Yoga and Hip Dysplasia

by Baxter

I received an email just the other day from a colleague in Colorado who was about to meet with a new private yoga client and was looking for some guidance. The woman coming in had apparently been diagnosed with hip dysplasia around the time of delivering a baby. Even without any more information than that, I could guess that the affected hip is the left one, as statistics for this unique hip condition bear that out. And it is eight times more likely to show up in women than men.

Usually, this is a condition that is diagnosed around the time of birth in babies.  When I was involved in my family practice, I’d go in the morning after a baby was delivered to our practice and one of the routine examination techniques was to check the hips of the newborn for a clunking shift in one or both hips when performing a certain movement of the femur bones. From there, if the test was positive, follow up ultrasound or X-rays was done to confirm the diagnosis. The screening done around birth, however, is not perfect, especially when the hip changes are small and that is why the student in question was not diagnosed until adulthood.

Femur Bone

The term “dysplasia” refers to abnormal development of the place where the femur bone (thigh bone) meets the pelvis bone. It can be either the head of the femur bone or, more commonly, the acetabulum (the rounded, concave receptive part of the pelvic bone) that does not develop normally. This abnormal development leads to an increased chance for the hip joint to mildly or more dramatically shift or even dislocate. This can lead in turn to abnormal walking, limping, shifts in the pelvic alignment and other undesirable changes, including pain. When caught in infancy, there are treatments that can help stabilize or treat the condition to increase the chances of more normal development of the joint as the child ages. Untreated milder forms of hip dysplasia can lead to early development of arthritis in the hip joint. And the opposite hip, if unaffected initially, can start to have it’s own problems as it has to pick up the slack for the misaligned dysplastic joint.

According to one source, all treatment aims to delay the onset of arthritis, but no treatment is fully successful in avoiding it. But despite this seemingly dire prediction, it is worth working via yoga or physical therapy to preserve or improve function of the hip.  I’d always recommend checking in with the student’s orthopedic doctor and/or their physical therapist to get a sense of the degree of change in the joint, and any precautions they recommend. Since subluxation (shifting of the bones out of normal alignment) and dislocation are possibilities, using caution when doing deeper internal and external rotation, and deep forward bending of the joint would be wise. The approach I’d take would be to work on strengthening and stabilizing the hip area via both weight-bearing standing poses (such as Mountain Pose, Triangle pose, Warrior 1 and 2 poses, and Extended Side Angle pose, with appropriate modifications and/or propping) and non-weight-bearing poses (such as Reclined Leg Stretch  and our Dynamic Reclined Hip Stretches).

Dynamic Reclined Hip Stretch Position 2

If there is already some arthritis and pain, I’d treat this situation like any arthritis condition, recommending initially practicing more non-weight-bearing asana variations, including reclining on the floor or using a chair for the standing poses, and progressing to weight-bearing if pain has diminished and strength is improving.  Also, remember that preserving range of motion of the joint is important, so taking the joint through all of it’s movement possibilities, keeping the above cautions in mind, will also help keep the joint healthier over time. I will be curious to see how things progress with my colleague’s work. Maybe we’ll get a report back down the road that I can share with you! 

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Eight Tips for Being a Good Yoga Student

by Nina

The Student by Pablo Picasso

I recently wrote about the responsibility that a yoga teacher has (or should have) to respect his or her students (see When to Fire Your Yoga Teacher). But like every relationship, the teacher-student relationship is one that goes both ways. All of us here at Yoga for Healthy Aging are both yoga teachers and yoga students. No matter how much or for how long we’ve taught, we also still take public classes from valued teachers we highly respect. So we have a pretty good idea of how to conduct ourselves on both sides of the equation. And, frankly, I’ve recently heard some disturbing stories about student behavior, including a student who seriously injured himself after ignoring his teacher’s warnings. So I decided it was time to write a little something about how to be a yoga student.

