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Research Update: Can Strength Training Help You Live Longer?
When we think of the habits that contribute to a long and healthy life, what do we think of? Avoiding recreational drugs, alcohol and smoking, of course. Also consuming a varied and well-balanced diet. And finally? Staying active.Staying active calls to mind a wide range of lifestyle choices -- everything from just getting off the couch and going for a walk to engaging in a regular regimen of aerobic exercise. We are not the only people who make this common-sense connection. Scientists do it too.That's why there is considerable scientific evidence that points to a connection between higher levels of aerobic exercise, overall wellness and greater longevity. The studies carried out by researchers tend to enlist exactly who you would expect as test subjects -- endurance athletes, runners, bicyclists, swimmers, etc. A somewhat recent meta-analysis of life expectancy studies published in the Journal of Aging Research (1 Reimers, et al) rounded up all the usual subjects. Studies summarized in the extensive review of existing literature found that long distance runners and cross-country skiers might expect +5.7 years of longevity, elite cyclists a rather impressive +8 years. You get the idea.But what about those people who engage in regular strength training? Those men and women who hit the gym two or more times a week and do battle against the iron in order to build muscle? How do they fare in the increased life expectancy sweepstakes?Here the evidence is not nearly as extensive, and there's a good reason for that. While people middle-aged or older are willing to get out and walk or even run or swim, strength training just isn't as common a pastime among this cohort. Indeed, random sampling by the CDC suggests that more than 40% of older Americans get some kind of aerobic exercise on a regular basis, while 10% or less report participating in any kind of strength training at all. So the data is lacking.Two recent scientific studies, both published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine this year, are intended to close that research gap, and they have generated some pretty compelling results.Combining Cardio Exercise AND Strength Training Supports Increased LongevityA study published last month (Aug 2022) in the British Journal of Sports Medicine utilized National Health Interview Survey data (1997–2014) and the National Death Index through 2015 to produce a cohort of 416,420 US adults indexed for self-reported moderate aerobic physical activity (MPA), vigorous aerobic physical activity (VPA) and muscle strengthening exercise MSE, collated with mortality risk. After adjusting for mitigating factors such as age, gender and chronic conditions, the researchers found that people who engaged in one hour of aerobic activity per week had a 15 percent lower mortality risk. Mortality risk was 27 percent lower for those who did three hours a week. These findings were consistent with those in numerous other studies linking aerobic exercise with reduced risk of mortality. (Note, too, the relatively short durations of weekly exercise and the benefits accrued from them!)Because the study sample size was so large, however, the researchers were able to investigate further. Twenty-four percent of the study cohort reported engaging in regular strength training (the MSE group). Of those who took part in one to two strength-training sessions per week, risk of mortality was reduced a full 40% compared to those who didn’t exercise at all. (Again, just one or two strength-training sessions a week!) Better Health Outcomes Linked to Strength TrainingEarlier in the year (Feb 2022) another paper published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine also shed light on the wellness benefits of resistance training. In this study, a systemic review and meta-analysis of 16 clinical studies investigating the links between strength training and mortality, researchers found that engaging in muscle-strengthening activities resulted in a 10% to 20% drop in the risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease and cancer.The authors went on to state, "Our findings showed that the maximum risk reduction for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease and total cancer was obtained at approximately 30–60 min/week of muscle-strengthening activities ... Given this result, the current recommendation of at least 2 days/week could be reasonable." They went on to caution that "Given that the available data are limited, further studies -- such as studies focusing on a more diverse population -- are needed to increase the certainty of the evidence." Get Stronger, Live LongerThe wellness benefits of lifting weights have always been obvious to those who take their training seriously, even if the hard scientific data has been a little tardy in arriving. Resistance training, especially as we grow older, makes functional strength possible. Functional strength manifests itself in countless ways as we proceed through our day -- getting up out of a beach chair, carrying groceries in from the car, gardening, house-cleaning, socializing, merely climbing a flight of stairs. Functional strength is the key to remaining optimally active, vital and independent.Now we are coming to realize that strength training may positively effect our overall health in the most basic of ways -- it may be linked to a reduced risk of disease and early mortality. Much more research needs to be done, of course, but the preliminary message is clear: Lift More, Live Better. Scientific References1 C. D. Reimers, G. Knapp, and A. K. Reimers. Does Physical Activity Increase Life Expectancy? A Review of the Literature. J Aging Res. 2012; 2012: 243958. 2 Coleman CJ, McDonough DJ, Pope ZC, et al. Dose–response association of aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity with mortality: a national cohort study of 416,420 US adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 11 August 2022. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2022-105519 3 Momma H, Kawakami R, Honda T, et al. Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. British Journal of Sports Medicine, June 16, 2022; 56:755-763.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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Research Update -- Researchers Identify Creatine as Key to Many Aspects of Health and Wellness
Here at ProSource, we often make the point that creatine monohydrate is one of the most investigated and researched compounds in sports nutrition history. Every day, all around the world, studies are ongoing regarding creatine's efficacy in supporting not just muscle volumization and growth in response to resistance training, but also with regard to numerous other physiological processes. Indeed, so much investigation is underway at any given time that the sheer scope of it all is hard to imagine.In recent months, however, the picture of creatine monohydrate as a versatile wonder nutrient for health and overall well-being has gotten much clearer. It turns out that creatine, long a staple in the daily regimens of well-trained athletes seeking greater strength and enhanced performance, has a whole lot more to offer.A Definitive and Comprehensive Systemic Review Casts Creatine in a New LightIn a tremendous feat of research and scholarship, two esteemed academics in the sports nutrition field have compiled a systemic review of 1,322 published, peer-reviewed clinical studies that highlight the many benefits of creatine monohydrate supplementation. The review was authored by Prof. Richard Kreider of Texas A&M University and Prof. Jeffrey Stout of the University of Central Florida, published in the journal Nutrients, and presented at The International Conference on Creatine in Health and Disease in March of 2022. It collates an enormous amount of science documenting the role creatine plays in promoting general health and well-being at any age, preventing loss of muscle mass in old age, improving cognitive function, facilitating glucose management, protecting the heart, supporting anti-inflammatory effects, strengthening the immune system, and promoting mental as well as reproductive and skin health [1 Kreider and Stout].As the authors of the review point out, creatine's potential for supporting and enhancing such a broad spectrum of effects shouldn't be surprising, because creatine doesn't simply regulate the energy balance in muscle cells, it does so in all the body's cells. "Creatine plays a critical role in cellular metabolism, particularly during metabolically stressed states, and limitations in the ability to transport and/or store creatine can impair metabolism," the authors state. "Moreover, increasing availability of creatine in tissue may enhance cellular metabolism and thereby lessen the severity of injury and/or disease conditions, particularly when oxygen availability is compromised."This of course is in addition to creatine's primary benefit for athletes -- increasing anaerobic energy capacity and decreasing protein breakdown, thereby leading to increased muscle mass and physical