Larger Muscles
With Scheduled Supplementation

By Al Wilson 

Which meal is the most important one of the day? Those of you who answered ‘breakfast’ would be right... but only if you don’t weight train: if, as I can deduce from the magazine that you’re reading, you hammer your muscles hard in the gym then you’re wrong. The most important meals of the day for building muscle are the ones you eat around the time of your workout, that is, before and after the workout.
Please, have a read of what science has had to say on the matter.

As you can imagine, there isn’t a day that goes by without scientists learning something new. They continuously astonish us with discoveries in all areas of their work and knowledge. Bodybuilding is no exception to that.
Until not long ago, many bodybuilders trained according to what they were told by others, and employed workout programmes that they copied from magazines and from books by bodybuilding champions of the past, due to the lack of serious research and experiments conducted on the subject. But that’s all in the past now. Today there are many studies and reports that have established ways to build larger muscles, and which training methods are the most effective.
However, it takes more than lifting weights and dumbbells to pack the muscle on. For some people, the other main factor, diet, is more important than the weight training itself. In the last few years, different studies on nutrition have provided us with further knowledge, thus opening our eyes to a whole host of new possibilities.
The most fundamental discovery in this context has been that of the extensive metabolic changes that take place temporarily within the body following weights workouts. This set of changes is referred to as the ‘anabolic window’ and will open up the gates to swifter development of the muscle.
As we’re all perfectly aware, we must weight train to wear away the microfibrils in the muscles so that the body is forced to mend them and rebuild them, which it does using the amino acids extracted from proteins. And every time it does this, it incorporates a little more of this protein into the muscle, which, if we keep this up, gradually grows bigger.
Therefore, although the weights are obviously the initial tool used to trigger the body’s muscle-building operations, these operations only come about when the body incorporates proteins into the muscle tissue. So it can easily be understood how, ultimately, the development depends on the body’s capacity to do this.
For this reason, you’ll have heard so many times that anabolism is dependent on the diet. But now it has been brought to our attention that there are special times when the muscles absorb more proteins and make them part of the muscle better. One of these is after a workout, hence the need to plan out your diet and the time that you eat your meals in order to achieve the best results. Since scientists are still finding out more things about hypertrophy [the enlargement of muscle fibres], they have discovered that there is another metabolic circumstance in which the body steps up development, one we could think of as the ‘second anabolic window’, its natural reinforcement. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?
But let’s take things little by little.

Acceleration of Development with the Anabolic Window
It’s a now a couple of years ago that the administration of protein just after working out was proven to swiften the transfer of amino acids to the muscle fibres and cause them to become bigger. Since then, many other studies have corroborated time and time again these same findings.
It has, for instance, been confirmed that during a weights workout the body employs, breaks down and oxidises a considerable amount more amino acids. This causes catabolism to set in unless the body is immediately supplied with amino acids. Many bodybuilders wait until they get back home to eat, and some wait even longer than that because they don’t feel hungry at the time. If they do this, they waste their greatest opportunity to build their muscles up further. Besides, if they then eat solid foods like meat, poultry or eggs for their proteins, the body will take a long time to digest them and the amino acids will likewise take their time in entering the blood and penetrating the muscles. By this time it will have concluded the processes in which it merges these amino acids into the muscles and this fine opportunity for development will have gone begging.
Scientists sought to learn which changes took place in the metabolism of protein over 24 hours. They set about this by forming two groups; one group was made to relax and the other was asked to weight train. The group that weight trained built more muscle and their levels of nitrogen increased during the 24 hours of the day. The difference between the two groups regarding these two variables was much greater when the group was administered amino acids after exercising, and was still a considerable one a day on from then. These alterations proved that weight training triggers sharp changes in the rate of protein synthesis which, with small amounts more, build extra muscle¹.
The significance of precise protein administration was demonstrated in another study in which the subjects were made to wait two hours after their workout to consume a protein shake. The result was that this wait substantially lowered the level of hypertrophy and the gains in strength². What we already know was again proven, that immediately after a workout the body undertakes a series of anabolic operations for less than two hours and that if during this anabolic window we provide the body with amino acids, the body will build more muscle. But the question still being asked is, how do we build so much muscle just by drinking whey after workouts?
So scientists did some investigations into compounds and conducted a biopsy of muscle half an hour before a workout, an hour after it and 48 hrs after the workout in an attempt to confirm the natural changes that had taken place. They found that levels of a protein called cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (cdk2) mRNA rose considerably after workouts, but this was only the case in the group that had drunk the whey. The most interesting thing about this, though, is that levels of this protein then stayed high for several days but only in the bodies of the group who had drunk the whey. It must be emphasised that cdk2 levels indicate the activity of the satellite cells in muscle tissue. These cells normally lie dormant until they’re stirred; they then join the muscle fibre to develop it further³. This is a purely anabolic operation.