After giving it some thought (and talking with one of my teacher friends), I’ve come up with the following guidelines. If you have some suggestions for guidelines you think I’ve overlooked, please comment on this post or send me an email, and I’ll update the list in a future post

1. Tell your teacher before class about any injuries, medical problems, or other issues that might affect your performance during class. See What Your Yoga Teacher Really Wants to Know for details about what kind of info your teacher needs to keep you safe.
2. Make an effort to show up on time to class. All your yoga classes are planned with appropriate warm-up or opening poses, and missing the beginning of class can affect your ability to do the rest of the sequence. Besides, it’s just good manners!
3. Pay attention to your teacher’s instructions. We all have wandering minds—the kids, the job, your date tonight, the phone call from your mom yesterday, dinner—ooh-yes—but concentrating as best as possible on being present in your class will not only help you stay safe (which is a priority for your teacher), but you’ll also learn more. In addition, staying present will make your yoga session more effective at reducing stress levels as you get a break from your everyday worries.
4. If your teacher asks you not to do something because he or she is concerned for your safety, don’t do it, even if you feel confident that it won’t be a problem for you. Just. Don’t. Do. It. Okay? Your teacher may be wrong, but he or she is trying to look out for everyone in the class.
5. If your teacher asks you to do something that you don’t usually do and don’t particularly want to do—use a particular prop, change your alignment, try a new pose, and so on—go ahead and try it, just this time. You might learn something new, and you can do whatever you want later in your home practice. The only exception to this is if you feel your teacher is asking something that will put you at risk for injury or other harm, or something that you are absolutely too frightened to try. In this case, briefly explain why you can’t do it, and ask for an alternative.
6. Rest if you need to (see Resting Between Poses). Stop if you are in pain (see When to Stop Practicing Yoga). Looking after yourself is a great favor to both your teacher and yourself.
7. Don’t flirt with your teacher, ask your teacher on a date, or make inappropriate personal remarks (you know what I mean). Good yoga teachers don’t have romantic relationships with their students, and overstepping the boundaries they are trying to maintain only makes them—and other people in the class—uncomfortable. (I hate to have to bring this up, but, really, I’ve heard some disconcerting things over the years....)
8. After class, give your teacher occasional feedback about what you found helpful, what you found confusing, or what didn’t work for you (very politely, of course!). All of us teachers want to continue to learn and, hopefully, improve, and getting occasional feedback is very valuable. So don’t be shy!

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Getting those Gunns to GROW. By Vic Goyaram

Getting those Gunns to GROW

My personal training tips

 By Vic Goyaram Exclusive for Bodybuilding Mauritius

Using the techniques below my arms grew to 18.1" cold 

Every bodybuilder wants massive arms. There isn't anything like arms which are too big. In a recent post on our Facebook page we have all seen members' willingness to get bigger arms.  In this article I will share some of my best advice on how to get your arms to grow. These are personal tips that have worked for me and I am sure they can do a lot for your arms too. 

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Tip # 1: Do not neglect the triceps and brachialis

The triceps make up a big proportion of the upper arm and is a great contributor of overall arm mass. Therefore, in your quest for massive arms do not forget to tap on the growth potential of the triceps. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see the biceps getting more work in training routines in gyms worldwide, much to the neglect of other muscles that constitute the arms. 

Do not waste your triceps' growth potential
Work the freaking triceps!

Blasting the brachialis
The brachialis is the muscle which sits in your outer arm between the triceps and the biceps. In addition to contributing a lot to your pulling strength, the brachialis does a lot to contribute to overall arm growth. They get a lot of indirect work in rowing and pulldown movements. Good exercises to work them directly are the hammer curls and the reverse barbell curls.  I prefer to do my hammer curls as in the picture below. This is called the cross-body or pinwheel hammer curl. I find it less stressful to my shoulder joint than conventional hammer curls and this allows me to move more weight. Secondly, make sure to not shrug in an attempt to move the weight up. The only movement must occur at the elbow joint. Pause slightly at the top. Perform in an alternate manner or one arm at a time for greater focus.

My favourite version of hammer curls: Cross-body hammer curls

Blasting the triceps
Besides contributing to overall arm mass, the triceps are very important for your pushing strength. A strong pair of triceps means better chest and shoulder pressing strength.  A list of the finest triceps exercises are given in the chart below. Good exercises for the triceps include triceps pushdowns, skull crushers and various overhead extensions. 

The Mauritius Muscle Power Series Triceps Chart

My selection of best triceps exercises and some tips

1. Triceps pushdowns
I like to open my triceps routine with triceps pushdowns as I feel that it warms up my elbow joints for the free weight movement to come next in the routine. When I train my triceps after a pushing body-part (chest or shoulders) I perform two triceps exercises and sometimes three. One of them is the cable pushdowns and the other are free weight movements. With this exercise I like to maintain a slight forward bend in the torso as this helps me get a good contraction at the bottom. Lately, I have been bending my torso even more as in the picture of Doug Brignole below. This allows for a much better contraction and my results have been amazing. 

