Broscience

JANC
JOSEPH AGU MSc: NUTRITION CONSULTANT
RECOGNISING & AVOIDING THE PLAGUES OF

BROSCIENCE
Joseph Agu
AIMS & OBJECTIVES OF PRESENTATION
Aims:
To provide an overview of how to recognise & avoid the plauges of broscience
Objectives:
1. Introduction
2. Definitions of broscience and why its bad
3. Tools for identifying broscience
4. Common examples in the fitness industry
5. Social media links
6. Q&A
1. WHO AM I?
Education:
BSc Sport & Exercise Sciences
MSc Sports Science & Nutrition
Consultancy work
www.josephagu.com
work with regular gym goers
Right through to elite athletes
1. WHO AM I?
Not easy
25+ job applications to various institutions &
organisations
4-5 interviews
Success!
2. DEFINITIONS
The predominant brand of reasoning in bodybuilding circles where the anecdotal reports of
jacked dudes are considered more credible than scientific research (Aragon, 2008; Urban
dictionary)
For example: Bro, you gotta slam 40-60g of waxy maize plus 20g of BCAA within 7s of
finishing your last set of squat rack curls. Otherwise, youll go straight catabolic
Fitness Mythology
2. WHY IS BROSCIENCE BAD?

After all, weve all seen it work..
All probably guilty of it at some point
Difference between science and broscience boils down to economy
Defined as: The careful management of available resources
Money
Physical effort
Mental effort
Time
Best case scenario: takes up more resources for the same goal
Worst case scenario: compromised results (spinning your wheels)
3. TOOLS FOR IDENTIFYING BROSCIENCE
1. Where/who is the info coming from?

2. Motive (e.g. financial, predisposed beliefs etc.)
3. Common sense (though issue of logical sounding arguments
4. PubMed / references (not always accuate due to misrepresentation of data
5. Understanding of basic physiological principles

Some guy in the gym
Some guy in the gyms mate whos huge
Magazines/ message boards
BB.com, T-Nation etc.

Do they stand to make money from the info they
are providing (e.g. ridiculous supplementation

protocols
Some vegetarians ignore any research that goes
against their opinion
3. Common sense (though issue of logical sounding arguments)

Whether fruit and dairy are bad or not
A little knowledge is dangerous
10
4. PubMed / references (not always accurate as there can be misrepresentation of data)
11
5. Understanding of basic physiological principles / critical thinking
Most important tool
requires a high level of knowledge
The body CAN absorb more than 30g of protein per meal
May fall under common sense too
12
4. COMMON EXAMPLES OF BROSCIENCE WITHIN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY
1. Introduction
2. Definitions of broscience and why its bad
3. Tools for identifying broscience
4. Common examples in the fitness industry
5. Social media links
6. Q&A
13
Biosignature modulation theory
14
Premise
That levels of different hormones
lead to different patterns of fat

deposition around the body
Therefore, by measuring the
thickness of various skinfold sites,

the practitioner can gain an
understanding of someones
hormonal profile
15
Hormone!
Cortisol!
Skinfold site!
Abdomen !
!
!
Occurrence !
Excessive fat gain in belly region, disrupted sleep pattern!
Insulin!
Iliac crest,
Subscapular!
Excessive fat gain in love handles and on the upper back!
Oestrogen!
Quadriceps,
Hamstrings!
Excessive fat gain in hips and legs!
Testosterone!
Pectoral, Triceps!
Androgen imbalance, accumulated fat in chest area for men!
Growth Hormone!
Knee, Calf!
Reflects sleep patterns and overall fat loss!
Thyroid!
Mid-axillary!
Function of thyroid, accumulated fat 8 inches below armpit!
16

From there, the coaches interpret these skinfold measurements to make predictions about an
individuals hormonal profile
Devise a program consisting of nutrition, exercise, supplementation and lifestyle changes that
will improve/decrease the thickness of the measured skinfolds by improving the individuals
hormonal profile
Because of these hormonal improvements, fat loss is supposedly improved
Reality
Skinfold assessment to determine hormonal status
Skinfold assessment to determine skinfold

thickness
Better training, sleep & fancy supplements
Better training, nutrition & sleep
Improved hormonal profile
Decrease in body fat
Decrease in skinfold thickness
Decrease in skinfold thickness
Confirmation of improved hormonal profile
Improved hormonal profile
BioSig theory
Confirmation of decrease in body fat

17

18
Where/who is the info coming from?

Poloquin
(alam bells after he supposedly gained 14.5 lbs. of

muscle whilst dropping 3.5 lbs. of fat in only five days
19
Motive (i.e. financial, predisposed beliefs etc.)

