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Studies Show Alpha GPC Boosts Workout Performance
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Fitness enthusiast view growth hormones as a way to enhance workout performance. There are ways to encourage your body to naturally boost growth hormone production, such as combining exercise with some key nutrients.
Could exercise boost hormone production for muscle mass?
Growth hormones are naturally produced by a gland in the brain that acts as a messenger system in your body. This gland, also known as the pituitary gland, regulates body functions by releasing hormones, such as growth hormones, into the blood [1 Trusted Source 2018 - Patient Info 3rd-party source Pituitary Gland disorders ] . Growth hormones fuel childhood growth and are often released in bursts in response to exercise and sleep [2 Trusted Source 2003 - The Journal of Nutrition Research evaluation Concentrations of Choline-Containing Compounds and Betaine in Common Foods ] . Exercise is a particularly potent stimulus for growth hormones production and has been shown to increase muscle mass [3 Trusted Source 2020 - Gilmore Health News 3rd-party source Alpha GPC Stimulates The Production Of HGH During Exercise ] .
If you are looking for an alternative way to elevate growth hormone levels, you may be interested in the clinical evidence of an isolated nutrient called Alpha GPC. A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition showed that administering Alpha-GPC 90 minutes pre-weight training sessions increased growth hormone production and peak bench press force [4 Trusted Source 2008 - Journal of the international society of sports nutrition Human study Acute supplementation with alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine augments growth hormone response to, and peak force production during, resistance exercise ] . 200mg Alpha GPC has been shown to improve vertical jump peak power by 8.5%, increase endurance performance and growth hormone production [5 Trusted Source 2015 - Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition Human study The effects of alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine, caffeine or placebo on markers of mood, cognitive function, power, speed, and agility ] .
What is Alpha GPC?
Alpha GPC is a potent form of choline that naturally occurs in the brain, and it is the building block of the chemical messenger called acetylcholine [6 Trusted Source 1991 - The FASEB Journal Human study Choline, an essential nutrient for humans ] . Acetylcholine is released when conducting cognitive tasks such as memory retention or learning [7 Trusted Source 2006 - Current Opinion in Neurobiology Research evaluation The role of acetylcholine in learning and memory ] .
Research suggests Alpha GPC can also help prevent exercise-induced reductions in choline levels [5 Trusted Source 2015 - Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition Human study The effects of alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine, caffeine or placebo on markers of mood, cognitive function, power, speed, and agility ] . It has been shown to increase lower body force production after 6 days of supplementation [8 Trusted Source 2015 - Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition Human study The effect of 6 days of alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine on isometric strength ] and could be recommended to athletes and coaches looking to improve performance in events focused on velocity and power [9 Trusted Source 2017 - Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition Human study Evaluation of the effects of two doses of alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine on physical and psychomotor performance ] .
Why else should you be interested in Alpha GPC?
Alpha GPC has been shown to increase relative spikes of acetylcholine around 1-3 hours post-ingestion [10 Trusted Source 2018 - Examine 3rd-party source Alpha GPC ] . Increased concentration of acetylcholine has been shown to improve attention during sustained attention performance tasks in animal studies [11 Trusted Source 2000 - Cognitive Brain Research. Animal study Increases in cortical acetylcholine release during sustained attention performance in rats ] . According to Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behaviour, taking Alpha GPC for 20 days improved learning and memory capacity in rats with mild cognitive impairments [12 Trusted Source 1992 - Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior Animal study Behavioral effects of L-α-glycerylphosphorylcholine: Influence on cognitive mechanisms in the rat ] . Clinical evidence showed that amongst 2044 patients with mild cognitive impairment, a daily dose of Alpha GPC, 71% corresponded to "no cognitive decline" or "forgetfulness" [13 Trusted Source 1994 - Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Research evaluation α-Glycerophosphocholine in the Mental Recovery of Cerebral Ischemic Attacks ] .
How can you obtain Alpha GPC?
The richest sources of choline are found in animal proteins such as beef, liver and eggs [2 Trusted Source 2003 - The Journal of Nutrition Research evaluation Concentrations of Choline-Containing Compounds and Betaine in Common Foods ] . Food-derived choline and other forms of choline, such as choline bitartrate, require complex mechanisms of action to enter the brain. Alternatively, you may prefer to supplement with Alpha GPC.
If you're looking for a vegan-friendly choline supplement, brain feed offers the world's first 99% 500 mg Alpha GPC capsule, served in a single capsule [14 Trusted Source 2018 - Brain Feed 3rd-party source Alpha GPC Choline 99% ] . It is recommended that you take one per day, ideally in the morning, at lunch, or just before you start work. It is safe and regulated by the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
References
[1]Patient Info (2018) Pituitary Gland disorders. https://patient.info/hormones/pituitary-gland-disorders
[2]Ziesel et al. (2003) Concentrations of Choline-Containing Com-pounds and Betaine in Common Foods. The Journal of Nutrition. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622158554?via%3Dihub
[3]Gilmore Health News (2020) Alpha GPC Stimulates The Production Of HGH During Exercise. https://www.gilmorehealth.com/alpha-gpc-stimulates-the-production-of-hgh-during-exercise/
[4]Ziegenfuss et al. (2008) Acute supplementation with alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine augments growth hormone response to, and peak force production during, resistance exercise. Journal of the international society of sports nutrition. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-5-S1-P15
[5]Parker et al. (2015) The effects of alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine, caffeine or placebo on markers of mood, cognitive function, power, speed, and agility. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4595381/#:~:text=Alpha%2DGPC%20administration%20increases%20the,performance%20and%20growth%20hormone%20secretion
[6]Zeisel et al. (1991) Choline, an essential nutrient for humans. https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1096/fasebj.5.7.2010061
[7]Hasselmo, M.E. (2006) The role of acetylcholine in learning and memory. Current opinion in neurobiology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S095943880600122X?via%3Dihub
[8]Beller et al. (2015). The effect of 6 days of alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine on isometric strength. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1186/s12970-015-0103-x
[9]Marcus et al. (2017). Evaluation of the effects of two doses of alpha glycerylphosphorylcholine on physical and psychomotor performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1186/s12970-017-0196-5
[10]Examine (2018) Alpha GPC. https://examine.com/supplements/alpha-gpc/research/
[11]Himmelheber et al. (2000) Increases in cortical acetylcholine release during sustained attention performance in rats. Cognitive Brain Research. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0926641000000124?via%3Dihub
[12]Drago et al. (1992) Behavioral effects of L-α-glycerylphosphorylcholine: Influence on cognitive mechanisms in the rat. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/009130579290124X?via%3Dihub
[13]Sangiorgi et al. (1994) α‐Glycerophosphocholine in the Mental Recovery of Cerebral Ischemic Attacks. Pharmacology of Aging Processes: Methods of Assessment and Potential Interventions. https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1994.tb12095.x
[14]Brain feed (2018) alpha GPC. https://brain-feed.com/products/alpha-gpc-choline-500mg
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