Gastric Bypass Improves Sexual Performance In Morbidly Obese Men

            Grossly obese men have an increased risk of sexual dysfunction, including erection problems and decreased sex drive. High levels of body fat trigger insulin resistance, which interferes with Nitric Oxide (NO) production— an important regulator of blood flow to the penis and the rest of the body. Ramzi Dailai, from the Albert Einstein Health Network, found that sexual performance improved following gastric bypass surgery in morbidly obese men (body mass index greater than 51 kg/m²; 30 is overweight). The amount of weight lost following surgery was highly predictive of improvements in sexual performance capacity. Sexual performance returned to near normal values in men who lost 67 percent of excess weight. Poor metabolic health is the principal cause of sexual problems in aging men, such as erectile dysfunction. Gastric bypass surgery improves metabolic function and sexual performance. (Journal American College of Surgeons, 207: 859-864, 2008)

Meltdown Increases Caloric Expenditure And Fat-Burning Before and After Exercise

            Meltdown is a weight-loss supplement that includes synephrine, caffeine, phenylethylamine, yohimbine, and hordenine. Each of these substances is thermogenic (increases caloric expenditure). In our Supplement Research column this month, we reported a study by Jay Hoffman and co-workers, showing that Meltdown increased resting caloric expenditure by 20 percent for several hours.

            A study by Darryn Willoughby from Baylor University and colleagues found that Meltdown increased caloric expenditure and fat burning before and after a short, maximal bout of exercise in college-age men. They rested one hour, took 3 Meltdown capsules (500 mg) or a placebo (fake Meltdown), rested another hour, took a maximal treadmill test (approximately 12 minutes of exercise to exhaustion) and then rested another hour. Meltdown increased caloric expenditure by 10 percent during the two-hour experimental period (rest + exercise + rest) and increased estimated fat use by 6 percent. Blood pressure and heart rate were similar between Meltdown and placebo. Meltdown increases metabolic rate at rest and during recovery from exercise without imposing additional loads on the cardiovascular system. (Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 5: 23, 2008)

Green Tea Decreases Abdominal Fat

            Green tea is a popular weight-loss supplement that also improves blood sugar regulation and influences fat cell turnover. While it is not a magic bullet that instantly improves metabolic health, it helps. Kevin Maki from the Provident Clinical Research, in Bloomington, Indiana showed decreases in total abdominal fat, subcutaneous abdominal fat (under the skin), and blood triglycerides (blood fats) in people consuming a green tea beverage containing 625 mg of catechins and 39 mg of caffeine for 12 weeks, compared to a placebo (green tea without catechins or caffeine). The people also did 180 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise.

            Caffeine and catechins— particularly epigallocatechin-3-gallate— speed metabolism and fight fat. Other studies found that green tea extract increased the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in fat cells, which might have negative effects in bodybuilders. Green tea is an effective fat fighter that complements the effects of exercise. However, bodybuilders should use it with caution. (Journal of Nutrition, 139: 264-270, 2009; Journal of Nutrition, 138: 2156-2163, 2008)

Caffeine Works Faster In Men Than In Women

            Ninety percent of Americans consume caffeine every day in one form or another. Most people drink coffee, tea, or other caffeinated beverages as pick-me-ups to increase alertness, or consume them as weight loss supplements to lose body fat. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that improves wakefulness, alertness, and some types of athletic performance. It affects some people more than others, depending on tolerance, body size and gender.

            A University of Barcelona (Spain) study showed that caffeine had a greater, faster effect in men than women. The scientists measured the short-term (first 30 minutes) and long-term (rest of the day) effects of caffeine ingestion in nearly 700 college students. Coffee increased alertness within 45 minutes, but the effects were greater in men than women. Decaffeinated coffee also increased alertness, although the effects were less than regular coffee. In most people, the effects of caffeine last for 2-3 hours, but can last as long as 10-12 hours in pregnant women and in people with liver disease. (Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 32: 1698 DO, 2008)

Endurance Exercise Reduces Fat Surrounding The Heart

            Fat surrounding the organs, particularly in the abdomen, decreases metabolic health, which can lead to heart attack, diabetes and stroke. Heart fat (epicardial fat) restricts movement of the heart and increases blood pressure. Abdominal fat promotes insulin resistance, which interferes with important chemicals that regulate blood flow and blood pressure. A Japanese study found that 12 weeks of endurance training (three times a week for 60 minutes) decreased abdominal and epicardial fat. Blood pressure decreased in direct proportion to decreases in heart fat. Exercise is an effective technique for decreasing abdominal and heart fat and improving metabolic health. (Journal of Applied Physiology, 106: 5-11, 2009)

