Downloaded the PDF for the full report. Looked in the conflict of interest section to find that the main author has published a number of books. A quick search on amazon reveals that his best selling book is titled The Vegan Starter Kit. A vegan writer reporting that plant based diets are fit for athletes despite the incomplete protein profile in plant-only diets.

Hmm.

His TED Talk and book are excellent for those wanting to learn one of the most common causes of back pain (incorrectly hingeing) and an actionable plan to correct.

Link to TED Talk. https://youtu.be/BZcZenvWBlg

Link to book. True to Form: How to Use Foundation Training for Sustained Pain Relief and Everyday Fitness https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062315315/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_cfF1Bb1NN8TB6

Non-responders vs. high responders and genetic variation generally explain these differences

You might like this one:

A genetic-based algorithm for personalized resistance-training (2016)

It would be nice with some science-supported answers in here

EDIT:

It seems that when you're taking very short rest sets, you aren't maximally recruiting all the muscle fibres, you're just stifling your own power output.

> Power performance is primarily depen- dent upon the phosphagen system. When sufficient rest is not taken between resistance training sets, energy production shifts to emphasise anaerobic glycolysis, resulting in a lowered intracellular pH and substantially depressed power-producing cap- abilities (de Salles et al., 2009; Iglesias-Soler et al., 2012).

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260240559_Acute_effects_of_a_cluster-set_protocol_on_hormonal_metabolic_and_performance_measures_in_resistance-trained_males

It seems that when you're taking very short rest sets, you aren't maximally recruiting all the muscle fibres, you're just stifling your own power output.

> Power performance is primarily depen- dent upon the phosphagen system. When sufficient rest is not taken between resistance training sets, energy production shifts to emphasise anaerobic glycolysis, resulting in a lowered intracellular pH and substantially depressed power-producing cap- abilities (de Salles et al., 2009; Iglesias-Soler et al., 2012).

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260240559_Acute_effects_of_a_cluster-set_protocol_on_hormonal_metabolic_and_performance_measures_in_resistance-trained_males

From Schoenfeld et al

> In conclusion, the literature does not support the hypothesis that training for muscle hypertrophy requires shorter rest intervals than training for strength development or that predetermined rest intervals are pref- erable to auto-regulated rest periods in this regard.

I don't have issues with my knees collapsing but if science says it will give me a sweet ass I guess I'll do it. Any suggestion on a which bands to get for a 6'2 guy with a very wide stance? They all seem to be 12' at varying thicknesses and these seem to be most popular on amazon.

I may have found the answer:

> Power performance is primarily depen- dent upon the phosphagen system. When sufficient rest is not taken between resistance training sets, energy production shifts to emphasise anaerobic glycolysis, resulting in a lowered intracellular pH and substantially depressed power-producing cap- abilities (de Salles et al., 2009; Iglesias-Soler et al., 2012).

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260240559_Acute_effects_of_a_cluster-set_protocol_on_hormonal_metabolic_and_performance_measures_in_resistance-trained_males

So, when you're taking very short rest sets, you aren't maximally recruiting all the muscle fibres, you're just stifling your own power output. Furthermore, the study adds that intra-rep rest-pauses are beneficial

Full text

> ##Abstract

> The focus of this review is the effects of creatine supplementation with or without exercise on glucose metabolism. A comprehensive examination of the past 16 years of study within the field provided a distillation of key data. Both in animal and human studies, creatine supplementation together with exercise training demonstrated greater beneficial effects on glucose metabolism; creatine supplementation itself demonstrated positive results in only a few of the studies. In the animal studies, the effects of creatine supplementation on glucose metabolism were even more distinct, and caution is needed in extrapolating these data to different species, especially to humans. Regarding human studies, considering the samples characteristics, the findings cannot be extrapolated to patients who have poorer glycemic control, are older, are on a different pharmacological treatment (e.g., exogenous insulin therapy) or are physically inactive. Thus, creatine supplementation is a possible nutritional therapy adjuvant with hypoglycemic effects, particularly when used in conjunction with exercise.

lol, I do actually. I have a long collection of journal articles that I bookmarked. At least I bookmark some of the more interesting ones.

I also have a couple that I read a long time ago, that I sort of remember and Scholar or Human Kinetics search them. The Human Kinetics Journals are great for sports nutrition related stuff. We used to read a lot of stuff from it in some of our classes.

