Natural Pursuit: Nutritional Consultant

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UPDATE - Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine monohydrate is one of the most popular supplements of all time! Please go to my website at

to find out what 20 years of research says about it!

[NaturalPursuit]

ATP and Creatine

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Creatine is one of the most talked-about ergogenic aids around. A number of supplement companies offer creatine monohydrate (CrH2O) as a new tool for increasing strength and muscle mass.


The Role of ATP
All of the energy produced by the body is generated through a series of chemical reactions within the body's tissues. The raw materials for these reactions are the foods we eat: the carbohydrates, fats and proteins. These foods are by and large digested in the stomach and assimilated in the intestines. Many go through additional chemical changes in the liver. These components are then converted by a series of reactions into a chemical called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP
ATP is known as the body's "energy currency" It's used for building new tissue, nerve transmission, digestion, gland secretions and, of course, for muscle contraction. As its name implies, ATP has three phosphate molecules bonded to an adenosine molecule. When one of the bonds connecting these phosphate molecules is broken through a process known as hydrolysis, a great deal of energy is created. It is this breaking of bonds between molecules that produces all of the energy utilized by the body. In muscle the energy activates specific sites on the contractile elements of the muscle fiber, causing them to shorten.
There are three main pathways for the energy production the body needs to live and grow. This energy is produced by complex reactions that occur within the cell, and all involve the use of ATP in differing ways. Two of these three pathways are called anaerobic, which means that the chemical processes producing the energy do not utilize oxygen. The anaerobic pathways include the ATP-CP system and glycolysis. The third pathway utilizes oxygen in its chemical reactions and is referred to as the aerobic system. Only the ATP-CP system uses creatine to create energy.


The ATP-CP Energy Pathway
The ATP-CP pathway is the body's only immediate source of energy. Activities such as weightlifting and the 100-yard dash, which require rapid and immediate energy, are heavily dependent on this pathway. The ATP-CP system involves an interaction between two molecules, ATP and creatine phosphate, or CP, within the cell. When ATP's outermost phosphate bond is broken off, adenosine diphosphate, or ADP, is formed, along with a great deal of energy. Since the body has only about three ounces of ATP at any one time, however, it runs out of its supply rapidly. Creatine phosphate comes to the rescue. The CP molecule also releases a large amount of energy when the bond between its creatine and phosphate molecules is split. As a result, its phosphate is donated directly to ADP to re-form ATP in the presence of the catalytic enzyme creatine kinase. This process is known as rephosphorylation. ATP is now available to begin the energy cycle again. Since the cell's concentration of CP is three to five times higher than that of ATP, creatine phosphate functions as the cell's energy reservoir.
The ATP-CP pathway provides enough energy for a one-minute walk or six seconds of sprinting, after which the other pathways take over. The main advantage of this energy system is that it can go to work immediately, something the others can't do. If it weren't for the ATP-CP system, we wouldn't be able to lift heavy weights or do any other work that requires immediate full effort. We'd have to start lifting in slow motion.


The Other Energy Pathways
The second anaerobic system is glycolysis. This system provides most of the energy for medium-duration activities like bodybuilding, wrestling and sprint swimming. During glycolysis a glucose molecule enters the cell from the blood and is transformed into a product called pyruvic acid through a series of complex reactions. These reactions allow a significant amount of energy to be produced quickly for muscular contraction just as the ATP-CP system begins to phase out. Glycolysis can also use muscle glycogen (the stored form of glucose) and the glycerol formed when a fat molecule is broken down as raw material for energy production.
In the absence of adequate oxygen the pyruvic acid is converted into lactic acid and alanine, which actually helps keep glycolysis going by removing excess hydrogen ions that would normally bring it to a halt. The lactic acid escapes into the blood****** and away from the muscle.

This escape mechanism is only temporary, however, because the level of lactic acid in the blood and muscle eventually increases. This increased acidity inactivates some of the enzymes used in glycolysis, which reduces the ability of the muscles to contract. Fatigue sets in and exercise must stop.

The third type of energy production is the aerobic system, which is used for vigorous exercise beyond two to three minutes. This system releases 95 percent of the potential energy in each glucose and fat molecule through a complex set of processes called the Krebs cycle, which can only function in the presence of oxygen. This aerobic system makes use of the mitochondria in the cells, which are also known as the cells' energy factories
All three energy systems are interrelated. Rather than switching on and off like the lights of a traffic signal, they overlap to provide a smooth transition from one means of energy production to another. This allows the body to perform at its best through all levels of exercise intensity. Creatine compounds play an important role in the process by providing large amounts of energy for immediate use."

taken from and credit given to bodybuildingphilheath.blogspot.com/2012/01/atp-and-creatine-phosphate.html

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L-Glutamine

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L-glutamine acts as a major metabolic fuel for the small intestine. If the intestine loses its integrity (that is, its ability to absorb nutrients selectively) the bacteria present there may translocate.

