NAC

WHAT IS NAC?
N-acetyl-L-Cycteine is a modified form of Cysteine. Cysteine is an amino acid that can be found throughout the body. NAC has been shown to increase levels of the antioxidant glutathione (pronounced gloot-a-thigh-own). Antioxidants such as glutathione can reduce cell damage, speed recovery from injury and aid muscle growth.

HOW DOES NAC WORK?
As stated, NAC is one of the most powerful antioxidants that you can obtain. Antioxidants are substances that scavenge free radicals. Free radicals are damaging compounds in the body that alter cell membranes, tamper with DNA, and even cause cell death.

Free radicals occur naturally in the body, but environmental toxins (such as cigarette smoking and air pollution) and physical activity (such as weight training or running) can also increase the number of these damaging particles. Free radicals wreak havoc on your health, your recovery from exercise and your immune system.

For example, just one bout of treadmill running can increase free radical levels by more than 300%. Free radicals are believed to contribute to the aging process as well as the development of a number of health problems including heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants such as glutathione can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.

It is via this route of protecting against free radical damage that it is thought NAC can possibly accelerate muscle growth. Quite amazingly, NAC was shown to completely prevent the muscle loss that normally occurs as part of the aging process in one particular study. NAC has also been shown to dramatically reduce muscle fatigue during exercise. This is one reason why it's popular with bodybuilders and strength athletes seeking to gain muscle size and weight and is included in many popular supplements, especially meal replacement powders that are consumed regularly throughout the day.

It is also noted that the powerful Glutathione aids in the transport of nutrients to various immune cells, and to protect cell membranes. While glutathione is available as a dietary supplement, absorption is notoriously low, and NAC is thought to be a better source method of boosting cellular glutathione levels. Endurance athletes (such as long-distance runners, cyclists or triathletes) report that NAC helps them tolerate large volumes of training while remaining free of illness. This is true also of the very intensely training resistance athletes - power lifters especially.

Considered to be the most highly and well studied of the anti-oxidants, NAC is considered one of the safest supplements available. NAC has actually been used and studied for more than three decades as a "mucus dissolving" agent to help break up the thick mucus often present in people suffering from chronic respiratory ailments.

Thanks to its many uses, NAC has become a very popular compound for all athletes as it reduces muscle damage and strengthens the immune system, NAC is used extensively by endurance athletes, such as long-distance runners, cyclists and triathletes. Many athletes also include NAC in their diet when they are in the early stages of recovering from an injury. Those more interested in muscle gain such as bodybuilders, rugby players and sprinters are also interested in the possible high anabolic activity of NAC.

NAC will make it less likely that you'll suffer from an illness or infection, especially if you're doing a large volume of training. It will also accelerate gains in lean muscle size and strength, when combined with a high-protein diet and regular resistance exercise.

HOW MUCH AND WHEN?
NAC has a wide variety of uses, and the amount used depends to a large extent on the goals of the individual. For recovery from injury, most experts recommend 1,000-1500 milligrams of NAC daily, consumed in 3-4 divided doses. To gain muscle size and strength, most bodybuilders use up to 200 milligrams of NAC daily in 1-3 divided doses.