My most recent WOW was performed at the Clemson University Fike Gym.  UE was booked, and I had to work out in the early afternoon.

Chin ups with neutral grip

Chest press on Smith machine (slight incline)- Jrep halves

Cable Rows- Jrep thirds (contracted-mid-stretched)

Cable Chest Fly- Jrep halves

Hammer Pronated Pulldown-Jrep halves

Dumbell Incline Press-Jrep halves

Calf Raise

This workout was a little longer than what I normally do, but I was going for the same “feel” of inroad that I get at UE.  I simply stopped when my pop-up timer went off.  Despite the extra volume, I have felt fine in the days that followed.

I went to PubMed to check out any new articles on myostatin and found the following article linked below.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3303581/

The article reviews different factors that can contribute to the reversal of sarcopenia.  Interestingly, it confirms the only proven modality is strength exercise combined with amino acid supplementation (BCAA).   Interestingly, it notes that a compound found in apple peels and EPA, one of the omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to down regulate myostatin expression.  The full article can be linked of the abstract and proves to be an interesting read.

The thing I find most fascinating about these types of scientific papers is their emphasis on distilling some essential ingredient out of a plant or animal foodstuff that exerts the desired effect.  I think this is a natural consequence of medicine’s reliance on pharmaceuticals and the society-wide notion that health can be found in a pill.  If only the essential element could be extracted from a food, then it could be concentrated and sold as a pill for treatment of sarcopenia.  What never seems to be considered is that these elements may best exert their effects when they are contained within the complex matrix of the natural food they were extracted from.  There are likely co-factors and an intricate interplay between these and other elements whose sum taken together is much greater than the sum of their individual parts.

Along this line, Richard Nikoley over at freethanimal.com uncovered the following TED talk.

http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_weller_could_the_sun_be_good_for_your_heart.html

The health benefits of vitamin D are becoming well-known, especially with regard to its effects on immunity and inflammation.  The research that Dr. Weller discusses seems to show that the benefits seem to be best when vitamin D is obtained from sunlight. There appear to be strong cardiovascular benefits to sun exposure that are independent of the effect of increased vitamin D levels.  To get the details just spend the 12 minutes and watch the video.  I think Chris Highcock over at conditioning research is really on to something in his emphasis on simple measures.  It seems the deeper science digs, the more we find out that the most basic interventions produce the most profound results.  Perform strength exercise, be generally active, get outdoors for some sunshine and fresh air, eat whole foods, get plenty of rest, have plenty of physical and social contact and you are probably as optimized as you can get.

Post your WOW’s and your thoughts.