Men's Health & Tips

Caloric Expenditure

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). A study by Jay Hoffman and co-workers showed that Meltdown increased resting caloric expenditure by 20 percent for several hours.

Another 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 three 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 2-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)

Fat Loss Training

High-Intensity Training Cuts Fat Best

Train hard if you want to lose weight quickly. Conventional wisdom states that low-intensity, prolonged exercise burns fat best. This makes sense because the body uses fat as fuel at exercise intensities below 65 percent of maximum effort. However, high-intensity exercise revs up your metabolism so that you burn more calories for the rest of the day and night.

Australian researchers found that people who followed a highintensity, intermittent exercise program (HIE) for 15 weeks lost more weight and fat than people doing a high-volume, low-intensity training program. HIE involved exercising on a stationary bicycle in which they did repeated bouts of sprinting for 8 seconds and turning the pedals slowly for 12 seconds. The total exercise time was 20 minutes, three times per week. The study showed that 15 weeks of high-intensity intermittent exercise reduced total body fat, surface fat in the legs and abdomen and improved blood sugar regulation. (International Journal of Obesity, in press; published online January 15, 2008)

Muscle Exercises

Does Instability Training Really Work?

Many people do exercises such as squats and lunges on unstable platforms such as BOSU balls, wobble boards and Swiss balls. The theory behind instability training is that the body must activate more muscle fibers to maintain balance during the exercises. People exert less force when doing large-muscle exercises on unstable surfaces. However, the method would be useful if it improved balance and stability during sports movements, which would improve performance and prevent injuries. Researchers from the Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada found that many instability-training devices did not cause additional muscle activation in experienced weight-trained athletes. They measured muscle activity in the calf, thigh, abdomen and spine while the athletes stood or squatted on a Dyna Disc, BOSU ball, wobble board, Swiss ball or a stable floor. They also measured muscle activation during standard lower body exercises performed on the floor or unstable Dyna Disc and during static wall-sits on the floor or BOSU ball. They only showed increased muscle activation on Swiss balls and wobble boards, which provided the most instability. The study showed that trained athletes need highly unstable surfaces to recruit additional muscle groups during standard exercises. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 22: 1360-1370, 2008)

The Break Up

10 Reasons She Dumped You

Recently, I notice an interesting poll when I was browsing through Men’s Health. The most common breakup reasons why women dumped men are as follows:

- He cheated on me

- We weren’t compatible

- He changed

When women end relationship, we always want a reason or two. We want to know what is the cause that make the break up. So, here are to name a few:

I am bored: Maybe you don’t make her feel the ride, so she doesn’t feel any spark between you two. Not adventurous enough I guess.

One of Us Was Too Serious: This could be as simple as she wanted to see me three times a week, and I only wanted to see him once a week. If he's flirting with other women, flighty, or not as into it as I am, then I'm too serious for him.

Burnout: I'm a big believer in pacing and rhythm in dating. A relationship can suffer burnout if certain milestones occur too fast: Being exclusive, sex, meeting parents. When that happens, I get that feeling the colonists must have gotten after they won the Revolutionary War: "Ok, we did it...so now what?"

I Was Tempted To Cheat: I do my best not to cheat, so when I have recurring urges to cheat on my boyfriend, I figure it's time to break up with him. I don't need to go through with cheating; the constant urge is enough for me to end things.

All My Friends Broke Up With Their Boyfriends: This is by far the most immature reason on this list. While my boyfriend and I are curled up on the couch watching "The Devil Wears Prada," my newly single boy friends are out shredding the karaoke waves with Journey's "Don't Stop Believin" and tearing up the town. That conflict gives me wanderlust. It's much easier when we are all in for a quiet Saturday night with the significant others.

Divergent Lives: If someone moves to another town, or work is taking over, or other life changes are driving you apart, sometimes it's best to end it.

Feeling Selfish: Dating is selfless because you're giving your time and yourself up to a relationship. "Me time" is necessary at some point to work on career/living situation, travel, or whatever. When I'm in a "selfish period," it's tough to participate in a relationship.

