Time stops for no one, and with time comes getting older. As we age, preserving muscle mass is important for sustaining power, mobility, harm prevention, and general well being. Muscle loss — also referred to as sarcopenia — can result in decreased bodily perform, elevated danger of falls, and a decline in metabolic well being. Because of this we consistently deal with muscle safety, which not solely helps an energetic way of life, but in addition contributes to longevity and vitality in our later years.
In the case of optimizing muscle metabolism and physique composition, TSI Group’s myHMB® stands out as a scientifically-backed powerhouse. Included in Designs for Well being’s MyoStim™, this patented type of Calcium β-Hydroxy-β-MethylButyrate (HMB) is designed to assist people defend their muscle groups from degradation, improve restoration, and promote lean muscle progress, all whereas supporting wholesome getting older.
Along with myHMB®, MyoStim™ comprises different key elements akin to creatine monohydrate and collagen peptides, which work synergistically to assist muscle well being, bone well being, and restoration. Whether or not you’re an athlete trying to enhance efficiency or somebody looking for to take care of muscle mass in later years, MyoStim has a sound mix of elements to maintain you sturdy, wholesome, and energetic.
This text focuses on the science of the elements inside. However first, for these within the science behind muscle safety and restoration, be sure that to learn our essential HMB article and join PricePlow’s TSI Group Information and examine the costs under:
In a 1 stick pack (15 gram) serving of MyoStim from Designs For Well being, you get the next:
Collagen Peptides – 5,000 mg
Everyone knows that it’s extraordinarily essential to eat sufficient dietary protein, however how a lot do you consider the kind of protein you’re consuming? The human physique is made up of no fewer than 20 amino acids, however how are you aware you’re getting the precise amino acids you want?
That’s the place supplemental collagen can play a job. An important sources of protein within the American weight loss program have a tendency to emphasise dairy and muscle meat, offering a complement of amino acids that is probably not as full as we’d like. Taking collagen helps stability them.
For instance, one preclinical research discovered that supplemental collagen considerably improved pores and skin well being. Shut evaluation revealed that, unsurprisingly, the collagen-supplemented animals had an elevated collagen pores and skin content material, which is vital for combating pores and skin getting older.[1]
Bone well being is vital to wholesome getting older, particularly if you wish to keep energetic in your later years, and collagen has been proven to enhance bone mineralization by facilitating the expansion of osteoblasts, the cells accountable for really rising your bones.[2] A research in getting older mice discovered that supplemental collagen can really stop age-related bone loss.[3]
In a single randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled research in ladies over the age of 35, taking supplemental collagen for 3 months considerably improved the ladies’s pores and skin high quality. In comparison with the placebo group, the ladies who took collagen had smoother, better-hydrated, and extra elastic pores and skin.[4]
Not merely beauty – the glycine vs. methionine interaction for inner well being
Whereas collagen is nice in your pores and skin, we expect it’s barely unlucky that the trade dialogue of collagen tends to fixate on its beauty potential, as a result of collagen can have a profoundly helpful impact on metabolic well being as properly.
So as to grasp how this works, we have to discuss in regards to the interaction between glycine and methionine, two of the 20 amino acids that represent the tissues of the human physique.
Consider it or not, the ratio of glycine to methionine that’s current in your physique can have a dramatic influence in your hormonal and cardiovascular well being. If methionine rises too excessive, and glycine falls too low, the outcome is a rise in cortisol, a stress hormone that may trigger muscle catabolism (breakdown).[5,6]
By no means concern, although – collagen is a superb supply of glycine, and analysis reveals that growing glycine consumption via collagen supplementation may help dampen the physique’s stress response.[6]
Glycine can also be supportive of cardiovascular well being due to the function it performs in serving to your physique detoxify homocysteine, an amino acid that’s been linked to poor cardiovascular outcomes.[7,8]
We consider that too few folks — of all ages — are getting too little of the amino acids like glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline which might be present in collagen. Not many individuals are consuming plenty of tender tissue, pores and skin, or meat off the bone, in any case. For that purpose, including collagen to MyoStim is a superb strategy to begin, supplementing some true constructing blocks to fight getting older. And extra of such constructing blocks are on the way in which:
Creatine monohydrate – 2,500 mg
Regardless of creatine‘s immense recognition right this moment, it wasn’t all the time as extensively accepted. Nevertheless, we now know that for the overwhelming majority of wholesome adolescents and adults, the proof persistently reveals creatine to be secure and efficient.[9-11]
Whereas most health fanatics have probably tried creatine to boost efficiency, few absolutely respect the breadth of its well being advantages. Creatine supplementation not solely boosts train capability and muscle progress but in addition extends into different areas of human well being.