Sleep Less, Snack More

            Sleep-deprived people eat more snacks. Inadequate sleep is linked to obesity, but scientists aren’t sure why. Arlet Nedeltcheva and co-workers from the University of Chicago found that appetite and food intake from snacks increased more following sleep deprivation (5.5 hours of sleep per night) than normal sleep (8.5 hours). Eleven middle-aged adults lived in a sleep laboratory for 14 days and had free access to good-tasting food. During their stay, they were allowed long and short sleeps. Sleep duration did not affect caloric intake during meals. However, people ate 221 more calories and 4 percent more carbohydrates per day from snacks following sleep deprivation. Energy expenditure (metabolism plus physical activity) was the same on long and short sleep days. People eat more snacks when they don’t get enough sleep, which promotes obesity. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89: 126-133, 2009)

Uncoupling Might Be Key To Future Weight-Loss Drugs

            Energy metabolism works through a series of coupled reactions. This means that energy released by breaking down fats, carbohydrates and proteins is captured in other reactions such as making ATP (a high energy chemical) or storing fats and carbohydrates. Uncoupling occurs when the energy from food breakdown is released as heat instead of being captured as ATP. The cell mitochondria (cell energy centers) contain uncoupling proteins such as UCP1, which convert energy directly into heat.          All mitochondria contain UCP1, but they are particularly concentrated in brown fat. The body has evolved to store energy (fat) efficiently, but developed the ability to generate heat through uncoupling to protect itself from cold and hypothermia (drop in body temperature). Drug makers are targeting genes that cause uncoupling in cells to increase metabolic rate and help people lose fat. This could lead to new, more effective drugs for weight loss. (International Journal of Obesity, 32, S32-S38, 2008)

Rimonabant Combined With Metformin Promotes Weight Loss

            Rimonabant and metformin improve blood sugar regulation and promote fat loss. Rimonabant (Accomplia) decreases body fat and reduces heart disease risk factors in overweight people. The drug works by blocking the same receptors that give marijuana users the munchies. The endocannabinoid-CB₁ system— the receptors that cause the marijuana high— promote food cravings linked to obesity. While it is widely prescribed outside the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has not approved it, because of its severe psychological side effects.

A recent study featured 12 young men, average age 26. In the first part they took a capsule containing ingredients equivalent to 3 1/2 cups of green tea three times a day, the last one hour before exercise. Other subjects got a placebo containing corn flour. The exercise consisted of 30 minutes of cycling at an intensity equal to 60 percent of maximum heart rate. In the second part of the study 11 of the men took an oral glucose-tolerance test before and after taking green tea capsules.

Those who took the green tea capsules had a 17 percent greater contribution of fat to energy expenditure during exercise than those who took the placebo. That scale of fat oxidation was over and above what usually occurs during exercise, pointing to a definite green tea effect. The second part of the study showed that green tea increased insulin sensitivity by 13 percent, which reduced the insulin response to a glucose load by 15 percent.

Another study, this one with isolated fat cells, found that green tea can inhibit the development of new fat cells. The mechanism is an inhibition of GPDH, an enzyme, along with the inhibition of PPAR-gamma, a protein that boosts bodyfat. Green tea acts as an oxidant in fat cells—but that’s good because it activates AMPK, a protein that stimulates fat oxidation in muscle during exercise.

Application: Drink green tea for health and to get leaner and/or take a green tea supplement three times a day to augment fat burning.

Fiber is a key nutrient that's commonly found in plant-based foods. Not only is it crucial to good health, but fiber can help bodybuilders stay lean and build fat-free mass when combined with a bodybuilding diet rich in protein and carbohydrates.

Take in at least 25 grams of fiber each day and strive for 35 or more. Feel free to use a fiber supplement in addition to fiber from natural sources. Take note: If your current fiber intake isn't up to par, increase it gradually. Add about three grams a day per week until you reach the desired daily amount.

Here's the lowdown on what fiber can do for you and your physique.

1. FIBER IMPROVES ABSORPTION
Consuming fiber is an important part of creating an anabolic environment in your body, because fiber enhances nutrient absorption along the intestinal walls by helping to keep the walls free of undigested food. That leads to better and more efficient growth.

