Weekly Supplement BS Report #4

Weekly BS Report

September 27^th, 2009 Volume I Issue 4

 

 

 

 

“2 Independent Clinical Trials Later -There’s No Doubt Question Which Pre-Workout Product is the Best. When we first revealed the groundbreaking single dose clinical trial, SuperPump 250™ was shown to correlate with an astronomical increase in lean mass after only a single workout and a single dose of SP250 while body fat percentage simultaneously dropped.* This unbiased evidence shook the bodybuilding world and began the meteoric rise of this remarkable product. As incredible as the data was, we knew it was only the tip of the iceberg and that the results from 1 dose were no mere coincidence. You see, unlike other pre-workout products, everyone who tries it knows that SuperPump’s effects become noticeably MORE potent over time with regular use, and so it became necessary to test SuperPump’s more long term effects (30 days) at an accredited, independent research facility. Let’s just say, the results are nothing short of earth shattering. We are proud to present what our users and colleagues have been saying all along, only now it’s forever a part of TRUE scientific history; if you want gains in lean mass, strength, and performance, SuperPump 250™ is the real deal and an intelligent choice in the pre-workout category.*

In the second SuperPump 250™ study, performed recently at the prestigious Center for Applied Health Science Research, the goal was to determine the effects of supplementation with SuperPump 250™ on muscular strength, muscular endurance, muscle size, and body composition during one month of intense resistance training3. Thirty healthy men were randomized to receive SuperPump 250™ or a flavor-matched placebo and then resistance train for 4-weeks. Measurements of muscular performance, body composition via DEXA, and general markers of health were taken before and after 28 days of supplementation and training. This time, gains in muscle size were even more impressive, and were coupled with improvements in muscle performance (bench press reps to failure) and whole-body skeletal muscle mass:

·         947% times greater increase in whole-body lean mass.*

·         234% times greater increase in muscle performance.*

·         25.5 times greater increase in the lean mass of the arms.* “

-Superpump 250 product description

 

After reading the above, who couldn’t resist a bottle of Superpump 250? 947% times greater increase in whole-body lean mass. 234% times greater increase in muscle performance.  Are you kidding me? Forget the juice. Give me the Superpump!  My only question is: Screw buying it. How do I invest?

I couldn’t resist. I had to read this groundbreaking study. Finally there’s a supplement company backing their products with real-world scientific research. No marketing hype, just plain old science.  Interesting…

 

You can find the study at: http://www.jissn.com/content/5/S1/P17 .

Needless to say, I wasn’t expecting much. I’ve read thousands of studies over the years, 95% of them relating to prescription medications (which usually have 100 times greater budget than dietary supplements).  So I knew four things before even reading the study:

1)      The study group would be small.

2)      The details would be lacking.

3)      There’d be so many confounding variables it’d be hard to interpret any results with certainty.

4)      The supplement would be compared to a placebo, not creatine.

Booyah! All four assumptions were right on the money.

Small study

The study was small. It consisted of only 30 subjects (15 in the placebo and 15 in the Superpump group). Thus, chance alone could play a potentially big role in the results.  Lady luck could easily sway the conclusion, not science.  Plus with such a small group number, there’s a much bigger chance that a confounding variable could easily influence the result.  Knowing those two things right from the beginning, I don’t think I could definitively conclude anything from this study.

What details?

What resistance training program did the participants do?  Are the results based on average or median? With such a small study, it would have probably been best to describe the results in terms of medians. Why? If they were averages (which I’m assuming), one abnormal result (say a 25 lb increase in muscle mass by 1 participant in the Superpump 250 group) would completely skew the results in favor of the Superpump 250 group. If the results were medians, it wouldn’t make that big of a difference. Any outliers (abnormal results) wouldn’t affect the end result as much because you take the result that’s directly in the middle from the entire group, not the average.  So a 25 pound increase in muscle mass would have the same effect as a 12 pound increase in muscle mass if the median was 8 pounds.  The beauty of marketing with math!

Weekly meat consumption

The authors matched the participants for age, resistance training history, daily caffeine intake, weekly meat consumption, bench press strength, bench press endurance, and % body fat. How about daily protein intake? Supplements?  Prior creatine history?  Previous training regimen they just completed?  I can’t say they did a bad job matching the two groups. However, I also can’t say they did a good job either. There are too many unknowns that could easily influence the results (aka confounding variables).

