Recovering from a brutal workout relies heavily on proper nutrition and rest. Once those two factors have been accounted for, the cherry on top would be incorporating excellent supplements. A protein source, such as Isotope, and an amino product like Breach, or Breach Ballistic (Caffeinated) are excellent examples. These products would be most beneficial post-workout. After intense activity, this is when our body is most in need of nutrients. Breach is fantastic, as it incorporates the three EAAs I previously described as being the most valuable when it comes to recovery. Each has a unique job, and together they form the perfect package.
Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine play the biggest role of all aminos when it comes to muscle growth/recovery. They stimulate protein synthesis, regulate blood sugar levels, and even give a slight boost in energy. Leucine is the biggest player of the three in promoting protein synthesis. For this reason, you will find Breach packs a phenomenal 2:1:1 ratio of these aminos (2 parts Leucine, 1 part Isoleucine, and 1 part Valine). Think of your muscles as a “building” you are looking to construct. You have all of the materials to build your idea, now you just need someone to put it all together and oversee the project. We can view these three EAAs as being the team for the job. They signal for the muscle to grow/repair, and help you maintain an anabolic environment throughout your body. Anabolic means “muscle building state”, whereas if we were to be lacking the described EAAs, we would more often than not find ourselves in a catabolic situation, or “muscle loss state”. Being anabolic is ideal for not just men, but women too! Both can benefit from taking these EAAs. With Breach, you will get all of the benefits from these aminos, and, a little extra.
Muscle recovery is critical, but so is proper hydration. As an added bonus, Breach also contains coconut water powder and electrolytes to help you stay adequately hydrated. This makes it a perfect product for not just post workout, but all day long! Many successful bodybuilders and athletes drink amino acids throughout the day. This ensures a constant muscle building and properly hydrated state. This solves one of the biggest complaints in the fitness industry; muscle soreness.
I absolutely love being sore. That is my sign that I had a killer workout the day prior. For those of you that have tattoos, think of it like when you are in the process of getting inked. Yes, it hurts, but it is a “good” hurt! I feel that same way about muscle soreness post workout. Not everyone feels the same, and they need a solution to help ease their troubles. There really is no absolute, orthodox solution to being pain free after an all-out lift or sporting event (like a football game). This being said, if you are looking to help alleviate this in any way possible, an amino acid product like Breach will undoubtedly help. When we put our bodies through strenuous activity and put tension on our muscles for long periods of time, our muscle fibers will literally tear. For those of you new to the gym life, do not be alarmed. These are tiny breaks in the muscle tissue, nothing that is going to need medical attention. Over time, these rips in the muscle fiber fill back in with NEW muscle, and this is where we experience muscle gains, and more strength! Adding Lecuine, Isoleucine, and Valine into our diet in order to help facilitate this growth and repair is crucial. With the added hydration/electrolyte benefits, this also allows for optimal function within our muscular system. If you are still on the fence on incorporating aminos into your regiment, allow me to introduce a not-so-good hormone, Coritsol.
Cortisol is a stress hormone, and it can be very destructive to our body, particularly our muscles. This nasty hormone actually binds to receptors in our muscles, and can cause the dreaded catabolic environment to set in. Additionally, cortisol actually breaks down amino acids. To make matters worse, cortisol levels elevate during stress. This includes both mental and physical stress. Essentially, we are fighting an up-hill battle when we go to the gym when it comes to cortisol. With an EAA product like Breach, we can stop trying to walk “up” the “down” escalator and get back on track to providing our bodies with the proper environment needed for maximum recovery.
Recovery is the key to success. It does not matter what walk of life you come from. Whether you are an athlete, a bodybuilder, cyclist, runner, weekend warrior, etc, any and everyone can benefit from essential amino acids. There is not a single person who is maintaining an active lifestyle that would not like to see better, faster, and overall, more efficient results. When thinking about recovering and optimizing your bodies’ potential, there are three things you must be aware of at all times; proper nutrition, sleep, and supplementation. After nailing your diet and making sure you get sufficient rest, the last component is finding the right supplements. When it comes to recovery and growth, adding an amino product like Breach would be the perfect addition to your daily routine. Lift on my friends!
