<body><h1>Glycine-Arginine-Alpha-Ketoisocaproic Acid</h1><p><br></p><p> syn. GAKIC</p><p> syn. Glycine-Arginine-Alpha-Ketoisocaproate</p><p> </p><p><div id=’imgblock’><img data-pointer=’9110’/></div></p><p> </p><h2> Description: </h2><p> Glycine-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid (GAKIC) is an arginine and glycine salt of alpha-ketoisocaproic acid, a metabolite of L-leucine. The body will metabolize this compound into free arginine, alpha-ketoisocaproate, and glycine. Arginine is involved in a number of biological activities important to athletic performance, including protein synthesis, ammonia detoxification, nitric oxide production, growth hormone release, and the synthesis of creatine phosphate.407 Ketoisocaproate has been speculated to improve anaerobic energy metabolism, and buffer exercise induced muscle damage.408 Glycine is a nonessential amino acid involved in growth hormone synthesis, and may reduce muscle fatigue. GAKIC appears to reduce muscle fatigue and improve performance when taken prior to exercise.</p><p> </p><h2> Promoted Benefits:</h2><p> Glycine-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid is promoted to reduce ammonia levels and improve muscle stamina during intense exercise.</p><p> </p><h2> Clinical Studies: </h2><p> This ingredient has been shown to improve performance in placebo-controlled studies with untrained adults. It has a Clinical Support Rating of 4 (4/5).</p><p> One study involved the single-dose supplementation of GAKIC in a group of healthy subjects prior to exercise.409 Muscle performance was measured with a series of three sets of knee concentric and eccentriccontractions, which were conducted over a 15-minute period (five minutes of rest between sets). The supplementation of GAKIC was shown to increase the resistance to fatigue by 14-28% over the 3 sets, and total work by 9-12% (average 10.5%), compared to placebo.</p><p> A second study also examined the effects of a singledose of GAKIC prior to exercise, which was taken by a group of healthy men.410 The dosage administered was 11.2 g, which was consumed during a 45-minute period prior to exercise. The exercise protocol involved a series (five) of 10-second cycle ergometer sprints against high resistance. Evaluations were made of mean muscle power, peak power, serum lactate, and fatigue values. Subjects taking GAKIC noticed a greater retention of mean power between the first and second sprints. No other variables were significantly different from placebo.</p><p> </p><p> These studies support the use of glycine-argininealpha-ketoisocaproic acid as a sport supplement.</p><p> </p><h2> Empirical Evidence: </h2><p> Glycine-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid has been widely used as a stand-alone supplement. The feedback on this product has generally been mixed. Some users confirm that glycine-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid does improve muscle endurance and stamina when taken before intense training. A fair percentage of these further report that this increase in stamina allows for greater levels of stimulation during exercise, and thus enhanced results over time. The improvements are not immense, however, but consistent. A seemingly equal percentage of users report dissatisfaction with the supplement, often claiming a lack of substantial improvement. Whether this is due to individual insensitivity to GAKIC or unrealistic expectations remains unclear. Glycine-arginine-alphaketoisocaproic acid has an Empirical Evidence Rating of 3 (3/5).</p><h2> Effective Dosage: </h2><p> Based on clinical studies, a dosage of 11.2 grams is recommended once daily, prior to intense exercise. </p><h2> Side Effects / Safety: </h2><p> Glycine-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid was well tolerated during clinical studies, with no significant side effects reported.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></body>
