HELP!!! Building Muscle

[niclyf]

For Cathe or Anyone that can help ..

I've been working with my nutritionist on increasing my body fat (I started at 10%) and balancing my diet. I saw him yesterday, and while it was positive to see that my body fat has risen to a healthier 14.8%, I've somehow lost almost a pound of muscle. As you can imagine, I'm completely frustrated, because while I needed to gain some weight, I didn't want to lose muscle in the process, conversly I wanted to gain some muscle as well. So onto the questions:

I'm 5'6", and weigh 107. He's recommending that I eat 75 grams of protein per day to assist in building muslce, and has also put me on CLA. Is CLA a good ally in building muscle?? With regard to strength training, right now I'm using the PS series, and would like to know if using each tape once per week is sufficient to build muscle, or should I order the Slow & Heavy series due to the sense of urgency and importance that I gain muscle mass?? 75 grams of protein seems like SO much, since I probably only get manbe 30g per day now (i'm a fruit and veggie junkie!!), does that sound like a good amount to assist in adding muscle mass??

What is a healthy body fat %? I know that right now, I'm content with where I'm at, and certainly am not looking to go back down to 10%, but is 15% sufficient, or do I need to increase it more?? Does anyone else know what their body fat % is? I could really use some guidance on building muscle, and a more healthier and balanced body.

Thanks a million!! You guys ROCK!!
~ Nicole

 

[LaBelleRebelle]

I've heard several times from several different sources that a healthy body fat would be 18%-22%. I am within my healthy weight range (5'6", 133 lbs) but my body fat is nearly 28% (21% in my torso, 31% in my limbs!)

I figured out that I will have to lose 10 lbs of fat to be within my healthy body fat percentage. But I also want to add more muscle to increase my metabolism and just to be stronger and more confident. (I had my body fat measured in a DEXA scan for a research study, and the lady who did the scan said I had more muscle mass than any of the other 300 women she had in the study! Thanks Cathe!!)

I am going to try rotating a week of CTX (each tape once a week and 1 day off) and a week of a FIRM Classics rotation (Vol's 1,2,3 like this: Vol. 1 heavy, Vol. 2 light, Vol. 3 heavy, Vol. 1 light, Vol. 2 heavy, Vol. 3 light, and 1 day off.) I'm going to try that for a month or two, because it will give me my cardio (to burn my fat) and weights (to build more muscle) in only 1 hour a day.

 

[Bobbi]

Hi, Nicole! You certainly are a lean young woman. What is your total caloric intake? I couldn't tell you how appropriate 75 grams of protein may or may not be unless I know what percentage of your diet it comprises. My caloric intake is approximately 1900 per day. I aim for 10 to 15% from protein- 62 to 71 grams.

As for CLA, I read about it in Fitness just last night. "Swedish researchers have recently found that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may help reduce body fat while maintaining lean tissue, confirming three earlier studies. In the lates research, patients lost an average of 3.8 percent body fat over the course of 12 weeksby taking 4.2 grams of CLA daily, without experiencing any adverse side effects. CLA is found naturally in dairy foods, but in trace amounts. For best results, take a supplement."

You do not sound like a good candidate for CLA which will reduce your body fat. In fact, even for adding muscle mass, suplements can be dangerous. Strength training and proper protein intake are crucial. Be careful. You don't want a diet too high in protein which will put your kidneys at risk, nor too high in fat which will put your heart at risk. There is a balanced diet for you, Nicole. One which will allow you to increase your body fat and your muscle mass in conjunction with strength training!. You are lean and that's just fine too!
Bobbi http://www.plauder-smilies.de/chicken.gif Chicks Rule!

 

[LynnFinn]

Nicole...

Below, find a copy of an article on CLA and what it is/does.
As far as getting enough protein, you might want to consider protein supplementation using protein drinks. MetRx, EAS, AST...there are several great companies out there making protein powders that can be mixed with water or milk to help you get a boost in your daily protein intake. You can purchase them online or at your local GNC. Believe it or not, for a woman of your weight, 75 grams a day is actually a little under the recommended daily amount for an exercising individual, especially if you are lifting weights and working for muscle growth. Most nutritionists these days advise taking 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, which would mean a daily intake for you of about 100-110 grams daily.
Many protein powders can contain as much as 50 grams of protein per serving. Also, protein bars (Like "Pure Protein", one of the best-tasting on the market, IMHO) can contain from 25 to 30 grams of protein per bar, yet the carbs and fat are low.
So, consider following your doc's advice. Beef up the protein any way you can (i.e. a whole can of tuna contains approximately 32 grams of protein. A cup of cottage cheese contains 26 grams of protein...etc) and take the CLA to spare loss of lean muscle tissue.

