Potratz on SHR: Grape Fruit Oil for Enhanced Oral Steroid Resorption

Just for those of you who are not yet addicted to the Super Human Channel, i.e. Carl Lenore's radio program on exercise, nutrition and longevity: Wednesday, 15 December 2010, Carl had Eric Potratz from Primordial Performance on the show and talked to him about what could be the future of oral drug/steroid delivery. Although the show certainly smacks of a product pimpjob, the general information Potratz provides is scientifically correct.

Audio 1: Super Human Radio - 631 - Oral Hormone Delivery And Bioavailability

Potratz main argument that grape fruit blocks the intestinal esterase, i.e. the removing of the ester attached to a steroid to render it absorbable via the lymphatic system, has been confirmed in several studies. More recently, Li et. al. (Li. 2009) reported:

[..]oral coadministration of GFJ [Grape Fruit Juice] or an esterase inhibitor, bis-(p-nitrophenylphosphate), with the prodrugs led to respective increases in plasma area under the curve by 70% or 57% for enalaprilat and 279% or 141% for lovastatin acid. In addition, portal vein-cannulated rats pretreated with GFJ at –15 and –2 h before lovastatin administration (10 mg/kg p.o.) as a solution, 1) in water and 2) in GFJ, showed, respectively, a 49% increase (CYP3A-inhibited) and a 116% increase (both CYP3A and gut esterase-inhibited) in the portal plasma exposure to the active acid, compared with a non-GFJ pretreatment group. Overall, along with the CYP3A inactivation by GFJ, the decreased esterase activity also played a significant role in increasing the metabolic stability and permeability of esters leading to enhancement of exposure to the active drugs in rats.

Yet, obviously, the claims Potratz makes on a 15x-20x enhanced bioavailability of the "new" esterified designer-prohormones of the Andro Series still have to be confirmed by independent testing. Also, his claim that the specific oil (from the rind of the grape fruit) Primordial will be using is much more potent than the juice itself, seems logical, but has - to my knowledge - not been scientifically investigated, yet. What certainly is false, however, is Carl's ad-hoc calculation of a compound exhibiting a oral bioavailability of 2% suddenly having one of 60%-70% - probably his personal excitement that made him miscalculate ;-)

Positive/Negative Effects of Normal/High DHT on Metabolic Pathways

Regular visitors of the SuppVersity will certainly remember some of my previous posts about the false demonization of DHT. A new study coming from the Institute of Endocrinology in Prague (Duskova. 2010) supports the view that "optimal" and not low DHT levels are what men should be striving for.

Theorizing that DHT as a non-aromatizable androgen could be responsible for a male type fat distribution, the scientists reviewed the results of both animal and human studies and found that "physiological levels of DHT [do not only] inhibit growth of mature adipocytes", but also have positive levels on body composition in patients on hormone replacement therapy (HRT). On the other hand, there is also evidence that high (super-physiological) DHT levels are associated with obesity:

In obese people, DHT metabolism in adipose tissue is altered. Local abundance of non-aromatizable androgen has a negative effect on adipose tissue and it could be involved in pathogenesis of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.

So, in view of getting/staying lean and healthy, you want your DHT levels within normal ranges and you certainly don't want to block it by taking Saw Palmetto or (God forbid) Finasteride or other drugs out of fear of developing prostate cancer, even if you do not even know if your DHT levels are pathologically elevated.

Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) as a Natural Test Booster and Ergogenic

A very recent study (Saddiq. 2010) published in the Journal of the International Society for Horticultural Science found that the seeds of Phoenix dactylifera can raise testosterone, norepenephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and GABA levels and may counteract the negative effect of prednisolone administration in rats.

[...] the daily oral administration of pits of date palm caused the maximal increase in NE, DA and GABA content that was found in the brain stem after 2 weeks. The daily oral administration of methylprednisolone caused a decrease in NE, DA and GABA content found in the brain stem after 2 weeks. Moreover, the daily oral administration of pits of date palm and methylprednisolone caused an increase in NE content found in the brain stem after 2 weeks. The daily oral administration of pits of date palm and methylprednisolone caused a significant increase in testosterone level in serum blood of male albino rats.

