Muscle Building Amino Acid
L-Arginine Info And Products
What is it and where does it come from?
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. It is a building block of protein that performs a myriad of physiological functions. It is a known precursor of the gas nitric oxide [N02].
Arginine is an amino acid that the body cannot make naturally. Therefore it is important to consume foods that are rich in arginine.1
Arginine is found in high concentrations in nuts and seeds like peanuts and almonds. It can also be found in chocolate and raisins.
What does it do and what scientific studies give evidence to support this?
Arginine is necessary for the execution of many physiological processes. These physiological processes include hormone secretion, an increase in growth hormone output, the removal of toxic waste products from the body, and immune system defenses.2
Because Arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide [which is responsible for vasodiolation 3] it is often used for supporting healthy sexual function.
Recently, dietary supplements containing Arginine have become popular due to Arginine's nitric oxide producing ability, its ability to scavenge free radicals, as well as its ability to signal muscle cells, release growth hormone, support healthy cholesterol, and enhance fat metabolism. Arginine helps regulate salt levels in the body. 4
For this reason it should be of interest to competing bodybuilders, as retaining water under the skin can make one looks smooth, bloated and washed out. The nitrogen retaining abilities of Arginine are well-known within the bodybuilding and scientific communities. Arginine is also believed to be crucial for muscle growth due to its vasodilating abilities, as well as its ability to participate in protein synthesis. 5
Learn more about the benefits of L-Arginine on Clayton South's Health Facts.
Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency?
Everyone. Populations in particular need of arginine are growing children, infants, athletes, individuals trying to lose weight, and the elderly. In adult populations Arginine is considered to be a non-essential amino acid. For children, by contrast, Arginine is essential to the defense and development of the adolescent immune system.
Persons suffering from injury can benefit from supplemental arginine, as demand for arginine is increased during times of bodily injury and repair.6 Persons looking to support their sexual health may also benefit from use of Arginine due to its vasodilating properties. Arginine will act to increase the diameter of blood vessels, thereby allowing increased blood flow to reach constricted areas.
Arginine presents benefits to hard training athletes. Supplementing with Arginine may boost the immune system, thereby allowing the athlete to train harder and avoid the detrimental effects of minor health problems associated with overtraining.
Athletes who are discontinuing the use of androgenic or anabolic steroids may benefit from supplemental arginine.
Due to Arginines ability to increase growth hormone levels, its ability to encourage lipid oxidization, and its ability to support healthy blood pressure, supplemental arginine may prove beneficial for persons looking to lose weight.
How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?
Individuals with existing heart or psychiatric conditions should consult with their physician prior to supplementing with Arginine. With any amino acid containing product, overdose is a possibility. Dosing with too much arginine can lead to diarrhea, weakness and nausea. Clear dosing guidelines have not yet been established, so it is best to do what is known as "tolerance mapping".
Take a small dosage for one week, note the benefits and the side effects, and increase the dosage until the benefits are maximized and the side effects minimized. Over time the two will converge and you will hit the optimal dose. This process is similar to "receptor mapping" for bodybuilders who use insulin and steroids.
Many protein powders on the market are fortified with amino acids, including arginine. With this in mind, pay particular attention to how much arginine you are ingesting from sources. If you do not feel comfortable following the above described procedure, it is always best to follow the directions as prescribed on the products label.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Zinc Info And Products
1. What is it and where does it come from?
Zinc is classified as an essential mineral, and with good reason. Many foods rich in trace minerals contain Zinc, including milk, oysters, red meat, spinach, nuts, oats, and beans. The highest quality pharmaceutical grade Zinc is available from Bodybuilding.com!
2. What does it do and what scientific studies give evidence to support this?
Zinc does quite a bit for the body. First, Zinc is crucial for health because it strengthens the immune system. It is also essential to cell division, growth, and repair. Zinc plays an important role in the detoxification of alcohol in the liver, aides in digestion, and increases the production of protein. Second, it is involved in over 200 enzymatic reactions, and aides the body in the actions of several hormones, such as growth hormone, testosterone, insulin, and estrogen. It also maintains blood cholesterol levels in the body that are already in normal range. Not meeting the recommended RDA for Zinc can adversely affect sex hormones and lead to muscle atrophy because protein synthesis will not be optimized in your body (according to rat studies). Recent studies show that people who work out and exercise are more likely to be Zinc deficient and, consequently, need more Zinc
.
3. Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency?
In the quest for huge and lean mass, bodybuilders often look to a variety of well-known supplements. Names like HMB, Creatine Monohydrate, L-Glutamine, and Amino Acids comes to mind. However, a few supplements have been shown to achieve results that have not been highly publicized. Zinc is one such supplement. Many experts say that Zinc deficiency is widespread. Making sure you get your zinc is important to elevate your level of muscle building. Bodybuilders, especially, need Zinc! Since many don't get enough Zinc in their diet, this also means their immune systems will not be as strong! Make sure you're getting enough Zinc!
On the other hand, general supplementation with the mineral leads to an increased production of the hormone testosterone by the body. Good news! Individuals deficient in Zinc can raise their levels and benefit greatly from supplementation!
4. How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?
The recommended RDA for Zinc is 15 mg/day for men and 12 mg/day for women. Research shows that supplementing to attain your RDA is beneficial and conductive to bodybuilding. The RDA levels are safe and effective to supplement at. Taking too much Zinc (25-100 mg/day) can lead to the non-absorption of other minerals such as iron and copper. So, stick to the recommendations and you'll be well on your way to a bigger, healthier body!
Zinc is classified as an essential mineral, and with good reason. Many foods rich in trace minerals contain Zinc, including milk, oysters, red meat, spinach, nuts, oats, and beans. The highest quality pharmaceutical grade Zinc is available from Bodybuilding.com!
2. What does it do and what scientific studies give evidence to support this?
Zinc does quite a bit for the body. First, Zinc is crucial for health because it strengthens the immune system. It is also essential to cell division, growth, and repair. Zinc plays an important role in the detoxification of alcohol in the liver, aides in digestion, and increases the production of protein. Second, it is involved in over 200 enzymatic reactions, and aides the body in the actions of several hormones, such as growth hormone, testosterone, insulin, and estrogen. It also maintains blood cholesterol levels in the body that are already in normal range. Not meeting the recommended RDA for Zinc can adversely affect sex hormones and lead to muscle atrophy because protein synthesis will not be optimized in your body (according to rat studies). Recent studies show that people who work out and exercise are more likely to be Zinc deficient and, consequently, need more Zinc
.
3. Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency?
In the quest for huge and lean mass, bodybuilders often look to a variety of well-known supplements. Names like HMB, Creatine Monohydrate, L-Glutamine, and Amino Acids comes to mind. However, a few supplements have been shown to achieve results that have not been highly publicized. Zinc is one such supplement. Many experts say that Zinc deficiency is widespread. Making sure you get your zinc is important to elevate your level of muscle building. Bodybuilders, especially, need Zinc! Since many don't get enough Zinc in their diet, this also means their immune systems will not be as strong! Make sure you're getting enough Zinc!
On the other hand, general supplementation with the mineral leads to an increased production of the hormone testosterone by the body. Good news! Individuals deficient in Zinc can raise their levels and benefit greatly from supplementation!
4. How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?
The recommended RDA for Zinc is 15 mg/day for men and 12 mg/day for women. Research shows that supplementing to attain your RDA is beneficial and conductive to bodybuilding. The RDA levels are safe and effective to supplement at. Taking too much Zinc (25-100 mg/day) can lead to the non-absorption of other minerals such as iron and copper. So, stick to the recommendations and you'll be well on your way to a bigger, healthier body!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
AFTER THE WORKOUT
we have all heard the expression "people grow outside the gym not inside." However, what does this really mean, it means that recovery from training is where one achieves all their results. In the last few years post-workout nutrition has gained significant attention because researchers have found the body is most apt to absorb nutrients after one trains. This post-workout meal helps the body in increasing protein synthesis, creating more of an anabolic state, and making the most of the bodies desire to repair itself. Is this all we can do to promote the recovery process and take full advantage of our rest time between training sessions? The simple answer is no, there is so much more we can do to help our recovery which in turn will lead to better gains in training. While examining some of the more popular methods of recovery hopefully many of you will be able to feel better and to train harder.
