Issue 136

December 2015

Fitness training could one day become a thing of the past as your gym is replaced by the contents of your supplement shaker. Boffins at the University of Sydney have made a major breakthrough in exercise analysis, which has opened the door to a new age of training results in a bottle. The Australian research, in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, pinpointed 1,000 molecular reactions in muscles that are caused by exercise, opening the door for drug treatments to mirror the health benefits of training. 

“While scientists have long suspected that exercise causes a complicated series of changes to human muscle, this is the first time we have been able to map exactly what happens,” said study co-author Dr Nolan Hoffman, from the Charles Perkins Centre in Sydney. “This is a major breakthrough, as it allows scientists to use this information to design a drug that mimics the true beneficial changes caused by exercise.” Strength from a supplement? Sign us up.

30 million

Sports supplement market leader Bodybuilding.com will have processed 30,000,000 orders worldwide by the end of 2015. 

Survival of the fittest

If every species on Earth took part in a worldwide endurance challenge, it seems that fish would be the last creature standing – or should that be swimming! A new study Down Under indicates our underwater friends have the most impressive gas tank on the planet.

Researchers in Australia found that fish are far more effective at delivering oxygen to their muscles than pretty much every other living species – 50-times better than humans – giving them the edge in the race of life.

Lift your way to a leaner life

If you’re looking to get lean in time for the Holidays, then forget about the treadmill, hit the free weights instead. Studies have proven, on average, muscle burns seven to 10 calories per day, while one pound of fat burns only two to three. 

So the more muscle you have, the better your body burns fat – it’s that simple. And the quickest way to gain muscle, and ultimately burn more fat, is to pump iron.

Give your eggs a break

Here are five alternative breakfast proteins you could have on your morning menu:

1. Smoked salmon (10g 

of protein per 2oz) 

Unlike eggs, smoked salmon requires no cooking, so is an easy quick fix if you’ve slept in past your morning alarm.

2. Ricotta cheese (14g of protein per ½ cup)

Made from whey skimmed off during the production of other cheeses, ricotta is a protein master.

3. Black beans (14g of protein per cup)

Not only swimming in plant-based protein, they’re also jam-packed with fiber – 17g per one-cup serving.

4. Canadian bacon (12g of protein per 2oz)

Canadian bacon is gleaned from the loin so it’s significantly leaner than regular bacon from the belly.

5. Quinoa (8g of protein per cup)

Like oats, quinoa can be cooked into your porridge to help launch your day in the healthiest way possible.