Also when I'm bored I look into some of the most harmful substances in our body and backtrack. I also read stuff from your blog and look more into stuff too. That's how I learned more about keto and choline a couple of weeks ago. I mean, I always had a basic understanding from nutrition classes, but independent research definitely helps to really blow the doors open.

For reference on harmful stuff: Heavy Metal Poisoning (Iron Overload being the big one), Advanced Glycation Endproducts, Glutamate Excitotoxicity, Homocysteine, and Calcium Oxalate. I guess you could also include metabolic, heart, and liver health related stuff, but they're pretty intertwined with the other ones I've already mentioned.

You know an article is scientific when the author considers crunches, planks, and the Blackburn series appropriate for HIIT. Also, when the author considers 75% of max HR to be "high intensity" (or even describes HIIT in terms of % max HR).

By the braindead, common meaning of "HIIT" (i.e. it feels hard and has a timed component), fine. Whatever. But it ain't "advanced" or "science."

OP might want to read a book.

ever since the whole take $ to sat sugar doesn't make you fat thing...

There's an Exercise Physiology course on Coursera that was pretty good. Unlike some of the fluff courses I've seen there, this one actually gets pretty in depth with the metabolic processes. There were places I probably would have been really lost without some biology background.

full text https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261516423_Interaction_of_Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate_Free_Acid_HMB-FA_and_Adenosine_Triphosphate_ATP_on_Muscle_Mass_Strength_and_Power_in_Resistance_Trained_Individuals

Umm, I don't think that means you cannot induce hypertrophy of the fast twitch fibers... please read this article from 23andMe about the ACTN3 gene:

> Lacking the ACTN3 protein does not seem to have any harmful health effects, but there does seem to be an effect on sports performance. Several studies have found that Olympic-level power athletes always have at least one working copy of the ACTN3 gene. After studying hundreds of athletes, scientists came to the conclusion that it is probably impossible for someone who lacks the ACTN3 protein to reach the top levels of performance in power sports.

> They were soon proven wrong. While looking for other genes that might determine athletic ability, a Spanish scientist hit upon an exception to the rule: a champion long jumper who has two non-working copies of ACTN3.

> The long jumper has a history of great achievement. He competed at the international level at the age of 16, and went on to compete in several European and World championships. He has also participated in two Olympic games.

> The fact that this long jumper is the first and so far only Olympic power athlete to be found who lacks the "gene for speed" is evidence for how important this gene is in determining this type of athletic ability. But his success is a testament to the fact that genes are not destiny.

In other words, stop overthinking it, lift heavy, and lift often.

They did track food intake

> Within the [IF] group, participants consumed fewer calories (p = 0.008), less protein (p = 0.017), less carbohydrate (p = 0.007), and less fat (p = 0.050) on fasting days compared to non-fasting days. However, there was no difference in the percent of total calories from any macronutrient. There were no differ- ences in total calories, protein, or fat consumed between the non-fasting days of the [IF] group and the [normal diet] group, but the [normal diet] group consumed more carbohydrate (p = 0.018)

...

> Diet records, workout logs, and compliance forms were used to track and encourage program adherence

Edit: Full text

Yes, I am just learning about this in my exercise nutrition class where they suggest 55-65% CHO intake for athletes. The lecturer talks about low carb = low glycogen stores = poor HIT/RT performance.

It could also be beneficial to consume carbs during exercise

Like you I eat mostly grains, seeds, nuts, meat, and vegetables. So now I've altered my diet by adding 200g of rice and removing some nuts.

Also, I want to add that eating a lot of peanut butter may not be the optimal strategy for getting carbs ( 50% fat, 20% carb, and 25% protein pr. 100g)

Maybe it's tennis or golfers arm? There are some good videos on youtube for pain relief. Tiger Balm also really helps me when I have sore muscles or joints.

Hey, is it this one? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.driftwood.workouts

Couldn't see one that was obviously the one you were taking about on Google Play so perhaps it's iOS only?

Thanks

The treatment will cost $60.00 per week with the total cost over 10 weeks being $600.00 for the injectable. I have had knee surgery (my fourth one and it took place almost 3 months ago) and my knee has still not recovered I am considering taking some of this to inject directly into my knee. Does any one have any constructive advice based on personal experience?

HGH vs CJC

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274642510_Effectiveness_of_motor_practice_in_lucid_dreams_a_comparison_with_physical_and_mental_practice

The lucid practice, non-lucid visualisation practice and physical/actual practice, was all done for 30 minutes after being awakened in the middle of the night.

For lucid dreamers, a common technique of entering lucid dreaming is to do just that - to set an alarm for ~4h after going to sleep, and after the alarm rings try to not wake up too much and from that go directly to lucid dreaming.

