Description:

Drop the kitchen sink approach and get surgical.

Core BURN is formulated with a diverse range of proven ingredients to create a powerful, balanced, and effective product. Core BURN is designed to target precise primary and secondary metabolic pathways, at multiple targets, to ensure maximum weight management.

• 2-3 capsules per serving.
• 75-50 servings per container.
• Jitter-free weight management.

Every week, there is a new story about a “breakthrough” or “miracle” substance that will make every other ingredient before it obsolete. Some of these claims may have merit, but the truth is that the biochemical processes of lipolysis are very complex and tightly regulated by the endocrine system and other biochemical pathways. Navigating this maze to effectively manage weight and body composition therefore requires more than a single, “miracle” compound: it involves numerous agents that together activate certain metabolic functions, while suppressing others. No single, “magic” compound does the job alone.

Core BURN is formulated to drop the kitchen sink and “miracle” ingredient tactics, and instead uses a diverse range of proven ingredients to create a powerful, balanced, and effective product. Core BURN is designed to target precise primary and secondary metabolic pathways, at multiple targets, to ensure maximum effectiveness. No more playing darts in the dark when it comes to weight management categories; randomly including ingredients, in whatever servings, hoping that something works. Specific. Multi-targeted. These words exemplify the new approach: amazing ingredients, in clinically-reflected serving sizes, all included in a non-proprietary blend so you know exactly what you’re consuming. 

Ingredients:

Acetyl-l-Carnitine:

L-carnitine is a derivative of the amino acid lysine and, as certain conditions outpace the body’s ability to produce it, l-carnitine is considered a conditionally essential amino acid. While endogenous biosynthesis of l-carnitine from the amino acids lysine and methionine is sufficient for essential processes – along with dietary sources of carnitine from protein-rich red meat, for example – dietary supplementation of carnitine may pose benefits in certain physiological conditions.

Unfortunately, due to excess metabolism of l-carnitine by microorganisms in the small intestine, exogenous supplementation with oral l-carnitine has proved ineffective. ALCAR, an acetylated version of l-carnitine, has considerably higher oral bioavailability, due likely to only partial hydrolytic metabolism. Once in the bloodstream, ALCAR plays a fundamental role in the production of energy, acting as the catalyst for the beta-oxidation of long chain fatty acids by the mitochondria; regulating the CoA to Acyl-CoA ratio (necessary for the production of ATP); and the metabolism of carbohydrates. ALCAR also is an excitatory agent for neurons, increases neuronal transmission, and increases the production of neurotransmitters and neurohormones such as dopamine and serotonin.

Green Tea Extract (Camilla sinensis) (leaf) (50% EGCG):

Along with caffeine from the coffee plant, EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate) from various sub-species of Camilla sinesis (green tea) is perhaps the most widely known and reputable anti-lipogenic and lipolytic agent in the world. Both compounds have well established anti-obesity effects, detailed in a deep body of literature featuring in vitro cell culture, as well as in vivo animal and human trials.

In animal and human studies, green tea generally and EGCG more specifically has been demonstrated to reduce the absorption of dietary lipids and modulate their subsequent metabolism, increase glucose utilization in resting states, as well as initiate de novo lipogenesis in both maximal and submaximal exercise states.

A two month dietary intervention, for example, showed that the daily consumption of a catechin-rich tea – EGCG is the most well-known of the catechins – by healthy humans led to a reduction of bodyweight of up to 20%, the consequence of increased lipolysis (as measured by FFA urinary clearance). A separate double-blind, placebo controlled trial using EGCG consumption both with, and without caffeine, demonstrated the increased oxidation of fatty acids within two hours of a meal – at level increases of 49% and 35%, respectively.

These studies suggest that EGCG not only exerts an inhibitory effect on the accumulation of lipids, but that it perhaps actively leads to the hydrolyzation of triglycerides for use as energy in the form of FFAs. In particular, this effect seems to be potentiated in the presence of caffeine ingestion, suggesting a synergistic effect between EGCG and caffeine on the hydrolyzation and subsequent oxidation of triglyceride stores.

Green Coffee Extract (Coffee arabica) (bean) (50% chlorogenic acid):

Chlorogenic acids (CGAs) are phenolic compounds created during the metabolism of various isoquinic acids found in the leaves of both coffee and tea. In addition to the well-established sympathomimetic effects of coffee and tea’s constituents, recent research has demonstrated a range of other potential benefits for compounds such as chlorogenic acids.

Recent literature suggests that the consumption of both green coffee, as well as standardized extracts of CGAs, relax the vasculature and improve vasoreactivity, impose an inhibitory effect on lipid accumulation and body weight in both mice and humans, and modulate glucose metabolism via the glucose-6-phosphate pathway.

Trials in both humans and mice using 1% extracts of green coffee bean revealed significant bodyweight reductions over periods of two and eight weeks. Researchers hypothesized that the bodyweight reductions associated with oral CGA administration was associated with the products numerous mechanisms of action, rather than a single, isolated cause.

Olive Extract (Olea europaeai) (leaf) (20% oleuropein):

Olea europaea, more commonly known as the olive, is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of southeastern Europe, western Asia and northern Africa, as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.

As the fruits, oils, and extracts of Olea europaea L. are a dietary component for a significant portion of the world’s population, the plant has become associated with a wide-range of physiologic and metabolic benefits. These properties are largely attributed to the phenolic compounds of olive leaves, including: caffeic acid, verbascoside, oleuropein, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, rutin, apigenin 7-Oglucoside, and luteolin 4′-O-glucoside. Collectively, these olive polyphenols are responsible for a wide-range of postulated health benefits.

Oleuropein, in particular, is purported to have several pharmacological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic, and anti-microbial effects. Recent research in animals has also demonstrated that oleuropein may potentiate the response of 5'-deiodinase, the enzyme responsible for the irreversible conversion of thyroxine (T4) into triiodothyronine (T3), the active thyroid hormone.

Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) and Theomobrine (3,7-dimethyl-1H-purine-2,6-dione):

Caffeine is the most widely consumed, and perhaps one of the most reviewed, psychoactive compounds. Its physiological effects in a range of areas have been well-documented, including exercise performance, information processing, alertness and mood enhancement, attention, and awareness, along with its anti-lipogenic and lipolytic abilities. Caffeine is also the most well-known in the methylxanthine compound class, the constituents of which inter-metabolize into one another in the human body and largely share similar effects.

Various clinical trials have demonstrated that xanthines – including caffeine and theobromine – exert potent lipolytic (the breakdown of triglycerides into fatty acids) and oxidative actions as sympathomimetic amines. In less scientifically-complex parlance, this means caffeine is forcing your body to preferentially use adipose tissue as a fuel source for the oxidative provision of ATP (your body’s energy currency).

Evidence for xanthine’s capacity as lipolytic agents is widely available. In a clinical study featuring four separate trials in both normal and obese subjects, for example, caffeine was found to significantly increase fatty acid metabolism (as measured by serum fatty acid concentration), resting metabolic rate, and total fat oxidation – suggesting the preferential substrate selection spoken about above occurs in both normal and obese individuals. Other trials have demonstrated the effects of methylxanthines on total fat mass (reduction), lean body mass (increases), stamina and endurance, as well as cardiovascular capacity.

Additionally, as selective cAMP potentiators, through the beta-adrenergic pathway, caffeine and theobromine have been hypothesized to exert a synergistic effect on lipolysis when combined with forskolin.

Bacopa monnieri Extract (whole plant) (50% bacosides):

Bacopa monnieri (BM), also known as the water hyssop commonly, or as Brahmi in Ayurvedic texts, is a small creeping herb endemic to sub-tropical India. The herb has been used in traditional Indian medicine for well over one thousand years, with its first recorded usage coming in the 6^th century A.D. In this traditional context, BM has been used for a wide-range of purposes, including as a treatment of asthma and epilepsy.

More recently, BM has been the subject of numerous cognition and memory trials, as the plant has a well-established nootropic effect. Likely through modulation of the serotonin reuptake system, clinical trials in healthy human beings have demonstrated that BM possesses a significant effect on the retention of newly-learned information. In several trials utilizing a 300mg daily serving, BM was also shown to decrease the recall delay of newly learned information and reduce short term forgetfulness – suggesting that the herb’s effect on the serotonic and cholinergic systems are increasing the encoding (the literal storing) of memory information.

Beyond cognition and memory encoding, BM has also been demonstrated to function as a potent adaptogen and relaxant – which in the Core BURN formula may help to smooth the effect curve of the product’s stimulants, reducing jitteriness or “crash.”

ForsLean® (Coleus forskohlii) (root) (20% forskolin): Coleus forskohlii is a small perennial endemic to various tropical regions in the world, including South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and India. While the West has recently taken interest in the plant due to the pharmacological properties of its primary bioactive, forskolin, Coleus forskholii preparations and tinctures have been used in both South American and African traditional folk medicinal systems, as well as extensively within Ayurveda.

Due to the ever-increasing interest in the plant’s verifiable pharmacological and physiological effects, however, Coleus forksholii and its extracted constituents have been the subject of numerous animal and human clinical trials in the past decade, primarily in its patented form of ForsLean. These trials have demonstrated the plant to have various effects and applications, including as a lipolytic and anti-lipogenic, and as a powerful antioxidant.

A recent double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled human clinical trial featuring obese men found that the daily implementation of ForsLean, for twelve weeks, led to significantly better weight loss outcomes as compared to controls. Overweight men in the ForsLean group experienced not only improved body composition (as measured by total non-lean mass), but also statistically significant increases in lean body mass.

In a separate 8 week trial, in overweight females, ForsLean was found to significantly reduce total bodyweight and significantly increase lean body mass relative to controls. Weight loss was statistically significant after 4 and 8 weeks and the mean amounted to 4.3 and 9.17 lbs respectively.

ForsLean – and more specifically, forskolin – achieves this effect by rapidly, potently, and dose-dependently increasing an important metabolic enzyme known as adenylate cyclase. Adenylate cyclase is an enzyme responsible for catalyzing the formation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) from adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This increase in cAMP formation eventually leads to the activation of an enzyme, protein kinase A, which in turn will phosphorylate and hence activate the enzyme, Hormone Sensitive Lipase (HSL) – the rate-limiting enzyme necessary for stored triglycerides within adipocytes to be released as free fatty acids and utilized for energy.

In more basic terms, this means that forskolin quite literally frees up more fatty acids to be used as fuel for exercise – more or less the perfect scenario in a product such as Core BURN!

Yohimbe Extract (Pausinystalia yohimbe) (bark) (8% Yohimbine alkaloids):

Extracts or preparation of Pausinystalia yohimbe, and related sub-species, have been used in traditional and folk medicinal systems such as Ayurveda and Unani for centuries. More recently, the principal bioactive compound in Pausinystalia yohimbe, both as a whole plant, and its extracted components, has been the subject of numerous clinical trials investigating its various physiological pathways.

In particular, recent research has shown that yohimbe bark extracts exert a powerful pre-synaptic inhibiting effect on alpha-adrenergic receptors – making it a potent adrenergic antagonist. This effect seems to be localized and largely specific to adipocytes, attaching to their adrenergic receptor sites and preventing them from receiving the catecholamines (norepinephrine and epinephrine) that would normally initiate growth signals.

While limited, there is some evidence in human, clinical trials to suggest that Yohimbine’s postulated mechanisms of action translate into practical effects. In a placebo-controlled trial involving 20 healthy, lean soccer players, subjects were given 20mg/day in two equal servings, for 21 days. At 21 days, the Yohimbine group reflected small but significant reductions in both total fat mass and bodyfat percentage as compared to controls – at least partially suggesting that Yohimbine may have a plausible role in combination with diet and exercise in weight management.

Advantra-Z® Bitter Orange Extract (Citrus aurantium) (fruit) (50% synephrine):

Synephrine is a naturally-occurring alkaloid with adrenergic agonist activity, structurally related to epinephrine, norepinephrine, ephedrine, and other compounds with a phenethylamine base structure. Despite its chemical similarity to these compounds, synephrine in its various isomers exerts unique effects on adrenergic receptors, in particular, and the human body, in general.

Synephrine exists in three isomer forms: para-, meta- and ortho-synephrine. The molecular changes between the three isoforms are minute, but even this small change results in significant alterations to each isomer’s physiological and pharmacokinetic profile. Two of synephrine’s isomers, both p- and m-synephrine, have been shown to naturally occur in mammals (in low concentrations). As a sympathomimetic, synephrine has been the subject of numerous trials, assessing its effects on weight management, thermogenesis, metabolic rate, and caloric expenditure. In a double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled trial involving 10 healthy individuals, the p-synephrine isomer was administered at a 50mg serving, both alone, and in combination with hesperidin and naringin. The authors measured resting metabolic rate (RMR), blood pressure, and heart rate, along with subjective feelings of mood and energy, at baseline, and at 45-mintues and 75-minutes after ingestion. The authors reported a significant increase in RMR in each of the supplement groups, relative to placebo.

In addition to studies on synephrine in its various isomers, Advantra-Z®, the specific form of synephrine utilized in Core BURN, has itself and in combination with other ingredients, been the subject of various clinical trials in humans. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial featuring 70 obese adults, a formulation containing Advantra-Z® was found to significantly reduce fat mass, body weight, and hip and waist girth as compared to controls, while leading to an increase in lean mass. As the authors comment, these results are in-line with a recent systematic review of human clinical studies involving Citrus aurantium, that revealed the ingredient to reliably increase resting metabolic rate up to 7.2%, increase energy expenditure of up to 13.4%, and weight loss of over 2.9 kg, with no serious adverse events in any of the trials.

In addition, the combination of caffeine and synephrine appears to potentiate each ingredient’s effects – with rates of fatty acid liberation, heart rate, metabolic rate, and fatty acid oxidation increased in clinical trials featuring the combination. In the same systematic review mentioned above, the authors note that the combination of synephrine and caffeine led to a small but significant reduction in fat mass of 3lbs, and a reduction in bodyfat of 2.9%.

Combined with not only caffeine, but the other ingredients in Core BURN, Advantra-Z® appears to be a potent weapon in the arsenal for body composition and weight management.

References:

For references, see below file;

Core Nutritionals: SHRED References

Description:

It’s late evening and you need to crush your workout – worst of all, your deep in a diet. You haven’t taken your thermogenic yet, you know you need to, but you also know that downing a few hundred milligrams of stimulants at 8 PM is not conducive to healthy sleep patterns. So, what do you do?

• 1 scoop per serving.
• 56 servings per container.
• Healthy thyroid support.

It’s late evening and you need to crush your workout – worst of all, your deep in a diet. You haven’t taken your thermogenic yet, you know you need to, but you also know that downing a few hundred milligrams of stimulants at 8 PM is not conducive to healthy sleep patterns. So, what do you do?

Prior to now, you sucked it up and chugged your ultra-potent and effective stimulant-based thermogenic (such as BURN or BURN Ultra!) and dealt with the consequences. But as of now, you take a scoop of the ultra-potent and equally effective, non-stimulant-based thermogenic Core SHRED.

We’ve taken our typical approach to product formulation – proven ingredients at clinically-effective and clinically-proven serving sizes – and applied it to creating a comprehensive, multiple-pathway non-stimulant thermogenic product. The result is a product covering major pathways of lipolysis in multiple, non-redundant, and synergistic ways, all without any neurological stimulation whatsoever.

Whether you’re taking a break from stimulants, are stimulant sensitive, or simply want a non-stimulant thermogenic to stack with our excellent stimulant-based offerings, Core SHRED is the perfect solution. Use it anytime, night or day, to help crush your regular exercise program and consistent diet!

Ingredients:

Acetyl-l-Carnitine:

L-carnitine is a derivative of the amino acid lysine and, as certain conditions outpace the body’s ability to produce it, l-carnitine is considered a conditionally essential amino acid. While endogenous biosynthesis of l-carnitine from the amino acids lysine and methionine is sufficient for essential processes – along with dietary sources of carnitine from protein-rich red meat, for example – dietary supplementation of carnitine may pose benefits in certain physiological conditions. Unfortunately, due to excess metabolism of l-carnitine by microorganisms in the small intestine, exogenous supplementation with oral l-carnitine has proved ineffective. ALCAR, an acetylated version of l-carnitine, has considerably higher oral bioavailability, due likely to only partial hydrolytic metabolism. Once in the bloodstream, ALCAR plays a fundamental role in the production of energy, acting as the catalyst for the beta-oxidation of long chain fatty acids by the mitochondria; regulating the CoA to Acyl-CoA ratio (necessary for the production of ATP); and the metabolism of carbohydrates. ALCAR also is an excitatory agent for neurons, increases neuronal transmission, and increases the production of neurotransmitters and neurohormones such as dopamine and serotonin.

