ArA timing -

PHOTOSnFIBERS

Member
Hello all. This is my first ever post so I will give some bg real quick. Lifting on and off since I was 12. When I was 30 I got serious again and managed to push my bench to 295 (195 body weight). Unfortunately a week after that pr I herniated a neck vert and that was that.

Spent a year or so trying to get back on the horse but I had bad nerve dmg in left arm/pec. Also even running aggravated my discs. Fast forward to last year at the age of 39 and a soft 260lbs. Nerve dmg healed a lot so I’m back at it but my god did I get out of shape.

9 months or so into my comeback, now 40, 2 weeks ago I’m back at 295 bench (at about 240lbs). Always been natty, been using creatine and protein. Enter ArA. I actually stopped taking creatine as it seemed to irritate my neck and it was hard to feel fully hydrated. Today is day 3 on ArA and no extra inflammation. Good so far.

I have read the entire 120+ pages of the big ArA thread here but didnt find a good answer to a question. Why not just take it upon waking?

As I understand it, ArA pre workout is simply to maximize muscle uptake and minimize other tissue uptake. But since it has a high affinity for muscle and since most people are fasted after sleeping, why not just always take it first thing in the morning?

I tend to lift well into my eating window so fasted ArA upon waking seemed a simpler method. Is there any issue with this I’m not aware of and if not, why do so many people choose pre workout? Today will be my first heavy session on ArA, won’t be doing precise logs but I will discuss regularly for anybody it may help.

For the record I’m using Xfactor. 350mg per capsule, I’m taking 3 every day first thing after I wake. I give it at least an hour b4 I eat to make sure it’s absorbed b4 insulin is raised. I will say I feel pretty full considering I haven’t talked creatine this week.

Feel free to discuss anything you thing might be helpful!
 
PHOTOSnFIBERS said:
As I understand it, ArA pre workout is simply to maximize muscle uptake and minimize other tissue uptake. But since it has a high affinity for muscle and since most people are fasted after sleeping, why not just always take it first thing in the morning?
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From my understanding, which may not be 100% correct, is that ArA should be dosed before training to maximize the inflammation of the muscle. If ArA is in the system right before hypertrophy occurs, it will increase the level of inflammation to the tissue.

More inflammation = more tissue breakdown/damage, more micro-tears to the cells... = (once recovered) stronger, larger muscles.
 
john.patterson said:
From my understanding, which may not be 100% correct, is that ArA should be dosed before training to maximize the inflammation of the muscle. If ArA is in the system right before hypertrophy occurs, it will increase the level of inflammation to the tissue.

More inflammation = more tissue breakdown/damage, more micro-tears to the cells... = (once recovered) stronger, larger muscles.
Click to expand...

Heya John. Maybe the info wasn’t accurate but I was under the impression it’s a systemic muscular uptake similar to creatine. Forgive me for not knowing which page but the thread named “The arachadonic acid help guide” discusses it.

Somebody asked if they could only take ArA preworkout on upper body days bc their legs were already big enough. The replies explained any particular dose can’t target a particular muscle, even the ones being trained that day.

But if that info is wrong I’d be happy to know. If it is indeed systemic in its uptake, I’m still curious as to the wake n take method.
 
Taking upon waking may still work. You want to avoid taking it with meals as insulin is not selective, whereas training can activate GLUT4 expression independent of insulin which should dump the ARA into the muscle cells more efficiently. The ARA is likely to run throughout the bloodstream, and therefore system-wide, so I doubt the acute dose would have any localized effect. But the main thing you’re looking for from supplementation is increased synthesis of prostaglandins and interleukin (6 I think). To my knowledge, these are mostly expressed locally, as they are produced in the muscle. I’d try to time it near training, it should make your body utilize the ARA more efficiently I would think.
 
Thx for the reply Jeremy. So you think even with food in my ststem, pre workout is still better than morning fasted?

I have dabbled with IF so i suppose the best option is pre workout AND fasted. But i tend to lift late day and not sure i could fast all day till 8pm.
 
You aren’t wrong. You can definitely take it fasted in the morning but eating right after would kinda defeat th purpose. EVEN THOUGH ArA already has a high affinity for muscle anyways, it’s just not optimal. I would rather take ArA while fed right before a workout then take it fasted and not work out, get what I mean? If your gonna take it fasted then workout, even better. Intra carbs or pre carbs shouldn’t even mess this up as your gonna lift right after anyway. And working out, not through insulin but some other bodily chemical, pushes everything to th muscles anyway.
 
Rockzilla said:
You aren’t wrong. You can definitely take it fasted in the morning but eating right after would kinda defeat th purpose. EVEN THOUGH ArA already has a high affinity for muscle anyways, it’s just not optimal. I would rather take ArA while fed right before a workout then take it fasted and not work out, get what I mean? If your gonna take it fasted then workout, even better. Intra carbs or pre carbs shouldn’t even mess this up as your gonna lift right after anyway. And working out, not through insulin but some other bodily chemical, pushes everything to th muscles anyway.
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Ok makes sense. I remember reading about how the act of lifting suppresses insulins effect on ArA. But since i never eat right when i wake up i think a morning dose for me will work well.

Ill always give a couple hours post ArA before i eat just to make sure its not accompanied by insulin. But its nice we have different options anyhow.
 
Yea I think your approach above would work. I like to take 45 minutes pre workout but interesting to see someone dosing it fasted in the morning.
 
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