Supplement Research - Gaspari SizeOn Maximum Performance

By Robbie Durand, M.A.

Senior Science Editor

PQ:

Gaspari’s SO kicked the competitor’s product ASS in a head-to-head comparison.

Peer-Reviewed Study

            It’s not often that a supplement has peer-reviewed research in the medical literature to back up its claims, but when it does it’s a big deal because that means that supplement has gone through vigorous research and scrutiny and has endured the peer-review process. Additionally, researchers use human, trained subjects— not rats— which is a huge benefit for MD readers. 

            In this month’s International Society of Sports Nutrition, some exciting news was published on Gaspari’s SizeOn (SO) Maximum Performance. Researchers examined the effects of SO on strength, lean muscle mass, and performance gains— compared to a product with similar ingredients. Most bodybuilders assume that they can just go out and buy the individual ingredients in a supplement, and they will get the same results no matter what brand they buy. WRONG!

            The above study was for nine weeks, and participants either received SO (which consisted of creatine, carbohydrates, whey protein, and other proprietary ingredients) or they received a comparison product with creatine, carbohydrates, and whey protein. Both groups received 4 grams of creatine, 39 grams of carbohydrates, and 7 grams of whey protein. They trained for nine weeks and used the product at the beginning and end of their workouts.

            At the end of the nine weeks, Gaspari’s SO resulted in increases in muscular performance in the bench press 1-RM and the amount of repetitions performed until failure, decreases in body fat and fat mass, and increases in lean mass— versus a comparable product matched with similar amounts of creatine, carbohydrate and whey protein.  In sum, Gaspari’s SO kicked the competitor’s product ASS in a head-to-head comparison.

            The researchers commented on several differences in Gaspari’s SO that may have led to greater anabolic gains, compared to the “knockoff” product.  For one thing, SO contains a large quantity of branched-chain amino acids. Branched-chain amino acids, particularly the amino acid leucine, have been shown to have anabolic effects, presumably through reducing protein breakdown.

            The other unique ingredient in SO is isomaltulose (Palatinose), as part of its carbohydrate moiety. Isomaltulose results in a lower insulin spike and may be beneficial for increased fat oxidation. For example, one study compared isomaltulose to sucrose and examined fat oxidation. Isomaltulose resulted in lower glucose and insulin responses; postprandial fat oxidation rates were higher (14 percent) with isomaltulose, compared to sucrose when ingested with a mixed meal. The attenuated rise in glucose and insulin concentrations following isomaltulose results in reduced inhibition of postprandial fat oxidation. The metabolic response to isomaltulose co-ingestion suggests that it is a low-glycemic carbohydrate, which has a lower insulin response— resulting in higher fat oxidation rates. This may have contributed to the reduced fat mass in the group consuming Gaspari’s SO. 

            Finally, one of the long-discussed benefits of Gaspari’s SO has been the use of L-Ornithine-L-Aspartate (LOLA), a substance shown to be effective in lowering blood ammonia concentration. Some of the many benefits of LOLA are enhanced liver function, aiding in detoxification, helping to release growth hormones that assist in metabolizing excess fat, and strengthing our body’s immune system. Previous research reported elderly people who used L-ornithine-L-aspartate recovered faster from their illnesses and required less medication.

            In conclusion, Gaspari’s SO— used four times per week for nine weeks— resulted in greater improvements in strength, muscle endurance, lean muscle mass, and percentage of body fat versus a comparator with identical quantities of creatine, whey protein and carbohydrate. It could also be speculated that the proprietary blend of additional ingredients in SO (i.e., LOLA, isomaltulose) enhanced anabolic gains. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can get similar gains in size and lean mass by using a knockoff product! Gaspari’s SizeOn is the shit!

Reference:

            Schmitz SM, Hofheins JE, Lemieux R. Nine weeks of supplementation with a multi-nutrient product augments gains in lean mass, strength, and muscular performance in resistance trained men. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2010 Dec 16;7:40.

Caffeine Increases Bench Press Performance and Mood State

            Many bodybuilders, during the last few weeks of a contest-prep, feel like the walking dead. Their energy is zapped from the low calories and the increased cardio, but there may be a helpful solution— caffeine.