I "Misread" My Feelings: This is the most unfair of all the reasons. Both genders make this mistake—you get into a relationship and everything seems so great. Then, a few weeks later, you realize you got wrapped up in something for the wrong reason, dated for the sake of dating, or whatever, and you need to get out.

My Friends Or Family Didn't Like Him: I pay close attention to friend/family opinions because they know me best, and they've earned the right to have their say. Also, friends and family may be able to see things inside the relationship that I'm too blinded to see.

I Took Him For Granted: Great relationships should be easy, but there has to be some tension too—especially in the beginning. If it's too easy, there's a lack of challenge. If I feel like I could have her heart any time any place, sometimes I'll let him go. This almost always ends up coming back to haunt me later, though. I never learn.

He Was Too Negative: All too often, I end up with the brooding, depressed, uptight type who is constantly complaining. I don't expect someone to be happy all the time, but if he makes me unhappy every time I see him, why stay with him?

What reasons have women used to break up with you, and which make you most angry? What reasons have caused you to break up with women? Which reasons do you think are the most common cause of breakups- do they differ for guys and women?

Interval Training

Interval Training Increases Metabolic Rate More Than Continuous Training

Coaches and athletes use continuous, over-distance training and interval training to build aerobic capacity– the ability to transport and use oxygen. Continuous over-distance training is running a specific distance without stopping, while interval training is repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise interrupted by short rest periods. Australian scientists, in a study comparing interval and over-distance workouts with the same average metabolic load, found that interval training produced the highest levels of peak oxygen consumption. They concluded that interval training was a more powerful stimulus for increasing aerobic fitness. Canadian studies found that short bouts of maximal intensity exercise built high levels of fitness quickly. Six sessions of high intensity interval training on a stationary bike increased muscle oxidative capacity (citrate synthase) by almost 50 percent, muscle glycogen by 20 percent and cycling endurance capacity by 100 percent.

The subjects made these amazing improvements exercising a mere 15 minutes in two weeks. Interval training will improve fitness quickly, but it isn’t pleasant. (Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 11: 287-290, 2008; Journal of Applied Physiology 98:1985-1990, 2005).

Training Intensity

Does Instability Training Really Work?

An interesting article by Emidio Pistilli and colleagues from the Department of Physiology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, proposed that shortterm overreaching might result in accelerated gains in strength and performance in weightlifters. Overreaching is a short-term increase in training volume and intensity, while overtraining is a more long-term condition characterized by chronic exhaustion and decreased performance. They argued that increasing the volume and intensity of workouts for a week (no more than three weeks), followed by a period of reduced training intensity, might produce a rebound increase in strength and performance. This is an interesting concept. The important components are large increases in training volume and intensity for short periods, followed by normal or moderate intensity workouts. This concept is as much art as science, and its effectiveness will vary with the experience and adaptability of the athlete. (Strength and Conditioning Journal, 30 (6): 39-44, 2008).

Interval Training

Increases Metabolic Rate More Than Continuous Training

Coaches and athletes use continuous, over-distance training and interval training to build aerobic capacity– the ability to transport and use oxygen. Continuous over-distance training is running a specific distance without stopping, while interval training is repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise interrupted by short rest periods. Australian scientists, in a study comparing interval and over-distance workouts with the same average metabolic load, found that interval training produced the highest levels of peak oxygen consumption. They concluded that interval training was a more powerful stimulus for increasing aerobic fitness. Canadian studies found that short bouts of maximalintensity exercise built high levels of fitness quickly. Six sessions of high intensity interval training on a stationary bike increased muscle oxidative capacity (citrate synthase) by almost 50 percent, muscle glycogen by 20 percent and cycling endurance capacity by 100 percent. The subjects made these amazing improvements exercising a mere 15 minutes in two weeks. Interval training will improve fitness quickly, but it isn’t pleasant. (Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 11: 287-290, 2008; Journal of Applied Physiology 98:1985-1990, 2005)