Most of us have hectic schedules. Between work, the gym, and family, life can definitely take its toll on our energy. In this busy world we live in, it’s nice to enjoy a little extra pep-in-our-step. We have coffee and energy drinks, but coffee can get boring, and energy drinks are not exactly the best thing to put in our bodies when we account for the loads of sugar packed into one can. I previously mentioned people sipping on BCAAs throughout the day, and now they have an opportunity to reap the benefits of their anabolic concoction, and get a boost in energy! This can be achieved with Breach Ballistic. This product provides the same great aminos as its counterpart, Breach. Where they differ is in the added caffeine, theobromine, and choline bitartrate found in Breach Ballistic. I get it, you probably know what caffeine is, but did I mention there are two different forms of caffeine in this product? Yes, two. We have Caffeine Anhydrous, which is your typical, fast acting form of caffeine. This is dosed at 50mg, equivalent to about a half of a cup of coffee. The second form is Dicaffeine Malate. Also dosed at 50 mg, this version of caffeine tends to provide a “cleaner” and longer lasting boost of energy. Theobromine works similarly to caffeine. This ingredient increases energy levels and will heighten focus. Choline Bitartrate is phenomenal. While not a stimulant, this molecule will intensify your focus, which will undoubtedly help in day to day activities. It is safe say Ballistic Breach is great tool to stay anabolic and give you boost throughout the day, especially in the gym.
You may be wondering if this product is safe to take during your workout, specifically after drinking a pre-workout. The answer is two-fold. Yes you can, but use caution and asses your tolerance prior to doing so. Lessen the dose of either your pre or Breach Ballistic prior to drinking a full serving of both. There are many products out there that are already pushing the limits when it comes to the level of stimulants they contain, so it would be good practice to proceed carefully when using two products that contain such ingredients. Now, if you choose to drink a stim-free powder prior to working out, you will be absolutely fine drinking Breach Ballistic during your session. As mentioned earlier, the level of caffeine in Breach Ballistic would equate to around a cup of coffee. There is not a whole lot to worry about when it comes to being overly stimulated if you are taking just this product. Some people choose to mix both their pre and BCAAs and drink it all at once! In case you were curious, yes, this product is delicious, and comes in three excellent flavors. With choices like Blue Lemonade, Strawberry Kiwi, and Watermelon, you cannot go wrong. You have now learned about a product that tastes great and has exceptional ingredients. This leads to the all important question: “What’s the price?”
Go ahead and repeat after me: “I’ve been ripped off.” There is no denying we have all made purchases with supplements that we have come to regret. Dropping hard earned cash on supplements that do not work, taste horrible, and sometimes do not even have what is listed on the ingredients label is the worst! Fortunately, you will not have this problem with Breach Ballistic. Currently being sold for $25.00, this, in my book, is a steal. And yes, you do get a FULL 30 servings. A quality product for under $1.00 per serving is hard to come by. As you can see, Breach Ballistic is worth the investment. If this product has your attention, do not forget to save some for the original Breach.
Between Breach and Breach Ballistic, one product is not better than the other. Redcon1 wanted to give their customers variety and convenience. Now, instead of having to drink a cup of joe and a separate BCAA shake, we have the opportunity to take care of business with one simple scoop of Breach Ballistic. On the other hand, some people are very sensitive to stimulants. With a stim-free product like Breach, those people still have the opportunity to enjoy the anabolic benefits of BCAAs. It would be good practice to keep both on-hand for every occasion!
Breach Ballistic is the answer for those of us who find ourselves dragging throughout the day. This is not the go-ahead for you to abandon sleep and start chugging this product. It is imperative that we get an adequate amount of rest. Unfortunately, even getting 6-8 hours of sleep can still leave us tired. This is a result of the day-to-day stress we experience. Whether it comes from school, work, at home, or even physical stress from the gym, it definitely affects us all. That is the nice thing about Breach Ballistic; it can literally benefit everyone. You do not have to be a gym rat to consume amino acids; your body will still utilize them! And of course, that extra energy and focus will help get you through your strenuous day. And fitness junkies, we all love our BCAAs due to their recovery benefits. Now, we have a delicious opportunity to enjoy our aminos and get in the zone, mentally and physically, with Breach Ballistic. Lift on my friends!
