The definition of respect is “a feeling of deep admiration for something elicited by its abilities, qualities, and achievements.”
When devising a supplement protocol aimed at building physique perfection, more popular and highly advertised supplements almost always become the trainer’s first choice. Perhaps deciding on which supplements you’ll use based on your personal finances come into play as well, and you pick the products you feel will give you the most bang for your buck. But when it comes to respecting the potential a certain product contains for aiding in not only your bodybuilding goals but also your overall health, the one product that probably hasn’t garnered that type of response from the bodybuilding community and is often underrated is R-ALA.
What is R-ALA?
R-ALA is a potent and effective “universal” antioxidant. It quenches free radicals in virtually all tissues in the body. R-ALA also exhibits insulin-like effects allowing greater nutrient uptake into muscle tissue allowing for greater muscle cell volume. Possibly one of R-ALA’s most unique qualities is that it can increase the effectiveness of other supplements when taken in conjunction by acting as the shuttle for carrying anything from creatine to glutamine directly and efficiently into the muscle.
Benefits
When you look through the research, it almost seems like the benefits of supplementing with R-ALA is endless. There are so many reasons to take R-ALA that if I were to include them all, this would end up being an article that you would get half way through reading, then say to yourself, “Ok, I get it, R-ALA is great,” that’s how long the list would be. So, instead, you’ll see listed the top six reasons from a bodybuilder’s perspective for supplementing with this great product.
- Increases insulin sensitivity for increased glucose uptake
- Reduces oxidative stress in the body via powerful antioxidant activity
- Reduces bone loss through an anti-inflammatory effect
- Maintains and improves brain function
- Improves blood pressure and
- Improves the texture of your skin
Timing and Proper Use
Theoretically speaking, because R-ALA is so good at acting as an insulin “mimicker” you could take a serving of it before every meal. This would ensure that all the nutrients you take in, whether it is from food or another supplement, would be transported to your recovering muscles and nothing would be wasted or stored as fat.
This practice may not be feasible for everyone, but for certain you are going to want to take a serving of R-ALA immediately after your workout is complete. This will help shuttle all the great nutrients you’ve given your body from your post workout shake (made up of VP2 Whey Isolate, Micronized Creatine Monohydrate, GL3 L-Glutamine and DGC) and send it speeding to starving muscles.
Adding a supplement like AST Sports Science’s R-ALA 200 to your protocol ensures you are getting the proper dose of only the highest quality R-ALA that exists. It will enhance your recovery efforts, keep you protected against damaging free radicals and allow for you to maintain your “intelligent trainer” status by aiding with brain function. This is one product that definitely deserves respect, and once you’ve added it to your program, you’ll have a physique that demands respect!
