Supplement Ad Claim of the Month PART II: “Studies have shown…”
In this post, Elissa discusses how the phrase “studies have shown” — a phrase used quite commonly by supplement retailers — can refer to whole gamut of studies that don’t necessarily prove a darn thing. These can be in-vitro studies (sometime called “test tube” studies), animal studies, in-house studies, “non” peer-reviewed studies, or studies performed with mega-doses of the...
The “Test” Test: Day 1
Today’s the first day of John’s IsaTest trial (read the backstory here). He had his blood drawn yesterday morning, although it will take about 10 days to get the test results. I’ll post the numbers as soon as we receive them. We did a body comp test on him this morning, using the skinfold guidelines and calculator on exrx.net. His weight and body composition have both been pretty steady: last month, he was 216...
The “Test” Test: Day 0
When it comes to evaluating the science behind supplement ingredients, I’m often caught between a rock and a hard spot. Why? I’ll be blunt: sometimes the science just ain’t there. Or even more maddeningly, it’s there, but it’s very questionable stuff – like a study published by little-known researchers 25 years ago in some obscure Russian or Chinese-language-only journal. This doesn’t...
Ingredient Watch: Glycocyamine
Glycocyamine is an ingredient that some companies add to their creatine-containing supplements. Because glycocyamine is the immediate precursor for creatine synthesis, it represents an additional pathway for increasing creatine storage in muscle tissue. It also has hypoglycemic effects, and may be able to enhance creatine uptake in muscle without a sugar-mediated insulin spike. Glycocyamine, however, has a dark side, and there have...
Ingredient Watch: beta alanine ethyl ester HCl
Just so we’re clear: beta-alanine is a naturally occurring amino acid that the body uses to make carnosine. Muscle carnosine, in turn, buffers hydrogen ions produced during exercise. Since taking additional beta-alanine can boost muscle carnosine stores and improve performance/endurance, it’s become a pretty popular supplement ingredient. Beta alanine ethyl ester HCl (BAEE) is a chemically modified version that’s...
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