Antioxidants!
Published August 16, 2011 | 
Antioxidants!
Over the past 16 years I have had the opportunity to thoroughly observe the behavior in the natural habitat of such a human being as a bodybuilder. Many might think that this kind behaves like the rest of the Homo sapiens, but it’s not so – my observations show that the bodybuilder takes habits, which greatly differ from vulgaris citizen.
Here’s an example: antioxidants have become very popular among many enthusiasts of healthy lifestyle (the so-called athletes). Literally millions and millions of Americans daily consume a variety of antioxidant drugs. However, bodybuilders, for the most part, have decided that if antioxidants are good for the non-bodybuilders, then for weight athletes they represent no interest and pushed them to the back of their attention, together with Aloe vera and seaweed.
However, there is nothing further from truth – strong antioxidants are actually real bodybuilder’s drugs. Here’s why: intense weight trainings cause microtrauma in the muscle tissues, which, in turn, raises a number of metabolic processes, which often lead to an increase in volume and muscle strength. Now think – are you sure that the exercises are affecting the muscle fibers? But perhaps the impact is not only on muscles but also on many other systems of our body? (Come on, think a little – I’ll wait … Well? Any ideas?)
The truth is that the increased physical activity is affecting all our body as a whole, not only the muscles! And fortunately, the use of powerful antioxidants can partially solve this problem – they minimize the amount of free radicals, which remain in our body after the exercises and damage the tissues. I am sure that proper use of antioxidants can improve the recovery time and reduce pain in the muscles after the training, lower fatigue, strengthen the immune system, and (in perspective) obtain better results in less time.
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are a class of chemicals that attack the substances, known as “free radicals” and pro-oxidants. These aggressive molecules circulate in our body, disrupting the function of the cells and other molecules moving in the bloodstream. To put it in technical terms, free radicals are the molecules that lack electrons necessary for stability. They indiscriminately kill the cells, destroy enzymes and produce toxic substances that destroy the cell membranes. It is believed that free radicals are implicated in many diseases, including the cancer, and participate in the processes of aging. Other diseases that may involve free radicals, including the Alzheimer’s disease, are immune deficiency, arthritis, diabetes, diseases of the cardiovascular system and many others.
How did all this glutamine appear?
Published August 16, 2011 | How did all this glutamine appear?
Usually the body keeps a fairly large supply of glutamine in the muscle tissues as muscles are the containers of this amino acid; in fact, 60% of free amino acids contained in the muscle cells are synthesized from glutamine.
When the intestine, the immune system and other “eaters of glutamine” cannot get enough of this amino acid from food and the body, for whatever reasons, cannot synthesize it, they start to take away the muscle stores of glutamine and when this happens, we fall into a state of catabolism or disintegration of the muscle tissues. The reason why this happens is that glutamine supports the proper hydration of cells. When the level of glutamine in the muscle cells decreases, the cells volume also decreases – and so starts the catabolism.
As a rule, we do everything possible to protect ourselves from this condition, so the use of glutamine seems very appropriate and useful. But the mere eating of megadoses of glutamine hoping that it somehow gets to the skeletal muscles is not the best idea. The researches show that from 50 to 85% of large oral doses of glutamine simply do not reach the blood flow and are digested on the road.
So what is the best way to consume glutamine (and I am sure that no bodybuilder doubts its necessity)? My theory, supported by a group of experts is to give the body two to three grams of the drug several times a day.
The recent studies have shown that glycine in combination with glutamine is more effective to increase the volume of the muscle cells than glutamine by itself, and alanine helps to keep the concentration of glutamine in the muscles, in blood being converted into glucose during the periods of calorie restriction, such as strict dieting or just at large periods of time between the meals during starvation (when we sleep, for example).
How much glutamine to take?
