Bulletin #147 – Vitamin E for Health & Exercise

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning that it can be stored with fat in the liver and other tissues. Vitamin E is also a component of cells, sandwiched between the fatty layers that make up cell membranes. When disease-causing free radicals come along, they hitch up to vitamin E, damaging it instead of the rest of the cell membrane. In the process, vitamin E soaks up the free radicals, and the cell is protected from harm. Vitamin C and other antioxidants can regenerate vitamin E.

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But with a shortage of vita-min E, there is an increase in free radi-cals, cellular injuries, and subsequent disorders to bodily tissues. Vitamin E is thus an important an-tioxidant that saves cells from damage. Specifically, vitamin E prevents a free radical-initiated process known as “lipid peroxidation.” In a domino-like series of chemical reactions, free radicals hook up with fatty acids in the body to form substances called “peroxides.” Per-oxides attack cell membranes, setting off a chain reaction that creates many more free radicals. In addition, vitamin E protects beta carotene from destruction in the body and is an important guardian of blood vessel health. Vitamin E also interrupts the plaque-forming process that can clog your arteries.

Other important benefits include:Helps Regulate Blood SugarIn a study that looked at vitamin E’s ef-fect on glucose metabolism and insulin action, 10 control (healthy) subjects and 15 people with type 2 diabetes under-went an oral glucose tolerance test be-fore and after taking 900 milligrams of vitamin E for four months. In the control group, vitamin E improved the action of insulin and the body’s handling of glucose. In the diabetic patients, these benefits were even more pronounced, suggesting that vitamin E is a useful nutrient for blood sugar control. Helps Fight Heart and Blood  Vessel DiseaseHeart disease is the major cause of death in men and women. Vitamin E, however, may prove beneficial against it. In a 14-week study of 21 patients, researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center found that taking 1,200 IU of vitamin E dai-ly reduced LDL cholesterol oxidation — a process that, if not stopped, can lead to clogged arteries, a precursor of heart attack and stroke.Vitamin E and ExerciseMany studies on antioxidants and exercise have focused on vitamin E, with intriguing results.

For example: ● An 800-milligram vitamin E supplement taken daily helped guard against muscle damage and free radical production, in subjects age 55 and older who exercised by walking or running downhill. ● Supplementation may prevent the destruction of oxygen-carrying red blood cells. That means your muscles benefit from higher or sustained oxygen delivery while you exercise. ● Supplementation may improve your exercise performance if you work out at high altitudes; however, it is not known yet whether there is a similar benefit when you exercise at sea level. Because of vitamin E’s positive effect on the immune system and other factors, we believe supplementation with this vitamin is important. Our Natural Vitamin E Plus™, made from natural vegetable sources and therefore well assimilated by the body, is a good source of vitamin E. We recommend 1 capsule a day, taken with meals.

References

Jain, S.K., et al. 1996. The effect of modest vitamin E supplementation on lipid peroxidation products and other cardiovascular risk factors in diabetic patients. Lipids 31: S87-S90 .Kleiner, S.M., and M. Greenwood-Robinson. 2006. Power eating . Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinet-icsPaolisso, G., et al. 1993. Pharma-cologic doses of vitamin E improve insulin action in healthy subjects and non-insulin-dependent diabetic sub-jects. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 57: 650-656 .

Bulletin #146 – Joint Health

If your joints are creaky and achy, don’t despair .You can help your joints with some natural approach-es, and hopefully not have to resort to over-the-counter or prescription pain-killers (unless your physician recommends them). Here are some options available:Evening Primrose Oil Evening primrose oil, in particu-lar has specific benefits for ath-letes, bodybuilders – really, any-one who is interested in improv-ing personal health and fitness. It comes from a plant that grows wild along roadsides. It is so named be-cause its yellow flowers resemble in color real primroses, and these flowers open only in the evening. From this oil, your body can di-rectly obtain GLA, which stands for gamma-linolenic acid. GLA is ultimately converted into the pros-taglandin E1 series, a group of ben-eficial chemicals that helps reduce inflammation, regulates blood clot-ting, decreases cholesterol levels, and lowers high blood pressure, among other functions.

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Thus, eve-ning primrose oil is indicated for various diseases or conditions in which prostaglandins are associ-ated, and these include premenstru-al syndrome (PMS); heart disease; diabetic neuropathy, a type of nerve damage that is a complication of diabetes; and arthritis. A growing number of medical ex-perts and scientists now believe that taking GLA-rich oils can effec-tively fight the inflammation - the major cause of swollen, painful joints. GLA is a building block of a beneficial type of prostaglandin, which exerts an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. Thus, supple-menting with GLA increases pro-duction of these prostaglandins and may help control the pain and inflammation associated with joint problems and arthritis.Parrillo Performance recognized the need for a product that counter-acts joint and inflammation prob-lems.

The Parrillo Performance solution is Evening Primrose Oil™ a concentrated source of essential fatty acids, including GLA. EFA’s keep joints lubricated, hair and skin healthy, and brain neurons firing correctly. Each 1000 mg gel cap contains 30 IU’s of vitamin E, 100 mg of Gamma Linolenic Acid and 760 mg of Linoleic Acid. Take one to three capsules daily. Other Joint-Friendly NutrientsOur ongoing research recently led us to develop the Parrillo Joint For-mula to assist in the rebuilding of damaged joints, tendons, cartilage, and soft tissue. The nutrients con-tained in this supplement include: GlucosamineChemically, glucosamine is a combination of glucose and ami-no acids, and it has been exten-sively studied for joint health and support . When you supplement with glucosamine, it gathers in the liver, kidneys and articular cartilage . Once it reaches the chondrocytes, the cells that pro-duce cartilage, the glucosamine is incorporated into those cells . Eventually, it forms a viscous fluid that helps protect and lu-bricate your joints and cartilage. ChrondroitonLike glucosamine, this is another one of the molecules that make up cartilage. One of its functions is to attract fluid into the tissue, and this gives cartilage resistance and elasticity. Also like glucosamine, chondroitin appears to stimulate cartilage cells to create new car-tilage and it may also slow the breakdown of cartilage.Shark CartilageThis supplement can provide re-lief to painful, swollen, and stiff joints.

