Antigravity
Member
- Awards
- 0
This is a list of supplements- an open forum because I feel that it is important for women to understand their bodies. Most of the supplements men use can be used by women. The below is a comprehensive- ever-updating list of supplements, how they can be used by women based on theory/anectdotal evidence experience and research. As a footnote: im not telling you to use them. Nor am I selling/promoting them - I just informing.
BCAAs-
BCAAs are vital for any regime wether dieting or training to gain muscle. BCAAs are 3 of the essential amino acids.They have both anti-catabolic and muscle regenerative properties. They help preserve muscle tissues during excessive endurance/cardio workouts as well as through dieting phases. BCAAs are not metabolized in the liver, and are abundant in muscle tissue. When one is in a fasted state, their body oxidizes both fat and muscle tissue to use for energy. Supplementing with BCAAs can prevent the loss of muscle. This is important- because long periods of unsupplemented dieting can lead to a "skinny-fat" condition. Which is where women become thin. however the mass they hold is more fat than muscle, which can be just as unhealthy as being overweight. BCAAs are unisex. both men and women can use them. Spread throught the day 5-20g. it is dosed by weight, however you can make adjustments based on caloric intake and exercise intensity.
Glutamine-
Glutamine is a very important amino acid. There is much debate on the usefulness of Glutamine in the sports industry- i personally err on the side of Pro-Glutamine as it has a tremendous list of positive applications in the medical industry:
1) Glutamine is an excellent muscle hydrator. It is also used as a source of energy during intense workout- instead of carbohydrates.
2)Glutamine helps retain nitrogen, which is useful in muscle synthesis:
Influence of glutamine-enriched parenteral nutrition on nitrogen balance and immunologic status in patients undergoing elective aortic aneurysm repair
Nutrition, Volume 17, Issue 6, Pages 475-478
2)Glutamine is metabolized via cortisol, maintaining glutamine stores during high stress situations is very important to whole body composition and resilience to stress- supplementing with glutamine provides a ready pool for cortisol to utilize, rather than oxidizing the body's stores.
The role of glutamine in maintaining a healthy gut and supporting the metabolic response to injury and infection
Journal of Surgical Research, Volume 48, Issue 4, Pages 383-391
W. Souba, V. Klimberg, D. Plumley, R. Salloum, T. Flynn, K. Bland, E. Copeland III
3)Glutamine helps accelerate damaged muscle/wound healing.
4)Glutamine boosts immune system as well as intestinal tissue
5)Glutamine is a powerful antioxidant, however it does diminish the effects of NO.
6)Glutamine is also anti-catabolic, and helps preserve muscle tissue.
I personally have used glutamine from 5-15 grams a day spread throughout the day. It is also unisex, and dosed by weight.
Arginine-
Arginine is a pathway competitor with Glutamine, however it has a very reciprocal relationship.
1)Arginine is involved in producing NO, nitric oxide which is responsible for the "pump" feel. The pump- is vasodilation. This is a circulatory benefit- increasing the ability of blood to get to areas that are not highly concentrated in blood vessels- It can bring more nutrients/blood to muscles, as well as increase circulation in extremities such as hands and feet (helps releive cold hands and feed in my experience).
2)Arginine is also helpful in reducing ADH (Anti Diuretic Hormone) which helps reduce the water stores under your skin. IMO- its a safer alternative than diuretics which can have a negative impact on electrolyte levels.
3)Arginine also helps in upregulating cylcic GMP - which is what beta adrenergics do. This would help promote fat loss, however it can also increase the contractility of the heart- and one might experience their heart "thumping".
4) Arginine also inhibits the bodies ability to re/deposit fat. Which is useful on a diet, or recomp.
5)Arginine helps improve GHRH (which releases Growth Hormone) via somatostatin inhibition. Anyone considering using CJC- this would work synergistically to increase the potency of the GH spike. -use with caution (just imagined my mother pinning CJC and downing arginine).
