Creatine monoydrate supplementation safe for athletes
August 30, 2010 by Ryan Irwin · Leave a Comment
Recently there were some student athletes in Oregon due to rhabdomyolysis (i.e., a rapid breakdown of skeletal muscle due to injury that typically presents with marked elevations in the enzyme creatine kinase [CK] in the blood). It is well known that excessive exercise in hot and humid environments can promote dehydration, muscle breakdown, and result in marked elevations in muscle CK levels. In severe instances, this may lead to exertional rhabdomyolysis particularly in athletes who have been engaged in intense exercise in hot and humid environments for several days and who become chronically dehydrated. The athletes were not allowed to drink during workouts and the temperatures got as high as 115-120 degrees F.
Of course, the media was quick to jump on the finger-pointing wagon and say that investigators are looking into whether creatine was linked to the incident eve though the athletes stated they were not using this supplement. In addition, creatine is very safe and has not been scientifically indicated to cause dehydration, cramping or other muscle injuries.
Below is a positional statement from the International Society of Sports Nutrition complete article published in the JISSN here:
1. Creatine monohydrate is the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available to athletes in terms of increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training.
2. Creatine monohydrate supplementation is not only safe, but possibly beneficial in regard to preventing injury and/or management of select medical conditions when taken within recommended guidelines.
3. There is no scientific evidence that the short- or long-term use of creatine monohydrate has any detrimental effects on otherwise healthy individuals.
4. If proper precautions and supervision are provided, supplementation in young athletes is acceptable and may provide a nutritional alternative to potentially dangerous anabolic drugs.
5. At present, creatine monohydrate is the most extensively studied and clinically effective form of creatine for use in nutritional supplements in terms of muscle uptake and ability to increase high-intensity exercise capacity.
6. Creatine monohydrate has been reported to have a number of potentially beneficial uses in several clinical populations, and further research is warranted in these areas.
Again, as always, we look to science and published studies for results verses “gym lore” and clever marketing schemes. Creatine has been extensively studied since the early 1990s and no negative health side effects have been reported. Exercising in extreme heat without fluid? Now that’s a different story.
-Ryan Irwin
Nutri-Sport & Full Potential Training
9992 Swanson Blvd
Clive, IA 50325
www.nutrisportfpt.com
515-331-2141
Supplement research results: D-Aspartic Acid increases testosterone naturally
July 7, 2010 by Ryan Irwin · Leave a Comment
Testosterone is the male sex hormone that is well know to be a primary driver for muscle growth. In the pursuit of increasing muscle mass and strength, finding safe and effective ways to boost these levels is usually a priority in men.
Recently, in a scientific study published in the journal of Reproductive Biology and endocrinology, there has been an amino acid that has been shown to naturally increase testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels in the body. D-Aspartic Acid was shown to increase testosterone by 40% and LH by 25% in males. This was done on healthy males aged 26-37 and are significant increases. (see study here).
Being able to increase hormone levels naturally and within safe levels without dangerous and temporary prohormones and steroids is obviously a very good thing. For males looking to naturally increase their testosterone levels without the negative side effects, look to this amino acid for a boost to your supplement stack.
Come in to Nutri-Sport for this new product and other supplements for scientifically proven ways to get the most out of your training.
“Results speak louder than actions and words!”
IFPA Natural Pro Bodybuilder Ryan Irwin
Nutri-Sport & Full Potential Training
9992 Swanson Blvd
Clive, IA 50325
www.nutrisportfpt.com
515-331-2141
Nutri-Sport supplement tip: Arginine
March 24, 2010 by Ryan Irwin · Leave a Comment
The circulatory system and blood is your body’s transport system. This is the method that you get oxygen and nutrients to all parts of your anatomy plus return waste products (such as carbon dioxide). This is helps explain why when people get more muscle mass, often their veins become more pronounced (due to more blood flow need) and why cardiovascular training improves the efficiency of the heart and longs (due to more oxygen exchange requirements in the blood with the body).
Increasing the amount of blood your body can deliver to the outlining muscles can be advantageous to improve not only the performance but also the recovery process of exercise. A supplement that can assist in this process is the amino acid L-Arginine. The body uses Arginine to make a compound called Nitric Oxide that relaxes the smooth muscle vascular cells, thereby increasing the blood flow through “bigger pipes”.
