Our expert tells you how to keep your muscles as you age, and why you can mix creatine with caffeine.
Q: I’m a healthy 55-year-old man, older than the young men in your PUMP program. Recently, my doctor told me I’m losing some muscle and strength, as I have something called sarcopenia. Can you suggest a protein supplement for me?
A: First let me begin by saying sarcopenia is not a disease, so there’s no cause for fear. Sarcopenia is simply a medical term describing marked or visible loss of musculoskeletal mass and strength. As exercise and activity levels decline over a lifetime, muscle mass and strength also decline. Sarcopenia is simply a descriptor for many middle-aged people, and a major characteristic of a more frail elderly population.
This is where protein comes to the rescue. Protein is key in maintaining lean muscle and good health.
Follow your doctor’s directions, of course, but I’ll give you my take. Studies have suggested that protein blends may be better in supporting greater lean muscle gains over single protein sources. Look for a protein supplement that contains a blend of two or more of these great protein ingredients: whey, soy, casein, egg, goat or pea. Take the protein blend along with some carbohydrates and healthy fats to help create a unique anabolic environment that supports optimal muscle maintenance and lean muscle growth, while helping to speed muscle recovery after exercise.
The amount of protein an individual can utilize at one time is determined by one’s body size, metabolic rate, level of physical activity, timing of protein ingestion, and the health of their digestive system. The standard number of grams most healthy individuals consume in a meal is between 20 g and as high as 50 g either in protein powder, RTD or whole foods.
It goes without saying that exercise is essential for your health, and the amount and type you do helps determine your protein-intake totals. Healthy active adults working out with weights three or four times per week normally consume in the range of 0.75–1 g of protein per pound of lean body mass, depending on their fitness goals. Lean mass is body weight less a percentage of body fat. For example: a 180-lb man with 27% body fat wanting to maintain muscle or gain some lean muscle (BW 180 – 27 BF = 153 target number x 1 g = 153 g of protein per day divided into six meals, or 25 g per meal) in addition to some good calories for muscle energy. Naturally, the more muscle you have and the harder you train, the higher the total grams are needed for maintaining lean muscle or muscle growth.
In addition to using a good protein supplement two or three times per day, I suggest considering the use of a patented enzyme called Aminogen to help support your protein uptake. In a recently published clinical study, Aminogen significantly increased the rate of protein absorption, so more amino acids are made available to the body before proteins move further down the digestive tract and is no longer bioavailable. Second, it increases BCAAs by 250%. These amino acids are crucial for building and maintaining skeletal muscle while also supporting greater muscle energy/strength. Third, Aminogen increases nitrogen retention by 32%. This is extremely important because we know that inefficient nitrogen retention leads to a catabolic state in which your body loses protein, and breaks down muscle tissue to make up the difference. You can find Aminogen in many of your leading protein powders or supplements.
Q: I just started the PUMP program I found in a recent issue of Muscle & Body, and wanted to know how long I should rest between sets?
A: Unless you’re powerlifting, rest only 60–90 seconds between sets. That’s all the time you need to get results for overall muscle building, strength and endurance. Longer rest periods (three minutes or more) allow for greater muscle recovery necessary for performing power movements where strength is the only goal. For bodybuilding, you want to fatigue the muscles and force them to adapt to progressively heavier workloads. Make sure you know what your goals are in the gym, then train accordingly.
Q: For my rear shoulders I’m doing bent-over reverse dumbbell flyes. I can’t seem to get much out of them. Can you suggest a better exercise for building my rear delts?
A: Try the seated reverse delt kick-backs performed with a pec cable machine. This unique exercise will target the rear deltoids where it ties in to both the rhomboids and the traps. Here’s how to do it: Sit in a reversed position on the chest pec-deck machine. Grasp the handles directly in front of you with both hands. You should have your arms parallel to the floor, with your chest up against the back pad and your face forward. Using both arms, pull the machine handles back as far as possible in a reverse motion while flexing the rear delts. When in the extended position, hold the movement for a second and then release. Do 3 or 4 sets of 12–15 reps using a reasonable weight that provides enough resistance where you can flex and complete the movement.
