Bodybuilding Glossary

We’ve all been there…reading through articles and coming across words and thinking, “what the hell does that mean?”. I’ve created a list of popular bodybuilding and fitness terms and slang and I explain the meaning of each one. Enjoy!

Bodybuilding & Nutrition Terms:

Anabolic - Referring to something that causes a building-up of tissue, or anabolism. Anabolism generally refers to an increase in lean tissue, particularly muscle.

Anticatabolic - Referring to something that causes a building-up of tissue through the inhibition of catabolic mechanisms, thus allowing anabolic processes to prevail.

Bioavailability - The ease with which something is absorbed from the digestive tract. The higher the bioavailability, the greater the total absorption and rate of absorption.

Catabolic - Referring to something that causes a tearing-down of tissue, or catabolism. Catabolism generally refers to a decrease in lean tissue, particularly muscle.

Chelating Agent - An organic (hydrogen and carbon-containing) compound that binds to charged metallic atoms (ions) to increase absorption.

Coenzyme - An organic (hydrogen and carbon-containing) compound that binds to a specific type of enzyme to activate it. A coenzyme is a type of cofactor. B vitamins commonly act as coenzymes.

Cofactor - An inorganic or organic substance that binds to a specific type of enzyme to activate it. Vitamins and minerals frequently serve as cofactors.

Effervescent - Possessing the quality of giving off gas bubbles. Effervescence provides a means of some drug or dietary supplement delivery systems and is intended to enhance absorption of the active ingredient..

Efficacy - A term borrowed from pharmacology describing the maximum response of an administered supplement, regardless of the dose. At a certain point, consuming more of a particular substance fails to elicit any greater effect. For example, the chemically dissimilar supplements A and B have each been shown to increase lean body mass by different mechanisms. However, product A always results in greater total increases in lean body mass than does supplement B.So, no matter how much supplement B a person consumes, he/she cannot expect greater increases in lean body mass with B when compared with an optimal dose of A. Similarly, for a person in excruciating pain, no quantity of aspirin will be as efficacious as an optimal dose of morphine. Efficacy is much more important than either bioavailability or potency.

Endogenous - Originating from within the body. In the most simple terms, anything produced inside the body, such as the hormone testosterone, is endogenous. However, exogenous substances can have endogenous influences. For example, a supplement that could increase the testicular production of testosterone would be said to increase “endogenous” testosterone secretion.

Engineered Food - A kind of nutrition supplement that is designed to augment the diet or to replace a meal. Typically contains carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals. May be sold as a powder, meal-replacement bar, or even specially designed foods such as pizza.

Ergogenic- Possessing the ability to enhance work output, particularly as it relates to athletic performance.

Ergolytic - Possessing the ability to decrease work output. Sometimes what is intended to enhance physical performance inadvertently hinders performance. For example, alcoholic beverages consumed immediately before an event were once thought to be ergogenic for endurance athletes, but may have actually been ergolytic.

Ergostatic - Having no effect on physical performance. This is not a part of the current sports nutrition vocabulary, but should be because it is the category in which most failed ergogenic aids fit; failed ergogenics are not necessarily ergolytic. Whereas ergogenic and ergolytic represent opposites like black and white, ergostatic represents gray. Ergostatic could replace clumsy phrases such as “not ergogenic,” “has no effect,” and “makes no difference.”

Exogenous - Referring to substances originating outside the body. For example, taking a hormone supplement would be consuming an exogenous form of the hormone.

Free Radicals - A highly reactive atom or compound having an unpaired electron. Free radicals are produced during metabolism and are believed to cause cellular damage. Free radicals may playa role in aging and disease. Antioxidants are consumed to help neutralize free radicals by sacrificing themselves to react with the free radicals so that the free radicals do not react with the body’s cells.

Functional Foods - Foods that may provide medical or health benefits beyond basic nutrition because of the presence of physiologically active compounds such as phytochemicals.

GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) - Food ingredients not evaluated by the FDA-prescribed testing procedure fall under the regulatory status of GRAS. GRAS also includes common food ingredients that were used before the 19S9 Food Additives Amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act was enacted.

Isolates - Substances that have been separated, or isolated, from their original source.

Metabolism - The sum total of all anabolic and catabolic reactions in the body. Metabolism also refers to the ridding of the body of foreign substances, during which lipid-soluble compounds are converted into more water-soluble metabolites for facilitated excretion.

Metabolite - Any product of metabolism, such as an intermediate or waste product. For example, the popular supplement beta­hydroxy beta-methyl butyrate (HMB) is a metabolite, or breakdown product, of the amino acid leucine.

Natural - Referring to foods or supplements that have not been greatly refined (processed) and which do not contain artificial chemicals such as fertilizers, colors, etc. The term natural presently has no legal definition. nutraceuticals-Substances in a food that may provide medical or health benefits beyond basic nutrition, including disease preven­tion. Research indicates this term does not appeal to most consumers possibly because it reminds them of medicine.

Organic - Pertaining to agricultural products that are grown using biological, mechanical, and cultural methods as opposed to synthetic methods to control pests, enhance soil quality, and/or improve processing. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is presently drafting a legal definition for what may be considered organic. The currently accepted definition permits farmers to use natural pesticides, but no synthetic products.

Oxidation - Process by which oxygen is added to a compound and/or electrons are lost. Oxidation is involved in the derivation of energy from compounds and causes the release of free radicals.

Patent - A numeric distinction granted to an invention, process, etc. by the US Patent Office. A patent gives exclusive rights, or a monopoly, to the inventor for production, use, sale, and profit. In regard to dietary supplements, a patent signifies only that a product is unique, not that it is effective. The US Patent Office does not test effectiveness.

Pharmaceutical Grade - Implying purity. This term has no legal or trade definition but is frequently used on sports supplement labels.

Phytochemical - Substances found in fruits and vegetables that may be consumed by humans daily in gram quantities. Phytochemicals exhibit a potential for reducing the risk of cancer.

Potency - A term borrowed from pharmacology describing the absolute amount (dose) of a substance to produce a specified ergogenic effect. This term is commonly confused with the terms efficacy and bioavailability. Potency is often overemphasized during marketing hype. For example, if supplement X requires a dose that is twice that of supplement Y, it does not necessarily follow that Y is any more effective. Cost of the supplement per unit weight may be an additional consideration.

Prohormone - A compound that can be converted into a hormone within the body. Prohormones are produced by glands in the body in which they await further processing to become functional hormones. Some prohormones are now sold as sports supplements.

Pure - Referring to a supplement that contains nothing but the ingredients stated on the label. This term has no legal definition.

Reduction - The counterpart to oxidation, in which electrons are gained by a compound.

Stacking - Consumption of two or more supplements during the same time frame in an attempt to maximize results. This term originated with anabolic steroid regimens.

Supraphysiological - Consumption or accretion of a substance in amounts greater than what is required for normal physiological processes. For example, eating supraphysiological amounts of protein has been shown to positively influence muscle growth.

Synergistic - Having the property of enhancing or multiplying the effectiveness of another substance. For example, carbohydrates consumed with creatine monohydrate have a synergistic relationship.