3 Random Topics: Red Bull Banned in France, Lunk Alarms, and Metroflex Gym

There is a lot of crazyness going out there in the world.  Red Bull being banned in France, lunk alarms in an actual gym (I seriously thought this was made up when I first heard it) and a look inside a real gym.

1) France wants to ban Red Bull (source)

The crazy French are at it again. They want to ban the energy drink Red Bull now.

Really?

They feel that the taurine in Red Bull may be an issue.

For those that slept through biochemistry, taurine is an amino acids and proteins are a bunch of amino acids all “stuck” together. If you are eating protein, you are getting the amino acid taurine. While you may not get a ton of taurine in per day, there does not currently appear to be much (if any) risk with it.

“toxicological studies did not reveal any indication for a genotoxic, carcinogenic or teratogenic potential of taurine” source and 1-13

There is so much bad information around energy drinks out there it is insane.  I am working to alter this a bit by publishing a human subjects study on Monster Energy drink.  Still working on it, but it is getting closer to submission.

In the meantime, I go off about energy drinks in this post, so just click on the link below

Increase your vertical jump: Interview with Mike T Nelson: Energy drinks, static stretching and more!

Hat tip to Dr. Doug Kalman on the crazy French Red Bull story.

2) Lunk Alarm at Planet Fitness

I first heard about this years ago and thought it was fake.   Really, a gym that actually BANS heavy lifting and making a bit of noise.

What is this world coming to?

Seriously

Unless I am completely out of my tree (perhaps), you go to the gym with the sole purpose to lift heavy objects!

3) A peak in a real hardcore gym: Metroflex

A gym is a place where people go to get better, period.

No wonder most people (nobody here though, the people out there) in commercial gyms look the same year after year.  They lift the same weights, year after year too.

Hmmmm, perhaps there is a connection.

We all know that if you want to burn fat, add some muscle and add strength, you need to either
1) lift more weight (volume)
2) lift heavier weight (% of 1 rep max) or
3) increase density (volume/ time)

This is the definition of overload.   Staying with the pink dumbbells in the corner, no matter how hard it may FEEL, is not going to help you reach your goals!

As much as this commercial overly simplifies the process, the reality is that is what we do!

Try to lift something that is really heavy for you with 15 thoughts going through your head.   I wish you all the luck in the world.

Let’s take a deadlift as an example. Oooops, you can’t do that in Planet Fitness though as it is actually against the rules.

Your goal is to lift the weight from the floor to a standing position.  That is the goal, point A to point B.  Any extra movement is not efficient.

Now I highly recommned you test each movement to see if it good for YOUR body on THAT day (go here if you want to learn how) and then work to add overload.

I guarantee you will see progress.

“Adaption can NOT be stopped” –Frankie Faires

If you will excuse me now, I am off to the Extreme Human Performance Center to do some deadlifts while listening to The Agony Scene.   If the drumming and the guitar riffs 30 seconds into the video below don’t get you in the state to lift some heavy stuff you need to check your pulse.

If I really crank the stereo, happen to let out a grunt, or drop a weight, I will still be allowed back in tomorrow.

The Agony Scene – Prey
Uploaded by raggalaggaff. – See the latest featured music videos.

Comments

What do you think?  Should gyms be allowed to have lunk alarms?  Aren’t they discriminating against people by doing it?  Post a comment below and let me know!

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

References

1. Takahashi H, Mori T, Fujihira E, Nakazawa M (1972). Long-term feeding of taurine in rats. Pharmacometrics 6, 529-534.

2. Lubec B, Hoeger H, Kremser K, Amann G, Koller DY and Gialamas J (1996). Decreased tumor incidence and increased survival by one year oral low dose arginine supplementation in the mouse. Life Sciences 58, 2317-2325.

3. Reddy BS, Rao CV, Rivenson A and Kelloff G (1993). Chemoprevention of colon carcinogenesis by organosulfur compounds. Cancer Research 53, 3493-3498.

4. Dawson jr R, Eppler B, Patterson TA, Shih D and Liu S (1996). The effects of taurine in a rodent model of ageing. In: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. Taurine 2. Plenum Press vol 403, 37-50.

5. Takahashi H, Kaneda S, Fukuda K, Fujihira E and Nakazawa M (1972). Studies on the teratology and three generation reproduction of taurine in mice. Pharmacometrics 6, 535-540.

6. Sturman JA and Messing JM (1992). High dietary taurine effects on feline tissue taurine concentrations and reproductive performance. Journal of Nutrition 122, 82-88.

7. Sturman JA and Messing JM (1992). High dietary taurine and feline reproduction. In: Taurine. Nutritional Value and Mechanisms of Action. Plenum Press Vol 315, 91-98.

8. Sturman JA (1993). Taurine in development. Physiological Reviews 73, 119-147.

9. Friedman AL, Albright PW, Gusowski N, Padilla M and Chesney RW (1983). Renal adaptation to alteration in dietary amino acid intake. American Physiological Society 245, 159-166.

10. Cozzi R, Ricordy R, Bartolini F, Ramadori L, Perticone P and de Salvia R (1995). Taurine and ellagic acid: two differently-acting natural antioxidants. Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis 26, 248-254.

11. Yamada K, Lim BO, Nonaka M and Sugano M (1993). Measurements of mutagenic and antimutagenic activities of bile acids by rec-assay. Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry 57, 599-602.

12. Dietrich MF, Laidlaw SA, Vargas HI, Lamtenzan MP, Kopple JD and Block JB (1988). Role of taurine (T) in modulation of mutagenesis of oxidative mutagens. Proceedings of American Association of Cancer Research 29, 128.

13. Ordaz-Téllez MG and Ramos-Morales P (1997). The sulfured aminoacid taurine increased dimethylnitrosamine?s genotoxicity in somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster. Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis 29, Supplement 28, 39.

PS

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