The Serrano Show: An Interview With Dr Eric Serrano

Dr. Eric Serrano is a sought after elite athlete around the world to help with the most difficult issues. He spends most of his time promoting the health of family practice patients daily in Pickerington, a suburb of Columbus Ohio. Among the thousands of patients are elite athletes from around the world who will travel to the ends of the earth to consult with Dr. Serrano.

Various athletes from the NFL, NHL, MLB and many elite amateurs make Eric's elite athlete list. His cohesive expertise dates back to his medical years and his career as a record breaking powerlifter. As an athlete and family, Eric understands the needs of his clients and encourages him to continue with training, supplements, nutrition, injury recovery and performance improvements.

Dr. Serrano is a graduate of Kansas State University and earned his medical degree at Kansas University. Currently, he is a professor of family medicine at Ohio State University. One would have no idea what the extreme demand for Dr Serrano's services was, clearly by looking at the full message log of questions from elite athletes, strength coaches and related practitioners around the world. He really is an expert, only the elite come for guidance and information.

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JP: Let's start with protein. How much do they need if they are training hard to use strength and size?

Dr. S: That's the easy answer. If you are a man, 1 - 1.5 grams per pound. The maximum is 2 grams per pound if you are training very heavily and doing aerobic exercise. If you're a woman. 0.8 grams per pound is enough. This recommendation is for people who do not take anabolic steroids.

JP: What about fat reduction?

Dr. S: It is even more important to manipulate the levels of fat and carbohydrates to reduce body fat than consuming whole calories. In fact, some people do not consume enough calories to lose real fat. The above mentioned protein ratio also applies.

JP: You always hear the casein vs whey debate and I know that you have actually separated the proteins for their dominant anabolic or anti-catabolic properties. Can you explain this briefly? What's the best protein powder on the market?

Dr. S: First of all, I do not believe that whey isolates are the best. Let me explain why. When we simplify things, we tend to destroy other things along the way. For example, going from milk to whey destroys a lot of growth support proteins. Taking this step further, whey processing converts alpha-lactalbumin to a beta-lactoglobulin ratio so that its concentration is higher in the final product. Well, guess what, beta-lactoglobulin is the most allergenic protein of them all!

To answer the casein vs whey question, it depends on the process. There is calcium, potassium and sodium in the casein, but I prefer to use milk protein isolates that have all of the proteins together or micellar casein which seems to be a great source. For whey, I like cheap, pure and better whey concentrates. There is a supplement called ImmunoPro which is not cheap, but has a better alpha-lactalbumin to beta-lactoglobulin ratio and is one of the best products on the market.

To get the size, you want protein with anabolic and anti-catabolic properties. Anti-catabolic proteins are rapidly absorbed and prevent muscle damage (eg, free-chain and branched amino acids that enter the system quickly, increasing insulin that prevents muscle breakdown), while anabolic proteins help build muscle such as red meat).

As far as I'm concerned, the best proteins on the market are Beverly International Ultra Size (which also has beef in it), Biotest Low-Carb GROW !, the Met Max Nutrition champion, ImmunoPro as I mentioned, MD + Myosin, and replacement powder a food called Micellean Bioactive Superfood from VPX is also great.

Another thing about protein, you can snack on soybeans if you want, but there is no time in men's life if they take soy protein isolates!

JP: Many people are looking for ways to naturally increase testosterone levels. Any suggestions?

Dr. S: Believe it or not, there have been some studies (in trained athletes that show that eating too much protein can actually lower testosterone levels especially during low fat and carbohydrate levels. There is a direct correlation between fat (saturated and unsaturated) and testosterone - in general, increasingly high in fat intake, high in level T. Olive oil, cheese, red meat are excellent sources. Many athletes hold on to lean meat - these are people especially those who are able to reach a stand but have difficulty maintaining it (even pardon it) !) Also, a recent study showed that tribulus specifically from Bulgaria (not Japan, China or India) and from fruit (not stems or roots) increased LH and testosterone levels.