However Arginine preWO, actually attenuates post WO GH release. So it is important to know WHY you are taking this. if GH is your goal, you can take a dose pre bed on an empty stomach- as Arginine has been shown to boost GH in baseline conditions.
6)Arginine produces NO, which helps to increase the nitrogen levels in the body- this in turns helps protein synthesis (+ nitrogen balance = protein synthesis).
7)there have been certain studies highlighting Arginine's ability to increase IGF-1. Which is a buzz word these days, because raising systemic IGF-1 doesnt necessarily have the same effect as administering IGF. More on IGF in the days to come.
8)Arginine showed in studies that taken with food can attenuate the glucose spike.
Effective forms of Arginine include AAKG, Arginine Pyroglutamate, AEE. However people have had great success with Di-Arginine-Malate and others.
I would start with 1g dose and work my way up to 3g. It is a unisex supplement, and dosed by weight. Some people like to superdose- I dont think its necessary.
Ill post links to studies later....
Creatine-
Creatine has been used by scores of people to attain their fitness goals. However there are also a lot of non-responders many of which are women. They complain of side effects including bloating/water retention.
Creatine is a very important compound used medicinally in patients with mitochondrial disorders as well as people with cardiac problems. Creatine is a very important regulator of ATP, as it is a readily availble energy source.
Creatine has been used in experimental studies as a nootropic:
Effect of creatine supplementation and sleep deprivation, with mild exercise, on cognitive and psychomotor performance, mood state, and plasma concentrations of catecholamines and cortisol. T. McMorris1 Contact Information, R. C. Harris1, J. Swain1, J. Corbett1, K. Collard2, R. J. Dyson1, L. Dye3, C. Hodgson4 and N. Draper4
Creatine monohydrate is a sodium bound creatine- which in highdoses (above the body's maximum capability to utilize the creatine) it gets stored in the interstitial and subcuteneous tissue, resulting in a bloated appearance.
Additionally creatine is readily utilized in type II muscle fiber. If you have a high density of type I muscle fibers, creatine may not be particularly useful.
Skeletal muscle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
So super dosing may not result in a more effective approach. A lower dose would be recommended, and still yield good results. Additionally there are other creatines.
My personal favorite is Magnesium Creatine Chelate. It is creatine bound to magnesium, I dont think it has an improved absorbability to monohydrate, however the magnesium its bonded to has interesting attributes, such as pulling water out of the interstitial fluid and into the muscles. as well as improving electrolyte balance. Which would reduce the appearance of bloat.
The magnesium is also an osmotic regulator, and if you have bowel issues, MCC will definately help regulate any "slow traffic".
There are other creatines bonded to Kreb Cycle intermediaries, which means that it is readily used in the production of ATP. These include Creatine Malate, Creatine Ororate, and Creatine AKG, among others. I noticed an increase in stamina, however no other differences.
A note: Creatine-o-phosphate doesnt work like creatine, it actually is a buffer.
I would start using 2g of creatine and working my way up or down. I dont think it would be necessary to go above 5- as that is the standard guy dosage. If you start at 2 you can assess gains/side effects. Taking it on a non-workout day is not necessary, although some women choose to take it first thing in the mornig.
A mix of creatines may also be desired, as each creatine has their own benefits.
Creatine also tends to dehydrate other tissues- so make sure you drink water. I never really noticed a differece when drinking more water/over a normal amount of water. But hydration IS important.
And no, dear. Creatine will not turn you into a mass-monster like your boyfriend.
references posted later...
Mucuna Pruriens/LDopa/PowerFULL/1-carboxy-
Ldopa stimulates growth hormone via the dopaminergic pathway. Resulting in the typical benefits of raised GH. However, LDopa also stimulates GnRH/LHRH which in boosts testosterone levels in men.
Mucuna pruriens also boosts LHRH in women- which in turn boosts estrogen.
Mucuna pruriens improves male fertility by its action on the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis.
