L-carnosine is naturally occuring in the body and consists of two amino acids, alanine and histidine. Such combinations of amino acids are known as dipeptides. Like other amino acids and dipeptides, L-carnosine is a protein building block. L-carnosine is found in high concentrations in skeletal muscles primarily in type II muscle fibres. These are the "fast-twitch" muscle fibers used in explosive movements like weight training, sprinting and what we are focused on in this article, Jumping.
Many of you reading this article right now have felt that intense burning sensation that weight training produces. This is because the pH in your muscles and blood decrease, causing them to become too acidic, causing that intense burning sensation. It is literally like your muscles are on fire! During short-term, high-intensity exercise, lactate accumulates as the result of lactic acid production being greater than its removal. It is the Hydrogen ions (H+) that are produced with lactic acid accumulation as part of the process of energy release rather than the lactate that causes pH to decrease. it is unbuffered protons like H+ that pose complications for the athletes.
So exactly what role does Carnosine play in all of this? By means of preventing some enzymatic reactions that lead to this increased acidic environment, it appears Carnosine may well be the definitive H+ buffering agent. Carnosine helps to put out the burning fire in your muscles you feel before reaching failure and as a result enhances muscular performance. For more on the science behind L-Carnosine Go here
What this means is that it will allow you to perform that extra rep in the gym, or help you come on strong at the end of your sprint. What it really comes down to is this. The more Carnosine in your muscles, the better you perform. Period!
Carnosine also helps activate the enzymes responsible for generating muscle contractions (myofibrillar-ATPase). By generating this enzyme it appears that Carnosine prevents fatigue through yet another mechanism. Carnosine also helps prevent muscular injuries and speeds up recovery times.
How do I get my L-Carnosine?
In addition to taking a Carnosine supplement you can also get Carnosine from certain foods. The highest concentration by far is found in steak. Then ground beef and the levels in other foods drop off significantly from there. As a side note - Michael Jordan's pre-game meal was always steak and potatoes. I think we can agree that MJ was one of the most explosive athletes of all time. Odds are there was no shortage of L-Carnosine in his system as air Jordan prepared for takeoff.
L-Carnosine has other benefits as well!
L-Carnosine supplements are reported to have several other positive effects on health, most of which are related to its ability to slow the aging process by neutralizing free radical damage. For example, L-Carnosine may extend life by reducing the protein and DNA damage caused by a process called glycosylation. Glycosylation occurs when sugars and proteins combine in abnormal ways, and the result can be the development of conditions like heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and skin damage. Also, toxic metals that are produced by various metabolic reactions in the body are bound by L-Carnosine and eliminated before damage to tissues can occur. The cells of the immune system are strengthened and stabilized by L-Carnosine as well.
Aging athletes and L-Carnosine.
As we age our natural Carnosine levels decrease. This can result in strength loss as well as loss of explosive power. Anyone from their late 30's on
probably has a decreased amount of Carnosine resulting in decreased athletic performance. In this case a daily supplement of 500mg should be considered
if peak explosive performance is what you are after.
So if your goal is to attain your maximum vertical or just compete to the best of your ability in any sport, with so many health benefits not the least of which is increased explosive power output, L-Carnosine has to be at the top of the list for athletic supplementation.
For more information on the best Vertical Jump training program available check out The Jump Manual
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")