Monday, March 31, 2014

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Betaine Supplementation For Strength, Size & Endur...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Betaine Supplementation For Strength, Size & Endur...: If you feel like a shadow of yourself, betaine may help - specifically with  metabolically demanding workouts. "Six-weeks of beta...



 
Bottom line: The study at hand adds more and, above all, highly relevant (human study, advanced trainees) evidence that betaine (2.5g/day in two servings) could make a valuable addition to the supplementation regimen of fitness models, physique competitors and bodybuilders, alike.

With its long-proven ability to reduce homocysteine levels () it has also been implicated as an agent that may prevent heart disease... unfortunately,  this assumption is based on the hypothesis that homocysteine plays a causative role in the development of heart disease and neither this nor the beneficial effects of choline & betaine on CVD are proven facts (Folsom. 1998; HCS. 2002; Olthof. 2005).

Studies from Ergo-Log.com
Trimethylglycine stimulates muscle growth via IGF-1 20.02.2014
The anabolic effect of betaine 04.11.2013
Betaine gives bodybuilders more muscle and less fat 24.10.2013
Sprint faster with betaine 13.12.2012
Twenty grams of creatine makes you stronger; two grams of betaine doesn't 15.10.2011
Superstack: CLA + betaine 10.05.2009
Trimethylglycine helps you get more reps out of your squats 03.04.2009
http://www.tigerfitness.com/Purus-Labs-NOxygen-p/purusnoxy.htm&Click=61298

Starting a new bicep routine this week.

Time to really get back to biceps. I fell for the "you don't have to do direct bicep work" arguement over the past year.  This caused me to mainly get my bicep work when doing bent-over rows, lat pulldowns and pull-ups. Well, my arms are a good size but a terrible shape. No peak and not the baseball fullness. I'd like to attribute some of this to age but I really can't. So in April I will be trying out the following workout. I poached this from Ben Pakulski with a few changes.


Band Curls                                                           1x50

Supinated Dumbbell Curls                                4x10

Thumb Flush Supinated Dumbbell Curls        4x10

Suspension Trainer High Curls                          2x10

High Band Curls                                                   2x10

Behind the Back Band Curls                              4x10

Suspension Trainer Clutch Curls                       2x10


Source:


 




Saturday, March 29, 2014

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Double Your Gains With Plain Creatine Monohydrate:...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Double Your Gains With Plain Creatine Monohydrate:...: No pain... ah no creatine, no gain ;-) There have been so many articles about creatine on the Internet that I usually hesitate to add an...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Ask Dr. Andro: The Pharmacokinetics of Creatine (P...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Ask Dr. Andro: The Pharmacokinetics of Creatine (P...: Illustration 1: There is a bunch of things that could potentially go wrong with creatine uptake: The creatine from dietary sources could...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Ask Dr. Andro: The Pharmacokinetics of Creatine (P...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Ask Dr. Andro: The Pharmacokinetics of Creatine (P...: Illustration 1: There is a bunch of things that could potentially go wrong with creatine uptake: The creatine from dietary sources could...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: The Overlooked Non-ROS-Scavenging Antioxidant Effe...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: The Overlooked Non-ROS-Scavenging Antioxidant Effe...: Creatine, obviously monohydrate and no expensive and often impotent spinoff (Jäger. 2011) is useful for any athlete. The number of items...



Bottom line: If you are still not taking your 3-5g of creatine per day religiously, you are either in the last week of your contest prep and afraid of the potential increase in water retention, or you are a soccer mum who has been bamboozeled by the sensational reports about "kidney damage due to dangerous nutritional supplements" that pop up on one of the news channels every now and then.



I mean, what other invalid reason for not making use of this "non-enzymatic antioxidant" as a side-effect free health and performance promoter?

Friday, March 28, 2014

Product Review: Chris Jones and Vince G's Physiques of Greatness PreOG PreWorkout is HERE!


https://www.tigerfitness.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=preog&Click=61298



Strawberry Lemonade

Serving Size 1 Scoop (13.41 Grams)
Servings Per Container 20

Amount Per Serving

Serving % DV
Calories0 -
Sodium0 mg-
Potassium0 mg-
Total Carbohydrate0 g-
Sugars0 g-
Niacin0 mg-
Vitamin B6 (as Pyrdoxine HCl)2 mg100.000%
Vitamin B3 (as Niacinamide)20 mg100.000%
Vitamin B121200 mcg2000.000%
Vitamin B9400 mcg100.000%
Creapure® Creatine Monohydrate5 g

Carnosyn® Beta Alanine3.2 g

AgmaPure™ (Agmatine Sulfate1.5 g

L-Carnitine L-Tartrate1.5 g

N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine500 mg

Caffeine Anhydrous250 mg

Higenamine
HCI
20 mg

Proprietary Blends = NONE
*percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Other Ingredients: Citric Acid,natural & artificial flavoring, silica, sucralose, FD&C Red #40 Lake.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Nutrition Facts are a simulation of the product's "Nutrition Label". For the actual Nutrition Label please refer to the product packaging.

