Seriously, as someone obsessed with building muscle, my mind is constantly occupied with thoughts of training, supplementation, and fitness techniques. You’ll quickly find that there are thousands, if not more, people in the world who share our passion. Knowledge about how to train, what to eat, when to eat, and the intelligent use of supplements is more important now than ever. This column aims to provide athletes with essential nutritional knowledge.

Fat Loss

D-psicose is a natural fructose (fruit sugar). We all know fructose, as most of us consume some fruit every day. Researchers have found D-psicose in cane and beet molasses and wheat. Technically, D-psicose is the C-3 epimer of D-fructose. Over the past two decades, it has been used as a low-energy carbohydrate sweetener alternative to sucrose. Animal studies indicate that D-psicose has very low available energy. The idea that D-psicose is a naturally occurring sugar with low energy has garnered interest within the diabetes community.

Two studies published in recent years have spurred interest in D-psicose. In a 28-day experiment, adult male rats were fed D-psicose daily. During this period, the weight of their abdominal fat tissue was measured. The results showed a significant reduction in abdominal fat weight. Additionally, researchers examined the effects of D-psicose, D-fructose, and D-glucose on fatty acid synthase (FAS) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity in the liver. Only the rats fed D-psicose showed reduced FAS and G6PD rates. With decreased abdominal fat and reduced FAS and G6PD activity (liver fat enzymes), this suggests that D-psicose could aid in weight loss.

In a follow-up study, researchers examined the energy produced by D-psicose in growing rats. Male rats were given a fixed daily diet of 7 grams, plus varying amounts of D-psicose (0.5 to 2.0 grams per day). The results showed weight gain in rats fed D-fructose or D-glucose, but not in those fed D-psicose. One gram of sucrose, D-fructose, or D-psicose produces 2.29, 1.76, and 0.007 kilocalories of new energy, respectively. This indicates that D-psicose has almost zero energy output, which can limit weight gain. This natural sugar shows promise as a weight loss tool. More research is needed, but the preliminary work is very exciting.

Is Beer Bad for the Heart?

Believe it or not, some people in the fitness world used to drink beer as if it were water. Seriously, in the Arnold era, many mistakenly believed beer was a malt carbohydrate. Back then, everyone drank beer in the name of health during training.

The American Beverage Marketing Company has announced the launch of “functional beer.” This beer is specially processed from oats and contains beta-glucan. Studies have found that ingredients in this beer can lower cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease. This beer contains only 63 calories per 12 ounces and will soon be available nationwide.