So a possible alternate interpretation of the study is that visualisation or fine motor practice dun work so gud if someone wakes you up and makes you do them in the middle of the night. (They all improved 10-15% compared to control, which is fairly little even after a single 30 minute practice session).

Also, I think the entire research was self reported by subjects, and was explicity defined as investigating the ef

Here's the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjURynmhhnbFdGdxWmh2djdhd2g3Z2pPZm5Fd1lyRVE&hl=en_US#gid=0

Updated it so that you can simply plug in a target amount of cals to eat as surplus on training days (the deficits are automatically calculated by essentially a PSMF- somebody already thought of my idea and preempted me in giving it a name.)

I don't have anything to add on to what others are saying, other than pictures of the chemical structures, either made yourself (I like chemsketch: http://www.acdlabs.com/resources/freeware/chemsketch/) or referenced from wikipedia, though i don't know the licensing for that. I thought the coloured powders were a bit boring by themselves

Direct download link: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mikel_Izquierdo/publication/7665831_Moderate_resistance_training_volume_produces_more_favorable_strength_gains_than_high_or_low_volumes_during_a_short-term_training_cycle/links/0912f50b7db2fcae6d000000.pdf?orig...

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280974131_A_low-fat_yoghurt_supplemented_with_a_rooster_comb_extract_on_muscle_joint_function_in_adults_with_mild_knee_pain_a_randomized_double_blind_parallel_placebo-controlled_clinical_trial_of_efficacy

> Objective: To determine the effects of Vicoprofen, ibuprofen, and placebo on anaerobic performance and pain relief after resistance-exercise-induced muscle damage. Design: Randomized, controlled clinical study. Setting: University human-performance/sports-medicine laboratory. Participants: 36 healthy men. Methods and Measures: After baseline testing (72 h), participants performed an eccentric-exercise protocol. Each was evaluated for pain 24 h later and randomly assigned to a Vicoprofen (VIC), ibuprofen (IBU), or placebo (P) group. Postexercise testing was performed every 24 h for 4 d. Results: Significantly greater muscle force, power, and total work were observed in VIC than in P (P < .05) for most time points and for IBU at 48 h. Conclusions: Anaerobic performance is enhanced with VIC, especially within the first 24 h after significant muscle-tissue damage. The greater performances observed at 48 h might be a result of less damage at this time point with VIC treatment.

Full text: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281843251_Effects_of_Vicoprofen_and_Ibuprofen_on_Anaerobic_Performance_After_Muscle_Damage

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46036589_Effects_of_different_resistance_training_intensity_on_indices_of_oxidative_stress

> This study indicated that hypertrophy- and strength-intensity whole-body RET performed regularly for 6 weeks, decreased MDA concentration and increased GSH level in healthy young men. Results suggest that chronic RET [Resistance Training] has protective effects against oxidative stress similar to aerobic exercises and that these effects seem to be independent of the training intensity.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2006.224/full

> Six months of RX training reduced systemic oxidative stress levels and homocysteine in overweight/obese and normal-weight elderly adults.

What about boxing and MMA? Will training these casually (with sparring) lead to brain damage?

Edit: I found some relevant research:

> Professional boxing is associated with a risk of chronic neurological injury, with up to 20-50% of former boxers exhibiting symptoms of chronic brain injury. Chronic traumatic brain injury encompasses a spectrum of disorders that are associated with long-term consequences of brain injury and remains the most difficult safety challenge in modern-day boxing.

Impaired cerebral haemodynamic function associated with chronic traumatic brain injury in professional boxers

> In conclusion, these findings provide the first comprehensive evidence for chronically impaired cerebral haemodynamic function in active boxers due to the mechanical trauma incurred by repetitive, sub-concussive head impact incurred during sparring training. This may help explain why CTBI is a progressive disease that manifests beyond the active boxing career.

Another study from the same university concluded that:

> [...] vitamin C and E supplements blunted the endurance training-induced increase of mitochondrial proteins (COX4), which is needed for improving muscular endurance.

Full text

> ##Abstract

> Purpose: The goal of this study was to explore the effect of lifelong aerobic exercise (i.e., chronic training) on skeletal muscle substrate stores (intramyocellular triglyceride [IMTG] and glycogen), skeletal muscle phenotypes, and oxidative capacity (ox), in older endurance-trained master athletes (OA) compared with noncompetitive recreational younger (YA) athletes matched by frequency and mode of training.

