Phosphatidic Acid (Study)

[Will Brink]

Phosphatidic Acid (PA) was all the rage as latest greatest muscle builder not long ago, and not surprisingly, when put to the objective test, to use science lingo, didn't do jack sh&% in experienced lifters.

I've never been totally clear as to why anyone thought it would or could help build muscle or strength, but that's another topic. Here's a new study on PA and the results not the least bit surprising to me:

Effects of phosphatidic acid supplementation on muscle thickness and strength in resistance-trained men

Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2017, 42(4): 443-448,

Abstract


The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of phosphatidic acid (PA) supplementation on muscle thickness and strength following an 8 week supervised resistance-training program. Fifteen resistance trained men (22.8 ± 3.5 years; 80.6 ± 8.7 kg; 178.1 ± 5.6 cm; 14.6% ± 8.8% body fat) were randomly assigned to a group that either consumed 750 mg of PA or a placebo (PL). Testing was carried out before (PRE) and after (POST) training/supplementation for muscle thickness and strength.


Muscle thickness of the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL), biceps brachii (BB), and triceps brachii (TB) muscles were measured via ultrasonography, along with 1 repetition maximum (1RM) of squat, deadlift, and bench press. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), using PRE values as the covariate, did not reveal any group differences for measures of muscle thickness in the RF (PA: 3.6% ± 5.2%; PL: 3.2% ± 4.2%, p = 0.97), VL (PA: 23.4% ± 18.1%, PL: 12.5% ± 15.4%, p = 0.37), BB (PA: 3.7% ± 6.4%, PL: 9.6% ± 12.4%, p = 0.86), or TB (PA: 15.1% ± 17.9%, PL: 10.7% ± 19.3%, p = 0.79). Likewise, no group differences were observed in changes in squat (PA: 8.4% ± 4.1%, PL: 8.1% ± 4.2%, p = 0.79), deadlift (PA: 10.1% ± 10.1%, PL: 8.9% ± 9.5%, p = 0.66), or bench press (PA: 5.7% ± 5.5%, PL: 5.1% ± 3.0%, p = 0.76) exercises.


Collectively, however, all participants experienced significant (p < 0.05) improvements in each measure of muscle thickness and strength. Results of this study suggest that PA supplementation, in combination with a 3 days·week−1 resistance-training program for 8 weeks, did not have a differential effect compared with PL on changes in muscle thickness or 1RM strength


http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/apnm-2016-0564#.WN-xlI61vq0

- Will @ www.BrinkZone.com

 

[JV63]

Will,
This study must be flawed. You can go to Bodybuilding.com or Anabolic Minds and read about its wonders.

Actually, I think the 2014 showing enhanced mTor signaling is maybe what got it rolling.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4066292/

Also, thank you for taking the time to post here.

 

[Will Brink]

Will,
This study must be flawed. You can go to Bodybuilding.com or Anabolic Minds and read about its wonders.

Actually, I think the 2014 showing enhanced mTor signaling is maybe what got it rolling.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4066292/

Also, thank you for taking the time to post here.

Thanx. BTW, one of the authors of that study have been strongly criticized by a long list of researchers in a letter to the editor of a journal regarding results simply too good to be true. It's very rare for scientists to do that to each other, but the results (on HMB FYI) were superior to what you'd get with an Anadrol enema...