That means bacteria that normally provide a beneficial function when they reside in the intestine suddenly travel through the intestinal wall into the blood****** and throughout the body, causing serious infection. L-glutamine prevents this from happening. That's why researchers in hospitals began supplementing some of their oral and tube-feeding formulas with this substance to keep the small intestines of seriously ill patients from breaking down.

What does this have to do with bodybuilding? Along with maintaining the intestines of patients, researchers found that L-glutamine also bolstered the immune system and regulated the rate of protein turnover in the muscle. Bodybuilding researchers quickly took note of this, and it wasn't long before protein powders and supplements were being fortified with L-glutamine.

There are additional benefits as well. From a recent study it appears that L-glutaminecan stimulate the release of growth hormone, results that were achieved with a relatively low dose of only two grams. That's great news for natural bodybuilders and maybe even greater news for men over 40, the age at which normal growth hormone levels start to decline.

The functions of growth hormone include accelerated protein synthesis and positive nitrogen balance. For bodybuilders this translates into muscle growth.

For men over the age of 40, whether or not they're bodybuilders, growth hormone can translate into improved health. One study found that some individuals over 40 release very little growth hormone during sleep, whereas growth hormone levels in children and young adults increase significantly during the first four hours of sleep. Since decreased levels of growth hormone are related to increased fat stores, decreased bone formation, decreased renal blood flow and decreased lean body mass, a natural method of increasing growth hormone to levels similar to those found in young adults would certainly provide health benefits.

The key is to take just enough glutamine to increase growth hormone to desirable levels. The more-is-better doctrine doesn't apply here. Taking larger amounts of L-Glutamine would be counterproductive, overloading your liver. The two grams used in the above-described study provided enough to raise serum glutamine levels without activating liver involvement, and the increase in growth hormone release that followed wasn't enough to cause liver stress but was enough to supply the benefits associated with growth hormone.

If you need another reason to take L-glutamine, consider that after ingesting it, the subjects' plasma bicarbonate levels increased. According to the researchers of this study, "The rise in plasma bicarbonate (and plasma glutamine) would be expected to drive up muscle cellular glutamine content, thereby slowing protein breakdown." This is because protein breakdown is accelerated under acidic conditions.


When should you take L-glutamine? The subjects in the study took it 45 minutes after a light breakfast. Eight of the nine subjects registered elevated blood glutamine levels at 30 and 60 minutes after ingestion. At 90 minutes after ingestion blood glutamine levels returned to normal, which was followed by an increase in circulating growth hormone levels and an elevation in blood bicarbonate levels.

Don't waste your money on unproven supplements. Try those that have proven effective in medical studies like L-glutamine."

taken from and credit given to bodybuildingphilheath.blogspot.com/2012/01/l-glutamine-natural-growth-hormone.html

[NaturalPursuit]

The Basics of Diet Planning

"To create a healthy, fit physique it's important to eat the right foods. Consuming the right nutrients in ideal amounts can dramatically help to change the way you look, and those nutrients are known as protein, carbohydrates and fats. Here are some general guidelines for each macronutrient:

Protein - This is the building block for adding muscle mass and strength. Complete protein foods like meats, eggs, chicken and fish have all the essential amino acids needed to rebuild muscle tissue. Each of your multiple meals per day should contain one source of complete protein.

A good guideline to follow is 1 gram of protein for each pound of body weight per day. This should provide plenty of protein for anyone who is looking to gain muscle. If you are sticking to a low carbohydrate, low calorie diet to lose weight, you might want to consider increasing this general recommendation to 1.25 or even 1.5 grams of protein for each pound of body weight.

Carbohydrates - Carbs are your main source of energy. It's easier for your body to break down sugars for energy compared to protein or fats. In order to keep your blood sugar stable, stick with complex carbohydrates that are broken down more slowly.

Carbs and fats are mostly used for energy when protein intake is high enough to restore muscle tissue regeneration. If your fat intake is low, you can increase carbohydrate consumption. Start with 1.5 grams for each pound of body weight per day and see what results you get. You may have to slightly increase or decrease this amount based on your metabolism and activity level.

Fats - Many people do not even consider their fat intake when planning out a diet. Some protein foods, like beef and eggs, are high in fat, so eating some of these foods will increase your fat intake automatically.

Just as you should avoid simple carbohydrates (sugars) because they're highly processed and contribute to energy ****es and crashes, you should avoid foods that contain a lot of saturated fats. It's the monounsaturated fats including omega-3 fatty acids that you should favor when planning your meals.

If you're eating a moderately high amount of carbohydrates, you should eat a lower amount of total fat in your diet (40-50 grams a day). If you are decreasing your total intake of carbs, you'll need to get more fats to compensate for the lower carbohydrates. Just be sure to eat good, healthy fats from nuts, seeds, olive oil and cold water fish."

taken from and credit given to abbperformance.com/news/the-basics-of-diet-planning-n1515/