If you do strength training, you have probably experienced 'muscle pump'. Muscle pump is the well-known muscle-enlarging effect that you have right after training because your muscles are filled with blood. It looks super great in the mirror and it feels like you can take on the world. But how does that muscle pump come about? And how can you increase it with supplements?

When lifting weights, blood flow increases locally to the working muscles. This increases tension and size almost immediately. The muscle groups you have worked look fuller. The blood delivers nutrients to the muscles to stimulate muscle contraction.

Muscle pump occurs when cells send a signal to the brain and heart to pump more blood to the working muscle groups. Here is an example to better understand the process:

Imagine you have a swimming pool in your backyard and you want to fill it with water. You put the garden hose in the pool and turn on the tap. But nothing happens.
When you go to look you see that there is a leak in the pool and that the small amount of water that flows through the garden hose immediately flows away again. Still, you want the pool to be filled. You can now do two things:

1. Fixing the leak
2. Let the water flow into the pool faster than it flows out

Muscle pump works the same way. Arteries that feed working muscles dilate, allowing more blood to enter. At the same time, blood flow is restricted in other less active parts of the body, promoting local delivery of more nutrient-rich blood to hard-working muscles.

The pump effect is powered by a molecule known as nitric oxide (NO), which is part of the NO-cGMP pathway. In response to hard work, neurons release NO from the nerves and endothelial cells in and around the working muscle. From here, NO makes its way to the smooth muscle cells lining blood vessels where it binds to guanyl cyclase. This NO-guanyl cyclase interaction results in the production of cGMP. cGMP then activates downstream signaling that decreases calcium levels in the smooth muscle, leading to relaxation and vasodilation.

In the Highend assortment you will find a wide range of supplements to get the most out of your workout. The products contain various substances that help to increase the muscle pump and focus better, so that you can get even more out of your training and get the full look of the muscle pump. Below are some examples with explanations of these supplements.

L-Citruline is one of the three dietary amino acids in the urea cycle along with L-arginine and L-ornithine. L-Citruline supplementation increases plasma levels of ornithine and arginine and enhances ammonia recycling and nitric oxide metabolism.
Citruline doses of 4-8 grams appear to be optimal for increasing NO levels pre-exercise.

Glycerol increases the water volume in the body in combination with sufficient fluid intake, which improves endurance and gives you more energy during your workouts. Make sure you take in enough fluid in combination with glycerol.

It is important to get enough potassium & sodium before your workout.
These ensure the following:

• Maintains moisture balance in the cells
• Helps transmit nerve impulses in your body
• Helps muscles contract and relax

• Prevents blood from clotting
• Maintain PH balance in our body
• Transports substances to the cells
• Protects the hymen from damage caused by stomach acid
• Maintains healthy blood pressure
• Promotes heart health
• Maintains bone health

Athletes should be especially careful with their potassium intake, as potassium plays an important role in storing carbohydrates (glycogen) to fuel your muscles. In addition, the frequency and strength of your muscles contract is highly dependent on the right amount of potassium in your body. If you don’t get enough potassium in your diet or if the movement of potassium through your body is blocked, your nervous and muscular systems can be compromised. Low potassium levels can reduce energy and endurance.

Huperzine A is known as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. Which means that it prevents the enzyme acetylcholine from breaking down which results in an increase in acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is known as a neurotransmitter that is involved in muscle contraction. Increasing levels of acetylcholine causes muscle contraction to improve.

Alpha GPC stimulates acetylcholine production in the brain, which allows you to focus better during your workout. Stimuli from the nerve pathways can be better transmitted to the muscles to contract.

Alpha Lion – Super human pump

Redcon 1 – Big Noise

MPA – Celluvol I

nnopharm – Novapump Neuro