One simple molecule that can make you healthier and improve exercise output!

Trimethylglycine, also known as Betaine, is a highly beneficial nutrient for both health and exercise performance. This molecule is known as a methyl donor. Methyl donors distribute methyl molecules which are responsible for cell functions such as cell reproduction and other chemical processes throughout the body. 

Homocysteine, an amino acid that the body produces, can increase the risk of stroke and heart disease when its levels are increased. Trimethylglycine  can reduce the level of homocysteine in the body to reduce these risks. Trimethylglycine can also work to actively protect the liver. Fatty deposits can occur on the liver due to a chronic alcohol consumption, lack of dietary protein, and obesity. This nutrient can help to prevent and possibly treat this health issue as well as lowering liver enzymes in the body. Adding to the liver health benefits, it has also been shown to possibly lower levels of LDL after just a couple of weeks of utilization.

Trimethylglycine also helps to reduce fatigue during exercise by allowing the body to better utilize oxygen during physical stress on the muscular system. Training power and endurance can also be increased with consumption of this nutrient allowing for better and more productive exercise sessions. Blood nitric oxide levels may increase allowing for better blood flow to help remove waste products out of the muscles which will increase recovery rates. 

Trimethylglycine has a wide range of benefits that almost anyone may benefit from. Considering many people, including myself, are very avid on maintaining and improving their health, this nutrient is well worth looking into. You may find it here.

- Pete

A simple trick that may help with diabetic related neuropathy, protecting brain and nerve tissue, and even aid with muscular gains!

Na-R-ALA (Alpha-Lipoic Acid) is an antioxidant found within every cell in the body. The antioxidant property of R-ALA allows it to destroy free radical cells within the body. This acid also helps the body to utilize glucose as energy while lowering blood sugar levels. R-ALA is a great supplement for diabetics given its ability to lower blood sugar while destroying free radicals. With the destruction of free radicals comes the relief from peripheral neuropathy. In fact, Germany has been utilizing Alpha-Lipoic Acid for years to treat and relieve diabetic patients of their neuropathy related issues. Another benefit of this acid comes from its ability to pass through the blood brain barrier. This allows the acid to enter the brain tissue which may allow it to aid it the protection of both brain and nerve tissue.

While R-ALA has been shown to be very promising for diabetics, bodybuilders and anyone else looking to pack on some muscle can benefit from this acid as well. Alpha-Lipoic Acid's ability to breakdown and digest carbohydrates within the body allows for an increased insulin sensitivity. What exactly does this mean? Your muscle bellies feeling "full", better pumps, increased fat burning, little to no bloat with carbohydrate consumption, better workouts, and increased nutrient partitioning just to name a few. Check it out here!

- Pete

Bulk season is upon us! Ready to get huge?

Bulking season is finally upon us. The days of eating to gain every pound possible while throwing around new PR's in the gym are all too familiar. However, smart gaining is the best gaining. Gaining lean and true mass while avoiding excess fat accumulation can be very challenging during the bulking months. "Clean" bulking  is a lot harder than "dirty" bulking, but the body can benefit far greater from a lean bulk cycle. You should keep the protein intake around 1-1.5g per pound of body weight while keeping the carbohydrates and fats in a high but reasonable range. Eating at a caloric surplus without throwing in a large quantity of junk or fast foods is difficult. Ensuring that you ingest a higher level of "good" fats alongside high quality carbs will allow you to hit your calorie requirements. Sometimes, however, it may be difficult to consume enough meals to reach your daily calorie goals. Weight gainer shakes and casein protein blends are great add-ons to a diet to hit those caloric numbers.When gaining muscle mass is your ultimate goal, you should push to ingest 18-23 calories per body pound per day. So let's say you weigh in at 200lbs, you should be consuming 3600-4600 calories per day to gain mass. There are also a few supplements that you could include in your arsenal which increase protein synthesis (your body's ability to break down proteins and shuttle them into your skeletal muscle) to make your bulk cycle more efficient by allowing your body to utilize more and waste less of the protein that you ingest found here. A high level of training intensity alongside a caloric surplus diet will allow for a very anabolic bulking season.