Scientific analysis helps creatine’s potential to:
Improve muscular energy[12,13]
Promote weight acquire[13]
Foster lean muscle mass accumulation[13-17]
Enhance dash efficiency[18-20]
Assist mobile hydration[21]
Elevate vitality ranges[22-25]
Increase general well-being[25-27]
Promote cognitive perform[28,29]
Assist testosterone manufacturing[30-34]
Strengthen bone density[16]
These advantages are particularly related for individuals who devour little to no meat, like vegans and vegetarians, as meat is the richest dietary supply of creatine.
Whereas the listing of advantages is spectacular, it nonetheless doesn’t absolutely convey the scope of creatine’s results. Creatine is sometimes called a “foundational” complement as a result of it enhances a vital metabolic course of – specifically, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) manufacturing.
ATP is the first vitality supply utilized by cells for nearly each metabolic perform. With out ATP, cells wouldn’t have the vitality to carry out even primary duties. Creatine helps this vitality manufacturing (via its storage as each creatine and phosphocreatine) by donating phosphate teams that assist convert adenosine diphosphate (ADP) into ATP.[35-38]
Although creatine is widely known for its bodily efficiency advantages, it additionally gives important cognitive advantages. Neurons, like all cells, depend on ATP, and analysis has proven that creatine supplementation can improve cognitive features akin to reminiscence and reasoning.[39] Further research recommend that creatine could also be neuroprotective, probably serving to to mitigate mind harm following harm.[40]
You may surprise why supplementation is critical if the physique can produce creatine. The reply lies in the truth that creatine synthesis requires important metabolic sources. Research recommend that the physique’s endogenous manufacturing could not all the time be ample, particularly beneath situations of excessive metabolic demand.[41]
Furthermore, relying solely on inner manufacturing can deplete essential precursors, which might finally compromise different metabolic processes. For instance, analysis on exercise-induced will increase in homocysteine – recall from the collagen part that this can be a marker of cardiovascular stress – reveals that creatine supplementation may help maintain homocysteine ranges in examine.[42]
When selecting a creatine complement, creatine monohydrate is the gold normal. It’s probably the most studied kind, persistently proven to be each secure and efficient.[10,43]
On common, males lose about 1.6% to 1.7% of their whole creatine shops every day,[44,45] whereas ladies usually lose a bit much less.[46] So as to substitute this loss, that interprets to a every day creatine requirement of round 2 grams.[46] Nevertheless, particular person wants fluctuate primarily based on physique measurement and exercise stage. Athletes and extremely energetic people could require extra, with some needing as much as 3 grams per day to exchange creatine misplaced throughout strenuous train.[47]
What now we have right here in MyoStim is ideal for our functions. Subsequent, it’s time for creatine’s longtime associate in muscle-building dietary supplements, myHMB:
Calcium β-Hydroxy-β-MethylButyrate Monohydrate (myHMB) – 2,000 mg
The principle worth proposition of supplementing with HMB (β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate), bought as myHMB by TSI Group, lies in its anti-catabolic properties, which assist stop muscle degradation even beneath circumstances that may usually result in extreme tissue loss. This attribute makes HMB significantly beneficial for combating muscle loss, particularly in getting older people or when irritation is rampant, which might result in impaired muscle perform and viability.[48,49]
Earlier than stepping into these advantages, although, let’s clarify why it’s right here subsequent to collagen.
Why use myHMB alongside collagen?
Whereas HMB is well-known for preserving muscle and boosting efficiency, pairing it with collagen takes musculoskeletal assist to the subsequent stage. Collagen is the constructing block of connective tissues like tendons, ligaments, and cartilage, that are important in your motion and power. Supplementing with collagen helps strengthen and preserve these tissues, so you possibly can keep on high of your sport throughout train.
Simply as HMB will increase muscle measurement with resistance coaching, collagen supplementation can enhance tendon progress.[50] By supporting each muscle and tendon, you’re making a synergy between HMB and collagen that helps your efficiency progress in concord. Robust, resilient connective tissues are essential for transmitting muscle drive into motion—with out wholesome tendons and ligaments, you’re not maximizing your potential.
