How Does Race Fuel Work

ASHWAGANDHA

Research has shown that ashwagandha may have beneficial effects on athletic performance and may be a worthwhile supplement for athletes.

One analysis of research included 12 studies in people who took ashwagandha doses between 120 mg and 1,250 mg per day. The results suggest the herb may enhance physical performance, including strength and oxygen use during exercise.

Another analysis that looked at five studies found that taking ashwagandha significantly enhanced maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max) in healthy adults and athletes.

VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen a person can use during intense activity. It’s a measurement of heart and lung fitness.

Having optimal VO2 max is important for athletes and nonathletes alike. Low VO2 max is associated with increased mortality risk, while higher VO2 max is associated with a lower risk of heart disease.

Additionally, ashwagandha may help increase muscle strength.

In a 2015 study, male participants who took 600 mg of ashwagandha per day and participated in resistance training for 8 weeks had significantly greater gains in muscle strength and size compared with a placebo group.

CONJUGATED LINOLEIC ACID

The way in which CLA promotes benefits body composition and weight loss is through a few different mechanisms—increasing fat-burning while limiting the amount of body fat that can be s CLA helps reduce the urge for unneeded food intake and inhibits the production of additional fats. Basically, CLA is a special type of fat that takes the place of our need for other, unhealthy fats.

CLA hardwires us to stay lean and clean, helping us to burn the calories that already exist, instead of craving additional calories that serve no purpose.

A recent study investigating the effect of 4.2 grams of CLA per day in 53 healthy individuals showed a significant decrease (3.8 percent) in body fat compared with individuals not taking CLA, all while preserving muscle.

BCAA

The BCAA leucine activates a certain pathway in the body that stimulates muscle protein synthesis, which is the process of making muscle. 

BCAAs have been shown to decrease muscle damage, which may help reduce the length and severity of DOMS.

Several studies show that BCAAs decrease protein breakdown during exercise and decrease levels of creatine kinase, which is an indicator of muscle damage.

Therefore, supplementing with BCAAs, especially before exercise, may speed up recovery time.

MCT OIL POWDER

A review of 13 randomized controlled trials found that MCTs supported modest weight loss, fat loss, and reduced body size.

Your body can convert MCTs into ketones, which provide a fat-based source of energy for the body when carbohydrate intake is low.

A study found that athletes who took 6 grams or about 1.5 teaspoons of MCTs with food before cycling used more fat instead of carbs for energy.

One small study from 2007 followed 40 people with diabetes. Those who consumed MCT oil daily saw reductions in body weight, waist circumference, and insulin resistance.

HMB

HMB works in two ways — increasing protein synthesis while decreasing protein breakdown.1 This combined anti-catabolic (anti-muscle protein breakdown) and anabolic (muscle protein building) impact means you build lean mass more efficiently.

A study of a small group of elite male rowers compared the impact of HMB on endurance cardiovascular training. Twelve weeks of HMB supplementation increased the athletes’ VO2 max (aerobic endurance) and decreased their body fat.4 The study also indicated that the HMB supplementation might have a positive impact on peak anaerobic power as well.

The main benefit of HMB it its ability to create a net positive balance of muscle turnover — that’s more muscle building than breakdown. Taking HMB while also cutting calories for weight loss, can help preserve lean body mass while targeting fat mass. This can be useful for people who are trying to lose weight without losing muscle.

ACETYL-L-CARNITINE

Carnitine helps preserve muscle glycogen and promote fat oxidation. It also spares the use of amino acids as energy sources during exercise, making them potentially available for new protein synthesis, and decreases the accumulation of lactate.

A systematic review of 11 randomized clinical trials examined the effects of oral L-carnitine supplementation on high- and moderate-intensity exercise performance in a total of 203 physically active and untrained adults age 18 to 46 years. Some studies found significant improvements in VO2max, peak power, maximum sprinting power, perceived exertion, and number of repetitions and volume lifted in a leg press in the L-carnitine group.

Because carnitine transports fatty acids into the mitochondria and acts as a cofactor for fatty acid oxidation, researchers have proposed using L-carnitine supplements to promote weight loss, often in conjunction with a low-calorie diet, AND exercise.

L-GLUTAMINE

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid (building block of protein) in the body. The body can make enough glutamine for its regular needs. But during times of extreme stress (the kind you experience after heavy exercise or an injury), your body may need more glutamine than it can make. Most glutamine is stored in muscles, followed by the lungs where much of the glutamine is made.

Glutamine is important for removing excess ammonia (a common waste product in the body). It also helps your immune system function and may be needed for normal brain function and digestion.

L-Glutamine exerts its anti-catabolic, or anti-muscle breakdown effects through its role in wound healing and tissue regeneration.

When we workout, we create stress and “micro tears” on our muscles through intense physical exercise, which also uses up our glutamine stores

When we supplement with L-Glutamine, we protect our cells through the production of glutathione (GSH), one of the body’s most powerful natural antioxidants that protects our cells from damage and maintains immune function.

CACAO POWDER

Cocoa contains around 400 biologically active plant chemicals, including polyphenols, that have beneficial effects in humans. Effects are also seen in athletes, leading to improved performance and recovery. 

Cocoa supplementation has small but significant effects on blood flow around the body, leading to more oxygen to the muscles and better performance – especially in endurance sports.

Flavanols can help modify the amount of carbs vs. fat burned during exercise. This leads to more oxygen delivery, faster recovery and, in non-power sports, greater adaptability in pacing. Better leptin levels and lower body fat in endurance athletes, backed up by a population wide study of NHANES data.

In two small studies looking at the effects of cocoa flavanols around exercise, cocoa flavanols increased blood flow to the brain – particularly oxygenated hemoglobin – before exercise while the exercise itself caused more blood flow during and after exercise.