                                                            - Pete M.

How exactly does the body burn fat?

As we all know, with concurrent exercise comes the burning and loss of adipose (fat) tissue in our bodies. But what exactly occurs to allow for this adipose tissue to be destroyed during and after exercise? During exercise, the body releases a chemical called B-aminoisobutyric acid or (BAIBA). BAIBA induces the fat burning effects of brown fat cells (good fat) and the thermogenic properties of white fat cells (bad fat) while also inducing the browning of white fats to begin reducing the amount of adipose tissue in the body. Several studies have shown that people who exercise have a higher level of BAIBA in the bloodstream resulting in lower levels of white fat and higher levels of brown fat. Tests have also shown that when taken orally, BAIBA subjects lost more and maintained a lower level of bodyfat than those who did not consume BAIBA orally. This relatively simple compound plays a rather large role in fat burning within our bodies.

-Pete M.

Want to grow while recovering faster and shedding off fat? Try this!

Ecdysterone is a natural steroid that is found within plants. Once extracted and utilized as a supplement, the user will obtain a plethora of benefits. Lean muscle mass increase (due to increased protein synthesis), decreased recovery time, improved immune system, increased training capacity, balanced blood sugar levels, decreased cortisol levels, can help aid with osteoporosis, and fat loss can all be attributed to this natural anabolic. Ecdysterone is safe for both men and women and should be dosed at least around 3mg per pound of bodyweight (at 200lbs ~600mg/daily) for best efficiency. This works synergistically with Laxogenin (another natural anabolic) to increase the anabolic effects even further. Considering Ecdysterone is anabolic as well as effective for overall improved health, it is a great choice to utilize in a supplement regimen or as a stand-alone product.

 

-Pete

Hawthorn Berry- Nature's Key to Heart Health

Hawthorn Berry has been utilized for years to combat several heart related issues. There are many health benefits that hawthorn berry provides including: reducing high blood pressure, increased health of the circulatory system, treatment of congestive heart failure/cardiac arrhythmias, reduce or eliminate angina, and has even been shown to improve the strength of the heart. Hawthorn is highly regarded in Europe as a safe yet effective treatment for the early and late stages of heart disease as well as myocarditis, insomnia, arteriosclerosis, diarrhea, restoring heart muscle wall, lowering cholesterol levels, strengthening blood vessels, blood clots and vascular insufficiency, and aids in digestion. With such a large list of benefits that are brought upon by hawthorn berry, this safe and effective herb is a great addition in aiding your overall health.

 

-Pete

Stuck in a strength plateau or just looking to push more weight? Pack on the plates with this ingredient!

Epicatechin is a great strength building aid. When introduced into the body, epicatechin induces the production of follistatin. Follistatin decreases the levels of myostatin, the chemical that inhibits muscle growth, in the body which increases muscle tissue growth. A marked increase in strength also occurs due to the lower levels of myostatin and increased levels of follistatin. Epicatechin also increases protein synthesis, aids in the reduction of recovery time post exercise, can help to reduce body fat, and increases muscular endurance in upwards of 50%. A typical dosage of at least 250mg daily is used in order to obtain results with a cycle time of 8 weeks. Considering this supplement is entirely natural, there are not any marked side-effects or risks with utilizing it. Epicatechin is actually beneficial to our health as it reduces LDL levels and helps control lipid levels in the blood stream. 

-Pete

A legal anabolic that can pack on lean muscle while burning fat!