Placebo

I understand that first a supplement has to be shown superior to placebo prior to comparing it to another supplement that already has sufficient evidence supporting it. However, this supplement already contains an ingredient that’s been shown to be effective in numerous clinical trials: creatine monohydrate.  Thus, if Gaspari really had some balls, they would have taken on regular creatine monohydrate instead so that they can “prove” their product is superior to the industry standard which costs 80% less than Superpump 250. But they didn’t. They chose to compare it to……. nothing!

So were the results really from Gaspari’s proprietary blend or was it from the creatine monohydrate within the proprietary blend? Tough to tell. We already know creatine works. There are numerous studies supporting its benefits.  Do the other ingredients work?  That’s still yet to be answered.  

I’m not even going to discuss the outrageous claims of 900% this, 200% that, etc. Let me just say that with the right mathematical model, a 1 pound increase can be 1000% increase.

So would I say this study (with supposedly the top scientists in the world) definitively showed Suerpump 250’s superiority?  Ha.

All together now: b_llsh_t!

Bodybuilding.com raided today by the FDA…

Bodybuilding.com maybe in a little trouble after today.  More negative press for an industry that’s already on the radar. Nice!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/sports/baseball/25doping.html?_r=1

Mr. Olympia Sale: 30-35% off wholesale. Muscletech, Dymatize, Nutrex, MHP, ON, and more

Mr. Olympia 2009 Sales

Ridiculous price drops. Up to 35% off of WHOLESALE from the top manufacturers. It’s great to be a Geek!
Dymatize. Muscle Tech. Cytosport. Gaspari. MHP. EST. Nutrex. ISS Research. And more!

In honor of the upcoming Mr. Olympia, supplement manufacturers are offering some great discounts. Unlike during the last sale which only lasted the weekend, this sales lasts until next Monday, September 28th, at noon.

Once again, instead of keeping the savings for ourselves, we’re passing on these great discounts to all Muscle Geek members. Order as much or as little as you like. On top of that, instead of the $1.99 markup, we’re only marking up these items 99 cents! Stock up and save big.
Go to our store, and under the category “dietary supplements, you’ll see the first subcategory as *Olympia Specials. Select that subcategory and you’ll see every product listed that’s included in this special.

Our store will be updated by Tuesday at 8pm CST. Shopping can begin then!

Price list:
Axis Labs: 33% off of wholesale
Hypertest 120 caps - $25.09
Smash Fully Loaded 1.32 lbs - $27.77
Hemodraulix 180 softgels - $29.11
Clutch 5lbs - $29.99

Cytosport: 33% off wholesale (more to be added)
Muscle Milk 2.48 lbs - $19.99
Muscle Milk 5lbs - $39.31
Monster Milk 2.48 lbs - $24.09

Dymatize - 35% off wholesale
Creatine Monohydrate 1100g - $14.25
Elite 12 Hour Protein 2.2 lbs - $13.18
Elite 12 Hour Protein 4.4lbs - $22.65
Elite Gourmet Protein 5 lbs - $23.74
Elite Natural Protein 5lbs - $28.03
Elite Whey Protein 5lbs - $28.03
Elite Whey Protein Isolate 10 lbs - $51.82
Elite Iso-100 5 lbs - $36.90
Xpand 50 serv - $25.95
Glutamine 1000g - $26.34
BCAA 300g - $13.86

EST: 35% off wholesale
Plasmatic 96 caps - $30.10
Methyl Mass 550g - $33.49

Gaspari: 33% off wholesale
Cytolean V2 90 caps - $25.11
Mitotropin 180 caps - $29.13
Myofusion 5 lbs- $30.39
Novedex XT 60 caps - $24.42
Real Mass 5.95 lbs - $30.56 plus free XL Red Dragon T-shirt
Size On 2.84 lbs - $33.15
Superpump 250 1.76 lbs - $27.12
Halodrol 60 caps - $34.49

ISS Research - 30% off wholesale
Oh Yea 85g Bar (12) - $17.89
Oh Yea 45g Bar (12) - $11.84

