Finished my Rala

**Beernutz** · 06-01-2004, 08:13 PM

is it still possible to burn fat without it. I just finished my bottle and im running low on cash because im trying to pay off my car. Is it really neccessary?

**SwoleCat** · 06-01-2004, 08:19 PM

Sure, because ala or r-ala is not a fat burner, and is not responsible for burning fat.

~SC~

**fritz2435** · 06-01-2004, 08:19 PM

I dont use ALA when I cut. It is just a tool, it doesnt make or break your fat loss efforts.

**fritz2435** · 06-01-2004, 08:20 PM

All ALA does is shuttle carbs to muscles, so you can just cut your carbs.

**LeanMeOut** · 06-01-2004, 08:31 PM

Dude I cut for like 2 months before using R-ALA..... and I had great progress. You'll be fine

<<LMO>>

**longhornDr** · 06-01-2004, 10:43 PM

I felt like I got better results when I stopped using it.

It may work for some, but i think the effectiveness is blown way out of proportion. You can definitely do without it and more likely than not wont notice any difference at all.

**SwoleCat** · 06-02-2004, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by longhornDr

I felt like I got better results when I stopped using it.

It may work for some, but i think the effectiveness is blown way out of proportion. You can definitely do without it and more likely than not wont notice any difference at all.

I can see one not noticing a difference w/it or w/out it, but I am curious as to how you get better results WITHOUT it? It's not like it prohibits far burning. Just curious that's all.

~SC~

**fritz2435** · 06-02-2004, 09:42 AM

reverse placebo effect?

**longhornDr** · 06-02-2004, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

I can see one not noticing a difference w/it or w/out it, but I am curious as to how you get better results WITHOUT it? It's not like it prohibits far burning. Just curious that's all.

~SC~

Simple physiology. Let's assume that r-ALA does indeed increase insulin sensitivity. It is also well known that after resistance training, muscle tissue is maximally sensitive to insulin and adipose tissue has reduced sensitivity.

So, hypothetically, without r-ALA post workout:

Muscle is 100% sensitive to insulin and adipose tissue is 25% sensitive, thus the large majority of your carbs will go to muscle for storage and repair.

Now let's say you decide to tinker with that and throw ALA into the mix:

Muscle is already maximally sensitive to insulin, so no change there. But adipose tissue insulin sensitivty is now 25 + X%. More carbs will be taken up by adipose tissue, and unless you also increase your carb intake, you have actually just robbed your muscles of nutrients...either way you end up with more fat storage.

ALA may have it's uses in diabetics and those with relatively high bodyfat (because there will be global insulin resistance) but I feel that once you get into the low bodyfat range it is counterproductive.

**SwoleCat** · 06-02-2004, 11:59 AM

I wasn't referring to ala only post-workout. Many utilize it at all OTHER times of the day.

As well, I've not seen any studies that convince me that ala pwo makes fat any more sensitive to store nutrients. Animal was preaching this a while ago, but you know how that goes. One week it's this, the next week it's that, etc.

~SC~

**Beernutz** · 06-02-2004, 02:41 PM

thanks guys...

**longhornDr** · 06-02-2004, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by SwoleCat

I wasn't referring to ala only post-workout. Many utilize it at all OTHER times of the day.

As well, I've not seen any studies that convince me that ala pwo makes fat any more sensitive to store nutrients. Animal was preaching this a while ago, but you know how that goes. One week it's this, the next week it's that, etc.

~SC~

Other times of the day were when I actually saw the biggest difference. I've run your SUP2 program with and without out it. The first time I ran SUP2 with r-ALA and my abs had faded out within about 4 weeks, so I quit and went back to cutting with SGX w/o r-ALA and seemed to have better results with that too. Now I'm in my 7th week of my second round of SUP2 (without r-ALA) and my abs still look decent.

Whether it's just water or fat accumulation doesn't matter to me, I think it makes me look like crap. There have been no studies showing that r-ALA does anything useful in non-diabetic subjects and there is physiologically no reason to believe that r-ALA would preferentially affect muscle over adipose tissue.