JP: How can you control cortisol levels naturally?

Dr. S: Well, every time you eat, you lower your cortisol levels - increasing insulin lowering cortisol - that's a natural reaction. Therefore, the first method is to eat small meals regularly. There are some supplements that will naturally lower cortisol levels: rhodiola rosea (600 mg), ginseng panax (2 studies now show that it lowers cortisol levels - you need at least 1 gram), PS (400-800 mg). Fat is also very important especially single fat, but no matter who you are and what you do, the best way to reduce cortisol levels is to sleep at least 8 hours a night! There's a book called Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival by T.S. Wiley & Bent Formby illustrate this. This process involves the circadian rhythm of the hormone and the timing of melatonin levels. There is a remarkable number of studies done on this subject, but an average of 8 hours of sleep (optimum 9) is required per night. The key is not watching late-night TV. One study I recall involved people in a dark room and lighted a small light bulb behind their knees for 20 minutes to see what would happen. Subjects 'sleep patterns change even when they are in the dark room, and in just 2 weeks, all subjects' melatonin levels have completely changed until you know that the skin has some kind of sensitivity to light. That's why in the summer, we stay longer because there is more light and in winter, the opposite happens. Due to lack of light, we are tired, depressed and depressed and we want to go to bed early. It makes sense!

JP: How would you rebuild your adrenal gland after expressing long-term abuse abuse?

Dr. S: If you use stimulants or therapeutics for more than 12 weeks, you kill the adrenal glands. It takes about 8 weeks to recover. To revive them, you need to take adrenal glands (such as Standard Process Drenamin, Metagenic Adrenogen), vitamin C (at least 3 grams a day), DHEA, and fish oil. In fact, the adrenal glands are 60% fat - they are not essential fat here (they will also lower cortisol levels). Again, sleep is important.

JP: Or how do you purify your heart after an oral steroid cycle?

Dr. S: Well, make sure you have some liver tests (ie blood work) done by your doctor to get a baseline. This is one of the few times I agree with a simple protein diet. In addition, it is important that you do not currently smoke, drink (alcohol), take Tylenol, birth control pills or other medications at this time. To clear your heart, you need the right foods. Eggs are useful in this situation - the lecithin contained in the egg helps. Many supplements, liver tablets (Beverly International Ultra-40), milk thistle, glutathione, and glutamine also help the liver. Finally, 25-50 grams of intravenous vitamin C has been shown to restore the liver. I use this approach in my office sometimes when I have patients with hepatitis A, B or C and the results are amazing!

JP: Alright, let's give the reader an example of how you diagnose something. We will take the thyroid for example. You mentioned that you examined TSH, T4, T3, T3 and triglycerides and asked questions about hair loss, constipation, weakness, thrills, and carbohydrate and caffeine use. What exactly are you looking for and how do you fix some of these anomalies? What about improving your thyroid gland, what would you recommend?

Dr. S: Yes, the biggest problem I see in this area is that some laboratories are back to normal and you think everything is fine so you don't do anything - you have to listen to the patients! If the thyroid is borderline, the TSH is between 2.5 and 3.0, you can use adrenal supplements for 4 weeks. If after 4 weeks you don't see results, then I would recommend a thyroid medication. Armor thyroid is a natural thyroid that contains both T3 and T4. If you have someone with hypertension, then putting it on a thyroid drug can actually help lower their level.

JP: You're not a big fan of milk, but you don't mind other dairy products like cottage cheese or whip cream. Why this? Also, what kind of cottage cheese do you recommend (ie, organic, low or high fat, is that the case?) And when?

Dr. S: Let's clear the first part: not because I'm not a fan of milk, I'm not a fan of pasteurized milk and homogenized! Heating at high temperatures for a short period of time is fine, I suppose, but filtering the fat through a small filter changes the order of the milk. Raw milk is great but it's not cheap (unless, of course, you get it straight from the breast!) Goat milk is a better choice than cow's milk because it has more fat and less carbohydrates, and it tends to be more friendly to people with allergies. milk because of different protein sources. Cottage cheese is a cheese that will increase your sugar and insulin levels. I would recommend organic, high fat (the highest you find) cottage cheese.

