Introducing Metabolyte™
DDDA (as Metabolyte™) is not a protein, carbohydrate, fat or ketone. It’s a “fifth macronutrient” – a dicarboxylic acid. DDDA contains approximately seven calories per gram, so it’s calorie content fits between a typical carbohydrate (~four calories/gram) and a fat (~nine calories/gram). This means DDDA is relatively energy dense, but without the downsides of higher calorie foods.
It begins with fat. Fats are made up of carbon atoms from 2 – 28 (also known as C2 – C28). Medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) contain glycerol and medium chain fatty acids, typically categorized as C6, C8, C10 and C12. C12 is also known as lauric acid. The presence of two carboxylic acids (COOH) at the two terminal of the C12 molecule, instead of one COOH, such as in lauric acid, defines a DDDA –i.e. a dicarboxylic acid that Compound Solutions is pioneering in dietary supplements as patent-pending Metabolyte™.
Metabolyte™ is like supercharged MCT.
Let’s Discuss What Metabolyte™ Can Do
Exercise Performance
Metabolyte™ is known in animal models to spare glycogen. Studies published in the literature (Mingrone G Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Nov;291(5):E1051-8) show that people can exercise longer because the muscle will first burn fuel from DDDA (Metabolyte™), then glucose, then glycogen. Other clinical validation studies are ongoing. Mice who ingested Metabolyte™ did run longer when they had some level of metabolic dysfunction (i.e. insulin desensitization and/or abnormal energy production). This characterizes a majority of Americans. When those same studies were run on metabolically healthy mice, they did not run farther with Metabolyte™. Metabolyte provides energy and salts, such as potassium and sodium, that are lost with perspiration.
Metabolic Health
Metabolyte™ has been shown in animal models and in humans to not just maintain insulin in already healthy ranges, but to also re-sensitize cells to insulin. This is fundamental to human health, particularly for those who’ve been impacted by the Standard American Diet. The potential implications of better insulin sensitivity in humans include, but aren’t limited to: healthy aging, exercise performance, weight management and overall wellbeing.
Insulin sensitivity starts in the muscle, so Metabolyte’s ability to be rapidly metabolized by muscle is foundational to metabolic health.
Weight Management
Metabolyte™ has been shown in animal models to increase metabolic rate (metabolism/calorie burning) and improve fatty acid oxidation (burn fat). When combining a higher metabolic rate and fatty acid oxidation with maintaining insulin levels in already health ranges, it makes for a potentially powerful tool in weight management.
DDDA’s ability to help the body switch from burning carbohydrates to burning fat is what’s known as “metabolic flexibility.” Metabolic flexibility makes DDDA extraordinarily unique because only actual ketosis has been known to do that. Ketones like beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) or acetoacetate do not burn fatty acids – only dietary ketosis does. And most people cannot maintain dietary ketosis; so, ingesting DDDA is an ideal next step in weight management after a weight-bearing exercise regimen and good nutrition.
For dodecanedioic acid (DDDA) (as patent-pending Metabolyte™), research in animals and humans have shown improvements in metabolism and weight management.
Ideal Metabolyte™ applications
Metabolyte™ comes in two forms: potassium DDDA and sodium DDDA.
The recommended dosing is 1.5g to 3g of total material. It’s possible to go higher for more acute benefits, but 1.5g – 3g does provide most consumers to feel energy and cognition, particularly when fasted. It’s good at any time, though they may choose to take it in the morning – even as their non-stim preworkout.
Because potassium is the most deficient mineral in the American diet, this is a big opportunity to help rectify this deficiency while also providing metabolic and performance benefits. There is roughly 340mg of potassium for every 1000mg of potassium Metabolyte™.
Hydration
- For hydration-alone, formulators can play with various sodium:potassium ratios and potentially add trace minerals.
- For hydration + weight management or intermittent fasting, formulators can add chromium or other common weight management ingredients, if wanted.
- For hydration + performance (energy/active lifestyle), formulators can add PeakO2™ or ingredients such as Taurine or Betaine. Because Taurine is so big on TikTok as of June 2023, that’s a great choice.
- For hydration + beauty and healthy aging, consider adding Yüth™ (aka biogenic polyamines like spermidine) and biotin for hair, skin and nails.
- For hydration + minerals, consider leaning into potassium as the most deficient mineral in the American diet, as well as a trace mineral complex.
Weight management
- Intermittent fasting (IF): Intermittent fasting is the most popular diet in America in 2023. So, patent-pending Metabolyte™ represents a nearly unprecedented opportunity in dietary supplements to support the IF lifestyle
- Consider adding Yüth™ (aka biogenic polyamines like spermidine), which is a fasting mimetic (for inducing autophagy) to support the intermittent fasting lifestyle
- “Fat burning”: Fat burning is a bit of an older term and category as more people prefer satiety (hence, semaglutide/Ozempic®). However, fat burning is still a big category and formulators can use Metabolyte™ alone, or with other classics like capsaicin or gingerols.
- Low carb/’keto’: Dietary ketosis helps the body switch from burning glucose to fat (“metabolic flexibility”), but supplemented ketones do not. Ketones provide an alternative energy source. By contrast, Metabolyte™ provides an alternative energy source AND supports those on low carb diets with metabolic flexibility to maintain blood sugar and insulin levels in already healthy ranges.
Preworkouts
- Preworkouts typically contain one or more of the following components: energy, pump, muscle building, cognition and hydration.
- For the hydration component, many use mineral citrates (sodium citrate), or even straight salt (sodium chloride). Others use sodium glycerophosphate because the glycerol can have a dual function for “pump.”
- Metabolyte™ is next-generation “super electrolytes” because they turn the hydration complex functional by providing energy while also sparing glycogen. Metabolyte is a noteworthy advancement in exercise and hydration, particularly if you happen to train fasted.
- Intra-workout/endurance
- Intra-workouts are synonymous with endurance. So, if we’re just talking about exercising for longer periods of time, then sparing glycogen could enable longer workouts and a competitive edge. Sparing glycogen is one of Metabolyte’s principal benefits. Additionally, Metabolyte™ is ready-made energy the muscle burns preferentially, so it’s an immediate energy boost. It’s easy to combine Metabolyte™ with betaine, taurine or PeakO2 for potentially complementary action.
Learn more about DDDA
Connection to DDDA and sports nutrition and hydration research
Let’s look at Weight Management Formulas