While all this sounds promising, further studies would have to clarify whether it needs the cortisol-like effects of prednisone for the testosterone-boosting effect of the date seeds to take place or whether taking adequate amounts of pits of date palm would provoke similar (or even superior) increases in testosterone in rats and, most importantly, in men. Be that as it may, even the increase in neurotransmitters (NE, DA, GABA) certainly could provide real-world benefits for athletes, as well as people suffering from fatigue.

B-Vitamins & Diabetes: Protective or Causative?

In a very interesting study, scientists from China and Japan (Zhou. 2010) found that "long-term exposure to high level of the B vitamins may be involved in the increased prevalence of obesity and diabetes in the US in the past 50 years". At first this appears to be counterintuitive, since we have been told over and over that B-Vitamins are not only good for our health, but that we could not even "overdose" them. While the latter has been questioned for years and certainly is not the case for e.g. B6 and niacin, even the former seems questionable, if you read the results from the above mentioned study:

The prevalences of diabetes and adult obesity were highly correlated with per capita consumption of niacin, thiamin and riboflavin with a 26- and 10-year lag, respectively (R2 = 0.952, 0.917 and 0.83 for diabetes, respectively, and R2  = 0.964, 0.975 and 0.935 for obesity, respectively). [...] The relationships between the diabetes or obesity prevalence and per capita niacin consumption were´similar both in different age groups and in male and female populations. The prevalence of adult obesity and diabetes was highly correlated with the grain contribution to niacin (R2 = 0.925 and  0.901, respectively), with a 10- and 26-year lag, respectively.

These results (especially those referring to the detrimental effect of niacin) confirm test-tube studies conducted by a group of scientists from South Korea earlier this year (Choi. 2010), who found that

NA [nicotinic acid] alters gene expression in insulin-sensitive tissues by various mechanisms. Some of the NA-induced changes in gene expression are discussed as potential mechanisms underlying wanted and unwanted effects of NA treatment.

Just anecdotal: My personal perspective on B-vitamins has changed since my overall energy and well being, as well as my physique have largely improved after stopping to take those B-vitamin (over-)loaden mulit-vitamin preparations like Now ADAM, CL Orange Triad, Animal Pak, ON Opti-Men etc. But remember: it is mere speculation that this could in fact be related to their high B-vitamin contents - could be any other constituent, as well.

Chromium Ain't Dead Yet: Positive Effects of Chromium Glycinate on Glucose Metabolism and Memory Acquisition in Rats Fed High-Fat Diet

"Chromium"? Sounds familiar, eh? Not too long ago, everybody was all over supplementing with chromium picolloniate to improve insulin sensitivity, to lose fat and to gain muscle. Most human studies, however, failed to reproduce the encouraging results from rodent studies. From todays perspective fat loss and muscle gain, if they occurred would probably have to be considered an indirect effect due to improvements in insulin management, the latter, on the other hand appear to be very real and may even benefit your cognitive performance.

When an international team of scientists supplemented male Wistar rats (n = 60; weighing 200–220 g) on a high-fat (40%, high-fat diet (HFD)) diet with either chromium-glycinate (CrGly) or chromium-acetate (CrAc) at doses of 0, 40, or 80 μg/kg body weight (BW) for 12 weeks, chromium supplementation ameliorated the detrimental effects of HFD on GLUTs, and Memory (32% reduction in expressions of glucose transporters 1 and 3 (GLUTs) in brain tissue and a 27% reduction in mean percentage time spent in the target quadrant and a 38% increase in spatial memory acquisition phase (SMAP)):

Compared with supplemental Cr as CrAc, CrGly was more effective to ameliorate response variables (i.e., restoration of tissue Cr concentration, enhancement of cerebral GLUTs expressions, and reduction of the glucose/insulin ratio and SMAP) in a dose–response manner, especially in rats fed HFD. Supplemental Cr as CrGly may have therapeutic potential to enhance insulin action and alleviate memory acquisition in a dose-dependent manner, through restoring tissue Cr reserve and enhancing cerebral GLUTs expressions.

