11/27/2002

CLINICAL STUDY IN METABOLISM SHOWS LONZA’S L-CARNIPURE®

Lonza announced today that a company sponsored clinical study conducted at the University of Leipzig (Germany), has found that supplementation with L-Carnitine Crystalline significantly increases fatty acid oxidation in healthy adults.

This study is significant because it is the first investigation to conclusively show that oral L-Carnitine Crystalline supplementation stimulates in vivo long chain fatty acid metabolism. Results of this study have been published in Metabolism Vol 51, No 11: 1389-91, 2002.

L-Carnitine, a vitamin-like nutrient, occurs naturally in the human body and is essential for turning fat into energy. Due to clinical research, L-Carnitine is already a popular dietary supplement among physically active people who supplement with this nutrient to help with post-exercise recovery. Extensive scientific research indicates that
L-Carnitine promotes cardiovascular health and studies also suggest that L-Carnitine may be useful as part of a weight management program.

The present clinical study was conducted under guidance of Dr. Detlef Müller. The study investigated the effects of oral L-CARNIPURE® L-Carnitine Crystalline supplementation on in vivo long chain fatty acid oxidation by measuring 1-[13C] palmitic acid oxidation in healthy adults before and after L-CARNIPURE® L-Carnitine Crystalline supplementation (3x1 g/d for 10 days). “We observed a significant increase in 13CO2 exhalation, thereby indicating a significant increase in fat oxidation in healthy adults,” said Dr. Müller.

Dr. Andrea O. Schaffhauser, Manager Scientific Affairs & Market Development, Lonza Ltd., commented, “part of this study has been presented at the Experimental Biology Meeting in Orlando, Florida, 2001. We at Lonza are pleased to now be presenting the full paper of this breakthrough data to the scientific community.” According to Dr. Müller, “this study is important to all people who exercise, those who undergo a weight management program and those who have a high energy demand”.

Lonza Group is the world’s largest manufacturer of L-Carnitine and is the only manufacturer that guarantees 100% pure L-Carnitine, completely free from harmful D-Carnitine. L-CARNIPURE® L-Carnitine Crystalline contains 100% L-Carnitine, while L-CARNIPURE® L -Carnitine L-Tartrate (U.S. Patent 5,073,376 and other international patents) consists of 68% L-Carnitine and 32% L-tartaric acid. Most recently, CARNIPURE® L-Carnitine Crystalline and L-Carnitine L-Tartrate have been self affirmed as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe). Being crystalline, white, water-soluble and heat stable, both products are ideal for use in various food and drink applications. In addition, L-Carnitine L-Tartrate is non-hygroscopic, odorless and has a pleasant citrus taste and excellent flowability. Both products are kosher certified. Further details are available at www.carnitine.com.

Lonza Group is a Life Sciences driven chemical company headquartered in Switzerland, with sales of CHF 2.5 billion in 2001 and operating 21 production and R&D facilities in 9 countries. It employs 6 400 people worldwide and is the leading supplier of active chemical ingredients, intermediates and biotechnology solutions to the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. It also offers a broad catalogue of organic intermediates for a wide range of applications such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, vitamins, food and feedstuff, dyes and pigments, adhesives and fragrances. Furthermore the Group manufactures specialty biocides and oleochemicals and develops and produces specific polymer intermediates, unsaturated polyester-resins, compounds and composites. For more information on Lonza Group please visit the company’s website at www.lonzagroup.com.

Physical Magazine, January, 2002

HCA Reduces Fat Generation

Lab: Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

Lead Researcher: Margriet S. Westerterp-Plantenga, PhD

Study Focus: Effect of HCA on Energy Expenditure

Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) continues to fascinate scientists, largely because of the results obtained from animal studies showing the inhibitory effect of this fruit derivative on new fat synthesis, also known as de novo lipogenesis or DNL. In this recent study, researchers subjected 10 lean men in their 20s to a glycogen-depleting bout of exercise, followed by three days of a high-fat diet (60% fat, 25% carbs and 15% protein). This was then followed by an overfeeding regimen (130% to 175% of caloric needs; less than 5% fat, more than 85% carbs and 10% protein) lasting for seven days.