Triceps cable pushdowns

My new favourite triceps pushdown position. This
allows for a solid contraction at the bottom of the movement
(Photo courtesy of Doug Brignole, Mr. Universe and exercise expert)\
Click to visit his webpage

2. Triceps Press-downs

This is called the Pressdown because it is more of a pressing movement in the upright position than a pushdown. The bar does not move in an arc as in the latter exercise. Personally, I find this movement less stressful on the elbows. I have a mild case of tendinitis in my left elbow and this movement does not bother my elbows at all. Flare the elbows out and bring the bar chest level. A straight bar is recommended. This requires some flexibility in the shoulder joint as well. Press straight down. Learn to feel the movement.  The pressdowns can be used in several ways: 

A.  As a stand-alone exercise 
B. At the end of a regular triceps pushdown set to grind additional reps after reaching failure

There is a full article on this exercise on our website.

The triceps pressdown

3. French Press

This is a major mass builder for me which can be performed either with one dumbbell or a barbell (EZ/ Cambered/ Hammer bars work fine).  This exercise usually comes in second in my routine when the elbows are properly warmed. 

The French press

The above exercises have helped me beef up my triceps

4. The JM Press

This exercise is a cross between a close grip bench press and a skull crusher. It is an awesome exercise from the old school. I devoted an entire article to this exercise on our website.

Tip #2: Do not neglect the forearms

Developed forearms are important for both aesthetic reasons and for grip strength for executing a variety of exercises for both the biceps and other body-parts.  Having a strong grip means you'll be able to handle the heavy weights to overload the biceps and triceps without your grip failing first. So make sure you train them. I like to train them after back and after biceps (twice a week) and improving my forearms has greatly improved both my arm and back training.  Contrary to what some people may believe or tell you, forearm work is not for sissies and a bodybuilder would do well to  incorporate forearm work into his routine. 

One of my favourites is the reverse barbell curl. I usually perform these for 5 sets twice a week at the end of my biceps and back days. 2 sets of 15 reps with lb barbells and 3 sets x 10 reps with 65lb barbells. This movement blasts the biceps, upper forearm (brachioradialis) and brachialis directly. Talk about arm growth in thickness. I guarantee this is a compound movement for the arm.  Talking of the brachioradialis muscle, I have devoted an article to this muscle already (Beefing the Upper forearm)

Don't forget to kill the forearms

Tip#3: Avoid over-training

Arms are the most commonly overtrained body-part  Some people train arms two or more times a week. Some of you have even spotted others doing arms everyday, I'm sure! This is too much work for the arms, considering that the biceps and triceps are also involved respectively in back and chest/ shoulder training. Keep your arm training short but intense. You may give arms a day on their own if you think they need special attention or need a shock therapy. Otherwise, you can also attain good growth by doing biceps after back and triceps after chest or shoulders. Always experiment to see what approach gives you better results. At the same time keep variety in your routine.

Tip#4: Try Positions of Flexion (POF) training
I have obtained the fantastic results using a system called the "Position of Flexion" (POF) system, developed by Steve Holman of Ironman magazine. I read it from his book sometime in the mid 2000s and this coincided with the first time my arms hit the 16.5 inch mark.  Positions of Flexion training deserves an article on its own but briefly it consists of working each muscle in the midrange, stretch and contracted position.

POF arm exercises

POF biceps exercises performed by Arnold. 

Tip #5: Listen to your body

Biceps still sore from back day

I am sure that many people have been confronted with this dilemma: you have trained back very hard and for the next couple of days not only your back but your biceps are also very sore. But then comes the time to work your biceps and your biceps are still sore. What to do? Train the biceps and allow them to recover? I would suggest to let them recover before attempting to blast them again. My biceps are always pumped during back workouts and sore the next day no matter how much I focus on pulling with my back and using my arms as hooks on back exercises. To remedy this problem I have resorted to training biceps after back several years ago and the results have been amazing.

Of course training biceps after back may mean that your biceps are already pre-exhausted and this you won't be able to lift as much as on an arms-only day. That's not a big problem because, as we just said, the biceps are pre-exhausted. You wouldn't need as many exercises to completely exterminate the biceps. When I train biceps after back I usually perform 4 sets of barbell curls followed by 3 sets of hammer curls. Then I am done for the day. I suggest that you always experiment what works for you. If you can space your back and biceps days then go ahead with it. 

