Acid ZapperTM Case Study
by Tim Becker
Director, CompuTrainer MultiRider Center
USA Triathlon Age Group Master Male Duathlete of 2005
"I don't think I could have had more of an improvement with any other supplement," says champion cyclist and duathlete Tim Becker, summing up the extraordinary results he's achieved using Acid Zapper with Alka-Plex, the pH-balancing health supplement developed by Seattle-based TAMER Laboratories, Inc. specifically to help competitive and team athletes achieve peak performance and quicker recovery times.
We're interviewing Becker at Seattle's RacerMate, Inc. ("the world leader in electronic bicycle ergometers, trainers, and interactive software") where he directs the CompuTrainer MultiRider Center. At 49 Becker is in incredible shape?even for a man half his age. And no wonder. A long-time coach and an active competitor for more than three decades, Becker was named Age Group Master Male Duathlete of 2005 by USA Triathlon, who called him a "shining example for fellow age group athletes and a striking representative of USA Triathlon," and cited his "dedication, enthusiasm and determination." Some 2005 Becker highlights: At the Long Course Duathlon World Championships in Italy, he was the only male medalist from the U.S. One week later in the U.S. Duathlon Nationals, he placed third in his age group and 19th overall. Then he went on to place third at the Zofingen [Switzerland] Powerman Duathlon, which many consider the world's toughest multi-sport event.
For those reasons and more, Tim Becker made an ideal participant for a five-week Acid Zapper pilot study conducted at Seattle Performance Medicine in January 2006. "TAMER Laboratories wanted to test Acid Zapper and were looking for a product they could test it on, so they came to us at CompuTrainer," he recalls. Having recently been diagnosed with metabolic acidosis, Becker was a particularly interested?if cautiously skeptical?participant. "Acid Zapper intrigued me right away," he says. "Of course I'm skeptical of any product initially, so I was thinking, well, let's see what it does. I was really quite surprised by the results."
Acid Zapper, pH health, and increased athletic performance
Acid Zapper is a health supplement that combats pH imbalance and excess hydrogen ion buildup in muscle cells. By naturally controlling the acid wastes that are generated when carbohydrates, proteins and fats metabolize during intense athletic exertion, Acid Zapper helps improve athletic performance, reduces muscle burn, and extends time to fatigue. It also aids athletes' physical recovery by significantly reducing muscle and joint soreness. And Acid Zapper is safe and legal, with no steroids, stimulants, caffeine or sugars. (All Acid Zapper ingredients are allowed by the United States Anti-Doping Agency and are Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) by the FDA.)
Becker achieves performance breakthroughs during the Acid Zapper pilot study
"Acid Zapper helped me to dramatically increase my performance in a series of V02max/anaerobic threshold [AT] and Time to Fatigue at AT tests," says Becker, recalling his pilot study experiences. "Six minutes into my first baseline exhaustion test without Acid Zapper, my legs were just burning; they were just on fire. I was dying. At the end of 17 minutes, that was it, I was done. I couldn't push the pedals around another time." At the completion of the baseline test, Seattle Performance Medicine technicians took urine and blood samples and assessed Becker's pH levels. "They did all my lab values and everything," he says. "Sure enough, I was experiencing pretty intense metabolic acidosis."
With his baseline tests complete and the initial results assessed, Becker began taking four Acid Zapper tablets every day for nearly two weeks and then retested. He was amazed by the results. "I doubled my pedaling time at 300 watts," he says. "I went from 17 minutes [during the baseline test] with lots of discomfort to 34.5 minutes with no discomfort. I was still riding at 300 watts after 34.5 minutes, which I had never done in my life." Furthermore, he adds, "There was no burning sensation or feeling like I had to stop." Then, after nearly two more weeks, this time using a higher daily dosage of Acid Zapper, Becker retested with even more impressive results: "I went for just over an hour pedaling at 300 watts and never felt any discomfort at all. And my heart rate was very stable. I felt like I could go much longer. The reason I had to stop is because you're beathing through a mask and can not consume fluids." Did he experience any side effects from Acid Zapper? "No. No side effects, no discomfort at all," he replies.
Becker adds that, other than taking Acid Zapper, he didn't change his usual workout routine to accommodate the pilot test. "I just went in there and tried to be as unbiased as possible," he says. "I wasn't trying to improve my performances, rest up between tests, or do anything differently than I normally would. I basically treated the pilot test workouts like any other workout." Fair enough. But could he feel a difference even if he wasn't trying to do anything differently? "Oh yeah, absolutely," he replies, "A huge difference, mainly the feeling of decreased discomfort."
Increased performance and long-term health, for athletes of all ages
After his dramatic, documented performance improvements during the pilot test, Becker began using Acid Zapper every day and recommending it to other coaches and athletes. However, as important as performance improvement is to Becker, "It's my health that I care about most" he says. "Exercise isn't just about pushing the limits. My health is more important to me than just pushing the limits to see how far you can push them. I don't exercise just to win medals."
Becker says he worries about younger athletes who are under more pressure than ever before and often have access to illegal performance-enhancement drugs. "The extremes that people push themselves to for performance advantage can really be detrimental to long-term health," he cautions. "You have to weigh the benefits of exercise with the long-term effects on your body. So, I'm always looking for things that are going to give me health for the long-term. And I believe Acid Zapper is definitely one of them. It can increase your performance, but it also has health benefits beyond just the performance benefits."
Keeping your balance for the long haul
Obviously, the balance between athletic performance and long-term health is very important to Becker?which is undoubtedly why, just shy of his 50th birthday, he's still a winning competitor. "I like to focus on balance," he says. "And when you get out of balance, it's good that there's something like Acid Zapper that can help you get back to having balanced body chemistry." As Becker is well aware from personal experience, metabolic acidosis becomes even more of a problem for athletes as they age. "PH balance is very important," he says. "Acid Zapper helps me maintain it without any side effects. That's why I recommend it."
Does he also recommend it to younger athletes? "Oh, absolutely," Becker replies, "I recommend Acid Zapper to anyone. Again, it's not just something to benefit athletic performance; it's a health issue too. I was diagnosed with metabolic acidosis. Now, with Acid Zapper, I'm healthier than before and I don't suffer from acidosis. As a result of being healthier, I can do more exercise and I can do it more intensely."