For the last few days of this carb-gorging period, each subject resided for 60 hours in a chamber that measures caloric expenditure, giving the researchers a very accurate assessment of metabolism. During this overfeeding period, the subjects received 500 mg of HCA or placebo three times per day. Both groups gained the same amount of body weight (6.25 lb), but the HCA group displayed a metabolic profile suggesting reduced lipogenesis. Moreover, those receiving HCA had a higher calorie-burning response to activity.

Conclusion: Several studies have explored HCA’s impact on energy expenditure, but this study used an exercise and diet regimen to foster DNL, which is a true test of HCA. A valuable piece of information would have been the changes in body composition and body water. If lipogenesis were blunted, the HCA group should have gained more lean mass than the placebo group.

Physical Magazine, September, 2001

Colostrum

Colostrum has recently made a comeback as an ergogenic aid for athletes. Its first appearance in the sports nutrition world some years ago was met with severe skepticism by scientists, so colostrum faded from the scene. Its return is based on the fact that the processing and production of colostrum have come a long way in the last few years, and researchers have taken a second look at it.

Colostrum, also called foremilk, is a thin, yellowish fluid secreted by the mammary glands of mammals in the very first week of lactation. It’s rich in immunoglobulins, anti-microbial peptides, minerals and a multitude of growth factors that are passed to the human infant, calf or other baby animal. Many believe that bovine colostrum is an extremely nutrient-rich product that can confer its benefits on adult humans, as well.

The various growth factors in colostrum, such as insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF-1), are extremely delicate and easily destroyed during processing. Early colostrum products, in fact, were generally found to have no active growth factors in them, but this deficiency has been remedied by modern processing techniques. “The new low-heat treatment process is key,” notes Susan Kleiner, PhD, RD. “This is what the consumer needs to look for.”

It has also been argued that the adult human body does not receive the benefits of colostrum because the stomach destroys most or all of the delicate peptides during digestion. However, it now appears that human digestion is not as harmful to colostrum assimilation as previously believed. “Newer colostrum products such as GNC’s Intact Colostrum contain proteins more easily absorbed than mature milk,” says Kleiner.

From a medical standpoint, properly made colostrum looks very promising in countering diseases affecting the gastro-intestinal tract. Challenging the long-held belief that peptides can’t make it intact through the adult digestive tract is a recent study that found colostrum increased the serum IGF-1 levels of athletes. Nine male sprinters were given a bovine colostrum product for eight days, after which significant changes in the IGF-1 levels of the athletes were found. Another recent study presented at the 2001 Experimental Biology Conference found that the addition of colostrum to the diets of 49 well-trained athletes increased both body weight and bench-press strength.

Does this mean that athletes should run out and buy colostrum? Perhaps, but the first study was a small one that needs to be followed up by much larger studies, and the latter study has yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. However, it appears that newer versions of colostrum have benefits for athletes, and they appear to be helpful in certain medical conditions. The ideal dose has yet to be determined.

Physical Magazine, October, 2002

Creatine: The Evolution of a Super Supplement

By Jeffrey Stout, PHD, CSCS*D, FACSM

It’s not just for jocks anymore.

It should come as no surprise that creatine helps you jump higher, run faster and grow bigger. Nor should it be a shock that a majority of strength/power athletes and bodybuilders regularly seek the tremendous advantages provided by creatine, catapulting it to the forefront of physique and athletic enhancement. But, my friend, creatine has moved on. It’s grown up — evolved, so to speak. Frankly, it’s got better things to do than help you bench press 400 lb (although it’s more than happy to oblige).

The scientific community is finally realizing that creatine has a lot more uses than simply increasing a 5-rep max.

Ask yourself, is it more important for your pecs to resemble 64-oz Porterhouse steaks or to be able to get out of bed in the morning? Is it more essential to pump iron twice a day or to feed yourself? Unless you’ve spent a little too much time under the squat rack, the answers are obvious.

