What is your opinion of GHB for athletes? Some people make it out to be the best thing since human growth hormone while others say it’s worthless. What do you think Will? Art Fish Washington DC,

Dear Art, I can fully understand your confusion over GHB. I will attempt to clear it all up for you and MMI readers.

First things first. What is it? GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) is found naturally in every cell in the human body. It is in fact considered a nutrient not a drug. Of course the FDA and other government agencies have now listed it as a drug and banned its sale, but that is as much politically motivated as anything.

Truth be known GHB is a safer, less expensive, and very effective alternative to the multi billion dollar sleeping pills industry as L-tryptophan was, another safe and effective nutrient banned by the FDA.

To date, not one single study has found any toxic effects from GHB on either humans or animals. GHB is completely metabolized into carbon dioxide and water, leaving absolutely no residue or toxic metabolites. In fact metabolism is so efficient that GHB can no longer be detected in urine only five hours after it’s taken.

What there has been are a handful of people winding up in emergency rooms after taking large doses of GHB and combining it with other drugs (most notably alcohol) and this is where GHB gets its bad rap and gave the FDA the excuse it needed to ban the sale of GHB (and its chemical cousin GBL).

As with all compounds both natural (i.e. booz, GHB, etc) and synthetic (various drugs, etc), the use of GHB requires it be used in the correct dose and with some common sense and respect for it’s potential problems.

GHB has many potential therapeutic uses and is considered to have a very low toxicity profile. In some European countries, it’s used as a general anesthetic, for sleep disorders, an aid to childbirth and a treatment for alcoholism. It also is reported to be a great aphrodisiac.

However, GHB does have a potential for abuse because it gives the user a feeling of euphoria not unlike having a few strong glasses of booz. Unlike booz however, it does not leave the person with a hangover the next day and does not appear to be toxic to the liver or any other organ.

Is it 100% safe? Of course not!

At very high doses, it can cause a rapid, rhythmic contraction and relaxation of muscles similar to muscle spasm or seizure. GHB can also cause intense drowsiness and deep sleep often mistaken as a coma due to the unarrousability of the person.

Other possible minor side effects are drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. At very high doses, there can be a rapid loss of consciousness and possible cardiac and respiratory depression can occur.

Back when GHB was legal, I had a medical doctor friend of mine take a huge dose by mistake only to wake up on the floor the next day feeling no worse for wear other than a slight headache!

It is not something a person should take, and go drive a car for example or ever mix with other tranquilizers (e.g. barbiturates, opiates, Valium, Xanax, Thorazine, ), or alcohol. Only a moron would do that right?

What does it do?

It appears to act as both a metabolite and precursor of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid, or gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA). GHB temporarily inhibits the release of dopamine in the brain which appears to cause increased dopamine storage.

When the effect of GHB wears off, there is a release of dopamine, which is why some people pop awake in the middle of the night after taking it for sleep.

Does it build muscle?

Bodybuilders and other athletes have used GHB because of its ability to stimulate the pituitary to release growth hormone (GH). One study found a nine to sixteen-fold increases in growth hormone 30 to 60 minutes after intravenous administration in men between twenty-five and forty years old.

But would that big spike in GH cause increased muscle growth? No one has looked at that issue directly with GHB, but if we go by other studies looking at drugs and nutrients that cause a large short lived spike in GH, the answer would appear to be no.

Short lived spikes of GH appear to have no effects on muscle mass, especially in young healthy athletes with normal GH production. For older people with sub normal GH production, it might have some uses but again, that has not been looked at in the research.

So what’s the bottom line on GHB?

It is a safe and effective nutrient for uses such as insomnia and general relaxation, but it has abuse potential to the addictive personality and should be treated with caution, common sense, and respect.

It probably will not build any muscle on people, especially healthy athletes. In the US, GHB is not approved and has been banned from over-the-counter sale by the FDA as mentioned above for political and financial motivated reasons. GHB continues to be sold for research purposes, but selling it specifically for human consumption, is not legal, so I recommend staying away from GHB and GBL if you live in the US.

