Interesting Findings Presented At the American College of Sports Medicine's Annual Meeting

At the 2006 annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) there were several studies presented that can help us bodybuilders in our quest for increased bodybuilding results out of our training efforts. Some of the findings presented that interested me for how practical and easy to apply to our bodybuilding program are:

1. Using protein supplements and creatine increases the number of satellite cells and nuclei skeletal muscle, which in turn increases the capacity of the muscle to grow. Tip: Add a protein shake after your workout with creatine in it and some high glycemic carbohydrates.



2. Caffeine supplementation before the workout increased the amount of reps that the trainee can perform to failure and also reduced soreness following the weight training workout. In addition, power output increased. Tip: Take 200mg of caffeine 30 minutes before the workout.



3. Training to failure increased IGF-1 (a very powerful anabolic hormone in the body) more than not training to failure. Not training to failure, however, increased strength just as much as training to failure did, but also resulted in higher levels of testosterone (muscle building hormone) and lower levels of cortisol (muscle wasting hormone). Tip: Use my definition of training to failure which is to perform as many reps as possible while still using good form. The last rep should be the one at which it would become impossible to perform another repetition with impeccable form.