The secret to shark carti-lage’s success in treating arthritis primarily lies in the complex carbohydrates it contains: muco-polysaccharides, which relieve the chronic and painful inflam-mation that is so injurious to joints. Other benefits of shark cartilage are to regulate the im-mune system and prevent new blood vessel growth into the car-tilage of the joints. European re-searchers have reported dramatic reductions in pain and inflam-mation in arthritis patients sup-plementing with shark cartilage.  Green Sea MusselThis nutrient supports the restoration and maintenance processes of synovial fluid and connective tissues, including joints, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and intervertebral discs.Keep in mind that all these products should be used in conjunction with The Parrillo Performance Nutrition Program for best results. Joint For-mula™ should not be taken if you are allergic to seafood.

Reference

Greenberg, R. 1994. Clinical implica-tions and therapeutic administrations of shark cartilage. Chiropractic Prod-ucts November, pp. 140-142.

Bulletin #145 – Vitamin C’s Performance Punch

When you read about vitamin C, it’s usually in reference to its cold-fight-ing power. But did you also know that vitamin C – the most commonly supplemented nutrient in the United States 1 – can perform some impor-tant performance-enhancing feats as well?

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That’s right. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, contributes to ath-letic performance in at least three possible ways - as an antioxidant, a promoter of respiratory health, and a factor in endurance. Antioxidant ActionWith exercise, there’s a dramatic in-crease in the amount of oxygen used by your body. A fraction of this oxy-gen is converted into “free radicals.” Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that attack bodily tissues.2Fortunately, the body is equipped with a mighty defense team of substances known as antioxidants, which neu-tralize free radicals and prevent them from doing harm. Vitamin C is one of these antioxidants. It keeps free radicals from destroying the outer-most layers of cells and has the pow-er to regenerate vitamin E, another antioxidant.3Normally, free radicals don’t cause much of a problem.

But during stren-uous activity, free radicals can start outnumbering antioxidants - a con-dition called “oxidative stress.” It leads to muscle tissue damage and in-flammation, increases the body’s con-sumption of antioxidants, and leaves you vulnerable to disease.4You may be able to ward off oxi-dative stress, however, by supple-menting with vitamin C. In a recent experiment, investigators discov-ered that oxidative stress was high-est when subjects did not supple-ment with vitamin C.5 Taking vitamin C, along with vi-tamin E, has been found to help muscles recover and regenerate more quickly following exercise – which means you can get back in the game faster. In one study, researchers gave endurance athletes 1000 mg of vitamin C and 1000 IU of vitamin E a day, or placebos, in divided doses at lunch and dinner. The supplemented athletes showed about a 25 percent reduction in tis-sue damage .6 Further, vitamin C has been found to reduce the delayed muscle onset soreness (DOMS) felt in the 24 to 48-hour period follow-ing exercise.7Vitamin C also confers a heart-protective benefit, particularly if you’re a serious exerciser or endur-ance athlete .

Free radical production during very-intense exercise tends to oxidize low-density lipoproteins, otherwise known as LDL choles-terol (dubbed “the bad kind”), lead-ing to plaque build-up in the arter-ies. A study conducted with highly trained runners demonstrated that supplementing with 1 gram daily of vitamin C decreased the tendency of LDL cholesterol to oxidize.8Respiratory HealthIf you work out regularly or train for athletic competition, you know that a cold or respiratory infection can sideline you pretty fast. Vitamin C to the rescue . When ultramarathon runners supplemented with 600 milligrams of vitamin C a day for 21 days prior to a marathon, they experienced fewer upper respira-tory tract infections. This benefit may be due to vitamin C’s anti-oxidant effect, or to its overall immune-boosting capability.9Do you ever develop shortness of breath and wheezing after strenu-ous exercise? If so, you may have “exercise-induced asthma” (EIA). EIA affects an estimated 10 per-cent of all exercisers, and nearly all asthma sufferers. EIA symp-toms typically occur after about six to eight minutes of exercise and can last 20 to 30 minutes . 10

During an attack, tiny muscles wrapped around the outside of the bronchi (the two large tubes that branch out from the windpipe to the lungs), constrict in what is known as a “bronchospasm.” It’s difficult to breathe, your chest hurts, and you may wheeze.There are numerous preventa-tive treatments for EIA, and one of these is supplementation with vitamin C. Patients with asthma who supplemented with 500 mil-ligrams of vitamin C daily expe-rienced fewer spasms in response to exercise.11 A two-gram dosage taken one hour prior to exercise has demonstrated a protective effect too.12Endurance FactorsIf you take vitamin C, will you be able to bike farther, work out longer, or get across the finish line faster? Possibly. Scientists have discovered that hard-training athletes, specifical-ly endurance and ultraendurance athletes, often have low levels of vitamin C circulating in their bod-ies .13 If you’re deficient in vita-min C, your endurance will suffer – a side effect confirmed by re-search .14 Deficiencies can be eas-ily prevented by supplementing with vitamin C and eating vitamin C-rich foods. The best sources of vitamin C in the diet are citrus fruits. Other foods, such as green and red peppers, collard greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach, potatoes, cantaloupe, and strawberries are also excellent sources.Supplemental Vitamin CTo ensure that you get the vitamin C your body demands, supplemen-tation is an excellent idea. Our Bio-C™ formula contains 1000 mg of vitamin per tablet, and is formu-lated with health-building Citrus Bioflavonoids (concentrate from lemons, oranges, grapefruit, limes, tangerines). Take one or more tablet daily, preferably with meals

References

1. Johnston C, et al. Comparison of the absorption and excretion of three commercially available sources of vitamin C. Journal of the American Dietetic Associa-tion. 1994;94:779-781.

2. Ji LL. Exercise, oxidative stress, and antioxidants. The American Journal of Sports Medicine . 1996;24:S20-S24.

3. Kanter MM. Free radicals, exer-cise, and antioxidant supplementa-tion . International Journal of Sport Nutrition. 1994;4:205-220.

4. Ji LL. Exercise, oxidative stress, and antioxidants. The Ameri-can Journal of Sports Medicine . 1996;24:S20-S24.

5. Alessio HM, et al. Exercise-in-duced oxidative stress before and after vitamin C supplementation. International Journal of Sport Nu-trition. 1997;7:1-9.

6. Kanter, MM. Antioxidants and oth-er popular ergogenic aids . From the proceedings of Nutritional Er-gogenic Aids, November 11-12, 1994, Chicago, Illinois.