]]>Hobson et al conducted a very important bit of literature on beta alanine supplementation and its direct effects on exercise performance in a meta analysis. They stated that “due to the well-defined role of β-alanine as a substrate of carnosine (a major contributor to H+ buffering during high-intensity exercise), β-alanine is fast becoming a popular ergogenic aid to sports performance. There have been several recent qualitative review articles published on the topic, and here we present a preliminary quantitative review of the literature through a meta-analysis. A comprehensive search of the literature was employed to identify all studies suitable for inclusion in the analysis; strict exclusion criteria were also applied. Fifteen published manuscripts were included in the analysis, which reported the results of 57 measures within 23 exercise tests, using 18 supplementation regimes and a total of 360 participants [174, β-alanine supplementation group (BA) and 186, placebo supplementation group (Pla)]. BA improved (P=0.002) the outcome of exercise measures to a greater extent than Pla [median effect size (IQR): BA 0.374 (0.140-0.747), Pla 0.108 (-0.019 to 0.487)]. Some of that effect might be explained by the improvement (P=0.013) in exercise capacity with BA compared to Pla; no improvement was seen for exercise performance (P=0.204). In line with the purported mechanisms for an ergogenic effect of β-alanine supplementation, exercise lasting 60-240 s was improved (P=0.001) in BA compared to Pla, as was exercise of >240 s (P=0.046). In contrast, there was no benefit of β-alanine on exercise lasting <60 s (P=0.312). The median effect of β-alanine supplementation is a 2.85% (-0.37 to 10.49%) improvement in the outcome of an exercise measure, when a median total of 179 g of β-alanine is supplemented” (1.)
Increased power output from muscle carnosine was shown by one of the more popular studies from Baguet et al in rowing performance. Chronic oral β-alanine supplementation is shown to elevate muscle carnosine content and improve anaerobic exercise performance during some laboratory tests, mainly in the untrained. It remains to be determined whether carnosine loading can improve single competition-like events in elite athletes. The aims of the present study were to investigate if performance is related to the muscle carnosine content and if β-alanine supplementation improves performance in highly trained rowers. Eighteen Belgian elite rowers were supplemented for 7 wk with either placebo or β-alanine (5 g/day). Before and following supplementation, muscle carnosine content in soleus and gastrocnemius medialis was measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) and the performance was evaluated in a 2,000-m ergometer test. At baseline, there was a strong positive correlation between 100-, 500-, 2,000-, and 6,000-m speed and muscle carnosine content. After β-alanine supplementation, the carnosine content increased by 45.3% in soleus and 28.2% in gastrocnemius. Following supplementation, the β-alanine group was 4.3 s faster than the placebo group, whereas before supplementation they were 0.3 s slower (P = 0.07). Muscle carnosine elevation was positively correlated to 2,000-m performance enhancement (P = 0.042 and r = 0.498). It can be concluded that the positive correlation between baseline muscle carnosine levels and rowing performance and the positive correlation between changes in muscle carnosine and performance improvement suggest that muscle carnosine is a new determinant of rowing performance (2.)
