Sherdog Exclusive:
The Top 3 Performance Supplements for Combat Athletes
By David Barr
The original text can be found at Raise the Barr,
here.
Combat athletes (CA’s) are unlike any other. Some sports force you into focusing on strength and size, while others emphasize endurance, power, and quickness. Of course the typical CA would laugh at this because it’s the only sport where you have to have all characteristics simply in order to compete. Throw in the ability to think quickly while your head is buzzing from that left hook you didn’t see coming, or the choke-induced absence of blood to your brain, and you’ve got an impressive diverse athlete.
It is with this diversity in mind I’ve decided to outline the Top 3 Supplements Series for combat athletes (the Core supplements can be found HERE). This is the second article in the series and is by no means a comprehensive or exclusive list –it merely covers those products that have been proven both in the field and in the lab (rare qualities indeed!). In short, it’s meant to answer the question: “Here I am, what do I use??”.Let’s get to it.
Disclaimer: This is intended to be an introductory guide to performance and as such is definitively limited in scope. Each supplement has many sub-articles to answer your specific questions, and there are always numerous Forum members who are willing to help you out. This is meant to be the second article in the supplement series, and these products are generally only used after the supplements in the Top 3 Core Supplements are in use. As always, proper diet and training are paramount, and only when these parameters are in place will the following supplements be optimally efficacious.
1. Creatine Monohydrate
What Does It Do? The archetypical performance supplement, creatine is likely the most impressive product to come out in the last 30 years. In addition to increasing muscle size, there’s an accompanying strength increase. Add on top of that the improvement in our ability to perform repeated maximal efforts, and you have one damn effective supplement. Creatine is also known to stimulate the process of muscle growth and repair (think recovery), which is why it scores so highly on The Anabolic Index scoring system.
Which Kind Should I Use?
There are different “types” of creatine on the market with rather fantastic claims about each of them. In spite of these claims, creatine monohydrate is the only creatine worth considering.
Does It Hurt My Kidneys/Liver?
Here are a lot of myths surrounding the safety of this supplement, which has been tested safe in several studies to date. For more information see:
Creatine Controversy (FAQ)
Other Benefits
In addition to its performance enhancing benefits, creatine is also cheap, legal, and ubiquitously available. As if that weren’t enough, creatine may also possess health benefits, and even increase intelligence! Lastly, creatine supplementation may protect against the damage induced by concussions, as well as against dehydration.
How Is It Used?
Creatine is stored in muscles during a phase known as ‘loading’. This time of elevated creatine intake continues until muscles are maximally loaded, called saturation. Once saturation occurs, 3-5g are taken after training. The optional loading phase usually lasts ~10 days, and consists of 2, 5g doses a day.
Although some people prefer to cycle creatine (i.e. occasionally take a break from creatine supplementation for 2 months) there is no scientific evidence that this has any benefit. Of course, cycling doesn’t really hurt and some people swear by it.
Quick Tip: Research suggests that adding a little sodium and chloride to your creatine drink may enhance its uptake. The beauty is that this is easy enough to do with just a pinch of table salt! For more information about Creatine, see the following:
Dangerous Creatine
Creatine Controversy (FAQ)
Sherdog Creatine FAQ Thread
2. Beta Alanine
What Is It?
Beta Alanine (BA) is an amino acid supplement used by intensely-training athletes for enhanced performance.
What Does It Do?
BA allows us to maintain high levels of performance, even under conditions of prolonged intense activity. This not only means greater performance during competition, but it allows us to train harder thus inducing a greater stimulus for improvement. Although it is commonly felt that this exclusively helps our cardiovascular endurance, it can also help prolong both our muscular endurance and strength endurance. In other words, we can use our muscles more effectively by staving off fatigue.
How Does It Work?
By buffering (a.k.a. soaking up) acid that our muscles produce during intense activity, it allows our muscle to perform optimally for longer. It is this acid that is our major cause of fatigue –not an actual decrease in the amount of energy we have, as is commonly thought. It is worth noting that BA does not cause these adaptations by itself. Rather it combines with another amino acid to form a natural substance called carnosine in our muscles. It is these elevated carnosine levels that help our performance.
Do I Need Carnosine Or The Other Amino Acid?
It is far less expensive and just as efficacious to supplement with BA over carnosine. Also, studies show that additional amino acid supplementation is unnecessary for optimal BA effect.
What Else Can It Do?
Beta alanine may help with sleep when it is taken before bed. Additionally, BA may induce a tingling sensation in the extremities (hands, feet) when taken. In addition to many people enjoying this feeling, it is also a sign that the supplement is initially working.
How Do I Use It?
Like creatine monohydrate, BA is loaded for a period of weeks before decreasing to a maintenance dose. Commonly a total of 8g is used in divided doses for ~20 days. Once saturation is reached, 6g is used in divided doses.
Sherdog Exclusive Beta Alanine Article
3. Carnitine
What Is It?
Carnitine is a naturally occurring substance that has traditionally been marketed as a fat loss agent in the form of Acetyl-L-Carnitine.
What Does It Do?
Due to equivocal results, most people don’t generally use carnitine for fat loss anymore. Fortunately recent data have shown this supplement to potentially help with muscle growth, strength, and recovery.
How Does It Work?
Carntine has been shown to increase the number of receptors (aka docking sites) for the hormone testosterone in our muscle. Testosterone is an incredibly anabolic hormone, and more docking sites means that more of its signal can get into our cells. This means greater muscle growth/repair and strength through a completely natural means.
What Else Can It Do?
There is also potential for Carnitine to enhance recovery through improved muscle blood flow and neural recovery. Other possible benefits include aggression, acid buffering, and boosting natural testosterone levels, but detailing these impressive effects is beyond the scope of this article.
What Kind Should I Use?
There are several kinds of carnitine on the market although research shows that Carnitine-L-Tartrate (CLT) is the most bioavailable. This is also the kind that has been used exclusively in the testosterone receptor studies.
How Do I Use It?
CLT usually comes in capsule form and is widely available. A total of 1g is generally used in 2 divided doses throughout the day with carbohydrate-containing meals.
FAQ Shouldn’t [supplement x] be presented in this article?
The supplement you are looking for may be included in another part of this series. Otherwise…This series is limited to supplements with a proven track record through scientific evidence as well as “in the gym” testing. Although athletic supplements are ubiquitous, their efficacy is not.
About the Author
David Barr is widely recognized as an industry innovator, most recently for his work on developing The Anabolic Index. As a strength coach and scientist, he brings a unique perspective to the areas of diet, supplementation, and training. His research experience includes work for NASA at the Johnson Space Center, as well as studying the effect of protein on muscle growth. He holds certifications with the NSCA as well as USA Track and Field, and can be contacted through his website:
Raise The Barr
***Sherdog Exclusive***Top 3 Performance Supplements, by David Barr 