7. Kaminski M, et al. An effect of ascorbic acid on delayed-onset mus-cle soreness . Pain. 1992;50:317-321 .

8. Sanchez-Quesada JL, et al. Ascor-bic acid inhibits the increase in low-density lipoprotein. Coronary Artery Disease. 1998;9:249-55.

9. Peters EM, et al. Vitamin C supple-mentation reduces the incidence of post race symptoms of upper-re-spiratory-tract infection in ultrama-rathon events. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1993;57:170-174 .

10. Mellion MB, et al. Exercise-in-duced asthma . American Family Physician. 1992;45:2671-2677.

11. Schachter EN, et al. The attenua-tion of exercise-induced broncho-spasm by ascorbic acid. Annals of Allergy. 1982;49:146-151.

12. Cohen HA, et al. Blocking effect of vitamin C in exercise-induced asthma . Archives of Pediat-rics and Adolescent Medicine. 1997;151:367-370.

13. Gerster H. The role of vitamin C in Athletic Performance. Jour-nal of the American College of Nutrition. 1989;8:636-643.

14. Witt EH, et al. Exercise, oxi-dative damage and effects of antioxidant manipulation. Jour-nal of Nutrition. 1992;122:766-773. Also: Johnston CS, et al. Substrate utilization and work efficiency during submaximal exercise in vitamin C depleted-repleted adults . International Journal for Vitamin and Nutri-tion Research. 1999;69:41-44.

Bulletin #144 – Fat Loss Accelerators

In the new year, our thoughts turn to getting in shape or getting in better shape. Good news: there are some relatively easy ways to speed up your fat loss and encourage your body to tap into its fat stores more rapidly. What follows is an explanation of certain techniques that can help you accelerate your fat loss as the new year begins.Increase the “Intensity” of Your ExerciseIntensity refers to the level of effort you exert during exercise. High-er-intensity exercise helps you get leaner much faster.  How do you know if you’re ex-ercising intensely enough? There are a couple of ways to tell.

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With aerobic exercise, you should be breathing hard but still be able to carry on a labored conversation.  This indicates that your body is processing a significant amount of oxygen. When more oxygen is “extracted” by your muscles, more stored fat and carbohydrate  can be used to supply energy.Another way to determine aerobic intensity is by monitoring your heart rate. For best results, you should exercise at a level suffi-cient enough to raise your heart rate to 70 to 85 percent or high-er of your maximum heart rate (MHR).

MHR is expressed as 220 minus your age.  For example, sup-pose you’re 40 years old, and you start an aerobic exercise program. Your maximum heart rate is 180  (220 – 40). You should work out at an intensity such that your heart reaches between 126 and 153 beats a minute (70 to 85 percent of 180 beats per minute = .70 x 180 = 126, or .80 x 180  = 153).  If you’re a newcomer to aerobic exercise, start out in the lower end of your range. Gradually increase your intensity so that you reach the higher end of your range as your body becomes more  aerobically fit.Higher-intensity aerobic exer-cise burns more fat. To illus-trate what I mean, let’s look at two examples. First, suppose you walk for about 45 minutes at about three miles per hour, el-evating your heart rate to about 65 percent of its maximum — a moderate level of intensity. At this intensity, you’re burning a total of 216 calories — 108 calo-ries from carbohydrates and 108 calories from fat.In the second example, you pick up your pace by walking 4 miles per hour and elevating your heart rate to 75 percent of its maxi-mum.  In the same 45-minute period, you’ll burn a total of 288 calories — 176 calories from carbohydrates and 112 calories from fat. So at the higher inten-sity level, more of your energy comes from fat (112 fat calo-ries versus 108 calories).1

Increase Your Strength Training IntensityIntensity in strength training re-fers primarily to the demand you place on your muscles — in other words, how much weight you lift or how many repetitions of an exercise you do. For great-er intensity, you must challenge your muscles to lift more weight or do more repetitions each time you work out. Working your muscles hard ultimately leads to more lean tissue and less  body fat.Shift Your Body into a Fat-Burning Mode By Perform-ing Aerobics after Strength TrainingYou can shift your body into a fat-burning mode faster if you perform your aerobic exercise after strength training. Lifting weights causes your body to draw on muscle glycogen for fuel. During a 30 to 45-minute training session, you can use up a lot of glycogen. Afterwards, your body is glycogen-needy — the perfect time to start your aerobics. Theoretically, your body then starts drawing on fat-ty acids for energy during the aerobics. You’ll burn more fat, and get leaner as a result.

Lose More Fat by Increasing The Duration of Your Aerobic WorkoutFor various reasons, some people just can’t push for higher intensi-ties. If you’re one of them, don’t despair! Simply increase the dura-tion of your aerobic workout. The longer you work out aerobically — 45 minutes or longer — the more fat you’ll burn.Lose More Fat by Increasing the Frequency of Your WorkoutsYou can burn more fat by increas-ing the number of times you work out each week. If you’ve been ex-ercising aerobically three times a week, gradually work up to four or five times a week. You’ll burn more calories. Many of those calories will be fat calories, especially if you’re working out at higher intensities.Take Gradual StepsIt can be tempting to work out harder and longer or add more ex-ercise sessions — and do it right away. But proceed with caution or else you could hurt yourself. Make small upward increments in inten-sity, duration, and frequency, and you’ll be gratified by what you can accomplish.

Reference

1. Chester J. Zelasko, “Exercise for Fat Loss:  What Are the Facts?” Journal of the American Dietetic Association 95 (December 1995): 1414-1417.

Bulletin #143 – Supplementation & Rest Go Together

Getting enough rest and taking the right supplements are important ad-juncts to your fitness and health. There are different categories of rest. One quantifiable type is the rest interval between sets. How much time do you allow before commenc-ing the next set? A second type of rest is the rest interval between training sessions. How long before you train the same muscle again? Then there is sleep: how long do you sleep each night and are you getting enough quality sleep? Fi-nally, where in the “rest process” can you introduce supplements to opti-mize your progress? I’ll answer these questions for you in this column.  Rest Intervals Between Sets  Use different rest intervals between sets to elicit different muscular ef-fects. The length you choose will trigger a different physiological ef-fect.