The scientific community is finally realizing that creatine has a lot more uses than simply increasing a 5-rep max. In fact, the latest experiments show striking results for individuals debilitated by injury, neurological dysfunction and even heart disease. In doing so, creatine is now exhibiting the potential to raise the limbs (and spirits) of people who wage a constant struggle with everyday tasks, such as eating, dressing and walking.

New Research on How Creatine Helps Build Muscle
Before delving more deeply into these developments, we need to explore the latest info on creatine’s ability to build new muscle. First, the background: In skeletal muscle, creatine, which is found naturally in meat, is primarily stored as either free creatine or phosphocreatine (PCr). Phosphocreatine is the primary fuel reserve for the resynthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a chemical that is the ultimate provider of energy. Without it, you can forget about breathing, let alone training with weights.

But ATP gets depleted quickly — in a matter of seconds — during explosive movements, such as weightlifting, jumping and sprinting. That’s where PCr comes in. It’s believed that rapid depletion of muscle PCr is a limiting factor when performing maximal anaerobic exercise. In other words, without PCr, it’s goodbye ATP, and you’re on the shelf.

Naturally, it makes sense that increasing levels of PCr in muscle will allow you to perform more explosive contractions, making you stronger and faster. Not surprisingly, several studies have demonstrated positive improvements in strength, running, cycling and jumping after acute creatine use. Furthermore, recent studies have also shown that creatine supplementation during resistance training results in greater increases in fat-free mass, muscular strength and training volumes when compared to resistance training alone.

It makes sense, given the physiology of energy production, that creatine could aid any strength or athletic endeavor, but how does it increase muscle mass? Well, researchers believe that there are a couple of possible mechanisms. One is the significant increase in PCr content, which allows individuals to perform more reps and sets in a given training session, eliciting a greater training stimulus. In other words, if you can do 8 reps on a lift on which you could previously only do 5, and do more sets of it, you’ll grow more.

Second, investigators believe that there may be a creatine-driven increase in protein synthesis produced by greater satellite-cell activity. Satellite cells are located on muscle-cell membranes, and increasing their activity can quickly repair damaged muscle fibers, enlarge existing muscle fibers and increase the total number of fibers. Sure enough, researchers recently supplemented rats with creatine for four weeks, then analyzed their muscles for satellite-cell activity. What did they find? You guessed it: a significant increase in satellite-cell activity, well above what’s normally present after exercise alone.

New Research on Creatine for Medical Use
A number of conditions have shown improvement with creatine use.

Neuromuscular Disorders
Once researchers caught wind of the news that creatine can increase satellite-cell activity, they began to explore the use of creatine as a potential therapeutic intervention for various neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders. After all, with most of these disorders, skeletal muscle PCr concentrations are compromised, thus limiting an individual’s ability to perform adequate, repeated muscle contractions.

Recently, Canadian scientists demonstrated that 10 days of creatine supplementation significantly increased strength and total body mass in patients with a variety of neuromuscular diseases, including mitochondrial cytopathies, dystrophies and congenital myopathies, and polymyositis. Also, eight weeks of creatine use in patients with various neuromuscular dystrophies (such as fascioscapulohumeral dystrophy, Becker dystrophy, Duchenne dystrophy, sarcoglycan-deficient limb girdle muscular dystrophy) produced a moderate but significant improvement in muscle strength and the ability to perform daily-life activities.

More recently, researchers in the United States conducted a 15-week resistance-exercise and creatine-supplementation investigation using a subject with myasthenia gravis (MG). Patients with MG typically exhibit skeletal muscle wasting, neuromuscular fatigue and weakness. One of the primary reasons for these symptoms is a decreased PCr content in skeletal muscle. After creatine supplementation (5 gm per day) and resistance training, the MG patient increased his body weight by 7%, his fat-free mass by 4%, his total-body training volume by 26% and his leg strength by 25%. Pretty impressive for a supplement still trying to gain respect outside the athletic community!