Olive Extract (Oleaeuropaeai) (leaf) (20% oleuropein):

Olea europaea, more commonly known as the olive, is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of southeastern Europe, western Asia and northern Africa, as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea. As the fruits, oils, and extracts of Olea europaea L. are a dietary component for a significant portion of the world’s population, the plant has become associated with a wide-range of physiologic and metabolic benefits. These properties are largely attributed to the phenolic compounds of olive leaves, including: caffeic acid, verbascoside, oleuropein, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, rutin, apigenin 7-Oglucoside, and luteolin 4′-O-glucoside. Collectively, these olive polyphenols are responsible for a wide-range of postulated health benefits.

Oleuropein, in particular, is purported to have several pharmacological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic, and anti-microbial effects. Recent research inanimals has also demonstrated that oleuropein may potentiate the response of 5'-deiodinase, the enzyme responsible for the irreversible conversion of thyroxine (T4) into triiodothyronine (T3), the active thyroid hormone.

Coleus forskohlii root extract (20% forskolin):

Coleus forskohlii is a small perennial endemic to various tropical regions in the world, including South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and India. While the West has recently taken interest in the plant due to the pharmacological properties of its primary bioactive, forskolin, Coleus forskholii preparations and tinctures have been used in both South American and African traditional folk medicinal systems, as well as extensively within Ayurveda. Due to the ever-increasing interest in the plant’s verifiable pharmacological and physiological effects, however, Coleus forksholii and its extracted constituents have been the subject of numerous animal and human clinical trials in the past decade. These trials have demonstrated the plant to have various effects and applications, including as a lipolytic and anti-lipogenic, and as a powerful antioxidant.

A recent double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled human clinical trial featuring obese men found that the daily implementation of Coleus forskholii, for twelve weeks, led to significantly better weight loss outcomes as compared to controls. Overweight men in the forskolin group experienced not only improved body composition (as measured by both body fat percentage and total fat mass), but also statistically significant increases in lean body mass. Coleus forskholii – and more specifically, forskolin – achieves this effect by rapidly, potently, and dose-dependently increasing an important metabolic enzyme known as adenylate cyclase. Adenylate cyclase is an enzyme responsible for catalyzing the formation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) from adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This increase in cAMP formation eventually leads to the activation of an enzyme, protein kinase A, which in turn will phosphorylate and hence activate the enzyme, Hormone Sensitive Lipase (HSL) – the rate-limiting enzyme necessary for stored triglycerides within adipocytes to be released as free fatty acids and utilized for energy. In more basic terms, this means that forskolin quite literally frees up more fatty acids to be used as fuel for exercise – more or less the perfect scenario in a product such as Core SHRED!

CapsiAtra®:

CapsiAtra® is a dihydrocapsiate compound naturally found in CH-19 Sweet peppers. Like several other capsinoids identified and extracted from pepper species, CapsiAtra® has demonstrated potent effects on several physiological pathways – most notably, those related to energy expenditure and lipid utilization.

The thermogenic and lipolytic effects of capsinoids, like capsaicin itself, are mediated by the Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) receptors in the mouth and throughout the gastrointestinal tract. TRPV1 receptors in the gut are linked with the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). When activated, they increase SNS activity (the figure below). TRPV1 receptors present on the tongue and in the oral cavity are responsible for, among other things, detection of thermal heat. When capsaicin binds to oral TRPV1 sites, one feels the sensation of heat and pungency. Capsinoids also stimulate TRPV1 receptors, but their effect is primarily on receptors in the throat and gut, not the mouth. Owing to the structural differences from capsaicin, the capsinoids are unable to reach the TRPV1 receptors on the tongue, which are located slightly below the mucosal surface. As a result, capsinoids do not produce the oral sensation of heat or the pungent taste associated with chili peppers, but they do produce the capsaicin-like SNS response once they bind to TRPV1 receptors in the throat and gut.

The capsinoids have multiple biological functionalities. The sports nutrition properties are directly linked to their use in energy manipulation. The capsinoids have three principal mechanisms of action. First, they up-regulate UCP-3 (Mitcohondrial Uncoupling Protein-3) in muscle cells. This causes ATP production to be dissociated with the respiration occurring in the mitochondria. This energy is then released as heat: an effect that is mirrored in caloric restriction as a means to economize energy. Second, they up-regulate UCP-1 (Uncoupling Protein-1, aka Thermogenin). This protein is only expressed in brown adipose tissue and is used to generate non- shivering thermogenesis; a process that evolved to protect against hypothermia. The up-regulation of UCP-1 can positively affect fat utilization and improve insulin sensitivity of tissues. Third, the capsinoids stimulate lipolysis via hydrolysis of triglycerides into glycerol plus three fatty acids. The release of these free fatty acids into the circulation is key to the energy regulating properties of the compound. Allowing these to become readily available as energy sources during exercise means that oxidation of muscle glycogen can be delayed, resulting in significant improvements in endurance.

Grains of Paradise Extract (12.5% 6-paradol)

Aframomum melegueta, more commonly known as Grains of Paradise, or the alligator pepper, is a plant in the Ginger (Zingiberaceae) family. While complete compositional analysis have not been performed on Grains of Paradise, preliminary assays demonstrate is structural and chemical similarity to ginger – principally in that both ginger and grains of paradise contains a range of pungent bioactives, one of which is 6-paradol.

Along with 6-shogaol, 6-paradol appears to be the most bioactive of the approximately 14 pungent compounds identified in ginger. Both compounds appear to potently and dose-dependently mediate the PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase)/PKB (protein kinase B), leading specifically to an increase in AMPk phosphorylation. Known as the ‘master regulatory switch,’ AMPk is responsible for balancing endergonic (energy absorbing) and exogenic (energy liberating) processes in the body’s response to energy demands. AMPk is therefore heavily involved in adipocyte (fat cell) differentiation, proliferation, and hypertrophy, via regulating both enzymatic action (11B-HSD1, HSL, SREBP-1) and downstream lipogenic genes such as PPARy2.

In the case of gingerols such as 6-paradol, increased phosphorylation of AMPk in adipocytes appears to have a mitigating effect on hypertrophy by reducing lipid synthesis. 6-paradol appears to increase AMPk, which in turn decreases the mRNA expression of the downstream PPARy2 (peroxisome proliferate activated receptor gamma 2), a nuclear receptor gene principally responsible for lipid accumulation. In other words, the gingerols control a compound (AMPk) which, in turn, controls fat mass metabolism.

References:

For references, see below file;

Core Nutritionals: SHRED References

Description:

It’s been called the most important meal of the day.

Eating high quality, fast-acting carbohydrates and protein create the conditions for growth after a workout. Core PWO takes the guesswork out of post workout recovery, containing the fast-acting proteins and carbs needed to maximize muscle recovery after weight training.

• 2 scoops per serving.
• 28 servings per container.
• High carb for maximum recovery.

It has been called the most important meal of the day, “the anabolic window,” and eating for anabolism. Whatever name you give it, the premise remains: post workout (PWO) nutrition is crucial to reaching your fitness and physique goals. Post workout nutrition plays a number of critical anabolic (tissue building) functions, chief among them the maximization of glycogen storage and protein synthesis, while simultaneously minimizing protein breakdown and the excessive release of catabolic (tissue destroying) hormones.  Incomplete or insufficient PWO nutrition is like fueling your new Maserati with regular unleaded – you simply don’t do it. 

This all raises the question: what is the ideal post workout nutrition? Is it well known, or a secret? Maybe a certain ratio of carbohydrates to protein, or fat to protein; maybe the timing and frequency? In fact, the situation is vastly less complex, more well-known, and easier to implement than most would have you believe. 

High quality, fast-acting carbohydrates and protein have been shown time and again to induce the most optimal conditions for growth in clinical studies – and that is precisely what Core has attempted to emulate with Core PWO. Core PWO takes the guesswork out of post workout recovery, containing the fast-acting proteins and carbs (whey isolate, dextrose, Carb10™ and Cluster Dextrin®), along with other anabolic agents (free-form L-Leucine and Velositol®) needed to maximize muscle recovery after weight training. These ingredients quickly replenish muscle glycogen and shuttle much needed amino acids to muscle cells. Whether you are bulking up or slimming down, all of these ingredients are crucial for proper recovery.

Ingredients:

Recovery Carb Blend (Dextrose, Carb 10™ and Cluster Dextrin®):

As mentioned above, one of the main goals post workout is to restore muscle glycogen that has been depleted during the workout. The body will even break down muscle tissue for this purpose if an adequate influx of glucose – obtained from the consumption of carbohydrates – is not provided. For this reason, it is vital to include carbohydrates in the post-workout drink.

Though opinion varies, the scientific literature is relatively clear that fast–digesting carbohydrates such as dextrose, Carb 10™, and Cluster Dextrin® create optimal conditions for the post-workout synthesis of both skeletal muscle protein and muscle glycogen. Not only have all three of Core PWO’s carbohydrates sources demonstrated higher rates of post-exercise glycogenesis (glycogen resynthesis) as compared to other carbohydrate sources, they have also been shown to optimize insulin response and blunt cortisol release to a greater degree than other carbohydrate sources.

Dextrose functions at such a higher capacity because of molecular structure, given that it is otherwise known as pure glucose – your body’s preferred energy substrate and the necessary component for the synthesis and resynthesis of glycogen. Bypassing the lengthy and metabolically costly process of digestion and breakdown, dextrose can be absorbed directly through the gut into the bloodstream and can cause an insulin response faster than any other carb. Additionally, since dextrose is already in the form the body requires, it can be used immediately for glycogen replenishment.

Carb10™ is an entirely different creature, which functions in PWO to round out the insulin response. Created not from maltodextrin or glucose, but rather peas, Carb10™ is a clean and sustained means of providing your body with its nutritional needs in the post workout environment. Carb10™ also possesses low osmolality, a term used to describe the concentration of a solution. In this case, low osmolality means that Carb10’s transit through the stomach and into the intestine’s is both quicker and more efficient than other carbohydrates sources – meaning it delivers nutrients quickly, while still being low glycemic and reducing bloat. Think of it like other carbohydrates causing a traffic jam, while Carb10™ cruises through the carpool lane.

In total, Carb10™ possesses a wide range of benefits. Including:

• Minimal blood-sugar and insulin response
• Fast gastric-emptying formula reduces bloating
• Low osmolality
• Prebiotic, non-allergenic, non-GMO and gluten-free.

Cluster Dextrin®, the last of PWO’s carb sources, is derived from corn. Though dissimilar in molecular structure and source from Carb10™, it’s similar in terms of its low osmolality leading to expedient stomach clearing and low bloating. Research conducted on top swimmers, swimming in a flowing water pool, confirmed that Cluster Dextrin’s fast gastric emptying contributed to increased endurance (longer swim times). Swimmers provided a sports drink containing Cluster Dextrin had approximately 50% longer swim time than swimmers provided a mixture of water and glucose only.

In combination, the carbohydrates in Core PWO, in their precise serving sizes, interact to form a comprehensive post-workout nutrition strategy:

• Dextrose acts quickly to create an immediate supply of glucose and to stimulate post-workout insulin levels.
• Due to their molecular structure, Carb-10™ and Cluster Dextrin balance that insulin response.
• Together, they all rapidly, and in a sustained fashion, provide your body with a prime environment for the synthesis of both glycogen and skeletal muscle
• And most importantly, they do so without the bloat!

Clinical research is clear that carbohydrates of this type, in combination with whey protein isolate, rapidly reverse high levels of cortisol and low levels of insulin that are associated with high intensity exercise. The rapid, but very beneficial, influx of glucose from oral carbohydrate supplementation quickly suppresses cortisol and the negative effect it has on the expression of metabolically critical proteins and growth factors – ensuring that myocytes (muscle cells) function in an ideal environment. In addition, these carbohydrates induce a beneficial insulin response, the effects of which include stimulating glycogen storage, the transport of glucose into muscle cell mitochondria, and an increase in amino acid utilization.

Cold-Processed Microfi­ltered Non-GMO Whey Protein Isolate:

If the post-workout environment were a jungle, whey protein isolate would be the lion – its king. While it is difficult to overstate the critical role that post-exercise protein consumption plays in both a macro (body composition) and micro (small-scale, physiological changes) context, some ambiguity remains: what is the ideal form, frequency, timing, and amount of protein consumption post-exercise? Luckily for you, Core Nutritionals’ research hounds have crunched the numbers and read the studies for you, and the result is a very precise amount of whey protein isolate included in Core PWO.

In a statement that should not surprise a single athlete or casual weightlifter, intense resistance training has a profound effect on the function and structure of skeletal muscle and muscle proteins. Immediately following an intense bout of resistance exercise, a process known as muscle protein breakdown – with its sidekick, leucine oxidation – begin to literally tear down your skeletal muscle from the inside. While resistance training simultaneously increases a process known as protein synthesis, the fractional synthesis rate (how quickly the protein is synthesized) is often far exceeded by the rate of muscle protein breakdown and leucine oxidation. The result is that, in that absence of mitigating factors such as post-workout nutrition, your body is in a state of negative protein balance – i.e., catabolism.

In order to counteract a negative intramuscular protein balance, a number of things need to occur – mostly, a rapid increase in the availability of amino acids, and the optimization of several metabolically critical hormones (such as insulin). The combination of protein and carbohydrates contained in Core PWO achieves precisely this balance, and research on whey protein and dextrose in combination demonstrates that this combination maximizes the stimulation of muscle protein synthesis and results in even greater muscle anabolism than either alone.

Free Form Leucine:

The branch-chained amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine are famous for their role in skeletal muscle protein synthesis and metabolism, and additionally comprise approximately one-third of all skeletal muscle protein. Of the three, leucine is both the most physiologically important with respect to muscle mass, and the most extensively studied. Data on leucine demonstrate this amino acid plays critical roles in stimulating skeletal muscle protein synthesis, and ribosomal biogenesis and assembly (the literal building of muscle tissue), along with playing a lesser role in insulin signaling and gluconeogenic processes. As a result of these diverse roles, leucine has been demonstrated to significantly stimulate skeletal muscle protein synthesis, and attenuate protein degradation, by both insulin-mediated and non-insulin mediated mechanisms.

Leucine’s insulin-mediated effects are largely the result of its activation of the classical insulin receptor substrate (IRS)/phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mTOR signal transduction pathway. In this pathway, the bonding of a substrate (Insulin activates a compound known as PI3K, which in turn activates, Akt. Once phosphorylated and activated, Akt signals the release of the famous mammalian target of rapmycin (mTOR). mTOR then increases the translation of muscle-cell ribosomal proteins that increase ribosome biogenesis, which is the literal production of proteins. Leucine plays a critical role in all of this, creating the translation initiation factors that are the rate-limiting step in the production of the ribosomes spoken about above. Carbohydrates alone, other essential amino acids, and non-essential amino acids have not been shown to have the stimulatory effects on muscle protein synthesis – leucine alone has, highlighting is primacy as a muscle protein activator. Leucine has additionally been shown to positively regulate protein synthesis independent of insulin. In certain trials where rapamycin and leucine were co-administered, rapamycin showed only partial inhibition of leucine’s effects on muscle protein synthesis. Rapamycin is also a critical component to the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, as the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) suggests. One of rapamycin’s primary functions is to inhibit mTOR. So, if leucine-mediate protein synthesis is only partially blocked by rapamycin, but rapamycin fully inhibits mTOR, this suggests that leucine-mediate protein synthesis is only partially dependent on the PI3K pathway. 

Velositol™:

Velositol™, a patented complex of amylopectin/chromium, is a fascinating compound – with emerging clinical data to suggest that it is effective in significantly enhancing skeletal muscle protein synthesis when combined with whey protein (vs whey alone).