Collagen doesn’t simply improve efficiency; it additionally protects towards tendon and joint harm attributable to intense or repetitive exercise. Research present collagen hydrolysate helps stop cartilage loss in ladies’s knees over time,[51] and collagen peptides considerably scale back joint discomfort from exercise.[52] Add that to HMB’s potential to scale back muscle harm and enhance restoration after train[53,54] (which collagen has additionally been proven to assist[55]), and also you’ve acquired a strong combo that holistically helps your muscle groups and connective tissue—serving to you get well sooner and maintain pushing tougher.
Mechanisms realized from animal fashions: muscular safety
HMB is a metabolite of leucine, the important branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) that’s implicated in muscle progress and mTOR signaling. Whereas one can take a monstrously high-protein weight loss program with massive portions of leucine inside, HMB has been proven to carry out higher, and with smaller, extra practical doses.
In a 2014 animal research, scientists sought to find out whether or not HMB or leucine might mitigate the muscle harm attributable to the inflammatory surroundings typical of persistent illnesses.[48] They performed experiments utilizing each in vitro (murine myotube) fashions and in vivo (mouse) fashions of cachexia, a situation characterised by excessive muscle losing. Their findings had been putting: a 0.25-gram/kg physique weight dose of HMB was 60% simpler than a 1-gram/kg dose of leucine at stopping weight reduction within the critically ailing mice.[48] In different phrases, 4 occasions the quantity of leucine was much less efficient than a decrease dose of HMB.
This discovering is critical as a result of it illustrates HMB’s superior potential to fight muscle losing in comparison with leucine, a preferred amino acid recognized for its muscle-sparing properties. HMB’s mechanism of motion entails inhibiting the breakdown of muscle proteins, which is very essential in situations that speed up protein catabolism.
Combating age-related muscle loss
Muscle losing just isn’t solely a priority for athletes and people with persistent illnesses; it is usually a pure consequence of getting older. Sarcopenia, the age-related lack of muscle mass, is pushed by most of the identical inflammatory processes seen in cachexia, together with the motion of TNF-α and different cytokines.[56,57] A research performed on getting older mice demonstrated that blocking TNF-α exercise might stop sarcopenia, suggesting that interventions concentrating on these pathways, like HMB supplementation, might assist preserve muscle mass in getting older populations.[57]
Human research have supported this speculation. For instance, in a single randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled research, older adults had been assigned to obtain 3 grams of calcium HMB per day throughout a 10-day interval of mattress relaxation.[58] The outcomes confirmed that these taking HMB skilled considerably much less muscle loss in comparison with the placebo group, indicating that HMB could assist protect muscle mass during times of inactivity or sickness.[58]
HMB and vitamin D: a synergistic method for the aged
Since MyoStim additionally has Vitamin D, it’s essential to begin with the anti-aging information the place the 2 elements had been mixed. HMB has proven potential for bettering muscle perform in aged people who don’t train usually:
A 2020 research explored the mixed results of HMB and vitamin D in aged sufferers with low vitamin D ranges.[59] Members had been divided into 4 teams:
Placebo with no train
HMB + vitamin D with no train
Placebo with train
HMB + vitamin D with train
Over the course of 12 months, the group receiving HMB and vitamin D, even with out train, gained as a lot muscle perform because the exercising teams.[59]
This discovering is especially essential as a result of it means that HMB, particularly when mixed with vitamin D, could supply an answer for aged people who’re unable or unwilling to interact in common bodily exercise. On condition that low serum vitamin D ranges are a danger issue for muscle loss,[60] the mixture of those two dietary supplements might be a viable answer for older adults unable to interact in common bodily exercise.
We’re fairly assured that HMB will be employed as an anti-catabolic, anti-aging instrument. However what about in youthful athletes for muscle progress? The analysis signifies that success is determined by depth:
HMB’s function in high-intensity train and untrained people
HMB has unsurprisingly drawn consideration from sports activities vitamin scientists, as a consequence of its nice potential for supporting intense coaching regimens. In 2013, the Worldwide Society of Sports activities Vitamin (ISSN) performed a complete assessment of the present literature on HMB. The assessment recognized a number of key methodological points that had confounded earlier analysis, checking out when it really works greatest.[61] One of many main points found was the depth of the train stimulus, or lack thereof. In response to the ISSN assessment, HMB is handiest for muscle progress when train depth and quantity are excessive sufficient to trigger muscle harm. If these situations usually are not met, HMB’s advantages is probably not absolutely realized.[61]
Research that concerned excessive–depth coaching regimens confirmed a transparent profit from HMB supplementation.[61] That is particularly evident in analysis on long-duration cardio train, the place HMB has been proven to scale back markers of muscle harm akin to creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).