MHP: 33% off wholesale
A-Bomb 224 tabs - $33.15
Dark Matter 2.6 lbs - $27.12
Dark Rage 2 lbs - $29.30
Dren 30 caps - $17.07
Probolic SR 4 lbs - $34.49
Sarm-X 60 tabs - $33.15
T-Bomb II 168 tabs - $33.15
Trac Extreme NO 775g - $29.13
Up Your Mass 5 lbs - $24.07

Nutrex: 33% off wholesale
Lipo-6 Black 120 caps - $27.97
Lipo-6 Hers 120 caps- $27.97
Lipo-6 Black Hers 120 caps -$27.97
Lipo-6x 120 caps - $27.97
Niox 180 caps - $25.09
Vitrix 180 caps - $33.13

ON - 20% off wholesale
100% Casein 4 lbs- $36.99
100% Whey Gold Natural 5 lbs - $36.99
100% Whey Gold Standard 5 lbs - $36.99
100% Whey Gold Standard 10 lbs - $68.19
Nitrocore 6 lbs - $34.59

MuscleTech:
Anabolic Halo 2.4lbs - $35.04
NanoX9 180 caps - $39.91
Nano Vapor Pro 2.2 lbs - $32.12
Gakic Hardcore 128 caps - $39.91
Leukic Hardcore 180 caps - $35.04
Cell Tech 4.5 lbs - $28.72
Cell Tech 6.7 lbs - $39.91
Nitrotech 2 lbs - $23.98
Nitrotech 4 lbs - $41.86

Muscle Asylum Project
Arson 120 caps - $30.18
Altered State 180 caps - $39.91
Freak Fix Muscle Whey 2 lbs - $23.98
Anabolic OD 2 lbs - $30.18
NO Plasmacore 2 lbs - $31.13

Weekly Supplement BS Report #2

Weekly Supplement BS Report #2

September 20th, 2009 Volume I Issue 3

This BS newsletter is going to be a little different than the previous one. Instead of picking on an ingredient, I’m going to shift my focus to a product. And it’s probably the most successful product an “underground” supplement company has released to date.

It is…… USPLabs Jack3d!

I hate to start with this product because in all honesty, this is one of the better combination products on the market. I love three of the ingredients in it: creatine monohydrate, beta alanine, and 1,3-dimethylamylamine. However, even with 3 great ingredients, it’s still damn near ineffective. Why?

Side note: 1,3-dimethylamylamine gained popularity during the Patrick Arnold/Ergopharm/Amp debacle around 2 or 3 years ago. Some argue (I’m not for sure if Patrick Arnold ever admitted it), that 1,3-dimethylamylamine was the ingredient that made Amp so effective. Either way, in my opinion, it’s one of the most underrated supplements in the game today. Even though there’s hardly any research supporting it, it’s the only stimulant I use anymore. The best way I could describe it is a calm, focused energy. 50mg not only keeps me focused and energized for 5 or 6 hours, but it also does a number on my appetite.

It’s not the ingredients…. It’s the dosage.

A good analogy for Jack3d is a Ferrari without an engine. Let’s ignore the fact that it contains AAKG (leucine or carbs would have been a much better choice). Take a look at the ATP-Carnosine-Vaso Complex, which consists of AAKG, creatine monohydrate, and beta alanine. 3500mg of that complex is in each scoop. For simplicity’s sake, let’s say each ingredient is represented evenly in that 3500mg total. Thus, each scoop would roughly contain 1.2 grams of creatine, 1.2 grams of beta alanine, and 1.2 grams of AAKG. Even at the highest dosage (3 scoops), you’re only consuming 3.6 grams of creatine monohydrate and 3.6 grams of beta alanine. And that’s just on workout days, not every day.

I’ve spent the last week perusing pubmed.org for research articles on beta alanine and performance. I’ve probably read through 10-15 studies detailing beta alanine’s effects on exercise performance. In only one of the studies that I came across was the beta alanine dosage ever lower than 4 grams daily. And in that study, the dosage was anywhere from 2-4 grams daily. Even the study that found beta alanine to be ineffective, the dosage was still great than 3.6 grams. And the large majority of the studies had the participants taking beta alanine daily for several weeks (4-8 weeks).