A lot of bodybuilders get it from the “gray market” but I don’t recommend it due to the legality and questionable purity of such products. In other countries the laws vary so it may not be an issue.

That should answer all your major questions about GHB/GBL Art.

Prograde Cravers took the fitness industry completely by storm this time last July.

To celebrate we’re having a $10.00 off a purchase of Prograde Cravers promotion. Coupon code: cravers(The coupon code STARTS on Monday, July 14th and EXPIRES Friday, July 18^th  at 11:59 pm EST)

Prograde Cravers are the perfect healthy option to satisfy any craving. Yes, that’s how they got their name!
Just look at what advantages Cravers have over other so-called “nutrition” bars on the market:

- They are the best-tasting bars on the market: Bar-none (sorry, pun intended ;-). Try one for yourself, and we know you will agree!
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- No preservatives or stabilizers: It’s all natural and certified organic!
- 3 grams of healthy fiber: Keeps you feeling full for longer.
- Sustained energy: The perfect amount of complex carbohydrates for ongoing energy when you need it most.

Here is Your Supplement Checklist

A few days ago this kid posted his supplement stack pictures. He spends $400+ a month on supplements! I think I spend under $50 and that’s if I’m being experimental.

I’ll refrain from talking about brand names and such as I think we all have our opinions on those and many times price is a factor. Let’s just stick to the overall basics.

So let’s begin…CLICK HERE

The Shell Game that is the “Proprietary Blend” Nutritional Supplement
By Will Brink

Author of :

Brink’s BodyBuilding Revealed

“Bodybuilding Revealed is a complete blue print to muscle building success. Everything you need to know about diet & muscle building nutrition, over 50 bodybuilding supplements reviewed, weight training routines, high intensity cardio, the mental edge, pre made muscle building diets and an online private members forum, diet planner, meal planner and much more. It’s all in Will Brink’s ultimate guide to gaining muscle mass.”

Fat Loss Revealed

“Fat Loss Revealed is the ultimate fat loss manual. A complete online and offline system used by anybody looking to attain a fantastic lean physique. A complete fat loss diet plan, with pre made diets, over 40+ fat loss supplement reviews, resistance workouts, and cardio , along with motivation and goal setting and a huge online private members area and forum form Will Brink’s Ultimate Fat loss Program.

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The Shell Game that is the “Proprietary Blend” Nutritional Supplement

Recently I wrote an article entitled “Terms, Terms, Terms, An Inside look to buying supplements” which can be found on the Gurus and Guests section of my private forum. The article covered many of the misleading marketing terms buyers have to deal with in an attempt to make informed decisions on the supplements they spend their hard earned money on. Some of the more potentially misleading commonly used marketing terms I covered were:

“Clinically proven”
“Patented”
“Doctor recommended”
“All natural”
“Scientifically formulated”
“Research proven”
“Used for thousands of years”

Readers interested in understanding why the above terms can be so misleading, can read my write-up on each of those terms.

In a nut shell, I went onto cover each of these common marketing terms that are used to sell supplements to unwitting consumers and explained each in detail as to what I view as their common misuse within the market place.

However, one term I didn’t cover, was “proprietary blend” which in many cases is the most potentially misleading term of them all, though not a term always seen in ads per se, but the side of the bottle.

Thus, why I felt it was a separate topic to be covered at a later date as it does not fit under the classic definition of a commonly used marketing term found in ads. I also decided to cover this term in a separate article as it requires much more space dedicated to it then the other terms needed for reasons that will be apparent shortly.

Proprietary blends are not inherently a negative for the consumer, though they are inherently confusing for the buyer in most cases.

A supplement that lists a “proprietary blend” on the bottle can be there for one of two reasons:

(a) to prevent the competition from knowing exactly what ratios and amounts of each ingredient present in the formula to prevent the competition from copying their formula exactly (commonly referred to as a “knock off”) or

(b) to hide the fact the formula contains very little of the active ingredients listed on the bottle in an attempt to fool consumers.

