Planet Muscle

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HE'S CONFUSED ABOUT META-CEL VS. CE-XL

Jeff, I have been using the supplement Meta-CEL, made by the iSatori company. I like it. They have a new one called CE-XL and I am considering the switch, but what is your opinion of both of these, if you are familiar with each of them? Is one better than the other?

This seems to be the creatine “confusion” issue! We have 3 articles on varying forms of creatine in this issue. I do not believe that iSatori makes any weak products. In fact, they are a different type of company than most, in that they do not make a lot of products, but the ones they do make, they take a bit of a different science approach, high end, I call it, and they are a meticulous, but motivational company. The push for a lot of tested, proven efficacy. Most companies do not test utilizing, blind and double blind, peer reviewed protocols, but, it really is the wave of our future!
Both of these are creatine products. In Meta-CEL they use a unique sugar that is very balanced glycemically, called D-pinitol. This has been shown to enhance both absorption and retention of creatine. Again, this has been unusually subjected to clinical and blind research (at Baylor University). In the study, subjects showed a 1-Repetition maximum increase of 6.6% (this was measured by peak torque, a measure of power). The Meta-CEL group gained 6.6%, as compared to placebo control. This was a blind study. The Meta-CEL subject group also gained in lean body mass, 1.67% versus .04% for the placebo group.

These numbers may sound small, but in true gains of actual fat-free-water-assayed lean tissue, usually done with underwater hydrostatic methods, this is 'of high significance.' Meta-CEL gets very positive feedback in our industry. All numbers are available and right now, in the United Kingdom, Meta-CEL is the number one selling creatine supplement. The study entitled “Effects of Meta-CEL™ Supplementation on Whole Body Creatine Retention and Training Adaptations” was presented at the National Strength Coaches Association conference. iSatori is really at the epicenter of performance science. Their new CE-XL is based on creatine ethyl ester. Creatine ethyl ester (CEE) is creatine monohydrate with an ester attached. Esters are organic compounds that are a reaction of carboxylic acid and alcohols. Creatine monohydrate is effective at increasing lean body mass, strength, and athletic/anaerobic performance. There are studies showing that esterfied creatine exerts positive effects beyond regular creatine monohydrate. Once more, it does so, at much lower dosages. There is no “loading” or “cycling” required. And at least, anecdotally, there appears to be two other important benefits. First, CEE appears to work relatively well for most creatine “non-responders” (40-60% who do not respond to creatine monohydrate), and there doesn’t appear to be any extra-cellular water retention with CEE, which causes the infamous “creatine bloat.”

CE-XL is iSatori’s next generation creatine supplement, which builds on the strength of Meta-CEL. If you like Meta-CEL, you should certainly like CE-XL. They call this, Meta-CEL with “updated turbochargers”. Reports are that it is stronger (and CE-XL tastes better). Planet is not bending your arm and if you like Meta and get growth and power from it, why not keep using it? However, science races along. Creatine supplementation, for muscular size, strength, and hardness—is always changing. Check out the iSatori company ads within this issue and read about H+Blocker, another of their more radical products. For more on CE-XL visit www.CE-XL.com.

posted by Planet Muscle # 8:20 PM

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Tuesday, March 28, 2006

HE'S CONFUSED ABOUT META-CEL VS. CE-XL

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