictate that a bout of aerobic exercise before lifting would
tire you out and thus impair the ability to exert maximal force.
When attempting to reconcile the findings, several things must
be taken into account. The most important issue here is that
subjects were all largely sedentary. There are numerous
differences between resistance trained and untrained individuals
including an altered acute anabolic response, altered chronic
hormonal output, lack of learning curve in coordinated exercise
performance, greater capacity to recruit all available fibers,
greater capacity to push to failure, and a greater capacity to
perform high volumes without overtraining. Moreover, the
aerobic program was not all that rigorous both in duration and
intensity. Results therefore cannot be generalized to advanced
lifters performing more intensive aerobic training (i.e. HIIT),
which no doubt constitutes the majority of AARR readership.
The study investigated the effects of exercise order with respect

to aerobic and resistance training on various physical and
physiological adaptations. Subjects were randomly assigned to
perform either an aerobic exercise bout followed by resistance
training bout or vice versa. The aerobic bout consisted of 30
minutes of steady state exercise at a relatively modest intensity
(70-80% of heart rate reserve). Resistance training was a 3-way
split routine (chest and back; shoulders and arms; lower body)
with subjects performing 5-6 exercises for 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
The sets were taken to the point of approaching or reaching
muscular failure. Training was carried out 4 days a week for 8
weeks. All sessions were fully supervised.
With respect to body composition, conclusions must be taken

with
some
reservations.
While
air
displacement
plethysmography via BodPod is a validated method of
assessment, there are potential limitations to its use. For one, the
BodPod is a very fickle instrument. I have one in our human
performance lab. When it is properly calibrated, it does an
excellent job of assessing body comp. However, it is sensitive to
changes in room temperature as well as being moved in any
capacity. Proper calibration is therefore essential to make sure
results are accurate. There was no mention as to calibration in
the study write up, so this is a potential concern. What's more,
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Page 5
the BodPod can only assess global changes in fat mass and lean
mass throughout the body. There were no direct measures of
hypertrophy obtained. It would have been beneficial to use a
direct measurement tool (i.e. MRI, ultrasound, etc) to evaluate
specific muscle changes in the limbs.
Another potential issue is the lack of dietary control in the study.
Subjects were instructed to eat their usual diet with no attempt to
provide nutritional advice by the researchers. You can bet that
the untrained college students who participated in the study were
not eating optimally for muscle gain. At the very least, the
researchers should have taken dietary records pre-study and at
the end of the study to assess whether there were significant
differences in dietary intake (both in terms of total calories and
macronutrients consumed). The lack of control here raises
questions as to whether any there were any confounding issues
from this variable.
Finally, it is important to point out that this study did not explore
whether the inclusion of aerobic exercise to a resistance training
program has a negative effect on muscular adaptations. There is
quite a bit of evidence that concurrent training impairs muscular
adaptations. There is nothing gleaned from this study to
counteract such evidence. It would have been interesting if the
researchers included a resistance training-only group to compare
outcomes versus the combined groups.
____________________________________________________
Brad Schoenfeld, PhD, CSCS, CSPS, FNSCA, is a
lecturer in the exercise science department for
Lehman College and is the head of their
human performance laboratory. His primary
research interests focus on elucidating the
mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their
application to resistance training. He has
published over 40 peer-reviewed journal
articles and currently serves on the Board of
Directors for the NSCA. He is author of the
book, "The M.A.X. Muscle Plan" which is
available at all major bookstores and on
Amazon.com. He maintains an active blog on his website:
http://www.lookgreatnaked.com/
[Back to Contents]
Page 6
No evidence of dehydration with moderate daily coffee

intake: a counterbalanced cross-over study in a freeliving population.
Killer SC, Blannin AK, Jeukendrup AE. PLoS ONE 9(1):
e84154. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0084154 [PLOS ONE]
BACKGROUND: It is often suggested that coffee causes
dehydration and its consumption should be avoided or
significantly reduced to maintain fluid balance. OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study was to directly compare the effects of
coffee consumption against water ingestion across a range of
validated hydration assessment techniques. DESIGN: In a
counterbalanced cross-over design, 50 male coffee drinkers
(habitually consuming 36 cups per day) participated in two
trials, each lasting three consecutive days. In addition to
controlled physical activity, food and fluid intake, participants
consumed either 4200 mL of coffee containing 4 mg/kg
caffeine (C) or water (W). Total body water (TBW) was
calculated pre- and post-trial via ingestion of Deuterium Oxide.
Urinary and haematological hydration markers were recorded
daily in addition to nude body mass measurement (BM). Plasma
was analysed for caffeine to confirm compliance. RESULTS:
There were no significant changes in TBW from beginning to
end of either trial and no differences between trials (51.51.4
vs. 51.41.3 kg, for C and W, respectively). No differences
were observed between trials across any haematological
markers or in 24 h urine volume (2409660 vs. 2428669 mL,
for C and W, respectively), USG, osmolality or creatinine.
Mean urinary Na+excretion was higher in C than W (p = 0.02).
No significant differences in BM were found between
conditions, although a small progressive daily fall was observed
within both trials (0.40.5 kg; p<0.05). Our data show that there
were no significant differences across a wide range of
haematological and urinary markers of hydration status between
trials. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that coffee, when
consumed in moderation by caffeine habituated males provides
similar hydrating qualities to water. SPONSORSHIP: Funding
for this study was provided by the Institute for Scientific
Information on Coffee (ISIC). ISIC is a non-profit organisation,
devoted to the study and disclosure of science related to coffee
and health. The funders had no role in study design, data
collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of
the manuscript.
Study strengths
To my knowledge, this study is the first directly compare the
effects of a moderate intake of coffee in caffeine-habituated
adults with equal amounts of water using a wide range of
hydration indexes, including the gold standard of total body
water (TBW). A cross-over allowed each subject to undergo
both conditions, which reduced the confounding potential of
inter-individual differences. As the authors noted, fluid provision
was individualized via 3-day diet records instead of issuing a
fixed amount for all subjects. The subjects were permitted to
return to the lab to have their fluid allocation adjusted if they felt
it was too much or too little. A daily compliance booklet was
maintained, and it included questions regarding fecal losses and
included the validated Bristol Stool Chart to account for any
unusual fecal events.
Study limitations
As acknowledged by the authors, a metabolic ward would have
imposed a greater degree of control and precision for measuring
hydration status. However, it would have been incongruous with
the aim to examine the effects of coffee consumption in freeliving/real-world conditions. Another limitation was that a 24hour urine collection on the third day of each trial was not
logistically feasible. Another limitation was the absence of a
condition where subjects consumed decaffeinated coffee. I
would add to this that no subjects partook in any physical
activity (except walking for transport) 24 hours before and
during each trial. While this was necessary for minimizing
variations in water loss through sweat, it has limited application
to conditions of regular training or rigorous physical activity. A
final limitation is that the subjects were habitual coffee
consumers (3-6 cups per day), so its possible that the outcomes
could have been different in caffeine-naive subjects who have
not yet developed tolerance.1
Comment/application
As depicted above, the main finding was a lack of difference in

