Cardio vs weight training: Which is healthier? Which burns fat more efficient? (Part 6)

Recently, I have some friends asking me if taking steroids or HGH helps with their bodybuilding status. Then, I ask them back this question, "Does any of our muscular, lean, strong, powerful primal ancestors consume any steroids or HGH supplements during their lifetime? They looked blank and clueless why I popped that question to them. Bodybuilders obsessed with steroids consumption, loading their bodies with high doses of HGH, are at great risk of developing heart disease, particularly heart attack. It is actually common sense, and you don't need to be a genius to figure this out. When any of our hormones goes off balance, we suffer hormonal imbalance, disruption of endocrine system. Thus, we either fall ill, develop symptoms, and it will lead to disease. You have to remember, all our hormones, neurotransmitters and other molecule messengers, sync with each other in order to bring balance to optimum health, in other words, 'homeostasis'. 

We have tons of bodybuilders or gym enthusiasts overloading themselves with toxic protein powder supplements, HGH, steroids and god knows what other formulas invented by supplement companies. One very good example of an Australian bodybuilder (Mr.Australia) Lou Barry, who died of heart attack in the gym at the young age of 40 yrs? He looked well defined, healthy, muscular, fit and strong, yet what happened to him? Next, we have bodybuilder IFBB Pro Frank Hillebrand, who died of heart attack too early this year at the age of 44? Then, Edward Michel Kaouk, the Lebanese bodybuilding champion, died of heart attack too during his sleep. I could give you long list of these bodybuilders who suffered fatal heart attack due to abuse of these harmful substances, but you could do a Google search yourself as well. In a nutshell, there is no short cut to wellness and fitness. Toxic protein powders, HGH, steroids, all of these substances are not meant to be abusively consumed by human beings. Please read my earlier posts on heart disease which I explained how steroids cause heart failure. 

Well, not to mention elite marathon runners like Jim Fixx who died of heart attack too at the age of 52 yrs, and marathon runner legend Alberto Salazar who luckily survived heart attack too. Well, of course both these marathon runners are not related to steroids or HGH supplements, but they are examples of how endurance long distance exercise/sports affect our body and health. Below are a list of news and incidents of how toxic supplements and steroids associated with heart attack, as well as endurance exercises. Take some time, read the links thoroughly, with an open mind. It may save your life, especially the ones who love running or any endurance training, as well as bodybuilders. 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/phys-ed-how-do-marathons-affect-your-heart/

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/when-exercise-is-too-much-of-a-good-thing/

http://www.rlnn.com/ArtOct06/MarathonRunnerHeartAttackDies.html

http://www.examiner.com/marathon-in-national/marathons-and-heart-danger-dallas-marathon-runner-who-died-had-an-unknown-heart-condition

http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/84740/flintshire-bodybuilder-dies-of-heart-attack-after-injecting-steroids.aspx

http://www.ergogenics.org/bodybuilding2.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/undercover38.htm

http://steroidanalysis.com/2010/08/dirty-brooklyn-doc-1-soon-to-be-dead-bodybuilder/

Now, let's resume the continuation of last post's discussion, about how cAMP influence our fat storing and burning in our body. Under normal dietary routines, that involve many meals throughout the day, gaining the undesirable fat while gaining muscle is almost inevitable. When I mention many meals in a single day, the body tends to store more fat especially when eating higher glycemic foods as well as high in sugar. If there is a reason for eating small meals within a day, it is to avoid insulin spike and control carbohydrate and sugar intake. Some people made mistakes even though they consume small meals throughout the day, with wrong types of calories and macronutrients. Conventional diets that incorporate long periods of off season overfeeding and long periods of on season undereating are probably missing the opportunity to take advantage of the biological principles upon which the body can potentially build muscle while losing fat.

Again, cAMP is a critical element in stimulating a growth potential. Nonetheless, for the materialization of this growth potential, another cellular factor must be activated. This cellular factor is called cGMP. It is responsible for the translation of the growth potential into actual muscle gain. Without its finalizing actions, there will be no tissue repair or growth.

How does this cellular factors works? When you eat a full meal right after fasting or exercising, you actually trigger an inner mechanism that helps your body to recuperate from induced stress. Your body gains an increased capacity to replenish energy reserves and nourish starving tissue with lost nutrients. It also gains the actual capacity to build and repair damaged tissues. All these actions are regulated by a cellular factor called cGMP.

cGMP is insulin-dependant and is therefore instantly activated when eating carbohydrate meals. cGMP appears ot inhibit the actions of cAMP by counteracting cAMP's effects. Nonetheless, under normal conditions, these two cellular factors work in sync, balancing each other through a negative feedback control, one is stimulator, and the other is an activator. One starts the process, and the other finalizes it. 

The human body is not built efficiently enough to go through long periods of induced overfeeding or induced underfeeding without adverse side effects. On the other hand, short periods of controlled undereating and overeating are likely to activate the cellular forces that help make possible simultaneous muscle gain and fat loss. 

Let's talk a bit about how cGMP can influence thyroid actions. Though not a steroid, the thyroid hormone has a steroid-like activity. It plays a critical role in regulating energy production, body heat, steroid hormone activity and fat burning. cGMP maximizes thyroid hormone utilization. To be fully effective, the thyroid hormone must be converted from T4, into its most active form T3. This conversation from T4 to T3 is catalyzed by a high level of cellular ATP that signals the body that plenty of energy is available. It signals thyroid to accelerate its actions and thus boost the body's metabolic rate. 

One of the main reasons for the metabolic rate decline is an inactive thyroid. The thyroid hormone can deactivate itself by reversing its active T3 form into a reverse T3, or also known as rT3, an inactive form. Reverse T3 is formed when not enough cellular energy is available over a prolonged period of time, a situation that may be due to over restrictive low calorie diet. rT3 is not easily detected by the routine blood test, done by most clinics or hospitals. Nevertheless, its potentially adverse effect on the muscle gains fat loss and overall metabolism, can be devastating.

People who go through long periods of crash or low calorie diet often suffer from impaired thyroid function, with symptoms such as sensitivity to cold, especially cold hands, low body temperature, dry skin, loss of hair, sluggish metabolism and overall fatigue. Rings a bell? When properly activated in the body's machinery, cGMP helps optimize thyroid functions, ensuring optimum energy utilization for all life functions and sustaining a healthy metabolism. Stay tuned..