SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
BEN PAKULSKI PRESENTS…
MI40-X SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
2
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
LEGAL DISCLAIMER The information presented in this work is by no way intended as medical advice or as a substitute for medical counseling. The information should be used in conjunction with the guidance and care of your physician. Consult your physician before beginning this program as you would with any exercise and nutrition program. If you choose not to obtain the consent of your physician and/or work with your physician throughout the duration of your time using the recommendations in the program, you are agreeing to accept full responsibility for your actions. By continuing with the program you recognize that despite all precautions on the part of Pakulski Fitness International, there are risks of injury or illness which can occur because of your use of the aforementioned information and you expressly assume such risks and waive, relinquish and release any claim which you may have against Pakulski Fitness International, or its affiliates as a result of any future physical injury or illness incurred in connection with, or as a result of, the use or misuse of the program.
WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
3
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
WELCOME TO THE MI40-X SUPPLEMENT GUIDE *If in Europe, I recommend checking out Scitec Nutrition for your supplement needs.
The Basics for optimal Intense Multivitamin MultiMineral
Start each morning with all the vitamin and mineral building blocks you need. Multi-Intense combines daily foundational nutrition with extra metabolic and recovery support for athletes during intense training. Males take 2 3x/day, Females take 2 2x/day.
Fish Oil
3-6 grams if you are 12% or less. The higher end is usually a good idea for women. You can count one capsule as 1g or 1 tsp of liquid as 5 grams. The more body fat you have, the more fish oil helps improve insulin sensitivity and increase fat burning. If you are over 12% you may consider using 12-15g per day or 2-3 tsp. It also helps to eliminate inflammation that can slow recovery.
Powdered Greens
At least 2 servings after training, more if needed to supplement vegetable servings. This will help you maintain your alkalinity and reduce oxidative stress. Greens are also a great source of essential minerals which have a positive effect on protein synthesis.
Magnesium
400-800mg/day in divided doses after 4PM. This is a maintenance dose. If you have sleep problems see the sleep protocol for dosing. This will help you have a more restorative sleep and also stay more insulin sensitive.
Zinc
10-30mg Supports optimal testosterone production as well as over 80 other hormonal processes in the body.
WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
4
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
Spore Probiotic Unlike regular probiotics, pharmaceutical grade spore form probiotics are extremely viable and help police the good and bad bacteria in your gut. Optimal gut health is essential for protein digestion, nutrient absorption and boosts the immune system for better recovery.
Pre Workout Your Favourite Pre-Workout Supp
Use for all phases except phase 5 (the de-load). Make sure it’s low carb and don't abuse servings of caffeine and nitric oxide supplements or they lose their effectiveness.
Beta Alanine
1g-4g (note make sure to account for the amount in other pre-workout supplements). Shown to significantly improve muscular endurance and power. Its effects are long term.
Green Tea Extract
200-400g extract or 1-2 caps This will help you lean up faster by increasing fat usage during training. It also helps with thyroid hormone and estrogen levels.
Acetyl L-Carnitine
1000-3000mg Increasing energy production and helps to shuttle fat into the mitochondria to be burned as fuel.
Workout Recovery Whey Protein
.6-1g/kg lean body mass (the more BCAA’s and other amino acids you use, the less whey protein needed). Between whey, glutamine, Leucine & BCAA’s you should meet the protein goal of the post workout shake. E.g; if it says 50g of protein post workout, the TOTAL of all of these should add up to 50. For the sake of simplicity, simply use a 1:1 ratio for everything, i.e, if you’re substituting BCCA’s for some of the whey, replace each gram of whey you’re removing, with a gram of BCAA’s.
WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
5
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
BCAA’s
10-40 grams divided in pre/peri/post workout. 20 grams is the suggested threshold for hypertrophy benefits in a 200 lb male. Aids in muscle recovery, growth hormone secretion and improves insulin sensitivity.
Carb Powder
Match with your workout macros for each phase. If you need 60g of carbs, use a 60g equivalent of your preferred carb powder. .08-.2g/kg of bodyweight post workout (100kg male x 0.8 - 0.2g = 8 20g of glutamine). Glutamine is possibly the most important amino acid for tissue repair. Heals the stomach lining, boosts immune function and speeds recovery. Boosts growth hormone and increases rate of protein synthesis.
