AAKG:

The new kid on the block

By Xavier Fox

As an engineer, I have quite an appreciation for science. The bodybuilder inside me seems to enjoy the benefits of science, too. There have been so many scientific discoveries in the nutritional world in the past 20 years that bodybuilders (and all athletes) are bigger and stronger than ever. One of the latest scientific innovations to help hard-core trainers accelerate their growth is the supplement arginine alpha ketoglutarate (A-AKG). A-AKG does a lot more than just help build muscle, it aids in fat burning and stress relief.

A-AKG is a salt formed by the combination of two molecules of the amino acid L-arginine molecularly bonded to the Kreb's cycle intermediate alpha ketoglutaric acid. As we all know, arginine has many benefits on its own. When it is combined with alpha ketoglutarate, its athletic enhancement properties increase greatly. A-AKG has been shown to be involved in amino acid synthesis and protein availability, which is why it has become such a popular bodybuilding supplement.
So, how did this wonderful supplement come about? Before it gained momentum in the bodybuilding world, A-AKG was used to treat patients recovering from burns, surgery, malnutrition and other types of trauma. (It has shown to speed up the body’s ability to heal wounds.) Straight after surgery, patients were given A-AKG to decreases muscle protein catabolism and increases protein synthesis. In addition, testing on patients and on undersized children has shown that A-AKG supports the production of anabolic hormones such as insulin, growth hormone and IGF-1.
To add to the evidence of A-AKG’s ability, the anti-catabolic effects of A-AKG were investigated in 14 multiple trauma patients who were highly catabolic and hyper-metabolic. After receiving 20g of A-AKG per day they displayed a significant increase in protein turnover as well as an increase in blood levels of insulin, growth hormone and free amino acids.
Studies with A-AKG were even done on animals. The results showed that a group given A-AKG had much higher amounts of arginine and glutamine in their skeletal muscle than a placebo group. In addition, the A-AKG group had much more active immune systems. This supports that A-AKG not only helps build muscle and burn fat, it helps the body combat stress.
It is easy to see why A-AKG started to interest those in the bodybuilding supplementation business. However, these were not the only eyebrow-raising reasons it caught their attention. The synergy resulting from the combination of A-AKG’s two ingredients makes this supplement one of the most effective nitric oxide retention and uptake supplements available. It works much better than arginine alone, which is needed to produce nitric oxide and dilate blood vessels. The ability to dilate blood vessels allows A-AKG to help combat hypertension as well as allow for increased blood flow. By increasing blood flow, more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to starving muscles.
That arginine helps dilate blood vessels is old news. Arginine has indeed been shown to increase blood vessel dilation up to four times as much as normal during exercise (by playing a key role in the manufacture of nitric oxide). Not only did it cause blood vessels to dilate more, doses of 5.6-12.6g of arginine increased blood flow to the extremities by 29%! Imagine the effect on your training of a blood flow increase of 29%! More intense pumps, more waste product removal from cells, more oxygen delivery and more nutrients being brought into the muscle are just a few of the benefits. Imagine how much more muscle you would gain if you could bring 29% more protein, carbohydrates, growth hormone, insulin and other hormones right to where they are needed.
The arginine in A-AKG supplements may help prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease, thanks to its ability to dilate blood vessels and reduce the formation of plaque from fatty deposits in the arteries. This characteristic also allows A-AKG to lower cholesterol levels in the blood. Arginine may also help reduce the spread of some cancers and is thought to have antioxidant properties.
L-arginine and alpha ketoglutaric acid also reduces the negative by-products of exercise such as ammonia and lactic acid. As you train with weights, ammonia levels dramatically increase and can cause extreme fatigue and possibly even dementia. (I must have had high ammonia levels when I agreed to get married!) What happens during exercise and protein synthesis is that nitrogen is released from an amino acid molecule and is converted into ammonia, which is then changed to urea. Urea is very toxic, but to a lesser extent than ammonia. Excess ammonia build-up seriously inhibits your ability to add muscle.
In previous articles (which I’m sure you will have read!) I have explained how the energy needed for exercise is supplied from the breakdown of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Your body has limited supplies of ATP, so it needs a way to resynthesize it. The lactic acid system is capable of releasing energy to resynthesize ATP without the involvement of oxygen. This is called anaerobic glycolysis. When there isn't enough oxygen, the cell needs some way to release electrons, or the system will back up and stop. The cell dumps these electrons into pyruvic acid, a product of glucose, converting it to lactic acid. Lactic acid starts to accumulate in the muscles once you start operating above your anaerobic threshold. Most of the lactic acid ends up as the waste product of carbon dioxide and water. However, the liver allows some to get resynthesized into glycogen and some into protein.
As mentioned earlier, AKG is one of the most effective nitric oxide retention and uptake supplements available. Nitric oxide acts as your body's key cell-signalling molecule. It is the “architect” of much complex cell activity. It controls blood flow, muscle contraction, nerve signalling and muscle growth, among many other functions. The problem is, nitric oxide is a soluble gas. You can’t get it at the local supplement store, you must convert it in your body from other supplements such as AKG. Nitric oxide gets in the muscles and signals the body's muscle-building mechanism, namely protein synthesis. As we all know, the more protein synthesis that occurs, the more muscle tissue that gets developed.
Arginine is combined with alpha ketoglutarate because arginine alone will not give the same benefits as the AKG supplement when it comes to elevating NO levels. Arginine is combined with alpha ketoglutarate in order to give the arginine an extended release delivery system. Alpha ketoglutarate acts as a vehicle to transport the arginine through your system directly to the point of action and in greater supply than by taking arginine alone. This means the consumer gets more bang for the buck. Using arginine combined with the alpha ketogluturate makes it more bioavailable, meaning more of what you consume is absorbed and available for use in your body.
In most of the studies, dosages of 1500-3500mg of A-AKG taken 30 minutes before training appeared to give the best (and safest) results. Some tests have shown that 1500mg of AKG taken three times a day with creatine aids muscle growth. These supplementation regimens have been proven to help people gain muscle mass.
Most of the people in the AKG studies have reported extremely intense muscle pumps. They described their muscles as feeling like balloons underneath super tight skin. They also seemed to share in the experience of their pump lasting most of the day. They reported that their muscles were not only pumped, but actually bigger in size and fuller in appearance.
Speaking of bigger muscles that stay pumped all day, A-AKG has been shown to be effective in the prevention of erectile dysfunction and is used to help treat that particular disorder. It also tends to increase sex drive as well as bring back confidence to the person using the AKG.
So, what have we learned today? Although arginine alone is a tremendous supplement for enhancing athletic performance, it has even greater benefits when combined with alpha ketoglutarate. Apart from helping you gain muscle much faster it promotes:

• Ultimate-continuous muscle pump (that lasts for several hours)
• Increased muscle growth/volume
• Increased recovery time & stamina
• Sexual vigour
• Increased workout capacity
• Decreased body fat
• Increase in endurance

Not bad, eh? If these benefits sound like something you would like to get out of a supplement, then arginine alpha ketoglutarate is the business.