The Second Anabolic Window: a Pre-Workout Opportunity to Build Muscle
Recent research shows that the consumption of nutrients before the workout can have as much of an influence as after the workout. In one piece of research it was revealed that the simple addition of six grams of essential amino acids before workouts generated a higher rate of protein synthesis than when they were administered afterwards. The authors of the study came to the conclusion that this may have been because the workouts encourage more blood to pump around the muscles and the muscles therefore absorb more amino acids⁴.
In another study it was illustrated that when supplements were consumed for a period of 14 weeks just before exercising, the knee extensors, the quads, built up more than when the same protein supplement was consumed after the workout⁵.
The time to consume the protein and the type of protein are the keys to hastening the development
As research shows, the time proteins are consumed can make a huge difference to the rate of development. However, so can the type of protein because, seeing as exercise heightens the employment of amino acids, we must have these nitrogenous elements in the blood at the right time, which isn’t possible with slow-release proteins like meat, fish, eggs and even casein.
The most anabolic and quickly absorbed protein is whey. But in one study, two groups of human subjects were asked to drink some whey. One group drank the whey when they got up and when they went to bed, while the other drank it before their workouts and after their workouts. It turned out that this latter group built a sizeable amount more muscle than the former one by doing this⁶.

Protein and creatine together will bolster muscle development
So far there have been a lot of studies to have established beyond all doubt that with protein we can build more muscle. At the same time, though, there are hundreds of people who have witnessed creatine do the same thing for them. So it should come as no surprise that some scientists wanted to know what would happen when both types of supplements were combined.
It was a fact that creatine replenished adenosine tryphosphate (ATP) reserves in muscles, allowing the bodybuilder to train harder, sustain the intensity of their workouts for longer, come back quicker from exercise, and water to penetrate the cells and, at the same time, bump up protein synthesis. Evidently, all of these different effects will reward the bodybuilder with more strength and bulk up their muscles. Creatine has also been demonstrated to revitalise worn away, damaged muscle tissue faster.
But this compound builds muscle by way of an additional mechanism that’s well worth emphasising. In a study carried out on young athletes it was found that after eight weeks of regular weight training, the insulin-like growth factor (IGF 1) levels in their muscles were much higher, as much as 55% so, than before. However, in the group that used the creatine supplement, they were even more so, at 78%. Furthermore, their type II muscle fibres had grown 28% larger, whereas in the control group this increase was only 5%. The conclusion drawn was that the creatine had been responsible for these higher IGF 1 levels⁷.
Creatine, without doubt, therefore benefits the muscles. But what happens when it’s combined with protein?
An important study was recently undertaken in which human subjects were divided into three groups. One group was made to use a creatine supplement, taking a dose of 0.1 grams for every kilo (2.2lbs) they weighed; the second group consumed protein and creatine; and the third, the control group, was administered a placebo. By the end of the study, the group that had used the creatine had put more muscle together than the control group but less than the group that had received both the creatine and the protein⁸. In this same context it has also been illustrated that when this same mixture of protein and creatine is consumed before and after working out, the effects are even more powerful⁹.

The third factor in the development combination: carbohydrates
Now, when we consume protein and creatine supplements before and after working out, the muscles build up considerably, but we mustn’t forget a third crucial factor in these circumstances: carbohydrates. Research shows that the consumption of carbohydrates and amino acids during the workout can reduce the dismantlement of protein, or catabolism, and also curb the production of cortisol which is brought on by intense exercise and urges the secretion of insulin into the system. This insulin secretion, together with the amino acids, creates the perfect anabolic setup within the body for putting the muscle together.
In order to ascertain the gains that were possible by consuming carbohydrates and amino acids during the workouts, a study was conducted for 12 weeks in which 32 men who didn’t weight train regularly were selected and split into two groups. Both groups undertook two weekly workouts in which they exercised the whole of their bodies, with eight exercises, three sets of each and 10 reps to muscle failure. Each workout lasted an hour. One group sipped a supplement with 40 grams of carbohydrates and six of amino acids in it between sets, whereas the other group used a placebo. This latter group was found to have built two kilos (4.4lbs) of muscle, whereas the group that had consumed the supplement had added more than four kilos (8.8lbs) ¹⁰— a 230% improvement.
The fact that carbohydrates trigger insulin secretion is one of which scientists have been aware for a long time, as well as that this hormone is the one that carries the amino acids and creatine into the cells, which has a major anabolic effect. But what this research has established is that how we do this is just as important as ‘when’ we do it.