Glutamine
Leucine
2 - 5g post workout, bodyweight dependent (120lb female - 250lb male). Leucine promotes anabolism even further, for more muscle growth. Regulate muscle protein synthesis. If it is present, the body will synthesize protein, if not, it will break down muscle tissue to find the leucine and BCAA it needs.
I know what you are all saying… “Wow, that is a lot of stuff to take, are they all necessary?” Well, yes and no. For someone like myself, a pro bodybuilder or pro athlete, yes. Each and every one of these things would be necessary to ensure health, recovery and success at our selected athletic endeavor. For most people, like yourself, look at it based on your goals. For those of you looking to GAIN MUSCLE and optimize the time and money you’ve already invested in yourselves, these are the things that I would encourage you to consider as staples in your nutrition plan whenever you set out to build muscle. Pick and choose according to what you determine to be your “limiting factors”. WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
6
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
Lean and Want to Gain Faster? If you have trouble growing your arms and legs, try adding 2g of CLA to your low carb meals. This form of CLA has been shown to preserve muscle in the extremities from catabolism by negating the effects of cortisol. • If you’re a hard gainer, try increasing Leucine and BCAA’s post workout. Increasing
these amino acids helps increase protein synthesis and mimics the action of insulin on muscle cells to increase protein uptake. • Try using 200-400mg R-ALA post workout to utilize carbs faster. Alpha Lipoic Acid
is an insulin mimicker. You can increase your glucose uptake by adding ALA with your post workout carbs. • Try 2-5 grams of creatine with two meals a day to improve muscle volume. Creatine is
not just for increasing performance during training, it also helps increase cell volume and alkalinity. Including smaller doses of creatine in muscles will help hydrate muscle tissue.
Want to lean up more while putting on Muscle? • Try adding more carnitine to lower carb meals to increase fat utilization. Carnitine is the
amino acid used to transport fat to be burned in the body. Increasing carnitine intake can help you burn more fat, as well as having positive effects on free testosterone sensitivity. GPLC (glycocarn) is a type of carnitine that’s also good for achieving pumps as well as for the cardiovascular system; it indirectly leads to increased nitric oxide production. • Use green tea extracts with breakfast and pre training to increase fat burning. Green
tea functions as an antioxidant and stimulates the creation of more fat burning enzymes. • If you store most of your fat in your love handles, try adding fenugreek to meals. Fenugreek helps buffer the effects of higher blood glucose by increasing glucose WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
7
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
transport into the muscle cells, decreasing the chance of fat gain from carbohydrates. • Try adding Glycine 1-3 grams into your post workout shake and/or at bedtime. Glycine
lowers cortisol an improves glycogen regeneration post workout as well as increasing protein synthesis. • Try using the higher doses of fish oil in liquid form 1 tsp 2-3x/day.
Want to increase your testosterone and recover faster? • If you store most of your extra fat around your chest and thighs, use Reg-Est to
decrease estrogen and increase testosterone. Reg-Est is a mixture of estrogen detoxing herbs and aromatase blocking compounds that stop the conversion of testosterone to estrogen.
Poor energy or sleep? • If you have trouble waking up in the morning try Allostatic Stamina with your first two meals of the day. Allostatic Stamina uses Chinese herbs to help rebuild adrenal function and improve your overall hormone production. • If you have trouble staying awake try Licorice Supreme. Licorice supreme helps extend
the half life of cortisol activity which can decrease the stress on your adrenals and prevent you from wasting testosterone to make more more cortisol (cortisol is a major player in maintaining energy levels throughout the day). • If you have trouble sleeping all night due to an anxious mind, try Serenity with your last
two meals. Serenity helps to decrease cortisol production later in the day in addition to enhancing GABA production while you sleep. This improves your recovery and increases growth hormone secretion.
WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
8
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
PHASE SPECIFIC NUTRITION Because each phase of Mi40X is a different demand on your body, you should try these small variations to get the most out of each phase.
