Darren Faulder asked:




Supplements: when the hard times hit

Everyone reaches a workout wall at times. The scales stay the same, or muscles don’t seem to respond in the way you would like. That’s where supplements come in.

Not only can they improve the health of the body, by supplying vital nutrients, but they can also boost energy, enabling a workout to go for longer, and with more intensity.

Some supplements provide vital amino acids, such as Glutamine. Many scientific research studies have shown that Glutamine helps to build muscle mass by not only increasing the levels of growth hormones, but is also responsible for transporting as much as 35% of muscle-building nitrogen into the muscles tissue.

Protein powders provide the building blocks for muscles. As carbohydrate intake has been shown to largely go to fat cells, protein powders are a handy way to take in calories that will be used by muscle tissue instead. Protein powders, simply put, help to build muscle tissue without adding ‘empty calories’ which can increase fat.

Vitamin and mineral supplements can also be a valuable part of any good health regime. As the body secretes some minerals and vitamins more easily than others, being deficient in some vital nutrients is common in many people – even more so in people who train hard.

Know your supplement

Not all supplements are created equal, and unfortunately some are, at best, completely useless or, at worst, downright dangerous.

Before taking any body building supplement, it’s a good idea to get an all-over health check first, and get advice from a health professional. Some energy-boosting supplements contain caffeine, which is fine for some people, but for others they can have adverse side effects.

Importantly, supplements containing some ingredients have been banned from sale in other countries, such as Ephedra in the US. A derivative of the plant ephedra sinica, Ephedra is an alkaloid chemical compound, which contains two main active ingredients-pseudoephedrine and ephedrine.

In 2002, the company Metabolife, which made a Ephedra supplement, was forced to hand over to the US Department of Justice well over 15,000 reports of adverse cases related to Ephedra, ranging from insomnia to death. Fortunately, the ban of Ephedra has spawned the increase of “Ephedra-free” energy supplements.

Supplements that focus on hormones are also a common area of confusion for many. Unlike anabolic steroids, which are dangerous for a user as they increase hormones way above the normal human levels, many supplements only increase hormones within a safe range. Some supplements increase testosterone, which helps to build muscle mass and is commonly used to increase sports performance. Others block oestrogen, the ‘female’ hormone.

Excess testosterone can have some very unfortunate side effects, however, including hair loss and acne. In some cases, the body will convert excess testosterone to oestrogen, which can affect virility in some males. Fortunately, there are other supplements that can inhibit this, such as antiaromatics, or Milk Thistle.

When buying supplements online, it’s important to check their origins. Just because an ingredient has been banned in one country, does not mean it has been banned in others, and the accidental importation of banned substances can lead to big trouble. Fortunately, there are very good online retailers based in Australia. They do the importing for you, making sure that not only are the products safe, but also allowed.

gerry geneva

Brian Novak asked:




Fatigue can ruin your day. Don’t accept drowsiness because it will limit your performance in life. Instead, grasp and seize every day that you have. A good night of sleep is the most important factor in obtaining high energy levels.

Cure Fatigue with a Good Breakfast- It is important to have a daily breakfast consisting of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Having a big, healthy breakfast daily is a great way to cure fatigue.

Television Causes Fatigue- Too much television, both in the morning and throughout the day, has been shown to put one into a more drowsy state. Instead, reading a book will stimulate your brain in a healthier way.

Exercise the Fatigue Away- Exercising gives you energy. It’s important to exercise daily for at least a good 15 minutes. Failure to exercise daily may be the direct trigger of allowing your body to slip into its drowsy state. However, don’t exercise within 3 hours of bedtime, as it may prevent your body from releasing natural melatonin, which will delay your sleep, possibly causing you to feel more tired in the morning.

Get Enough Nutrients- Lack of nutrients too may directly cause fatigue. Try to eat three, full, nutritious meals each day. Consider taking a daily multivitamin or mineral supplement if your daily diet doesn’t consist of enough nutrients.

Smoking Causes Fatigue- Smoking disrupts the delivery of oxygen to tissues, resulting in fatigue. You may not see positive energy results immediately after quitting, this is normal. It may take more time for your body’s energy to stabilize after quitting smoking. You may even feel more tired without the use of cigarettes, but the long term effect will be an overall increase in energy.

