Health and Fitness Emails (NAET/ MCS / SPS, Glycogen Replenishment and the Glycemic Index, and Powerlifting)

Health and Fitness Emails

(NAET/ MCS / SPS, Glycogen Replenishment and the Glycemic Index, and Powerlifting)

Below are various emails I have received over the past year or so dealing with the subjects listed in the subtitle. The emailer’s comments are in black and enclosed by greater than and lesser than signs. My comments are in red. Information in brackets in the emailer’s comments is added by yours truly, as are the links. The definitions are from Oxford Dictionary © Oxford University Press, as found on Microsoft Word 365^tm. All drug names are registered trademarks of the respective companies.

-----Original Message-----

>Subject: NAET

Good evening. I am writing because I am hoping to get clarification on a few things about NAET [Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Techniques]. You mention the treatments worked initially, but then your allergies returned much worse and your health declined. I read the next article on your comeback, and it attributes your rebound to creatine [see Regaining Muscular Bodyweight and Strength]. You note that stopping it after years of consumption was the contributing factor for your body no longer producing it and caused your failing health and body weight.

Please clarify if you believe the NAET caused the problems or the creatine.

My daughter suffers with headaches almost daily due to allergies. She takes three different allergy meds daily and still needs to take Advil and Sudafed at least 5 out of seven days a week. I am afraid the harm from these drugs being used daily will have long term effects on her health. I’m planning on starting her on NAET treatments next month. Please let me know if you believe NAET would be an even bigger detriment to her health. I would also like to hear how you were able to overcome the allergies that you said returned with a vengeance.

Thank you in advance for your feedback on this subject. I’m very confused as to what out next step should be.

Angie<

I have not overcome my allergies/ sensitivities. In fact, I have been diagnosed with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). They are a constant and ongoing problem that forces me to live a mostly isolated life, rarely leaving my home and never having visitors to my home. And yes, I still believe the NAET caused my sensitivities to get that severe.

The creatine only helped in regard to my powerlifting, enabling me to regain the muscular bodyweight and strength I had lost. It has no effect whatsoever on my allergies. It is only due to having a home gym that I am able to continue training. If I had to go to a commercial gym four times a week to train, my allergies would have forced to me stop training years ago.

As for your daughter, before trying NAET, I would strongly suggest consulting a real allergist (immunologist) and considering allergy shots. I wish I had pursued them long ago. If I had, I might not have the problems I have today. Allergy shots take longer to have an effect, usually a year or more from what I have heard. But they have a proven track record, unlike NAET, which has no scientific validity or proof of efficacy.

That said; my heart and prayers go out to you and your daughter. I hope she can find some relief. You are correct that long term drug use could have negative effects. But if the allergy shots work, she probably will be able to reduce or even eliminate the drugs.

When she gets tested for allergies by the allergist, be sure he or she also tests her for food allergies, along with environmental allergies. Eliminating offending foods could greatly reduce the allergenic load on her system. And yes, elimination is they only way to deal with food allergies. NAET might seem to reduce the reaction to a given food, but then a new one will start in its place. At least, that was my experience.

I hope that helps.

>Subject: Re: NAET

Thank you so much for your reply. Looks like I will be reconsidering NAET.

I appreciate you sharing your experience. Sorry to hear the allergies/sensitivity have not improved. I know my daughter is in a fog and run down on a daily basis. I can’t imagine what you go through. My thoughts and prayers go out to you in your journey.

Best of luck with your health. If we have any luck, I’ll pass it on in case it could help you.

Angie <

-----Original Message-----

>Subject: NAET

Hi,

I just read your article [Dangers of Applied Kinesiology and NAET] as a result of someone who contacted me through my website sending me a link to your article. I too am a believer in Jesus Christ who unknowingly became heavily involved in muscle testing and NAET some years ago. After almost two years, God pulled back the veil, so to speak, to allow me to recognize the spirit world I had allowed to impact my life and the lives of others through those practices.

I have written a series of articles on the subject that discuss this in detail. Having read your article, I get the impression that you may still have some questions about the whole subject. If so, perhaps my articles would be of use to you: None of Us Likes to be Deceived.

May God bless you as you continue to seek Him.

In Christ,
Marci<

Thank you for your email. That is a good article you wrote. As for me, to be clear, I have no questions NAET or muscle testing. Both are worthless and potentially dangerous, so I warn people against them in no uncertain terms. See my articles on in this regard: NAET Allergy Treatments and Applied Kinesiology.

