From a FUSION user.

We recieved this great email and pic from Kyle Fairhurst who was competing at the 2010 UFE Spring Bash:

"Hey Fusion, competition went well and I took home second place! Everyone I talked to said first should have been mine, but judges make the call. I used Sub Q to help me dry up for that last week since it has the dandelion root in it and it worked great! Once again, thanks alot for all of your help!"

Congratulations on bringing home some hardware Kyle!

Your Prostate...Ground Zero

Your prostate is ground zero for all things bodybuilding; without a healthy prostate, you won’t build an ounce of new muscle. New research sheds light on a common pre-workout drink (coffee) and your prostate health, and the findings are interesting for bodybuilders.

A study presented at a conference held by the American Association for Cancer Research looked at the coffee intake of 50,000 men over 20 years and also measured their prostate health. The researchers found that coffee affected insulin function, glucose metabolism and sex hormone levels. They also determined that coffee’s effects were dose-dependent; that is, men who consumed the most coffee had a 60 percent lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer than men who drank no coffee. However, they noted that it wasn’t caffeine that was responsible for the effects. It was the antioxidants and minerals in coffee itself that provided the benefit.

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: While it’s not clear that drinking coffee prevents prostate cancer, there’s a strong inverse correlation between the two, and that’s good enough for us! So next time you’re about to hit the gym, skip the energy drink and do your prostate and your energy levels a favor – down a cup of coffee instead!

www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source:
Wilson KM, Kasperzyk JL, Stark JR et al. Coffee consumption and risk of lethal and advanced prostate cancer. Cancer Prev Res. 2010;3(1 Suppl):A106. Presented at AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research. Dec 6-9, 2009; Houston, TX

Female Bodybuilder Renee O'Neill Passes Away.

This comes via the Inside Bodybuilding Blog: http://tinyurl.com/26prg4g

From Steve Wennerstrom:

http://forums.rxmuscle.com/showthread.php?t=33328

It is with great sorrow and regret that I report the passing of former national-class heavyweight competitor Renee O'Neill.
Diagnosed with cancerous melanoma on January 12th, O'Neill died on March 31st from complications stemming from the cancer. A memorial service was held on April 7th at the Berryhill Funeral Home Chapel in her Athens, Alabama home. She was 47. Born in Massachusetts and raised in Southern California where she graduated from Pacifica High School in Garden Grove in 1980, O'Neill transferred from Orange Coast College to the University of Alabama in Huntsville where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1985 and a Master of Science in computer science in 1992. An accomplished bodybuilder, O'Neill began competing in 1991 winning the NPC Tennessee Valley heavyweight class. In 1992 she placed third at the NPC Alabama as a MW. After winning the overall NPC Alabama in 1993 O'Neill moved to bigger regional and national-level events. In 1995 she won the HW & overall NPC Southern States. She was also the HW & Overall winner at the 1997 NPC Ironmaiden in California. O'Neill's highest national placing came in 1999 when she placed second in the HW class at the NPC Nationals. Over her competitive career she entered the Nationals six times, and the IFBB North American, NPC USA, NPC Junior USA, and NPC Junior Nationals once each. Her competitive career lasted 10 ten years from 1991 to 2000. O'Neill was also a noteworthy powerlifter who totaled 1,150 pounds in the 165-pound class lifting 450 in the squat, 250 in the bench, and 450 in the deadlift. She was also a skilled ice hockey player, and also had a love of horseback riding. Outside of bodybuilding, O'Neill carried on an impressive career working for The Boeing Company working as an associate technical fellow in 2003 and as an executive in 2008. Her last position was as director, Sensors Systems Integrated Product Team for the Ground Based Midcourse Defense Missile program. On one of the biographical sheets she filled out at one of her many competitions - under occupation - she simply wrote "software engineer working on the space station project". In addition, O'Neill received notable commendations for her work including the 1996 NASA Space Flight Awareness award and the 2007 Air, Space, and Missile Defense Association's Space and Missile Defense Technical Achievement award. We extend our sincerest condolences to her husband Don Gold, her daughter Caroline, and her entire family. Rest assured she will always be remembered warmly in the sport of women's bodybuilding.

