deserusan 
"Magna res est vocis et silentii temperamentum."
|
|
Archive for October, 2006
Friday, October 13th, 2006
Study Discussion..
I’d like to discuss the following study as it pertains to my current review and overall experience with standalone citrulline malate supplementation.
Hickner RC, Tanner CJ, Evans CA, Clark PD, Haddock A, Fortune C, Geddis H, Waugh W, McCammon M. L-citrulline reduces time to exhaustion and insulin response to a graded exercise test. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Apr;38(4):660-6.
I spend a great deal of my free time reading peer reviewed studies as they pertain to sport supplementation and have even been shaking the dust off my old phys and biochem books. I have found this practice quite enjoyable since I’m out of school and still require some form of mental stimulation outside of work. I also feel it helps me better prepare to address any future issues or concerns within the supplement line I have chosen to represent or other supplements which I have found effective and stand behind.
I recently came across this study which has attempted claim that citrulline has a counterproductive effect with regards to NO2 mediated insulin response and exercise capacity. Now admittedely, I have never experiemented with free form l-citrulline but rather citrulline malate. In using the bonded for I experienced numerous benefits with most notable being increased aerobic capacity and an attenuation in fatigue during exercise. This is backed by the following studies:
Bendahan D, Mattei JP, Ghattas B, Confort-Gouny S, Le Guern ME, Cozzone PJ. Citrulline/malate promotes aerobic energy production in human exercising muscle. British Journal of Sport’s Medicine. 2002 Aug;36(4):282-9.
Vanuxem D, Duflot JC, Prevot H, et al. Influence of an anti-asthenia agent, citrulline malate, on serum lactate and ammonia kinetics during a maximum exercise test in sedentary subjects. S?naire des H?aux de Paris 1990;66:477…81.
A common practice I have seen by some companies and also on this forum is to use citations which have a favorable abstract outcome to support and negate the efficacy of a given ingredient. Anyone with a shread of research experience knows that in order to accurately assess the relevance of peer reviewed article that you must consider the experiemental design and the test subjects themselves. Often, you will find that this more accurately describes how a conclusion is reached and possibly how flawed the study itself actually is. This is precisely why I have taken issue with the aforementioned Hickner study.
First off, they used sample pool of subjects of both male and female subjects ranging from age 18-40. My first question here is, don’t you feel that is rather broad given the average physiological and endurance capabilities. I’m pretty sure when I was 18 years old I could outrun most 40 year olds just for starters.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Hickner et al.
Seventeen physically active (> 30 min of aerobic exercise > 3?wk[sup-1]:, VO[sub2max]_ 52.1 +/- 1.9 mL-kg[sup-1]min[sup-1]) healthy non-obese young (18-40 yr) male and female subjects were studied during a graded treadmill exercise test.
|
Secondly, they admitted even in their testing protocol that there was an obvious difference in physical fitness levels and even adjusted the “graded treadmill test” intensity accordingly. It would appear to me this alludes to the flaws in my first point and quite possibly a flawed analysis of the data given the controls varied so much.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Hickner et al
Participants walked at 2.0 mph for 2 min before the treadmill speed was increased to 5.0 mph for the initiation of the treadmill test. Less fit participants exercised at this intensity (5.0 mph: approximately 65% VO[sub2peak]) for 5 min. This initial steady-state exercise speed allowed determination of fat oxidation by indirect calorimetry during submaximal exercise. The treadmill speed was then increased 1 mph every 2 min until 7.0 mph. The grade of the treadmill was then increased 2% every minute until the subjects could no longer continue. The less fit participants underwent this treadmill protocol for each of their five treadmill tests. Participants with a higher level of fitness and running background (those individuals who reported on questionnaire that they purposefully exercise trained 3?wk[sup-1] or more for a minimum of 30 min per session for the past 6 months) underwent a similar treadmill test for each of their five treadmill tests. However, following the 2.0 mph 2-min warm-up stage, the initial speed for the 5-min exercise stage was 7.0 mph (approximately 65% VO[sub2peak]), followed by increases of 1.0 mph every 2 min until 9.0 mph, with subsequent 2% increases in treadmill grade every minute. Respiratory gases were continuously collected and analyzed every 20 s by indirect calorimetry (TrueMax 2400, Consentius Technologies, Sandy, UT). VO[sub2peak], was defined as the maximal oxygen consumption attained during a test where two of the following three criteria were met: 1) an RER ratio > 1.1; 2) attainment of +/- 5 bpm of predicted HR[submax]; or 3) no further increase in oxygen consumption with an increase in exercise intensity. Treadmill time began immediately after 2 min of walking on the treadmill at 2.0 mph and was stopped at the time the subject clutched the treadmill handrail for support to terminate the test.
