Scientific Studies Prove Vitargo®'s Superior Effects!

K. Piehl Aulin, E. Hultman, European Journal of Applied Physiology, 81:346-351, 2000: Muscle glycogen resynthesis rate in humans after supplementation of drinks containing carbohydrates with low and high molecular masses (Vitargo®).
J.B. Leiper, K. Söderlund, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology Karolinska Institute and Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden: Improved gastric emptying rate in humans of a unique carbohydrate polymer (Vitargo®) with gel forming properties.

Vitargo® is a registered trademark of Carbamyl AB.

Q: I'm currently taking a creatine product that also contains dextrose. I know that dextrose spikes insulin which in turn stimulates creatine transport to the muscles. I'm getting good results, so why should I switch to Vitargo-CGL?

A: Creatine plus dextrose usually produces better results than just taking creatine by itself. This is due to the fact that dextrose stimulates insulin and insulin transports creatine to the muscles. Regular creatine doesn't give you this edge. Even so creatine plus dextrose is superior to regular creatine and produces good results in some individuals, this doesn't mean that its' effects can't be surpassed. Dextrose principally has three flaws. First, dextrose has a high osmolality rate once mixed with water. Such a solution passes through the stomach relatively slowly and water is retained longer in the stomach, since dextrose binds additional water from the body's reserves (small intestine, blood, muscles). This oftentimes creates an uncomfortable bloated feeling in the stomach. The second disadvantage of dextrose is, that it is absorbed faster than creatine. Dextrose and creatine do not enter the bloodstream at the same time. In scientific studies dextrose is therefore given 30 minutes after creatine. If you take a creatine product which contains both creatine and dextrose, the dextrose component causes an insulin spike in the blood when most of the creatine is still sitting in the stomach. This leaves a substantial portion of the creatine without a carrier and it goes to waste. The third major drawback of dextrose is the nature of this carbohydrate. Dextrose is pure sugar. Consuming large amounts of simple sugars like dextrose every day is from an athletic and nutritional standpoint not very desirable.

Vitargo-CGL on the other hand, which uses the patented high molecular weight carbohydrate Vitargo® instead of dextrose, has none of these flaws. Vitargo® creates a low osmolality rate in water and passes through the stomach 80% faster than dextrose. In doing so, Vitargo® acts like a pump, pulling creatine and water along with it into the bloodstream. Such a quick passage through the stomach greatly minimizes the risk of stomach discomfort. Moreover, this synchronizes creatine and insulin blood levels because Vitargo® and creatine enter the bloodstream together. A greater amount of creatine can now be transported to the muscles because of insulin's timely presence. On top of that, Vitargo® activates the same powerful insulin spike as seen in dextrose and yet it is completely sugar-free. Creatine product overloaded with simple sugars like dextrose have simply been rendered obsolete by the fusion of creatine with Vitargo®. There can be no question that Vitargo-CGL is superior to creatine/dextrose formulas.

Q: Can you give me a quick rundown of the facts why creatine plus Vitargo® as seen in Vitargo-CGL is superior to creatine with dextrose?

A: Here are the facts.

1. Vitargo® passes through the stomach 80% faster than dextrose, thus minimizing the risk of stomach discomfort.
2. Vitargo® accelerates creatine transport from the stomach into the bloodstream. Vitargo® basically acts like a pump, pulling creatine and water along with it from the stomach through the small intestine and into the bloodstream. This synchronizes creatine and insulin levels because creatine and the insulin stimulating Vitargo® enter the bloodstream together, which is not the case in creatine/dextrose formulas where dextrose is absorbed before creatine. More creatine can now be transported to the muscles.
3. Vitargo® is absorbed 70% faster by the muscles than dextrose resulting in a quicker recovery rate from training. In addition to this with less stomach discomfort and more creatine transport, creatine plus Vitargo® clearly emerges as the better post-workout creatine formula.
4. Vitargo® is as potent as dextrose in stimulating insulin to initiate creatine transport, yet it is completely sugar-free. Creatine products overloaded with simple sugars like dextrose have now become a thing of the past.
5. Vitargo® is 70% more efficient in restoring muscle glycogen than dextrose. This leads to even greater cell volumization due to a super hydrated effect of the muscle cells.