Q: Do nitric oxide products really produce a better pump and help build muscle?
A: In a word, yes. Here’s why. Increasing nitric oxide (NO) levels in your body and within skeletal muscle signals cells to open and expand blood flow throughout the body, supplying more oxygen into muscle membranes, increasing glucose uptake and aiding in protein synthesis, muscle growth and a greater muscle pump.
Stimulating a great muscle pump is vital for expanding muscle cells and creating an anabolic environment for muscle growth and recovery. Normally, without NO or creatine or a combination of both, most average muscle pumps are short-lasting and do not stimulate the deep, deep muscle fibers. By increasing your NO production in skeletal muscle, you increase your muscle volume beyond its normal capacity, accelerating both slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers for greater lean muscle development and strength. That means greater muscle-building results and faster gains. Most NO supplements contain versions of alpha-ketoglutarate (high grades of L-arginine) as its primary ingredient source to support higher NO levels. Give one a try and enjoy the results!
Q: A trainer at my gym suggested I stop drinking coffee if I’m also taking creatine. He said it makes the creatine ineffective. Is that true? Also, how safe is creatine?
A: Creatine is perfectly safe, and there are no studies showing caffeine in any way counteracts the many benefits of creatine. As bodybuilding supplements, creatine and caffeine work independently of each other, although both greatly improve muscle energy output to support a more intense workout. Creatine aids the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which powers muscle contractions and improves strength. It also shuttles fluid and key muscle-building nutrients into the cells for a greater pump, which also supports recovery.
Caffeine is a natural herbal stimulant that increases overall energy without adding calories. That’s why many brands actually contain a bit of caffeine in their products (check out the labels).
Creatine is one of the most researched and results-producing supplements you can use — if you’re a responder. It fortifies muscle energetics, which means it helps you grind out more reps on lower-rep power sets. It can also help volumize muscles by increasing fluid in cells.
Some new studies on creatine suggest it may also have some antioxidant activity, which may help protect users against certain diseases. It also helps protect the skin from ultraviolet light damage, which causes wrinkles, and supports some brain-function energy similar to how it supports muscle energy.
As of today, research strongly suggests creatine is very safe when used as directed. If you email me, I’ll be happy to send you some of the many studies that support its safety.
Q: I’m 40 years old. My father had some prostate problem as he aged. I’m hoping I’m not genetically predisposed to the condition. Can you suggest any natural supplements for prostate health just to be sure?
A: Two unique natural supplements to consider for improved prostate health are lycopene and saw palmetto. Both come from plants and can be used individually or together.
Saw palmetto is a berry extract that comes from a dwarf palm tree. The extract helps maintain normal prostate health by decreasing the metabolism and action of male hormones. Saw palmetto has been found to decrease the activity of 5-alpha reductase, which stimulates the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), helping to inhibit the production of various inflammatory factors, thus serving to decrease overall prostate inflammation. The suggested dose is around 1,000–3,000 mg per day.
Lycopene is a carotenoid (like beta-carotene) that is responsible for giving tomatoes their red color. It’s also a very strong antioxidant that seems to inhibit cancer-cell growth especially in the prostate. Eighty percent of the lycopene consumed in our country comes from tomato sauce, pizza and ketchup. The latest data suggests that 10 servings of tomato products per week (equivalent to 100 mg of lycopene daily) reduce the risk of prostate cancer by approximately 35%. Since most of us don’t consume that amount of tomato products each week, the suggested dose is around 20–50 mg per day for antioxidant support. There are no adverse side effects associated with regular consumption of supplemental levels of lycopene.
As with any supplementation always talk with your physician first.
David Hawk, a former Mr. USA and Mr. World, is a consultant, personal trainer and adviser to NFL, NHL, WWE and NASCAR athletes.