|
My last counterpoint also is that 12-17 of the subject showed a decrease in exercise capacity but we do not know their ages nor do we know there pre-existing exercise capacity either. This seems like pretty pertinent data to me. How about you? It seems our counterbalance was adjusting our testing protocol.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Hickner et al.
The primary finding of this placebo-controlled, double-blind, counterbalanced study was that, in contrast to our hypothesis, there was a decrease in performance during this incremental graded treadmill exercise test to exhaustion in 12 of the 17 participants.
|
As we can see the above questions raised certainly don’t lend any credence to the following abstract conclusion:
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Hickner et al.
It can be concluded that, contrary to the hypothesized improvement in treadmill time following L-citrulline ingestion, there is a reduction in treadmill time following L-citrulline ingestion over the 24 h prior to testing.
|
This why we should always take an absract citation as being nothing more than summary of a possibly flawed testing protocol. The practice of using these incorrectly is present everywhere and is why you can never just take the accounts of one as being absolute scientific proof.
“The first man to see an illusion by which men have flourished for centuries surely stands in a lonely place
-Gary Zukav
Last but not least, I hope that in all earnest the errors in this study were just due to a poor design. It would be sad if they were attributed to the fact that study was funded by Experimental Applied Sciences or more commonly known as EAS. It would also be a shame if it had anything to with the fact Mr. Hickner is a member of the EAS Scientific Advisory Board. I don’t recall seeing a citrulline based supplement in their product line.
-Des
Posted in Rants
Friday, October 13th, 2006
The Workout: 9.0 out of 10
*I’m excluding all warm up sets*
Dumbell Side Laterals: 70’s x 7, 70’s 6, 70’s x 6
Upright Rows: 185 x 6, 195 x 5,
Dumbell Presses: 110’s x 5, 110’s 5
Bent Over Dumbll Raises: 55’s x 6, 55’s x 6, 55’s x 6
Cardio: Precor Cross Training Elliptical- 45 minutes
Study Discussion..
I’d like to discuss the following study as it pertains to my current review and overall experience with standalone citrulline malate supplementation.
Hickner RC, Tanner CJ, Evans CA, Clark PD, Haddock A, Fortune C, Geddis H, Waugh W, McCammon M. L-citrulline reduces time to exhaustion and insulin response to a graded exercise test. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Apr;38(4):660-6.
I spend a great deal of my free time reading peer reviewed studies as they pertain to sport supplementation and have even been shaking the dust off my old phys and biochem books. I have found this practice quite enjoyable since I’m out of school and still require some form of mental stimulation outside of work. I also feel it helps me better prepare to address any future issues or concerns within the supplement line I have chosen to represent or other supplements which I have found effective and stand behind.
I recently came across this study which has attempted claim that citrulline has a counterproductive effect with regards to NO2 mediated insulin response and exercise capacity. Now admittedely, I have never experiemented with free form l-citrulline but rather citrulline malate. In using the bonded for I experienced numerous benefits with most notable being increased aerobic capacity and an attenuation in fatigue during exercise. This is backed by the following studies:
Bendahan D, Mattei JP, Ghattas B, Confort-Gouny S, Le Guern ME, Cozzone PJ. Citrulline/malate promotes aerobic energy production in human exercising muscle. British Journal of Sport’s Medicine. 2002 Aug;36(4):282-9.
Vanuxem D, Duflot JC, Prevot H, et al. Influence of an anti-asthenia agent, citrulline malate, on serum lactate and ammonia kinetics during a maximum exercise test in sedentary subjects. S?naire des H?aux de Paris 1990;66:477…81.