#helpYOUgetGAINS 
Twitter: @helpYOUgetGAINS

Get your bodybuilding stack at Piping Rock Supplements!


Testosterone Therapy - Royal Men's Medical Center
Great Service and Price - Tell them Michael Henry referred you. https://t.co/0HQkC961lN pic.twitter.com/pLPd4uTAOt
— #HelpYouGetGAINS (@helpYOUgetGAINS) September 26, 2017









SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: High Dose Fish Oil Supplementation: Short Term Ben...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: High Dose Fish Oil Supplementation: Short Term Ben...: Does a (very) high fish oil diet entail the risk of going rancid - in spite of all its short-term health benefits? Don't worry, I am...



Bottom line: In the end, the study at hand is just a reminder that "good" and "bad" are - at least in the realms of 'healthy eating' - no constants. A high omega-3 intake, for example, has only been shown to favorably influence someone health if it corrects am existent deficiency. Once the point of optimal balance (whatever this may be) is reached, the beneficial effects such as the often hailed activation of the PPAR-alpha gene (which were not even significant in the study at hand) do no longer compensate for the increasing 'rancidity' and susceptibility of the liver to oxidative damage.

The addition of high amounts of supplemental fish oil to your diet should thus be regarded as a therapeutic intervention with potential long-term side effects. It's a crutch, like any drug people use to avoid making the nevessary life-style changes that include minimizing the amount of processed foods and reducing, but not annihilating the omega-6 content of their diets, regular physical activity and practicing moderation, instead of super-sizing every meal.

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Sesame Powered High Omega-6 Diet Boosts Endurance ...: At least in rodents omega-6s appear to make abetter match with exercise than in human beings. I actually referenced this study several t...

 
 

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Old School Supplements - Choline: Stronger, Faster...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Old School Supplements - Choline: Stronger, Faster...: Image 1: You really get a hefty dose of the history of physical culture with volume 1 + 2 of Randy Roach 's Muscle, Smoke & Mirror...

Performing more reps and training at an even higher volume - With dietary / supplemental choline being a necessary precursor to acetylcholine, which in turn facilitates skeletal muscle contraction, it was only reasonable to assume that the 2-3x per day 2-3h marathon workouts some of the guys were performing, would increase the risk to deplete your choline levels so that the acetylcholine production would come to a standstill and your muscles would simply refuse to contract.

Greater protection and faster repair of muscle damage - Due to its established anti-oxidant effects and its status as an essential and functional constituent of the cell wall, it appears logical that adequate levels of choline would be necessary to both protect and repair skeletal muscle.

Increased leanness and vascularity - In view of the fact that it has been known since the early 1950s that choline's role in the oxidation of fatty acid goes well beyond serving as a source for the phospholipids that would carry them out of the liver and to the mitochondria of skeletal muscle and other metabolically active tissue (Artom. 1953). Even the assumption that choline supplementation will propel the oxidation of fatty acids, promote lower body fat levels and lead either directly (fat loss) or indirectly (reduced inflammation = reduced subcutaneous water) to a more vascular look, was far from being a bro-scientific 'dumb-and-barbell story'.

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Meaty "News": Choline, Carnitine & "Bacteria Poop"...: Personally, I eat meat and will continue to do so, but the above is not meat. That's junk, for which there is evidence that it precip...





SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Forgotten Dieting Aids: Choline, Carnitine, Caffei...: I bet both Flex Wheeler (left) as well as Serge Nubret (right) still knew what choline is. Something you probably cannot say of many of to...

A final note on a possible CCC protocol: I actually did not want to write that down, but I know you will be asking anyways. Please keep in mind though, that I cannot tell you the optimal dose and that I have more than just second thoughts about taking high amounts of choline (see potential side effects next to the respective bullet point below).