            Researchers from the United Kingdom reported that caffeine not only helps you feel better, but can also increase bench press performance. They administered caffeine (5 mgs per kg of bodyweight) versus placebo to moderately trained resistance trained athletes, and examined bench press exercise to failure and the mood state response, pre- to post-exercise. The administration of caffeine resulted in enhanced performance during short term, high-intensity exercise performance and specifically short-term resistance exercise to failure. More importantly to bodybuilders, the athletes felt more vigor and were able to complete more reps while using caffeine, which is an added benefit for packing on size.

            Caffeine is a valuable tool in the pre-contest bodybuilder’s arsenal of supplements to increase performance in the gym while dieting and performing cardio. Additionally, the caffeine used in this study was a pharmacological dose. For example, the subjects consumed 5 mgs per kg of bodyweight, so for a 230-pound bodybuilder this is 522 mgs of caffeine; a large 24 oz. Starbucks coffee contains 415 mgs of caffeine.

Reference:

            Duncan MJ, Oxford SW. The effect of caffeine ingestion on mood state and bench press performance to failure. J Strength Cond Res, 2011 Jan;25(1):178-85.

Vitargo and L-Carnitine Increases Muscle Carnitine Levels

            Increasing skeletal muscle carnitine content may alleviate the decline in muscle fat oxidation seen during intense exercise. Not surprisingly, therefore, oral carnitine feeding has been advocated as an ergogenic aid— the main premise being that increasing muscle carnitine content will increase muscle fat oxidation and delay muscle glycogen depletion. Studies in humans, however, have failed to increase muscle carnitine content by dietary or intravenous L-Carnitine administration. In a series of IV infusion studies, it was demonstrated that elevating serum insulin concentration in the presence of hypocarnitinemia (elevated carnitine levels in the blood) acutely increased muscle total carnitine (TC) content by ~15 percent in humans.

            Vitargo is a patented carbohydrate that spikes insulin faster than any other carbohydrate on the market. In the recent university study, the rate of rise of insulin and the insulin “spike” was 1.8 times higher and faster in just 10 minutes after taking 100 grams of Vitargo— compared to an equal carbohydrate load from maltodextrin plus sugars following exhaustive exercise.

            The researchers wanted to know if spiking insulin with Vitargo was able to increase muscle carnitine levels similarly to insulin infusion studies. After the first experimental visit, subjects were divided in a randomized, double-blind manner into two experimental treatment groups. One group was instructed to consume 700 ml of a solution containing 80 grams of orange-flavored Vitargo, while the remaining group consumed 80 grams of orange-flavored CHO polymer containing 2.0 grams of L-Carnitine L-Tartrate in the same volume of solution and at the same frequency (Carnitine). Volunteers were instructed to ingest the first supplement at breakfast, and the second supplement four hours later.

            At the end of the study, some exciting news was presented— as it was the first study to demonstrate that muscle carnitine stores were increased by 21 percent in healthy human volunteers when L-Carnitine is ingested for 24 weeks, in combination with Vitargo. Moreover, this increase in muscle carnitine stores content had a profound effect on increasing fat utilization during exercise, which was “exercise intensity dependent” and consistent with the reported dual role of carnitine for enhancing fat oxidation and sparing muscle glycogen. Finally, increasing skeletal muscle carnitine stores in muscle was associated with a 35 percent improvement in work output over the control group, which means the Vitagro and L-Carnitine-L-Tartrate group trained harder while using the supplement.

            In sum, this is the first study to show that Vitargo and L-Carnitine-L-Tartrate can increase muscle carnitine stores— which enhanced exercise performance and also enhanced fat oxidation. 

Reference:

            Wall BT, Stephens FB, Constantin-Teodosiu D, Marimuthu K, Macdonald IA, Greenhaff PL. Chronic oral ingestion of L-carnitine and carbohydrate increases muscle carnitine content and alters muscle fuel metabolism during exercise in humans: the dual role of muscle carnitine in exercise metabolism. J Physiol, 2011.