Van Thienen, et al. Beta-alanine improves sprint performance in endurance cycling. 2-4 grams daily for 8 weeks

Kendrick, et al.The effect of 4 weeks beta-alanine supplementation and isokinetic training on carnosineconcentrations in type I and II human skeletal muscle fibres.:6.4 grams daily for 4 weeks

Smith, et al. Effects of beta-alanine supplementation and high-intensity intervaltraining on endurance performance and body composition in men; a double-blind trial.:1.5 grams 4 times daily for 21 days, followed by 1.5 grams twice daily for 21 days.

Hoffman, et al. Short-duration beta-alanine supplementation increases training volume and reduces subjective feelings of fatigue in college football players.: 4.5 grams daily for 30 days.

Stout, et al. Effects of twenty-eight days of beta-alanine and creatine monohydrate supplementation on the physical working capacity at neuromuscular fatigue threshold.: 1.6g four times daily for 6 days then 1.5 grams twice daily for 22 days

Derave, et al. beta-Alanine supplementation augments muscle carnosine content and attenuates fatigue during repeated isokinetic contraction bouts in trained sprinters.: 4.8g daily for 4 weeks

Hoffman, et al. Beta-alanine and the hormonal response to exercise.: 4.8g daily for 30 days

Kendrick, et al. The effects of 10 weeks of resistance training combined with beta-alanine supplementation on whole body strength, force production, muscular endurance and body composition.: 6.4g daily for 10 weeks

 Creatine supplementation is similar. The large majority of studies supporting creatine’s beneficial effects had participants taking creatine daily. And the majority of evidence supports the fact that around 5 grams daily is a good maintenance dose. If you understand how creatine works, it’s apparent that “as needed” dosing is ineffective. Daily dosing allows you to build up your creatine reservoirs, and allows for the replacement of muscle creatine that you lose throughout the day. An “as needed” regimen cannot adequately build up your reservoirs. At best, it may have some positive benefits after several months of use. But that’s extremely inefficient and expensive.

I see this almost weekly in the pharmacy. A patient will complain that his blood pressure is still not controlled even though he’s on several blood pressure medications. I’ll glance at his medication profile, and see that he’s entirely noncompliant with his meds. He’ll go 5 or 6 days at a time without taking his meds. Blood pressure medications were not designed to be effective on an “as needed” basis. They’re daily medications. The same goes with creatine and beta alanine. They both build up stores of critical ingredients for muscular growth/performance. Taking them “as needed” is pretty much useless.

For those that have had success with Jack3d, I propose to you the following: Buy 1000 grams of creatine monohydrate (~$20), 500 grams of beta alanine (~$26), and a bottle of of 1,3-dimethylamylamine capsules (~$25). Not only will that stack give you better results, but you’ll save around $50-100 over a 3 month period. That’s no BS!

And everyone together…. B_LLSH_T

The Muscle Miser of the Month

So the Muscle Geek below will get:

A free bottle of BSN Cellmass

A free Muscle Geek t-shirt

A free Muscle Geek gym bag

A sample supplement platter containing products from Dymatize, Muscletech, BSN, Gaspari, and VPX

And this month’s top Muscle Miser is….. Sungyoung Kim with a savings of $39.21 over the month.

He bought 3 five pound Elite Gourmet containers, a four pound 100% Casein container, 2 eight pound Gainer Matrix containers, and an NO-Xplode. Thanks to him, our volume is getting bigger and bigger. And eventually our prices will be getting smaller and smaller.

Another Muscle Geek was so close this month, we’re also going to send him a free gift package…..

Thomas Cheek with a savings of $38.79 over the month.

He bought a bottle of A-Bomb, 2 bottles of Finotrenbolone, a five pound jug of Muscle Milk, a bottle of L-carnitine Xtreme, and a bottle of CLA 1000mg.

A sincere thanks to both of the Muscle Geeks above. Because of them and every other Muscle Geek, we’re getting closer and closer to bigger discounts and lower prices from the supplement manufacturers.

Buy smart. Be a Geek!

LG Science: Crazy low prices!

LG Science IS Here!