So, after all chromium certainly ain't no magic bullet, it is likely, however, that patients who suffer from obesity and diabetes, as well as athletes who have been found to be at risk of chromium deficiency, may in fact benefit from your occasional dose of supplemental chromium.

An In-Depth Look at How You Get Fat: You Acquire More Rather than Bigger Fat Cells

Scientists from the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland (Jo. 2010) have investigated the exact cellular pathways of weight or rather fat gain. They report:

We found a qualitatively universal adipose tissue remodeling process in all four fat depots: 1), There is continuous recruitment of new cells under weight gain; 2), the growth and shrinkage of larger cells (diameter >50 μm) is proportional to cell surface area; and 3), cell loss occurs under prolonged weight gain, with larger cells more susceptible.

It needs some interpretation of the results to understand their significance in view of staying lean in the first place. Normally, you would mean it does not depend if one fat cell holds a certain amount of fat or if this fat is held by two different cells. Unfortunately, it is a) much easier to "empty" one big fat cell which is about to burst anyway than two smaller cells and b) even if you emptied them completely that would leave you with more fat in the case of two cells than in the case of just one. In the end, by continuously multiplying the amount of fat cells you carry, you end up in a state, when even with all of them being empty you look either still obese or carry leaps of "empty fat" which has to be removed surgically. Consider that before you go onto your next 6 week "bulk" Mr BodyBuilder ;-)

Absurd: Will Supplemental Zinc Gluconate Deplete Your Zinc Levels?

Normally, I restrict myself to very recent studies, but the results of this 2007 (Tompkins. 2007) study on the bioavailability of zinc-enriched yeast and zinc gluconate in healthy volunteers that recently resurfaced on the Mind&Muscle boards, is too counter-intuitive and, if not scientifically flawed, important not to make it into the news.

In the study, which used a randomized, two-way crossover design, the volunteers were randomly assigned in groups of three to consume a single dose of either 20 mg of total Zn in the form of Zn gluconate or Zn yeast with 150 ml of water, after that urine, blood, and fecal samples were collected and analyzed over a 48-h period. The results were surprising, while "Zinc gluconate gave higher Zn concentrations in the blood in the first 6 h" it did not only show greater loss in the feces, but ...

the net Zn balance after 48 h for Zn yeast was 9.46 but for Zn gluconate it was -2.00, indicating that Zn gluconate supplementation contributed to a net loss of Zn.

As far as the reasons for this observations are concerned, the scientists speculate:

Presumably, this “extra” Zn lost was released from the body’s store of Zn metallothionein; however, we do not have any evidence of the source of the Zn material. This may suggest that the Zn salts stimulated a Zn detoxification pathway.

If this were true and the results are not biased by the background of the Institut Rosell, which is obviously financed by Lallemand Inc. who produce (pro-)biotic products (i.e. yeast based products), you might want to reconsider your own supplementation practices. The high doses of Zn Salts commonly used by bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts (many suggest >50mg Zinc per day) may in fact lead your body to believe he becomes intoxicated with zinc. It is then a very natural reaction to excrete zinc and as the data from this study shows, this "excess" zinc (i.e. more zinc than you supplied) must - at least in parts - stem from zinc stores somewhere in your body.