-Garrett Skurnit
]]>BPC 157 has been given even more attention for its other benefits. Sikiric et al looked at the counteraction by stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 with NSAIDs (3.) They stated “recently, we claim that BPC 157 may be used as an antidote against NSAIDs. We focused on BPC 157 beneficial effects on stomach, duodenum, intestine, liver and brain injuries, adjuvant arthritis, pain, hyper/hypothermia, obstructive thrombus formation and thrombolysis, blood vessel function, counteraction of prolonged bleeding and thrombocytopenia after application of various anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents and wound healing improvement. The arguments for BPC 157 antidote activity (i.e., the role of BPC 157 in cytoprotection, being a novel mediator of Robert’s cytoprotection and BPC 157 beneficial effects on NSAIDs mediated lesions in the gastrointestinal tract, liver and brain and finally, counteraction of aspirin-induced prolonged bleeding and thrombocytopenia) obviously have a counteracting effect on several established side-effects of NSAIDs use. The mentioned variety of the beneficial effects portrayed by BPC 157 may well be a foundation for establishing BPC 157 as a NSAIDs antidote since no other single agent has portrayed a similar array of effects. Unlike NSAIDs, a very high safety (no reported toxicity (LD1 could be not achieved)) profile is reported for BPC 157. Also, unlike the different dosage levels of aspirin, as a NSAIDs prototype, which differ by a factor of about ten, all these beneficial and counteracting effects of BPC 157 were obtained using the equipotent dosage (μg, ng/kg) in parenteral or peroral regimens.” BPC 157 is also linked to reversing systemic corticosertoid impaired muscle healing, accelerating bone healing, and repairing inflammatories diseases (4, 5, 6, 7.)
With the proven efficacy of BPC-157, we can now move into TB500. TB500 is the synthetic form of Thymosin Beta-4 that is specifically designed to help deal with injuries in athletes (Thymosin Beta-4 is a naturally occurring peptide present in our cells that plays a pivotal role in building new blood vessels, new small muscle tissue fibers, cell migration and blood cell reproduction.) Its main ability to up-regulate actin (and other cell building proteins) is what allows it to promote cell migration and proliferation as well as increases the circulation to injuries areas (thereby accelerating healing rates.) In fact, Wei et al looked into how thymosin Beta 4 protects mice from monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive vascular disease of pulmonary arteries that impedes ejection of blood by the right ventricle. As a result there is an increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary arterial pressure causing right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) and RV failure. The pathology of PAH involves vascular cell remodeling including pulmonary arterial endothelial cell (PAEC) dysfunction and pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation. Current therapies are limited to reverse the vascular remodeling. Investigating a key molecule is required for development of new therapeutic intervention. Thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4) is a ubiquitous G-actin sequestering protein with diverse biological function and promotes wound healing and modulates inflammatory responses. However, it remains unknown whether Tβ4 has any protective role in PH. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the whether Tβ4 can be used as a vascular-protective agent. In monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PH mouse model, we showed that mice treated with Tβ4 significantly attenuated the systolic pressure and RVH, compared to the MCT treated mice. Our data revealed for the first time that Tβ4 selectively targets Notch3-Col 3A-CTGF gene axis in preventing MCT-induced PH and RVH. Their study may provide pre-clinical evidence for Tβ4 and may consider as vasculo-protective agent for the treatment of PH induced RVH (8.)
References
One common thing among many top athletes is injury. In any aspect of life when you are continuously pushing your body’s limits, stress and strain creep up, and injury can occur. Due to this, we look into optimizing our nutrition and training strategies to increase healing rates, but, sometimes it just isn’t fast enough. In this situation, after the cause of the injury is assessed and nutrition and training are adjusted, adding in peptides can make a tremendous amount of difference in the acceleration of your healing capabilities (and some people may even add them in after surgeries to once again decrease the time they need to spend out of the gym.) In this cause, there are two peptides I want to cover completely in depth within this three part series. Those being BPC-157 and TB500. These peptides are simply a sequence of amino acids linked in a chain, the carboxyl group of each acid being joined to the amino group of the next . Let us first look at some of the promising effects of both compounds before moving into practical application.
