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OVER-40 FITNESS
Expert advice for over-40 athletes about training , supplementation , nutrition , hormones , and more .
By Jay Campbell and Jim Brown
PHOTO : NATALIE MINH ; MODELS : JAY CAMPBELL AND MONICA DIAZ
Q : Why does the body seem to burn more fat at a lower intensity level as opposed to a higher intensity level ? Jay Says : Let me set up a few situations for you as examples . First , let ’ s say you wake up in the morning and do fasted cardio at a steady state for 30 minutes . Your blood sugar is at its lowest level , meaning you don ’ t have available glucose floating around to be used as energy . If you start doing steady-state cardio with a lower heart rate , you are more likely to start burning fat as an energy source , not taking in consideration glucose being released by liver . If you keep the intensity lower , this should continue the whole time you ’ re doing cardio . Now , let ’ s imagine the same situation but you ’ re doing high intensity where your energy demands require glucose . You will go through the stored glycogen in liver , then start breaking down muscle protein for glucose . Overall , for trying to gain or retain muscle , we recommend low impact , steady-state cardio for the most part . Some high-intensity activities are fine , just plan ahead nutritionally so that you have adequate fuel as opposed to breaking down muscle proteins .
76 JUNE 2017 | ironmanmagazine . com
Q : My wife and I tried Metformin and experienced some lower GI issues . My doctor suggested Berberine as an alternative substitute . Do you have any recommendations ? Jim and Jay Say : We have experience with both agents . Berberine does have some of the same benefits and a few others that Metformin does not have . We do think overall that Metformin , in terms of lowering A1C , is much more effective . Both Berberine and Metformin will likely make your intestinal flora better than it is before initiation of therapy , unless of course you have been actively addressing that . Users have experienced GI and abdominal issues with both compounds ; however , Metformin is much less tolerant in our opinion of an unbalanced flora . It is our theory that if you have an unbalanced flora , you are much more likely to have those sides effects with Metformin . We have seen people in that situation deal with it one of three ways . First , you can cut dosage down and take a quarter or half of the prescribed amount and see if you have hit a point where you are able to take it without side effects . Most people who have done that successfully were prescribed , say , 500 milligrams twice a day and would then break one of those tabs in half and just take 250 milligrams or even 125 milligrams once a day and try to work up to the full dose . Second , you can pause the Metformin therapy and start working on your intestinal flora . This may be done by taking a probiotic supplement and / or eating fermented foods such as kefir , sauerkraut , and kimchi . Thirdly , you can just forget about Metformin , try Berberine , and monitor your A1C levels . Of course , we are not doctors and would discuss these strategies with your prescribing physician before acting . There are also special considerations when taking Metformin such as the importance of supplementing B12 and to not use with certain kidney conditions .
Q : I ’ m curious about insulin and its use in bodybuilding today . What does it do , and how is it used ? Jim and Jay Say : By insulin use we assume you mean exogenous insulin . Insulin is used to shuttle nutrients into cells , which is exactly why bodybuilders find value in it . Typical usage is either before , during , or after