Remarkable CR Effect?

[Guest guest]

Since I posted my progress report (05/20/02) about a month ago,

I initiated a weight-training program. I've noticed something

remarkable: I have almost no muscle soreness the following day.

This is totally unlike my experience during several periods of

my life where I did regular weight lifting. In fact, I would

enjoy being sore the next day, since it was the measure that I

should be seeing some gains. In my early 20s I could lift every

other day (EOD). But when I lifted previously in my 30s, I had

to take two days off after a workout, since it took an extra

day for the muscle soreness to go away. Now I can lift like I

did when I was in my 20s, EOD. Moreover, even in my 20s I would

be sore the next day, but now I do not feel sore the next day

even though I'm lifting increasingly larger weights and at an

increasing level of intensity. I do have several problem areas

that prevent a comprehensive workout (such as tendentious at the

elbows) that stopped my last lifting efforts last summer before

I started CR. But all those areas are getting much better, and

using machines, I'm able to work most areas to full intensity.

From my point of view, knowing that I'm lifting at a level

that ought to have me sore the next day, I hypothesize that

after seven months of CR, gene expressions have taken place

that reduce muscle damage during extreme exertion and that

may also speed recovery (see two links below for research

supporting this hypothesis). The amazing thought comes to

mind that CR might actually be a pro-anabolic protocol, so

long as you are doing sufficient supplemental protein, which

I am -- probably around 70 grams/day on lift days. I also do

extra calcium, not only for bones but to offset high protein,

the acidity of which I hear can leech calcium from the bones.

Another amazing thing is that even though I believe I might

have put on a pound or two of muscle (indicated by dropping

body fat yet steady weight and also by visual appearance),

I have had little apatite increase. I have had some. Before

initiating this regimen I had virtually no hunger per day.

Now I have some more, but not a lot more. What's important

is that apart from increased protein supplementation, my

eating has not increased. I've even cut out my afternoon

snack to compensate for the added calories in the protein.

My thinking is that weight-lifting might actually facilitate

CR efficacy. If you can increase muscles that demand more

calories, yet keep your intake stable, you force your body

to maximize caloric efficiency. I also do a type of training

that uses the least energy -- few (3) sets and high weight.

The first set for a given muscle uses a very-low weight that

allows for high-reps, about 20 reps. This warms up muscles,

gets the blood flowing, which helps to reduce the likelihood

of injury (high weight increases injury risk). The next set

I do a weight that I can do 10-12 reps to failure. Then for

the third and final set for a muscle I do a weight I cannot

do 10 reps of, and on the last rep I'm shaking and straining.

That's an injury-risk zone, but it's also the anabolic zone.

It's only when you overload muscles that they respond with

growth. When you do a weight that is more than you ever did

before (or more of a similar weight), this sends a signal

that more muscle than you had before is needed, leading to

anabolism. Low-weight high-reps hardly increase muscle mass.

I'm only going to lift EOD sometimes. I'll try to ignore the

signs of increased youthfulness and take two days off after

most workouts to give my body as much recovery as possible.

Seeing this new, sleek, and cut body in the mirror is such a

thrill! It causes my artistic side to envision the ideal body.

I'm going to try to do it without compromising serious CR.

Hopefully my problem areas will recover fully (as they are

in the process of doing) and no new problems will raise. For

that reason I have to keep tempering my lifting enthusiasm.

Great review of beneficial CR effects on muscle:

http://www.infoaging.org/b-cal-16-r-skeletal.html

Thanks to Ed and Ronnie for the link to that site!

Another relevant study posted here recently by crdude:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

2067840 & dopt=Abstract

http://IanGoddard.net

" To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals. " Ben lin

Fat to Thin: http://IanGoddard.net/me-cr.htm