Thanks for the kind words, Keith. 

As for pre- and post- workout drinks, I tend to go by intuition, listening
to my body first and foremost. On of the most important books read in high
school was Bio-Chemical Individuality. Whenever I get caught up in debates
(e.g., casein) I tend to err on the side of what I hope is personal
intuition rooted in biochemical individuality.

I will admit to being influenced by John Ivy on the topic of pre-/post-
workout drinks. He's chair of the Dept of Kinesiology at UT in Austin and
the pioneering research in Nutrient Timing. Interviewed him five years ago
resulting in my first Iron Man article. 

Other than that, my laboratory has only one guinea pig - me! 

Through training others I've become rather insistent about at least prework
out nutrition. I've had too many people experience blood sugar related
problems due to a pathetic diet using industrialized foods hours before
training, then trying to make it my problem.

With regard to training methods, Dr Sebring and I had a nice long visit
tonight and that was one of our topics. He stopped me dead in my tracks with
a remark that crystallized something I've been trying to say - you know,
that sense of an idea being like a word that's hiding and teasing on the tip
of your tongue. Got you curious? We use 'primal' quite a bit instead of
Paleo to get at a core sense of being human. He said he suspects the core
primal Paleo human was not the product of a single system of training or
living, but more akin to a decathalon athlete. Decathalon - skills of all
sorts. Today we're avoiding being Sabre tooth tiger food, tomorrow we're
stalking water buffalo, another day throwing spears at some game, and
instead of shot put heaving heavy stones at some prey or game. That
certainly establishes a good sense of our richly diverse neural networks
leading to motor units if properly innervated. 

Another thing we talked about is worth passing on: what does paleo fitness
feel like?

If you liked the historical end of the presentation, you'll love Randy
Roaches book Muscle, Smoke and Mirrors, vol 1. more than six hundred pages
covering the mid 19th century through the 1960s. I'm looking forward to the
remaining 2 volumes forthcoming.

Your kind comments are gratefully received. I'm pleased to learn someone
enjoyed the visual history of supplements, nutrition and drugs. The
supplement industry is way out of control, to the point of unscrupulous
manufacturers introducing new products that pack on the muscle enough to
stimulate word of mouth and internet forum rave reviews. The secret -
tainted with oral steroids for a while, then remove them before the FDA
catches up.


-----Original Message-----
From: Paleolithic Eating Support List [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Keith Thomas
Sent: Sunday, January 03, 2010 9:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Art DeVany's book: "The New Evolution Diet"

Subject: Re: Art DeVany's book: "The New Evolution Diet"
From: Ken O'Neill <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 2010 08:16:28 -0600

> Dr Sebring's video is about Paleo - and nutritionalist Lynda Arrendo is
> support to that.

>> If you watch my video at: http://www.sebringclinic.com/videos/ 
>> I got into a lot more depth than is reasonable to type into an
>> email: what's more Dr Sebring covers Paleo tour de force.

I looked through your video, Ken. First time I have seen the phases of male
bodybuilding history from the 1940s linked so clearly to nutrition and
supplements. Very nicely done!

I liked your sensible advice "Don't copy the other people in the gym". It
reminds me of the most valued comment I have ever received at my gym: when I
was in my early 50s a fellow asked me "How come you don't do any of the
standard exercises, yet you have the best body in the gym?"

From a palaeo perspective I tend to disagree with your advocacy of a
pre-workout snack or meal and a post-workout drink. Following Art DeVany, I
exercise on an empty stomach (and never "fall through the floor" as you put
it) and I don't eat or drink for at least an hour after exercise. My
workouts are fairly heavy (eg a set of 10 deadlifts at 2x bodyweight) but
have never found the need to eat or - except rarely in summer - to drink
during or immediately after exercise. That pattern seems to me to reflect
well the hunter-gatherer model. I'll look at Dr Sebring's videos and see
what he gives as the rationale.

BTW, I admired your movements - imitating a sprinter, swinging your body -
the poise and relaxed control was beautiful!

Once again, thanks for the information.

Keith