total TBW pre- and post-trial in either the water or the coffee
condition at a moderate caffeine intake level. Mean total body
mass was not different between conditions, but a slight,
progressive decrease in body mass occurred in both conditions
(mean decrease from day 1-3 was less than half a kg). 24-hour
urine volume, urinary specific gravity, osmolality or creatinine
did not differ between conditions. The only urinary difference
was a higher sodium excretion in the coffee condition.
Hematological markers did not differ between conditions. The
lack of difference in blood urea nitrogen or serum creatinine
indicates that renal function was not adversely affected.
The null findings of the present study extend the results seen
recently by Silva et al,2 who found that moderate caffeine intake
(5 mg/kg; equivalent to about 5 espresso cups of coffee or 7
servings of tea) does not alter TBW and fluid distribution in
healthy men, regardless of body composition, physical activity,
or daily water consumption. The present studys caffeine
consumption in the coffee condition was 4 mg/kg, attained via
intake of 800 ml (3.4 cups or ~27 oz) of coffee. Clearly, these
results show the harmlessness of a moderate coffee consumption
level on hydration, which is contrary to widespread belief that
coffee consumption is an inherent threat to fluid balance.
[Back to Contents]
Page 7
Supplemental vitamin D enhances the recovery in

peak isometric force shortly after intense exercise.
Barker T, Schneider ED, Dixon BM, Henriksen VT, Weaver
LK. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2013 Dec 6;10(1):69. [Epub ahead of
print] [PubMed]
BACKGROUND: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)
concentrations associate with skeletal muscle weakness (i.e., deficit in
skeletal muscle strength) after muscular injury or damage. Although
supplemental vitamin D increases serum 25(OH)D concentrations, it is
unknown if supplemental vitamin D enhances strength recovery after a
damaging event. METHODS: Reportedly healthy and modestly active
(30 minute of continuous physical activity at least 3 time/week) adult
males were randomly assigned to a placebo (n = 13, age, 31(5) y; BMI,
26.9(4.2) kg/m2; serum 25(OH)D, 31.0(8.2) ng/mL) or vitamin D
(cholecalciferol, 4000 IU; n = 15; age, 30(6) y; BMI, 27.6(6.0) kg/m2;
serum 25(OH)D, 30.5(9.4) ng/mL) supplement. Supplements were
taken daily for 35-d. After 28-d of supplementation, one randomly
selected leg performed an exercise protocol (10 sets of 10 repetitive
eccentric-concentric jumps on a custom horizontal plyo-press at 75% of
body mass with a 20 second rest between sets) intended to induce
muscle damage. During the exercise protocol, subjects were allowed to
perform presses if they were unable to complete two successive jumps.
Circulating chemistries (25(OH)D and alanine (ALT) and aspartate
(AST) aminotransferases), single-leg peak isometric force, and muscle
soreness were measured before supplementation. Circulating
chemistries, single-leg peak isometric force, and muscle soreness were
also measured before (immediately) and after (immediately, 1-h [blood
draw only], 24-h, 48-h, 72-h, and 168-h) the damaging event.
RESULTS: Supplemental vitamin D increased serum 25(OH)D
concentrations (P < 0.05; [almost equal to] 70%) and enhanced the
recovery in peak isometric force after the damaging event (P < 0.05;
[almost equal to] 8% at 24-h). Supplemental vitamin D attenuated (P <
0.05) the immediate and delayed (48-h, 72-h, or 168-h) increase in
circulating biomarkers representative of muscle damage (ALT or AST)
without ameliorating muscle soreness (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:
We conclude that supplemental vitamin D may serve as an attractive
complementary approach to enhance the recovery of skeletal muscle
strength following intense exercise in reportedly active adults with a
sufficient vitamin D status prior to supplementation. SPONSORSHIP:
This work was funded in part by the Intermountain Research and
Medical Foundation (Salt Lake City, UT, USA) (TB).
Study strengths
This study is innovative since its the first to directly assess
supplemental vitamin D on strength recovery after exercise
damaging enough to induce a prolonged (1-3 days) deficit in
peak isometric force in humans. Its also an interesting study in
light of emerging data showing that vitamin D plays an
important role in the regulation of skeletal muscle function,
including contractility and myogenesis.3-5
supplementation. Also, there was a small number of reportedly

healthy and active subjects, who were for the most part vitamin
D sufficient prior to supplementation. The generalizability of the
results to other populations is therefore unknown.
Comment/application
As shown above (SSC = stretch-shortening contraction, CON = ,

contralateral control, Bsl = baseline), supplemental vitamin D3
at a daily dose of 4000 IU for 28 days enhanced recovery in
peak isometric force shortly after the intense exercise. In
addition, vitamin D3 lowered the increase in circulating
biomarkers of muscle damage. However, short-term recovery
was enhanced, but delayed recovery was not, suggesting the
possibility that vitamin D3 attenuated fatigue rather than acted
on mechanisms that counteract muscle damage. Still, the
suppression of the rise in ALT & AST leaves the anti-muscle
damage mechanism still open to being possible.
The authors concluded that, even in vitamin D sufficient
subjects, supplementation appears to be an attractive
complementary approach to enhance the recovery of skeletal
muscle strength following intense exercise... This is good news,
considering that supplemental D3 is inexpensive and easily
accessible. The dose used in the present study (4000 IU) happens
to be the tolerable upper intake level set by the Institute of
Medicine.6 This is far below toxicity thresholds, which are
estimated to be well above 20,000 IU/day.7
The authors acknowledged a handful of interesting limitations.

This design was unable to identify if supplemental vitamin D
acted to decrease fatigue, or decrease muscle damage, or both.
They speculate that the latter might not be the case, since
vitamin D enhanced recovery the first 24-h and not thereafter.
However, this cant be verified since no muscle biopsy was
taken. Another limitation was that subjects were not
randomized/grouped according to vitamin D status prior to
Vitamin D supplementations health-related hype recently took a

hit from a systematic review by Autier et al, which failed to
show an effect of vitamin D supplementation on disease
occurrence, including colorectal cancer.8 However, to quote an
editorial in the same journal:9 Despite the growing body of
evidence indicating that vitamin D is unlikely to prevent nonskeletal disorders, there is strong support for its use from many
prominent members of the research community, which is fuelled
by the relatively low toxicity of vitamin D, the glimmer of
positivity from some trials, and the large body of evidence from
prospective observational studies.
[Back to Contents]
Study limitations
Page 8
Comment/application
Glycogen resynthesis in skeletal muscle following
resistive exercise.
Pascoe DD, Costill DL, Fink WJ, Robergs RA, Zachwieja JJ.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1993 Mar;25(3):349-54. [PubMed]
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The purpose of this investigation
was to determine the influence of post-exercise carbohydrate
(CHO) intake on the rate of muscle glycogen resynthesis after
high intensity weight resistance exercise in subjects not currently
weight training. DESIGN: In a cross-over design, eight male
subjects performed sets (mean = 8.8) of six single leg knee
extensions at 70% of one repetition max until 50% of full knee
extension was no longer possible. Total force application was
equated between trials using a strain gauge interfaced to a
computer. The subjects exercised in the fasted state. Postexercise feedings were administered at 0 and 1 h consisting of
either a 23% CHO solution (1.5 g.kg-1) or an equal volume of
water (H2O). RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: Total force
production, preexercise muscle glycogen content, and degree of
depletion (-40.6 and -44.3 mmol.kg-1 wet weight) were not
significantly different between H2O and CHO trials. As
anticipated during the initial 2-h recovery, the CHO trial had a
significantly greater rate of muscle glycogen resynthesis as
compared with the H2O trial. The muscle glycogen content was
restored to 91% and 75% of preexercise levels when water and
CHO were provided after 6 h, respectively. SPONSORSHIP:
None listed.
Study strengths
This study was innovative since it was the first to ever examine
the influence of post-exercise carbohydrate on muscle glycogen
synthesis after high-intensity resistance exercise. Most preceding
research examined glycogen synthesis after cycling, and none of
them examined the effect of resistance training under conditions
where pre-exercise feeding was controlled. A crossover design
was implemented which allowed subjects to undergo both
conditions and minimize inter-individual variation. Total force
production (assessed via computerized strain gauge) was equated
between trials.
Study limitations
The authors described the subjects as unfamiliar with weight
training. This potentially limits the applicability of the results to
untrained populations. The results might further be limited to the
resistance exercise protocol (6-rep leg extension sets using 70%
of 1 RM with 30 seconds of rest between each set), which
depleted glycogen by 28.7% in the water (H2O) trials and 32.5%
in the carbohydrate (CHO) trials. A greater (or lesser) degree of
glycogen depletion could have yielded different rates of
glycogen synthesis from what was seen in the present study. In
the event of greater glycogen depletion, its possible that a
greater rate of synthesis could have occurred. As reported in an
epic review by Jentjens and Jeukendrup, when glycogen
concentration decreases, glycogen synthase activity increases.10
A final limitation of the present study was the 6-hour postexercise assessment period. This leaves open questions about
what might have transpired with a longer assessment period.
As depicted above, the main finding was that muscle glycogen

