Athletic Enhancing Supplements
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ATHLETIC ENHANCING SUPPLEMENTS: THE BIG 3!
1. GLUTAMINE -- Glutamine is the most abundant single amino acid in the blood. It's responsible for 35 percent of the nitrogen that gets into the muscle cell and helps push muscle-building nitrogen into the muscle cell -- where it is synthesized for growth. It comprises just over 60 percent of the amino acid pool in skeletal muscle.
Glutamine levels fall drastically after intense training of any kind and remain low until complete recovery. So, the intensity of workouts literally leaks glutamine from muscle tissue. This loss of Glutamine is catabolic (breaks down) to muscle tissue, which in turn dramatically affects recovery and muscle repair. As you can imagine, this is damaging to the recreational bodybuilder, power lifter and elite athlete.
Glutamine is a vital factor in maintaining and building muscle tissue. The higher the glutamine levels you can maintain, the less chance you have of falling into a catabolic state. In addition, you will find that you achieve faster recovery after your intense training. At first, you probably won’t feel a difference in the muscle. However, after 30 days of supplementation and consistency, you will notice the difference. In fact, if you stop taking glutamine, you will really notice the difference.
Glutamine comes in a powdered form. I recommend one teaspoon (five grams) before and after your workout, as well as a teaspoon on an empty stomach before bed. Elite athletes need a tablespoon at the same times listed above.
2. CREATINE MONOHYDRATE -- Creatine phosphate is the chemical in your muscles that regenerates your primary energy molecule adenosine triphosphate, usually referred to as ATP. In 1992, research in Nottingham, England, and Stockholm, Sweden, showed that a 5-gram dose of creatine taken 4-6 times per day increases muscle levels of creatine phosphate, which, in turn, boosts ATP. This regeneration of ATP allows for greater anaerobic capac...