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Pump & Grow: TRUE INNOVATION with ZERO COMPROMISES.
★ STIM-Rx Energy Complex
Perhaps
the best known central nervous system stimulant is caffeine. There has
likely never been a more simple, yet shrouded in controversy, in
gradient. There is not a currently accepted nutrient with more data
behind it and more lab rats than the most common ergogenic ingredient.
Known effects of caffeine include the following:
• Reducing the perception of effort during weight training,
• Increasing the reps to failure with resistance activity,
• Reduces muscle pain when training to failure,
• Increases total workload in sleep-deprived athletes,
• Eliminates daily variations in strength,
• Enhancing the desire to train
• Encourages the use of body fat for energy expenditure during exercise.
Caffeine
has been studied as effective in “the big four” lifts: bench press,
deadlifts, rows, and back squats. There is also the notion of using
caffeine may increase testosterone. In fact, there is a study that
suggests that men who drank caffeinated coffee showed increases in
total testosterone and concomitant decreases in total and free estradiol
(estrogen). Coffee acts as
a natural aromatase inhibitor, which
prevents the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. Caffeine inhibits
an enzyme known as phosphodiesterase which raises the concentration of
cAMP. To strengthen the effect of caffeine, we have added Hemerocallis
fulva, which |releases more cAMP and when combined with adrenaline
(epinephrine), this prompts fat cells to release glycerol for energy.
Why include multiple tea ingredients in pump and grow?
Mechanistically, the tea types found in Pump and Grow exploit two
different mechanistic pathways as opposed to doing what most green tea
products do – simply increase the
amount of a single ingredient (usually green tea).
★ Growth Co Factor Complex
Beta Alanine
Beta Alanine is a naturally-occurring beta amino acid that is the rate limiting precursor to the production of carnosine in
the
body – thereby increasing its amount. By doing so, it helps improve
weight training and athletic performance in a variety of ways.
Increasing carnosine levels is important because it increases buffering
capacity in the muscle, which means that carnosine helps prevent your
muscles from becoming too acidic during times of stress.
Carnosine
is found in primarily type II (fast twitch) muscle fibers, which are
important for explosive movements. In a recent study, dietary
supplementation with beta-alanine for 2-4 weeks was shown to increase
vastus larteralis carnosine concentration by more than 60%. In terms of
performance, science has shown that beta-alanine supplementation for as
few four weeks can result in 13% greater gains in total work completed
during training, with no change noted among the control group. This
makes Beta Alanine supplementation ideal for weight trainers, sprinters,
and a variety of other athletes. In basic terms, that means that
increasing carnosine levels allows one to train harder and longer for
improved performance and results. Another important benefit of
increased carnosine levels is that carnosine is a powerful precursor in
potentiating Nitric Oxide (N.O.). This is because carnosine is the
substrate for NOS (Nitric Oxide Synthase) activity, which is the enzyme
responsible for generating Nitric Oxide. In layman’s terms, this leads
to more dramatic vasodilation and ‘pumps’.
Creatine
No other mass-building supplement works as well as creatine, nor has as much research support. Creatine has been shown to..
• Boosts muscle creatine levels for short-term energy,
• Bolsters anabolic signaling through insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1),
• Increase muscle antioxidant capacity,
• Improve high-intensity exercise capacity,
• Increases ATP production for immediate strength and energy.
A
simple question with a not so simple response: why three types of
creatine? No matter how you slice it, creatine monohydrate is the
tried-and-true form of creatine that has been the subject of scrutiny
in the most studies. Secondly, adding magnesium to creatine has been
shown to maximize the uptake of creatine in muscle cells. The biggest
concern we get when structuring a creatine based product is how to
prevent the suggested “bloat” of creatine monohydrate; and our
suggestion is add in a pyruvic salt which will still yield higher levels
of creatine for volumization, while at the same time increasing power
output while minimizing the “bloat.”
Beta Alanine and Creatine
Collectively, these two powerhouse agents have been shown to increase
aerobic power and time to exhaustion. Still, we won’t steer you wrong;
the data explicitly shows that the combination may not increase the
intensity of aerobic/anaerobic activity despite all the aforementioned
positives, however, it will likely increase the duration of intense
activity performed. In other words, it may not allow you to dumbbell
press 160 lb weights (intensity defined in resistance training is how
close you lift to your 1RM or how heavy you lift); but it may allow you
to lift the 120 lb dumbbells for 15 reps instead of 10.
★ Vaso Pump Max Blend
Di-Aspartate™
The
first-ever industry coupling of two agents used to collectively
increase work capacity while improving waste elimination; in short –
LOLA and LALA (respectively, L-Ornithine-L-Aspartate and
L-Argnine-L-Aspartate) . But haven’t ornithine and arginine been used
for years and possibly dubbed less effective in harboring any kind of
ergogenic benefit? The short answer is yes. However, the attachment of
L-aspartate makes these agents unique. L-aspartate is a direct
precursor of oxaloacetate; effectively Kreb’s Cycle intermediates, in
which energy is generated from various macronutrients
(i.e. – fats, carbohydrates, and proteins).