Bobby's Transformation.

We've been following Bobby Rupcich as he prepared for the Can/Am Natural Pro Qualifier in Buffalo, New York. He worked very hard and stayed dedicated to his program and ultimately took home some hardware. Great work Bobby...congratulations! To see his full transformation profile go to: http://www.fusionbodybuilding.com/transformations/

2010 WBFF BC Championships.

We had the chance to talk to Paul Dillett about the 2010 BC Championships that are happening this weekend. He was humble, but it looks like he’s on pace to surpass the number of athletes he had last year. This of course is little surprise considering the attention to detail his team pays. If you are in the area please try to take in the show, it’s always a blast.

Good luck to all the competitors and congratulations Paul!

Pain No More?

For bodybuilders, goal #1 is muscle growth. To achieve this, you have to lift heavy, hard and often. Unfortunately, the great amount of forces borne by your joints over time can have side effects such as joint and cartilage injuries. This damage can manifest as arthritis, knee pain and other symptoms.

But did you also know that adding muscle to your physique can place additional stress on your joints? It’s true.

Researchers at the University of Sydney had 111 high-body mass index (BMI) subjects take tests to assess their range of knee motion, quadriceps strength and alignment between thighs and shins. Subjects then underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) testing.

The scientists found that high-BMI subjects had higher rates of knee cartilage defects and that the degree of defects correlated to increasing BMI scores. That is, as BMI scores increased, so too did frequency and severity of reported and imaged cartilage problems.

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: The science is clear that the higher your BMI, the more wear and tear your joints will bear. Over time, this will show up in chronic conditions such as arthritis. To combat this, take joint supplements and consume plenty of fish oil. This study further highlights the need for bodybuilders to stay lean, because if your joints are going to bear weight, it had better be muscle!

www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source: Anandacoomarasamy A, Smith G, Leibman S, et al. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2009 Oct;48(10):1290-3. Epub 2009 Aug 18.

Bobby Rupcich - 2 Weeks Out.

We've watched the progression FUSION athlete Bobby Rupcich has made this year and the transformation has been incedible. He is a seasoned natural bodybuilder and is set to step onstage in Buffalo, New York, for the NGA CamAm in search of his pro card. This is how he looks two weeks out.

GNC Canada to carry FUSION’s OMEGA•OIL

GUELPH, Canada – March 22, 2010 – If you visit your local GNC store today, you’ll discover something different on the shelves. Today is the first day that GNC stores in Canada will carry OMEGA•OIL, FUSION BODYBUILDING’s essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement. A recent addition to FUSION’s exceptional line of bodybuilding products, OMEGA•OIL is the first EFA supplement formulated exclusively for bodybuilders.

Research clearly shows the benefits of including more EFAs such as omega-3s in our diets. OMEGA•OIL was scientifically developed to help bodybuilders protect muscle, burn fat, reduce joint inflammation and pain, improve insulin response, improve cardiovascular health, increase mood quality and promote brain cell growth. However, unlike other EFA supplements, OMEGA•OIL is made exclusively of fish oil, which is more bioavailable than other sources. It uses an exclusive three-fish blend because fish oils have been scientifically shown to trigger the most rapid increase of key EFA components in the blood, much faster than sources such as flaxseed oil. This gets EFAs into bodybuilders’ systems sooner so they see results sooner.

“We’re very happy that even more bodybuilders will have access to OMEGA•OIL,” says Adrian Burke, co-founder of FUSION BODYBUILDING. “We created OMEGA•OIL because we knew that most bodybuilders aren’t getting enough EFAs in their strict and unique diets. That’s why we created an omega-3 supplement made just for bodybuilders. OMEGA•OIL can help them stay healthy and reach their goals. OMEGA•OIL should definitely be a staple in any bodybuilder’s on-season and off-season diet.”

