Showing posts with label Supplements. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Supplements. Show all posts
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Muscle Growth: Promising Potential
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Can omega-3 fatty acids boost muscle growth? Well, let's just say that I'm very excited to report about the results from two new studies that sought to answer that question. The results? I will tell you all about in this article.
I don't have time to keep up with the going-on's in the forums, and I don't know if the weight training community has taken note of these studies yet. I hope they will, because these findings are - by far - the most interesting thing I have come across in a long time.
(This article is somewhat long and I wrote the n-3 health and fat loss review since I thought I'd give myself a refresher course on the topic. I don't talk about the new studies mentioned in the introduction until the latter 2/3 of this review. If you don't give a damn about the effects of n-3 intake on health and fat loss, feel free to skip the first part of the article and go to "Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Leucine Resistance.").
Since most people's eyes glaze over when someone starts talking cell biology, imagine your cell as an avocado. Picture the avocado with myriads of pins buried in it.
This is your cell. The pins are membrane proteins, some of which are nutrient transporters for glucose, amino acids, and so forth. The dark skin and the edible green flesh is the plasma membrane, which consists of two thin layers made of fatty acids. N-3 supplementation has the potential of altering this part of the cell. Generally speaking, plasma membranes with a higher % EPA and DHA enrichment are healthier; they have the potential of modulating signals in between the white pins/plasma proteins and the avocado core. The "avocado core" is the cell interior, which react in response to signals from the cell exterior.
Pins: are called integral membrane proteins."Integral membrane protein" is a catch-all term for proteins that shuttle nutrients or signals to the cell itself, or the avocado core if you will. Included in these are glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) and amino acid transporters, for example. Pretend these pins had the ability to move up and down through the skin and flesh of the avocado. The word for this is translocation, or protein targeting depending on how fancy you want to get.
Skin and edible part: this is the cell membrane, also called the lipid bilayer, or the phospolipid bilayer. A large part of these layers consists of fatty acids and their structure is highly dependent on the fat composition of your diet. This is where n-3 fatty acids exert their effect; by their incorporation into lipid bilayers, n-3 acids can modulate signals between the pins to the cell itself. In particular, it is the omega-3 series members docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) that facilitates these processes. When I talk about "n-3 supplementation/intake", it is often in specific reference to EPA and DHA, and not ALA.
Avocado core: cell interior, where transcription (i.e. muscle protein synthesis) takes place based on feedback from the cell exterior and pins.
Obviously, this is a vastly simplified version of the cell, but I've found the avocado analogy somewhat helpful in dumbing down the cell and its workings.
Obviously, this is a vastly simplified version of the cell, but I've found the avocado analogy somewhat helpful in dumbing down the cell and its workings.
The fact that n-3 is incorporated into the plasma membrane of all your cells - be it brain cells, muscle cells, and so forth - explains how these fatty acid can have so diverse effects on human physiology and health. Let's take a look at what they do.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Effects on Health
Controlled studies have clearly established the positive influence of n-3 intake on cardiovascular health. The role of n-3 as a modulator of inflammation is also well recognized and the fact that omega-3 fats down-regulate genes involved in chronic inflammation makes it likely that n-3 intake can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Effects on Body Composition
Freedom from disease and a sharper mind is all good and well, but what what about biomakers related to body composition? Results from studies on n-3 intake and insulin sensitivity are mixed. In summary, people with poor insulin sensitivity (obese) usually see an improvement with n-3, while lean subjects see no or only modest improvements. Keep in mind that "lean" in a clinical context is 15-20% body fat for males and around 25% body fat for females.
In combination with exercise, n-3 has been shown to accelerate fat loss in a few studies, but once again the effect is limited to obese subjects.
In conclusion, there simply aren't any good trials on n-3 supplementation and their role in fat loss yet. Oh sure, there are studies looking at fish intake and so forth, but I'm talking controlled interventions without a bunch of variables (fish protein, outpatient trials with poor control, etc.).
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: What We Know So Far
Furthermore, research is also highly suggestive of a positive effect of n-3 on brain function and several disease processes, ranging from cancer to the metabolic syndrome. Keep in mind that it's impossible to provide hard data on these aspects of human health. You can't put people in a lab, give some of them some fish oil pills, and look at who got Alzheimer's or cancer 8 weeks later.
Instead you look at things like fish consumption in thousands of individuals, sometimes over several years, and compare the disease trends relative to fish or seafood consumption. When you do this, you often see positive associations between n-3 saturation of the phospholipid membranes and greater health.
This positive association seems independent of other factors that affect health; meaning that, in an imaginary scenario where we compare two people with the exact same stats, such as body fat percentage and lifestyle habits, with the exception of n-3 intake or fish intake, the person with a higher n-3 intake will be healthier.
A striking example of this, is the fact that fat Eskimos have significantly lower rates of Diabetes Type 2 compared to equally fat Americans (3.3% vs 7.7%). Not a completely valid comparison, due to the inherent problems of dietary epidemiology, but it illustrates the point I'm trying to make, as these health trends are seen across the board in many different populations.
It's safe to say that n-3 is good for us. The Western diet contains too little omega-3 relative to omega-6 fats for optimal health, and our low n-3 intake might certainly be an independent factor influencing the disease trend amongst Westerners compared to other populations with high n-3 intake (e.g. Eskimos, etc.).
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: What We Know So Far
In summary of a vast area of research on n-3 and health, the scientific evidence is indisputable for a positive effect on cardiovascular health and chronic inflammation. These are things you can measure and track, and find a clinically significant effect on within 12 weeks; i.e. improved blood lipids and lower TNF-a (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, an inflammatory marker).
Instead you look at things like fish consumption in thousands of individuals, sometimes over several years, and compare the disease trends relative to fish or seafood consumption. When you do this, you often see positive associations between n-3 saturation of the phospholipid membranes and greater health.
A striking example of this, is the fact that fat Eskimos have significantly lower rates of Diabetes Type 2 compared to equally fat Americans (3.3% vs 7.7%). Not a completely valid comparison, due to the inherent problems of dietary epidemiology, but it illustrates the point I'm trying to make, as these health trends are seen across the board in many different populations.
It's safe to say that n-3 is good for us. The Western diet contains too little omega-3 relative to omega-6 fats for optimal health, and our low n-3 intake might certainly be an independent factor influencing the disease trend amongst Westerners compared to other populations with high n-3 intake (e.g. Eskimos, etc.).
Now finally, what about those new studies on n-3 and muscle protein synthesis?
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Leucine Resistance
A few months ago, "Dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation increases the rate of muscle protein synthesis in older adults: a randomized controlled trial" caught my eye on PubMed.
A few months ago, "Dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation increases the rate of muscle protein synthesis in older adults: a randomized controlled trial" caught my eye on PubMed.
I saw that Michael Rennie, a hot shot in protein research, was among the authors so I very was excited to read it. The results were very interesting.
As we age, we encounter a phenomenon called "anabolic resistance". This is a catch-all term for an overall crappier response to weight training and dietary protein.
A fancier sounding word for anabolic resistance is "sarcopenia". But this is just a made-up word that researchers use to get funding for studies. Sarcopenia sounds better than anabolic resistance, I guess.
In terms of dietary protein, "leucine resistance" describes the phenomenon in regards to how the response to feeding is altered. The amino acid leucine is the primary amino acid responsible for triggering muscle protein synthesis. Elderly folks need higher concentrations of leucine to get the same response as young folks. Various feeding strategies that overcomes this problem include:
1. "Protein pulse feeding", which means eating infrequent meals higher in protein and leucine (in contrast to frequent meals). There is a threshold level of leucine needed to consume in each sitting to maximize muscle protein synthesis and this threshold is raised with aging. Larger meals cause leucine to hit that threshold, which triggers muscle protein synthesis. Leucine resistance is similar to insulin resistance in the sense that more leucine and insulin is required to trigger the same response.
2. Supplementing with whey protein or amino acids (EAA, BCAA or leucine). There are many practical advantages of this strategy, i.e. the hassle-free process of drinking whey protein or taking free-form amino acids.
3. Simply eating enough high-quality protein in each meal. This might seem like a no-brainer for us, but with aging comes a loss of appetite. When was the last time you saw a 70-year chew down a big steak? Achieving a high leucine concentration in the blood is mainly about eating enough protein. In the case of elderly folks, faster protein sources - such as well-chewed meat or whey protein - is preferable. This is first and foremost due to absorption kinetics; i.e. leucine concentrations will rise fast and the threshold will be easily reached with 20-30 g protein.
So that's that. As a side-note, I detest faux diet gurus who cite studies on protein supplements for the elderly to sell leucine supplements. It makes zero sense for a young guy on a high-protein diet.
(Context is crucial. The supplement industry flourishes because no one cares to read or question their claims. Here's some advice: take a second or two to actually read and reflect on studies that are cited in order to validate a claim ("Leucine increases muscle protein synthesis by 537%!"). If it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true.)
(Context is crucial. The supplement industry flourishes because no one cares to read or question their claims. Here's some advice: take a second or two to actually read and reflect on studies that are cited in order to validate a claim ("Leucine increases muscle protein synthesis by 537%!"). If it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true.)
Anyway, so this one study I mentioned earlier showed that 8 weeks of n-3 supplementation lead to a significant increase in muscle protein synthesis in response to feeding. The same experiment was repeated with younger subjects and the results were released a few weeks ago.