content did not significantly increase during the initial 2 hours of
recovery in the H2O condition, and the rate of muscle glycogen
synthesis in the CHO condition was significantly higher (12.9
versus 1.9 mmol/kg/hr with H2O). From the 2-hour point
onward, glycogen synthesis rates were not significantly different
between the conditions. By the end of the 6 hour period,
glycogen levels reached 91% of pre-exercise levels in the CHO
condition, while in the H2O condition glycogen levels were
significantly lower, reaching 75% of pre-exercise levels. Ive
seen these results misinterpreted as saying that glycogen was
almost fully replenished in the H2O condition, given the 75%
figure. However, keep in mind that glycogen levels in the H2O
and CHO conditions were only depleted to 71.3% and 67.5% of
their starting levels, respectively. Clearly, the CHO conditions
increase from 67.5% to 91% is far more substantial than the
H2O conditions increase from 71.3% to 75% of starting levels.
Interestingly, the rate of glycogen synthesis seen in the CHO
condition (12.9 mmol/kg/hr) was lower than what has been seen
in previous studies using high-intensity exercise and no postexercise CHO. Glycogen synthesis rates in the latter research
ranged 15.6-39.6 mmol/kg/hr.11-13 However, fair comparisons
cant be made since these studies were carried out in various fed
states, which could have increased the availability of glucose
and insulin, thereby expediting glycogen repletion.
Previous research by Robergs et al compared the glycogenolytic
effects of high-intensity (70% of 1 RM) and low-intensity (35%
of 1 RM).14 The amount of work done between the two
conditions was equated, and no significant differences were seen
in the amount of muscle glycogen depletion (38.9% in the highintensity condition and 37.9% in the low-intensity condition).
During the 2-hour recovery period (which had no caloric
feeding), glycogen synthesis rates in the high- and low- intensity
trials were 11.1 & 7.2 mmol/kg/hr, respectively. This is much
higher than the 1.9 mmol/kg/hr seen in the H2O trials of the
present study. Robergs et als use of trained subjects could
explain this difference, since trained subjects have been seen to
have double the rate of post-exercise glycogen storage than
untrained subjects.15
[Back to Contents]
Page 9
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Maughan RJ, Griffin J. Caffeine ingestion and fluid balance:

a review. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2003 Dec;16(6):411-20.
[PubMed]
Silva AM, Jdice PB, Matias CN, Santos DA, Magalhes
JP, St-Onge MP, Gonalves EM, Armada-da-Silva P,
Sardinha LB. Total body water and its compartments are not
affected by ingesting a moderate dose of caffeine in healthy
young adult males. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2013
Jun;38(6):626-32. [PubMed]
Boland RL. VDR activation of intracellular signaling
pathways in skeletal muscle. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2011
Dec 5;347(1-2):11-6. [PubMed]
Ceglia L.Mol Aspects Med. 2008 Dec;29(6):407-14. Mol
Aspects Med. 2008 Dec;29(6):407-14. [PubMed]
Barker T, Henriksen VT, Martins TB, Hill HR, Kjeldsberg
CR, Schneider ED, Dixon BM, Weaver LK. Higher serum
25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations associate with a faster
recovery of skeletal muscle strength after muscular injury.
Nutrients. 2013 Apr 17;5(4):1253-75. [PubMed]
Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University.
Micronutrient Information Center: Vitamin D. Updated June
22, 2011. [LPI-OSU]
Heaney RP. Vitamin D: criteria for safety and efficacy. Nutr
Rev. 2008 Oct;66(10 Suppl 2):S178-81. [PubMed]
Autier P, Boniol M, Pizot C, Mullie P. Vitamin D status and
ill health: a systematic review. The Lancet Diabetes &
Endocrinology. Volume 2, Issue 1, January 2014, Pages 76
89. [Lancet]
[No author listed] Vitamin D: chasing a myth? The Lancet
Diabetes & Endocrinology. Volume 2, Issue 1, January
2014, Page 1. [Lancet]
Jentjens R, Jeukendrup A. Determinants of post-exercise
glycogen synthesis during short-term recovery. Sports Med.
2003;33(2):117-44. [PubMed]
Hermansen L, Vaage O. Lactate disappearance and
glycogen synthesis in human muscle after maximal exercise.
Am J Physiol. 1977 Nov;233(5):E422-9. [PubMed]
Hultman EH. Carbohydrate metabolism during hard
exercise and in the recovery period after exercise. Acta
Physiol Scand Suppl. 1986;556:75-82. [PubMed]
Peters Futre EM, Noakes TD, Raine RI, Terblanche SE.
Muscle glycogen repletion during active postexercise
recovery. Am J Physiol. 1987 Sep;253(3 Pt 1):E305-11.
[PubMed]
Robergs RA, Pearson DR, Costill DL, Fink WJ, Pascoe DD,
Benedict MA, Lambert CP, Zachweija JJ. Muscle
glycogenolysis during differing intensities of weightresistance exercise. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1991
Apr;70(4):1700-6. [PubMed]
Hickner RC, Fisher JS, Hansen PA, Racette SB, Mier CM,
Turner MJ, Holloszy JO. Muscle glycogen accumulation
after endurance exercise in trained and untrained
individuals. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1997 Sep;83(3):897903. [PubMed]
[Back to Contents]
Page 10
Questioning, doubt and dissent are minimized or

discouraged with the ingroup.
The Dirty Dozen: 12 common diet guru fallacies.
By Mike Howard
____________________________________________________
Introduction
Diet gurus operate largely in a cloud of cognitive bias, logical
fallacies and faulty generalizations. The ability to think critically
about issues of health, nutrition, exercise and fat loss (or any
realm of life for that matter) can do wonders when it comes to
forging your own path to phenomenal health. Nutrition is a
highly controversial and decidedly polarizing subject sparking
emotionally-fuelled opinions that are on par with religion and
politics. As with religion and politics, diet philosophies also
possess extremists.
The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for

