The powders that be: forthcoming supplements that may build your muscle and improve your training

Men's Fitness, Feb, 1999 by Mike Carlson

Throughout the Dark Ages, mystics, sorcerers and alchemists sought to create a potion or incantation that could turn lead into gold. Although ultimately fruitless, their quest is similar to one currently pursued by modern-day scientists and chemists: the search for a substance that will turn fat into muscle.

Most guys who train with weights keep an ear to the ground about new supplements that hit the shelves, because deep down inside, they're waiting for the magic bullet that will transform them from Urkel into Arnold. Well, when the laboratory eggheads finally perfect a safe product that pumps you like steroids but tastes like Reese's, you'll hear about it - and the Viagra blitz will seem tame in comparison.

In the meantime, several new helpful products will be arriving at health-food stores near you in the next year. You'll still have to put in the hours breaking your balls in the weight room, but these new products, along with hard work and clean living, might make your training more productive.

Here's a look at both sides of the coin for the top rookies of the 1999 supplement season:

Effervescent creatine

Heads: Creatine monohydrate has become the MVP of the muscle -building- supplement league in recent years. Even though it has packed muscle on many, it has sent more than a few sprinting down the hall to the restroom. Why? Anyone who has used creatine can testify that it mixes like water and gravel, and if something is insoluble in water, then it'll be insoluble in your gut. That creates gastric distress, and it also means your body is absorbing only a fraction of the creatine you ingest.

Effervescent creatine, in contrast, is said to be totally soluble (think of Alka-Seltzer). That's why it represents a potential boon for those who haven't benefited from earlier forays into creatine supplementation. Besides the higher absorption rate (which means increased efficacy and less cramping), this form of creatine is also very convenient: It's sold in single-serving packs you can take and mix anywhere, eliminating the need for a spoon or extra water to scrape the silt off the bottom of the cup.

Tails: Supplements in general are not cheap, and at close to $3 per serving, effervescent creatine is no exception. It's less expensive to use high doses of regular creatine to achieve similar quantities of absorption, diarrhea be damned.

Spermidine

Heads: The bad news is, this is made from living human sperm. The good news is, you can use your own. (Just kidding on both counts.)

Spermidine is actually a substance called apolyamine and is found in high concentrations in milk, soybeans, tea leaves, soy sauce and mushrooms. Through vast amounts of animal research, spermidine has been shown to increase the amount of nutrients your body is able to absorb from food. It also prevents muscle from breaking down, especially after a broken bone or other trauma. Theoretically, spermidine could decrease recovery time between workouts and prevent overtraining, allowing you to work out harder and more often.

Tails: So far, studies on spermidine have been performed only on mice and chicks (the yellow furry kind). More human studies will be necessary before this substance becomes commercially available.

Sequenced Delivery Protein

Heads: The biggest advance in meal-replacement powders since their inception is a new product called SDP-50, which contains 50 grams of sequenced delivery protein. This unique form of protein is designed to be emptied from the stomach more slowly than conventional whey powders, increasing the chances your body will use it for muscle growth and repair. SDP-50 also contains high levels of glutamine, which supports the immune system; taurine, which pre- vents muscle inflammation; and fiber, which, though crucial for optimum health, is ignored by most people. Rich in minerals and live cultures and low in fat, SDP-50 benefits your overall health as much as your muscles.

Tails: Unless you're serious about putting on weight, or you're a big, big boy, 50 grams of protein in one serving might be too much strain on the average GI tract.

LIF

Heads: A substance that will probably never completely enter the mainstream but has received considerable attention nonetheless is leukemia inhibitory factor, or LIF.

In several animal experiments, LIF was shown to have a massive growth-enhancing effect on injured muscle tissue. In one Australian study, mice were given LIF after sustaining an injury to their quadriceps. After several days, the mice treated with LIF had muscle fibers that were up to 132 percent larger than those of the mice in the placebo group. Because LIF helps regenerate muscle tissue after an injury, it could have major ramifications on training. Potentially, LIF could speed up the repair process your muscles undergo after a workout. This means you could blast your legs or back or biceps more than once or twice a week without turning into a useless mass of Advil-popping inflamed tissue.

Tails: At this time, it's unclear whether LIF will be classified as a drug, thus making it difficult to acquire for most people. Regardless, the scientists in the supplement-company labs will undoubtedly try to get it out there.