Fat Burning Fats - Here We Go Again...

There's always been a lot of talk about “using fat to burn fat” - and we always see supplement companies pushing Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) or Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) supplements every few years, claiming that they will burn fat, stabilize blood sugar and generally get you into the best shape of your life. Right.

Unfortunately, it seems that very few bodybuilders have actually seen much benefit from using these so called “fat burning fats” - certainly none of us have gotten into the best shape of our lives using them. But, a new study in The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition shows that just because you can't see the results outwardly, doesn't mean there aren't any.

A new study had 12 adults follow a low-calorie diet for three weeks while supplementing with a fatty acid supplement. The study examined the effects of these fatty acids on Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL - “bad” cholesterol) formation. Scientists found that using a fatty acid supplement dramatically reduced the conversion of LDL precursors into LDL, and therefore dramatically reduced the LDL cholesterol that can cause heart disease and heart attacks.

So here's your FUSION FACTOID: While unsaturated fats won't get you into the best shape of your life, and while they may not burn fat like cardio burns fat, they don't hurt, and can in fact help your cholesterol profile, preventing LDL cholesterol from getting out of control - and this could prevent you from having a heart attack. So get enough unsaturated fats in your diet – you'll keep away the grim reaper and help your testosterone manufacture in the process. And testosterone equals more muscle and a bigger you!

- FUSION Research Team
www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source: Chunyu Zheng, Christina Khoo, Jeremy Furtado, Katsunori Ikewaki, and Frank M Sacks. Dietary monounsaturated fat activates metabolic pathways for triglyceride-rich lipoproteins that involve apolipoproteins E andC-III. Am J Clin Nutr 2008;88:272– 81.

Another Reason to Keep It Lean...

We all know that there are plenty of reasons to get – and stay – as lean as possible: Fat is ugly, it’s easier to build muscle when you’re lean and harder to build muscle when you’re fat, a lean and muscular physique looks great, etc. The list goes on and on.

Now, there’s another reason: Being fat slows your recovery from injury.

A new study looked at how being overweight (having high body fat percentages, or being obese) affected recovery time from knee injuries – something bodybuilders get frequently – and found that fatter people recovered much more slowly than their leaner counterparts.

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: You might not have needed more reasons to stay lean, but you can add yet another one to the list. Being overweight – or “bulking up” – can slow your recovery time from injury, ultimately keeping you out of the gym longer than needed. So keep it as lean as possible while still packing on the muscle. It’ll make it easier for you to build even more muscle while also letting you show it off and speeding your recovery from hard workouts!

- FUSION Research Team
www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source: Unver, B. et al. (2008). Effects of obesity on inpatient rehabilitation outcomes following total knee arthroplasty. Physiotherapy, 94, 198–203.

Get Some Garlic in Ya...

Just when we thought that we knew all there was to know about garlic, we find out something new. While we’ve known for years that garlic is antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, and while we’ve all been told that we should eat garlic because it’s “good for us,” we’ve never been told this: Eat garlic because it will help you work harder and longer in the gym.

A new study from Japanese researchers shows that garlic just might help you bust it out in the gym for extra gains. When feeding physically tired people garlic, Japanese researchers noticed a marked increase in their energy levels and recovery speed.

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: Do as the Japanese do – get some garlic in ya. Not only will you benefit from the antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects and possibly speed your training recovery, but you’ll also have more energy during and after your workouts, and possibly more muscle too!

- FUSION Research Team
www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source: Morihara, N. et al. (2007). Garlic as an anti-fatigue agent. Mol Nutr Food Res, 51, 1329–1334.