The last and maybe the most important aspect is its potential to increase lipolysis as well as muscular hypertrophy. For this, we must look at two studies: the first from Walter et al titled “Six weeks of high-intensity interval training with and without beta-alanine supplementation for improving cardiovascular fitness in women” and the second from Kern et al titled “Effects of β-alanine supplementation on performance and body composition in collegiate wrestlers and football players.” In the first study we find that 6 grams of beta alanine per day increased lean mass without influencing either fat mass or VO~2~ max (3.) Within the second study, we find that 4 grams of beta alanine per day improved performance as well as overall body composition (4.) Once you dig deeper into both of these studies, we find that the theoretically “fat loss and muscle gaining” effect is most likely due to the athlete’s ability to workout longer and harder utilizing heavier poundages for more overall volume. This is the key point to its use in bodybuilding. We know that it has the ability to increase power output, reduce fatigue, and promote overall endurance, but connecting the dots and finding out that that in and of itself will directly correlate to faster body fat losses as well as faster muscle gain means it is a tremendous aid to any bodybuilder. Research shows standard dosages of anywhere from 2 grams per day to 6 grams per day (divided) but clinically its accepted optimal at 3.2 grams per day to receive its ergogenic benefits. Even further more, carnosine is an antioxidant and potential anti-aging compound, but sadly, the literature on these aspects isn’t as robust as I would like it and therefore, until further studies come on, I cannot comment on that claim. What we do know is beta alanine has its place in not only bodybuilding, but any performance endeavor.
Alex Kikel
MS, PES, CPT, Speed and Explosion Specialist Level II
Owner of www.theprepcoach.com
References
In this instructional video, Redcon1 Head Trainer Joe Bennett teaches us the differences in using overhand vs. underhand grip on a barbell row. Both variations are useful, but as Joe explains they really need to be treated as two separate exercises. Overhand barbell rows tend to naturally bow a persons elbows out and make for more muscle activation in the upper back, rhomboids, and traps. Underhand rows work more of the lats. The goal for every person is to have the elbows tucked near the body and pulled back. You do not want the elbows to flare out if possible. With a barbell laying on a fixed plane of 180 degrees it makes wrist flexibility an important aspect when choosing which grip variation to use. If you lack wrist flexibility it will lead to the elbows flaring, which can then lead to a greater risk of injury in the elbow and shoulder. Regardless of the grip you use, it is important to lock the hips in place to keep the attention off of the spinal erectors.
]]>So far, we see sleep deprivation interrupting normal circadian rhythms that interrupt and cause a cascading effect with normal hormone functioning. Now onto one final hormone thats released during sleep that everyone is highly concerned with…growth hormone. Growth hormone has its biggest spike with is roughly half of our daily growth hormone amount. If this process is interuppted, could this be another big reason why you’re not growing? Plasma growth hormone (GH), insulin, cortisol, and glucose were measured during sleep on 38 nights in eight young adults in a study from Takahashi et al (6.) Blood was drawn from an indwelling catheter at 30-min intervals; EEG and electrooculogram were recorded throughout the night. In seven subjects, a plasma GH peak (13-72 mmug/ml) lasting 1.5-3.5 hr appeared with the onset of deep sleep. Smaller GH peaks (6-14 mmug/ml) occasionally appeared during subsequent deep sleep phases. Peak GH secretion was delayed if the onset of sleep was delayed. Subjects who were awakened for 2-3 hr and allowed to return to sleep exhibited another peak of GH secretion (14-46 mmug/ml). Peak GH secretion was not correlated with changes in plasma glucose, insulin, and cortisol. The effects of 6-CNS-active drugs on sleep-related GH secretion were investigated. Imipramine (50 mg) completely abolished GH peaks in two of four subjects, whereas chlorpromazine (30 mg), phenobarbital (97 mg), diphenylhydantoin (90 mg), chlordiazepoxide (20 mg), and isocarboxazid (30 mg) did not inhibit GH peaks. Altered hypothalamic activity associated with initiation of sleep results in a major peak of growth hormone secretion unrelated to hypoglycemia or changes in cortisol and insulin secretion. Now, although that is disrupted, we know that our bodies are very good at compensating, and it seems overall 24 hour growth hormone levels are compensated for (7.) But the issue is, is this disruption causing a bigger issue? Could this change if it is chronic sleep deprivation? Would our bodies still compensate? I cannot answer that with certainty.