Applying scientific discoveries
So, thanks to the work of scientists we know that by supplying our bodies with carbohydrates and protein before, during and after our workouts, we can boost the rate at which they synthesise new muscle tissues. However, not just any kind of protein or carbohydrates will do for this. We must opt for quick-release proteins and simple carbohydrates so that once we’ve consumed them they charge straight into the blood. Slow-release proteins and complex carbohydrates are of no good to you at a time like this, since the body takes ages to digest them and their nutrients likewise to enter the blood.
The answer comes in the form of Future Concepts’s WP P 11. This formula has been developed solely and exclusively for employment immediately before, during and after workouts.
The core ingredient in this ergoceutical, as the company refers to its formulae, is the whey isolate, containing the required quantities of di-, tri-, oligo- y polipeptides; which don’t need to be digested, rush straight into the blood for instant absorption by the muscles and enable the body to pack on the muscle as fast as possible. The whey enhances performance with the weights to an extent that wouldn’t be possible with standard whey.
Clinical research corroborates that the consumption of the whey isolate peptides within WP P 11, according to figures, will see the body absorb more amino acids and hold on to a lot more nitrogen than in the case of conventional whey. Therefore, with WP P11 at the right time for triggering anabolism, the body incorporates more protein into the muscles and builds them bigger.
Besides the whey, this ergoceutical contains a special composition of amino acids and glutamine which heightens protein synthesis and replenishes glycogen in the muscles and liver.
The Future Concepts team has equipped WP P11 with a series of essential ingredients to naturally enhance the absorption of whey protein via the walls and villi of the gastric canal.
And the company also concentrated on bumping up insulin levels, a highly efficient hormone for the development and preservation of muscle.
WP P 11 contains dextrose, an extremely simple carbohydrate that needs no digestion and has a maximum glycemic index, 100, to race into the blood and spark an insulin spike. Alongside this completely simple carbohydrate there are chromium picolinate, omega 3 fatty acids and an especially generous helping of alpha-lipoic acid to steer more insulin towards the muscle cells and away from fatty ones. This hormone operates as a key that opens up our muscles for the fabulous amino acids and peptides in WP P 11 to enter them, where they are then employed to repair muscle tissue and form further tissue.
In addition, there is a micronutrient compound in the formula to allow a more comfortable digestion, plus other micronutrients which are there to increase the absorption of proteins by the walls of the intestines and also for the body to metabolise the amino acids better in the final stage of the process. Bodybuilders who use this formula therefore recover from workouts earlier, put more muscle together and at the same time lower the chance of fat forming on their bodies.
But WP P 11 does more than just busy itself with encouraging a swifter absorption and employment of proteins to regenerate the muscles. As a consequence of heavy workouts, the metabolism undergoes certain changes, sizeable ones too, during this more rapid operation in which it engages. On account of this, Future Concepts has added special extra ingredients to the product for it to have a more extensive and more universal impact for the better on development.
Exercises with heavy weights, for example, wear away the cartilage tissues in the joints, which is why WP P11 has in it a handsome dose of glucosamine sulphate, an ingredient that plays a major role in the revitalisation of connective tissues.
Meanwhile, the liver is the body’s master organ and is used to synthesise protein and metabolise hormones, not to mention detoxify metabolic waste. It endures a sizeable amount of stress during our workouts, so Future Concepts has made an extract from the plant cynara scolymus part of WP P 11 to relieve it of some of the burden. This extract will protect and regenerate the liver.
It’s also no secret that intense exercise causes cortisol levels to shoot up. This catabolic hormone literally devours the muscles to extract the amino acids from them. So even though scientists have proven that whey protein and simple carbohydrates can suppress cortisol level, Future Concepts has wished to go one step further in order to combat the catabolism, hence the presence of phosphatidylserine, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) and ascorbic acid, a trio in WP P11 that forms an insurmountable barrier against cortisol and will block secretion of this hormone.
Free radicals are a further harmful element of which levels increase within the body. Amongst other things, these unstable metabolic waste substances obstruct the recovery of muscles from exercise, alter the genes and attack the immune system. Future Concepts has made a set of antioxidants part of the formula, of which one of the main elements is glutathione, the most powerful known antioxidant the human body has. For the same purpose, there is also some vitamin C in the ergoceutical.
But in spite of everything we’ve seen of WP P 11, the most important feature of the formula isn’t its fantastic quick-release protein content or the dextrose, but the endocrine setup that it establishes using a series of compounds to build all the muscle that can possibly be built.
Insulin becomes an indispensable hormone right after workouts because of the anabolic role it takes on. When we finish exercising, the insulin transports the amino acids to the muscles, and does this to the glucose as well to replenish glycogen reserves.
This operation is accompanied by others triggered as a result of higher testosterone, growth hormone (GH), IGF 1 and nitric oxide (NO) levels. For the task, WP P11 has been set up with acetyl-L-carnitine, ketoisocaproate (KIC) and ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate (OKG), three ingredients that will encourage the body to build massive amounts of muscle via different channels.