Below, I'll do a detailed review of the newly released second study and talk a about the results.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Muscle Protein Synthesis
Here's the study I'm going to talk about now:
Here's the study I'm going to talk about now:
Introduction
...we have recently demonstrated that LCn-3PUFA supplementation (4 g·d-1 of Lovaza®) in older adults (≥65 y) significantly increased the rate of muscle protein synthesis during hyperinsulinemia-hyperaminoacidemia, most likely because of greater activation of the mTOR-p70s6k signalling pathway
This is in reference to the first study on a group of elderly subjects that I mentioned earlier. There have also been other studies, prior to that one, which suggested that n-3 supplementation spared muscle mass when added to a tube feeding formula during cancer treatment.
...feed enriched in menhaden oil, a fish oil rich in EPA and DHA, doubled the insulinstimulated
non-oxidative whole-body disposal of amino acids (a marker of increased whole-body
protein synthesis) and increased the activation of the mTOR-p70s6k signalling pathway in
muscle of young and still growing steers...
Furthermore, animal studies have also hinted at an anabolic effect of n-3 enriched feedings. Based on the aforementioned studies, the researchers speculate that the mechanism by which n-3 can increase muscle growth is via activation of the mTOR-p70s6k signalling pathway in response to feeding. The exact mechanism is unknown.
The mTOR-p70s6k signalling pathway is commonly used as a marker for muscle anabolism and protein synthesis, and by measuring the phospholyration rate (activity) of p70s6k, you can get an idea of the anabolic rate in the muscle.
For example, in the study I reviewed in "Fasted Training Boosts Muscle Growth", they found that p70s6k increased more after fasted training. Though they did not measure muscle protein synthesis, it is reasonable to assume that MPS increased in concert with p70s6k. (Keep in mind that this does not necessarily mean that fasted training is superior to fed-state training. Measurements were made during a fairly narrow time-period. Read the article for my thoughts on the topic).
The purpose of the present study therefore was to determine the effect of LCn-3PUFA supplementation for 8 weeks on indices of muscle protein anabolism in human muscle in young/middle aged adults.
Examining the activity of the mTOR-p70s6k signalling pathway and muscle protein synthesis (MPS) in response to n-3 supplementation was the purpose of this study.
Method
Nine healthy individuals (5 men and 4 women; age: 39.7 ± 1.7 y; BMI 25.9 ± 1.0 kg/m2; body fat determined by dual X-ray absorptiometry: 25 ± 3 %; means ± SEM) participated in this study.
After obtaining baseline values for anabolic signalling pathways (mTOR-p70s6k) and muscle protein synthesis, the participants were given 4 g n-3/day for 8 weeks.
8 weeks of dietary supplementation with 4 g·d-1 of Lovaza® (GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA) containing 1.86 and 1.50 g·d-1, respectively of the ethylesters of eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA; 20:5n-3] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA; 22:6n-3]).
It should be noted that the addition of 4 g n-3/day was the only intervention made in this study. Participants were instructed to not change their usual diet and activity pattern for these 8 weeks.
Important: Note that the n-3 dose totalled 1.86 g EPA and 1.5 g DHA, which is a lot higher than what you will get from your average fish oil supplement.
Looking at the n-3 supplement I'm using, the 3 g/day I've been taking only gives me a total of 0.54 g EPA and 0.36 g DHA (and 0.15 g ALA). That's really bad. Take a look at yours. A good n-3 brand should contain no more than 50% filler, but this one I'm taking is 65% filler ( in stark contrast to Lovaza, pharma-grade n-3, with only 15% filler). I haven't noticed this until now and will be more stringent with my n-3 intake. More information on good n-3 supplements at the end of the article. Let's carry on with the study review now.
Infusion Protocol
First, a brief description of the procedure on the day when the results were obtained. I'd normally skip this tedious section in my study reviews, but there are some crucial details here that will become important later on in the article.
All participants ate a standardized meal at 8 PM on the day prior. A 6-8 AM the following morning, they arrived at the laboratory, where they were infused with tracers for four hours.
Without going into technical detail, tracer infusion is a technique for tracking the passage of nutrients, i.e. amino acids and glucose, through the body. This is always done prior to infusion of amino acids; e.g. you can see how much of the amino acids that ended up in muscle if you infuse tracers, followed by amino acids, and lastly take a muscle biopsy (and that's exactly what they did here).
After fours hours of tracer infusion, participants were then infused with a mixture of amino acids and insulin for three hours. The amino acid dose was determined to 105 mg/kg lean mass, which with these participants in mind amounts to ~5-6 g amino acids/hour.
A one-time "priming dose" of 35 mg/kg lean mass, or ~2 g amino acids, was given prior to the 3-hour infusion; this is often done in order to stabilize blood concentrations prior to steady-state infusions of this kind.
Important: Adding the aforementioned numbers together, 17-20 g amino acids were infused over a 3-hour period. This might seem like a fairly trivial amount, but the the amino acid mixture, Travasol 10%, was of a very high quality. 20 g of it yields 1.4 g leucine, 3.8 g BCAA (leucine, isoleucine, valine) or 13 g EAA (BCAA + 5 essential amino acids). I'll discuss the implications of this later on.
During the infusion protocol, blood samples were taken with regular intervals. Three muscle tissue samples were obtained, one prior to the amino acid infusion, and two towards the end. Based on these values, the researchers were able to obtain relevant data points for comparison against the ones obtained 8 weeks prior (the same procedure was performed before the n-3 intervention).
I just treated myself to an n-3-intervention. I don't eat a lot of fish, but when I do it's usually salmon with cottage cheese. I find that the salty salmon fits nicely with the cool creamy cottage cheese. Perhaps you would like it too.
Results
After these 8 weeks of 4 g n-3/day, EPA and DHA enrichment of the cell membranes had increased dramatically. This confirmed that compliance was good and that the n-3 supplementation was effective. For those interested in some raw numbers:
These results are not all that surprising. Recall what I said earlier about n-3 supplementation and metabolic status. Overweight and obese people often see meaningful improvements in these markers with n-3 supplementation, but in these normal weight subjects, n-3 supplementation did not do much in terms of reducing inflammation or altering glucose tolerance.
Glucose rate of disappearance, which shows glucose tolerance but can also be seen as a rough marker for insulin sensitivity, was unchanged. Then again, 8 weeks might also have been too short of a time to see any significant improvements in this area.
Basal muscle protein FSR (fractional protein synthesis rate) denotes muscle protein synthesis (MPS) in the fasted state. I will use MPS instead of FSR to avoid confusion, and it's basically the same thing.
Why "fractional synthesis rate" you ask? Muscle protein is made out of three fractions; 2/3 myofibrillar protein and 1/3 sarcoplasmic and mithocondrial protein (around 15% of total muscle volume each).
Without derailing the topic too much, I'll note that an increase in MPS usually mean that synthesis in all these fractions increase equally in proportion to their volume. Weight training tends to increase synthesis of myofibrillar protein slightly more, relatively speaking, while endurance training increases mithocondrial protein synthesis specifically.
Anyway, MPS in the fasted state was unchanged, which is to be expected. Meaningful changes in MPS are always seen in response to feeding. For example, weight training boosts MPS in response to amino acids in the blood (via pre-workout and/or post-workout meals), but does not alter basal FSR, assuming concentrations of amino acids in the blood are not elevated.
Basal MPS is only altered in some disease states (the severe kind, burn injury, sepsis, etc.) and - of some modest interest - with anabolic steroids. Steroids exert their effect by boosting basal MPS much more than MPS in response to feeding, which I find somewhat interesting. It also appears that sleep deprivation has the potential of lowering basal MPS.
Once again, I find myself ranting like a mad man and going off-topic, so let's proceed with the study review now.
Important: Now this is the interesting part. In response to the amino acid infusion, MPS was dramatically increased after 8 weeks of n-3 supplementation. Some raw numbers below.
MPS before n-3 (FSR % / hr)
Basal: 0.037
Amino acids: 0.062 (+68%)
MPS after n-3 (FSR % / hr)
Basal: 0.042
Amino acids: 0.083 (+98%)
These numbers were estimated from a graph when they were not reported in the text. As you can see, the increase in MPS was ~50% greater post-n-3 supplementation (+ 68% vs +98%) in response to the 20-gram amino acid infusion. I'm pointing this out specifically to differentiate it from a +50% absolute increase (i.e. +118%), which it could easily be mistaken for from the quote.
A 98% absolute increase in MPS in response to such a modest amount of amino acids is unheard of. Let me give you some data points to provide some perspective on MPS in response to feeding and training:
Typical MPS increase in response to 20 g amino acids: +50-70%. See MPS values pre-n-3 supplementation. Bohe, et al., used a similar dose and saw an increase of +57%. Similar values (+51%) were obtained after consumption of ~20 g beef protein.
Maximal MPS noted after high-protein meals or amino acid intake: +88-100%. Bohe, et al., for example, saw an increase of 88% in response to ~50 g amino acids infused over 3 hours. Other studies, such as this one, showed a ~100% maximal increase in response to 10 g EAA (~25 g mixed amino acids).
Maximal MPS noted after weight training and high-protein meals or amino acid intake: +170-200%. These values denote the highest absolute increase in MPS seen within 36 hours following weight training. Some data points are available in this text for those interested.
Important: The key point here is that MPS increased much more in response to feeding after n-3 supplementation, and that this increase is on par with the maximal increase seen after intakes of much higher doses of amino acids. The 20 g amino acids gave a boost in MPS that was comparable with a boost that would normally only been seen after intakes of 25-50 g protein.
The activity (phospholyration rate) of anabolic signalling pathways increased similarly as MPS.
Very, very interesting. Now let's see what the researchers said about these results in the discussion that followed.
Discussion
I should note that the results from the prior study on older adults were even more impressive, relatively speaking. The increase in MPS in response to amino acids were ~120% greater after n-3 supplementation (vs ~50% greater for this sample.).