performance. The widening scope of creatine's potential health benefits opens a vista of therapeutic uses for creatine which researchers are just beginning to fully explore. Many people, particularly athletes already delighted with creatine's physique and performance enhancing power, believed that creatine's story had already been told. The truth is, the story is just beginning to unfold. Creatine Monohydrate Inventory Tightens Up WorldwideNot surprisingly, given the multiplication of creatine's potential health and wellness benefits, supplies of this essential nutrient have become tougher to come by. This scarcity has only been compounded by production and merchandizing supply chain breakdowns across the world. Athletes everywhere have grown increasingly frustrated by this new scarcity and by the startling prices increases that have resulted.Even here at ProSource, which introduced the world's first reasonably priced, superior-quality creatine in the 1990s and has remained the industry leader in this category ever since, access to creatine supply has grown difficult. Indeed, after years of offering the highest-quality Creapure® Creatine Monohydrate at prices that were literally half of our competitors, we briefly ran out of ProSource Creatine stock for the first time ever.Fortunately, being a pioneer and industry leader in creatine retailing has its advantages. ProSource has been able to maintain its vital supply lines with AlzChem Germany, makers of Creapure®, the ultimate premium brand of creatine worldwide, while our competitors remain cut off. Some of those competitors will remain out of stock for the foreseeable future, while others will attempt to market vastly inferior, impurity-laden, virtually useless Chinese creatine at inflated super-premium prices.In stark contrast to these disreputable retailers, we now have 100% Creapure® Creatine Monohydrate bearing the ProSource brand available for purchase once again. And fitness-conscious people delighted at ProSource Creatine Monohydrate's reappearance will notice another thing as well. Its price is still well below what competitors were charging for creatine monohydrate even before the recent supply shortage.At ProSource, our commitment to the research, manufacture and retailing of the world's best and most fairly priced sports nutrition supplements is rivaled only by our desire to see our customers achieve their physique and performance goals. Making the world's finest Creapure® creatine monohydrate available to our loyal customers during these difficult times is just another example of that commitment.Scientific Reference1 Richard B. Kreider and Jeffery R. Stout. Creatine in Health and Disease. Nutrients. 2021 Feb; 13(2): 447. Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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8 Golden Rules for Eating to Gain Muscle Mass
In the world of weight training, probably the most humbling piece of workout equipment you’ll ever face is the tape measure.Months go by, you’re hitting the iron like an animal — four, five days a week — pushing yourself to your limits. Your work output is increasing, you're doing your splits correctly, you’re adding plates to the bar, your intensity is on point. And then comes that day when you pull out the tape measure, extend it, and wrap it around your bicep.You’ve gained 3/8ths of an inch.It’s enough to send you right back to the couch and the TV and a life of laziness.Gaining significant muscle mass is the hardest transformational goal to achieve, much harder than simply losing weight or even increasing fitness. There’s a reason for this. Your body naturally resists muscle gains. It does so because muscle is metabolically expensive to maintain. It requires constant upkeep, whereas fat is easy to maintain. It just sits there, waiting for famine to strike. Of course your body will — reluctantly — add muscle if it absolutely has to, like if your body is constantly encountering intervals of huge physical stress and resistance. That’s called training.But even then, your body will only add muscle under the most advantageous nutritional conditions. And that’s where most people get muscle mass increase wrong. Many people simply aren’t eating as much as they think they’re eating. And some people are just eating wrong. Either way, your muscle gain plans will go awry.So, what are the rules of eating right to gain enough muscle to move that tape measure in a positive direction? Let's take a look.1 Maintain a Caloric Surplus at All TimesThis is not as easy as it might seem. And it's vitally important. Your body requires a constant stream of nutritional factors to continue to repair and build new muscle tissue and to fuel the multitude of physiological cellular reactions that make mass increase possible. When that stream is interrupted, your body slips into a catabolic state and starts tearing down muscle tissue for fuel.This means that three meals, even big meals, per day aren't going to cut it. There's no way you can ingest enough calories in three sittings to drive muscle growth. We'll get into some specifics regarding protein, fats, and carbs in a bit, but just in terms of sheer caloric intake, you should be eating six or seven meals a day, or about once every 2.5 hours. That can be challenging, but we'll also discuss strategies that will make it easier.In the meantime, if you're training hard and eating clean, the scale will tell you if you're eating enough. If you're just getting started, the needle or digits may not move in a favorable direction because you're losing fat. After that though, if you're not making progress, that's a sign that you need to eat more. You can increase your caloric intake gradually by simply adding a mini-meal to your day and see what happens. Keeping a meal log -- literally writing down everything you eat -- will help make sure that you're being consistent in your eating habits. 2 Protein, Protein, and More ProteinThe RDA for protein intake is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass each day, but that's for your typical modestly active adult. Your physique goals are a little loftier, so you should be shooting for 1.5 grams to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass per day. (For a 200-lb male, that's 135 to 180 grams of protein per day.) That's a lot of protein, and much of it will come from whole food sources like beef, chicken, fish and eggs. To attain these protein intake goals, you're going to want to buy in bulk and cook and store food in sizable batches. For flavor, prioritize spices over sugary coatings or glazes, and of course batter-dipped anything is out.This brings us back to the topic of mini-meals. Believe it or not, there's only so much steak and fish, so many hard-boiled eggs, you can possibly eat in a day. So adding yet another chicken breast as a mini-meal probably isn't going to be feasible. This is where a high-quality whey protein isolate or advanced whey blend can work wonders. Whey protein actually has a higher protein biological value (BV) than beef, chicken or fish and it has the added benefit of being portable and convenient. One scoop of protein typically provides 20 to 25 grams of protein and functions as an ideal added mini-meal that won't fill you up too much when you're on the go between meals.Just make sure it's a high-quality protein like ProSource's own NytroWhey Ultra Elite. NytroWhey Ultra Elite contains the highest-potency whey isolate formulated via an advanced Cross-Flow Microfiltration (CFM) process that yields a product with greater overall protein content, plus higher amounts of essential amino acids like leucine, and does not damage any of the natural biological fractions found within whey protein. NytroWhey Ultra Elite also contains a cutting-edge whey hydrolysate that is micro-processed to yield extremely low-molecular-weight di- and tri-peptides for immediate amino absorption and assimilation by the body, plus a state-of-the-art leucine peptide technology designed to maximize protein synthesis in the muscle cell. Together these three protein sources, all proudly manufactured in the USA, combine in a state-of-the-art protein blend justifiably celebrated for its light, clean taste and smooth, luscious texture.3 Avoid Empty CaloriesIt's hard enough to consume all of the daily calories you need to drive significant muscle growth without cluttering up your diet with useless calories. Every empty calorie you eat -- every potato chip, every cookie, every sugary soda -- takes the place of a restorative, nutrition-packed calorie that could be supporting your muscle gain efforts. In short, it's a wasted opportunity to grow.The easiest way to avoid the temptation to binge on junk is to always have healthy food choices on hand. At home, you should have meals prepared and waiting for you in your fridge, not to mention plenty of fruits and vegetables on your kitchen counter or in your pantry. Get used to bringing prepared meals with you to work so you don't end up participating in the office-wide lunch time fast food order. Keep a few protein bars or a shaker cup with two scoops of protein powder in your car for when you're on the go. Always be