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Written by Victor R. Prisk, MD
Betaine: the Anabolic Booster
Betaine supplementation has the capability of improving the outcomes desired by bodybuilders: improvement in performance and anabolic muscle growth.
By Victor R. Prisk, M.D.
It is very well documented that weight training results in an anabolic hormonal milieu. A single high-intensity weight-training session results in elevations in growth hormone (GH), IGF-1 and testosterone.1 Sensitivity to the incredibly anabolic hormone, insulin, increases and muscle is able to incorporate more nutrients into building muscle proteins.
Growth hormone, IGF-1 and insulin act on the muscle cell’s protein-making machinery by stimulating a regulatory enzyme called protein kinase B,otherwise known as “Akt.” This enzyme activates mTOR, which we have discussed previously. mTOR activation occurs when anabolic signals and an abundance of nutrients coincide, telling the muscle: “It’s time to grow, the fuel is here!” This cascade of events leads to the activation of muscle protein-producing machinery – which, of course, is the goal of intense bodybuilding training.
A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology by world-renowned researchers at the University of Connecticut’s Human Performance Laboratory sought to define the anabolic role of betaine supplementation. Betaine is a methyl derivative of the amino acid glycine that is found in a variety of foods, but namely beets (thus its name “beet”-uh-een). Betaine supplementation has previously been shown to be a significant training aid as it improved force production and muscular endurance in trained athletes, thus the researchers sought to determine how and why.2,3 Interestingly, a number of studies show that feeding farm animals betaine increases muscle mass and may even decrease fat mass with a concomitant rise in GH, IGF-1 and insulin.
To evaluate the anabolic activity of betaine in humans, the University of Connecticut researchers performed a randomized and double-blinded study (researchers and subjects were unaware of who received the supplement or placebo), with recreationally trained men consuming 1.25 grams of betaine dissolved in Gatorade for two weeks. Subjects then performed a series of exercises including vertical jumps, squats and bench presses that were designed to elicit an anabolic response. Blood draws and muscle biopsies were performed to evaluate the effects of betaine on muscle, while anabolic hormones and muscle protein messengers like Akt were measured.
The endocrine effects of betaine were found to be statistically significant with regard to increased anabolic signaling. [Of note, statistically significant differences in hormone levels don’t always mean that the rise in the hormones will be significant enough to increase muscle mass.] The study showed that betaine supplementation produced a 7 percent rise in IGF-1 levels and a 6 percent drop in the muscle destroying hormone cortisol. Although not statistically significant, the rise in GH was notable at a 6 percent rise as well. The authors concluded that the combination of increased anabolic IGF-1 and a decrease in catabolic cortisol release after a stressful bout of exercise accounted for the cumulative anabolic effects of betaine. They also found effects on the muscle protein synthesis-signaling pathways and noted that betaine potentiated the intramuscular signal Akt. Overall, this data suggests a mild anabolic effect of betaine supplementation occurring through an endocrine mechanism, and coinciding with augmentation of intramuscular anabolic signaling.
In conclusion, betaine supplementation has the capability of improving the outcomes desired by bodybuilders: improvement in performance and anabolic muscle growth. The mechanisms behind betaine’s action appear to be endocrine mediated, at least to a modest extent. The elevations in GH and IGF-1 and decrease in cortisol are definitely measurable, but to what extent this will have an effect on muscle growth remains unclear in humans. For now, with these favorable responses to betaine supplementation and supportive literature in animals on increasing lean mass, betaine appears to be a supplement worth giving a try. In my opinion, betaine may be best used by bodybuilders engaged in a stressful diet, such that muscle will be spared by decreasing cortisol and increasing anabolic signaling.
Dr. Victor Prisk is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and medical director of P.O.W. – Prisk Orthopaedics and Wellness, PC in Monroeville, PA. He specializes in regenerative medicine and foot and ankle treatment, and brings experience and empathy to his practice in the care of dancers, gymnasts and weight-training athletes. Dr. Prisk is an IFBB Professional League bodybuilder and judge, a member of the GNC Medical Advisory Board, and author of The GAIN Plan and The Leucine Factor Diet. For more information, visit https://www.orthoandwellness.com/
References:
1. Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA. Hormonal responses and adaptations to resistance exercise and training. Sports Med 2005;35:339-61
2. Pryor JL, et al. Effect of betaine supplementation on cycling sprint performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2012 Apr 3;9(1):12.
3. Apicella JM, et al. Betaine supplementation enhances anabolic endocrine and Akt signaling in response to acute bouts of exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 2012; Sep 14.
