Anyone who works out has experienced muscle fatigue. Scientists describe it as a fall in muscle force, as well as decreased velocity and power. It explains why during a typical set your muscles slow down with each rep that you perform. Ultimately they get so tired that you can’t continue lifting the same load (quantity of weight), and the set comes to an end. By reducing the quality of your workout and your ability to stimulate protein synthesis and burn calories, muscle fatigue negatively affects the outcome of your workouts. For instance, if less protein synthesis is stimulated, then you won’t gain as much muscle. And the fewer calories you burn during your workout, the harder it is to lose body fat and control your weight. The two key causes of muscle fatigue are lactic acid build up and a reduction in ATP stores. The levels of ATP decrease during a workout while lactic acid builds up as a result of working out. Keeping them out of your way is the job of creatine and beta-alanine.
Creatine monohydrate sends molecules of creatine into your muscles moments after you swallow your first serving. This helps support the production of more ATP. Fluid Fuel produces real increases in muscle energy levels. The creatine in Fluid Fuel can help to raise your muscle phosphocreatine stores by up to 40%. Phosphocreatine plays a critical role in the regeneration of ATP during high-intensity exercise. ATP is the ultimate “energy currency” for your muscle cells and every other cell type in your body. Without ATP, muscle contraction would stop. It also promotes intracellular hydration which is known to be associated with anabolism.
Beta-Alanine is a precursor to carnosine. Carnosine is produced naturally by the body and found largely in muscle tissue. Like creatine, your muscles can use carnosine to stave off fatigue by lowering levels of lactic acid and hydrogen, which explains why studies have suggested that Beta-alanine supplementation can produce increases in bench press power (by 15%) and the number of reps performed in the squat exercise (22%) as compared to supplementation with a placebo.
When your sets come to an end too early, you sacrifice potential gains in muscle mass, strength, power and much more. Increase the amount of weight you can lift and extend the duration of your sets (both in terms of time and number of reps performed) with Fluid Fuel.
Dominick Walsh is a blogger for Performance Nutrition and TMRzoo.com and covers all men’s health topics and exercise issues including protein powders, diets, weight loss, weight lifting supplements, fat burners and supplement reviews. Dominick’s columns cover everything you need to know about your pre, during and post workout nutrition.
