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In CBL it did go into great detail regarding the use of supplements and CBL'ing. However, I was curious why it didn't mention anything regarding Glucose Disposal Agents (GDA's). They would seem a natural fit in a protocol that uses carbohydrates in this manner. I was also curious about the use of L-Carnitine in the AM. It has long been used in BB'ing by being taking on an empty stomach to increase the bodies use of fat as an energy source. I would think it would be an effective addition to the caffeine in adding in the fat burning process. However, I haven't seen any data or studies that describe its effects, if any, on insulin.On the subject of GDA's I did find a very good "all-in-one" product that's a blend of many:https://www.truenutrition.com/p-1153-mds-ultimate-glucose-disposal-agent-40765mg-capsules-180-capsules.aspxIf you are not very familiar with GDA's or have never heard of them here is a short write-up done by John Meadows (who knows just a little bit about getting shredded as well) on the subject.August 2010: Insulin Mimetics- Managing Sugar LevelsWhen I first wrote the original Mountain Dog diet, I received a great deal of questions pertaining to my use of Glucose Disposal Agents (GDAs). I do this for a few reasons, and am going to share with you which ones I like best and how I structure their use in my diet plans.Why do I use them? First of all, managing sugar levels should be a top priority for all of us, in our quest to stay healthy and avoid developing diabetes and other maladies. The concepts here are pretty simple. You eat and your blood sugar goes up, more so with carbs, and even more so with refined or simple carbs. Your pancreas pumps out insulin in order to remove the sugar from the blood and drive it into cells. This process doesn't always work well however. There can be genetic factors, but for many the repeated pounding of carbs eventually leads to this mechanism working poorly. You have probably heard people say they are insulin resistant. Well what they mean is that their cells are actually resistant to the effects of insulin. So without a way to effectively remove sugar and put it into your cells, the person is left with chronically higher levels in the blood, which sets the stage for metabolic syndrome and diabetes. GDA's can help with this process, and are a very useful tool in avoiding future sugar related issues.The second reason why I like insulin mimetics goes back to the 'driving insulin into cells' comment I made. For someone working out, and interested in lean muscle gain, this is pretty cool. Insulin is one of the most anabolic hormones in your body as it drives glucose and amino acids into cells which plays a huge role in protein synthesis. This is why many people seeking muscle gain use exogenous insulin. I do not agree with this, and don't think it is wise to play with your pancreas, so insulin mimetic supplements are a nice healthy compromise, without the added fat gain that you typically see with someone using a lot of insulin. You have to remember that your body will dump excess glucose into fat cells once muscle and liver glycogen are full, but I digress.So which ones do I use, how, and why? Alpha Lipoic Acid -This is probably my favorite overall supplement due to its potent antioxidant effect, liver regenerating ability, and its use as a GDA. That is what I am going to focus on today. The studies that I have read that were successful were using ALA at a 1,000 mg dose post-workout. I use 900mg, because I get 300mg caps, but 900-1000 mgs is perfect. Take this with your post-workout carbs, protein, and creatine. One good study I read used 1 gram of ALA, 20 grams of creatine, and 100 grams of sucrose over 5 days (simulating a creatine load). The results were that this combination was significantly better at increasing phosphocreatine levels than just the creatine, or just the creatine and sucrose. Chromium -This is a really cool supplement because it actually helps to "open the doors" of cells so that insulin can get in. Chromium actually is helping to activate the enzyme tyrosine kinase, which helps insulin attach to insulin receptors according to the work of Georgetown University Medical Center professor Harry Preuss. This means that it is insulin-sensitizing, like the medication glucophage. If you do some research, you will find a lot of bickering about whether it works or not. You will read that many believe if you don't have type 2 diabetes, Chromium will not actually help. Many of studies where chromium failed, simply used too small of a dose. I have seen advocation of 3,000-4,000 mcg daily. There are also many questions about which type to use. Do you use picolinate or polynicotinate (the niacin-bound chromium)? I have not seen enough evidence to support any form being superior to the other, so I use Picolinate. If you want to find some really good work done on this supplement, do a search on Richard Anderson at the US department of Agriculture. He has had much success using 1,000 mcg daily. I have my people use between 200-500mcg of Chromium Picolinate with their carb meals, depending on how many carb meals they are going to have for the day, and what other GDA's they are using in conjunction with this one. One other thing I want to mention about Chromium. It can be drained quite easily from the body from even 'healthy' foods. I have written a bit about phytic acid, and its effect in decreasing mineral absorption in the intestines. Well it is prevalent in nuts such almonds and brazil nuts, which are very good for you, don't get me wrong. Sugar and processed crap also drain it out of your body as well, so again, great supplement to use year round. There are some great articles about the effects of Phytic Acid on the Weston A Price website by the way. Gymnema Sylvestre - Dr. Serrano turned me on to this Indian herb a while back when we were in his office stack ranking GDA's in terms of potency. Translated is means 'sugar destroyer'. This has become one of my recent favorites. There is a cool study mentioned on Wikipedia where they discovered that it actually reduces sugar cravings by blocking sugar receptors in the tongue when the powder is placed on the tongue. We do know that using this herb over a period of time reduces sugar levels in the blood. Cinnamon - OK, this is a food more so than a supplement, but it works quite well. Jonny Bowden wrote extensively about this in his book 'The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth'. He writes 'there are phytochemicals called chalcone polymers that increase glucose metabolism in the cells 20 fold or more.' He goes on to cite work from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2001 that showed these polymers increased uptake of sugar into cells and signaled certain kind of cells to turn the glucose into glycogen! What I typically have people do is add a teaspoon of this to their shakes, oats, sweet potatoes, and any other food they can. It works, and it works well. Don't be shy, use it liberally. I do want to mention some other supplements that can be useful, and I sometimes use, but am not 100% confident in yet, Vanadyl Sulfate, D-Pinitol, and Taurine.So what would a typical GDA regimen look like?Here is an example of how I might lay this out for someone.This would be a high carb day after 3 days of low carbs, with carbs in every meal for a 220lb man. For women I might adjust doses downward, but not too much. These supplements are not toxic (unless you take the hexavalent chromium like in Eric Brockovich)Meal 1 - take 500 mcg of Chromium PicolinateMeal 2 - take 400 mg of Gymnema SylvestreMeal 3 - take 500 mcg of Chromium PicolinateMeal 4 - Pre-workout - use Cinnamon with carbsMeal 5 - Post-workout - use 900 mgs of ALAMeal 6 - take 500 mcg of Chromium Picolinate or 400 mg of Gymnema SylvestreI hope this helps, and if this leads to more questions, please submit them so I can get them into next month's Q&A section.Thank you my friends,John Meadows
Nice! Tried any of these supps/protocols?
looking at the thread date and last time they were active I would not expect a response:)
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