The Muscle Couple has been reading about a new OTC supplement recently on the scene and the research looks very promising.

Glycine Propionyl-L-Carnitine(GPLC) is a new supplement that combines the amino acid glycine with propionyl-l-carnitine.  Glycine is a “glucogenic amino acid” that helps regulate blood sugar and is a precursor to Creatine.  Recently its been shown in multiple studies to be a strong vasodilator.  Carnitine works to shuttle free fatty acids into the mitochondria of muscle cells.

The two of these supplements in combo have shown some significant ergogenic value.  A recent study showed that GPLC supplementation reduced lactic acid concentrations in the blood and also increased peak power output when performing anaerobic exercise.  The same study appeared to show GPLC increased plasma nitrate which is a surrogate measure of nitric oxide production.

So how does a fitness athlete or weight trainee benefit from using GPLC?  GPLC increases Nitric Oxide production offering greater vasodilation and ultimately enhanced uptake of muscle building nutrients to the muscle cell.  This should promote greater lean tissue gains.

The right dosage according to the research is 4.5 gms 90 minutes before you workout.

Using it will improve your endurance(reducing lactic acid), increase strength(enhanced power output) and stimulate greater fat burning (carnitine shuttling FFA’s into the cells mitochondria).  In doing all those things, it should be an essential ergogen to add to your daily supplement stack.

As promising as this supplement appears to be, there aren’t many companies who have manufactured a formulation yet.  The two we recommend are:

• NSI GPLC Glycine Propionyl L-Carnitine

• GPLC Glycocarn from Jarrow Formulas.

Buy it and try it for a month taking 3-5gms 90 minutes before your resistance training session on an empty stomach.  Tell us what you think.

<NOTE>Jay is experimenting with this right now and will provide more feedback over the next couple of months.

MIHWCS