In a double-blind crossover study, featuring 10 exercise-trained adults, researchers combined Velositol™ with 6g of whey protein to measure what effects, if any, the compound would exert on skeletal muscle protein synthesis. (The control group consumed 6g of whey alone.) After collecting baseline muscle biopsies – to measure phenylalanine, a marker of muscle-building – the subjects performed eight reps of leg extensions. A final muscle biopsy was taken post-workout, to measure the changes in muscle protein synthesis between the study and control group.

The results were significant: the researchers found that muscle protein synthesis had nearly doubled in the Velositol™ group, compared to the control. The researchers hypothesized that the mechanism of action of Velositol is the stimulated uptake of leucine and other amino acids due to an influx of insulin (from the chromium).

While further study is warranted, the existing data on Velositol™ suggests it’s a must-have addition to any recovery matrix.

References:

For references, see below file;

Core Nutritionals: PWO References

Description:

You want to recover. You don’t want to gag while doing it.

We chose the protein blend and taste for Core PRO with that in mind. Our mix of proteins have a robust and complete amino acid profile that has been shown in research to increase lean muscle impact – while our flavoring tastes like a cheat!

• 1 scoops per serving.
• 28 (2LB)/70 (5LB) servings per container.
• Protein blend with gourmet taste.

What do you look for in a protein supplement? More importantly, what should you look for? Let’s be honest: in 2020, taste is paramount to the experience. Amazing taste was our priority for the reformulation of Core PRO – and we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams, if we say so ourselves.

But this is Core Nutritionals, meaning that function must always match taste and form. Core PRO is no different. While the protein blend in Core PRO was always industry-leading, we have made it even better. Our blend of whey concentrate, whey isolate, and milk protein isolate delivers smooth texture, fast and slow-digesting proteins, and a complete amino acid profile that suits your needs. In other words, have perfected the marriage of TASTE AND PERFORMANCE, and the result is Core PRO.

Core PRO is a clinical-strength, sustained release protein formula, specifically designed to keep you fueled with the right growth/recovery agents over extended periods of time. This innovative blend provides the perfect arrangement of both fast-uptake and sustained-release proteins, from superior cold-processed whey proteins and micellar casein-rich milk protein sources. This strong synergistic blend helps promote optimal growth and recovery by providing the vital building blocks your body needs, exactly when you need them most. Our superior protein blend contains a generous array of BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) in their naturally-occurring biological ratios, to delay fatigue and expedite your recovery.

The benefits don’t stop there. To make this the most effective recovery formula available, we’ve enhanced it with a powerful digestive enzyme blend, including protein-digesting proteases, to improve absorption and accelerate nutrient uptake. The beneficial fatty acids from MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) in Core PRO help preserve lean mass while unleashing your body’s natural metabolic potential. And unlike some formulas, you never have to worry about taking it at the wrong time. Staying fueled all day or overnight never tasted so good!

Ingredients:

We said above that protein powders need to – or at least should – have a purpose: to improve recovery times, and ultimately, body composition. But how does that occur? Or more specifically, what needs to happen in the body in order to recover from a workout, and subsequently improve body composition. To sum it up with one phrase, net protein balance needs to be positive.

When you vigorously train or exert yourself, a process called protein degradation (the breakdown of muscle protein) begins so that the body can fuel itself, and a process called muscle protein synthesis (the creation of muscle protein) slows down. Think of this like shutting off your engine (protein synthesis), in order to fuel your car (muscle protein breakdown). As this entire process plays out, the available pool of amino acids in skeletal muscle depletes, as they too are drawn in and broken down in the natural, catabolic process during exercise training.

While this situation is quite adequate during a training session, it’s precisely the opposite of what we want afterwards. At that point, we want the available pool of amino acids to increase, protein degradation to slow or stop, and muscle protein synthesis to increase. Enter protein supplements. Protein powders are a quick, convenient way to rapidly increase the available pool of amino acids in skeletal muscle.

However, not all proteins are created equal when assessed within the matrix of molecular triggers, enzymes, and amino acids that constitute skeletal muscle protein synthesis. Low quality blends, fillers, masking agents, and the like reduce the net protein content of many protein products, ultimately reducing lean muscle impact.

A quality protein supplement not only contains a high amount of protein, but the protein sources from which it draws need to be themselves high quality – and the benefit a particular protein source has can be assessed by analyzing its amino acid profile. Human skeletal muscle makes the most use out of a few, particular amino acids (the BCAAs among them), and so a quality protein needs to have an amino acid profile that is optimal for this context.

We chose the protein blend for Core PRO with optimization in mind. Our mix of cold-processed undenatured whey protein concentrate, cross-flow microfiltered whey protein isolate, and milk protein isolate has a complete amino acid profile that has been shown in research to increase nitrogen retention, lean muscle impact, and satiating ability (the feeling of fullness). This blend has also been specifically configured to provide both rapid and sustained additions to your body’s amino acid profile – meaning your recovery is not only supported immediately after a session, when you most need it, but over time as well.

Best of all, we have moved to a fully transparent label for Core PRO. Meaning that not only do we disclose the protein sources themselves and their specific yields, but we have also disclosed the entire formula’s amino acid profile. You can see, for example, that each serving yields a full 2.6g of leucine – a leucine dose supported in the literature to maximally increase muscle protein synthesis.

Here is a more complete breakdown of each protein source:

Cold-processed undenatured whey protein concentrate: Whey protein concentrate is probably the most common form of whey protein you will find. However, how it is processed is where the benefit truly lies. This process of cold processed undenaturization preserves the molecular structure of the amino acid particles as well as the immune boosting benefits that it contains. This undenatured protein is also a rich source of amino acids, including those needed for the synthesis of glutathione, which is an important antioxidant that can be depleted by stress (exercise stress included). This makes it a great foundation for your post workout recovery nutrition.

Cross-flow microfiltered whey protein isolate: whey protein isolate is an extremely “clean” form of whey protein. It yields a higher amount of amino acids, half of which are from the essential amino acids (cannot be made by the body). Microfiltration eliminates a large majority of the fat and lactose from the whey, which makes it easily digestible and quickly absorbed into the body. This cross-flow process uses a highly intricate method to isolate the protein. It is not subjected to chemicals and is thus left in its most natural state.

Milk Protein Isolate: milk protein isolate is obtained through the partial removal of non-protein materials from skim milk (lactose and other minerals). What you are left with is a dry product that contains more than 90% protein by weight. This product contains both casein and whey proteins in their original proportions found in milk, without combining separately produced casein and whey proteins. It contains very little fat and lactose and also has a very high amino acid composition making it a perfect addition to this blend.

This blend has also been specifically configured to provide both rapid and sustained additions to your body’s amino acid profile – meaning your recovery is not only supported immediately after a session but will also carry you to your next meal. On top of that, our flavors are out of this world! We’ve also boosted this protein blend with digestive enzymes that will provide you with all of the confidence that those nutrients you just supplied your body with will do their part in your quest for the optimal result!

DigeSEB Digestive enzyme blend:

One can easily make the argument that dietary enzymes – and in particular, digestive enzymes – are the most consistently underrated and overlooked component to a supplementation regimen. These powerful little protein structures influence or outright control a vast, complex network of bodily functions. In a fitness-specific context, digestive enzymes play an absolutely crucial role in the breaking down of dietary carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into their constitutive parts, and therefore allow your body to use them in various processes (glycogenesis, protein synthesis, etc).

Despite their critical function, many supplement companies overlook the necessity of digestive enzymes and do not include sufficient levels (and kinds) of enzymes in their products. For a whey product, in particular – a compound that requires significant digestion and breakdown – this is madness.

As usual, we take a much more comprehensive, clinical approach than the average. In Core PRO, we have included a digestive enzyme blend called DigeSEB comprised by amylases, proteases, lactases, amylases, and cellulases, allowing for a full and complete breakdown of all PRO’s components. Research suggests that whey absorption through the blood is heavily impacted by its gastric digestibility. Using DigeSEB ensures that the protein – along with its milk and whey sugars and fats – are completely broken down.

DigeSEB ensures that Core PRO not only provides gourmet taste and clinical ingredients within the protein itself, but that your protein also increases the effectiveness of your pre and post-workout nutrition in general.

Coconut Oil Creamer (Medium Chain Triglycerides):

Coconut oil made of 100% Medium chain triglycerides has been shown to have the greatest health benefits. MCTs are made up of a chemical structure that allows them to quickly and effectively bypass gastric uptake for transport directly to the liver for oxidation and then used for energy. Their unusual chemical structure and metabolic process has resulted in MCTs being a focus for a wide range of therapeutic and exercise supplement uses.

In the context of exercise science, recent research has shown that MCTs significantly (up to 65%) increase resting energy expenditure, along with dose-dependently reducing fatty acid deposition in adipose tissue. These results suggest that MCTs are effectively increasing the body’s metabolic response to food intake.

References:

For references, see below file;

Core Nutritionals: Core PRO References

Description:

• Vegetable Caps
• Enhanced Absorption
• Efficacious Servings
• No Proprietary Blends
• Gluten Free

Nailing a completely balanced diet every day, one that contains the full spectrum of essential and non-essential vitamins and minerals alike, would be amazing. It would be even better if everyone did that. In that case, the often-quoted but little understood claim of many “gurus” that a vitamin supplement is unnecessary would be correct.

But that’s not the case, not at all. In fact, research shows that most people – yes, even you, the fit person reading this – do not eat a balanced diet. Many people lack critical nutrients from their diet, either by absence (not eating them at all) or by over- or under-consuming other trace minerals or vitamins necessary for the original vitamin’s homeostasis. The result, in either case, is a vitamin and mineral environment that could and can be optimized.

For that reason, we’ve formulated Core MULTI. Like the typical diet, when we looked around the industry at existing multi-vitamin offerings, we found critical defects: too much of this, too little of that, and so on. So, we set out to alter that arrangement and formulate a multi with ingredients included in specific proportions to maximize synergy and minimize redundancy.

The result is a formula not only with 100% (and often more) of almost all your essential vitamins and minerals, but also a broad-spectrum antioxidant blend antioxidant blend (Spectra™), berberine HCL, and numerous trademarked forms of vitamins and minerals. If you need a broad range of essential vitamins and minerals in sufficient amounts and in the most efficient forms, then Core MULTI is for you.

Ingredients:

B Vitamins (Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, B6 [Pyridoxine], Folic Acid, B12, Biotin, and Pantothenic acid)

B vitamins are a group of eight essential vitamins with several critical functions in the body. Though both molecularly and physiologically distinct, they are also deeply interrelated in their effects, synthesis and metabolism. Among the B-complex’s many critical roles are energy (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) metabolism, supporting and maintaining the healthy function of the adrenal glands, skeletal muscle function, and digestion.

While rates of metabolism and clearance differ between each B vitamin, all B vitamins are water-soluble and are thus not stored in fat. As a result, the body simply excretes excess B vitamins in the urine and requires replenishment (from food or supplements) in order to maintain the cell functions to which B vitamins contribute.

Vitamin A (as Beta Carotene)

Beta carotene is itself not an essential vitamin but is rather the precursor to the fat-soluble and essential vitamin, vitamin A (Retinol). Like B vitamins, the term vitamin A refers to the compound class retinoids, comprised of retinol, retinal (also called retinaldehyde), retinoic acid, and provitamin A compounds such as beta carotene.

As their names suggest, retinoids are critical to the function of human eyes and therefore to the maintenance of circadian rhythms (our “biological clock”). Vitamin A combines with proteins in the eye to form light-sensing cells that both facilitate vision and regulate our sleep-wake cycles.

Beyond its role in sight, vitamin A is also essential for cellular growth and differentiation and the immune system.

Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid)

Vitamin C is perhaps historically best-known for the treatment and prevention of scurvy, though it has many other roles in the body. For example, vitamin C catalyzes or is a cofactor in eight enzymatic reactions involved in the synthesis of collagen, the nutrient carnitine, and several neurotransmitters necessary for the proper function of the brain.

In the contemporary context, vitamin C is best known as a potent antioxidant. In addition to its intrinsic activity as an antioxidant, vitamin C has been shown in in vitro trials to regenerate alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E). As an antioxidant, vitamin C combats the detrimental effects of a group of compounds called radical oxygen species that, when produced, degrade the lipid membrane of the cell and may cause internal damage. By “scavenging” these free radicals, vitamin C and other antioxidants form a defense against excess cellular damage.

Vitamin D3 (as Cholecalciferol)

Vitamin D, in its various forms, is not an essential nutrient – as it is produced endogenously within the body, as a reaction to the skin’s exposure to the sun – and thus not commonly considered a vitamin. Despite its technical classification, vitamin D (a hormone), is nevertheless an import and biologically-active compound, necessary for the calcium homeostasis and metabolism, along with increasing the absorption of magnesium and phosphate.

Vitamin E (as Mixed Tocopherols)

Vitamin E is another technical misnomer, as the term refers to a group of compounds known as tocopherols with eight biologically-active constituents: alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol and alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocotrienol. Alpha-tocopherol is the principal bioactive in humans, though the presence of other tocopherols has been linked to beneficial effects.  

As a result of its robust antioxidant activity, vitamin E assists in the maintenance and support of several physiological processes, though most notably sight and the immune system. Emerging research also suggests that the alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E inhibits an enzyme known as protein kinase C, and therefore contributes to the healthy regulation of smooth muscle cell growth and differentiation.

Critically, we have used the natural version of vitamin E (technically d-alpha tocopherol) and not the synthetic (dl-alpha tocopherol). The difference is a meaningful one: the single isomer of d-alpha tocopherol is easier and more efficiently absorbed and used in the body as compared to the eight isomers in the dl analog.

Calcium (as Calcium Carbonate)

While best-known as the main bioactive in milk, and a compound that contributes to strong bones, calcium has numerous physiological effects in the body – including mediating vascular contraction and vasodilatation, muscle function, nerve transmission, intracellular signaling, and hormonal secretion. Homeostatic regulation of calcium, which the body cannot produce, requires sufficient levels of vitamin D.

When present in sufficient amounts, calcium is necessary for the adequate formation, function, and remodeling of both bone and teeth. Insufficient levels of calcium are associated with degenerative bone and joint disorders such as osteoporosis, wherein bone accretion slows or stops; thereby reducing bone mass and density and decreasing bone strength.

Iodine (As Kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum))

Iodine is a trace element naturally present in certain foods, including kelp. Iodine is a critical component for fetal development, especially during early pregnancy, as maternal T4 (thyroxine) is the sole source of fetal thyroid hormone. After birth, especially if breast-feeding, iodine remains an important constituent of a balanced-diet to maintain adequate T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine) levels in the mother and for the proper cognitive development in the child.

As implied, however, the most important of iodine’s functions is assisting the body to produce and maintain healthy levels of both thyroid hormones and TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone, released by the pituitary). The thyroid hormones, in turn, regulate several critical biochemical reactions, including protein synthesis, and, along with norepinephrine/epinephrine, largely determine the body’s metabolic rate.

Magnesium (as Albion® Di-Magnesium Malate)

It is difficult to overstate the biological necessity of magnesium. Magnesium is a co-factor in over 300 enzymatic reactions that regulate essential physiological functions such as protein synthesis, glucose homeostasis, muscle and nerve function, and the maintenance and support of healthy blood pressure levels.

Magnesium is also required for the use of the body’s energy currency, ATP. To become biologically active, ATP must be bound to magnesium to form Mg-ATP. In addition, magnesium is necessary for the proper function of cells with calcium and potassium gated ion channels such as heart and muscle cells.

In men, magnesium (along with zinc) is necessary for the maintenance of healthy levels of testosterone.

Zinc (as Zinc Aspartate)

As an essential mineral, like magnesium, zinc is also involved in a wide-range of essential biological functions in the human body – and a requirement in the catalytic activity of over 100 enzymes.

Most notably, zinc is vital for immune function, protein synthesis, cellular division, and DNA synthesis. For immune function, zinc is required for the function of a group of immune cells known as neutrophils and macrophages, which eliminate pathological cells and their products from the body.

With magnesium, sufficient levels of zinc are also necessary for the production and maintenance of healthy levels of testosterone.

