Two Supplements That You Should Be Taking

Two Supplements That You Should Be Taking

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Supplements generally won't make or break your progress. But they can give you a little additional edge. And that additional 5% or so is enough for me to invest in some supplements. But with so many to choose from, which ones should you take? This article will discuss two supplements that are worth taking as part of your pre & post workout supplementation regimen.

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha Lipoic Acid has several benefits for the fitness minded. First off, it aids in the recovery from oxidative stress. And intense exercise results in plenty of that. ALA also helps regulate variances in blood glucose. There is some research along with much speculation, that this effect of ALA supplementation may be beneficial to individuals with certain types of diabetes.

But what about the bodybuilder or the fitness enthusiast? How can ALA benefit them? Well, it turns out that glucose regulation helps to create a better environment for the production of several key anabolic hormones, IGF-1 being one of them.[1]

L-Carnitine Tartrate

Research has shown that post exercise intake of L-Carnitine yields a positive impact on hormonal and androgen receptor responses.[2] This is sometimes referred to up-regulation. And it means that taking L-Carnitine post-workout can promote muscle growth and recovery.

Other studies have found that L-Carnitine favorably affects recovery from exercise.[3] All of this means that L-Carnitine supplementation is a good idea.

How Much?

For those of you reading this who are looking to get your hands on some Alpha Lipoic Acid or some L-Carnitine, there is good news. Both of these supplements are very reasonably priced. Neither Alpha Lipoic Acid nor L-Carnitine are heavily marketed and that translates into great deals for those of us who want to integrate them into our regular supplementation regimen.

You may also be wondering how much to take. Both Alpha Lipoic Acid and L-Carnitine are available in various dosages from around 100g up to and over 1g per pill/capsule. I generally take 300g of Alpha Lipoic Acid and 1g of L-Carnitine before and after my workouts (cardio too). That dosage seems to also be in line with researched dosage levels.

References

[1] Norton LE, Satterwhite E. The Lipoic Acid Project, http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/layne25.htm
[2] Kraemer, WILLIAM J., et al. "The effects of L-carnitine L-tartrate supplementation on hormonal responses to resistance exercise and recovery." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 17.3 (2003): 455-462.
[3] Volek, Jeff S., et al. "L-Carnitine L-tartrate supplementation favorably affects markers of recovery from exercise stress." American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism 282.2 (2002): E474-E482.

Posted by Clayton Long