A common practice I have seen by some companies and also on this forum is to use citations which have a favorable abstract outcome to support and negate the efficacy of a given ingredient. Anyone with a shread of research experience knows that in order to accurately assess the relevance of peer reviewed article that you must consider the experiemental design and the test subjects themselves. Often, you will find that this more accurately describes how a conclusion is reached and possibly how flawed the study itself actually is. This is precicley why I have taken issue with the aforementioned Hickner study.
First off, they used sample pool of subjects of both male and female subjects ranging from age 18-40. My first question here is, don’t you feel that is rather broad given the average physiological and endurance capabilities. I’m pretty sure when I was 18 years old I could outrun most 40 year olds just for starters.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Hickner et al.
Seventeen physically active (> 30 min of aerobic exercise > 3?wk[sup-1]:, VO[sub2max]_ 52.1 +/- 1.9 mL-kg[sup-1]min[sup-1]) healthy non-obese young (18-40 yr) male and female subjects were studied during a graded treadmill exercise test.
|
Secondly, they admitted even in their testing protocol that there was an obvious difference in physical fitness levels and even adjusted the “graded treadmill test” intensity accordingly. It would appear to me this alludes to the flaws in my first point and quite possibly a flawed analysis of the data given the controls varied so much.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Hickner et al
Participants walked at 2.0 mph for 2 min before the treadmill speed was increased to 5.0 mph for the initiation of the treadmill test. Less fit participants exercised at this intensity (5.0 mph: approximately 65% VO[sub2peak]) for 5 min. This initial steady-state exercise speed allowed determination of fat oxidation by indirect calorimetry during submaximal exercise. The treadmill speed was then increased 1 mph every 2 min until 7.0 mph. The grade of the treadmill was then increased 2% every minute until the subjects could no longer continue. The less fit participants underwent this treadmill protocol for each of their five treadmill tests. Participants with a higher level of fitness and running background (those individuals who reported on questionnaire that they purposefully exercise trained 3?wk[sup-1] or more for a minimum of 30 min per session for the past 6 months) underwent a similar treadmill test for each of their five treadmill tests. However, following the 2.0 mph 2-min warm-up stage, the initial speed for the 5-min exercise stage was 7.0 mph (approximately 65% VO[sub2peak]), followed by increases of 1.0 mph every 2 min until 9.0 mph, with subsequent 2% increases in treadmill grade every minute. Respiratory gases were continuously collected and analyzed every 20 s by indirect calorimetry (TrueMax 2400, Consentius Technologies, Sandy, UT). VO[sub2peak], was defined as the maximal oxygen consumption attained during a test where two of the following three criteria were met: 1) an RER ratio > 1.1; 2) attainment of +/- 5 bpm of predicted HR[submax]; or 3) no further increase in oxygen consumption with an increase in exercise intensity. Treadmill time began immediately after 2 min of walking on the treadmill at 2.0 mph and was stopped at the time the subject clutched the treadmill handrail for support to terminate the test.
|
My last counterpoint also is that 12-17 of the subject showed a decrease in exercise capacity but we do not know their ages nor do we know there pre-existing exercise capacity either. This seems like pretty pertinent data to me. How about you? It seem our counterbalance was adjusting our testing protocol.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Hickner et al.
The primary finding of this placebo-controlled, double-blind, counterbalanced study was that, in contrast to our hypothesis, there was a decrease in performance during this incremental graded treadmill exercise test to exhaustion in 12 of the 17 participants.
|
As we can see the above questions raised certainly don’t lend any credence to the following abstract conclusion:
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Hickner et al.
It can be concluded that, contrary to the hypothesized improvement in treadmill time following L-citrulline ingestion, there is a reduction in treadmill time following L-citrulline ingestion over the 24 h prior to testing.
|
This why we should always take an absract citation as being nothing more than summary of a possibly flawed testing protocol. The practice of using these incorrectly is present everywhere and is why you can never just take the accounts of one as being absolute scientific proof.
“The first man to see an illusion by which men have flourished for centuries surely stands in a lonely place
-Gary Zukav
Last but not least, I hope the in all earnest that the errors in this study were just due to a poor design. It would be sad if they were attributed to the fact that study was funded by Experimental Applied Sciences or more commonly known as EAS. It would also be a shame if it had anything to with the fact Mr. Hickner is a member of the EAS Scientific Advisory Board.