Founded in 1998 by Ryan Herniman and Adrian Burke, FUSION BODYBUILDING is a top nutraceutical company dedicated to providing bodybuilding supplements to true followers of the sport. All of FUSION’s products start in the gym and are perfected in the lab by its innovative research and development team. FUSION products are sold worldwide.

FUSION BODYBUILDING MEDIA
http://www.fusionbodybuilding.com/

Hard Workout = Long Life?

It’s been known for a while that protecting DNA from damage slows the aging process. And working out is often said to be good for our DNA, but it hasn’t been clear exactly why – until now.

To answer this, researchers from Saarland University in Germany wanted to examine the effects of a hard workout on telomeres, the regions of DNA that sit at the ends of your chromosomes and protect them from damage, like the plastic pieces that prevent your shoelaces’ ends from fraying. The shortening of telomeres is thought to lead to the aging of cells and to limit longevity. These researchers took blood tests from two groups of elite professional athletes and two groups of healthy, nonsmoking nonexercisers. The findings were astonishing.

According to the study’s lead researcher, “The most significant finding of this study is that physical exercise of the professional athletes leads to activation of the important enzyme telomerase and stabilizes the telomere.”

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: A hard workout works and slows aging because it stabilizes telomere length and stops telomeric shortening. Thus, a workout protects your DNA from damage and literally stops cellular aging. So, if you want to add years to your career in the gym and pounds of muscle to your physique, get in the gym and work like a pro! Your telomeres will thank you for it now and for years to come.

www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source: Werner C, Fürster T, Widmann T, et al. Physical exercise prevents cellular senescence in circulating leukocytes and in the vessel wall. Circulation. 2009 Dec 15;120(24):2438-47.

A Nod to Arnold.

As a tribute to Arnold, amateur competitor Charles Montreuil took this pic of himself. It's amazing the influence Mr. Schwarzenegger still has on young bodybuilders. Great shot!

Charles is an up and coming bodybuilder from Quebec City. He has recently secured a spot on the FUSION BODYBUILDING roster and we are proud to have him on-board. If you want to learn more about Charles visit his BodySpace profile: http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/charley33/

From A FUSION Fan.

"To whom it may concern,

My name is David Hurley and I am a Physical Education student at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton. I 21 years old and have recently competed in my first bodybuilding show, placing 1st in the Juniors category and 2nd in the Middleweight category. I am now training blood and guts style for Provincials in June 2011. I weighed in at 163 pounds bone dry at Muscle Beach, so I have quite a bit of weight to grow into to blow everyone away in about a year and a bit.

Although I am a student, I am currently employed at GNC Londonderry, and have been for the past 2 years. That is where I first learned about your guy's products. I can honestly say that Purple-K was the first supplement I ever used and with enough calories in my diet, I saw the lean mass pile on. Also, without Sub-Q I would have died will dieting towards the end of my show prep for Muscle Beach.

So I thought I would write you guys just to say thanks for everything and that your products truly do make a difference. I plan to continue to using Fusion Bodybuilding supplements until my competing days are over - and as I see it, I am just getting started!

Thanks again!

David Hurley

p.s. I have attached a couple of pictures for you guys!"

LAmuscle.tv interviews Julie Bonnett at the FUSION Booth - 2009 Olympia Expo

Going to the Arnold?

I’ve been going to the Arnold Classic for over a decade, and every year it’s always exciting to see the new developments in our industry. This year, I think above all, I’m excited to see the newest magazine to hit the market: MUSCLE INSIDER. I’ve had a chance to talk with the men behind the scene, and they’re promising to change the way bodybuilding magazines do business, a nod to the days of Muscle Media 2000. MUSCLE INSIDER has mandated a 75 percent editorial base … which would be the highest ratio in our industry. I think this approach will help steer the bodybuilding magazine industry away from the heavily advertisement-driven publications and back to information-based ones. One common denominator I’ve seen in bodybuilding is that the more information you have, the better equipped you’ll be to achieve your goals. It sounds like MUSCLE INSIDER understands this and is dedicated to bringing our industry out of hype mode. Time will tell.

I hope you take some time to make your way to Columbus, Ohio, this weekend. It’s going to be a blast!