prepared to meet fast-food or junk food cravings head on and defeat them.4 Be Smart About CarbsTo gain mass, you need plenty of carbs. Carbs are your primary source of calories required for growth and they'll restore depleted glycogen levels in muscle tissue to ensure you have the energy you need for intense weight training. Fifty percent of your diet should be made up of carbs, but not just any carbs.Your body loves high-glycemic carbs. Potatoes, white rice, processed foods with added sugar. Specifically, it loves to store them directly as body fat. These are the carbs of energy spikes and crashes, not the carbs that should be forming the foundation of your dietary regimen. Rather, you should emphasize low-glycemic carbs: oatmeal at breakfast, leafy green vegetables with lunch and dinner, brown rice, quinoa, whole-grain breads, sweet potatoes, good fibrous vegetables like broccoli and carrots. Just like protein, you should have at least one serving of low-glycemic carbs at every meal. 5 Precision Target High Glycemic Carbs Directly After Your WorkoutNow that we've expressed the importance of sticking to slow-digesting, low-glycemic carbs, we're going to break that rule in one specific instance. Immediately after your workout, your muscle fibers are ravaged, your glycogen levels are on E, and your body is screaming for fuel to begin muscle repair and trigger the growth that will help your muscles survive the next physical onslaught. You have a remarkably short period of time to shuttle vital nutrients to muscle tissue and begin this process.This is where high-glycemic carbs suddenly become your friend. They will help spike insulin levels, which drive the carbs into muscle cells, restoring glycogen levels for your next workout. Insulin also helps shuttle amino acids into muscle cells to build new muscle proteins. This process in the foundation for growth.Now, do we suggest that you gulp down a couple of spoonfuls of table sugar after your workout? Absolutely not. Instead, here again is a time of day when a super-premium supplement can be of great help. The best post-workout mass builders are designed to provide your body with the precise nutrients your muscles need to survive and thrive in the immediate growth window that exists after a high-intensity workout.One such mass builder, MyoZene from BioQuest, represents the state of the-art science in this category. MyoZene's protein component is comprised of a blend of highly specialized hydrolyzed whey rich in essential di- and tri-peptides for ultra-rapid absorption into the muscle. It is also fortified with an advanced leucine peptide technology to enhance muscle protein synthesis.Just as importantly for our purposes here, MyoZene contains an advanced carbohydrate matrix designed to raise blood glucose levels, potentiating insulin release, which in turn plays a key role in skeletal muscle protein synthesis by activating ribosomal activity and growth initiation factors within skeletal muscle. Finally, to ensure that MyoZene is your one-stop shop for post-workout muscle growth, MyoZene contains creatine monohydrate for cell volumization and strength support, taurine and glutamine for recovery support, and L-carnitine L-tartrate for additional hormonal support. If your not taking a high-quality mass builder of some sort, you're undermining your growth potential.6 Eat Before Bedtime and As Soon As You WakeBelieve it or not, there are bodybuilders who set their alarms for 3am so they can get up and eat a meal and thus break up the fasting interval we call sleep. We don't suggest you do this, for reasons we'll get to soon. We also don't suggest that you tuck into a turkey dinner with all the trimmings at 11pm. But there are ways to shorten the longest famine of your day -- the eight hours you spend asleep.Before you go to bed, mix and drink a shake composed of slow-absorbing proteins. Casein in particular is ideal for this. Casein sits in your stomach and dissolves very slowly, providing a slim and continuous stream of aminos necessary to keep your muscles in a growth environment. Night-time is also an excellent time to ramp up your intake of healthy fats. Add some flaxseed oil to your shake or eat a handful of walnuts or cashews, or just take a couple of high-quality Omega-3 gels.When you wake up, it is critical that you eat right away. And not a breakfast bar on your way out the door either. Make and eat a real breakfast with portions of protein -- eggs, bacon, ham -- and low-glycemic carbs like oatmeal made from steel-cut oats. Never, ever skip breakfast.7 Drink Plenty of WaterOur species may be far removed from its seaborne origins, but we still carry the sea inside us wherever we go. Water is essential to every physiological reaction in our bodies, and just a 2% reduction in bodily hydration will negatively impact every aspect of performance and recovery including endurance, strength, and muscular response.And yet many of us walk around dehydrated all the time. We don't drink enough water while we lose moisture to sweat and diuretic substances like caffeine and diet soda. When you go out onto the gym floor, make sure you bring some water with you. Drink water before, during, and after your workout. In general, try to drink the equivalent of 3.5 liters of water a day.8 Get Sufficient Restful SleepNo, this isn't dietary advice. But no article on jump-starting muscular growth would be complete without mentioning the third leg in the three-legged stool of mass gain success. The first leg is training, the second is diet, and the third is rest.Without proper rest, all the eating and training in the world isn't going to help you achieve anything. Your body executes most of its repair and growth while you sleep. Establish a firm sleep schedule with a consistent bedtime. Draw the blinds and keep the room comfortably cool. Clear your room of electronics (yes, that means your TV) and put your phone out of reach. Consider supplementing with a sleep support compound like ZMA or melatonin. Your body -- and your muscles -- will thank you.Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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Inflation, Protein Prices and Protein Values
This will come as a surprise to precisely no one, but inflation has been heating up to levels not seen in this country in forty years, and consumers are feeling the pain in their wallets. This is true whether you’re buying gas or bread or just paying the rent. It’s also true if you’re serious about your fitness and nutrition, and you regularly purchase protein supplements.Many of the reasons for the sharp increase in protein-related costs are common to the general economy. Supply chain issues continue to frustrate manufacturers in all industries. In the protein trade, it’s more expensive to feed dairy cows, harder to find the workers who will process whey protein and transport it to market, and even getting tubs and lids and other packaging materials is becoming more difficult. At the same time, for some manufacturers, borrowing is more expensive, which makes expanding operations to meet demand more difficult.Compounding the problem in the protein category is the fact that demand for whey protein powder is growing by leaps and bounds across the world as new economies emerge in China and India and Africa, giving rise to new legions of consumers looking to eat better and live healthier. Market experts predict that whey prices will persist at historically high levels until new cheese and whey processing capacity comes online over the next five years.So. There’s the bad news. Times are hard. But when it comes to protein retailing, times are harder for some than others. Why? Because the vast majority of protein manufacturers / retailers have a long list of expenses, of which actual product manufacture is just one item. Big in-house marketing departments, superstar brand endorsers, point-of-purchase sales materials, and social media influencers cost money too. ProSource's competitors live in a world where prices are increasing from supplier to brand, then from brand to retail store, and finally from the store to the consumer.And believe us, it shows. When we visit our local chain-store supplement retailer to see how our competitors are faring, we are just dumbfounded by the retail prices we are seeing. Two-pound tubs of the most generic whey protein concentrate and isolate blends are edging past $40. Five pound tubs? $80 and more! Imagine if these tubs contained actual superior-quality 100% whey isolate or the most advanced forms of hydrolyzed whey. Faced with rising costs and raw materials shortages, many manufacturers face the risk of pricing themselves out of existence and forcing customers to seek alternative protein sources. Other less scrupulous manufacturers will soon be up to their old tricks again, such as protein spiking. This deceitful practice -- which entails measuring the nitrogen content of lesser ingredients like glycine, taurine or even maltodextrin and using that deceptive figure to stand in for whey protein content -- was a problem even during more prosperous times. Expect it to rebound with a vengeance in the coming months. Is the