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If you want to get cut-up and lean, you would naturally and cor-rectly gravitate towards a focused and fast-type of workout style. If your goal is to increase your muscle mass, you will need to increase your strength. Increased strength occurs when additional poundage is han-dled or more reps are performed. In order to handle heavier weight or perform more reps per set you need to be totally recovered from the previous set. Allow plenty of time between sets when you are tackling the big weights. Heavy, compound exercise movements, those which in-volve the movement of two or more joints to push the weight to com-pletion: i.e. squats, bench presses, rows, cleans, overhead presses, deadlifts, etc., will require more recovery time between sets than isolation exercises like curls or del-toid raises. Again, this is com-mon sense stuff but basic concepts need to be repeated periodically.   Here is where supplementation comes in: Weight training is in-credibly intense exercise and with-in seconds of the commencement of a heavy set, energy reserves are depleted and waste products begin to accumulate (1-4). Creatine phos-phate serves as an energy donor and helps to maintain the supply of ATP, the molecule used by muscles to power contractions.

ATP is rap-idly depleted and strength fades as a heavy set proceeds, muscular contractions soon stop altogether. During the rest interval between sets ATP and creatine phosphate stores are repleted. Supplementa-tion with Creatine Monohydrate™ can help the entire depletion-re-generation process as it increas-es intracellular Creatine pools(5-6). Supplement with our Creatine Monohydrate Formula™ and you will get a better training effect.  Rest between Training Sessions  What is the amount of time to rest between training sessions? Some people do best by training each muscle group once a week, but training it very hard. Others get better results by training a particu-lar muscle two or in some instances even three times a week. One key factor is your strength level. As you get stronger and lift heavier weights it takes longer to recover. Many ex-perienced bodybuilders like to train each muscle group once a week for this reason. Beginners do much better by training each muscle two or three times weekly. After all, a man who bench presses 500 for reps and does forced reps and negatives will need a lot longer to recover than a rookie handling 100×5 in the same exercise.

Like most ev-erything about training, variation is the name of the game. You could develop a two-day a week routine, a three-day routine, or a six-day routine. Variety is the spice of life and the way we keep progress-ing. Sameness equals stagnation.  Overtraining Is Really Under- nutritionOther questions are often asked of me, such as: When should I take a day off? What is the strategy behind rest and recuperation? What is the relationship between exercise, nutri-tion, rest and muscle growth? Gen-eralizations are dangerous since ev-eryone is different and circumstanc-es are never the same. In addition to weight training, a Parrillo-trained bodybuilder needs to do aerobics on a regular and systematic basis. Pre-contest bodybuilders will do aerobics twice a day in addition to regular weight training. This is a lot of work, particularly since we insist the athlete train intensely whatever the discipline. Our rule of thumb is that you should take off the least amount of days you need in order to recuperate. If you are eating properly and plentifully and getting plenty of sleep at night, you can train hard-er, longer, heavier and more often.

You hear a lot of talk on how to avoid over-training but often this is an excuse for laziness. Over training can be avoided if you take in lots of quality calories and get plenty of deep, restful sleep. In fact, at Par-rillo, if athletes think they are over-training, I advise that they up their calories rather than cut back on the weight training or aerobic activity. It is tough to make progress by exercis-ing less. If you are not making good gains and feel zapped and tired, try increasing your calories and adding another hour of sleep to your nightly allotment. Make sure you are training intensely enough to stimulate growth. What is intense enough? Pushing the envelope and upping poundage or weights every session. Push hard and make gains, then refuel and rest.  Muscle Characteristics & Recovery  Another key recovery factor is the characteristic of the muscle itself. Large muscles need more time to recover between workouts. Because big muscles are stronger, you can lift more poundage and are subjected to greater stress, you need longer to recover. You might find that your arms recover faster than your legs, for example. Or your triceps recover quicker than your lower back. Be aware of these muscular phenom-ena when scheduling your sessions.  Sleep and Stress IssuesAlways try to get enough sleep. If you are unable to sleep optimally, your recovery will suffer and you won’t be able to train each muscle group as frequently. Stress can be a definite detriment to recovery. Emotional stress is a very real factor as is illness. D

uring stress your body produces cortisol, which helps you through the stress but has the unfortunate side effect of breaking down muscle. Cortisol is a catabolic hormone that breaks down muscle tissue so that the protein can be used as fuel. Illness reduces your ability to recover as your body devotes its energy to fighting the sickness rather than re-pairing muscle tissue. If you have a cold and don’t feel too bad, then go ahead and train. But if you have a fever or are too sick to work take a few days off from the gym or do mild aerobics until you feel strong enough to weight train.  Recovery NutritionNutrition plays an absolutely cen-tral role in the recovery process. The foods you eat supply you with the building blocks the body needs to repair itself. If you are training intensely and getting enough sleep but not eating right, then your growth potential will be severely limited. You should be getting one to two grams of protein per pound of body weight every day for op-timal growth and recovery (7-10). Most bodybuilders use a protein supplement as the foundation for their nutritional program. We think the best protein on the market is our Hi-Protein Powder™ or Opti-mized Whey Protein™ or our new All-Protein™. Our whey protein is fortified with extra glutamine and branched chain amino acids. In terms of recovery and growth the two most important supplements are protein powder and Creatine Monohydrate™. Carbohydrates are required to maintain your muscle glycogen stores.

When muscle glycogen is depleted, strength and endurance drop off markedly (1-4). If you are no longer getting a good pump after a set, this is a sign that you are running low on glycogen. In this case, increase your carbs by using two to four scoops of Par-rillo Pro-Carb™ after your work-out. This is the perfect time to supplement with carbs as they will be stored as glycogen. Don’t forget to take your vitamins and minerals. I suggest six meals a day, spaced at regular intervals. Each meal should include a pro-tein source (such as lean chicken or turkey), a starch, and a fibrous vegetable. Good starches include potatoes, rice, beans, and corn. Stay away from simple sugars and refined carbohydrates such as pas-ta or bread. Metabolically, refined carbohydrates behave much like simple sugars. Also avoid milk and fruit, which are rich in sugars. Consult the Parrillo Performance Nutrition Manual for detailed in-structions. Adequate nutrition and sleep are two critical ingredients in achieving optimal recovery. Don’t be afraid to vary and ex-periment with your rest intervals and training frequency.

References

1. McArdle WD, KatchFI, and Katch VL. Exercise Physi-ology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, 1991.

2. Wilmore JH and Cos-till DL. Physiology of Exer-cise and Sport. Human Ki-netics, Champaign, IL, 1994.

3. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, Thomas R. Baechle, editor, Na-tional Strength and Condition-ing Association, Human Kinet-ics, Champaign, IL, 1994.

