Supplement Review: Arnold Iron Cuts

It's time yet again for another supplement review. The subject of scrutiny today is the "3-in-1 Fat Metabolizing & Cutting Agent" called Arnold Iron Cuts, which is part of MusclePharm's Arnold Schwarzenegger Series.

Some of the purported benefits of Iron Cuts include:

• Increased thermogenesis and fat metabolizing.
• Harder looking muscles.
• It will give you that "cut" look.
• Supports healthy estrogen balance and cortisol leves.

A serving of Iron Cuts, which is to be taken either once or twice daily, consists of 3 capsules. One serving contains the following*:

• 400 IU of Vitamin D (100% DV)
• 50 mcg of Chromium (42% DV)
• "Thermogenic & Fat Metabolizer," which contains 930 mg of:
• L-Carnitine Tartrate, Green Tea Leaf Extract, Caffeine Anhydrous, Panax Ginseng Root Powder, N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, "Thermodiamine" (98% Evodiamine), Vinpocetine, Inositol.
• "Muscle Building Maximizer," which contains 900 mg of:
• Maca 4:1 Root Extract, "AminoShield" Eriobotrya japonica Leaf Extract Proprietary Blend of 20% Pentacyclic Triterponiods, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Boron Citrate, Fenugreek Seed Extract 50% Saponins, Pumpkin Seed Extract.
• "Estrogen & Cortisol Metabolizer," which contains 383 mg of:
• Gymnerna Sylvestre Leaf Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Diindolylmethane (DM), Cinnamon Bark Powder, Banaba Leaf Extract 1% Corosolic Acid, Chromium Picolinate.

*I think I just stumbled across a new form of torture: writing out the ingredients of supplements!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good

It's easier for me to talk about the "good" (a.k.a., likely effective) ingredients in this supplement first, since precious few are actually present.

To start, I like that Iron Cuts has some Vitamin D--100% of the daily recommended value. Vitamin D plays an important role in all sorts of important bodily functions and in preventing various diseases [1].

The fact that Iron Cuts contains Chromium is also a plus. Though not much is known about the mechanism by which Chromium works within the body, some evidence suggests that it may help regulate insulin function [2]. Insulin, of course, plays a vital role in how the body metabolizes dietary carbohydrate, protein, and fat.

Turning to the "Thermogenic & Fat Metabolizer," we can see some rather unsurprising ingredients. Green tea extract, which has a good track record when it comes to aiding fat loss and improving mental clarity, makes sense as an ingredient in a fat loss supplement; though, the reasons for its effectiveness are likely due to the caffeine found within green tea [3]. 

Caffeine anhydrous, likewise, is a solid ingredient to put in this supplement. The research seems clear: caffeine can certainly help for weight loss, mental alertness, and athletic performance [4]. While I'm not certain as to how much caffeine is actually present in Iron Cuts (the supplement facts on the bottle aren't as transparent as I'd like them to be), I'm willing to bet that the majority of the 930 mg of "Thermogenic & Fat Metabolizer" is comprised of caffeine (a safe bet given that caffeine is just about the only ingredient in the "Thermogenic & Fat Metabolizer" that's backed by solid research).

The Bad

Just about everything else falls into the "bad" (a.k.a., likely not effective) category. Now don't get me wrong, some of these "bad" ingredients aren't completely useless; however, regarding the particular function they are purported to have for this sort of supplement, many of the ingredients in Iron Cuts simply don't make the "cut" (yes, this is my attempt to make a very bad pun).

For instance, the Alpha Lipoic Acid found in the "Muscle Building Maximizer" is an antioxidant. While one might naturally assume that having an antioxidant in a supplement such as Iron Cuts is a plus, in reality, research demonstrates that antioxidants, when taken around an intense weight training session, may inhibit post workout recovery [5].

Another example of a "bad" ingredient is the cinnamon bark powder. While some research suggests that cinnamon may be effective at improving blood glucose following the consumption of carbohydrate, much of the evidence is inconclusive. Moreover, like with the Alpha Lipoic Acid, cinnamon can work as an antioxidant (a no go for workout recovery) [6]. 

I could go on and on here, but I would only bore you with the research. Suffice it to say, aside from the Vitamin D, Chromium, Caffeine, and a few other substances, many of the ingredients in Iron Cuts seem questionable at best. Most are proven ineffective at doing much of anything, while others (such as the Alpha Lipoic Acid and cinnamon bark powder) may actually be counter productive.

The Ugly

Well, to be honest, there's not much that's "ugly" about Iron Cuts. I just needed to have an "ugly" section.

The Verdict

While there are some questionable ingredients in Iron Cuts, the "good" ones may outweigh the "bad." Moreover, if you check out the anecdotal reviews on Bodybuilding.com, many people claim to have gotten great results while taking this supplement. However, when considering these anecdotal reports, we must also bear in mind that many of the people who have good things to say about Iron Cuts likely are using an intelligently designed diet and weight training routine. We also can't rule out the placebo effect.

In the end, though, the only way to find out if Iron Cuts will work for you is to try it yourself. Would I use it? No. I'd rather drink coffee, take Vitamin D, and get all of the essential nutrients that I need from my diet. But, I'm stubborn and cheap. If Iron Cuts works for you, then that's great. If it doesn't work--and it likely won't without the accompaniment of a proper diet and training routine--then I'm sorry that you wasted your money.

