Cardio Can BOOST Your Gains?! Do it Before Weights and be Rewarded With 28% Increased Fiber Size & VO2 Gains

Cardio Can BOOST Your Gains?! Do it Before Weights and be Rewarded With 28% Increased Fiber Size & VO2 Gains

aerobic exercise build muscle build strength cardio concomitant training resistance training VO2 vo2max

It may be important that the subjects cycled, because a recent review of the potential interference of cardio w/ strength training shows that cycling is the least likely to affect your gains (Murach. 2016).

In previous articles at the SuppVersity, I have written about the still ubiquitous concern that cardio training (or aerobic training, in general) could hamper your size and strength gains - a fear that is, unless you overdo it, unwarranted (learn more about HIIT & "regular" cardio training).

Now, a recent study from the Mid Sweden University shows that the opposite could be the case, i.e. that the hypertrophy response to exercise can actually be stimulated by combining resistance training not just with "cardio", but with "cardio" (=continuous cycling) and HIIT - at least if it's done not after, but before resistance training.

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Pre-Exhaustion Exhausts Your Growth Potential

Full ROM ➯ Full Gains - Form Counts!

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Study Indicates Cut the Volume Make the Gains!

The authors of the study, Zuzanna Kazior, Sarah J. Willis, Marcus Moberg, William Apró, José A. L. Calbet, Hans-Christer Holmberg, andn Eva Blomstrand were (just like you?) unhappy with the contradictory outcomes of existing studies on the effect of endurance exercise on the anabolic response to strength training. Accordingly, they designed a study to "re-investigated this issue, focusing on training effects on indicators of protein synthesis and degradation" (Kazior. 2016).

Figure 1: Overview of the resistance (top) and cardio training (bottom) protocols in the study at hand (Kazior. 2016).

In said study, two groups of previously not regularly trained male subjects performed 7 weeks of resistance exercise alone (R; n = 7) or in combination with preceding endurance exercise, including both continuous and interval cycling (ER; n = 9). You can see the exact protocols in Figure 1, with the resistance training part being on the top and the endurance / HIIT part on the bottom (the number of training sessions in the ER and R group were identical; importantly, the endurance training was performed before the resistance training and included an extra 5-min warm-up + cool-down before and after the E-part.

Did carbohydrates make the difference? Within 20 min after completion of a training session, subjects in the R-group received a protein supplement (Kolozzeum Pure Whey, Stockholm, Sweden), 20 g dissolved in 500 ml of water to enhance muscle recovery. The ER-group were given this same supplement, but with addition of maltodextrin (Fairing Fast Carbs, Järfälla, Sweden) in an amount corresponding to the individual´s calculated energy expenditure during the endurance training - did the maltodextrin make a difference? Based on the results of previous studies, this seems very unlikely. While carbs alone can enhance the protein synthetic response to resistance training (Børsheim. 2004), studies show no benefit of adding it to a sufficient amount of protein that is consumed right after resistance training workouts (Koopmann. 2007). 

Biopsies were taken from the lateral part of m. quadriceps, i.e., the vastus lateralis, both before and after 7 weeks of training. To ensure the results were not messed up, ...

"[t]he subjects were instructed to refrain from training for 2 days prior to the pre-training biopsies and the post-training biopsies were taken approximately 2 to 3 days after the final session in 15 subjects, but in one subject the post-training biopsy was taken 90 hours after the final session. During this period the subjects also refrained from training" (Kazior. 2016).

All data are expressed as means ± SD and were checked for normal distribution before performing parametric statistical analyses. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA (time, group) was applied to evaluate and compare the effect of training in the R and ER groups. When the ANOVA showed a significant main effect or interaction between time and group, Fisher’s LSD post hoc test was applied to identify where the differences occurred. A P-value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

Figure 2: Levels of proteins in the Akt signaling pathway before and after 7 weeks of training. (A) Akt, (B) mTOR and (C) S6K1 in skeletal muscle before (Pre) and after (Post) 7 weeks of strength training only (R) or combined endurance and resistance exercise (ER). Representative immunoblots from two subjects. *P < 0.05 for Post vs. Pre (Kazior. 2016).

