Talking Dietary Supplements Wednesday

How does one acquire ephedrine in the US? 

You can get it at a pharmacy in asthma products like Bronkaid or Primatene.  You have to sign for it and there are limitations on how much you can get because I guess you make meth out of ephedrine.  It's relatively cheap and easy for fitness workouts in a performance enhancing dose similar to caffeine (ie 50-100mg dose). 

Not sure what you mean about isolate delivering a better punch. It's just more processed. It doesn't seem there's any benefit to isolate. Supplement companies talk it up because it's supposed to digest faster, but it doesn't seem it does, nor is it clear that's even optimal.

https://bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/protein-sources-speed-of-digestion

It's been a while since I've read about this stuff, but I remember reading that peak protein synthesis actually occurs about 12 hours after exercise. Casein is more expensive but may actually be better BECAUSE it's more sustained.

Anyway, these are minor differences in the grand scheme of things. Whey is totally fine, but I wouldn't pay more for isolate.

Here's the cliff notes on caffeine.  Use it to compete, don't use it train on a regular basis.  Tolerance happens quickly.  However, it's proven effective by lots of research.  Ephedine is also proven with lots of research.  Ephedrine doesn't develop tolerance as quickly as caffeine making it safer as a long term supplement because you can keep the same dose and get the same effect.  Both combined is the most powerful, but as with everything there is a balance.  I don't recommend using both to anyone other than experienced people with serious training goals and/or when allowed in their competition.  If you want the long version of caffeine here is the long, cited version.

Caffeine has been shown to be an effective ergonomic aid (Kreider et al., 2010).  An ergonomic aid is any training technique, mechanical device, nutritional practice, pharmacological method, or psychological technique that can improve exercise performance capacity and/or enhance training adaptations (Krieder et al., 2010).  This may help an athlete prepare for exercise, improve their ability to exercise, or enhance their ability to recover from exercise (Krieder et al., 2010).  According to the World Anti-Doping Code, the use of a substance before or during sports competition should be banned when the athlete meets two of the following three criteria after its use: 1) benefit from an increase in sports performance, 2) put his or her health at stake, and/or 3) violate the spirit of the sport (World Anti-Doping Agency, 2009).  The use of caffeine has been a controversial topic for many sport governing bodies because on the one hand there is solid evidence of its ability to improve performance and there are relatively few health risks in adults.  However, it appears in many foods, drinks, supplements, and medications, and is a socially accepted drug in many cultures.  Caffeine was originally listed as a doping agent in 1984, but there was a cutoff, meaning some caffeine was allowed, but after a certain point it was considered a banned substance (Del Coso, Muñoz, & Muñoz-Guerra, 2011).  However, this legislation was controversial because the difference between what many people used socially and what is considered performance enhancing was difficult to distinguish.  So, in 2004 caffeine was removed from the list of banned substances (Del Coso, Muñoz, & Muñoz-Guerra, 2011).  Currently caffeine is included in the monitoring program for 2013 but is not considered prohibited (World Anti-Doping Agency, 2009).

Caffeine is typically consumed orally and absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract (Goldstein et al., 2010).  Moderate doses appear to be best for improving exercise performance in the range of 3-6 mg/kg of body weight (Goldstein et al., 2010).  Some authors show no further benefit with higher doses of up to 9 mg/kg or more, and others show no difference between 300 mg doses and 200 mg doses on concentration tasks (Lieberman et al., 2002).  Elevated levels begin to show up in the blood stream as early as 15 minutes after consumption (Goldstein et al., 2010), but subjects have shown improved capacity for up to 8 hours (Lieberman et al., 2002).  Peak concentrations seem to occur 45-60 minutes after consumption (Goldstein et al., 2010) (Lieberman et al., 2002).  Because caffeine appears to be able to cross the blood-brain barrier and cellular membranes of all tissues in the body easily, it has the ability to affect many systems such as the nervous and muscular systems which makes it hard to pinpoint which one has the most impact on performance (Goldstein et al., 2010). 