 

No $1.99 markup on any LG product until October 1st.

Check out these great prices from LG Science:

Anadraulic State 1165 grams - $32.20 (BB.com $42.99)

BC+EAA 330g - $14.70 (BB.com $18.99)

Cold Fusion Ex 800g - $23.10 (BB.com $29.99)

E-911 75 tabs - $16.80 (BB.com $22.99)

Formadrol Extreme 90 caps - $23.10 (BB.com $30.99)

I-GH-1 100 caps - $23.10 (BB.com $36.99)

Lipoburn 240ml - $23.10

Lipotropic Protein 2.2 lbs - $16.80 (BB.com $21.99)

Lipotropic Protein 5 lbs - $27.58 plus free shaker bottle (BB.com $29.99)

Methyl-1-D 90 caps - $33.60 (BB.com $49.99)

Methyl 1-D XL 135 caps - $33.60 (BB.com $58.99)

Methyl Masterdrol V2 135 caps - $33.60 (BB.com $44.99)

NO Infuse 240ml - $23.10 (BB.com $31.95)

Perfect Carb 900g - $10.50 (BB.com $13.99)

pSarm 100 caps - $33.60 (BB.com $42.99)

Slin 120 caps - $23.09 (BB.com $29.99)

Speed V2 90 caps - $19.60 (BB.com $26.99)

T-911 75 tabs - $23.09 (BB.com $32.99)

Trifecta Stack 285 caps - $69.99 (BB.com $83.99)

I personally haven’t used any of their products, nor have I had time to take a look at the active ingredients in each product (I’ll get to that next week). However, from what I’ve seen thus far during negotiations, I like these guys a lot. Originally, when we started Muscle Geeks, we were afraid that a lot of the dietary manufacturers, especially the smaller supplement companies, would cowardly shy away from us in fear of losing major clients like bodybuilding.com, GNC, etc. When a new company only marks up their products $1.99, it can make the giants a little uneasy because they know they can’t compete. Their entire business has been built around an exact gross margin goal. 1 or 2% less than their goal, and their business is in the red. And I guarantee $1.99 is a lot less than their desired gross margin.

However, LG Science loved what we were doing. They loved the business model. They not only wanted their products in Muscle Geeks, but they made sure our prices were lower than bodybuilding.com’s. And not only that, they also agreed to lower our prices even more as our volume increases. They have balls, and I like it. So here’s to LG Science!

Weekly Supplement BS Report

Weekly Supplement BS Report

September 13th, 2009 Volume I Issue 2

CEE…BSN™s newest proprietary blend, designed to increase water and lipid solubility of creatine.
-product description of BSN Cellmass

Creatine Ethyl Ester (CEE) uses the ethyl ester to deliver the creatine into the bloodstream (and it does this very well)…
-product description of SizeOn

Creatine Ethyl Ester: Creatine ethyl ester is one of the newest forms of creatine. The ethyl ester prevents breakdown in the gut and prolongs the life of creatine in the blood. Combined with creatine monohydrate this results in a one-two punch of fast acting immediate action coupled with the longer duration of creatine ethyl ester. - CEE gives you a longer acting creatine, the right amount works, too much and it tastes like battery acid.
-product description of LG Science’s Cold Fusion EX

CEE…..This means, simply, that not only will dosage requirements be lower, but the absorption of esterified creatine will be increased and the infamous “creatine bloat” will be eliminated!
-product description of Higher Power Creatine Ethyl Ester

Creatine Ethyl Ester HCL is an exceptionally soluble creatine resulting in advanced absorption, increased bioavailability, and stability. Instead of saturating your system in creatine and hoping for absorption, creatine ethyl ester directly penetrates the muscle cell resulting in 30 to 40 times more functional creatine. This means no more loading, bloating, cramping or dehydration. Most users notice a difference in their first dose.
-product description Axis Labs’ Creatine Ethyl Ester

Myth: Creatine Ethyl Ester (CEE) is superior to creatine monohydrate. Not only does it cause less bloating, but because of its improved bioavailability you don’t need to take as much.
Fact: Not only does it taste like urine, but you’ll probably get the exact same results no matter which one you drink (CEE or urine).