-----Original Message-----

>Subject: SPS [Stiff Person Syndrome]

Hi Gary. I came across several old articles on Stiff Person Syndrome you wrote but didn’t see anything recent. I was curious if you ever found anything that worked for you or if you are still suffering?

My wife is experiencing symptoms of SPS and we are waiting for blood results to come back. In the meantime, her neurologist gave her Lyrica. She just started yesterday and it is hard to tell if they are doing anything. She still has still had several spasms over the last 2 days.

Bryant<

My heart and prayers go out to your wife. As for myself, I’m doing better as far as SPS goes. I haven’t had a major flare up in quite a while, several years in fact, thank God. But what I am dealing with is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). It was being exposed to items I am sensitive to that would set off the SPS symptoms. But the only way to deal with that is avoidance, which is why I live a mostly isolated life. For more details, see my articles on MCS.

-----Original Message-----

>Subject: Incorrect info around carbohydrate form for optimal glycogenesis [“the formation of glycogen from sugar.” Glycogen is “a substance deposited in bodily tissues as a store of carbohydrates.” Oxford]

Hi Gary,

Hope all is well. I was searching around for nutrition info and noticed some inaccuracies on the following page of your site that I wanted to share, Carbs and Glycogen. “And glucose sugar or complex carbohydrates would both be possible sources of muscle, glycogen-replenishing carbs. However, of these two, complex carbs would be much preferred.”

A variety of studies refute this, specifically learning that high GI foods are superior to low GI foods when it comes to glycogen replenishment over a given time frame. See, for example, Muscle glycogen storage after prolonged exercise: effect of the glycemic index of carbohydrate feedings. [GI = glycemic index, a measure of how much a particular foods raises blood sugar (glucose) levels levels. Follow the link for further details.]

The authors did a follow up study to understand if the results could be replicated by spreading out feedings to simulate high/low GI insulin responses, but found there are other mechanisms at work which allow high GI foods to better restore muscle glycogen (see Muscle glycogen storage after prolonged exercise: effect of the frequency of carbohydrate feedings).

Also, further down, the quote from Parillo’s book ("Furthermore, the increased insulin release resulting from simple sugars causes more of the sugar to be converted to fat”) is not supported by research; de novo lipogenesis [de novo = “from the beginning” and lipogenesis = “the metabolic formation of fat,” Oxford] only occurs in any appreciable amount (more than few grams per day) in cases of extreme carbohydrate overfeeding (when more than TDEE [total daily energy requirement] is supplied in the form of carbohydrate). The body will preferentially burn carbohydrate for all energy needs if available and only starts converting to lipids if extra remains. People gain weight from excess carbohydrate consumption due purely to excess calorie consumption, leading to dietary fat being stored and weight gain – it’s not the carbohydrates. See No common energy currency: de novo lipogenesis as the road less traveled full for a long review of the current state of research on that.

If you have other research which refutes these findings, I would be interested to read it. The multitude of information that I’ve been able to find supports the above conclusions.

Best,
Eric<

Thank you for our email. The article you are referring to was written over a decade ago. I also discuss the subject of glycogen replenishment in two of my books, my God-given Foods Eating Plan and my Powerlifting book. Those books are also over a decade old and need updating. But then, the first abstract you pointed me to is from 1985, so it is quite old itself. The second abstract did not look at the glycemic index of carbs but at whether a few larger meals or several smaller meals was better for glycogen replenishment. It found it made no difference, as long as the total carb intake was the same.

I poked around PubMed to try to find additional and newer abstracts on glycogen replenishment but did not come up with much. A 2018 study found increased glycogen replenishment by consuming protein with carbs, but there was no indication they looked at the glycemic index of the carbs (Restoration of Muscle Glycogen and Functional Capacity: Role of Post-Exercise Carbohydrate and Protein Co-Ingestion). The same was found in a 2004 study (Regulation of muscle glycogen repletion, muscle protein synthesis and repair following exercise).

A 2006 study done on horses showed high-GI feedings did result in better glycogen replenishment than low GI feedings. However, “there was a tendency for glycerol, NEFA and triglyceride concentrations to be lower for LGI compared to HGI diets over 6 h after exercise” (Effects of dietary glycaemic response after exercise on blood concentrations of substrates used indirectly for muscle glycogenesis). Many Americans suffer from high blood triglycerides, so consuming high GI foods would not be wise, even if it is somewhat better for glycogen replenishment.

