Muscle Talk

Hypoxia for hypertrophy

Phil Heath is Mr. Olympia because he trains hard, diets hard, and is genetically gifted. But what if training in Colorado is also a “gift”? Japanese researchers have shown that if bodybuilders “train in a room where the oxygen concentration is only 16 percent (versus the normal 21 percent), then their muscles grow 4–6 times faster.” Scientist had seven men train arms in an oxygen-depleted room for six weeks. Their triceps and biceps size increased by 7.3 and 9.9 percent respectively, and their maximal strength increased more than the “normal training” group. Scientists speculate that “training in a reduced oxygen environment boosts the production of lactic acid.” This leads to more testosterone and GH. So to give yourself a size advantage, get yourself an altitude advantage!

Do what you love and live longer!

They say that if you find a job you love, you’ll never work another day in your life. But they should say, “If you find a job you love, you’ll outlive everyone else.” Researchers studied about 700 participants, and measured their career success over time. Criteria were based on “occupational classification [according to the then-current census], job prestige, job performance, roles of leadership in the workplace, honours and recognitions received, and annual income.” As researchers tracked the men’s lives over decades, they saw that men who saw more success at work lived longer than men who didn’t.

Veggies are the new stem cells

Although stem cell research is only about two decades old, the amount of useful information it’s produced is immeasurable! Stem cells are undifferentiated (meaning they’re not “assigned” a specific task in the body), and thus are able to become anything. Recently, they were studied in the context of muscle growth. There are certain supplements that can stimulate stem cells to rejuvenate tissues in damaged organs. In Italy, researchers are looking at vegetables as alternatives to these stem cell supplements. If they can regrow organ tissue, they can regrow muscle tissue. Researchers noticed that the amount of sulforaphane (a compound obtained from Brassica vegetables) found in the body of a person who has eaten one cabbage is enough to stimulate the development of stem cells that can become muscle cells! Continue (or start!) to eat more Brassica-family foods to see this theory in action.

5 foods of the Brassica family:
1. Broccoli 2. Cabbage 3. Kale 4. Cauliflower 5. Brussels sprouts

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