itself, its leaders, and especially its founder. For example,
the founder is often spoken of as a special being, an avatar,
if not a Messiah. Or the group sees its leader and its
members as part of a special mission to save humanity.
The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality - an
outsider vs. insider doctrine.
The leader is not accountable to any authorities
particularly those of the scientific community.
Consider themselves and their authorities to be forward
thinkers and feel that if the rest of the world would just
get it we would be one big happy, healthy, and lean
planet.
Their way of eating, and their authorities who espouse it
are victims of persecution by the media, crooked scientists
and government.
The first step in adverting dietary/training BS is the skill and

instinct to recognize these pitfalls of logical thinking in both
gurus and ourselves. So here is a quick guide for critical thinking
so you can side-step the nonsense and make your own informed
choices.
INFORMAL FALLACIES
COGNITIVE BIASES
Correlation/causation
Confirmation bias
Of all the cognitive biases out there, the confirmation bias is the
most prominent. It is the tie that binds all of the logical fallacies
together. Confirmation bias is the phenomenon whereby we
selectively intake information that aligns with our beliefs
whilst rejecting that which does not.
We all succumb to confirmation bias to some degree. The
diet/training gurus (and by extension their followers), however
fall into this trap- hook, line and sinker - and for good reason.
They often have substantial financial interest in being right
when it comes to certain theories. Throw ego and reputation into
the fray and you can see how gurus will fight tooth-and-nail to
keep their sacred cows from being slayed.
To give an example, in early 2012, 2 studies were released
within a week of each other - one that proposed red meat
contributed to an early death and one that showed rice intake to
coincide with increased diabetes risk.
Ingroup bias
The cousin of confirmation bias is ingroup bias. This is like
confirmation bias, but in a group where an entrenched tribalism,
if not a cult-like mentality, pervades. Ingroup bias is rampant
when it comes to nutrition camps and we neednt look any
further than support forums and Facebook groups to see
evidence of this. Here are some of the characteristics of ingroup
bias:
The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning
commitment to its leader and his philosophy, no matter if
he is alive or dead, and regards his belief system, ideology,
and practices as the Truth, as law.
Killing turkeys causes winter Eating rice will cause black

hair Sounds absurd, right? While these are jovial examples,
the premise remains the same. In diet book lore, we see Chinese
rural populations ate very little protein and fat and lived long
lives The French eat lard, butter, drink wine and are
healthier than Americans Polynesians eat high amounts of
saturated fat and thrive. These are examples of correlation
two separate events that happen to coincide with each other. This
doesnt mean that rural Chinese populations lived long lives
BECAUSE they ate diets lower in protein, or that the French are
healthier BECAUSE they drink wine and eat lard.
The correlation/causation fallacy is a go-to strategy of the diet
book industry and its associated gurus. Your local bookstore and
Amazon diet book sections are an endless source of this fallacy.
To wit; The China Study a supposed grand slam of cumulative
scientific data is based on nothing more than many observational
studies. Seems there was some cherry-picking going on the part
of its author T. Colin Campbell with health blogger Denise
Minger delivering a thorough pick-apart of the tome. Dyed-inthe-wool vegans and vegetarians, however will continue to
parade this book around as evidence of their way of eating
(remember the confirmation bias?).
Perhaps the most recently-relevant and yet classic example of
the correlation/causation fallacy is the best-selling book Wheat
Belly by Dr. William Davis. Davis demonizes wheat products
blaming its consumption on everything from obesity to CountChocu-litis. And while it seems logical to blame the obesity
epidemic on our collective penchant for croissants, toast and
other wheat-filled products there are too many other factors to
consider not the least of which is increased calories from
EVERY food source.
[Back to Contents]
Page 11
The best way to approach this topic is to ask questions. First

question should be what did they control for? We have to
remember that there are dozens if not hundreds of variables that
can change the outcome of a study.
your eye declaring The one weird tip to reduce belly fat,
The single reason we are fat or The one easy fix for 6 pack
abs be very skeptical.
Appeal to nature
False dilemma (false dichotomy, fallacy of bifurcation, blackor-white fallacy)

The false dilemma is where two alternative statements are held
to be the only possible options, when in reality there are more.
One of the most common examples of this phenomenon in the
past 15 years has been low-carb vs. low-fat. It always boggled
my mind whenever I read about such comparisons and reflected
on how narrow-minded these arguments seemed to be as
though these were the only 2 options of dietary patterns we had.
One of the most important lessons we can learn from nutrition
and training is that these realms operate in many shades of grey.
And while breaking things down to either/or propositions is
easier on our brains and more alluring in headlines things
arent that simple. Weve relegated the complexities of the
human body and the intricacies of diet and training into internet
memes and all-or-nothing banality.
Internet debates bubble over with strong opinion on with
whether its healthier to be vegan or paleo, eat 6 meals a day or
every other day, train like a bodybuilder or do Crossfit, organic
vs. conventional, GMO vs. non-GMO. The polarization of these
topics is perhaps the single biggest cause of internet rage today.
I also happen to think its the largest impediment to openminded learning.
Fallacy of the single cause
Insulin makes us fat Eating the wrong combinations of
foods make us fat Carbs make us fat, toxins make us
fat These are the premises of some of the bestselling diet
books in history. As we will see later, this is one of the most
prominent diet book lies out there. The reality of the situation is
that obesity and disease have a plethora of contributing factors.
The problem is that people dont want to hear that something is
complicated. We would much rather learn that we are doing one
thing wrong and so long as we correct that one thing we will be
on the road to Thinsville. We are told that eating the right foods
and eliminating certain things will magically balance out our
hormones and our hunger signals will fall into place and we will
no longer have any cravings.
Weight regulation is an incredibly complex and multi-layered
science with genetic, behavioral and psycho-socioeconomic
factors intertwining. This diagram illustrates the multi-layered
issue of weight regulation.
We insult the intelligence of our audiences and steer people the
wrong way with this single cause/solution thinking. Dieters may
feel that there is something wrong with them when these simple,
cookie-cutter solutions dont work for them the result being
frustration and self-blame.
Whether you have your finger on the pulse of health and

nutrition or not, surely youve noticed what I would call a
natural fetish when it comes to products/systems. The word
natural itself conjures up dreamlike images of pastures,
mountains, plants and such.
An appeal to nature then is judging the merit of an
intervention based solely on whether it is natural or
unnatural. If savvy marketing has taught us anything its that
natural = good and synthetic = bad. Natural is associated with
the utopic visions of safety and conjures up images of healthy
and thriving whilst synthetic or unnatural makes us think of
processing, chemicals, toxins and the like.
The truth of course is that plenty of manufactured (the so-termed
unnatural) foods, products and such are perfectly safe while
many of the much-lauded naturally-occurring plants and
botanicals are decidedly unsafe. Instead of kissing under the
mistletoe, try eating it and see how it makes you feel. (Hint:
DONT it might kill you).
The take-home point here is that interventions should be judged
on individual circumstances and weight of evidence not
whether something is natural or not. And while there are many
flaws of conventional medicine, there are also questions of
safety and effectiveness when it comes to supplements and
herbal remedies. To quote noted skeptic Ben Goldacre: A flaw
in aircraft design does not mean we should turn to magic
carpets. In the end, individual context is everything. There may
be a place for both (or neither).
RED HERRING FALLACIES
Appeal to authority
Dr. Oz says Jillian Michaels does it this way, Hes
written a book on the subject, Shes a College Professor
These are all examples of appeals to authority. This is a
logical trap whereby people rely on the word of an authority
figure, rather than the body of research. It implies that because
of ones credentials, reputation, status and the like, their word
should be taken as fact.
No single individual has all the answers when it comes to
nutrition regardless of how intelligent or convincing they may
appear. You can be Oprahs go-to doctor, an internet fitness
sensation with YouTube hits rivaling Gangnam Style, a ripped
girl in a magazine or an otherwise shredded Hollywood
celebrity. Im here to tell you it doesnt make your opinion any
more valid without the requisite science to back up your claims.
Appeal to emotion
So, next time you are scrolling through an article or in the fitness
section of your magazine rack and see an ad out of the corner of
Health and wellness are inherently emotional topics. Appealing