4. Guyton AC. Text-book of Medical Physiol-ogy, W.B. Saunders Com-pany, Philadelphia, 1991.

5. Maughan RJ. Cre-atine supplementation and exercise performance. In-ternational Journal of Sport Nutrition 5: 94-101, 1995.

6. Greenhaff PL. Cre-atine and its application as an ergogenic aid. Interna-tional Journal of Sport Nu-trition 5: S100-S110, 1995.

7. Tarnopolsky MA, Mac-Dougall JD, and Atkinson SA. Influence of protein intake and training status on nitrogen bal-ance and lean mass. J Appl Physiol 64: 187-193, 1988.

8. Lemon PWR. Influence of dietary protein and total ener-gy intake on strength improve-ment. Sports Sci Exch 2, 1989.

9. Celejowa I and Homa M. Food intake, nitrogen, and en-ergy balance in Polish weight lifters during training camp. Nutr Metab 12: 259-274, 1970.

10. Laritcheva KA, Yalovaya NI, Shubin VI, and Shirnov PV. Study of energy expenditure and protein needs of top weight lift-ers. In: Nutrition, Physical Fit-ness and Health, eds. Pariznova J and Rogozkin VA, p. 155-163. University Park Press, Baltimore, 1978.

Bulletin #142 – Ultimate Endurance Performance

Parrillo Performance provides the best quality supplements in the world. Pe-riod. We don’t cut any corners when it comes to nutritional support for our athletes. We want you to get the most from your training, and we want you to reach your goals . We’re here to help you win. In addition to our fa-mous success with bodybuilders, we also work with world class endurance athletes. In this article I will describe some of our best supplements for en-durance athletes, why they work and how to use them. Even if you’re not an endurance athlete and are just looking for more energy, our approach to diet and supplementation is sure to help . Finally, it’s also worth mentioning that many of the best bodybuilders also rely on our endurance supplements when they want to train longer and harder, and, more importantly, recover faster and more completely .

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Ultra-endurance activities are as-sociated with loss of lean body mass (1,2). Endurance activity causes loss of lean tissue because as fat and car-bohydrate fuels are exhausted the body draws on its own muscle tissue to use as fuel (3). Amino acids can be converted to glucose in the liver via a process known as “gluconeogenesis” (4,5). The so-called “branched chain amino acids” (leucine, isoleucine and valine) seem to be especially preferred as fuel substrates. In addition to being converted to glucose in the liver, the amino acids are unique in that they can also be used directly as fuel by the muscles (5). These are the amino acids included in our product Muscle Ami-no™ . Muscle Amino™ contains the balance of branched chain amino acids science has shown most beneficial.Have you ever noticed an ammo-nia smell in your clothes after a hard workout? This is because your body was using some amino acids as fuel but was not able to clear the waste products efficiently.

When this happens the car-bon skeleton of amino acids is burned, leaving ammonia as a byproduct. Am-monia is quite toxic and is converted to urea in a metabolic pathway called “the urea cycle,” which prepares it to be excreted in the urine (4,5). The urea cycle requires certain chemical com-pounds called “aspartates,” (4,5) which are included in our Max Endurance Formula™. We have developed this product specifically for use during en-durance activities. It works by provid-ing nutrients which are used by the body to detoxify the waste products of protein catabolism. Max Endurance™ helps filter out toxic waste products your body generates during intense training. Eliminating these waste products helps you have more energy and recover fast-er. Ammonia is very toxic and will stop energy production in the cell . Using the aspartates in Max Endurance™ to “neutralize” the ammonia as soon as it forms enables you to have more energy and endurance .

We suggest the product be used consistently everyday, not just on days of endurance events.Perhaps the most crucial supple-ment for endurance athletes is our Liver Amino Formula™. I cannot overem-phasize the importance of this product. What is endurance activity all about, anyway? It’s about producing energy over an extended period of time. Liver Amino™ helps in at least three ways — by providing heme iron, protein and B vitamins.Energy production in the human body requires two things: a fuel sub-strate and oxygen (3,5). Many people build up the importance of carbohydrates in endurance performance — and right-fully so. Carbs are your body’s best fuel source for endurance activity (3,6,7). However, for those carbs to be used as fuel your muscles require a constant supply of oxygen. Contrary to popular belief, it is usually the rate of oxygen delivery to cells which limits energy pro-duction, not the availability of glucose.As you know, it is the responsibil-ity of red blood cells to deliver oxy-gen to all the working tissues of your body (4). What you may not know is that endurance training actually can de-stroy red blood cells rather than building them up — if your nutrition’s not right. Bodybuilders have long recognized that strength training actually breaks down muscles and that this damage provides the stimulus for subsequent growth dur-ing the recovery period.

To build more muscle, you have to provide the nutrients muscles are made of. The same is true for endurance training, except it’s the blood system that takes a beating. And if you want to recover and be stronger as a result of your workout, you have to feed your body with the nutrients it needs to make red blood cells. Have you ever noticed that many endurance athletes are very thin and don’t have much muscle mass? Why is that? To understand why this happens, and what to do about it, you need to know a little about physiol-ogy and how the body adapts to endur-ance training .Endurance activity causes a condi-tion referred to as “sports anemia” (8-11). This occurs rapidly with the onset of training (9,11). Endurance training causes an increase in mitochondrial con-tent of the muscle tissue (mitochondria are the furnaces inside the cell where fuels are burned — the more energy you produce the more mitochondria you need), in myoglobin concentration (a pro-tein like hemoglobin, which is involved in transporting oxygen inside muscle cells), and in cytochrome enzymes (enzymes of the electron transport chain, involved in aerobic energy production) (12).

All of these are protein structures which are increased as an adaptive response to endurance training. To achieve this in-crease, the body draws on its erythrocytes (red blood cells), hemoglobin and plasma proteins as a source of protein (10-12). This is an example of the “plasticity’” of the body — the body remodeling its own structures to adapt to changing condi-tions. In other words, what’s happening is the body needs to build up its energy producing systems inside muscle cells to adapt to the training stimulus . These energy producing systems are made of protein. And the easiest place for your muscle cells to find protein is to steal it from red blood cells and plasma protein.Couple this increased protein need with the fact that endurance activity causes amino acids to be used as fuel substrates instead of as proteins, and you can see why endurance athletes are fre-quently borderline anemic and why they commonly experience muscle wasting.Liver Amino™ contains heme iron — the most bioavailable iron source (8).