While similar increases in leg-press 1 repetition maximum (30%; P<0.05) were observed in both groups, irrespective of the maximal muscle gains - a discrepancy of which the scientists say that it "suggests that the improvement in maximal strength (1RM) observed following our relatively short 7-week period of training is due largely to neuromuscular adaptation" (Kazior. 2016), the scientists observed a striking and highly significant difference between the changes of the subject's maximal oxygen uptake (a marker of cardiovascular fitness) in the two groups. As you may already have expected, the latter was elevated (8%; P<0.05) only in the ER group, while the strength training only group saw no increase in this important fitness marker.

Figure 3: Pre- vs. post changes in fiber are and capillary density in both groups (Kazior. 2016).

And what about the gains? As far as those were concerned, Kazior et al. observed significantly larger increases in the ER training group as well. More specifically, the ER group saw gains in both, the areas of both type I and type II fibers. The R protocol, on the other hand, increased only the area of the type II fibers, which is why it is not exactly surprising that the mean fiber area increased by 28% (P<0.05) in the ER group, whereas no significant increase was observed in the R group - a difference that appears to be in line with the expression of the anabolic proteins Akt and mTOR, which were both enhanced in the ER group, whereas only the level of mTOR was elevated following R training. The scientists further analyses showed that...

"[the t]raining-induced alterations in the levels of both Akt and mTOR [both anabolic] protein were correlated to changes in type I fiber area (r = 0.55–0.61, P<0.05), as well as mean fiber area (r = 0.55–0.61, P<0.05), reflecting the important role played by these proteins in connection with muscle hypertrophy. Both training regimes reduced the level of MAFbx protein (P<0.05) and tended to elevate that of MuRF-1 [both catabolic]" (Kazior. 2016).

In view of these findings, it is only logical that the authors conclude that "the present findings indicate that the larger hypertrophy observed in the ER group is due more to pronounced stimulation of anabolic rather than inhibition of catabolic processes" (Kazio. 2016) - irrespective of the fact that they cannot tell for sure what it was that triggered these practically relevant differences.

Can the increase in IGF1, GH and testosterone as it was observed W/ Cardio first by Rosa et al. (2014) explain the increased size gains?

So what's going on, here? While you may expect that the addition of carbohydrates after the workout in the ER group could have something to do with the increased size gains, the data discussed in the red box shows that this is relatively unlikely (even though it could be the reason why AKT increased only in the ER group).

As far as the reasons for the surprising differences to other studies are concerned, we are thus left with two options: (1) the cardio protocol with steady state + HIIT could be special, or (2) doing cardio before not after strength training could be special. Interestingly enough, I've written about potential anabolic benefits of doing your cardio before weights, before: In a 2014 study, Rosa et al. observed significant increases in the purportedly muscle building hormones GH, IGF1 and testosterone when cardio was done before weights.

Whether it's in fact a pro-anabolic response to reversing the more common order of resistance training > cardio to cardio > resistance training does yet seem questionable - irrespective of the fact that the acute GH response was in fact one out of two parameters of which West et al. have found that it correlates with the actual muscle gains in their seminal 2012 study (discussed here) | Maybe you've got better explanations? If so, leave them in a comment on Facebook!

References:

• Børsheim, Elisabet, et al. "Effect of carbohydrate intake on net muscle protein synthesis during recovery from resistance exercise." Journal of Applied Physiology 96.2 (2004): 674-678.
• Kazior Z, Willis SJ, Moberg M, Apró W, Calbet JAL, Holmberg H-C, et al. "Endurance Exercise Enhances the Effect of Strength Training on Muscle Fiber Size and Protein Expression of Akt and mTOR." PLoS ONE 11.2 (2016) : e0149082. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0149082
• Koopman, René, et al. "Coingestion of carbohydrate with protein does not further augment postexercise muscle protein synthesis." American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism 293.3 (2007): E833-E842.
• Murach, Kevin A., and James R. Bagley. "Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy with Concurrent Exercise Training: Contrary Evidence for an Interference Effect." Sports Medicine (2016): 1-11.
• Rosa C, Vilaça-Alves J, Fernandes HM, Saavedra FJ, Pinto RS, Machado Dos Reis V. "Order effects of combined strength and endurance training on testosterone, cortisol, growth hormone and IGFBP-3 in concurrent-trained men". J Strength Cond Res. (2014): Jul 15 Ahead of Print. 
• West, Daniel WD, and Stuart M. Phillips. "Associations of exercise-induced hormone profiles and gains in strength and hypertrophy in a large cohort after weight training." European journal of applied physiology 112.7 (2012): 2693-2702.

Research Update: 5000 IU/day Vitamin D, 12g/day Citrulline Malate or Barefoot Running What's the Most Ergogenic?

Research Update: 5000 IU/day Vitamin D, 12g/day Citrulline Malate or Barefoot Running What's the Most Ergogenic?

25OHD barefoot citrulline on short notice running running economy soccer vitamin D VO2 vo2max

Who would have thought that barefoot running triggers instant improvements in running economy?

With the release of ahead of print articles for the next issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, it is high time for yet another research update; an update with research on the effect of vitamin d supplementation on training adaptation in well trained soccer players, acute citrullin malate supplementation (10 grams 60 minutes before a workout) and high-intensity cycling performance, as well as information about the ability of barefoot running to reduce oxygen cost and improve running economy in female distance runners who have never run barefoot before.

Read more about exercise-related studies at the SuppVersity

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Aug '15 Ex.Res. Upd.: Nitrate, Glycogen, and ...

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Full ROM ➯ Full Gains - Form Counts!

BFR-Preconditio- ning Useless for Weights?

Study Indicates Cut the Volume Make the Gains!

• The effect of vitamin d supplementation on training adaptation in well trained soccer players (Jastrzebska. 2016) - In view of the fact everybody appears to believe that the currently available evidence would imply that vitamin D supplements could enhance athletic performance, it is hardly surprising that the next issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research will contain yet another study investigating the effects of vitamin D supplements on athletic performance.
  
  What distinguishes the study at hand from the rest of the pack is that it was conducted in high-level, well trained athletes, who received either a placebo (PG) or 5000IU of vitamin D per day (SG). Both groups were subjected to the same "High Intensity Interval Training Program".
  

  

  Figure 1: Overview of he training regimen, the subjects were subjected to.

  The selection to the groups was based on peak power results attained before the experiment and position on the field. Blood samples for vitamin D level were taken from the players. In addition, total work, 5-10-20-30 m running speed, squat jump, and countermovement jump height were determined.
  
  Much to the disappointment of the average vitamin D enthusiast, there were no significant differences between SG and PG groups for any power-related characteristics at baseline. What did work, though, was the training: All power-related variables, except the 30 m sprint running time, improved significantly in response to interval training. However, the mean change scores (the differences between post- and pre-supplementation values) did not differ significantly between SG and PG groups. Thus, the authors of the study conclude that...

  

  Remember the differential effect of Vitamin D on breast cancer risk in lean vs. obese women?

  "[...] an 8-week vitamin D supplementation in highly trained football players was not beneficial in terms of response to high intensity interval training [and that, g]iven the current level of evidence, the recommendation to use vitamin D supplements in all athletes to improve performance or training gains would be premature" (Jastrzebska. 2016).

  What may make sense, however, is to avoid a seasonal decrease in 25(OH)D level or to obtain optimal vitamin D levels via higher dietary intakes and, optionally, vitamin D supplementation. Why that? Well, in vitamin D deficient athletes, there's at least some evidence that supplementing, or rather increasing the 25OHD levels help.
• Acute Citrulline-Malate supplementation and high-intensity cycling performance (Cunniffe. 2016) - Unlike the results of a previously discussed study on the effects of citrulline supplementation during an intense leg workout, in which 8g/day triggered significant performance increases, the recent double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study by Cunniffe et al. found no benefits of 12g of citrulline malate (in 400ml) compared to lemon sugar-free cordial (Placebo [PL]) when the 10 subjects consumed it 60 min prior to completion of two exercise trials... or, to be precise, only the heart rate differed significantly.
  