- Adrian Burke
Co-President FUSION BODYBUILDING

Mind Over Matter?

We’ve all heard the phrase “mind over matter,” and we’ve all had moments when our mental powers were the only thing that got us to the end of a tough set. But in these desperate spots under a heavy bar, we have to ask: Was it really “mind over matter” that got us through – or something else?

Researchers wanted to find this out by looking at the effects of using attention span as a way to change the perceived difficulty of a workout. In other words, they wanted to see if changing the way that you use your attention span changes the levels of mental stress and perceived difficulty of a hard set, allowing for better performance and greater gains.

They found that although directing your attention outside of yourself is effective at increasing performance at low to moderate exercise intensities, it becomes less so as your body approaches its physical limits at greater intensity levels.

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: The next time you’re about to load up a heavy bar and bust out a heavy set, take a realistic look at the situation and determine if you’re actually able to do the work, or if you’re just trying to convince yourself. To tell the difference, sit down for thirty seconds and close your eyes. If they spin or you feel burned out, your nervous system has reached its limit and no amount of mental trickery will get you safely through the set. The fact is, mental tricks work to get you in the gym and to get you momentum, but as you get more fatigued, they lose effectiveness. At this point, if you keep pushing yourself, you’ll get hurt. So know your limit, and bodybuild within it! Reject inappropriate mind-over-matter strategies. This will help keep you growing and prevent you from becoming an injury statistic.

www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source: Lind E, Welch AS, Ekkekakis P. Do ‘mind over muscle’ strategies work? Examining the effects of attentional association and dissociation on exertional, affective and physiological responses to exercise. Sports Med. 2009;39(9):743-64.

Now that’s muscle memory.

Scientists have found the earliest evidence of animal muscle on 565 million-year-old rocks bearing the marks of animal locomotion. On Canada’s east coast, 150 kilometres south of St. John's, the fossilized trails of soft-bodied creatures predate modern animals by 30 million years. It’s suspected that even these earliest bodybuilders at one point had posters of Arnold on their bedroom walls.

Source: CBC News

Eating a medium pizza instead of an extra-large is not a diet

As bodybuilders, we know what it takes to diet down: dedication, eating clean and training hard. Of course, there are many different methods and styles of gettin’ it done. Just some examples include carb cycling vs. carb reduction, as well as no cardio vs. intervals vs. living on the treadmill. Though we debate over which is the “best” way, we can respect each other’s opinions.

But we have to draw the line somewhere, and I think I’ve found that line: the diet plan of Paul Mason, the fattest guy in the world. I recently came across this story in English tabloid The Sun

The article begins with an intriguing lead: “The world’s fattest man is set to reveal his weight-LOSS tips – as he writes his autobiography.” But here’s the line that really gets me: “He used to gorge on 20,000 calories a day – EIGHT times what the average man eats.”

Sure, this guy lost 280 pounds and is down to a slim and trim 700. But at that weight, just walking to the washroom has to burn some serious calories. So what insights can he offer? Forgive me, Paul Mason, but I think I’ll be spending my time eating protein and sweating instead of reading your book.

Posing for Wii posers

There are hundreds of video games out there – some good, some bad – but a new game for the Wii makes you wonder what the heck they were thinking. It’s called Muscle March, and it’s a Japanese hole-in-the-wall game in which you control bodybuilders who have to hit the proper bodybuilding poses to make it through – you guessed it – holes in the wall.

Here’s the official blurb:

The official Muscle March™ is a quirky Japanese action game stuffed full of macho bodybuilders. The all mighty protein powder has been stolen so it’s up to Tony and his muscle-bound crew to catch the thieves. Choose from a variety of perfectly molded superstars and bring these terrible villains to justice. As each thief attempts his escape, he will smash through walls while making a variety of poses. You must match these poses to fit through the holes and catch up to the thieves. The protein powder will be yours again!

Now, you know I love my protein powder, but this game looks horrible. At least it gave me a laugh. Hope it gives you one too.

Get Enough?