> Methods: Thirteen OA (64.8 ± 4.9 yr) exercising 5 times per week or more were compared with 14 YA (27.8 ± 4.9 yr) males and females. IMTG, glycogen, fiber types, succinate dehydrogenase, and capillarization were measured by immunohistochemistry in vastus lateralis biopsies. Fat-ox and carbohydrate (CHO)-ox were measured by indirect calorimetry before and after an insulin clamp and during a cycle ergometer graded maximal test.

> Results: V˙O2peak was lower in OA than YA. The OA had greater IMTG in all fiber types and lower glycogen stores than YA. This was reflected in greater proportion of type I and less type II fibers in OA. Type I fibers were similar in size, whereas type II fibers were smaller in OA compared with YA. Both groups had similar succinate dehydrogenase content. Numbers of capillaries per fiber were reduced in OA but with a higher number of capillaries per area. Metabolic flexibility and insulin sensitivity were similar in both groups. Exercise metabolic efficiency was higher in OA. At moderate exercise intensities, carbohydrate-ox was lower in OA but with similar Fat-ox.

> Conclusions: Lifelong exercise is associated with higher IMTG content in all muscle fibers and higher metabolic efficiency during exercise that are not explained by differences in muscle fibers types and other muscle characteristics when comparing older with younger athletes matched by exercise mode and frequency.

Ultimate MMA Conditioning - Joel Jameison

Triphasic Training - Cal Dietz

Read some books about leadership and how to handle people. It's the most important part of being a coach.

How To Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie.

Could be.

The full text is here and is pretty interesting to read so far, though I haven't seen that line addressed yet.

If I had to guess I'd say that they're actually referring to much more extreme stresses, such as extended athletic competition. HIIT is pretty tame by comparison the way most people do it (very low volume and not that hard).

If your gym doesn't allow chalk then get Liquid Grip. I actually like it better than chalk, it makes no mess, and hardly needs to be reapplied.

This should last about a year.

Liquid Grip Combo Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VQKGAA/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_u3VLub0MBZD9W

OP, good job on doing some research before asking a question. This is a good example on how to ask a question on AF.

You might find this new 2016 meta-analysis from Schoenfeld et al relevant:

Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

> When comparing studies that investigated training muscle groups between 1 to 3 days per week on a volume-equated basis, the current body of evidence indicates that frequencies of training twice a week promote superior hypertrophic outcomes to once a week. It can therefore be inferred that the major muscle groups should be trained at least twice a week to maximize muscle growth; whether training a muscle group three times per week is superior to a twice-per-week protocol remains to be determined.

There's a bunch of other studies corroborating the research here for agmatine acting as an analgesic

Download link to the entire book combined into one pdf

Mirror

Hey I don't have all the links right now but here's one:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/19815561_Vitamin_and_mineral_status_of_trained_athletes_including_the_effects_of_supplementation

> All blood variables were normal and except for pyridoxine and riboflavin there were no significant changes in the blood concentrations of any other vitamins or minerals measured. This may have been due to variable interactions between the vitamins and minerals in the supplement that prevented their being adequately absorbed.

Now there are limitations to only measuring blood plasma levels of micronutrients, but I think it is a bit of an exaggeration to say that "all the research is done on rats"

Full text of the study here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273386236_A_single_set_of_exhaustive_exercise_before_resistance_training_improves_muscular_performance_in_young_men

So to answer some questions, the pre-exhaust set was 45-55 reps.

In the Facebook thread, some wondered what the results would have been if the pre-exhaust set was done at the end. Hard to tell, but in a totally different study, 20% sets at the end of the workout actually hurt hypertrophy (helped with strength). http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2014/02/strength-size-thats-result-of-7-weeks.html

People keep pointing to flaws in the study (unequal volume, untrained subjects, etc.) which are definitely present, but the main point, as Nuckols pointed out, was the additional benefit that the pre-exhaust protocol brought to the table. Generally you wouldn't expect to see that magnitude of marginal benefit from an additional set after three sets.

Data in Fig S2A(i)

As far as how... I would just weigh the food before and after they had a chance to eat it. Wouldn't you? Or are you saying mice are messy and might chew up a bunch and drop it all over the cage floor? Not sure.

If you do 5/3/1 this spreadsheet I made would probably help, it does all your calculations for you.

I saw that. Heh. I've been trying to buy this to for weeks:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NDME6C/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&amp;m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

But I keep getting this:

> The webpage at https://www.amazon.com/gp/cart/view.html/ref=ox_sc_proceed might be temporarily down or it may have moved permanently to a new web address. Error 111 (net::ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED): Unknown error.

