By Mike Tuchscherer

Amplifier is a powerful new product from Quest Nutrition.  Most supplements on the market target either the muscular system, the hormonal system, or the various energy systems of the body.  While these are important, don't forget the most important system of all -- the Nervous System!

Amplifier contains precise doses highly bio-available of Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Alpha Lipoic Acid.  Why do you care?  Well, I'm glad you asked.  First, let’s talk about Acetyl-L-Carnitine.  Acetyl-L-Carnitine is thought to assist in the conversion of Choline into the powerful neurotransmitter Acetylcholine.  Acetylcholine is where the real-world effects come through for you. 

Neuro-Science

If you don't already know what a neurotransmitter is, allow me to explain.  You see, nerves don't communicate with one another with raw electricity.  They communicate with neurotransmitters -- chemicals that pass between each nerve cell sending a signal down the chain.  Acetylcholine (often abbreviated ACh) is a major player in the neurotransmitter field.  It is active in the Central Nervous System, the Peripheral Nervous System, and the Autonomic Nervous System.

In the Central Nervous System, ACh will help clarity of thought, alertness, and overall wellbeing.  In the Peripheral Nervous System, ACh is what gives the signal to motor units to contract; I’d say THAT’S important for a lifter, wouldn’t you?  ACh also helps keep the Autonomic Nervous System functioning correctly, which means faster recovery for you.  If ACh is out of balance, then the nervous system cannot function properly and all those benefits I just mentioned go out the window.

neurotransmitters crossing the synaptic gap

The tricky thing about neurotransmitters is that they are extremely delicate.  It’s best to just let the body take care of them itself.  If your body needs neurotransmitters, it can manufacture them as long as it has the raw materials.  That’s where Acetyl-L-Carnitine comes in.  It is raw material that your body needs to convert Choline into Acetylcholine.  If you make sure your body has enough Acetyl-L-Carnitine, it will make sure you have enough Acetylcholine.

What about ALA?

Alpha Lipoic Acid (also ALA) is primarily an anti-oxidant.  This is hugely important for athletes as hard training creates more free radicals than normal.  ALA is able to bind these free radicals and prevent them from doing damage to other cells.  Sounds pretty tame as far as supplements go, right?  Wrong.

You see, most vitamins are either water soluble or fat soluble.  This means they can affect tissues that are water-based, but not those that are fat-based or vice versa.  ALA is both water and fat soluble, meaning its effects are much wider-reaching than other antioxidants.  Also consider the fact that ALA can cross the blood-brain barrier and be absorbed into the brain.  This means nerve cells all throughout the body, including the brain, are protected from oxidative damage.  This has obvious major health benefits, but that’s not all.  By protecting those cells, they will be available to you when you need them -- such as for athletic activity.

But if you still think ALA is just a regular ‘ol antioxidant, think again.  ALA also can in effect mimic insulin in the bloodstream.  This prompts cells to uptake nutrients from the bloodstream.  This means improved glycogen storage, up-regulated protein synthesis, and a host of other benefits without the added calories or decreased insulin sensitivity that a traditional insulin spike can cause.  Here’s the kicker:  when taken in combination with your other supplements, this will drive them into the muscle cells where they can be more effective.  Oh, don’t forget Acetyl-L-Carnitine.  It’s subject to this response, too.  Meaning it is made more effective because it is taken in conjunction with ALA.  ALA supplementation has also been shown to increase glutathione levels in muscle cells.  This has been shown to improve recovery rates in weightlifters.  Not a tame antioxidant anymore, is it?

Amplifier

As I mentioned earlier, bioavailability is a big concern with these ingredients.  Can your body use the supplement it is provided?  In the case of Amplifier, the answer is unequivocally yes, but unfortunately the same can’t be said for other types of the same ingredients.

With such a powerful and bio-active supplement, dosing is also a big concern.  Take too little and you don’t see an effect.  Take too much and you’re likely to see pins-and-needles side effects.  That’s why the dosing of Amplifier is precisely controlled so that you get the right amount in the right ratios for maximum effectiveness without negative side effects.

Personal Experience

I admit, when I first got Amplifier, I thought it would be pretty tame.  I just didn’t see how this would make a big difference to my training as it seemed more geared toward health benefits than size and strength.  So it sat on my shelf for a while.  For a long time, to be honest.

Then, one day, I decided to give it a try.  The very next workout, I set a 10 pound PR in the squat.  That is made more impressive by the fact that I had made 20 pounds of progress in the last couple of weeks and my latest PR wasn’t more than 3 days old!  For a high level lifter, that’s practically unheard of progress.  Then I had a very similar experience with my deadlift.  Not only that, but I experienced higher-than-normal levels of awareness and mental clarity.  And it wasn't just one or two workouts.  This is a consistent experience for me when taking Amplifier.  It didn’t take long for me to be sold on this product.  It is now a staple of my supplement program.

You can find Amplifier here.

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