  

  Figure 2: Mean performance in the two groups; # sign. inter-group difference (p < 0.05 | Cunniffe. 2016)

  They consumed it 60 minutes before the workouts? Right, this happens to be the same protocol, Wax et al. used 2014 in 12 advanced resistance trained male subjects. What was different, however, is the type of exercise. While Wax et al. had their subjects squat and leg press, Cunniffe investigated the effects in a trial that consisted of ten (x 15 s) maximal cycle sprints (with 30 s rest intervals) followed by 5 min recovery before completing a cycle time-to-exhaustion test (TTE) at 100% of individual peak power (PP). I guess that explains the difference and suggest that the performance enhancing effects of citrulline are exercise dependent - obviously, this has to be investigated in future studies ;-)
• Barefoot running reduces the submaximal oxygen cost in female distance runners (Berrones. 2016) - The two most important ways to increase your running performance are (a) improving your VO2max, (b) improving your running economy aka the "O2 costs of running". That this can be achieved as easily as by dropping your shoes is thus a quite important result, Berrones et al. observed in during three 5-minute submaximal running trials representing 65, 75, and 85% of VO2max in fourteen recreationally active, trained distance female runners (age = 27.6 +/- 1.6 yrs; height = 163.3 +/- 1.7 cm; weight = 57.8 +/- 1.9 kg) who were completely inexperienced with unshod running.
  
  Following initial testing, each subject was randomized to either unshod or shod for days 2 and 3. Berrones et al. analyzed the data with a 2-way (condition by intensity) repeated measures ANOVA. The results of this analysis shows that the runners' submaximal oxygen consumption was significantly reduced at 85% of VO2max (P = 0.018), but not during the 65% or 75% trials (P > 0.05, both).
  

  

  The improvement in VO2 consumption during barefoot running was sign. only for 85% VO2max (Berrones. 2016).

  No other dependent measure, i.e. respiratory exchange ratio (RER), lactate, heart rate (HR), and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), was different between unshod and shod conditions; and still, the scientists' conclusion that "training or competing while barefoot may be a useful strategy to improve endurance performance" (Berrones. 2016) may be useful for recreational or competitive distance runners.

You want more short exercise news? Well, this is not exactly a short one, but still: "GYM-Science Update: Bands Aid W/ Deadlifts? 16x1 or 4x4 for HIIT? Kettlebell HIIT Workout Better Than HIIT-Cycling?" | more

Bottom line? Well, I guess I should answer the question in the headline even if it is obvious, right? The answer is: "barefoot running". What we should not forget, though is the fact that previous research suggests that having normal (not extra-high) vitamin D levels is as important for athletes as 8g of citrulline are useful for strength trainees.

Against that background I wouldn't be surprised if the next SuppVersity Research Update featured studies showing beneficial effects of vitamin D and citrulline malate supplements and no or even ill effects of barefoot running... but hey, the results of the Berrones study are still impressive, right? Don't forget: the subjects had never run barefoot before | Comment on Facebook!

References:

• Berrones, Adam J.; Kurti, Stephanie; Kilsdonk, Korey; Cortez, Delonyx; Melo, Flavia; Whitehurst, Michael. "Barefoot running reduces the submaximal oxygen cost in female distance runners." Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research: Post Acceptance: January 19, 2016. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001330. 
• Cunniffe, Brian; Papageorgiou, Maria; O’Brien, Barbara; Davies, Nathan A; Grimble, George K; Cardinale, Marco. "Acute Citrulline-Malate supplementation and high-intensity cycling performance." Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research: Post Acceptance: January 19, 2016. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001338.
• Jastrzebska, Maria; Kaczmarczyk, Mariusz; Jastrzebski, Zbigniew. "The effect of vitamin d supplementation on training adaptation in well trained soccer players." Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research: Post Acceptance: January 20, 2016. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001337
• Wax, Benjamin, et al. "Effects of Supplemental Citrulline Malate Ingestion During Repeated Bouts of Lower-body Exercise in Advanced Weight Lifters." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research (2014).

