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Fierce was specifically formulated to increase endurance and
pre-workout strength levels assisting the user to lift more weight and
exercise for prolonged periods without feeling fatigued.
Let’s run through the list of ingredients in Fierce and see how each
and every one contributes to an overall ergogenic and
endurance-enhancing effect. The proprietary formula consists of 5
individual categories each of them designed to work in tandem with one
another.
Cell Hydration Matrix
Of all the ingredients seen in Fierce, creatine in its various forms is
perhaps the most familiar to supplement users. Numerous studies have
shown the creatine consumption leads to increased strength and athletic
performance. There are several theories about how creatine works. The
original theory, and perhaps still the most widely accepted, is that
oral creatine supplementation increases total creatine and creatine
phosphate (CrP) in human skeletal muscle. An increased muscle CrP
concentration increases its availability for ATP synthesis. This
additional ATP can be used by the muscle to perform work.
Studies have also shown that creatine supplementation increases the
glycogen content of skeletal muscle along with an increase in myosin
heavy chain synthesis (Nelson et al. 2001). The increases in lean body
mass associated with creatine use may be a result of creatine’s ability
to elevate insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in muscle tissue
(Deldicque et al 2005).
Why do we see Malate combined with creatine in the formulation? Malate
is an intermediate in the so-called Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle (TCA).
While being processed in the TCA, each kind of major fuel is converted
to acetyl groups, which are handled by attachment to a particular
coenzyme known as coenzyme A. Ultimately ATP is produced from another
compound, NADH, generated by the TCA.
Malate is dehydrogenated in the TCA cycle to oxaloacetate, the
concentration of which most critically controls the rate of aerobic ATP
production. During prolonged aerobic activity, and in patients
suffering from malate deficiency, malate becomes depleted and the TCA
is unable to produce ATP fast enough to meet the demands of working
muscle. One classic disease characterized by malate deficiency is
fibromyalgia: symptoms include muscular skeletal pain and fatigue. When
patients suffering with this disease are given malate, their energy
levels improve dramatically (Russell et al 1995).
Not only will patients suffering from malate deficiency benefit from
malate supplementation but also competitive athletes. Because as
mentioned above, strenuous, prolonged aerobic activity depletes the
body’s malate stores.
Creatine-Ethyl-Ester is a synthetic analog of the
popular supplement creatine. The main difference between the two
compounds is that the carboxylic acid group of creatine was molecularly
modified through the attachment of an ester linkage. In doing this, we
are able to create an organic compound that possesses both increased
water solubility and enhanced muscle partitioning effects over ordinary
creatine monohydrate. Once in the body, regular creatine monohydrate
rapidly loses its water molecule yielding the byproduct ‘creatinine’.
Although it is a natural by-product of creatine metabolism, creatinine
possesses numerous undesirable side effects to the athlete. It was
therefore significant to discover that treating the creatine with Ethyl
alcohol and hydrogen chloride not only removed the undesirable water
molecule from creatine, but also yielded a pure creatine-Ethyl-ester
compound that is completely devoid of both water and creatinine.
Once in the gastrointestinal tract the Creatine-Ethyl-ester is rapidly
hydrolyzed to pure creatine by the esterase enzyme yielding an
immediate ATP substrate without any stomach discomfort or bloat. ATP
(adenosine triphosphate/ or three phosphates attached to adenosine,
which is a nucleoside) is the necessary energy molecule that fuels
muscular contractions by donating one phosphate group as cellular
energy.
Nitro NO
One of the major controlling factors in the expansion and contraction
of blood vessels is nitric oxide (NO). In the body NO is produced from
the amino acid arginine. When exposed to NO, blood vessels dilate,
allowing for increased blood flow due to the vessel’s increased
crossectional area. Working muscles require a copious blood supply to
deliver nutrients and carry away waste products. Since arginine is the
direct precursor to NO, bodybuilders have supplemented with
arginine-based compounds to increase NO production. This leads to the
sought-after “pump” associated with muscle blood vessels engorged with
blood.