Fertil Steril. 2008 Oct 28. Shukla KK, Mahdi AA, Ahmad MK, Shankhwar SN, Rajender S, Jaiswar SP. Department of BiochemistryC.S.M. Medical University, Lucknow, India.
as noticed in the study its regarding MEN... however how the Axis works is the same in women. they have HPTA and we have HPOA. O for Ovarian. The stimulation is the same. So women who have tried Mucuna Pruriens, may have noticed a better mood, more restful sleep, sexual vitality (as dopamine is responsible for sexual interest/arousal in several human and animal models)- breast firmness/increase in reproductive activity, etc.
Mucuna pruriens seed powder feeding influences reproductive conditions and development in Japanese quail Coturnix coturnix japonica
S. K. Prasada1 c1, T. N. Qureshia1 and S. Qureshia1
a1 School of Studies in Zoology and Biotechnology, Vikram University, Ujjain 456010, India
In addition Mucuna Pruriens also lowers cortisol-
Mucuna pruriens Reduces Stress and Improves the Quality of Semen in Infertile Men
Kamla Kant Shukla1, Abbas Ali Mahdi1, Mohammad Kaleem Ahmad1, Shyam Pyari Jaiswar2, Satya Narain Shankwar3 and Sarvada Chandra Tiwari4
These all have pretty interesting benefits.
I would recommend if using something like PowerFULL- start at 1 cap, and work up to the recommended dosage. It is a unisex compound, and its effects -of aphrodisiac + hormonal upregulation are felt in both sexes, however women would get an increase in estrogen, and men in test.
With this said it would be irresponsible for me to not talk about L-Dopa treatment in Parkinson's disease, and that high doses of LDopa will eventually cause unwanted side-effects- which is because an isomer of dopamine overtime builds up in your peripheral tissues, and would cause other types of unwanted motor-reactions that appear like "swaying" of the limbs. Although anecdotal evidence, and certain animal models have not shown the same side-effects as taking synthetic LDopa, I would caution anyone taking it for long periods of time, because exogenous Ldopa, is still exogenous Ldopa-natural or synthetic.
want more references? please wait....
BCAAs-
BCAAs are vital for any regime wether dieting or training to gain muscle. BCAAs are 3 of the essential amino acids.They have both anti-catabolic and muscle regenerative properties. They help preserve muscle tissues during excessive endurance/cardio workouts as well as through dieting phases. BCAAs are not metabolized in the liver, and are abundant in muscle tissue. When one is in a fasted state, their body oxidizes both fat and muscle tissue to use for energy. Supplementing with BCAAs can prevent the loss of muscle. This is important- because long periods of unsupplemented dieting can lead to a "skinny-fat" condition. Which is where women become thin. however the mass they hold is more fat than muscle, which can be just as unhealthy as being overweight. BCAAs are unisex. both men and women can use them. Spread throught the day 5-20g. it is dosed by weight, however you can make adjustments based on caloric intake and exercise intensity.
Glutamine-
Glutamine is a very important amino acid. There is much debate on the usefulness of Glutamine in the sports industry- i personally err on the side of Pro-Glutamine as it has a tremendous list of positive applications in the medical industry:
1) Glutamine is an excellent muscle hydrator. It is also used as a source of energy during intense workout- instead of carbohydrates.
2)Glutamine helps retain nitrogen, which is useful in muscle synthesis:
Influence of glutamine-enriched parenteral nutrition on nitrogen balance and immunologic status in patients undergoing elective aortic aneurysm repair
Nutrition, Volume 17, Issue 6, Pages 475-478
2)Glutamine is metabolized via cortisol, maintaining glutamine stores during high stress situations is very important to whole body composition and resilience to stress- supplementing with glutamine provides a ready pool for cortisol to utilize, rather than oxidizing the body's stores.
