High cholesterol == more muscle

natiels

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Manipulating Dietary Cholesterol for Optimum Muscle Growth by Dharkam

by Dharkam

Disclaimer: Discussion of pharmaceutical agents below is presented for information only. Nothing here is meant to take the place of advice from a licensed health care practitioner. Consult a physician before taking any medication.

Vince Gironda, the Iron Guru, used to recommend eating up to three dozen eggs a day in order to pack on mass fast. His rational was that the high cholesterol content would trigger a natural anabolic effect.

Ronnie Coleman, in his last video, Relentless, is taking a cholesterol lowering drug. Yet, such drugs are said to be detrimental to muscles.

Both behaviors seem contradictory!

* Is high or low cholesterol better for muscle growth?
* Why would anyone use a muscle wasting drug?

New research reconciles this paradox revealing that proper cholesterol manipulations can optimize muscle growth.

Acute training impact on cholesterol level

If moderate weight training does not seem to affect cholesterol levels, a traumatic workout will most definitely induce an acute reduction of blood cholesterol level within 2 hours (1). This shortage of cholesterol can last up to several days during the recovery phase. This lowering effect is due to an accelerated uptake of cholesterol by skeletal muscle. It reveals our fibers need this extra cholesterol in order to recover and grow.

Considering the positive impact of cholesterol on muscle growth (see below), it might be a good idea to include cholesterol-rich foods such as whole eggs in you first real post-workout meal. This strategy would make sure your muscles obtain all the cholesterol they need, preventing any potential shortage which would postpone recovery.

Dietary cholesterol intake on muscle growth

Riechman has studied the impact of cholesterol on (resistance) training-induced hypertrophy (2). This research has been conducted on elderly men and women, yet its findings seem relevant to younger subjects:

For 12 week, those people weight trained. When their daily cholesterol intake was inferior to 3.5 mg per kg of lean mass, no hypertrophy was detected. Strength only increased 36%. When their cholesterol consumption was above 5.7 mg/kg, muscle mass increased an average of 2.1 kg. Heavy cholesterol consumers experienced a strength increase of 86%.

Muscle growth and strength gains are closely related to dietary cholesterol intake. Considering a large egg contains around 200 mg of cholesterol, a 220 lbs bodybuilder would need at least 3 whole eggs a day.

Blood cholesterol level on muscle growth

Subjects with serum cholesterol lower than 178 mg/dl did not experienced much growth (+300 g of lean mass). When serum cholesterol was above 238 mg/dl, lean mass increased an average of 2.3 kg. The correlation between serum cholesterol and strength gains is statistically weaker. Subjects with low cholesterol level experienced an increase of 37% Vs 70% for subjects with high levels.

Muscle growth is positively correlated with blood cholesterol level.

Cholesterol lowering drugs on muscle growth

Statins are a class of drugs prescribed to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood. This class of drugs includes lovastatin (Mevacor), simvastatin, (Zocor), fluvastatin (Lescol), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and atorvastatin (Lipitor). The mechanism by which statins lower cholesterol is by blocking the enzyme in the liver, hydroxy-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMCoA) reductase, responsible for producing cholesterol. Statin drugs lower total serum cholesterol levels, including HDL, as well as LDL levels.

Cholesterol intake and blood level represent two independent variables affecting hypertrophy. Subjects who responded the best to weight training were those consuming a cholesterol rich diet AND having a high blood cholesterol level AND using anti-cholesterol statin drugs. It is very surprising to discover that such drugs improved muscle gains as they are associated with myalgia, muscle weakness and muscle wasting in sedentary subjects.

Statin drugs accelerate muscle hypertrophy. The more we train, the more resistant our fibers get. It is increasingly difficult to damage them sufficiently to force them to grow. By rendering our fibers more fragile, statin drugs allow each rep to be more damaging to our muscles. As our muscles cannot seem to strengthen its fibers enough to counteract this fragilizing effect, they have no choice but to keep on growing.

Will cholesterol-related muscle catabolism favor growth?

I am not surprised that catabolic drugs facilitate muscle gains in trained subjects. I have already explained this paradox in a previously published clenbuterol article. Even cholesterol seems to enhance catabolism. Following an acute eccentric workout, soreness as well as strength loss are higher in young men consuming a whole egg diet rather than a low cholesterol diet (1). In response to this exacerbated catabolism, muscle strengthening is much more robust with the whole egg than with the white egg diet (1). This greater anabolic response explains the results observed on elderly. It also suggests that conclusions reached in older subjects apply to young men as well.

It may be important to note that if training-induced catabolism is enhanced by cholesterol lowering drugs, they also protect muscle cells from apoptosis (death) (3). This protective effect may facilitate an additional growth response.