Q: What exactly is Vitargo®?

Vitargo® is a unique patented high molecular weight carbohydrate made from Swedish waxy maize starch. Starch is the raw material for carbohydrates used in today's sports supplements. Dextrose and maltodextrin, which are often found in creatine products are also derived from starch. The difference between Vitargo®, dextrose and maltodextrin is that dextrose and maltodextrin are starch molecules with a low molecular weight, which means they are already well broken down. That's why they are referred to as sugars or simple carbohydrates. Vitargo® on the other hand has a molecular weight which is about 100 times greater than maltodextrin and about 3000 times greater than dextrose. Vitargo® is therefore a long chain complex carbohydrate.

The significance of this is, that mixed in water, Vitargo® acts far more favorably than dextrose or maltodextrin. Vitargo® forms an extremely hypotonic solution with a very low osmolality rate which passes through the stomach very quickly. In doing so it acts like a pump, pulling water and creatine along with it. Dextrose and maltodextrin on the other hand form a solution with a relatively high osmolality rate, which means they pass through the stomach 80% slower than Vitargo®. They also bind water from the body's reserves (small intestine, blood, muscles) and draw it into the stomach. This explains why so many creatine/dextrose users experience stomach discomfort or a bloated feeling.

Vitargo® is also absorbed 70% faster by the muscles than dextrose or maltodextrin. Moreover, unlike dextrose and maltodextrin, Vitargo® contains no sugar or simple carbohydrates, yet it causes the same powerful insulin spike as the sugar dextrose to initiate creatine transport. Using Vitargo® over sugars like dextrose, maltodextrin, fructose or sucrose in your creatine product is clearly a winning choice.

Vitargo® is manufactured only in Sweden by the company Carbamyl AB which is one of the largest starch manufacturers in the world. Vitargo® by itself and in combination with creatine is already being used by German, Russian, Chinese and Swedish olympic athletes. Now that Carbamyl AB has successfully developed the technology to get Vitargo® into mass production, not only elite athletes but all athletes can benefit from Vitargo®'s unique effects. Vitargo-CGL™ has become the first product in the US that has been licensed by its' Swedish patent holders to contain the proper amount of Vitargo® (70 grams per serving) and creatine monohydrate to produce superior creatine results.

Q: What should I mix Vitargo-CGL with? Water or juice?

A: To achieve the optimum low osmolality rate (osmolality defines how fast a solution passes through the stomach; the lower the osmolality rate of a solution the quicker it passes through the stomach) for Vitargo-CGL, and to further accelerate the crucial transport of creatine, water and Vitargo® from the stomach to the small intestine and subsequently into the bloodstream, we suggest that you mix each serving with 20 oz. of cold water. We strongly advise not to lower this amount of water since it would increase the osmolality rate of the solution and delay it's passage through the stomach. Do not mix Vitargo-CGL with fruit juices like grape juice, apple juice, orange juice etc. The sugars found in fruit juices would increase the osmolality rate of Vitargo-CGL and hence slow down it's absorption into the bloodstream. Simply stay with 20 oz. of cold water and you will get optimum results.

Q: What kind of results can I expect from taking Vitargo-CGL?

A: We are totally convinced that you will experience better results from Vitargo-CGL than from any other creatine formula you have ever tried before. Using creatine plus Vitargo® is a much superior way of loading creatine and glycogen into the muscles. You will get instant gratification from this combination. It is not uncommon to gain up to 12 lbs of solid mass within the first 2 weeks of taking Vitargo-CGL. Since Vitargo-CGL is so effective in transporting creatine to the muscles and in filling up muscular glycogen stores, the muscle cells will become super hydrated in a matter of days. This leads to dramatic gains in size and strength. Because the Vitargo® element in Vitargo-CGL restores muscle energy 70% faster than dextrose or maltodextrin you will also recover quicker from heavy training. This is an added bonus since accelerated muscle recovery means better muscle gains. On top of that, all these benefits occur without the stomach discomfort and bloated feeling so many creatine users experience, and you don't have to ingest one single gram of sugar.