The product contains desiccated liver (not cooked), as cooking can destroy the heme group and decrease its incor-poration in red blood cells by 50% (8). Liver Amino™ formula also provides 1.5 grams of complete protein per tablet. Heme iron and protein are precisely the nutrients your body needs to produce red blood cells. This way you can build your energy producing systems inside muscle cells and your blood system all at the same time, without having to sacrifice one for the other. Plus it’s a rich source of B vitamins, which are used in energy production. Start taking the Liver-Amino (five to eight with each meal) when you’re training hard and definitely at least six weeks before your event, since it takes that long to build up red blood cells.

References

1. Friedman JE and Lemon PWR. Ef-fect of chronic endurance exercise on retention of dietary protein. Int. J. Sports Med . 10: 118-123, 1989 .

2. Hickson JF and Wolinsky I. Human protein intake and metabolism in exer-cise and sports. Nutrition in Exercise and Sport, Hickson JF and Wolinsky I, Eds. p. 5-36. CRC Press, 1989.

3. Nagle FJ and Bassett DR Jr. Energy metabolism in exercise. Nutrition in Exercise and Sport, Hickson JF and Wolinsky I, Eds. p. 87-106. CRC Press, 1989 .

4. Guyton AC. Textbook of Medical Physiology. W.B. Saunders, 1991.

5. Zubay G. Biochemistry . Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1983.

6. Miller GD and Massaro EJ. Car-bohydrate in ultra-endurance perfor-mance. Nutrition in Exercise and Sport, Hickson JF and Wolinsky I, Eds. p. 51-62. CRC Press, 1989.

7. Pate TD and Brunn JC. Fundamen-tals of carbohydrate metabolism. Nutri-tion in Exercise and Sport, Hickson JF and Wolinsky I, Eds. pg. 37-50. CRC Press, 1989.

8. Scrimshaw NS. Iron Deficiency. Scientific American, pg. 46-52, Octo-ber, 1991.

9. Sherman AR and Kramer B. Iron nutrition and exercise. Nutrition in Exercise and Sport, Hickson JF and Wolinsky I, Eds. p. 291-308. CRC Press, 1989.

10. Shiraki K, Yamada T and Yoshimura H. Relation of protein nutrition to the reduction of red blood cells induced by physical training. Japanese J. Physiol. 27: 413-421, 1977 .

11. Yoshimura H, Inoue T, Yamada T and Shiraki K. Anemia during hard physical training (sports anemia) and its causal mechanism with special reference to protein nutrition. World Rev. Nutr. Diet. 35: 1-86, 1980.

12. Haymes. Proteins, Vitamins, and Iron. Ergogenic Aids in Sport; ed. Williams. Human Kinetics Publish-ers; 1983; p 27-55.

Bulletin #141 – Stay Fit & Lean This Holiday Season

With the holiday season, can you still eat, drink, be merry and still stay fit? Answer: Absolutely—and here are some easy-to-follow guidelines to help you. If you stick to these, you’ll start 2007 in super shape – with no need to make New Year’s resolutions… Avoid or limit alcohol con-sumption. When there’s alcohol in your system, the liver has to work overtime to process it, so it doesn’t have adequate time to process fat. Sip on seltzers, club soda or sparkling mineral water on the rocks with a citrus twist. Stay active.

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Sticking to your regular weight-training and aerobic ex-ercise routines is one of the best ways to fight fat gain during the holidays. So regardless of what comes between you and your workout, try not to eliminate it all together. If you’re like most people, you’ll need to let off some steam during the often-stressful holiday season, and exercise is the perfect stress reliever. Plus, it helps to burn off the extra calo-ries that you’ve eaten at those parties and holiday get-togethers . Push it aerobically. If you have the luxury of vacation time during the holidays, why not engage in a little additional aerobics to burn off those extra calories? Do a bit more of your usual aerobic activity or try some new types just for fun. If you are not that adventurous, try to slightly increase the duration and/or frequency of your usual aerobic exercise routine.

Check out the Parrillo Cap-Tri® Cookbook. Most people don’t realize it, but the traditional holiday dinner with appetizers can weigh in with thousands of fat and sugar-filled calories. Look at John’s cookbook for some recipes that make great holiday fare! There are new, healthier, and delicious ways to cook with turkey, sweet potatoes, and more. Plan ahead. It’s easier to stick to a healthy course of action if you de-cide to do so ahead of time, before the situation presents itself. Decide ahead of time what you will eat, and how much. Planning ahead of time works much better than merely throwing cau-tion to the wind. Try “pre-dieting.” It works like this: Start trimming off a few pounds of fat before the holidays get in full swing by following the Par-rillo Nutrition Program.

Pre-dieting has been shown in clinical trials to offset holiday weight gain. Obesity researchers in Sweden studied the ef-fect of eating during the Christmas holidays on 46 obese patients in a weight-maintenance program. Those dieters who had lost more than 6.6 lb by pre-dieting during the six months prior to Christmas gained less weight (from 0.4 lb to 4.8 lb) between Christ-mas and Epiphany (a religious festival celebrated on January 6) than those who didn’t pre-diet. By contrast, the patients who gained more than 6.6 lb of body fat during the six months prior to Christmas put on an additional 5 lbs. on average during the holi-days. The message is clear: Pre-dieting clearly keeps the holiday pounds from piling on .

Bulletin #140 – The Scoop on How to Recupe

With the weather changing, colds and flu bugs are in the air. It’s hard to be-lieve but exercisers and athletes, despite their healthy regimens, can be very susceptible to infections, since train-ing can deplete the body’s antioxidant defenses. So in this month’s column, I want to amplify what Dr. Sheats has to say in his column on recovery nutri-tion, particularly on the supplements we recommend to shore up immunity. In certain circumstances, exercise can suppress your immune system, which is your defense against infec-tions and illness, by altering hormon-al and biochemical functions in the body. Not to worry, though: In most situations, exercise does the oppo-site. It enhances your immune system.

