Article # 248. Thyroid

Thyroid

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that sits low on the front of the neck. Your thyroid lies below your Adam’s apple, along the front of the windpipe. The thyroid has two side lobes, connected by a bridge (isthmus) in the middle. When the thyroid is its normal size, you can’t feel it.

Brownish-red in color, the thyroid is rich with blood vessels. Nerves important for voice quality also pass through the thyroid.

The thyroid secretes several hormones, collectively called thyroid hormones. The main hormone is thyroxine, also called T4. Thyroid hormones act throughout the body, influencing metabolism, growth and development, and body temperature. During infancy and childhood, adequate thyroid hormone is crucial for brain development.

Thyroid Conditions

Goiter: A general term for thyroid swelling. Goiters can be harmless, or can represent iodine deficiency or a condition associated with thyroid inflammation called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Thyroiditis: Inflammation of the thyroid, usually from a viral infection or autoimmune condition. Thyroiditis can be painful, or have no symptoms at all.

Hyperthyroidism: Excessive thyroid hormone production. Hyperthyroidism is most often caused by Graves disease or an overactive thyroid nodule.

Hypothyroidism: Low production of thyroid hormone. Thyroid damage caused by autoimmune disease is the most common cause of hypo thyroidism .

Graves disease: An autoimmune condition in which the thyroid is over stimulated, causing hyperthyroidism.

Thyroid cancer: An uncommon form of cancer, thyroid cancer is usually curable. Surgery, radiation, and hormone treatments may be used to treat thyroid cancer.

Thyroid nodule: A small abnormal mass or lump in the thyroid gland. Thyroid nodules are extremely common. Few are cancerous. They may secrete excess hormones, causing hyperthyroidism, or cause no problems. 

Thyroid storm: A rare form of hyperthyroidism in which extremely high thyroid hormone levels cause severe illness.

Thyroid Tests

Anti-TPO antibodies: In autoimmune thyroid disease, proteins mistakenly attack the thyroid peroxidase enzyme, which is used by the thyroid to make thyroid hormones.

Thyroid ultrasound: A probe is placed on the skin of the neck, and reflected sound waves can detect abnormal areas of thyroid tissue.

Thyroid scan: A small amount of radioactive iodine is given by mouth to get images of the thyroid gland. Radioactive iodine is concentrated within the thyroid gland. 

Thyroid biopsy: A small amount of thyroid tissue is removed, usually to look for thyroid cancer. Thyroid biopsy is typically done with a needle. 

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH): Secreted by the brain, TSH regulates thyroid hormone release. A blood test with high TSH indicates low levels of thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism), and low TSH suggests hyperthyroidism.

T3 and T4 (thyroxine): The primary forms of thyroid hormone, checked with a blood test. 

Thyroglobulins: A substance secreted by the thyroid that can be used as a marker of thyroid cancer. It is often measured during follow-up in patients with thyroid cancer. High levels indicate recurrence of the cancer. 

Other imaging tests: If thyroid cancer has spread (metastasized), tests such as CT scans, MRI scans, or PET scans can help identify the extent of spread. 

Article # 247. 5 Ways to Measure Body Fat Percentage

5 Ways to Measure Body Fat Percentage

Measure Body Fat Percentage #1: Skin Fold Caliper

The “skin fold” method measures your body fat percentage by pinching your fat with your fingers then measuring the thickness with a body fat caliper. The reading is given in millimeters, which you compare to a chart with age and gender to arrive at your body fat percentage. There are many different types of caliper tests, which range from only one site like with the Accumeasure Body Fat Caliper to a 7 site Jackson Pollack Method (some are as high as 12 sites).

Upside

• Accurate

• Dependable (when skilled at measuring)

• Repeatable

Downside

• Variability of measurement (same exact spot needs to used each time)

• More than one-site test requires a skilled fitness professional (I’ve done these thousands of times!)

• For people 35+ pounds (15 kg) overweight, fat may not fit within caliper, so it’s less accurate

Bottom Line

Skin Fold is hands down the most effective, accurate, practical method to measure and track your body fat percentage. The self-administered Accumeasure Body Fat Caliper retails for under Rs. 1000/- and is sufficient for most people.

