Review: The Anabolic Index, by David Barr

Review: The Anabolic Index

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Recently, the Sherdog D&S forums have been lucky enough to have David Barr posting in various threads; his expertise and knowledge have been an asset to all lately. David has written some exclusive articles for us, so in turn, I decided to review The Anabolic Index, a 2-part manual.

For those that are wondering, NO, David didn

 

Good review there Mike. Thanks for sharing. So all in all, it looks like some solid books from David. It's good to have him here and you as well Mike for your knowledge. I have learned alot being here and has changed my life forever. Thanks!!

 

Nutrition is something I am highly interested in, and something I have decided to got to school for.

I will surely pick up these manuals when I get the money.

Thanks for the review and constant great posts. And thank you to David Barr for the great articles, and now these manuals.

(Edit : Is there a website where I can order these directly from Mr. Barr's own business?)

 

Thanks for the review Mike. Much appreciated.

 

It's bound to be asked at some point so might as well say it now...

How does it compare to Precision Nutrition?

Is it aimed at the same user base with the same intentions in mind?

 

Great review Mike! Thanks so much for you honest opinion!

 

Hi WCL, the link in my signature goes to my website where the manuals can be purchased. Thanks for your interest!

 

Great questions.

Precision Nutrition is a great resource for a general audience. The Anabolic Index was written with athletes in mind, and focuses on performance, growth, and recovery.

 

"Secondly would be the Anabolic Index itself. I liked the idea of a quantitative score, much like the Glycemic Index, but the score is never explained, and the limits of the score are nonexistent. This really isn’t an issue, because I’m not going to change what I eat and do based on a simple score, but I expected this to be more defined."

Given the title of the book, I feel that this should have received the most amount of detail.

 

Thanks for the review, good to hear. It sounds like the book(s) might be good for taking understanding from a novice level to intermediate, and providing references to learn more beyond the intermediate level.

How do the eating guidelines compare to Nutrient Timing?

Or is Nutrient Timing outdated?



i like nutrient timing.

 

I will be ordering both manuals in the pack when I can. Nutrition is something I am very interested in, and as a 17 year old - something I can possible invest my future into. :icon_chee

 

tl/dr

 

Hmm, I get the impression that PN is geared towards competitors, but fine for people who want to lose weight or just eat healthily. It seems to me that it's essentially the system he uses with top level athletes except without the one-to-one monitoring, feedback and individualization.

However i'm definitely interested in the recovery strategies in your book, particularly the supplement info as i don't think PN covers that so much.

 

PN was geared very much for the general audience like Dave mentioned. PN are simple nutrition strategies that anyone can use to live healthier regardless of being an athlete or not. General nutrition principals don't really change that much between the average guy and an athlete. PN is all about the 10 habits (or 7 habits if you

 

I understand that but a whole section of PN is dedicated to individualization depending on needs. I haven't gotten that far into it yet but will be sure to report back when i do.

 

The Individualisation Guide just presents the scientific method to gauge results and precisely make alterations to your diet/exercise plan. It can be considered, like the basic guide, to apply to all kinds of people equally in its generality. There is definitely room for some more specificity for athletes, and while I haven't read AI yet, I can see the potential for it to fit a tighter niche than PN.

 

the book could probably be summarized into about <10 bullet points. (most how-to book cans) if someone posts this, would it be considered a ban-worthy spoiler?

 

Review added to the Recommended Nutritional Reading thread in the FAQ.

 

I can't believe that I overlooked this question because the popularity of Nutrient Timing is one of the reasons I felt the need to publish The Anabolic Index.

Nutrient Timing is a good introduction to the concept that goes by the same name, but unfortunately is was outdated by the time is was published. Like most articles you read, it bases its recommendations off of endurance athletes. It also emphasizes the 1-hour post-workout window which is terribly outdated.

If you thought the Top Ten Post-Workout Myths article was cutting edge, you'll love The Anabolic Index.