 Caffeine has been taken by many athletes as an ergonomic aid in a wide variety of situations to improve endurance, recovery, glycogen synthesis, strength, metabolism, alertness, concentration, and response time and the research supports its effectiveness.  Caffeine can play a role in substrate utilization during exercise.  It does this by causing an increased fat oxidation which reduces the use of muscle glycogen (Goldstein et al., 2010).  It also enhances glycogen resynthesis during recovery (Goldstein et al., 2010).  It has been shown to improve endurance during repeated bouts of anaerobic exercise like sprinting (Kreider et al., 2010).  And, it is believed that caffeine increases the secretion of beta endorphins which have the ability to dull pain and increase feelings of well being (Goldstein et al., 2010).  Caffeine is also said to have an impact on the muscle directly by not only slowing the rate of fatigue, but also by improving strength (Goldstein et al., 2010).  Caffeine can have a positive effect on energy expenditure, weight loss, and body fat (Kreider et al., 2010).  And, caffeine has been shown to have a positive impact on reaction time, alertness (Michael et al., 2008), and cognitive learning tasks especially when they rely on attention and speed (Lieberman et al., 2002).  Caffeine is not typically thought of as having a medical use, however for obese populations or those looking to reduce their weight it could certainly be used to aid in exercise and to improve metabolism.  Caffeine has been shown to have a thermogenic response for 3 hours or more with as little as 100 mg (Goldstein et al, 2010).  Because of its habitual adaptation to some it is typically recommended that caffeine be used for competition rather than training (Tunnicliffe et al., 2008).

The major risks of caffeine use are habituation, dependence, withdrawal, and dehydration.  Regarding habituation the research is somewhat mixed. There appears to be a reduced effect of caffeine for regular users (Kreider et al., 2010), however that does not always equate to a reduction in performance.  Tolerance seems to develop quickly (Yang et al., 2010).  Some research supports less of an effect on mood for regular users over those that abstain from use (Andicott & Laurienti, 2009).  And, research shows some support that daily caffeine users commonly load with higher dosages prior to challenging activities (Andicott & Larienti, 2009).  But, there seems to be individual difference in responses to caffeine related to genetic factors (Yang et al., 2010).  Some research shows little to no difference in performances of habitual users versus non-users, however other researchers have reported that non-users self report an increased energy, elevated heart rate, and restlessness as opposed to frequent users (Goldstein et al., 2010).  Although there is no clinical diagnosis for caffeine dependence to date, there is some evidence that dependency may occur similarly to other psychoactive substances (Ogawa & Ueki, 2007).  Other researchers have noted that coffee drinkers can result in caffeine-induced substance dependency (Tunnicliffe et al., 2008).  Regarding withdrawal, some suggest symptoms can occur with habitual use such as a worsening mood, boredom, or fatigue (Andicott & Larienti, 2009) and it’s symptoms have been sufficient to recommend its inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (Tunnicliffe et al., 2008).  Some common symptoms include fatigue, decreased alertness, depression, headaches, sleep disturbance, and difficulty concentrating (Tunnicliffe et al., 2008).

The other major risk with caffeine that appears in the literature is its effect on dehydration.  Caffeine has long been thought to alter fluid balance and cause dehydration through an increase in urine output.  However some authors point out it’s important not to equate consumption at rest to consumption during exercise (Goldstein et al., 2010).  Numerous studies have shown no difference in fluid balance, water losses, or sweat rate with consumption of caffeine versus without during moderate intensity activity in a neutral climate (Goldstein et al., 2010).  And, other studies have shown no difference in urine output with moderate caffeine consumption added to carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks when compared to athletes in the same conditions minus the caffeine (Goldstein et al., 2010).  Further, even in warm and/or humid conditions multiple studies have shown no significant differences in sweat rate, urine output, or fluid balance (Goldstein et al., 2010).  So, it appears although caffeine use may increase urine volume during rest, its effect during exercise on hydration is not supported by the literature.

In summary, caffeine is an effective ergonomic aid and the literature supports this.  Caffeine was originally listed as a doping agent in 1984, but was removed from the list of banned substances 20 years later due to the difficulty differentiating between social consumption and that which enhances performance.  It remains on the monitoring program, but is no longer considered prohibited.  It has been shown to be effective in a wide variety of tasks such as improved endurance, recovery, glycogen synthesis, strength, metabolism, alertness, concentration, and response time.  Caffeine has the ability to affect many systems such as the nervous and muscular systems which makes it harder to pinpoint which one has the most impact on performance.  The major health risks associated with caffeine use are habituation, dependence, and withdrawal.  It appears to be most effective when used in moderate dosages from 3-6 mg/kg of body weight, taken 45-60 minutes prior to exercise, and when used for competition versus training.

References

Addicott, M. A., & Laurienti, P. J. (2009). A comparison of the effects of caffeine following abstinence and normal caffeine use. Psychopharmacology, 207(3), 423-431.

Del Coso, J., Muñoz, G., & Muñoz-Guerra, J. (2011). Prevalence of caffeine use in elite athletes following its removal from the World Anti-Doping Agency list of banned substances. Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism, 36(4), 555-561.

