The NxLabs Body Challenge Blog

Posts Tagged ‘weight loss’

Spot Reduction: Fact or Fallacy?

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Spot reduction, which is the belief that training a certain muscle group will decrease the amount of fat surrounding it, has been in debate for many, many years. Scientists have claimed it simply isn’t possible as fat loss happens throughout the entire body, while some swear it to be true. Recent research from Denmark may shed some more light on the subject.

In a study involving ten healthy males, subjects performed three sets of high-rep, one-legged knee extensions. Results showed blood flow and fat breakdown were greatest around the exercising muscle. While further research needs to be conducted, there may be something to higher-rep training for fat loss than previously thought.

Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Feb; 292(2):E394-9.

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Posted in Body Science | 4 Comments »

Low Carb Diets vs. Low Fat Diets

Monday, April 20th, 2009

Let the debate between low carb and low fat diets end – science has determined the winner! In a four-month study conducted at the University of Cincinnati, 50 obese test subjects were divided into two calorie-restricted groups: 1) low carb and 2) low fat. The low-carb dieters followed an average protein/carb/fat ratio of 28/15/57 for the first two months and a ratio of 24/24/52 for the last two months. While subjects following the low fat diet had a macronutrient ratio of 18/53/29 for the first two months and 20/48/32 for last two.

What’s important note is that there was no significant difference in total calorie intake between each group. In spite of this, the difference in macronutrient breakdown showed a significant difference in overall weight loss and body fat reduction. By the end of testing, results showed that the low-carb subjects lost more body weight (21.6 vs. 13.5 pounds) and fat (13.7 vs. 7.1 pounds) than those following a low-fat diet!

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005 Mar; 90(3):1475-82.

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Posted in Body Science, Nutrition | 1 Comment »

Water – Nature’s Fat Burner

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Looking for an easy way to increase your metabolism and burn off more calories? Try drinking water. A study conducted in Germany showed that subjects who consumed 500 mL (2 cups) of water increased their resting energy expenditure by 30% after 10 minutes of consumption with the effect lasting up to 40 minutes. This study also found that the increase in calorie burning came from fat in men and from carbohydrates in women. The researchers speculate that consumption of 2 liters (8 cups) of water a day would additionally help burn off close to 100 kcal/day.

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Dec; 88(12):6015-9

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Posted in Body Science, Nutrition | 3 Comments »

Whey Protein Promotes Weight Loss

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

It’s no secret that whey protein helps increase muscle mass and strength, but a preliminary study presented at the Experimental Biology Conference has just revealed that it also aids in fat loss.

In this six-month study, 90 overweight subjects were divided between three supplement groups: 1) 60 grams of whey protein per day, 2) 60 grams of soy protein per day, or 3) 60 grams of carbohydrates per day. Each group consumed their given supplement in addition to their regular diet and did not follow a prescribed training program. They simple added the supplement on top of their diet and carried on their life as they normally would. The results showed that the group taking the whey protein lost the greatest amount of weight, which was 5 pounds more than those in the carbohydrate group.

Experimental Biology, San Francisco, CA, April, 2006

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Posted in Body Science, Nutrition, Supplement Science | 6 Comments »