forecast all doom and gloom? No, because there’s a better way.The ProSource Brand: A Lean, Direct Manufacturing and Retailing Model Perfect for Hard TimesAt ProSource, we'd like to say we saw all this coming and decided to streamline our costs accordingly well in advance. But the truth is, we never had any desire to compete with the oversized category giants who, themselves, mostly got bought up years ago by many-times-larger corporate conglomerates anyway.Our first priority was -- and will always be -- you the individual consumer. That's why we rooted out every production and marketing cost that wasn't directly targeted at supplement research, advanced manufacturing protocols, and ingredient purity and potency. That's why we warehouse our products in our own climate-controlled facility and ship our products directly to you. All the savings gained by these operating efficiencies are passed on to you in the form of lower prices on higher-quality products. Which means we're better placed than any of our competitors to navigate the coming economic storm and continue to be your trusted supplier of the world's best proteins. Original NytroWhey -- The 100% Whey Isolate That Started It AllWatching whey protein prices streak upward, it's amazing to consider that a few decades ago whey was considered a valueless by-product of cheesemaking. Manufacturers literally discarded it. It took modern research to identify whey as a food product possessed of a protein biological value superior to that of fish, beef or chicken. And then many more years to discover and refine processing methods that would render whey protein palatable and pleasing in texture.Then Original NytroWhey ushered in the modern era of whey isolate formulas by making superior whey protein absolutely delicious. The whey isolate in Original NytroWhey is precision-manufactured using high-performance, ultra micro-filtration processing, a precise and complex synthesis that involves ceramic cold filtering that delivers the purest, most bioavailable protein available, preserving the alphalactalbumin, lactoferrin, and glycomacropeptides that are essential catalysts for enhancing bioavailability, and boosting growth and recovery. NytroWhey's 100% whey isolate content was far superior in muscle-building power and its gourmet-quality flavor made it an instant sensation.And that remains true today, as vast numbers of nutrition- and fitness-conscious consumers purchase Original NytroWhey in convenient 4-lb tubs that are arguably the single greatest value for your dollar in the protein category. NytroWhey Ultra Elite -- Unprecedented Muscle-Building Power and ValueWhen seeking maximum protein value for every dollar you spend, the price tag isn't the only label you should be reading. The nutrition facts panel is where you need to look to find REAL protein value, both per serving and per dollar.NytroWhey Ultra Elite has long been the world's foremost premium whey protein for serious fitness enthusiasts and athletes. It attained this status by virtue of an advanced whey isolate blend consisting of three state-of-the-art protein technologies: A superior-quality crossflow-microfiltration whey protein isolate loaded with critical growth catalysts primed for muscle support. A cutting-edge hydrolyzed whey protein rich in the low-molecular-weight di- and tripeptides that drive elevated levels of growth. And finally, a leucine peptide technology that is a precision-targeted driver of instant protein synthesis, putting your muscles on the road to recovery and growth after an intense workout.The combination of these three proteins places NytroWhey Ultra Elite far above every other protein designed for muscle mass maintenance and growth. Their purity and potency -- completely free of fillers, impurities and spiking agents so common in other commercially available brands -- also ensures that NytroWhey Ultra Elite mixes better and tastes better than all of its competitors. At a price comparable to the simple whey isolate/concentrate offerings of our competitors, NytroWhey Ultra Elite is a protein value of a different kind -- a super-premium muscle fuel that provides maximum growth and transformative power per dollar spent. That value is a direct result of the ProSource consumer-focused merchandising model.A Guarantee of Sports Nutrition Value During Tough Inflationary TimesWhen prices rise and budgets get tight, as they are today, it's tempting to cut back on quality and assume you'll get by somehow. But this is a false assumption, as fewer dollars spent on nutrition of little or no real value is no savings at all.Fortunately, there is another choice, and that is to go with a long-established brand and a company whose commitment to excellence and value you can trust. Whether you're a long-time loyal ProSource customer or just discovering us today, know that we're earning our reputation every day as the serious athlete's #1 sports nutrition source by providing you the ultimate combination of quality and value. Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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Heart Healthy Habits -- Get Active and Stay Active Into Your 40s and Beyond
Healthy is as healthy does.This is especially true when it comes to staying active as you get older. Even the simple act of getting out of your chair and walking around can improve your quality of life immeasurably over the short and long term. The devastating effects of a sedentary lifestyle, particularly on cardiovascular health, have been made clear in two research papers published in the last year — one a clinical study involving over 90,000 participants in the UK and the other a meta-analysis of over 100 clinical studies investigating the effects of inactivity, prolonged daily sitting and sedentary lifestyles.Inactivity and Cardiovascular HealthThe majority of American adults spend more than half of their waking hours sitting. That's a conservative estimate. It's not hard to do, really. You drive to work, you sit at your desk all day, you eat lunch at your desk, you drive home, you spend a few hours in front of the TV. That's a lot of sitting. If you're in the minority, you get out to the gym a few days a week and get in some exercise. Still, in the grand scope of things, that's just a few hours taken away from a full-time job of just sitting around.So what are the health outcomes, specifically for cardiovascular health, from all this chronic inactivity? How much activity is enough? Is there a point at which more activity offers little or no increased benefit? A new study from the UK, published in the journal PLOS Medicine in 2021, accessed a unique data resource to arrive at some pretty compelling conclusions.One of the major drawbacks of clinical studies involving lifestyle variables -- especially in large groups of test subjects -- is that they rely on self-reported data as provided in questionnaire answers. Test subjects are notoriously inaccurate when reporting something as subjective as exercise. They can overestimate training volume and intensity during exercise while discounting entirely activity levels attained during other parts of the day. Researchers have long intuited that there is an inverse relationship between physical activity and the occurrence of cardiovascular disease. That is, the more exercise you get, the less your risk of incurring cardiovascular disease. But there has always been uncertainty about the strength of this association because of the unreliability of the data. From 2013 to 2015, an organization known as UK Biobank sought to improve the accuracy involved in measuring how active people really are. They placed accelerometers, small lightweight motion sensors, on the wrists of more than a half million people aged 40 through 69 and used them to more accurately measure the physical activity status of these test subjects.In 2021, researchers isolated more than 90,000 participants in the Biobank co-hort (again, aged 40 to 69) who had no previous reports of cardiovascular disease at the time of the measurement and followed up on their medical history. They found that higher levels of physical activity were associated with lower risk for cardiovascular disease, and that this result was similar across total, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical exercise. Just as importantly, the researchers found that individuals who engaged in higher levels of physical activity had lower risk for cardiovascular disease throughout the range of physical activity measured. The lowest risk for cardiovascular disease in the UK Biobank cohort was seen at the highest level of physical activity, whether total, moderate-intensity, or vigorous-intensity. In conclusion the researchers noted that their findings "aligns with the recommendations of the UK Chief Medical Officer’s report on PA that 'some physical activity is good but more is better'." [1 Rema Ramakrishnan, et al] A Meta-Analysis of Over 100 Studies Links Sedentary Habits to Several Markers of Cardiovascular DiseaseAnother ambitious recent scientific research paper, this one published in the journal Nature Reviews Cardiology in 2021, also takes a comprehensive view of the relationship between inactivity and poor cardiovascular outcomes, placing it in a broad perspective [2 David W. Dunstan, et al.]