HMB for Every, Not Just Strength Athletes? Lower Body Fat, Improved VO2, Muscle, Testosterone in 2x12 Week Study

HMB for Every, Not Just Strength Athletes? Lower Body Fat, Improved VO2, Muscle, Testosterone in 2x12 Week Study

build muscle Ca-HMB cortisol endurance HMB lean muscle lose fat performance testosterone VO2 vo2max watt

Lean muscle for athletes? HMB could help, irrespective of exercise type - by increasing strength, lean mass and VO2. In the study at hand, all three increased and that is / was in highly trained athletes.

You've read all articles about HMB at the SuppVersity? In that case you will be aware that HMB has hitherto been perceived rather as a strength / bodybuilding than an endurance supplement. Against that background it may come as a surprise that researchers from the Poznán University of Life Sciences in Poland chose to study the effects of HMB on the aerobic capacity (Burkalec-Michalski. 2016), instead of the usual study outcome, the subjects' strength. Is that a bad thing? Not at all!

After all, there are  more sports that require optimal aerobic performance than sports that require (only) optimal strength performance. It thus makes perfect sense that Krzysztof Durkalec-Michalski and Jan Jeszka chose aerobic performance as their primary, but not only study outcome.

Learn more about the potential beneficial effects of HMB at the SuppVersity:

HMB For Fat Loss?

Hica & HMB in Yogurt

More on HMB Free Acid

Breakthrough HMB Science

HMB + Whey = Useless?!

HMB Hampers Fat Loss?

Don't worry, though! With the body composition (unfortunately only BIA data) as second outcome measure, the results the scientists derived in an experiment that involved 58 male athletes aged 22 ± 6 years, with body weight of 82.9 ± 12.3 kg and height of 181 ± 7 cm, practicing wrestling (n = 12), judo (n = 10), Brazilian jiu-jitsu (n = 14), karate (n = 6), and rowing (n = 16) are still interesting and relevant for those of you who don't care that their aerobic conditioning forces them to take the elevator.

The subjects were asked to complete dietary records every second week to ensure that they did not change their dietary habits during the two 12-week supplementation periods during which the subjects alternately consumed HMB or a placebo supplement (for 12 weeks each with 10 days wash-out inbetween).

"The experiments were conducted using a preparation of calcium salt of β-hydroxy-β- methylbutyric acid, produced by Olimp Laboratories. A single capsule contained 1250 mg Ca-HMB, which corresponds to 1000 mg β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate. The producer also prepared a placebo preparation containing maltodextrin. The tested group of athletes was administered 3 capsules of the assigned preparation a day, in 3 doses as follows: upon waking, immediately after training, and before sleep. On nontraining days, the participants were instructed to consume one serving with each of three separate meals throughout the day" (Burkalec-Michalski. 2016 | my emphasis).

As you will remember based on previous SuppVersity articles, the HMB dose of 3g per day (in 3x1g doses) is what previous studies have shown to trigger significant improvements in performance and body composition in even shorter times-spans (Nissen. 1996; Lamboley. 2007; Wilson. 2008; Portal. 2011; Zanchi. 2011).

Ca-HMB or free acid? There is no doubt that this is another study to put a questionmark behind the necessity of buying the expensive free acid gel of HMB. More than 90% of the previous (mostly promising) HMB studies have been conducted with calcium HMB consumed either once or, as in this case, thrice a day. In contrast to the functionality of Ca-HMB, however, the increased speed of absorption scientists have observed for the free acid form of HMB has yet to be proven to have practical relevance.