-Des
Posted in Training
Thursday, October 12th, 2006
The Workout: 9.8 out of 10
*I’m excluding all warm up sets*
Rack Pulls: 495 x 5, 495 x 4, 515 x 1
Hammer Grip Pull-Ups: BW + 90 x 6, BW + 90 x 6
Dumbell Rows: 140’s x 6/6, 140’s x 5/6
Low Cable Rows: 275 x 5, 275 x 5, 275 x 4
Hybrid Calf Training: 360 x 30, 360 x 30, 360 x 30 superset w/ all that other crap
Cardio: Precor Elliptical- 45 minutes
Thoughts….
Another heavy workout. Man these take a lot out of me. As I mentioned before, I do a few warm-up sets to prepare of the onslaught of the heavier sets. Despite feeling strong today I’m still tenative about my lower back on rack pulls. They felt really good but I’m no trying to overload too much. Each power week I’ll try and up my working sets by about ten pounds to see where I end up.
Posted in Training
Thursday, October 12th, 2006
Back in the day when energy drinks contained ephedra I could often be seen grabbing an ABB Speed Stack upon arriving at the gym. At this time I really didn’t know what I was doing in the gym but always thought my workout sessions were effective because I was supercharged from the liquid rocket fuel I was drinking. Eitherway, I miss the days of ABB Speed Stack with ephedra and are now bound to the rules of the INBF. I can’t even consider the ephedrine HCL as an option.
Like any other supplement that catches my interest, the formulation of VPX Redline RTD’s is quite impressive compared to other energy drinks on the market. I found the inclusion of cAMP, Evodiamine, Vinpocetine, and Yohimbine HCL really puts this light years ahead of any other energy drink.
Admittedly, this drink contains enough caffiene to give even a crackhead a hard on. This comes in the form of caffeine citrate, caffein anhydrous, yerba mate, and also green tea. The use of yohimbine HCL also contributes to the jitters one might experience while taking this product. If you are sensitive to stimulants like caffeine or yombine HCL I suggest you look somewhere else for energy needs.
The bottom line on this product is that it is intense but does not cause one to experience any sort of stimulant crash. I have been using these for some fasted cardio sessions in which I am just truly dog tired. I prefer RTD’s because very simply they hit you faster and I don’t want to wait for something to kick in when I wake up to do cardio. Currently my weight is at about 236lbs and this has me wired like a four year old who was mixing Pixy Stix with Pepsi.
Cost: 10 out of 10
On bodybuilding.com you can buy a case of 24 for $45.95. Other energy drinks run about the same price or even a little more. However, none of them have the ingredient profile of this product and is why I rated it so high.
Effectiveness: 9 out 10
This product is hands down the most potent energy drink you can buy today. I have a friend who is a pure stimulant addict drinking about four Turbo Teas a day to level himself out. When I got my last order of these I let him try one out and he was more chatty then a drunk woman who just bumped a line. It is was quite funny actually because he was stuck behind the front desk of my health club for a few more hours. Basically, don’t take this product unless you intend to workout, stay up for long time, or MC at an auction.
Taste: 8 out 10
This tastes very similiar to sugar free fruit punch Kool Aide. VPX did a great job masking all the ingredients in such a small bottle. It’s not the typical synthetic energy drink taste. Also, since it has no sugars and is carb free so it gets a thumbs up from any person on a diet.
Posted in Supplement Reviews
Thursday, October 12th, 2006
Currently my energy levels are always low. This is because my present diet has me eating about 1800 calories less per day compared to my bulking diet. Every morning I wake up starving but know that I have to put in a solid 45 minutes of cardio before I can eat. Welcome to the life of a cutting bodybuilder.
Even on the mornings I do feel somewhat energized about ten minues after I jump on the stepmill my body wants to give up. Another ten minutes later my mind wants to give up. A short time after this point I am running on nothing but a pure will to succeed. I don’t know how else to put it but fasted cardio sucks.
