Aerobic Exercise

[Inspector]

Fireball,

Sorry but you are just plain wrong about the necessity of aerobic activity and the supposed un-fitness, "aerobically," of HIT bodybuilders; especially Mike Mentzer. Read the articles I linked to on the first page of the thread.

Edited January 31, 2007 by Inspector

[hunterrose]

Is it safe to say that if I ever do start exercising for real, that I will need to greatly improve my diet?

Most definitely. Eating enough is at least 50% of the struggle! I actually have more difficulty with eating enough than with working out. Unless your diet is sufficient, the body just isn't going to expend considerable energy in building up additional muscle.

People like Hunterrose might have the genetics to "get away" with high volume training, but for people like us, that kind of thing just doesn't fly.

I really don't think it's ultimately a matter of genetics as to whether volume training will work. In fact, I think you'd be surprised with the results that you would get if you did more volume (in the proper way). Someone of your height could become considerably bigger than 160-180s. That said, I wouldn't advocate everyone take it to the degree that I do

[Inspector]

Most definitely. Eating enough is at least 50% of the struggle! I actually have more difficulty with eating enough than with working out. Unless your diet is sufficient, the body just isn't going to expend considerable energy in building up additional muscle.

I have to wonder about that. It certainly makes intuitive sense that we're not helping ourselves if we don't eat enough, I have seen a number of studies of people who simultaneously gained large amounts of muscle and lost large amounts of fat that I have at least begun to question that conventional wisdom.

But in any case, until we have more solid evidence on this one I would definitely recommend hedging one's bets by eating right. It can't hurt.

[hunterrose]

I have seen a number of studies of people who simultaneously gained large amounts of muscle and lost large amounts of fat that I have at least begun to question that conventional wisdom.

I suspect that the results depend on how such studies are performed.

Say you need to take in 3000 calories a day to maintain your current size; you lose weight on anything less and gain on anything more.

If you were to take in, say, 2750 calories per day, you would have a hard time gaining additional muscle because all the body know is that it is not receiving enough calories - it won't understand that you want to apply some of the food to muscle-building and body fat to the shortage below 3000. Even with all the drugs available, professional bodybuilders don't gain muscle when they're cutting (i.e. below maintenance calories) for a contest.

On the other hand, If you were to take in 3250 calories per day and burn off (through additional exercise) 500 calories, it is easier to gain muscle (and lose fat, if they must be done simultaneously).

[Inspector]

On the other hand, If you were to take in 3250 calories per day and burn off (through additional exercise) 500 calories, it is easier to gain muscle (and lose fat, if they must be done simultaneously).

Good point. I don't recall at the moment if that was mentioned or not, but I will be on the lookout. There was one claim I saw where someone had gained muscle on a "starvation diet."

[~Sophia~]

I would like to list some known to me benefits of aerobic activity at a level of walking.

- release of neurotransmitters (serotonin and norepinephrine) in the brain that alleviate pain, both physical and mental (aerobic physical activity is strongly correlated with good mental health as people age)

- it is one of the few ways scientists have found to repair existing neurons and generate new neurons (new neurons are created in the hippocampus, the center of learning and memory in the brain) which is particularly relevant to humans because the our brain starts to lose nerve tissue beginning at age 30. Mild stress generated by aerobic exercise stimulates an influx of calcium to the brain, which activates transcription factors in existing hippocampus neurons. The transcription factors initiate the expression of the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factorgene, creating BDNF proteins which promote neurogenesis.

- BDNF proteins also promote synaptic plasticity (the efficiency of signal transmission across the synaptic cleft between neurons, generally considered the basis of learning and memory)

- Aerobic exercise reinforces neural connections by increasing the number of dendrite connections between neurons, creating a denser network, which is then better able to process and store information (possible preventative and therapeutic effects for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's that progress via the loss of neurons. Indeed, a correlation between lifestyle and Alzheimer's has already been demonstrated)

- Brain-wave analysis showed a 35-millisecond faster brain response time post-exercise versus pre-exercise, which fosters greater efficiency in everything we do. Excercise ups blood flow to the brain stimulating production of nerve growth factors that speed up the signaling between communicating brain cells.

- After starting a walking plan, women in Stanford University Study enjoyed an extra 45 min of REM sleep Moderate walking leads to a 50% drop in levels of epinephrine, the stress hormone that disrupts sleep patterns and triggers insomnia.

- Moderate walking increases the number of immune system's natural killer cells, which attack viruses and bacteria we encounter. This effect was found to reduce the chances of getting flu/cold by 50%.

- Walking at a moderate pace increases levels of seratonin by 47%. This brain chemical signals a sense of fullness to the hunger center of the brain, cubing appetite by 29% for up to six hours.

- the rhythm of walking induces the brain to enter a state in which calming alpha waves dominate. This cuts production of stress hormone cortisol by 40%, which is great for the waist since excess cortisol signals the liver to direct fat to the abdominal region.

That is why I won't give up my treadmill

[Inspector]

Interestingly, a lot of those same benefits have been linked to video games.

[aequalsa]

Interestingly, a lot of those same benefits have been linked to video games.

Sweet...no more gym for me. Only super mario brother from here on out.

[~Sophia~]

Interestingly, a lot of those same benefits have been linked to video games.

http://www.megagames.com/news/html/pc/studysuggestsmoregamelessbrain.shtml

In a survey conducted by Akio Mori, a professor in Nihon University's College of Humanities and Sciences, it was found that the longer people spent playing video games, the less activity they showed in the prefrontal region of their brains, which governs emotion and creativity.

What is even more worrying is that according to the study, brain activity in the people who continually played games did not recover in the periods when they weren't playing games.

Mori analyzed the brain waves of 240 people aged between 6 and 29, separating the beta waves that indicate liveliness and degree of tension in the prefrontal region of the brain, and alpha waves, which often appear when the brain is resting.

He divided brain activity of participants into four categories, naming them normal, visual, half-videogame, and videogame.

The beta waves in the brains of those in the normal category, who rarely played video games, were always stronger than the alpha waves their brains emitted, and little change was shown when they started playing a game.

Those in the half-videogame category, who spent between one and three hours each day playing games for three to four days a week, had roughly equal alpha and beta wave activity before they started playing a game. However, once they started playing, the beta waves rapidly decreased, falling below the level of the alpha waves.

Beta wave activity in people in the videogame group, who spent between two and seven hours each day playing games, was constantly near zero even when they weren't playing, showing that they hardly used the prefrontal regions of their brains.

Many of the people in this group told researchers that they got angry easily, couldn't concentrate, and had trouble associating with friends.

Mori said the research showed that only the nerve circuits of sight and motion moved when people played videogames, causing a drop in the process of thought.

The research also found that after continued time playing videogames, a decrease in prefrontal brain activity became chronic.

[Inspector]

http://www.megagames.com/news/html/pc/studysuggestsmoregamelessbrain.shtml

Oh, great, now they're saying the opposite? Come on, witchdoctors: make up your minds!

[aequalsa]

http://www.megagames.com/news/html/pc/studysuggestsmoregamelessbrain.shtml

Damn, Back to the gym. Thanks for ruining it Sophia.