akn
Musclechemistry Member
by Mike Arnold
Along with training and diet, sleep is one of the foundational pillars on which any successful bodybuilding program rests. Slack in this area just a little bit, and progress will be compromised. This is not surprising, as sleep is the time during which the body recovers from the previous day’s stress and reenergizes for the day to come, but what is surprising is the level of inattention it usually receives. With such a profound influence on the body’s ability to recover and grow, the uninitiated might assume that bodybuilders routinely place special emphasis on this aspect of their program. However, this is rarely the case. Unlike training and nutrition, in which most of us agonize over every little detail, sleep is generally given short shrift, with little attention paid to quantity and even less given to quality.
Perhaps it’s the poorly understood nature of sleep that causes many to place it so far down on the priority list. After all, we don’t consciously do anything while we sleep. Hell, we don’t even remember most of it, let alone perceive the body’s internal workings. For most of us, it’s simply a time to unwind and temporarily forget about the stresses and responsibilities of daily life and if we’re lucky, dream about lying on the beach surrounded by desirable women of our choice. While we might not play an active role in this daily downtime, it is no less important to our bodybuilding progress than what we do during our waking hours. Knowing this, taking steps to ensure that it proceeds uninterrupted is just common sense.
Still, excuses for inadequate sleep abound. Irregular schedules, mental/emotional stress, drug use, excessive obligations, and even clinical insomnia are all cited as valid reasons for failing to get enough sleep, but even if one is able to clock the recommended 8 hours per night, it is no guarantee that they are taking full advantage of their nightly slumber. In order to receive maximum benefit, we must not only get enough sleep, but we must get quality sleep.
There are a few things we can do to improve sleep quality, such as sleeping at night, getting on a regular sleeping schedule, and eliminating stimulating activities/ drugs close to bedtime, but even then, much of our success will depend in the body’s ability to self-regulate its sleep cycles, as the sleep cycle is directly responsible for determining the quality of our sleep.
Each sleep cycle is comprised of 4 different stages, or phases of sleep, known as Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3/4m and R.E.M sleep. After all 4 stages have been completed, the cycle will repeat itself. Failing to go through this cycles enough times, or to spend sufficient time in each stage, will have a barrage of detrimental effects on the body, including reduced growth hormone, IGF-1, and testosterone levels, increased cortisol production, impaired immune response, reduced insulin sensitivity, elevated blood pressure, cognitive dysfunction, cardiovascular decay, and of course, a reduced rate of cellular repair. Even then, we are still just scratching the surface.
The bottom line is that if you want to make progress at the fastest possible rate, you can’t half-ass it in the sleep department and expect to make your best gains. Understanding the importance of a sound night’s rest, IronMag labs sought to formulate the ultimate sleep product; a supplement designed to not only help you fall and stay asleep, but to improve sleep quality by balancing your sleep cycle. Unlike similar products, which often contain only one or two compounds of questionable effectiveness, Dream N’ Grow is a powerhouse formula designed to enhance the sleep experience through a multiple pathways. Containing eight clinically validated compounds, Dream N’ Grow is the most complete and potent sleep product on the market.
One of the most interesting (and effective) compounds in this product is Mitragyna Speciosa, otherwise known as kratom. If you haven’t yet heard of this stuff, chances are you will soon, as it has made waves all around the world as an opiate alternative. Did I just say an opiate alternative? Yes I did, but unlike traditional opiates, kratom provides all of the benefits without the harsh side effects typically associated with this class of drugs. That sounds cool enough, but what exactly is Kratom?
Like many other psychoactive plants, kratom grows naturally in Asia and the Indo-Pacific region where it has been in use by natives for thousands of years. While traditional opiates are usually comprised of a single active compound, which is responsible for providing all of its effects, kratom is a complex drug-plant, containing dozens of active alkaloids. Of these, scientists believe that kratom’s effects are derived from 3 primary alkaloids, with 7-hydroxymitragynine bearing the greatest similarity to traditional opiates. However, kratom’s alkaloids differ from morphine-based compounds in terms of molecular structure, preventing them from fully attaching to opiate receptors.
Due to this partial attachment, the alkaloids within kratom are defined as partial opiate agonists, but make no mistake about it, these alkaloids are still potent stimulators of the opiate receptor. In fact, when compared on a mg per mg basis, 7-hydroxymitragynine was shown to be 17X more potent than morphine in terms of analgesic potency, but keep in mind that kratom is the sum total of all of its alkaloids, each of which have their own unique effects on the body. Many of these even have distinct health benefits.
With such a close similarity to traditional opiates, some of you may be wondering about kratom’s addiction potential, but don’t worry. While heavy, extended use of isolated kratom alkaloids have been shown to result in dependence, real-world experience has shown that when kratom is consumed in its entirety (all of its natural alkaloids present), physical dependence is greatly reduced in comparison to traditional opiates and rarely occurs to any serious degree.
Anyone who has ever gotten a script for Vicodin or Percocet from their doctor knows all too well the powerful effect that these drugs can have on sleep. When under the influence of opiates, most people could fall asleep twisted up like a pretzel and still get the most comfortable sleep of their lives. In addition to physical relaxation, mental/emotional stress and anxiety tends to just melt away, leaving the user in a serene, tranquil state perfect for drifting off into a long, deep sleep. Dream N’ Grow contains a concentrated kratom extract, allowing the user to achieve superior results with a smaller serving size.
The next ingredient on the list, GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid), is a glutamate derived amino acid with neurotransmitter activity. Responsible for regulating brain activity, GABA reduces excitation by reducing the rate of neuron firing. This has a calming, anti-anxiolytic effect, allowing the individual to reach and maintain a sleep state more easily.
Along with training and diet, sleep is one of the foundational pillars on which any successful bodybuilding program rests. Slack in this area just a little bit, and progress will be compromised. This is not surprising, as sleep is the time during which the body recovers from the previous day’s stress and reenergizes for the day to come, but what is surprising is the level of inattention it usually receives. With such a profound influence on the body’s ability to recover and grow, the uninitiated might assume that bodybuilders routinely place special emphasis on this aspect of their program. However, this is rarely the case. Unlike training and nutrition, in which most of us agonize over every little detail, sleep is generally given short shrift, with little attention paid to quantity and even less given to quality.
Perhaps it’s the poorly understood nature of sleep that causes many to place it so far down on the priority list. After all, we don’t consciously do anything while we sleep. Hell, we don’t even remember most of it, let alone perceive the body’s internal workings. For most of us, it’s simply a time to unwind and temporarily forget about the stresses and responsibilities of daily life and if we’re lucky, dream about lying on the beach surrounded by desirable women of our choice. While we might not play an active role in this daily downtime, it is no less important to our bodybuilding progress than what we do during our waking hours. Knowing this, taking steps to ensure that it proceeds uninterrupted is just common sense.
Still, excuses for inadequate sleep abound. Irregular schedules, mental/emotional stress, drug use, excessive obligations, and even clinical insomnia are all cited as valid reasons for failing to get enough sleep, but even if one is able to clock the recommended 8 hours per night, it is no guarantee that they are taking full advantage of their nightly slumber. In order to receive maximum benefit, we must not only get enough sleep, but we must get quality sleep.
There are a few things we can do to improve sleep quality, such as sleeping at night, getting on a regular sleeping schedule, and eliminating stimulating activities/ drugs close to bedtime, but even then, much of our success will depend in the body’s ability to self-regulate its sleep cycles, as the sleep cycle is directly responsible for determining the quality of our sleep.
Each sleep cycle is comprised of 4 different stages, or phases of sleep, known as Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3/4m and R.E.M sleep. After all 4 stages have been completed, the cycle will repeat itself. Failing to go through this cycles enough times, or to spend sufficient time in each stage, will have a barrage of detrimental effects on the body, including reduced growth hormone, IGF-1, and testosterone levels, increased cortisol production, impaired immune response, reduced insulin sensitivity, elevated blood pressure, cognitive dysfunction, cardiovascular decay, and of course, a reduced rate of cellular repair. Even then, we are still just scratching the surface.
The bottom line is that if you want to make progress at the fastest possible rate, you can’t half-ass it in the sleep department and expect to make your best gains. Understanding the importance of a sound night’s rest, IronMag labs sought to formulate the ultimate sleep product; a supplement designed to not only help you fall and stay asleep, but to improve sleep quality by balancing your sleep cycle. Unlike similar products, which often contain only one or two compounds of questionable effectiveness, Dream N’ Grow is a powerhouse formula designed to enhance the sleep experience through a multiple pathways. Containing eight clinically validated compounds, Dream N’ Grow is the most complete and potent sleep product on the market.
One of the most interesting (and effective) compounds in this product is Mitragyna Speciosa, otherwise known as kratom. If you haven’t yet heard of this stuff, chances are you will soon, as it has made waves all around the world as an opiate alternative. Did I just say an opiate alternative? Yes I did, but unlike traditional opiates, kratom provides all of the benefits without the harsh side effects typically associated with this class of drugs. That sounds cool enough, but what exactly is Kratom?
Like many other psychoactive plants, kratom grows naturally in Asia and the Indo-Pacific region where it has been in use by natives for thousands of years. While traditional opiates are usually comprised of a single active compound, which is responsible for providing all of its effects, kratom is a complex drug-plant, containing dozens of active alkaloids. Of these, scientists believe that kratom’s effects are derived from 3 primary alkaloids, with 7-hydroxymitragynine bearing the greatest similarity to traditional opiates. However, kratom’s alkaloids differ from morphine-based compounds in terms of molecular structure, preventing them from fully attaching to opiate receptors.
Due to this partial attachment, the alkaloids within kratom are defined as partial opiate agonists, but make no mistake about it, these alkaloids are still potent stimulators of the opiate receptor. In fact, when compared on a mg per mg basis, 7-hydroxymitragynine was shown to be 17X more potent than morphine in terms of analgesic potency, but keep in mind that kratom is the sum total of all of its alkaloids, each of which have their own unique effects on the body. Many of these even have distinct health benefits.
With such a close similarity to traditional opiates, some of you may be wondering about kratom’s addiction potential, but don’t worry. While heavy, extended use of isolated kratom alkaloids have been shown to result in dependence, real-world experience has shown that when kratom is consumed in its entirety (all of its natural alkaloids present), physical dependence is greatly reduced in comparison to traditional opiates and rarely occurs to any serious degree.
Anyone who has ever gotten a script for Vicodin or Percocet from their doctor knows all too well the powerful effect that these drugs can have on sleep. When under the influence of opiates, most people could fall asleep twisted up like a pretzel and still get the most comfortable sleep of their lives. In addition to physical relaxation, mental/emotional stress and anxiety tends to just melt away, leaving the user in a serene, tranquil state perfect for drifting off into a long, deep sleep. Dream N’ Grow contains a concentrated kratom extract, allowing the user to achieve superior results with a smaller serving size.
The next ingredient on the list, GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid), is a glutamate derived amino acid with neurotransmitter activity. Responsible for regulating brain activity, GABA reduces excitation by reducing the rate of neuron firing. This has a calming, anti-anxiolytic effect, allowing the individual to reach and maintain a sleep state more easily.