BPC-157 will be our first peptide to cover, mainly because I feel it is the superior option if having to chose between the two. Beginning with a study from Chang et al, we see its promotion of tendon and ligament healing. This study was designed to investigate the potential mechanism of BPC 157 to enhance healing of injured tendon. The outgrowth of tendon fibroblasts from tendon explants cultured with or without BPC 157 was examined. Results showed that BPC 157 significantly accelerated the outgrowth of tendon explants. Cell proliferation of cultured tendon fibroblasts derived from rat Achilles tendon was not directly affected by BPC 157 as evaluated by MTT assay. However, the survival of BPC 157-treated cells was significantly increased under the H(2)O(2) stress. BPC 157 markedly increased the in vitro migration of tendon fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner as revealed by transwell filter migration assay. BPC 157 also dose dependently accelerated the spreading of tendon fibroblasts on culture dishes. The F-actin formation as detected by FITC-phalloidin staining was induced in BPC 157-treated fibroblasts. The protein expression and activation of FAK and paxillin were determined by Western blot analysis, and the phosphorylation levels of both FAK and paxillin were dose dependently increased by BPC 157 while the total amounts of protein was unaltered. In conclusion, BPC 157 promotes the ex vivo outgrowth of tendon fibroblasts from tendon explants, cell survival under stress, and the in vitro migration of tendon fibroblasts, which is likely mediated by the activation of the FAK-paxillin pathway (1.) Even more so is its ability to have tendon to bone healing effects. The abstract from Krivic et al states “Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 (BPC 157, as an antiulcer agent in clinical trials for inflammatory bowel disease; PLD-116, PL 14736, Pliva, no toxicity reported) alone (without carrier) ameliorates healing of tendon and bone, respectively, as well as other tissues. Thereby, we focus on Achilles tendon-to-bone healing: tendon to bone could not be healed spontaneously, but it was recovered by this peptide. After the rat’s Achilles tendon was sharply transected from calcaneal bone, agents [BPC 157 (10 microg, 10 ng, 10 pg), 6alpha-methylprednisolone (1 mg), 0.9% NaCl (5 mL)] were given alone or in combination [/kg body weight (b.w.) intraperitoneally, once time daily, first 30-min after surgery, last 24 h before analysis]. Tested at days 1, 4, 7, 10, 14, and 21 after Achilles detachment, BPC 157 improves healing functionally [Achilles functional index (AFI) values substantially increased], biomechanically (load to failure, stiffness, and Young elasticity modulus significantly increased), macro/microscopically, immunohistochemistry (better organization of collagen fibers, and advanced vascular appearance, more collagen type I). 6alpha-Methylprednisolone consistently aggravates the healing, while BPC 157 substantially reduces 6alpha-methylprednisolone healing aggravation. Thus, direct tendon-to-bone healing using stabile nontoxic peptide BPC 157 without a carrier might successfully exchange the present reconstructive surgical methods” (2.)
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
As you can see, HMB offers a clear ergogenic aid with somewhat potential health benefits. We cannot say anything conclusive just yet but it doesnt seem to have any detrimental side effects that I am aware of when taken in the proper quantities. A standard dosage of 1-3 grams per day of HMB-FA seems to be efficient for anti-catabolic purposes but there doesnt seem to be a dosage I cannot recommend yet for its proposed health benefits.
References
In the pursuit of muscle growth, there are many lanes that can be improved to affect your end results. How you train, how you eat, how much you sleep etc. The variables might seem endless.
However, your body is built from what you put into it, and it grows to adapt to the demands you put on it using this fuel. The first step is always nutrition, to provide adequate fuel for physical change. This is also the most important pathway we can tweak to affect our end results.
Proper nutrition is critical for growth, but other substances consumed through this pathway can also significantly affect your physical outcome. Supplements are today a crucial aspect of sports nutrition since they offer a precise and convenient way to harness the benefits of ‘adequate nutrients,’ as well as enhance the functioning of our body through specific dosages of substances proven to exert ergogenic (performance enhancing) effects.
In this article, we want to talk about our flagship lines of anabolic and hormone boosting supplements and how you can use these to transform your physique completely. Sounds interesting?
It is time to get serious with some very serious supplements!
An Introduction to Our Different Lines of Anabolic Supplements
Anabolism is the process of building and repairing tissues, while catabolism is the opposite, the breakdown of tissues. To build maximum muscle mass, you want to promote an anabolic environment in your body. This is done through properly timed training, adequate nutrients and rest, but can also be enhanced by using specific dietary supplements that further promotes anabolism in the body.