  • Max. (!) 3g choline: Take the choline (bitartrate or citrate, no funky GPC or similar junk) with meals split across the day, but refrain from taking the human equivalents (HED) from the rodent study, I suppose 3g could already make you smell like a fish. Watch out for potential side effects, such as cramps, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, high blood pressure, or acne-like skin rash. Stop the supplement immediately, if you experience any of those. Also make sure to get adequate amounts of potassium and magnesium.
  • 3-5g of carnitine: Stick to the l-tartrate or regular form of carnitine. Take the carnitine in 3 doses best on empty (learn more about in the Amino Acids for Super Humans Series).
  • 200mg sevings of caffeine: Use the caffeine whenever you are fasted for at least 90min or before you are working out. Don't take more than 400mg, max. 600mg per day and - needless to say - don't take it before bed.
Again keep an eye on side effects and don't expect any miracles! This is a supplement to help you lose fat, not to make you lose fat.

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Choline Maximizes Carnitine Retention + Effects. T...: The more choline the better the carnitine retention; and the better the retention the less high carnitine red mead you'll have to eat ...



A man can dream ..... My Wishlist

Farmers Walk Black Bars

StairMaster SM3 StepMill



Ader Sporting Goods
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Whey or Casein? Pre- or Post Workout Protein? Insi...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Whey or Casein? Pre- or Post Workout Protein? Insi...: You already read it in the title of this post: The following data comes from a small scale study ( Dideriksen. 2011 ) in elderly people. Tho...

Bottom Line:
In essence the combination of a slow acting casein before workout and a mixture of fast acting whey and slow acting casein protein after workouts would maximize both total, as well as, essential amino acid levels over a time period from 15-60 and 30-270 minutes, respectively - with a whey-induced "anabolic" leucine spike in the immediate vicinity of the workout.

Well, that being said, guess who has already developed such a pre/post/peri-all-in-one-workout formula for you? Nature! The name? Milk! Milk is roughly 80% casein and 20% whey, has some additional carbs in it that will get you through your workout and is full of healthy minerals and vitamins that will help you recover even faster. Make it raw unpasteurized milk from the happy grass-fed cows of a local farmer and there will be little room for further improvements ;-)









Click here to visit www.TigerFitness.com

UMP is a "80/20" casein/whey blend
Owing to its exceptionally high content of MPI, each serving of UMP contains 80% slow-release micellar casein and 20% fast-release whey. This combination of proteins provides dual quick anabolic and extended anti-catabolic properties.*

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Non-Fasted Cardio the True Key To Weight Loss? Stu...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Non-Fasted Cardio the True Key To Weight Loss? Stu...: Cardio & weight training are not mutually exclusive | learn more ! It's actually quite funny. A few days ago I wrote in a short ...

 
References: 
Binns, Ashley, Michelle Gray, and Ro Di Brezzo. "Thermic effect of food, exercise, and total energy expenditure in active females." Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (2014).

Monday, March 24, 2014

How to Build a Home Gym (Beginner to Advanced)


Top Form Fitness


http://80653ox964t9sl1ejws24-t3s9.hop.clickbank.net/

Elliott Hulse's Lean Hybrid Muscle Reloaded - Build Muscle & Burn Fat





Whole Food then Exercise then Supplements Maybe.......

Great physiques have been built for thousands of years on food and exercise. Supplements seem to have a short history outside of current times. I mean for me in the 80's a pre-workout was fruit or fruit juice. I wasn't timing anything. I lifted, walked home and drank some milk. Maybe made a sandwich and grew all the same.

I didn't slam whey and carbs. I didn't have casein at bedtime. And the BCAAs I had came from whole foods .... unless I saved enough lunch money to buy some dessicated liver tablets.

Since then I've tried every supplement imaginable with a lot of healthy skepticism. The skepticism comes from reading 35 years worth of claims from supplement manufacturers.

But alas I still look for that magic pill.


I do believe in my fish oil, creatine and protein powders. But I know that I could still be well off without any of it.