The role of glutamine in maintaining a healthy gut and supporting the metabolic response to injury and infection
Journal of Surgical Research, Volume 48, Issue 4, Pages 383-391
W. Souba, V. Klimberg, D. Plumley, R. Salloum, T. Flynn, K. Bland, E. Copeland III
3)Glutamine helps accelerate damaged muscle/wound healing.
4)Glutamine boosts immune system as well as intestinal tissue
5)Glutamine is a powerful antioxidant, however it does diminish the effects of NO.
6)Glutamine is also anti-catabolic, and helps preserve muscle tissue.
I personally have used glutamine from 5-15 grams a day spread throughout the day. It is also unisex, and dosed by weight.
Arginine-
Arginine is a pathway competitor with Glutamine, however it has a very reciprocal relationship.
1)Arginine is involved in producing NO, nitric oxide which is responsible for the "pump" feel. The pump- is vasodilation. This is a circulatory benefit- increasing the ability of blood to get to areas that are not highly concentrated in blood vessels- It can bring more nutrients/blood to muscles, as well as increase circulation in extremities such as hands and feet (helps releive cold hands and feed in my experience).
2)Arginine is also helpful in reducing ADH (Anti Diuretic Hormone) which helps reduce the water stores under your skin. IMO- its a safer alternative than diuretics which can have a negative impact on electrolyte levels.
3)Arginine also helps in upregulating cylcic GMP - which is what beta adrenergics do. This would help promote fat loss, however it can also increase the contractility of the heart- and one might experience their heart "thumping".
4) Arginine also inhibits the bodies ability to re/deposit fat. Which is useful on a diet, or recomp.
5)Arginine helps improve GHRH (which releases Growth Hormone) via somatostatin inhibition. Anyone considering using CJC- this would work synergistically to increase the potency of the GH spike. -use with caution (just imagined my mother pinning CJC and downing arginine).
However Arginine preWO, actually attenuates post WO GH release. So it is important to know WHY you are taking this. if GH is your goal, you can take a dose pre bed on an empty stomach- as Arginine has been shown to boost GH in baseline conditions.
6)Arginine produces NO, which helps to increase the nitrogen levels in the body- this in turns helps protein synthesis (+ nitrogen balance = protein synthesis).
7)there have been certain studies highlighting Arginine's ability to increase IGF-1. Which is a buzz word these days, because raising systemic IGF-1 doesnt necessarily have the same effect as administering IGF. More on IGF in the days to come.
8)Arginine showed in studies that taken with food can attenuate the glucose spike.
Effective forms of Arginine include AAKG, Arginine Pyroglutamate, AEE. However people have had great success with Di-Arginine-Malate and others.
I would start with 1g dose and work my way up to 3g. It is a unisex supplement, and dosed by weight. Some people like to superdose- I dont think its necessary.
Ill post links to studies later....
Creatine-
Creatine has been used by scores of people to attain their fitness goals. However there are also a lot of non-responders many of which are women. They complain of side effects including bloating/water retention.
Creatine is a very important compound used medicinally in patients with mitochondrial disorders as well as people with cardiac problems. Creatine is a very important regulator of ATP, as it is a readily availble energy source.
Creatine has been used in experimental studies as a nootropic:
Effect of creatine supplementation and sleep deprivation, with mild exercise, on cognitive and psychomotor performance, mood state, and plasma concentrations of catecholamines and cortisol. T. McMorris1 Contact Information, R. C. Harris1, J. Swain1, J. Corbett1, K. Collard2, R. J. Dyson1, L. Dye3, C. Hodgson4 and N. Draper4
Creatine monohydrate is a sodium bound creatine- which in highdoses (above the body's maximum capability to utilize the creatine) it gets stored in the interstitial and subcuteneous tissue, resulting in a bloated appearance.
Additionally creatine is readily utilized in type II muscle fiber. If you have a high density of type I muscle fibers, creatine may not be particularly useful.
Skeletal muscle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
So super dosing may not result in a more effective approach. A lower dose would be recommended, and still yield good results. Additionally there are other creatines.