        SARMs are Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators. SARMs offer benefits of anabolics while showing a lower tendency of the production of unhealthy side effects. These modulators strictly stimulate the muscle and bone tissue allowing for maximal anabolic activity. Lean muscle growth, injury rehabilitation, increases in endurance, and prevention of muscle atrophy during cutting diets are all benefits from SARM use. They also do not convert to estrogen, are not liver toxic, increase libido/strength/fat loss, and are legal. A commonly used SARM is known as Ostarine. The typical dosage for ostarine when bulking is 25mg/day for 8 weeks which can usually yield around 6-7lbs of permanent lean mass gains. Ostarine can also be used during a cutting phase with a dosage protocol of 15-20mg for 6-8 weeks. It takes calories straight from fat stores to allow for fat burning and shuttles ingested calories directly to the muscle tissue for growth. As for injury healing and prevention, a dosage of just 12.5mg/day is recommended. Ostarine also fights bone density loss while improving it simultaneously. The half-life of ostarine is around 24 hours so it only needs to be ingested once per day. In short, SARMs offer many of the anabolic advantages of anabolics without the side-effects or worries that coincides with their usage.

 

-Pete

Redline White Heat

      Like other pre-workouts and fat burners, supplement formulas in the Redline product line have often been an unintentional revolving door of ingredients thanks to bans on ingredients like DMAA.
One of the ingredients that’s getting a lot of attention in here is theacrine, an alkaloid structurally similar to caffeine. Theacrine is linked to quite a few benefits, and reputedly acts as an analgesic to reduce pain, has anti-stress effects, and boosts activity through adenosinergic and dopaminergic signaling.

The most controversial ingredient in White Heat right now is probably the 4-Amino-2-Methylpentane Citrate, a compound which is basically a substitute for DMAA. The 4-Amino-2-Methylpentane Citrate reputedly boosts focus and cognitive ability, boosts metabolism, and helps reduce body fat.
You’re also going to find hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate in here, a modified, resistant starch that increases endurance and boosts resting metabolic energy expenditure.
A couple of the more well-known compounds in here are yohimbe and evodiamine. These compounds will boost thermogenesis and increase your body temperature, so be prepared to sweat. They will also naturally boost your metabolic rate.

All in all the redline white heat is a solid pre workout for any user and with it no longer being manufactured now is the time to get in and try it before it is gone for good.

A natural anabolic that has results similar to prohormones and anabolics but is completely safe!

Laxogenin is a naturally occurring plant steroid that produces similar results to prohormones and anabolic steroids (i.e. anavar) without any side-effects such as liver toxicity or change in hormone levels. Given that there is not any adverse effect on the hormones, laxogenin may be ingested by both men and women. This supplement may be taken year round without any cycles of on or off times and does not require a PCT or estrogen blocker. An increase in strength, endurance, nitrogen retention, and lean muscle mass can all result from laxogenin use.  Protein synthesis can be increased by up to 200%, recovery time decreases, and inflammation within the body may be reduced. In short, laxogenin allows you to pack on size and increases strength without any adverse side-effects.  

- Pete

A chemical that can not only help protect the brain from stroke and toxins, but aids greatly in exercise recovery and naturally destroys pain!

Agmatine is derived from L-Arginine. It is considered to be a neuromodulator and neurotransmitter and is stored in the neurons. Presently, agmatine has been shown to possibly be effective in the treatment of neuropathic pain and addiction to drugs. With agmatine in the system, the brain is also protected from strokes and toxins. Agmatine can be supplemented as a stand alone product to increase perception of pain but it also works together with painkillers such as morphine. This synergistic relationship with painkillers allows the agmatine to reduce tolerance build up of pain killers, possible addiction, and the actual pain itself.

Agmatine is a natural pain fighter and can aid greatly in post-workout recovery. Anxiety is also relieved which lowers cortisol levels and can help fight depression. Agmatine also aids in proper nitric oxide levels of the body which creates greater pumps and increases in vascularity. The antioxidant role of agmatine protects the body from free radicals which, in athletes, tends to build up in large amounts. Overall, agmatine is a great addition to a supplement regimen given its wide array of benefits. Find it here!

- Pete M.

Learn how your favorite childhood candies can be utilized in your diet to help build muscle and burn fat!