Here's some skepticism sources for you:

Less than half of all herbal supplements actually contain what's on ...
Feb 15, 2014 ... In supplements that are supposed to contain African Mango there is no African
Mango. In the Acai Berry Select supplement there's not a trace of ...

www.ergo-log.com/less-than-half-of-all-herbal-supplements-actually-contain-what-s-on-the-label.html
No African Mango in African Mango supplements - Ergo-Log
Sep 12, 2012 ... If you've bought a slimming supplement that contains African Mango, there's a
chance that it doesn't contain any African Mango at all.

www.ergo-log.com/no-african-mango-in-african-mango-supplements.html

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Whey and Casein Work Hand in Hand for Protein Anab...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Whey and Casein Work Hand in Hand for Protein Anab...: Image 1: Ex-Mr. Universe, Manohar Aich, turns 100 and swears by milk and other whole foods ( NYDaily ) Do you know the good old saying...





Click here to visit www.TigerFitness.com

UMP "80/20"
Owing to its exceptionally high content of MPI, each serving of UMP contains 80% slow-release micellar casein and 20% fast-release whey. This combination of proteins provides dual quick anabolic and extended anti-catabolic properties.*

Scientists put the pieces back together, yet not without making a fat mistake


Image 2: I wonder if those are the physical consequences of drinking skimmed milk - I mean, David looks like he had a hell lot of glucagon going on, right? ... what? You mean David did not even drink milk, just took the money, no - impossible!
Overall, this study therefore confirms two things we should actually have grasped all-along. Firstly, the combination of whey and casein as it is found in milk has worked to nicely for generations of physical culturists, because it is (if you will) "evolutionary" designed to trigger and sustain protein synthesis. And secondly, milk does contain a hell lot of "sugar", to avoid that the protein-induced surge in insulin leads has to be countered by a similarly pronounced secretion of glucagon, to kickstart gluconeogenesis and stabilize the blood sugar levels.

If you will, you could however argue that nature must have a design flaw in its muscle builder #1, after all the amount of carbs appears to be insufficient to fully negate the release of glucagon; yet while the lactose to protein ratio was 1.44 and thus identical to milk, there was one essential component of milk scientists tend to forget missing: fat! And you know what - an increase in free fatty acids as the one that follows the ingestion of the allegedly bat saturated fats blunts the release of glucagon. What? Yeah, nature is actually pretty smart, you are right!

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Whey or Casein, Pulse or Spread Evenly Across the ...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Whey or Casein, Pulse or Spread Evenly Across the ...: Image 1: Instinctively right? Milk contains soluble (=whey) proteins and casein. Are we overthinking things, when we rip them apart and do...

Bottom Line: Against that background the study at hand supports
previous findings of the importance of a threshold intake of
protein
. Interestingly, it did not confirm the notion that this threshold
intake should be spread equally across the day, which is something most
commenters (me included) read into the seminal paper by Loenneke et al., which
found a statistically significant negative correlation not between total protein
intake, but between the number of meals with 10g or more essential amino acids
in them and abdominal obesity (Loenneke. 2012). So, does timing matter, or
does it not?

  1. It does matter, when you work out, there is ample evidence to
    support that the ingestion of protein in the vicinity of the workout cannot just
    amplify the protein synthetic response but will also results in an
    increase in real world muscle gains.
  2. It appears that it does not matter, when you are dieting
    (only), though; not just the study at hand, but also the success many people
    report on intermittent fasting regimen, would support the notion that the more
    sustained anabolism you may be able to achieve by ingesting say 4x25g of protein
    instead of 1x80 + 2x10g has, compared to the total amount of protein you eat,
    relatively little influence on the conservation of lean body mass, when you are
    dieting.
And as far as the choice between casein and milk soluble protein, aka whey (see first red box), is concerned (see box on the right, as well), it would appear prudent to assume that a combination of both - just like nature intended it - would be the best choice as a "standalone" protein source (cf. "Whey and Casein Work Hand in Hand for Protein Anabolism, but Scientists Overlook Fat, When They Reassemble Milk"), while the higher leucine content and faster digestibility render whey the better candidate for classic "supplementation", as in having an additional shake before you
start preparing your whole-foods post-workout meal, which should - and I hope it's not really necessary that I say that - obviously include a significant amount of protein (fish, eggs, meats, and if you will even more dairy ;-), as well. The usefulness (again, not necessarily the superiority!) of slow
digesting protein is something you should be aware of, anyway, right? If not re-read the "3.2kg of Lean Mass Over Night W/ 40g of Slow Digesting Protein 30min Before Bed!?" post from February 22, 2012.




