The State of the Science for Fitness

and Exercise Nutrition

Shawn M. Arent, PhD, CSCS*D, FACSM, FISSNDirector, IFNH Center for Health & Human Performance

@ShawnArent

@RUCHHP

https://www.facebook.com/RutgersCHHP/@RU_CHHP@shawnarent

The Paleolithic (Paleo) Diet

The Driving Concepts of the Paleo Diet

• Eat like our hunter-gatherer (HG) paleolithic ancestors

• The human genome hasn’t changed much in the last 20K+ years

• No “modern” diseases in our HG ancestors

• Avoid “agricultural” stuff…that wasn’t a “thing” back then• Grains, dairy, legumes….

A Paleo Diet History Lesson• 1890 Dr. Emmet Densmore “bread is the staff of death”

• 1975 Stone Age Diet -Walter L. Voegtlin, M.D., F.A.C.P

• More meat and its fat, no dairy or salt, minimize plants espgrain & sugar

• 1988 Boyd Eaton, M.D

• Lean meat, low sat fat, fruit, roots, shoots

• ~ 2000 Loren Cordain, PhD

• Claims he is founder Paleo Diet Movement (worked with Eaton)

• Grass-fed meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, non-starch vegetables, tubers.

• No dairy, grain, legumes, potatoes, sugar

• Claims ancestors did not have CVD, T2D, cancer, etc

The Driving Concepts of the Paleo Diet

• Eat like our hunter-gatherer (HG) paleolithic ancestors

• The human genome hasn’t changed much in the last 20K+ years

• No “modern” diseases in our HG ancestors

• Avoid “agricultural” stuff…that wasn’t a “thing” back then• Grains, dairy, legumes….

What Don’t We Know?

• Impact of other carbohydrate sources on the outcomes?

• Do the “unhealthy” benefit most from change?

• Performance benefits?

• Sustainability?

Ketogenic (LCHF…or LCHFHP) Diets

Notable Claims of the Ketogenic Diet

• Improves your body’s ability to use fat for fuel

• Decreases reliance on carbohydrate

• Improves weight loss through ketone formation, etc.

• Improves endurance because fat is so readily available

• Cures T2D and improves cholesterol, increases HDL

• May cure certain cancers

• Therapeutic for brain disorders

Can We?

Havemann et al., 2006. J Appl Physiol.

Can We?• Fairly decent evidence for weight (and fat) loss

• Reasons?• Appetite suppression• Reduced lipogenesis and increased fat oxidation• Metabolic “efficiency” favoring fat• Increased PRO thermic effect + cost of gluconeogenesis• Advantage over other diets? Not after controlling for protein and kcal

• Hypertrophy?• Similar to fasting, KD blunts the IGF-1 /AKT/mTOR pathway, reducing the possibility

of gaining muscle

• Strength & Power?• Gymnasts (KD…w/ high PRO)

• Being “anti-keto” for athletes doesn’t automatically make you “high-carb” proponent

• Important consideration: ketoadaptation period

Should We?

45%

51% 76%

Van Loon et al., 2001. J Physiol.

Total CHO Oxidation (%)

Havemann et al., 2006. J Appl Physiol.

Should We?

“FAT BURNERS”

“FAT BURNERS”

• Proposed mechanism: Raise metabolic rate• Does it work?• Adrenergic properties• The role of caffeine…

• Proposed outcome: Lose weight• Does it work?• Consider this: max impact of Ephedra is additional loss of 0.9

kg/month compared to placebo• Replication issues

• In general, if there weren’t side effects, there wasn’t additional weight loss

• Effects are fairly small (if at all) and ironically appear to be less effective if very overweight

• Side effects?

• Other potential benefits? Depends on the stimulant use

Testosterone Boosters

Testosterone Boosters

• Common ingredients

• D-aspartic acid (DAA)

• Tribulus Terrestris

• Fenugreek

• N-methyl-D-aspartate

• Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial• N-methyl-D-aspartate vs. placebo• Resistance-trained males• 28-day resistance training intervention• No change in either group in total testosterone, free testosterone,

LH, GnRH, estradiol, cortisol, or prolactin• Both groups gained body mass and FFM, but no differences• Both groups increased leg press 1RM, but no differences

• 43 males between the age of 27 and 37; training status?

• 3.12 g/d D-aspartic acid (DAA) vs. placebo• 12 days• Increase in LH in DAA group but not placebo on day

12• Increase in testosterone in DAA group but not

placebo on day 12• Remained elevated after 3 days without DAA

• Never replicated

• Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial• 400 mg/d Tribulus terrestris vs. placebo• 5-week strength and conditioning training• 24 elite male rugby players• Both groups increase bench press, leg press, deadlift,

and seated row 2RM, no difference between groups• Both groups increased FFM, no difference between

groups• No change in urinary testosterone:epitestosterone ratio

in either group

• Systematic review of Tribulus terrestris on performance

• 11 studies suggest Tribulus is ineffective in increasing testosterone in humans

• Dose required to increase testosterone is unknown• Mechanism of action is unknown

• Increase in free testosterone from pre (8.175.04) to post (11.975.65)• No change in total testosterone from pre (405.19156.95) to post (436.34189.94)

Cholesterol

DHEA Androstenedione

Testosterone

Estrone

Estradiol

Recovery

Recovery

• Protein• Vegan? Milk-based? Other “complete” sources?

• Is acute MPS the “measuring stick”?

• Tart Cherry• Calories? Taste?

• Black Tea Extract• Performance and recovery?

• Creatine

• Immune support

Areas of Opportunity?

• Energy drinks and preworkouts• A pump doesn’t equal performance and really doesn’t equate to growth!

• An opportunity to start the recovery process??!

• Timing and dosing considerations

• Caffeine and derivatives• Teacrine & dynamine

• Habituation considerations?

• HEALTH!!• Cross-over supplements: nitrates, omega3,

probiotics

For the love of Albert Einstein, stop the nonsense!

• Detox & cleanse

• Adrenal Fatigue

Acknowledgments

@ShawnArent@RUCHHP

https://www.facebook.com/RutgersCHHP/

shawn.arent@rutgers.edu

@RU_CHHP@shawnarent