Every athlete is familiar with muscle soreness after training. Learn what Phosphatidylserine is and how it is used in bodybuilding. Every athlete after intense training is faced with muscle pain. A large number of different sports supplements are now produced, and the manufacturers of each of them assure that their product is the best. However, in practice, things are often quite the opposite and athletes do not get the expected effect. Phosphatidylserine relieves muscle pain after exercise and that's for sure. Let's take a closer look at what this drug is and how it should be taken.
What is Phosphatidylserine?
Phosphatidylserine is a lipid that is found in every cell of the body and contains phosphorus. This substance is found in some foods, such as rice, leafy vegetables, but in very small quantities. Thus, the only valuable source of Phosphatidylserine is essentially sports supplements. This is the only way to provide them with the body in the required amount.
Phosphatidylserine is composed of the phosphatidyl molecule, which includes phosphorus and the chemical subgroup seryl. Phospholipids ensure the normal functioning of cell membranes and we can say that with their help the molecules are held together. While in the cell, Phosphatidylserine has a variety of functions, such as protecting cell membranes from damage that can be caused by intense training.
Scientists have been researching Phosphatidylserine for twenty years, but the drug has been used in sports relatively recently.
Effects of Phosphatidylserine
Scientists were able to establish a strong effect of the drug on the functioning of the muscle-brain connection. Most of the research on Phosphatidylserine has been devoted to the substance's ability to improve brain function and memory. This is due to the fact that a large amount of the substance has been found in brain cells.
According to the results of one of the largest experiments, all subjects after three months of taking Phosphatidylserine showed an improvement in memory. The subjects became better at memorizing numbers, such as telephone numbers. During the experiment, the daily dosage of the drug was 300 milligrams.
As mentioned above, Phosphatidylserine helps to protect cell membranes from destruction, and also optimizes their work. This is very important for athletes and to improve the effectiveness of training, the level of Phosphatidylserine should be maintained at the proper level. It is also proven that the substance promotes the movement between the cells of the main minerals: potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium. Also an important property for athletes is the ability of Phosphatidylserine to suppress catabolic processes. This became possible due to the suppression of the synthesis of corticotrophin-releasing hormone and adrenocorticotrophin. It is these substances that contribute to the synthesis of cortisol. In one of their experiments, it was found that the use of Phosphatidylserine in the amount of 800 milligrams daily helps to reduce the synthesis of cortisol by 30 percent.
As you know, cortisol is the most powerful catabolic hormone in the body, synthesized by the adrenal glands. Under its influence, protein compounds located in muscle tissues are destroyed. Also, a high level of cortisol reduces the body's sensitivity to insulin, the synthesis of protein compounds slows down, and calcium is removed from the bone structure.
The more intense your training, the more cortisol is synthesized in the body. This hormone is capable of destroying not only muscle tissue, but also connective tissue. It is also known that cortisol alters the metabolism of fats, but to date the mechanism of this process has not been fully understood.
When using Phosphatidylserine, athletes can recover faster after training sessions and significantly increase the effectiveness of training. It should also be noted that steroids have a strong ability to suppress cortisol activity. It is with this that the reduction of pain in the muscles is associated. Steroids have this effect more pronounced than Phosphatidylserine.
It must be said that steroids block corticosteroid receptors, and this is a very serious disadvantage. The factor is associated with the fact that after the completion of the AAS cycle, the level of cortisol rises sharply and the athlete experiences muscle atrophy. In turn, Phosphatidylserine is not able to block corticosteroid receptors, it can be used for a long time, which makes it a more effective drug.
Phosphatidylserine also helps to quickly overcome the state of overtraining. The causes of this syndrome are known to almost all athletes. But not many manage to avoid it. When the body is overtrained, the synthesis of the same cortisol is accelerated, and the production of the male hormone is sharply reduced. Thanks to Phosphatidylserine, an athlete can quickly get out of a state of overtraining, and this fact has experimental confirmation.
Application of Phosphatidylserine
The optimal dosage of the drug is in the range from 100 to 800 milligrams. The drug should be taken daily, and the exact dosage depends on the individual characteristics of the body and the back that the athlete has set for himself.
With regard to bodybuilding, scientists recommend using about 400-800 milligrams of the drug daily. The optimal time for taking Phosphatidylserine is immediately after the end of the class and half an hour before going to bed. Scientists have not proven that the body gets used to Phosphatidylserine and, therefore, there is no need to use a cyclized regimen of its intake.
For more information about the causes of pain in the muscles after training, see this video:
