CategoriesNutrition

WHAT ARE BCAAS AND WHEN TO USE THEM. WHO SHOULD TAKE BCAAS?

Branched-chain amino-acids (BCAAs) are aminoacids built of leucine, isoleucine and valine.

What are BCAAs and who should take them.

Branched-chain amino-acids (BCAAs) are amino-acids built of leucine, isoleucine and valine. They are known to reduce body fat, stimulate growth of muscle tissue and help maintain the figure developed through muscle- defining workouts.

Therefore, when asked about who the offer of BCAA supplementation should be targeted at, we should answer that at all those who are searching for ways to increase their lean mass and have a well-defined body. Here I mean both athletes and amateurs who value healthy lifestyle without obesity and want to reduce the risk of developing coronary heart diseases, cancers or diabetes. With BCAAs, they can develop a beautiful body and get rid of fat without losing muscles.

BCAAs in tests

To confirm the above, let me refer to two tests.
The first one, carried out in 2009 by Stoppani, involved 36 strength athletes divided into 3 groups. The participants were subjected to an 8-week supplementation with a BCAA drink, whey drink and carbohydrates respectively. Athletes from the BCAA group reported muscle growth of 2 kg when compared to the “whey” subjects and of 3 kg when compared to the “carbohydrates” group, with concurrent fat loss of over 1% more than in the remaining groups.

The other test was conducted in 1995 by Candeloro. During the test, ten healthy and non-working-out persons took BCAAs for 30 days, whereupon measurements were taken, showing muscle growth (by 0.08 kg) and noticeable fat loss.

The results of the first test are in opposition to the opinions of certain specialists who claim that additional BCAA supplementation of a well-balanced diet is aimless. Conclusions drawn from the experiment clearly show the advantage of taking BCAAs as a supplement over their equivalents that can be found, for instance, in whey, for the growth of muscles with concurrent fat loss.

A decisive factor in the determination of the time of the day when BCAAs should be taken is the fact that branched-chain amino acids activate the same anabolic paths as the thoroughly tested nitrogen oxide, i.e. by permeating directly to the muscles (right after administered, nitrogen oxide instantly activates protein synthesis and enhances muscle proliferation). Knowing this, it can be concluded that both NO and BCAA  should be taken pre- and post-workout.

BCAA before bedtime and right after waking up?

The considerations presented above are additionally supported by the otherwise true opinion that at night, it is catabolic processes that prevail in the body, while the anabolic phase is calmed down, wherefore supplementation with BCAA would smooth away the metabolic changes that are unfavourable to muscles. Nonetheless, it shows that both branched-chain amino-acids and tryptophan are distributed within the muscles and the brain through the same transport paths.  In the brain, tryptophan is transformed into messengers such as melatonin and serotonin, indirectly lifting the mood and improving the quality of sleep. The competition between NO and BCAA for this transport path can significantly impair the body’s resting parameters and disturb the person’s mental condition. In muscles, in turn, melatonin and serotonin stimulate muscle proliferation, which is a desirable effect as well.

CategoriesNutrition

PROTEINS. TYPES AND ABSORBABILITY.

Proteins are commonly known to be the core building blocks of all tissues in the human body. They are found in enzymes, hormones or antibodies.  Proteins participate in metabolic processes and are responsible for correct functioning of the whole body. They make the body grow and develop and enhance recovery. As proteins are composed of amino-acids, you should compose your every-day diet in such a way as to ensure their proper intake. What are the most common proteins and their properties?

Why are proteins so important for the body?

All those who work hard to improve their physical fitness or practise sport professionally know very well that the amounts of proteins they deliver to their bodies can determine the results they obtain. Whether a protein is useful for the human body depends on the content of amino-acids and on its biological value (BV), i.e. the amounts of nitrogen derived from the protein which is retained by the body. The easiest to digest and the most absorbable proteins are obtained from hen eggs. The body uses up to 94% of the proteins contained in the eggs. This makes hen egg a reference point for other natural sources of protein (hen egg is the first on the list with BV = 100).

The market of nutrients for athletes and bodybuilders abounds with dissolving protein powders, manufactured in different technological processes, with a BV higher than that of hen eggs. This makes such products absorbed much easier than proteins obtained from hen egg.

Hen egg-white – the primary source

For years, hen egg has been considered beneficial to professional athletes or bodybuilders. Its popularity was because it was known as a comprehensive source of exogenous amino-acids, i.e. ones that cannot be produced by the body and must be delivered with diet, as an important health-enhancing factor. In fact, hen egg contains several amino-acids that are indispensable for an adult to have a healthy life, including leucine, valine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, methionine, threonine and lysine. Plus, it is characterised by the highest content of alanine and arginine, which stimulate nitric oxide synthesis. Nitric oxide causes blood vessel dilation and enhances skeletal muscle blood flow, thus improving the supply of oxygen, nutrients and anabolic hormones to the muscles. Additionally, hen egg is a perfect source of vitamins E, K, A and B, riboflavin, folic acid and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, copper, iron and selenium; and is rich in branched-chain amino-acids (BCAA).

Hen egg is easily digested by the human body, and delivers building materials needed for muscle recovery and proliferation. Although effective, the process of digestion and absorption of egg whites is rather slow and takes c.a. 1.5-3 hours, in which time the blood is continuously saturated with amino-acids. Hen egg-white has a beneficial effect on post-workout muscle recovery and helps maintain a positive nitrogen balance.

When to drink protein cocktails with hen egg-white?

Protein cocktails with hen egg-white should be drunk right before bedtime. When combined with other fast absorbing protein sources, they can be used immediately after working out and at any time of the day. It is also a good idea to drink the cocktail 1 hour before workout, to ensure high level of anabolic amino-acids during intense anabolic activity. This will suppress the catabolic response of the muscle tissue whilst intensifying anabolic reactions.

Hydrolysed whey protein

Hydrolysates are milk proteins produced due to the breaking of peptide bonds in the process of hydrolysis. In the reaction, the compounds are converted to a fast-absorbing form. This means that whey is a fast-digestible and, thus, highly anabolic source of protein; maximum blood concentration is achieved after 1-1.5 hour after consumption.

Absorption of such proteins takes 15 to 60 minutes. A nutrient based on this type of protein should be taken 15 minutes before and immediately after workout. Hydrolysed whey protein is the most anabolic product when it comes to short-term protein synthesis. It should be eaten together with other forms of protein, which have longer digestion time. To minimise the time when the body is left without the ingredients needed for recovery, hydrolysed whey protein should be taken right after the workout, together with complex amino-acids absorbed from the digestive tract immediately after consumption. Hydrolysed protein can also be drunk during workout, to minimise catabolic damage to the muscle tissue. Plus, it makes a perfect snack. Nonetheless, it must be remembered that hydrolysed whey protein does not deliver the sufficient amount of calories for the body to initiate metabolic processes. This calorific deficiency prevents the body from getting enough nutrients, which, in turn, slows down metabolism.

Casein and micellar casein

In the last ten years bodybuilders have become increasingly attentive to protein content in their everyday diet. This is because they have understood that muscle growth depends on the amount of protein that they regularly deliver to their bodies. Among the proteins that are specifically popular with bodybuilders and athletes is casein. Casein is a milk protein isolated in the digestive process. It is the most important of all milk proteins (comprising c. 80% of the proteins in cow’s milk), and a most useful agent in haemoglobin and plasma protein synthesis.

Casein proteins are high quality proteins, rich in exogenous amino-acids. They are filtered out in cheese production process. Based on the quality which is undoubtedly the main asset of casein, two forms of the protein can be distinguished, i.e.:calcium caseinate, or caseinate, which is the least valuable of all milk protein fractions. Calcium caseinate is collected before the milk gets sour in the cheese production process; and micellar casein, rich in glycomacropeptides, which prevent cavities and protect the body against bacteria and viruses. This group contains bioactive casomorphin peptides, known for their opioid effect. This form of casein is the best. The substance also makes one of the least processed protein supplements. With its spatial structure, intact in the technological process, when consumed the protein converts into a gel, which is highly resistant to gastric acids and very slowly moves along the digestive tract. This extends the time of release and absorption of amino-acids to up to 6 or 7 hours. The tests show that the slower the digestion, the bigger the absorbability of nutrients. All this makes micellar casein the best supplement enhancing muscle recovery.

The substance can also be used as a meal replacement. Finally, it is worth noting that digestion of gel casein takes more energy than digestion of other protein products. As a result, micellar casein  improves the chances of fat loss when compared to other proteins.

When to drink cocktails with micellar casein?

When analysing the physiochemical properties of micellar casein, it must be remembered that digestion of nutrients that are based on the substance begins only after c.a. 90 minutes after their intake, with full absorption taking 6 to 7 hours. Since micellar casein releases the amino-acids gradually for long hours, it is oftentimes referred to as anti-catabolic or night protein. Micellar casein is rich in branched-chain amino-acids (BCAAs) and glutamines, which additionally prevent protein catabolism in muscle tissue whilst accelerating anabolic processes. Casein impact on recovery over the course of a several hour sleep is invaluable: it protects the body against hunger and dropping blood’s nutrient content for many hours.

Summary

All those who know the role of proteins in everyday diet need to remember that the primary source of protein should be animal products. However, when these are not available, protein cocktails can be a good solution. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that so delivered proteins should not exceed 40% of the body’s overall energy demand.

Different proteins can be combined; e.g. oatmeal can be mixed with whey protein powder. Contrary to popular opinion, there is no such thing as “bad proteins”, only they are sometimes improperly selected or used. All we need to do to succeed is use our heads.

CategoriesNutrition

WHAT YOU STILL DON’T KNOW ABOUT CREATINE

Most of you probably know that there is no better product to increase muscle mass and improve its shape than creatine, which has a very good reputation and is the most popular and recognised substance used to enhance training. It is not widely known, however, that creatine has many other applications, outside of sports. For instance, it is used in diagnosing diseases of the nervous and muscular system, such as muscle dystrophy, and diseases affecting the elderly people, including Parkinson’s disease, muscle atrophy, exhaustion syndrome or Huntington’s disease (genetic disease of the nervous system).

What is creatine?

Creatine is an organic compound, naturally occurring in the body, which stores energy in muscles. It is composed of 3 amino-acids:

  • arginine
  • glycine
  • methionine

The human body contains ca. 120 g of creatine in the form of creatine phosphate. Creatine is supplied with food, but even when eating healthy, we are unable to deliver the sufficient amounts of the substance to our bodies. Among products with the biggest content of creatine are herrings (6.5-10g/kg), pork (5g/kg) and beef (4.5g/kg). Nonetheless, as we are unable to absorb creatine with foods only, we need a good supplementation.

 

How to dose creatine?

Creatine dosing is a highly controversial issue, with a number of mutually exclusive theories. It has been recognised that the optimum dose equals 5-10g per day, with higher doses administered at the beginning of treatment (to reach the proper saturation), on an empty stomach. In fact, however, there is no research that would unanimously confirm this assumption. It is best if you adjust the dose to your body weight, by taking 1g of creatine for each 10 kg of your mass. Take the substance twice a day, in the morning, before working out, and in the evening, immediately after training. Creatine has also been proved to be the most effective if taken together with other supplements like, for instance, a protein powder, carbohydrates or taurine, as they improve its absorption. Creatine can be taken all year round, without the saturation phase.

 

What are the effects of creatine supplementation?

Creatine is responsible for energy storage in muscles. The higher the level of the substance, the bigger the volume of energy to be used. Energy is obtained from ATP, i.e. adenosine triphosphate, which accelerates muscle contraction. ATP consists of high-energy phosphate bonds. After the cleavage of the bonds, the following substances are produced:

  • ADP – adenosine diphosphate
  • inorganic phosphate (Pi)
  • energy

Although ATP has a poor potential to store energy which is sufficient for a few contractions only, it is seen as a source of energy. It is “regenerated” through synthesis, but the process occurs only in the first fractions of a second. The re-synthesis is activated in an anaerobic process from phosphocreatine, and then from blood glucose or muscle glycogen. It is important to maintain the contraction ability and not permit significant transformations of adenosine triphosphate to ADP and Pi. However, if planning an intense effort and needing much more energy, you need to draw it from aerobic metabolism. For this process to take place, more carbohydrates, fats and proteins are needed.

The “nucleus” of energy in the ATP is phosphocreatine, which serves as a rapidly mobilizable reserve of high-energy phosphates. Energy is produced in the process of phosphocreatine decomposition into:

  • creatine
  • inorganic phosphate Pi

To provoke regeneration of creatine, the body needs free creatine. When experiencing strength deficiencies, consider supplementing phosphocreatine, which you may find challenging, as the compound gets decomposed in digestion. To be successful, choose dietary supplements with creatine, which:

  • accelerate ATP synthesis, and, thus, facilitates the synthesis or proteins
  • delay the sense of fatigue (due to the activity of phosphocreatine)
  • inhibit ATP removal from the body
  • increase cell hydration

What reputation does creatine have?

Creatine is widely used by athletes and is listed among the most effective dietary supplements on the market. Creatine is often sold as monohydrate, which is soluble in water. The monohydrate quickly binds water in the muscles, thus favouring fast growth of their circumference. The substance enhances strength and endurance, expansion of muscle mass and water storage in muscles.

Those who train intensely happen to have creatine drops. Strength athletes have bigger creatine reserves in muscles, which, however, does not mean that they can abandon regular supplementation.

Creatine is also effective in endurance sports, especially in the final stages of competitions, where strength and speed count more than endurance.

What is creatine malate (TCM)?

Creatine malate is a combination of creatine and malic acid (1:3). It is known as TCM, tri-creatine malate or di-creatine malate. Creatine malate has a more stable structure than the monohydrate, but still, it is just another form of creatine available in the market.

The preparation is an intermediate step in the Krebs’ cycle, i.e. in the process of combustion of bicarbonate fragments, in which hydrogen equivalents and carbon dioxide are released. Creatine malate stimulates the synthesis of ATP, which means that it releases energy and improves athletes’ endurance.

Creatine malate is the only amino-acid that leaves the mitochondrial membrane without being converted into a different amino-acid, thus joining the Krebs’ cycle and releasing energy to muscles.

It has catabolic activity. Having left the mitochondria, the substance is converted into PEP (phosphoenolpyruvate), which transports phosphorans that are bigger than ATP and, thus, can be used for ADP activation and production of ATP. This is how energy is produced in muscles.

Another property of creatine malate is that it dissolves in water better than the monohydrate, which makes it easier to absorb. Creatine malate contains, among others,  citrates and pyruvates which, when taken up in high amounts from the digestive tract, effectively build up the muscle mass. It is good to know, however, that it can cause lower muscle growth than the monohydrate.

What is the connection between TCM and vitamin D?

Creatine is safe for humans. It is sold combined with buffering compounds such as sodium bicarbonate and trisodium citrate, which help maintain proper balance in muscle cells.

Since recently, vitamin D has been added to creatine. Vitamin D is broadly used and supports a number of cells, tissues and organs, including:

  • digestive tract
  • immune system
  • pancreas
  • skeletal system
  • kidneys
  • skin
  • parathyroid gland

Vitamin D is particularly important to people with insulin resistance, as they are usually severely deficient in Vitamin D. Insulin transports nutrients to the muscle tissue, if only the proper insulin sensitivity is developed. The process is supported with vitamin D. Insulin is an anabolic hormone and plays a major role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. TCM and vitamin D complement each other.

Other uses of creatine

Creatine has only just started to be widely discussed in the context of impact on other processes than energy storage in muscles. The substance is successfully used in elderly patients to alleviate:

  • fatigue
  • muscle atrophy
  • circular atrophy
  • exhaustion
  • Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease
  • other brain pathologies

Creatine reduces blood cholesterol. Plus, it has found application in treating inborn metabolism errors, for instance, in people with inborn absence of enzymes responsible for creatine synthesis or the growth hormone.

CategoriesTraining

ISOLATED EXERCISES – A MUST OR WASTE OF TIME…?

Isolated exercises are exercises that involve only one joint (which is why they are also called single joint exercises), in isolation from or with only minor participation of other muscles. As these exercises help you work on details, they can be very beneficial. 

Next to isolated exercises, there are also compound exercises, which involve cooperation of at least two joints. The best effects are achieved when these two are combined. Training plans should be elaborated in such a way as to make isolated exercises supplement compound exercises, which should be the core element of the workout.

What is the role of isolated exercises?

  1. A way to master the technique Isolated exercises allow you to perfectly focus on the muscle you are building up and involve all your power in this very group, paying attention to the slightest details of each movement. As a result, your workout is more effective and less injury-causing.
  2. A perfect way to start the training session Isolated exercises are done to induce preliminary fatigue of a big and strong muscle group, which are trained later during the workout mainly based on multi-joint movements.
  3. If used at the end of the training session, in turn, isolated exercises lay foundations for the next, much more intense workout.
  4. A good thing to try if you are injured Isolated exercises help you precisely adjust the load to individual muscle head pairs, as a result of which you can train even with injury of the specific muscle group. In this way the recovery and regeneration take less time.
  5. Additionally, isolated exercises facilitate the development of muscles which cannot be effectively pumped up with multi-joint exercises or are technically difficult to train.
  6. If you are a beginner:
    In this phase you want to quickly build as much muscle mass as possible. Focus on compound exercises, as they will get you the most benefits in relation to the time you need to spend doing them. You can consider introducing one isolated exercise into your training, i.e. standing barbell forearm curls. The main beneficiary of this exercise will be the biceps.  There is no need to do separate biceps exercises at this stage.
  7. If you have little time to work out, choose compound exercises. If you want to train the entire body, you would have to spend countless hours in the gym doing isolated exercises, while 3-4 properly selected compound exercises will do the job, giving you a perfect muscle stimulation and saving your time.
  8. If you have no plans to participate in bodybuilding competition. You can give up isolated exercises if you do a sport which does not require proportional muscles.
  9. Standing Barbell Arm Curls This exercise should be among the very first isolated exercises incorporated into a workout routine
  10. Seated or Standing Calf Raises The primary (main) exercises may not stimulate your calves enough, wherefore certain disproportions in the shape of both legs can occur after some time.

When are isolated exercises waste of time?

There is a certain hierarchy of importance of individual isolated exercises

When it comes to isolation exercises, there are many that are for it, and many that are against it too. Moreover, some will say that it is best to do certain types of isolating muscle exercises in order to enhance the overall workout routine, but when is it good and when actually is it a waste of time? For that reason, we are going to go deeper into this question, within our article topic today, so if you are a beginner or even a long-time workout enthusiast and just want to learn more we encourage you to read on to find our best answer, let’s get to it!

When it comes to exercise and doing work out routines, we all want to get the best workout to improve our overall body, and health. However, there are times that doing just isolating muscle exercises, could defeat our overall progress. That being said, in answer to our question mentioned earlier on, ” doing certain isolating muscle exercises could actually be both good and or bad”, if done for the wrong reasons as we will now explain why. 

Therefore, if you are wanting to become a bodybuilder for example, then perhaps doing certain isolation exercises such as for the upper chest area would be an ideal choice for you to target. However, many people would also greatly benefit more from their overall workout routine by doing what is called compound type exercise movements to use several muscle groups at the same time within their exercise workouts. Keep in mind, however, that using both types of exercises such as the types that will target certain muscle groups only while doing isolating muscle exercises can still be beneficial within your workouts as well. 

With that said, at this point you might still be wondering then are isolating muscle exercises good or bad to do? Well, the answer to that would be for you to decide first what goals are you trying to achieve with your overall workout schedules? If you are short on time, and doing these exercises to improve your overall appearance and health then we would suggest that you do compound movements, so that it is easier for your body to get the most benefits out of the workout, and several muscle groups will be engaged within the movements you do, instead of isolated targeted muscles.

On the other hand, if you recently injured a certain body part during your workout, then it might be best to give that targeted muscle group a rest for the time being. Therefore, in these certain types of circumstances doing instead certain isolating muscle exercises would allow your body to recover from the injury, but still, give you the benefits that exercise would help you with for your overall well being too. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that there are times that using certain isolation exercises that target say your biceps, are still beneficial to use even when you are not training just as a bodybuilder for example. 

Having said that, if you want to use both isolating muscle exercises, and compound types of exercises together in your same workout routine there are a few suggestions we would like for you to take into consideration. Therefore, we would suggest that you start with doing compound types of exercises so that your body is engaging more than just one type of muscle group, to begin with. Then you can move into certain targeted isolating muscle exercises during the same routine, and thus your body will still gain both the added benefits that each type of exercise routines can easily provide to you long term.

When it comes to deciding which types of exercises are better for a person to do such as isolating muscle exercises, or doing compound types of exercises the many suggestions for both can be overwhelming to decide upon which way to start with. However, we hope that our article helped to better clarify to our readers that there are times doing both types of exercises that target a certain muscle group, and doing compound types of exercises can both actually be beneficial long term. Finally, while doing exercises can be great, we want to encourage our readers to first consult with their own doctors, to ensure that whichever types of exercises you are ready to begin doing, whether it be isolating muscle exercises, or compound movement exercises that you are safe to begin doing them for your own workout routine, and that your doctor has cleared you to start an exercise workout that is specific for your body, and your own overall health needs in a safe manner.

CategoriesNutrition

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GLUTAMINE. CONTROVERSIAL, BUT DEVILISHLY EFFICIENT

There are many myths surrounding glutamine in sport, including, in particular, its ability to improve the efficiency of strength training. Glutamine has been for long known as a very effective product to support muscle mass development. The good reputation of the substance was, however, undermined by results of a certain test, which were interpreted with lots being remained unsaid or misinterpreted. So, what is the truth? What is glutamine and how does it influence the synthesis of muscle fibres, hormones, muscle growth, immunity, endurance and fat burning?

What is glutamine?

Glutamine won publicity at the end of the 1980s/beginning of 1990s, i.e. more or less at the time when creatine began to be widely discussed. The amino-acid (component of proteins) distributes nitrogen around the body. This is of particular importance to athletes, as nitrogen is an ingredient of proteins and facilitates protein metabolism and muscle building:

  • when the nitrogen balance is positive, i.e. when the body retains more nitrogen than it loses, anabolic processes occur (i.e. the muscles, built of proteins, grow)
  • when the nitrogen balance is negative, catabolic processes occur (i.e. processes causing breakdown of body proteins and muscles).

With glutamine supplementation, you will not only develop and rebuild your muscles, but also produce more amino-acids. Why does it matter? Towards the end of the 1980s and 1990s, a number of tests were performed (MacLennan 1987, Millward 1989, Hammarqvist 1989, Guoyao and Thompson 1990), which confirmed that glutamine stimulates synthesis and inhibits decomposition of proteins. In their in vitro test of 1990, Guoyao and Thompson proved that protein synthesis depends on the concentration of amino-acids. When the concentration of amino-acids was the highest, anabolism grew by more than 58% when compared to the zero concentration.

The impressive results of the tests explain why glutamine enhances the synthesis of muscle fibres and makes a perfect addition to trainings and protein supplements.

 

How glutamine influences synthesis of muscle fibres

The shadow of suspicion fell on glutamine after the publication of results of a study carried out in 2008 by Louise Deldicque, stating that glutamine was a leucine antagonist, interfering with mTOR kinase in muscle cells. Leucine is a BCAA that is highly effective for stimulating skeletal muscle growth. mTOR kinase is an enzyme that stimulates protein synthesis in skeletal muscle, meaning that it facilitates the development of proteins and enhances, among others, the growth and development of cells. The enzyme is activated by anabolic hormones including, in particular, insulin, and by amino-acids, such as leucine. Both the scientist and glutamine opponents spoke with one voice that leucine and glutamine acted completely opposite and that the latter inhibited protein development, adversely affecting muscle sculpting.

How did this idea arise? mTOR kinase is produced through phosphorylation, i.e. the binding of molecules and a phosphate radical (here: serine molecules). Dr Deldicque conducted her study on maturing murine muscle cells, to which the following was added:

  • leucine
  • or glutamine
  • or the mix of both

The addition of leucine to the substrate increased the activity of the serine molecule by more than 50% and of the other molecule by 8 times. The addition of glutamine, in turn, decreased serine activation by ca. 25%. In the last of the cases mentioned above, the addition of the mix of amino-acids increased serine molecule phosphorylation by more than 40%. An important element of the mTOR process is activation of a ribosomal protein, which initiates anabolism.

But it is the concentration of contractile proteins in muscles that is crucial. And what happened in the study was sensational! The concentration equalled 10%, 40% and 270% for leucine, glutamine and the mix of the two, respectively. These results show that glutamine has strong anabolic properties (4 times stronger than leucine). If we combine both substances, which perfectly complement each other, the growth in the anabolic properties reaches 30 times.

A more recent study (Evans, 2007) shows that together with a drop in glutamine drops the intracellular leucine concentration, as leucine is transported inside the cells by glutamine. The conclusion is simple: the bigger the amounts of glutamine and leucine, the bigger the growth of muscles.

 

How glutamine influences hormones and muscle growth

According to more recent studies (e.g. Li, 2004), glutamine participates pancreatic release of insulin, which is the strongest anabolic hormone in the body. This is true for slim subjects, healthy obese subjects and ill obese subjects.

Glutamine facilitates insulin release and increases its activity, enhancing sensitivity to insulin. Furthermore, it is an effective anabolic for:

  • muscle tissue
  • and fat tissue, with a potential of causing fat growth. There is also research showing that glutamine can be a fat burner.

The substance increases the levels of IGF-1, i.e. the growth factor secreted under the influence of the growth hormone. With glutamine, the IGF-1 remains high (up to 70%) for long. Positive effects were observed both in the young and in the elderly.

In 2007, Sharp performed an experiment on eight hard-training athletes (bodybuilders). The subjects were divided in two groups and did hard strength trainings for 4 consecutive weeks. Group 1 was given 2 g of glutamine and  of BCAA daily, while group 2 was given a placebo. In group 1, testosterone grew 7 times in relation to cortisol, which was indicative of the anabolic potential of the athletes. What was significant was that not only did glutamine lower cortisol levels in the athletes’ bodies, but also inhibited cortisol catabolism (decomposition).

Nonetheless, it must be noted that cortisol-inhibiting properties are typical of glutamine administered in supplements, and are negligible in glutamine which included in alimentary proteins.

Another catabolic hormone is the TNF-α factor, which enhances myostatin production in muscles. Glutamine lowers muscle myostatin by c.a. 130%. The majority of TNF-α is produced during anaerobic efforts, which often lead to damage of muscle fibres. These include, for instance, bodybuilding trainings.

How glutamine increases immunity and endurance

Glutamine is much more than a perfect anabolic reducing the activity of catabolic hormones, as it also enhances immunity.

One of researchers (Caroll, 2004) administered a standard nourishing blend and a glutamine-enriched blend to a dozen or so critically ill patients. In group two, a 120% protein balance improvement was observed.

Glutamine enhances immunity and inhibits muscle damage caused by bacterial infections. It is also helpful in muscle wasting syndrome (cachexia) in patients with difficult and severe diseases, including cancer. In May’s experiment of 2002, a group of patients was given a blend of amino-acids while the other (experimental) group was given 14 g of glutamine combined with arginine and HMB. In the glutamine group, muscle mass grew by 1.12 kg within 4 weeks, with a decrease of 1.34 kg in the other group.

Administration of glutamine increases the concentration of muscle glycogen, allowing the athlete to train longer and with bigger weight, as his muscles get bigger and stronger. Even if glutamine supplementation increases strength by 1% only, for an athlete with a record of 100 kg this means plus 1 kg on the bar. Similarly, although muscle mass increase by 0.3% seems not much, it actually means ca. 150 g of muscles, i.e. over 1.2 kg over a period of 1 year, which is quite something for a bodybuilder.

Unbelievable results were also noted in Hakimi’s experiment of 2012. In the study, 30 students were divided in two groups, each training hard for 8 weeks. Group 1 took 25 g of glutamine daily, while group 2 took 25 g of starch. When compared to the control group, the results pointed to very positive hormonal changes: growth hormone – increase by 303%; testosterone – increase by 128%; IGF-1 – increase by 115%; cortisol – decrease by 433%. This, in turn, had the following impact on performance: Bench Press – placebo – result improved by 3.53, glutamine – result improved by 6.25; Squat – placebo – result improved by 3.54, glutamine – result improved by 6.02; muscle mass – placebo – growth by 0.9, glutamine – growth by 2.9; fat – placebo – reduction by 0.2, glutamine – reduction by 0.6 kg. As research shows, the greatest changes occurred in hormones and not in trainings.

Does glutamine help reduce fat?

Glutamine is also used when cutting down on carbohydrates and searching for a good weight burner. It is a common ingredient of mass supplements.

On the one hand, the activity of glutamine is similar to carbohydrates, but on the other, it reduces weight while helping you maintain all the desired parameters. Plus, it wins you time. Research shows that glutamine supplementation for 6 weeks improves strength by 6% and causes muscle growth by 2%.

Therefore, it is clear that the substance is a perfect supplementation of strength and bodybuilding workouts. It is an anabolic and a fat burner, with a potential to cause fat reduction. What is important here is the synergy between glutamine (muscle supplement), creatine and BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, valine). If you are striving for mass and strength growth, a small dose of glutamine will be enough. But if you want perfect performance and aim at enhancing muscle fibre synthesis, consider combining glutamine, creatine and BCAAs. You do not need high doses, 2 to 14 g will do. With this, you get effectiveness, low price and a foundation for your strength and bodybuilding workouts.

SmarticCategoriesTraining

HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE MASS. MUSCLE-BUILDING WORKOUT PLAN. COMPOUND EXERCISES

How to develop a beautiful, manly back? What exercises to choose?

Muscle mass can be developed with the use of cable and pulldown machines. But when using a barbell, in a single activity you will “attack” more muscles than during isolated exercises with machines. In this way you will do fewer reps, but still involve the same number of muscles.

Below you can find the basic principles of barbell exercises, perfect for muscle expansion with simultaneous shortening of the duration of workouts.

1. BENT OVER ROW

Bring your torso forward, by bending at the waist, while keeping the back straight until it is almost parallel to the floor. Bend your knees slightly and retract your hips to maintain the spine’s natural curvature (meaning that the dorsal spine should be straight). Grasp a barbell with a pronated grip (supinated grip is also acceptable). Adjust the grip width depending whether you want to stimulate the external or the internal parts of your back: the wider the grip the more engaged the internal back muscles. Remember that the concentric movement (the one in which the muscles contract) should be performed explosively, while the eccentric movement should be controlled.

2. BENCH BARBELL PRESS

Lie back on a flat bench, pulling your shoulder blades together and keeping your shoulders retracted, so that your chest sticks out. Grab the bar with a pronated grip, with your thumbs wrapping the bar. Note: avoid monkey grip, as then the probability of dropping the bar is bigger and you can develop a thumb injury when immediately pressing the thumb against the bar. Use a medium width grip, making sure that your wrists remain straight regardless of the bar position. Keep your elbows wide apart, creating a 90-degree angle between the arms and the rib line. Raise the barbell in an explosive movement and bring it back in a controlled way, avoiding its spontaneous drop by means of gravity.

3. BARBELL PRESS

Grab the barbell with a pronated grip (with your thumbs wrapping the bar), a bit wider than shoulder-width. Lift the bar up over your head, keeping your wrists straight. Remember to keep your elbows in front of your body and not to the sides. Then, you will force your shoulder joint to work harder, ensuring its better stimulation. You can do the exercise seated (preferably with a back support) or standing (in a slight step position).

4. STANDING BARBELL ARM CURLS

Stand upright, with your legs slightly apart and your knees slightly bent. Grab a barbell at a shoulder-width grip, with your palms facing upwards. Curl the weights forward while tilting your body slightly backwards and slightly raising your elbows. Bring the bar back by straightening the elbow.

5. DEEP SQUATS

Put the barbell on the upper part of the trapezius muscle. Pull your shoulder blades together and roll the shoulders back making your chest stick out. This will help you keep your dorsal spine straight. Stand with feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, to make your body position stable at each stage of the movement. Go as low as you can, until the angle between your thighs and shins is smaller than 90 degrees; make sure that your knees are right above the feet and that they do not go beyond the toe line.

6. DEADLIFT

Stand in front of the barbell. Your feet should be spaced shoulder-width apart. Do a semi-squat, making sure that your shins contact the bar. Use an overhand grip. Stand up, remembering to contract the back, the legs, the abdominal muscles and the back. The movement resembles driving the hips forward. Your hands should play the role of hooks, supporting the barbell as you stand up. Keep your thighs, buttocks, belly and back muscles contracted. The bar should remain as close to your body as possible for the entire range
of motion.

When doing subsequent repetitions, bend your knees less and your hips more (bow rather than squat). Do not put the barbell back between individual reps, as then you would have to start each rep from the starting position.

When working out the whole body during one session, start with the upper body. Remember to train the biggest muscles first.

To make sure that your muscles receive optimum stimulation, do 4-5 series of all the exercises described above, with 8-15 repetitions of each.

CategoriesTraining

BEGINNER WORKOUT ROUTINE. HOW TO START GYM WORKOUT?

The individual objectives of gym training can be many: from fat burning and weight reduction, through muscle mass growth, to enhanced performance, endurance and bigger strength. Nevertheless, whatever the goal, you need to be familiar with the basics and know how to start. With an inappropriate attitude right from the start you will quickly get disappointed and frustrated that you did not get to achieve your goals.

Training plan is a must

If you are chaotic in your workouts, or have overweening ambitions and choose to start with an advanced workout routine that is meant for bodybuilders, you will not come out unscathed. A reliable and effective training should be started by making a plan that will lead you to the results and figure of your dreams, keeping you at all times motivated and satisfied.

The pursuit of your goal will be a lengthy process, even if you are not planning to climb a podium. What you are going to need is patience, perseverance and consequence. But the results will be spectacular.

Full Body Workout (FBW) – a perfect workout for beginners

Each beginner training should involve full-body exercises. The FBW involves all muscle groups during a single session. The sessions are repeated three times a week. With a methodology like this, you will force your whole body to work and give your muscles the right stimuli to grow. And you will avoid overtraining whilst keeping your whole body fit.

Appropriate pauses between workouts are of paramount importance. The common mistake of increasing the intensity of trainings quickly leads to burnout and discouragement.

HOW TO START GYM WORKOUT

Warmed up muscles

Remember to warm up your muscles before doing the proper workout. About 10 minutes of an intense aerobic training with a stepper, running tract or an exercise bike, or jogging should be enough to improve your blood circulation. In stage two of the workout, do leg and arm swings, twisted bends and bends, to prepare your joints for the workout. Warm-up is an integral element of the training. Every single exercise needs warmed-up muscles, so you should do at least one warm-up series before each, increasing the number of repetitions. If you abandon warm-ups, you risk getting injured.

Appropriate series for each muscle

Remember to train all muscle groups during your training session. It is best if a training plan contains one or two exercises for each muscle part. Each exercise should be performed in 2 to 3 series, with 8-10 repetitions in each series. Increase the weight as the session progresses, finally leading to resistance and difficulty (muscle collapse).

If you do not feel fatigue after all reps, you should add more weight. But if you are unable to do at least 8 repetitions, this means that your weight is too big. Obviously, you need to adjust the parameters to your capabilities and fitness.

Remember to pause for c.a. 3 minutes between individual exercises. The recommendations above apply to the first 2-3 weeks of working out, in which the muscles adapt to the effort and the body gets prepared to further routine. It is important that you do not overtrain your body in this phase.

Technique is key!

Habits tend to quickly become man’s second nature, and gym exercises are no exception. Technical errors prevent progress, delay the results and make you prone to injuries. By nurturing the right habits, you will be able to easily use the proper technique in more advanced stages of your workout routine.

Increasing workout intensity can be harmful

The initial phase is the phase when your body gets adapted to the work and your muscles get shaped. Although tempting, do not increase the intensity of your training in this phase. Do not use the aid from a partner, do not unload weights during a pending series, do not perform combined series, giant series etc. In the initial phase, too strong stimuli quickly lead to overtraining and, in consequence, hinder muscle mass growth.

Pursue your goals wisely

By wisely sticking to your plan and supporting your trainings with a healthy diet, supplementation and rest periods, you will shortly achieve your goal and see the effects relatively soon. Then, your endorphins will boost your motivation, leading you towards success.

CategoriesNutrition

L-GLUTAMINE. COMPENDIUM OF INFORMATION. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT?

L-glutamine is needed by the body to function properly. It is a critical amino-acid and the most abundant in the circulatory system. If so, what is the point in taking supplements with L-glutamine in body sculpting and how does the substance influence muscles?

 

What is L-glutamine?

Glutamine is an organic compound belonging to α-amino-acids. It is one of the core 20 amino-acids coded by animal and human genes and is contained in a number of proteins. Additionally, the substance makes up 30-35 percent of the nitric oxide in your blood. L-glutamine represents exogenous amino-acids, meaning that it is conditionally essential for the body. It can be produced by the body or delivered from outside. L-glutamine should be supplied from outside sources when under stress or during a disease or physical effort, as then the body uses up bigger amounts of the substance than usual and is unable to produce enough of it to fully supplement the shortages. Additionally, L-glutamine fuels cells of the immune system. Products containing L-glutamine are used with the aim to reduce body mass, as they help burn fat. Plus, they are of aid when developing the muscle tissue.

 

Bryan Haycock

Glutamine plays an invaluable role in protein synthesis and functioning of the immune system. It is capable of regulating protein synthesis in muscles, and is crucial for maintaining the proper functions of rapidly multiplying cells such as lymphocytes and mucosal enterocytes. Cells of the immune system (e.g. lymphocytes) use glutamine as an anabolic fuel. Additionally, glutamine protects the body against too high ammonia levels, by attaching thereto and releasing it when needed for the production of other amino-acids.

 

Nonetheless, remember not to overestimate the significance of glutamine for the body, if taken orally as a supplement. Supplementation with glutamine has not been tested enough to clearly confirm its positive effect on muscle building or physical fitness. What is known for certain, however, is that it is of value to athletes who have realistic expectations. If you take glutamine to enhance the functioning of your immune system, during intense training cycles, you will not be disappointed. If you want to make your digestive tract function better, you should also be satisfied.

 

Will Brink

Manufacturers of sports supplements have started to add glutamine to a number of their products. Athletes include it in their diets. Why? The body needs glutamine for a number of processes. It regulates the functioning of the immune system and the liver and favours integrity of the gastrointestinal tract. Low serum glutamine means loss of muscle mass, with the reserves being used up during intense physical effort.

Due to its potential impact on the immune system, glutamine is believed to help prevent the overtraining syndrome in athletes who train too long and too hard. A number of tests have shown that the level of glutamine can be considered a marker of overtraining. The substance is also used for glycogen reserve restoration in muscles after intense physical effort. Yet, the exact mechanism of the process has not yet been fully explained. Glutamine probably enhances glucose uptake directly by the muscles, or is converted into glucose itself and stored as glycogen.

Another effect of glutamine supplementation can be increased level of the Growth Hormone (GH). In one of the experiments conducted, nine volunteers were given two grams (2,000 mg) of glutamine solved in a cola drink. The bodies of four of them responded to glutamine supplementation with a four-time increase in GH release.

Although no one has ever built impressive muscles only by including glutamine into their diets, the substance is assessed positively as generally beneficial to health. As such, it can be successfully used by athletes. 5 to 20 g daily added to a post-workout shake should be enough.

 

Zbyszko Tarczewski

Glutamine is considered to be conditionally essential, which means that in certain circumstances, our bodies are unable to produce sufficient amounts of the substance. This fact alone proves glutamine significance for humans.

The amino-acid is used in a number of ways. The major functions of glutamine include its impact on:

  • the immune system (glutamine is a fuel for macrophages and lymphocytes); considerable drop in blood glutamine was observed in overtrained subjects; if your immune system does not function properly, you will be unable to work out hard and frequently enough to produce the expected effect;
  • glycogen reserve restoration, for higher performance;
  • growth in muscle mass, among others, owing to the anti-catabolic effect of the substance or its capacity to increase the nitrogen balance;
  • maintaining acid–base homeostasis, by reducing acidification and the resultant storage of glutamine reserves in muscles;
  • increase of the GH amounts produced by the body, for enhanced fat reduction.

If dosed properly and combined with reasonable training, glutamine can support your physical activity, which is particularly visible in professional athletes. Regardless of the disciplines they represent, they do feel the effects of glutamine on their bodies.

My opinion is as follows: do not go and buy glutamine if you go to the gym twice a week. But if you are serious about working out, you may be really satisfied with itsefficiency over time.

 

SĹ‚awomir Ambroziak

Glutamine plays a major role in maintaining nitrogen balance. The substance controls protein accumulation and muscle development. As an agent with significant impact on energy metabolism during exercises, it is seen as a performance-enhancer. This effect of glutamine has been confirmed by studies on volunteer athletes, patients, convalescents and animals. The most recent tests, performed on intermediate-level athletes, seem to further confirm that glutamine does work, but the authors are still unable to confirm its effectiveness in this target group.

Opponents of the performance-enhancing effect of glutamine tend to say that: “Glutamine turned out to be a good supplement for the sick and for rats, and to be of no value to those who train recreationally and to athletes”. Is this true? All professional athletes that I know use L-glutamine supplements. “There is no working out without glutamine”, they say.

Let us now have a look at a study carried out by Candow, which is usually relied on by glutamine opponents. The result obtained after 6 weeks of observations in the glutamine group was only by 0.3% better than in the placebo group when it comes to lean mass increase. Referring to clinical trial standards, the authors had to consider the results statistically insignificant. Nonetheless, in practice, for a man weighing 100 kg, the result of 0.3% means c.a. 2.5 kg of pure meat per year!

It must be remembered that an extensive health promoting effect of glutamine has been proved in a number of studies. Not long ago, the substance also surprised the researchers with its ability to effectively burn fat, which was confirmed in tests conducted by several authors, including Prada and Hirabara.

CategoriesTraining

THE RECIPE FOR ABDOMINAL MUSCLES. HOW TO SCULPT THE BELLY

Beautifully sculpted abdominal muscles are every athlete’s dream and an objective of bodybuilders and all those concerned with their figure. How to sculpt the belly to make it the envy of all and a provider of a perfect postural support? Here are a few important facts.

Beautifully sculpted abdominal muscles are every athlete’s dream and an objective of bodybuilders and all those concerned with their figure. How to sculpt the belly to make it the envy of all and a provider of a perfect postural support? Here are a few important facts.

Construction of the abdominal muscles

Abdominal muscles are the muscles between the chest and the upper pelvis. The anterolateral abdominal wall is made by the  rectus abdominis muscle, the external oblique muscle, the internal oblique muscle, the transverse abdominal muscle and the pyramidalis muscle. The posterior wall of the abdomen, in turn, is composed of the quadratus lumborum, the psoas major, the psoas minor and the iliacus. Those involved in professional sport work hard to have a “six pack”, i.e. a nicely outlined rectus abdominis, while beginners wrestle with ways to burn belly fat. The best solution is to concentrate on simple and safe exercises to reduce fat tissue.

Easy exercises for beginners

  1. Parallel Bar Bent Leg Raise: keep your forearms strongly supported against the padded bars when doing the exercise. Make sure that your torso, back and buttocks adhere closely to the back support. Slightly bend your legs and let them hang freely. Raise the legs in a smooth motion. The straighter the legs, the more difficult the exercise. Do 3-4 series, 15-20 repetitions in each. 
  2. Abdominal Crunches: in this exercise, you bring your lower chest to the upper pelvis. Keep your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. You can rest your feet on a barbell or the wall. Raise your torso rhythmically. Do not touch the mat with your shoulders as you perform the lowering movement and do not return to the lying position. 3-4 series, with 20-25 repetitions in each should be enough. 
  3. Bench Knee Ups: sit on the edge of a bench. Slightly pull your knees to the chest and tilt your body a bit backwards remembering to keep natural spine curvature. Remember about a 30-45 degree bend in your knees.

Next to the exercises proposed in this document, to help your belly look better, you need to exercise your deep muscles, i.e. the internal oblique muscle, the pyramidalis, the transverse abdominal muscle and the quadratus lumborum. By training these muscles, you will keep your belly flat and avoid the “turtle effect”.

How to sculpt the belly. Exercises for deep abdominal muscles

  1. Seated Torso Twists: do the exercise seated, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Keep your body straight and your arms pulled sideways. Slowly twist from side to side and stop the motion for about 1 second. 3-4 series, with 15-20 repetitions in each should be enough. 
  2. Single Leg Raises: do this exercise in a lying position, with one leg straight and the other leg bent so foot is flat on the ground. Raise the straight leg upwards, simultaneously raising your torso. 3-4 series, with 15-20 repetitions in each should be enough. 