Phases 1 & 2
- High Frequency
• Use an extra 5-10g of Glutamine with your post workout meal to speed up recovery.
More frequent training means more tissue trauma, and more acid build up. Glutamine helps with tissue repair and also helps alkalize muscle tissue. It is the most abundant amino acid in muscle and gets burned off during training. The more you train, the more glutamine you should use. • Try incorporating naps into your day if you have the time in order to speed up recovery
between the frequent training of body-parts. Stretching non-working muscle groups can help as well. • We are utilizing a form of nutrient periodization during phase 1 and 2 in particular.
Essentially trying to create an over reaching environment with nutrition instead of training. This will force your body to have to work extra hard to keep up with the demand (called up-regulation), and when you add in extra nutrients, your muscles will act like a sponge or vacuum and increase their capacity.
Phase 3 - Power/Hypertrophy • If you tolerate caffeine well, you may try increasing it during this phase. Caffeine is one
of the few nutrients that can improve strength, plus the mental and energizing benefits will help performance during the power phase. • Use a serving of greens in electrolyte water pre-training to alkalize (this phase ONLY).
Acid build-up decreases power output, so alkalizing beforehand can increase your performance during this power phase. WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
9
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
• Train earlier if you can. These workouts are more stimulating to the nervous system,
and really amp you up. It will be harder to sleep soon after this style of training so if you can train earlier in the day, you will get better results.
Phase 4 - Strength /Hypertrophy • Vitamin C (buffered) 2g post workout. When you push into high threshold the amount
of oxidative stress on the body increases. Counteracting that with post workout vitamin C enhances recovery and helps drop cortisol post training, getting you anabolic faster. • Alkalize more after training by increasing your intake of vegetables, Powdered Greens
or lemon/lime water.
Phase 5 - De-Load • Allostatic Stamina 3 caps with first two meals to improve adrenal recovery and increase
testosterone. Phases 1-4 really push the envelope, so the adrenals will likely be fatigued. To get the most out of your recovery using specific herbs to replenish the adrenals will improve your performance in phase 6 and overall gains in phase 7. • Gluco-Reg 1 cap with 3-4 meals will help carbohydrate utilization. The ALA, chromium
and cinnamon extract help rebuild and sensitize insulin receptors. Benfothiamine and PPQ help with glucose utilization. This can help increase the benefits of the carbs during this phase while minimizing fat gain.
Phase 6 - Overreaching When over-reaching you’ll be stressing all of your systems, therefore increasing nutritional demands all round. The following suggestions will help you fill the biggest deficits and really help you to maintain performance during the over-reaching period. • Use an extra 10-20g of Glutamine with extra greens to enhance recovery from the extra
tissue damage from twice per day training. WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
10
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
• Vitamin C (buffered) 2g post each workout to reduce cortisol and oxidative stress. • Take an extra 200-400mg of magnesium to replace what you use up during the extra
training to improve sleep and glucose handling. • Use an extra 2g of Leucine with all meals except breakfast to help increase protein
synthesis and stay anabolic.
Phase 7 - Super Compensation • Allostatic Stamina 3 caps with first two meals. • Gluco-Reg 1 cap with 3-4 meals will help carbohydrate utilization. The ALA, chromium
and cinnamon extract help rebuild and sensitize insulin receptors. Benfothiamine and PPQ help with glucose utilization. This can help increase the benefits of the carbs during this phase while minimizing fat gain. • Use an extra 5-10g of Glutamine with 2 meals to speed up recovery. • Use an extra 2g of Leucine with all meals except breakfast.
WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
11
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
SPECIALIZED PROTOCOLS In addition to maximizing nutrition and supplementation for training and workout recovery, it is important to make sure your body and it’s hormonal systems are functioning optimally so you can maintain optimal recovery and performance through the Mi40X program. The following information and protocols will help optimize • • • • •
Sleep Adrenal Health and Recovery Estrogen Detoxification Testosterone Optimization Insulin Sensitivity/Resistance
Maximizing Sleep 20% of your tissue recovery and nearly all of your cognitive recovery occurs during sleep. Sleep also is the best way to manage cortisol and inflammation. All other conditions can usually be improved by also improving sleep, whether it be adrenal fatigue, insulin resistance, or low testosterone. This is why having optimal sleep is vital to gaining muscle during intense training. What IS optimal sleep? UNDISTURBED sleep. Ideally 8hrs. Straight. Sounds like the impossible dream for some, but it can and should be possible given the right recovery protocol. Here are some suggestions, as well as some education on the matter: (We’ve provided some links to reputable products for ease of navigation and a better understanding of what exactly is needed) Magnesium - 400-800mg maintenance but up to 1.2g female and 2g males for severe sleep issues: Magnesium is the single most important nutrient for optimal sleep because it has a calming effect on the nervous system. If the nervous system can not calm down after stress, intense exercise or long hours at work, cortisol and catecholamine hormones will stay high, making it very difficult to fall and stay asleep.
WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
12
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
Magnesium is also a vital part of over 300 enzymes in the body used for metabolism and detoxification. When adding magnesium as a supplement form it is important that it is chelated (attached to a protein) for optimal absorption. Some examples of magnesium chelates that work are magnesium glycinate, fumarate, taurate, and orotate. When taking high dosages it is best to use multiple sources to avoid digestive distress and maximize absorption. My favorites source of magnesium is Uber Mag because it uses all 4 of these magnesium chelates. The brain neurotransmitters GABA and seratonin are also crucial to a restorative sleep. GABA is like the “breaks” for your body and is very important for calming your body down so it can go into a recovery state. Good GABA levels are associated with your ability to fall asleep. Seratonin is more like your battery charger. It is associated with how well you stay asleep and how refreshed you feel in the morning. Maximizing the production of these two brain chemicals is very important especially during periods of intense training. Taking nutrients like glutamine, GABA (you can buy this in supplement form), and vitamin B6 can help increase your GABA levels. 5-HTP - 200-500mg or 2 RestoREM 5-HTP is the best nutrient for increasing seratonin. Although the amino acid tryptophan can convert to 5-HTP, it can also convert into excitatory compounds, so using 5-htp is a much better choice. GABA - 400-800mg or 2 RestoREM Both GABA and seratonin can be helped by taking calming adaptogens and herbs like Rehmannia Root at night. These herbs help stimulate the brains production of these restorative neurotransmitters, while the base nutrients provides the raw materials for their synthesis. Melatonin - 1-5mg or 2 RestoREM Melatonin is another great nutrient for improving sleep because it actually helps set your internal clock. With modern indoor lighting, television, long working hours, and especially WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
13
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
those that have to workout at night, bodies can get confused about when the wake up and when to wind down. Taking melatonin at night can help your body stay on a better sleep schedule. It is also a very important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound that can enhance recovery and lower cortisol at night. Your ratio of cortisol to melatonin is one of the major components for maintaining circadian rhythm (sleep cycle). If you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up in the morning, consider any or all of these sleep protocols. If you have high stress and poor sleep, you may consider combining them with 1-2 adrenal support products as well.
Maximal Sleep Protocol Uber Mag
RestoREM
Serenity
Dosing: as much as 8 caps per female and 14 caps for males, divided among post workout and your last meal or two. Note these doses are higher than the maintenance dosage listed in the basic supplements, because your levels are likely lower if you are having sleep problems. Each cap of Uber Mag is 150mg of chelated magnesium. Application: Intense training and stress deplete magnesium from the body. Uber Mag used 4 different chelates of magnesium for maximal absorption. Dosing: 2 caps with your last meal Application: Restorem using nutrients to help boost REM state sleep using a high absorbable GABA (Phenibut), 5-HTP, and melatonin. Dosing: 2-8 tablets divided among your last 2 meals. Application: Serenity is a combination of calming adaptogenic herbs to decrease cortisol production later in the day in addition to enhancing GABA production while you sleep. This improves your recovery and increases growth hormone secretion. Serenity is especially good for those who can not calm their mind at night.
WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
14
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
MAXIMUM ADRENAL RECOVERY Your adrenals are the workhorse organ responsible for giving you the energy you need. Healthy adrenals are vital for getting the most out of your body during training. Cortisol is important for helping you burn fat, and initiating the recovery process from training. You want your adrenals to be very productive early in the day to wake you up and get you going, and during workouts, but you also want them to calm down so you can recover at night. It’s about having the right amount of cortisol production at the right time of day, not about reducing it or eliminating it altogether. To help with adrenal output, your intake of B vitamins, especially B5, B6, and B12 as well as vitamin C are very important for the production of cortisol, DHEA, and testosterone. The adrenal glands actually use more vitamin C than anywhere else in the body, which is why people often get sick after being very stressed, because they used all of their vitamin C. Basic Nutrients for Adrenal Health Vitamin C- 2-6g per day in divided doses, preferably a buffered source for improved digestion. Magnesium 800-1200mg, or more if you are having sleep issues (see sleep protocol). For some people just vitamins may not be enough if your adrenals have become really fatigued. Adrenal extracts can help provide more early morning or pre workout energy to take some of the load off the adrenals. Licorice root Licorice root contains phytochemicals that can also actually make the cortisol you make work longer, so you don’t have to produce as much. If you find you crash or need to turn to caffeine in the middle of the day, your adrenals are probably to fatigued to make it through the day, supporting them with extracts of licorice may help them to recover. I know this sounds scary to the misguided mind’s of today’s fitness industry, but this is one of the best ways to support healthy adrenal function and it will NOT make you fat due to supporting cortisol. If anything, it will allow you to feel better, work harder, and get leaner. WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
15
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
When you take anything to support adrenal output it is also important that you take something to counterbalance so you can optimally recovery. Think of driving your car, the more you accelerate, the harder you will have to apply the breaks to stop. Your adrenals are essentially what drives your body, so if you take any stimulants, or adrenal support to boost output, you should always include some calming adaptogenic herbs like, Cordyceps Mycelium and Rhodiola that will help them slow down and restore themselves at night. All cases of adrenal fatigue usually come not from being over stimulated, but from not being able to recover after being stimulated. If your adrenals are burned out and you have poor energy levels during training or during the day, these protocols can help revitalize them. If you also have poor sleep, consider combining 1-2 of the sleep protocols for optimal results.
Maximum Adrenal Recovery Surge Adrenal Dosing: 1-2 with your first two meals, or Am meal and pre-workout. Application: Surge is a combination of vitamins (B6 “P5P”, B12, C) and adrenal extracts designed to help and energize the adrenals as well as Rhodiola to help increase the recovery of the adrenals later. This is great for people that have trouble waking up and are tired during the day. Licorice Dosing: 2 with first to meals. Supreme Application: Licorice supreme helps extend the half life of cortisol activity which can decrease the stress on your adrenals and prevent you from wasting testosterone to make more more cortisol (cortisol is a major player in maintaining energy levels throughout the day). Allostatic Dosing: 3-6 capsules divided among your first two meals. Stamina Application: Allostatic Stamina uses Chinese herbs to help rebuild adrenal function and improve your overall hormone production. It is very good at restoring cortisol rhythm for those that have trouble waking up and or lose energy during the day.
WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
16
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
ESTROGEN DETOXIFICATION Estrogens are an issue for males and females. Too much can lead to decreased testosterone, increased inflammation, and decreased metabolism causing fat gain and insulin resistance. In males high estrogen levels can cause accumulation of fat around the pectorals and thighs. In women, trouble losing lower body fat is also a sign of excess estrogen. In males, aromatization is a major source of estrogen as well as causing a “loss” of testosterone. An enzyme in your body called aromatase converts testosterone and other like hormones into estrogen. Nutrients from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, and zinc can help regulate this enzyme. It’s important to note that most of the aromatase in your body is stored in fat tissue, so the leaner you get, the less estrogen you will make, and the higher your testosterone will be. Other sources of estrogen come in the form of xenoestrogens from chemicals you ingest, breathe, or put on your skin. These chemicals act like estrogen in the body and can even have a stronger effect than natural estrogen. The most common sources of xenoestrogens are BPA that is in canned foods, plastics, and processed foods. To protect yourself try and use BPA free plastic and avoid mircowaving or heating your food in plastic containers. Other sources are parabens and phthalates. These are found in many moisturizers, lotions and scented hygiene products. Many brands are starting to state they are paraben and phthalate free on the label because of concerns regarding breast cancer. Look for products that do not contain these xenoestrogens to improve your body-composition and increase your natural testosterone. WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
17
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
To fully clear estrogens you must address the liver, intestines and lower gut flora. Plant nutrients from green tea, turmeric, and cruciferous vegetables can help the liver increase estrogen detoxification. B vitamins, magnesium, and omega-3s are also needed for this process. Once the liver processes the estrogen, it must also go through a step called glucoronidation, which is where it makes the estrogen water soluble so you can get it out of the body. Calcium D-Glucorate helps increase this process, and also helps stabilize it. Some bad bacteria in the gut can reverse this process and estrogens will be reabsorbed. Using a good fiber supplement and probiotic can help you eliminate estrogen and other toxins faster, decreasing the risk of reabsorption. The 3 products below support all levels or estrogen detoxification from aromatase, liver detox, and elimination.
ESTROGEN DETOXIFICATION Reg-Est
Primal Fiber
Cal-D Glucorate
Dosing: 2 caps 2x/day to start, and 2/day maintenance if prone to estrogen imbalance Application: Reg-Est is a mixture of estrogen detoxing extracts Kudzu and Diindolymethane (DIM). These compounds help block aromatase (stopping the conversion of testosterone to estrogen). This also increases total testosterone. Dosing: 2 TBSP before breakfast and after dinner Application: Fiber is needed to properly detox estrogen from the body and good probiotics can not only help elimination, but help prevent the formation of xenoestrogens by bad gut bacteria overgrowth. Primal fiber combines a high dose viable probiotic with the fiber shown to enhance the elimination of toxins. Dosing: 2 caps 3x/day to start, and 2/day maintenance if prone to estrogen imbalance Application: Calcium D-Glucorate inhibits the reabsorption of detoxed estrogens in the colon, and makes it easier for you to get estrogens out of the body. This is especially important for people with any digestive issues.
WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
18
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
TESTOSTERONE OPTIMIZATION (MALE) Low testosterone is often a bi-product of increased body fat, stress, and toxic levels of estrogens. If you suspect you have issues with your adrenals or estrogen, try those protocols so improve testosterone before these. The enzyme responsible for testosterone production is zinc dependent, and zinc also helps regulate the aromatase enzyme that can convert testosterone to estrogen. This makes zinc a 1-2 punch for increasing production of testosterone and decreasing loss of testosterone. The other important nutrient for testosterone production is vitamin B5, known as pantethine in its activated form. Pregnenolone is the precursor to DHEA and testosterone, but can get depleted by stress leading to lower production. Pantethine helps restore pregnenolone production. Magnesium is also an important mineral because it helps lower cortisol. Anabolism is largely dependent on the ratio of cortisol to testosterone in your body. Cortisol is a breaking down hormone, while testosterone is a building up hormone. If your cortisol is chronically elevated, it will negate the benefits of increased testosterone, but if you keep cortisol in check, your testosterone will be more effective. Our bodies regulate our testosterone using a protein called SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) that binds to hormones making them inactive. Increasing testosterone is only good if you can utilize it. Tongkat ali extract also known as Eurycoma has been shown to decrease SHBG and aromatase to increase overall free testosterone. Carnitine 1-2g pre workout. Glycocarn, can increase the sensitivity of your muscle tissue to testosterone as well. This means when you free up testosterone using a product like Restosterone, you will utilize more of it for muscle growth. Glycocarn also doubles as a NO2 increaser and helps improve blood flow and pumps.
WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
19
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
The below protocol can be used in combination with any of the other protocols, but will not be as effective if you don’t treat underlying issues. Low testosterone causes low sex drive, decreased vigor, training drive and recovery. The below protocols help address testosterone at the point of production, sensitivity, binding, and ratio to cortisol.