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But what of those cases where ex-ercise impairs immune defenses? According to scientific research, these can occur under the following circum-stances (1): 1 . You’re under mental stress . 2 .You’reundernourished . (Research indicates athletes con-sume about 25 percent fewer calories than they need, leading to deficien-cies of many essential nutrients.) (2) 3. You exercise in a carbohydrate-depleted state (this increases the cir-culation of stress hormones in your body, plus harms immune-pro-tective substances in the body). 4. You’ve attempted quick weight loss through caloric deprivation. 5. You’ve practiced improper hygiene. The good news is that you can protect yourself from infections with improved nutrition and life-style practices. Here’s a look at how:1. Supplement with extra carbsSupplementation with carbohydrate bev-erages - before, during, and after exercise - has been shown to strengthen immune responses.

For example, it reduces levels of the hormone cortisol in blood. That’s good, since cortisol suppresses immune response. Carbohydrate supplementation also appears to protect various types of immune cells from weakening. (3) If you’re on the Parrillo Nutrition Pro-gram™ a good supplement choice is our ProCarb™ Formula, which can be used before, during, and after a workout. 2. Consume whey protein supplementsResearch shows that whey protein diets increase the amount of glutathione in body tissues. Glutathione is a peptide (an amino acid derivative) that is involved in strengthening immunity. The elevation of glutathione has been shown to inhibit the development of several types of tu-mors, according to numerous studies. (4) Whey protein is found in the following products: Optimized Whey Protein™, Hi-Protein Powder™, 50/50 Plus Powder™, All-Protein™ Powder, Parrillo Sports Nutrition Bars™, Parrillo Protein Bars™, and Parrillo Energy Bars™ .3.

Beware of the “overtraining myth”“Overtraining” refers to poor perfor-mance in training and competition, and its symptoms include fatigue, frequent ill-ness, disturbed sleep, and moodiness. (5) Overtraining, however, is simply “un-derrecovery” or “undereating” - not taking in enough nutrients to fully re-cover from your workouts. If ample nu-trients are not provided, intense work-outs won’t do much good. But once you get in the habit of making your nutrition as intense as your training, your workouts will be much more produc-tive, and you’ll see results much quicker. Make sure you remain in a calorie surplus - that is, eating ample calories and taking in supplemental nutrients to support your energy needs throughout the day. Follow a high-calorie nutrition program, and you should have enough energy stamina to blast through any workout, regardless of how long or intense it is. You’ll also have enough recuperative power to sustain you from workout to workout, without any compromise of energy or immune function.4.

Take AntioxidantsAntioxidants are nutrients found in foods and supplements that protect the body from the onslaught of dis-ease-causing free radicals. Free radical damage has been implicated in diseas-es such as cancer and heart disease . Fortunately, free radicals aren’t al-lowed to do their bad deeds without being policed. They’re appre-hended by the antioxidant nutrients, which include vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene, and certain minerals and en-zymes . These nutrients simply donate an electron to a free radical but without changing into a radical itself. This ac-tion “neutralizes,” or stops the dangerous multiplication of still more free radicals. Supplementing with antioxidant nutrients has been found in research to help protect the body against age-related diseases. You get vitamins A and E by eating a diet rich in vegetables and whole grains. Vitamin A, in particular, is found in yellow and orange foods, such as yams - a bodybuild-ing staple. Nutritionists feel that our diets don’t supply all the vitamin E needed for good health. Thus, supplementation of Parrillo Natural E™ is recommended .

By following the Parrillo Nutrition Pro-gram™ and supplementing with the Parrillo Essential Vitamin Formula™ and the Par-rillo Mineral-Electrolyte Formula™ you supply your body with the antioxidant vita-mins and minerals it needs for good health. 5. Try arginineArginine is considered a non-essential ami-no acid, meaning the body can synthesize it from proteins and other nutrients. Despite the fact that arginine is labeled non-essen-tial, it has a number of important functions in the body, including the fortification of the immune system. In studies with ani-mals and humans, arginine has been found to improve wound healing and bolster immune responses, plus reduce the inci-dence of infection following surgery. (6,7) Arginine has other duties, as well. It is re-quired to manufacture creatine, an impor-tant chemical in the muscles that provides the energy for contractions.

In addition, Arginine apparently helps prevent the body from breaking down protein in muscles and organs to repair itself when injured. Meat, poultry, and fish are good sources of arginine, as are numerous supplements, including our Enhanced GH Formula™ and our Ultimate Amino Formula™. 6. Get in the zinc syncZinc has far-reaching roles in the body. For example, it helps absorb vitamins; break down carbohydrates; and regulate the growth and development of repro-ductive organs. Zinc is also an impor-tant immune-boosting mineral, involved in making superoxide dismutase (SOD), an antioxidant enzyme that inactivates certain free radicals. Zinc, however, can be depleted by prolonged, high-intensity exercise if you’re poorly nourished. Be-cause zinc is required for the activity of several enzymes involved in energy me-tabolism, reductions in zinc concentrations in muscle may lead to muscle fatigue.(8)

The best sources of zinc are lean pro-teins, whole grains, and mineral supple-ments. Zinc is one of the minerals found in our Mineral-Electrolyte Formula™ . 7. Manage athletic stressHard-training bodybuilders and athletes can succumb to the immune-weakening effects of stress just like anyone else. Here are some ways to prevent this (9): • Vary your training routine to avoid monotony . • Space your comp- etitions appropriately so as to not place undue burden on your recovery and im-mune responses . • Practice stress reduction strategies such as relaxation if you’re contin-ually stressed out over competition. • Get adequate rest and recovery. • Reduce environmental stress by limiting the time you train in heat, cold, humidity, or polluted air . • Practice good hygiene to limit the transmission of contagious illnesses. • Get regular medical check-ups if you have recurrent infections.

References

1. Nieman, D.C. 1997. Ex-ercise immunology: practical ap-plications. International Journal of Sports Medicine 18: S91-S100.

2. Venkatraman, J.T., et al. 2000. Dietary fats and immune sta-tus in athletes: clinical implica-tions . Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 32: S389-S395.

3. Nieman, D.C. 1999. Nutrition, exercise, and immune system function. Clinics in Sports Medicine 18: 537-548 .

4 . Bounous, G ., et al . Whey proteins in cancer preven-tion . Cancer Letter 57: 91-94 .

5. MacKinnon, L.T. 2000. Spe-cial feature for the Olympics: effects of exercise on the immune system: overtraining effects on immunity and performance in athletes. Immunol-ogy and Cell Biology 78: 502-509 .

6. Barbul, A., et al. 1990. Ar-ginine enhances wound healing and lymphocyte immune responses in humans . Surgery 108: 331-336 .