2. FIBER HELPS RROCESS DIETARY FAT
Many nutritionists focus on the benefits of dietary fat for bodybuilding, yet the fact remains that calorie for calorie, a high-fat diet is not as anabolic or conducive to gains in mass as a lower-fat and higher-carbohydrate diet. Saturated fat, in particular, can contribute to poor heart health and increase the storage of bodyfat. Fiber binds with some of the dietary fat in a meal and pulls it through your body.

If you're eating a fattier cut of steak, or dairy products such as cheese, yogurt or whole milk, a green salad can help neutralize some of the extra fat calories. Even if you're eating low-fat protein foods, adding fiber-rich veggies or ending a meal with a piece of fruit offers fat-fighting benefits.

Yams, red potatoes, whole-grain bread and oatmeal are among the best slow-burning energy foods. Not only do they provide glucose, the energy source muscles need to work and grow, but they are more slowly digested than most carb sources. Their high fiber content increases the duration of digestion of carbohydrates.

When you slow the entry of carbohydrates into the blood, the "fuel" lasts longer. This helps you stay mentally alert—an important component that contributes to increased training intensity. It is also thought to exert a beneficial effect on body composition. When carbohydrates break down slowly—the result of eating fiber at meals—the body tends to store more of the carbohydrates as muscle glycogen rather than as bodyfat.

When you eat carbohydrates, the body releases insulin, a strong anabolic hormone. Insulin drives carbohydrates and protein into your muscles, resulting in greater recovery and growth. A potential limiting factor is something called insulin sensitivity. Muscles have receptors for insulin located on their outer edges. The greater the receptor affinity, or attraction, the better insulin can drive carbohydrates and protein into the muscles. Regular training, high levels of muscle mass and low levels of bodyfat enhance this attraction.

Fiber, especially the soluble kind, also plays a role. Foods such as oatmeal, applesauce, peas, pears and black beans offer soluble fiber (wheat bran, for example, is a source of insoluble fiber). Soluble fiber enhances the attraction and helps improve insulin sensitivity. If a lean and muscular physique is your goal, then help your body make use of its own anabolic hormones by including soluble fiber in your diet.

5. FIBER HELPS YOU EAT LESS
It's obvious that vegetables are great for all dieters, including bodybuilders ripping up. Three cups of broccoli yield only 75 calories. That's a lot of chewing for very few calories. An added benefit of fiber is that it blunts your appetite by making you feel fuller. Fiber contributes to the release of cholecystokinin, a hormone produced in the small intestine that triggers a sensation of satiety in the brain. Mixing vegetables into rice or pasta or complementing a baked potato with a salad helps curb the appetite—an important tool for all bodybuilders trying to control bodyfat by managing calories.

6. FIBROUS FOODS CAN GIVE YOU A HARDER APPEARANCE
Years ago, a shredded competitor told me adding salads and vegetables made him more cut. At the time, I assumed this was true due to reasons 2, 3 and 4. But it turns out there may be more to it. There is scientific confirmation that some fiber-rich vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, contain compounds called indoles. Indoles can lead to slightly lower levels of estrogen in males, which, in turn, leads to less water retention and ever-so-slightly higher levels of testosterone. And that can help you look harder when you diet.

7. TIME YOUR FIBER CONSUMPTION FOR BEST RESULTS
Skip fiber after workouts. The goal of post-training meals is speeding up digestion—to get glucose from carbohydrates into the blood as fast as possible to stimulate muscle recovery and growth. Having fiber in a post-training meal would slow down digestion, so save it for all other meals, including late-night snacks, which should be high in protein and have few carbs, if any.

A recent study featured 12 young men, average age 26. In the first part they took a capsule containing ingredients equivalent to 3 1/2 cups of green tea three times a day, the last one hour before exercise. Other subjects got a placebo containing corn flour. The exercise consisted of 30 minutes of cycling at an intensity equal to 60 percent of maximum heart rate. In the second part of the study 11 of the men took an oral glucose-tolerance test before and after taking green tea capsules.

Those who took the green tea capsules had a 17 percent greater contribution of fat to energy expenditure during exercise than those who took the placebo. That scale of fat oxidation was over and above what usually occurs during exercise, pointing to a definite green tea effect. The second part of the study showed that green tea increased insulin sensitivity by 13 percent, which reduced the insulin response to a glucose load by 15 percent.

Another study, this one with isolated fat cells, found that green tea can inhibit the development of new fat cells. The mechanism is an inhibition of GPDH, an enzyme, along with the inhibition of PPAR-gamma, a protein that boosts bodyfat. Green tea acts as an oxidant in fat cells—but that’s good because it activates AMPK, a protein that stimulates fat oxidation in muscle during exercise.