Unproductive and productive exercises

We all have exercises which gives us the best results and I will suggest that's where your effort must be spent. Do not spend your time on exercises that are unproductive for you. If bench dips give you more pain in your elbows and shoulders than a good workout in spite of you having tried you best, then ditch them.  Do not insist on performing them just because your training partner is growing from them. Listen to your body and tailor your program accordingly. I do not like bench dips because they give me pain in my elbows and shoulders. Therefore, ditched them from my routine although I will perform them using bodyweight resistance from time to time. 

Tip #6: My Secret biceps exercises

Drag curls
One of the most productive biceps exercises for me are barbell drag curls. This is a Vince Gironda article and has been discussed on an article dedicated entirely to it (Click to read)

Barbell drag curls

Dreher dumbbell curls
This is amazing tip that I got from Mr. Universe and former IFBB Pro Dr. Lance Dreher in a chat conversation. Dr. Lance Dreher is one of my role models and the owner of the freakiest pair of arms in the pro ranks back in the day. In his honour will call this exercise the Lance Dreher dumbbell curls. These curls are performed by using "asymmetric grips" on the dumbbell curls as follows:

Grip A: Thumb side of your hands in contact with the inner side of the plates of the dumbbell.

Grip B: Pinkie finger in contact with the inner side of the dumbbells (pictured below)

You would need to perform these curls by starting in a hammer fashion and then supinate (more the palms upwards) as you complete the rest of the curl.  With the use of the asymmetric grip you are able to activate your outer biceps (long head) to a greater extent with grip (a) and inner biceps (short head) with grip (b). 

Dr. Lance Dreher performing his namesake curls
(Check his grip on the dumbbells)

Dr. Lance Dreher during his competitive heyday

Zottmann curls
Zottmanns are one of the best exercises to thicken the entire arms. It is not always comfortable to perform in the beginning and it takes a bit of practice to master the technique and build the mental connection on of this exercise.  You start the curl with palms facing up and once you reach the top of the movement pronate your wrist (turn downwards). On the negative portion of the rep you are in fact performing the eccentric portion of a reverse curl. It is best to keep the elbows close to the body rather than allow them to flare out. Lower the weight if necessary to achieve perfect form. Zottmanns can be performed standing or seated and two arms at the same time or in an alternate fashion.
You can read a full article on this exercise on this site.

The Zottmann curls: another forgotten old school exercise

Tip #7: Focusing on compounds

As mentioned earlier the biceps, triceps and forearms get plenty of work from being used as assisting muscles in a variety of lifts for other body-parts. Therefore it makes sense that you will get a lot of arm growth if you also focus on such compound movements like rows and presses. 

Tip #8: Build the entire body and be realistic

If you add mass to your overall frame it will be unlikely that you arms will resemble twigs. Therefore, to make improvements in your arm mass you have to add mass to your entire body. You cannot kill yourself on arm training, neglect the rest of the body and expect the arms to grow disproportionately. There is a certain degree of asymmetry that the body can take. In order to illustrate this point I will borrow a few paragraphs from renowned trainer Charles Poliquin:

Click to read full article

We all want to reach the mythical 20" arms. But in the process we have to be realistic. I quote Arthur Jones, the inventor of the Nautilus training machines and father of High Intensity training and refer you to his article on arm size (Click here)

"The largest muscular arm that I ever measured – or saw –was Sergio Oliva's, which, accurately measured, "cold" was 20 1/8 inches. Arnold Schwarzenegger's arm was 19 7/8, slightly pumped – probably 19 1/2 "cold". Bill Pearl's largest arm, his left arm, was 18 5/8 at a bodyweight of 222 in 1960 – at the 1971 NABBA Mr. Universe contest in London, his publicized arm size was listed as 20 1/4, but it was obvious to me that his arms were actually smaller than when I measured them in 1960, and it was obvious to anybody who saw the two men side by side that Sergio's arms literally dwarfed Bill's arms, and now you know how big Sergio's arms were at the time. Casey Viator's arms were 19 15/16 at their largest when he was training in DeLand – and were 18 1/16 when he first came to DeLand, immediately after the Mr. America contest in 1970" 