Copper (as TRAACS® Copper Bisglycinate Chelate)

Copper is a trace element necessary for the production, function, and maintenance of a diverse range of compounds involved in physiological function.

The brain, the heart, bone, and connective tissue specifically require copper or the enzymes it catalyzes to properly grow and differentiate their various cell types. Like many of the ingredients in Core MULTI, copper is also required for the homeostasis of other minerals, specifically zinc.

Manganese (Manganese Citrate)

Manganese is a required element for not only humans, but all living organisms. Manganese primarily acts as an antioxidant, specifically scavenging a radical oxygen species known as superoxide.

Chromium (as Chromium Picolinate)

Chromium is an essential, though little understood, trace element found in certain foods and industrial compounds. Only one of chromium’s two forms, the form used in Core MULTI, chromium 3+, is biologically active.

While not as well-defined as other trace elements, chromium’s physiological actions nevertheless seem pivotal to the production and transmission of healthy levels of insulin. Emerging research also seems to suggest that chromium is directly involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates.

Molybdenum (as TRAACS® Molybdenum Glycinate Chelate)

Molybdenum is an essential trace element, involved in at least four enzymatic reactions necessary for urea excretion and a number of other physiological functions.

Berberine HCL

There is extensive literature demonstrating that berberine is a potent AMPk agonist in skeletal muscle. Based on the pharmacological similarities between berberine and the anti-diabetic medicine metformin (with respect to AMPk activation), it is possible that berberine may promote an anti-catabolic state through increased expression of AMPk. 

The human data – in both healthy and disease state populations – demonstrating berberine’s other physiological effects are numerous. A 2012 meta-analysis examined 14 randomized trials, containing 1068 patients, and assessed berberine’s efficacy in numerous biometrics, including resting plasma glucose levels, plasma insulin levels, body weight, body mass index, and reduction in fat mass and serum triglycerides and total cholesterol content. The aggregate data suggests that berberine performs at least as well as oral hypoglycemic agents (such as metformin) in these key metrics.

Boron Citrate

Boron is a mineral present in multiple fruits, vegetables, tubers, and drinking water, though it is not widely accepted as either an essential mineral or essential vitamin. Boron affects a few physiological functions in the body, particularly modulating hormonal homeostasis.

While still emerging, recent data suggest that boron may play a role in potentiating free testosterone levels in even healthy men. In one study, otherwise healthy men were provided an acute serving of boron and had their free and total levels of testosterone, alone with SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) and DHT (dihydrotestosterone) levels measured. In that study, total testosterone was unaltered, but free testosterone was enhanced by 14%, while SHBG was significantly (9%) reduced.

Choline (as Choline Bitartrate)

 Choline is an essential nutrient involved in numerous metabolic pathways, including DNA regulation and repair, protein function, and metabolism. Perhaps most importantly, the critical neurotransmitter acetylcholine is produced directly from free choline via cholinergic neurons. Acetylcholine is then responsible for a number of functions itself, most crucially as the compound which induces muscular contraction, and as the neuromodulator partially responsible for modulating risk/reward, arousal, and enhancing memory.

Choline’s essential role as a substrate for acetylcholine, and therefore brain development, is well documented in animal models. These studies demonstrate that levels of free maternal choline have a direct and fundamental impact on prenatal brain development, with the enhancements or deficits lasting into adulthood. Choline’s enhancing effect is particularly prominent in the hippocampus. In humans, the hippocampus is primarily involved in the consolidation of memory (taking short, episodic memory and translating it into long-term memory) and the learning of new information. Acetylcholine is a critical component in these processes, as mentioned above, and choline may therefore play a potential role in these processes as well by providing the substrate for acetylcholine synthesis.

Spectra™

Spectra™ is the first scientifically validated formula of fruits, vegetables, and herbs shown to inhibit free radical production, optimize cellular metabolic activity, and increase nitric oxide levels within our bodies

Spectra™ represents the latest evolution in the fight against potentially-damaging free radicals. For the first time anywhere, the biological effects of a natural supplement on the changes of oxidative and nitrosative stress markers, as well as cellular metabolic activity, have been clinically observed in the human body. Spectra™ has been reported to decrease ROS, increase cellular oxygen consumption in blood and mitochondria, decrease extracellular H2O2, and reduce TNFα-induced inflammatory response in humans.

References:

For references, check below file;

Core Nutritionals: Load References

Description:

We suggest that every other GDA bend the knee.

Core LOAD has changed the meaning of “glucose-disposal agent” (GDA). While most GDAs on the market are single-pathway or single-mechanism formulas with sub-clinical serving sizes, LOAD targets multiple pathways and mechanisms through supra-clinical serving sizes.

• Serving size 6 capsules.
• 30 servings per container.
• Carb-proof your diet.

With the advent of Core LOAD, Core Nutritionals has effectively changed the meaning of glucose-disposal agent (GDA). While most GDAs on the market are single-pathway or single-mechanism formulas with sub-clinical serving sizes, Core LOAD targets multiple pathways and mechanisms through either clinical or supra-clinical serving sizes. And most importantly, Core LOAD reaches these pathways through several non-redundant key ingredients that surgically target both glycogenic (glycogen-creating) and lipolytic (lipid/fat tissue-mitigating) pathways.

Core LOAD’s success as a GDA is due to its key ingredients – and specifically, the major pathways of glycogen storage and lipid metabolism they alter. Specifically, increasing the translocation of GLUT4 from the cell nucleus (its inner portion) to the periphery (its outer portion), thereby increasing the transportation of glucose into the cell; by inhibiting PPAR-Gamma2 and other critical lipogenic/lipolytic genes and gene pathways; by altering the response to glucose ingestion at the cellular level; and by altering other critical messengers in both the glycogenic and lipolytic pathways.

While other GDAs may target similar pathways, Core LOAD contains several ingredients that target these pathways through several different, non-redundant mechanisms. Essentially, we have taken every possible step to maximize your body’s glycogen storage, rather than relying on a single ingredient approach. Perhaps more importantly, we have utilized ingredients such a CGA (chlorogenic acid – a component of green coffee extract) in ways and serving sizes that blow the competition away. While serving sizes as small as 300mg of GGA have been shown to assist in healthy weight management, we included a savage 2g serving! That serving is also anywhere from 3-10x the serving size found in clinical research assessing CGA’s impact on glucose homeostasis and glycogen formation.

Now, the critical question, not just for CGA, but for all glucose disposal agents is this: why is “disposing” of glucose important? What does that even mean. Let’s break this down in two ways. Let’s consider the first way as (attempting) to increase lean tissue; and the other avoiding non-lean tissue. When you consume carbohydrates, your body breaks those carbohydrates down until they eventually reach the plasma (blood) as glucose – blood sugar. Blood sugar is then diverted to cells for consumption in bodily processes.

Our bodies divert glucose to both muscle cells (good) and fat cells (bad). In terms of the good, lean tissue-increasing effects, the key ingredients in Core LOAD will assist your body in creating glycogen. Think of glycogen like NOS for a car: a car can certainly run on fuel alone, but adding NOS to the mix greatly boosts the vehicle’s speed. For short bursts of maximal or near-maximal effort exercise, glycogen functions as your body’s fuel source – in addition to filling muscle bellies to provide them a “full,” 3D look. Maximizing glycogen storage also acts like an insurance policy against lipogenic (fat tissue-creating) action: the more glycogen stored in muscle, the less glucose shuttled to adipose cells or to the liver.

In terms of the bad, your body also diverts glucose to adipose (fat) cells – but not for energy consumption, but energy storage. Consider fat cell’s the long term storage bunker of your body: your body puts glucose there to withdraw it in times of need. Core LOAD’s key ingredients inhibit the process in non-redundant, synergistic ways – from inhibiting glucose uptake at the gastrointestinal level (to stabilize plasma glucose, which diminishes uptake in adipose cells) to diminishing the activity of key lipogenic (fat mass increasing) genes.

When you combine both of these two kinds of action, you get Core LOAD: the new king of GDAs. We suggest that every other product bend the knee.

Ingredients:

Green Coffee Extract (Coffea robusta) (bean) (50% Chlorogenic acid)

Coffee is widely recognized as not only the most consumed psychoactive compound on earth, but perhaps also the most consumed plant material in general. Due to the extent of coffee consumption by humans, several species of coffee beans, along with their bioactive constituents, have been research targets for a number of therapeutic pathways. The most abundant polyphenol in coffee is Chlorogenic acid (CGA). An abundance of data suggests that CGA has numerous physiological properties, and that its most potent physiological effects are hypoglycemic (blood sugar-lowering) and lipolytic/anti-lipogenic in nature. Recent evidence demonstrates that CGA is a powerful and novel glucose modulator, in vivo, in both healthy and diseased populations.

Research shows that one of CGA’s potential hypoglycemic mechanisms is insulin sensitization – in other words, making existing cells more sensitive to the glucose shuttling effects of insulin. In a trial on streptozotocin (STZ) (45 mg/kgbw) nicotinamide-induced diabetic rats, a 5mg/kgbw dose of CGA significantly mitigated the diabetic effects of STZ and caused an increase to glucose uptake. Of note, the 5mg/kgbw dose of CGA used in the animal trial is significantly less than the mg/kgbw serving size of CGA included in Core LOAD. (Assuming an average Core LOAD consumer bodyweight of 75kg.) An additional trial in obese Zucker rats demonstrated that CGA is capable of improving glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. The trial found that the CGA group had better glucose tolerance, higher insulin sensitivity index (ISI), and lower HOMA-IR (insulin resistance) index.

A trial in healthy humans showed similar promise. Healthy, human subjects were challenged with an acute serving of CGA and then assessed for hepatic glucose output, blood glucose levels, and glucose tolerance. CGA induced a significant reduction in peak plasma glucose levels – an important fact, as glucose fluctuations and/or chronically excessive blood glucose levels are associated with fat cell proliferation. Unlike the animal trial, however, the human trial hypothesized that CGA worked through a different, more novel mechanism: attenuating glucose absorption in the gastric uptake phase. In this trial, CGA effectively CGA functioned as both an insulin sensitizing agent and a glycemic index lowering agent.

In addition to both the above mechanisms, CGA was shown to inhibit the activities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase – two enzymes responsible for metabolizing carbohydrates into saccharides. As a result, CGA again reduced postprandial (post-meal) blood glucose concentration. The potentially novel glycemic index-lowering and carbohydrate metabolism effects of CGA were confirmed in two further trials: one in which CGA intake significantly reduced fasting glucose and insulin levels in obese men, and another in which CGA lowered the glycemic impact (how quickly and to what degree plasma glucose was increased) and lowered blood glucose levels.

CGA is an interesting compound due not only to its potent insulin-sensitizing and glycemic effects, but also its novel action on lipid metabolism. A 2006 trial found that CGA – in addition to caffeine and other polyphenols found in green coffee bean extract – suppressed body weight gain and the accumulation of visceral fat in mice. Again, the mechanism of action was quite unique: CGA was found to inhibit and delay the absorption of fat at the gastric uptake phase and reduce lipid metabolism in the liver.

In a separate trial on obese rates, CGA significantly reduced body weight, visceral fat mass (adipose tissue surrounding the internal organs), and plasma insulin concentrations. The authors of this trial hypothesize that, in addition to the profound effects on glucose metabolism noted above, CGA reduced body weight and fat mass due to increased fatty acid beta-oxidation activity and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors alpha expression in the liver.

In sum, CGA is the perfect confluence of glycogenic, glycemic-impact lowering, insulin sensitizing, and anti-lipogenic factors. Its inclusion as a key ingredient in Core LOAD, at well above clinical serving sizes, functions to promote healthy blood glucose levels, healthy bodyweight, and healthy insulin release.

GS4 Plus® Gymnema sylvestre Extract (leaves) (25% gymnemic acids)

Gymnema sylvestre is a plant endemic to the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Southeast Asa, including India and China. In these countries, G. sylvestre functions as a treatment for many pathological conditions, including diabetes and hypercholesterolemia – in fact, the Ayurvedic name for G. sylevestre is “Gurmar,” or “destroyer of sugars.” The principle bioactives in G. sylvestre, gymnemic acids, are concentrated highly in the leaves and have been isolated and observed for their glucose shuttling properties.  

In a clinical trial in humans using a G. sylestre extract dietary supplement, 65 participants were administered G. sylvestre for 90 days. After the 90 day treatment, the participants were assessed for a number of biometrics, including prenadial (pre-eating) plasma glucose concentrations and HbA1c (haemoglobin A1c, a key marker for diabetes) levels. The researchers found that 90 days of supplementation with G. sylvestre lowered prenadial blood glucose by 11%, postpranadial glucose by 13%, and Hb1Ac by .8% (a seemingly small figure, but in fact statistically significant).

In another, small clinical study, fasting blood glucose levels significantly improved in a group of type II diabetes mellitus patients after receiving a 200mg extract of G. sylevestre (standardized for gymnemic acid) for 20 months.

Unlike CGA, the mechanism(s) of action for G. sylevestre and gymnemic acid have not been precisely identified. Several trials in rats suggest that gymnemic acid’s structural similarity to glucose may have a role in its hypoglycemic effects; while still other trials suggest that, like CGA, gymemic acid may exert glucose uptake inhibitory effects at the intestinal level.

Whatever the mechanism of action, however, the plant has demonstrated the ability to promote healthy blood glucose levels and assist in the management of a healthy body mass.

Berbis aristata Extract (bark) (97% berberine)

Berberis aristata, is a shrub belonging to the family Berberidaceae and the genus Berberis, found in many parts of Eurasia and the Americas. The bark and bark extracts of the plant have been used traditionally as an antibacterial and antifungal preparation and as a hypoglycaemic, anti-diuretic, and vasodilator. The use of both B. aristata and its principal constituent, berberine, is widespread in traditional medicinal systems throughout history. Berberine is also now a prominent ingredient in dietary supplement formulations and a research target for numerous pathological conditions.

There is extensive literature demonstrating that the bark extract of B. aristata – and other plants containing a large proportion of berberine – is a potent AMPk agonist in skeletal muscle. Based on the pharmacological similarities between berberine and the anti-diabetic medicine metformin (with respect to AMPk activation), it is possible that berberine may promote an anti-catabolic state through increased expression of AMPk.  In a randomized, placebo-controlled and double blind trial, patients with Type II diabetes mellitus risk factors were administered an oral preparation of 650mg Metformin for 8 weeks to assess body composition and changes in insulin resistance. The Metformin group experienced an increase in lean weight from 57.05 +/- 13.6 to 61.9kg +/- 16.5 kg (p < 0.01). Though the standard deviation suggests a large variation in lean tissue gain, the results are taken to be statistically significant at the 99th confidence interval, suggesting a high level of statistical precision. This indicates, in other words, that 99% of the study population experienced a lean weight increase. It should be noted that, in comparison studies, berberine extracts (at doses of 500-1500 mg/day) have outperformed metformin in key biochemical and physiological markers: including AMPk phosphorylation.

The human data – in both healthy and disease state populations – demonstrating berberine’s other physiological effects are numerous. A 2012 meta-analysis examined 14 randomized trials, containing 1068 patients, and assessed berberine’s efficacy in numerous biometrics, including resting plasma glucose levels, plasma insulin levels, body weight, body mass index, and reduction in fat mass and serum triglycerides and total cholesterol content. The aggregate data suggests that berberine performs at least as well as oral hypoglycemic agents (such as metformin) in these key metrics. Perhaps most interesting for users of Core LOAD, berberine showed the most promise in combination with oral hypoglycemic agents. While berberine lowered fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels, reduced HbA1c, reduced triglyceride levels and reduced fat mass alone, and performed well in comparison, it was shown to potentiate the effects of pharmaceutical anti-diabetics – at times significantly, with further reductions in the above metrics of up to 20%.

Effectively, this means that berberine is not only a potent glucose disposal agent on its own, but also makes other glucose disposal agents more effective.