Application: Drink green tea for health and to get leaner and/or take a green tea supplement three times a day to augment fat burning.

Is it worth your money? What does it have to offer you in terms of helping you burn off that fat that's still lingering around?

Here's what.

First, realize that this is an ephedra free product.

Right away, this should alleviate many individuals' fears, who worry about what ephedra does to the body and whether or not it's safe for them to be taking.

Synephrine is an ingredient that you'll find in many fat burners and acts in a similar manner to ephedra with its main influence to increase energy levels, ramp up the metabolic rate, and therefore, enhance the fat loss process. Synephrine itself is derived from the fruit called, Bitter Orange (or Citrus aurantium).

Almost no fat burner would be complete without the inclusion of caffeine. Caffeine increases alertness levels, enhances energy, and increases NEAT in some people (fidgeting types of movements). All of these can translate to more calories burned for you over the day, which then equates to greater fat loss.

Guggulsterones is an ingredient that has been used for many, many years and is now being shown to be quite effective in helping with fat burning.

Another benefit that this ingredient has is that it supports a healthy thyroid glands, and ensures that your main hormones, T3 and T4 are working in a normal healthy range. This is incredibly important in the maintenance of a healthy metabolic rate, which is without a doubt critical in the fat loss game.

Another ingredient you'll find in Lipo 6 is Bioperine, which is an extract of black pepper. The main function Bioperine has is the increased absorption of other supplements, meaning they will work more effectively with your system.

In addition to that, it will also help to increase the absorption of the foods you are eating as well, meaning you'll get even more from your diet. Since when you are trying to lose body fat you're typically eating a lowered calorie intake which can be associated with nutrient deficiencies (since it's hard to get in all the vitamins and minerals on less food), this can really be advantageous when it comes to your overall health.

Finally, the last critical ingredient in Lipo 6 that helps it deliver you the results you're looking for is yohimbe. Yohimbe has a couple of benefits. First, it acts as a vasodilator, helping get blood to the tissues in need. When you're just completed a hard workout, this is going to help your muscles receive the nutrients they need from your post-workout meal.

Additionally, another big benefit that yohimbe has is to increase blood flow to the extremities and appendages. For those who have dieted down to low body fat percentages already, or perhaps you are already noticing this, when you get quite lean, certain normal activities diminish.

So, if you are looking for a good all-around, ephedra-free fat burner, Lipo 6 is a good option. With plenty of testimonials to back this product, it works quite well for most individuals.

Keep in mind however, that fat burners work to the extent that they help make the process of dieting and working out easier. Do not think that you can simply take a supplement and see the fat fall off. You still must do the work required; the fat burner is just going to amplify your results, to help you see success faster with less frustration.

Those who are not committed to putting in the time in the gym and watching what they place in their mouth, are likely going to be disappointed in any fat burner they take, regardless of the brand or ingredients. Quick fixes don't work, so the sooner you can come to terms with reality, the sooner you can get the body you desire.

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Twinlab Ripped Fuel Extreme 60caps - Php 1,350.00

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Hydroxycut Hardcore 120 caps - Php 2,200

Hydroxycut^® Hardcore works through a five-stage process that works to create the optimal fat-burning environment. As soon as you take a serving of Hydroxycut Hardcore, the assault on your fat stores begins.

The first stage elevates your body's #1 fat-burning hormone, norepinephrine, by an average of 40 percent to effectively ignite the fat-breakdown process. When norepinephrine binds to beta-receptors on your fat cells, cell signals are sent down to activate fat-burning signalling cascades.

In order to keep the signals going within the cell, a component in Hydroxycut Hardcore inhibits enzymes called phosphodiesterases (PDE's) and that is the second stage. PDE's can deactivate cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), and high cAMP levels are essential for the fat-burning process because they act as a second chemical messenger to drive fat burning.

The third stage involves the alpha receptors found on fat cells. Another key component in Hydroxycut Hardcore blocks the alpha receptors because these receptors shut down the fat-burning process. When these receptors are blocked it allows the beta receptors to keep fat-burning signals redlined.

The fourth stage also deals with blocking a fat-burning enemy. A key component in Hydroxycut Hardcore blocks a norepinephrine-degrading enzyme called catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT), and by doing so, the 40 percent increase in norepinephrine can continue doing its job to burn fat.

To complete the entire process, broken-down fat stores are sent to the mitochondria of cells, where they are burned off as heat by uncoupling proteins, through a process called thermogenesis – the fifth and final stage.