UMP is a "80/20" casein/whey blend
Owing to its exceptionally high content of MPI, each serving of UMP contains 80% slow-release micellar casein and 20% fast-release whey. This combination of proteins provides dual quick anabolic and extended anti-catabolic properties.*





SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Ask Dr. Andro: Are Vitamin Supplements Bad For Me ...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Ask Dr. Andro: Are Vitamin Supplements Bad For Me ...: Figure 1: This is where you, my American friends (and most Europeans), should and would get your "E's" from - it's calle...

Sunday, March 23, 2014

When Patrick Arnold talks performance enhancement, you should listen.


http://www.tigerfitness.com/E-Phram-Pump-Spray-p/5670007.htm&Click=61298


Who is Patrick Arnold from his blog:

Patrick Arnold is an organic chemist who is renowned in the field of performance enhancement and sports supplements.  Patrick first hit the public eye in the late 1990’s when he introduced androstenedione (“andro”) to the market place.   Andro became widely known after it was linked to Mark Maguire in 1998 – the year he broke the seasonal home run record.  Patrick later went on to develop several other “prohormone” supplements such as 4-AD and 1-AD.  1-AD was considered by many to be the most effective and most popular prohormone ever developed.

Patrick is unique in the supplement industry because not only does he discover and introduce novel ingredients, but he uses his skills in organic synthesis to develop manufacturing processes for these ingredients.  Together with his business partner Lakhan Boodram, he actually carries out the commercial production of many of these ingredients and maintains his own strict quality oversight.
Despite all these accomplishments, Patrick may be best known as the man who developed the designer steroids that were behind the Balco scandal.  The most widely known of these steroids was tetrahydrogestrinone, also known as THG or “The Clear”.  Patrick was convicted for his role in the Balco scandal and served prison time.

In addition to Patrick’s work with prohormones and steroids he also is credited with introducing many successful ingredients to the supplement market place such as ipriflavone, 1,3-dimethylamylamine (i.e. Geranamine®), and phenibut.

Patrick currently produces products for the nutritional supplement company E-pharm Nutrition, as well as for Prototype Nutrition.  He continues to be perhaps the number one driving force in the advancement of performance enhancing nutritional supplementation.

Patrick Arnold's Prototype Nutrition.
 
Pump Spray Information from the E-Pharm website:

Pump Spray - Arginine Ursolic Acid
Arginine ursolic acid is an enhanced version of a natural compound known as ursolic acid. You may have never heard of ursolic acid before, but take my word for it when I tell you that it has more potential to change the way your body looks and functions than any chemical compound available outside of drugs and hormones. In fact, it has the potential to actuallyoutperform many of these drugs and hormones. The key word here is potential. For ursolic acid to really work – to unlock its potential – one needs to do a little chemical magic to it. But before I explain all that in detail, let’s first briefly look at what ursolic acid is.

Ursolic Acid
Ursolic acid is found in many plants, fruits, and vegetables and it belongs to class of compounds called pentacyclic triterpene acids.
Pentacyclic Triterpene Acids Compound Structure
Ursolic acid has been studied for decades. Scientists have known for quite some time that it has a wide variety of health benefits ranging from antioxidant potential and cancer prevention to protection against diabetes. Scientists have also made intriguing findings regarding ursolic acid’s effects on fat metabolism and storage that seem to suggest the compound may be a dieter’s dream. But it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that research came out that really caught everyone’s eye. Since then, two landmark papers have been published by a research team from a major American university and these papers have made ursolic acid front page headlines.

The papers showed that ursolic acid given to mice caused them to lose fat and gain muscle – not just a little bit, but a lot. Their muscles produced much more of a growth factor known as IGF-1, and the levels of protein synthesis and storage were increased. The ursolic acid mice could even eat more than other mice and they would still burn a lot more fat. This was due to their greater amounts of calorie burning muscle tissue as well as increased levels of a unique kind of metabolically active fat called brown fat. Brown fat is full of an enzyme called UCP-1, and this enzyme burns calories and releases heat in a process known as thermogenesis (you may notice an increased body temperature after using Pump Spray due to this thermogenesis as well as due to peripheral vasodilation effects).
A very interesting aspect of ursolic acid is something that was hinted at in older researched and then confirmed by this latest research. It has to do with increased production of endothelial nitric oxide. This is the nitric oxide that is produced in the blood vessels and causes them to expand and increase blood flow. The research scientists also discovered that ursolic acid activated a substance called vascular endothelial growth factor-A. This substance actually stimulates the production of new blood vessels. New blood vessels are needed to support the metabolic needs of growing tissue such as muscle. It is these effects on blood vessel physiology that are at the heart of the “pump” inducing and vascular enhancement properties of Pump Spray.