7. Evoy, D. 1998. Im-munonutrition: the role of ar-ginine. Nutrition 14: 611-617.

8. Cordova, A. 1995. Behav-iour of zinc in physical exercise: a special references to immunity and fatigue. Neuroscience and Biobe-havorial Reviews 19: 439-445.

9 . Gleeson, M . 2000 . The scien-tific basis of practical strategies to main-tain the immunocompetence in elite athletes. Exercise Immunology Review 6: 75-101 .

Bulletin #139 – Recovery Nutrition

No “get up and go” in the gym? Pla-teaued muscular development? Frequent colds and infections? If so, you could be suffering from poor recovery. “Recov-ery” is the process of regeneration that takes place after you exercise. It involves replenishing glycogen stores, repairing muscle, restoring energy-produc-ing compounds in cells, and build-ing up your antioxidant reserves, as well as fluid and electrolytes. To boost your recovery, follow these steps:Refuel with good carbs (starchy carbs, fibrous carbs, or a supplement such as Parrillo ProCarb™, as recommended on the Parrillo Nutrition Program™). Of all the nutrients necessary for op-timal recovery, dietary carbohydrate takes precedence for two reasons. First, carbohydrate restocks your body with muscle and liver glycogen, which can be depleted during exercise. Replen-ishing these stores allows you to train harder on successive workouts for greater gains.

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Carbohydrate also trig-gers the release of the hormone insulin, which promotes muscle growth as well. Time your carbs. Your muscles are most receptive to producing new glycogen within the first few hours after your workout. That’s when blood flow to the muscles is much greater, which in-creases glucose transport to the muscle cells. They are also more sensitive to the effects of insulin during this time, promoting glycogen synthesis. (1)Consume protein with your carbs. Vari-ous research studies have proved that a carbohydrate/protein supplement trig-gers the greatest elevations in insulin and growth-hormone levels in exer-cising study subjects. Clearly, protein works hand in hand with post-exercise carbs to create a hormonal environment that promotes the greatest increase in muscle growth. Parrillo 50/50™ is a great way to get this benefit. (2) Supplement with BCAAs. These nu-trients help to optimize muscle re-pair in the wake of exercise. Take a BCAA capsule that supplies approxi-mately 4 gm of leucine daily, as does Parrillo Muscle Amino Formula™.

In order to move into your muscles, BCAAs need insulin, which is trig-gered by the digestion of carbohy-drates. Therefore, take your BCAAs with meals or with a carbohydrate/protein supplement after training. (3) Supplement with antioxidants. A sig-nificant amount of research has found that antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E and the mineral selenium, can shore up your body’s defenses. Most studies have demonstrated a protec-tive effect with a daily intake of 400 IUs of vitamin E, 200 to 1,000 mg of vitamin C and approximately 150 mcg of selenium. Taking Parrillo Es-sential Vitamin Formula™ can help you get the antioxidants you need. (4) Exercising diligently is essential. Fol-low these guidelines, and you’ll keep poor recovery from interfering with your progress .

References

1. Ivy JL “Glycogen resynthesis af-ter exercise: Effect of carbohy-drate intake” International Jour-nal of Sports Medicine (1998) 19: S142-S145 .

2. Burke LM “Nutrition for post-ex-ercise recovery” Australian Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (1997) 1: 3-10 .

3. Mero A “Leucine supplementation and intensive training” Sports Medicine (1999) 27: 347-358. 4. Ji LL “Exercise, oxidative stress and antioxidants” The American Journal of Sports Medicine (1996) 24: S20-S24.

Bulletin #138 – Creatine for Maximum Results

If you are interested in maximizing mus-cle size, creatine helps in two ways. A more long-term effect is that creatine supplementation allows you to lift more weight for more reps, so you get more muscle fiber hypertrophy. A more imme-diate effect is that as muscle cells take up creatine, it takes water along with it. So it makes the muscle fibers swell, getting bigger and harder. After a month of cre-atine supplementation, you might ingest only 250 grams of creatine, but gain six to fourteen pounds of muscle mass. That weight is mostly water, being drawn in-side muscles cells by the extra creatine. It’s kind of like having a constant pump. Your body makes some creatine naturally. Your kidneys make about one gram per day . Creatine is also contained in meat, and the average diet of meat eaters supplies about another gram per day. So, without creatine supplementation, you get about two grams per day, unless you’re a vegetarian, in which case you get about one gram per day .

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Creatine supplementa-tion allows you to propel this to a much higher level. This increases the amount of creatine inside muscle cells, making them bigger and harder and stronger. The way to use creatine is to start with a loading phase, which usually is 20 grams a day for five to seven days. To do this, take five grams (one teaspoon) four times a day, for five to seven days. This is followed by the maintenance phase, which is five to ten grams a day. After only one month, you will see a noticeable increase in size and strength. I feel that Parrillo Creatine Monohydrate™ is the highest purity creatine supple-ment available. And a word of caution: don’t be fooled into buying creatine phos-phate supplements.

It sounds like a good idea, until you realize creatine phosphate is not absorbed from the intestine. You need to use creatine monohydrate, which is absorbed from the intestines. Once transported inside muscle cells, it is con-verted into creatine phosphate. Also beware of liquid creatine supplements, as creatine will break down after a few weeks of being dissolved in water. To boost your gains through the roof, there’s an excellent supplement to use in combination with creatine: 50-50 Plus™. 50-50 Plus™ is a drink mix made from about 50% protein and 50% carbohydrate. The protein portion is very much like Parrillo Hi-Protein Powder™, and the carbohydrate part is derived from Pro-Carb™. Studies have shown that a combination of protein and carbohy-drate like this works better at promoting muscular growth than either one alone. Combining creatine with 50-50 Plus™ is, quite frankly, the most potent nutri-tional supplement available for support-ing muscle growth.

The amino acid pro-file of the protein is ideal for supporting muscular growth, and the carbohydrate replenishes glycogen, further enhancing energy levels and strength. The best time to use this combination is after training. At that time your muscles are depleted and are begging for nutrients. The pro-tein acts to repair muscle damage from training as well as to supply the building blocks to generate new muscle tissue. The carbohydrate replenishes glycogen, as well as increasing uptake of the amino acids and creatine by muscle cells. If you’re on a budget and want to keep things simple, try 50-50 Plus™ along with creatine. After just one month, used in combination with proper diet, you will see and feel a difference.

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