Supplement Performance - Anabolic Enzymes: An Interview with Dr. Mark Tallon
Pull Quote
elite athletes must make, but you don’t build a 280-pound ripped body without the addition of
some pharmacopoeia."
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need to balance the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory response to control the positive and
negatives from exercise-induced muscle damage.
AM:
MT:
this enzyme formula functions. The inflammatory response is just one part of our larger immune
system and by repeatedly stressing it (as with excessive exercise), we can cause it to work
ineffectively, leading to increased infection, higher incidence of injury and, in athletes,
"overreaching and overtraining." By helping to support a healthy immune system we also can help
mediate the way our body recovers from the stress we consistently place on it during intense
training and at times, excessively restrictive diets.
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MT:
like a light switch, but what you can do is mediate the intensity of the response and this is what
has been the focus of our new product.
Let me explain a little more. There are so many nutrients out there that have been shown
to influence the inflammatory response and systemic immune function. However, very few have
studies providing evidence that they can influence exercise-related inflammation and even less
than a handful that are cost effective for the average supplement user. Therefore, finding a real,
effective combination of nutrients that we can be 100 percent confident in the results it would
deliver wasn’t an easy task.
In the end, two specific nutrient packages were chosen that will work synergistically to
fight off excessive inflammation and immuno supression initiated from intense training. First, we
chose a selection of highly active enzymes rarely used in commercial sports nutrition, and
secondly [we chose] a unique and highly concentrated plant sterolin mix.
AM:
combination should power performance and recovery to the average gym guy, as well as the elite
athlete?
MT:
enzymes proven individually and in combination to positively effect health and physiological
function. With direct reference to sporting activity, I can give you a few examples. Papain,
extracted from the fruit [to] Carica papaya, has been shown to reduce healing time following
injury. Sweeny and co-workers back in 1963 showed reduced haematoma and swelling following
its use in football players. Other studies using bromelain extracted from pineapple have shown a
similar effect in many conditions (check these great studies out on www.pubmed.com). Finally,
we could look at data on pancreatic enzymes such as trypsin and chymotrypsin, which have been
extensively studied since the late ’50s and show positive benefits in reducing recovery time in
boxers and footballers. But you’re probably more interested in a combo study using all these
nutrients; well, we’re in luck, as this data exists also!
In a 2004 study by Miller et al., a combination protease mixture with similar ingredients to
Sorenzyme was tested on human volunteers. The results were truly astounding in that the
protease supplement reduced the pain response from muscle-damaging exercise, but also
increased the return of muscle function to peak strength and speed significantly faster than
subjects on placebos. The effects were so significant that those subjects not using the protease
enzyme mixture as in Sorenzyme had 63 percent more muscle soreness and four-times greater
reduction in force production at the next gym session. This is really just the tip of the iceberg as
far as enzymes are concerned, but the results are pretty impressive.
[Editor’s Note: Miller et al. examined the effects of protease supplementation on muscle
soreness and contractile performance after downhill running. Researchers utilized a enzyme
mixture containing pancreatic enzymes, trypsin, papain, bromelain and so on. The results
indicated that protease supplementation may attenuate muscle soreness after intense exercise.
Journal of Sports Sciences, 2004 Apr;22(4):365-72.)]
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MT:
has as much clinical evidence to back up its effects. Sitosterols are in the steroid class of
substances and are lipid-type structures. These sitosterols and particularly, the form we use—
beta-sitosterol— is found in very high concentrations in pumpkin seeds, vegetables, fruits and
I was going to say the second part of this formula is just as special as the first andSo what about those plant extracts?Within the enzyme part of the formula [we have] the integration of eight activeCan you go a bit deeper into just what enzymes and plant extract are and how thisIn real terms you cannot control the whole system in terms of switching it on and offOK I get it, but how can we control these complex processes?That’s absolutely right and I’m glad you brought that up, as this is integral to the wayIsn’t the inflammatory response tied into our immune system?
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nuts. These plant extracts decrease the releases of some of the most active inflammatory
mediators know to date, including the very much in vogue research area of "interleukin-6 (IL-6)."
However, beyond this, the research by Bouic et al., seems to indicate supplementation also
decreases the stress and fat-storage hormone cortisol. The effects of this I no doubt know your
readers are well aware of.
The combined results of this powerful botanical have been investigated in athletes where
post-exercise immunesuppression and incidence of illness postexercise is very evident. The data
shows that immunosuppression is prevented following only a few weeks of use and that they can
actually strengthen the immune system for up to six months of consistent use. This really is
exciting data not only for the general and hardcore exercise populations, but also for those with
inflammatory and immune-suppressive disease states such as HIV.
AM:
not well-absorbed? Is that really true?
MT:
activity when they get placed into low-pH/acidic environments like the stomach. I’m not going to
convince you otherwise as many try. The effect is that most pH-liable enzymes result in a 30
percent absorption. However, this low level of absorption will not only be due to pH, but also to its
transport out of the gut. I think the pH venerability is an issue for enzyme formulations, but you
can get around this in two highly effective ways (something I believe we have cracked with
Sorenzyme).