Anti-catabolic results throughout endurance train
One notable research involving well-trained runners highlights HMB’s anti-catabolic results throughout endurance train. The members, who had been operating greater than 48 kilometers per week, had been randomized to obtain both 3 grams of HMB-FA (free-acid HMB) or a placebo for six weeks.[63] On the finish of the coaching interval, each teams accomplished a 20-kilometer run. The researchers measured CK and LDH ranges, markers of muscle harm, within the members’ blood. Those that had taken HMB exhibited considerably decrease CK and LDH concentrations than the placebo group.[63]
For these athletes, a 20-kilometer run represented almost 41% of their whole weekly coaching quantity, making it an especially strenuous effort. The truth that HMB lowered muscle harm on this context suggests it might be a beneficial complement for athletes engaged in excessive endurance actions like marathon operating, triathlons, street biking, or open water swimming.
HMB in soccer gamers: sooner restoration from intense coaching
In one other research specializing in high-intensity interval coaching (HIIT), 24 skilled soccer gamers, aged 17 to 34, had been randomized to obtain both HMB or a placebo.[64] The research was designed to simulate the bursts of high-intensity exercise and lower-intensity phases typical of a soccer match, a type of coaching that’s recognized to raise CK and LDH ranges as a consequence of its intense bodily calls for.[65] Nevertheless, the gamers who supplemented with HMB skilled considerably decrease rises in CK and LDH in comparison with the placebo group.[64]
This research is critical as a result of skilled athletes, who’re already extremely skilled, usually reply much less dramatically to dietary supplements than novices. The truth that HMB confirmed such a transparent profit in such a well-trained inhabitants speaks volumes its potential for supporting muscle restoration in aggressive sports activities.
Safety throughout high-volume power exercises
The advantages of HMB usually are not restricted to endurance athletes. In a research of resistance-trained males, members got both 3 grams of HMB per day or a placebo earlier than performing a high-volume weightlifting session.[53] The exercise included quite a lot of compound workout routines, akin to squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and pull-ups, which collectively goal all of the physique’s main muscle teams. Every train consisted of three units of 12 repetitions, leading to a extremely demanding exercise.[53]
Following the session, blood assessments revealed that the boys who had taken HMB had considerably decrease ranges of CK, indicating lowered muscle harm. Furthermore, the HMB group reported feeling higher recovered in comparison with the placebo group, with a roughly 20% greater perceived restoration standing.[53] These findings recommend that HMB generally is a beneficial complement for resistance coaching, significantly throughout high-volume exercises that place important stress on the muscle groups.
You may learn extra about HMB in our essential article, “HMB (β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate): Efficiency-Pushed Muscle Complement“. We even have an unimaginable dialogue with Shawn Baier on Episode #093 of the PricePlow Podcast.
All in all, after we see “muscle preservation” and “anti-aging” dietary supplements, we instantly go to the mixture of myHMB and creatine monohydrate. However there’s nonetheless extra we will do:
L-Leucine – 1,000 mg
Leucine is one one of many three branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), that are prized for his or her anabolic properties. And of the three, leucine is probably the most anabolic by far.
Research have proven that leucine supplementation can considerably enhance muscle protein synthesis[66,67] by stimulating the mammalian goal of rapamycin (mTOR).[68-70] This mechanism helps stop the breaking down of muscle tissue, thus serving to protect muscle mass as you age.
The older you get, the extra leucine your physique wants[71] – for those who’re 30 or older, it may be good to consider leucine supplementation as a method for supporting your muscle groups.
This isn’t an enormous dose, however we’ll by no means flip down leucine – we’ll take it any time, anyplace. Alongside HMB, leucine’s downstream metabolite, now we have fairly a couple of stable constructing blocks right here. However there’s yet one more essential constructing block so as to add:
Trans-Geranylgeraniol (GG-Gold) [from annatto (Bixa orellana)(seed)] – 150 mg
Geranylgeraniol (GG, bought as GG-Gold from American River Vitamin) is an isoprenoid compound concerned within the mevalonate pathway, important for protein prenylation and mobile perform. It performs an important function in muscle well being by preserving muscle cells from harm, significantly in situations like statin-induced myopathy, the place it helps restore mobile vitality and autophagy.
