Cholesterol – Your Ultimate Guide

What’s up Cobracor Camp! Time to dive into another controversial topic. For many people, ‘cholesterol’ is a word that strikes fear into every health-conscious individual’s soul. After all, cholesterol is responsible for every major travesty since the dawn of time, right? Wrong! Cholesterol is probably the most misunderstood lipid in the history of the world, and I feel like setting the record straight once and for all. As seasoned lifters, cholesterol is almost certainly something you want to monitor. Enhanced bodybuilders and athletes can certainly pay the price for having high cholesterol levels if they fail to keep an eye on things so if you want to make some serious gains, you’re going to have to closely monitor your cholesterol intake, though not necessarily in the way you think. 

Nuts, garlic, fatty fish, fiber rich fruits, olive oil, and avocado are heavy in HDL.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is an organic molecule that is a form of lipid (fat). Cholesterol is produced naturally in the liver; though certain foods also contain it. You’ve probably heard of, or read about, cholesterol over the years, and we’d wager good money that most of the content you’ve heard/read has been negative. Don’t get me wrong, there are negatives associated with SOME forms of cholesterol, but cholesterol isn’t all bad. In fact, we need some cholesterol in order to perform various physiological processes on a daily basis. 

 

Why do we need cholesterol?

In general, the human population needs some cholesterol in their bodies because it plays countless roles in endless physiological internal processes. In fact, cholesterol is found within the outer membrane of each and every single cell within our bodies. It is also used by the body to produce bile, which is then used to break down and metabolize fats. Did we miss anything? Oh yes, so we did, and this is something that keen lifters chasing those ever-elusive gains, will want to pay very close attention to: Cholesterol is also used by the body to produce vitamin D, and steroidal hormones. Yep, that’s right, cholesterol is needed and used by the body to produce androgenic and anabolic hormones in the body, such as testosterone and growth hormone, which play essential roles in muscle growth and repair. Do I still have your attention?

 

Cholesterol and your gains

As you know, testosterone is a hormone which plays a crucial role in muscle growth and development. The higher your test levels, the more jacked you will likely be. Testosterone is derived from cholesterol. Without it, there would be no other natural ways for your body to produce it. Plain and simple.

Different types of cholesterol

 So, why is cholesterol considered dangerous? Well, as it is a lipid, it can lead to cardiovascular issues. BUT there are two types of cholesterol. We have LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol, or Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol, is the reason why cholesterol gets a bad rap. This is harmful for us as too much can cause fatty build ups and deposits in your blood vessels. This can block your arteries and cause all manner of health issues. Over time, these blockages can calcify and form plaque, which could lead to a heart attack. On the flipside, we have High Density Lipoprotein, or HDL cholesterol, which is known as ‘good cholesterol’. This is because HDL cholesterol helps to remove LDL cholesterol from your blood and out of your arteries, helping to prevent fatty deposits, build ups, and blockages. You WANT HDL, it’s like having a vacuum that cleans out your arteries.

 

So should we consume cholesterol?

YES. The right kind. As long as you monitor your cholesterol intake and don’t consume too much, cholesterol can actually be very beneficial, especially if you’re looking to get big and jacked. So, stop separating your egg yolks and opt for 2 – 3 yolks per day and you’ll soon be reaping the rewards.  

Supplemental considerations to lower the bad stuff and raise the good stuff include niacin, Co-Q10, flax, and fish oil. Food considerations include nuts, garlic, fatty fish, extra virgin olive oil, whole grains, and fibrous fruits.

source https://www.cobracor.com/blog/cholesterol

BCAAs or EAAs?

Sup Cobracor fam! This has come up frequently with clients and I feel it’s another topic that warrants being addressed.

BCAAs VS EAAs

I won’t assume that if you are here you already know the basics so I’ll give a quick background, or for most, a refresher. 

There are 20 amino acids that comprise muscle protein.  9 are considered essential amino acids (EAAs) which can’t be produced by the body in physiologically significant amounts, and therefore are crucial components of eating a balanced diet. The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) leucine, isoleucine and valine are three of the nine EAAs; leucine being the most important as it also may play a role as a regulator of intracellular signaling pathways that are involved in the process of protein synthesis. 

Muscle protein is in a constant state of turnover, meaning that protein synthesis is occurring continuously to replace protein lost as a consequence of protein breakdown. For synthesis of new muscle protein, all 9 EAAs, along with the 11 non-essential amino acids that can be produced in the body, must be present in adequate amounts.

So what do we really need and which is superior for my money? Do I really need either?

The concept that the BCAAs may have a unique capacity to stimulate muscle protein synthesis was brought forward over 35 years ago from studies of the responses in rats. These studies have little relevance to human responses and not until recently has the public started to catch on to the notion that BCAAs aren’t the king of amino acid supplementation.  Heck, it may be doing certain individuals more harm than good according to a few studies like this one from The Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

“An extensive search of the literature has revealed no studies in human subjects in which the response of muscle protein synthesis to orally-ingested BCAAs alone was quantified, and only two studies in which the effect of intravenously infused BCAAs alone was assessed. Both of these intravenous infusion studies found that BCAAs decreased muscle protein synthesis as well as protein breakdown, meaning a decrease in muscle protein turnover. The catabolic state in which the rate of muscle protein breakdown exceeded the rate of muscle protein synthesis persisted during BCAA infusion. We conclude that the claim that consumption of dietary BCAAs stimulates muscle protein synthesis or produces an anabolic response in human subjects is unwarranted. “[1] 

Frontiers in Physiology published a study showing that BCAAs were better than taking absolutely nothing but 

“the magnitude of this increased response of myofibrillar muscle protein synthesis was ~50% less than the previously reported myofibrillar-MPS response to a dose of whey protein containing similar amounts of BCAA.”[2] 

Furthermore BCAAs compete each other in a sense. Since 1966 we’ve known that the other branched chain aminos may impede leucine’s absorption in the gut. The three branched aminos even compete for the same transporter at various sites[3], so why not just use Leucine right? 

When or why should someone use BCAAs then? Eh possibly for endurance, fatigue, and preventing muscle breakdown, but not building muscle.

Since EAA supplements inherently contain the BCAAs, you get the best of both worlds. First, there’s the increased muscular endurance and resistance to muscle protein breakdown that comes with BCAAs. Second, you get a MUCH stronger anabolic response and all of the building blocks necessary to build lean muscle. BCAAs can initiate muscle-protein synthesis, sure, but without the complete profile of EAAs the response is greatly limited.  

The key here, is eating enough protein throughout day or possibly even protein shakes instead, for a complete amino profile along with the inherent nutrients of the food. Doing that makes adding aminos the same as adding sand to the beach

At the end of the day, amino acids are a luxury supplement and should be put way behind quality food, adequate sleep, and supplements like a multi-vitamin-fish oil, or a protein powder; for my enhanced people this is secondary to heart, liver, kidney, blood pressure, and blood sugar health supplementation.

 

 

[1] Wolfe, RR; “Branched-chain amino acids and muscle protein synthesis in humans: myth or reality?”; J Int Soc Sports Nutr; 14(1):30; 2017;  https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0184-9

 [2] Jackman SR, Witard OC, Philp A, Wallis GA, Baar K, Tipton KD. Branched-Chain Amino Acid Ingestion Stimulates Muscle Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis following Resistance Exercise in Humans. Frontiers in Physiology. 2017;8:390; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5461297/

[3] Szmelcman, S., and K. Guggenheim; “Interference between Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine during Intestinal Absorption”; Biochemical Journal; 100.1: 7–11; 1966;  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1265085/

source https://www.cobracor.com/blog/bcaas-or-eaas