By doing so, the performance is increased as the muscles are getting more nutrients, which can improve performance as shown in the study here. This is also beneficial for other aspects, such as those with other conditions such as cardiovascular disease (see American Heart Association study here) or for other conditions such as erectile dysfunction.
Common methods to supplement are either in powder or tablet form, 30-45 minutes prior to exercise. Another method is to add some to your water bottle and sip on throughout exercise. Taking Arginine prior to bed is also a beneficial time to help assist with recovery and healing.
Visit our website (www.nutrisportfpt.com) for more sports nutrition and supplement information, or to inquire about our custom nutrition plans and personal training.
L-Arginine
Nutri-Sport & Full Potential Training
9992 Swanson Blvd
Clive, IA 50325
www.nutrisportfpt.com
515-331-2141
Nutri-Sport supplement tip: CLA for fat loss
March 5, 2010 by Ryan Irwin · 2 Comments
Without question, the most popular supplement category (especially as warmer weather approaches) is the fat loss aides. There are a large amount of different types of products that this includes (thermogenics, lipotropics, appetite suppressants, metabolism boosters, etc). Then there are products that have stimulants and those that don’t. In other words, there’s a lot to choose from.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is a popular fat loss aid with good reason. CLA is a naturally occurring free fatty acid found in meat and dairy products. Research has shown that CLA not only helps reduce bodyfat, increase lean muscle and is simply overall good for healthy cells in the body. This supplement also is anti-catabolic (minimizes breakdown of the body) and enhances the immune system. Here is a resent study done that was published regarding the improvement in strength and body composition (see research here).
One of the other reasons we like CLA is that because it is non-stimulant based, it is one that individuals can continue use for a longer period of time, plus take in the evening to help assist with fat loss without having trouble getting to sleep. It is because of this that we recommend it in our first phase of our Ripped Stack.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid for fat loss/muscle gain
For more information on this product or other fat loss aides and sports nutrition products visit us and we will be happy to show you effective products and our nutrition planning/coaching that work to help achieve your full potential!
Nutri-Sport & Full Potential Training
9992 Swanson Blvd
Clive, IA 50325
www.nutrisportfpt.com
515-331-2141
Nutri-Sport Supplement tip: Caffeine
February 3, 2010 by Ryan Irwin · 1 Comment
One of the most common supplements used today (whether people realize it or not) is caffeine. Ask many and their day doesn’t really begin before they get their cup of joe! While a cup of coffee certainly contains caffeine and helps get you going in the morning, the benefits of caffeine lie much deeper.
First, in a recent review of research, caffeine can enhance your endurance in bouts of exercise and training. This includes both aerobic (endurance) or anaerobic (power). In fact, time trial tests have repeatedly shown to be beneficial in maximal effort endurance testing. Additionally, those sports that have intervals of high intensity effort (such as rugby, weight training or soccer) show benefit for caffeine supplementation as well.
The evidence is there for the benefits, but how much and when to take it? As published in the Journal of International Sports Nutrition, it shows studies that supports supplementing with caffeine in an anhydrous state (supplement) verses coffee is more ergogenic (performance enhancing). The amount that has been used in studies is 6.6mg-13.2/kg of bodyweight, which for a 14olb female is between 175-250mg and for a 200lb male, around 275-350 mg.
Caffeine is a diuretic and making sure one is properly hydrated is essential, especially during physical activity. Additionally, caffeine peaks in the body around 2 hours after ingestion, so taking it too late in the day could cause some individuals to have trouble sleeping at night.
If you are looking for an edge in your performance/training or enhancement to your workouts, then adding some caffeine might be the way to go! You can get it in either isolated supplemental form or as a combination of other ergogenic aids in a pre-workout formula. Let us show you the options to help you reach your full potential!
Nutri-Sport & Full Potential Training
9992 Swanson Blvd
Clive, IA 50325
www.nutrisportfpt.com
515-331-2141
Research article showing creatine improves interval workouts
January 30, 2010 by Ryan Irwin · Leave a Comment
In yet another study, creatine once again shows it’s value and effectiveness for individuals. Interval training is a very effective way to not only improve one’s cardiovascular health, but also one’s body composition. By doing 100% effort exercise for a short duration, then backing down the intensity for recovery and repeating these intervals, you can accomplish both of these goals in a short amount of time.