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My Bio: I am a Mauritian originally from Roche Bois, Port Louis and now based in Cape Town, South Africa where I am busy with my postgraduate studies in molecular biology of exercise. My research, supervised by Prof. Edward Ojuka and Dr. Tertius Kohn, looks at the influence of nutrition and exercise in gene expression in muscle, research which is relevant and applicable to exercising individuals, sports persons and diabetic individuals. The knowledge that I share with you stems from my 18 years of experience in bodybuilding and 8 years (and counting) of university education in the field. I have also published work in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism (2012, 2014), International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (2013) and co-authored two book chapters on exercise and diabetes. I also presented my research work at the 2012 International Sports and Exercise Nutrition Conference (UK). I am grateful to each and everyone at the UCT Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine. "Knowledge without sharing is worth nothing"

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©,2013, Veeraj Goyaram, Bodybuilding Mauritius. Any reprinting in any type of media is prohibited.

Disclaimer: The Content on this site is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties.  Correspondence: vicgoyaram@gmail.com

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Friday Q&A: Yoga and Pacemakers

Q: I am a yoga practitioner and a teacher of active classes, and have been for 20 years. I am 64. Four years ago, I had a pacemaker put in to correct sick sinus syndrome, which is to say I began randomly fainting because my heart hesitated too long between beats - for no identifiable reason. All other aspects of my heart health and general health are excellent. I returned to my asana practice slowly as I learned to keep space between the collarbone and first rib where the wire is inserted in the subclavanian artery so as not to damage or wear it out prematurely. Having been certified in Anusara, I exaggerated the action of 'shoulder loop', keeping my side body long and my inner body bright. I have not found any other practitioners or therapists, nor have I found any teacher or doctor other than Dr. Carrie Demers who would even address this. Dr. Deemers suggested nadi sodana and agni sara as ways to vitalize the first chakra energy and therefore increase energy upward.

Does anyone on your team have insight or suggestions? I can't be the only yogi with a pacemaker, can I? My aim is to lessen the amount of times my body turns to this back-up device and to put off the eventual need for replacement of the battery and/or wires - which has to be down for everyone sooner or later.

A: This is an intriguing question. To date, there are no specific studies looking at sick sinus syndrome and yoga to help guide us. And none of our staff are cardiac medical specialists, so we are not able to give the kind of specific, scientifically grounded advice our reader may be seeking. The steps the writer has already taken to keep space between the collar bone and first rib appear to be anatomically sound and may indeed lead to keeping the pacemaker in working order longer than poor postural habits might do. General attention to Mountain pose and other upright poses that encourage a broad, open upper chest region could help this work with the Anusara chest loop.

Because the sick sinus syndrome is not very common, I have included a brief definition found on the Mayo Clinic website:

 “Sick sinus syndrome is the name for a group of heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias) in which the sinus node — the heart's natural pacemaker — doesn't work properly.” 

See the Mayo website here for further information.

The result of a natural pacemaker that does not work properly can be a slower heart rate, a faster heart rate, long pauses in heart rhythm, or a combination of these variations.  Once the condition is treated and artificial pacemaker is put in place, these variations become less dangerous.

Although I could not find specifics on the effects of stress for sick sinus syndrome, stress can definitely have a negative effect on general heart health. Yoga has been found to be helpful with other heart conditions, even though sick sinus syndrome has not been yet studied. And because yoga techniques can help lower stress responses in regular practitioners, simply doing a balanced practice several times a day, if approved by your cardiologist, could be of overall help for your heart health. In addition, practices that are deeply relaxing for the body and mind, such as restorative practice and guided meditations like yoga nidra would also be helpful.

Caution should be practiced with pranayama techniques in which the breath is held at the beginning or end of an inhale or exhale, as these could either stimulate the heart rate to drop too low or surge too high.  In particular, if one takes a full breath in and then retains or holds it for a number of seconds, it could cause a sudden drop in heart rate if not performed properly. In the medical world, this is known as a Valsalva maneuver.  And although it is used in medical settings to treat abnormally fast heart rates and even as a diagnostic tool, a pranayama practitioner would not necessarily want to invoke this response unawares. 

Balanced alternate nostril breathing, nadi shodhana, without retention, would therefore  likely be neutral in effect on the heart, and therefore safe to practice. Agni sara, since it involves breath retention at the end of an exhale, could be a bit more tricky. I’d recommend finding a pranayama teacher with many years of experience to work with more closely to support a regular heart rate. Please keep us posted on practices you find helpful down the road!