How we made Ursolic Acid work
Straight up ursolic acid is strange stuff. It dissolves very poorly in most fatty like solvents and it completely repels water (if you stick it in water it actually floats and stays completely dry). These properties make it extremely poorly absorbed. You see, for things to get absorbed they have to have some sort of solubility in either oil or water, and since ursolic acid is so poor in both regards the lion’s share of material just doesn’t get where it needs to go. This applies for both orally and topically applied ursolic acid.

So the challenge is to improve ursolic acid’s solubility characteristics such that it is able to be absorbed efficiently. We used what is known as the “pro-drug” approach (in our case, the term “pro-nutrient” would be more applicable). With this approach one alters the structure of the compound with hydrolysable functional groups in such a way that its chemical properties are improved. A hydrolysable group is something like an ester, certain ethers, amides etc. that your body will be able to efficiently convert back into the parent compound once it has been absorbed.

We took advantage of the chemistry of ursolic acid to add an acetate ester (forming ursolic acetate, which is itself actually a known natural derivative of ursolic acid). However, esterification was not enough since although ursolic acid’s lipid solubility was greatly improved, it still suffered from poor aqueous solubility. So we developed a method to link up the acid group of ursolic acid with the highly basic amino acid arginine. Acids react with bases to form salts, and salts are have superior solublity in water compared to their parent acids.

The resulting compound – arginine ursolic acid – has remarkable solubility characteristics. It dissolves fantastically in most organic solvents and disperses like soap in water. Consequently, it absorbs and penetrates very effectively.
Arginine Ursolic Acetate Compound Structure
When applied to the skin it absorbs rapidly and efficiently. The end effect is the initiation of subcutaneous fat dissolution and vasodilation effects that over time lead to dramatic changes in muscular definition and fullness. The benefits of ursolic acid can thusly be achieved in a manner that is impossible to match by any other means currently available.

Arginine ursolic acetate is but one half of the magic of Pump Spray. The other half is triacetyladenosine. Together these ingredients in our special topical base will give you unbelievable fat burning, muscle pumping, and vascularizing effects that you never thought possible from a natural supplement.

*Arginine ursolic acetate and other amino acid and amino acid derivative salts of ursolic acid esters are covered under a pending patent.

Pump Spray - Triacetyladenosine
Adenosine is an important molecule that serves a wide variety of roles in the function of cells throughout the body. You may be familiar of it as a component of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the energy transfer molecule that keeps our body and brains working. You may also have heard of cyclic AMP, which is a cellular messenger that carries the signal for such things as adrenaline to fat and muscle. Less well known though is the fact that adenosine itself is a very important signaling molecule, especially in regards to blood flow. In particular (and of most interest to us) is the effect of adenosine on blood flow to muscles.
Adenosine Compound Structure

When muscles are exercised, ATP starts to become depleted. This cascade of depletion leads first to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), then to adenosine monophosphate (AMP), and finally to free adenosine. This free adenosine formed is then released from the muscle during contraction under conditions of low pH (as lactic acid accumulates). Outside the muscle it then interacts with adenosine receptors on the surface of the muscle cell, the neuromuscular junction, as well as the capillaries that feed the muscle. Adenosine serves to open up the capillaries to help the working muscle stay supplied with nutrients and oxygen, as well as to take away metabolic waste products. Additionally, adenosine’s interactions with its receptors on the muscle cell initiates what is known as the exercise mediated stimulation of glucose uptake. The muscle cells thereby take in and process glucose rapidly directly – without the presence of insulin being required.

The effect of adenosine on muscular blood flow is well recorded and is dramatic. Infusions of adenosine have been shown to increase blood flow and glucose uptake in skeletal muscle several fold. This happens very rapidly. Adenosine however must be infused into the blood stream since it is such a rapidly metabolized compound. In fact, its half-life is less than ten seconds. This is due primarily to the action of an enzyme called adenosine deaminase. This enzyme irreversibly converts adenosine to a compound known as inosine.

Adenosine Deaminase Compound Structure
The unstable nature of adenosine is unfortunate, as it makes its administration for physique and exercise enhancement problematic. Some have tried to overcome this by offering it in the form of ATP, however this does not really solve the problem because once it is converted to adenosine (and this happens rapidly during digestion) it once again becomes susceptible to adenosine deaminase and much of it is destroyed. Very little of it reaches the muscles.