After these 8 weeks of 4 g n-3/day, EPA and DHA enrichment of the cell membranes had increased dramatically. This confirmed that compliance was good and that the n-3 supplementation was effective. For those interested in some raw numbers:
EPA: 0.66% vs 2.57%
DHA: 1.91% vs 4.05%
Values are expressed as percentage of the total fatty acid composition of the phospholid membrane. It's interesting to note that n-3's displaced n-6 and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in the membrane. These were significantly lower (~50% vs 46% and ~8% vs 6%) after 8 weeks. Saturated fatty acid composition remained stable at 36-38% (increase by ~2%, not statistically significant).
What did this result in? Let's start with some health markers:
As expected, the concentration of inflammatory markers in plasma was low in this healthy
cohort of subjects and there were no differences (all P ≥ 0.33) before and after LCn-3PUFA
supplementation in the plasma concentrations of CRP (0.61 [0.39, 1.03] vs. 0.73 [0.17, 1.23]
mg·l-1, respectively), TNF-α (0.30 ± 0.02 vs. 0.31 ± 0.02 pg·ml-1, respectively) and IL-6 (1.49 [1.05, 3.25] vs. 1.34 [0.98, 1.47] pg·ml-1, respectively).
LCn-3PUFA supplementation had no effect on whole-body glucose kinetics.
These results are not all that surprising. Recall what I said earlier about n-3 supplementation and metabolic status. Overweight and obese people often see meaningful improvements in these markers with n-3 supplementation, but in these normal weight subjects, n-3 supplementation did not do much in terms of reducing inflammation or altering glucose tolerance.
Glucose rate of disappearance, which shows glucose tolerance but can also be seen as a rough marker for insulin sensitivity, was unchanged. Then again, 8 weeks might also have been too short of a time to see any significant improvements in this area.
The basal muscle protein FSR (calculated by using the muscle free phenylalanine enrichment
as the precursor enrichment) was not different before and after LCn-3PUFA supplementation...
Basal muscle protein FSR (fractional protein synthesis rate) denotes muscle protein synthesis (MPS) in the fasted state. I will use MPS instead of FSR to avoid confusion, and it's basically the same thing.
Why "fractional synthesis rate" you ask? Muscle protein is made out of three fractions; 2/3 myofibrillar protein and 1/3 sarcoplasmic and mithocondrial protein (around 15% of total muscle volume each).
Without derailing the topic too much, I'll note that an increase in MPS usually mean that synthesis in all these fractions increase equally in proportion to their volume. Weight training tends to increase synthesis of myofibrillar protein slightly more, relatively speaking, while endurance training increases mithocondrial protein synthesis specifically.
Anyway, MPS in the fasted state was unchanged, which is to be expected. Meaningful changes in MPS are always seen in response to feeding. For example, weight training boosts MPS in response to amino acids in the blood (via pre-workout and/or post-workout meals), but does not alter basal FSR, assuming concentrations of amino acids in the blood are not elevated.
Basal MPS is only altered in some disease states (the severe kind, burn injury, sepsis, etc.) and - of some modest interest - with anabolic steroids. Steroids exert their effect by boosting basal MPS much more than MPS in response to feeding, which I find somewhat interesting. It also appears that sleep deprivation has the potential of lowering basal MPS.
Once again, I find myself ranting like a mad man and going off-topic, so let's proceed with the study review now.
Insulin and amino acid infusion led to a marked increase in the muscle protein FSR (P < 0.001) and the anabolic response (i.e., the increase from basal values) was ~50% greater after LCn-3PUFA supplementation (0.042 ± 0.005 %·h-1 vs. 0.027 ± 0.005 %·h-1; P = 0.01). Consequently, the muscle protein FSR during insulin and amino acid infusion was significantly greater (P < 0.01) after than before LCn-3PUFA supplementation.
Important: Now this is the interesting part. In response to the amino acid infusion, MPS was dramatically increased after 8 weeks of n-3 supplementation. Some raw numbers below.
MPS before n-3 (FSR % / hr)
Basal: 0.037
Amino acids: 0.062 (+68%)
MPS after n-3 (FSR % / hr)
Basal: 0.042
Amino acids: 0.083 (+98%)
These numbers were estimated from a graph when they were not reported in the text. As you can see, the increase in MPS was ~50% greater post-n-3 supplementation (+ 68% vs +98%) in response to the 20-gram amino acid infusion. I'm pointing this out specifically to differentiate it from a +50% absolute increase (i.e. +118%), which it could easily be mistaken for from the quote.
A 98% absolute increase in MPS in response to such a modest amount of amino acids is unheard of. Let me give you some data points to provide some perspective on MPS in response to feeding and training:
Typical MPS increase in response to 20 g amino acids: +50-70%. See MPS values pre-n-3 supplementation. Bohe, et al., used a similar dose and saw an increase of +57%. Similar values (+51%) were obtained after consumption of ~20 g beef protein.
Maximal MPS noted after high-protein meals or amino acid intake: +88-100%. Bohe, et al., for example, saw an increase of 88% in response to ~50 g amino acids infused over 3 hours. Other studies, such as this one, showed a ~100% maximal increase in response to 10 g EAA (~25 g mixed amino acids).
Maximal MPS noted after weight training and high-protein meals or amino acid intake: +170-200%. These values denote the highest absolute increase in MPS seen within 36 hours following weight training. Some data points are available in this text for those interested.
Important: The key point here is that MPS increased much more in response to feeding after n-3 supplementation, and that this increase is on par with the maximal increase seen after intakes of much higher doses of amino acids. The 20 g amino acids gave a boost in MPS that was comparable with a boost that would normally only been seen after intakes of 25-50 g protein.
...mTORSer2448 and p70s6kThr389 concentrations increased by ~50%
The activity (phospholyration rate) of anabolic signalling pathways increased similarly as MPS.
Very, very interesting. Now let's see what the researchers said about these results in the discussion that followed.
Discussion
These data compliment and extend the results we recently obtained in older adults and demonstrate that LCn-3PUFA supplementation not only alleviates the muscle protein anabolic resistance associated with old age but can actually boost the anabolic response to nutritional stimuli in healthy muscle from young and middle-aged adults.
I should note that the results from the prior study on older adults were even more impressive, relatively speaking. The increase in MPS in response to amino acids were ~120% greater after n-3 supplementation (vs ~50% greater for this sample.).
...the effect was probably mediated via one or more alternative pathway(s), which have yet to be determined (but may include e.g., Rheb or vps34).
Rheb is a cell membrane protein and vps34 can roughly be described as a nutrient sensor. Both of these are involved in activation of the anabolic cascade that follows amino acid sensing outside the cell.
Furthermore, weight training also activates these anabolic triggers, which has the effect of increasing MPS more than normally, i.e. the cell takes up more amino acids from the same amino acid dose if Rheb/vps34 expression is increased from weight training. The speculation above revolves around whether n-3 supplementation has the potential to alter Rheb/vps34 expression.
Considering the observed changes in skeletal muscle phospholipid composition, it is also possible that LCn-3PUFA supplementation modulated key substrates along the anabolic signalling cascades by affecting membrane lipid composition and/or fluidity.
Another potential mechanism, albeit very poorly and unprofessionally formulated in my opinion. Amino acids do not simply diffuse and move through the cell membrane; "fluidity" should not affect uptake of amino acids in that sense.
However, n-3 enrichment of the membrane has the potential of affecting nutrient transport via modulation of the integral plasma proteins. Go back and read about the avocado if you don't follow. Look at the white pins. Some of them are amino acid transporters.
I believe one potential mechanism for the increase in MPS post-n-3-supplementation is altered amino acid transporter expression. Amino acid transporters are in contact with the cell membrane, and can translocate to the membrane surface in response to amino acids in the blood plasma. It's possible that an n-3 enriched membrane sensitizes, increases, or somehow alters transporters such as System-L, which is primarily responsible for uptake of leucine.
(Interesting side-note: paradoxically, transporters also increase during amino acid deprivation; i.e. starvation - presumably for transporting amino acids out of the cell interior, or to allow rapid resynthesis of muscle protein once amino acids become available again.).
A second hypothesis of mine, albeit somewhat remote and vague, is that increased blood flow supplementation might have something to with it. I do not have enough insight into hemodynamics to provide an informed opinion, but perhaps n-3 supplementation affected blood flow in such a way that hyperaminoacidemia occurred faster.
However, this would only alter the temporal pattern of MPS, and not the absolute rate. That might be a desirable effect for the elderly population, but not necessarily great for younger folks.
It is unlikely that the beneficial effect of LCn-3PUFA on muscle protein synthesis was related to their antiinflammatory properties because our subjects were young and healthy and we did not detect any treatment-induced changes in inflammatory cytokine concentrations in plasma – most likely because the concentrations were very low to begin with.
One hypothesis was that MPS could be negatively affected by inflammation. Since these subjects were healthy, there was no meaningful relationship between MPS and these markers. However, low-grade inflammation is often present in metabolically challenged individuals and there are studies which suggest that MPS is impaired in these cases.
Lowering inflammation, i.e. via n-3 supplementation, might be beneficial for restoring MPS in inflammatory states, such as obesity or illness. I don't think any human studies have confirmed this as far as obesity goes, e.g. lowered inflammation with n-3 and seen increases in MPS, but it's a theory.
Lowered inflammation with n-3-enriched tube feeding was posed as a possible mechanism for greater muscle retention in an earlier study on n-3 and cancer (a highly inflammatory disease state.).
...we infused amino acids and insulin at rates close to those used to achieve the half-maximal amino acid induced increase in muscle protein synthesis...