—Baxter

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Practicing Yoga Off the Mat

by Nina 

Rock Close Up by Brad Gibson

This sutra prescribes a kind of mindfulness or mental cultivation off the mat, so to speak, that is, in day-to-day affairs outside of the context of citta-vritti-nirodha-type meditation. Cultivating the higher qualities of sattva is a continuous and constant requirement of the yogic path and spills over into all aspects of life’s affairs and social interactions. It speaks to the fact that yoga need not be perceived as a world-renouncing tradition but is perfectly compatible with engaged and benevolent social action in the world. —Edwin Bryant

In my home practice, I’ve worked on some pretty challenging yoga poses in my day (dropping from headstand into a backbend, for example), but the most challenging yoga practice I’ve ever attempted is something I’ve taken up lately, off the mat. In fact, it’s the practice recommended by the yoga sutra that Edwin Bryant was referring to in the above quote:

Yoga Sutra 1.33. By cultivating an attitude of friendship toward those who are happy, compassion toward those in distress, joy toward those who are virtuous, and equanimity toward those who are nonvirtuous, lucidity arises in the mind. —trans. by Edwin Bryant

In classical yoga, the intent of this practice is for cultivating the peace of mind (“lucidity arises in the mind”) that is a necessary prerequisite for achieving the union with the divine that is yoga. However, I’m adopting this practice (or trying to, anyway) for other reasons as well. One of my main reasons is to help me maintain good relationships as I age. (I want the richness of life that comes with that, not just the health benefits....)

In talking with some of my older friends, I’ve been noticing that many of them seem to be getting fed up with each other. They talk about this one being angry all the time or that one being lonely due to his or her own bad behavior in the past. And I can’t help but feel a little more compassion might go a long way to preserving these long-time friendships. It’s something Brad and I have been discussing, and we have agreed to try to cultivate more compassion for those in distress (as well as all that other stuff in the sutra 1.33) for the benefit of all our relationships in the long run.

I have to confess practice is very difficult for me, however. I tend to very judgmental, probably because that’s how I was raised. My parents were very snobbish—although that’s a word they wouldn’t use themselves—about people who didn’t share their values and tastes. I wonder now if that was a result of them both being the children of immigrants, and the hard times they had as children fitting in to the American mainstream. It’s not the stereotypical story—they were artistic types who taught me to disdain people who had a lot of money but no taste—but it’s still a story of people who used their judgments of others as a shield for their feelings of insecurity. I also tend to be very envious of other people’s successes (rather than happy for them). I don’t know if this was also a family pattern—I do know my father suffered from feelings of failure because he never lived up the expectations that he and others had for him when he was a young art prodigy—but it’s something I’ve observed about myself time and time again. And all these samskaras  (thought patterns) run very deep.

So how am I beginning my practice of this challenging form of yoga? For now, I’m starting with mindfulness in my thoughts and feelings about others. And when I catch myself moving toward (or leaping to) judgment, I remind myself that there is another attitude I can take: compassion. As Stephen Cope says in Yoga and the Quest for the True Self:

I have said that samskaras are like ruts in a road, and that as the ruts deepen through repetition, it becomes inevitable that the car will slide into them unawares. Any intentional effort to restrain the car from slipping into the rut is called tapas.

Tapas requires a particular kind of attention—precisely the kind required when driving on a rutted road. We need to be awake. We need to be concentrated in order to avoid the edges of the ruts. And sometimes we need to pull the car wheels—with considerable effort—out of the ridges in the road.

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Whey protein types: Manufacture and nutritional analysis. By Vic Goyaram

Whey Protein Types Explained

Researched and composed by Veeraj Goyaram

Exercise and Nutritional Scientist

It is not easy to make sense of the amazing diversity of whey protein types available on the market today when choosing for the protein that gives the best anabolic bang for your protein buck. Furthermore, labels that use excessive scientific jargon often add further confusion. When reading protein powder labels you will often see one or some of the following types of whey proteins on the ingredients panel:

• Whey protein concentrate
• Whey protein isolate
• Ion Exchange Whey protein isolate
• Cross Flow Microfiltered Whey protein isolate
• Hydrolysed whey protein (hydrolysates)

This articles attempts to get you to understand the above so that you make an informed decision come purchasing time.  

Whey Protein Manufacturing 101

Whey protein as you probably know is derived from milk. The protein in cow milk is made up of about 20% whey and about 80% casein protein.