Arginine alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) is reportedly
better absorbed than arginine, and has a more sustained effect on NO
production. AKG itself has been used extensively for nutritional
support in various illnesses and in the post surgery setting.
Ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate (OKG) is added to Fierce
as a secondary route to raise plasma arginine levels and subsequently
NO in the body. OKG is documented to work in parallel with AKG to also
raise levels of glutamine, polyamines, growth hormone and insulin. In
turn, these elevations prevent catabolic muscle wasting that usually
follows post workout. As a note, OKG is often used in clinical settings
as a first aid medicine(to carry away muscle waste products) in burn
victims, and thereby, enhances recovery and wound healing. It is also
documented to help regenerate skin and muscle tissue.
Creatine Assimilator
Glycocyamine (GAA) and Guanidinopropionic Acid (GPA)
have been added to Fierce to mimic the actions of insulin in that they
lower blood glucose in animal studies (Meglasson et al 1993). This
appears to be the result of increased expression of GLUT-4, a major
glucose transporter (Ren 1993). GAA is also converted in the liver into
creatine, adding to plasma creatine levels outside that of
Dicreatine-Malate and Creatine-Ethyl- Ester (see above). Because of the
insulin mimetic, the creatine transport effects of glycocyamine and
GPA, taken along with Dicreatine-Malate and Creatine-Ethyl-Ester is
superior, to simply taking more creatine, by virtue of secondary and
third biochemical pathways.
Betaine Anhydrous has been well characterized as an
agent capable of lowering levels of homocysteine in the body. High
plasma concentrations of homocysteine may increase risk of
cardiovascular disease. Betaine lowers plasma homocysteine up to 20% in
normal healthy humans (Olthof et al 2005). One interesting study looked
at the effects of betaine on both trained and untrained animals. In the
untrained group betaine lowered plasma lactate levels post-exercise
significantly, implying that betaine allows for a faster recovery from
exercise. For your information, muscle fatigue is believed to be due,
at least in part, to lactic acid buildup. In other studies, betaine
increased muscle area and decreased fat thickness.
Duralast Matrix
Glucuronolactone is a naturally occurring chemical
compound produced by the metabolization of glucose in the human liver.
It has received some public notoriety due to its inclusion in energy
type drinks like Red Bull. Some of its positive attributes have been
linked to acting as an antidepressant and stimulant, and in helping
memory retention and concentration. Glucuronolactone is also a direct
precursor to Taurine therefore aiding in improved mental performance
and reaction time. In clinical settings, Glucuronolactone was found to
reduce fatigue with sleep related driving incidents.(Reyner et al 2002)
L-Aspartic acid is a non-essential amino acid,
synthesized from glutamate or otherwise derived from protein. Its chief
mechanism is believed to be involved in the repair of DNA and in
assisting carbohydrate metabolism. It is a carrier molecule for
transporting magnesium & potassium in and out of living cells.
L-Aspartic acid is also a major excitatory transmitter in your brain
making it useful especially to those involved in sports such as
basketball, football, etc. which require a quick reaction. Just like
Malic acid, aspartic acid is an intermediate in the TCA cycle (see
above) and thus, extremely useful in removing ammonia from the body.
Last, but not least, human studies, have shown that L-Aspartic acid
decreases fatigue after strenuous exercise thus increasing endurance
levels.
b-Alanine is a direct precursor to Carnosine.
Carnosine is extremely effective in buffering hydrogen ions, which are
generally elevated in exercising athletes. Under normal exercising
conditions, hydrogen ions rise in response to energy production
resulting in a subsequent fall of muscle PH. With low intra-muscular PH
levels athletes often times get fatigued, resulting in sub-par
performance. The extent to which Carnosine can delay fatigue (acidosis) is correlated to its content in muscle tissue. (Tallon et al 2004-2005)
In essence, the addition of b-Alanine (and subsequently Carnosine) in
Fierce is related to its effects on preventing your muscles from
becoming too acidic during times of stress. Since Carnosine works
alongside creatine (which is considered a phosphate donor) in buffering
the intra-muscular system from becoming too acidic, it makes perfect
sense to stack the two together. Simply stated, b-Alanine makes
creatine work better through a second and independent pathway.
