Aerobic endurance w/out sacrificing muscle

strangedejavu · Post by **strangedejavu** » Dec 10, 2005 12:17

My fitness club opened up last week which meant that I got a free training session. I took advantage of it so I could have some help with my form (The trainer was reluctant to show me anything but machines. He was noticeably irritated when he heard me singing Pink Floyd's Welcome to the Machine). Afterwards, he gave me my physiology lesson. Most of what he said was pretty wrong (like trying to make myself sore every workout). However, there's one thing I can't totally disagree with. He said I should limit my aerobic exercise because with my fast metabolism I'll just burn muscle. I want good aerobic endurance and I don't plan to limit it like he suggested, but I am a typical skinny hardgainer. I'm 6' tall, weigh 150 pounds, have about 6 or 7 percent body fat, and this is the heaviest I've ever been. I've been working hard at my squats and deadlifts and they're working out pretty well for me even though I'm using relatively light weights. I don't want to burn off what I've been gaining and have yet to gain. Science of Sports Training suggests drinking a 6% carbohydrate solution during physical activity to keep the glycogen stores up. So I'm thinking of drinking Gatorade while I run (I figured out a while ago that Gatorade is right at 6%). How long should I run before taking in the 6% solution? Tom discourages Gatorade or anything above 3% before physical activity. However, I doubt that running for 30 seconds and then downing a bunch of Gatorade would be acceptable. Should I drink something with a lower glycemic index than flavored sugar water? And then the big question: would this be enough to keep my body from eating itself? If any fellow hardgainers have experience with this, I'd love to hear it.

mmeloon · Post by **mmeloon** » Dec 11, 2005 20:36

Funny you mention "hard gainer". The guys over at the Hardgainer Round Table and Stuart McRoberts's books usually suggest drinking simple carbs combined with protein after a workout to cease deamination (breakdown of amino acids). Milk is an obvious choice for a post-workout drink (unless you are lactose intolerant). Buy a box of powdered milk or some cans of evaporated milk to save money.

The other suggestion is just to make sure that you are getting enough food (which will be difficult for you since you've already got a fast metabolism) and enough rest (make sure to have some days where you're not doing any activity).

-Mark

strangedejavu · Post by **strangedejavu** » Dec 17, 2005 17:39

That's a good point, Mark. Usually I'll come home and drink a bunch of milk right away but it takes some time to get home. Perhaps I should keep something in the car. Milk's probably not the best choice for that (at least in Texas) but I'm sure I can get creative and brew something up. That or install a car fridge (they actually exist). If I come up with a magic recipe, I'll be sure to post it.

mmeloon · Post by **mmeloon** » Dec 17, 2005 23:44

strangedejavu wrote:That's a good point, Mark. Usually I'll come home and drink a bunch of milk right away but it takes some time to get home. Perhaps I should keep something in the car. Milk's probably not the best choice for that (at least in Texas) but I'm sure I can get creative and brew something up. That or install a car fridge (they actually exist). If I come up with a magic recipe, I'll be sure to post it.

Well, that's why I suggested either powdered milk or cans of evaporated milk. Neither needs to be refrigerated. There's supposed a 15 minute window right after working out that is best for injesting simple carbs. After that, the benefit drops off with time rather dramatically. By the time you get home, you may be well outside the 15-minute window. You could just bring a can of evaporated milk and a can opener to your workout and drink it immediately at the end of class. If you don't like the idea of drinking lukewarm evaporated milk, bring some powdered milk in a jug. When the workout is over, fill up the jug with cold water from the drinking fountain, shake it up, and you've got cold milk at a fraction of the cost of fresh milk.

-Mark

strangedejavu · Post by **strangedejavu** » Dec 21, 2005 10:08

Powdered and evaporated milk have always seemed odd to me, but then I've never been one to shun something new (never try brocolli juice, trust me). I'll pick up some powdered milk today. Thanks for the help, Mark.

mmeloon · Post by **mmeloon** » Dec 21, 2005 11:14

strangedejavu wrote:Powdered and evaporated milk have always seemed odd to me, but then I've never been one to shun something new (never try brocolli juice, trust me). I'll pick up some powdered milk today. Thanks for the help, Mark.

Powdered milk and evaporated milk are more commonly used for cooking and not drinking. If you don't like the taste, then it might not be for you.

I think I've got you topped in the yucky/stupid nutritional aid category. When I was 19 I was really into weight training. Having taken a chemistry class, I figured that I'd put a little of that knowledge to work in the gym. I was tired of the sensation of lactic acid and figured I'd neutralize it with a base. And what's one of the most available, non-toxic bases? Baking soda (i.e., sodium bicarbonate)! So before a workout, I would drink a class of water in which I had dissolved baking soda. I did this for over a month until I finally realized it wasn't doing anything.

I cannot possibily describe how awful it tasted but I can tell you this: I had to pinch my nose and drink it in small sips to get it down. 16 years later, if I close my eyes and concentrate I can still remember what it tasted like and I shudder involuntarily every time.

-Mark

strangedejavu · Post by **strangedejavu** » Dec 23, 2005 15:13

Wow, that's a pretty good one. I think you have me beat there. I tried the brocolli juice because every time I ate brocolli my stomach would get upset. I figured it had to do with the hard cell wall of brocolli, so I got out my juicer, pushed a bunch of fresh brocolli through, and ended up with about an ounce of green juice. I put it in the fridge and drank it first thing the next morning. Man, my stomach didn't like that at all. I threw up numerous times and missed half a day at work. The end.

The moral of the story: if it feels wrong, it's probably not good for you. I haven't eaten brocolli since and my stomach's been fine. Live and learn.

Getting back on topic, the powdered milk isn't bad. It tastes kind of like watered down real milk, so I can handle it. Again, thanks.