Supplement wise, it all boils down to this; there are two different types of anabolic dietary supplements on the market. Prohormones, which are usually hormone metabolites that occur naturally in the body, as well as natural anabolics, derived from plants or animal sources.
None of these is the same thing as anabolic steroids, as they are legal, and almost always found naturally in the body or nature. Anabolic steroids and synthetic testosterone bind directly to androgen receptors in the body and exert their effects, but prohormones or natural anabolics rather promote the body’s own natural processes and can be further broken down into powerful anabolic hormones.
DHEA: The Precursor to All Anabolic Hormones
The hormone DHEA is the precursor of which your body uses to manufacture sex hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. Recent research has shown DHEA to be implicated in the aging process and has even been called the “youth hormone,” because of its myriad of beneficial effects in the body from everything to muscle growth, libido, depression, and bone strength.
Since DHEA is the building block of testosterone, you need adequate levels of DHEA to have any testosterone, to begin with. In a similar fashion to testosterone, levels of DHEA decrease with age, hence bioidentical DHEA supplements have become very popular for aging men and men struggling with low testosterone levels.
One drawback of DHEA supplementation though, is that its conversion into estrogen can be high, especially when administered in high doses. Side effects of excess estrogen can overshadow the testosterone boosting properties of DHEA, making it not very suitable as a supplement for boosting hormones such as testosterone.
In fact, when compared to other DHEA isomers that we will talk about next, regular DHEA is more estrogenic than it is androgenic or anabolic in its effects profile. However, lower dosed it is great as an anti-aging supplement for men.
The SOMAL Line of Powerful Prohormones
Our flagship line of prohormones is the SOMAL line of supplements, containing the best of the best in terms of DHEA derived prohormones.
So what’s the deal with DHEA isomers?
DHEA naturally occurs in the body in several different forms (isomers) and metabolites, many of which have drastically different effect profiles than regular DHEA. By supplementing with isolated, larger amounts of these various DHEA isomers, we can reap the unique benefits of them for performance and muscle growth effects.
Since they naturally occur in the body, they have a high safety profile compared to synthetic compounds such as anabolic steroids. They are also completely void of liver toxicity, which is often one of the most common issues with anabolic steroid use.
The SOMAL line of supplements consists of three different products, SOMAL-1, SOMAL-4 and SOMAL-NOR – all three contain different types of DHEA isomers that all have anabolic muscle promoting effects, but certain fundamental differences that separate them from each other.
They are all precursors to some of the most potent anabolic hormones in the body such as 1-Androstenediol/dione, 4-Androstenediol/dione, and 19-nordiol/dione. These hormones are all banned in their pure form as supplements, but the DHEA isomers remain legal and convert to these powerful hormones in the body through enzymatic reactions.
Containing the most androgenic and anabolic DHEA isomer ‘1-DHEA’ among all the SOMAL products, SOMAL-1 is a very potent prohormone that increases nitrogen retention, boosting muscle growth and accelerating recovery from exercise. In fact, it might just be the most potent prohormone still readily available on the market.
Best used as a strength and mass builder, 1-DHEA is considered a dry prohormone because it cannot aromatize into estrogen or testosterone. Rather it is converted into 1-testosterone in the body which is an entirely non-estrogenic form of testosterone. Hence, it reduces bloat and has a hardening effect on muscle definition.
Because of its complete lack of estrogenic effects, SOMAL-1 is a good product to stack together with other DHEA isomers such as those found in either SOMAL-4 or SOMAL-NOR, since it would not add to the potential mild estrogenic side effect profile, only provide further benefits.
SOMAL-1 is very safe since it is naturally occurring and completely non-toxic, however, like all the DHEA isomers it can suppress natural testosterone production and hence it is highly recommended to run a PCT cycle when stopping its use. PCT (post cycle therapy) helps to bring your endocrine system back on track after running a prohormone; we recommend a product such as our AFTERMATH supplement specifically designed for rebooting your natural testosterone production as quick as possible.
The 4-DHEA isomer is much stronger than regular DHEA, and while it still carries a similar mild estrogen conversion potential, it is much more androgenic and anabolic in nature than DHEA. While 4-DHEA is not as potent as 1-DHEA, it is one of the only prohormones left on the market that converts to testosterone, the hormone all men want more of (not same as the 1-testosterone from 1-DHEA). Because of its conversion to testosterone, it would bring greater well-being and libido effects compared to 1-DHEA.