. This paper took the form of a meta-analysis of over 100 recent clinical studies investigating the effects of prolonged daily sitting and inactivity, and its results were eye-opening.These researchers reaffirmed the validity of accumulating, highly informative evidence from prospective epidemiological studies documenting that long periods of time spent in sedentary behavior can lead to adverse health outcomes — particularly for cardiovascular disease. They then went on to break down individual mechanisms of sitting risk.The researchers noted that vascular function is affected during prolonged periods of sitting, citing a meta-analysis of 17 studies showing that prolonged sitting led to an acute impairment of vascular function as measured by flow-mediated dilation. Another negative outcome of this reduced vascular function or "blood pooling" in large, lower-limb, weight-bearing muscles, is the reduction in metabolic demand and blood flow during prolonged sitting that is likely to contribute to acute increases in blood pressure. Studies suggest that the lower metabolic demand of sitting, coupled with reduced levels of vasodilatory metabolites, might lead to vasoconstriction in inactive muscles and, consequently, to increased peripheral resistance and mean arterial pressure.Sitting-induced metabolic dysfunction can also have an effect on glucose levels in the blood, another key marker of potential cardiovascular stress. The researchers note that postprandial glucose, insulin and triacylglycerol levels in blood are acutely elevated after periods of prolonged sitting, while a meta-analysis of 37 studies showed that regular interruptions with physical activity during prolonged sitting had a significant beneficial effect by acutely reducing glucose and insulin levels compared with continuous sitting.In addition, increased systemic inflammation caused by prolonged sitting can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The researchers point out that extended periods of inactivity are detrimentally associated with levels of C-reactive protein and IL-6 in the plasma, indicators of chronic low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress. The authors also highlight negative effects on cerebral blood flow (as a result of blood pooling in the lower extremities) and sitting-induced "exercise resistance," which is the reduced capacity of your body to benefit -- over time -- in whatever amounts of physical activity you do participate in. Sit Less and Move MoreIt should be emphasized here that the negative cardiovascular outcomes detailed above arise from an excess of daily cumulative hours of sitting and being sedentary. This means that, while exercise is important, it is not sufficient to sit around all day, then go all out in high-intensity exercise mode at the gym for 45 minutes (three times a week), then go back to being a couch potato. The key is to increase the total amount of overall activity in your day. This is particularly important for people over the age of 40. Observational evidence suggests that people start becoming less active as they enter their 40s and 50s -- exactly at the point where increased physical activity would do the most good.The great thing about adopting a heart-smart lifestyle based on overall activity is that just about anything that isn't sitting counts. Including walking your dog. In fact, a recent paper published in the research journal BMC Public Health (3 Balin, et al) highlights the association between dog ownership and numerous healthy outcomes in terms of daily walking and activity. There are so many terrific ways to exercise and just one boring way to sit. Take a walk on the beach. Work in your garden. Fly a kite. Take up yoga. Increase your one-rep max in the bench press. Go bird watching. Ride a bicycle. Run sprints up stadium stairs. It all counts, and it all helps to decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease, while improving your quality of life. The key is to find something you like and make it an alternative to chronic inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle.ConclusionMany of our readers here at ProSource.net are already highly active individuals, enjoying the health benefits of weight training, cardio exercise, and competitive sports. Many are younger people. And that’s all good. The point here is that physical activity in all its forms is and should be a lifetime pursuit. Not just for now, but into your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond. The benefits in terms of quality of life are immeasurable. And it’s truly amazing just how little it takes to get so much in return.Scientific References1 Rema Ramakrishnan, Aiden Doherty, Karl Smith-Byrne, Kazem Rahimi, Derrick Bennett, Mark Woodward, Rosemary Walmsley, Terence Dwyer. Accelerometer measured physical activity and the incidence of cardiovascular disease: Evidence from the UK Biobank cohort study. PLOS Medicine, January 12, 2021.2 David W. Dunstan, Shilpa Dogra, Sophie E. Carter & Neville Owen. Sit less and move more for cardiovascular health: Emerging insights and opportunities. Nature Reviews Cardiology, Volume 18, pages 637–648 (2021). 3 Marcel Ballin, Oskar Antonsson, Viktor Rosenqvist, Peter Nordström & Anna Nordström. Association of dog ownership with accelerometer-measured physical activity and daily steps in 70-year-old individuals: a population-based cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health volume 21, Article number 2313, 21 December 2021. Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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The Most Advanced and Comprehensive Joint Support Formula Ever Created
The way some of our competitors’ products stay exactly the same, year in and year out, you’d think there was no such thing as the advancement of sports nutrition science. In fact, of course, that science is evolving continually by leaps and bounds all the time.A good example of this progress is in the category of joint support formulations. Take a trip to any fitness supplement outlet near you and you’ll see rows of mostly identical formulas consisting of glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate. There’s nothing wrong with these two compounds; they have a long documented history of providing basic support of connective tissue.Here at ProSource, we have our own variation of this basic formula, Ultra Glucosamine And Chondroitin, though of course ours is sourced from much higher-quality ingredients than those generic products on store shelves. ProSource’s Ultra Glucosamine And Chondroitin is an excellent choice for active, fitness-conscious people and athletes on a budget.But there’s a whole other level of joint support technology available, made possible by recent scientific breakthroughs, for people who desire the ultimate comprehensive, multi-pathway support and feeding for super flexible, strong, resilient joints. This advanced science has been incorporated in the most complete and state-of-the-art joint support complex available to athletes -- ProSource's Extra Strength Joint Command.The Challenges of Providing Proper Care and Feeding of JointsCartilage is a rigid connective tissue that acts as a supporting framework for joints, located at the articulating surfaces of bone, and in joint spaces. Tendons and ligaments are extremely dense, fibrous and narrow bands of tissue that must be both very strong and very flexible at the same time. One characteristic each of these types of connective tissue share is that they receive very little actual blood flow. This makes them hard to feed and support, even as the types of compounds they require for recovery and repair tend to be trace elements in a typical diet.For years, sports nutrition science has emphasized two compounds for joint support supplementation -- glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate. There are good reasons for this. Glucosamine, for instance, inhibits collagen degeneration as well as inflammatory processes that exacerbate cartilage damage. Research has shown that daily intake of 1500 mg of glucosamine provides a significant decrease in type II collagen degradation while maintaining collagen synthesis [1 Yoshimura, et al].Chondroitin, on the other hand, supports the retention of water in cartilage, which aids in pressure resistance. Chondroitin also has been shown to increase hyaluronic acid in joint synovial fluid, increasing the viscosity of that essential fluid. Research has shown that chondroitin sulfate can help promote collagen and proteoglycan production by stimulating chondrocyte metabolism, thereby inhibiting cartilage destruction (2 Ronca, et al.)This science is not particularly new, but it is well-documented. Athletes have benefited from it for years now, particularly when the source materials for glucosamine/chondroitin supplements are of the highest quality and provided in clinically indicated dosages, as they are in ProSource's Extra Strength Joint Command.Going Beyond the Basics to Protect and Strengthen JointsIn recent years, sports