Cost
of BioSig course: $1145-1550 for a level 1

certification
745
initial and three follow up assessments

with Nick Mitchell of UP fitness
Part
of client feedback comes in the form of a

list of Poloquin supplements (both of whom
profit from)
20
Common sense (though issue of logical sounding

arguments)
Iliac
crest site relating to the amount of carbs in

your diet
The
fact that hormones are not on and off

switches and unrelated to one another
Surely
it must be the better training and

nutrition responsible for the change in skinfold
thickness?
21
PubMed/ references
22

Understanding of basic physiological principles/ critical thinking
We know that hormones DO influence fat patterning (e.g. difference between men
and women)
However, most arent under our direct control

Complex and often conflicting effects (e.g. chronically elevated cortisol tends to cause
individuals to store excess visceral fat, whilst acute spikes in cortisol are completely
normal and is involved in fat mobilisation)
Speaking of chronically elevated cortisol

1.Callipers cant measure visceral fat
2.BioSig assumes that all fat is subcutaneous
3.BioSig falls down
23
24
25
26
Carb Back-Loading
27
Premise - based on taking advantage of diurnal variations in insulin sensitivity
Time of day!
Muscle tissue
insulin sensitivity!
Fat tissue insulin

sensitivity!
Morning!
High!
High!
Evening!
Low!
Low!
28
Time of day!
Muscle tissue
insulin sensitivity!
Fat tissue insulin

sensitivity!
Morning!
High!
High!
Evening!
Low! High
Low!
Addition of training
More technically, the non-insulin dependent uptake of glucose
29
The following points briefly summarise how CBL works, in Kiefers words:
Shift calories to later in the day, eating lighter in the morning and early afternoon, and
feast at night. This may include skipping breakfast.
Keep carbs at an absolute minimum throughout the day until training.
Train in the afternoon, at around 5pm or so.
Start ingesting carbs after your training session, up to 30 minutes later.
Continue eating carbs throughout the night.
30

31
John Kiefer - well spoken and educated
John Kiefer
Lyle McDonald
32

Not clear as hes only selling an ebook and not selling supplements etc.
There is an element of predisposed beliefs as his previous book was
based around evening carb intake
Not enough to be suspectful of BS
33
Common sense (though issue of logical sounding arguments)

Though Kiefers ideas DO make logical sense
People have been frontloading for years and have had no problem getting lean
However, still plausible that Kiefers approach is better
34
PubMed/ references
Though there is no direct evidence for CBL

It is loosely based on two studies (discussed next)
The majority of citations were then cherry-picked to support his stance
Misrepresentation of data is obvious when you look through the references
35
PubMed/ references
Compared the effects of eating 70% of the

days calories in the morning (AM) vs. the
evening (PM) on body mass and body
composition during a six-week hypocaloric diet
(60% CHO, 18% PRO & 22% FAT) in a group
of 10 women
Larger AM meals resulted in greater weight
loss
Though PM groups lost more fat and retained
more lean mass
36
PubMed/ references
Strengths:
Conducted in metabolic ward (strict control)
Women underwent structured exercise protocol
Limitations:
Small sample size (n=10)
Method of assessing body composition was total body electrical conductivity
(which is similar to BIA)
Only looked at total caloric placement and not carbohydrate placement (limited
applicability to CBL)
37
PubMed/ references
Compared the effects of carbs eaten mostly at dinner vs. eaten throughout the
day, in diets consisting of 1300-1500 kcal (40-50% CHO, 20% PRO & 30-35% FAT)
in a group of 78 Israeli police officers.
It was found that reductions in weight, body fat and waist circumference were
greater in the evening-carb experimental condition vs. the control condition.
In addition, glucose control, inflammation, blood lipids and satiety were improved
to a greater degree in the evening-carb group.
38
PubMed/ references
Strengths:
Large sample size (n=78)
6-month trial (most in the area suffer from short durations and find no difference)
Looked at specific carb placement (not just caloric)
Limitations:
Dietary intake self-reported (in police officers with hectic shift patterns)
Caloric intake wasnt set individually
20% protein equates to 65-75g per day (0.66-0.76g/kg)
Lack of structured exercise programme
Difference between experimental and control was only 2.54kg (100g per week)
Does not represent a fitness enthusiasts lifestyle
39