L-Ornithine-L-aspartate (LOLA)
Ornithine
is formed from the breakdown of arginine during the citric acid cycle
and isn’t coded for by DNA. Therefore, this amino acid isn’t involved
in protein synthesis but is mainly involved in formation of urea in the
body. Ornithine is also an important metabolic intermediate and is used
to form polyamines. Research has shown that ornithine removes ammonia
from the liver and acts to protect the liver from cirrhosis.
Furthermore, recent evidence has demonstrated that L-ornithine
supplementation reduces exercise fatigue by increasing the efficiency of
energy consumption and promoting the excretion of ammonia.
L-arginine-L-aspartate (LALA)
Lowers
the concentration of Lactic Acid in the blood during exercise It raises
the aerobic capacity of the body likely through its long-since known
vasodilatory properties. In other words, it increases oxygen
consumption.
Focus & Endurance AMP Complex
Adapt
or die? An adaptogen is an ingredient that helps your body “adapt” to
environmental factors, and as such avoid potential damage created by
those factors. Here, the stressor is the formula itself. Rationale for
the inclusion of an adaptogenic complex is simple: make certain the
continuous excitatory properties of multiple central-nervous stimulating
agents doesn’t ultimately
become a physiologic burden on you. In
plain terms, we don’t want you to suffer deleterious consequences with
continuous use of agents like caffeine; which can occur with use day-in
and day-out usually only manifest in cortisol (stress hormone)
elevation. More cortisol means less testosterone.
Rhodiola rosea
Rhodiola
rosea reduces the acute and chronic effects of stress by decreasing
adrenal cortisol production and modulating the
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. That means more testosterone, less
fat, and more muscle.
• Lowers the perception of effort amidst high-intensity exercise,
• Helps the body adapt to physical stresses when acutely ingested,
• Increases testosterone while lowering cortisol,
• Increases aerobic capacity by boosting resistance to stress.
★ Advanced Ancillaries Complex
Ancillary
nutrients have one goal – to offer synergistic effect in helping other
active ergogenic agents move toward their desired outcomes. Oftentimes,
you will hear that “this agent or that agent didn’t work for me.”
Unfortunately, it is far too often that the ability of certain reactions
to move forward are impeded by not having ample supply of a certain
co-factor (usually in the form
of a vitamin or mineral) available at the directed time. Vitamin C has many functions pertinent to the human body’s normal
functioning,but
most pertinent to this formula is the role it plays in the formation of
neurotransmitters and hormones – both of which are released during
exercise for the purpose of stimulating muscle growth and breaking down
carbohydrates and fat for energy. In addition, vitamin C is involved in
the synthesis of red blood cells – which are vital to delivering oxygen
to the
muscle – and is a powerful antioxidant that prevents the
build-up of free radicals in the body. While we know free radicals can
lead to muscle and tendon damage as well as a host of other unwanted
effects, we also have to be careful not to prevent influx of certain
chemical messengers known as inflammatory cytokines which signal growth
and repair substances to muscle
cites injured during intense
training. Still, strength and endurance effects are seen with Vitamin C
supplementation between 500-3,000 mg per day; but for the reasons
mentioned, it is likely pertinent to use the lowest effective dose (LED)
to prevent issues with recovery.
Citations:
Abidov
M, et al. Effect of extracts from Rhodiola rosea and Rhodiola crenulata
(Crassulaceae) roots on ATP content in mitochondria of skeletal muscles
Bull. Exp. Biol. Med. 2003; 136(6):585-7. Beam WC, et al. The effect
of chronic ascorbic acid supplementation on strength following isotonic
strength
training. Med Sci Sports Exer 1998; 30: S219.
Bramich
K, et al. The effects of two levels of ascorbic acid on muscular
endurance, muscular strength and on VO2 max. Int Clin Nutr Rev 1987; 7:
5.
Burtscher, M, et al. The prolonged intake of
L-arginine-L-aspartate reduces blood lactate accumulation and oxygen
consumption during submaximal exercise. J Sports Sci Med. 2005; 4:
314-322.
Hill CA, Harris RC, Kim HJ, Harris BD, Sale C, Boobis
LH, Kim CK, Wise JA. (2007). "Influence of beta-alanine supplementation
on skeletal muscle carnosine concentrations and high intensity cycling
capacity". Amino Acids 32 (2): 225–33.
Howald H, et al. Ascorbic acid and athletic performance. Annals of the New Your Academy of Sciences. 1975; 258: 458-464.
Zoeller,
RF, et al. Effects of 28 days of beta-alanine and creatine monohydrate
supplementation on aerobic power, ventilatory and lactate thresholds,
and time to exhaustion. Amino Acids. 2007; 33 (3): 5050-510.
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