You’ve carved out the time in your busy schedule to fit in a workout – now make it count! AMPED™ Nitro makes it easy to deliver the right nutrients at the right time – a concept known in the sports nutrition world as nutrient timing. Let’s unpack the science behind the key ingredients in AMPED Nitro and how they work together to deliver your best workout.

Buffering with Beta-alanine

Beta-alanine is an amino acid that is naturally made by the body but also found in animal products (particularly chicken breast and fish). Beta-alanine is considered to be the ‘limiting factor’ in the production of a protein called carnosine which can buffer acid by-products that are produced during high intensity exercise (1).

Beta-alanine appears to work by increasing the concentration of carnosine in both fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibres. A greater amount of carnosine in muscles could create more of a buffer against acidity (from lactate and other metabolites produced during exercise) that can lead to fatigue (1).

Those most likely to benefit from beta-alanine supplementation are individuals whose activities involve short, high intensity efforts of exercise, such as rowing, track cycling, swimming, middle distance running and those that involve repeated high intensity efforts, like resistance training, team sports and racquet sports (1).

Recent studies suggest that supplementing with beta-alanine over a period of 4-8 weeks should result in increased levels of carnosine in skeletal muscle. Trained individuals may have a better loading response than untrained individuals. Taking two doses per day (e.g. morning and afternoon) as well as taking the supplement with some carbohydrate (as can be found in AMPED Nitro) and/or a meal can help to maximise beta-alanine uptake into muscle tissue (2).

Creatine for creating results

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound in skeletal muscle (and also the brain) and is found in meat and fish, in addition to the body’s own synthesised stores. There is a lot of variation in muscle creatine levels based on gender, age and dietary habits; vegetarians typically have lower levels of muscle creatine than meat eaters.

Creatine initially grew in popularity among power and strength athletes, as early studies showed that it helped muscles recover quick energy stores, allowing athletes to push harder, lift more weight and complete more reps. Today however, creatine is one of the most well-studied sports supplement in history, and new findings suggest that it may aid a variety of athletes, including health benefits beyond athletic performance.

Creatine supplementation may also benefit:

  • Sprint performance: An increase in muscle creatine stores has been shown to increase sprint or repetitive sprint performance by up to 20 percent (3). Great news for anyone who engages in high-intensity, stop-and-go sports like football, rugby, soccer, basketball or netball.
  • Endurance and speed: New findings suggest that creatine enhances glycogen synthesis, which has caught the attention of endurance athletes seeking to combine creatine with carb-loading strategies. In cyclists, creatine loading of up to 20 grams, combined with a moderate-carbohydrate diet increased muscle glycogen by 53 percent (4). Those extra carb stores also gave these cyclists a significant edge when it came to powering late-stage sprints in a 120 km time trial race.
  • Quality of workouts: Creatine pairs well with carbohydrate and water intake to support hydration and regulating body heat (3). For athletes and gym-goers, this may result in easier exercise, especially in hot conditions.
  • Recovery: Recent studies have shown that supplementation leads to faster glycogen re-synthesis after workouts, less muscle cramping and fewer incidences of muscle tightness or strain (3).
  • Brain, bones, and body health: In older adults, creatine has been found to offer benefits to skeletal muscle, bone and brain health (5). However, the mechanisms are not well understood, and scientists are seeking to understand more about the processes. It may be that creatine levels support a growth stimulus to muscles and work to either directly or indirectly support the process of bone remodelling (5). The effects on brain health are not exclusive to older individuals. In a study where creatine was taken by young female vegetarians, the results demonstrated better memory retention (6). The research suggests that low creatine levels in the brain could be a factor in mental fatigue (6).

Caffeine for concentration

Ask any athlete competing in the 1970s and they’ll tell you that caffeine for sports performance is not a new thing! But in the 1990s, sports science finally caught up and explained how caffeine supports performance. Scientists recognised that performance benefits of caffeine appeared to come from its influence on the central nervous system, resulting in a reduced perception of effort (where the exercise ‘feels’ easier) and/or a reduced perception of fatigue (7). The amount of caffeine in AMPED Nitro is equivalent to one average espresso shot and is naturally sourced from black tea leaves.

Together with clinically effective doses of beta-alanine, creatine and caffeine, AMPED Nitro is your go-to for anyone looking to take their personal physical and mental performance to the next level.

References

  1. Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE, Stout JR, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015;12:30. Published 2015 Jul 15. doi:10.1186/s12970-015-0090-y
  2. Stegen S, Blancquaert L, Everaert I, et al. Meal and beta-alanine coingestion enhances muscle carnosine loading. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2013;45(8):1478-85. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31828ab073.
  3. Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition; 2017;14:1–18.
  4. Tomcik KA, Camera DM, Bone JL, Ross ML, Jeacocke NA, Tachtsis B, Senden J, van Loon LJC, Hawley JA, Burke LM. Effects of Creatine and Carbohydrate Loading on Cycling Time Trial Performance [Internet]. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2017. 1 Available from: http://insights.ovid.com/crossref?an=00005768-900000000-97135
  5. Gualano B, Rawson ES, Candow DG, Chilibeck PD. Creatine supplementation in the aging population: effects on skeletal muscle, bone and brain. Amino Acids. Springer Vienna; 2016;48:1793–805.
  6. Benton D, Donohoe R. The influence of creatine supplementation on the cognitive functioning of vegetarians and omnivores. Br J Nutr. 2011;105:1100–5.
  7. Smirmaul BP, de Moraes AC, Angius L, Marcora SM. Effects of caffeine on neuromuscular fatigue and performance during high-intensity cycling exercise in moderate hypoxia. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2016;117(1):27-38.