Goldstein, E. R., Ziegenfuss, T., Kalman, D., Kreider, R., Campbell, B., Wilborn, C., & ... Antonio, J. (2010). International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and performance. Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition, 71-15.

Kreider, R. B., Wilborn, C. D., Taylor, L., Campbell, B., Almada, A. L., Collins, R., & ... Willoughby, D. S. (2010). ISSN exercise & sport nutrition review: research & recommendations. Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition, 77-49.

Lieberman, H. R., Tharion, W. J., Shukitt-Hale, B., Speckman, K. L., & Tulley, R. (2002). Effects of caffeine, sleep loss, and stress on cognitive performance and mood during U.S. Navy SEAL training. Psychopharmacology, 164(3), 250.

Michael, N., Johns, M., Owen, C., & Patterson, J. (2008). Effects of caffeine on alertness as measured by infrared reflectance oculography. Psychopharmacology, 200(2), 255-260.

Ogawa, N., & Ueki, H. (2007). Clinical importance of caffeine dependence and abuse. Psychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, 61(3), 263-268.

Tunnicliffe, J. M., Erdman, K., Reimer, R. A., Lun, V., & Shearer, J. (2008). Consumption of dietary caffeine and coffee in physically active populations: physiological interactions. Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism, 33(6), 1301-1310.

World Anti-Doping Agency. 2009. World Anti-Doping Code. World Anti-Doping Agency, Montreal, Que. Available from http://www.wada-ama.org/Documents/World_Anti-Doping_Program/WADP-The-Code/WADA_Anti-Doping_CODE_2009_EN.pdf

Yang, A., Palmer, A., & de Wit, H. (2010). Genetics of caffeine consumption and responses to caffeine. Psychopharmacology, 211(3), 245-257.

Ephedrine used to 'burn' my urethra (or something).  Never figured out why...

EVL ENGN when bulking and EVL ENGN Shred when cutting.  I do 4 months bulk, 6 months cut, and 2 months maintenance every year.  Add 1 scoop of EVL Pump Mode and Beta Alanine to both.  Have worked wonders for me and I workout every day.

Curious as to what Mgostrengths preferred preworkout is.

I use a mixture of whey protein, creatine monohydrate, essential amino acids (EAAs), and beta alanine. 

I've been using Redcon1 Total war and like it.

There are some ingredients in there I'd recommend and some I would not.  Beta alanine is effective.  Caffeine is effective, but that's a little high of a dose for regular use.  Citrulline malate had initial promising research behind it, but less so more recently.  The rest of the ingredients I'd be a little skeptical of.

Had been using LIT AF too but was looking to try something new..

Looks pretty similar with the addition of creatine.  There are several other ingredients I'd also be skeptical of.  I'd guess several are stimulants.  In general I'd try to stick to single ingredient supplements.  You tend to get a better bang for your buck if you buy creatine, beta alanine, and caffeine separately and drop the rest.  It will probably be cheaper and will be more likely to have what the labels says.  Sometimes with mixes you get what's known as the pixie dust effect.  Since supplements are not regulated by the FDA there isn't a lot of oversight so what's claimed on the labels is not always accurate.  Often times with mixes like this you get a bunch of fillers and less of the active ingredients.  You're less likely to have that with single ingredient supplements.

Berberine is one of those drugs that comes from traditional Chinese medicine, is completely unproven, and actually has a longer history of causing adverse side effects more than health benefits.  It’s known for commonly interacting with prescription drugs resulting in adverse effects and is deemed not safe for pregnant women and children.  But there’s some anecdotal evidence it could ... if you don’t have a bad reaction ... could help regulate blood sugar helping with cholesterol.

I still wonder in amazement at the stuff supposed “health conscious people” will put in their systems .......

NR is an NAD+ precursor (which is a cofactor for a number of metabolic pathways cell repair mechanisms).  Levels typically decrease as you age. This is likely pretty smart to take as it has little to no known side effects and most data suggest efficacy (albeit primarily in animals).

Not a downer. You don't know until you know. 

I don't eat shrimp, or most shellfish for similar reasons. And try to limit my sushi consumption. The oceans are both being overfished rapidly, and... eh this is getting way off topic. But yeah, not a downer. 

57 can cause a lot of shrinkage! Be careful out there.

That all sounds great! Have a good last (or second-to-last) swim.

Family of mine in northern Wisconsin have described a version of the winter hillbilly biathlon: Ride around on snowmobiles and shoot at road signs with a "20 bore."