What initially sparked my interest in Driven was the utilization of citrulline malate. This supplement ingredient has show to cause an attenuation in fatigue sensation along with improvements in the metabolic pathways for aerobic respiration (Bendahan 2002). I had some initial reservation about this product because the test subjects in the Bendahan study received 6 grams of citrulline malate during the study and a serving of Driven contains less. Needless to say my worries subsided after my first cardio session using this product as a standalone. I believe this is due to the addition of acetyl-l-carnitine which has also shown an improvement in ATP production in skeletal muscle mitochondria (Iossa 2002). These two ingredients combined pack a powerful punch.
This product made my cardio sessions a lot more enjoyable in many ways. First off, this supplement did not take long to kick in per se because it comes in a mixable liquid which is actually quite enjoyable to a sugar deprived dieter like myself. Secondly, I was not experiencing the normal lactic acid burn which I can always count on while on the stepmill. This was a huge plus in my book because I am normally dragging ass only after a short while. Lastly, I did feel pretty focused on the task at hand. I have a problem of constantly checking the clock and flipping channels during cardio. I seemed content watching MSNBC during my entire workout which I normally get disguested with at some junction and only glanced at the clock a few times. Normally I have to break from TV and throw on some club music like Paul Van Dyk or DJ Tiesto to keep the tempo up.
Taste: 9 out 10
This product is very refreshing and doesn’t even taste like a supplement to be really frank with you. Its flavoring reminds me of a diet Rasberry Snapple. I feel anyone on a strict diet or just looking for a safe performance enhancer will enjoy Driven very much. In all honesty, I mixed mine in warm water just because I’m lazy and didn’t throw any ice cubes in. I also don’t feel like having to wait for the water get cold in the morning from the faucet because I am essentially a zombie. My apartment is usually pretty warm during these hot summer days. I haven’t used any air conditioning this summer and don’t plan to as part of my fat loss regimine.  I’m sure this product would taste truly excellent if it were chilled a bit.
Effectiveness: 8 out 10
Anyone looking for a product to help burn through cardio sessions with a breeze should consider Driven. The past three weeks of seemingly endless cardio session are already starting to take a toll on me and I still have 17 weeks to go until my competition. This is a great addition to any supplement arsenal and will provide you with the extra boost you need stay focused on the task at hand. When taking this I actually looked forward to cardio and didn’t fear the stepmill. I couldn’t ask for more.
References
Bendahan D, Mattei JP, Ghattas B, Confort-Gouny S, Le Guern ME, Cozzone PJ.
Citrulline/malate promotes aerobic energy production in human exercising muscle.
British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2002 Aug;36(4):282-9.
Iossa S, Mollica MP, Lionetti L, Crescenzo R, Botta M, Barletta A, Liverini G.
Acetyl-L-carnitine supplementation differently influences nutrient partitioning, serum leptin concentration and skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiration in young and old rats.
Journal of Nutrition. 2002 Apr;132(4):636-42
Posted in Supplement Reviews
Thursday, October 12th, 2006
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/ergo/gf.html
“ErgoPharm decided to make a no carb, no fat whey protein supplement, but first they were determined to break the mold. This new protein had to be something never seen before - something truly original - not just different for the sake of being “different”. ErgoPharm was determined to engineer a whey protein unsurpassed in its ability to supply the best source of fast absorbing whey, and they also wanted to incorporate a completely novel, unknown source of animal protein - a protein delivering potent immunomodulatory and growth promoting peptides.
GF Pro. Zero carb, zero fat GF Pro contains a proprietary blend of the highest quality whey protein isolates available combined with a remarkable spray dried plasma protein that is comprised of peptides (IGg, transferrin/lactoferrin, IGF-1, TGFŸ-1) with potent anabolic and immunoprotective functional properties. This remarkable protein has been proven scientifically to lead to increases in lean tissue mass through its ability to optimize protein utilization. Therefore the net result of the proprietary formulation, GF Pro, is the most advanced protein supplement ever created. Oh yeah, and the stuff comes in mouthwatering fruit flavors - so delicious you’ll swear it can’t be good for you. Available in Green Apple, Cherry Blast, Orange Cream and Raspberry Lemonade. ”
I wanted a fruity whey isolate for my pre cardio and post workout shakes. So last week I received my 5lbs jug of Ergopharm Blue Berry GF-Pro. I was really excited about this product because ErgoPharm is known for theit quality and I was curious to see what a relatively expensive isolate product tasted like. Here’s my review:
Taste: 10 out of 10
The taste was spot on blueberry. I was actually surprised out how realistic the flavoring matched real blueberry. I use to pick blueberrys all the time when I used to spend my summers in Maine as a kid so I was very impressed.
