Amentoflavone is a naturally occurring plant alkaloid found in a number of different plants, most notably Gingko biloba and St John's Wort. This compound has gained some recognition in the pre-workout category, with multiple mechanisms by which it may enhance performance.

Early studies have shown that this compound possesses a plethora of benefits ranging from improving overall health to combating disease. It also has demonstrated a number of benefits for exercise, leading it to garner attention from trainers, athletes and supplement manufacturers, particularly those in the pre workout and fat burner market.

Muscular contraction

The key to a full and complete muscular contraction is the release of calcium into the muscle cells. A lack of sufficient calcium ions in the cell prohibits the muscle from fully contracting, leading to a missed or incomplete rep (lack of gains). Amentoflavone possesses the unique ability to increase calcium release in the muscle. the only other compound found to accomplish this same feat is caffeine. Unlike caffeine though, amentoflavone is 20 times more effective at raising calcium concentrations than that of its stimulating counterpart. This is just scratching the surface of amentoflavone ergogenic (performance enhancing) attributes.

Release fat

Amentoflavone is a Phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor.  It indirectly increases cAMP levels in adipose (fat) tissues which subsequently activities a variety of transcription factors and other enzymes in the RNA. This chain reaction results in greater lipolysis, the breakdown and release of stored fat from those pesky trouble spots. Amentoflavone inhibits PDE, and PDE is responsible for the breakdown of cAMP in a cell. Thus, by blocking PDE with amentoflavone, we indirectly increase cAMP and ultimately increase fat loss as well.

Increased blood flow

Being a PDE inhibitor, specifically PDE-5, amentoflavone increases vasodilation which results in bigger and badder pumps during training due to the increased blood flow reaching the muscles. More blood flow also means more nutrients are shuttled to the muscle allowing you to workout for longer periods of time.

Improving cardiovascular disease

Amentoflavone inhibits the enzyme PTP1B. This enzyme is heavily involved in insulin signaling.  In terms of workout performance, PTP1B inhibition leads to improved insulin sensitivity. In tandem with this, amentoflavone reduces circulating lipids (triglycerides) furthering its potential use in fighting metabolic syndrome, obesity and diabetes.

Dosage

There is no established on dosage of amentoflavone. Individual doses range from 50mg to 1000mg per day. However, most pre workouts and fat burners on the market contain a 100-200mg dose. Based on your reaction to this amount, you can either decrease or increase to get the desired effect. Amentoflavone stacks well with most pre workouts and fat burner currently on the market, just be sure to check the ingredient label to see if the product already contains amentoflavone before adding more.

From increased pumps to enhanced fat loss to better overall mood, Amentoflavone seems to cover all the bases in what you would want in a supplement. More research is still to come on this potent compound, but the early prognosis looks rather enticing. Whether you are an athlete or bodybuilder, Amentoflavone provides too many benefits for you to leave it by the wayside.