Click here to view the article.
Betaine: the Anabolic Booster
Betaine supplementation has the capability of improving the outcomes desired by bodybuilders: improvement in performance and anabolic muscle growth.
By Victor R. Prisk, M.D.
It is very well documented that weight training results in an anabolic hormonal milieu. A single high-intensity weight-training session results in elevations in growth hormone (GH), IGF-1 and testosterone.1 Sensitivity to the incredibly anabolic hormone, insulin, increases and muscle is able to incorporate more nutrients into building muscle proteins.
Growth hormone, IGF-1 and insulin act on the muscle cell’s protein-making machinery by stimulating a regulatory enzyme called protein kinase B,otherwise known as “Akt.” This enzyme activates mTOR, which we have discussed previously. mTOR activation occurs when anabolic signals and an abundance of nutrients coincide, telling the muscle: “It’s time to grow, the fuel is here!” This cascade of events leads to the activation of muscle protein-producing machinery – which, of course, is the goal of intense bodybuilding training.
A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology by world-renowned researchers at the University of Connecticut’s Human Performance Laboratory sought to define the anabolic role of betaine supplementation. Betaine is a methyl derivative of the amino acid glycine that is found in a variety of foods, but namely beets (thus its name “beet”-uh-een). Betaine supplementation has previously been shown to be a significant training aid as it improved force production and muscular endurance in trained athletes, thus the researchers sought to determine how and why.2,3 Interestingly, a number of studies show that feeding farm animals betaine increases muscle mass and may even decrease fat mass with a concomitant rise in GH, IGF-1 and insulin.
To evaluate the anabolic activity of betaine in humans, the University of Connecticut researchers performed a randomized and double-blinded study (researchers and subjects were unaware of who received the supplement or placebo), with recreationally trained men consuming 1.25 grams of betaine dissolved in Gatorade for two weeks. Subjects then performed a series of exercises including vertical jumps, squats and bench presses that were designed to elicit an anabolic response. Blood draws and muscle biopsies were performed to evaluate the effects of betaine on muscle, while anabolic hormones and muscle protein messengers like Akt were measured.
The endocrine effects of betaine were found to be statistically significant with regard to increased anabolic signaling. [Of note, statistically significant differences in hormone levels don’t always mean that the rise in the hormones will be significant enough to increase muscle mass.] The study showed that betaine supplementation produced a 7 percent rise in IGF-1 levels and a 6 percent drop in the muscle destroying hormone cortisol. Although not statistically significant, the rise in GH was notable at a 6 percent rise as well. The authors concluded that the combination of increased anabolic IGF-1 and a decrease in catabolic cortisol release after a stressful bout of exercise accounted for the cumulative anabolic effects of betaine. They also found effects on the muscle protein synthesis-signaling pathways and noted that betaine potentiated the intramuscular signal Akt. Overall, this data suggests a mild anabolic effect of betaine supplementation occurring through an endocrine mechanism, and coinciding with augmentation of intramuscular anabolic signaling.
In conclusion, betaine supplementation has the capability of improving the outcomes desired by bodybuilders: improvement in performance and anabolic muscle growth. The mechanisms behind betaine’s action appear to be endocrine mediated, at least to a modest extent. The elevations in GH and IGF-1 and decrease in cortisol are definitely measurable, but to what extent this will have an effect on muscle growth remains unclear in humans. For now, with these favorable responses to betaine supplementation and supportive literature in animals on increasing lean mass, betaine appears to be a supplement worth giving a try. In my opinion, betaine may be best used by bodybuilders engaged in a stressful diet, such that muscle will be spared by decreasing cortisol and increasing anabolic signaling.
Dr. Victor Prisk is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and medical director of P.O.W. – Prisk Orthopaedics and Wellness, PC in Monroeville, PA. He specializes in regenerative medicine and foot and ankle treatment, and brings experience and empathy to his practice in the care of dancers, gymnasts and weight-training athletes. Dr. Prisk is an IFBB Professional League bodybuilder and judge, a member of the GNC Medical Advisory Board, and author of The GAIN Plan and The Leucine Factor Diet. For more information, visit https://www.orthoandwellness.com/
References:
1. Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA. Hormonal responses and adaptations to resistance exercise and training. Sports Med 2005;35:339-61
2. Pryor JL, et al. Effect of betaine supplementation on cycling sprint performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2012 Apr 3;9(1):12.
3. Apicella JM, et al. Betaine supplementation enhances anabolic endocrine and Akt signaling in response to acute bouts of exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 2012; Sep 14.
Click here to view the article.