Neuro Cognitizing Substrates
Taurine was included for its antioxidant properties
and may be responsible for the cytoprotective effect that is reported
throughout the literature. Dawson et.al 2002 subjected animals to 90
minutes of strenuous downhill running after which muscle tissue damage
was assessed. The taurine supplemented group not only showed less
extensive tissue damage, but also showed that running performance
improved. Exercise has been shown to deplete the muscle content of
taurine. In light of its ergogenic actions, this warrants the need for
taurine supplementation during exercise.
A similar experiment involving young men showed equal results: After
exhaustive exercise, the taurine group exhibited less cellular damage
and enhanced performance (Zhang et al 2004). Quoting from the study,
"Significant increases were also found in VO(2)max, exercise time to
exhaustion and maximal workload in test with taurine supplementation (
p<0.05). After supplementation, the change in taurine concentration
showed positive correlations with the changes in exercise time to
exhaustion and maximal workload. The results suggest that taurine may
attenuate exercise-induced DNA damage and enhance the capacity of
exercise due to its cellular protective properties."
What is even more exciting is that Taurine works extremely well with
glucuronolactone (see above) in aiding mental performance, clarity and
reaction time.
N-Acetyl-L-Glutamine (NAG) is known in foreign
countries as an anti-ulcer support agent that works by forming a
protective layer over the lining of the stomach. It accomplishes this
phenomenon by activating a chemical reaction that serves as an antiacid
buffer while suppressing the secretion of pepsin, a protein-digesting
enzyme produced in the stomach.
More recent clinical research indicates that NAG has psycho-stimulant
properties while improving memory and concentration in persons showing
signs of senile dementia. Chemically speaking, N-Acetyl-L-Glutamine is
the acetylated version of the most abundant amino acid found in
skeletal muscle tissue: glutamine. NAG is more stable in water and
metabolically efficient at delivering glutamine’s biological effects
over conventional Glutamine or Glutamine Peptides. As a glutamine
donor, NAG has shown great promise in the treatment of the critically
ill, since it supports the immune system. (Haussinger et al 2001)
Overtraining may lead to immune depression and it has been proposed,
but never conclusively demonstrated in controlled trials, that
glutamine could speed recovery in overworked athletes.
Tyrosine is a nonessential amino acid synthesized in
the body from phenylalanine. It is an important nutritional ingredient
and chief factor in the biosynthesis of the brain neurotransmitters:
epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. As such, Tyrosine has shown
great promise to treat depression because it is a precursor for the
neurotransmitters that are responsible for transmitting nerve impulses.
In fact, in one study involving healthy men, after being fed a
deficient phenylalanine/tyrosine diet, the participants experienced
depressed mood and alertness. (Grevet et al.2002). Indicating, that
tyrosine is essential to combat depression.
Tyrosine has been tested on humans for increasing endurance regardless
of anxiety and stress, as well as extreme fatigue. It was further
documented in research studies that tyrosine supplementation resulted
in increased performance over a control group (Avraham et al. 2001).
Tyrosine is also considered an antioxidant, reacting with free radicals that can cause damage to cells.
Caffeine is our last and final ingredient which is
known as a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme cAMP-PDE, thus
converting cyclic AMP in cells to its noncyclic form, allowing cAMP to
build up. Cyclic AMP participates in the messaging cascade produced by
cells in response to stimulation by epinephrine, so by blocking its
removal, caffeine intensifies and prolongs the effects of the
neurotransmitters: epinephrine and norepinephrine.
The metabolites of caffeine contribute to caffeine's overall powerful
effects. Theobromine which is considered a vasodilator increases the
amount of oxygen and nutrient flow to the brain and muscles.
Theophylline, the second of the three main metabolites, acts as a
smooth muscle relaxant that chiefly affects the bronchioles and acts as
a chronotrope and inotrope. Thus increasing heart rate and efficiency.
The third metabolic derivative, paraxanthine, is responsible for an
increase in the fat burning process, which releases glycerol and fatty
acids into the blood to be used as a source of fuel by the muscles
(Dews et al. 1984). |
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