PubMed/ references
40

Carbs are a drug. As with any drug, knowledge of effectsand side effectsis the only way to guarantee
the right outcome. Drugs often hit the market before all the effects show, leaving consumers scrambling for
answers, alternatives and adjuncts.
Wikipedia definition: A substance which may have medicinal, intoxicating, performance enhancing
or other effects when taken or put into a human body or the body of another animal and is not
considered a food or exclusively a food.
To maximize the burning of fat and growth of muscle tissue during Carb Back-Loading it seems obvious to
eat in sync with how the body also achieves that goal, by having fewer calories in the morning and more at
night.
The earlier carbs slip into the diet, the earlier the body stops burning fat Limiting carbs, especially in the
first half of the day, forces the metabolism to rely on fat for energy needs Limiting carbsand therefore
limiting insulin releaseis crucial for another reason. This is when insulin affects fat cells and muscle cells
the strongest, allowing them to store carbohydrates.
41
Fat
gain: lipogenesis > lipolysis

Fat loss: lipolysis > lipogenesis
After
meals, fat is deposited with the help of insulin

However, between meals and during sleep, fat is lost.
Fat balance will be zero over a 24-hour period if energy intake matches energy expenditure
42
De novo lipogenesis (DNL), the conversion of carbohydrate to fat, rarely occurs in

quantitative amounts in humans
Recently, a combination of whole-body indirect calorimetry and isotope measurement of de novo hepatic
lipogenesis showed that de novo hepatic lipogenesis of 38 g/d was stimulated by 4 d of excess 50%
carbohydrate energy intake. This total de novo lipogenesis represents a small fraction of both the surplus
carbohydrates ingested (360390 g) and the total fat stored (6075 g) in the body.
Thus, the addition of excess carbohydrate in a mixed diet, leading to excess energy intake, results in the
accumulation of body fat, but not by the conversion of carbohydrate to fat. The higher priority of carbohydrate
over fat to be oxidized results in a suppression of dietary fat oxidation, which leads to fat storage.
43

Elaborate
supplement protocols with no scientific basis

Waste of money and completely unnecessary
44
45
In summary:
Based on two studies (one if you only consider carb placement)
The more relevant study has its fair share of limitations
CBL will get some people results, but it will do so because of the caloric deficit and sufficient
protein, not because of the intricate protocols
Regarding the optimisation of body composition:

Total CHO intake of primary concern
A secondary consideration would be the positioning of these carbs in relation to training
(around-workout nutrition) in order to optimise training performance
Once these factors are in place and consistently achieved, then, and only then, should someone
have the option to experiment with hypothetical protocols
46
Metabolic Damage
47
Premise the metabolism has become damaged to the extent that people
(notably contest dieters) find that they cannot lose weight whilst consuming as
little as 600-800 kcals on top of multiple hours of cardio per day
More common in female dieters
48

2. Motive (e.g. financial, predisposed beliefs etc.) ?
3. Common sense (though issue of logical sounding arguments ?
49
Predominantly, Layne Norton

Respectable & evidence based
50

Gaining new clients/selling seminar tickets?
Does seem as though Layne has a genuine concern
51
Common sense (though issue of logical sounding arguments)

Easy to relate to as its similar to starvation mode which many are familiar with.
However, contradicts the idea of energy balance and the first law of thermodynamics
The first law of thermodynamics

Conservation of energy
52
PubMed/ references
No PubMed results for metabolic damage
Scientifically known as adaptive thermogenesis

the decrease in energy expenditure beyond what could be predicted from the changes in fat
mass or fat-free mass under conditions of standardized physical activity in response to a decreased
energy intake.
When you lose weight metabolic rate will slow
Majority of the reduction will be because youre carrying less weight
The remaining reduction cannot be predicted by weight loss, hence the above definition
53
PubMed/ references
This brings us onto the classic study looking at semi-starvation
Minnesota semi-starvation study