Creatine has had countless research studies done and it continues to impress and prove that it should be a staple in any athletes supplement stack or just those who are looking to get the most out of their workouts. In this study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, scientists determined if creatine supplementation would enhance the high intensity interval training (HIIT). The results were positive and a significant finding showed that creatine supplementation spared muscle glycogen during such exercise. This will allow for longer bouts of exercise, quicker recovery time and better performance.
Bottom line, whether you are a lifter, endurance athlete, or a cross trainer, creatine is a solid supplement to include in your arsenal. Let us put together a complimenting supplement program to get the most out of your training and help you reach your full potential.
Bio Cell, advanced creatine formula
Nutri-Sport & Full Potential Training
9992 Swanson Blvd
Clive, IA 50325
www.nutrisportfpt.com
515-331-2141
Nutri-Sport supplement tip -nutrition during training
January 13, 2010 by Ryan Irwin · Leave a Comment
In order to make the body adapt and change, one needs to do three primary things: stimulus (exercise/training), nutrition and recovery. If one of those three components is lacking, progress either won’t be made or will be slowed. While constantly changing one’s training is essential for continued growth and performance is important, rest and nutrition should always be a mainstay and fairly consistent.
One aspect of nutrition that many individuals overlook is during their training. It is critical to fuel the body throughout the day, especially what we call the four most important meals of the day (before/after training, breakfast and before bed). However, by ingesting specific key nutrients during your workouts, you can accelerate your recovery and progress big time!
A recent study published in the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition once again proves this. While pre and post workout nutrition is critical, one’s digestive system still needs to break down the foods before it can absorb the nutrients. Even a shake (which we recommend due to it’s quick absorption) takes time, so one should allow at least 30 min before workouts to allow for this process. During training, you don’t want to have solid food in your stomach as it could not only make you sick, but also makes your body pull blood and energy from your muscles while you want them to perform.
We recommend sipping on a mixture of simple carbohydrates and Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) during training. This minimizes digestion, which gets the nutrients into your bloodstream and delivered to your muscles quickly, to begin the recovery process. Performance will be enhanced as well (especially if one is not taking full advantage of pre workout meals). As the research in this study shows, supplementing with this combo improves performance greatly over just drinking water. For recommend 2 Tbsp of dextrose (20 grams of carbs) and 2-4 scoops of Scivation Xtend, depending on your weight and intensity of the workout. Of course a sound post workout shake with the proper ratio of protein and carbs should be taken within 30 minutes to optimize growth and recovery.
Xtend from Scivation
Ryan Irwin, BS, CPT,
Certified Sports Nutrition Specialist
Nutri-Sport & Full Potential Training
9992 Swanson Blvd
Clive, IA 50325
515-331-2141
www.nutrisportfpt.com
Creatine supplementation research on recovery
August 18, 2009 by Ryan Irwin · 2 Comments
Creatine is arguably one of the most well know supplements in sports nutrition. It is a naturally occurring substance in the body made from consuming meat and fish (hence vegetarians can get a very big effect from creatine). In the body, creatine is converted to creatine phosphate which is used as a source of energy and increases ATP availability.
By increasing the amount of energy your muscles have, this translates into increased strength. A second component of creatine is that when the muscle fibers increase the amount of creatine stored within, they increase in size due to hydration of these fibers. A HUGE myth is that creatine causes water retention under the skin. This is completely false, but it DOES increases the amount of fluid inside muscle bellies, which translates into larger muscles.
There are a host of other benefits but one that is highlighted here are the improvements in muscle recovery from creatine supplementation. In a recent study from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, creatine was shown to significantly improve the rate of recovery from exercised induced muscle damage. See complete study here.
Another study showed the same benefit for a group of athletes that normally might not consider creatine, which is endurance runners. This group too was shown to benefit from muscle damage for those who supplemented with creatine. See study here.
While creatine is widely touted for it’s strength increasing and mass building effects, there are many other benefits for taking this supplement, namely muscle recovery for both strength and endurance training athletes. This is why it is one of the foundational supplements we recommend when designing a supplement program.
Bio Cell -Advanced creatine formula