Mixability: 7 out of 10
While this is not the worst mixing protein it isn’t the best either. It did take some extra effort to get a smooth consistency with a shaker. However, it wasn’t impossible. I think it is due to the fact the powder is extremely fine and could be the added spray dried plasma protein.
Value: 8 out of 10
This is definately an expensive product, but I feel the quality justifies the cost. If you are looking for a great tasting isolate this will not dissappoint. Furthermore, I don’t know of any protein powders with bioactive proteins and spay dried plasma protein. Here’s some more info on those ingredients. http://www.ergopharm.net/tech_immunolin.php
Overall: 8.5 out of 10
As I become more experienced with supplementation you pay for what you get when it comes to protein. This is a quality product and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fruity isolate product
Afterthoughts…..
This product tastes really good with milk, water, and orange Gatorade. I am really impressed with the flavoring system. It would be nice if ErgoPharm expanded their product line with a BCAA cocktail and blended protein utilizing the same flavoring system.
Posted in Supplement Reviews
Thursday, October 12th, 2006
Taste: 10 out of 10
I had very high expectations for this flavor because the blueberry version was truly exquisite. The problem with a lot of protein powders is that they are rather bland with water. In order to make them more palatable you must add something that usually means more calories or sugars. Cherry Blast tastes great with water and is extremely refreshing. Mixed with milk it is absolutely to die for and makes a decent standalone protein blend considering milk protein is about 80% casein. I still have yet to mix this with any other ingredients. I honestly haven’t felt the need to experiment because I love it so much with skim milk. It’s quite the treat!
Formulation: 10 out of 10
What I like best about this product is how low the cholesterol content is. A lot of whey blends utilizing isolates and concentrates have about six times as much cholesterol per scoop. If you are injesting multiple scoops of protein per day this isn’t ideal in my opinion for someone trying to lead a healthy lifestyle.Another unique inclusion to the GF-Pro formulation is sprayed dried bovine plasma (SDBP). This is a bioactive protein that contains particularly large amounts of insulin like growth factor one (IGF-1). This can stimulate muscular hypertrophy via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt pathway. It is also important for overall nitrogen retention and stimulating protein synthesis as well. Lastly, it is a key player in the anabolic utilization of growth hormone (GH).
“In summary, the addition of SDBP and its’ constituent bioactive proteins to ones diet and exercise program have been shown to exert several different and important biological effects upon oral ingestion including:1) Increasing the ability to fight infection and decreasing the inflammatory response of pathogenic infection
2) Increasing the ability to resist the immunosuppressive and catabolic effects of overtraining and other environmental stressors
3) Increasing alimentary levels of IGF-1 and TGF-beta1 thus aiding in intestinal integrity and intestinal absorptive ability of nutrients … especially protein
4) Increasing appetite as well as the efficiency of ingested protein towards lean body mass accretion. ”
More facts on Spray Dried Bovine Plasma
Cost: 10 out 10
I bought two of these on sale for only $12.99 a piece plus free shipping. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity for 4lbs of high quality isolate. I am actually pissed off I didn’t buy more. This just goes to show that when an opportunity to buy high quality supplements like this arises that you should take full advantage of it.
Other ErgoPharm Reviews
Banana Cream and Chocolate Fudge Mass Meal
Blueberry GF-Pro
Posted in Supplement Reviews
Thursday, October 12th, 2006
I am very pleased by the results of this product. While on it, I experienced enhanced recovery which is important to any bodybuilder. Since I will be competing as a natural bodybuilder I am willing to spend the extra money for a non-hormonal supplement which will enhance recovery.
This may not seem important as most novice bodybuilders are looking for the quick result supplements. This hasty approach has opened up the market of “effect” supplements which yield little in terms of real strength and mass gains. They are equating a pump with progress which as any real bodybuilder can tell you, is not the benchmark for gains.