JP: Explain why you believe the whole acidity of this concept is broken.

Dr. S: I assume you are talking about blood acidity. This is the case, the human system is very interested in regulating blood pH which changes the body. For that reason, the body will try to fight acidity or even calcification. I don't really believe in this concept. However, I do agree that certain foods will affect your blood pH for a short period of time, but don't worry. The most common changes in pH are secondary to oxygen deficiency. If this happens and you're too acidic, then you're in a bad mood!

I have a problem with people claiming that eating too much meat will make you too acidic. Let's go back to prehistoric times when there was no agriculture so no grains. Basically, we have to hunt for food. We eat a lot of meat and get fiber from the intestines instead of cereals. In the summer, we have a lot of fruits to eat (like cherries, strawberries, etc.) but what happens when winter arrives? It's gone! The only thing left was the food running around so we had to follow the food that was going south. Now, we will stumble upon other sources, such as bananas for example, that will affect nutrient intake. Our bodies, therefore, never lack because we will switch between seasons - this is one of the reasons why I believe in diet rotation. Anyway, to go back to my original place, if you would tell me that eating meat would make me acidic than there were many acidic people millions of years ago and we would not be safe!

JP: What are your views on food mergers?

Dr. S: The body is prepared to digest food, simple and simple. It does not have a separate master plan for each individual meal. Do you think you automatically recognize that you eat bananas or strawberries? No, it doesn't work that way. It's true that incorporating certain foods can affect you hormones. For example, eating carbohydrates with protein increases insulin levels and facilitates the transport of amino acids into useful muscle cells after exercise. However, people get lost if they feel that a combination of foods will help digestion. If you have a healthy digestive system from food combinations it is not necessary. If this doesn't happen, fix it!

JP: Can you clean the whole egg problem? For one, some people do not believe that we digest eggs properly and that they are a common food allergy; while others feel that because they are so similar to human tissues, they are easy to digest. Then there's the issue of cooking them or not. On one side of the coin is Dr Mercola who believes that cooking destroys some of the beneficial enzymes and nutrients and that the risk of salmonella poisoning is actually quite rare. Then there is John Berardi who says that cooking eggs will increase their absorption. And finally, the egg and cholesterol problem.

Dr. S: Eggs are one of the most allergenic foods you can eat. Is there a difference between boiling, fighting, or eating raw eggs? Yes, yes. The more you cook the eggs, the greater the free form of amino acids. Eating raw eggs provides more allergenic whole protein. Boiling is a step in the right direction, but scramble as much as possible. Mercola is a true ingredient in cooking that will destroy some enzymes, but it is a trade in which I prefer allergies to less enzymes. I definitely agree with Berardi that cooking eggs will increase their absorption.

Cholesterol and eggs are not a problem at all. I can't believe people are still suggesting this is true! Almost every hormone you have is cholesterol-based except for protein-based hormones such as insulin and growth hormones. The lower your cholesterol level after age 55, the higher the risk of cancer!

JP: You are amazed by your knowledge of kinesiology and your diagnostic skills. What are some of the weight training injuries you see in your practice?

Dr. S: The most common weight training injury I see is the imbalance between the shallow front versus the back. Visit http://www.anatomytrains.com for more information. Hamstrings are known for being tight. Also, I noticed that many people lack muscle support. For example, it is common to see weak lats with strong upper traps that pull the belt closer to the clavicle causing impingement of the rotating tool. Also, stress-related injuries that affect posture cause weaker muscles to be more prone to injury.

JP: While we are talking about injuries, what tips or supplements will speed up your recovery?

