The Anabolic Vs. Catabolic Metabolism

[Will Brink]

I see this as a continuum going from Anabolic <---> Catabolic with people tending to fall on either side of point 0, tending toward one or the other. Me, I’d say I’m a 2 on the right side of point 0.


Anabolic
Metabolism 5- 4 – 3 – 2 – 0 – 1 -2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Catabolic Metabolism

Hallmarks of the Anabolic Metabolism:

• Put on muscle easily
• Has difficulty getting lean
• Will respond well to lower carb intakes (approx 30%)
• Responds well to higher training volumes

Hallmarks of the Catabolic Metabolism:

• Has difficulty adding LBM
• Gets lean easily (but has difficulty retaining LBM)
• Responds well to higher carb intakes (approx 50%)
• Responds best to lower training volumes

Where do drugs factor in?

The above is based on non drug using people. Drugs are the great genetic equalizer: those who add muscle easily but can’t get lean are able to do so, and those who have great difficulty adding LBM, but have no problems staying/getting lean, can do so while retaining LBM. Obviously, genetic traits still play a role (or everyone would look identical and respond identical, etc) but drugs allow for genetic limitations in the above, faster recoup, ability to tolerate higher training volumes, etc.

[Suave_Howss]

Hmmm... I'd say I'm probably a 2 or 3 on the catabolic side. So I'm assuming Endomorph = close to 5 on the Anabolic Metabolism side, Mesomorph = around 0 Metabolism, and Ectomorph = around 5 on the Catabolic Metabolism side ??

[Lordston]

Now ya see...this is where I don't fall into the right dynamic. I am carb sensitive and gain fat easily... yet I do not put on muscle easily either. I do the best with what I have...LOL.

[Will Brink]

Hmmm... I'd say I'm probably a 2 or 3 on the catabolic side. So I'm assuming Endomorph = close to 5 on the Anabolic Metabolism side, Mesomorph = around 0 Metabolism, and Ectomorph = around 5 on the Catabolic Metabolism side ??

As mentioned in the vid, those body typing attempts have been discredited a long time ago. I don't put any stock in that system of body typing. I suggest a new model.

[Will Brink]

Now ya see...this is where I don't fall into the right dynamic. I am carb sensitive and gain fat easily... yet I do not put on muscle easily either. I do the best with what I have...LOL.

Interesting, thanx.

[Lordston]

Interesting, thanx.

And I guess...just for your data base... a little background. Until I turned 25, I would have fallen into the latter category. I could eat anything or any amount and not gain fat or muscle easily. I abused my metabolism terribly through those years. Once I turned 25, my metabolism had enough and I began gaining fat rapidly. I was a fat-skinny person. So at this point, 42 now, I keep my carbs really low and my protein high to stay relatively lean. I have only gotten truly lean once in my life since my youth (my avi age 41) and it took alot of work. Hope this adds to your data base.

[Will Brink]

And I guess...just for your data base... a little background. Until I turned 25, I would have fallen into the latter category. I could eat anything or any amount and not gain fat or muscle easily. I abused my metabolism terribly through those years. Once I turned 25, my metabolism had enough and I began gaining fat rapidly. I was a fat-skinny person. So at this point, 42 now, I keep my carbs really low and my protein high to stay relatively lean. I have only gotten truly lean once in my life since my youth (my avi age 41) and it took alot of work. Hope this adds to your data base.

Perhaps you're not falling well into the category due to a damaged metabolism? That of course would be a variable preventing a person from being easy to fit into such a system.... Or, my attempt at such a system is full of sh*&.

[Will Brink]

And I guess...just for your data base... a little background. Until I turned 25, I would have fallen into the latter category. I could eat anything or any amount and not gain fat or muscle easily. I abused my metabolism terribly through those years. Once I turned 25, my metabolism had enough and I began gaining fat rapidly. I was a fat-skinny person. So at this point, 42 now, I keep my carbs really low and my protein high to stay relatively lean. I have only gotten truly lean once in my life since my youth (my avi age 41) and it took alot of work. Hope this adds to your data base.

The obvious problem with my system is one needs to be training a while (at least a few years) before they really know where they fall, and many people (especially women...) are going to claim they are a 5 to the left of the scale as the reasons they carry too much fat. It always annoys me the number of women (you know the type!) who have clearly never spent any time in the gym claiming they "put on muscle way too fast" and other nonsense as reasons they don't lift weights.

[Timbo89]

I don't see how the three basic bodytypes are any different than what is listed above. No one says you have to be a pure meso or ecto, there are mixes. You can be meso to an extent just as easily as you can have an anabolic metabolism to a certain extent.

[ob205]

Good stuff Will, is this going to be info for an upcoming article. I always felt those Phenotypes were more relevant to bone structure than metabolism. I believe the two can coexist, and a combination of the 2 would give best estimation.

OB

[GENESIS]

I don't see how the three basic bodytypes are any different than what is listed above. No one says you have to be a pure meso or ecto, there are mixes. You can be meso to an extent just as easily as you can have an anabolic metabolism to a certain extent.

Yep.

[Will Brink]

Good stuff Will, is this going to be info for an upcoming article.

No specific article planned as I'm focused on vids these days. I have converted a number of articles to vids, but have not done the reverse as of yet. Articles, especially one attempting to cover a topic of this nature, would take a lot of time, effort, etc.

I always felt those Phenotypes were more relevant to bone structure than metabolism.

Yes, they don't address metabolism at all and are an outdated attempt to categorize by shape. It's not taken seriously in the scientific/med community anymore.

[apex23]

Will,

I always love reading what you have to say.

[Will Brink]

Will,

I always love reading what you have to say.

Thanx!

[tmno]

i lean on the catabolic side, interesting post.. thanks