to emotions is a tactic whereby an argument is made due to the
manipulation of emotions, rather than the use of valid reasoning.
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Page 12
Like many cult leaders, gurus play on emotions to maximize

buy-in. Its not uncommon for gurus to play on heart strings,
fears and insecurities to make their philosophies all the more
compelling.
Are you tired of being fat?
You are a victim of bad information I will show you the
way
You wouldnt eat a cute puppy, would you? Then why
would you eat a pig?
The food industry wants you to be fat
Women will want to date you if you follow these rules
What you are doing might be killing you
In short, the message is that we need the gurus guidance. We
are not only broken, flawed and unattractive but we are also
incapable of seeking our own solutions. These messages arent
overt, mind you they are subtle.
this hardly makes them worthy of opening up schools to teach

these styles or make them the wave of the future.
Whether I express criticism of CrossFit, low-carb, pole dancing,
gluten-free or any other popular health fad, Im often met back
with Well millions of people cant be wrong. Kristen Stewart
was the highest grossing actress in 2012 and 50 Shades of Gray
was the bestselling book. You see where Im going here. Many
of these fitness and nutrition miracles have come and gone
throughout the years. We have seen various permutations of
low-fat diets, Beverly Hills, grapefruit and cabbage soup, Atkins
to South Beach to the maple syrup cleanse to KimKins to
Paleo/Ancestral/Primal and Wheat Belly. But if these trends
were really revolutionary as the creators and followers claim,
they would have staying power and a wealth of scientific
literature to back them up.
FAULTY GENERALIZATIONS
So whether gurus play on fear, insecurity, hope, frustration or

any other combination thereof, there is an emotional draw in
place to make premises and philosophies appear more legitimate.
The straw man fallacy
When discussions of contentious nature arise, you can bet on the
straw man fallacy to make an appearance. A straw man
argument is when one person attempts to argue a point by
substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of
that position.
Examples abound in guru-land particularly when methods are
questioned:
Skeptic: Eating Paleo isnt necessary for optimal
health.
Guru: Well I guess we should just eat the way the food
pyramid dictates then.
Successful dieter: I lost and maintained weight eating
Atkins-style.
Guru: If you only eat steak and cheese all day you will lose
weight but get sick.
Skeptic: Calories matter most in weight regulation.
Guru: Calorie counting is obsessive and food quality matter
more than quantity. Or
So youre saying 3500 calories of salmon and cauliflower is
the same as 3500 calories of jelly beans?
As you can see from the above examples, straw man fallacies are
used to detract from the actual argument by shifting to an easier
target. Its a form of putting words in ones mouth in an attempt
to make the gurus position sound better.
If you question any guru, you can almost guarantee to have a
straw man thrown your way.
Bandwagon fallacy (appeal to popularity):
This fallacy dictates that because something is popular it must be
valid. Without even getting into diet book examples, this past
year, lots of people twerked and did the Harlem Shake but
Cherry picking (suppressed evidence, incomplete evidence)

Cherry picking is a big one in guru land. This is the act of
pointing at individual cases or data that seem to confirm a
particular position, while ignoring a significant portion of related
cases or data that may contradict that position. This is especially
prominent in diet books that operate under the guise of being
scientific usually written by a doctor or other health
professional.
Its quite common for these gurus to generate conclusions based
on very selective citations. In nutritional science, very little is
cut and dried. The body of scientific research is rarely
unanimous with bits and pieces here and there contributing to a
vast puzzle. There are particular gurus who have been known in
skeptic circles as notorious cherry pickers.
Gary Taubes is one example. His 2007 tome Good Calories,
Bad Calories was hailed as a masterpiece by low-carb
enthusiasts. Seven years of supposed impartial scouring of the
dietary data led him to a series of hypotheses when it came to
obesity. His book was chock-full of scientific references,
footnotes and expert interviews. To the uninitiated, his theories
were a slam dunk and his book was infallible in the low-carb
world the ultimate vindication after years of being demonized.
While Taubes makes a very compelling case for disassembling
the lipid hypothesis (saturated fats and cholesterol as causal
factors in heart disease), the wheels come off thereafter. James
Krieger of Weightology Weekly provides an excellent dissection
of Taubes carbohydrate hypothesis and other missteps here.
Taubes certainly isnt the only author to cherry-pick, however
given his massive index of references it seems only fitting to
pick on him. Campbells China Study falls into a similar trap.
Most recently, we see the anti-grain/gluten brigade upon us.
They too cherry-pick studies to prove certain theories, when in
reality they rely on observational research and studies that show
partial truths that are extrapolated.
I firmly believe that health advocates have a responsibility to
deliver honest information to the public. This means being open
[Back to Contents]
Page 13
to the weight of evidence and bringing forth their information as

their belief/best guess/whats worked for them and not as fact.
Hasty generalization (fallacy of insufficient statistics, leaping
to a conclusion)
When it comes to gurus and diet books, hasty generalizations
come mostly in the form of making broad-based statements.
Sugar is toxic, wheat causes diabetes, fat makes you fat,
fat cant make you fat. Many of the universal qualifiers
dropped with reckless abandon by gurus at best lack context and
are more often than not patently false.
As frustrating as it may be for the average person, the answer to
just about every fitness or nutrition question on the planet is
It depends. Every intervention is subject to individual
circumstance. We cant put something as structurally complex
as food into something as complicated as the human body and
make simple predictions about the outcome.
To wit, moderate sugar consumption within the context of an
active individual who eats maintenance level calories will not be
negatively impacted. Excess sugar consumption in the inactive
person eating more calories than their body needs can have
negative consequences on blood sugar regulation and
subsequently health.
The best policy is to avoid advice that makes broad-based
recommendations especially ones that seem unreasonably
extreme. The answer is usually somewhere in the middle.
Final thoughts
Sharpening your critical thinking skills will help you fine-tune
your BS detector. When looking at nutrition, training, or any
other health intervention, be sure to ask the right questions, ask
for evidence and in the name of all that is holy and sacred,
ENJOY the process. I would encourage open-minded
skepticism. There may be a fine line between skepticism and
closed-mindedness, but the line between open-mindedness and
gullibility is even finer.
____________________________________________________
Mike Howard has been actively involved in
the fitness industry since 1996 - amassing
more than 10,000 hours of in-the-trenches
experience helping people achieve
phenomenal health - working with a
diverse number of individuals of varying
ages, goals and abilities. Mike specializes
in fat loss, corrective exercise and youth
fitness. In addition to personal training and
coaching youth, Mike is an accomplished
writer, with over 350 articles to his credit.
He has been published in Diet Blog, The
Vancouver Sun, Impact magazine and has been a guest on the Good Life
Show, with Jesse Dylan an internationally syndicated radio show. Mike
Currently writes for internationally-acclaimed fat loss expert Tom Venuto for his
Burn the Fat site.
Web: www.coreconceptswellness.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coreconceptswellness
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoreConceptsMH
[Back to Contents]
Page 14
(unused in the literature) position that outperforms all of

