Amino Acids and BCAA's

   If you are trying to build muscle, you are (or should be) taking supplemental protein. But, it isn't the protein your body really needs. When you take your protein, your body breaks it down into amino acids during the digestion process. These amino acids are small enough to be absorbed into the blood stream and can be used by cells to repair muscle tissue, creating new muscle. There are twenty-two identified amino acids. Eight of which are essential amino acids, meaning your body can not synthesize them and has to obtain them through diet (milk, meat, and eggs).

BCAA's.

   While all essential amino acids are important to build muscular strength and size, some are more important than others. Valine, leucine, and isoleucine are known as branched chain amino acids (BCAA's) due to their molecular structure, which features branched chains of carbon extending from their primary carbon structure. BCAA's are unique because they are metabolized in the muscle, and not the liver. When an adequate amount of BCAA's are ingested, they promote an increase in protein synthesis. This results in an increase of muscle growth and recovery time.

Amino Acids as an Energy Source.

   When glycogen levels in the liver and muscles are low (common in low-carb dieting or overall low amount of calories), your body will tap into amino acids as an energy source. This potentially burns up amino acids that could be used in protein synthesis and to promote the building of new muscle tissue and faster muscle recovery. It is common to take BCAA's before a heavy cardio workout to prevent the breakdown of any muscle tissue.

  After your workout, your body is breaking down muscle tissue with a deficit in protein synthesis. This is the best time to take BCAA's. They will increase your body's rate of protein synthesis and aid in repairing your muscle tissue. Otherwise, your body might not be getting the most out of every workout.

                                                                                                    -AO


Source:
MuscleandStrength.com
BodyBuilding.com

The Importance of Sleep

   When you think of building muscle, you always think about things like your workout routine, what to include in your diet, and what supplements to take to help you reach that goal. In my first few months at the gym, I had all these things in mind. One thing I had always overlooked was how important sleep was. To get the most out of your workouts, you have to get a full night of sleep.

Release of Hormones.

  Your body releases it's highest concentration of a growth hormone when you are at rest during the night. These hormones help regulate the way your body's muscles (and bones) grow and strengthen. If you are not getting enough sleep, your body won't be releasing it's maximum amount of this hormone.
   Not only does a lack of sleep suppress the release of growth hormone, studies show that men who are sleep-deprived also show a higher level of cortisol in their body. Cortisol is a hormone that opposes the building of new muscle tissue, and encourages the breakdown of body tissue. Higher levels of cortisol will prevent your muscles from reaching peak recovery before your next workout.
   Along with hindering your body's ability to build muscle and recover, sleep deprivation can also cause you to gain weight. The amount of sleep you get each night greatly affects two of the hormones that influence appetite, grehlin and leptin. Grehlin is the hormone that increases appetite and leads to weight gain. Leptin is the hormone that represses hunger and supports weight loss. A lack of sleep causes a disturbance in the hormonal balance of the two.

Metabolism.

   If you are trying to build muscle without gaining fat, or maintaining lean muscle mass while burning fat, it is very important to have a healthy metabolism. When you don't get enough sleep, your metabolism is altered. This causes your blood sugar levels to imbalance, putting you in a state similar to that of a diabetic. Studies show that a sleep-deprived body takes up to 40% longer than normal to respond and to regulate your blood sugar levels after consuming a meal heavy in carbohydrates.
   Lack of sleep also suppresses your thyroid hormone. Your thyroid hormone regulates how many calories you burn on a daily basis. If your goal is to burn off as much fat as possible, it is very important to get plenty of sleep every night.

                                                                                                     -AO
  

The Importance of Multivitamins

   Multivitamins are an extremely useful supplement that are often overlooked. Everywhere you look there are ads for creatine, protein, nitric oxide, pre-workouts, and fat burners, but you never see any for the most essential one, a multivitamin. Your body can not function without the basic vitamins and minerals you get from your diet. When you are training towards whatever your goal might be (weight loss, muscle gain, improving athletics), your body will be using everything your diet provides and still need more.

   The human body requires a wide variety of basic (but essential) vitamins to handle the tasks it is faced with everyday. When any of these vitamins are missing or deficient, your body's maximum performance goes down quick. It is extremely likely that if you're working out everyday (even with a healthy diet), your body is lacking one of these vitamins and is not getting as many results from your hard work as it could be.

