alpha lipoic acid & creatine

[tom joad]

I use just regular creatine (right now it's from Ultimate Nutritrion.)  I mix it with gatorade powder and whey protein powder for both a pre and post workout shake.  Would it be beneficial to also supplement with alpha lipoic acid when taking creatine?  Is creatine more effective when taken in conjunction with alpha lipoic acid?  Thanks.

[Bear03]

ALA improves the uptake of sugar and consequently creatine.  However, it's a very expensive supplement, and its benefits don't really outweight the costs.  IMO.

[King Kwert Konan]

ALA is expensive?!? In the 80's, maybe, but it's not expensive anymore.

You can find it damn cheap online on many websites.  Never buy it in powder, only in capsules, because the powder stuff degrades to I don't know what.

In that Cell Tech product, there is 75g of dextrose and 200mg of lipoic acid per 10g of creatine.

You can find 120*100mg of ALA easily for under 6$, and you can certainly have better deals if you buy the bigger capsules.

ALA is a very great antioxidant, especially if you're already supplementing with Vitamin C and E, as the three of them works in synergy.

Yes R-ALA is better than just ALA, but the S isomer of ALA is not bad, and you're better taking more ALA than buying the overpriced R-ALA.

[Bast06]

Flax seed oil contains a lot of ALA.

[King Kwert Konan]

Flaxseed oil has alpha linolenic acid, not alpha lipoic acid...

Alpha lipoic acid is found in minute quantities in food, I heard of something like 1mg per pound of spinach.

Both are commonly called ALA.

[Bear03]

You can find 120*100mg of ALA easily for under 6$, and you can certainly have better deals if you buy the bigger capsules.

please tell me where this statement applies, and i will retract my comment.

[King Kwert Konan]

? You said it was expensive.

If something costs 36$ a year and have substancial benefits, I do not consider it expensive.

Of course, it's all a matter of opinion.

[250Ben250]

R-ALA does have significant benefits that justify the cost, I think. Regular ALA just isn't abosrbed that well.

[Bear03]

? You said it was expensive.

If something costs 36$ a year and have substancial benefits, I do not consider it expensive.

Of course, it's all a matter of opinion.

Yeah, what i meant was, tell me where i can buy it at this price, and i will retract what i said about it being too expensive to be worth buying.

[King Kwert Konan]

Vitacost.com has it at 5.89 for 120*100mg, swansonvitamins.com has it at 4.79 for the same.  Of course then there are shipping prices.

I made a quick search for lipoic acid and I recognize most companies sell it at much higher prices than these.

I particularly like the vitacost brand (NSI), I don't want to make publicity, I don't know if they're better but they certainly have good prices.

Are you sure regular ALA is not absorbed that well? Most studies I've read are done with regular ALA, R-ALA is fairly recent in the supplements market I believe.

[WhiteHulk4]

I'm a HUGE believer in Alpha Lipoic Acid.  Yes it does help with creatine uptake, but mainly it keeps your blood-sugar in check.  Taking it with a very high-carb, fattening meal will help reduce the damage it causes as well (fat gain).

I use the 250mg caps from NOW Foods.  Netrition.com has 120 caps for $16.99.

http://www23.netrition.com/now_lipoic_acid_page.html

I think NOW Foods is a great company!  They make good quality products and they're always at very low prices.

[Bear03]

I'm a HUGE believer in Alpha Lipoic Acid.  Yes it does help with creatine uptake, but mainly it keeps your blood-sugar in check.  Taking it with a very high-carb, fattening meal will help reduce the damage it causes as well (fat gain).

that's what i like it for, now i just gotta find a good deal on the stuff!