Like CGA, berberine is not only a glucose disposal agent but a potent anti-lipidemic agent. In in vitro models, researchers examined the expression of a number of adipocyte-specific genes including fatty acid synthase (FAS), ADD1/SREBP1c (adipocyte determination and differentiation–dependent factor 1/sterol regulatory element–binding protein 1c), peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor (PPAR)γ, and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11β-HSD1), and found them to be reduced in various WAT (white adipose tissue) deposits of berberine-treated mice. This data suggests that daily ingestions of beberine may potently inhibit a constellation of genes that are responsible for both depositing and converting lipids into fat tissue, and genes responsible for their mobilization (use for fuel) in response to exercise. In brown adipose tissue, the expression of PPARα mRNA (a receptor protein largely involved in lipolysis – the breakdown of fat tissue) also increased dramatically, while the mRNA of lipogenic genes such as FAS was reduced. Additionally, expression of PPARγ coactivator-1, a key regulator of several mitochondrial genes involved in adaptive thermogenesis, was substantially increased, suggesting berberine’s induction of AMPk expression leads to an inhibition of the proliferation and hypertrophy of fat cells.

Again, like CGA, berberine possesses numerous, beneficial physiological and metabolic properties: including the healthy regulation of blood glucose and accumulation of fat tissue. But perhaps most importantly, the evidence suggests that berberine may potentiate the effects of every other ingredient in Core LOAD.

Banaba Extract (Lagerstroemia speciose)(leaf)(20% corosolic acids)

Lagerstroemia speciosa is a flowering tree of the Lagerstroemia genus that is native to large portions of south east Asia, India and the Phillipines, and its bark and leaves have a historical tradition in folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Banaba (L. speciosa’s common name) has been used as a folk medicine to treat diabetes in various parts of the world, primarily southeast Asia. The hypoglycemic effect of aqueous (hot water) and methanol extracts have been demonstrated in many human studies. Most studies have focused on corosolic acid, the primary bioactive constituent of L. speciosa – and the compound for which Core LOAD’s banaba is standardized.

A 12-week lifestyle intervention study, involving 56 subjects consuming a dietary supplement containing banaba, taken prior to each meal, measured body mass at the conclusion of the trial. At the end of 12 weeks, the subjects had lost an average of 6.29 kg (13.8 lb) including 3.72 kg (8.2 lb) body fat as determined by a bioelectric impedance body fat analyser.

In a separate, smaller study, 12 nondiabetic subjects with a baseline blood glucose level of 104 mg/dL were given a soft gel capsule daily for 2 weeks containing 10 mg corosolic acid as a Banaba extract standardized to 18% corosolic acid. A 12% decrease in fasting glucose levels, as well as 60 min postprandial blood glucose levels, was observed after 2 weeks of administering the product. The authors also reported an average three-pound weight loss after the two weeks.

In an unpublished study using the same soft gel product containing 10 mg corosolic acid, 100 subjects with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes were enrolled. Half the subjects were given one soft gel containing the corosolic acid-standardized Banaba extract and the other half received a placebo for 30 days. Both fasting and 2 h postprandial blood glucose levels in the treated group decreased by 10% relative to the control (placebo) group. Also reported was an improvement in diabetic symptoms including a decrease in thirst, drowsiness, and hunger. Furthermore, no adverse effects were observed, with no changes in blood pressure, liver or kidney function, blood cell count, or hemoglobin.

Lastly, a study involving 31 subjects in a double-blind cross-over design were given a capsule containing 10 mg corosolic acid or a placebo 5 min before a 75g oral glucose tolerance test. Blood glucose levels were measured at 30 min intervals for 2h. The authors reported that corosolic acid treatment resulted in lower blood glucose levels from 60 to 120 min compared with controls, the difference being statistically significant (P < 0.05) at the 90 min time point. According to the authors, the corosolic acid that was used was 99% pure, thus indicating that the blood sugar lowering effect was specifically due to the corosolic acid. In the context of Core LOAD, the AUC (area under curve) demonstrated in this trial is important – as it demonstrates that corosolic acid exerts glucose stabilizing effects over a long time period (such as immediately before-to-after an intense workout).

The above clinical studies demonstrate that Banaba extract, Banaba extract standardized to corosolic acid, and corosolic acid itself, decrease fasting as well as postprandial blood glucose levels in humans. A decrease in blood glucose levels has been observed within 2 h of dosing, and the decrease is typically in the range of 10–15%, although a decrease of 30% has been reported.

The ability to corsolic acid to positively regulate healthy plasma glucose levels makes it a key addition to Core LOAD’s glucose disposal agent lineup.

References:

For references, check below file;

Core Nutritionals: Load References

Description:

To be hard, you need to get HARD. It's that simple.

Core HARD is the pinnacle in recomposition supplementation. The ingredients in HARD have been specifically chosen to balance your hormonal environment and maximize your lean mass.

• 3 scoops per serving.
• 28 servings per container.
• Body recomposition.

Your diet is impeccable and couldn’t be any more in check – macros, micros, you have it all down. Your workouts? Get out of here! You have slaved, grinded, and grunted your way through leg workouts so intense the gym staff cried – and those were on your worst days. And yet, something is missing.

It’s that “extra” level of shred, “that look.” You know exactly what we mean. That type of leanness and density that makes an arm look twice as big, a stomach look twice as lean, and a forearm look like a roadmap for the Italian countryside. It’s that kind of elusive hardness that’s so rare, most of us simply chalk it up to genetics, or luck, or steroids, or whatever excuse we have handy – and yet we all still want it.

The reality? It isn’t all that unattainable. Getting “that” look, “that” hardness, is about balance and recomposition. It’s a matter of adding in that final piece of the puzzle that makes the entire picture come out perfectly.

To be hard, you need to get HARD. It’s that simple.

Core HARD is another product in the Core Nutritionals’ lineup to follow the basic, but indispensable principles that Core Nutritionals is slowly making an industry standard: create products with effective ingredients, in effective doses, in a non-proprietary formula. This time around, we have applied those principles to the problem of softness that we all despise and have developed the most advanced ultra-hardening and recomposition agent on the market.

Taking advantage of both the old and the new, Core Nutritionals has employed both modern, cutting-edge compounds and traditional herbs to create a balanced approach to delivering hardness. Key ingredients in Core HARD affect some of the body’s critical physiological pathways, combining sexiness and science in a single, non-proprietary formula. We have included seven powerful ingredients into a full month's worth of stimulant free, recomposition goodness.

Ingredients: 

KSM-66® Full-Spectrum Ashwagandha Extract (Withania somnifera) (root) (5% withanolides)

Withania somnifera Dunal, colloquially known as Winter Cherry or Indian Ginseng, is an herb that features prominently in the traditional Indian medicinal system of Ayurveda. Known as Ashwagandha in Ayurveda, Withania somnifera is a critical ingredient in various Ayurvedic tonics and tinctures prepared as a traditional remedy for the treatment of various ailments.

Recently identified as a potent adaptogenic and target for therapeutic applications, Ashwaghanda has been the subject of numerous animal, pre-clinical, and clinical trials designed to examine its potential effects as an antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anxiolytic, antibacterial, antifungal, and immonumodulating compound. Ashwaghanda’s broad therapeutic potential is hypothesized to be the result of its robust phytochemical profile, including a wide swath of alkaloids, sitoindosides, and the highly biologically active withanolide group. As the principally biologically active compounds within Ashwaghanda, withanolides such as withanone, withaferine A, withanolides A, D, and G have been identified, isolated, and extensively studied in the various applications noted above.

In recognition of the potential physiological benefits of withanolides, Core Nutritionals selected KSM-66^® to include in its HARD formula. KSM-66^® is a full-spectrum Ashwaghanda extract, standardized for 5% withanolides – meaning that KSM-66^® not only includes the full range of biologically active compounds within Ashwaghanda, but also that it contains the highest currently available concentration of the principally active withanolides (5%).

The high concentrations of withanolides within KSM-66® has resulted in encouraging results in a number of human, clinical trials – particularly considering many of these trials were conducted using the methodological gold standard of randomization, double-blind delivery, and placebo control. Amongst the most impressive results contained in these trials:

• A 27.9% reduction in serum cortisol levels, measured over 60 days in a trial featuring 64 chronically stressed adults.
• Statistically significant increases to endurance and stamina, as measured by VO² max, in a clinical trial featuring 50 healthy, exercise-trained adults.
• Increased measures of well-being as reported by self-assessment scales, included in both the clinical trials mentioned above.
• Statistically significant increases in serum testosterone levels in a clinical trial featuring 68 infertile men.

Though each of these results is impressive, perhaps the most significant is the 27.9% reduction in cortisol seen in the 60 day trial. As detailed above, cortisol possesses a multitude of potentially degradative physiological effects, including: inhibiting glucose uptake, causing a constriction of the vasculature (vasoconstriction), the breakdown of glycogen, and inarguably the result most would desire to avoid, proteolysis (the breakdown of muscle tissue).

Phosphatidylserine (50%)

Phosphatidylserine, colloquially known as PS, is a nearly ubiquitous phospholipid found in various membranous tissues throughout the body. PS’s ubiquity coincides with its necessity for crucial physiological functions, as the phospholipid is implicated in several components of cell communication, as well as the mediation of catecholamine synthesis and transmission in the brain (along with other neuroendocrine functions). In a fitness-related context, a nascent but growing body of methodologically-sound research suggests that PS may play a role in increasing exercise capacity.

Studies administering the compound in both acute and chronic fashion suggest that PS has a measurable effect on exercise capacity. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial involving 16 trained athletes, phosphatidylserine was administered for 10 days prior to an acute exercise challenge. Exercise markers such as exercise time to exhaustion, sprint performance, and ratings of perceived exertion, were measured post-exercise. The authors found that exercise time to exhaustion was significantly altered. Related studies using similar serving sizes have found that chronic PS administration increased shot accuracy in golfers, increased exercise time to exhaustion by 28% in cyclists, and reduced subjective feelings of stress and soreness in others.

Overall, phosphatidylserine appears to play a valuable role in the increase in exercise capacity. PS may therefore play a critical role in the continued exercise success of bodybuilders in a, “cutting” or recomposition stage.

Pomegranate Extract (Punica granatum) (hull) (ellagic acid 40%)

Pomegranate is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub, endemic to and cultivated in wide swaths of both Europe and Asia. Pomegranate is also the predominant member of two species comprising the Punicaceae family

Pomegranate fruit has long been consumed as a dietary staple, and recent research has uncovered that the peel, in particular, harbors a broad range of physiologically active compounds known as polyphenols – most prominently ellagitannins. When consumed, these ellagitannins are hydrolyzed to ellagic acid in the gut, and released into the blood, allowing ellagic acid to be widely distributed to many target tissues and organs. 

While still preliminary, emerging animal and in vitro data on PME (pomegranate extract) suggests that both specific and whole plant extracts may exert interesting endocrine effects. In a study examining the effects of PME on cultured human cells, PME was shown to down-regulate estrogen-receptor gene expression, and inhibit binding – suggesting that PME may possess some anti-estrogenic effects, at least in vitro. In another study in rats, PME’s robust antioxidant profile was hypothesized to increase androgenic activity via reducing oxygen radicals in the testes.

Though PME lacks robust human data, the available literature suggests that this compound may possess some highly useful physiological effects.

White Button Mushroom Extract (Agaricus blazei) (fruit) (30% polysaccharides)

Agaricus blazei, known commonly by a plethora of names – including button mushroom, white button mushroom, table mushroom, and champignon mushroom – is a small, edible mushroom endemic to North America and Europe. The most commonly consumed mushroom on the planet, commercial production and consumption of white button mushroom has existed since at least the early 18^th century, while indigenous oral records suggest the plant was consumed for centuries prior.

Recent medical research has discovered that white button mushroom is a rich source of biologically-active compounds, including ergothioneine, an antioxidant with particularly potent free radical scavenging activity. Similar research has found that white button mushrooms – along with other varieties – possess unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and conjugated linoleic acid that may exert inhibitory activity on human aromatase, a cytochrome-P450 complex responsible for the conversion of testosterone into estrogen.

In two separate studies by similar researchers, both rats and human cell lines were fed and/or incubated with various extract strengths and doses of white button mushroom extract. Both the animal experiments and “in-cell” aromatase assays demonstrated that WBME exerted powerful anti-aromatase effects, reducing total aromatase amounts and activity across all experimental conditions.

The most encouraging aspect of these studies is the servings of white button mushroom used in the experimental conditions: they are easily achievable through oral consumption, unlike many other plant-based, physiologically active compounds.

L-Theanine

Though the literature surrounding L-theanine is still emerging, the amino acid is slowly building a reputation as one of the most interesting and exciting compounds being targeted for therapeutic use. L-theanine is an amino acid found almost exclusively in tea, constituting approximately 1-2% of the dry weight of tea – resulting in a 25–60 mg theanine load per 200 ml serving of liquid tea.

First identified in green tea and in the mushroom Xerocomus badius, L-theanine readily crosses the blood-brain barrier in a dose-dependent manner, and it is thought to influence the central nervous system (CNS) through a variety of mechanisms, including:

• Inhibiting glutamate reuptake and blockade of glutamate receptors in the hippocampus.
• Increasing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA – a neurotransmitter associated with the regulation of responses) concentrations.

In addition to these more well-demonstrated effects, emerging electroencephalography trials on theanine suggest that the amino acid may exert a positive effect on alpha waves – a type of brain wave implicated in restful relaxation. Alpha activity has also been associated with increased creativity, increased performance under stress, and improved learning and concentration, as well as decreased anxiety.

3,3'-Diindolylmethane (DIM)

What we typically refer to as “Estrogen,” is in fact a group of three biologically distinct hormones – estradiol (E₂), estrone (E₁), and estriol (E₃), each possessing different activities in different cell, tissue, and receptor types. When experts refer to either the benefits or downfalls of “estrogen," they really mean to identify a specific estrogen.

These specific estrogens, in turn, metabolize into even more specific estrogen sub-compounds, such as the 2-hydroxyestrogens (2-OHE’s), 2-methoxyestrogens, 16a-hydroxyestrone (16-OHE1), and 4-hydroxyestrogens (4-OHE’s). As their parent estrogens, these estrogen metabolites exert different effects depending upon the tissue and cell one is examining. In fact, two estrogen metabolites in particular, 16-OHE1 and 2-OHE, have such contrasting cellular activities that 2-OHE is an estrogen antagonist. Yes, that is correct: there is an anti-estrogen, estrogen.

In recent years, so-called phytonutrients have become the focus of clinical research, as these natural compounds have shown the ability to modulate the body’s estrogen ratio. One of these phytonutrients, is a dietary indole known as indole-3-carbinol (I3C). Unfortunately, despite its metabolic usefulness, I3C is highly molecularly unstable, and therefore unsuitable for use as a therapeutic agent or dietary supplement.

N-Coumaroyldopamine

N-Coumaroyldopamine is a natural analogue to the phytochemical N-Caffeoyldopamine, itself found prominently in various plants, including cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.). N-Coumaroyldopamine, its parent compounds, and other analogs that derive from its parent compound, have recently been the subject of phytochemical analyses due to their chemical similarity to sympathomimetic amines known to couple to the beta-2-adrenergic receptor.

Phytochemical analyses were subsequently designed to assess the potency of N-Coumaroyldopamine and N-Caffeoyldopamine as beta-2-adrenergic receptor agonists – or, in simpler terms, their ability to “turn on” the fabled beta-2-adrenergic receptor. In these trials, the phytochemicals were shown to be as potent as several well-known beta-2-adrenergic receptor agonists (salbutamol, procaterol, and fenoterol). You read that correctly: N-Coumaroyldopamine and N-Caffeoyldopamine were found to bind as tightly to the beta-2-adrenergic receptor as well known synthetic compounds!

The desirability of activating the beta-2-adrenergic receptor arises due to the critical role that beta-2-adrenertic receptors play in both skeletal muscle and adipose metabolic function. In particular, beta-2-adrenergic receptors have been shown to induce dilation in the vasculature (vasodilation – the process involved in a “pump”), increase oxygen uptake and nutrient transport to skeletal muscle, regulate thermogenesis (the production of body heat), inhibit the pro-adipogenic effects of other adrenergic receptor types, as well as directly increase lipolysis and the oxidation of fatty acids.