In conjunction with the previously not mentioned blood draws, the weighing and BIA measurements, as well as the ergometer tests that were performed at the beginning and end each of the 12-week study periods clearly support the scientists conclusion that...

"[t]he results indicate that supplying HMB promotes advantageous changes in body composition and stimulates an increase in aerobic capacity, while seeming not to significantly affect the levels of the analyzed blood markers" (Burkalec-Michalski. 2016).

Here, the scientists refer to the observed beneficial effects on fat-free mass (+0.2 kg HMB vs. -1.0 kg PLA, P = 0.021), with a simultaneous reduction of fat mass (-0.8 kg HMB vs. +0.8 kg PLA, P < 0.001), as well as the augmented increases in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max: +0.102 L·min-1 HMB vs. -0.063 L·min-1 PLA, P = 0.013), time to reach ventilatory threshold (TVT: +1.0 min HMB vs. -0.4 min PLA, P < 0.0001), and the threshold load and heart rate at ventilatory threshold (WVT: +20 WHMB vs. -7 WPLA, P = 0.001 // HRVT: +8 bpm HMB vs. -1 bpm PLA, P < 0.0001).

Figure 1: HMB supplementation lead to sign. improvements in body composition (BIA | Burkalec-Michalski. 2016)

If and to which extent these effects were related to statistically significant increase in testosterone levels (P = 0.047), which, in contrast to the increase in cortisol, occurred only in the HMB group, is difficult to say (see Figure 1).

Figure 2: Changes in testosterone and cortisol during the treatment phase; * p < 0.05 (Burkalec-Michalski. 2016).

In view of the fact that the testosterone to cortisol ratio did not differ significantly in the two groups, it is yet very unlikely that the hormonal changes played a decisive role in terms of the previously discussed study outcomes.

As you can see, the study at hand confirmed that HMB is not a "strength supplement"; increases in VO2max, the ventilatory threshold and even the maximal wattage in trained athletes are an argument in favor of Ca-HMB for every, not just endurance athletes. I mean, who wouldn't want to get faster, stronger, and in better shape.

Bottom line: Even though the supplement company that produced the HMB product that was used in the study is explicitly mentioned in the methodology section of the paper, the authors report "no conflicts of interest with this work". It does therefore appear unwarranted to question the results based on potential bias. What you should question, though, is your own interpretation of the results. The use of HMB did, after all, not provide a steroid-like advantage to the athletes.

What's even more relevant than the effect sizes, though, is the fact that the benefits occurred in the absence of protein supplementation. If we assume that the differences persist and that similar effects would be observed if HMB is consumed on top of three whey protein shakes per day, though, the study at hand provides one of the most convincing arguments in favor of a supplement that is close to being unpalatable (buy caps, boys & girls ;-) | Comment!

References:

• Durkalec-Michalski, Krzysztof, and Jan Jeszka. "The Effect Of Hmb On Aerobic Capacity And Body Composition In Trained Athletes." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research (2016).
• Lamboley, Cédric RH, Donald Royer, and Isabelle J. Dionne. "Effects of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate on aerobic-performance components and body composition in college students." International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism 17.1 (2007): 56.
• Nissen, S., et al. "Effect of leucine metabolite β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate on muscle metabolism during resistance-exercise training." Journal of Applied Physiology 81.5 (1996): 2095-2104.
• Portal, Shawn, et al. "The effect of HMB supplementation on body composition, fitness, hormonal and inflammatory mediators in elite adolescent volleyball players: a prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study." European journal of applied physiology 111.9 (2011): 2261-2269.
• Wilson, Gabriel J., Jacob M. Wilson, and Anssi H. Manninen. "Effects of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) on exercise performance and body composition across varying levels of age, sex, and training experience: A review." Nutrition & metabolism 5.1 (2008): 1.
• Zanchi, Nelo Eidy, et al. "HMB supplementation: clinical and athletic performance-related effects and mechanisms of action." Amino acids 40.4 (2011): 1015-1025.