This is part 2 of 2. Click HERE for part one.
Before we get into ALA, let's take a look at what happens to food when it
enters the body.
A normal meal:
- Food is consumed.
- This food is converted into glucose for energy.
- Insulin is released by the pancreas to shuttle the glucose into muscle
and fat cells (assuming liver glycogen levels are full). Once the muscle
cells are full, all excess glucose is shuttled to fat cells.
Now let's look at a meal taken with ALA:
-
Food is consumed.
- This food is converted into glucose for energy.
- Insulin is released by the pancreas to shuttle the glucose into muscle
and fat cells. Once the muscle cells are full, all excess glucose is
shuttled to fat cells.
Now this is where ALA comes into play. In order for glucose to be carried
into cells, it must be attached to insulin. ALA is shown to have an insulin
mimicking effect. So then more glucose would be shuttled to fat cells
because the muscle cells are full, right? Wrong! Studies show that ALA
increases Glut-4 transporters on the outside of muscle cells. This means
more glucose can be shuttled into muscle cells and away from fat cells.
Studies show that the amount of glucose shuttled to your muscles can increase from 50-60%. For those who are not that good in math: This means if you ate 100 carbs and originally without ALA, 40 grams of glucose went to your muscles cells and the rest, 60 grams, went to fat cells. Now, by supplementing with ALA, you have the power to send 60 grams of glucose and only 40 to fat cells. That is a big difference! How you ask.
Insulin Effect
ALA has an insulin like effect. It does not take the place of insulin, only
mimics it. (To learn about insulin and its effects you can read my Insulin
article). ALA has been shown to increase glucose uptake by mimicking insulin
and shuttling it to Glut-4 receptors as mentioned above. Because ALA has
increased the number of Glut-4 receptors on the outside of the muscle, more
glucose can be absorbed.
Effects of Increased Glucose Uptake
This increase of glucose does many positive things. These include:
- Increased pump
- Less fat accumulation
- Increases Amino Acid transport
- Increases creatine
- Increased insulin sensitivity
Increased Pump
The increased pump is due to the increase in glucose uptake. Not only does
this feel great, but it also contributes to muscle growth. By increasing the
muscle cells volume, but nutrients are able to be shuttled to the muscle.
Hence increased muscle growth.
Less Fat Accumulation
Again, due to the increase in glucose uptake by muscles cells, less glucose
is stored as fat. ALA also lowers one's blood sugar levels, creating a more
suitable atmosphere for fat burning.
Increased Amino Acid and Creatine Uptake
This comes back to the increased pump. Because the muscle cells are in an
enlarged state, more amino acids and creatine can reach them. Insulin
increases amino acid and creatine uptake. Remember, ALA mimics insulin,
which means it also increases amino acid and creatine uptake. There are a
ton of creatine products on the market that are loaded with sugar. This is
because sugar causes an insulin spike, which carries the creatine to muscle
cells. The problem with this is an excess amount of sugar with cause you to
gain fat. By supplementing with ALA you can carry more creatine to muscle
cells without swallowing 75+ grams of sugar. I still recommend taking a
simple sugary carb after your workout, but ALA can increase creatine uptake
while you take a lower amount of sugar. This is very important for those who
are cutting. They can get the same effects post workout without having to
worry about storing excess carbs as fat.
Increased Insulin Sensitivity
This is great news for bodybuilders! When I go on a bulking cycle. I find
that about after two months, my gains slow drastically. One way to combat
this is to go on a brief cutting cycle to and your insulin sensitivity
rebuild. Supplementing with ALA could allow you to add more mass as a result
of your insulin sensitivity not reducing.
Results During Cutting vs. Bulking
Results will differ depends on your diet. If you are bulking, you can
expect to less fat and more muscle gain because of ALA nutrient partitioning
effect.
Results from cutting are increased fat loss and a muscle sparing effect.
Because your muscles are storing more glucose, your muscles will not become
as depleted as they usually do when cutting. This helps you look full and
not flat.
Dosage (per day)
200-600 mg will increase insulin sensitivity and lower blood glucose
levels. Lower than 200 mg won't give you noticeable effects, except for ALA
antioxidant properties. 600 mg-1200 mg will give you an increase in #1
1200-2000 will give you an increase in #1 and more noticeable fat loss. 3000
mg is "said" (Not a fact, just what has worked best for ALA users) to be the
ideal dose to assist in massive fat loss, increase in insulin sensitivity,
and increasing glucose.
I got these doses from experienced ALA users and other information I've
read. They are a general ranges.
It is best to divide you dosages up throughout the day. For example, if you
are taking 1000 mg a day. You could take:
- 300 mg with breakfast
- 200 mg with a carb meal
- 300 mg post workout
- 200 mg with last meal
- Buying ALA
When buying ALA, you have to be careful. ALA is very unstable and rapidly
degrades when exposed to the outside atmosphere. Some people think that as
long as it is not exposed to atmospheric conditions for extended periods of
time, it will be fine. But even a brief period of time can cause massive
degeneration of the product. That is why it is not wise to buy ALA in powder
form. It is most likely useless. An especially big no-no is buying creatine
products with ALA already in them. The only thing you are paying for is the
creatine, because there isn't any ALA in those tubs. The solution, buy ALA
in capsules! Most companies are very careful when capping their ALA. AST,
for example, uses ALA that is vacuum packed in UV protected plastic.
Therefore, I do not recommend buying ALA from no name companies. I'm not
saying their ALA is not quality ALA, but it's your money and I know I'd
rather play it safe.
Well there is what ALA can do for you. In my next article, we will look at
different tests and scientific data that backs up what is stated above.
Learn More About ALA!
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