First, you can use an enteric coating. Which can be very expensive to the manufacturer,
and the follow-on is that the customer suffers. So, is it really worth the cost? I say cost, but that
really isn’t the most fundamental issue because unlike nutrients such as creatine, at present,
we’re not sure where these enzymes get transported into blood (i.e., the gut or the small
intestine). Both the gut and small intestine exist at very different pH levels (acidity), so where do
we release the enzymes if we enteric coat them? The problem is by releasing the enzymes into
the wrong part of the gastrointestinal tract (i.e., gut "v" small intestine and vice versa), could this
result in less absorption because the transporters could be in either the gut or small intestine?
Until we know more about how supplementary enzymes taken orally are absorbed, this method of
delivering enzymes, because of the issue of pH, is very risky to say the least. Because I don’t
deal in maybes, I’ve avoided implementing this method of coating the product.
So, what’s the second approach to overcoming the issue of pH and enzyme stability?
The answer is to influence the absorption of these enzymes and other nutrients in the formula
and this is the approach we have followed by adding piperine [piper nigrum]— a black pepper
extract— to the mix. This extract has been shown to enhance absorption up to 2,000 percent in
many nutrients, hence, the widespread application throughout the sports supplement industry.
Even though we believe this will enhance the Sorenzyme effect on performance and recovery,
the concentration/activity of our enzymes and plant extracts in Sorenzyme are already way above
those levels proven to be effective. By effective I’m talking about an enzyme product based on
scientific studies that have not used enteric-coated formulas, and for that matter nutrients that
enhance absorption. This means Sorenzyme will still be effective even after the active nutrients
have passed through the highly acidic environment of the gut and small intestine, guaranteeing
you the results you expect.
As a side note, obviously, I can’t get all of the in-depth scientific information about these
enzymes and botanicals into an article. Because of this, your readers can e-mail me for a
complete reference list (ceo@oxygenix.com) or check out the book available on the issue at
www.labrada.com.
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enzymes.
MT:
The interviewer (Anssi H. Manninen) has no financial relationship with Labrada Nutrition
or other companies selling protease-containing supplements.
No problem, buddy, it’s been a real pleasure.Thank you so much for taking time out to answer some questions regarding theseYou’re very correct. Enzymes are pH sensitive and those in our formula lose someMoving back a little, I seem to remember that these enzymes are pH sensitive and:
"I’m not condoning or promoting steroid use as this is a personal choice allLabrada™ Nutrition recently launched a new dietary supplement called Sorenzyme
Labrada feel that this all-natural enzyme formula optimizes recovery by combining two systems
shown to control immune and inflammatory response to exercise. I had the opportunity to catchup
with the brainchild of Sorenzyme— nutritional biochemist Dr. Mark Tallon. So, here’s the
lowdown from that enlightening conversation on how this new supplement may help you achieve
the results you deserve from all that hard training.
AM:
Nutrition’s new product, Sorenzyme, and the science behind enzymes and human performance.
Some of our readers who are new to the industry may not know who you are or your background.
So, could you give us a quick brief on your background and qualifications in nutrition and exercise
enhancement?
MT:
physiology with a degree in the latter, a master’s in nutrition science (University of Liverpool) and
a PhD in nutritional biochemistry (University of Southampton). My primary work in the nutrition
industry ranges from supplement regulation, marketing, raw ingredients and research and
development. Outside of the academic and commercial world, as a registered nutritionist my
interests are in providing nutritional support services to elite and Olympic-level athletes.
AM:
MT:
products designed based on research from real human clinical studies. The dose and its
ingredients have been proven in countless trials by academics from all over the globe. When I
conceived the idea behind an enzyme formulation, I was writing an article on testosterone.
Looking through the literature, I was convinced that the primary action of anabolic steroids was
not as an anabolic agent per se, but as an anti-catabolic. I’m not condoning or promoting steroid
use as this is a personal choice all elite athletes must make, but you don’t build a 280-pound
ripped body without the addition of some pharmacopoeia. From this I looked into the primary
causes of catabolism (such as inflammation) and other factors that prolong our muscles’ return to
full-working capacity, slowing our ability to hit the iron 100 percent session after session (a major
benefit of anabolics).
In essence, a well-designed, enzyme-based formula could decrease some of the major
causes of exercise-induced muscle damage and aid in enhancing recovery capacity. In brief, this
means accelerating recovery, allowing rapid progression to predefined training goals. These
goals can be anything from strength, power and recovery or a change in body composition.
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into the effects of muscle damage?
MT:
identification of something called "silent" inflammation. This is a form of inflammation that, unlike
"classical" inflammation (which causes pain), silent inflammation does not. Hence, little is done to
cure it, leading to excessive damage of many of the body’s systems. Now we’re not here to focus
on this, but it raises some interesting points in that we need an inflammatory response to protect
us from microbial attack and injuries; yet, an overactive response— as with silent inflammation or
exercise— can lead to excessive damage rather than doing good.
Following intense exercise we damage muscle fibers, which, like an injury, brings about
an inflammatory response. If this response is too excessive, the recovery and adaptation
processes within the muscle, which brings about muscle growth and enhanced energy, is
delayed. In real terms, this means less gains for your hard work! The take-home message is: we
Inflammation is a real issue at the moment in the medical community because of theSounds interesting. You briefly mentioned inflammation. How are these systems tiedIt would be my pleasure. Let me start off by saying this product is one of the only trueCan you let our readers know a little about the science behind Sorenzyme?As you already know, my background is in nutritional sciences and exerciseMany thanks for joining us today for a discussion about the background of Labrada