While it is still not scientifically established, what is the accurate dose of glutamine to take, bodybuilders and scientific experts have no doubt that glutamine is important. Most of the data on the required quantity of glutamine at this time comes only from the clinics, calculated for sick people. How much should take a healthy bodybuilder for an optimal muscle metabolism, improvement of the muscle cells and maintenance of the health immune system, is only to be discovered. However, I am inclined to believe that if glutamine is added to the rich in protein and carbohydrate diet, so additional advantages can be obtained from ten grams of glutamine a day. As I have already said, part of this amount can come from the substitute products of usual food and protein mixtures. You can also enter the store with sports nutrition and buy a pure glutamine, taking two-three grams along with protein cocktails or simply diluted in water or drinking along with a normal diet. Personally, I take a portion immediately after the training and another one before going to bed.
There is another interesting detail – Duchaine, Almada and I believe that “loading” with drugs such as glutamine in combination with carbohydrates that increase the insulin release, within five to seven days, can help increase the muscle cells volume (due to the excess of glutamine in the cells) . So, if you’re just starting to take glutamine drugs, I would recommend taking four equal portions a day. And be sure that one portion is taken by the end of the training, and another one at the bedtime.
If you have not tried to take glutamine, try it, the expert opinions, the scientific data and the experience of many people speak in favor of this drug.
Tribulus terrestris, what is it?
Published August 16, 2011 | Tribulus terrestris, what is it?
When I was writing my Review of 1996, I was in doubt of Tribulus terrestis. Over the past year I’ve learned more about this product, besides, I’ve got a lot of feedback from people who have tried it. I also had the opportunity to talk with people who were seriously engaged in its studies for a long time. One of them is Dr. James Wright, who in his article in the September (1996) issue of Muscle and Fitness has told about the possible advantages of this product. James Wright is very familiar with bodybuilding and he is the author of numerous books on steroids and other bodybuilding products, and very often I refer to these books in my works. Another expert, whose opinion I greatly appreciate is Charles Polikvin, strength coach. He was confident that many European athletes Olympians have taken Tribulus terrestis. I’m still not sure until the end, whether this drug is “working”, but I think that this is one of the most talked about “nutritional supplement”.
What is this?
Tribulus terrestis (literally “puncture vine” – prickly vine?) It is a plant that grows in moderate climate and in many tropical areas around the world. The ancient Greeks used this herb as a diuretic (it actually has this effect) and as a tonic, improving the mood. In India it was used as a diuretic, an antiseptic and as an anti-inflammatory agent. The Chinese have used it in a variety of therapies for diseases of liver, kidney and heart problems.
The plant contains a lot of substances that have a biological importance – saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, etc. The presence and quantity of the valuable substances in the plant depends on what part of it is used, mainly these are the aerial parts – leaves, fruits and, to a lesser extent, scions. The place where the plant has grown is also important, under what conditions, when collected, etc.
It is interesting, in Bulgaria and the Balkan countries, the plant is used primarily as a remedy for infertility and lack of libido. It was intensively studied by the specialists from the Institute of Chemical and Pharmacological Studies in Sofia. The data from these studies over the past two decades are of a greatest interest. And I found no indications that this plant has been studied by the American scientists.
The States knew practically nothing about this plant until the appearance of the “Guide to Chinese herbs and prescriptions” (Volume 1) by Dr. Him-Che Yong in 1983, and “The chemical composition of Chinese herbs”, by Hsu, Chen and Hong in 1985. The bodybuilders got their interest in the plant after they have learnt about its use by the Olympic athletes of the Eastern bloc.
How does it work?
As well as DHEA and androstenedione, Tribulus terrestis is announced as a drug that improves the production of testosterone. But the mechanism of action is different – the DHEA and androstenedione provide the raw materials for the production of testosterone, but Tribulus terrestis enhances the level of the luteinizing hormones (LH). LH is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland, it “includes” the process of natural production of testosterone in the body. And numerous studies show that Tribulus terrestis can increase the LH level. That is probably why, in Asia, this plant is widely used as a remedy for infertility. Various laboratory experiments on animals show that the plant increases the production of sperm, testosterone and improves the function of the testes.