During Training
General Physical Preparation (GPP): This is now becoming a more common training method in programs even though it has been part of periodization models for decades. GPP is intended to provide balanced physical conditioning in endurance, strength, speed, flexibility, and other basic factors of fitness (Siff, 2000). In general GPP is low intensity training and can be performed in a variety of activities. These activities can fall into the categories of weighted GPP and unweighted GPP. Examples of weighted GPP are wheelbarrow pushes, farmer's walks, sled dragging, and tire flips. Unweighted GPP could involve body calisthenics such as jumping jacks, split shuffles, mountain climbers, burpees, and even jump rope skips. Besides the benefits mentioned earlier, GPP helps improve work capacity and assist in recovery. It is a shame that so many people have very low levels of GPP and could greatly benefit from improving their current levels.
Nutrition: There is some evidence that drinking specific formulations during a workout can enhance the training effect. Nutritional/supplement experts such as Dr. Eric Serrano and Dr. Mauro DiPasquale have found great success in using Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) and Glutamine during training. To explain the great benefit of BCAAs I would like to quote Kelly Baggett from her article "BCAA Supplementation for Athletes."
"The BCAA's are special because they aren't significantly broken down in the liver and this results in release of the BCAA's from the liver into circulation. Skeletal muscles, however, are able to break down the BCAA's for energy and will do so during increased energy needs such as starvation, trauma, or exercise. During resting periods when other fuel sources, such as carbohydrates and fats, are available they spare the BCAA's from oxidation, leaving them available for use in protein synthesis which is what you want them to do - serve you by building muscle. The important thing is that although BCAA's account for only about 20% of the total amino acids in a protein meal they account for 50-90% of the total amino acids released into general circulation to be taken up by the muscles. BCAA's are the most abundant amino acids incorporated into muscle protein and make up 1/3 of this muscle. They are also heavily catabolized (broken down and used for energy) during exercise. These 2 reasons plus the fact that the body can't make it's own BCAA's increases the need for BCAA's for athletes."
Glutamine is the other component of this formula. Glutamine is known to have benefits such as sparing lean body mass during stress, improving the immune system, and increasing growth hormone levels. These are great supplements taken separately, but seem to have a synergistic effect when taken together. The problem in the past had to do with the dosage of BCAAs. To get the desired effect you must take a significant dosage of BCAAs. Fortunately, two companies have come out with powders that combine BCAAs and glutamine. I do not receive any money for promoting these products, but being able to pass along information that I have found extremely beneficial is the most help I could provide. ICE by Xtreme Formulations or GlutaCene by PRD are both great tasting and very effective products.
Directly After Training
These are methods we can all employ as soon as training is complete for the day or in between training sessions.
Contrast Showers: Expose all areas of the body that were involved with the day's training session. These showers are done by alternating bursts of hot and cold water. These temperatures are alternated for periods of two minutes and done as hot as tolerable and as cold as tolerable. This can be repeated four to six times. The reasoning behind these showers is the hot periods are for vaso-dilation (increased size of vessels) and cold is for vaso-constriction (decrease in size of vessels). The result is improved circulation in the trained areas.
Ice Massage: This should be done in between exercises or immediately after training. The ice is from a plastic cup of water that was frozen the day before. The ice is rubbed along the muscle belly that has been trained and not along the joints. Performing some movement while gently rubbing the muscles with ice is another way of improving upon this method. The purpose of ice massage is to reduce the tightness in the contracted muscles and to pump free the waste products in the tissues as a result of training.
Conclusion
Taking fifteen minutes either directly after the workout or later in the day can greatly improve all these aspects. It is unfortunate most of us neglect this aspect of our training especially considering the majority of us already know these benefits. However, if I told you, you would grow more and lift more would you stretch? The truth is I wouldn't be lying so start now!
Above are just some of the more common and easy to apply principles of restoration. Other methods include jacuzzis, saunas, vibromassagers, and electronic stimulation. Depending upon their availability these would also be great methods to employ. Be realistic though, if you are not use to incorporating these techniques into your routines begin with just a few and easy to use methods. Treatments such as stretching and utilizing general physical preparation training should always be reasonable and accessible.