Keep us posted and good luck!
Hugs,
Lynn Finn

Conjugated Linoleic Acid

Also indexed as: CLA

What does it do? Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a slightly altered form of the essential fatty acid linoleic acid. Preliminary animal and test tube research suggests that CLA might reduce the risk of cancers at several sites, including breast, prostate, colorectal, lung, skin, and stomach.1 2 3 4 Whether CLA will have a similar protective effect for people has yet to be demonstrated in human research.

Animal research suggests an effect of CLA supplementation on reducing body fat.5 6 Limited placebo-controlled human research found 5.6–7.2 grams per day of CLA produced nonsignificant gains in muscle size and strength in experienced7 and inexperienced8 weight-training men.

Animal research also suggests an effect of CLA supplementation on limiting food allergy reactions,9 preventing atherosclerosis,10 11 and improving glucose tolerance.12 As with the cancer research, the effects of CLA on these conditions in humans remains unclear.

Where is it found? CLA is found mainly in dairy products and also in beef and poultry, eggs, and corn oil. Bacteria that live in the intestine of humans can produce CLA from linoleic acid, but supplementation of a rich source of linoleic acid did not produce increases in blood levels of CLA in one human study.13 CLA is available as a supplement.

CLA has been used in connection with the following condition (refer to the individual health concern for complete information):

Ranking Health Concerns
Other Athletic performance (body composition and strength)

Who is likely to be deficient? No deficiencies of CLA are reported or believed to occur, since it is not an essential nutrient.

How much is usually taken? Animal research uses very large amounts, equivalent to several grams per day for humans. Until human research is conducted with CLA, the appropriate amount to take of this nutrient remains unclear.

Are there any side effects or interactions? The side effects of CLA are unknown, due to the limited research in humans. However, one unpublished human trial reported isolated cases of gastrointestinal upset.14

At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with conjugated linoleic acid.

Within Healthnotes Online, information about the effects of a particular supplement or herb on a particular condition has been qualified in terms of the methodology or source of supporting data (for example: clinical, double blind, meta-analysis, or traditional use). For the convenience of the reader, the information in the table listing the supplements for particular conditions is also categorized. The criteria for the categorizations are: “Primary” indicates there are reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a health benefit. “Secondary” indicates there are conflicting, insufficient, or only preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or that the health benefit is minimal. “Other” indicates that an herb is primarily supported by traditional use or that the herb or supplement has little scientific support and/or minimal proven health benefit.

References:

1. Cesano A, Visonneau S, Scimeca JA, et al. Opposite effects of linoleic acid and conjugated linoleic acid on human prostatic cancer in SCID mice. Anticancer Res 1998;18(3A):1429–34.

2. Thompson H, Zhu Z, Banni S, et al. Morphological and biochemical status of the mammary gland as influenced by conjugated linoleic acid: implication for a reduction in mammary cancer risk. Cancer Res 1997;57:5067–72.

3. Ip C. Review of the effects of trans fatty acids, oleic acid, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and conjugated linoleic acid on mammary carcinogenesis in animals. Am J Clin Nutr 1997;66(suppl):1523S–29S [review].

4. Parodi PW. Cows’ milk fat components as potential anticarcinogenic agents. J Nutr 1997;127:1055–60 [review].

5. West DB, Delany JP, Camet PM, et al. Effects of conjugated linoleic acid on body fat and energy metabolism in the mouse. Am J Physiol 1998;275:R667–72.

6. Park Y, Albright KJ, Liu W, et al. Effect of conjugated linoleic acid on body composition in mice. Lipids 1997;32:853–8.

7. Ferreira M, Krieder R, Wilson M. Effects of CLA supplementation during resistance training on body composition and strength. J Strength Conditioning Res 1998;11:280.