Estrogen and the Male Athlete: Why Not to Avoid it at All Costs

If we believe in what supplement producers tell us, estrogen is to be avoided at all cost, to maximize strength and lean mass gains in male gymrats and competitive bodybuilders. Science on the other hand portrays a more diverse picture of the function/role of estrogen in muscle metabolism. In a recent review Enns & Tidus (Enns. 2010) write:

In skeletal muscle, studies with animals have demonstrated that sex and estrogen may potentially influence muscle contractile properties and attenuate indices of post-exercise muscle damage, including the release of creatine kinase into the bloodstream and activity of the intramuscular lysosomal acid hydrolase, beta-glucuronidase. (Enns. 2010)

They also highlight that

estrogen has also been shown to play a significant role in stimulating muscle repair and regenerative processes, including the activation and proliferation of satellite cells. (Enns. 2010)

The proliferation of satellite cells is however what most bodybuilders are striving for. This is the process behind muscle hypertrophy and some scientists think that it is also the beginning of muscle hyperplasia, i.e. an actual increase in the amount of muscle fibers.

Thus, although the "mechanisms by which estrogen exerts its influence upon indices of skeletal muscle damage, inflammation and repair have not been fully elucidated" even hobby athletes must not overlook its potential protective effects, which are

1. estrogen's action as an antioxidant
2. estrogen's acting as a membrane stabilizer by intercalating within membrane phospholipids
3. estrogen's role in the regulation of a number of downstream genes and molecular targets.

In even more recent study Kamanga-Sollo et.al. (Kamanga-Sollo. 2010) measured the effect of estrogen on bovine sattelite cells:

Figure 1: Effect of E2 concentration on protein synthesis rate in fused bovine satellite cell cultures. Cultures were treated with serum free medium (SFM) or with SFM plus the indicated amounts of E2. (Kamanga-Sollo. 2010. Figure 1)

They found a profound increase in protein synthesis (cf. Figure 1) that was accompanied by a concomitant decrease in protein degradation - in another words: an anabolic response to estrogen treatment.  Now keep that in mind before you start popping ATD-caps like candy ;o)

Cystoseira Canariensis: Alleged Myostatin-Binding Supplement Ineffective

Darrin S. Willoughby (Willoughby. 2010) did us all a favor, when he studied the effect of 1200mg/day Cystoseira canariensis, which is marketed as a myostatin-binding supplement, on muscle gains in the course of a 12 week heavy resistance training regime. Obviously the participants gained a significant amount of muscle mass, BUT...

[...] after training, total body mass, fat-free mass, muscle strength, thigh volume/mass, and serum myostatin and FLRG increased for both groups (P < 0.05); however, there were no differences between groups (P > 0.05).

Another case, where a daily visit at the SuppVersity makes you cash money - or wouldn't you have been inclined to believe in the promises of superhuman muscle gains and to invest a ton of money into this new wonder-supplement? No? Well, than you must be a daily visitor ;-)

The Wunderous Effects Of Creatine - Good for the Heart, but Strength Improvements are Restricted to Large Muscle Groups

Molecular structure of creatine
(HMDB v2.5)

Recent research confirms: If you had to pick a single supplement, you'd better choose creatine. Two recent studies by Sanchez-Gonzales et.al. (Sanchez-Gonzales. 2010) and Urbanski et.al. (Urbanski. 2010) confirmed and expanded the already well-established ergogenic effects of creatine supplementation on performance, as well as on general health.

In the latter context, the study by Sanchez-Gonzales may be of particular interest, as it found a significant reduction in, both, in brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, as well as in blood pressure after an acute bout of isokinetic exercises:

Resting measurements were not altered after Cr. Compared to placebo, Cr significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated the increase in systolic BP at PE5 (Pl: 14 ± 2.5 vs. Cr: 5.6 ± 2.3 mmHg) and PE15 (Pl: 10.6 ± 2.8 vs. Cr: 2.1 ± 2.6 mmHg), the increase in baPWV at PE5 (Pl: 1.6 ± 0.4 vs. Cr: -0.9 ± 0.4 m/s), and the increase in HR at PE15 (Pl: 23 ± 4 vs. Cr: 11 ± 3 beats/min). (Sanchez-Gonzales. 2010)

Apart from being good for your heart, you may already know that supplementation of 5 g creatine monohydrate + 3 g dextrose, as it was done by Urbanski et.al. "can increase maximal strength and time to fatigue during isometric exercise" (Urbanski. 2010). What might yet be of greater interest is that it appears to work only in larger muscle groups, as opposed to the leg muscles, hand grip strength was not improved in the subjects from the Urbanski-study.