In this study spanning from November of
1944 to December of 1945, 36 men

underwent a 12-week control phase followed
by a 24-week semi-starvation phase where
subjects consumed 50% of their estimated
maintenance needs.
54
PubMed/ references
Minnesota semi-starvation study
By the end of the six months, the total drop in metabolic rate was nearly 40%
80% of the deficit had been offset
25% of this deficit was due to reductions in bodyweight
Meaning a 15% drop in metabolic rate via an adaptive component
By this time, the subjects were at the limit of human leanness (4-5% body fat)
Implications for contest prep
No
study has ever demonstrated that a reduction in metabolic rate (whether due to the drop
in weight or adaptive component) has exceeded the actual deficit
As such, claims of gaining fat on such small intakes on top of hours of cardio per day are not
possible
55

The supposed large increase in exercise efficiency due to dieting is incorrect
This case study describes the physiological
maturation of Lance Armstrong from ages

21 to 28 yr
8%
improvement in efficiency 7yr period

(best part of his career in terms of
development)
56

This
case study describes the

physiological maturation of Paula Radcliffe
from 1992-2003
15%
improvement in running economy

over 9yr
Worth
putting these increases into
context
57

Example
of how a female performing two hours of cardio per day cannot NOT lose fat/tissue weight
whilst ingesting 800kcal per day
Energy
In (corrected for digestion) = (BMR/RMR + TEF + TEA + SPA/NEAT) + Change in Body

Stores (Lyle McDonald)
Two
hours of moderate intensity cardio per day @ 300kcal/h (~600kcal)

15% increase in exercise efficiency = 510kcal burned per day
To not lose weight on 800kcal per day, BMR must be 290kcal per day or below
Female
dieter at 50kg = BMR of roughly 1,100kcal per day

Would need a 74% reduction to reach a BMR of 290kcal per day compared to 15% seen in Minnesota
semi-starvation experiment
58

Whats
the explanation for those who dont lose weight? Or Laynes observations?
Only
possible explanation for explaining a lack of change in tissue weight on such intakes/expenditures
is underreporting or lying about true intake
Accidental - Inaccuracy of online apps (e.g. MyFitnessPal) or portion estimations
Deliberate - Guilt about binging at weekends (modest binge of 3-4000kcal would eliminate a deficit
created by eating 800kcal and doing 2h of cardio per day)
If
reported intake is accurate, there will be a loss in tissue weight

However, this may be masked by water retention (Lyle McDonald)
Cortisol has cross-reactivity with the aldosterone receptor, the main hormone responsible for retaining
water
Picture a typical dieter with metabolic damage
A female whos dieting, doing a load of cardio and stressed
Recipe for sky high cortisol levels (highly plausible)
59
60

In
summary:
The concept of metabolic damage has some backing, in that a slowing of metabolism in excess of
that predicted by weight loss alone does exist
This is known scientifically as adaptive thermogenesis
This adaptation is perfectly normal and doesnt occur to the degree as often stated
61
Pre-bed casein
62
Premise because of the slow absorption rate of casein in comparison to other
proteins (e.g. whey), it will preserve muscle (prevent catabolism) during sleeping
hours when ingested prior to bed
63

2. Motive (e.g. financial, predisposed beliefs etc.) ?
4. PubMed / references (not always accuate due to misrepresentation of data ?
64
Where/who
is the info coming from

People in the gym coaches/PTs and other fitness industry professionals
Many academics, including protein metabolism researchers
Motive
(i.e. financial, predisposed beliefs etc.)

Sell supplements
Most academics dont profit from their advice
Common
sense (though issue of logical sounding arguments)

Common sense would probably support the use of casein pre-bed
Therefore, the rationale for using it is convincing
65

PubMed/ references
66

1.2g/kg protein
+0.56g/kg protein
PLA condition
PRO condition
Cannot
state that it was the timing of the casein since protein was not matched
What we have is a comparison of inadequate protein vs. adequate
Would
there be any difference between group if casein was consumed earlier in the day in the control
condition (protein-matched)?
My thoughts are that it wouldnt make a difference
67

For
the sparing of muscle mass, meal frequency does not seem to make a
difference (providing that protein is adequate)
In
other words, if the goal is retaining muscle mass, the most important factor is
getting enough protein in within the day
68