One dose of WP P 11 diluted with water will provide you with almost 56 grams of amino acids and peptides courtesy of whey isolate; 30 grams of scientifically adapted dextrose; and a whole range of nutrients that will bring on a quicker development. Drink a quarter of a glass before you hit the weights, take various sips during the workout and then drink the rest of the glass as soon as the session comes to an end. Together with the insulin spike, this will create an exceptional anabolic setup within the body for you to make much greater progress with the weights and heighten the development of the muscle.
But as countless studies have established, creatine builds muscle— and a mighty fine job it does too. That’s why Future Concepts has spent a great deal of time researching on this compound to develop a creatine formula that boosts our weight training capacity, our recovery from exercise and the development of muscle.
The fruit of this research is CRS 086, which capitalises on the advantages that creatine and insulin have to offer so that bodybuilders can perform better in the gym and pile more muscle onto their frames. By enabling more of the creatine and glucose in the formula to penetrate the muscle cells, CRS 086 bestows more volume on them. Research has demonstrated that high insulin secretion is fundamental for increasing the total amount of creatine that penetrates muscle cells and is stored by them.
Research led by Dr Paul Greenhalf confirms that the addition of 76 grams of a carbohydrate (to creatine) with a high glycemic index will see the creatine become much more effective. The induction of the insulin spike encourages the cells to absorb more creatine, recover from the exercise and become bulkier.
Future Concepts has transferred that exact amount of glucose to CRS 086, glucose being the most powerful natural nutrient there is around to generate insulin secretion.
But the company has had good reason as well to make alpha-lipoic acid a part of CRS 086; scientists have revealed that with the addition of 200 milligrams of this compound to each dose the muscles store much more creatine and phosphocreatine. The 75 grams of glucose in CRS 086, the 200 milligrams of alpha-lipoic acid and the 10 grams of creatine — made up of three different types: five of creatine monohydrate, three of creatine ethyl ester (an advanced acetyl creatine to ensure assimilation of the creatine) and two grams of creatine alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) — guarantee the absorption of much more creatine and the storage of it in the muscles; as well as the acquisition of greater cellular volume and a swifter rate of protein synthesis in the muscles.
However, Future Concepts hasn’t settled for developing a formula that will supply the muscles with a more plentiful amount of creatine by generating an insulin spike. This manufacturer has gone much further by adding the three essential amino acids that the body relies upon to synthesise its own creatine within. So, besides providing the body with creatine externally, CRS 086 facilitates internal creatine synthesis by way of these materials. And on top of this, there is a wide range of ingredients in the ergoceutical to increase the volume of the muscles and urge nitric oxide (NO) production, as well as others that hold off the build-up of lactic acid in the muscles for longer.
Add to all this the two and a half grams of glutamine, the two of ribose (which strengthens and prolongs the operations of the creatine), the gram of taurine ethyl ester (which is much stronger than standard taurine), a further gram of beta-alanine (to neutralise the acid in the muscles), another of methionine, and a set of phosphates and antioxidants and you have the most Herculean formula around for building strength and bulk way above average.
Research has illustrated that with CRS 086 you can pack on more pounds and bulk up the muscle. Sliding more kilos onto the barbell in the squat or bench press will become a straightforward practice and a common sight to be seen in your workouts. Not long ago, a study was conducted in which a group of bodybuilders prepared a dose of CRS 086 and drank a quarter of the glass at the start of the workout, sipped a second quarter during the working (retaining the fluid beneath the tongue a little before swallowing) and finished off the rest of the glass more or less the moment they completed the final rep of their workout.
The results of the study were of such importance that they were published in the prestigious periodical Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise: all of the bodybuilders that partook in the study found that they were able to lift heavier weights; witnessed a greater pump in the muscles; suffered less fatigue in the workout and put more muscle together than they normally do.
But these results are normal, since they are the product of scientific findings which have been practically applied to bodybuilding, conclusions which have been drawn from studies carried out in line with strict scientific protocols.

Larger Muscles with Scheduled Supplement Usage
So that’s the truth: if you want larger muscles, it takes more than training seriously hard, heaving huge weights and taking the muscles to failure in every set. That’s all very well, but it’s only the first step. The development of muscle is a process that actually depends more on the biochemistry within the muscles, on the endocrine setup in the body and on having a positive balance of nitrogen than on the amount or type of exercise we take.
We knew there was such thing as an anabolic window that opens up immediately after we have finished our workouts, and that if we consumed the right nutrients while this window is open then we could propel our development, but research has now revealed that this window can be expanded to include the hours before we attack the weights and the time we do so itself.
So apply these discoveries by scientists, battle hard with the weights and seize upon WP P 11 and CRS 086. You’ll see a before and an after in your development.   

Bibliography
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