In addition, my experience and that of others of gaining body fat by consuming dextrose (a very high GI food) post-workout cannot be ignored. And with that experience, there is no way I would go back to doing so. That effect overrides the somewhat better glycogen replenishment, as again, many Americans struggle with being overweight. See my article on post-workout drinks for details in this regard: Post-Workout Drink: Part One: Carbs, Protein, and Fat and the Email Follow-up. Note that after that email, I had several others email me saying they also had similar experiences with dextrose.

Plus, consuming high GI foods can cause havoc with a person’s blood glucose, especially those with diabetes, prediabetes, or hypoglycemia like myself. I detail my experience in this regard in my articles in this regard (see Hypoglycemia, Diabetes, and the Glycemic Index).

Moreover, when I cut weight for a powerlifting contest, I completely deplete glycogen stores to make weight. But then by eating mostly low to moderate glycemic carbs over the next 24 hours, my glycogen stores seem more than restored given my successful performance at contests, even with contests sometimes lasting all day. Of course, that is just anecdotal, but it does show my practice works for me.

Overall, I would say that for the long-distance athlete (marathon runner, triathlete), consuming high GI carbs rather than low to moderate GI carbs post-workout could be beneficial, but for most other athletes and for the average non-athlete who works out just to stay in shape, then low to moderate GI carbs would be better if overall health is also considered.

>Subject: Re: Incorrect info around carbohydrate form for optimal glycogenesis

Thanks for your reply - I just noticed the information was out of date on your site and wanted to share -- new research can certainly change our views on things and is what science is good at :)

I'm not discounting your anecdotal experience - it may be true, and I can’t prove nor disprove it - however, research across an aggregate of subjects fails to match your experience. Due to the low volume nature of powerlifting, you won’t need total glycogen replenishment (5-7 seconds efforts are almost entirely fueled by phosphocreatine breakdown anyway), so having optimally replenished stores is of little importance. Also, glycogenesis will occur in fast-twitch, type II fibers even in the absence of carbohydrate intake - the muscles will actually take glucose that was produced via gluconeogenesis and store some away as glycogen. The general consensus is that it’s a safeguard the body has in place to ensure we are always ready for a “fight or flight” response if needed to survive.

Best of luck with your new book.

Eric<

You are correct that in the actual performance of a powerlift in competition, which is to say, doing a 1RM (1 rep max) on the competition platform, the ATP/ CP (Adenosine Triphosphate/ Creatine Phosphate) cycle is solely being used, not muscle glycogen. But you missed the part of my response that said, “contests sometimes lasting all day.” My point was, there is much more to a powerlifting contest than just the nine 1RM attempts on the platform.

First, there are the many warmup sets. I do more than most, but for any lifter, there will be many multi-rep warmup sets performed before each of the three powerlifts. There is also usually quite a bit of time between one’s final attempt on Squats and one’s first attempt on Benches, then again between one’s final attempt on Benches and one’s first attempt on Deadlifts.

Some of that time is spent warming up, but it is also spent changing gear, and doing a lot of walking around, back and forth to the platform to see what is happening, getting set up to warm-up for the next lift, and even just pacing, as lifters get nervous waiting until it’s time to lift again.

Most contests last about 6-8 hours, though I have competed in meets that have lasted over 12 hours. That is a lot of time to just keep going. My point was, with cutting weight, my glycogen stores are completely depleted. If they had not been restored by eating low to moderate GI carbs, I would be dragging through that long day, and by time of my final Deadlift attempt, which could be many hours after I first arrived at the meet site, just general fatigue could cause me to miss it. But I have only missed one final Deadlift attempt this decade, and that was due to losing my grip, not lack of energy.

My experience is supported by an abstract linked to from the page the first abstract you linked to is on. It is Effects of moderate and high glycemic index meals on metabolism and exercise performance. It concludes:

Thus, in contrast to the HI-GI meal or control, the MOD [moderate]-GI breakfast cereal ingested 45 minutes before exercise enhanced performance time, maintained euglycemia for a longer period during exercise, and resulted in greater total carbohydrate oxidation during the exercise bout. We conclude that a MOD-GI meal provides a significant performance and metabolic advantage when consumed 45 minutes before exercise.

Thus, moderate GI carbs are better pre-exercise than high GI carbs.