nutrition experts have isolated a number of other mechanisms of support for connective tissue. Among these are hyaluronic acid, curcumin, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), and boswellic acids. The challenge in each case has been to perfect a technology to deliver the required supportive nutrition in sufficiently bioavailable forms that will affect significant vitalization of joint structures.Hyaluronic acid is a good example. Hyaluronic acid is found within the synovial fluid and is known to be largely responsible for its lubricating properties. In fact, injecting the space between bones with hyaluronic acid is a commonly employed treatment option for joint degeneration. But what of a non-invasive, supplemental approach for supporting optimal joint lubrication and pressure-bearing stability? Extra Strength Joint Command contains a novel patented compound called HyaMax™, which is an orally available, natural, standardized hyaluronic acid supplement. The structure of HyaMax™ allows it to absorb water and expand 1000 times in volume, lubricating joints and muscles. Lubricating joints is conducive to the strength and flexibility of joints while cushioning and protecting bones. Research has demonstrated the highly effective therapeutic effect of hyaluronic acid on individuals, successfully restoring synovial fluid while providing anti-inflammatory effects [3 Moskowitz].Another promising technology, also incorporated into Extra Strength Joint Command, is called 5-LOXIN®. An enriched boswellia serrata extract with enhanced anti-inflammatory properties, 5-LOXIN® has been associated with significant improvement in research test subjects, demonstrating decreased swelling and reported levels of pain with increased range of motion and walking distance capability following eight weeks of supplementation [4 Kimmatkar, et al.]. (The herb boswellia has long been linked with relief from inflammation, but the highly concentrated form present in 5-LOXIN® has been shown to provide significantly greater effects than the herb alone.)Turmeric, a gold-colored spice common to curry dishes, has a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicinal practices. Research, however, has identified curcumin as the active ingredient giving turmeric its supplemental efficacy, particularly with regard to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Unfortunately, a significant problem with curcumin-based formulations was the very low bioavailability of curcumin when it is administered orally. This problem has been successfully addressed with the formulation of Meriva®, yet another key active ingredient in Extra Strength Joint Command. This curcumin-phosphatidylcholine compound (standardized for 18-22% curcuminoids) features an advanced phytosome technology that enhances the bioavailability and anti-inflammatory support properties of curcumin. Long-term administration of Meriva® has been shown to decrease inflammation and pain while improving joint function with noteworthy tolerability of supplementation [5 Belcaro, et al.].Finally, OptiMSM® is a high quality source of methylsulfonylmethane, a natural analgesic that provides the body with organic sulfur to improve blood flow and decrease inflammation. A pilot clinical trial, published in the medical journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, reported that MSM improved symptoms of knee pain and physical function in test subjects in just 12 weeks without major adverse events [6 Kim, et al]. This advanced technology, along with a dosage of UC Type II collagen, completes Extra Strength Joint Command's multi-pathway support of anti-inflammatory action, flexibility support, and overall joint health.The New Science of Comprehensive Joint SupportA devastating rupture or tear of connective tissue is one of the worst injuries an athlete can encounter. Fortunately, supplementation with validated, precision-target nutrition for support of tendons, ligaments, and joints can help keep you injury-free on your journey to achieving your physique and performance goals. Enjoy true peace of mind as you pursue productive workouts, by providing unsurpassed care and feeding to your all-important joints with the widest, most comprehensive array of key joint support technologies -- found only in ProSource's Extra Strength Joint Command. 1 Yoshimura M, Sakamoto K, Tsuruta A, Yamamoto T, Ishida K, Yamaguchi H, Nagaoka I. Evaluation of the effect of glucosamine administration on biomarkers for cartilage and bone metabolism in soccer players. Int J Mol Med. 2009. 24(4):487-94. 2 Ronca F, Palmieri L, Panicucci P, Ronca G. (1998). Anti-inflammatory activity of chondroitin sulfate. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 6(Suppl A):14-21. 3 Moskowitz RW. (2000). Hyaluronic acid supplementation. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2(6):466-71. 4 Kimmatkar N, Thawani V, Hingorani L, Khiyani R. (2003). Efficacy and tolerability of Boswellia serrata extract in treatment of osteoarthritis of knee—A randomized double blind placebo controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 10(1):3-7. 5 Belcaro G, Cesarone MR, Dugall M, Pellegrini L, Ledda A, Grossi MG, Togni S, Appendino G. (2010). Efficacy and safety of Meriva, a curcumin-phosphatidylcholine complex, during extended administration in osteoarthritis patients. Altern Med Rev. 15(4):337-44. 6 Kim LS, Axelrod LJ, Howard P, Buratovich N, Waters RF. Efficacy of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) in osteoarthritis pain of the knee: a pilot clinical trial. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2006 Mar;14(3):286-94. Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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Leading Men’s Lifestyle Publication Muscle & Fitness Ranks AndroTest #1 for Natural Testosterone Enhancement
In the last several years, the one ProSource product that has generated by far the most positive feedback from customers and industry experts alike has been AndroTest, our state-of-the-art natural testosterone enhancement supplement. Every day, we receive new reports from satisfied customers, testifying to the renewed vitality and youthfulness they experience upon taking AndroTest. Numerous accredited experts in the sports nutrition field have also expressed great interest in AndroTest's unique mechanism of action, as well as their admiration for the rigorous and complex manufacturing protocols that are the basis for AndroTest's exceptional efficacy.This week a particularly respected voice, that of leading men's lifestyle publication Muscle & Fitness, has joined the chorus. In a featured article, the editors of Muscle & Fitness acclaim AndroTest as "the #1 most effective, drug-free testosterone support supplement," going on to say that "AndroTest [is] helping countless men across America rediscover their peak vitality, virility, and well-being."High Praise from a Trusted Source on Men's Health IssuesHere at ProSource, we're grateful for the recognition of our research and development efforts offered by Muscle & Fitness, and even happier to have made a difference in the lives of so many men. Reaching this point certainly wasn't easy. AndroTest is the end result of many years of scientific investigation and the investment of great research capital into identifying, evaluating and then refining a unique natural agent of male hormone support.Even when a particularly promising agent of natural testosterone support was identified, our work was just beginning. The highly potent Tribulus terrestris extract used in AndroTest is derived via a meticulous process that can involve up to twenty different extractions, and results in a key active ingredient standardized to contain an unprecedented 40% to 48% protodioscin. This, as the editors of Muscle & Fitness note, "is by far the highest level of this active ingredient we've ever encountered in a nutritional supplement."The editors at Muscle & Fitness were also impressed with the details of the product-specific, independent clinical study to which AndroTest was submitted. In that 4-week, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, subjects using AndroTest experienced both increases in total testosterone averaging 59.88% and increases in free testosterone averaging 59.75% over baseline. "Results like these," the editors stated, "reveal that AndroTest is in a class by itself [as a] natural testosterone enhancement technology." Right now, that technology is helping men across America support their all-important testosterone levels in a manner that is natural, drug-free, and that works through their body's own endogenous pathways. Isn't it time you joined them, and rediscovered the real you? The editors of Muscle & Fitness think so. "This is exciting science," they conclude, "and AndroTest gets our highest recommendation for men who are concerned about their T-levels." Use as directed. Read product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. Endorser used this product in conjunction with diet and exercise and was remunerated for his appearance. Endorser’s results are not typical. A 4-week study of healthy males showed a 59.75% average increase in free testosterone compared to baseline and 59.88% average increase in total testosterone compared to baseline. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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Maximize Recovery and Growth With Pre-Workout BCAAs