Some like to stack 4-DHEA with DHEA-1 to counteract the potential side effects of lethargy sometimes brought on by 1-DHEA. Lethargy is simply a state of mental fatigue that can sometimes be brought on by prohormone use. DHEA-1 is more powerful but does not come with the same growth hormone and IGF-1 boosting effects that 4-DHEA possess.
For people that struggle with anemia or would benefit from the endurance aspect of a higher blood volume, 4-DHEA can help your body build more blood and improve oxygenation.
Like with all the DHEA isomers, running a PCT cycle after using them for a cycle period is recommended as they tend to shut down natural testosterone production to different degrees. Since 4-DHEA easier converts to estrogen because of its conversion into testosterone, discontinue use if you experience excess water retention, bloat or sensitive nipples.
The 19-Nor-DHEA in our SOMAL-NOR product is somewhat unique compared to SOMAL-1 and SOMAL-4 as the molecule is a precursor to the anabolic steroid nandrolone (also called Deca). It has to go through 2 enzymatic reactions in the body before it is turned into Nandrolone which has been shown to be 6 times more anabolic than testosterone. This is the only prohormone on the market that converts into Nandrolone.
However, the best part about 19-Nor-DHEA is not how strong of an anabolic it is; it is that it cannot be converted into the hormone DHT by the body and only about 20% of it will be converted into estrogen compared to testosterone. This gives it a low side effect profile when dosed correctly and has a much lower risk of androgenic side effects such as hair loss and prostate enlargement. It is also not liver toxic same as the other DHEA isomers.
Another unique aspect of 19-NOR-DHEA and Nandrolone is that it promotes joint health and can help prevent joint pain, improve recovery and accelerate healing.
HALO: Nature’s Most Powerful Anabolic:
Our body naturally contain plenty of anabolic compounds, such as the DHEA isomers we just discussed in our SOMAL line of products. However, nature has also provided anabolic compounds to some of the plants in our environment and lucky for us; we can reap their benefits by simply consuming them.
HALO is our most recently launched natural anabolic, which contains a high dosage of Laxogenin, a vigorous plant based steroidal sapogenin isolated from the rhizomes of a plant native to Asia. It has been extensively studied for its anabolic effects even as far back as 1963, however, as a supplement it has not grown popular until the last decade.
Laxogenin promotes growth and vitality of the plant, and some of these effects also translate to humans when consumed. By increasing protein synthesis in your muscle, Laxogenin can prevent muscle breakdown and argument growth. It also possesses powerful anti-catabolic effects, lowering the amounts of the catabolic stress hormone cortisol in our body, which can otherwise break down muscle mass when presented in excess such as from overtraining.
By promoting nitrogen retention, HALO is the perfect supplement for lean gains, accelerated recovery and increasing muscle strength, even while dieting on a calorie deficit. Compared to our SOMAL products, HALO does not affect your body own hormones or endocrine system, meaning it is completely safe and side effect free, even when used for prolonged periods of time.
Since HALO is such a safe and easy to use natural anabolic, it can be stacked and combined with anything, making it a great and very versatile supplement to run both during bulking, cutting as well as during maintenance. It is also suitable for use during PCT to make sure you retain maximum amounts of muscle gains from your prohormone cycles.
Which Product Is the Best for Me?
When choosing an anabolic supplement to aid muscle growth, there is one important question you want to ask yourself. Do you prefer to have to run PCT or not?
When dealing with prohormones, PCT is critical to preserving hormonal balance as well as maximum gains after cycle. In other words, running a cycle of our SOMAL products requires more care and an extra PCT supplement cycle (for example using our product AFTERMATH) for best results.
Also if you have issues with your hormonal balance (such as excess estrogen), you need to monitor yourself for side effects carefully. Avoid SOMAL-4 and SOMAL-NOR if you have problems with estrogen, rather opt for SOMAL-1 which does not influence estrogen at all.
On the other hand, prohormones such as those in our SOMAL line of products are among the most potent supplements for muscle growth currently out there on the market. If you are looking for maximum results and products which actually brings you what they promise, look no further than these. But also remember, no pain, no gain. You need to spend time lifting those weights for the effects from these supplements to really shine.