Dr. S: There are many supplements that will speed healing. Research has shown that digestive enzymes will help with injury. They act as anti-inflammatory and will help reduce cancer. Another major one, though through a separate mechanism, is glucosamine and chorine. This is best for joints (like collagen); whereas, the enzyme (in particular bromelain) acts on the tendon. Fat is important too. Fish oil and GLA have been shown to have strong anti-inflammatory effects. Other supplements include Vitamins C (2 grams) and E (800 IU), MSM, reishi mushrooms, cat paws, tumeric, feverfew but the dose used will depend on the injury.

JP: You mentioned some amazing numbers in relation to your own training and I see you doing it over and over again easily. Do you have any power tips you'd like to share?

Dr. S: Wow, I never knew you were so impressed with me, JP! First of all, the most common mistake I see is overtraining. If you are over 35 and do over 10-12 sets of body parts, you are too much! If you do your feet more than twice a week (depending on your circumstances), you're too much! In the strength phase, do your feet only once a week and your overall workouts should not exceed 3 times a week especially if you are doing aerobics. Keep an eye on your customers' stress factors, such as work, rest, nutrition, family, and more. I have research that shows that training more than 3 days a week increases cortisol levels by up to 4 days. This is important because high levels of cortisol will not help you build muscle! You want to have an acute destructive effect on your muscles and then stop them - allowing them to recover and build up. One of the best ways to stop this destruction is to use BCAA. Lower cortisol levels of BCAA. I have been saying this for years to focus on BCAA pre-training.

The other thing is, you're just as strong as your weakest link. Therefore, always work on your weak muscles. One way to know this is to train the body unilaterally in the first place to see what is missing. Once you know it, spend more time on a certain point. Also, keep in mind that your grip determines your strength - if your grip is weak, you can't get as much lift as possible. The most common weakness I see is the hamstring while the glutes are too strong. Usually, both the lower and upper back tend to be weak causing injury.

JP: I learned from you that a limited calf causes a hit on the medial gastrocnemius head. Any other little secrets?

Dr. S: If I tell you, they won't be a secret anymore, but I'll share it with you. The most common injuries I see involve the origin of the biceps (long head) caused by lat pulldowns. Most people tend to train their biceps only with elastic flexion, but the biceps function as both elbows and shoulder flexors. Usually, a biceps injury occurs in the shoulder. To train them properly, you need to go from stable to unstable, to a shorter position. Let me explain what that means. Whenever you recover someone, you should start from a stable position and work around painful joints. So, if the origin of the bowel is painful, you can work the distal end in a stable position by flexing the elbows without tying the back to the shoulders. In this way the muscles do not weaken and heal faster due to increased blood flow, although sometimes it is necessary to rest. Sitting on a bench and doing curls tend to be normal (which involves only the elbow.) This is considered a secret position that helps the fascia heal. Wearing a curly ring on a Swiss ball will actually provide a more stable environment as you can rest your balls on the ball. Move to a contracted position (ie traitor curl) after a few days or even a week when no more pain. Then, progress to a more unstable position.

JP: Can you discuss your fruit tree? Just a little while ago, you sent me a flow chart showing the final metabolic pathways of fructose. Although known for its high antioxidant content and fiber, why can fruit intake prevent fat loss? And can you explain why it's important to eat fruits in season?

Dr. S: Don't get me wrong, I think the fruit is bad. It's the amount of fructose in our diet that we need to worry about. Fructose (high fructose corn syrup) is the # 1 sweetener used. It's a very metabolic, pro-oxidative pathway used as glycosylate carbohydrates because the body doesn't like to do anything about it - you have to spend a lot of energy to turn it into fat or glucose / glycogen until the body converts it to glycosylate protein instead. Health wise, this is not fair. Fruits will make you fat not because they aren't good for you, but especially because people are eating "easy" fruits - that is - grapes - just put a bunch in your mouth, or bananas - peel and keep going (and they have (about 3 or 4 a day!) Usually, people who eat fruit, don't eat protein with them - another mistake. Fruits (fructose) are a great post-workout as they are slowly metabolized, just be sure to add protein to them. Also, I don't believe juicers because they remove pulp / fiber from the fruit.

