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**** November's Nutrition Article ****
Informed Bodybuilding Nutrition - The essential read nutrition bible for any serious bodybuilder - Click Here
*** Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) for Physique Conscience Athletes (Part 1)
- By Ant - MuscleTalk Member
ALA or Alpha Lipoic Acid is actually a racemic mix of two different isomers, R-ALA, and S-ALA. R-ALA is a naturally occurring form of ALA which can be found in very small quantities in the body and in the foods we eat, whereas S-ALA is a synthetic version created during the manufacturing process. Most ALA preparations that you can buy on the market (unless stated otherwise) are a 50/50 mix of these two isomers.
ALA is somewhat of a universal supplement for those training to improve their physiques as it has many roles which suit a variety of different goals. Here are the main uses:
- As a preventative or restorative aid for the liver
- As a dieting aid to increase fat loss
- As a bulking aid to decrease fat accumulation
ALA as a preventative or restorative aid for the liver:
ALA is known (amongst other things) as a natural antioxidant, and its use is fairly widespread in Europe due to its ability to maintain and restore liver health. So far ALA has been used for the treatment of radiation poisoning, mushroom poisoning (2), alcoholic hepatitis (3), diabetes related neuropathy and elevated liver enzymes.
This is extremely useful for any athlete whose liver is being stressed due to any number of factors. In these cases a dosage of 1g ALA per day (two 500mg capsules) taken in split dosages immediately before meals (preferably carbohydrate containing) would be enough to help ward off any damage that could be done, or repair any damage that has already been done to the liver.
If an athlete would like to 'supercharge' their liver protection they can use the following combination:
Alpha Lipoic Acid - 1g per day
Silymarin (Milk Thistle) - 400mg per day
Selenium - 800mcg per day
This combination was actually used in patients with cirrhosis, portal hypertension and oesophageal varices secondary to chronic hepatitis C infection, which are all extremely bad conditions for the liver. This combination managed to stave off the approaching requirement for liver transplant surgery (1).
In Part 2 (early next year), I'll go over ALA's uses in both dieting and bulking for accelerating fat loss, or minimising fat gain.
References:
1. A conservative triple antioxidant approach to the treatment of hepatitis C. Combination of alpha lipoic acid (thioctic acid), silymarin, and selenium: three case histories. Berkson BM.
2. Thioctic acid in treatment of hepatotoxic mushroom (Phalloides) poisoning. Berkson BM.
3. New treatments for hepatitis B and C [antigen-specific transfer for A, B & C (chisolm biologicals) and thymate]. Konlee M.
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**** Training Tip ****
**Turn a NEGATIVE into POSITIVE results!
- by Junkyard Dog - MuscleTalk Member
I will be using curling as an example:
Positive: Contracting the muscle, curling a dumbbell up.
Negative: Extending the muscle, lowering the dumbbell.
Many people tend to work very hard to get the weight up only to let the fall back down offering little or no resistance. What a waste! You should use as much energy to keep the weight from falling that you did in getting it up in the first place.
Time it out to a 1:1 ration. The time it takes to get the weight through the positive motion (curling the weight up) should match time to get it through the negative motion (lowering the weight back down). It really adds a lot to your workout!
You can intensify this by changing the ratio to 2:1 or higher. You can also have your spotter add more weight to the negative by lightly pushing on the bar. This will add a burn that you will not soon forget!
**** November's Recipe - by Nikki - MuscleTalk Moderator ****
A great versatile meal that is perfect for dieting!
Mix together about 4 egg whites/yolks; add about ½ cup of oats, sprinkle of sultanas (if sweet), and 1 scoop of protein powder. Mix together with a fork and then pour into a pan. Cook it like an omelette - add filling and then fold over in half. Cook a little longer and then slide out of pan and cut in half like a sandwich!
Filling ideas: Mashed banana, peanut butter, quark, berries, or whatever you like!
The articles in The MuscleTalker are for information purposes only and are the sole expressions of the individual authors opinion and are those not necessarily shared by the owners of www.MuscleTalk.co.uk