My personal favorite is Magnesium Creatine Chelate. It is creatine bound to magnesium, I dont think it has an improved absorbability to monohydrate, however the magnesium its bonded to has interesting attributes, such as pulling water out of the interstitial fluid and into the muscles. as well as improving electrolyte balance. Which would reduce the appearance of bloat.
The magnesium is also an osmotic regulator, and if you have bowel issues, MCC will definately help regulate any "slow traffic".
There are other creatines bonded to Kreb Cycle intermediaries, which means that it is readily used in the production of ATP. These include Creatine Malate, Creatine Ororate, and Creatine AKG, among others. I noticed an increase in stamina, however no other differences.
A note: Creatine-o-phosphate doesnt work like creatine, it actually is a buffer.
I would start using 2g of creatine and working my way up or down. I dont think it would be necessary to go above 5- as that is the standard guy dosage. If you start at 2 you can assess gains/side effects. Taking it on a non-workout day is not necessary, although some women choose to take it first thing in the mornig.
A mix of creatines may also be desired, as each creatine has their own benefits.
Creatine also tends to dehydrate other tissues- so make sure you drink water. I never really noticed a differece when drinking more water/over a normal amount of water. But hydration IS important.
And no, dear. Creatine will not turn you into a mass-monster like your boyfriend.
references posted later...
Mucuna Pruriens/LDopa/PowerFULL/1-carboxy-
Ldopa stimulates growth hormone via the dopaminergic pathway. Resulting in the typical benefits of raised GH. However, LDopa also stimulates GnRH/LHRH which in boosts testosterone levels in men.
Mucuna pruriens also boosts LHRH in women- which in turn boosts estrogen.
Mucuna pruriens improves male fertility by its action on the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis.
Fertil Steril. 2008 Oct 28. Shukla KK, Mahdi AA, Ahmad MK, Shankhwar SN, Rajender S, Jaiswar SP. Department of BiochemistryC.S.M. Medical University, Lucknow, India.
as noticed in the study its regarding MEN... however how the Axis works is the same in women. they have HPTA and we have HPOA. O for Ovarian. The stimulation is the same. So women who have tried Mucuna Pruriens, may have noticed a better mood, more restful sleep, sexual vitality (as dopamine is responsible for sexual interest/arousal in several human and animal models)- breast firmness/increase in reproductive activity, etc.
Mucuna pruriens seed powder feeding influences reproductive conditions and development in Japanese quail Coturnix coturnix japonica
S. K. Prasada1 c1, T. N. Qureshia1 and S. Qureshia1
a1 School of Studies in Zoology and Biotechnology, Vikram University, Ujjain 456010, India
In addition Mucuna Pruriens also lowers cortisol-
Mucuna pruriens Reduces Stress and Improves the Quality of Semen in Infertile Men
Kamla Kant Shukla1, Abbas Ali Mahdi1, Mohammad Kaleem Ahmad1, Shyam Pyari Jaiswar2, Satya Narain Shankwar3 and Sarvada Chandra Tiwari4
These all have pretty interesting benefits.
I would recommend if using something like PowerFULL- start at 1 cap, and work up to the recommended dosage. It is a unisex compound, and its effects -of aphrodisiac + hormonal upregulation are felt in both sexes, however women would get an increase in estrogen, and men in test.
With this said it would be irresponsible for me to not talk about L-Dopa treatment in Parkinson's disease, and that high doses of LDopa will eventually cause unwanted side-effects- which is because an isomer of dopamine overtime builds up in your peripheral tissues, and would cause other types of unwanted motor-reactions that appear like "swaying" of the limbs. Although anecdotal evidence, and certain animal models have not shown the same side-effects as taking synthetic LDopa, I would caution anyone taking it for long periods of time, because exogenous Ldopa, is still exogenous Ldopa-natural or synthetic.
want more references? please wait....