Sleep deprivation is also correlated to possible decline in thyroid hormone output, insulin sensitivity, and overall cognitive output (8, 9, 10.) The literature in this article makes it very clear that sleep deprivation very well COULD be why you’re not growing. So next time you hit a sticking point, remember to assess EVERY variable (looking at sleep first.) Once proper sleep patterns are assessed and corrected, you can move on to the next variable which could be holding back your progress.
References
Relative to endurance exercise, recommended protein intakes range from of 1.0 g/kg to 1.6 g/kg per day depending on the intensity and duration of the endurance exercise, as well as the training status of the individual. For example, an elite endurance athlete requires a greater level of protein intake approaching the higher end the aforementioned range (1.0 to 1.6 g/kg/day). Additionally, as endurance exercise increases in intensity and duration, there is an increased oxidation of branched-chain amino acids, which creates a demand within the body for protein intakes at the upper end of this range. Strength/power exercise is thought to increase protein requirements even more than endurance exercise, particularly during the initial stages of training and/or sharp increases in volume. Recommendations for strength/power exercise typically range from 1.6 to 2.0 g/kg/day, although some research suggests that protein requirements may actually decrease during training due to biological adaptations that improve net protein retention. Little research has been conducted on exercise activities that are intermittent in nature (e.g., soccer, basketball, mixed martial arts, etc.). In a review focusing on soccer players, a protein intake of 1.4–1.7 g/kg was recommended. Protein intakes within this range (1.4 to 1.7 g/kg/day) are recommended for those engaging in other types of intermittent sports. In summary, it is the position of the International Society of Sport Nutrition that exercising individuals ingest protein ranging from 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg/day. Individuals engaging in endurance exercise should ingest levels at the lower end of this range, individuals engaging in intermittent activities should ingest levels in the middle of this range, and those engaging in strength/power exercise should ingest levels at the upper end of this range” (4.)
The literature goes on and on from researchers like Lemon, Tarnopolsky, Rand, Young, etc. Lemon et al even looked at protein requirements and muscle mass/strength changes during intensive training in novice bodybuilders and found that during the early stages of intensive bodybuilding training, PRO needs are approximately 100% greater than current recommendations (5.) As always, I have more literature below for you to read at your leisure to fully understand protein metabolism in regards to bodybuilders in relation to increased nitrogen retention, aminoacidemia, skeletal muscle protein synthesis, TEF, etc. In terms of practical application, we can see anything as low as 1 gram per pound of bodyweight and upwards of 3 grams per pound of bodyweight to be effective. I feel somewhere in between is the happy medium as we do have caloric restrictions and requirements to hit everyday. I would recommend beginning somewhere in the 1.2-2 grams per pound of bodyweight range, assessing the results, and altering as needed. The main point of this article is to get you thinking and questioning “is there a better way?” Now go out, do more research on your own, implement, experiment, and adjust to favor the results you desire.