We can protect adenosine from this rapid and destructive deamination reaction. By making one of the hydroxyl groups (5’) on the ribose portion of the molecule into an ester, it has been found that the action of adenosine deaminase is blocked. The protection of this hydroxyl group allows the compound extended lifetime in the body, so that it may reach target tissues. Esterases at target tissues then regenerate the parent adenosine, where it may then interact with the appropriate adenosine receptors and impart its valuable pharmacological properties.

Epharm has chosen to use the acetate ester for protection of adenosine. For purposes of convenience all three hydroxyl groups are made into acetates, and the end product is called triacetyladenosine. Utilization of the ester form has an additional benefit, as it renders the compound soluble in organic solvent bases. This allows it to be suitable for use in a topical formula, and that is exactly what we decided to do with Pump Spray.

Triacetyladenosine Compound Structure
By optimizing the influence of adenosine on the skeletal muscle you can achieve maximum capillary vasodilation. This is manifested in what is known as exercise induced hyperemia, or more commonly referred to as “the pump”. Adenosine does more than just allow for vasodilation in the muscle however, it also is known to mediate the exercise induced secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This growth factor serves the purpose to promote the formation of new capillaries, thereby augmenting the vascular network that feeds muscles for contraction as well as new growth.
Below are just a sample of references to just a few of the many articles published on the role of adenosine in muscle and exercise induced hyperemia. It is clearly apparent that adenosine plays a key role in the physical response to exercise, and with the introduction of triacetyladenosine as a component of Pump Spray you are finally able to capitalize fully on its potential!!

Acta Physiol Scand. 2001 Feb;171(2):177-85.
Role of adenosine in exercise-induced human skeletal muscle vasodilatation.
Rådegran G, Calbet JA.
Acta Biochim Pol. 2006;53(2):269-78. Epub 2006 Jun 12.
Adenosine as a metabolic regulator of tissue function: production of adenosine by cytoplasmic 5'-nucleotidases.
Borowiec A, Lechward K, Tkacz-Stachowska K, Składanowski AC.
Hypertension. 2009 Jun;53(6):993-9. Epub 2009 May 11.
Adenosine contributes to blood flow regulation in the exercising human leg by increasingprostaglandin and nitric oxide formation.
Mortensen SP, Nyberg M, Thaning P, Saltin B, Hellsten Y.

J Appl Physiol. 2006 Aug;101(2):492-9. Epub 2006 Apr 13.
Bimodal distribution of vasodilator responsiveness to adenosine due to difference in nitric oxidecontribution: implications for exercise hyperemia.
Martin EA, Nicholson WT, Eisenach JH, Charkoudian N, Joyner MJ.

J Appl Physiol. 2010 Feb;108(2):378-86. Epub 2009 Nov 25.
Comparison of exogenous adenosine and voluntary exercise on human skeletal muscle perfusionand perfusion heterogeneity.
Heinonen I, Kemppainen J, Kaskinoro K, Peltonen JE, Borra R, Lindroos MM, Oikonen V, Nuutila P, Knuuti J, Hellsten Y, Boushel R, Kalliokoski KK.
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2010 Sep;299(3):H857-62. Epub 2010 Jun 11.
Contraction-induced secretion of VEGF from skeletal muscle cells is mediated by adenosine.
Høier B, Olsen K, Nyberg M, Bangsbo J, Hellsten Y.
Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2012 Feb 1;302(3):R385-90. Epub 2011 Nov 30.
Effects of adenosine, exercise, and moderate acute hypoxia on energy substrate utilization of human skeletal muscle.
Heinonen I, Kemppainen J, Kaskinoro K, Peltonen JE, Sipilä HT, Nuutila P, Knuuti J, Boushel R, Kalliokoski KK.
Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2005 Aug;289(2):R283-R296.
Growth regulation of the vascular system: an emerging role for adenosine.
Adair TH.
Hypertension. 2010 Dec;56(6):1102-8. Epub 2010 Nov 1.
Interstitial and plasma adenosine stimulate nitric oxide and prostacyclin formation in humanskeletal muscle.
Nyberg M, Mortensen SP, Thaning P, Saltin B, Hellsten Y.
J Physiol. 2001 Nov 1;536(Pt 3):927-35.
Oxygen delivery and oxygen consumption in rat hindlimb during systemic hypoxia: role ofadenosine.
Edmunds NJ, Marshall JM.
J Appl Physiol. 2007 Dec;103(6):2042-8. Epub 2007 Sep 20.
Role of adenosine in regulating the heterogeneity of skeletal muscle blood flow during exercise inhumans.
Heinonen I, Nesterov SV, Kemppainen J, Nuutila P, Knuuti J, Laitio R, Kjaer M, Boushel R, Kalliokoski KK.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 1998;441:97-106.
Role of adenosine in regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in contracting muscle.
Hespel P, Richter EA.
J Physiol. 2007 Sep 15;583(Pt 3):835-45. Epub 2007 Jul 5.
The roles of adenosine and related substances in exercise hyperaemia.
Marshall JM.
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2010 Sep;299(3):H857-62. Epub 2010 Jun 11.
Contraction-induced secretion of VEGF from skeletal muscle cells is mediated by adenosine.
Høier B, Olsen K, Nyberg M, Bangsbo J, Hellsten Y.