Fig. 1: The liquid is whey (containing whey protein) and the
curdled part contains casein

When milk coagulates you see a liquid which remains along with clots called curds. Curds contain casein protein (Fig. 1). The liquid is called whey and contains our famous whey protein.  Some time ago, whey used to be thrown away until some clever mind discovered some real good stuff in it. This one discovery revolutionised not only bodybuilding but human nutrition in general. Whey protein brought new life to the (then lacklustre, according to me) nutritional supplements industry. Today whey protein is a billion dollar industry and is used in anything from baby to clinical nutrition formulas.

One of the constituents of whey is whey protein. As shown in Fig.2 whey protein is in fact a collection of different proteins called "microfractions". For example beta-lactoglobulin, alpha lactalbumin, serum albumin and lactoferrin are the main proteins that make up whey protein.

Fig.1: The protein constituents of milk. Casein and whey
are collections of protein fractions

Fig. 3: Dairy proteins 

Whey Protein Concentrate 
Liquid whey contains water, lactose, fats and proteins. The protein from it is extracted and then dried to form Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC). A typical WPC product on the market has about 80% protein, 10% Carbohydrates (mainly lactose) and about 7% fat. Whey protein manufacturers offer WPC products that contain anything from 30 to 80% protein to supplement companies. 

WPC has a bit of cholesterol but unless you have been living under a rock you should know that dietary cholesterol is no reason for concern. Lactase enzymes are very often added finished WPC-based products to help lactose intolerant individuals from running to the toilet. It is worth mentioning that with the increasing prices of whey protein globally it won't be uncommon to see finished WPC products bordering the 60% protein level.

Fig. 4: Typical nutrition facts for a WPC product
*Bodybuilding Mauritius here is a fictitious company used for illustration purposes only

Whey protein Isolate
Whey protein isolate (WPI) has been further processed to remove fat and lactose, leaving behind a product which is generally +90% protein by weight. As it is low in lactose the consistency of the dissolved WPI is less milky than WPC and therefore WPI can be made in fruit juice-based formats. Please note that WPI is also low in cholesterol. However, not all WPIs are created equal. We take a closer look at the two types of WPI in the section below.

Fig. 5: WPI has much reduced carbohydrate (lactose), cholesterol
and fat content. Our WPI is made by CFM Technology
*Bodybuilding Mauritius here is a fictitious company used for illustration purposes only

Ion exchange v/s Micro-filtered isolates?

You will often will find on the labels of WPI products the terms Ion-exchange WPI and Microfiltered WPI. These terms refer to the manufacturing techniques used to produce WPI. I will not complicate your life and will summarise the difference below:

• Ion-exchange WPI: Ion-exchange uses chemicals for separating proteins and this denatures some of the important protein microfractions. Remember that whey protein is a collection of several proteins called microfractions, some of which have biological activity (antioxidant, immune-boosting etc.). Ion exchange processing denatures some of these protein fractions. Ion-exchange WPI may have a higher protein percentage than CFM WPI but the overall quality is reduced. If you find a cheaper WPI on the market it will most likely be Ion-exchange. The good news is that Ion-exchange WPI products are very rare on the market nowadays. 

• Microfiltered WPI: Microfiltration is a better manufacturing process because it uses high efficiency filters to filter proteins, leaving behind a high quality product with all its biological properties. There are several types of microfiltration techniques used, the most popular being the Cross-Flow Microfiltration (CFM®) and ultrafiltration. CFM is generally considered the "real deal" micro filtration method and products having been made using the CFM technology will usually "brag" about it on product leaflets and labels. 

Fig. 6: An example of "scientific" marketing for a protein

which uses CFM manufacturing

Fig. 7: If a company is using CFM Whey isolate in its product 
it will most likely display it prominently on the tub

Whey protein hydrolysates

Hydrolysates are whey proteins that have been treated with enzymes to break down (hydrolyse) the proteins by varying degrees into smaller fragments called peptides. Peptides, like proteins, are chains of amino acids but are of shorter length. Hydrolysed whey is also often called pre-digested whey and absorbs faster in the body because, being simple, it digests rapidly. Of course, hydrolysed whey is more expensive because enzymatic digestion of proteins is not an easy process on an industrial scale. Hydrolysed whey does have its benefits particularly in post-workout recovery as it results in a faster increase of amino acids and anabolic insulin response than intact proteins. This point will be extensively reviewed in a future article. It is also worth noting that hydrolysates dissolve rather well and have virtually no carbohydrate, fat or cholesterol content. The major downside is the price and the taste! Hydrolysates are also used in formulas for infants who are allergic to intact dairy proteins. 