Unstable Squatting = Dangerous Bogus

Some strength coaches like being different and advice their athletes to perform squats and similar exercises on instable grounds. A recent study by McBride et.al. found (McBride. 2010) investigated the effect of absolute and relative loading on muscle activity during stable and unstable squatting and found:

The stable trials resulted in the same or a significantly higher value for Vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris (BF) and erector spinae (L1) muscle activity in comparison with the unstable trials for all twelve conditions.

So if this exercise is not specific to your discipline, avoid squatting on unstable grounds at every cost. This might well keep you from being injured.

Naringenin Improves Insulin Signaling and Sensitivity

"Eat Grapefruit and lean out!" Using google, you will find similar sentences all over the web. Yet, although it sounds too good to be true - as it is often the case - there is some truth at the bottom of this rumor. A few weeks ago scientists from the Annamalai University in India published a paper (Kannappan. 2010) that established a positive effect of naringenin, a bioflavonoid, from grapefruit an other citrus fruits, on insulin signaling and sensitivity.

Fig.1: Oral glucose tolerance test curves of experimental animals.
Values are mean ± SD (n = 6). CON control rats, FRU fructose-fed
rats, FRU + NAR fructose-fed rats treated with naringenin (50 mg/kg
b.w.), CON + NAR control rats treated with naringenin (50 mg/kg
b.w.). (Kannappan. 2010)

 

It is easy to see from Fig. 1 that the supplementation of 50mg/kg naringenin prevented the rise in blood glucose and restored insulin sensitivity in high-fructose fed rats.
Not only diabetics may benefit from these findings, bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts who are convinced that the "carbohydrate mast" (i.e. consuming large amounts of carbs post workouts) is beneficial or even necessary for appropriate muscle gain may well use some naringenine to keep healthy blood sugar levels, prevent insulin resistence and increase glucose uptake in the post-workout "anabolic window".

Blood Flow Restriction Boosts Strength and Muscle Gains on Low Intensity Bench Press Exercise

Would you wear elastic plastic cuffs on your arms while doing 4 sets of 75 reps at 30% of your 1-RM max [what you can bench for a single rep] on the bench press? No? Well, you better revise your initial skepticism in view of the results of a recent investigation (Yasuda. 2010) on the effect of blood flow restriction on upper body muscle growth and strength gains.

Effect of training on strength and muscle size for blood flow restricted (BFR) and normal bench press (CON) exercise. (data adapted from Yasuda. 2010)

Low intensity training triggered muscle growth and increased strength only in blood flow restricted trainees. This is of particular interest for bodybuilders and fitness-athletes, because it suggests that by "pumping", i.e. by deliberately increasing blood supply to your arms on high rep sets at the end of an intense training session, one may well achieve similar effects and thus further stimulate muscle growth by combining the best of the two worlds (HIT vs. PUMP).

Arak (Salvadora persica), A Testosterone Boosting Shrub From Mecca

Egyptian scientists (El-Kholy. 2010) investigating the effects of Arak stems obtained from the roots of Salvadora persica, a tree/shrub which grows in the area around Mecca and the Middle East on growth performance of male rabbits. The results of this recently published study are surprising: not only did the rabbits fed a diet containing 0.2% Arak 11% more weight before slaughtering, they also had significantly (+60%) increased testosterone levels (Control: 3.15ng/mL² vs. 0.2% Arak: 5.05ng/mL²). As the data plotted in Figure 1 suggests, this is another case where more, i.e. higher dosage (0.3%) obviously does not deliver more, i.e. more results (max. benefit for 0.2%).