References
Dr. Jose Antonio’s research continues. This study (3) looked at the consumption of a high protein diet (>4 g/kg/d) in trained men and women who did not alter their exercise program. Thus, the purpose of this investigation was to determine if a high protein diet in conjunction with a periodized heavy resistance training program would affect indices of body composition, performance and health. Forty-eight healthy resistance-trained men and women completed this study (mean ± SD; Normal Protein group [NP n = 17, four female and 13 male]: 24.8 ± 6.9 yr; 174.0 ± 9.5 cm height; 74.7 ± 9.6 kg body weight; 2.4 ± 1.7 yr of training; High Protein group [HP n = 31, seven female and 24 male]: 22.9 ± 3.1 yr; 172.3 ± 7.7 cm; 74.3 ± 12.4 kg; 4.9 ± 4.1 yr of training). Moreover, all subjects participated in a split-routine, periodized heavy resistance-training program. Training and daily diet logs were kept by each subject. Subjects in the NP and HP groups were instructed to consume their baseline (~2 g/kg/d) and >3 g/kg/d of dietary protein, respectively. Subjects in the NP and HP groups consumed 2.3 and 3.4 g/kg/day of dietary protein during the treatment period. The NP group consumed significantly (p < 0.05) more protein during the treatment period compared to their baseline intake. The HP group consumed more (p < 0.05) total energy and protein during the treatment period compared to their baseline intake. Furthermore, the HP group consumed significantly more (p < 0.05) total calories and protein compared to the NP group. There were significant time by group (p ≤ 0.05) changes in body weight (change: +1.3 ± 1.3 kg NP, −0.1 ± 2.5 HP), fat mass (change: −0.3 ± 2.2 kg NP, −1.7 ± 2.3 HP), and % body fat (change: −0.7 ± 2.8 NP, −2.4 ± 2.9 HP). The NP group gained significantly more body weight than the HP group; however, the HP group experienced a greater decrease in fat mass and % body fat. There was a significant time effect for FFM; however, there was a non-significant time by group effect for FFM (change: +1.5 ± 1.8 NP, +1.5 ± 2.2 HP). Furthermore, a significant time effect (p ≤ 0.05) was seen in both groups vis a vis improvements in maximal strength (i.e., 1-RM squat and bench) vertical jump and pull-ups; however, there were no significant time by group effects (p ≥ 0.05) for all exercise performance measures. Additionally, there were no changes in any of the blood parameters (i.e., basic metabolic panel). They concluded by stating “consuming a high protein diet (3.4 g/kg/d) in conjunction with a heavy resistance-training program may confer benefits with regards to body composition. Furthermore, there is no evidence that consuming a high protein diet has any deleterious effects.”
References
Let us first look at a study conducted by Jose Antonio et al entitled “A High Protein Diet Has No Harmful Effects: A One-Year Crossover Study in Resistance-Trained Males.” The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of a high protein diet over a one-year period. Fourteen healthy resistance-trained men completed the study (mean ± SD; age yr; height cm; and average years of training yr). In a randomized crossover design, subjects consumed their habitual or normal diet for 2 months and 4 months and alternated that with a higher protein diet (>3 g/kg/d) for 2 months and 4 months. Thus, on average, each subject was on their normal diet for 6 months and a higher protein diet for 6 months. Body composition was assessed via the Bod Pod®. Each subject provided approximately 100–168 daily dietary self-reports. During the subjects’ normal eating phase, they consumed (mean ± SD) kcals/kg/day and g/kg/day of protein. This significantly increased () during the high protein phase to kcals/kg/day and g/kg/day of protein. Our investigation discovered that, in resistance-trained men that consumed a high protein diet (~2.51–3.32 g/kg/d) for one year, there were no harmful effects on measures of blood lipids as well as liver and kidney function. In addition, despite the total increase in energy intake during the high protein phase, subjects did not experience an increase in fat mass (1.) This is only one of many studies putting that old myth to rest. In general, it is smart to ensure an individual has no history of kidney issues. If those are clear then a high protein diet will most likely only benefit you. Now onto answering our main question of “how much protein do we really need”, keeping in mind we are answering this from a bodybuilder’s/physique athlete’s perspective that is training consistency hard day in and day out, taking their musculature to failure, and truly pushing their limits (along with proper dietary and supplemental adherence.)
References
This 3 part series is still just touching the basics on ALA and its isomers’ potential benefits as it also plays a role as a positive anti-oxidant, has potential blood pressure lowering properties, potential enhanced blood flow, reduced inflammation properties, and the list goes on and on. In terms of practical application for the purpose of glucose disposal, we are looking at a stand alone dosage of between 300-600mgs. Many believe that the various isomers (S- and R- isomers) may be better suited for glucose disposal but it seems there is very little difference. We can note that there are higher blood levels seen with the Na-R-ALA isomer version (10.) Overall, ALA has a tremendous amount of benefits that extend beyond simply management of glucose and should be considered as a potential ergogenic and health supplement that should be in everyone’s supplement stack.
References