PimpMyHealth

Sunday Mornings are fantastic; Firstly you can have as much sleep as you want, secondly you can have as much sport on the TV as you want and thirdly you can wander the house in your underwear all day if you choose to do so, scratching yourself wherever you please with no regard for social etiquette. Yes Sunday mornings are a true blessing; in fact without them the world would be a much sadder place… Children would no longer experience the joy of Sunday morning football, there would be no such a thing as a traditional English Sunday roast dinner and lastly men and women the world over would all be fat. You see Sunday morning is mankind’s way of catching up on sleep, restoring the body’s hormonal balance and regulating the body’s appetite and metabolism. As I remain in bed, still in my underwear and watching the football on TV allow me to share my musings:

It was recently discovered at the University of Warwick, by Professor Cappuccio, that sleep deprivation causes hormonal changes in the body that can lead to an increase in appetite and possibly even obesity. Since when our bodies become sleep deprived all different types of hormones begin rushing about the body causing neurons to send different signals to the brain. Some neurons inform the brain we are hungry and need food immediately, whereas others tell the brain we are content and don’t need to raid the fridge like Pavarotti at a cake sale.

It was then, as I watched a poor Bolton FC defence concede yet another goal courtesy of Thiery Henry’s right boot that I realised, the competing hormones and neurons that occur when the body is sleep deprived are much like a football match. The stadium is the hypothalamus, known as the “satiety center,” where all of the neurons transmit their various messages to the brain and the two teams are:

Fat Free FC

Players: α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) = the hormone that is an important mediator of satiety (‘feeling full’)
Substitutes:
Hormone – Leptin

Obese FC

Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and Neuropeptide Y (NPY) = responsible for the regulation of appetite, too much of them and the body constantly craves food.
Substitutes:
Hormone – Ghrelin

Now both teams have strong players, however it is your star player Leptin who can win the game for Fat Free FC. Yes Leptin is the Ronaldinho of the hormone world, since not only does Leptin inhibit the activity of Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and Neuropeptide Y (NPY) but it also allows it’s team mate α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) to do its job and inform the brain we are content and full.

On the other hand don’t have enough sleep and the hormone ghrelin, will put on his boots, strap on his shin pads and come off the bench for Obese FC. Because when we don’t get enough sleep our bodies produce more of the hormone ghrelin, which, among other effects, stimulates appetite and creates less leptin. Less Leptin and of course Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and Neuropeptide Y (NPY) are no longer inhibited and so Obese FC run riot on the pitch (hypothalamus)….Final score… Obese FC 1 – 0 Fat Free FC and a much chubbier you.

But never fear good people for as I mentioned before there is hope, and it comes in the form of Sunday Mornings. So like me embrace it, cherish it and stay defiant when your wife, girlfriend, mum or dad tries to wake you from your Sunday morning slumber, for your star player (leptin) needs your support. And speaking of support, I’m now going to visit the land of nod for a few more minutes and do some supporting of my own, since I know I don’t want Ghrelin playing later today when the chocolate cake is put on the table for desert.

People often ask me, “Ross why do you wear pants instead of boxers?” and “what is the best type of cardio?” Well regarding the pants, I find they are a lot more snug and comfortable than boxers But as for the best form of cardio, there is no best type, it really all depends on your current situation and your goals. As always let me draw a parallel…. I shall call this, “The Cardio/ Choice of movie parallel” allow me to explain.

Imagine if you will, a trip to the cinema…what movie are you going to watch? Evidently this is a stupid question, since it all depends on whom you have gone to the cinema with (current situation) and what you want from the date (goals.)

Cinema visit A Courting a young lady – A good Romantic Comedy is probably best in this situation since, and no offence to Arnie, choosing Terminator may see you going home alone.

Cinema visit B Out with the lads – A good Action film is probably best in this situation, since some Romantic Comedies could have you socially excluded

The exact same rule applies to your choice in cardio and as stressed before it all depends on your current situation and your goals.

Low Intensity - Loose Body fat but maintain lean muscle mass

For those of you wanting to keep your hard earned muscle low intensity cardio (30% of your Maximum Heart Rate) is most definitely best, since:

• There is greater mobilisation of triglycerides
• There is greater oxidisation of Free unbound fatty acids
• More molecules of glycerol and Free unbound fatty acids are formed
• The majority of the calories burned come from fat (no lost muscle)

High Intensity – Solely concerned with losing body fat

For those of you whose only concern is to loose body fat and you are not too concerned about muscle mass, high intensity cardio (75% of your Maximum Heart Rate) is most definitely best, since:

• Although there is less mobilisation of triglycerides
• Although there is less oxidisation of Free unbound fatty acids
• There are less molecules of glycerol and Free unbound fatty acids are formed
• It does burns more intramuscular triglycerides
• It does burn more calories overall however not all the calories come from Fat and there may be some muscle mass lost

Thus to summarise Ross’ Law of Adaptation (not its official name, haha)
Be adaptive in your cardio and use it wisely to craft the perfect body you want

And

Be versatile in your choice of movie if want a girlfriend and want to avoid social exclusion

Much love and happy training/ movie watching

Every man would have intimately attempted to woo a young maiden at some point in their lives…whether it was the conventional, ‘Table for 2 ’ at restaurant, or the more relaxed ‘DVD Night’ at home. Regardless of the setting one thing is for sure…the success of the night is highly dependant upon the preparation that is undertaken before hand. My point is gentleman, you simply can’t just make you’re way to the boudoir, there are certain things that must happen prior to this…and this is exactly what happens when your body begins to burn body fat. Allow me to draw a comparison:

The enzyme in the body responsible for breaking down fats is called lipase and the process of breaking down fats in your body is called lipolysis and this really happens in two distinct phases; mobilization, or the courting period, and oxidisation, the ‘end product’ of successful date.

Mobilisation

The enzyme lipase turns fats, or triglycerides, into three unbound fatty acids (FFA) and one glycerol molecule, this process is basically the breaking down of fat in your body for future possible use. Worth noting is that this is merely the preparation for the use of fat as an energy source, the fat hasn’t been used for energy at this point or oxidised. Like when you are on a date, the preparation may be going well….but there is still no guarantee you will be invited in for a “coffee” at the end of the walk home.

Oxidisation

Now oxidation is the point at which the fatty acids that were mobilized are actually burned. This process must take place if the triglycerides are to be burned, since un-oxidised triglycerides can be converted back meaning they will have to be mobilised again. Once again a parallel can be drawn to the wooing of a fair maiden, even if the courting (mobilisation) is executed to perfection, the invite into the young ladies apartment (oxidisation) may still not come to fruition. Thus meaning you will have to begin wooing all over again at a later date.

I hope the, ‘fat burning – Courting’ Parallel has worked and I’ve made the science of fat loss a little clearer for you, if I’ve only complicated matters I’m sorry In my next article I shall attempt to explain how your training (both cardio and weights) can maximise your oxidising and mobilising potential, making you…The Casanova of Fat Burning Once again thank you for sitting through another one of my strange articles. Much love and happy training