What are the acute effects of cannabis consumption on exercise performance?

Cannabis consumption shortly before exercise (within 20-200 minutes) is generally unfavorable, reducing the ability to maintain effort and maximal work capacity. It also increases heart rate, breathing rate, and myocardial oxygen demand, while negatively impacting balance.

How does caffeine affect strength and power in female resistance trainers?

A recent study found that 4 mg/kg of caffeine prior to exercise modestly but significantly increased counter-movement jump height, squat 1RM, squat reps to failure, and bench 1RM in resistance-trained women during their early follicular phase.

What is appetitive trait theory and how can it aid weight loss?

Appetitive trait theory suggests overeating is linked to high reactivity to external food cues and reduced sensitivity to internal satiety signals. Interventions involve monitoring hunger/satiety, exposure therapy to trigger foods in a satiated state, and developing coping skills for cravings.

Is incline bench press necessary for upper chest development?

A study comparing flat and incline bench press training found that while all groups had similar middle and lower pec growth, the group exclusively doing incline bench press showed more upper pec growth, supporting its utility for upper chest hypertrophy.

Does creatine cause significant extracellular water retention or just intracellular?

While often said to only increase intracellular water, research indicates creatine tends to increase total body water, and the ratio of intracellular to extracellular fluid doesn't change significantly. Increases in intracellular water are largely due to skeletal muscle mass gains, with some small increase in extracellular water, though not necessarily subcutaneous.

Are anabolic androgenic steroids addictive in a classical sense?

Emerging evidence, including mouse studies, suggests steroids can induce synaptic changes via mu opioid receptors, similar to actual opioid injection. People who habitually use steroids may also have an elevated risk of opioid addiction, indicating some classical addictive potential, though magnitudes are far lower than opioids.

Is the concept of metabolic adaptation an illusion?

Despite a controversial paper claiming 'metabolic adaptation is an illusion,' the authors themselves found statistically significant reductions in resting metabolic rate compared to predicted values. The utility of understanding metabolic adaptation extends beyond just resting metabolic rate and its state at energy balance, encompassing broader endocrine and side effects of dieting.

What are 'questionable research practices' in sport and exercise medicine?

A paper found that only 60% of studies in the field reported a hypothesis, and of those, 82% reported full support for their hypothesis. This suggests practices like failing to report hypotheses, 'HARKing' (Hypothesizing After the Results are Known), or p-hacking to achieve significant, publishable results.

Why is statistical collaboration important for exercise scientists?

Exercise scientists are experts in theory and technical methods, making it challenging to also be high-level statisticians. Collaborating with biostatisticians, epidemiologists, or mathematicians can significantly improve the quality of statistical analysis without requiring exercise scientists to acquire a full biostats PhD.

How can I achieve a decent rack of ribs indoors without a smoker?

Brine ribs overnight in a 2% salt solution blended with liquid smoke. Pat dry, apply a low-salt dry rub (yellow mustard can be a binder). Either sous-vide at 165°F for 10-12 hours, or bake at a low temp (250°F) until internal temp reaches 165-170°F, then finish briefly under a broiler or in a very hot oven with sauce/glaze.

Key Moments

Bench Angles, Appetitive Traits, and Mesocycle Progression (Episode 47)

Stronger By Science

Education4 min read126 min video

Oct 8, 2020|6,914 views|217|33

Stronger By Science Podcast

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Podcast returns with research on cannabis, caffeine doses, anabolic steroids, and training progression.

Key Insights

Cannabis consumption before exercise may negatively impact performance and physiological responses.

Caffeine supplementation consistently improves anaerobic performance in resistance-trained females, regardless of habitual intake.

Anabolic steroids may share neurobiological pathways with addictive substances like opioids, suggesting a potential for chemical dependency.

While incline bench press may enhance upper chest growth, the study reported unusually rapid overall pectoral hypertrophy across all variations.

Creatine supplementation increases total body water, but largely within muscle mass, without significantly altering the intracellular to extracellular water ratio.

The podcast discusses new platforms for community interaction (Facebook group, subreddit) and introduces a sponsor (BulkSupplements.com).

SEASON PREMIERE AND COMMUNITY UPDATES

The Stronger By Science podcast is back for its third season with hosts Eric Trexler and Greg Nuckles. They announce exciting new community platforms, including a dedicated Facebook group ('Stronger By Science Community') and subreddit (r/strongerbyscience), designed for listeners to engage in discussions about the show, articles, and general training and nutrition topics. This season also introduces a new sponsor, BulkSupplements.com, with a discount code (SBS POD) for listeners, aiming to monetize the podcast without compromising content integrity.