Like I've said before, supplements can have their place in one's fat loss/muscle building arsenal, but only once all the other lifestyle and dietary factors required for you to achieve your goals have been nailed down.

When Low Carb Dieting Is a Bad Idea

If there's one thing that I hate, it is the never ending saga of low carb dieting that is often used by relatively fit and active guys and gals who just want to lose some "stubborn" body fat. Low carb diets definitely have their place in the fat-loss tool kit, but, like any other tool, they aren't suited for all situations. In this post, I aim to talk about those times when going low carb is a bad idea.

Low Carb, Low IQ

When I started out on my fitness journey, the very first diet program I used was Atkins'. Let me tell you, it worked! Well, it worked until it didn't.

By using Atkins, I managed to successfully lose up to 40 lbs.; however, not all of that weight lost was fat. Not only was I losing weight, I was losing strength in the gym (usually a sign of muscle-loss). 

After I did Atkins', I had the wonderful idea of doing low-carb paleo. Sure enough, I lost another 20 lbs., and I lost more muscle and more strength. I felt irritable and low on energy. I was down to 155 lbs. at 5'9", but these were just numbers. I looked weak, and I felt like I looked.

Sure enough, after I did some research I started to see past the low carb dogma for what it truly was: A load of BS!

While low carb works well for obese, sedentary people, it yields counter productive results for those who are lean and active. In my case, I was lifting weights 3-4 days/week, running a few miles most days of the week, and sprinting a couple days/week. 

What do all the above activities have in common? They require glucose for optimal performance.

So, I decided to work my way out of the low carb fad and start regularly eating carbs again. Since weighing 155 lbs. in the summer of 2012, I now weigh about 185 lbs. I feel good, full of energy, and my strength in the gym has improved leaps and bounds from where it was 2 summers ago.

I used to think that carbs were evil, but now I know that they are merely a tool; and an effective tool at that.

Carbohydrate Ranges for the Sedentary and Overweight

Generally speaking, I've come to find that relatively low levels of carb intake tend to work well for sedentary and overweight people. While in some circumstances a ketogenic diet might be called for, which would entail a daily carbohydrate intake below 50g, most people will fair well with a daily intake at or around 100-120g. This amount of carbohydrate will keep liver glycogen stores full, and thus allow your body to properly maintain healthy levels of serum glucose and razor sharp brain function (not to mention improved testosterone levels). Any carbs beyond this 100-120g are unnecessary and potentially counterproductive for sedentary, overweight, and chronically inflamed individuals who lack the insulin sensitivity required to efficiently partition dietary carbohydrate.

Carbohydrate Ranges for the Active and Lean

I categorize "active" as doing some sort of high intensity, anaerobic exercise (such as weight training, sprints, HIIT, etc.) 3-5 times per weak. I categorize "lean" as having a body-fat percentage below 15%. If these terms fit you, then you should probably pay attention to my advice if you want to start seeing improved fat-loss and improved performance.

Targeted Numbers for the Wayward Dieter

In addition to the 100-120g of carbohydrate required to keep liver glycogen stores full, active individuals require additional carbs to fuel their high intensity activity.

How many carbs do you need? There is no set amount, but you can't go wrong with the following base template:

1. Set total calories at about 12 calories per lbs. of desired body-weight (most people require about 14-16 calories per lbs. of actual body-weight to maintain their weight, so we are obviously putting you in a caloric deficit).
2. Set protein at about 1g per lbs. of desired body-weight.
3. Set fat at about .4-.5g per lbs. of desired body-weight.
4. Make up the remainder of your total calories with carbohydrate.

Here's an example using a male whose target weight is 170 lbs.

1. 12 calories x 170 lbs. = 2,040 calories.
2. 1g of protein x 170 lbs. = 170g of protein.
3. .4g of fat x 170 lbs. = 68g of fat (let's round up to 70g for simplicity's sake).
4. 2,040 calories - (170g of protein x 4) - (70g of fat x 9) = 730 calories remaining.
5. 730 calories/4 = 182.5g of carbohydrate (let's round down to 180g for simplicity's sake).

So, for the above individual, his targeted macros are 170g of protein, 70g of fat, 180g of carbohydrate, and 2,040 calories. He has enough protein to support the maintenance of lean muscle, enough fat to keep his testosterone levels up, and enough carbohydrate to support his weight training (The weight training, by the way, is what will actually allow our male dieter to maintain his muscle while dieting. Dietary carbohydrate facilitates, but does not trigger, muscle maintenance or growth! The same idea holds true for dietary protein). And, let's not forget, this individual is in a caloric deficit, which will facilitate fat loss.

It's Application Time!

If you're an active guy or gal struggling to lose some excess weight, and you happen to be using a low carb diet, stop! Throw whatever voodoo concoctions of insulin control/bio-hacking hormonal regulation non-sense that you've bought into out the window. It's about calories first, then nutrients, then food choice when it comes to physique oriented goals. Get your calories in line, then make sure that the composition of those calories will support your performance goals. Trust me, I've slogged my way through the low carb circle of hell, and it was not pretty. If you follow my advice, you might just avoid the issues that I went through two years ago.