Carb Supplements
January 27, 2009
Carb drinks and powdered carb supplements like Waxy Maize have become popular over the last few years. They’re used by athletes as a means to enhance the amount of fuel (in the form of ATP) which is used to power intense workouts. Carbohydrates are the only nutrient whose stored energy can be used to generate ATP anaerobically. In vigorous exercise such as bodybuilding, most of the energy for ATP re-synthesis must come from stored glycogen and blood glucose. Carbohydrate-based supplements can help your body build glycogen stores back up after they have been depleted by heavy exercise. They can also increase the amount of glucose readily available in the blood, which can be used for fuel while working out. We recommend carbohydrate supplements for athletes as a way to increase caloric consumption, especially in a gaining phase or if the athlete is an ectomorph. We also recommend carb supplements like Vitargo and Waxy Maize stacked with Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate as a post-workout recovery drink to help restore muscle and liver glycogen. This combination also spikes insulin levels which helps reduce cortisol production.
Post Workout: New Study Reinforces Importance of Protein + Carbs
August 14, 2008
By Don Gauvreau
We all know that if you want to build muscle and get stronger then you’ve got to lift weights at a high intensity. Inherently, the heavy weight training is going to induce muscle damage. As your body ‘repairs’ the muscle damage you can then begin to rebuild protein structures within the muscle, consequently increasing muscle size and strength. However, if your nutritional needs are not being met then the exercise-induced muscle damage caused from weight training could quickly result in the breakdown of muscle. This is why it’s so important to take in the proper combination of nutrients during the post-workout ‘anabolic window’ if you truly want to maximize muscle growth and performance. A study recently published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism examined the effects of ordinary milk vs. a milk-based protein supplement + carbs on exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). If EIMD can be minimized or ‘counteracted’ then recovery time and muscle growth can be enhanced.
Method: Four independent groups of healthy males consumed either water (control), a carb-only sports drink, a milk-based protein + carb drink, or plain old milk (which contains protein and carbs). Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), isokinetic muscle performance, Creatine Kinase (an indicator of muscle damage), and myoglobin were assessed immediately before and 24 and 48 hours after execise.
Summary Of Results:
- Muscle soreness was not significantly different between any group.
- Muscle performance was significantly higher in the protein + carb supplement drink group compared with the carb-only drink and water. Strangely, ordinary milk users performed nearly the same as the carb-only drink.
- Total work on the muscle performance test was the highest in the protein + carb drink.
- Creatine kinase (which is an enzyme tested as a marker of protein breakdown in muscle) was significantly lower with the protein + carb drink second only to the milk group.
- Myoglobin (which is just a protein released from damaged muscle tissue) was also significantly lower with the protein + carb drink compared with all groups.
Although these study results aren’t the first of their kind, they do reinforce the fact that a combination of protein + carbs supplement is the ideal macronutrient combination post workout to enhance recovery, performance and growth! Although this study showed that plain old milk produced good results as a post-
workout drink, my experience and background in research tells me there are still much better options
to choose post-workout. Based on the body of currently published research I still believe a combination of whey protein isolate and quickly absorbed sugars (i.e., waxy maize starch) would 
make the ideal post-workout shake. Nonetheless, if you don’t have time to mix up the ‘perfect’ post-workout shake and are in quick need of some nutrition after an intense workout then simply slug back a couple glasses of plain old milk!
About The Author: Don Gauvreau , B.A. (Kinesiology), M.Sc. CSCS, NSCA-CPT
Don has over 10 years of experience in the health and fitness industry, and has worked in the sports supplement industry as a researcher and product formulator since 2001. He was a varsity athlete at university and has also competed in numerous bodybuilding contests, even qualifying to compete at the national level. Don is also the founder of LeanBodyRx which is a training and sports nutrition consultation company based in Toronto, Canada. Don can be reached for training, diet or supplement research consultation at Don@LeanBodyRx.com.
Optimum Nutrition Releases … A New Flavour?
July 15, 2008
By Scott Welch
It seems every time I turn around, Chicago based Optimum Nutrition (www.OptimumNutrition.com) has another new product being launched! Last month it was Salmon Oil capsules, this month it’s a Rocky Road flavour of their post-workout powder “RECOVERY 2:1:1”. Common guys – who cares about a new flavour? Give bodybuilders a revolutionary new ingredient that nobody else has. Give us the next Creatine! Okay, okay, I’m just busting your chops because you’re the top 5 largest supplement company in the industry and I want you to discover a new ingredient that turns the industry upside down!
QUALITY AT A LOW PRICE?
The Optimum line is a top-notch product line and the price is unbeatable. At this year’s Arnold Classic, I spoke with Jay Jacobsen who heads up their marketing at Optimum and I was really impressed with his knowledge level. They are certainly not near the top of the supplement industry by fluke. But in my books, what sets them apart from most of the others is the fact that they are one of the few companies that own their own manufacturing plant and distribution company. Most companies rely on large distribution companies like Europa Sports (www.EuropaSports.com) and Boss (http://www.bossonline.net/index.html) to sell their products to the to the thousands of stores and gyms in America. But distribution companies mark the product price up to cover their costs (and so they should), which makes your supplements cost more, by the time they reach the store. (Hey, that rhymes doesn’t it?). Anyway! Optimum cuts this step out for the most part with their own trucks, sales force, and warehousing. This is just one difference that allows them to sell great products at a lower price than some other companies. In Canada however, Optimum uses a top-notch distribution company called “Upper49th” (www.Upper49th.com) to sell their supplements and they do a terrific job from what I’ve seen.