In a single significantly notable research, researchers discovered that statins considerably decreased muscular power in rats. Nevertheless, when the rats had been handled with GG, their muscle power partially recovered, with an observable enhance within the muscle groups’ potential to generate drive.[72]
Promotes CoQ10 Manufacturing
GG supplementation helps restore ranges of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), an important intermediate that influences coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) manufacturing. CoQ10 performs an important function in sustaining muscle power and mass, and CoQ10 deficiency has been strongly related to sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss.[73] A big research revealed that a person’s CoQ10-to-cholesterol ratio intently correlates with hand grip power, a key indicator of muscle perform.[74]
Since GG is concerned upstream of ldl cholesterol manufacturing within the mevalonate pathway, its supplementation might probably enhance the CoQ10-to-cholesterol ratio, enhancing CoQ10 synthesis with out disrupting levels of cholesterol. This highlights GG’s distinctive potential to enhance muscle well being with out interfering with the statin-induced cholesterol-lowering results.
However GGPP’s advantages transcend CoQ10 manufacturing. A research performed on rat skeletal muscle fibers confirmed that out of a number of mevalonate pathway metabolites, solely GGPP prevented statin-induced muscle cell vitality depletion, as measured by adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentrations.[75]
This implies that GG’s potential to upregulate GGPP doesn’t simply not directly enhance CoQ10 ranges but in addition instantly protects muscle tissue from vitality deficits.
A 2018 research additional examined GG’s potential to counteract muscle harm attributable to statins.[76] Mouse muscle stem cells (myoblasts) had been handled with statins—atorvastatin (ATR), simvastatin (SIM), and methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MβCD)—after which co-treated with both mevalonate (MEV), farnesol (FOH), GG, or water-soluble ldl cholesterol (Chol-PEG.[76] The research discovered that GG co-treatment absolutely reversed the discount in muscle stem cell viability attributable to statins.[76]
The researchers attributed this restoration to GG’s potential to revive autophagy, a course of vital for mobile renewal, the place broken mobile parts are damaged down and recycled.[76] GG achieves this by selling protein prenylation, a perform pushed by GGPP.[77]
To validate the function of GGPP on this course of, the researchers used GGTI-286, an inhibitor of the enzyme geranylgeranyltransferase (GGTase), which facilitates the switch of GG and GGPP to proteins.[77] Within the presence of GGTI-286, GG not influenced muscle cell viability, strongly suggesting that GGPP was the important thing participant on this protecting impact.[76]
Furthermore, it seems that GG’s advantages might lengthen past statin-treated muscle cells. The enzyme RAP GTPase, which regulates autophagy in skeletal muscle, is prenylated solely by GG.[76] Extra analysis is required to totally affirm these results in numerous contexts.
There’s much more geranylgeraniol can do — it’s a constructing block, in any case. A unique type of constructing block than leucine, however one which’s used for quite a few organic anabolic processes nonetheless, together with the formation of testosterone. It’s additionally used to kind vitamin K2, which is mentioned within the subsequent part.
Vitamin D (as Cholecalciferol) – 25 mcg (10,000 IU) (125% DV)
Cholecalciferol, AKA vitamin D3, is the human physique’s energetic type of vitamin D, the shape it naturally produces in response to direct solar publicity.[78]
Research present that vitamin D can positively have an effect on male endocrine well being by downregulating aromatase, an enzyme accountable for changing testosterone into estrogen.[79] Concurrently, vitamin D3 additionally upregulates the manufacturing of testosterone itself.[80,81] Backside line – serum vitamin D considerably correlates to serum testosterone.[80]
One double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled research from 2011 discovered that 3,332 IU of vitamin D3 – means lower than what now we have in MyoStim – prompted a whopping 25% enhance in whole testosterone and a 20% enhance in free testosterone. The placebo group confirmed no change.[81]
Notice that this can be a very massive dose of Vitamin D3, and we’re completely satisfied it’s paired with the vitamin Ok precursor in GG-Gold, since vitamin Ok may help stop calcification. This was mentioned in our dialog with Dr. Barry Tan on Episode #140 of the PricePlow Podcast.
Designs for Well being did an incredible job with this one. MyoStim gives a complete method to muscle preservation and anti-aging, with highly effective elements akin to myHMB, collagen, creatine, and geranylgeraniol (GG-Gold) working collectively to assist metabolic well being, muscle well being, power, and restoration.
Whether or not you’re an athlete trying to enhance efficiency or somebody looking for to take care of vitality in your later years, MyoStim gives the important vitamins to assist defend towards muscle loss and improve general bodily well-being.