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Bodybuilding Protease Supplement Review
As bodybuilders we all know the benefits in being able to push harder from workout to workout. After all, muscles respond best to overload stress, and what better way to increase workload than to recover more completely so that you can push more weight for more reps in subsequent workouts?
Recent from the University of Nebraska (Lincoln) has shown a simple protease (digestive enzyme) supplement derived from the fermentation of Aspergillus oryzae can aid in short term strength recovery after a bout of resistance exercise. In this double-blinded, placebo-controlled study, researchers had subject ingest a protease supplement or a placebo, three doses daily (on an empty stomach) for three days. Each dose of the protease supplement consisted of 342 milligrams of Protease 6.0 and 340 milligrams of Protease 4.5. (The numbers simply indicate the PH level of the enzyme.) At the same time subjects underwent a standardized eccentric exercise protocol for the arms followed by an assessment of isometric forearm flexion strength before, immediately after, and 24, 48 and 72 hours post eccentric exercise.
Remarkably the researchers consistently noted post-exercise isometric strength was significantly higher in the protease-supplement group. In fact, the protease supplement facilitated an 8% overall increase in post-exercise strength despite the fact that the groups were nearly identical in strength before eccentric exercise. The researchers proposed that the reduction in post-exercise strength loss with protease ingestion was a result of reduced inflammation. This conclusion serves as a reasonable theory, as proteases have been shown to reduce swelling by inhibiting prostaglandin (a hormone like fatty acid) production and by improving the return of interstitial fluid and cells to the blood.
All in all, these findings make proteases a promising new player in bodybuilding supplementation. Protease supplements are readily available, are relative cheap, and seem to be a very safe and effective way to promote rapid recovery from weight training, which ultimately leads to better size and strength gains.
Bodybuilding Protease Supplement Reviews