Did you know that the amount of time you should rest between sets depends on your specific training goals? It’s true. A new study by researchers in Brazil makes it clear that, depending on your goal, you want to alter the rest times between sets.

Researchers wanted to analyze the effects of taking different amounts of rest time between sets as a way of trying to get a specific training outcome – i.e., muscle growth, strength gains or enhanced endurance.

The researchers split subjects into groups and had them do a workout. The results of the study show that in terms of acute responses, with training loads of 50 to 90 percent of one-rep max (1RM), a rest period of 3 to 5 minutes was best because it allowed for more repetitions over more sets. It was found that 3 to 5 minutes of rest between sets also increased greater absolute strength, which was a function of the increased intensity of the training. In terms of power, subjects who did multiple sets with 3 to 5 minutes in between sets had higher levels of muscle power over those sets than people who waited only one minute between sets. The researchers also found that if muscle growth is the goal, 30 to 60 seconds is the best rest period, as it keeps growth hormone (GH) levels higher, and that 20-second to one-minute rest periods are best for endurance during high-intensity endurance exercise.

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: When designing a training program, factor in your intra-workout rest times and design them to give you the biggest bang for your buck – muscle growth, strength gains or enhanced endurance. By both working and resting for the same goal, you’ll be one step closer to taking your physique to the next level!

www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source: de Salles BF, Simão R, Miranda F, Novaes Jda S, Lemos A, Willardson JM. Rest interval between sets in strength training. Sports Med. 2009;39(9):765-77.

Professional Physique...Professional Genetics?

For decades, professional bodybuilders have sworn by genetics as the factor most responsible for success. Others, however, have rightly noted that performance-enhancing drugs have substantially contributed to professional physique development in the past decades.

Still, genetics are the overriding regulator of size, density, hardness and other muscular qualities, even if you use steroids and other performance-enhancing products, including supplements. In fact, you could say that there’s been a shift in our understanding of the body. No longer are we in a simple macronutrient mode in which we simply feed the body a generalized diet or give it a single training method. We’re now in the era of genetics.

This was recently confirmed by the development of new genetic-testing kits that have hit the market, promising individualized “genetic supplementation.” Beware these! Although legitimate genetic testing is being done, nothing is yet available to consumers. The science simply isn’t that developed yet.

Recent research at the University of Sydney confirms that many interacting genes are involved in athletic performance, and that the presence of one single gene isn’t meaningful or predictive of present athletic performance or future performance expectations.

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: Your genetics are important, but they’re not the only game in town. The bottom line, at least for now, is that the science isn’t yet sufficiently developed to offer meaningful and reliable home scientific genetic tests. In other words, if you’re thinking about getting a genetic test – especially if it’s online or through the mail – don’t. Save your money and buy some protein instead. Those genes will make good use of it!

www.fusionbodybuilding.com

Source: Trent RJ, Yu B. The future of genetic research in exercise science and sports medicine. Med Sport Sci. 2009;54:187-195. [Epub 2009 Aug 17]

Workouts Hurt...Carbs Help.

You work hard to build muscle – lots of it. But with hard work comes the risk of getting sick and an increased vulnerability to infections of opportunity, such as upper respiratory tract and ear infections.

It’s well-known that drinking a carbohydrate drink after your workout is a great way to help offset the hard effects of training on the immune system. A new study by researchers from the University of South Carolina tested the effects of two specific carbohydrate types on markers of immune system strength. They found that glucose and oat beta-glucan reduced susceptibility to infection following stressful exercise.

So here’s your FUSION FACTOID: Exercise can make you sick, but carbs can fix what ails you. The key is to use the right kinds. Although sucrose and other refined sugars are used in sports drinks, the research shows that a solution of 50% oat beta-glucan and 6% sucrose is highly effective not only as a post-exercise carbohydrate source but also in strengthening your immune system. And this means you can train harder and longer without getting sick.

Source: EA Murphy, JM Davis, MD Carmichael, et al. Benefits of oat β-glucan and sucrose feedings on infection and macrophage antiviral resistance following exercise stress. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2009 Aug 19;297:R1188-R1194.