More than exercises

In order to have a perfect belly, apart from the exercises you need a good diet, so that when working out, you burn more calories than you deliver to your body during the day. Your diet should be rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

CategoriesNutrition

BUILD UP YOUR MUSCLES. SUPPLEMENTS THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE GOING

Exercises are key in building up muscles. That is obvious. But still, many beginner gym-goers, who have only just begun their bodybuilding adventure, forget one important detail. Gym pumping alone will not give you the results you are waiting for. To build up a strong and healthy muscle mass you also need to pay attention to its building blocks. Only if you combine a well-balanced diet with physical activity, can you achieve satisfactory results. You can perform even better if you add supplements that will help you regularly supply your muscle mass with the appropriate nutrients. What supplements will be of aid in your fight for a dream body?

How to start

Regularity is key to muscle building, both when it comes to working out and eating. The process encompasses three training cycles: strength building, muscle building and fat reduction. The cycles differ in the type and intensity of exercises, diet and effect. When moving from one cycle to another, remember to pause for 1-2 weeks. The key elements in the whole process are muscle building and fat reduction.

Mass diet is nothing but the appropriate combination of nutrients to cause the growth of muscles. Start with increasing the calorific value of your meals and remember to increase the supply of proteins and properly hydrate your body.

Although you are going to eat high-calorie meals in all cycles, the number of calories will be different for different periods. The body needs the biggest amounts of calories in the muscle building phase and the lowest amounts of calories in the fat reduction period. It is similar with proteins, the supply of which should be tailored to the training objectives.

Next to regular and well thought-out meals, a mass diet should contain a number of different supplements that will give your body more nutrients and minerals than it needs. If your workout routine, daily meals and mass supplements harmonise well, you will see your muscles grow.

Muscle mass that is difficult to build up

It can take you several years to build up a dream body, which is why you should thoroughly prepare to the process. Start with setting a goal and defining your body type. Then, calculate your daily calorific needs. In this way you will be able to determine how much energy you need to achieve the pre-set goal. When selecting a diet you need to take into account your body type and physical capacities.

Working out is not enough. What you also need is time for recovery and rest. Only then will you be sure that the peri-workout damage to your muscles has time to heal.

What are protein supplements

Protein supplements are probably the most popular mass supplements that enhance muscle growth. They contain protein isolated from different high-protein products, such as milk, soy or whey. Why supplement a mass diet with proteins? Because protein is the core building block of the muscles, and together with the growing intensity of trainings grows the demand for proteins, while the foods eaten with diet will not always cover such demand. One of the most popular protein supplements is whey protein. Certain fractions of the protein show pharmacodynamic activity, including anabolic activity, while other significantly reduce the levels of cortisol, which has catabolic effects and destroys muscle proteins, thus making the work on your dream body even more difficult.

Whey proteins should constitute ca. 30% of the whole pool of proteins consumed every day. Fast-absorbable whey proteins work best if combined with slowly-absorbable proteins. The initial impulse for whey protein synthesis is generated very quickly and persists for 1 to 2 hours. Then, the level of the amino-acids drops fast. Not to lose access to their core building material, muscles need supplementation with proteins, the decomposition of which takes 8 to 10 hours.

Why are BCAAs so important in mass-building diet?

Branched-chain amino-acids (BCAAs) should be the base of a mass diet. These supplements are well-known and have been thoroughly tested and proved to reduce fatigue and prevent overtraining. They are particularly important in the stagnation period, when the results obtained are less spectacular than at the beginning. You start to see that the progress is slower, which can be due to the monotony of your exercises, overtraining or muscle overloading. Supplementation with the appropriate amounts of branched-chain amino-acids has a salutary effect on muscle building and growth and on fat reduction alike. Moreover, BCAAs prevent fatigue and show strong catabolic activity.

You can fully cover your protein demand with your diet. But still, high-protein supplementation can be a good idea. BCAAs are particularly helpful during strength trainings. Take a portion 30 minutes before working out and another one during the training.

BCAAs can be found in whey proteins, i.e. casein-free milk, carbohydrates and fats. The majority of research shows that whey increases protein synthesis and muscle growth much better than other additional sources of proteins (e.g. casein or soy). This is mainly caused by high content of branched-chain amino-acids, that is, BCAAs.

Creatine

Creatine is a natural substance occurring in skeletal muscles. It stimulates protein synthesis and has anabolic and anti-catabolic effect. Last, but not least, creatine determines the pace of muscle growth and performance and improves recovery. Equally importantly, the substance is an inhibitor of myostatin, that is, the protein which is responsible for muscle gaining prevention. Creatine supports the activity of other anabolic steroids and testosterone, a hormone causing strength and muscle mass increase. Anabolic steroids, in turn, enhance the production of creatine, thus improving testosterone conversion. The most important task of creatine, however, is its participation in the synthesis of ATP, the compound that delivers energy during muscle fibre contraction.

Creatine is probably the most popular muscle gainer in the world. It is available in several different forms, including creatine monohydrate or creatine ethyl ester. Although new, “improved” forms keep appearing on the market every now and then, the position of the monohydrate remains unthreatened. Creatine is effective in improving endurance during intense trainings.

Caffeine

Research shows that caffeine is beneficial to those wanting to burn fat and build muscles, and should be included in a mass diet. The substance accelerates metabolism by 3-4% for ca. 2 hours. As a result, the amounts of fat burnt during and after the workout are also increased.

The effects of caffeine include the enhancement of strength, which can eventually cause increase of muscular power. Caffeine metabolites, in turn, increase the concentration of free calcium ions, causing muscles to contract with more strength. Caffeine should be taken 45-60 minutes before working out.

Other indispensable ingredients

A good mass diet should contain vitamins and minerals to ensure proper functioning of the body during and after workouts. Magnesium: rarely added to muscle gainers, the mineral should be supplemented separately. With magnesium, you will maintain proper functions of your nervous and muscular system. Additionally, it improves the quality of sleep and recovery at night. The daily dose of magnesium is 400-500 mg about 45-60 minutes before bedtime.

Another element to be included in your mass diet is Vitamin D. The few studies concerning the dependency between Vitamin D and physical performance that have been conducted show that it influences the quality of physical activity and muscle growth. The recommended daily dose equals 500 to 1000 mcg. Vitamin D works best if taken with meals that contain fats, to ensure its optimum absorption.

Summary

Every athlete’s and bodybuilder’s diet should be well-balanced, meaning that it needs to be well adjusted to individual needs of the person working out and contain all the necessary ingredients. The combination of mass diet with suitable muscle gainers and the right dose of rest makes a perfect recipe for a beautifully sculpted body. Remember to wisely choose your diet and workout routine.