R-ALA

It seems to be some amazing supplement with all of the "proven" things that it does.  Recyclable antioxidant?  Insulin mimicker that helps to make sure all sugar in the blood is used and not stored as fat?

Is R-ALA really something amazing and worth buying?

working on explosive phase
vertical: 35
weight: 206

Big 3: 300/440/515

Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.

Well, first you should be aware that Alpha-lipoic acid is naturally produced in the body.

With a good diet, you should not be short any.

It does assist in the conversion of glucose to energy.

It also acts as an anti-oxidant, able to neutralize free radicals, and as such it can function in both water and fat, as opposed to the anti-oxidants vitamin E (which works only in fat) and vitamin C (which works only in water). It may also be able to regenerate these other anti-oxidants after they have neutralized free radicals.

Although our body makes enough alpha-lipoic acid to supply  requirements, you can get some alpha-lipoic acid from diet, including form liver and yeast.

However, supplementation is necessary to get therapeutic dosages. 

Now if you want to supplement with it, then there is a does specificity based on the effect you wish to derive.

For use as an antioxidant, a dosage of 20 to 50 mg daily is commonly recommended.  Many antioxidant mixtures (and even multivitamins) have this already.

For glucose conversion... as in diabetics, generally 600 to 1200 mg a day. 
(and I will say that I have clients who have trouble with energy conversion who are using ALA until their body adapts to the resistance and cardio training and is obviously utilizing energy efficiently...one takes 500 mg/day)

I don't have at my fingers anything specific to sports applications, though I know that work was done with overweight/obese diabetics..or some similar population...so I can't comment on the mechanism being beneficial to us.

The idea is that we should be able to derive a high turnover of glucose to energy...that would make it fat sparing it sounds...though as you note, it should shunt glucose away from storage as fat and toward use.

So, in a highly fed individual, this might be good!


Serious considerations when supplementing with ALA:

• Because alpha-lipoic acid may help control blood sugar in diabetics, adjustments may be needed to anti-diabetic medication when using alpha-lipoic acid.
• Abnormal skin sensations have been reported
•  Skin rashes have been reported
•  Particularly at higher doses (especially intravenous) can cause gastrointestinal upset
• Very large doses have caused serious toxicity in thiamine-deficient animals. People taking high doses of alpha-lipoic acid who are at risk for thiamine deficiency, such as alcoholics, may require thiamine supplementation.

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What foods is it found in?  Id say my diet is pretty good except I do keto so if its mostly grains and carbohydrate rich sources, Im probably not getting much of it.   I do get a good amount of vegetables though. 

I already ordered it so Im gonna use it and see how I feel about it.  Some people apparently report better energy when they take it.  If I notice something like that it will definately be a part of my regular supp use.

working on explosive phase
vertical: 35
weight: 206

Big 3: 300/440/515

Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.

That will be interesting..you are low glycogen and you are taking a supp to enhance glycogen to energy transfer...the bioenergetics of it say that this will move the chemistry to favor more fat to energy to make more glucose....or as they say, ketone body production and the resulting acidosis.

That does not sound totally advisable.  If you start to pant or feel ill, you know what to do.  Deep slow breathing will help if that happens.

Also, you could be thiamine-deficient due to the diet and there could be a toxicity issue.  Make sure you get your thiamine!

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danmirage


That will be interesting..you are low glycogen and you are taking a supp to enhance glycogen to energy transfer...the bioenergetics of it say that this will move the chemistry to favor more fat to energy to make more glucose....or as they say, ketone body production and the resulting acidosis.

That does not sound totally advisable.  If you start to pant or feel ill, you know what to do.  Deep slow breathing will help if that happens.

Also, you could be thiamine-deficient due to the diet and there could be a toxicity issue.  Make sure you get your thiamine!

hmm...well Ive heard of it being used to get into keto faster.  Maybe I should just use it during the carb load and then 2 days afterward.

working on explosive phase
vertical: 35
weight: 206

Big 3: 300/440/515

Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.