Then I feel jipped on other websites that charge so much more, so I wait...

I know this thread is a little old, but it's the only thing I could find regarding BBB. I have a question for you though: is this a good program for someone who is just coming off of their newbie gains and wants to put on strength and size, or would something else be better? IE, is this a good program for someone in the beginner-intermediate range, or should I continue building out a base of strength first? I've been lifting seriously for barely over 3 months now, here's my fitocracy profile to check my current lifts. Here are the cliff notes on my numbers weighing 215 at 6'3:

bench - 225(5x5) squat - 305(5x5) deadlift - 350(2x5) press - 145(5x5) row - 170(5x5)

Thanks

> body composition related benefit

As for the statement "it takes a careful reading to miss all those", I couldn't have said it better myself. A quick glance at examine's page would give the impression that there are a host of benefits, but reading the actual studies reveals that rarely if ever is there actually clear evidence of a significant benefit.

https://player.fm/series/icecream4prs-podcast/red-meat-aspartame-omega-3s-interview-with-kamal-patel-of-examinecom

Here's the director of examine.com explaining why he doesn't think people should take fish oil.

On further investigation, it appears that some of these antihistamines (including those I've been using) also exhibit something of an anticholinergic effect, and that such an effect might reduce blood flow to skeletal muscle in response to exercise. This may be a compounding or indeed the sole factor in my experiences with poor recovery after exercise.

Comparative anticholinergic activities of 10 histamine H1 receptor antagonists in two functional models

Sympathetic cholinergic nerve contributes to increased muscle blood flow at the onset of voluntary static exercise in conscious cats

Neither of these are human studies, so likely of limited applicability. Do you think this is too much of a stretch, or am I on the right track?

Kinda disappointing to be honest. I thought they would be a lot more investigative on the quality of the product. Eg fish oil: http://i.imgur.com/55Ura.png

I expected more of a breakdown - eg for protein, they only had one column (just a pass/fail) that was for "Did Not Exceed Contamin-ation Limit for Lead Per Dayand Melamine" I had been expecting more of something like this: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/july/food/protein-drinks/whats-in-your-protein-drink/index.htm

Yeah thanks. I was a bit too vague, I meant highest quality ingredients (the actual kind of protein was not too important). Shit like this is what I'm worried about: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/july/food/protein-drinks/overview/index.htm Just like I buy organic grass-fed meat, I want to buy high quality ingredients, not shit sold cheap.

Relevant research

One more

I'm not saying it's necessarily a good idea but I drink all the time after I've gone running/biking/lifting. I usually feel fine if I drink enough water but I do realize the science.

I'd say they're relatively ironed out. Maybe we could all collaborate on the initial post (via Google Docs or something), each editing where they see fit to clarify/expand.

If that idea seems alright, here's a Google Doc we can edit.

If you're not interested in breaking out the milligram scale and whipping some of your own, there are various ORS packet suppliers out there, who sell packets of electrolytes and glucose consistent with the WHO recommendations for oral rehydration. This is a cheaper one available from amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Rehydration-Organization-Poisoning-Electrolyte-Replacement/dp/B00OG8G9UM/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=who%2Bors&amp;qid=1567335584&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-3&amp;th=1

I can't vouch for the quality of this product. You may be able to find cheaper bulk products if you search hard enough.

Christmas 2018 I bought all the coaches and SA's this book as a gift*: "Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance"*. [Amazon link]

When in an all-out, pushing hard in a row or lifting heavy - do you ever what stops you from doing more? Is it that your mind wont let you go further - or your body wont let you go further? Why is it that some people can push to extreme limits - not just physical, but emotional, occupational or spiritual? Thats what this book explores - the science behind human endurance and performance.

“turns out that, whether it’s heat or cold, hunger or thirst, or muscles screaming with the supposed poison of “lactic acid,” what matters in many cases is how the brain interprets these distress signals.”

I think we've all heard something along these lines from an OTF Coach. (Quoted from the book)

“We are capable of more than we allow ourselves to believe”

"When the moment of truth comes, science has confirmed what athletes have always believed: that there's more in there — if you're willing to believe it,"

From the book is this interesting quote that OTF clients could appreciate:

“There’s the illusion that you can know everything about yourself by measuring it with wearable technology. When you stack up training monitoring with a bunch of wearable technology vs. at the end of each run saying, ‘ How hard was that on a scale of 1-10?’, what you find is the supercomputer between your ears is a much more effective integrator of all the mental stress, the physical stress, the psychological stress that tells you how hard you’re working.”