TESTOSTERONE OPTIMIZATION Restosterone
Dosing: 1-2 caps post workout and last meal Application: Restosterone works by two mechanisms. First by decreasing SHBG, the binding hormone that makes testosterone inactive in the body, and decreasing cortisol by calming the sympathetic nervous system for an overall improved testosterone/cortisol ratio, which directly correlates to being in an anabolic state.
GlycoCarn
Dosing: 2 caps AM and pre workout Application: Glucocarn is a carnitine that has been shown to increase nitric oxide and improve androgen sensitivity so you can use your testosterone more effectively.
Pantethine
Dosing: 1 cap 3x/day Application: Pantethine is activated vitamin B5, which is used in the production of pregnenolone in the body. Supplementation can help restore natural testosterone production.
WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
20
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
MAXIMIZING INSULIN SENSITIVITY/ CORRECTING INSULIN RESISTANCE When you are insulin resistant, you have trouble regulating blood sugar, because your body does not respond well to the insulin signal. This leads to decreased fat burning and poor energy levels. Insulin resistance is most easily seen as increased body-fat, especially around the love handles and upper back. Improving insulin signaling allows you to utilize carbohydrates better for recovery and improves your ratio of testosterone to estrogen. Anytime you improve insulin signaling you will also likely see a reduction in body-fat as well. When your are insulin resistant there are several things you need to address. Glucose metabolism is depending on having adequate vitamins and minerals like magnesium to be synthesized and used as fuel. So make sure you are taking a multi-vitamin and magnesium. Secondly is your cells ability to recognize and use insulin to signal glucose uptake. This is dependent on the amount of omega-3s you have been eating. Omega-3’s make up part of the cell wall that the insulin receptors reside in. If your diet has been low in omega-3s you may not be able to get the insulin receptors to the surface of your muscle cells to do their job. In addition to omega-3s, a special kinase (Reduced Iso-Alpha Acids) can also
increase the amount of insulin receptors you’re making. If you have been eating too many carbohydrates for too long, your insulin receptor production goes down, and this can help restore it. Lastly, the insulin system like any other can become resistant out of fatigue. The beta cells of the pancreas that create insulin can slow production. To aid them in recovery nutrients like fenugreek and alpha lipoic acid can work to help increase the transport of glucose without insulin. This decreases the stress on the pancreas so it can replenish. These nutrients also have the added benefit of being able to help you shuttle more glucose towards lean tissue rather than fat tissue. This makes the valuable for getting leaner, and can even be used to minimize fat gain from cheat or high carb meals. WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
21
SUPPLEMENT GUIDE
This program is most beneficial for those looking to reduce body-fat while gaining muscle. It is still effective in leaner individuals, but more as a enhanced recovery mechanism than body-fat reduction. If your on a budget use the Insulinomics and Fenuplex first.
MAXIMIZING INSULIN SENSITIVITY/ CORRECTING INSULIN RESISTANCE Insulinomics
Fenuplex
Yang R-ALA
Dosing: 2 tablets 3x/day for 30 days, then 1 tablet per day maintenance until you are in the under (12% male/20% female) category. Application: Insulinomics is an insulin sensitizer. This allows your to control your blood sugar better with less insulin needed. Dosing: 2 capsules 3x/day for 30 days, then take 2 weeks off. Application: Fenugreek helps buffer the effects of higher blood glucose by increasing glucose transport into the muscle cells, decreasing the chance of fat gain from carbohydrates. It also works as an anti-catabolic on a lower carbohydrate diet. This makes it great for those that want to get leaner and gain muscle at the same time. Dosing: 2-4 caps AM and pre-workout Application: Yang R-ALA is a combination of acetylc carnitine which increases energy and fat burning and R-ALA, (Alpha Lipoic Acid). ALA is a insulin mimicker helping you lower blood sugar without increasing insulin. This will increase fat burning and help restore insulin function.
NOTE: This document is based on advanced nutritional science and years of application. The protocols set forth are based around concepts known to be effective when used in a range of subjects. Please be sure to consult a physician before using any of the protocols as these are suggested protocols based on experience and science, not on the FDA guidelines. The product suggestions are companies known to be reputable and high quality but are not the only option. Use what fits your goals and your budget.
WWW.BENPAKULSKI.COM
22