What initially turned me on to this supplement was the fact that MuscleTech actually is a research driven supplement company. If you can get past the bulging eyes and exposed teeth of their ad campaigns, there is a true science backing their products. Hopefully, I was able to show that in this review.
My main motivation for doing this review was to show that there should be a more objective approach to judging a supplement. MuscleTech has been then object of too much criticism in my opinion unjustly. Yes, their ads are overboard and they do make some claims which should be worded differently. I am not denying that I get annoyed when I buy a magazine and a third of it is MT ads. However, science is science.
Innovation is something that hasn’t really revealed itself in a quite a few years in the supplement industry since the time of PH’s and ephedra. As a natural bodybuilder I am always looking for that natural edge, but would never compromise my health. That is why I am constantly scanning the market for new innovations.
In my opinion, MuscleTech has hit a home run with this supplement. I challenge all the haters to open their eyes a bit. Don’t judge something unless you have tried it. Question company reps who endlessly bash other companies. They are in this game to make money just like MuscleTech.
“The shepherd always tries to persuade the sheep that their interests and his own are the same.”
-Henri B. Stendhal
While I appreciate having owners and reps (Scivation, Designer Supplements, SAN, Molecular, and InStone) on the board I feel some (not mentioned) have abused their influence which has narrowed some forum members perspective on the supplement industry as a whole. Some members have looked to these manipulators for the innovation without prejudice. This sickens me because as someone who is educated and has been bodybuilding for a while now I can see through the bullshit. My advice is to give all supplements a fair chance especially if they are researched based.
Cost: 7 out of 10 <strong />
This is an expensive supplement no doubt. However, it does work in term of increasing protein sythesis naturally which makes it a great revovery aid. It is honestly hard to judge the cost harshly because there isn’t really anything to compare it to. I negged it a little because of the high price tag, but then had to give it a positive for being effective.
Effectiveness: 9 out of 10 <strong />
This is a quality product and I found it effective. Keep in mind that my diet and training schedule is impecable for the most part. Don’t expect huge gains from this as this will do nothing for you unless you are eating enough to support growth. I feel this a great supplement for those looking for a natural edge and don’t want to resort to hormonal manipulation such as steroid or PH use for real strength and mass gains.
Posted in Supplement Reviews
Thursday, October 12th, 2006
Over the past ten years I have gone through many pairs of lifting gloves. I find them necessary because lifting consistently 5-6 times a week can leave your hands extremely rough. Nothing is worse than having your lifting schedule interrupted because a callus on your hand tore open and the only way to keep it from bleeding while working out is fixing it up with some good old duct tape (this is a good remedy when necessary).
While women love a man’s hands they do not like the feeling of huge calluses touching them. Every girl I have ever dated has always complained about my calluses because from time to time I would lose or forget my gloves for a training session. After one heavy back workout without gloves and you are left with unwanted calluses. To get rid of them you have to pick at them or cut them off which can leave you hands even rougher for a short time. When you touch a woman she should respond affectionately and not with a “WTF is wrong with your hands?” I much rather feel her caring touch than be left alone with mine
With all that said, I have found the Schiek 540 Lifting Gloves to be the best lifting gloves I have ever used. Their construction is nothing but pure quality and their functionality is made with the serious weight lifter in mind.
I personally like having gloves with wrist support because they provide greater stability while doing heavy presses. I was also extremely impressed that they are designed to be cleaned in a washer machine. There is nothing worse that funky smelling gloves except maybe an old wet shoe. The last pair of gloves I had were destroyed in the washing machine which was a complete waste of $40.00. These have held up extremely well after multiple washes.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/sck/540.html
Posted in Supplement Reviews
Thursday, October 12th, 2006
When I first saw the advertisements for this supplement I said to myself, “You have to be kidding me!” I am always skeptical of advertising, especially when it comes from a supplement company. Once I began to research GAKIC a little more I did find that there was substance behind the claims. The famous immediate 10.5% increase claims were not based on MuscleTech hype but rather actual published research studies (Buford 2004 & Stevens BR 2000). I personally feel they should have also included the proven fact that this formula also improves resistance to fatigue by an average of 21% (Buford 2004 ).