Q: When is the best time to take Vitargo-CGL?

A: On training days you should always consume one serving of Vitargo-CGL with 20 oz. of water immediately after your workout. Muscular creatine uptake and insulin sensitivity are then at their highest and muscle energy needs to be restored as quickly as possible. Since Vitargo-CGL is so effective at delivering creatine to the muscles, and thanks to Vitargo® it is also 70% faster in restoring muscle energy than dextrose and maltodextrin, Vitargo-CGL is the ideal creatine formula for post-workout consumption. On non-training days you should take one serving of Vitargo-CGL with 20 oz. of water immediately upon rising or alternatively one hour before a meal. Vitargo-CGL can be taken any time during the day as long as it is not consumed on a full stomach or in conjunction with a meal. This would delay the crucial passage of creatine, water and Vitargo® from the stomach into the bloodstream. Following a five day loading phase with two servings a day, one single serving per day is all you need to see dramatic results.

Q: Should I cycle Vitargo-CGL?

A: There exists no scientific evidence which supports the notion that creatine works better when taken in cycles. In order to support muscle growth over the long-term we suggest that you use Vitargo-CGL for at least eight weeks. Since Vitargo-CGL is such a superior post-workout creatine drink, it can actually be consumed year round to aid in muscle recovery. Considering the fact that Vitargo-CGL is completely sugar-free it is far more suitable for long-term consumption than creatine products overloaded with sugars like dextrose.

Q: Why doesn't Vitargo-CGL contain alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)? Isn't ALA supposed to improve the effects of creatine?

A: The answer to this question is a very simple one: Vitargo-CGL is a product with integrity, that doesn't just make label claims. Vitargo-CGL is not designed to draw you in with an interesting element, and then not give you enough of that same element to make the product work like you think it is working. That, however, is exactly the case with ALA found in today's creatine products. A recent scientific study¹ has proven that taken in a single dose of 200-400 mg with or without dextrose, ALA does not measurably affect insulin sensitivity or creatine transport. Unfortunately, 200 mg per serving is the standard dose of ALA in most creatine/alpha-lipoic acid formulas. The amount of ALA in these products is by far not enough to produce results. The same scientific study has demonstrated that a 160 pound athlete needs at least 1000 mg of ALA and a 220 pound athlete needs a minimum of 1500 mg of ALA to see an effect. Now check the label of your creatine product and do the math. With the customary 200 mg of ALA per serving you would need to consume at least 5-7 servings to get any measurable results.

The reason why you only find arbitrary amounts of ALA in creatine products is twofold. First, ALA is a relatively expensive raw material and at a dose of 1000-1500 mg per serving, the product price would go up tremendously. Second, because ALA is an acid, it would cause a strong burning sensation in the throat and also in the stomach at such a high dose. The solution would almost become impossible to drink.

Here's another reason why Vitargo-CGL doesn't contain ALA. Scientific studies¹ have also revealed that if you take creatine with ALA after training, the influence of ALA on creatine and glucose transport is overshadowed by the effects of exercise on insulin sensitivity. In other words, ALA offers no benefits for creatine users once it is consumed as part of a post-workout drink. Vitargo-CGL however, gives you the 70 grams of Vitargo® you need in order to produce the results you are expecting from a superior creatine supplement. We at Nutrex Research do not throw the name Vitargo® out just for a label claim.

1. D.G. Burke et al., “The effect of alpha-lipoic acid supplementation on resting muscle creatine during acute creatine loading,” Fed. of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal, 15(4): a649.13,2001.