This is in reference to the choice of the amino acid dose to achieve a 50% increase in MPS, which is typical of that dose, based the response seen in other studies. This was done to avoid the "ceiling effect".
The "ceiling effect" is also referred to as the "muscle full" phenomenon and denotes the point where MPS falls back to basal values. In the Average Joe, this ceiling is reached in the third hour in response to an infusion rate of 10 g amino acids/hour, which amounts to about 2 g leucine total. After that, MPS becomes refractionary. A logical response. Had MPS not fallen back to basal values, we'd all look like Ronnie Coleman times ten.
Simply put, there is a limit to how much amino acids the muscles require for maintaining normal function, and they will not take up more aminos than what is required for muscle homeostasis.
We made our measurements of muscle protein synthesis during a 3-h infusion of insulin, amino acids and glucose because the rate of muscle protein synthesis rises quickly (within <30 min) in response to increased amino acid availability but then returns to basal values after ~2.5-3.0 h.
Important: This is a crucial aspect of this study that might make the results less than fully applicable. In fact, I think the researchers have made a critical error here.
It seems that they choose the amino acid infusion rate (105 mg/kg/hour) based on the assumption that MPS becomes refractionary in the third hour, regardless of the infusion rate, which is not the case at all. Bohe et al., showed that the refractionary response occurred in response to an infusion rate of 162 mg/kg/hour. Meaning that they had no grounds for limiting themselves to a 3-h infusion.
But why is this important then? Because the short time-period vastly limits the conclusion that can ultimately be drawn from the results. For example, recall that MPS increased by 68% in response to amino acids pre-n-3 supplementation. After n-3-supplementation, the same dose caused a 98% increase.
However, nothing can be said about the temporal pattern during these 3 hours. What if MPS would have become refractionary in the 4th hour after the second experiment, whilst remaining elevated after the first experiment?
We can only say that the absolute increase in MPS was greater within the narrow time-period of the study protocol. However, recall what I said about the "muscle full" scenario. It might be that n-3-supplementation simply increases the rapidity of amino acid uptake for any given dose; e.g. by altering amino acid transporter expression, which would then result in greater MPS within a shorter time-period.
However, once "muscle full" is achieved (after the absorption of ~2 g leucine), it should theoretically become refractionary. In contrast, sans n-3-supplementation the absorption would be slower, resulting in lower MPS that becomes refractionary at a later stage.
The key question here, which in my opinion remains unanswered, is whether n-3-supplementation has the potential of increasing the absolute capacity for MPS in response to a fixed amount of amino acids; similar to what weight training does. There is some indication that this might be the case:
There was a trend for an increase in the RNA-to-DNA ratio, the cell capacity for protein synthesis, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.13).
Important: If this is the case, n-3-intake would be one of the most important dietary components for body composition. I am not much for hyperbole, but this is a very exciting study - even if it's limited by its short infusion protocol.
Therefore, we assume that the increase in the anabolic response after LCn-3PUFA supplementation was due to an increase in the magnitude of the anabolic response. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that the effect was due to an increase in the duration of the anabolic effect of nutritional stimuli.
Yes, as I noted before, they cannot say much about the temporal pattern. I'm disappointed in Rennie for his lack of critical reflection around the short infusion protocol, which was chosen based on erroneous assumptions in regards to the refractionary state. Then again, even the best make mistakes.
This study could have been vastly improved if they had chosen the infusion rate (162 mg/kg/hr) required to reach a "muscle full" scenario within three hours and used a 4-hr infusion protocol. They would then compare MPS pre- vs post-n-3-supplementation. Had they then seen that MPS was higher post-n-3-supplementation, their conclusion...
In summary, we have shown that LCn-3PUFA supplementation in healthy 25 - 45 y old individuals increases mTOR signalling and the anabolic response of muscle protein synthesis to hyperinsulinemia-hyperaminoacidemia, which resulted in increased muscle cell size (protein-to- DNA ratio) and protein concentration.
...would have been a lot more valid.
The specific mechanism(s) by which LCn-3PUFA act on the muscle protein synthesis process remain mostly unknown.
And the mechanism by which omega-3 fatty acids affects muscle protein synthesis remains shrouded in mystery.
Here's the reason I don't eat much fish. I have nothing against fish, but there is no protein source I would rather choose over roast beef. Perhaps one day we might also uncover the anabolic potential of roast beef. But until then, I'll make sure to supplement my fat intake with EPA and DHA. I suggest you do so too, if you don't eat fatty fish on a regular basis.
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
Even though the conclusions that can be drawn based on this study are somewhat limited due to the infusion protocol, I find the results promising enough to make changes to my own diet. Consequently, I will personally increase my daily n-3 intake to achieve a similar EPA/DHA saturation of the plasma membranes. I will also make this a mandatory part of the diet templates for my clients.
This means that I recommend an intake of 2 g EPA and 1.5 g DHA per day, and it means that you should pay closer attention to the EPA/DHA amounts you get from your fish oil supplement.
As I mentioned earlier, a 1-gram fish oil capsule does not yield high amounts of EPA and DHA, as most of it is filler. The 3 grams of fish oil I have been taking up until now yields a trivial amount of 0.18 EPA/0.12 DHA per capsule. I'd need about 10 of those capsules to reach the amounts required.
Which fish oil supplements contain satisfactory amounts of EPA/DHA? I don't feel like chewing on 10 of those capsules, so I will explore other alternatives. I've looked around for a bit and have found these high-EPA/DHA-brands:
NutraSea Original Liquid.
Cost of daily dose required (3 tsp/15 ml liquid) to reach 2 g EPA/1.5 g DHA: $0.99. (500 mL bottle.)
Ultra Omega-3
Cost of daily dose required (4 softgels) to reach 2 g EPA/1.5 g DHA: $0.44. (180 g softgels.)
Swedish readers: "Omega-3 Forte" from Pharbio seems to be the best choice. You will need 6 softgels to meet the EPA/DHA-requirements. Daily cost: 9.4 SEK. You can order Omega-3 Forte from Svenskt Kosttillskott
The aforementioned brands are good and affordable alternatives for meeting the daily EPA/DHA requirements. Softgels are always cheaper, but some people can't stand fish oil capsules, in which case a liquid solution might be a more attractive alternative. So that's that.
If you eat fatty fish on a regular basis, a stringent EPA/DHA-protocol might not be required. You can check the EPA and DHA content of fish here. Example: your average store-bought salmon yields 0.7 g EPA and 1.4 g DHA per 100 g. Do the calculations based on your average weekly intake. Keep in mind that the amounts can vary depending on the breeding of the fish, e.g. farm-raised vs wild salmon.
Read more about supplements you might actually find useful in this article.
---
Where have you been?
Some readers might wonder why there haven't been any updates for more than a month. I blame this partly on my new laptop crashing. I bought it for myself as a Christmas present, but it came with an unfortunate defect in the HDD which caused my laptop to crash.
The process of sending it back and forth to repairs took about three weeks, during which I had to used my old laptop (which is ridiculously slow). When I write, I always work with several tabs open, since I need to do frequent fact-checking for the studies I cite, and so forth. I couldn't stand doing that on my sluggish old laptop. My work and motivation suffered.
Once I received my new laptop in return again, I had fallen out of the groove of writing and just got lazy and complacent. But I'm back on track now, it seems. Hopefully, you won't have to wait another 5 weeks for the next update.
I hope you found today's article interesting. I apologize for the ranting, the technical detail, and the length of the study review. I think the results are truly interesting, and perhaps revolutionary as far as supplements goes. I was eager to give you the full scoop without dumbing it down too much.
If you enjoyed the article, or any other article on my site for that matter, perhaps you might consider a donation in show of support of my writings and the time I put into them.
That's all for today, folks.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Amazing High Protein Recipes and Jack3d Review
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This post will include a few random goodies: two awesome high protein recipes, the best tasting casein protein powders, a new BCAA recommendation, and a review of Jack3d.
I'm a sucker for puddings and chocolate pudding with milk was probably one of the main contributors for my fatassitude when growing up. I could eat it all day. Still can. But it's not a great strategy for maintaining low body fat.
Fortunately, it's easy to make puddings with the right protein powder. You don't need to be a genius to understand that the main benefit of protein pudding vs regular pudding is far greater satiety and superior macronutrient profile. It's an awesome way to increase your protein intake if you're not into consuming pounds of meat on a daily basis. Requires minimal preparation, which is a plus if you're pressed for time. In my search for the best pudding-friendly protein powder, I went through several brands to find the best ones. Only a few made the cut.
Yes... I've been working my way through tub after tub looking for that perfect protein pudding powder.
Protein pudding basics
Should be a casein powder. Some milk protein isolates also work. Whey doesn't work at all. Mix powder and water (or milk) in a 1:1.25-1.5 ratio, meaning for each scoop of powder you take 1.25-1.5 scoops of water. Less water (i.e. 1.25) yields a thicker pudding and more water (i.e. 1.5) a smoother pudding. Put the bowl with the mixture the in fridge or freezer for 30 min to 2 hours depending on amount. If you put it in the freezer, it'll turn into an ice cream like concoction. This is the way I prefer to eat it.
You can add extras to the mixture: try berries, banana, raisins or cottage cheese, for example. Almonds are pretty awesome as well. Whipping cream on top tastes absolutely amazing on chocolate flavored puddings. After this I never want to hear about someone having trouble getting enough protein because this is so awesome you can eat it like candy.
Protein pudding is diet friendly as well and for extra satiety you can add some psyllium husk or xanthan gum to the mixture (careful with the amount or it won't taste very good).
Best brands for protein pudding
These are the cream of the crop if you want to make the best tasting protein puddings, ranked in order of preference.
Micellar Creme from Syntrax is absolutely amazing. By far the best tasting casein I've tried. Vanilla tastes like vanilla and chocolate like chocolate. Well, everything is relative of course, but I think this is as close to the real deal you can get with protein powders. Taste wise it's almost a tie between chocolate and vanilla but I think prefer chocolate.
Micellar Creme is Leangains certified.
Sloow Protein from Fairing, a domestic brand, is a great alternative to Micellar Creme for Swedes. The flavor you want to go for is Vanilla Ice Cream; very tasty and miles better than chocolate and wild berry (almost everyone I've talked to seem to prefer this flavor). Another very good option for Swedes: Double Pro from Eiselt, a milk protein isolate. Chocolate is by far the best flavor. Order from Svenskt Kosttillskott. Cheapest and fastest in my experience.
100% Casein Protein from Optimum Nutrition is good, especially when you consider the price. Flavor wise, there's a few interesting options. "Cookie dough" tastes surprisingly similar to real cookie dough in an artificial kind of way. Not bad at all. There's two different chocolate flavors but I wasn't too impressed with "Supreme Chocolate". "Creamy Vanilla" was great. I should note that Optimum Nutrition also has a very solid and tasty line of whey protein so if you're looking for that, definitely consider something from ON.
Honorable mention: Daniel Clough from Wannabebig sent me a snack pack a few weeks ago. Among the various supplements I found a little gem in At Large's very tasty protein blend (whey, casein, egg protein) Nitrean.
Unfortunately, Nitrean mixes too damn well to make a good protein pudding. However, if you're looking for a good protein blend to use for shakes, Nitrean is an excellent choice. It works very well for protein fluff as well.
By the way, check out this intermittent fasting article on Wannabebig if you haven't already.
Introducing protein fluff
Now this is some truly great stuff. Only 200 calories, tastes awesome and extremely satiating.
This recipe has been around on Swedish forums for some time. I didn't come up with it myself and I owe it to a guy named Fever for coming up with the original recipe and Andreaz for perfecting it. Andreaz was eating it like crazy on his latest contest prep and it was probably one of the reasons he felt this was his easiest diet ever. Wish I knew about this little gem a few years ago.
This is what you need:
~40 g protein powder. Works with: 100% Casein Protein , Nitrean, Sloow Protein and some whey protein brands (I've tried it with Syntrax Matrix). Unfortunately, I've not been able to make it work with Micellar Creme. Please let me know in comments when you find new brands this works with and I'll add them here.
200 g thawed and mashed berries: strawberries, raspberries or blueberries. Works best with strawberries or raspberries in my experience. Word on the street is it apparently also works with mashed bananas though I haven't tried it yet.
0.5 dl (or 1.7 ounces) skim milk. You can probably use water as well but I think skim milk will get you a better "fluff".
Sweetener (optional)
Alternative version: 30 g protein powder, 125 g berries, 1.25 dl (4.25 ounces) water or skim milk.
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Use a mixer on the strongest setting and mix thoroughly for several minutes.
The concoction will expand or "fluff up" to several times its original size. After 8-9 minutes, it'll look like the picture below.
Serve and enjoy as it is or add some extras like cacao or sliced bananas.
It all comes out to about 225 kcal, 36 g protein, 21 g carbs and zero fat. You can also put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes and it'll resemble a creamy kind of sorbet.
If you plan on eating this on a regular basis, getting a standing good mixer with a bowl will be a nice time-saver in the long run. I'm using "Philips HR1565" which is about $80 or so. If you can't get a hold of that one, Sunbeam 2371 Mixmaster Stand Mixer, White
seems like a good alternative. It's important that the mixer is strong (350 watts or more) and has a large enough bowl (3 liters or more).
New BCAA recommendation
I've been using Xtend from Scivation for my fasted training sessions ever since stores around here ran out of Purple Wraath a few months ago. Taste and effects wise, it's pretty much a toss-up between Xtend and Wraath. Price wise, Xtend can't be beaten. Flavor wise, Xtend is very agreeable and I prefer "Refreshing Watermelon". Check out the Leangains Guide to find out why you need BCAAs before fasted training sessions.
Jack3d Review
I've been trying a wide range of pre-workout supplements but I've never found something worth recommending. Some like the extra pump from NO Xplode and similar nitric oxide based supps, I just don't have any use for it.
I was pleasantly surprised by Jack3d. Besides the usual ingredients present in many pre-workout supplements, such as caffeine, creatine, arginine and beta-alanine, it contains 1,3-Dimethylamylamine also known as geranamine. This is a potent stimulant (as far as legal alternatives goes) and this is what provides the oomph in this product.
Apparently Geranamine is used as recreational drug in some circles and banned in a few countries. I wouldn't be surprised if we'll see more countries banning it soon as everything that is mildly effective seems to get a ban sooner or later. Shortly after I wrote the supplements guide, Meltdown and Clenbutrx both got banned in Sweden.
Anyway, being somewhat resistant to stims, I started off with the maximum recommended dosage the first time (three scoops). After 5-10 minutes, I could tell that it was working as I got an intense urge to do the dishes. During training, I didn't notice anything out of the norm besides a somewhat uncomfortable back pump after squatting. After training, I had to wait two hours before my appetite returned. I never have problems eating after training, especially not after fasted training, but the thought of food made me queasy. I also noticed some slightly panicky feelings at that point, the kind where you want to crawl out of your own skin. Nothing serious, but for those sensitive to CNS stimulants or prone to anxiety attacks, I would not recommend starting off with the highest dose like I did.
However, it seems tolerance develops and within a few days I could use the maximum recommended dosage without any side-effects. Unfortunately, the stimulant effect is also lessened.
In my experience, Jack3d is quite effective, but less so for the purpose it's advertised. I see its use mainly as an appetite suppressant or stimulant, much like ephedrine. The mechanism by which Jack3d exerts its effect is also similar to ephedrine in that it increases epinephrine/adrenaline, which in turn boosts lipolysis and leads to that "focused" feeling. Or that urge to do something, anything.
Either way you want to use it, as a pre-workout or motivational boost, or for appetite suppression, Jack3d works, which is why it ends up on my list of recommended, but certainly not essential, list of supplements.
By the way, I haven't found any studies to back the effectiveness of 1,3-dimethylamylamine for fat loss. If anyone knows of any human trials regarding its use for weight loss or improving cognition, alertness, or anything else for that matter, let me know. I always try to find some scientific backing for the supplements I recommend but I'm at a loss for this one.
P.S. I've fallen behind on my blogging schedule but will have another article up this upcoming week. This one will include some weight training and cardio guidelines that you absolutely need to know about.
P.P.S. For more supplement recommendations, check out "Supplements You Might Actually Find Useful".
P.P.P.S. It's pretty awesome that Tim Ferriss follows this site.
I'm a sucker for puddings and chocolate pudding with milk was probably one of the main contributors for my fatassitude when growing up. I could eat it all day. Still can. But it's not a great strategy for maintaining low body fat.
Fortunately, it's easy to make puddings with the right protein powder. You don't need to be a genius to understand that the main benefit of protein pudding vs regular pudding is far greater satiety and superior macronutrient profile. It's an awesome way to increase your protein intake if you're not into consuming pounds of meat on a daily basis. Requires minimal preparation, which is a plus if you're pressed for time. In my search for the best pudding-friendly protein powder, I went through several brands to find the best ones. Only a few made the cut.
Yes... I've been working my way through tub after tub looking for that perfect protein pudding powder.
Protein pudding basics
Should be a casein powder. Some milk protein isolates also work. Whey doesn't work at all. Mix powder and water (or milk) in a 1:1.25-1.5 ratio, meaning for each scoop of powder you take 1.25-1.5 scoops of water. Less water (i.e. 1.25) yields a thicker pudding and more water (i.e. 1.5) a smoother pudding. Put the bowl with the mixture the in fridge or freezer for 30 min to 2 hours depending on amount. If you put it in the freezer, it'll turn into an ice cream like concoction. This is the way I prefer to eat it.
You can add extras to the mixture: try berries, banana, raisins or cottage cheese, for example. Almonds are pretty awesome as well. Whipping cream on top tastes absolutely amazing on chocolate flavored puddings. After this I never want to hear about someone having trouble getting enough protein because this is so awesome you can eat it like candy.
Protein pudding is diet friendly as well and for extra satiety you can add some psyllium husk or xanthan gum to the mixture (careful with the amount or it won't taste very good).
Best brands for protein pudding
These are the cream of the crop if you want to make the best tasting protein puddings, ranked in order of preference.
Micellar Creme from Syntrax is absolutely amazing. By far the best tasting casein I've tried. Vanilla tastes like vanilla and chocolate like chocolate. Well, everything is relative of course, but I think this is as close to the real deal you can get with protein powders. Taste wise it's almost a tie between chocolate and vanilla but I think prefer chocolate.
Micellar Creme is Leangains certified.
Sloow Protein from Fairing, a domestic brand, is a great alternative to Micellar Creme for Swedes. The flavor you want to go for is Vanilla Ice Cream; very tasty and miles better than chocolate and wild berry (almost everyone I've talked to seem to prefer this flavor). Another very good option for Swedes: Double Pro from Eiselt, a milk protein isolate. Chocolate is by far the best flavor. Order from Svenskt Kosttillskott
. Cheapest and fastest in my experience.100% Casein Protein from Optimum Nutrition is good, especially when you consider the price. Flavor wise, there's a few interesting options. "Cookie dough" tastes surprisingly similar to real cookie dough in an artificial kind of way. Not bad at all. There's two different chocolate flavors but I wasn't too impressed with "Supreme Chocolate". "Creamy Vanilla" was great. I should note that Optimum Nutrition also has a very solid and tasty line of whey protein so if you're looking for that, definitely consider something from ON.
