Redefine 'The Pump' With Glycerol!

In the movie Pumping Iron (1977), Arnold Schwarzenegger famously compared 'the pump' to the satisfaction of sexual gratification. While he later acknowledged that this statement was made as part of the eccentric character he wished to portray on-screen, the term 'the pump' has remained, and it's physiological acquisition for trainees has become a well-targeted section of the supplement industry's marketing machine.

Whether it's Superpump 250, Amped or White Floor, the market has become inundated with 'breakthrough' energy / muscle pump inducing supplements. L-Arginine and Citrulline Malate have become favourites of the gym-rat.

However, one cheap and efficient supplement is often ignored by a large demographic of the fitness community, who believe N.O. products to be the gold standard of achieving a vascular and pumped look.

Glycerol:

Glycerol, though not as sexy as Arginine or Citrulline Malate is perhaps the single most effective ingredient I have ever had the fortune of stumbling across with regard to creating a more chiselled look during everyday training.

Glycerol or glycerine is a colourless and odourless liquid (or powder, depending on preference) substance that is used widely in the pharmaceutical and food industry. Due to it's sweet taste, it is often used as a sugar substitute in baking. As glycerol is a sugar alcohol, it is insulinogenic, so no need to fear on that front. However, each gram of glycerol contains 4 calories, making it the most calorically dense sugar alcohol.

Moreover, topical application of glycerol is highly effective as a moisturising agent to hydrate the skin.

Benefits:

The benefits of glycerol in relation to performance are several-fold:

• As an ergogenic for endurance athletes, hyper hydration with glycerol has been found to improve performance. In one study, loading with glycerol improved the performance times for cyclists by 5%, compared to the placebo group (Hitchins, et. al., 1999).
• Skin-tearing pumps and vascularity (OK, now this just sounds like an ad).

In terms of mechanism of action - glycerol helps the body hold on to water. It can also slow the removal of excess water from the body and draws water from tissue into the blood, imparting that sought-after cosmetic effect.

Points of Consideration:

Glycerol is on the WADA list of prohibited supplements since 2012. Thus, if you are a WADA controlled athlete, it only makes sense to avoid glycerol. The reason, you ask? Glycerol can increase blood volume, thereby acting as a 'masking agent' for other performance enhancing substances such as testosterone, etc.

Glycerol requires the ingestion of large quantities of water to work effectively, for both hyper hydration or 'the pump'.

In terms of specifics, an effective protocol for hyper-hydration comprises 1 - 1.5g / kg glycerol + 25 - 35 ml / kg of fluid. For an 80kg individual that means you would require no less than 80g of glycerol + 2 litres of water!

For me, I find that 1.5 tablespoons of glycerol in liquid form, coupled with 1 litre of water will bring about a salacious pump that will last at least as long as your workout. To make the substance more palatable, I would suggest mixing it into a nice cup of black coffee.

I recommend taking it 60 minutes prior to training, but for your early risers, 30 minutes will do in a tight spot. That magical pump might just be delayed a few sets into your routine.

Remember, you don't need to fork out on expensive products - you can easily pick up bottles of this stuff from your local pharmacy, cheap. For those a little more health-conscious, I would suggest to try to source the glycerine from a company who does not use GMO vegetable sources in production.


Reference:

S. Hitchings, D. T. Martin, L. Burke, K. Yates, K. Fallon, A. Hahn, & G. P. Dobson (1999). Glycerol hyperhydration improves cycle time trail performance in hot humid conditions. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 80 (5), 494 - 501.