If you prefer not to mess around with your body’s hormone levels and want to keep it as natural as possible, along with ease of use, HALO is your best bet. Since HALO directly works on your rate of muscle protein synthesis, recovery, and acts as an anti-catabolic agent, it will leave your endocrine system untouched, requiring no PCT. It also comes with more freedom with dosing and even allowing for long term use.
Stacking: How to Get the Most Out of Our Products
Of course, the obvious next question is, can I combine these supplements for even more benefits?
The answer is, YES! And doing so will bring even greater results.
However, which ones you should decide to combine significantly depend on the benefits you seek. Here are some unique aspects of each one to be aware of:
SOMAL-1:
SOMAL-4:
SOMAL-NOR:
HALO:
Remember never to exceed the recommended dosages for the SOMAL products and also if you combine them with each other; it is a good idea to start out with a smaller dosage of each and increase slowly while observing the effects in your body. More is not always better when it comes to augmenting your hormones.
The following are some examples of stack cycles:
For muscle growth (bulking):
For cutting (fat loss on a calorie deficit while preserving lean muscle):
For PCT:
As you can see above HALO is used in all combinations as it is unique in its non-hormonal anabolic effects and is great for both building muscle as well as preventing its breakdown.
Precautions
Keep in mind that even if the SOMAL products (DHEA isomers) are natural substances and legal to buy as supplements, many sports organizations still bans them for use when competing and will check for them when doing blood tests.
Many athletes still use the DHEA isomers offseason and in-between competitions, making sure to cycle off them in time for the body to balance back natural hormone levels to remain within the legal zone for steroid testing.
Also as we have mentioned previously, don’t skip out on PCT after using the SOMAL products. Giving your body all the help it can get to balance back your hormones is critical for both your health as well as your gains. You can look at it like this, if you want to be able to drive your car faster, maintenance is critical after races. PCT is your maintenance after periods of high performance.
Conclusion
While prohormones are still a controversial topic in sports nutrition, none can argue that the physique enhancing effects they can bring is nothing short of amazing. All our SOMAL products can be safely stacked and used as long as you follow the recommendations. If you have spent countless of dollars on ineffective sports supplements, SOMAL is for you. Give them a shot and their effectiveness might just surprise you!
HALO is the best beginners supplement for enhanced muscle growth and a product that fit well in any serious athletes regiment. Stay on top of your game with a little help from your friends over at Redcon1; we promise you won’t be disappointed!
References:
Alhaj, H.A., Massey, A.E., and McAllister-Williams, R.H. (2006). Effects of DHEA administration on episodic memory, cortisol and mood in healthy young men: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Psychopharmacology (Berl.) 188, 541–551.
Brown, G.A., Vukovich, M.D., Sharp, R.L., Reifenrath, T.A., Parsons, K.A., and King, D.S. (1999). Effect of oral DHEA on serum testosterone and adaptations to resistance training in young men. J. Appl. Physiol. 87, 2274–2283.
Brown, G.A., Martini, E.R., Roberts, B.S., Vukovich, M.D., and King, D.S. (2002). Acute hormonal response to sublingual androstenediol intake in young men. J. Appl. Physiol. 92, 142–146.
Colker, C.M., Antonio, J., and Kalman, D. (2001). The metabolism of orally ingested 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-dione and 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-diol in healthy, resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res 15, 144–147.
Friedel, A., Geyer, H., Kamber, M., Laudenbach-Leschowsky, U., Schänzer, W., Thevis, M., Vollmer, G., Zierau, O., and Diel, P. (2006). 17beta-hydroxy-5alpha-androst-1-en-3-one (1-testosterone) is a potent androgen with anabolic properties. Toxicol. Lett. 165, 149–155.
Van Gammeren, D., Falk, D., and Antonio, J. (2002). Effects of norandrostenedione and norandrostenediol in resistance-trained men. Nutrition 18, 734–737.
Van Gammeren, D., Falk, D., and Antonio, J. (2001). The effects of supplementation with 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-dione and 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-diol on body composition and athletic performance in previously weight-trained male athletes. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 84, 426–431.
