An 8 oz bottle of POM, a popular pomegranate "antioxidant", contains 34 grams of sugar. Glucose metabolism (making energy from sugar) creates a fuck-ton of free radicals. #keto

Drinking high sugar, “free radical fighting antioxidants” you’re literally creating more free radicals in your body. Lulz!

I prefer the term Artificial Person, myself

Humans are electrical machines covered in meat. Like Bishop from Aliens. Everything we do, thinking, feeling, eating and deadlifting is controlled by our central nervous system (CNS), which is basically a circuit board.

Example: When we squat, the CNS fires electrical signals from the brain through the spine, into all muscles (motors) involved in squatting (pretty much every muscle in the body). This is called motor unit recruitment and must be coordinated (with electricity) in a perfectly timed pattern. Elite strength athletes have a CNS that can fire more electrical signals, stimulating more squat muscles, in a more synchronous way, to produce more strength. In other words, strong guys fire (electrically stimulate) on more cylinders (muscle fibers) than weak guys. Strength, like everything else in the body, is largely dependent upon electrical signaling.

In fact, it’s widely accepted that Newb-Gains (strength improvements within the first year of weight training) are an optimization of CNS signaling (rate coding), more than improvements to actual muscle tissue. This is how a beginner can get almost twice as strong before actually growing any additional muscle.

Vehicle metaphor – I can gain an extra 30 horsepower (in my ST) simply by modifying the software in my vehicles computer without changing a single engine part. These "strength" gains are made by optimizing the "timing" of the engine, similar to the timing of the CNS when squatting.

After squatting, when you’re eating that post workout steak, the electrical charge on your cell membranes is what helps move nutrients and waste in and out of the muscle cells.

I realize I've presented a lot of extra information, seemingly unrelated to grounding. But my point is, electricity is a HUGE part of the human body. Did you catch that?

Some actual Science on Grounding

In this study, a open wound which had not healed in 8 months, healed in 2 weeks with only 30 minute, daily grounding sessions.

In this study, 10 healthy subjects were grounded for 2 hours. Blood was taken before grounding and 2 hours into grounding. All 10 subjects showed significant decreases in blood viscosity when grounded.

Basically, grounding is a natural blood thinner. Blood viscosity is a cardiovascular risk factor. Thicker blood doesn’t flow well and can increase blood pressure. Grounding improves total body circulation, especially in peripheral cells, like muscle.

Improved circulation is HUGE for fitness.

In this study (blinded), 60 subjects who suffered from sleep disturbances and chronic muscle or joint pain were divided in two groups. For a month one group slept while grounded and the other group slept un-grounded. Neither group knew whether or not they were grounded.

Most grounded subjects reported subjective improvements in the following categories, while most in the control (not grounded) group did not report improvements: Time to fall asleep, quality of sleep, wake feeling rested, muscle stiffness and pain, back and or joint pain, general well-being.

In this study, subjects were grounded while sleeping and showed reduction in nighttime cortisol (stress hormone) levels and an alignment with the natural 24-hour circadian rhythm profile. They also reported subjective improvements in sleep quality, pain and stress.

In this double-blind study, 8 healthy male subjects performed intense eccentric muscular contractions that caused DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Then, for three days, half the men were grounded while the other were not and 48 different tests (blood tests and pain tests) were conducted. In 30 out of 48 tests, grounding showed a strong, positive effect on improved recovery, muscle function and pain reduction.

Examples of some tests

White blood cells: An increase in white blood cell production occurs when the immune system is called upon to defend the body against damaged cells. White blood cells were significantly lower, post exercise, in the grounded subjects. Suggests less damage?

Creatine Kinase: Creatine kinase is accepted as a marker of muscular damage. Ungrounded subjects consistently had more CK than grounded.

Subjective pain: In the days after exercise, ungrounded subjects had over 80% higher subjective pain. That’s kind of a big difference.

Objective pain: Researchers wrapped blood pressure cuffs around the legs of the subjects and inflated it until the subjects asked them to stop due to pain. The grounded group could tolerate significantly higher pressures for all three days, post exercise.

In this study, grounding significantly improved HRV (heart rate variability), which is the ultimate marker for rest, recovery, healing and stress, in my opinion.

In this study, grounding for one night significantly changed concentrations of minerals and electrolytes (iron, ionized calcium, inorganic phosphorus, sodium, potassium and magnesium) in blood. Renal excretion (Peeing) of both calcium and phosphorus (which directly relate to osteoporosis) was reduced significantly.

Grounding for 72 hours straight decreased fasting glucose for patients with diabetes.

A single night of grounding produced a significant decrease of free tri-iodothyronine and an increase of free thyroxin and thyroid-stimulating hormone. Many individuals on thyroid medication must adjust their medication downward, when grounding. Thyroid hormones affect almost every physiological process in the body…so I’d say this is quite powerful.

Conclusion

This is a no brainer, guys. Studying the research and looking at it through an evolutionary lens just makes sense to me. Grounding is low hanging fruit of health. It’s free and can be done with almost zero effort. With all the benefits, I can’t fathom why anyone wouldn’t do it. You'd have to be legendarily lazy.

Basically, I try to be grounded as often as possible. If I’m outside I stand in the grass barefoot, regardless of the weird looks I get. If I’m stationary (working at my desk or sleeping), I tie a ground wire to my ankle or just shove one in my sock.

When I train at home in my garage, I do the same...or tie a ground wire to the barbell.

Ok this post is WAY longer than I wanted it to be so I'll just shut the fuck up now. Below are some videos I made.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on grounding. Do you do it? Do you think it's hippy bullshit? Do you have any questions for me?

Thanks for reading guys,

Gabe

As always, if you want help, schedule a free coaching call. its only 10 minutes.