Muscle Talk
Jaime Filer
Jaime Filer graduated with a kinesiology degree from York University, where she was a varsity athlete. She’s also a former competitive bodybuilder who competed in drug-tested events throughout North America. If something new is trending in fitness, chances are Jaime’s already tried it!
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Supplement Zone - Lycine - Caffeine - Ginseng
FACT: Supplementing with 2 g of lysine per day for 8 weeks helped men increase their strength by 7.5%!
Caffeine for both energy and pleasure pre-workout
You either know someone or are someone who needs caffeine to get hyped before a workout. Science has told us the sweet spot is anywhere from 200 to 400 milligrams per dose, depending on your sensitivity. Caffeine is the most popular legal ergogenic aid, because it helps reduce feelings of exhaustion and turns you into a superhero in the gym. But can it also make you enjoy training more? Researchers in Britain gave cyclists 6 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight and measured the mental and emotional effects. They noticed that caffeine “prevented the athletes from feeling less happy about the experience while they were cycling.” The caffeine actually made them relish the exercise more. So next time you have an hour of cardio ahead of you, consider taking caffeine if for no other reason than to enjoy it!
Ginseng’s distant relative improves performance by 23%
Ginseng commonly comes in three types: Oriental/Panax, American, and Siberian. Panax tends to get all the attention because of its proven efficacy on vitality, memory, energy enhancement, and more. Siberian ginseng is like a cousin to the Oriental type; it’s not exactly ginseng, but it’s made up of essentially the same components. Siberian ginseng’s effect on endurance performance has been studied for the last decade. Recently in Taiwan, researchers gave athletes (men who trained for tennis two hours a day) 800 milligrams of Siberian ginseng for 8 weeks. When they tested the men’s cardiovascular endurance (by having them cycle twice at 75 percent of their VO2 max until exhaustion), they noticed that they were able to cycle 23 percent longer. If you’re training for a sport or a long-distance event, consider adding 800 milligrams a day of Siberian ginseng to your supplement regimen.
For more tips on how to supplement properly for strength, size, power, and fat loss, check out Jaime's other articles here!
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