them?
Interview with Bret Contreras.
By Alan Aragon
____________________________________________________
What follows is an interview with my colleague and personal
friend, Bret Contreras. My questions are in bold. Enjoy the
discussion, and big thanks to Bret for the insight & expertise!
____________________________________________________
First off, thanks for agreeing to do this interview amidst
your hectic schedule. I want to start by asking how exactly
you became interested in concentrating your focus on the
glutes. I realize that many tongue-in-cheek (no pun intended)
assumptions that can be made here, but it's clear that you
have launched and maintained a consistently scientific
investigation of this area. Please let us in on the background,
since I personally have not seen it discussed in articles to the
general public.
Hi Alan! First off, thanks for interviewing me - I appreciate it.
Okay...about the whole glute obsession. When I was 16 years
old, I was playing golf with my sister's boyfriend. I was about to
t-off on the 9th hole and he stated, "Dude, you have no ass. Your
back literally goes right into your legs." Unfortunately he was
right. I decided from that point forward to learn as much as
possible about glute training, for my own benefit. This passion
has continued even to this day. In fact, I'm still learning a lot
about the glutes. Not only from my own experiments - I have a
force plate and EMG unit - but also from pulling up journal
articles. I'm working on my first review paper on the glutes for
my PhD, and I had to laugh. I did a standard search using
various terms in several databases and ended up with 90 articles
pertaining to gluteus maximus EMG and resistance training or
rehab. However, I searched through my folder consisting of over
1,000 articles on the glutes and found 50 more studies that didn't
come up under the standard search. This goes to show you the
research value of "obsession"...or at least the limitations of
review papers where the authors haven't been studying the field
for a considerable amount of time.
Thanks for the candid answer, Bret. Given the high volume
of glute research you've reviewed, what would you say are
the most glaring methodological limitations of the current
body research, and where do you think the largest gaps are
in this area of research that need to be filled?
Great question Alan. Here are some things I'm interested in
seeing in time:
1. What is the true gluteus maximus maximum voluntary
isometric
contraction
(MVIC)
position
in
electromyography (EMG)? The gold standard is the prone
bent leg position with manual resistance applied to the
distal posterior thigh, but there are a number of MVIC
positions used in the literature for the gluteus maximus.
Which one truly reflects the maximum voluntary
isometric capacity of the gluteus maximus? Is there a new
2. Which exercises elicit the highest mean and peak gluteus

maximus EMG activation - back squats, deadlifts, hip
thrusts, lunges, or back extensions?
3. Can low or moderate loads match the gluteus maximus
EMG activation elicited during heavy load training if sets
are taken to technical failure?
4. Is there a meaningful difference between surface EMG
and fine wire EMG data for the gluteus maximus?
5. If identical relative loads are used, does gluteus maximus
EMG activation increase with increasing squat depth?
(The only study on this topic used the same loads for
partial, half, and deep squats, but lifters are stronger with
partials, so the increased loads might offset the increased
depths)
6. How accurately does EMG reflect actual mechanical
tension (muscle force) in the gluteus maximus? Can EMG
be useful in guiding hypertrophy protocols (does
progressive overload via an exercise that elicits higher
EMG activation lead to greater hypertrophy than
progressive overload via an exercise that elicits lower
EMG activation)?
7. Which protocol maximizes hypertrophy of the gluteus
maximus? Which method maximizes mechanical tension
in the gluteus maximus? Which method maximizes
metabolic stress in the gluteus maximus? Which method
maximizes muscle damage in the gluteus maximus? Is
there an optimal combination of these three factors that
maximize the hypertrophic response?
8. Is glute training useful in eliciting a postactivation
potentiation (PAP) effect? Does low load glute activation
prior to walking positively impact gait performance?
Squat performance? Deadlift performance? Jumping
performance? Sprinting performance? What glute training
methods are most useful for eliciting PAP?
9. The literature on the architecture and muscle moment
arms for the gluteus maximus typically involves
examining cadavers of the elderly. How would the
measurements changed if examining younger, athletic
individuals? Do elite sprinters have a greater percentage
of type II fibers in the gluteus maximus than amateur
sprinters? Do elite sprinters have greater gluteus maximus
moment arms and physiological cross-sectional area
(PCSA) than amateur sprinters? How do the PCSA and
moment arms of the gluteus maximus change when
maximally contracted? How does glute training impact
PCSA and moment arms of the gluteus maximus? How
does gluteus maximus hypertrophy affect performance?
These are just some of the many gaps that we have in the
literature at the moment.
[Back to Contents]
Page 15
As expected, those are a lot of gaps in the literature. But of

course, the beauty of it is that science can continue to march
forward and plug away at them. Do you have any hypotheses
at the tip of your tongue regarding any of those lingering
questions? I'd like to hear what sort of speculations (or
unpublished observations) you might have.
type percentage than amateur sprinters, but Id love to see this

data along with data on the hamstrings.
Im no stranger to hypothesizing Alan, so Ill gladly pony up

some speculation.
Fascinating stuff! I noticed that a lot of the questions

surround the topic of EMG activation. This reminds me of a
recent Facebook thread that set off a lot of fireworks. Can
you tell me what you feel are the main contentions or
complaints some people have with EMG use that are not
well-supported by the scientific literature?
My pilot data with MVIC positions shows that the prone bent leg
hip extension against manual resistance (gold standard) is neckand-neck with wide-stance-feet-flared standing (end range hip
extension with abducted and externally rotated hips). There are a
couple of other positions that are close too, but its too early to
tell.
I think the hip thrust will outperform all other exercises in mean
and peak gluteus maximus EMG activation.
I think that heavy loading will outperform lighter loads to failure
in peak activation (and far greater for mean activation) for the
gluteus maximus (even when focusing on just the last ten reps in
the lighter load set).
I think that fine wire and surface EMG for the gluteus maximus
will yield very similar results.
I think that with identical relative loading, there wont be any
significant differences in gluteus maximus EMG activity with
increasing squat depth.
I think well find that gluteus maximus EMG is fairly
representative of muscle force (with one caveat that the data
isnt gathered under fatigue), however some modeling to take
into account changing moment arms, muscle lengths, and
innervation zones will lead to even more accurate estimations. I
also think that utilizing a progressive approach for exercises that
elicit greater EMG activation will produce greater hypertrophic
adaptations than exercises that elicit lower EMG activation for
the gluteus maximus.
I think that protocols that incorporate the exercises and methods
that elicit high levels of mechanical tension along with very high
levels of metabolic stress and tolerable levels of muscle damage
for the glutes will elicit the greatest hypertrophic response. I
think that heavy hip thrusts will maximize tension in the glutes,
high rep hip thrusts will maximize metabolic stress in the glutes,
and squats and lunges will maximize muscle damage in the
glutes.
I think that over time well discover that glute activation is quite
useful in eliciting a PAP affect and that specific protocols can
benefit squatting, deadlifting, sprinting, jumping, and walking
performance.
I think well find that glute hypertrophy increases torque
production through both increased PCSA and muscle moment
arm length and that this leads to greater hip extension torque
production during squats, deadlifts, and jumps, and even greater
horizontal force and power production during sprinting. Im not
sure if well find that elite sprinters have a greater type II fiber
Of course, Im probably wrong in several of these hypotheses,

