UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
///
BY DEAN CONNOR
BPI BEST BCAA w / ENERGY
R
eaders of Flex will
be no strangers to that
feeling of walking through
the doors of the gym
ready to crush everything that is in
sight. The love of the physical game
runs deep in the veins, but there are
times when that mental and physical
energy are just nowhere to be
found. Maybe the alarm clock has
gone off and you would prefer to
just hit that snooze button and roll
over, staying in your warm bed
thinking “I’ll just go tomorrow.” The
thought of pushing those weights,
pushing that prowler or that uphill
battle of the Stairmaster is simply
too tiring.
Those missed sessions can add
up though, gains lost and that
progress you desire to hit road-
blocks. The missing ingredient, that
which takes your mental attitude
and desire to lift to the level where
each and every session you feel
invincible could be a well-balanced
pre-workout product, designed
specifically to address all of those
issues.
There are many on the shelves to
choose from, all with different
ingredients, amounts, proprietary
and desired outcomes. A propri-
etary blend will not disclose how
much of a particular product is
within its serving. It is important to
understand the amount the product
is providing so that you are truly
getting the benefit of the ingredient
at a dose suitable to you.
Each of ingredients listed in BPI
Best BCAAw/energy has included
the specific amounts on the label.
Let’s put the product under the
microscope…
Caffeine
Caffeine is a powerful stimulant and
has been shown to reduce fatigue,
improve strength and performance
and provide alertness. These
benefits are undoubtedly exactly
what every person wants. Caffeine
blocks adenosine receptors in the
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FLEX | APRIL 2018
brain, firstly the A1 variant,
which when activated
promotes sleepiness. By
blocking it, caffeine can
therefore exert its effect
on increasing alertness.
Secondly, by blocking the
A2A receptor, there is a
positive effect mood by
increasing levels of dopa-
mine. Caffeine has also been
shown to increase power
output which is beneficial for
both resistance training and
anaerobic training, the dose
for this effect however is
dependent upon body size
and sensitivity to caffeine.
Finally, caffeine has a
positive effect on thermo-
genesis, helping fatty acids
to be released through its
impact on cyclic adenosine
monophosphate (cAMP)
Alpha GPC
Alpha GPC (Alpha-glycerophospho-
choline) as its name suggests is a
choline containing product. It works
through the production of a key
neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Its
role is mental clarity, the formation
of synaptic connections between
neurons and enhances memory. As
well as its brain boosting properties,
alpha GPC has also been shown to
have a positive influence on power
output.
Tyrosine
L-Ty