RESEARCH ROUNDUP: ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE AND SUBSTANCES

The hosts dive into several research studies. A systematic review on cannabis and exercise suggests pre-exercise consumption is unfavorable, increasing heart rate and breathing rate while potentially impairing performance. Another study confirms caffeine's ergogenic effects on strength and power in resistance-trained females, even in habitual users, though it was conducted during the early follicular phase. A mouse study indicates anabolic-androgenic steroids might induce neurochemical changes comparable to addictive opioids, suggesting a potential for chemical dependency, although the magnitude of effects is likely smaller than with opioids.

APETITIVE TRAITS AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

A review paper highlights 'appetitive traits' like food cue responsiveness and satiety responsiveness as key targets for weight loss interventions. The research suggests overeating and obesity are linked to heightened reactivity to external eating cues and reduced sensitivity to internal satiety signals. Interventions discussed include monitoring hunger and satiety, exposure therapy to trigger foods when not hungry, and developing coping skills like deep breathing and behavioral alternatives to eating when experiencing cravings without physiological hunger.

TRAINING ADAPTATIONS: BENCH PRESS AND CREATINE

A study comparing horizontal and inclined bench press found similar hypertrophy in the mid and lower chest across groups, but significantly more upper chest growth in the exclusively incline bench press group. Interestingly, all groups showed exceptionally rapid pectoral thickness increases, averaging 44% over 8 weeks, a rate far exceeding previously reported figures and prompting discussion on potential methodological anomalies. Another study indicated creatine supplementation increases total body water but not disproportionately from extracellular to intracellular compartments, largely attributing fluid changes to increased muscle mass.

METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN EXERCISE SCIENCE

The podcast critiques questionable research practices in sports and exercise medicine, noting a high proportion of studies fail to report hypotheses and those that do overwhelmingly support them. The participants advocate for pre-registration of studies and the use of 'registered reports' to mitigate publication bias and p-hacking. They also call for increased statistical collaboration, suggesting that exercise scientists should partner with statisticians and data scientists to improve research rigor, rather than attempting to master complex statistical methods themselves.

COACH'S CORNER: MESOCYCLE PROGRESSION STRATEGIES

The discussion on mesocycle progression favors a approach closer to the Helms camp, prioritizing consistency over rapid weekly set increases, especially within a mesocycle. While volume progression is a tool, it's best implemented block-to-block or mesocycle-to-mesocycle. Rapid increases in sets can lead to workout duration variability, which may frustrate clients. For exercises with large incremental load jumps, methods like double progression (increasing reps within a set range before increasing weight) are favored over simply adding sets to ensure consistent, manageable progress and maintain client engagement.

THE WILKS SCORE OF ANT-MAN AND PRACTICAL TIPS

A hypothetical calculation estimates Ant-Man's Wilks score, assuming an average male powerlifter's total at his minimum functional body weight (40kg), results in a score of 801. This is deemed currently unachievable for natural lifters in tested competition. The episode concludes with practical barbecue tips: Eric recommends Eastern Carolina's vinegar-based sauces and a Greek yogurt-based coleslaw for macros, while Greg offers a method for making decent ribs indoors using sous-vide or low-temperature oven baking with liquid smoke and a final broil or high-heat bake.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Supplements

●Software & Apps

●Tools

●Companies

●Organizations

●Studies Cited

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Indoor Rib and Coleslaw Prep Cheat Sheet

Practical takeaways from this episode

Do This

For ribs, brine overnight in a shallow 2% salt solution with liquid smoke for flavor.

Pat ribs dry before applying a dry rub, using plain yellow mustard as a binder.

For sous-vide ribs, cook at 165°F (74°C) for 10-12 hours, then finish in a hot oven (450°F / 232°C) or under a broiler.

For oven-baked ribs (no sous-vide), bake at 250°F (121°C) until internal temperature reaches 165-170°F (74-77°C), then finish in a hot oven or under a broiler.

For coleslaw, use pre-chopped cabbage/carrot mix with Greek yogurt, a little Dijon mustard, and Splenda for a macro-friendly recipe.

Avoid This

Avoid overly salty dry rubs if you've already brined your ribs.

Be extremely careful not to burn sugar in dry rubs or sauces when broiling ribs, as it will taste very bitter.

Do not aim for 'medium ribs'; ensure they are cooked to 165-170°F (74-77°C) to break down fat and connective tissue.

Common Questions

You can join the public Facebook group called 'Stronger By Science Community' or visit the subreddit at reddit.com/r/strongerbystate to discuss the podcast and training/nutrition topics.