Honorable mention: Daniel Clough from Wannabebig sent me a snack pack a few weeks ago. Among the various supplements I found a little gem in At Large's very tasty protein blend (whey, casein, egg protein) Nitrean.
Unfortunately, Nitrean mixes too damn well to make a good protein pudding. However, if you're looking for a good protein blend to use for shakes, Nitrean is an excellent choice. It works very well for protein fluff as well.
By the way, check out this intermittent fasting article on Wannabebig if you haven't already.
Introducing protein fluff
Now this is some truly great stuff. Only 200 calories, tastes awesome and extremely satiating.
This recipe has been around on Swedish forums for some time. I didn't come up with it myself and I owe it to a guy named Fever for coming up with the original recipe and Andreaz for perfecting it. Andreaz was eating it like crazy on his latest contest prep and it was probably one of the reasons he felt this was his easiest diet ever. Wish I knew about this little gem a few years ago.
This is what you need:
~40 g protein powder. Works with: 100% Casein Protein , Nitrean, Sloow Protein and some whey protein brands (I've tried it with Syntrax Matrix). Unfortunately, I've not been able to make it work with Micellar Creme. Please let me know in comments when you find new brands this works with and I'll add them here.
200 g thawed and mashed berries: strawberries, raspberries or blueberries. Works best with strawberries or raspberries in my experience. Word on the street is it apparently also works with mashed bananas though I haven't tried it yet.
0.5 dl (or 1.7 ounces) skim milk. You can probably use water as well but I think skim milk will get you a better "fluff".
Sweetener (optional)
Alternative version: 30 g protein powder, 125 g berries, 1.25 dl (4.25 ounces) water or skim milk.
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Use a mixer on the strongest setting and mix thoroughly for several minutes.
The concoction will expand or "fluff up" to several times its original size. After 8-9 minutes, it'll look like the picture below.
Serve and enjoy as it is or add some extras like cacao or sliced bananas.
It all comes out to about 225 kcal, 36 g protein, 21 g carbs and zero fat. You can also put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes and it'll resemble a creamy kind of sorbet.
If you plan on eating this on a regular basis, getting a standing good mixer with a bowl will be a nice time-saver in the long run. I'm using "Philips HR1565" which is about $80 or so. If you can't get a hold of that one, Sunbeam 2371 Mixmaster Stand Mixer, White
seems like a good alternative. It's important that the mixer is strong (350 watts or more) and has a large enough bowl (3 liters or more).New BCAA recommendation
I've been using Xtend from Scivation for my fasted training sessions ever since stores around here ran out of Purple Wraath a few months ago. Taste and effects wise, it's pretty much a toss-up between Xtend and Wraath. Price wise, Xtend can't be beaten. Flavor wise, Xtend is very agreeable and I prefer "Refreshing Watermelon". Check out the Leangains Guide to find out why you need BCAAs before fasted training sessions.
Jack3d Review
I've been trying a wide range of pre-workout supplements but I've never found something worth recommending. Some like the extra pump from NO Xplode and similar nitric oxide based supps, I just don't have any use for it.
I was pleasantly surprised by Jack3d. Besides the usual ingredients present in many pre-workout supplements, such as caffeine, creatine, arginine and beta-alanine, it contains 1,3-Dimethylamylamine also known as geranamine. This is a potent stimulant (as far as legal alternatives goes) and this is what provides the oomph in this product.
Apparently Geranamine is used as recreational drug in some circles and banned in a few countries. I wouldn't be surprised if we'll see more countries banning it soon as everything that is mildly effective seems to get a ban sooner or later. Shortly after I wrote the supplements guide, Meltdown and Clenbutrx both got banned in Sweden.
Anyway, being somewhat resistant to stims, I started off with the maximum recommended dosage the first time (three scoops). After 5-10 minutes, I could tell that it was working as I got an intense urge to do the dishes. During training, I didn't notice anything out of the norm besides a somewhat uncomfortable back pump after squatting. After training, I had to wait two hours before my appetite returned. I never have problems eating after training, especially not after fasted training, but the thought of food made me queasy. I also noticed some slightly panicky feelings at that point, the kind where you want to crawl out of your own skin. Nothing serious, but for those sensitive to CNS stimulants or prone to anxiety attacks, I would not recommend starting off with the highest dose like I did.
However, it seems tolerance develops and within a few days I could use the maximum recommended dosage without any side-effects. Unfortunately, the stimulant effect is also lessened.
In my experience, Jack3d is quite effective, but less so for the purpose it's advertised. I see its use mainly as an appetite suppressant or stimulant, much like ephedrine. The mechanism by which Jack3d exerts its effect is also similar to ephedrine in that it increases epinephrine/adrenaline, which in turn boosts lipolysis and leads to that "focused" feeling. Or that urge to do something, anything.
Either way you want to use it, as a pre-workout or motivational boost, or for appetite suppression, Jack3d works, which is why it ends up on my list of recommended, but certainly not essential, list of supplements.
By the way, I haven't found any studies to back the effectiveness of 1,3-dimethylamylamine for fat loss. If anyone knows of any human trials regarding its use for weight loss or improving cognition, alertness, or anything else for that matter, let me know. I always try to find some scientific backing for the supplements I recommend but I'm at a loss for this one.
P.S. I've fallen behind on my blogging schedule but will have another article up this upcoming week. This one will include some weight training and cardio guidelines that you absolutely need to know about.
P.P.S. For more supplement recommendations, check out "Supplements You Might Actually Find Useful".
P.P.P.S. It's pretty awesome that Tim Ferriss follows this site.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Supplements You Might Actually Find Useful
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I get a lot of questions about supplements even though I'm not a big proponent of them.
That being said, there are some supplements that you may find useful depending on your goals.
The first four on this list are supplements most people could benefit from. I'm not a great cook and once I find a few meals I like, I'll go for long periods just eating the same foods in various combinations - a pattern that is quite common among my peers as well. Adding these supplements is an easy way to safeguard against any potential shortcomings of a monotonous diet.
The other ones are supplements that may help with fat loss, performance or just makes life easier some days. They are not essential by any means.
I've linked to some products. These are either ones I can vouch for personally or the cheapest ones in their category. For the sake of transparency, I should also note that these are affiliate links, which means I get a 5-10% commision if you buy anything from the links. If you think this makes my recommendations any less credible, do not buy anything from this list. And why would you? Supplements are certainly not critical to your success and you may in fact do just as well without them. A balanced whole foods diet goes a very long way.
Swedish visitors should order from Svenskt Kosttillskott if they want the cheapest and fastest delivery.
European and UK visitors may also find Predator Nutrition a highly attractive and reliable alternative. They ship all across Europe, so that's great. Their rates are very competitive and it may interest some of you that they have some banned/discontinued supplements in stock. Enter code: "leangains" to get 5% off your order.
Fish Oil
Unless you've been living under a rock the last decade, you don't need me to give you any long-winded explanation for this one. Maintaining a good omega-3:omega-6-ratio is important and we get too much of the latter. Take 2 g EPA and 1.5 g DHA per day.
Read: "Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Muscle Growth: Promising Potential."
Recommended: NutraSea Original Liquid (liquid) or Ultra Omega-3 (softgels).
Calcium
Calcium increases fat excretion and boosts testosterone.
That's great stuff and we obviously want our calcium intake in the optimal range. Adding a 500-750 mg tablet to your daily diet wÃll usually do the trick. If you get enough calcium through your diet, there's no need to supplement it.
Recommended: NOW Calcium & Magnesium
Vitamin D
Emerging scientific evidence suggests that people don't get enough vitamin D to function optimally. The newfound interest for this vitamin and it's potential benefits was actually featured in New York Time's Top Ten List of medical breakthroughs in 2007. Here's a good (and free) full-text paper on vitamin D's role in health and disease. Moreover, vitamin D may boost strength and athletic performance. 2000 IU/day is a conservative and safe dosage, but some people use considerably higher doses without any negative implications.
Recommended: NOW Vitamin D-3
Branched-Chain Amino Acids
I use BCAA pre-workout whenever I train fasted. You can read more on why here and here. I prefer Purple Wraath by Controlled Labs. It contains beta-alanine as well, which gives me a nice little tingle and also seems to aid a bit with intra-set recovery and muscle endurance in the higher rep ranges. Take 10 g pre-workout if you train fasted.
Recommended: I've been using Xtend by Scivation for my fasted training sessions ever since stores around here ran out of Purple Wraath a few months ago. Taste and effects wise, it's pretty much a toss-up between Xtend and Wraath. Price wise, Xtend can't be beaten. Flavor wise, Xtend is very agreeable and I prefer "Refreshing Watermelon".
Creatine
Creatine is the only legal supplement with numerous scientific studies to support it's effectiveness. It's so far ahead of the competition that it's the only supplement I can place in this category with a straight face. Besides elevating muscle creatine contents for a direct performance boost, creatine may boost muscle growth through effects on satellite cell proliferation, myogenic transcription factors and insulin-like growth factor-1 signalling (if that sounds like greek to you, let's just say all of this is "good stuff").
