Stemulite™ Dietary Contents

Lipoic Acid (ALA): 300 mg

Alpha-lipoic acid occurs naturally in every cell of the body and is essential to the chemical reactions that allow our bodies to produce energy. As a supplement, it is rapidly absorbed into the blood and the cells where it can prevent free-radical damage. It is vital for the creation of energy in every organ of the body, but as we age, there is not enough of it in sufficient quantities. Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) (or thioctic acid) is sulfur containing saturated fatty acid found in small amounts in food. The reduced form is known as dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA), while the oxidized form is known as ALA. ALA is synthesized de novo from an 8-carbon fatty acid (octanoic acid) in mitochrondria, where protein-bound ALA functions as an enzyme cofactor.

How it Works

Each cell in our body comes equipped with its own energy mini-engine. This engine is called mitochrondria and ALA is essential to mitochrondial function. Mitochondria are cellular organelles that act like tiny engines to convert unusable forms of energy (sugar, protein, fat, amino acids, etc) into a usable chemical form known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), so that vital cellular chemical reactions throughout the body can occur. They do this by oxidizing (burning) fuels, such as lipids from the diet, and transporting free electrons liberated from these oxidation reactions through a series of proteins called the "electron transport chain." An electrical potential develops across the inner mitochondrial membrane as a result of this movement of electrons. ALA increases the influx of lactate or pyruvate into mitochondrial with corresponding increased O2-*. Energy liberated from these oxidation reactions is then used as the driving force for ATP synthesis. It is clear that factors and conditions that cause mitochondrial dysfunction could severely affect overall cellular metabolism and ultimately, our energy levels and survival.

Other Effects

There is tantalizing evidence that mitochondrial decay may be a primary factor in the aging process. As already noted, mitochondria are the chief source of endogenous oxidants, including hydrogen peroxide and the superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. This high flux of oxidants would not only be expected to damage the cell overall, but also certainly would damage the mitochondria in which the oxidants are produced. Despite an impressive array of antioxidant defenses, such as vitamin C, glutathione and vitamin E, the level of oxidative damage to mitochondria is enormous. Experiments have shown that oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA (the only organelle with its own DNA outside the nucleus) is 8 to 10-fold higher than the levels found in nuclear DNA and accumulates even higher levels of damage with age.

Chronic steroid use in exercise training and body building often leads to prediabetic conditions or prediabetes. One hallmark of the insulin-resistant state of prediabetes and overt type 2 diabetes is an impaired ability of insulin to activate glucose transport in skeletal muscle, due to defects in insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1)-dependent signaling. An emerging body of evidence indicates that one potential factor in the etiology of skeletal muscle insulin resistance is oxidative stress, an imbalance between the cellular exposure to an oxidant stress and the cellular antioxidant defenses. Therefore, anyone who has any kind of a chronic high glucose should daily take ALA. Exposure of skeletal muscle to an oxidant stress leads to a vicious cycle of impaired insulin signaling and subsequently to reduced glucose transport activity. Numerous studies have demonstrated that treatment of insulin-resistant animals and type 2 diabetic humans with antioxidants, including alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), are associated with improvements in skeletal muscle glucose transport activity and whole-body glucose tolerance.

Weight Reduction

Any overweight person who begins an exercise/ fitness program can reduce fat and improve fitness. Recent investigations have demonstrated that the combination of exercise training and antioxidant treatment using ALA in obesity-associated insulin resistance provides a unique interactive effect resulting in a greater improvement in insulin action on skeletal muscle glucose transport than either intervention individually. Moreover, this interactive effect of exercise training and ALA is due in part to improvements in IRS-1-dependent insulin signaling. These studies highlight the effectiveness of combining endurance exercise training and antioxidants in beneficially modulating the molecular defects in insulin action observed in insulin-resistant skeletal muscle. The insulin-like of effects of ALA provide body builders a powerful synergistic effect when used with creatine.

“R”-ALA is prescribed in Germany to treat diabetic and alcoholic neuropathies and alcoholic liver disease, thought to result in part from free-radical damage. As discussed above, there is also evidence that it can help decrease insulin resistance; it speeds the removal of glucose from the bloodstream by enhancing insulin function, and thus helps control blood sugar, underlying many cases of coronary heart disease and obesity.

Fitness /Training Applications

For Weight Lifting – Body Building – Elite Athletes – & Individuals who Workout regularly:

• Powerful Antioxidant and mimics insulin
• Enhances Glucose Utilization
• Enhance Amino Acid Transport
• Lowers Blood Sugar
• Increases Creatine Uptake

ALA increases your muscles uptake of glycogen. This increases muscle cell volume and contributes to that full pumped feeling when you workout.

This is a very desirable effect as the increase in muscle glycogen also increases other important nutrient transport that contributes to cell volume and muscle growth.

ALA is not a thermogenic but it does appear to contribute to favorable body composition changes. This is believed to be due to a nutrient partitioning effect where nutrients are channeled more to lean tissue and away from fat tissue.

ALA will help enhance the efficiency of many different supplements and pharmaceuticals. It enhances the absorption of creatine into the muscle cell by providing a transport vehicle by its unique ability to mimic insulin.

ALA is also one of the most potent antioxidants available. And, when taken with other antioxidants it actually enhances their antioxidant abilities.

Summary:

The Stemulite™ combination of mitochondrial energizers, free radical scavengers, amino acid “stackers,” immune stimulators, stem-cell recruiters, inflammatory down-regulators, rest and sleep enhancers, and a rare earth mineral that produces mood elevation and HPA synchronizing of all hormonal functions is without doubt the most complete and effective workout and fitness supplement available in the world!