Anabolic steroids and cholesterol

Anabolic steroids can either increase or decrease cholesterol levels depending on the choice of the drug as well as the individual response of the user. For example, orally active 17-alkylated anabolic-androgenic steroid are known to cause and undesirable reduction in HDL cholesterol levels. A severe reduction (which can go as low as having almost no cholesterol) is really bad for 2 reasons:

* Cholesterol is needed for muscle growth (as well as for general health). It is very hard to bring cholesterol production back up to normal even with discontinuation of the steroids.
* An increase in serum cholesterol levels would be a much better scenario as more cholesterol would be available for growth. It would also provide a good reason to get a prescription for the anti-cholesterol drug class of statins.

In conclusion:

* With regards to muscle hypertrophy, It is a good idea to follow a high cholesterol diet (at least 3 whole eggs a day).
* This is especially true if your training is both intense and traumatic.
* Be careful during a low calorie diet as cholesterol intake usually is reduced during this period.
* Cholesterol level tends to decline in summer, so be careful at that time, too.
* Whole eggs are very appropriate and recommended following a workout.
* Steroid users should closely monitor their blood cholesterol level as a decrease may reduce muscle growth.
* Steroid users with high cholesterol levels should consult a physician and may consider the use of statin drugs in order to grow even more rapidly.

References

1. Riechman SE. Dietary Cholesterol Alters Recovery from Eccentric Muscle Damage in Humans. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: Volume 38(5) Supplement May 2006 p S386
2. Riechman SE. Dietary and blood cholesterol and statins increase hypertrophy with resistance training. FASEB J. 2005 19 A1571
3. Urso ML. Changes in ubiquitin proteasome pathway gene expression in skeletal muscle with exercise and statins. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005 Dec;25(12):2441-4.
 
natiels

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Maybe post workout egg shakes will make a comeback :)
 
xtraflossy

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Maybe post workout egg shakes will make a comeback :)
I had the same thought,... one egg in my cookies n' cream/oalmeal shake seems,... odd, but doable

edit: Tried this last night... It actually made my post w/o shake taste better! ...wish I had been doing this long ago! (I could actually feel it translate into something... the girl felt it too ;D
 
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BMW

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wow this is amazing to me it seem like somehow there is some potential for a future product capitalizing on this raise good cholesterol without any negative effects hmmmmm.....
 

ItsHectic

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Cholesterel has never tasted so good. Think the orange meat in crab, king prawns and mussels.
 
natiels

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I had the same thought,... one egg in my cookies n' cream/oalmeal shake seems,... odd, but doable

edit: Tried this last night... It actually made my post w/o shake taste better! ...wish I had been doing this long ago! (I could actually feel it translate into something... the girl felt it too ;D
Nice! Too bad I don't blend my post workout shake. Might have to if it actually makes it taste better. I think I might just buy a ton of eggs and hard boil them all to snack on a few times a day, including post workout.
 
xtraflossy

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I got one of those cups that has a screw on top with the blender blage attached to that top... thne I just press it against the base unit. It has worked well.
....also does a good job at mixing my morning pancakes :p
 
LakeMountD

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Cholesterol converts to testosterone, which is the reason for this here, although I personally rather not die of the number 1 killer in America, which is heart disease, caused by high cholesterol either. Arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis are not something you want to play around with later in life.

238 ng/dl?! That is not healthy at all.
 
xtraflossy

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so for those levels,.. how any eggs daily would that equate to roughly?
 
adidamps2

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shrimp and eggs hmmmmm....
BTW i have been eating 8-12 whole eggs ED for over 2 months and am seeing significant body comp changes and improved wt in the gym.
 
xtraflossy

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shrimp and eggs hmmmmm....
BTW i have been eating 8-12 whole eggs ED for over 2 months and am seeing significant body comp changes and improved wt in the gym.
thats kinda a lot of eggs :p

what kind of body changes?
lol- what about an increase in sex drive?
 
Hank Vangut

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just got my blood test back.
my cholesterol is really low.
total is 101. LDL is 61. HDL is 38.

going to change my diet a little. going to eat 5-6 full eggs/day. usually eat mostly egg whites.
also giong to upp my red meat consumption.
and switch from drinking skim milk to 2%.

anyone else have any other suggestions?
 
Skyblue

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so at 155 lbs I should eat around 400mg of cholesterol a day? SICK.
 
adidamps2

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thats kinda a lot of eggs :p

what kind of body changes?
lol- what about an increase in sex drive?
reduced BF levels while maintaining body wt...
although my diet is based around fat...
high fat
low carb
mod pro
 
CarterMalone

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If your on a superdrol cycle, would it be better then to avoid high cholesterol foods like eggs to avoid screwing with your lipid profile. Or is Red Yeast Rice sufficient to control it.

