Once upon a time, there was a Mr. N (Novice), who decided to trod the path of the world’s favorite New Year resolution- leading a healthier lifestyle. Troubled by the seemingly complex world of nutrition & exercise, he did what all beginners do, try every trick in the book to reach his goal, faster.
Thus began his journey through troughs and crests of the real nature of nutrition & exercise science.
Dirty Bulking – Anything and everything can be consumed for bulking!
“Eat big to get big”- his shiny new trainer said, smirking at Mr. N’s thin body. Despite an inner voice that disagreed, Mr. N was at it – gulping down 2-3 glasses of lassi with a pound of cake among other things in his ‘customized diet’ that was supposed to help him get his six-pack abs! However, the gastric issues and reduced energy levels pushed him to get his own answers through thorough research.
Truth – Sufficient evidence-based studies gave Mr. N enough reason to change his trainer ASAP! The group that consumed a minor surplus grew almost the same amount of muscle and strength as the group that ingested an additional 600 calories but gained an additional 20% body fat, according to a 2013 study of resistance-trained athletes. (1) Beyond the excessive fat gain and a bad blood report, what shook Mr. N was the mention of increased risk of heart diseases & Cancer in a 1992 study as a result of a long-term unhealthy diet and high-calorie intake. (2)
Drink cold water to burn away all the fat!
“Cold water my mate – it’s a fat-burning machine,” said his enlightened gym buddy, making Mr. N chug down cold water like there’s no tomorrow. A week and a severe bout of tonsillitis later, Mr. N was out to find his truth again.
Truth – Though the fables of the fat-burning properties of cold-water intake were based on a technical truth (3), more reliable scientific studies reveal that the thermogenic effect of drinking cold water is only approximately 4–7 calories per glass, concluding that the tiny thermogenic response that was elicited by cooling the water before consumption was far less than the anticipated energy expenditure of heating the water to body temperature, findings that call into question the efficacy of water as a thermogenic agent in the management of obesity (4).
Lifting weights makes women masculine!
“I don’t want a man in my kitchen!” exclaimed his mother, as Mr. N meddled with the idea of his wife joining the gym with him. Beyond the baseless societal theories, Mr. N really wanted to understand if his idea would actually help or end up making his dear wife his bro!
Truth – Compared to their male counterparts, women have smaller muscle fibers, less type-II (fast-twitch) muscle fiber concentration, and significantly lower serum levels of testosterone (the most effective anabolic hormone)—between one-eighth and one-tenth, factors that allow for more significant muscle hypertrophy (growth) in males as compared to females even when placed under similar training volumes (5). The bubble of having a lady Rambo in the house was burst, much to the excitement of Mr. N (and a relief for his mother!)
The fact that strength/resistance training under a qualified trainer could not only help his wife with her metabolic & joint health along with increased levels of confidence and self-image (6), but also his mother to reduce the menopausal effects on bone density, physical activity, heart rate, blood pressure, and hot flashes, among other hormonal and metabolic reactions (7), got Mr. N convincing her to join them too!
Lifting weights stunts height growth
“Why do you want to be the reason for your children’s stunted growth?”- his office buddies demanded an answer! Mr. N was worried about his children’s screen time and inactivity due to the same. The innocent consideration of making gym time a family affair met with scorn and criticism about his parenting ways! Mr. N had to pave an evidence-backed scientific way to make the most of his genuine plans.
Truth – To Mr. N’s utter disbelief, weight lifting could help his children by boosting the bone strength index (BSI) and strength, lowering the risk of fracture and the frequency of sports-related injuries & increasing interest in fitness and self-worth (8).
The buzz around injuring the growth plate that could in turn stunt growth turned out to arise from improper technique, excessively large weights, and a lack of supervision (9), rather than lifting weights correctly under guidance.
Moral of the story
The first step to a sustainable blueprint for a healthier lifestyle is certified and experienced guidance. With renewed conviction, Mr. N was now on a hunt for the best platform for a guided approach to fitness and nutrition. Lo and behold, he found Fittr, an online community that helped families like him to start and prevail on their journey to a healthier life.
References
- Garthe, I., et al., (2013). Effect of nutritional intervention on body composition and performance in elite athletes. European Journal of Sport Science, 13 (3): p. 295-303.
- Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Diet and Health; Woteki CE, Thomas PR, editors. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1992. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK235018/
- Boschmann, M., Steiniger, J., Hille, U., Tank, J., Adams, F., Sharma, A. M., Schimrigk, К., Luft, F. C., & Jordan, J. (2003). Water-Induced thermogenesis. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 88(12), 6015–6019. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2003-030780
- Brown, C., Dulloo, A. G., & Montani, J. (2006). Water-Induced Thermogenesis Reconsidered: The Effects of Osmolality and Water Temperature on Energy Expenditure after Drinking. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 91(9), 3598–3602. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2006-0407
- Miller, A. E. J., MacDougall, J. D., Tarnopolsky, M. A., & Sale, D. G. (1993). Gender differences in strength and muscle fiber characteristics. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 66(3), 254–262. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00235103.
- Golden, N. (n.d.). Weight-Lifting for Women: Why women should lift. https://blog.nasm.org/weight-lifting-for-women
- Capel-Alcaraz, A. M., García‐López, H., Castro‐Sánchez, A. M., Fernández‐Sánchez, M., & Lara‐Palomo, I. C. (2023). The Efficacy of strength exercises for reducing the symptoms of menopause: a Systematic review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(2), 548. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12020548
- Myers AM, Beam NW, Fakhoury JD. Resistance training for children and adolescents. Transl Pediatr. 2017 Jul;6(3):137-143. doi: 10.21037/tp.2017.04.01. PMID: 28795003; PMCID: PMC5532191.
- Lindberg, S. (2018, June 19). Does lifting weights stunt growth? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/does-lifting-weights-stunt-growth#Why-do-people-believe-that-lifting-weights-stunts-growth?
Author – Dr. Namrata Serigar
