Ok, I just typed a lengthy question/idea, and the server was busy so I lost it. I guess I’ll learn to copy before submiting next time just incase.
Nonetheless, my question was regarding taking supplements for blood flow/circulation. Rather than go back into detail, I simply want to put this idea out there for discussion: Do supplements such as aspirin, yohimbe, etc. have their place in the recovery protocol? We know that improving blood flow to an area aids in recovery (sled dragging, tempo, bodyweight exercises, etc). We also know that these supplements improve circulation to restricted and non-restricted blood vessels. Would there be any place for utilizing these supplements (or medicines, whatever) for recovery assistance purposes? I currently take an aspirin once in a blue moon after a brutal workout, just to feel ok. But what about for recovery? Any ideas/comments?
After Dr. Hollis’s posts on arginine, I did some reading on the subject, and I think arginine is better suited for improving circulation than aspirin or yohimbe.
Obviously I’m not talking about taking this on a regular basis after intense workouts. This would be like going for a long jog after a heavy leg session. I’m just saying, what about on recovery days? Perhaps after tempo or whatever you do for GPP, simply to aid in the blood flow?
arginine is an amino acid, and Wobenzyme is a combination of digestive enzymes- they are not drugs. Aspirin used to be used in my day, one “baby aspirin” in the PM and it seemed to help me, though Arginine is effective and operates as a flushing agent, possibly in combination with a small amount of Carnitine.
We used it pre-workout (Musashi, Arousal) and used Arginine/Ornithine 2/1 ratio B4 bed as a GH boost. I was familiar with A’s role as a precursor to ATP/CP and GH stim, but, only recently, learned of its role as a flushing agent. also Arginine is claimed to be a sexual performance enhancer, presumably in the same fashion as Yohimbine (and niacin).
I was going to mention niacin, have taken it in the past with the first meal post-w/o (weights) and it helped me feel more alive after. Don’t know about how it works biochemically or longterm use though.
Charlie,
so arginine before bed after high intensity workouts to help blood blow as well as raise gh levels? is that correct?
Also how much… ive heard you mention 5 and 10 grams.
And what would be the purpose exactly of using it preworkout?
Regarding Aspirin, what are the possible negative consequences of using it long term? I’ve read that consistent use of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs for long periods of time can have serious side affects, perhaps bleeding in the digestive tract, and that NSAIDS are responsible for a large number of deaths each year. Any truth to these statements? Would relying on aspirin for recovery put athletes at risk for this?
An increase in cell volume will also prevent catabolism (tissue destruction) and increase anabolism for quicker recovery. The traditional way to accomplish this has been by overeating but you can get the cell volumizing effects without the excess, even at below maintenance calories, by using some of the following:
taurine
Ip6
Inositol
Glutamine
Creatine
Salt (yes even salt!)
Be wary of CoQ10.
Although some studies suggest that it improves endurance performance it may actually be ergolytic since it may actually produce more free radicals than usual and hance damage mitocondria.
Take 5g arginine pre-workout on empty stomach and 5g at night before bed.
One can take 10-15g of arginine at night if one wishes to elicit a substantial increase in phallic blood flow
Vitalzym is a better choice of enzyme blend than Wobenzyme, as the latter contains insignificant amounts of enzymes.
A cheaper bet would be to buy bromelain capsules yielding atleast 2000 GDU per capsule and/or serrapeptase.
R-alpha lipoic acid (100-200mg per day) and acetyl l-carnitine (5-10g per day) may also help to enhance blood flow.