Parr, M.K., Opfermann, G., Geyer, H., Westphal, F., Sönnichsen, F.D., Zapp, J., Kwiatkowska, D., and Schänzer, W. (2011). Seized designer supplement named “1-Androsterone”: identification as 3β-hydroxy-5α-androst-1-en-17-one and its urinary elimination. Steroids 76, 540–547.
Schrader, Y., Thevis, M., and Schänzer, W. (2006). Quantitative determination of metabolic products of 19-norandrostenediol in human plasma using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Drug Metab. Dispos. 34, 1328–1335.
]]>When it comes to building tons of muscle, too often, tons of fat accompany it. This is why it is considered by many that it is impossible to do both at the same time, although you do have more control than you think. A lot of that control involves the powerful hormone insulin, who can make or break a physique, depending on what you do.
Without a doubt, insulin could be considered the key that dictates muscle growth, and speed of recuperation, along with nutrient uptake. But in that same breath, however, is insulin’s “darker” side, the one that makes it incredibly easy for you to get fat.
See, insulin is a powerful storage hormone, one that is recruited when we eat foods, primarily carbohydrate heavy ones.
Depending on the exact timing of insulin release (such as upon eating in the morning, or after your workout, just a random snack in the middle of the day), the excess carbohydrates may be shuttled to different locations. For example, upon waking in the morning, and after a workout, glycogen levels are lower than normal, allowing insulin to shuttle sugar into the liver and muscle cells, and be stored as more glycogen.
However, glycogen stores are not infinite, and are filled relatively fast; begging the question “what happens to excess sugar?” They are then sent to fat cells, who have a much greater capacity for storage, and ta-da! Are converted to fat.
See how simple it is for sugar to promote fat gain?
Luckily, by taking advantage of glucose portioning agents, safe and effective supplements, you can temper the speed by which insulin gets to work, reducing the possibility of rapid muscle, liver or fat cell saturation. As mentioned, glycogen stores as small, and filled quickly. It’s like loading gasoline into a full tank; instead of just “wasting” the excess gas, fill it little by little, so that more is effectively used!
Give The Following Supplements a Shot To Up Your Glucose Partitioning Game:
Gymnema Sylvestre
This is an ancient Ayurvedic herb, which has been used for centuries by locals of India. It was observed as far back as the 6th century B.C to have an effect that causes reduction of sugar taste in the mouth and was given the name “sugar destroyer” by natives. Gymnema Sylvestre works in a few interesting ways, whose benefits extend beyond athletes looking for lean gains, to even people with diabetes. Take for instance:
Chromium
This micronutrient is only necessary in small amounts but must be consumed as the body cannot manufacture its own. Many people are deficiency in this nutrient, especially if you consume a high carb diet, as its excretion in urine is promoted. Regardless, chromium is believed to have numerous benefits on blood glucose chemistry, affecting how it is metabolized, to stored and more.
Most interestingly, however, is the ability of chromium to improve glucose sensitivity- which can significantly enhance your muscle building process while staying relatively lean. The less insulin you require to do the job of glucose uptake, the faster you can return to a state of fat burning. Chromium can serve as a major adjuvant to diabetic or overweight individuals.
Bitter Melon
Also known as bitter gourd, or Karela, this bitter fruit has been used for centuries in India for its blood sugar reducing effects. However, this melon does much more than that. It is also an insulin mimetic, meaning that it can display effects similar to insulin without its presence. It also improves the sensitivity of insulin itself, probably explaining why blood sugar levels improve following consumption.
Furthermore, studies have demonstrated findings that bitter melon can improve carbohydrate uptake by muscle cells, while simultaneously improving the rate of fat loss and preventing storage of subsequent fat.
These properties make bitter melon a mandatory add on when trying to gain muscle and stay lean at the same time.
Berberine
Berberine is a unique supplement, which acts in ways that may at first seem counter-intuitive. For example, consider the fact that Berberine is inhibitor of a kinase that promotes muscle growth, known as mTOR. It activates AMPK on the other hand, which is responsible for more survival type reflexes, including uptake of glucose in anticipation of starvation, but also an anti-aging effect. On the flip side, Berberine promotes weight loss, prevents the liver from making its own glucose (a process known as gluconeogenesis) and initiates a pseudo- low carb environment.