The evidence:
It’s pretty easy to prove that a new creatine is superior to creatine monohydrate. All we would have to do is track the new creatine through our system. We’d first take a blood sample to ensure its absorption through the GI tract. Then we’d look at the creatine content within the muscle and make sure it actually does get more creatine inside the muscle. And if we’re really good, we’d set up a study that actually showed (with hard numbers) the superior results one would get with the new creatine product compared to the old one.
So that’s basically what I was looking for when I searched pubmed.org. And I found…
*Most pertinent statements are bolded.

The effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation combined with heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle performance, and serum and muscle creatine levels.
Mike Spillane, Ryan Schoch, Matt Cooke, Travis Harvey, Mike Greenwood, Richard Kreider and Darryn S Willoughby
J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2009 Feb 19;6:6

ABSTRACT: Numerous creatine formulations have been developed primarily to maximize creatine absorption. Creatine ethyl ester is alleged to increase creatine bio-availability. This study examined how a seven-week supplementation regimen combined with resistance training affected body composition, muscle mass, muscle strength and power, serum and muscle creatine levels, and serum creatinine levels in 30 non-resistance-trained males. In a double-blind manner, participants were randomly assigned to a maltodextrose placebo (PLA), creatine monohydrate (CRT), or creatine ethyl ester (CEE) group. The supplements were orally ingested at a dose of 0.30 g/kg fat-free body mass (approximately 20 g/day) for five days followed by ingestion at 0.075 g/kg fat free mass (approximately 5 g/day) for 42 days. Results showed significantly higher serum creatine concentrations in PLA (p = 0.007) and CRT (p = 0.005) compared to CEE. Serum creatinine was greater in CEE compared to the PLA (p = 0.001) and CRT (p = 0.001) and increased at days 6, 27, and 48. Total muscle creatine content was significantly higher in CRT (p = 0.026) and CEE (p = 0.041) compared to PLA, with no differences between CRT and CEE. Significant changes over time were observed for body composition, body water, muscle strength and power variables, but no significant differences were observed between groups. In conclusion, when compared to creatine monohydrate, creatine ethyl ester was not as effective at increasing serum and muscle creatine levels or in improving body composition, muscle mass, strength, and power. Therefore, the improvements in these variables can most likely be attributed to the training protocol itself, rather than the supplementation regimen.

So this study suggested the following:
1) With CEE, you’ll get less creatine in the bloodstream than regular creatine monohydrate.
2) With CEE, you’ll get more creatinINe (a useless byproduct) in the bloodstream than regular creatine monohydrate. Remember this.
3) With CEE, it takes almost 27 days to increase the creatine content within the muscle, compared to just 6 days with creatine monohydrate.

So now we have we have to ask: What in the hell is happening to CEE once it enters the body because it’s not improving creatine’s bioavailability?

Non-enzymatic cyclization of creatine ethyl ester to creatinine.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009 Oct 16;388(2):252-5. Epub 2009 Aug 4
Giese MW, Lecher CS

Creatine ethyl ester was incubated at 37 degrees C in both water and phosphate-buffered saline and the diagnostic methylene resonances in the (1)H NMR spectrum were used to identify the resultant products. It was found that mild aqueous conditions result in the cyclization of creatine ethyl ester to provide inactive creatinine as the exclusive product, and this transformation becomes nearly instantaneous as the pH approaches 7.4. This study demonstrates that mild non-enzymatic conditions are sufficient for the cyclization of creatine ethyl ester into creatinine, and together with previous results obtained under enzymatic conditions suggests that there are no physiological conditions that would result in the production of creatine. It is concluded that creatine ethyl ester is a pronutrient for creatinine rather than creatine under all physiological conditions encountered during transit through the various tissues, thus no ergogenic effect is to be expected from supplementation.

