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| Arachidonic Acid: Anabolic Response Modulator |
| by Jason Budsock, Product Manager |
| As of recently, a fascinating nutrient called Arachidonic Acid (AA) has taken the bodybuilding world by storm. Backed by university research studies and real world testimonials, AA users have reported great success with AA supplementation. But just what is AA and how does it work? For starters, Arachidonic Acid (AA) is a polyunsaturated omega-6 essential fatty acid that serves as the main thermostat for prostaglandin synthesis in skeletal muscle tissue. It is abundant in the skeletal muscle membrane phospholipids and sits at the very core of the body's physiological response to weight training. AA displays its anabolic activity early during exercise. During intense training, muscle fibers are damaged and AA is released. AA is integral in promoting localized inflammation as well as an anabolic response. AA release from damaged muscle fibers is the central modulator for muscle growth during post-exercise recovery. What this means is that AA is essentially the anabolic trigger in a long chain of events that controls the rebuilding and strengthening of muscle tissue following a training session. Its release alters local chemistry, which causes a shift that favors anabolism and so the general anabolic cascade begins with the release of AA and is greatly amplified in the presence of more AA. This translates into more androgen receptors (increasing testosterone sensitivity), heightened IGF-1 signaling, greater vasodilation and even enhanced lipolysis. The availability of AA appears to dictate how strongly this anabolic cascade will be stimulated with training. The more AA you have in your muscle tissue, the easier it is to liberate and trigger growth. But the downside is that regular resistance training actually lowers AA stores in skeletal muscle tissue and the result is a less intense anabolic response. In short, since prostaglandin synthesis is tied to the amount of available AA, lower levels results in less AA being released. The AA normally stored in your muscle starts to get used up and is replaced with other less effective fatty acids. This makes it harder and harder to trigger new muscle soreness and muscle growth when training with the same routine for long periods of time. Eventually your muscles adapt to it and you'll no longer feel sore from the sessions. Once you switch up your routine to incorporate new exercises and variations, the soreness is back. Why is this? Well, this plateau effect can be attributed to AA depletion. By switching up your routine, new muscle fibers were recruited and thus new stores of AA to work with. The focus of arachidonic acid supplementation is to maintain levels of arachidonic acid in skeletal muscle tissue sufficient for a training-response amplification (TRA) effect. Andersson et al Effects of physical exercise on phospholipid fatty acid composition in skeletal muscle. Am. J. Physiol. 274 (Endocrinol. Metab. 37):E432-38 1998. Helge et al. Regular exercise modulates muscle membrane phospholipid profile in rats. J. Nutr. 1999 129:1636-42. Palmer, Reeds et al., The influence of changes in tension on protein synthesis and prostaglandin release in isolated rabbit muscles. Biochem J. 1983 214,1011-14. Palmer, Wahle., Protein synthesis and degradation in isolated muscle. Effect of n3 and n6 fatty acids. Biochem J. 1987 242, 615-18. Smith, Palmer et al., Protein synthesis in isolated forelimb muscles. The possible role of metabolites of arachidonic acid in the response to intermittent stretching. Biochem J. 1983 214,153-61. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 3 (1)S1-S29, 2006. Body of Science Vol 1, Issue #3. September 2005. |