Why is it important to eat fruits in season? Because God knows better! You should eat the fruits of that season at that time. For example, if it's cold outside, eat apples; whereas in summer, strawberries, cherries, watermelons, etc. are in season. Don't eat fruit that doesn't exist. Bananas are not in season during the winter, but what taste is most commonly eaten at that time? That's right, banana!

JP: Can you reveal your new food pyramid? I've heard you discuss the problem with the original model, and although the new proposed pyramid is a step in the right direction, it's still inactive. Please explain.

Dr. S: Water should be at the bottom because you can die after 3 days without water. Tell me which food is more important than that? Next will be protein, preferably organic. Then came vegetables, all but white potatoes (sweet potatoes) and corn (which was actually cereal). The next level involves fruits and nuts together - I consider this to be the same as value. Cheese follows it because most of it is not achieved. After this are carbohydrates - the best sources are rice and oats. My food pyramid includes a disclaimer that reads: "Carbs are activity dependent!" If you are a couch potato, then you should not take any carbohydrates - no grains or anything - and fruit only occasionally. However, if you are active then by all means use the carbohydrates.

JP: I know that you are a fan of fish oil and olive oil. Can you discuss the importance of this unsaturated fat? What makes your new Alpha Omega M3 better than most other EFA supplements?

Dr. S: As I discussed earlier in olive oil, monounsaturated fat intake increases testosterone levels while lowering cortisol. Fish oil can reduce the size and number of fat cells. The reason why my Alpha Omega M3 is one of the best EFA supplements on the market is that it is the only one with very little ALA but contains high doses of oil, fish oil, CLA and GLA. Another good one is MD + EFA +, but it loses olive oil (unsaturated fat) which I think is important.

JP: With all the talk about mercury poisoning, is it safe to eat fish today?

Dr. S: I have a guy who eats 3 cans of tuna a day. He went up to 5 and his level shot from 5.2 to 47.4 - that's toxic! Therefore, you need to be careful with some fish, especially tuna, shark and dolphin. Salmon, herring and crabs are fine.

JP: You have proven that the enzymes responsible for breaking ALA into active DHA and EPA are deficient at age 35. Does that mean that it is not worth it to take hemp oil throughout that lifetime? And if it's under 35, how many flax seeds should you take?

Dr. S: Flax seed oil is very high in unsaturated fat. Fat is unstable in the body as it is easy to oxidize. The enzymes responsible for breaking ALA into DHA and EPA are lower (not less) after 35 years of age. I only found in a study conducted on pregnant women who consumed a little 3 teaspoons of hemp oil that all EPA and DHA derived from breast milk. However, when they are converted into fish oil, EPA and DHA are present in breast milk. It tells you something. The conversion rate is only 15% from ALA to EPA / DHA so it is better to take fish oil. What are the factors that affect the enzyme: caffeine (those who take thermogenic activities have lower enzyme activity), high insulin levels (from excess carbohydrates), alcohol are the biggest factors, and low magnesium levels.

JP: This last question should ask. Which new heat supplement should we look at?

Dr. S: I'm doing a study on Humans right now. I measure insulin, lipid screen (good and bad cholesterol), DHEA and cortisol. I'll tell you what happened. Some good, new ones include anti-cortisol, a hyper metabolic supplement meaning that instead of focusing solely on thermogenic effects, you have something that lowers your cortisol so that insulin works better (or decreases) similar to alpha-lipoic acid. Also, combine BCAA with taurine and arginine before training.

JP: Thank you, Dr. Serrano, for taking the time to do this interview. As always, talking to you is a serious learning experience. I know that you are very busy today with over 8000 patients and you are not taking any new customers. How can readers contact you if they are interested in consulting?

Dr. S: Go to http://www.infinityfitness.com/consult/consults.html.

The Serrano Show: An Interview With Dr Eric Serrano


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