Figure 1: Testosterone levels [ng/mL²] after Arak supplementation
(data adapted from El-Kohli. 2010)

Interestingly, Arak has something in common with Massularia acuminata, the main ingredient in USP Labs Pink Magic (cf. SuppVersity ingredient write-up): it is used as a tool for tooth hygiene. Yet, in the case of the former scientific evidence for the testosterone boosting effects are lacking. For Arak it is right there!

So, I suggest you either go on a pilgrimage to Mecca or wait for some supplement producer to read this post - I bet it won't be long until we see this compound in one or another fancy new test-booster ;-)

Still Waiting for Big Guns? Patience is the Way to Go!

click to enlarge
(Abe. 2000. Figure 2)

A study by Abe et.al. (Abe. 2000) analyzed the time-course of strength and muscular adaption to a 3-days-a-week training protocol over a timespan of 12 weeks. The results show that while muscle gains take their time, "time", in this case, is relative and depends both on the individual muscle (e.g. quadrizeps size increases before significant gains in hamstring size can be observed) and the gender of the trainee (e.g. the initial increment in upper body muscle size appears to be greater in women; propably due to the fact that most women did not do upper body exercises before).

Be patient, be consistent, train hard, rest well and eat smart. If you do all that + pay a short visit to the SuppVersity everyday you will see that after having red the next 100 newsitems you will already have gained a significant amount of strength and muscle.

Vitamin D Involved in IGF-1 Secretion!?

Even if I repeat myself: The news on vitamin D and its multi-facetted effects on general health and performance are crowding in. The newest study comes from Bogazzi et.al. (Bogazzi. 2010) from the University of Pisa. The scientists found an interesting correlation between serum 25-OH-D levels and the amount of IGF-1 (which is an anabolic hormone involved in muscle building):

A positive relationship was identified between serum 25-(OH) D3 and IGF1 concentrations (r=0.33, p<0.0001); the 25-(OH) D3 -dependent changes of serum IGF-1 concentrations were observed also when subjects were divided on the basis of vitamin D deficiency; in fact, those with severe 25-(OH) D3 deficiency (<20 ng/ml ) had lower (185+/-83 microg/l) IGF1 values than those with mild-to absent 25-(OH) D3 deficit (225+/-83 microg/l, p=0.0004). Conclusions 25-(OH) D3 status may contribute to determine serum IGF1 levels in healthy population.

In spite of that, one must not jump into hasty conclusions, such as "vitamin D supplementation will raise IGF-1 levels", since the observed correlation of vitamin D3 deficiency (which is however pretty common in the western world) and low IGF-1 levels does not prove that there is a causal relationship between the two. It will thus require future studies to vindicate / confute the statement about vitamin D supplementation made at the beginning of this paragraph.

Whey Still the Most Effective Protein Supplement

Whey protein is a staple in every body builders supplementation routine, nevertheless supplement companies try over and over to convince gymrats (from the "bro" to the "pro") that using one of their fancy new amino acid products or alternative protein sources would be superior to a cheap and reliable whey isolate. An international team of scientists (Hulmi. 2010) has now reviewed the latest results on protein supplementation and concluded:

Most, but not all studies have shown that supplementation of whey alone or with carbohydrates immediately after and possibly before and during resistance exercise can enhance the muscle hypertrophy response to resistance training in healthy adults. Such a response seems to at least be the case when comparing the effects of whey versus a non-energetic, or carbohydrate or soy protein alternative. Some studies also suggest that whey may enhance recovery from heavy exercise and possibly decrease muscle damage and soreness. This could, over time, enhance training adaptations by way of increasing training volume or reducing the potential for over-reaching/over-training. (Hulmi. 2010)

In that, it is of particular interest that the fundamental reasons for the superiority of whey supplementation (short-term effect), even over the provision of isolated free-form amino acids, have not yet been finally established:

[...] something other than EAAs within whey are important for muscle hypertrophy. For example, it is possible that via the PEPT-1 cotransporters' high capacity, low specificity rate of transport, and an apparent increased transport affinity for L-valine bound peptides, that the bound form of an EAA may be more efficiently utilized than when delivered in its free-form [119]. Similarly, new discoveries continue to surface regarding bioactive peptides present within dairy, and specifically in whey that may facilitate improved recovery and antioxidative capacity to support physiological adaptations to exercise [104]. However, possible long term superiority of whey compared to its constituent amino acids (all, or just its EAAs) is not known. (Hulmi. 2010)

Yet, whatever it might be that renders whey proteins so effective, it is reason enough, not fall for the advertisements of the supplement industry and keep using your favorite, tried and proven whey protein be it a concentrate, an isolate (preferable immediately after workout) or a hydrosolate (perf. improvements over isolate, is at least  in view of costs vs. effects debatable).

D-Aspartic Acid-"Inventors" Say: It Is Safe For Long Term Use

Although this is no official statement of PharmaGuidia, the producers of DadaVit and the financiers of the study (Topo. 2009) that started the craze about D-Aspartic Acid supplementation for LH and testosterone elevation, their answer to a private inquire from Chaos Theory, an active contributor to the highly recommended supplement discussions on the Mind And Muscle bulletin board, is certainly worth being (re-)quoted:

You can use Dadavit for 90 or more days without problems. We have trials that show it. D-Aspartic Acid is sure [what the Italien correspondent meant was "safe"] also if you use 5.2 g everyday for a long time. D-Aspartic Acid is an endogenous amino acid found in the nervous and endocrine system of various invertebrates and vertebrates. Lh and testosterone are significantly increased in 12 days,but if you use D-aspartic to improve spermatozoa you have to use it for 90 days.

On a side note: Predator Nutrition is to my knowledge the first European supplement retailer to stock bulk D-Aspartic Acid. If you look for cheaper alternatives to Dadavit or Primordial Performance's Testosterone Conversion Factor (unfortunately a PN-exclusive in Europe and consequently pretty pricely) you might want to check this out.

If you insist on Na-bound, highly soluble D-Aspartic Acid you can still dissolve it in water by adding some sodium bicarbonate (i.e. baking soda)

Want to Improve Strength and Power Performance? Beet-Root or Rather Betaine Is the Way to Go!

Molecular structure of betaine (HMDB, v2.5)

Two month ago, another out of a handful currently available studies on the positive effects of beet root juice on exercise performance was published (Bailey. 2010). Most scientists hitherto speculated that its positive effect on exercise performance is solely/mostly related to he high amount of dietary nitrate. A recent study by Lee, et.al. (Lee. 2010) found another plausible explanation for the ergogenic effects of beet root: Beet root is very high in betaine of which the researchers were able to show that following supplementation with 1.2g betaine twice a day ...

"bench throw power (1779 90 and 1788 +/- 34 W, respectively) and isometric bench press force (2922 297 and 2503 +/- 28 N, respectively) were increased [and that] compared to pre-supplementation, vertical jump power and isometric squat force increased (p < 0.05)"

These results confirm those of a number of previous studies (Hoffmann. 2009; Armstrong, 2008), which found similar improvements in exercise performance.

Further Evidence: High Intensity Exercise Elevates Plasma Testosterone and Growth Hormone

A recent study by Shark, et.al. (Shark. 2010) found that a 30 minute (or time to exhaustion) submaximal 55' climbing route significantly increased plasma testosterone (T) and growth hormone (GH) in ten male rock climbers at the age of 21-30 years:

T concentrations significantly (p < 0.05) increased from Pre (6.04±0.31 ng/mL) to IP (7.39 ± 0.40 ng/mL), and returned to baseline at P15 [=15 minutes post exercise] (6.23 ± 0.33 ng/mL). Cortisol levels did not significantly change during the protocol. GH significantly (p < 0.01) increased from Pre (0.63 ± 0.17 ng/mL) to IP (19.89 ± 4.53 ng/mL), and remained elevated at P15 (15.03 ± 3.89 ng/mL).

In short: If you want to achieve an optimal anabolic endocrine response to exercise, keep the exercise duration short and the intensity high.