Of course your goin to gain alot of mass from your carbs and protein. What kind of foods should you avoid if you want to keep your cholesterol in good form. And how much EFAs should oyu take a day?
 
xtraflossy

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reduced BF levels while maintaining body wt...
although my diet is based around fat...
high fat
low carb
mod pro
oh- well yeah,.. your going to loose some bodyfat when u go low carb.
 
natiels

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If your on a superdrol cycle, would it be better then to avoid high cholesterol foods like eggs to avoid screwing with your lipid profile. Or is Red Yeast Rice sufficient to control it.

Of course your goin to gain alot of mass from your carbs and protein. What kind of foods should you avoid if you want to keep your cholesterol in good form. And how much EFAs should oyu take a day?
I was actually beginning to wonder if eating high cholesterol food like eggs during a cycle might help to buffer the HDL reducing effects. The article mentioned that cholesterol levels drop dramatically after a hard workout. Maybe steroids (especially oral ones) increase that effect.
 

Nullifidian

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There are a number of factors which contribute to your cholesterol levels.

One of them is dietary intake of cholesterol. Usually not as much of an influence as you might think.

A much greater influence is genetics.

Another influence is other dietary ingredients.


For nearly all people, the vast majority of their cholesterol is synthesized by their own body. It's been shown that eating cholesterol containing foods doesn't have anywhere near the impact on your cholesterol levels as once thought. Fats have a much greater influence. The reason cholesterol levels drop after a workout is because ALL STEROIDS are made from cholesterol. ALL of them. Not just testosterone, but all steroids. That means cortico steroids, estrogens, and androgens. Even stuff like aldosterone. Many of these steroids increase in production during and after a workout. It's well known working out increases Testosterone production. It also increases cortisol production due to stress. So it only figures you're cholesterol levels will drop shortly because your body just used the cholesterol to make those steroids. Your body then goes and synthesizes more cholesterol.


If someone is on AAS, then most likely they will receive absolutely no benefit from having higher cholesterol levels.
 
adidamps2

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oh- well yeah,.. your going to loose some bodyfat when u go low carb.
yes, but i am not calorie restricting myself..i am still getting in 3500-4000 cal ED

i get in between 250-280grams of fat ED.
225-315g of protein depending on work out day or rest day.

and for what i remember reading blood cholesterol levels arent effected by food cholesterol, but rather food saturaded fat.
 
Skyblue

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silly question - does cooking the egg have effect on amount of cholesterol in it.
 
adidamps2

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silly question - does cooking the egg have effect on amount of cholesterol in it.
no
and food cholesterol isnt going to make a significant impact on blood cholesterol. saturated fat will impact this the most.
 

Nullifidian

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no
and food cholesterol isnt going to make a significant impact on blood cholesterol. saturated fat will impact this the most.
And aparently transfats in particular have the most adverse effect (raising LDL, raising VLDL, and lowering HDL)
 
Skyblue

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SOOOOOOOo in order to increase blood cholesterol eat more saturated fats?

god. being 18 sucks cuz everything confuzzles me
 

Nullifidian

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:thumbsup:

sat fat= good
trans fat = bad!!!!!!!!

:food:

Actually fats in general have an effect on cholesterol with poly and mono unsaturated fats having a positive effect on LDL/HDL ratios IIRC. More importantly specific essential fatty acids like Omega 3s help out in that department.
 
adidamps2

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Actually fats in general have an effect on cholesterol with poly and mono unsaturated fats having a positive effect on LDL/HDL ratios IIRC. More importantly specific essential fatty acids like Omega 3s help out in that department.
so
Mono/Poly fats= really really good!!!
sat fats=good
trans fat= BAD

better?
 
whitedevil74

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Whole milk and whole eggs with red meat seems to be the best their is for gaining muscle. Looks like guys from the 1970's had it all figured out.
 
Outside Backer

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i have always eaten at least 3-4 full hard boiled eggs a day ive been doing it for years?
 
Skyblue

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so...... poly and mono satty fats are good, versus trans fat which i should avoid?

so basically, red meats, eggs, and...whole milk? rather than 2percent or skim? can you explain the reasoning please; im a little blank
 
Skyblue

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yeai usually have three boiled eggs as a snack everyday. no biggggggggggg deal. so why am i still skinny eh?
 
rampage jackson

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SOOOOOOOo in order to increase blood cholesterol eat more saturated fats?

god. being 18 sucks cuz everything confuzzles me

Be thankful, young one. I wish I had this kind of resource when I was your age.
 
Skyblue

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yea. thisforums is acually ucking awesome. i learned so much from here, id proball be a fat bastard witoutit
 

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