For a supplement that has been around for such a long time, BCAAs are still the source of a remarkable amount of confusion among even experienced, well-trained athletes. Some people are divided on when they should best be taken: before or after exercise. Others believe they are unnecessary, that the aminos in a BCAA supplement are already furnished in sufficient amounts in protein formulas or through whole food sources. Many beginners, new to training and supplementation, confuse BCAA formulas with standard pre-workout formulas.We're not going to keep you in suspense with regard to any of these questions. Before we get to the specifics of what BCAAs are, how they function in the body, and what recent science has to say about the benefits of supplemented BCAAs, here are your answers to the questions above.For an ordinary person looking to maintain a healthy diet and attain a common level of acceptable fitness, the BCAAs you consume from meat, eggs and dairy products are probably sufficient. But people who train regularly, are looking to add muscle mass, and people who are on restricted calorie regimens in order to lose fat, need more BCAAs. A lot more. The answer to whether BCAAs are better taken before or after a workout is ... both. For real physique enhancement plus well-supported intra-workout performance and endurance, we recommend a targeted high-quality BCAA supplement 30 to 45 minutes before your workout and a BCAA-augmented protein formula immediately after exercise.The confusion between BCAA supplements and pre-workout supplements is frustrating to say the least. Most pre-workout formulas on the market can be defined as performance enhancers. They contain stimulant content -- sometimes a lot of it in one form or another of caffeine. They may also contain aminos like beta alanine for endurance support, arginine for muscle pump, or tyrosine for focus. More advanced pre-workout supplements might contain creatine monohydrate for muscle cell volumization or a form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for cellular energy production.As we will see, BCAAs can also enhance performance by providing a ready source of fuel your muscles can tap into once existing stores are depleted. But they are by no means common in pre-workout formulas, and if they are present they're not usually furnished in necessary amounts. Got it? Okay, now let's take a closer look at our muscle-supporting friend, the branched-chain amino acid.BCAAs: What Are They And What Do They Do?BCAAs -- the branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine -- are considered essential because, unlike non-essential amino acids, your body cannot make them. You need to get them from your diet. They are also unique in that they are metabolized directly by muscle tissue, an end result that becomes more likely the longer a particular activity continues, such as during a long, intense workout.Of the three BCAAs, leucine is the most important for muscle support after exercise. Isoleucine and valine are more effective at producing energy and regulating your blood sugar levels, especially by stimulating the production of insulin, the main function of which is to allow circulating blood sugar to be taken up by the muscle cells and used as a source of energy.Leucine, on the other hand, is a potent nutritive activator of muscle protein synthesis due to its ability to directly stimulate mTOR complex 1, thus increasing mRNA translation in muscle cells. Increased mRNA translation simply means an increase in the cell's efficiency to read the genetic material that manufactures amino acids and proteins, thus ramping up protein synthesis. Finally, BCAAs may facilitate the release of hormones such as growth hormone and IGF-1, creating a favorable environment for efficient muscle repair and growth (Carli 1).When you begin to exercise, your muscles tap into muscle glycogen (a stored form of carbohydrates) for fuel, but this stored energy doesn't last very long. When these are diminished, your muscles will turn to blood glucose to keep going. (This is where isoleucine and valine, which help support blood sugar levels, both play an important role.) Blood glucose is derived from carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Carbohydrates and fats fuel the majority of your energy needs at the outset of exercise, but as your exercise interval lengthens, your body will scavenge proteins from existing muscle tissue. BCAAs make up a great proportion of the total amino acid content in skeletal muscle and are readily catabolized during exercise. Indeed, BCAAs may provide as much as 20% of your body's energy needs in the course of your workout. When your high-intensity workout is completed, you've inflicted considerable damage to muscle tissue in the form of countless little rips and tears. This damage must be repaired and the body, sensing that your environment has become increasingly stressful, will endeavor to add more muscle mass to survive future bouts of exercise-induced stress. The availability of leucine is absolutely crucial during this post-exercise juncture, as it is the trigger for the protein synthesis that is the engine for muscle recovery and growth.Clearly then, leucine supplementation (and BCAA supplementation in general) would appear to offer valuable benefits for highly active people. But what does the science say? In a study published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine in 2017, researchers sought to evaluate the effect of a 12-week leucine-rich amino acid supplementation in combination with moderate training. In the study, 48 healthy subjects exercised for 30 minutes three times per week and received either a leucine-rich amino acid supplementation or a placebo. Before and after supplementation, subjects performed an exhaustive eccentric exercise protocol. Maximal concentric strength and safety assessments were performed before exercise and after 3, 24, 48 and 72 hours.The researchers found that the supplementation with leucine resulted in reduced loss of strength at zero and 3 hours after downhill walking compared with the placebo. They concluded that the "principle findings show that leucine-rich amino acid supplementation can counteract the negative effects of eccentric exercise. The treatment resulted in a reduction of exercise-induced strength loss." (4 Reule CA, et al)In another study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, highly trained resistance athletes were provided 20 grams of BCAAs per day for seven days before and four days after completing a damaging bout of exercise. Each daily BCAA dose (or placebo) was further broken up into two doses of ten grams per day and all participants were instructed to take each ten-gram dose in the morning and evening for the seven days leading up to the exercise bout and for the four days after they completed the exercise bout -- a total of 11 days of supplementation. The ratio of the provided BCAAs was 2:1:1 (leucine: isoleucine: valine). A number of variables were measured including changes in force production, markers of muscle damage in the blood, muscle soreness, vertical jump and thigh as well as calf circumference. The damage bout caused significant changes in nearly all variables. In particular, changes in creatine kinase (a marker of damage found in the blood) were significantly improved when BCAA was ingested when compared to placebo. In addition, the recovery of the ability to produce maximal force was also improved to a greater extent in the BCAA group. The authors of the study concluded that providing BCAAs before and after damaging exercise can reduce the recovery time. (Howatson, Hoad et al. 2012) Finally, in a study just published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in May of 2021 , researchers sought to explore the connection between leucine availability and both insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial function associated with aging and muscular disuse. Older healthy adults were assigned a regimen of 7 days bed rest and 5 days inpatient rehabilitation, with some test subjects receiving supplemental leucine.The researchers found that, during bed rest, leucine tended to preserve insulin sensitivity. Following rehabilitation, leucine increased ATP-linked respiration and preserved specific pathways of mitochondrial respiration, insulin sensitivity, and a marker of oxidative stress during bed rest and rehabilitation (4 Arentson-Lantz,et al).Myo-Surge: A Trusted Source of High-Quality BCAAsNow that we know what BCAAs are and why they're invaluable for making each and every one of your workouts as productive as possible, the answer to how to source your BCAAs is simple. ProSource has always led the way when it comes to the cutting-edge research and development that gives fitness-conscious people the ultimate physique and performance edge, and that is true for BCAAs as well. ProSource's