Even
if there were a benefit to night time casein, it isnt the only slowly absorbing
protein source and is actually more quickly absorbed than most intact protein
sources
* Measurements marked with an asterisk should be considered as the roughest estimates as the studies used indirect measurements of protein digestion.
69

In
summary:
To
my knowledge, the only study supporting the use

of pre-bed casein ingestion is a single flawed study
For lean mass retention, total protein intake seems to
be the most important factor, with timing/frequency of
intake being a non-issue (assuming sufficient protein
that is)
Even if there were benefits, casein isnt the only slowly
absorbing protein source
70

Summary
1.Introduction (who am I?)
2.Definitions of broscience and why its bad
3.Tools for identifying broscience
Where the info is coming from
Motive
Common sense
PubMed
Scientific understanding / critical thinking
4.Common examples within the fitness industry
5.Social media links
6.Q&A
Key
take home messages

Question everything and anyone (whilst bearing in mind the outlined tools)
Dont make statements or give advice unless you can back it up
71

Summary
Website/blog: www.josephagu.com
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/josephagunutrition
Twitter: @JosephAgu
Memes courtesy of Ally Porwal

Twitter: @AllyPorwal
JANC
JOSEPH AGU MSc: NUTRITION CONSULTANT

72

Thank you!
73

Broscience

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Broscience

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

JANC

JOSEPH AGU MSc: NUTRITION CONSULTANT

RECOGNISING & AVOIDING THE PLAGUES OF

AIMS & OBJECTIVES OF PRESENTATION

To provide an overview of how to recognise & avoid the plauges of broscience

BSc Sport & Exercise Sciences

MSc Sports Science & Nutrition

2. WHY IS BROSCIENCE BAD?

3. TOOLS FOR IDENTIFYING BROSCIENCE

1. Where/who is the info coming from?

3. TOOLS FOR IDENTIFYING BROSCIENCE

1. Where/who is the info coming from?

3. TOOLS FOR IDENTIFYING BROSCIENCE

2. Motive (e.g. financial, predisposed beliefs etc.)

are providing (e.g. ridiculous supplementation

Some vegetarians ignore any research that goes

against their opinion

3. TOOLS FOR IDENTIFYING BROSCIENCE

3. Common sense (though issue of logical sounding arguments)

3. TOOLS FOR IDENTIFYING BROSCIENCE

4. PubMed / references (not always accurate as there can be misrepresentation of data)

3. TOOLS FOR IDENTIFYING BROSCIENCE

5. Understanding of basic physiological principles / critical thinking

Most important tool

requires a high level of knowledge

May fall under common sense too

4. COMMON EXAMPLES OF BROSCIENCE WITHIN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY

4. COMMON EXAMPLES OF BROSCIENCE WITHIN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY

Biosignature modulation theory

4. COMMON EXAMPLES OF BROSCIENCE WITHIN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY

lead to different patterns of fat

Therefore, by measuring the

thickness of various skinfold sites,

4. COMMON EXAMPLES OF BROSCIENCE WITHIN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY

Excessive fat gain in belly region, disrupted sleep pattern!

Excessive fat gain in love handles and on the upper back!

Excessive fat gain in hips and legs!

Androgen imbalance, accumulated fat in chest area for men!

Reflects sleep patterns and overall fat loss!

Function of thyroid, accumulated fat 8 inches below armpit!

4. COMMON EXAMPLES OF BROSCIENCE WITHIN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY

individuals hormonal profile

Because of these hormonal improvements, fat loss is supposedly improved

Skinfold assessment to determine hormonal status

Skinfold assessment to determine skinfold

Better training, sleep & fancy supplements

Better training, nutrition & sleep

Improved hormonal profile

Decrease in body fat

Decrease in skinfold thickness

Decrease in skinfold thickness

Confirmation of improved hormonal profile

Improved hormonal profile

Confirmation of decrease in body fat

3. TOOLS FOR IDENTIFYING BROSCIENCE

1. Where/who is the info coming from?

4. COMMON EXAMPLES OF BROSCIENCE WITHIN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY

Where/who is the info coming from?

(alam bells after he supposedly gained 14.5 lbs. of

4. COMMON EXAMPLES OF BROSCIENCE WITHIN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY

Motive (i.e. financial, predisposed beliefs etc.)

of BioSig course: $1145-1550 for a level 1

initial and three follow up assessments

of client feedback comes in the form of a