Banaba Leaf Extract
Banaba leaf extract possesses insulin-mimetic effects, improving uptake of carbohydrates to be stored as glycogen, and not fat. An extract known as corsolic acid is also being studied for its anti-obesity properties as well, making it ideal for anyone looking to improve their physique.
Alpha Lipoic Acid
A well-known fat based antioxidant, ALA has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity up to 57% in type 2 diabetics. Though people with diabetes have much weaker insulin sensitivities, the effect should translate well in non-diabetics as well, albeit using a dose of 50-100mg (compared with 600mg dose in the study).
Cinnamon
This tasty spice has numerous benefits when it comes to improving muscle growth without the heavy load of fat burden. Cinnamon does this by various mechanisms, including:
Conclusion
While these supplements independently can bring about a transformation of your physique, using them in combination can make an exponential difference. Consider trying a supplement such as our RPG that contain many of these ingredients and take your body to the next level!
]]>Now we bring RedCon1’s new product RPG into the equation as a positive partitioning agent. As previously stated, we can store those calories that we ingest from food in multiple compartments and although basic thermodynamics is of the utmost importance, adding in a glucose disposal agent is going to help in the process of improving overall body composition as those calories are stored in muscle cells instead of fat. But are all glucose disposal agents equal? The simple answer is no. Even further than our own biological differences in how we react to ingesting certain foods, the composition of these agents makes a massive difference (and this is actually what caught my attention first on RPG.) There are various compounds that promote the disposal of glucose. Some of those being chromium, gymnema sylvestre, bitter melon, cinammon, berberine, ALA, and banaba leaf….all of which are included within RPG (as well as paradoxine.) Being that those are my top choices for implementation of any good glucose disposal agent, I was beyond excited to see them all included in one product! I have written (and am in the process of writing) articles on all of these ingredients, so if you want to learn about each individual one in greater detail, keep up to date by checking the article section of the RedCon1 website. You may be asking yourself “if they all dispose of glucose and increase favorable partitioning, why not just have one ingredient instead of several?” The answer is because they all control blood sugar through different pathways with various mechanisms of action.
As you can see, you will be able to regulate insulin and glucose levels effectively from every pathway possible, giving your body the best chance at positively partitioning the calories you ingest into favorable compartments. In conclusion, you will always want to monitor your own glucose levels (both fed and fasted) to see how you respond to RPG as some people may need a higher or lower dosage that recommended. It will be safe to say that utilizing RPG during a cheat meal, cheat day, or any type of refeed where a caloric surplus is present, would be a smart decision.
References
Now, onto my favorite part of writing these articles! Digging through the literature to find proper sources that support the claims made! Our first bit of research comes to us from Shihabudeen et al and looks at Cinnamon extract inhibiting α-glucosidase activity and dampening postprandial glucose excursion in diabetic rats (2.) α-glucosidase inhibitors regulate postprandial hyperglycemia (PPHG) by impeding the rate of carbohydrate digestion in the small intestine and thereby hampering the diet associated acute glucose excursion. PPHG is a major risk factor for diabetic vascular complications leading to disabilities and mortality in diabetics. Cinnamomum zeylanicum, a spice, has been used in traditional medicine for treating diabetes. In this study we have evaluated the α-glucosidase inhibitory potential of cinnamon extract to control postprandial blood glucose level in maltose, sucrose loaded STZ induced diabetic rats. The methanol extract of cinnamon bark was prepared by Soxhlet extraction. Phytochemical analysis was performed to find the major class of compounds present in the extract. The inhibitory effect of cinnamon extract on yeast α-glucosidase and rat-intestinal α-glucosidase was determined in vitro and the kinetics of enzyme inhibition was studied. Dialysis experiment was performed to find the nature of the inhibition. Normal male Albino wistar rats and STZ induced diabetic rats were treated with cinnamon extract to find the effect of cinnamon on postprandial hyperglycemia after carbohydrate loading. Phytochemical analysis of the methanol extract displayed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids, coumarins and anthraquinones. In vitro studies had indicated dose-dependent inhibitory activity of cinnamon extract against yeast α-glucosidase with the IC 50 value of 5.83 μg/ml and mammalian α-glucosidase with IC 50 value of 670 μg/ml. Enzyme kinetics data fit to LB plot pointed out competitive mode of inhibition and the membrane dialysis experiment revealed reversible nature of inhibition.
Read Part II: HERE
References