As we know, BCAAs are essential to any athlete's diet regimen. It is best to try a BCAA supplement that is free of any fillers or dyes as these can compromise our body's utilization of the amino acids. Taste is also a big factor when choosing the right BCAA supplement. Metabolic Augmenting Nutrition, or MAN Sports, has developed a powder that contains both of these qualities. The formula (ISO-Amino) is free of dyes, colors, and fillers allowing for optimum absorption into the muscle with minimal wasting. The flavors are all great tasting and are based upon various candies: Dorks (nerds), Fruit Smash (fruit loops/fruity pebbles), Blue Bombsicle (Rocket Pop), Mighty Melon (Watermelon Bubblicious Gum), Tiger's Blood (coconut/strawberry/watermelon), Starblaze (Starburst), Sourbatch (Sourpatch Kids), and Fruittles (Skittles) with more flavors set to release soon . With a 2:1:1 ratio (2.5g Leucine, 1.25g Isoleucine, 1.25g Valine) this product aids greatly in muscle protein synthesis resulting in increased muscle repair, energy, growth, and aid in fat loss. You can check the flavors out here!

-Pete M.

Nutrient Powerhouse: This one nutrient can aid in both cutting and bulking regimines!

HMB originates from the essential branched-chain amino acid Leucine. This nutrient can be found in very small amounts from various parts of our diets (catfish and citrus fruits) and can also be produced within our body (¼ to 1 gram per day). HMB can aid in both the repair from and resistance to muscle damage. It also supports a positive protein balance considering its ability to reduce protein catabolism within the body. This allows for more protein to be shuttled into the muscle cells to create an atmosphere for more growth and repair of lean muscle mass. Given this fact, HMB can be used for both bulking and cutting regimens. When combined with a BCAA supplement, its anti-catabolic (prevention of muscle wasting) effects are amplified and more muscle tissue will be protected from breaking down.

There have been several studies over the years that have proven the effectiveness of HMB with increasing endurance, muscle mass, strength, and aerobic performance in athletes. Although HMB originates from Leucine, supplementing Leucine alone into your diet will not allow for a high enough concentration of HMB to secrete into the bloodstream. Once Leucine filters through the liver, only 5% is oxidized for HMB. For example, 1g of Leucine would allow for .05g of HMB. An effective dose is measured to be 3g per day to result in a positive benefit and no adverse side effects are known to be associated with HMB.

In short, HMB is an effective and fairly cheap addition to either a bulking or cutting diet. When stacked with a BCAA supplement the anti-catabolic effects are even greater. Increases in strength, lean muscle mass, and endurance have all been proven to be associated with this nutrient.

-Pete M

wtf pump spray ingredient?

Ursolic acid, a compound found in apples, basil, rosemary, oregano, blueberries, raspberries, thyme and plumbs, has shown exciting potential for muscle growth in catabolic muscles. Ursolic acid reduces fat storage and increases fat burning through the inhibition of pancreatic lipase and enhanced lipolysis in fat cells. This acid also reduces the conversion of blood sugar into fat via the inhibition of fatty acid synthase. The energy reserves within our muscles is also increased by enhancing glycogen storage. Abdominal (visceral) fat is reduced through the inhibition of 11bHSD1. Ursolic acid is anti-carcinogenic through the inhibition of the STAT3 activation pathway. Cholesterol will lower through the activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor. Estrogen levels reduce through aromatase inhibition. Bones strengthen by enhancing differentiation and mineralization of osteoblasts. Lean muscle mass increases through enhanced sensitivity to IGF-1 and insulin and inhibition of atrogin-1 and MuRF1. In short, if you are trying to get lean and vascular for summer, you have to give this ingredient and product a try.

Get a bottle here: Pump Spray

Want more vascularity? Here's a simple ingredient to aid in the skin ripping pumps!

Arginine is a rather common amino acid within our diet. It is considered a conditionally essential amino acid due to its availability in our diet. However, most diets lack enough arginine to allow for the body’s metabolic needs. Other factors could also lead to a deficit of arginine including infections, burns, and low protein intake. This amino acid can be utilized when there is a high energy demand placed upon the body’s system allowing it to act as glucose for energy.

