Stack Of The Month – Stimulating Your Brain
Bodybuilding is all about building quality muscle. But the best bodybuilders know they must tap into a huge mental component to be successful in the iron game. Whether it’s the drive it takes to squat with hundreds of pounds draped across your back, or the focus required to get your biceps so pumped that they feel like they’re going to tear through your skin, or the determination needed to drag yourself to the gym day after day, your brain plays a critical part in your bodybuilding success.
You probably spend hundreds of dollars on supplements that are all for your muscle. Maybe it’s time you tried some supplements that will activate your brain, like vinpocetine, huperzine A and DMAE. These funny-sounding supplements are all business when you need the drive, focus, determination and high energy to blast through a grueling workout.
Vinpocetine
This “smart drug” supplement derived from the periwinkle plant is used by bodybuilders to give a mental edge to their training. Vinpocetine’s mental benefits are belived to be due to its ability to enhance blood flow to the brain, dilate blood vessels, support the proper function of red blood cells, reduce blood viscosity and enhance energy production in the brain. It may also enhance muscle contraction through similar mechanisms. It has been used clinically in Europe for brain disorders for more than 20 years. The recommended dose is 5-40 mg taken as 2-3 divided doses.
Huperzine A
An extract from Chinese club moss, huperzine A has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine. But modern science has largely introduced its role in enhancing brain function. Huperzine A works by preventing the breakdown of an important nerve stimulator called acetylcholine. The more acetylcholine, the more alert the brain. An effective dose appears to be 50 mcg taken 1-3 times per day.
DMAE
Technically known as dimethylaminoethanol, DMAE was originally marketed as a prescription drug in the 1960s to enhance learning and memory in individuals with attention disorders. Research shows that it leads to higher choline levels in the brain, better than taking choline itself. This effect seems to be due to the fact that DMAE inhibits the breakdown of choline, which should lead to higher acetylcholine levels and thus better me
Big brain stack
Vinpocetine 5-10 mg
Huperzine A 50 mcg
DMAE 100-200 mg
Take each dose in the morning and 30-60 minutes before workouts or mid-afternoon on rest days.
References Fisman, M., et al. American Journal of Psychiatry 38(7):970-972, 1981. Molnar, P., et al. European Journal of Pharmacology 273(3):303-306, 1995.
Author JIM STOPPANI, PHD
COPYRIGHT 2004 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group
