WarriorFX

The human body responds to exercise in various ways. Within the body, there are complicated chemical processes unfolding in response to training-induced stress. Dehydration is known to dramatically affect physical performance – as well as general health. The more specific effects of fluid loss in resistance training are usually less understood. When trying to increase musculature, or improve body composition, staying properly hydrated is a requirement.

Resistance training can stimulate internal processes to increase muscle density, in response to the applied stress on the muscular systems. However, anabolism must exceed catabolism for the subsequent synthesis of new muscle tissue. Simply put: a bucket without a bottom will never hold water. For optimal exercise prescription, athletes must promote growth and discourage wasting. Current research suggests that dehydration can disrupt the body’s muscle-building processes. Read more

There are massive amounts of nutritional supplements marketed toward athletes today. Many magic-pill wonders quickly fade away as other fitness fads hit the market – each making a few dollars during their short shelf life. Others withstand the test of time; positively passing many scientific and anecdotal trials. Probably the most debated dietary supplement available is glutamine. It’s a non-essential amino acid, which means it can be synthesized in the body. The big question facing bodybuilders is whether exogenous use is necessary to build muscle and lose fat. Read more

The human body is a magnificently adaptive organism. Unlike machinery, muscular systems can respond to escalating demands by becoming stronger. No matter how hard and fast a car is driven, an automobile remains the same. In response to a progressive training stimulus, muscles are capable of increasing fiber diameter, transforming architecture and manipulating energy systems. To truly maximize a training session, the period immediately prior to exercise must not be spent carelessly. Properly preparing for resistance training can greatly impact performance. Bodybuilders typically undergo specific rituals before to training, to include: warming up their core temperature, stretching a muscle belly and massaging an exercised area. Read more

Non-medical use of anabolic-androgenic steroids is widespread among bodybuilders. According to field surveys, around 15 to 30 percent of people routinely using fitness centers have augmented their efforts with AAS. It’s estimated that four out of five AAS users are recreational bodybuilders – not professional athletes. The majority of today’s users are people simply trying to improve their physical appearance. Even without the threat of being identified in sports doping scandals, individuals interested in optimizing their body composition must still consider several potential pitfalls with the non-medical use of anabolic steroids. Common risks often originate from social connections, legal restrictions, professional settings, family concerns, financial limitations, medical concerns and the lack of sufficient training experience. Read more

Hard physical training requires massive amounts of energy and sustained mental focus. Caffeine has been employed as an ergogenic in athletics for many years – from recreational bodybuilders to competitive athletes. The substance positively affects time-to-exhaustion and endurance-training potential. Caffeine has a large number of reported physiological benefits to athletes; such as greater muscle contractions from antagonistic actions on adenosine receptors, delayed fatigue by stimulating the central nervous system, direct neuro-endocrine activation and direct actions on skeletal muscle function. It has been shown to support endurance athletes engaged in strenuous cycling, running and swimming. Caffeine has also been shown to improve performances in intermittent high-intensity team sports.
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Bodybuilders are athletes interested in building up musculature while minimizing body fat. Bodybuilding is a constant evolution through various stages of building and refining, overindulgence and restraint, intensity and moderation. The cessation of mass-building cycles using anabolic-androgenic steroids presents a vulnerable transition for a bodybuilder. Most importantly, his system’s natural androgen production must be quickly and efficiently resumed since administering AAS inhibits signals to produce anabolic hormones within the body. The changing of the guard, from exogenous back to endogenous androgens, can make or break the permanent nature of the acquired muscle mass. Proper post-cycle therapy is crucial. Read more

Nicotine is commonly associated with smoking cigarettes – something routinely shunned by people in pursuit of greater physical performance. However, is nicotine itself the venom? Moreover, could it provide an ergogenic affect for athletes?

Nicotine was first identified in the early 19th century. It’s an addictive alkaloid that has long been obtained from the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, Nicotiana tabacum. Nicotine is its main active ingredient. It is well understood that smoking tobacco is toxic to the human body; causing irritation of lung tissues, constriction of blood vessels, increased blood pressure and heart rate, as well as central nervous system stimulation. The bad is well known, but the potential for good is often less understood; as well as how the two relate. Read more

Bodybuilding is a journey of learning – identifying boundaries and how to break through them. For many, the choice to use anabolic-androgenic steroids for enhanced muscular development is clear and absolute. But impulsive moves and risky application can be avoided with a little prior research and planning. The following is a list of valuable sources of information for anyone considering, or currently using, anabolic steroids. Read more

A lot of dieting strategies over recent years place less stress on fat and more on carbohydrate. Nutritional outlines by medical professionals have revealed the affect carbohydrates have on body composition and health; such as: The Zone, The Paleo Diet - the Atkin’s Diet set out to completely avoid them. Nutritional experts everywhere adopted a way to determine the quality of any carbohydrate-containing food using a Glycemic Index. The GI was introduced in 1981 to provide a ranking system for carbohydrates based on how they affect blood glucose levels. To this day, the GI usually compares, gram-for-gram, the impact of 50 grams of carbohydrate between varying foods. This is where critics rang in to dispute the usefulness of such data - introducing the Glycemic Load, comparing GI to actual portion sizes. Read more

Hormones are chemical substances produced by glands within the body. Sex hormones are produced by the testicles, ovaries and adrenal glands to manipulate reproduction and sexual identity. Anabolic androgenic steroids are male sex hormones used in supra physiological amounts as performance enhancing drugs in sports and exercise. They increase protein synthesis and cross-bind to glucocorticoids – attracting athletes seeking further gains in muscle mass and faster recovery times. Estrogen, a female sex hormone, also becomes elevated while administering AAS due to an interaction with aromatase, an enzyme that converts androgens (derivatives of testosterone) into estrogens. Many male bodybuilders combat this with anti-aromatase medications, in addition to compounds that compete at the estrogen receptor. Anti-estrogenic drugs like Nolvadex (tamoxifen) and Arimidex (anastrozole) are frequently used to avoid fluid retention, fat gain or gynecomastia, a condition resulting in enlargement or tenderness of breasts or nipples. However, some estrogen does serve benefit in the male’s system – trying to eliminate it from the body can eradicate these desirable traits. Read more