Myo-Surge has helped a generation of serious athletes turn intense workouts into significant muscle mass gain. Its advanced formula is sourced from the highest-quality BCAAs, provided in the preferred 2:1:1 ratio of leucine to isoleucine to valine, and it includes added glutamine as well. Glutamine is a conditionally essential amino that can be rapidly depleted during training, resulting in depressed muscle recovery in post-workout intervals. Myo-Surge truly is the original pre-workout recovery and performance powerhouse!Amino Fusion: The New Science of BCAA Muscle SupportReady to level up your BCAA supplementation? ProSource's newest product, Amino Fusion, unleashes the muscle-protein-synthesizing power of leucine to a new and unprecedented degree.Amino Fusion is powered by a Two Phase Muscle + Growth Technology that delivers the essential aminos you need to build and repair muscle, swiftly and in optimized quantities, thus providing a uniquely powerful engine of lean muscle mass increase.Its first phase is facilitated by rapid-uptake PepForm® Leucine Peptides precision-engineered to unleash a rapid intra-workout flood of leucine into the blood, triggering maximized protein synthesis. The second wave of instantized BCAAs then continues a steady flow of aminos into the blood, positively impacting endurance, while further optimizing post-workout growth and recovery.This mechanism, combined with an electrolyte matrix for elevated muscle cell hydration and other performance-enhancing co-factors is already enabling athletes to leverage high-intensity resistance training more fully to make greater gains in muscle mass and performance. Whichever way you go -- Myo-Surge or Amino Fusion -- you can rest easy knowing you're providing your muscles with super-premium fuel for well-supported recovery and growth.Scientific References1 Carli et al., Changes in the Exercise Induced Hormone Response to Branched-Chain Amino Acids, Eur. J. Appl. Physiol.: 64, 272, 1992. 2 Reule CA, Scholz C, Schoen C, et al. Reduced muscular fatigue after a 12-week leucine-rich amino acid supplementation combined with moderate training in elderly: a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2017.3 Howatson, G., M. Hoad, et al. (2012). "Exercise-induced muscle damage is reduced in resistance-trained males by branched chain amino acids: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study." J Int Soc Sports Nutr 9(1): 20.4 Emily J. Arentson-Lantz, Jasmine Mikovic, Nisha Bhattarai,et al. Leucine augments specific skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiratory pathways during recovery following 7 days of physical inactivity in older adults. Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol. 130, No. 5, 11 May 2021.Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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Maintaining Positivity and Mental Toughness
Hi everyone! Sorry for being away from the writing for so long. I have had quite the summer filled with lots of ups and downs and just been super busy. Again, all thanks go out to ProSource for asking me to do this but most importantly, the incredible supplements that keep me going and growing year after year. My supplementation program remains the same – ProSource brand MyoZene, Leucine, Creatine, Acetyl L-Carnitine, Beta Alanine, AKG, Taurine, Tyrosine, BCAAs, Amino Fusion, NytroWhey, Niacin, Glutamine, and Extreme Caffeine religiously and as directed. The results speak for themselves. A couple of months ago I was discussing with ProSource what the next article should be about because I have written where it all started, my diet and supplementation, my routines and so on. What else is there? I eat clean and lift weights, isn’t that what this is all about? The response I received was “ how about maintaining positivity outside of weight training?” I was set back a little because weight training is what keeps me positive. If my weight training is going well, I’m positive and if not then I’m not positive. Pretty straight forward right? Create A Routine That Works For You ... And Stick To It In all honesty though, weight training, diet, and supplementation was just a piece. I have had numerous life challenges going on this summer, a pandemic that has actually been shaping this country into something none of us seem to recognize anymore, and extreme work challenges. Was I positive all of the time? Not even close but I had a routine that I had relied on for quite a few years. You see I’m a routine kind of guy and if my routine suffers then I suffer. The routine is actually what saved me from losing my mind during these trying periods. What do I mean by that? Even though there were all of these life events happening I stuck to my routine as closely as possible believing that things will change eventually and hold onto what you have. Weights and reps would go up and down, body weight fluctuated more than I wanted, I would look flat, etc but I kept going to my gym (I may have dropped a couple of extra lift days in the summer but thank God I had a home gym during these harder times. Nobody could see my struggles). I kept my eating schedule, and kept my supplementation schedule. Even taking time off from work was hard because I needed my routine to maintain my sanity. Despite all of this I made my yearly goal of adding 10lbs for the year while staying lean, just like the year before. Mental Toughness Will Get You Through I know it sounds crazy but it works, just keep doing what you do and things will turn around. Most of this comes with mental toughness. Have I always had it, no. I have developed it over time by dealing with lows in my weight training. If you look back at your life and think about times where you struggled or couldn’t seem to move forward on anything you will see that you eventually did. Was it painful? Yes, but you should have stored that event away to fall back on the next time a low comes your way. This is what aspiring to be as aesthetically pleasing I can be, does for me. Do this for you and seek to be what you see as spectacular (not someone else’s idea of how you should look). It takes mental toughness to work through the lows. In weight training I believe they come more frequently than normal life stuff, so I believe by practicing and remembering that I got through the lows and was better for it. It equips me in all of life’s ups and downs. The best part to me is breaking through that wall and running to the next, not walking but running. Making Changes Where They're Needed Now I’m going to share with you the changes I've made in the past three weeks. For me it has been absolutely phenomenal and right on time. My weightlifting anniversary runs August to August and ever since I got my feet under me in this weight training thing I've made personal goals and commitments to reach every August in an attempt to get bigger and better. Last year was no different. The closer I get to August the harder I work to ensure and meet that goal thus running on the edge of burn out. Two Augusts ago I crashed from overtraining two weeks before 8/1. This year I ran out of gas a couple of days into August. That's when I put my plan together because it worked last year. The only difference this year was that I'm much healthier than last year at this point, physically and mentally. The first thing was keep to working out, go ahead and miss a couple of extra days but keep going and think about how I'm going to feel when I recover. Got it! That tells me that we're coming back, moving more weight on every exercise and going for the same reps but not until the day you show up and the body says that this is the time. Okay got it. Since I decided that August was throttle back a tad, my diet slipped up. A few donuts, pie, cake, pastries, and candy or whatever. I was still working out though as much as normal for the most part. Hold the weights the same, reps steady, just hang on. In prep for "the day" I begin readjusting the diet by adding about 200 additional calories per day primarily eating almonds. Also added some more fish for dinner. Next was water intake. 1-1.5 gallons wasn't enough. Let's shoot for 2 gallons. Now my sleep gradually got better with these changes. Two weeks ago my body said bring it and I did, just exploded. By far the best I've ever been and those are the only changes. No matter what stick with it, follow your plan, listen to your body, and rely on what you have been through, your experiences in life. You’ve made it this far and it hasn’t always been smooth sailing but you made it. Use that to push yourself forward. Life is primarily mental, control your mind and your body will follow! Remember, your body doesn’t like stress so it tells your mind to stop whatever is stressing it. Take control of your mind and make your body respond. Go for it guys! You can always find me on Instagram @darrinjhills Endorsers used products in conjunction with diet and exercise and may have been compensated for their appearance. Endorser's results are not typical. Author's experiences and opinions are his own. The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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