Beta-2-adrenergic receptors achieve these effects via one of the body’s key chemical messengers, known as cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate). cAMP works as a sort of cell-type translator and foreman: it receives an input from, say, a receptor such as the beta-2-adrenergic receptor, and then communicates and directs the types of cells that the beta-2-adrenergic receptor would like to target.

Just within the context of beta-2-adrenergic agonism, this amounts to cAMP increasing resting metabolic rate and caloric expenditure (the amount of calories you burn), improving peripheral sensitivity to glucose and glucose utilization, reduction of gluconeogenesis, induction of AMPk (adenosine monophosphate kinase) release, triggering of lipolysis, the inhibition of lipogenesis, and vasodilation.

Or, in other words, cAMP is involved in nearly every beneficial physiological process that a lifter, runner, hiker, jumper, runner, tumbler, and fumbler would want. cAMP is involved in:

• Increasing bloodflow (“pump”).
• Reducing muscle protein usage (catabolism).

To say that cAMP is a desirable compound to increase the release of – which activating the beta-2-adrenergic receptor does – would qualify as the understatement of the year!

Luckily, however, I3C readily metabolizes into the secondary indole 3,3’ diindolylmethane, or DIM for short. When used in a supplemental fashion in clinical trials, DIM appears to possess all the positive effects of its parent compound.

DIM also exerts its own direct physiological effects, including:

• Adjusting the activity of certain cytochrome enzymes, reducing the activity at the estrogen receptor site.
• Limit the cell division and growth of certain estrogens.

Despite the bodybuilding community’s single-minded crusade to eliminate estrogen wherever it lie in wait, compounds such as DIM show us that estrogen is a very diverse set of compounds – and that we should actively pursue increasing certain estrogens that have beneficial, and ironically, anti-estrogenic effects.

References:

1. Kingsley M, Wadsworth D, Kilduff LP, McEneny J, Benton D; Wadsworth; Kilduff; McEneny; Benton (August 2005). "Effects of phosphatidylserine on oxidative stress following intermittent running". Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 37 (8): 1300–6.
2. Kingsley MI, Miller M, Kilduff LP, McEneny J, Benton D; Miller; Kilduff; McEneny; Benton (January 2006). "Effects of phosphatidylserine on exercise capacity during cycling in active males". Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 38 (1): 64–71.
3. Jäger R, Purpura M, Geiss K-R, Weiß M, Baumeister J, Amatulli F, Schröder L, Herwegen H; Purpura; Geiss; Weiß; Baumeister; Amatulli; Schröder; Herwegen (December 2007). "The effect of phosphatidylserine on golf performance". International Society of Sports Nutrition 4 (1): 23.
4. Starks MA, Starks SL, Kingsley M, Purpura M, Jäger R; Starks; Kingsley; Purpura; Jäger (July 2008). "The effects of phosphatidylserine on endocrine response to moderate intensity exercise". Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 5 (1): 11.
5. Monteleone P, Maj M, Beinat L, Natale M, Kemali D; Maj; Beinat; Natale; Kemali (1992). "Blunting by chronic phosphatidylserine administration of the stress-induced activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in healthy men". European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 42 (4): 385–8. doi:10.1007/BF00280123 (inactive 2015- 02- 01). PMID 1325348.
6. Fernholz KM, Seifert JG, Bacharach DW, Burke ER, Gazal O (2000). "The Effects of Phosphatidyl Serine on Markers of Muscular Stress in Endurance Runners [abstract]". Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 32 (4): S321.
7. Bhattacharya SK, Muruganandam AV. Adaptogenic activity of Withania somnifera: An experimental study using a rat model of chronic stress. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2003;75:547-55.
8. Singh G, Sharma PK, Dudhe R, Singh S. Biological activities of Withania somnifera. Ann Biol Res 2010;1:56-63.
9. Sharma V, Sharma S, Pracheta, Paliwal R. Withania somnifera: A rejuvenating ayurvedic medicinal herb for the treatment of various human ailments. Int J PharmTech Res 2011;3:187-92.
10. Kulkarni SK, Dhir A. Withania somnifera: An Indian ginseng. Prog NeuroPsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2008;32:1093-05.
11. Bhattacharya SK, Goel RK, Kaur R, Ghosal S. Antistress activity of sitoindosides VII and VIII, new acylsterylglucosides from Withania somnifera. Phytother Res 1987;1:32-7.
12. Ghosal S, Lal J, Srivastava R, Bhattacharya SK, Upadhyay SN, Jaiswal AK, et al. Immunomodulatory and CNS effects of sitoindosides IX and X, two new glycowithanolides from Withania somnifera. Phytother Res 1989;3:201- 6.
13. Park, JB. N-coumaroyldopamine and N-caffeoyldopamine increase cAMP via beta 2- adrenoceptors in myelocytic U937 cells. FASEB J. 2005 Apr;19(6):497-502.
14. St-Onge. Dietary fats, teas, dairy and nuts: potential functional food for weight control? Am J Clin Nutr 2005 81(1):7-15.
15. Kuriyama S et al. Green Tea Consumption and Mortality Due to Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and All Causes in Japan The Ohsaki Study. JAMA 2006;296:1255-1265.
16. Coimbra S et al. Green tea consumption improves plasma lipid profiles in adults. Nutrition Research 2006;26(11): 604-607.
17. Bryan J. Psychological effects of dietary components of tea: caffeine and L-theanine. Nutr Rev 2008;66(2):82-90.
18. Nobre AC, Rao A, Owen GN. L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2008;17 Suppl 1:167-8.
19. Kimura K, Ozeki M, Juneja LR, Ohira H. L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses. Biol Psychol 2007;74(1):39-45.
20. L-theanine. Monograph. Altern Med Rev 2005;10(2):136-8.
21. Dulloo AG, Duret C, Rohrer D, Girardier L, Mensi N, Fathi M, Chantre P, Vandermander J. Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24- h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 1999;70(6):1040-5.
22. Hertog MGL, Feskens EJM, Hollman PCH, et al. Dietary antioxidant flavonoids and risk of coronary disease: the Zutphen Elderly Study. Lancet 1993;342:1007-11.
23. Keli SO, Hertog MGL, Feskens EJM, Kromhout D. Dietary flavonoids, antioxidant vitamins, and incidence of stroke. Arch Intern Med 1996;156:637-42.
24. Duffy SJ, Keaney JF Jr, Holbrook M, Gokce N, Swerdloff PL, Frei B, Vita JA. Shortand long-term black tea consumption reverses endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease. Circulation 2001;104:151-6.
25. Isemura M, Saeki K, Kimura T, Hayakawa S, Minami T, Sazuka M. Tea catechins and related polyphenols as anti- cancer agents. Biofactors. 2000;13(1-4):81-5.
26. Hakim IA, Alsaif MA, Alduwaihy M, Al-Rubeaan K, Al-Nuaim AR, Al-Attas OS. Tea consumption and the prevalence of coronary heart disease in Saudi adults: results from a Saudi national study. Prev Med 2003;36(1):64- 70.
27. Sesso HD, Gaziano JM, Buring JE, Hennekens CH. Coffee and tea intake and the risk of myocardial infarction. Am J Epidemiol 1999;149:162-7.
28. Meilahn EN. De Stavola B. Allen DS. Fentiman I. Bradlow HL. Sepkovic DW. Kuller LH. Do urinary estrogen metabolites predict breast cancer? Follow up of the Guernsey III cohort. Br J Cancer. 1998;78:1250–1255.
29. Schneider J. Huh MM. Bradlow HL. Fishman J. Antiestrogen action of 2-hydroxyestrone on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. J Biol Chem. 1984;259:4840–4845.
30. Telang NT. Suto A. Wong GY. Osborne MP. Bradlow HL. Induction by estrogen metabolite 16 alpha- hydroxyestrone of genotoxic damage and aberrant proliferation in mouse mammary epithelial cells. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1992;84:634–638.
31. Ho GH. Luo XW. Ji CY. Foo SC. Ng EH. Urinary 2/16alpha-hydroxyestorne ratio: correlation with serum insulin- like growth factor binding protein-3 and a potential biomarker of breast cancer risk. Ann Acad Med Singap. 1998;27:294–299.
32. Zheng W. Dunning L. Jin F. Holtzman J. Urinary estrogen metabolites and breast cancer: a case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev. 1997;6:505–509.
33. Ursin G. London S. Stanczk FZ. Gentzschein E. Paganini-Hill A. Ross RK. Pike MC. Urinary 2- hydroxyestrone/16alpha-hydroxyestrone ratio and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1999;91:1067–1072.
34. Muti P. Bradlow HL. Micheli A. Krogh V. Freudenheim JL. Schunemann HJ. Stanulla M. Yang J. Sepkovic DW. Trevisan M. Berrino F. Metabolism and risk of breast cancer: a prospective analysis of 2:16 hydroxyestrone ratio and risk of breast cancer in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol. 2000;11:635–640.
35. Tiwari RK. Guo L. Bradlow HL. Telang NT. Osborne MP. Selective responsiveness of human breast cancer cells to indole-3-carbinol, a chemopreventive agent. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1994;86:126–131.
36. Sepkovic DW. Bradlow HL. Bell M. Quantitative determination of 3,3′-diindolylmethane in the urine of individuals receiving indole-3-carbinol. Nutr Cancer. 2002;41:57–63.
37. Li Y. Wang Z. Kong D. Murthy S. Dou QP. Sheng S. Reddy GP. Sarkar FH. Regulation of FOXO3a/β- catenin/GSK-3β signaling by 3,3′-diindolylmethane contributes to inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. J Biol Chem. 2007;282:21542–21550.
38. Rahman KM. Ali S. Aboukameel A. Sarkar SH. Wang Z. Philip PA. Sakr WA. Raz A. Inactivation of NF-κB by 3,3′-diindolylmethane contributes to increased apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic agent in breast cancer cells. Mol Cancer Ther. 2007;6:2757–2765.

Description:

Growing and gains should fit into your life, not pose a problem to it.

Core GROW is a gaining solution that factors in the reality that people taking it still live a life, still have a diet, and need a gainer that occupies a beneficial place in them. Complete proteins, healthy fat, and whole food based carbs, all in a single scoop.

• 3 scoops per serving.
• 15 servings per container.
• High calories for growth.

When you hear someone say “This is the best gainer on the market,” what qualities do you think of? High in complete proteins, great carb source, healthy fats? Seems simple enough. Yet, how many gainers really qualify for that definition?

Core GROW does and is hands down, flat-out, the most complete, soundest gainer on the market with the highest quality ingredients. There’s no flashy “new carb” technologies in GROW – there’s only a whole food-based carb blend derived from the foods you are already eating. Quick: name a fitness staple for carbs. You answered oats, and so did we. That’s why oatmeal flour is the cornerstone of our carbohydrate blend – along with nutritionally dense sweet potato and quinoa flours.

Complete proteins? How about cold-processed, undenatured whey protein concentrate? But we doubled it. Not only is our protein a complete protein, but some of our carbs are too – quinoa is among a handful of plants that provide a complete amino acid profile.

Healthy fats? How about coconut oil powder, avocado powder and MCT oil powder? Rich, nutrient dense fats derived from real foods.

And of course, to help you digest this meal in a scoop, we’ve included an industry-best enzyme blend. Not to mention that nearly every ingredient in our formulation has a vitamin, mineral, and micronutrient profile that would make a dietician blush with envy.

Growing and gains should fit into your life, not pose a problem to it. Core GROW is a gaining solution that factors in the reality that people taking it still live a life, still have a diet, and need a gainer that occupies a beneficial place in them. We said above that this is the best gainer on the market, and we meant it. Now you simply need to grab some GROW and see for yourself.

Ingredients:

BRO-Carb Blend:

The carbohydrate blend in Core GROW is composed of four sources: barley flour, oatmeal flour, sweet potato flour, and quinoa flour. As individual plants and food products, a very large and robust amount of literature exists to support the roles of oats, sweet potato, and quinoa in achieving and maintaining a healthy life.

Oats (Avena sativa) have been cultivated and used for either human sustenance or animal feed for at least 2,000 years. Oats – along with other cereals – have been regarded as an important source of nutrition or a dietary staple on a global scale during most of that period. Recent research into the plant has established the scientific consensus that oats are a “health food” for a myriad of reasons.

The United States Food and Drug Administration, for example, ruled that consuming a 3g serving of oat fiber daily had been shown to reduce both total and LDL cholesterol in 1997. In the nearly twenty years since that ruling, significant scientific consensus has emerged that oat fiber, consumed in at least 3g per day, play a role in the regulation of lipoprotein levels.

Studies on other oat benefits have demonstrated similar results. Studies conducted since 1992 have demonstrated the regular consumption of oats is positively associated with the regulation of satiety through appetite-controlling hormones, maintaining a healthy blood pressure, and assisting in the healthy production and regulation of glucose.

Research on barley has shown similar effects. For example, in a study with 25 hypercholesterolemic patients (a mixture of women and men), adding barley to a diet specifically-tailored to reduce cholesterol demonstrated ever further reduced LDL and helped to balance the LDL:HDL ratio.

The other carbohydrate sources in Core GROW, sweet potato and quinoa, also have growing bodies of data to support their role as “health foods.”

Quinoa is naturally gluten-free, contains all the essential amino acids needed for bodily function, has more than double the fiber mg-for-mg as most grains, and has been shown in clinical trials to assist in the healthy management of triglycerides, LDL, and glucose. These benefits are in addition to quinoa’s well-established micro-nutrient, vitamin, and mineral profile: the plant contains high levels of bioactive flavonoids, antioxidants, in addition to high levels of iron, magnesium, and vitamin B-2.

Sweet potato, like quinoa, is also gluten-free. The plant contains more than 100% of the daily-recommended value of vitamin A, and is also high in vitamins B5 and B6, niacin and riboflavin. Sweet potato is also a rich source of antioxidants.

In total, the carbohydrates found in the BRO-Carb blend are useful for not only their caloric value, but maybe more importantly, their roles as well-established “health foods.”

Cold-Processed Undenatured Whey Protein Concentrate

When you vigorously train or exert yourself, a process called protein degradation (the breakdown of muscle protein) begins so that the body can fuel itself, and a process called muscle protein synthesis (the creation of muscle protein) slows down. Think of this like shutting off your engine (protein synthesis), in order to fuel your car (muscle protein breakdown). As this entire process plays out, the available pool of amino acids in skeletal muscle depletes, as they too are drawn in and broken down in the natural, catabolic process during exercise.

While this situation is quite adequate during a training session, it’s precisely the opposite of what we want afterwards. At that point, we want the available pool of amino acids to increase, protein degradation to slow or stop, and muscle protein synthesis to increase. Enter protein supplements. Protein powders are a quick, convenient way to rapidly increase the available pool of amino acids in skeletal muscle.

However, not all proteins are created equal when assessed within the matrix of molecular triggers, enzymes, and amino acids that constitute skeletal muscle protein synthesis. Low quality blends, fillers, masking agents, and the like reduce the net protein content of many protein products, ultimately reducing lean muscle impact.

A quality protein supplement not only contains a high amount of protein, but the protein sources from which it draws need to be themselves high quality – and the benefit a particular protein source has can be assessed by analyzing its amino acid profile. Human skeletal muscle makes the most use out of a few, particular amino acids (the BCAAs among them), and so a quality protein needs to have an amino acid profile that is optimal for this context.

We chose the protein blend for Core GROW with optimization in mind. Our cold-processed undenatured whey protein concentrate has a robust and complete amino acid profile that has been shown in research to increase nitrogen retention, lean muscle impact, and satiating ability (the feeling of fullness).

PHAT Blend:

Like our BRO-Carb Blend, our PHAT Blend is whole-food derived in order to deliver fats that not only provides calories, but are additionally healthy on a more substantive level. We deliver this through the use of coconut oil powder and avocado powder as the primary ingredients, with the addition of MCT oil powder.

Coconut oil is incredibly high in a specific form of saturated fatty acids known as medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs – the oil from which is the final ingredient in our fat blend. While saturated fatty acids were typically demonized in both the scientific and popular literature, recent research has revealed this characterization as false. Saturated acids, and particularly MCTs, have been demonstrated as conferring various metabolic benefits when eaten in substantial enough servings.