>Subject: Re: Incorrect info around carbohydrate form for optimal glycogenesis

Oh - if you have any links to the studies suggesting that the addition of sugars or fats to a diet (assuming this replaced protein) causes fat gain, I'd love to read them. Note that to a point it’s not entirely surprising if you are ignoring the thermic effect of protein which is around 30% - so, replacing protein with carbs or fats will increase the effective energy available to the body, thus changing the equation and making you gain weight. So such a diet is not truly isocaloric to its original form.

Eric<

On this issue of sugar being more likely to be turned into fat, that subject I recently re-researched for the Second Edition of my Creationist Diet book. In it, in Chapter Seventeen, I cite several studies showing that added sugars and added fats causes weight gain even with isocaloric intake, so I will refer you it for details in that regard.

But please do not miss the word “added.” I am not saying carbs or fats per se are more likely to be turned into body fat than protein. I am referring to processed sugars and oils that are added to processed foods. Consumption of those types of carbs and fats and foods in general are associated with higher body fat levels than the consumption of whole natural foods containing unprocessed carbs and fats.

-----Original Message-----

>Subject: Question about drinking milk as a diabetic

Hi Gary,

My name is Scott, and I have a question for you.

I was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and I’m still learning how to adjust my diet to allow for it. I’m also currently learning about the “Ketogenic diet” for the very first time, as it might be a way to help me deal with and manage Type 2 diabetes or even possibly reverse it (hopefully). That diet calls for taking in high amounts of good fats.

What is your opinion on drinking whole (full fat) cows or goat milk at this point? I read in the book that I own written by you that ‘lactose’ in milk is actually a sugar, and I was never aware of that. So I’m somewhat hesitant to start drinking milk since it has lactose as a sugar in it. I’ve drank milk in the past, sometimes in large quantities too, but I’ve never really seemed to have any problems from drinking it (such as being “lactose intolerant” for example). However, now, being diagnosed with diabetes, I can’t be too sure and just wanted to see if you might happen to have an opinion on this.

Any help would be appreciated

Scott<

To maintain a ketogenic diet would require eliminating just about all carbs and that would include the carbs (sugar) in milk. The consumption of even that much carbs would push you out of ketosis.

That said; it is up to you if you want to try a ketogenic diet, but personally, I found following it to be very difficult. For me, just one piece of fruit, or even a tomato or serving of carrots, would kick me out of ketosis. I could tell when that happened, as my energy levels would plummet.

That is why I follow and mainly advocate a moderate fat/ moderate carb diet, with an emphasis on the carbs being low glycemic carbs. I have hypoglycemia, kind of the opposite of diabetes (or hyperglycemia); but for both, it is important to keep blood sugar levels on an even keel. My moderate fat/ carb diet does just that. It also helps that I eat several small meals a day rather than a couple of larger meals.

With that kind of diet, milk should not be problematic for a diabetic, as it is rather low glycemic, with whole milk being lower glycemic than skim (non-fat) milk, and 1% or 2% (reduced fat) milk being in-between.

I’m not sure which of my books on nutrition you have, but you might want to get the other one as well. Together, my two most recent books will give you a fuller understanding of all of these matters: God-given Foods Eating Plan and Creationist Diet: Second Edition.

Of course, you should ask your doctor before making any radical changes in your diet, as doing so might affect your need for and dosages on any medications you might be taking, including insulin.

-----Original Message-----

>Subject: Question regarding Crain Squat Shoes

Sir,

I see that you no longer wear the Crain squat shoes but that you have in the past. I am considering purchasing a pair and was hoping you could tell me if you would recommend them. I currently wear Adidas weightlifting shoes, but in high school I always wore boots for lifting, so they appeal to me. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Aaron<

I wore my Crains for a decade, until they wore out. I wanted to get another pair, but they no longer carried them in my size. But they are great shoes and worth the cost. Again, they lasted me ten years. That is worth the $125. They are available on Crain’s website.

-----Original Message-----

>Subject: Powerlifting

Dear Gary;

I own and have read many times over your book on powerlifting. I have found it to be very informative and entertaining. I am a lifter myself. I’m older than you (70) and have been lifting since 1964 and competing since 1972. I can identify with some of the injuries and problems you have experienced. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I have found your book useful in my own training.

Thanks,
Larry<

Thanks for letting me know. And you are an inspiration. I hope I am still able to lift come 70 (I’m currently 58).

The above article initially appeared in the free FitTips for One and All email newsletter.

It was posted on this website August 1, 2019.

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