I'm really sorry you're going through that. I spent a few years with some pain myself that I thought was going to be permanent. Hope you get it figured out.

Three things that helped me were physical therapy, mindfulness (both as in meditation and as in mindful REALLY REALLY gentle stretching -- e.g. as in this book) and active-isolated stretching. That was a long time ago and now I'm all about SMR (foam roller, lacrosse ball, etc.) but I just use that for little aches and pains, nothing serious.

I'd really consider trying more therapy too.

With my shakes I just use a kitchen scale. There shouldn't be any real risk of magnesium overdose unless you have kidney failure.

I use this brand because it's cheap and popular on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GW5NX8I

There is no link between pain relief and foam rolling, I didn't intend to imply that. In individual cases maybe you get pain relief due to non-specific factors (a more modern term for placebo). When you run studies on foam rolling you don't find anything useful, though.

From what I've read we don't have good knowledge on what is going on with muscle knots, but honestly since I've got into pain science I don't think it matters much. Since muscle tone / contraction is driven by the nervous system (the only exception being things like cramps) then thinking of knots as a physical property of tissue doesn't make a lot of sense.

If you want to learn more, I'd consider starting with this book.

This book cites a TON of different research and is generally an interesting read. Looking at her bibliography might lead you to something https://www.amazon.com/First-Bite-How-Learn-Eat/dp/0465064981

They are common in stores. Hershey's usually has a regular cocoa next to their Dutch processed cocoa. Dutch processed is usually labeled clearly, so you know what to avoid.

The reason Dutch processed has fewer antioxidants is because heat destroys antioxidants and Dutch processed is a higher heat form of cooking. I actually buy uncooked cocoa powder since it has the highest antioxidant levels. You will often see it labeled as 'cacao' powder, which is confusing. But cacao is simply the term for 'uncooked cocoa'. I buy my cacao powder in bulk from Amazon. There are a few good options, but I like this one.

I have my college text book, Human Anatomy by Micheal McKinley. Also, Jack Daniel's Running Formula

If you don't mind accepting a book recommendation, Bad Science by Ben Goldacre provides a sound foundation (US / UK)

If you're still looking, I found this immensely helpful.

For background I have a Bachelors in Biology, Masters in Anatomy, and take a special interest in biochemistry and nutrition. Hope this helps!

Thanks - this book seems to be a good start...

http://www.amazon.com/Science-Practice-Strength-Training-Edition/dp/0736056289

Train with Push looks interesting. Use of similar accelerometers and strain gauges is similar to direct-force meters (generic term for a tool measuring the force produced by the cyclist output, either in the crank with a strain gauge matrix, accelerometers in the pedals or strain gauge matrix in the rear hub) from a cyclist point of view. I've seen others which measure the speed of the barbell by attaching a cable to the barbell, and entering the weight which is going to be moved. This works 'ok' if the movement is in the linear direction, but could be prone to error if the barbell is moving laterally with a weightlifting move or with an athlete 'hop' either forwards or backwards.

Thanks for the urls.

There is a middle ground. Spend 6-12 months maintaining your current weight and body composition. Possibly reverse diet. Wean yourself off EC.

Basically just stabilize.

As far as relevant scientific concepts, Lyle McDonald's article on diet breaks (link) explored some reasons on both the psychology and physiology of a similar practice.

This is actually a very tough thing to do - to maintain weight after substantial loss - but it has to be the end point of any long-term plan. At least assuming you don't want to feel like you're "on a diet" forever (even if you have to eat sensibly, you should be satisfied).

Some advise to adopt a diet consistent with a goal body weight and simple eat that indefinitely, accepting that you will approach that target in a somewhat asymptotic fashion (faster loss initially which tapers off as your actual intake corresponds closer to your actual weight/metabolic usage). See this Schuler/Aragon book for a discussion (though given the success you've already had you may not find a lot of earth shattering new concepts in it)

In either case, stabilizing your current weight for a while should let your body "catch up" on any metabolic activity it's down-regulated, let you enjoy a break, and arguably establish a new setpoint so that if you decide in 6-12 months to lose some more weight you may be able to get your ad libidum intake closer to the 26% BF you can stabilize on now than the 40% BF you started off at.

Weaning off EC may also give your systems / heart a needed break as well as make them more effective again should you choose to pursue more fat loss and to use them again.