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Are You Too Nervous To Grow?

Is it possible to be too nervous to grow? Yes it is possible, and the good news is that it can be easily remedied. When someone is anxious or nervous, the corresponding demands on the neuro-endocrine system lower the training response through a variety of mechanisms such as too much cortisol being produced late in the evening. This leads to restlessness, feelings of nervouness. The athlete will often say I am too wired to be tired! Another sign of this is, is athletes that fairly lean everywhere-except on the umbilical skinfold.

Supplements to the rescue
Managing this condition with supplements is rather easy to do. Here are some options you have:

Phosphatidyl-choline
3 grams of phosphatidyl-choline in the evening will help bring down the sympathetic nervous system down. Your quality of sleep will improve accordingly and you will find your self more mellow. It also is a great liver detoxifier, which may also help with IGF-1 production. It also help clear excess estrogens. If you also have a problem with aromatization, where your testosterone is converted in periphery into estrogens, phosphatidyl-choline can help.  A sure sign of that if you are a male, is that you start crying during Bounty commercials.

Reishi Mushroom extract
The world's first plant monograph was done on Reishi mushroom. Referred to as "the mushroom of immortality", It is know in Chinese Medicine as the plant for the professor who lived too much inside its head. Reishi`s active ingredients include sterols, coumarin, mannitol, polysaccharides, and triterpenoids called ganoderic acids. Ganoderic acids may lower blood pressure as well as decrease low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride levels.It is a strong anti-inflammatory, anti-oxydant that lowers cortisol levels.  I prefer to use the liquid extract than the capsule form, the results are far superior with the liquid extracts.


Phosphatidyl-serine (PS) is another brain nutrient that is of great benefit to the hard gainer. Oral supplementation of PS has been shown to positively influence neuronal membranes, cell metabolism, and specific neuro-transmitter systems, including acetylcholine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. Numerous studies trials have demonstrated that PS exerts significant benefit for cognitive functioning, especially those functions which tend to decline with age, including memory, learning, vocabulary skills, and concentration. PS is made up in the body from the amino acid L-serine, glycerophosphate, and two fatty acids. Some PS is converted to phosphatidylethanolamine, which is in turn converted to phosphatidylcholine. 
I agree that probably the best way to use PS is post-workout in a dosage of 800 mg or so. It helps lower rapidly the cortisol levels, therefore allowing to shift from a catabolic to anabolic state much more readily. It is my experience that dosages greater than 2400 mg per week can lower cortisol too much and thereby increase inflammation in the body.
I prefer to use the powder form than the capsules as it both more efficient and economical. PS is relatively expensive supplement and using the powdered form makes it more available.

Magnesium Taurate is a form of magnesium bound to the amino acid taurine. Taurine is an inhibitory amino acid, therefore it calms the nervous system. This unique combination of magnesium and taurine is known to be GABAnergic, meaning that it raises the levels of the neurotransmitter GABA, which is associated with calming the nervous system and inducing better quality sleep. I recommend to take 300- 600 mg post-workouts along with your post workout shake and another dose of the same caliber in the evening.


Magnesium Orotate
This is a very interesting form of magnesium. In Soviet weightlifting circles, it was recommended as a supplement to weightlifters who were going off oral anabolic steroids to pass the drug test in time. It was reputed to have anabolic properties, in fact, it really anti-catabolic properties as this particular form of magnesium is known to lower cortisol. Because it lowers cathecolamines levels, it is the magnesium of choice for heart patients, as it mitigates their type A personality.

I recommend using 500 to 1,000 mg after 6 Pm in divided dosages to promote anabolism and quality sleep.


To find out more about these quality supplements and others and how you can determine the best supplement program that work for YOU, please register to one my Biosignature Modulation, to register contact Janelle@CharlesPoliquin.com


Lifestyle tips
Another tip to help your gains in the gym, avoid watching violent stuff in the evening. Studies shows that watching violent shows or films depletes the nutrients responsible for the synthesis of acetylcholine an important neurotransmitter that regulates the amount of force you can produce in the gym.

I would also suggest you get access to relaxation tapes that you could listen to before retiring at night. These tapes have been shown to help lower blood pressure and cortisol levels. Ask your local massage therapist to recommend you the better ones. Since they diminish the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, they will be helping you keeping your energy reserves for growth.

The right timing for stretching
For the last two and half decades, I have been a strong opponent to stretching before weight training, which has been strongly supported in the most recent past by the scientific literature. For the same reasons I hate stretching before training, I like it before sleep as it calms down the nervous system and actually makes up more room for the muscles to grow. Static stretching is the Yin counterpart to the Yang of strength training, therefore it brings the body in balance. Many NFL football players report increased performance on the field once they start integrated Yoga or static stretching as part of their evening calming down routine.

If you apply the information given above, you will be able to convert that wasted nervous energy into better training drive in the gym.