I received an email yesterday from a former client asking me about my opinion of deer antler spray for building muscle mass. Interestingly enough I had just listened to a radio ad this morning on the way into work from a local supplement retail store here in Charleston that was promoting MK 677.

Instead of just replying with a quick answer I figured I’d do a blog post on this subject, since I’m sure I have other readers who would like to be in the know.

The whole idea of using deer antler spray was relatively unknown until it burst onto the scene last year around the time of the Superbowl when it came out that (allegedly) former Baltimore Ravens All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis was using the product.

Regardless of whether he took the product or not, the media frenzy has certainly helped create more sales. It’s a hot product right now, as evident by supplement retailers spending money on radio ads to promote it.

But the interesting side of this is what the product is being hyped up for….helping to build muscle. Huh? I thought Ray Lewis (again allegedly) was taking the product to help recover from a torn triceps injury.

No matter, the supplement companies knew they had something since deer antler velvet supposedly contains IGF-1 (insulin growth factor) and to the uneducated masses they could easily hype up claims of enhanced muscle growth.

Oh, the snake oil salesman of yesteryear still remains, they’ve just changed from side show peddlers to million dollar corporations with hefty marketing budgets.

Let’s dig into what makes this the latest scam to hit the supplement industry.

More after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

If you or anyone you know is taking the popular weight loss drugs Xenical or Alli, you’ll want to be aware that new research has shown a link to increased levels of toxicity in the liver, kidneys, and other internal organs. In some cases the toxicity can be severe, even with low dosages if taken for prolonged periods of time.

One of my biggest criticisms of weight loss prescription medications is the need for the compounds in the drug to be processed by the liver. So while they may be working on one end to facilitate weight loss in some cases, there’s always the increased acidity for the body to deal with.

In short, this is far from a “healing” approach to bring the body back in balance which is the root problem in the first place. Not to turn this post into a rant on all weight loss prescription medications, as some do have their place, rather let’s look specifically at what researchers have found with Xenical and Alli, both brand names for the drug orlistat.

More after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

I recently received an email from a reader asking me about my opinion of the new Growth Factor-9 product by Novex Biotech. This is the latest supplement that claims to support the natural secretion of HGH (human growth hormone).

The idea of boosting HGH secretion through the use of supplements sounds promising, but a closer look reveals some holes in the argument supporting their use.

In today’s post we’ll take a look at Growth Factor-9 and discuss growth hormone as it relates to muscle building and fat loss.

More after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

Earlier this year, the FDA advisory panel voted 20-2 to approve the new weight loss drug, Qysmia. You may be more familiar with the previous name, Qnexa, which the FDA required the manufacturer, Visus Inc, to change the name as part of the approval in order to avoid confusion with other drugs with similar sounding names.

This was breaking news at the time since the FDA hadn’t approved any new weight loss drugs in over a decade. While many praised the approval as a step forward in helping to combat our nation’s obesity epidemic, others like myself remained highly skeptical.

In today’s post we’ll discuss the in’s and out’s of Qysmia so you can make an informed decision on whether or not to try it.

More after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

I recently received and email from a reader who wanted my opinion on the possible flaws in his diet and training regiment as he was sorely disappointed with the lack of lean muscle gain.

While this is something I typically reserve for a consulting client, I figured I’d take a look at what he’d been doing and see if I could help him out.

In the email he included a few sample days of his diet and what immediately stood out to me was his use of a “protein shot” several times a day. Granted, there’s likely more problems than this with his lack of muscle gain, but it’s certainly one of them.

In today’s post I wanted to share with you what I told him…dump the protein shots!

I’ll give you the reasons why after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been getting quite a few questions recently from readers asking me about my opinion of Raspberry Ketones for weight loss. It appears Dr. Oz recommended this supplement a while back as something for overweight individuals to consider experimenting with.

While I typically agree with the majority of Dr. Oz’s recommendations, I figured I’d do some research to see if all this hype on Raspberry Ketones was legit or not.

Let me preface this discussion by assuring you that this isn’t one of those bogus sales pitches for a product cleverly disguised as a “review.”

Sure, reviews from actual consumers can certainly be helpful, but a review that quickly turns into a product pitch without citing research or experiences from actual users is of questionable value.

What follows is simply my personal opinion from an objective review of the research. In full disclosure I’ve not used the product myself nor do I have any feedback as of yet from personal training clients.

More after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve all seen the ads for the popular ready to drink Ensure protein shakes or perhaps know a family member or friend who are using them.

In today’s post I want to take an inside look at the product ingredients along with examining some of the product claims.

Is this shake all that’s it’s made out to be, or has slick marketing covered up for product flaws? I’ll present the information and call it like I see it. You can come to your own conclusions from there.

I should preface this post by stating I have no affiliate interest with this product and no bias one way or another. I’ll also not be reviewing this product as a way to endorse some other shake that I may directly or indirectly sell.

Just a straight up review with no fluff or hidden agendas.

Let’s get to it, more after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

I received a great question this week from a client who wanted to know my opinion of taking enzymes. Let me come right out and say it.

Supplementing with digestive enzymes is a great idea, especially for those individuals dealing with digestive issues and/or high levels of inflammation. This is a subject that doesn’t get nearly enough discussion as enzymes are essential to digestion, nutrient assimilation, and health in general.

The majority of individuals today on the Standard American Diet (SAD) are sorely lacking in enzymes due to the following reasons:

• They’re consuming a large portion of their dietary intake from processed and refined foods.
• They’re consuming very few raw foods in their natural state.
• The majority of meals, even those which aren’t processed and refined, are composed of cook foods which can destroy enzymes essential for digestion.

What’s the end result? If digestive enzymes are insufficient, the individual will likely suffer from less than optimal digestion, nutrient assimilation, and experience increased levels of inflammation.

More after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

I received an email this morning from a client asking my opinion about a particular weight loss supplement and it hit me that I should do a post on this subject.

I probably get more product related questions about fat burners and weight loss products than any other supplements. No surprises there, but it occurred to me that few people are talking about some important concerns.

In full disclosure, this won’t be an article bashing all fat burners or projecting every product in a negative manner. Do some products help enhance fat loss, you betcha, and there’s rationale on why that I’ll explain to you.

But on the flip side, you’ve got to do your homework, not only on the product safety and effectiveness, but also on whether or not you’re currently in a position to benefit from it.

More after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

A client recently emailed me and asked if I’d look into the Shakeology product from BeachBody. For those of you not familiar with Beachbody, this is the same company that markets the popular home workout DVD’s P90X, Insanity, and others.

Let me make sure I state right out of the gate that I am NOT a Beachbody coach and this is not some bogus sales letter disguised as a review.

As someone who has no vested interest or bias I’m simply going to look at addressing the question my client (and I’m sure many others) are asking….is it worth the money?

More after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »