Sports Supplement Products Review, By: Annsi Manninen, MHS

MuscleTech Anator-P70

Advanced Muscle Gene Activator

“If an elderly, but distinguished scientist says that something is possible, he is almost

certainly right; but if he says that it is impossible, he is very probably wrong.” —Arthur C. Clarke

Pull Quote: Oral intake of protein hydrolysates and amino acids in combination with

carbohydrates can result in an insulinotropic effect as much as 100 percent greater than with the

intake of carbohydrates only.

MuscleTech is dedicated to developing the most effective dietary supplements in the

world. To date, they have funded over 80 research studies, including recent research trials at

Baylor University, the University of Nottingham, the University of Laval, St. Francis Xavier

University, McMaster University and the University of Toronto. Clearly, MuscleTech is committed

to innovation and they have developed some highly effective supplements for building muscle

and losing fat.

Their latest product is called Anator-P70. Interestingly, the formula of this product is

exactly the same as one I recommended in my original recovery drink article published in MD

almost two years ago. According to MuscleTech, Dr. Paul Greenhaff of the University of

Nottingham has recently completed a research study on Anator-P70 with excellent results. We’ll

provide you with the details as soon as this study has been published. The active ingredients in

Anator-P70 are whey protein hydrolysate, leucine, phenylalanine, creatine monohydrate and

high-glycemic carbohydrates.

Whey Protein Hydrolysate: The Ultimate Source of Protein

Whey proteins particularly have been singled out as the ultimate source of protein based

on an excellent amino acid profile and rapidity of digestion. A recent scientific review by Drs. Hu

and Zemel, published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, concluded that whey protein

supplementation could enhance lean body mass in conjunction with appropriate training. The

investigators also pointed out that certain bioactive compounds from whey might improve immune

function and gastrointestinal health.

Protein can be hydrolyzed (pre-digested), producing small chains of amino acids called

peptides. This process mimics our own digestive actions thus making it an ideal way to process

protein. Studies indicate that protein hydrolysates containing mostly di- and tri-peptides are

absorbed more rapidly than free form amino acids and much more rapidly than intact (nonhydrolyzed)

proteins. Obviously, this is a desirable trait for serious athletes who wish to maximize

amino acid delivery to the muscle immediately after exercise. It’s the kinetics of the absorption

(rather than the net absorption of amino acids) that determines the greater nutritional value of the

protein hydrolysates.

The purpose of the recent study at the Copenhagen Muscle Research Center was to

determine the effects different protein-containing meals (protein hydrolysates versus intact

proteins) have on the magnitude and direction of insulin and glucagon responses. A further aim

was to determine the rate of appearance of amino acids. This study indicated that:

· Ingestion of glucose and protein hydrolysate results in a synergistic and fast

increase in blood insulin.

· Protein hydrolysates are absorbed at a faster rate from the small intestine than

are intact milk proteins.

· Whey protein hydrolysate elicited the greatest availability of amino acids during

the three-hour postprandial (occurring after a meal) period.

The authors suggested that the association of high levels of blood amino acids and

insulin might explain a superiority of protein hydrolysates over intact proteins in promoting better

nitrogen utilization (i.e., greater anabolism), especially when administered in combination with

glucose.

Protein Hydrolysate Leucine Phenylalanine=Strong Insulin Response

In a recent, well-controlled study by Dr. van Loon and colleagues, a total of 10 drinks

were tested in eight non-obese males after an overnight fast to investigate the insulinotropic

(stimulating the production of insulin) potential of several free amino acids, protein hydrolysates

and an intact protein. At zero, 30, 60 and 90 minutes, the subjects received a beverage 3.5 mL/kg

to ensure a given dose of 0.8 g/kg carbohydrate (50 percent as glucose and 50 percent as

maltodextrin) and 0.4 g/kg of an amino acid and protein hydrolysate mixture every hour. The

results of this study indicate that oral ingestion of some amino acid mixtures in combination with

carbohydrates can produce strong insulinotropic effects.

To compare the insulinotropic effect of the ingestion of the protein hydrolysates with that

of an intact protein, sodium-caseinate was provided in one of the drinks. This resulted in an

insulin response not significantly different from that found with the control trial (30 percent

greater) and tended to be less than the responses observed after ingestion of the protein

hydrolysates. After ingestion of the intact protein, blood amino acid responses over this two-hour

period were in general lower than the responses observed after ingestion of the protein

hydrolysates.

Furthermore, regression analysis of the insulin responses and the changes in the blood

amino acid concentrations over the two-hour period showed a strong positive correlation between

the observed insulin response and changes in blood leucine, phenylalanine and tyrosine

concentrations. Interestingly, the addition of free glutamine hardly influenced blood glutamine

levels. Also, this study clearly shows that oral ingestion of free arginine isn’t an effective means of

increasing plasma insulin concentrations and blood arginine concentrations. The authors

concluded that oral intake of protein hydrolysates and amino acids in combination with

carbohydrates can result in an insulinotropic effect as much as 100 percent greater than with the

intake of carbohydrates only.

In another excellent study by Dr. van Loon and co-workers, after an overnight fast, eight

male cyclists visited a laboratory on five occasions, during which a control and two different

beverage compositions in two different doses were tested. After they performed a glycogendepletion

exercise, subjects received a beverage (3.5 mL/kg) every 30 minutes ensuring an

intake of 1.2 g/kg/h carbohydrate and zero, 0.2 or 0.4 g/kg/h protein hydrolysate and amino acid

mixture.

After the insulin response was expressed as the area under curve, only the ingestion of

the beverages containing protein hydrolysate, leucine and phenylalanine resulted in a marked

increase in insulin response compared with the carbohydrate-only trial. Further, a dose-related

effect existed because doubling the dose (0.2-0.4 g/kg/h) led to an additional rise in insulin

response. Blood leucine, phenylalanine and tyrosine concentrations showed strong correlations

with the insulin response.

In addition, blood amino acid concentrations were generally lower after the ingestion of

drinks containing protein hydrolysate phenylalanine leucine compared with the control drinks,

although in the latter, a considerable amount of protein and amino acids were ingested. This

strongly suggests that tissue amino acid uptake and post-exercise muscle protein anabolism

were increased after the ingestion of the protein hydrolysate-amino acid mixture.

Leucine: A Superstar of Amino Acids

The role of amino acids as substrates for protein synthesis (i.e., building blocks of

protein) is well established. However, a function for amino acids in modulating the signal

pathways that regulate muscle protein synthesis has only recently been described. The

stimulation of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle produced by an intake of a mixed meal is due

largely to branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine; BCAAs). Of the three BCAAs,

leucine is clearly the most effective. In fact, a recent study at Baylor College of Medicine suggests

that the postprandial (occurring after meal) rise in leucine, but not isoleucine or valine, acts as a

nutrient signal to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.

Dr. Crowe and co-workers investigated the effects of leucine supplementation on the

exercise performance of outrigger canoeists. Thirteen canoeists underwent testing before and

after six weeks of supplementation with either leucine (45 mg/kg/day) or placebo. The conclusion

was that “leucine supplementation significantly improved endurance performance and upper body

power in outrigger canoeists.”

Finally, it was recently proposed that leucine is a key to the metabolic advantage of a

higher protein diet because of its unique role in the regulation of muscle protein synthesis, insulin

signaling and glucose re-cycling via alanine. Leucine appears to regulate the burning of glucose

by skeletal muscle through stimulation of glucose recycling via the glucose-alanine cycle. These

mechanisms produce muscle mass sparing and provide a stable blood sugar environment with

low insulin responses during energy-restricted diets.

Bottom Line

In order to make the very best use of the hypermetabolism that exists after strenuous

exercise, I highly recommend you ingest a serving of MuscleTech Anator-P70 immediately after

exercise. It should maximize protein anabolism and minimize catabolism.

The author of this article has no financial relationship with MuscleTech.