Medium chain triglycerides are a form of fat with 6-12 carbon fatty acid esters, a chemical structure that allows them to effectively bypass gastric uptake for transport directly to the liver for oxidation. Their unusual chemical structure and metabolic process has resulted in MCTs being a focus for a wide range of therapeutic and exercise supplement uses.

In the context of exercise science, recent research has shown that MCTs significantly (up to 65%) increase resting energy expenditure, along with dose-dependently reducing fatty acid deposition in adipose tissue. These results suggest that MCTs are effectively increasing the body’s metabolic response to food intake.

Avocado, on the other hand, is composed principally of monounsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid. Like MCTs, oleic acid has been positively associated with promoting the maintenance of healthy weight in populations whose diet contains significant amounts of oleic acid.

Digestive Enzyme Blend, Antioxidants, and Spectra™

One can easily make the argument that dietary enzymes – and in particular, digestive enzymes – are the most consistently underrated and overlooked component to a supplementation regimen. These powerful little protein structures influence or outright control a vast, complex network of bodily functions. In a fitness-specific context, digestive enzymes play an absolutely crucial role in the breaking down of dietary carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into their constitutive parts, and therefore allow your body to use them in various processes (glycogenesis, protein synthesis, etc).

Despite their critical function, many supplement companies overlook the necessity of digestive enzymes and do not include sufficient levels (and kinds) of enzymes in their products. For a whey product, in particular – a compound that requires significant digestion and breakdown – this is madness.

As usual, we take a much more comprehensive, clinical approach than the average. In Core GROW, we have included a digestive enzyme blend comprised by five of the most clinically-researched, critical function enzymes available. We have chosen them strategically and synergistically, ensuring they fulfill multiple functions, including, though not limited to: aiding in the breakdown of milk proteins and sugars, supporting healthy carbohydrate and fat metabolism and breakdown, and assisting in the metabolism of carbohydrates and starch.

In addition to the specific focus on digestion in GROW, we have added in a potent antioxidant in the form of pomegranate powder. Emerging data has begun to suggest that pomegranate, long a staple of tropical diets, has potent free-radical scavenging ability – scientific parlance for the ability to reduce damage from unchecked oxidation. In both cell cultures and animal models – the gold-standards for anti-oxidant assessment – pomegranate has demonstrated one of the highest per-gram, standardized ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) values on record. These results suggest that even small amounts of pomegranates, its peels, and its powder (which is derived from its fruit and peels) may have beneficial effects in the reduction of harmful oxygen species.    

Finally, we added 100mg of Spectra Greens™, a dietary supplement to support detoxification functions. Spectra is a combination of nutrient rich vegetables, fruits, herbs, herbal extracts, Chlorella, Soy Lecithin, Royal Jelly, Bee Pollen, enzymes and probiotic cultures designed to support your bodys ability to cleanse, detoxify and rejuvenate.

References:

For references, see below file;

Core Nutritionals: Fury References

Description:

The fundamentals matter. Doesn’t matter if you’re talking basketball, ballet, or pre-workouts, the fundamentals matter. It’s a fact that often gets lost. But not on us – not for FURY X.

For us, the fundamentals are clear: ingredients with a body of literature demonstrating their efficacy, included in non-redundant formulas, in clinical serving sizes. And it’s a funny thing about the fundamentals: when you do them right, they produce something explosive, something significant, something that sets the standard for all products in its category. In so many words, you produce FURY X.

By following the fundamentals, we have produced a pre-workout product that, like its predecessor FURY Extreme, sets the bar for sustained energy, explosive pumps, actual performance benefits, and increased stamina and endurance. In one serving, you receive effectively what other performance products deliver in two: a full clinical serving of creatine monohydrate, l-citrulline, and l-tyrosine. And then, because we’re Core Nutritionals, we throw in a full energy blend with two molecularly similar but pharmacologically-distinct extracts of Camellia kucha (TeaCrine® and Dynamine®), caffeine, and choline. Oh, and did we mention the pumps? Because you’re receiving a full pump product in every serving, too, with l-citrulline, HydroMax® glycerol and betaine attached to the skin-bursting, patented nitrate N03-T®.

Ingredients:

L-Citrulline

Citrulline is a non-essential, non-protein amino acid that forms during the urea cycle and forms ornithine when combined with carbon dioxide. Citrulline is also a critical source of endogenous (natural) arginine, as it is rapidly and efficiently converted to arginine in the vascular endothelium and other tissues.

Citrulline’s benefits have been shown to be greater than its parent compound. While arginine undergoes direct hepatic (liver) metabolism through the enzyme arginase, citrulline bypasses hepatic metabolism entirely and it is delivered straight to the bloodstream. The result is that gut absorption and plasma (blood) bioavailability studies comparing citrulline and arginine have shown two things. First, that citrulline is less readily destroyed and has greater absorption than arginine. Second, that citrulline supplementation increases arginine levels more effectively than arginine supplementation itself.

This translates to promising results. For example, animal studies show a significant increase in anaerobic performance at a 250mg/kg/day serving of citrulline, while studies in humans implicate citrulline in both aerobic and anaerobic performance increases. As a critical part of the urea cycle, citrulline’s performance benefits are thought to be a result of its role in ammonia clearance. Citrulline is implicated in reducing the oxygen cost of muscle processes, along with increasing the rate of post-exercise ATP and phosphocreatine replenishment. As ATP and phosphocreatine are the body’s ‘exercise fuel,’ this may result in citrulline delaying time to exhaustion in aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

Creatine Monohydrate

Sometimes called the “grandfather” of dietary supplements, creatine is, along with caffeine, one of the most extensively studied dietary compounds. Certainly, it is the most well-studied ergogenic aid. Generally speaking, the extensive amount of data on creatine demonstrates that it positively contributes to dilation of the vasculature, plasma-nutrient mobilization, post-workout nitrogen retention and protein synthesis, along with dose-dependently increasing contractile force through ATP (adenosine triphosphate) provision (i.e., it helps support increased strength).

If the human body could be considered a bank account, then ATP would be the currency, and every cellular process would be like spending a little money from that account. Without making a deposit, the account runs dry (fatigue). Unfortunately, making a direct deposit to that account in the form of exogenous adenosine triphosphate is impossible, given that ATP itself is incredibly unstable. The use of supplemental creatine, however, is analogous to making a deposit in the body’s energy bank, given that creatine is eventually metabolized to ATP via several steps. In skeletal muscle, creatine is first phosphorylated into its primary derivative, known as phosphocreatine (PCr), by the muscle-specific creatine kinase, creatine kinase-MB (muscle-brain). Following the phosphorylation of creatine, phosphocreatine may then anaerobically donate a phosphate molecule to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to form the ATP required during the initial stages of intense muscular contraction. The result is not only an increase in contractile force, but also an increase in potential type IIx (‘fast-twitch’) muscle recruitment – the type of muscle fibers which are not only traditionally associated with speed, strength, and impressive physiques, but which are also unsurprisingly the most energy-demanding fiber types. Literally speaking, creatine contributes to the building of muscle.

Both through the ATP provision just described, as well as effects on nutrient mobilization, protein-sparing, and fluid dynamics, creatine has been consistently demonstrated to increase both lean mass and muscle mass in clinical data. In the short-term, these effects are most likely the result of extra-cellular fluid retention normally associated with exogenous creatine use. In the long term, these effects are likely attributable to creatine’s collective effect on muscle metabolism. The most recent research on creatine suggests it exerts direct effects on muscle metabolism, including altering the expression of genes responsible for ribosomal assembly, attenuating the breakdown of leucine, and most famously, by expanding cell volume. Cutting through the jargon, let us just say that the amount of creatine monohydrate contained in Core FURY Xsimply works: these servings have been shown time and again to significantly increase lean body mass and muscle volume, lower fatigue, and improve performance (measured in several ways).

HydroMax® (65% Glycerol)

Glycerol is a fascinating and highly useful compound that has achieved a somewhat cult status in the fitness community – while both peer-reviewed research and anecdotal reports centered on the endurance functions of glycerol are plentiful, its bodybuilding applications are not as widely lauded. Those who do use glycerol, however, are persistent in their belief that it provides some of the most noticeable, and effective, engorging (“pump”) effects possible.

Glycerol has been well-established as a so-called, “hyperhydrating agent” because of its ability to potently and positively affect plasma (blood) osmolality. As an incredibly powerful osmotic agent, and when combined with large quantities of water, glycerol induces the intracellular retention of fluid (not the extracellular kind, you do not want) that would otherwise be renally excreted. Various research has shown that glycerol’s capacity to positively affect osmolality and expand fluid volume (an increase in total body water) has beneficial effects on performance and physiologic function.

Studies that administered glycerol before both moderate and high endurance fitness tests found that glycerol reduced increases to core temperature, caused athletes to exercise significantly longer before fatigue, reduced urinary elimination of water and increased total body water content, and, in several studies, significantly improved intramuscular water expansion. In less complex terms, this means glycerol has been demonstrated to keep your muscles hydrated, significantly increase the ever-desired, “pump effect” of muscle engorgement, and, maybe most importantly when it comes to a supplement formulation, deliver and keep more nutrients  where they are needed (inside the muscle).

Until recently, however, most of these studies noted a significant drawback: the low glycerol concentration of market-available glycerol products forced researchers to test glycerol loads that were significantly higher than average use cases. Core FURY X uses HydroMax® to overcome precisely this problem.

HydroMax® is a highly-concentrated (65%) form of glycerol that offers greater water stability, and therefore potency, as compared to standard GMS (glycerol monostearate). Of particular interest to bodybuilders, HydroMax®’s greater potency translates to even greater levels of intramuscular water retention – keyword, intramuscular, and therefore no bloat – over GMS.

Overall, supplementation with HydroMax® has been shown to:

• Keep athletes hyperhydrated for extended periods of time.
• Reduce post-workout urine volume (more efficient fluid use).
• Lower heart rate and improve endurance time.
• Enhance plasma and intramuscular volume expansion.

Betaine Nitrate (as N03-T®)

Betaine (trimethylglycine) is found naturally in most living organisms. It is well known to protect non-mammalian animal life in conditions of osmotic stress (a rapid change in the amount of solute surrounding a cell), in addition to functioning as an osmolyte in mammalian (including human) tissues\. Betaine is formed in cells as an oxidation product of choline and can be obtained in the diet from foods such as spinach and beets.

Though data on betaine is limited, and recent, the available literature suggests that this compound may have effects in a number of areas. Studies on betaine using servings as little as 1.25g/day and up to 5g/day for up to 14 days have shown promising results. In one study, a 2.5g/day serving was found to enhance endurance and total repetition volume for the squat, bench press, and jump squat in in healthy-exercised trained adults. A similar study using the same serving found that betaine use increased peak power and maximum peak power, along with force and the maintenance of both force and power in healthy, exercise-trained subjects.

Perhaps more interesting, however, is a study which examined betaine’s effect on the endocrine system. This study revealed that betaine may exert an effect on several endocrine processes given the proper conditions, causing the authors to hypothesize that long(er) term betaine supplementation may increase the hypertrophic response to resistance training.

Pairing betaine with the patented nitrate (N03-T®) enhances nitric oxide production via the nitrate-nitrite pathway. Organic nitrate esters have a direct relaxant effect on vascular smooth muscles through non-nitric oxide synthase pathways, being directly converted first to nitrites and then to nitric oxide itself. (With attendant increases to guanylyl cyclase and then cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), which relax the vasculature.) Pairing both nitric oxide synthase and non-nitric oxide synthase-dependent mechanisms of actions theoretically enhances total NO production, given that rate-limiting enzymatic pathways in either mechanisms do not determine total NO production.

In an absolute sense, both inorganic and organic nitrates also possess benefits beyond a secondary NO-production pathway. Studies in athletes have demonstrated that nitrate ingestion prior to both aerobic and anaerobic exercise meaningfully increases both delay to fatigue and total work capacity – likely a consequence of nitrate’s activation in hypoxic (oxygen-deprived tissues). Nitrate effectively reduces the oxygen cost of muscular activity, making contractions more efficient.

L-Tyrosine

Tyrosine is amongst a class of amino acids known as ‘non-essential’ amino acids, so called because the body can produce them endogenously, and it is therefore not essential to consume dietary tyrosine. That said, tyrosine is also what is known as a conditionally-essential amino acid; conditionally-essential because, along with glucose and ammonia, the synthesis of tyrosine additionally requires adequate levels of phenylalanine. Once synthesized, tyrosine is one of the most critical amino acids, given its prominent role as a substrate in the synthesis of the catecholamines dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine, in addition to both T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine) thyroid hormones.

In studies on stress modulation, tyrosine has been demonstrated to reverse stress-induced norepinephrine depletion and the depressant-behavioral effects normally associated with it. In simpler terms, tyrosine may, in certain conditions, dampen the extent to which norepinephrine is removed from the bloodstream during a stress event. In simpler terms still, tyrosine may help to mitigate the sense of depletion and fatigue felt at the end of a workout.

Tyrosine may also play important metabolic functions, mostly related to its role in synthesizing compounds which stimulate the nervous system. While not traditionally considered a sympathomimetic amine, studies which have coadministered tyrosine and stimulants demonstrate a synergistic effect. These studies suggest that tyrosine may potentiate the effects of both endogenous and supplemental norepinephrine and its mimetics (in the case of exogenous use) with respect to lipolysis, thermogenesis, and energy expenditure. Meaning that tyrosine may play a role in assisting norepinephrine to break up triglycerides and increase body heat transiently.

Choline DL-Bitartrate

Choline is an essential nutrient involved in numerous metabolic pathways, including DNA regulation and repair, protein function, and metabolism. Perhaps most importantly, the critical neurotransmitter acetylcholine is produced directly from free choline via cholinergic neurons. Acetylcholine is then responsible for a number of functions itself, most crucially as the compound which induces muscular contraction, and as the neuromodulator partially responsible for modulating risk/reward, arousal, and enhancing memory.

Choline’s essential role as a substrate for acetylcholine, and therefore brain development, is well documented in animal models. These studies demonstrate that levels of free maternal choline have a direct and fundamental impact on prenatal brain development, with the enhancements or deficits lasting into adulthood. Choline’s enhancing effect is particularly prominent in the hippocampus. In humans, the hippocampus is primarily involved in the consolidation of memory (taking short, episodic memory and translating it into long-term memory) and the learning of new information. Acetylcholine is a critical component in these processes, as mentioned above, and choline may therefore play a potential role in these processes as well by providing the substrate for acetylcholine synthesis.

Tartaric acid occurs naturally in the food source, while its salt derivatives (tartrate, for example) have been used as acidulants, antioxidant synergists, buffers and sequestrants. As free base choline is rapidly destroyed in metabolism, attaching a salt to enhance absorption is necessary. The bitartrate salt addition preserves choline from being destroyed during metabolism.

Caffeine Anhydrous

Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed, and perhaps one of the most reviewed, psychoactive compounds. Its physiological effects in a range of areas have been well-documented, including exercise performance, information processing, alertness and mood enhancement, attention, and awareness, along with its anti-lipogenic and lipolytic abilities.

Most importantly to Core FURY X, caffeine has been shown to have significant effects on exercise performance, even with ingestion in servings as small 3 to 9mg/kg/bw/day (the equivalent of 2 cups of standard coffee, for a 170lb male). In endurance training, possible explanations for caffeine’s performance-enhancing effects lie in its metabolic effects on both lean and fat tissue. It is suggested that caffeine’s potent lipolytic (the breakdown of fat tissue into fatty acids) and oxidative (the actual ‘burning’ of fat) action allow the body to utilize these sources during prolonged submaximal exercise. As a consequence, muscle glycogen is spared and available for use later in the training session. Practically speaking, this means caffeine is forcing your body to preferentially use fat tissue as a fuel source, while sparing the glycogen which gives you the full-bodied look!

In short-term exercise, caffeine’sdemonstrated role in the inhibition of cyclic AMP- phosphodiesterases (PDE), adenosine receptor antagonism, and adrenoreceptor agonism come into play. These three pathways collectively stimulate lipolytic activity, boost fat metabolism, increase metabolic rate and energy expenditure, and regulate the body’s thermogenic activity. The practical results of activating these pathways are increases to the contractile force of both cardiac and skeletal muscle (harder flexion), an increase in energy expenditure (freeing up more caloric energy to be used in contraction), dilation of vasculature (better blood flow), and improvements to both nitrogen retention and skeletal muscle protein synthesis (key components to muscle building).

