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Creatine Monohydrate

Muscles fibers shorten or contract as a result of a nerve impulse. They use an energy molecule called ATP to drive that contraction. When the ATP runs out, the muscle contraction stops. In order to keep going, more ATP needs to be produced.

Creatine is an organic compound naturally found in the muscle cell. One of creatine’s roles is to donate a phosphorous molecule to ADP and convert it into ATP. Creatine supplementation increases the quantity of creatine in the muscle and increases ATP availability. This can then be used for repeated bouts of high-intensity physical activity, and increasing the time to exhaustion.^(1,2)

Creatine increases aerobic exercise endurance (running, cycling, rowing) as measured by lactate threshold and ventilatory threshold. It also increases the amount of glycogen available in the muscle. Glycogen is the sugar molecule that is used to store energy.^(3,4,5,6)

Thus, creatine supplementation significantly increases physical performance by providing improved energy within the muscle and greater endurance.

Beta-Alanine

High intensity exercise burns the energy sources the muscles need to fire and produces waste products, or what scientists call metabolites, that decrease the effectiveness of the muscle. This produces muscle fatigue.

One of the metabolites, the hydrogen ion (H+) increases the acidity in the muscle. The amino acid carnosine is used by the muscle to buffer this acidity, and thus improve muscle firing. Carnosine is formed from beta-alanine and L-histidine. Numerous studies have shown that beta-alanine supplementation, improves the buffering capacity in the muscle.⁽⁷⁾

As such, beta-alanine improves muscle endurance and exercise capacity. Performance is improved with multiple bouts of short intense exercise as well as bouts lasting greater than 60 seconds. It improves the anaerobic threshold and time to exhaustion. Beta-alanine has also been shown to increase physical performance in intense exercise lasting greater than 240 seconds.^(8,9,10)

Phosphatidic Acid

Intense, long duration aerobic exercise, and shorter bout, anaerobic exercise, puts significant stress on the body. As a result, hormones are released, cellular signaling is altered, and the brain, nerves and muscles respond to the demands. If the athletic stress is intense enough, adaptations occur throughout the body to make it more powerful and efficient.

Cells respond to intense athletic stress by regulating the biophysical properties of their membranes by the coordinated synthesis of different lipids.⁽¹¹⁾ Lipids are vital components to the cells structure. A critical group of lipids called phospholipids act as important cellular messengers that affect the brain, nerves and muscles. In intense exercise, phospholipids have been shown to improve endurance, decrease fatigue, and lower lactic acid concentration.⁽¹²⁾

Phosphatidic acid is an important messenger lipid that affects cellular growth and muscle metabolism. Phosphatidic acid supplementation increases mTOR, the essential protein necessary for muscle adaptations to exercise.^(13,14) As such, phosphatidic acid can improve exercise performance.⁽¹⁵⁾

HICA

Intense exercise will cause muscle to breakdown. Scientists call this EIMD or Exercise Induced Muscle Damage. EIMD will lead to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), muscle fatigue and central nervous system fatigue. In order to perform and train on consecutive days or perform at your optimum during each athletic session, you want to minimize your muscle breakdown and lessen your DOMS.

Your body uses the amino acid Leucine to fuel, repair, and adapt to intense exercise. One of the metabolites of Leucine in the muscle is called HICA and it limits the amount of breakdown that occurs in the muscle. HICA is produced naturally in very small amounts.

When HICA is supplemented it has been shown to be a potent anti-catabolic substance. This means it prevents the breakdown of muscle. The less the muscle breaks down, the more net muscle you retain. In fact, in soccer players performing preseason multiple training sessions where players typically lose lean body mass, players taking HICA were shown to gain lean muscle and lose body fat.⁽¹⁶⁾

This anti-catabolic effect of HICA mean less DOMS, maintained muscle, and improved recovery and adaptations.⁽¹⁶⁾

HMB

HMB is naturally produced in the body as a metabolite of the amino acid leucine. Leucine is used by the muscles and HMB aids in the repair and growth of the muscle. HMB supplementation has been shown to minimize muscle fiber breakdown in the muscle and promote muscle strength and growth.^(17,18)

In sports that cause significant wear and tear on the athlete such as football, rugby, soccer, judo, waterpolo and rowing, HMB improves performance, endurance and recovery. High intensity training periods, high density competitions and long events have create a catabolic environment that affects recovery. HMB minimizes this state and studies show that this directly correlates with improved performance.^(19,20)

HMB is also shown to have positive effects from a health standpoint in benefiting the cardiovascular system and lipids.⁽²¹⁾