The reason I mentioned the improved resistance to fatigue is because this is what I most notably experienced throughout my six week review. I was able to push out more reps and noticed huge improvements in my leg workouts with respect to more marginal improvements in other muscle groups, but improvements nonetheless. It took a lot more effort to fully fatigue my legs and sometimes I actually had to stop my workouts in fear of overtraining.
Post workout cardio sessions improved dramitically as well. The typical lactic acid burn almost never interfered with my performance and often I would only experience shortness of breath because I was pushing myself so hard.
To me this was most impressive because so many workout energizers rely on caffeine or caffeine derivatives. I feel a lot of people might have been disappointed with GAKIC samples because they expected a stimulant like feeling which is often misleading. I personally prefer not to take caffeine pre workout because it actually increases cortisol levels more than if not taken (Lovallo WR 2006). Cortisol has shown to have a catabolic effect so I prefer not promote it’s release during my workout if controllable (Crewther B 2006). Also, consistent use of caffeine based products will cause the stimulatory effects to diminish over time as your central nervous system becomes accustomed to their presence. I’m not saying I never use them, I just don’t rely on them for motivation. That should come from your heart and not a bottle.
What also troubles me is that some immediately say that GAKIC is “garbage” and creatine is “better.” To me, this is comparing apples and oranges. During repeated bouts of supramaximal exercise such as weight lifting, creatine has shown to increase total power output (Okudan 2006). This means you are able to exert more energy within a certain time frame such as multiple sets of barbell bench presses during your workout. You can bench more total weight because the amount of force you are able to exert is greater.
GAKIC on the other hand helps decrease the drop in mean power output during repeated bouts of supramaximal exercise (Buford 2004). We will use the same example of barbell bench presses that we used for creatine. When benching GAKIC will not help necessarily help you exert more force, but will help maintain a more consistent applied force. This means that if you normally start dropping reps on you last few sets, GAKIC could potentially assist in pushing out those few extra reps, because it is indeed an anearobic fatigue toxin reducer (Stevens BR 2000).
Most notably I have read many people comparing this to nitric oxide supplements and saying they didn’t get a great pump from GAKIC. Frankly, most of the claims of NO2 supplements are merely theory and you are experiencing only an effect. Personally, I get pumped up every workout without using NO2 supplements because my diet is solid. While I do feel they may serve more of a psychological advantage if anything, I would much rather use a product that actually improves the performance of muscles rather than a product that makes me feel as if I did. There is a huge difference and for anyone wishing to compete in the future you will realize this as well.
Cost: 7 out of 10
GAKIC is expensive without a doubt. However, when compared to other formulations utilizing the same formula it is on par with them. It really comes down to whether or not nutritional based performance enhancement is worth it for you. For me, I am training for a competition so utilizing a formula like this is certainly worth it. Despite this being a sponsored review, I will be buying GAKIC in the future.
Effectiveness: 9 out of 10
I found the GAKIC pills to be extremely effective when taken properly. The directions in my opinion are a little flawed because I found the supplement to be most effect when taken 90 minutes before my training sessions as opposed to 45 minutes. I often took them before my preworkout meal with a lot of water to ensure they were digested properly. Once I was able to tailor the supplement to my individual nutrition plan I found it to be extremely effective. My performance was improved in every muscle group, especially my legs. Hardcore workouts became easier plain and simple.
References
Buford BN, Koch AJ. Glycine-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid improves performance of repeated cycling sprints. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004 Apr;36(4):583-7.
Lovallo WR, Farag NH, Vincent AS, Thomas TL, Wilson MF. Cortisol responses to mental stress, exercise, and meals following caffeine intake in men and women. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2006 Apr 20
Crewther B, Keogh J, Cronin J, Cook C. Possible stimuli for strength and power adaptation: acute hormonal responses. Sports Med. 2006;36(3):215-38.
Okudan N, Gokbel H. The effects of creatine supplementation on performance during the repeated bouts of supramaximal exercise. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2005 Dec;45(4):507-11.
Stevens BR, Godfrey MD, Kaminski TW, Braith RW. High-intensity dynamic human muscle performance enhanced by a metabolic intervention. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 Dec;32(12):2102-8.
Posted in Supplement Reviews
|
Leave Comment