and Ill be sure to announce any new findings in the research as I
discover them.
People seem to either think that EMG is the end-all/be-all in

determining exercise efficiency, or that it's completely useless.
Like most things, the truth is somewhere in the middle. I'm not
quite comfortable discussing the various complaints that people
have with EMG. Although I've downloaded and read hundreds
of EMG articles, I know what it takes to truly know something,
and I haven't done my homework in this context. While there are
excellent textbooks on EMG, expert opinion doesn't rank that
high on the hierarchy of evidence. I've never seen review papers
written on various topics such as surface versus fine wire EMG
activation, surface EMG and cross-talk, or fine wire EMG and
disrupted motor patterns. So to form an educated opinion, I'd
need to conduct an extensive review of the literature in order to
feel confident with my knowledge in this area. But what I can
say is that research in these areas is quite variable, so one could
cherry-pick articles to show both ends of the spectrum.
Moreover, the research is highly dependent on the muscle being
examined. For example, using surface EMG to examine the
gluteus maximus is going to be more valid than using surface
EMG to examine the transversus abdominis (a deep muscle).
As for whether EMG can be used to predict the hypertrophic
response to training, I'm aware of no research in this area.
However, since two recent articles which have used MRI to
show
that
activation
is
related
to
hypertrophy
(HERE and HERE) it's reasonable to speculate that EMG could
do the same. In my own experience as a lifter, personal trainer,
and researcher, I can say with confidence that EMG is useful in
demonstrating that the most popular exercises seem to be the
best at activating the various muscles. For example, squats and
lunges usually show up as the highest activators for the vastis,
deadlifts and glute ham raises for the hammies, hip thrusts for
the glutes, dumbbell bench press and weighted dips for the pecs,
behind the neck press and lateral raises for the delts (rear delt
raises for the rear delts), shrugs for the upper traps, bent over
rows for the mid-traps, tricep extensions for the tri's, chins and
curls for the bi's, pull-ups and rack pulls for the lats, hanging leg
raises, weighted crunches, and ab wheel rollouts for the abs, and
standing calf raises for the calves.
EMG is used in the research in a number of ways:
To compare muscle activation across different exercises
To see if regional activation (functional subdivisions)
exist in the muscles
To see the effects of tweaking exercise form on muscle
activation
[Back to Contents]
Page 16
To see if unstable surface training increases or decreases

muscle activation
To determine the isometric positions that elicit the highest
activation (used for normalization purposes called
MVICs)
To examine the effects of cueing and attentional focus on
muscle activation
To examine muscle activation during bloodflow
restriction training, high rep training to failure versus
heavy weights, and special techniques such as drop sets
and rest pause
To examine the EMG-angle curve, peak activation timepoints, and minimum activation time-points during
exercises or sports activities
To examine rate of EMG rise during heavy or explosive
movement
To examine muscle activation during sticking regions in
the powerlifts
To examine muscle activation differences in elite versus
novice athletes
For biofeedback training
To examine muscle onset times
To examine whether myoelectric silence occurs (such as
during stoop lifting)
To examine differences in muscle activation in normal
subjects versus subjects in pain
To examine asymmetries
To examine muscle activation differences between ideal
form and poor form (such as knee valgus)
To examine gender differences in muscle activation
during various tasks
To examine muscle activity during different phases or
portions of a sporting task (such as the braking,
propulsive, and swing phases in sprinting, along with the
acceleration and maximum speed phases)
To compare different types of activities (such as vertical
jumps, horizontal jumps, and lateral jumps)
To learn more about the bilateral deficit
To examine the effects of increasing intensity of load or
effort on muscle activation
To examine the effects of fatigue on muscle activation
To determine the level of cocontraction
To help estimate muscle force, intraabdominal pressure,
and spinal loading in modeling studies
To examine muscle activation in the elderly or in special
populations, and to identify neuromuscular diseases
It should be mentioned that sports scientists utilize many tools
and methods to help them answer questions, each of which
inherent strengths and weaknesses. As previously mentioned,
EMG is no exception; it definitely has its pros and cons. But the
same can be said for every biomechanical tool, including force
plates, accelerometers, linear position transducers, isokinetic
dynamometers, force treadmills, MRI, and ultrasound. With
regards to determining exercise efficiency, a good practitioner
will rely upon a variety of information, some of which may

include:
1.
Discussing exercise with fellow lifters, trainers, and

coaches, attending seminars, and/or watching videos
pertaining to resistance training
2.
Reading magazines, books, blog posts, and published

literature pertaining to resistance training
3.
Performing an exercise and feeling the burn
4.
Intentional inducement of delayed onset muscle soreness

(DOMS) by performing many sets of a certain
exercise
5.
Muscle palpation during exercise performance
6.
Biomechanical analysis of the exercise in terms of

movement patterns, joint angles, actions, and ROM's,
muscle lengths, muscle actions, muscle fiber origins,
insertions, and lines of pull
7.
Biomechanical analysis of the exercise in terms of joint

torques, moment arms, muscle forces, joint forces, and
spinal loading (these require inverse dynamics and
computer modeling)
8.
Surface and fine wire ectromyography (EMG) activation

(examining mean & peak along with the entire pattern)
9.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) activation

(including T2 weighted imaging immediately after the
session to estimate activation or 48 hours afterward to
estimate damage)
10. Blood samples (examining levels of hormones, lactate,

creatine kinase)
11. Training ones self and/or clients and examining the
effects (even better if variables are controlled and the
scientific method is utilized)
12. Conducting longitudinal training studies and examining
the training effects (this is where a number of tools can
be used to examine gains in flexibility, strength, power,
hypertrophy, speed, and/or stamina, which can include
technology
such
as
goniometers,
ultrasound,
tensiomyography (TMG), mechanomyography (MMG),
computed tomography (CT scans), near-infrared
spectroscopy (NIRS), motion capture, dual energy x-ray
absorption (DXA), biopsies, isokinetic dynamometers,
and force plates)
As you can imagine, each of these have inherent strengths,
weaknesses, and limitations. One strength of EMG is that it
gives you numerical data so you're not relying solely on
subjective feedback.
Loving the responses, Bret. In your experience training
clients, what are the most common challenges to achieving
satisfactory hypertrophy in the glutes? You can answer this
from either a biomechanical perspective, behavioral
[Back to Contents]
Page 17
perspective, or both. What sort of 'original' solutions do you

feel you have come up with to surmount these challenges?
handle a lot of volume, especially when exercise selection is