During Training
General Physical Preparation (GPP): This is now becoming a more common training method in programs even though it has been part of periodization models for decades. GPP is intended to provide balanced physical conditioning in endurance, strength, speed, flexibility, and other basic factors of fitness (Siff, 2000). In general GPP is low intensity training and can be performed in a variety of activities. These activities can fall into the categories of weighted GPP and unweighted GPP. Examples of weighted GPP are wheelbarrow pushes, farmer's walks, sled dragging, and tire flips. Unweighted GPP could involve body calisthenics such as jumping jacks, split shuffles, mountain climbers, burpees, and even jump rope skips. Besides the benefits mentioned earlier, GPP helps improve work capacity and assist in recovery. It is a shame that so many people have very low levels of GPP and could greatly benefit from improving their current levels.
Nutrition: There is some evidence that drinking specific formulations during a workout can enhance the training effect. Nutritional/supplement experts such as Dr. Eric Serrano and Dr. Mauro DiPasquale have found great success in using Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) and Glutamine during training. To explain the great benefit of BCAAs I would like to quote Kelly Baggett from her article "BCAA Supplementation for Athletes."
"The BCAA's are special because they aren't significantly broken down in the liver and this results in release of the BCAA's from the liver into circulation. Skeletal muscles, however, are able to break down the BCAA's for energy and will do so during increased energy needs such as starvation, trauma, or exercise. During resting periods when other fuel sources, such as carbohydrates and fats, are available they spare the BCAA's from oxidation, leaving them available for use in protein synthesis which is what you want them to do - serve you by building muscle. The important thing is that although BCAA's account for only about 20% of the total amino acids in a protein meal they account for 50-90% of the total amino acids released into general circulation to be taken up by the muscles. BCAA's are the most abundant amino acids incorporated into muscle protein and make up 1/3 of this muscle. They are also heavily catabolized (broken down and used for energy) during exercise. These 2 reasons plus the fact that the body can't make it's own BCAA's increases the need for BCAA's for athletes."
Glutamine is the other component of this formula. Glutamine is known to have benefits such as sparing lean body mass during stress, improving the immune system, and increasing growth hormone levels. These are great supplements taken separately, but seem to have a synergistic effect when taken together. The problem in the past had to do with the dosage of BCAAs. To get the desired effect you must take a significant dosage of BCAAs. Fortunately, two companies have come out with powders that combine BCAAs and glutamine. I do not receive any money for promoting these products, but being able to pass along information that I have found extremely beneficial is the most help I could provide. ICE by Xtreme Formulations or GlutaCene by PRD are both great tasting and very effective products.
Directly After Training
These are methods we can all employ as soon as training is complete for the day or in between training sessions.
Contrast Showers: Expose all areas of the body that were involved with the day's training session. These showers are done by alternating bursts of hot and cold water. These temperatures are alternated for periods of two minutes and done as hot as tolerable and as cold as tolerable. This can be repeated four to six times. The reasoning behind these showers is the hot periods are for vaso-dilation (increased size of vessels) and cold is for vaso-constriction (decrease in size of vessels). The result is improved circulation in the trained areas.
Ice Massage: This should be done in between exercises or immediately after training. The ice is from a plastic cup of water that was frozen the day before. The ice is rubbed along the muscle belly that has been trained and not along the joints. Performing some movement while gently rubbing the muscles with ice is another way of improving upon this method. The purpose of ice massage is to reduce the tightness in the contracted muscles and to pump free the waste products in the tissues as a result of training.
Conclusion
Taking fifteen minutes either directly after the workout or later in the day can greatly improve all these aspects. It is unfortunate most of us neglect this aspect of our training especially considering the majority of us already know these benefits. However, if I told you, you would grow more and lift more would you stretch? The truth is I wouldn't be lying so start now!
Above are just some of the more common and easy to apply principles of restoration. Other methods include jacuzzis, saunas, vibromassagers, and electronic stimulation. Depending upon their availability these would also be great methods to employ. Be realistic though, if you are not use to incorporating these techniques into your routines begin with just a few and easy to use methods. Treatments such as stretching and utilizing general physical preparation training should always be reasonable and accessible.
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