Myocardial Disease
Creatine supplementation has also been demonstrated to have a positive effect on exercise tolerance in chronic heart-failure patients. Hey, your heart is a muscle, too! Reduced creatine availability has been implicated in the metabolic abnormalities of failing myocardial tissue. In one study, researchers injected chemicals that induced some serious metabolic stress in the heart tissue of rats (some studies you just can’t do on humans). They found that creatine drastically reduced this stress, despite the fact that the contribution of PCr to energy delivery in myocardial tissue is normally negligible.

Recently, scientists in Sweden and the United Kingdom examined the effects of creatine supplementation for one week on patients with chronic heart failure. These individuals typically exhibit depressed cardiac and skeletal-muscle creatine levels, with symptoms of limited physical endurance and skeletal-muscle strength. The results in both studies demonstrated significant increases in creatine and PCr levels, and in skeletal muscle endurance and strength. However, in this instance, creatine use did not improve heart function.

Traumatic Brain Injury and Neurologic Disease—There has been an enormous amount of research conducted on the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI), which affects approximately 7 million people annually in North America. This includes athletes participating in such sports as football, boxing, hockey and soccer, where individuals may be exposed to repeated concussions. While little can be done medicinally to prevent such an injury, it is the secondary effects of the trauma after TBI that are often devastating. These effects include cellular damage that results in mitochondrial dysfunction due to a disruption in cellular calcium homeostasis, which is critically related to ATP use and synthesis. Together, normal operation of these processes carries paramount importance for proper brain function.

Since creatine has been shown in numerous instances to support levels of ATP, research is under way to determine its potential supportive role after TBI. While studies utilizing creatine after brain injury are limited, they are nevertheless promising. For instance, scientists discovered that chronic administration of creatine reduced cortical damage by as much as 36% in mice and 50% in rats after brain-tissue damage. The researchers concluded that the prevention was related to creatine-induced maintenance of mitochondrial bioenergetics. In other words, creatine kept more of the cells functioning normally despite massive damage.

In a related study involving the effects of creatine on neurological disorders, rats with a chemically induced condition that mimicked Huntington’s disease were administered creatine for a two-week period. After supplementation, the rats demonstrated significant neuroprotection, preservation of ATP and PCr, and reduced oxidative stress. As a result, research is under way to investigate the effects of creatine on patients with Lou Gehrig’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. Because all of these conditions involve impaired energy production and cellular damage in the brain, creatine will hopefully improve and prolong life for patients stricken with these illnesses.

Evolution to Wonder Drug
While creatine has clearly left its mark on the athletic and fitness communities, this supplement seems destined in the coming years to contribute in arenas far more important than those that reward strength and speed. Whether it’s the training table or the hospital bed, creatine is rapidly being seen as a safe, effective supplement for an incredible array of applications.

Although athletes will continue to use creatine to improve performance, creatine may well become instrumental in combating the weakness and poor endurance that are hallmarks of many disease processes. To date, there exist few medicinal choices for improving these conditions. Will creatine soon be seen as a wonder drug? Given how well it delivers in athletic endeavors, it certainly seems likely. Future medical research will answer this question.

Selected References
Andreassen OA, Dedeoglu A, Ferrante RJ et al "Creatine increases survival and delays motor symptoms in a transgenic animal model of Huntington’s disease" Neurobiology of Disease (2001) 8: 479-491 • Antonio J and Stout J Sports Supplements (Lippincott William & Wilkins, 2001) • Tarnopolsky M and Martin J "Creatine monohydrate increases strength in patients with neuromuscular disease" Neurology (2000) 54: 537 • Dangott B, Schultz E and Mozdziak PE "Dietary creatine monohydrate supplementation increases satellite cell mitotic activity during compensatory hypertrophy" International Journal of Sports Medicine (2000) 21: 13-16 •Stout JR, Eckerson JM, May E et al "Effects of resistance exercise and creatine supplementation on myasthenia gravis: a case study" Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2001) 88: 109-112 • Williams M, Kreider R and Branch D Creatine: The Power Supplement (Human Kinetics, 1999)