carefully considered.
I'll break this answer up into four categories:
Insufficient Intensity
Genetics
In a study (click HERE) involving 45 male gluteal CT scans, the
minimum muscle volume was 198 ccm and the maximum was
958 ccm. This shows that some folks have nearly 5 times the
glute volume as other folks. Simply put, some lucky individuals
can develop amazing glutes from just doing cardio, while others
can barely alter their gluteal shape even when doing everything
right in the weightroom and the kitchen. That said, I've never
trained anyone who didn't improve at all as long as they were
consistent with their training.
Mind-Muscle Connection
Some individuals fire their glutes like crazy on every compound
lower body movement, while others hardly fire their glutes at all.
Seasoned personal trainers know this since this is easy to detect
via palpation or even examining the wrinkles and divots that
form in clients wearing tight fitting clothing such as spandex.
McGill showed that strongmen of different calibers activated
their glutes uniquely, with the better performer turning his glutes
on earlier and activating them to a higher degree during
strongman exercise (click HERE). Lewis and Sahrmann showed
that cueing glute contractions during prone hip extension
resulted in greater glute activation and lower hamstring
activation (click HERE). Glute re-education has been shown to
eliminate hamstring cramping and reduce hamstring EMG
activity during sprinting (click HERE). Glute max EMG
biofeedback training has been shown to improve EMG
amplitude and gait function and performance (step length,
walking velocity, and cadence) in spinal cord injury patients
over a control group that received standard physical therapy
exercise. Together, these studies show that gluteal activation is
important and improvable. Sadly, many lifters focus on quantity
rather than quality. You see them hoisting hundreds of pounds in
a sloppy, partial range fashion with little control and focus on
the movement. Old school bodybuilders spoke of the "mindmuscle connection" and the importance of being able to fire a
muscle to very high capacities during exercise. Lifters who
haven't paid their dues voluntarily squeezing their glutes (Mel
Siff called this "loadless training") and performing low-load
glute activation exercises should spend around a month working
on this aspect of glute training.
THIS article by Steele rightfully pointed out that there are two
primary types of intensity: intensity of load, and intensity of
effort (well, he suggested load and effort be used on their own
without the word intensity). Many clients think that they train
with sufficient intensity, but they don't. They just don't know
how to push themselves. Two days ago, a lady visited me to
train. She is a trainer herself and in fact trains numerous bikini
models. She thought she knew how to train the glutes, but after a
quick 45-minute session with me, she realized that her glute
training regimen was quite inferior. By tweaking her form and
encouraging her, she was able to use much heavier loads and
attain many more repetitions than she was currently achieving in
her own training. The next day, she emailed me to tell me that
her glutes had never burned so badly during her workout and
that her glutes have never been so sore in all of her life. Don't get
me wrong; my goal is never to elicit excessive soreness as I feel
that it's counterproductive to strength gains. However, this goes
to show you that even experienced lifters are guilty of assuming
that their training is on track, when it can actually be much more
productive with proper exercise selection and intensity. Im
certain that in around two months, this ladys glutes will look
much better.
That concludes the interview, Bret. Once again, thank you
very much for your time.
Bret: The pleasure was all mine Alan. Thanks for asking
excellent questions and proving me with the opportunity to
educate your subscribers.
____________________________________________________
Bret Contreras has a masters degree from
ASU, a CSCS certification from the NSCA,
and is currently pursuing his PhD from
AUT University. He has a Strength &
Conditioning/Biomechanics-based
research review service at
StrengthandConditioningResearch.com.
Bret maintains a regular blog at
BretContreras.com.
Inferior Exercise Selection

There's a Phoenix-based trainer who specializes in training
bikini competitors. The only glute exercise he has his ladies
perform is the bodyweight lunge. It's no surprise that his clients'
glutes suck. Some of his ladies snuck over and started training
with me, and lo and behold their glute shape improved
drastically over the course of two months. I employ a variety of
gluteal exercises in my training and am always sure to include a
type of hip thrusting/bridging movement, a squatting/single leg
squatting movement, a deadlift/hip-hinge movement, and a
couple of lateral/rotational accessory movements. The glutes can
[Back to Contents]
Page 18
The darndest things end up on the internet. I stumbled upon the

Masters thesis of Eric Helms (79-page PDF), which is the actual
document that preceded his peer-reviewed publication.* Of
course, I got Erics blessing to post it here, so enjoy it.
*Helms ER, Zinn C, Rowlands DS, Brown SR. A systematic review of dietary
protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean Athletes: A Case for
Higher Intakes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2013 Oct 2. [Epub ahead of print]
[PubMed]
If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, bones of

contention, cheers, jeers, guest articles youd like to submit, or
any feedback at all, send it over to aarrsupport@gmail.com.
[Back to Contents]
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11 The Dirty Dozen: 12 common diet guru fallacies.

15 Interview with Bret Contreras.

Copyright December 1st, 2013 by Alan Aragon

A critique of the recent multivitamin rant in the

The effects of a combined resistance training and

No evidence of dehydration with moderate daily

Supplemental vitamin D enhances the recovery in

Glycogen resynthesis in skeletal muscle following

Alan Aragons Research Review December 2013

A critique of the recent multivitamin rant in the Annals

Secondly, Guallar et al once again skip mention of this studys

What provoked the rant?

The 3 papers presented as proof of uselessness

Next up, Guallar et al cite a systematic review by Bjelakovic et

Guallar et als rant is based upon three recent papersall

Guallar et al cited 3 papers to support their concern of not just a

The final study Guallar et al cited to support adverse potential

The third highlighted study was by Lamas et al, who reported

It should be noted that the aforementioned studies examined the

Alan Aragons Research Review December 2013

Dieters should not be ignored

food exclusion and food abundance. Kleiner et al examined the

Athletic populations have a tendency to create their own unique

It cant be over-emphasized that a poor diet with a multi is still a

Alan Aragons Research Review December 2013

Athletes should not be ignored

disease. This is why attaining a variety of foods both within and

Guallar E, Stranges S, Mulrow C, Appel LJ, Miller ER. Enough is

Alan Aragons Research Review December 2013

Health Study II randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2012 Nov

The effects of a combined resistance training and

BACKGROUND: While both endurance (E) and resistance (R)

The outcome measures were muscle strength, aerobic capacity,

The study investigated the effects of exercise order with respect

With respect to body composition, conclusions must be taken

Alan Aragons Research Review December 2013

Alan Aragons Research Review December 2013

No evidence of dehydration with moderate daily coffee

As depicted above, the main finding was a lack of difference in

Supplemental vitamin D enhances the recovery in

supplementation. Also, there was a small number of reportedly

As shown above (SSC = stretch-shortening contraction, CON = ,

The authors acknowledged a handful of interesting limitations.

Vitamin D supplementations health-related hype recently took a

Alan Aragons Research Review December 2013

As depicted above, the main finding was that muscle glycogen

Maughan RJ, Griffin J. Caffeine ingestion and fluid balance:

Alan Aragons Research Review December 2013

Questioning, doubt and dissent are minimized or

The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for

The first step in adverting dietary/training BS is the skill and

Killing turkeys causes winter Eating rice will cause black

The best way to approach this topic is to ask questions. First

False dilemma (false dichotomy, fallacy of bifurcation, blackor-white fallacy)

Whether you have your finger on the pulse of health and

Health and wellness are inherently emotional topics. Appealing

Alan Aragons Research Review December 2013

Like many cult leaders, gurus play on emotions to maximize

this hardly makes them worthy of opening up schools to teach

So whether gurus play on fear, insecurity, hope, frustration or

Cherry picking (suppressed evidence, incomplete evidence)

to the weight of evidence and bringing forth their information as

Alan Aragons Research Review December 2013

(unused in the literature) position that outperforms all of