Improve Body Composition with Betaine

A supplement that doesn’t seem to get much love but one that can absolutely help improve body composition is betaine.  While it’s commonly found in both pre- and intra-workout products, it often gets overlooked for the heavy stimulants also included in profiles which is a shame.  If you want to not only improve body composition but also your workouts, betaine could very well be the missing link in your supplement regimen. 

To kick things off, let’s get a better understanding of exactly what betaine is and why it would be included in pre-workout and intra-workout powders.

What is Betaine? 

Betaine is an amino acid that is also known as trimethylglycine.  Its responsibilities are acting as an osmolyte as well as a methyl donor.  Essentially, betaine helps balance fluid levels in the body (more specifically the cells) as well as play a key role in many physiological processes. 

So, why do so many people reach for a betaine supplement?  There are many reasons.  For starters, betaine can help improve your digestion as well as your heart health.  That being said, a reason that aligns with the subject of this article is its ability to help improve body composition and exercise performance.

Next, let’s get into the specifics and advantages of supplementing with betaine.

How Can Betaine Improve Body Composition? 

There are actually several ways that when you supplement with betaine it can help improve body composition.  While it won’t “directly” make a difference (meaning without your intervention), it’s what it can do FOR you that can help you see the results you desire with your physique.

For example, users who have supplemented with betaine have been shown through research to be able to increase muscle growth and improve fat loss^[1].  In this study, researchers found that subjects were able to improve body composition, arm size, bench press work capacity, and improve power. 

While the arm size increases in the study are promising for everyone (who doesn’t want to increase their arm size?), it’s the other factors that can lead to an overall increase in muscle growth through training and how hard you’re able to push yourself in the gym.

And let’s not negate the fact that betaine supplementation played a role in helping decrease body fat which can help you achieve an overall harder and leaner look while also helping increase lean muscle mass size.

The next thing we should focus on in regard to how betaine can help improve body composition is actual muscle power.  In a separate study, it was found that when looking at the ergogenic effects of betaine supplementation that subjects who trained regularly were able to increase power and force^[2] while also maintaining these improvements over time.

Why would this be important?  Well, the more power and force you’re able to produce through the use of a betaine supplement, the greater ability you have to activate and overload the muscle fibers to force them to break down and be rebuilt bigger and stronger.   

The last piece worth mentioning is a third study where college males were used as subjects to complete various exercises.  One group received a placebo supplement while the other was provided with betaine.  After just two weeks of supplementing with betaine, the group who was provided the actual betaine supplement was able to improve muscle endurance^[3] while executing a squat and also being able to increase the overall quality of the repetitions completed.

Increasing muscular endurance and the quality of repetitions completed is incredibly advantageous during a workout.  Your ability to push yourself harder and apply a progressive overload principle to your training is a great way to encourage lean muscle gains and can play a vital role when looking to improve body composition.  The more stress and muscle damage you can supply on the muscle fibers, the better able you are to influence them to grow and repair in a manner that allows them to become bigger and stronger muscle fibers.

What is an Efficacious Dose?

The sweet spot for dosages has been found to be anywhere between 1,000mg and 6,000mg.  When you consume betaine between these levels is where you can get the best results from your training and help improve body composition while also helping improve heart health and digestion.

It’s Time to Improve Body Composition and Start Turning Heads

Are you sick of spinning your wheels?  Have you spent months in the gym but are seeing very little progress or change?  It’s time to change things up and improve body composition.

You would be insane to continue down the path you are heading currently, expecting a different result from your efforts.  That’s where Evogen Nutrition comes into play with their unique product called Amino K.E.M. 

While betaine is found in many pre- and intra-workout supplements, this beneficial supplement is the perfect addition to any workout program – regardless of when you actually take the product. 

Thanks to the extremely versatile formula found in Amino K.E.M., you can use this as a pre-, intra-, or post-workout supplement to help improve body composition.  Also included in this profile is the incredibly powerful S7™ which has been clinically shown to increase nitric oxide (NO) levels by as much as 230%.  In addition, Evogen Nutrition has included the perfect matrix of amino acids (both EAAs and BCAAs) as well as hydration-enhancing ingredients like coconut water powder, Himalayan pink salt, and potassium.

If you want to improve body composition and reap all of the benefits associated with betaine, look no further than Evogen Nutrition Amino K.E.M.  You may quickly find out that this was the missing link from your supplement regimen and you’ll never go without it ever again.

References:

1. Cholewa, J.M., Wyszczelska-Rokiel, M., Glowacki, R. et al. Effects of betaine on body composition, performance, and homocysteine thiolactone. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 10, 39 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-39

2. Lee EC, Maresh CM, Kraemer WJ, et al. Ergogenic effects of betaine supplementation on strength and power performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010;7:27. Published 2010 Jul 19. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-27

3. Hoffman JR, Ratamess NA, Kang J, Rashti SL, Faigenbaum AD. Effect of betaine supplementation on power performance and fatigue. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2009;6:7. Published 2009 Feb 27. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-6-7