How does Alpha Lipotic Acid help us
Written by: Derek Charlebois
Before we get into Alpha Lipoic Acid, let's take a look at what happens to food
when it enters the body:
A normal meal:
Food is consumed.
This food is converted into glucose for energy.
Insulin is released by the pancreas to shuttle the glucose into muscle and fat
cells (assuming liver glycogen levels are full). Once the muscle cells are full,
all excess glucose is shuttled to fat cells.
Now let's look at a meal taken with ALA:
Food is consumed.
This food is converted into glucose for energy.
Insulin is released by the pancreas to shuttle the glucose into muscle and fat
cells. Once the muscle cells are full, all excess glucose is shuttled to fat
cells.
Now this is where ALA comes into play. In order for glucose to be carried into
cells, it must be attached to insulin. ALA is shown to have an insulin mimicking
effect. So then more glucose would be shuttled to fat cells because the muscle
cells are full, right? Wrong! Studies show that ALA increases Glut-4
transporters on the outside of muscle cells. This means more glucose can be
shuttled into muscle cells and away from fat cells. Studies show that the amount
of glucose shuttled to your muscles can increase from 50-60%. For those who are
not that good in math: This means if you ate 100 carbs and originally without
ALA, 40 grams of glucose went to your muscles cells and the rest, 60 grams, went
to fat cells. Now, by supplementing with ALA, you have the power to send 60
grams of glucose and only 40 to fat cells. That is a big difference! How you
ask.
Insulin Effect
ALA has an insulin like effect. It does not take the place of insulin, only
mimics it. (To learn about insulin and its effects you can read my Insulin
article). ALA has been shown to increase glucose uptake by mimicking insulin and
shuttling it to Glut-4 receptors as mentioned above. Because ALA has increased
the number of Glut-4 receptors on the outside of the muscle, more glucose can be
absorbed.
Effects of Increased Glucose Uptake
This increase of glucose does many positive things. These include:
1. Increased pump
2. Less fat accumulation
3. Increases Amino Acid transport
4. Increases creatine
5. Increased insulin sensitivity
6. Increased Pump
Increased Pump
The increased pump is due to the increase in glucose uptake. Not only does this
feel great, but it also contributes to muscle growth. By increasing the muscle
cells volume, but nutrients are able to be shuttled to the muscle. Hence
increased muscle growth.
Less Fat Accumulation
Again, due to the increase in glucose uptake by muscles cells, less glucose is
stored as fat. ALA also lowers one's blood sugar levels, creating a more
suitable atmosphere for fat burning.
Increased Amino Acid and Creatine Uptake
This comes back to the increased pump. Because the muscle cells are in an
enlarged state, more amino acids and creatine can reach them. Insulin increases
amino acid and creatine uptake. Remember, ALA mimics insulin, which means it
also increases amino acid and creatine uptake. There are a ton of creatine
products on the market that are loaded with sugar. This is because sugar causes
an insulin spike, which carries the creatine to muscle cells. The problem with
this is an excess amount of sugar with cause you to gain fat. By supplementing
with ALA you can carry more creatine to muscle cells without swallowing 75+
grams of sugar. I still recommend taking a simple sugary carb after your
workout, but ALA can increase creatine uptake while you take a lower amount of
sugar. This is very important for those who are cutting. They can get the same
effects post workout without having to worry about storing excess carbs as fat.
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Increased Insulin Sensitivity
This is great news for bodybuilders! When I go on a bulking cycle. I find that
about after two months, my gains slow drastically. One way to combat this is to
go on a brief cutting cycle to and your insulin sensitivity rebuild.
Supplementing with ALA could allow you to add more mass as a result of your
insulin sensitivity not reducing.
Results During Cutting vs. Bulking
Results will differ depends on your diet. If you are bulking, you can expect to
less fat and more muscle gain because of ALA nutrient partitioning effect.
Results from cutting are increased fat loss and a muscle sparing effect. Because
your muscles are storing more glucose, your muscles will not become as depleted
as they usually do when cutting. This helps you look full and not flat.
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