Non-enzymatic hydrolysis of creatine ethyl ester.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009 Aug 21;386(2):363-7. Epub 2009 Jun 12
Katseres NS, Reading DW, Shayya L, Dicesare JC, Purser GH

The rate of the non-enzymatic hydrolysis of creatine ethyl ester (CEE) was studied at 37 degrees C over the pH range of 1.6-7.0 using (1)H NMR. The ester can be present in solution in three forms: the unprotonated form (CEE), the monoprotonated form (HCEE(+)), and the diprotonated form (H(2)CEE(2+)). The values of pK(a1) and pK(a2) of H(2)CEE(2+) were found to be 2.30 and 5.25, respectively. The rate law is found to be Rate=-dCCEE/dt=k++[H2CEE2+][OH-]+k+[HCEE+][OH-]+k0[CEE][OH-] where the rate constants k(++), k(+), and k(0) are (3.9+/-0.2)x10(6)L mol(-1)s(-1), (3.3+/-0.5)x10(4)L mol(-1)s(-1), and (4.9+/-0.3)x10(4)L mol(-1)s(-1), respectively. Calculations performed at the density functional theory level support the hypothesis that the similarity in the values of k(+) and k(0) results from intramolecular hydrogen bonding that plays a crucial role. This study indicates that the half-life of CEE in blood is on the order of one minute, suggesting that CEE may hydrolyze too quickly to reach muscle cells in its ester form.

Qualitative In vitro NMR Analysis of Creatine Ethyl Ester Pronutrient in Human Plasma.
Int J Sports Med. 2009 Jul 7.
Giese MW, Lecher CS.

There are a number of forms of creatine available that attempt to improve the solubility and permeability, with the anticipation this will result in an improved pharmacokinetic profile and ultimately an enhanced ergogenic response. Previous research has shown that the different salt forms can improve solubility resulting in slightly altered pharmacokinetic profiles, however specific data exploring the conversion of esterified derivatives to creatine is lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine the assertion that creatine ethyl ester undergoes enzymatic conversion to creatine in human tissues. The IN VITRO response of creatine ethyl ester to incubation in human plasma was examined by H-NMR analysis. Lyophilized human plasma was reconstituted in D (2)O and phosphate-buffered saline and 1.5 mg of the analyte was added. Following incubation at 37 degrees C for 4 h and subsequent protein precipitation, the supernatant was analyzed by NMR, utilizing the diagnostic chemical shift of the methylene signal to determine the species present in solution, I.E. creatine ethyl ester, creatine, or creatinine. Both creatine and creatinine were run in parallel as control experiments and each assay was run in triplicate. As expected both creatine and creatinine remained unchanged. However, conversion of creatine ethyl ester to creatine by the esterases in human plasma was not observed to any detectable extent and the only species detected after the incubation period was creatinine. While not a definitive characterization of the IN VIVO behavior, these results strongly warrant a complete IN VIVO pharmacokinetic analysis of creatine ethyl ester since it appears these “pronutrients” may actually provide large exogenous sources of pharmacologically inactive creatinine rather than ergogenic creatine.

Surprise. Surprise. It’s being converted to the useless byproduct creatiNINE, not creatine. So that’s why more creatinine is showing up in the blood, less creatine is showing up in the blood, and it’s taking longer to fill the muscle with creatine. Ah, the legitamacy of the dietary supplement industry. I can’t believe the efficacy studies prior to its release didn’t catch that. Oh wait, those aren’t required. Neither are safety studies.

Everyone together now…… B_LLSH_T

-Doc

The Weekly Supplement BS Report

The Weekly Supplement BS Report
September 10th, 2009 Volume I Issue 1

I read a lot. In fact, on average every month, I’ll read 3-4 fitness retail magazines, along with 2-3 fitness trade magazines, and usually a book or two that’s related to nutrition or strength training. I’m also an active member on 6 fitness message boards, as well as a subscriber to 7 fitness blogs. Did I also mention I spend usually an hour a day skimming through pubmed.org for new research articles? What can I say? I lead one boring life.

So why do I do it? Because supplements work, and some of them work extremely well. Not only have I seen it in the research, but I’ve personally experienced it as well as seen tremendous results from others. However, I’d be willing to bet that 80% of what I read is pure, unadulterated BS (closer to 95% if you just limit it to dietary supplements). To get to the really good stuff, I have to wade through a lot of crap.