Topics

Exercise Physiology Strength Training Nutrition & Diet Mental Health & Psychology Human Performance Science & Mathematics Research Methodology Appetite Regulation Weight Loss Strategies

Mentioned in this video

organizationNPR

National Public Radio, mentioned as the source of a segment Greg Knuckles listened to about hibernation.

studyBon Temps and Bonshee

A mouse study titled 'Mu Opioid Receptor-Induced Synaptic Plasticity in Dopamine Neurons Mediates the Rewarding Properties of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids,' investigating the classical addictiveness of steroids.

personBryan Miner

A colleague of Eric Helms who co-authored a letter to the editor responding to the Izraetel paper, suggesting a different approach to mesocycle progression.

organizationKatmai National Park

A national park in Alaska where a 'Fat Bear Competition' is held, celebrating bears successfully bulking up for hibernation.

personMark Henry

A strongman and professional wrestler who is one of only two people to have pulled more than 400 kg in a tested competition, alongside Mikhail Koklyaev.

conceptSchachter's Externality Theory

The basis for the appetitive traits paper, suggesting that overeating and binge eating are linked to high reactivity to external food cues and reduced sensitivity to internal satiety signals.

personEric Helms

A 'good doctor' and colleague of Bryan Miner who co-authored a response to the Izraetel paper, arguing for a different mesocycle progression strategy, which Greg Knuckles aligns with.

organizationDuke Lemur Center

A research and conservation organization where someone Greg Knuckles heard on NPR discussed lemur hibernation.

toolBod Pod

A body composition measurement method that Eric Trexler criticizes for being incorrectly labeled as a 'gold standard' in a research paper.

softwareexplore.org

A website that hosts the 'Fat Bear Competition' where people can vote on the bears.

supplementBeta-Alanine

A supplement Greg Knuckles used to experiment with, purchasing it from BulkSupplements.com.

mediaAnt-Man

A documentary film (jokingly referred to) about a superhero whose unique power set is used to calculate a hypothetical Wilkes score.

supplementCreatine

A supplement mentioned by Greg Knuckles as something he purchases in bulk from BulkSupplements.com. Later discussed in detail regarding its effects on water retention.

studyNorm et al.

A recent study titled 'Caffeine Increases Strength and Power Performance in Resistance-Trained Females During Early Follicular Phase,' which found modest but significant improvements in various anaerobic performance aspects.

studyChávez et al.

A study titled 'Effects of Horizontal and Inclined Bench Press on Neuromuscular Adaptations in Untrained Young Men,' which compared longitudinal adaptations between flat and incline bench press for hypertrophy and strength.

companyFacebook

A social media platform where Stronger By Science created a public group called 'Stronger By Science Community' for listeners to discuss the show and related topics.

companySubway

A fast-food chain whose bread was recently ruled by a court in Ireland not to be legally considered bread, but rather a cake.

supplementCaffeine

A compound Greg Knuckles learned was dangerous in powder form, so he no longer buys it as such; later discussed as an ergogenic aid for strength and power.

studyWernbom

A 2007 review paper that synthesizes hypertrophy literature, often cited for rates of hypertrophy in response to training variables like intensity and volume.

personSteve Hall

Mentioned as hosting a roundtable discussion on the Revive Stronger Podcast about mesocycle progression.

personJesse Norris

Mispronounced as Andre Stenazik in the transcript, but contextually refers to Jesse Norris, who achieved the best drug-tested Wilkes score ever (598 score).

personPaul Rudd

The actor who plays Ant-Man, whose hypothetical average powerlifter Wilkes score is discussed.

companyBulkSupplements.com

An online retailer of individual supplement ingredients, which became the first sponsor of the Stronger By Science podcast. Greg Knuckles uses their products.

companyReddit

A social news aggregation, content rating, and discussion website where Stronger By Science created a subreddit for community interaction, managed by Greg Knuckles.

personMikhail Koklyaev

A Russian strongman and weightlifter who is one of only two people to have pulled more than 400 kg in a tested competition, a fact that surprised Greg Knuckles.

locationIreland

The country where a court ruled that Subway's bread is legally considered a cake rather than bread.

mediaRevive Stronger Podcast

A podcast mentioned where a roundtable discussion was held about the debate on mesocycle progression approaches, featuring Steve Hall.

personJoe Sullivan

A powerlifter who set the all-time squat world record in the 100 kg (220 lb) class without wraps, squatting 373 kilos (822 pounds) with flawless depth.

personMariana Gasparov

A powerlifter mentioned as having achieved the best raw Wilkes score ever (720 score).

personTumus Haltala

A Swedish IPF powerlifter who pulled 400 kilos (881 pounds) at a body weight of 106 kilos (234 pounds), tying for the third biggest drug-tested pull of all time.

studyIzraetel et al.

A review paper titled 'Mesocycle Progression in Hypertrophy: Volume Versus Intensity,' which suggests progressing training by adding additional sets week-to-week for hypertrophy.

studyDel Coso

A paper by Del Coso a few years ago that highlighted the disparity of male versus female participant representation in caffeine literature, showing an 80/20 split.

supplementCitrulline Malate

A supplement mentioned by Greg Knuckles as one he buys from BulkSupplements.com for pre-workout use.