In Core FURY X, we have included a per-serving amount of caffeine that is neither excessive, nor arbitrary, but that instead reflects the servings used in clinical research.

Methylliberine (as Dynamine 40%) and Theacrine (as TeaCrine® 40%)

Camellia kucha is a tea plant endemic to the wild woods of Yunnan, where it grows above 1000m altitude. C. kucha has been consumed as a tea in the region for centuries, and has been found to contain two molecularly similar purine alkaloids: theacrine and, more recently, dynamine. C. kucha’s principal bioactives, theacrineand dynamine, are structurally similar to caffeine but exhibit important physiological differences – namely, that pharmacological studies in laboratory animals have demonstrated that they act on the central nervous system causing sedation at lower servings. In larger servings, however, theacrineand dynamineproduce stimulation (as an adenosine agonist). The stimulant component of theacrine was demonstrated in clinical trials using healthy, normal adults, who reported increased feelings of (subjective) psychometric enhancement. 

Dynamine, while being structurally similar toteacrine, is a perfect additive agent due to its distinct pharmacology. As seen in the graph below, dynamine’s AUC (area under curve) deviates from theacrine’s in that it possesses a shorter delay to onset and duration time:

Using dynamine in addition to theacrine thus produces a dual peak stimulation effect, where the user experiences the initial increase to mood and alertness with dynamine; and then a second peak with theacrine.

References:

For references, see below file;

Core Nutritionals: Fury References

Description:

Description:

Core Nutritionals’ Core BURN Ultra powder is that better way. There are no gimmicks here, no tricks and trade secrets. Just the very best, most verified-effective ingredients at serving sizes known to exert powerful effects on the human body. With Core BURN Ultra, we have taken many of the same ultra-potent ingredients found in Core BURN, mixed in a few amazing new friends, and put the whole thing in a delicious, convenient, and rapidly-dissolving powder. In the end, it’s your choice: flashy magazine ads, or an unrivaled and extreme thermo that plain, flat-out works as promised. If we had to choose between a slim wallet or a slim waist, we’d choose the latter – because we’d choose Core BURN Ultra. 

Highlighted Ingredients of Core Burn Ultra:

• Garcinia Cambogia Fruit Extract
• Green Coffee Extract
• Coleus Forskohlii Root Extract
• Advantra-Z Orange Extract

Description:

Unleash your inner ALPHA male with the ultra-potent Core ALPHA!

Core ALPHA is an all-natural, innovative product featuring ingredients backed by numerous clinical studies.  Core ALPHA’s ingredients are all-natural and powerful, providing a safe and effective way to support healthy hormone function and balance.

• 2 capsules per serving.
• 28 servings per container.
• Hormone balance.

Directions:

Take 1 capsule prior to your workout and 1 capsule before bed, preferably on an empty stomach. Alternatively, take 2 capsules at bedtime. Best when taken one hour prior to a meal or two hours after a meal. Do not use for longer than 8 continuous weeks without taking a 4 week break.

Ingredients:

Gelatin, magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide, FD&C blue #1, FD&C red #3, FD&C yellow #5, titanium dioxide.

Description:

Core ABC is the athlete’s BCAA.

The most effective, scientifically-established ratio of BCAAs because we know it’s the difference between your first mile and your last. Include clinically-verified servings of beta-alanine, citrulline malate, and glutamine because we know your last rep depends on it.

• 2 scoops per serving.
• 50 servings per container.
• Comprehensive recovery blend.

Rep by rep. Mile by mile. Breath by breath. Every muscle screams at you with pleas of mercy; every bone aches to its core from the pressure. Yet, you still don’t quit – you push on. By hook, or by crook, you will make it. You will succeed. You will win. 
You see, you’re an athlete. You are someone defined to your core by the competitive drive to better yourself at all costs. You need neither trophies, nor accolades; neither cheers, nor recognition. You pay the sweat price for every gain marked in your battle-worn ledger, detailing the struggle your body has endured.

You’re an athlete, and so are we. We don’t make Core ABC for everyone, we make it for you and us. We use the most effective, scientifically-established ratio of BCAAs because we know it’s the difference between your first mile and your last. We include clinically-verified servings of beta-alanine, citrulline malate, and glutamine because we know your last rep depends on it. We know this because we know you, and we know ourselves.

Core ABC is the athlete’s BCAA. It was formulated by athletes, for athletes, for the needs only an athlete can understand. If you can’t say the same about your BCAA, then it may be time for a switch.

Ingredients:

Amino Acids:

If one were to think of the body as a construction project, amino acids would be the most basic building materials: raw lumber, mortar, bricks, and so on. While the assembly of these building blocks is of course critically important to the function of the building – and one of the amino acids, leucine, controls its own assembly – the quality and availability of the materials themselves is arguably more important. Not enough concrete? The foundation cracks and the building falls.

Your body is the exact same way. It is comprised of various amino acids, both essential and non-essential, that comprise the cellular basis of each and every cell in your body. When it comes down to skeletal muscle, the three most important are known as the BCAAs – or branch chained amino acids. Comprised of leucine, isoleucine, and valine, these three little amino acids effectively control the rate at which your muscle grows (hypertrophies), its contractile force, its endurance, and so on – to say they are massively important is an understatement. For this reason, they form the basis of any competently-designed supplement protocol.

Collectively, as stated above, the branch-chained amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine are famous for their role in skeletal muscle protein synthesis and metabolism, and additionally comprise approximately one-third of all skeletal muscle protein. Of the three, leucine is both the most physiologically important with respect to muscle mass, and the most extensively studied. Data on leucine demonstrate this amino acid plays critical roles in stimulating skeletal muscle protein synthesis, and ribosomal biogenesis and assembly (the literal building of muscle tissue), along with playing a lesser role in insulin signaling and gluconeogenic processes. As a result of these diverse roles, leucine has been demonstrated to significantly stimulate skeletal muscle protein synthesis, and attenuate protein degradation, by both insulin-mediated and non-insulin mediated mechanisms.

Leucine’s insulin-mediated effects are largely the result of its activation of the classical insulin receptor substrate (IRS)/phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mTOR signal transduction pathway. In this pathway, the bonding of a substrate (glucose) eventually activates a compound known as Akt. Once phosphorylated and activated, Akt signals the release of the famous mammalian target of rapmycin (mTOR). mTOR then increases the translation of muscle-cell ribosomal proteins that increase ribosome biogenesis, which is the literal production of proteins. Leucine has additionally been shown to positively regulate protein synthesis independent of insulin. In certain trials where rapamycin and leucine were co-administered, rapamycin showed only partial inhibition of leucine’s effects on muscle protein synthesis.

In more practical terms, there is a significant body of evidence demonstrating the positive effect of BCAA’s on athletic performance. Extensive studies in exercise-trained populations reveal that, collectively, BCAA’s may:

• Reduce total muscle soreness after intense resistance training, and/or further delay its onset.
• Decrease muscle recovery time between bouts of intense resistance exercise training.
• Increase lean body mass when used daily, in conjunction with diet and exercise.

While products with larger BCAA ratios (ratio of leucine, to isoleucine, to valine) have recently flooded the market, Core Nutritionals has remained with the gold standard of 2:1:1. This decision is made in recognition of the fact that, for all its potential benefits, there is no evidence demonstrating a realized effect of a larger BCAA ratio – and in fact, all the benefits mentioned above derive from evidence using the gold standard 2:1:1 ratio.

Beta-Alanine:

Carnosine is a bit of an odd duck: we know that it is crucial for muscle function, and that dietary sources of caronsine are essential, but we don’t know precisely how its working. Moreover, for decades, we had no idea how to increase intramuscular concentrations, as exogenous carnosine sources degraded in the body so fast as to be effectively useless.

Enter beta-alanine. Simply a different iteration of one of the amino acids that comprises carnosine itself (alanine), beta-alanine has proven to be the most effective means of significantly increasing intramuscular concentrations of carnosine – and therefore of promoting all of carnosine’s various beneficial effects on muscle performance. If that weren’t enough, beta-alanine has also demonstrated beneficial physiological effects independent of its parent compound. In order to understand why, though, we need to first understand some of the basic behind carnosine itself.

Carnosine, a cytoplasmic dipeptide synthesized from the precursors L-histidine and l-alanine, is present in high concentrations in skeletal muscle and plays a pivotal role as a, “chemical buffer” in myocytes (muscle cells). It has long been known that carnosine concentrations are highest in glycolytic, rather than oxidative muscle fibers (roughly speaking, explosive vs., endurance muscle fibers, respectively), and thus long hypothesized that this amino acid is required for sustained performance during supramaximal exercise. Recent research demonstrates that carnosine exerts its physiological effects in long hypoxic (low oxygen) drives by functioning as a high-capacity pH buffer in skeletal muscle, preventing the pH ratio of plasma from dropping too low – and therefore preventing crucial pH-dependent processes such as protein synthesis from being inhibited by acidosis.

Despite its critical role in skeletal muscle anaerobic performance, intramyocellular synthesis of carnosine is rate-limited by the availability of l-alanine. Unfortunately, the majority of literature demonstrates that attempting to increase intramuscular levels of carnosine via either direct carnosine or alanine supplementation is largely ineffective due to carnosine/alanine pharmacokinetics. Enter beta-alanine. Research with beta-alanine demonstrates consistent and dose-dependent increases to intramuscular carnosine concentrations with beta-alanine supplementation, with certain studies showing an increase of 40-60% with chronic administration. These same literature reveal a synergistic effect of exercise on beta-alanine supplementation, whereby the muscle adaptive changes associated with resistance training promote further intramuscular carnosine production in response to beta-alanine supplementation.

In simpler language, this essentially means that beta-alanine is a dietary supplement that promotes its own effects in combination with exercise. As you exercise, you simultaneously intensify beta-alanine’s physiological actions – both directly, as well as in the production of intramuscular carnosine. Once ingested, beta-alanine’s exercise-specific beneficial activity is well-established. Elevation of intramuscular caronsine content via beta-alanine supplementation has been show to improve performance in the following ways:

• Both acute and chronic increases in total work capacity, measured by total volume during exercise sessions.
• Highly significant increases to TTE (total time to exhaustion), one of the most accurate and comprehensive measures of endurance. In various trials, beta-alanine supplementation has been shown to increase TTE by upwards of 20%.
• Increases to total muscle power output in both acute and chronic trials, suggesting that beta-alanine’s most significant benefit is to those engaging in power-dependent resistance training.

In total, a significant body of research exists to suggest that beta-alanine may significantly increase muscle power output, strength, training volume and output, overall performance in hypoxic (oxygen-deprived) conditions and peak VO2 max (oxygen holding capacity).

These myriad benefits make beta-alanine both one of the most-studied, and most well-rounded dietary supplements. Beta-alanine not only has direct, actionable physiological effects, but also promotes critical muscle physiologic adaptations that promote its own effects.

Citrulline Malate:

Citrulline is a non-essential, non-protein amino acid heavily involved in the urea cycle. Citrulline is also a critical source of endogenous (natural) arginine, as it is rapidly and efficiently converted to arginine in the vascular endothelium and other tissues. Arginine, in turn, is used as the substrate by NOS (nitric oxide synthase) to produce NO, more commonly known as nitric oxide.

Citrulline’s benefits have been shown to be greater than its parent compound. While arginine undergoes direct hepatic (liver) metabolism through the enzyme arginase, citrulline bypasses hepatic metabolism entirely and it is delivered straight to the bloodstream. The result is that gut absorption and plasma (blood) bioavailability studies comparing citrulline and arginine have shown two things. First, that citrulline is less readily destroyed and has greater absorption than arginine. Second, that citrulline supplementation increases arginine levels more effectively than arginine supplementation itself.

This translates to promising results. For example, animal studies show a significant increase in anaerobic performance at a 250mg/kg/day serving of citrulline, while studies in humans implicate citrulline in both aerobic and anaerobic performance increases. As a critical part of the urea cycle, citrulline’s performance benefits are thought to be a result of its role in ammonia clearance. Citrulline is implicated in reducing the oxygen cost of muscle processes, along with increasing the rate of post-exercise ATP and phosphocreatine replenishment. As ATP and phosphocreatine are the body’s ‘exercise fuel,’ this may result in citrulline delaying time to exhaustion in aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

Glutamine:

Prior to discussing the physiological effects of glutamine – and more specifically, whether or not it poses any tangible benefits to the proliferation of skeletal muscle tissue – we need to discuss its place in supplementation, in general. Glutamine is perhaps the most lamented of all the amino acids, regularly denigrated to the point that it’s a joke to many athletes. This is largely a problem of perception: glutamine is not, specifically speaking, an anabolic amino acid, and therefore is of little use as it pertains to, “building tissue.” But, “building tissue” is not the only purpose a supplement may have, and the corollary, preserving tissue (or anti-catabolism) is arguably as important. It is in this capacity that glutamine shines, and for this reason it is included in Core ABC.

The literature in this context is encouraging. Various studies demonstrate that glutamine supplementation may suppress or inhibit the action of enzymes known as proteases, responsible for the hydrolytic breakdown of protein and amino acids into smaller compounds. These studies show both site-specific and whole-body reductions in this process known as, “proteolysis” in the later stages of skeletal muscle recovery. While encouraging, these data are perhaps not as promising as glutamine’s more indirect effects on the catabolic process – namely its effect on glucose metabolism. In both in vitro and in vivo trials, glutamine has shown the ability to promote the synthesis and storage of glycogen (glycogenesis), both in concert with an independent of carbohydrate ingestion.

These effects are most pronounced in physiologic situations where carbohydrate metabolism reliant on insulin signaling are compromised – such as the chronic caloric deficits present in a dieting situation. In this context, glutamine may function as a critical addition, potentiating the body’s glycogen synthesis and storage response; maximizing the limited amount of carbohydrates a dieter may be ingesting.

References:

1: Valerio, A., D’antona, G., et al. BCAAs, Mitochondrial Biogenesis, and Healthspan: An Evolutionary Perspective. Aging. May 2011. 3(5), 464-470.

2: Bajotto, G., Sato, Y., et al. Effect of BCAA Supplementation During Unloading on Regulatory Components of Protein Synthesis in Atrophied Soleus Muscles. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2011. 111, 1815-1828.

3: Borgenvik, M., Nordin, M., et al. Alterations in Amino Acid Concentrations in the Plasma and Muscle in Human Subjects during 24 Hour of Simulated Adventure Racing. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2012. Published Ahead of Print.

4: a Luz, Claudia, Nicastro, H., et al. Potential Therapeutic Effects of BCAA Supplementation on Resistance Exercise-Based Muscle Damage in Humans. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2011. 8(23).

5: Dualano, A, et al. Branched-Chain Amino Acids Supplementation Enhances Exercise Capacity and Lipid Oxidation During Endurance Exercise After Muscle Glycogen Depletion. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 2011.51(5), 82-88.

6: Hsu, M., Chien, K., et al. Effects of BCAA, Arginine, and Carbohydrate Combined Drink on Post-Exercise Biochemical Response and Psychological Condition. Chinese Journal of Physiology. April 2011. 542), 71- 78.

7: Glynn, E., Fry, C., Drummond, M., Timmerman, K., Dhanani, S., Volpi, E., Rasmussen, B. Excess Leucine Intake Enhances Muscle Anabolic Signaling but Not Net Protein Anabolism in Young Men and Women. The Journal of Nutrition. 2010. 140(11), 1970-1976.

8: Sharp, C., Pearson, D. Amino Acid Supplements and Recovery from High-Intensity Resistance Training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2010. 24(4), 1125-1130.

9: Ipoglou, T., King, R., Polman, R., Zanker, C. Daily L-Leucine Supplementation in Novice Trainees During a 12-Week Weight Training Program. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2011. 6(1), 38-80.

10: Jourdan, C., et al. Body Fat Free Mass is Associated with the Serum Metabolite Profile in A Population Based Study. PLOS One. 2012. 7(6), e40009.

See more references at below link,

Core-ABC-Product-References.pdf