And with all of the reading and researching I’ve done over the years, I’ve yet to find a reliable, honest, knowledgeable, straight-shooting newsletter, website, or blog about supplements. It seems as though everyone has an agenda, and a lot of the recommendations/opinions are heavily persuaded by the almighty dollar (sometimes very discreetly). Even some of the strength coaches that I highly respect occasionally sprinkle their articles with supplement propaganda. So last weekend, I decided enough is enough. Muscle Geeks will have the first newsletter dedicated to calling out the BS in the supplement industry.

Remember the “mystery” experiments in chemistry lab? You’d set up your Bunson burner, test tubes, funnels, and filters. You’d start the experiment with a huge beaker of some chemical mixture dissolved in a solution, and it was your job to determine what the main chemical was. Three hours and $200 worth of broken test tubes later, you’d have one small grain of some kind of purified substance left to run a test on. In a sense, that’s what this newsletter will be: a science experiment that separates the good from the bad, the pure from the BS, and the science from the marketing.

So, starting this Sunday, the first “Weekly Supplement BS Report” will be published.

-Doc

Antibiotics and Injuries: Which class of antibiotics can bring your lifting career to a screeching halt?

It’s almost that time of the year. Football season is just beginning, my lawnmower is getting less and less use, and the temperature is fluctuating more than the stock market. And the season wouldn’t be complete without an endless stream of antibiotics coming from the doctors’ offices. But before you go begging your doctor for an antibiotic for that runny nose, there’s one class of antibiotics that you better be particularly concerned about, especially if you lift heavy weights.

And that class is…. Fluoroquinolones (i.e. Cipro, Levaquin,etc)

Introduced in the 1980s, this class antibiotics is becoming increasingly popular with each passing year primarily due to the increase in antibiotic-resistant infections. Used most commonly to treat pneumonia and bronchitis, nowadays doctors are using them to treat just about everything. In fact at my pharmacy, they’re quickly creeping up the list of most popular antibiotics dispensed, right behind amoxicillin, azithromycin, and bactrim ds.

And why should you care… Tendon ruptures (those things that connect your bones to your muscles)

99 out of 100 doctors aren’t going to ask you if you lift weights. In fact, 99 out of 100 doctors are probably going to tell you squatting 300 pounds is extremely dangerous:-) So it’s your responsibility to be aware of potential tendon problems associated with fluoroquinolone use.

Even though they’re rare (most experts agree the odds are probably 1 in 100,000), the results can be extremely devastating, especially to an athlete or weekend warrior. In fact, in 2008 the FDA required that all fluoroquinolones carry a black box warning indicating potential tendon problems associated with their use (the equivalent of wearing the scarlet letter). And what is even more concerning to you and I, we’re already at a higher risk because a potential risk factor for tendon rupture is participation in sports, which includes weightlifting. In addition, you’re even further at risk if you’re taking corticosteroids like prednisone. Even inhaled corticosteroids for allergies (Nasonex, Flonase, Nasacort) put you at a higher risk.

Another important fact: Just because you finished your 10 day course of Cipro without any pain, don’t think you’re out of the woods just yet. There’s been documented cases of tendon ruptures 6 months AFTER using a flouroquinolone.

How will you know? Snap, crackle, pop.

The most commonly affected tendon is the Achilles tendon. However, they can affected virtually any tendon in your body. Symptoms range from stiffness and redness surrounding the tendon to complete inability to move the affected joint. Usually the pain is quick and intense.

I saw firsthand what Levaquin can do. My mother began a 5 day course of Levaquin, and had to stop after 3 days because of the tendon pain. It was so bad she couldn’t even walk up and down the stairs. And the worst part: it took 3 weeks for the pain to subside. And this is a lady who has passed 2 kidney stones without any pain medication stronger than Tylenol.

So what’s your options? Ask

Ask for a different antibiotic. Tell the doctor you lift weights, and you don’t want to risk injury. If you have pneumonia and are relatively healthy, ask for a z-pack. It’s considered first line anyways (plus it’s also a lot cheaper). With antibiotics, there is usually always alternatives. With so many of them out today, there’s almost always overlapping coverage for different types of bacterial infections, unless of course you have something truly funky going on.

More questions?

Here’s the best review I’ve found regarding fluoroquinolone-induced tendon ruptures: “Fluoroquinolone-associated tendinopathy: a critical review of the literature.”

-Doc