atural Hormonal Enhancement by Rob Faigin (2000) has been referred to a
number of time on EvFit, so I decided to look it over.
NHE grew out of the research and personal experimentation in health and
fitness by Rob over many years. After trying to make sense of the mass of
information in these areas, he discovered the importance of hormones and
after this discovery most of the serious science he had been evaluating
fell into place; he had established coherence.
This historical point is relevant to EvFit subscribers as, although Rob
refers to human evolution throughout and has drawn on the processes of
natural selection to reinforce his case, he uses evolution as a support, a
post hoc rationale, rather than a starting point. He does, nevertheless,
devote some pages to evolution., showing how present humans evolved over 4
million years, all that time honing their metabolic and hormonal systems to
meet environmental and survival pressures. Going back further, Rob tells
us that the insulin / glucagon axis was in place in mammals tens of
millions of years ago. He concludes that we now consume a diet that we
were not evolutionarily designed to handle and that the resulting mismatch
between physiology and food [and, this reviewer would add, activity]
corrodes the underpinnings of human wellness.
The importance of hormones is underrated by the popular fitness, aging and
health media and his book is a timely corrective. Early on Rob introduces
us to the main hormones: testosterone, human growth hormone, cortisol,
insulin and glucagon, while cautioning that the science of hormones still
has a long way to go. He is an excellent writer and manages to guide the
reader through the latest research, making the role of hormones far clearer
than other popular books (such as those by Barry Sears); but be prepared
for a brain workout to get the most from this book!
The book also has several themes running through it including the hormonal
aspects of aging, fitness, disease and lifestyle. However, Rob tends to
spend more time advising readers how to lose fat than how to extend their
life, seemingly ignoring the fact that many people with body fat levels in
the 20% to 30% range can be superbly fit by all other standards. In my
view, his fat loss preoccupation requires no justification beyond
explaining the importance of having a metabolism based on fat burning
rather than carb burning; the foray into cosmetic body sculpting has a
narcissistic resonance which I find uncomfortable (though I accept the
argument from Art de Vany for the X look, based on Darwinian sexual
selection).
The main message of Rob Faigin concerns the hormonal responses to food
(which varies according to the macronutrient makeup) and to exercise (which
varies according to exercise intensity and duration). He shows how the
impact of hormones can be manipulated naturally and beneficially whereas
artificial hormone therapy (except for HRT in women) is perilous as it can
destroy our natural hormone production and balance mechanisms. He also
gives timely insights into the diabetes epidemic which is sweeping the
Western (ized) world. Rob launches a withering, lucid attack on the low
fat / high carb products of the food industry and explains the difference
between real hunger (which is satisfied by relatively few calories,
providing the macronutrients are present in sufficient quantities) and
hormonal hunger (which can never be satisfied, even by by massive caloric
input, if the macronutrient balance and quantity fail to meet hormonal
needs). Although Rob agrees that additional calories can put on body fat,
like Art, he makes a convincing case for leaving calorie counting behind.
Consistent with EvFit principles, Rob urges those who want a significant
change in their appearance, health or fitness to accept that they will have
to make a similarly significant and sustained change to their lifestyle.
The notion that popping the next new pill could have a significant impact
is a delusion, grasped by those who shy from grasping reality. Likewise
those who (with no understanding of genetics) mouth the mantra: It is in my
genes / family; I am doomed.
The ideas of Faigin appear to be largely consistent with those of Art de
Vany: they both advocate a similar diet, though they differ in a few
details: Art has proposed aerobic work and waiting for 1 1/2 hours after an
intense workout before eating (to give growth hormone time to mobilize
fats); Rob suggests a high protein shake within 40 minutes (to perpetuate
fat burning induced by the increase in growth hormone and to neutralize the
trauma caused by the workout and re establish homeostasis sufficiently to
begin recovery); Art deplores protein shakes. Rob is comfortable with
vegetarianism; Art is not. Both advocate variety in diet and workouts.
The following sentence from Rob could have been written by Art: You should
exchange duration for intensity and your cardio sessions should be composed
of short, intermittent bursts of activity interspersed with rest periods.
(...continued)
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