Pump Spray - Neovascularization
Neovascularization (also known as angiogenesis) is the formation of new vascular pathways. In the case of skeletal muscle, neovascularization is a healthy response that is stimulated by exercise. Intense exercise stimulates reactions in the muscle which increase its size, strength, as well as endurance. To support this larger and stronger muscle tissue there must be a corresponding increase in the ability of your body to feed the new tissue. This is where neovascularization comes into play.
Many people hit plateaus in training. Their muscles grow only so big and then they find it hard to make any further gains. This can be due to limitations in many areas, including the ability to activate genes that promote protein synthesis and/or an inability to repress genes responsible for protein degradation. It may also of course be due to inadequate intake of proper protein, calories, and essential nutrients to support muscle growth. Another possibility is that the body is unable to supply the muscle with the proper oxygen and substrates needed to support growth because the network of blood vessels and capillaries feeding it have not been adequately developed.

Much like how an army can only advance so far without adequate supply lines, your muscles can only grow so large without adequate vascular infiltration. This is where Pump Spray comes to the rescue. Pump Spray's two ingredients are proven to increase the production of vascular endothelial growth factor -1 (VEGF1), which is the signal protein released by muscle when it undergoes stress due to exercise that depletes oxygen and energy substrates. VEGF1 signals the muscles to sprout new blood vessels and capillaries off of existing ones to facilitate the growth and metabolic adaptations needed to handle the exercise strain.

By supporting and enhancing your body's own natural neovascularization response, you ensure that you maintain optimal anabolic supply lines so that your muscles can continue their hypertrophic blitzkrieg offensive! Not to mention the fact that roadmap veins covering your muscles definitely make a formidable fitness statement!

For further technical reading regarding the ingredients in Pump Spray and their roles in neovascularization of muscle tissue check out the following references.

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2010 Sep;299(3):H857-62. Epub 2010 Jun 11.
Contraction-inducesecretion of VEGF from skeletal muscle cells is mediated by adenosine.
Høier BOlsen KNyberg MBangsbo JHellsten Y.
Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2005 Aug;289(2):R283-R296.
Growth regulation of the vascular system: an emerging role for adenosine.
Adair TH.
High Alt Med Biol. 2008 Summer;9(2):158-66.
Skeletal muscle capillarity during hypoxia: VEGF and its activation.
Breen ETang KOlfert M,  ;Knapp AWagner P.
J Appl Physiol. 1999 May;86(5):1513-8.
Effect of NO, vasodilator prostaglandins, and adenosine on skeletal muscle angiogenic growth factor gene expression.
Benoit H, Jordan M, Wagner H, Wagner PD.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2001;502:349-63.
Roles of adenosine and nitric oxide in skeletal muscle in acute and chronic hypoxia.
Marshall JM.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 Jul 4;371(3):556-60. Epub 2008 Apr 28.
Modulation of angiogenic factors by ursolic acid.
Kiran MSViji RISameer Kumar VBSudhakaran PR.
 J Agric Food Chem. 2010 Dec 22;58(24):12941-9. Epub 2010 Nov 12.
Ursolic acid induces allograft inflammatory factor-1 expression via a nitric oxide-related mechanism and increasesneovascularization.
Lee AWChen TLShih CMHuang CYTsao NWChang NCChen YHFong THLin FY.
Can J Cardiol. 1986 Mar-Apr;2(2):120-3.
Angiogenesis in the heart and skeletal muscle.Hudlicka OWright AJZiada AM

IronMagLabs - Hardcore Bodybuilding Nutrition