Recommended: Optimum Nutrition Micronised Creatine
Beta-Alanine
I get beta-alanine through my BCAA-supplement, but this amino acid is also availabe as a stand-alone supplement; and as such has shown to boost exercise performance. As I noted before, the effect is only noticeable in the higher rep ranges (12 reps and above). The study summarizes the effect as "beta-alanine...have demonstrated improvements in performance during multiple bouts of high-intensity exercise and in single bouts of exercise lasting more than 60 s." So it won't improve your maximal strength, but anaerobic threshold and time to exhaustion will be enhanced. This may be particularily useful for CrossFit-practitioners and those training with kettle bells.
Recommended: NOW Beta-Alanine
Whey protein
Ideal use is pre-and post-workout. Optimum 100% Whey is the top selling product at bodybuilding.com. I would venture to guess that's due much to the innovative tastes available. I've tried Caramel Toffee Fudge and Extreme Milk Chocolate and both are very tasty.
Casein protein
Ideal use is pre-bedtime, but it could be used at any other time during the day as well. Casein protein is slow releasing and provides more satiety than whey protein in general.
For the best tasting casein protein, check out this post.
Glucosamine
While I've been lucky enough to never find any use for this supplement personally, clients claim to have used it successfully for relieving joint pain. Studies support such notions and state that glucosamine seems to be a safe and effective supplement for relieving pain and stiffness in joints.
Recommended: NOW Glucosamine
For fat loss
Note that intermittent fasting potentiates the effect of stimulants. Any stimulant ingested during the fasted phase will have a greater effect compared to it's ingestion during the fed state. Some caution should therefore be exercised for those not familiar with the use of stimulants.
Caffeine
If you're not a regular coffee drinker, you're really missing out by not adding caffeine to your diet when the going gets tough. It's cheap, suppressses appetite and has thermogenic properties.
Recommended: AllMax Nutrition Caffeine (200 mg)
Clenbutrx
This stuff is nasty as hell. On the plus side, it has a quite potent stimulatory effect and works very well as an appetite suppressant.
Not available any longer. :/
VPX Meltdown
If you can't stand the horrid taste of Clenbutrx, VPX Meltdown is a great alternative. This one actually has legit scientific backing, which is a true rarity when it comes to fat loss products. You can read both (free full text) studies on Meltdown here and here. Note the effect on resting energy expenditure. Not bad.
The original version is not available any longer. :/
Yohimbine HCL
This herb may be particularily useful for those trying to get rid of stubborn body fat - such as the fat covering lower abs and back in lean men and thighs and hips in lean women. Hokey as that may sound, there is a valid explanation for how this occurs. Lyle McDonald explains this in great detail in The Stubborn Body Fat Solution. In short, yohimbine inhibits alpha-2-receptors (and lower abs/back has a high density of a2-receptors) which aids with blood flow and fat mobilization from stubborn fat areas.
Yohimbine is another fat loss product that has been proven effective in clinical trials and this is perhaps the most widely cited study on the effects of yohimbine on body composition.
Recommended: PrimaForce Yohimbine HCI
AlphaBurn
Pure yohimbine may lead to feelings of anxiety and even panic attacks in predisposed individuals. A better alternative can be found in Alpha Burn, and other supplements containing rauwolscine, which is a stereoisomer of yohimbine. Reg from Predator Nutrition recently sent me a box of these and I can vouch for it's psychoactive effects not being as rough as pure yohimbine. While it won't make you as jumpy and jittery as yohimbine, it seems to have a pretty potent appetite suppressive effect.
The original version is not available any longer. :/
L-Tyrosine
L-tyrosine is a precursor ("building block") to the catecholamines dopamine and norepinephrine. For this reason, it has been studied in the context of performance enhancement among other things. Although studies show mixed results, empirical evidence suggests that tyrosine has it's use as a pre-workout stimulant when combined with other substances such as caffeine. It seems to enhance the effect of other stimulatory substances, which has been my experience as well. Tyrosine has also shown promise in alleviating the decrements in cognitive performance associated with stress and fatigue. For this reason, it might be useful for keeping your mind sharp during intense stints of dieting.
Recommended: NOW L-Tyrosine
Jack3d Review (Pre-workout/Fat loss)
I've been trying a wide range of pre-workout supplements but I've never found something worth recommending. Some like the extra pump from NO Xplode and similar nitric oxide based supps, I just don't any use for it.
I was pleasantly surprised by Jack3d. Besides the usual ingredients present in many pre-workout supplements, such as caffeine, creatine, arginine and beta-alanine, it contains 1,3-Dimethylamylamine also known as geranamine. This is a potent stimulant (as far as legal alternatives goes) and this is what provides the oomph in this product. Apparently Geranamine is used as recreational drug in some circles and banned in a few countries. I wouldn't be surprised if we'll see more countries banning it soon as everything that is mildly effective seems to get a ban sooner or later. Shortly after I wrote the supplements guide, Meltdown and Clenbutrx both got banned in Sweden.
Anyway, being somewhat resistant to stims, I started off with the maximum recommended dosage the first time (three scoops). After 5-10 minutes, I could tell that it was working as I got an intense urge to do the dishes. During training, I didn't notice anything out of the norm besides a somewhat uncomfortable back pump after squatting. After training, I had to wait two hours before my appetite returned. I never have problems eating after training, especially not after fasted training, but the thought of food made me queasy. I also noticed some slightly panicky feelings at that point, the kind where you want to crawl out of your own skin. Nothing serious, but for those sensitive to CNS stimulants or prone to anxiety attacks, I would not recommend starting off with the highest dose like I did. However, it seems tolerance develops and within a few days I could use the maximum recommended dosage without any side-effects. Unfortunately, the stimulant effect is also lessened.
In my experience, Jack3d is quite effective, but less so for the purpose it's advertised. I see it's use mainly as an appetite surpressant or stimulant, much like ephedrine. The mechanism by which Jack3d exerts its effect is also similar to ephedrine in that it increases epinephrine/adrenaline, which in turn boosts lipolysis and leads to that "focused" feeling. Or that urge to do something, anything.
Either way you want to use it, for a pre-workout or motivational boost, or appetite surpression, Jack3d works, which is why it ends up on my list of recommended, but certainly not essential, list of supplements.
By the way, I haven't found any studies to back the effectiveness of 1,3-dimethylamylamine for fat loss. If anyone knows of any human trials regarding its use for weight loss or improving cognition, alertness, or anything else for that matter, let me know. I always try to find some scientifical backing for the supplements I recommend but I'm at a loss for this one.
The original version is not available any longer. :/
Adipoxil Review
Adipoxil is a strange beast. It's different from all other fat burners reviewed here in the sense that it has no stimulatory properties. At the same time, it's a very potent appetite suppressant - at least as far as legal alternatives goes. I suspect this might be explained by the synephrine and the "lipolytic oxidation protocol," which contains cayenne pepper and various other thermorgenic compounds. Synephrine and cayenne pepper are both known to suppress appetite.
There's also a peculiar side-effect that's noticeable shortly after ingesting the tabs; it alters taste, and specifically it made coffee undrinkable. I'm not sure how to describe it. I'm a coffee-fiend but that hot cup of goodness turned wretched after I downed the tabs. Also, be careful with the dosing and don't go for double dose the first time you try it. I experienced nausea with two tabs and it wasn't very pleasant.
Anyway, Adipoxil might be a good alternative for those looking for a supplement without pronounced stimulatory properties. I need to add a big disclaimer here however; Adipoxil does contain Yohimbine and caffeine, and should provide a stimulatory effect. I might just be a weird outlier to not have noticed anything. If you do try it, let me know in comments if you felt anything. I should also note that I only tried this three days in a row, so I'm not sure about tolerance issues. For the short time I ran it, it worked very well.
I also tried another supplement from iForce Nutrition, the makers of Adipoxil: a pre-workout supplement called "Maximize V2". This was nothing special - pretty much the same as Jack3d, but less potent.
Remember that you can enter "leangains" as code when ordering from Predator Nutrition and get 5% off your order. I receive no commissions; instead you get cheaper supplements.
That being said, there are some supplements that you may find useful depending on your goals.
The first four on this list are supplements most people could benefit from. I'm not a great cook and once I find a few meals I like, I'll go for long periods just eating the same foods in various combinations - a pattern that is quite common among my peers as well. Adding these supplements is an easy way to safeguard against any potential shortcomings of a monotonous diet.
The other ones are supplements that may help with fat loss, performance or just makes life easier some days. They are not essential by any means.
I've linked to some products. These are either ones I can vouch for personally or the cheapest ones in their category. For the sake of transparency, I should also note that these are affiliate links, which means I get a 5-10% commision if you buy anything from the links. If you think this makes my recommendations any less credible, do not buy anything from this list. And why would you? Supplements are certainly not critical to your success and you may in fact do just as well without them. A balanced whole foods diet goes a very long way.
Swedish visitors should order from Svenskt Kosttillskott
if they want the cheapest and fastest delivery.European and UK visitors may also find Predator Nutrition a highly attractive and reliable alternative. They ship all across Europe, so that's great. Their rates are very competitive and it may interest some of you that they have some banned/discontinued supplements in stock. Enter code: "leangains" to get 5% off your order.
Fish Oil
Unless you've been living under a rock the last decade, you don't need me to give you any long-winded explanation for this one. Maintaining a good omega-3:omega-6-ratio is important and we get too much of the latter. Take 2 g EPA and 1.5 g DHA per day.
Read: "Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Muscle Growth: Promising Potential."
Recommended: NutraSea Original Liquid (liquid) or Ultra Omega-3 (softgels).
Calcium
Calcium increases fat excretion and boosts testosterone.
That's great stuff and we obviously want our calcium intake in the optimal range. Adding a 500-750 mg tablet to your daily diet wÃll usually do the trick. If you get enough calcium through your diet, there's no need to supplement it.