Measure Body Fat Percentage #2: Bioelectric Impedance Analysis

Bioelectric Impedance Analysis, or BIA, determines the electrical impedance, or opposition to the flow of an electric current through the body. Muscle has high water content, and is highly conductive, while fat has lower water content and is not highly conductive. Based on the strength of the impedance along with height and weight metrics, the BIA scale will estimate fat-free body mass and body fat percentage.

Many consumer weight scales like Tanita Body Fat Monitor Scale also come with BIA capabilities, and there are others that require holding the BIA device in your hands. Because the BIA test is based on body water balance, your state of hydration can impact the level of accuracy.

Upside

• Very easy to administer

• Inexpensive (most weight scales around $50 or even less have BIA)

Downside

• Questionable Accuracy

• Variability of results dependent on hydration level

Bottom line

If you can’t use calipers, this is a far second option. If you have a high body fat percentage (calipers can’t fit around your fat pinch), or you have 35+ pounds to lose, start with BIA, then move to calipers. BIA readings for those with low body fat tend to be completely inaccurate.

Measure Body Fat Percentage #3: Anthropometric

This method uses body circumference measurements to estimate body fat percentages. 

Upside

• Easy to Administer

• Cheap

Downside

• Questionable Accuracy (Body fat is not directly measured)

Bottom Line

I would consider this method the least accurate because it doesn’t directly measure body fat (or even attempt to). For example, If you have around 6% body fat using calipers, but according to anthropometric, your body fat is around 11.5%. If you don’t have a BIA scale, or calipers, it can be a decent start.

Measure Body Fat Percentage #4: Hydrostatic Weighing

This method is considered the “Gold Standard” (+/- 1.5% error) of body fat measurement that requires being submerged in a specialized tank of water. Because bone and muscle are more dense than water, a person with a larger percentage of fat free mass will weigh more in the water and have a lower percent body fat. Conversely, a large amount of fat mass will make the body lighter in water and have a higher percent body fat.

Accuracy of the reading is contingent upon blowing all the air out of the lungs during pretest screening. The test takes about 20-30 minutes, costs around Rs. 2500 to Rs. 5000, and is available at research labs, universities, or hospitals.

Upside

• Very accurate, considered Gold Standard

Downside

• Impractical

• Expensive

• Not repeatable (unless you liked repeatedly getting dunked in a tank and spending more)

Bottom Line

If you are extremely curious to get the most accurate measure of your body fat percentage, or you are a bodybuilder, or fitness model tracking your progress, Hydrostatic Weighing may make sense. Otherwise, it’s far too impractical.

Measure Body Fat Percentage #5: DEXA Scan

Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry known as DEXA is fast becoming the “new” gold standard of body fat measurement because it’s based on a three-compartment model that divides the body into total body mineral, fat-free soft (lean) mass, and fat tissue mass. Hydrostatic Weighing on the other hand only uses a 2 compartment model (fat free mass and fat mass).

DEXA also allows for body fat distribution analysis, so you can figure out with precision how fat is distributed in various parts of your body. In the past, DEXA was only used to measure bone mineral density for ostopenia and osteoporosis in older individuals. The procedure uses a body scanner with low dose x-rays, so it’s completely safe, and takes about 10-20 minutes.

Upside

• Very accurate

Downside

• Expensive: Around Above 5000 INR (vary from place to place)

• Not repeatable (unless you don’t mind spending more every couple weeks)

Bottom Line

Similar to Hydrostatic Weighing, if you are extremely curious to get the most accurate reading of your body fat percentage, or you are a bodybuilder, or fitness model tracking your progress, DEXA may make sense. Otherwise, it’s far too impractical and expensive.

All these methods rely on algorithms to convert a measured parameter into an estimate of body fat percentage, so none of them are perfect. Algorithms have variation based on how the underlying assumptions and formulas apply to different populations.

So what’s the only way to measure body fat with perfect accuracy? Well, cutting open a body and examining the fat, like with a cadaver. Seriously, that’s really the only way to measure body fat percentage most accurately.