Sadly, the latter use is far more common then the former. They see a long list of seemingly impressive ingredients listed in the “proprietary blend” none of which are there is amounts that will have any effects. This is commonly referred to as “label decoration” by industry insiders. The former use of the term is a legitimate way for a company of a quality formula from having the competition copy or “knock off” their formula and the latter use of the term is to scam people.

So how does the consumer tell the difference?

They can’t, or at least they can’t without some research and knowledge, which the scam artists know few people have the time and energy to dedicate to finding the answers. Although there are a few tips the consumer can use to decide if a product with a “proprietary blend” is worth trying, no one, not even me, can figure out exactly how much of each ingredient is in the blend or in what ratio of each is contained within the formula, hence why the honest and not-so-honest companies employ “proprietary blends” so often.

Thus, we have something of a conundrum here and conflict between a company making a quality formula attempting to protect that formula from other companies vs. the company simply looking to baffle buyers with BS.

There are at least some basic tips or food for thought here regarding this problem. A formula that contains say 10 ingredients in a “proprietary blend” is by no means defacto superior then one with three ingredients in it. It’s the dose that matters. Clearly, it’s better to have higher amounts of ingredients that will have some effects vs. a long list of ingredients in doses too low to have any effects.

Some times it helps to look at both what’s in the blend and how much of the blend actually exists. As an example, if say the blend is 300mg total and contains ten ingredients, that’s only 30mg per ingredient, assuming (and you know what they say about assuming!) that each is found in equal amounts. Clearly, for most compounds out there, 30mg wont do jack sh*&.

On the other hand, if say the blend is 3000mg (3 grams) and contains three or four ingredients, there is at least a better chance that the formula contains enough of each (and remember, we can’t tell how much of each is in there as that information is “proprietary”) to have some effects you are looking for such as an increase in strength, or a decrease in bodyfat, etc.

Unfortunately, the above examples are so vague as to be close to worthless as it’s easy enough to formulate a 3000mg blend where all the ingredients are worthless to begin with or a 300mg blend that contains compounds that only require small doses to have an effect and or can be toxic at higher doses.

For example, the mineral zinc tends to be no more then 30mg in most formulas and no more is needed or recommended. Much of this comes down to the consumer knowing what the various ingredients are and how they work (to decide if they are even worth using in the first place) then deciding if said blend appears to at least contain a dose that would have the desired effects, which just brings us back to my prior comment: most people have neither the time or inclination to research all that info just to decide if they want to use a product and thus the many “proprietary blends” on the market that are no more then a long list of under-dosed ingredients.

Wish I could be of more help giving specific advice to readers of this here article as to what makes a good blend and what constitutes a poorly made blend, but the above advice is the best I can do under the circumstances. Although a “proprietary blend” is not by default a negative to the consumer, it is by all means the poster child for the well-known Latin term Caveat emptor which translates into English as “let the buyer beware”.
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About the Author - William D. Brink

Will Brink is a columnist, contributing consultant, and writer for various health/fitness, medical, and bodybuilding publications. His articles relating to nutrition, supplements, weight loss, exercise and medicine can be found in such publications as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.

He is the author of Priming The Anabolic Environment , Body Building Revealed & Fat Loss Revealed. He is the Consulting Sports Nutrition Editor and a monthly columnist for Physical magazine, Musclemag and an Editor at Large for Power magazine. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.

He has been co author of several studies relating to sports nutrition and health found in peer reviewed academic journals, as well as having commentary published in JAMA. He runs the highly popular web site BrinkZone.com which is strategically positioned to fulfill the needs and interests of people with diverse backgrounds and knowledge. The BrinkZone site has a following with many sports nutrition enthusiasts, athletes, fitness professionals, scientists, medical doctors, nutritionists, and interested lay people. William has been invited to lecture on the benefits of weight training and nutrition at conventions and symposiums around the U.S. and Canada, and has appeared on numerous radio and television programs.