Recommended: NOW Calcium & Magnesium
Vitamin D
Emerging scientific evidence suggests that people don't get enough vitamin D to function optimally. The newfound interest for this vitamin and it's potential benefits was actually featured in New York Time's Top Ten List of medical breakthroughs in 2007. Here's a good (and free) full-text paper on vitamin D's role in health and disease. Moreover, vitamin D may boost strength and athletic performance. 2000 IU/day is a conservative and safe dosage, but some people use considerably higher doses without any negative implications.
Recommended: NOW Vitamin D-3
Branched-Chain Amino Acids
I use BCAA pre-workout whenever I train fasted. You can read more on why here and here. I prefer Purple Wraath by Controlled Labs. It contains beta-alanine as well, which gives me a nice little tingle and also seems to aid a bit with intra-set recovery and muscle endurance in the higher rep ranges. Take 10 g pre-workout if you train fasted.
Recommended: I've been using Xtend by Scivation for my fasted training sessions ever since stores around here ran out of Purple Wraath a few months ago. Taste and effects wise, it's pretty much a toss-up between Xtend and Wraath. Price wise, Xtend can't be beaten. Flavor wise, Xtend is very agreeable and I prefer "Refreshing Watermelon".
Creatine
Creatine is the only legal supplement with numerous scientific studies to support it's effectiveness. It's so far ahead of the competition that it's the only supplement I can place in this category with a straight face. Besides elevating muscle creatine contents for a direct performance boost, creatine may boost muscle growth through effects on satellite cell proliferation, myogenic transcription factors and insulin-like growth factor-1 signalling (if that sounds like greek to you, let's just say all of this is "good stuff").
Recommended: Optimum Nutrition Micronised Creatine
Beta-Alanine
I get beta-alanine through my BCAA-supplement, but this amino acid is also availabe as a stand-alone supplement; and as such has shown to boost exercise performance. As I noted before, the effect is only noticeable in the higher rep ranges (12 reps and above). The study summarizes the effect as "beta-alanine...have demonstrated improvements in performance during multiple bouts of high-intensity exercise and in single bouts of exercise lasting more than 60 s." So it won't improve your maximal strength, but anaerobic threshold and time to exhaustion will be enhanced. This may be particularily useful for CrossFit-practitioners and those training with kettle bells.
Recommended: NOW Beta-Alanine
Whey protein
Ideal use is pre-and post-workout. Optimum 100% Whey is the top selling product at bodybuilding.com. I would venture to guess that's due much to the innovative tastes available. I've tried Caramel Toffee Fudge and Extreme Milk Chocolate and both are very tasty.
Casein protein
Ideal use is pre-bedtime, but it could be used at any other time during the day as well. Casein protein is slow releasing and provides more satiety than whey protein in general.
For the best tasting casein protein, check out this post.
Glucosamine
While I've been lucky enough to never find any use for this supplement personally, clients claim to have used it successfully for relieving joint pain. Studies support such notions and state that glucosamine seems to be a safe and effective supplement for relieving pain and stiffness in joints.
Recommended: NOW Glucosamine
For fat loss
Note that intermittent fasting potentiates the effect of stimulants. Any stimulant ingested during the fasted phase will have a greater effect compared to it's ingestion during the fed state. Some caution should therefore be exercised for those not familiar with the use of stimulants.
Caffeine
If you're not a regular coffee drinker, you're really missing out by not adding caffeine to your diet when the going gets tough. It's cheap, suppressses appetite and has thermogenic properties.
Recommended: AllMax Nutrition Caffeine (200 mg)
Clenbutrx
This stuff is nasty as hell. On the plus side, it has a quite potent stimulatory effect and works very well as an appetite suppressant.
Not available any longer. :/
VPX Meltdown
If you can't stand the horrid taste of Clenbutrx, VPX Meltdown is a great alternative. This one actually has legit scientific backing, which is a true rarity when it comes to fat loss products. You can read both (free full text) studies on Meltdown here and here. Note the effect on resting energy expenditure. Not bad.
The original version is not available any longer. :/
Yohimbine HCL
This herb may be particularily useful for those trying to get rid of stubborn body fat - such as the fat covering lower abs and back in lean men and thighs and hips in lean women. Hokey as that may sound, there is a valid explanation for how this occurs. Lyle McDonald explains this in great detail in The Stubborn Body Fat Solution. In short, yohimbine inhibits alpha-2-receptors (and lower abs/back has a high density of a2-receptors) which aids with blood flow and fat mobilization from stubborn fat areas.
Yohimbine is another fat loss product that has been proven effective in clinical trials and this is perhaps the most widely cited study on the effects of yohimbine on body composition.
Recommended: PrimaForce Yohimbine HCI
AlphaBurn
Pure yohimbine may lead to feelings of anxiety and even panic attacks in predisposed individuals. A better alternative can be found in Alpha Burn, and other supplements containing rauwolscine, which is a stereoisomer of yohimbine. Reg from Predator Nutrition recently sent me a box of these and I can vouch for it's psychoactive effects not being as rough as pure yohimbine. While it won't make you as jumpy and jittery as yohimbine, it seems to have a pretty potent appetite suppressive effect.
The original version is not available any longer. :/
L-Tyrosine
L-tyrosine is a precursor ("building block") to the catecholamines dopamine and norepinephrine. For this reason, it has been studied in the context of performance enhancement among other things. Although studies show mixed results, empirical evidence suggests that tyrosine has it's use as a pre-workout stimulant when combined with other substances such as caffeine. It seems to enhance the effect of other stimulatory substances, which has been my experience as well. Tyrosine has also shown promise in alleviating the decrements in cognitive performance associated with stress and fatigue. For this reason, it might be useful for keeping your mind sharp during intense stints of dieting.
Recommended: NOW L-Tyrosine
Jack3d Review (Pre-workout/Fat loss)
I've been trying a wide range of pre-workout supplements but I've never found something worth recommending. Some like the extra pump from NO Xplode and similar nitric oxide based supps, I just don't any use for it.
I was pleasantly surprised by Jack3d. Besides the usual ingredients present in many pre-workout supplements, such as caffeine, creatine, arginine and beta-alanine, it contains 1,3-Dimethylamylamine also known as geranamine. This is a potent stimulant (as far as legal alternatives goes) and this is what provides the oomph in this product. Apparently Geranamine is used as recreational drug in some circles and banned in a few countries. I wouldn't be surprised if we'll see more countries banning it soon as everything that is mildly effective seems to get a ban sooner or later. Shortly after I wrote the supplements guide, Meltdown and Clenbutrx both got banned in Sweden.
Anyway, being somewhat resistant to stims, I started off with the maximum recommended dosage the first time (three scoops). After 5-10 minutes, I could tell that it was working as I got an intense urge to do the dishes. During training, I didn't notice anything out of the norm besides a somewhat uncomfortable back pump after squatting. After training, I had to wait two hours before my appetite returned. I never have problems eating after training, especially not after fasted training, but the thought of food made me queasy. I also noticed some slightly panicky feelings at that point, the kind where you want to crawl out of your own skin. Nothing serious, but for those sensitive to CNS stimulants or prone to anxiety attacks, I would not recommend starting off with the highest dose like I did. However, it seems tolerance develops and within a few days I could use the maximum recommended dosage without any side-effects. Unfortunately, the stimulant effect is also lessened.
In my experience, Jack3d is quite effective, but less so for the purpose it's advertised. I see it's use mainly as an appetite surpressant or stimulant, much like ephedrine. The mechanism by which Jack3d exerts its effect is also similar to ephedrine in that it increases epinephrine/adrenaline, which in turn boosts lipolysis and leads to that "focused" feeling. Or that urge to do something, anything.
Either way you want to use it, for a pre-workout or motivational boost, or appetite surpression, Jack3d works, which is why it ends up on my list of recommended, but certainly not essential, list of supplements.
By the way, I haven't found any studies to back the effectiveness of 1,3-dimethylamylamine for fat loss. If anyone knows of any human trials regarding its use for weight loss or improving cognition, alertness, or anything else for that matter, let me know. I always try to find some scientifical backing for the supplements I recommend but I'm at a loss for this one.
The original version is not available any longer. :/
Adipoxil Review
Adipoxil is a strange beast. It's different from all other fat burners reviewed here in the sense that it has no stimulatory properties. At the same time, it's a very potent appetite suppressant - at least as far as legal alternatives goes. I suspect this might be explained by the synephrine and the "lipolytic oxidation protocol," which contains cayenne pepper and various other thermorgenic compounds. Synephrine and cayenne pepper are both known to suppress appetite.
There's also a peculiar side-effect that's noticeable shortly after ingesting the tabs; it alters taste, and specifically it made coffee undrinkable. I'm not sure how to describe it. I'm a coffee-fiend but that hot cup of goodness turned wretched after I downed the tabs. Also, be careful with the dosing and don't go for double dose the first time you try it. I experienced nausea with two tabs and it wasn't very pleasant.
Anyway, Adipoxil might be a good alternative for those looking for a supplement without pronounced stimulatory properties. I need to add a big disclaimer here however; Adipoxil does contain Yohimbine and caffeine, and should provide a stimulatory effect. I might just be a weird outlier to not have noticed anything. If you do try it, let me know in comments if you felt anything. I should also note that I only tried this three days in a row, so I'm not sure about tolerance issues. For the short time I ran it, it worked very well.
I also tried another supplement from iForce Nutrition, the makers of Adipoxil: a pre-workout supplement called "Maximize V2". This was nothing special - pretty much the same as Jack3d, but less potent.
Remember that you can enter "leangains" as code when ordering from Predator Nutrition and get 5% off your order. I receive no commissions; instead you get cheaper supplements.
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