8. Lowery LM, Appicelli PA, Lemon PWR. Conjugated linoleic acid enhances muscle size and strength gains in novice bodybuilders. Med Sci Sport Excer 1998;30:S182 [abstract]

9. Sugano M, Tsujita A, Yamasaki M, et al. Conjugated linoleic acid modulates tissue levels of chemical mediators and immunoglobulins in rats. Lipids 1998;33:521–7.

10. Nicolosi RJ, Rogers EJ, Kritchevsky D, et al. Dietary conjugated linoleic acid reduces plasma lipoproteins and early aortic atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic hamsters. Artery 1997;22:266–77.

11. Lee KN, Kritchevsky D, Pariza MW, et al. Conjugated linoleic acid and atherosclerosis in rabbits. Atherosclerosis 1994;108:19–25.

12. Houseknecht KL, Vanden Heuvel JP, Moya-Camarena SY, et al. Dietary conjugated linoleic acid normalizes impaired glucose tolerance in the Zucker diabetic fatty fa/fa rat. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1998;244:678–82.

13. Herbel BK, McGuire MK, McGuire MA, et al. Safflower oil consumption does not increase plasma conjugated linoleic acid concentrations in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 1998;67:332–7.

14. Thom E. A pilot study with the aim of studying the efficacy and tolerability of Tonalin CLA on the body composition in humans. Medstat Research Ltd., Lillestrom, Norway, July 1997 [unpublished].

 

[Beets]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Feb-28-02 AT 02:10PM (Est)[/font][p]One question: is your nutritionist really a nutritionist or someone who calls themselves a nutritionist. Is this person a registered dietitian (RD)? People can take a weekend course in nutrition and then call themselves a nutritionist. I know this because I took a Nutrition Specialist course but I would NEVER consider myself to be a nutritionist. I ask because it strikes me as odd that this person would have you taking CLA, which is supposed to help in fat loss (more research required), when you are trying to increase bodyfat. I also think that for someone who is trying to build muscle 75 grams of protein is not enough. Strength trainers trying to build muscle require approximately 1.8 grams/kg bodyweight of protein. The fact that you have lost muscle tells me that you are not taking in either enough protein or calories. If the body does not get what it needs from food, it turns to your own muscle to digest it and get what it needs. This is why anorexics can have a "high" percentage of bodyfat even though they are stick thin. To convert your weight to kg simply divide your current weight by 2.2. Also, be sure you are getting enough quality carbohydrates(not junk)to fuel your muscles and to help them rebuild after your workouts. Your weight training should involve using heavy weights--enough to fatique in about 8-10 repetitions and do at least 3 sets. If your nutritionist is indeed a registered dietitian then by all means continue with what he/she has prescribed for you. I am certainly not more qualified than a registered professional. Hope this helps and Good luck!

 

[niclyf]

Hi All!

Thanks for your input!! My nutritionist actually is certified, and has been working in that field for over 15+ years. I think the reason he's put me on CLA, is not for the purpose of lowering body fat, but rather to spare me losing any additional muscle mass, and to enhance my ability to even add muscle mass.

The one thing that I'm still unclear on is what weight routine I should be doing. Here's what I have, and want to use whatever will best be suited to help add muscle mass;

I have the CTX Series, MIS, & the PS Series. I know at one time there was a link that broke down all of Cathe's weight workouts, regarding which one to use to acquire certain goals, but can't seem to find it now. Does anything that I have fit the bill, or should I invest in either Power Hour or the Slow & Heavy Series??

Thanks a bunch!
Nicole

 

[LaBelleRebelle]

>As for CLA, I read about
>it in Fitness just last
>night. "Swedish researchers have
>recently found that conjugated linoleic
>acid (CLA) may help reduce
>body fat while maintaining lean
>tissue, confirming three earlier studies.
> In the lates research,
>patients lost an average of
>3.8 percent body fat over
>the course of 12 weeksby
>taking 4.2 grams of CLA
>daily, without experiencing any adverse
>side effects. CLA is
>found naturally in dairy foods,
>but in trace amounts.
>For best results, take a
>supplement."


Okay, is that 3.8% body fat lost similar to going from 25% to 21.2%, or is it losing 3.8% of the total fat on their body (25% body fat on a 150 lb person would be about 37 lbs, and the 3.8% lost fat would equal roughly a pound and a half over the 12 week course.) The way the paragraph is stated points to the latter (which is probably more correct, statistics can be twisted around to sound a lot more impressive than they really are.)