William has worked with athletes ranging from professional bodybuilders, golfers, fitness contestants, to police and military personnel.

See Will’s ebooks online here:

Click Here For : Brink’s BodyBuilding Revealed

“Bodybuilding Revealed is a complete blue print to muscle building success. Everything you need to know about diet & muscle building nutrition, over 50 bodybuilding supplements reviewed, weight training routines, high intensity cardio, the mental edge, pre made muscle building diets and an online private members forum, diet planner, meal planner and much more. It’s all in Will Brink’s ultimate guide to gaining muscle mass.”

Click Here For : Fat Loss Revealed

“Fat Loss Revealed is the ultimate fat loss manual. A complete online and offline system used by anybody looking to attain a fantastic lean physique. A complete fat loss diet plan, with pre made diets, over 40+ fat loss supplement reviews, resistance workouts, and cardio , along with motivation and goal setting and a huge online private members area and forum form Will Brink’s Ultimate Fat loss Program.

Did you know there are 45 known essential nutrients (nutrients must come from outside, sources) 13 kinds of vitamins, and at least 20 kinds of minerals that are required in specific amounts for the body to function properly?

For the complete article please…..CLICK HERE

Brought to you by: PROGRADE Nutritional Supplements and PHIL’S BODYBUILDING AND FITNESS FOUNDRY - Get the body that you deserve!

Replenish your Muscles

It’s important to make the right choices after you exercise. Otherwise, your hard work won’t yield the results you want. After a workout, your body’s energy levels are considerably depleted and must be replenished.

Eating a properly balanced meal 30 to 45 minutes after your workout does two important things. One, it helps your body to recover quickly, which is needed for muscle growth because of tissue repairs and for replacing lost glycogen in the muscles. And two, it helps muscle growth.

A liquid meal replacement shake such as Prograde Workout has the perfect balance of carbohydrate and proteins that can be quickly absorbed. Drinking your post workout meal is an excellent strategy. Not only are liquids easily digested and absorbed at a faster rate, but after exercising there is a window of about an hour when your ability to absorb nutrients is exceptionally high. After that time your uptake of nutrients returns to normal, so don’t miss the opportunity to feed your hungry muscles.

When you help your body recover from the stress imposed upon it (exercise) by ingesting the proper nutrients at the right time, the quicker you will be able to affect body composition change (gain muscle, lose fat or both). You will automatically help your body “bounce back” and you will see results in less time.

Brought to you by: PROGRADE Nutritional Supplements and PHIL’S BODYBUILDING AND FITNESS FOUNDRY - Get the body that you deserve!

Success and failure are simply habits, and the good news is that good habits are just as difficult to break as bad ones. Motivation gets us started on the road to success and good habits are the fuel that keeps us making progress. Just as bad habits can lead to a downward spiral, good habits escalate and lead to an upward spiral.

Welcome the challenges that face you. With effort and patience you have the full potential to create a positive change with your physique and your quality of life. There are only three conditions necessary for the acquisition of any new habit or skill. The COURAGE to try something you do not know how to do, the PATIENCE to try again once you have discovered that you don’t know how to do it and the PERSEVERANCE to keep trying, as many times as necessary, until you do know how to do it.

Brought to you by: PROGRADE Nutritional Supplements and PHIL’S FITNESS FOUNDRY - Get the body that you deserve!

What about the relationship between vegetarian diets and health–is there any evidence for better (or worse) health outcomes compared to omnivorous diets?

There is a substantial body of evidence supporting the belief that vegetarians in Western countries experience significantly less cancer, less heart disease, fewer strokes, and generally live longer than omnivores.

However, it is also true that people who choose a particular diet for health reasons will probably also look after their health in other ways. For example, they are less likely to smoke, to abuse alcohol and other drugs, and are more likely to exercise for health and general fitness.

It may be that these behaviors explain some of the health benefits associated with being vegetarian. However, this argument does not explain the entire health benefit. It seems increasingly likely that higher intake of beneficial dietary factors–available only in foods of plant origin–also plays an important part in explaining the better overall health of vegetarians.