Fig. 8: The manufacturing process of whey protein Hydrolysate.

Fig. 9: The Bodybuilding Mauritius Hydro Whey has no
carbohydrate, fat and cholesterol. The delicious "sirop canne"
flavour masks the taste pretty well
*Bodybuilding Mauritius here is a fictitious company used for illustration purposes only

Your user guide and additional tips

• Concentrate or isolate?

Protein Quality: The difference between WPC and WPI is mainly in terms of lactose, fat and cholesterol content. If for some reason (medical or otherwise) you need more control over your intake of these nutrients then isolate is your best bet. The protein percentage of WPC is lower than that of WPI so that you get less protein per gram of product. However, the quality of the protein is the same. WPI doesn't absorb better or faster than WPC as some manufacturers would want you to believe in order to justify selling you a higher priced product. The same proteins fractions are present in both WPI and WPC and, as you have seen above, WPC may even have more protein fractions than a ion-exchange WPI. As a side note, there are many products on the market that are blends of WPC and WPI and although the ratio of WPC:WPI is not known we suspect that they are WPC dominant because the latter protein is often listed first on the label. From a functional (not economical or marketing) perspective it makes no sense to me to include an isolate along with a concentrate. 

Carb content, getting fat and lactose intolerance: The extra grams of carbs in WPC is unlikely to make you fat because a typical WPC product may bring you about 8-10g of carbs per serving at most. So with your 2-3 servings of whey per day this is unlikely to make you fat. If you are on a ketogenic (zero-carb) diet then a WPI may be used. If you are lactose intolerant then you can switch to a WPI otherwise you can get away with a WPC. Additionally, as mentioned, some WPC products add some lactase enzyme to their product to help with lactose digestion. 

Cholesterol: The cholesterol content of WPC may worry some of you but there is currently a lot of debate that the cholesterol coming from your diet has little influence of the cholesterol in your blood and that rather a high consumption of carbohydrates like fructose can drive the production of cholesterol to a far greater extent than consumption of cholesterol itself from food sources. But this is not the focus of the current article. If for some reason or the other your doctor advises you to go on a low cholesterol diet then talk to him about your use of whey protein.

Beating the boredom: if you are tired of dairy-based shakes all the time, typical of WPC products then you may give WPI a try. Remember that due to its low lactose content WPI can be manufactured in fruit-based flavours. This can be a good thing to bring a change. If you have the money then why not? Back to when I had a career I liked to use the 4ever fit fruit blast isolate after workouts with Creatine. I also used to get Isopure (Nature's best) bottles and powders from Reunion island. Again if you can afford it, then why not? One needs to adapt himself to changing times. When I went back to university even a basic whey concentrate was a luxury I could rarely afford. Adapt or perish, as we say. Now that I back for good in career mode I am able to sample the world's finest proteins. 

• Are hydrolysates worth the extra expense?

The main reasons to use a WPH is that it induces rapid increases in blood amino acids which may maximise muscle protein synthesis and facilitate recovery. Moreover there are reports that WPH promotes greater releases of insulin after ingestion compared to carbohydrates, its amino acid constituents in the free form, and intact proteins. This would potentially lead to increased rates of protein synthesis due to the anabolic action of insulin and increased rates of muscle glycogen replenishment after glycogen depleting workouts.  While such findings show that WPH has a lot of promise the protein comes with a hefty price tag and those who cannot afford it may not necessarily be at a massive disadvantage. 

References:

Hulmi et al. Effect of protein/essential amino acids and resistance training on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: A case for whey protein. Nutrition & Metabolism 2010, 7:51

Kanda A et al. Post-exercise whey protein hydrolysate supplementation induces a greater increase in muscle protein synthesis than its constituent amino acid content. Br J Nutr. 2013 Feb 7:1-7

Manninen AH. Protein hydrolysates in sports nutrition. Nutrition & Metabolism 2009, 6:38

About the author: I am currently a PhD student in Exercise Science at the University
of Cape Town in South Africa. My MSc research looked at the regulation of glucose
transporters in muscle by exercise and nutritional factors. If you enjoy my articles please feel free to recommend them to others. Your comments and suggestions are welcome. For correspondence email me on vicgoyaram @gmail.com

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©,2013, Veeraj Goyaram, Bodybuilding Mauritius. Any reprinting in any type of media is prohibited.

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