Vitamins You Need.

A: Vision, bone growth, immune system, healthy skin.

B complex: Nerve function, vision, healthy skin, digestive system.

C: Immune system, protects cells.

D: What your body needs to process (and use) Calcium.

E: Antioxidant.

K: Healthy teeth, bones, and cartilage.

Zinc: Healthy immune system.

Minerals You Need.

Boron: Processing calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous.

Calcium: Bone health and strength.

Chromium: Insulin production.

Copper: Connective tissue strength.

Iodine: Synthesis for thyroid hormone.

Iron: Carries oxygen within proteins.

Lutein: Healthy eyes.

Lycopene: Promotes healthy heart and cholesterol levels.

Magnesium: Needed in over 250 biochemical reactions of your body.

Manganese: Co-factor in energy production.

Molybdenum: Kidney and liver health.

Nickel: Bone structure and healthy skin.

Potassium: Needed in autonomic body functions (heartbeat, brain function).

Selenium: fights many health problems.

Choosing a Multivitamin.

   Some multivitamins have very small differences, but usually contain the same vitamins and minerals. In choosing a multivitamin for you, you'll notice there are some that target people of a certain gender or age. A man's multivitamin will have certain ingredients that promote a healthy prostate and testosterone levels. A woman's multivitamin will more focus on skin, nails, and hair health. Multivitamins intended for young kids or teenagers will have more vitamins to promote healthy body development. 

   Multivitamins are the most important thing to have in your supplement plan. They are fairly cheap and will get you more out of your other supplements. No matter your age, gender, or fitness goals, there is little reason to not be taking a multivitamin.

                                                                                                  -AO

Why You Need to Take Fish Oil.

   Fish oil is made from the tissue of oily-fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, lake-trout, and sardines. The oil from this tissue contains Omega-3 fatty acids, an essential fatty acid that your body can not naturally produce. There are two notable Omega-3's in fish oil, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and decosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These two acids are believed to have health benefits ranging from reducing the risk of heart attack and coronary heart disease to combating depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Fish Oil and Body Composition.

   Everybody who is trying to improve their body needs to be taking fish oil tablets. The Omega-3's in fish oil cut down excess fat in several ways. They've been shown to increase your insulin activity, which leads to less fat storage and more fat release. They increase the heat in your cellular "furnaces", making them burn more energy. Omega-3's allow your body to burn fat when other times it is unable to, like after a high-carb meal. Fish oil also increases the amount of leptin your body produces, which will increase your metabolism and decrease your hunger.
   One study done by the Nutritional Physiology Research Group in Australia showed that exercise combined with fish oil will burn significantly more fat then fish oil tablets or exercise alone. Researchers found that the Omega-3's in fish oil turned on the fat burning enzymes, but they needed an extra push - exercise. The best thing about this weight loss, is most of the fat loss in this experiment came from the abdominal region.
   In all these studies of the benefits of fish oil, all participants gained some muscle along with losing fat. This is theorized to be "nutritional partitioning", when your body takes calories that were originally directed to be stored as fat and put it towards building muscle instead. Omega-3's were also found to reduce inflammation in your muscles, reducing chances of injuries such as tendonitis and bursitus, and reducing recovery time of your muscles.

Other Benefits.

   Fish oil offers an abundant number of benefits to your body. One of the most appealing to me is the ability to fight cancer. Omega-3's might be able to help combat cancer by starving the cancer cells of linoleic acid. They can also heighten the reaction of the genetic material required to destroy cancer cells, while prevent the adhesion of cancer cells to other healthy cells.
   I've said it earlier, but fish oil is also a great way to enhance your mood. In recent studies, depressed patients given Omega-3 fatty acids have shown a decrease in anxiety, fewer sleeping problems, fewer sexual problems, and a decrease in overall sadness. Even in studies with healthy people, the Omega-3's showed mood-elevating properties by reducing stress and tension.
   Rather you are trying to build muscle, lose fat, or just trying to get healthier, there are too many facts and research showing the benefits of fish oil to not be taking it on a regular basis.


                                                                                                   -AO