Much research is still needed to determine the optimal diet for health and longevity (living to a ‘ripe old age’). Some nutritionists believe that a predominantly vegetarian diet, with low-moderate quantities of lean meat and moderate quantities of low- or reduced-fat dairy products will produce the best long-term health outcome.

However, it is still true that strict vegetarianism (particularly the lacto and lacto-ovo varieties) is associated with better health outcome than an omnivorous diet. Although the optimal dietary strategy for health and longevity has still not been determined, the emphasis today is on increasing intake of foods of plant origin–breads and cereals (preferably whole grain), vegetables (including legumes) and fruits.

If omnivores make this change at the expense of fatty meats, while continuing to eat moderate quantities of lean meat (including red meat) and fish, an overall increase in health will almost certainly result.

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What are omega-3 fats and what is the science behind the claims relating to foods high in omega-3 fats?

Omega-3 fats are polyunsaturated fats that are found in significant quantities in several plants and plant oils (eg. canola, linseed, soy and walnut) and in even greater quantities in many varieties of seafood.

The evidence is now quite strong that omega-3 fats are beneficial in at least three areas of human health: heart disease, inflammatory disease, and development of vision and brain function in babies. With respect to heart disease, several risk factors are reduced in response to increased consumption of omega-3 fats, including a reduction in the level of blood triglycerides (TG).

In fact, omega-3 is used to treat people with elevated TG and who suffer from pancreatic disease that does not respond to drugs. Omega-3 fats also reduce blood clotting and so may lower the risk that a heart attack will occur, or if it does, reduce the likelihood that it will lead to fatal obstruction of a coronary artery.

Eating fish regularly is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. Surprisingly, there does not seem to be a dose-response to eating fish. That is, eating fish once a week has the same beneficial effect as eating it three or four times weekly.

Rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases (eg psoriasis) generally respond positively to increased consumption of foods containing omega-3 fats. This promotes the formation of molecules called ‘cytokines’, enhancing the production of less reactive compounds.

Brought to you by: PROGRADE Nutrition’s: EFA Icon and PHIL’S FITNESS FOUNDRY Get the body that you deserve with a customized workout and/or nutrition program.

I have seen ‘whey protein’ advertised in health food stores as the source of food protein with the highest nutritional value. Is this correct, and, if so, should I be eating it to ensure that I get enough protein???

The nutritional value of a food’s protein is determined by the mix of amino acids that it contains. Amino acids are the ‘building blocks’ of protein.

Only some amino acids are essential in the adult human diet - that is, they must be obtained from food because they cannot be manufactured in the body. So the nutritional value of protein in a food is determined by the quantities of the essential amino acids in that food.

Apart from human flesh (and there are ethical considerations that generally preclude obtaining protein from this particular source!), the food with the protein of highest nutritional value is usually taken to be the humble egg (although for infants, breast milk is probably the most appropriate ‘gold standard’).

Therefore, one way of rating a food as a protein source is to give the egg the maximum rating and to compare all other foods against this according to their levels of essential amino acids. Whey is the fluid that remains after the curd has formed (largely from the fat component of milk) in the process of cheesemaking. Whey contains not only protein, but also lactose (milk sugar).

The protein in whey (’lactalbumin’) is good quality protein and does make a useful protein supplement. However, it is not correct to state (as some practitioners of alternative nutrition do) that whey is the ‘best source of protein’; it is simply another good source.

Protein is derived from a huge range of everyday foods. Many of the foods that are good sources of protein (meat, fish, eggs, milk/milk products, cereal foods, vegetables such as beans and other legumes) are also major sources of other essential nutrients.

This means that it is better to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods rather than try to derive most of your protein needs from one source (eg from whey).

Brought to you by: PROGRADE Nutrition and PHIL’S FITNESS FOUNDRY - Online Personal Training and Nutrition Programs - Get the results you want and the body that you deserve with a customized workout and/or nutrition program.