Article # 246. Can You Lose Fat and Build Muscle At The Same Time?

Can You Lose Fat and Build Muscle At The Same Time?

Almost every guy I’ve ever talked to wants to “lose fat and build muscle” so as to stay the same weight but look leaner and more toned.

It seems like many guys believe it’s possible to build 15lb (6.8 Kg’s) of muscle and lose 15lb (6.8 Kg’s) of fat in a few months if you eat right and have a great training program. But is that really possible, or is this wishful thinking?

First, let’s answer the question if it’s possible to lose fat and build muscle at the same time.

The short answer is that it depends on what you mean by the “same time”. Could be yes, could be no.

No – Physiologically speaking, it’s not possible to lose fat and build muscle at the same exact moment in time because one process is catabolic (losing fat) and the other is anabolic (building muscle).

Yes – It is possible, however, to gain muscle and lose fat over let’s say the course of two months, or even over the course of a day you may be able to lose fat and build muscle, but on a very small scale.

So now there are two more questions we must answer:

1) Is it worth attempting to lose fat and build muscle at the same time?

2) How do you try to lose fat and build muscle at the same time?

The rest of the article will address these two questions.

Is it worth trying to lose fat and build muscle at the same time?

I think the answer is a resounding No.

I give you this answer after one of my colleague gained 10lb (4.5 Kg) of muscle and lost 10lb (4.5 Kg) of fat in only a month. While he certainly is an aberration, the key point is that he was not trying to lose fat and build muscle at the same time. He was focusing on fat loss without muscle loss while taking advantage of his anabolic window, which I will discuss in a second.

There is not one top fitness model, or natural bodybuilder who tries to lose fat and build muscle at the same time. For people whose livelihood depends on their ability to transform their bodies, they focus on a muscle building phase of 6-9 months, then fat loss phase of 2-3 months. I think that should tell you everything you need to know right there.

Losing fat and building muscle at the same time sounds extremely desirable, but it’s NOT an intelligent approach to maximize your results despite all the marketing you see that tells you otherwise. Building muscle is anabolic, which requires you create a calorie surplus, while losing fat is catabolic and requires that you create a calorie deficit. Why attempt to do both at the same time for only mediocre results at best?

How To Lose Fat And Build Muscle At The Same Time?

The short answer is “nutrient timing” can help you lose fat and build muscle over the course of a few months, but I still STRONGLY recommend having the primary goal of either losing fat, or building muscle NOT both equally. I also want to emphasize that pursuing a fat loss phase, or a muscle building phase is far superior to maximize your results.

Nutrient timing is determined by (1) when you eat, (2) how much you eat, and (3) what you eat that together affect how your body responds. There are different schools of thought regarding nutrient timing and some nutrient timing plans can get so tedious and complicated that you would have to quit your day job to follow them.

So before getting into more specifics, if you do try to lose fat and build muscle, which one should you emphasize?

If you have more than 15% body fat (25% body fat for woman), I would STRONGLY recommend focusing on fat loss, with potentially some muscle gain if you’re lucky. The reverse is true for attempting to build muscle with some moderate fat loss.

One very easy to implement nutrient timing strategy for primarily fat loss is to reduce calorie intake for most of the week. Around your strength training workouts you can eat a high protein/moderate carb snack (let’s say 30g of protein, 30g of carbs) both 30 minutes before and after your workout to maximize the anabolic window when your muscles are most sensitive to sucking in protein.

Many experts generally do not recommend this strategy for people looking to lose fat without losing muscle because it can slow down progress, but I have seen it work well.

In terms of your workout routine, workouts don’t need to be that much different between going for muscle building and fat loss. In fact, many people have lost fat and gained muscle using the 8-week Built Lean Program. I think regardless of whether your primary goal is losing fat, or building muscle, I would lift weights that are heavy for you to handle. The light weight, high rep strategy is just not as effective. But sometimes both works.

My answer is both are possible depending upon your daily routine and nutrition intake. I will explain it you in coming articles in Gurufitness planet page.