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- 5 Jun 2003
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Main reasons are:
Recovery
Calories
Macros
Also some of the elements are synergists and catalysts to amino acid absorbtion and enhance the protein synthesis, boost insulin response and try and make my body as anabolic as possible!
The mix of whey also helps get a better amino acid profile as well as fast and slower absorbing protein. Combined with the AAs and carb sources should enhance the supplement ingestion significantly.
To give a run down of each supp:
HMB is a derivative of Leucine. HMB is naturally occurring within the body in small quantities where it plays an important role in protein synthesis just as leucine does, however it completes the synthesis process. It can reduce catabolism and can lead to an increase of protein synthesis (=more LBM growth). HMB is anti catabolic. It disrupts the functions of proteolytes which are an aggressive enzymes which increase the rate of protein degradation when the body is in a catabolic state such as immediately after a workout. So if you reduce that the protein stays in better state for longer.
There is some evidence to suggest that HMB can increase VO2 max and increase muscle lactate thresholds. Which as you know can increase the energy output / performance. And HMB effects have been shown to be accentuated during negatives/exhaustive repetitions – don’t have the papers on this, so it’s purely anecdotal for the moment.
Creatine – every body knows about this!!!!
Naturally occurs in your body. Every time you perform any type of intense exercise (e.g. weight training) your body uses creatine to provide you with energy. However Creatine depletion happens quickly and this is the reason why you can’t train at 100% intensity for very long periods.
Dextrose is a simple high GI carbohydrate. Digested very quickly and so is ideal for replenishing liver and muscle glycogen post workout – though it depends on how much carb cycling you do. Cortisol levels rise during a workout (it’s a stress hormone) as the body tries to provide glucose for energy, however you really want to reduce cortisol post by stimulating a strong insulin release which high GI carbs do. Lowering cortisol and increasing insulin creates an anabolic environment within your body (that’s why insulin is such a wonderful thing to be able to control)
Maltodextrin is a man made carbohydrate produced from the hydrolysis of starch andis similar in structure to a protein peptide.
It is classified as a complex carb, it’s mainly made from small d-glucose molecules and is quickly broken down into glucose and hence has a similar GI rating to dextrose. It’s one of the best carbs for delivering glucose for glycogen uptake post work out. It also helps fluid intake. Generally it is sourced from corn starch and so has a high amylopetin content and low amylase which gives the same benefits as dextrose without the sweet taste. So the reason I’ve added this was so that I could keep the dextrose down a little.
Ribose is the sugar that kicks starts the metabolic process for production of ATP which is the major source of energy used by cells (Krebs cycle anyone?
). So included in those cells are muscle tissue cells. When you exercise, some ATP your body uses for energy is lost from the cells. Especially after prolonged high intensity this can deplete significantly. Unfortunately, Ribose production is slow, so to increase or to try and keep up with it’s depletion following or during hardcore exercise it’s a good supplement to take. I think it can take up to 2-3 days to recover ATP fully?
Now although it’s produced from glucose taking it can bypass the body's slow production pathways, which means that ATP is produced at a higher rate. If your body can get it’s ATP supply back quickly, it means you can get back on it more quickly.
So in a nutshell it can increases strength endurance, it replenishes ATP levels in less than 24hrs, can supports higher levels of ATP which both avoids inhibition of, as well as, signals protein synthesis to start and as such it works synergistically with Creatine! Hence another reason for taking creatine as well.
Leucine as you all probably know increases skeletal muscle protein synthesis (I think I read somewhere in the region of 7-9x more?), more so than any other amino acid at any rate. Leucine is a limiting nutrient i.e. it means you have to have enough leucine for it to be effective – hence why I bang on about amino acid profiles on my whey protein all the time!!
If you don’t have enough it just won’t make use of what you eat. You can avoid this limiting effect by taking it – I think most servings are around 2grammes for optimal levels.
This is where the link to the other supps comes in. The ATP levels also play a role in protein synthesis. It is activated when ATP levels are high, whilst the opposite happens when ATP levels are low. Supps like creatine and ribose boost levels of ATP (which is good for protein synthesis). leucine can also help to mitigate this lowering of protein synthesis that low ATP levels cause. Leucine also decreases catabolism cycle, and increases HMB synthesis by sparing leucine levels in muscle. It also help to increase levels of insulin – if you remember I talked about protein degradation earlier, well this mitigates those levels. I’ve read that leucine and insulin are independent of one another, however from what I’ve read when they’re increased simultaneously, they have a synergistic effect on protein synthesis.
Here’s the clincher - Leucine also enhances insulin response to carbs, which which makes you more anabolic – or sorry, your body in a more anabolic state.
However if you go OTT with leucine it can have a detrimental effect on other BCAAs.
Glutamine is another AA that every muscle cell in your body has and needs. It’s an important “building block” for the proteins that maintain health and tissue repair in cells. You get in naturally in meat and fish (though you can get it from pulses too I believe but in much smaller doses). Because it helps to rebuild muscle tissue, along with leucine and protein and a good AA profile, it can help fix, maintain and build that muscle. It’s more important for hypertrophy training, and despite not doing that sort of training, it helps with overall recovery and endurance training and is great at minimising cramps which I can suffer from when pushing myself
.
Recovery
Calories
Macros
Also some of the elements are synergists and catalysts to amino acid absorbtion and enhance the protein synthesis, boost insulin response and try and make my body as anabolic as possible!
The mix of whey also helps get a better amino acid profile as well as fast and slower absorbing protein. Combined with the AAs and carb sources should enhance the supplement ingestion significantly.
To give a run down of each supp:
HMB is a derivative of Leucine. HMB is naturally occurring within the body in small quantities where it plays an important role in protein synthesis just as leucine does, however it completes the synthesis process. It can reduce catabolism and can lead to an increase of protein synthesis (=more LBM growth). HMB is anti catabolic. It disrupts the functions of proteolytes which are an aggressive enzymes which increase the rate of protein degradation when the body is in a catabolic state such as immediately after a workout. So if you reduce that the protein stays in better state for longer.
There is some evidence to suggest that HMB can increase VO2 max and increase muscle lactate thresholds. Which as you know can increase the energy output / performance. And HMB effects have been shown to be accentuated during negatives/exhaustive repetitions – don’t have the papers on this, so it’s purely anecdotal for the moment.
Creatine – every body knows about this!!!!
Naturally occurs in your body. Every time you perform any type of intense exercise (e.g. weight training) your body uses creatine to provide you with energy. However Creatine depletion happens quickly and this is the reason why you can’t train at 100% intensity for very long periods. Dextrose is a simple high GI carbohydrate. Digested very quickly and so is ideal for replenishing liver and muscle glycogen post workout – though it depends on how much carb cycling you do. Cortisol levels rise during a workout (it’s a stress hormone) as the body tries to provide glucose for energy, however you really want to reduce cortisol post by stimulating a strong insulin release which high GI carbs do. Lowering cortisol and increasing insulin creates an anabolic environment within your body (that’s why insulin is such a wonderful thing to be able to control)
Maltodextrin is a man made carbohydrate produced from the hydrolysis of starch andis similar in structure to a protein peptide.
It is classified as a complex carb, it’s mainly made from small d-glucose molecules and is quickly broken down into glucose and hence has a similar GI rating to dextrose. It’s one of the best carbs for delivering glucose for glycogen uptake post work out. It also helps fluid intake. Generally it is sourced from corn starch and so has a high amylopetin content and low amylase which gives the same benefits as dextrose without the sweet taste. So the reason I’ve added this was so that I could keep the dextrose down a little.
Ribose is the sugar that kicks starts the metabolic process for production of ATP which is the major source of energy used by cells (Krebs cycle anyone?
). So included in those cells are muscle tissue cells. When you exercise, some ATP your body uses for energy is lost from the cells. Especially after prolonged high intensity this can deplete significantly. Unfortunately, Ribose production is slow, so to increase or to try and keep up with it’s depletion following or during hardcore exercise it’s a good supplement to take. I think it can take up to 2-3 days to recover ATP fully?Now although it’s produced from glucose taking it can bypass the body's slow production pathways, which means that ATP is produced at a higher rate. If your body can get it’s ATP supply back quickly, it means you can get back on it more quickly.
So in a nutshell it can increases strength endurance, it replenishes ATP levels in less than 24hrs, can supports higher levels of ATP which both avoids inhibition of, as well as, signals protein synthesis to start and as such it works synergistically with Creatine! Hence another reason for taking creatine as well.
Leucine as you all probably know increases skeletal muscle protein synthesis (I think I read somewhere in the region of 7-9x more?), more so than any other amino acid at any rate. Leucine is a limiting nutrient i.e. it means you have to have enough leucine for it to be effective – hence why I bang on about amino acid profiles on my whey protein all the time!!
If you don’t have enough it just won’t make use of what you eat. You can avoid this limiting effect by taking it – I think most servings are around 2grammes for optimal levels.This is where the link to the other supps comes in. The ATP levels also play a role in protein synthesis. It is activated when ATP levels are high, whilst the opposite happens when ATP levels are low. Supps like creatine and ribose boost levels of ATP (which is good for protein synthesis). leucine can also help to mitigate this lowering of protein synthesis that low ATP levels cause. Leucine also decreases catabolism cycle, and increases HMB synthesis by sparing leucine levels in muscle. It also help to increase levels of insulin – if you remember I talked about protein degradation earlier, well this mitigates those levels. I’ve read that leucine and insulin are independent of one another, however from what I’ve read when they’re increased simultaneously, they have a synergistic effect on protein synthesis.
Here’s the clincher - Leucine also enhances insulin response to carbs, which which makes you more anabolic – or sorry, your body in a more anabolic state.
However if you go OTT with leucine it can have a detrimental effect on other BCAAs.
Glutamine is another AA that every muscle cell in your body has and needs. It’s an important “building block” for the proteins that maintain health and tissue repair in cells. You get in naturally in meat and fish (though you can get it from pulses too I believe but in much smaller doses). Because it helps to rebuild muscle tissue, along with leucine and protein and a good AA profile, it can help fix, maintain and build that muscle. It’s more important for hypertrophy training, and despite not doing that sort of training, it helps with overall recovery and endurance training and is great at minimising cramps which I can suffer from when pushing myself
.