Arginine is also responsible for acting as a building block for synthesis of new proteins in the system. As for nitric oxide, arginine is necessary for its production. Nitric oxide acts as a vasodilator in our system. Vasodilation is the process of the relaxation within the walls of our blood vessels. This allows for a wider and larger pathway for blood, oxygen, and nutrients to flow through. With this increase in flow of fluid within the vessels comes the increased extraction of toxins from within the muscles. Also, the higher concentration of nutrients and oxygen within the muscles allows for greater endurance, lean muscle mass increase, and strength gains. The vasodilation can also promote a visible difference in your vascularity. This is due to the dilation (widening) of the walls within the blood vessels where you can visually see the arginine taking effect within your body.

Arginine is found in several pre-workout formulas. Taking this before you workout, usually 30-45 minutes prior to training, can induce the vasodilation process within your body during and after your workout. The utilization of arginine in conjunction with a pre-workout product allows for greater pumps and better shuttling of lactic acid and waste out of the muscle post exercise. The increase of oxygen and nutrients that become readily available to the muscle allows for an increase in muscular endurance and strength to produce a higher intensity during your workout.

In short, arginine in necessary for the production of nitric oxide which is our body's natural vasodilator. This in turn causes a flood of nutrients into the muscles to allow them to grow and for waste to exit the muscle to avoid a delay in the muscle growth and reduce muscle soreness. The daily dosage should be 3-9g. This should be limited to 8-12 weeks of continuous use with an equal amount of time off.

-Pete M.

Worried about losing muscle while dieting? Here's how to prevent it!

            While implementing a caloric deficit into your workout regimen, the body is in a sort of starvation state. Thus, it is consistently looking for ways to obtain and utilize nutrients from within the body. This means that the body is susceptible to entering a catabolic (muscle wasting) state. One way to ensure the preservation of your hard earned muscle is by consuming something that most of us are familiar with, protein shakes. There are several protein powders and formulas that are available that are lean and low enough calorie count to include into a diet. By keeping the protein high in your diet (1-1.5g/lb of body weight), your metabolism will actually increase and burn more fat while protecting your muscle tissue from atrophy (wasting away). Another simple and potentially more effective way to reduce and prevent the risk of muscle wasting while dieting and exercising is through ingesting branched-chain amino acids. Branched-chain amino acids (or BCAAs) consist of the amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine. These three amino acids make up around 14-18% of our total amino acid content within our muscles. These aminos also appear to directly influence the protein metabolism by inhibiting protein degradation and stimulating more protein synthesis. BCAAs may also support immune system function, influence muscle energy metabolism, reduce overall fatigue, and help diminish post-exercise muscle soreness. BCAA supplements are very widely used in almost every sport to aid in muscle growth and speed up recovery after intense training and exercise. Heavy exercise and diet causes an increased breakdown of brain chain amino acids in the body which causes a higher demand for this supplementation within our systems. Branched-chain amino acids also increase muscle protein retention and plasma growth hormone levels to increase muscle protein synthesis.

            BCAAs are viable inhibitors of catabolic activity in muscle protein. Caloric deficits may cause the body to begin to attack the protein and muscle tissue in our bodies. When coupled with exercise, which increases protein synthesis and breakdown rates, the protein in our systems can begin to breakdown at an increased rate. Considering a calorie deficit can reduce the amount of nutrients that we consume from food to reduce the breakdown of protein, BCAA supplementation should be utilized. Studies have proven that BCAA supplements that are taken between meals and before or after intense exercise will result in a sparing of tissue and significant reduction in protein breakdown. This protein breakdown reduction could last for up to five days post exercise which allows the effects of BCAA supplementation to be more than just acutely beneficial.

            In short, if you are looking for an easy way to reduce the risk of muscle wasting while utilizing a calorie deficient diet then branched-chain amino acid supplementation is highly recommended. The body breaks down and absorbs BCAAs very easily and there are not any side-effects to ingesting BCAA supplements (aside from possible gastrointestinal discomfort if ingesting too high of a concentration). The usual dosage of a BCAA supplement is 5-20g per day and is usually ingested between meals, during workouts, or after workouts to protect the muscle tissue from breakdown via the calorie deficit and exercise.

- Pete M.