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Phosphatidic acid

Synonyms: Phosphatidic acid

What is phosphatidic acid?

In the chemical literature, phosphatidic acid, also known as phosphatidic acid, is classified as a diacyl-glycerophospholipid in which two fatty acids and a phosphate group are linked to a glycerol molecule via a covalent bond through ester linkages. In simpler terms, phosphatidic acid is a phospholipid that makes up a small percentage of the phospholipid pool in the body. As such, it is a component of all cell membranes. Relevant to its role in bodybuilding and sports supplementation, phosphatidic acid acts as an intracellular secondary lipid messenger that controls the important signaling protein called Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR).

Where does phosphatidic acid come from?

There are three main pathways in the body for the production of phosphatidic acid. In addition, there are also some natural sources of phosphatidic acid, which include eggs and soy products. These different sources of phosphatidic acid have different combinations of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids, which can influence the behavior of phosphatidic acid. For example, two saturated fatty acids in the phosphatidic acid molecule are thought to promote storage, while one saturated and one unsaturated fatty acid promote the action of phosphatidic acid as a signaling molecule (3).

Benefits of phosphatidic acid

The interest in phosphatidic acid supplementation is related to its role as a stimulator of the mTOR pathway, which is the same mechanism by which leucine and protein stimulate muscle growth. There are two studies to date that have examined the effects of phosphatidic acid supplementation on the response to a periodized resistance training program. One study, conducted by researchers in Florida, found that supplementation with phosphatidic acid in conjunction with 4 days of resistance training per week over an 8-week period resulted in a 12.7% increase in squat strength and a 2.6% increase in lean muscle mass, while subjects receiving only a placebo only increased their squat strength by 9.3% and gained only 0.1% in lean body mass (1). The second study was conducted at the same institute by other scientists and included 28 subjects with an average age of 21 years who participated in an eight-week periodized resistance training program with 3 training sessions per week (2). Compared to the placebo group, subjects receiving phosphatidic acid showed a significant increase in lean body mass (+2.4 kg), a significant increase in muscle cross-sectional area (+1.0 cm) and a significant increase in leg press strength (+51.9 kg).

These two studies suggest that 8 weeks of phosphatidic acid supplementation is very likely to increase lower body strength and lean muscle mass.

Phosphatidic Acid intake recommendation and timing of intake

Both studies cited above used a daily dosage of 750 mg phosphatidic acid (2, 3).

Phosphatidic acid supplements

Supplement forms of phosphatidic acid can be made from soy or egg sources, with scientific studies showing that soy-based phosphatidic acid sources result in a stronger stimulation of the mTOR pathway (2). For this reason, this phosphatidic acid source is used in most supplements.

Safety and harmlessness

Although activation of the mTOR pathway is considered a key regulator of human cancer cell survival, there are no concerns regarding the safety and safety of oral supplementation with phosphatidic acid.

References

  1. Hoffman JR, et al. Efficacy of phosphatidic acid ingestion on lean body mass, muscle thickness and strength gains in resistance-trained men. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2012;9:47.
  2. Joy JM, et al. Phosphatidic acid enhances mTOR signaling and resistance exercise induced hypertrophy. Nutrition & Metabolism. 2014;11:29.
  3. Foster DA. Regulation of mTOR by phosphatidic acid? Cancer Res. 2007;67:1-4.