How PEA Can Help Your Muscle Gains During Resistance Training: Insights from My Study
Oct 08, 2024
In the world of fitness and muscle building, finding the right supplements to boost performance and recovery is crucial. I recently conducted a study, published in Sports Medicine - Open, to explore whether Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) could help with muscle growth, muscle gains, strength, and power during resistance training. PEA is known for its pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory benefits. In this study, we wanted to see if it could do this without the downsides of traditional pain medications.
Why We Looked at PEA
PEA is interesting because it works differently from common painkillers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, which can actually slow down muscle growth from strength training. PEA interacts with various body systems to provide pain relief and reduce inflammation without interfering with muscle recovery and growth.
How We Conducted the Study
We ran a double-blind, randomized control trial with 52 healthy adults, aged 18-35, who were already active. The participants were split into two groups: one took a daily PEA supplement (350 mg Levagen+ equivalent to 300 mg PEA), and the other took a placebo (a dummy pill). Both groups followed an eight-week, full-body resistance training program. We measured their muscle mass, muscle gains, strength, power, and even tracked their pain, sleep quality, and overall well-being before and after the program.
What We Found
The results were quite interesting:
Muscle Mass: There were no big differences in muscle growth between the PEA and placebo groups.
Strength and Power:
The placebo group did better in the 1-RM bench press test, showing more upper-body strength gains.
Pain and Recovery:
Both groups reported similar levels of pain, recovery quality, sleep quality, and overall well-being.
What This Means
Our findings suggest that PEA doesn't stop you from building muscle and might even help improve your lower-body power. This could be especially helpful for athletes or anyone looking to boost their explosive strength. However, PEA didn't seem to make a big difference for upper-body strength or how participants felt in terms of pain and recovery.
This study shows that PEA could be a useful supplement for enhancing certain aspects of muscle power without the negative effects of common painkillers. Future studies should look at different doses, longer use, and how it affects different types of athletes to understand PEA's full potential.
For those of you who are into regular strength training, adding PEA to your supplements might help with lower-body power while maintaining your muscle mass and aiding recovery. This research helps us figure out how to optimize our training and recovery with safe and effective supplements.
You can find the full study HERE
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