RECOVERY 2:1:1
Hey in my books, it’s not the best name for a supplement (for the same reason I covered with my last BIOTEST post.) In terms of the formula though, it looks pretty good. In ON’s words, RECOVERY 2:1:1 is based on:
“…the latest science demonstrating that blending different types of carbs and proteins maximizes absorption and leads to better results than the use of larger amounts of any single type.”
BLENDING DIFFERENT PROTEINS
I agree that there are advantages to blending different types of proteins with each other, especially faster digesting proteins (like whey) with slower proteins (like casein). If there are high levels of the faster digesting proteins to keep you in an anabolic state until the slower digesting proteins break down into their constituent amino acids, you are in good shape. Otherwise, your body may slide into a catabolic state. ”Help my muscle mass is falling and I cannot get it back up!” High levels of these fast-digesting proteins (i.e. whey protein) are especially important after a workout when muscle tissue is damaged.
BLENDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CARBS
In concept, this makes sense and I agree with it. Waxy Maize is one such carb, as is Vitargo, dextrose, maltodextrin (a.k.a. glucose polymers) and a newer carb popping into a few new post-workout supplements called Trehalose. One such post-workout powder to include this is “ANABOLIC WINDOW” by Nutrabolics (www.Nutrabolics.com). But let’s not take the spotlight off “RECOVERY 2:1:1” now! There are two other carbs in the formula that I agree with adding in small amounts like Optimum has done – they are: Sucrose & Fructose. To start with, Sucrose (a.k.a. table sugar) is a disaccharide, which means it’s made of two sugar molecules attached to each other. One of these is glucose (a.k.a. Dextrose or D-glucose) the other is Fructose (a.k.a. Levulose). One reason many companies include Fructose in their formula (especially protein bars) is because it’s sweater than most other carbs which helps with flavouring while keeping the calories down. But it’s also added from a physiological side, as it can help raise liver glycogen levels more efficiently than other carbohydrates. After a workout muscle glycogen will be low of course, but liver glycogen may also be low. Adding a bit of fructose and sucrose after your workout will help boost liver glycogen.
THE RECOVERY 2:1:1 FORMULA
The formula delivers BCAAs in the ideal 2:1:1 (Leucine:Isoleucine:Valine) ratio needed for anabolism, 35 g of a blend of slow and fast-acting proteins and 70 grams of carbohydrates from multiple source like waxy maize. As I’ve been saying for a few years now, Vitargo, Waxy Maize, and newer forms of Waxy Maize are going to be really hot when competitive bodybuilders catch on to this trend and other supplement companies start adding it to their products. And BSN thinks so also as they’ve just launched their version of Waxy Maize product to be consumed during your workout called VOLUMAIZE (www.volumaizemf.com).
Selenium May Increase Diabetes Risk
July 9, 2008
Insulin is without question THE most anabolic hormone in the body. As such, supplement companies have sought out ways to maximize insulin efficiency in the body in order to build muscle and reduce fat. Steroid Guru Dan Duchaine popularized the use of glucose-disposal drugs like METFORMIN amongst top pro bodybuilders in the mid 90s. METFORMIN is an oral anti-diabetic drug used for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes. This drug works by essentially making your insulin work more efficiently in the body. Pro bodybuilders experience enhanced amino acid uptake in muscle cells (growth) while also experiencing improved glucose disposal and better muscle pumps. Of course, I’m not encouraging you to run out and start using this drug “without a prescription” because that could negatively impact your health!
SUPPLEMENTS THAT IMPROVE INSULIN EFFICIENCY?
Modeling after the pharmaceutical industry, dietary supplement companies have searched for substances that can help insulin work more efficiently in the body. Some of the most popular supplements shown to affect insulin include: Chromium, Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA), Fenugreek, Bitter Melon/Synepherine, Ginseng, 
Brewers Yeast, GTF, Inzitol, Vanadium (a.k.a. Vanadyl Sulphate), Cinnamon, and of course Selenium. It’s for this reason that many of these substances find their way into fat burners, creatine supplements and some of the newer Waxy Maize powders soon to be on the market. One of the most popular of these “glucose-disposal nutrients ” that always seems to be purported to enhance insulin sensitivity is the micro mineral Selenium. But a study has now challenged the use of Selenium for this purpose.
THE STUDY
Researchers selected 1,202 healthy subject who did not have diabetes when they were enrolled. Half received a 200 mcg of a Selenium supplement and half received a placebo pill for an average of 7.7 years (yes, YEARS!). At the end of the study, researchers found that subjects who took the Selenium had an INCREASED risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes than those who took a placebo!
SOURCE OF STUDY
The study, “Effects of Long- Term Selenium Supplementation on the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes” and the editorial, “Selenium and Diabetes: More Bad News for Supplements ” is on the Web site of Annals of Internal Medicine