Anabolic blasters: these five glucose-regulating supplements will help you increase muscle building and decrease fat storage

Flex, Sept, 2002 by Chris Aceto

Carbohydrate foods such as rice, pasta, whole-grain breads, grains and fruits are an essential part of every bodybuilder's anabolic process. Taking in appropriate amounts of these carbs helps support muscle growth by kicking up insulin levels as well as by providing energy. Insulin is a natural hormone that helps funnel protein into muscles for growth and repair. In addition, insulin is the driving force in storing those carbs in muscle, giving you an energy reserve that supports hardcore training and growth. The downside to carbohydrates, however, is that over-consumption can encourage your body to store them as bodyfat.

You need to take in plenty of carbs, but not too many -- and striking that delicate balance can be tricky. The solution is to encourage your body to channel carbohydrates toward adding more mass without increasing bodyfat by supplementing with glucose regulators -- the five items described here. Applying this strategy will give you better results from the carbohydrates you consume, and it will allow you a little more latitude in the amount of carbs you can eat each day without significant bodyfat accumulation.

1. Omega-3s

It's been noted that populations that eat plenty of omega-3 fatty acids experience less diabetes. Omega-3s help facilitate the storage of glucose into muscles. For a bodybuilder, this translates into more muscle and less bodyfat. To experience a benefit, you must supplement with one to two tablespoons of flaxseed oil (providing 8-16 grams [g] of omega-3s) or eat four to six ounces of salmon, mackerel, herring or sardines daily.

2. Sodium

What a bum rap sodium, commonly known as plain old salt, has been given. Considering that the average male needs 3,000 milligrams per day, a large bodybuilder who loses loads of this mineral via sweat certainly needs more -- possibly as much as a couple of grams more per day. Sodium is vital in stimulating a special pumping action that drives glucose into muscles to make muscle glycogen. The more you can get those pumps moving, the less likely you are to store glucose as bodyfat. Here's some anecdotal advice: Lots of bodybuilders carb up like crazy for a contest only to appear flat and uncut. But then, after the show, these same bodybuilders go off their diets, taking in much more sodium. Their muscles swell almost to the point of bursting. The lesson is that sodium can help you carb up. I'm not suggesting you use the salt shaker liberally at each meal, but I do believe that you needn't shun salt as has sometimes been suggested. Just drink plenty of water to ensure proper hydration.

3. Soluble Fiber,

A high carb intake is a must for offseason mass, but getting your fill of a special type of soluble fiber can help keep you trim. Soluble fiber -- easily obtained through fiber supplementation -- slows digestion and the flow of glucose into the blood. This delay can encourage the formation of glycogen rather than bodyfat. Take 6-8 g of soluble fiber in supplement form, or increase your intake of oatmeal and beans -- two premier sources of soluble fiber The only caveat: Your posttraining meal should be fiber-free fare including simple carbs, such as mashed potatoes, white rice, honey juice and white bread. This nutritional mix is more helpful in expediting recovery than is a fiber-rich intake.

4. American Ginseng

Ginseng has been used for thousands of years as a health food -- and for good reason. One gram of American ginseng taken 40 minutes before eating helps keep the amount of glucose in your blood steady. This prevents sporadic highs and subsequent lows in blood-sugar levels. It not only helps promote growth, but also helps prevent the accumulation of bodyfat. Try one gram twice daily before your two largest meals of the day.

5. Chromium

Does this supplement work? That's the never-ending controversy. My take on it is that chromium does work when combined with these other glucose regulators. Chromium is the trace mineral that helps glucose get into muscles. When glucose is pulled out of the blood by muscles, you not only get greater carbohydrate storage to foster growth, but less glucose is available to trigger fat storage. You'll need 400 micrograms daily, preferably taken at breakfast.

One reason bodybuilders consume carbs is to get the anabolic benefits they provide. Using the supplements and techniques I've described here can help you take greater control over your nutrition and its impact on your physique.

To order Chris Aceto's traininq and nutrition book, Championship Bodybuilding, visit www.chrisaceto.com or call (207) 934-7812.