Possibly Less Sleep- Though too little sleep may be causing your fatigue, too much sleep too may be causing it. Depending on your age, 9 to 11 hours of sleep may be too much. On an average, 6-8 hours usually is satisfying for most peoples’ needs.

Bring Light to Your Rooms- Studies show that a lot of color and light can boost your energy levels. If your house is dark, or dark colored, it may be causing your fatigue. Bringing light into your rooms may help.

Drink Plenty of Fluids- Lack of fluid causes dehydration, which is linked to fatigue. Be sure to get your daily recommended amount of water, usually of which is 8 glasses, to prevent fatigue.

Cut Caffeine to Cut Fatigue- Though caffeine may help you start off your day, its positive effect usually ends there. It makes you feel like you have more energy than you really have. Caffeine makes your energy level unstable, which may make you feel fatigued throughout the day, despite its sudden burst of energy upon consumption.

adrenal fatigue

Kalidasa Brown asked:




Chronic fatigue syndrome or CFS, is a big concern for many people these days. There are many factors involved with this condition, and many different ways to deal with each one. The complication can be extreme due to these various factors. This article covers several of the factors involved in CFS.

The main factors that can be involved in CFS are adrenal fatigue, toxicity, pathogens, vitamin or mineral deficiency, stress and brain chemistry. There is rarely just one factor that is the cause of CFS, several factors will be involved in almost every case.

On one level, all disease is due to either a deficiency or a toxicity. Pathogens are toxic, but there are other toxic issues that can cause CFS. And, almost everyone is deficient in several supplements and minerals.

One of the main pathogens that is often involved is Ebstein Barr which is one of the most common virus infections there is. It is in the herpes family and can be difficult to eradicate. Lyme disease is quickly becoming another major cause of extreme fatigue as well as many other symptoms.

Deficiency is part of what causes adrenal fatigue, and so are toxins. Stress is another issue that can be draining to the adrenal glands.

There are other energy systems in the body that can cause fatigue due to deficiency. A few systems that affect energy are ATP which are the little batteries in every cell of the body, zinc to copper ratio which has to be pretty exact, anemia – there are three different kinds, and organ dysfunction are just a few.

Toxicity can be another really big factor in chronic fatigue syndrome. This can be due to a pathogenic infection, improper disposal of waist by the body, heavy metals and chemicals either from the environment or diet. There are several different methods of detox depending on what needs to be eliminated. Two detox methods that work to eliminate most toxins saunas and exercising hard enough to sweat.

Any time any of these factors are present the brain chemistry is likely to be affected. Brain chemistry can really add to or even cause fatigue. It is important to bring brain chemistry back into balance as a part of healing chronic fatigue syndrome.

gerry geneva

Noel Lyons asked:




Feeling energetic (vigor or vitality) is a positive feeling affecting the capacity to complete mental or physical activities.

Fatigue is a negative feeling resulting in reduced capacity to complete mental or physical activities.

Feelings of low energy and fatigue are quite common, affecting about one-fourth of the population.

In a review of this topic researchers looked at conditions that affected feelings of fatigue – obesity, smoking, heavy drinking, and presence of certain diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression. They also looked at the role of physical activity in promoting feelings of energy in 7 large population studies, and 15 experimental studies.

Each of these studies showed that the higher the level of physical activity, the more energy people had.

One large study in Australia included 39,532 women. Researchers calculated an activity score for each woman based on their reported exercise program. Possible scores ranged from 0 to 80 with 0 being the least active (no regular activity) and 80 the most active. The women also reported their feelings of energy or fatigue on an “energy-vitality scale.” Sedentary women reported the most frequent feelings of low energy and fatigue. As women reported more weekly physical activity, they also reported more frequent feelings of high energy. The biggest improvement in feelings of energy came from those initially doing no exercise who started doing some regular exercise.

Another study included 1,758 people followed for 2 years. Their activity level and feelings of energy were evaluated twice during the 2 years. Researchers found that the total time spent exercising at the beginning of the study was a significant predictor of who would report feeling more energetic at the end of the 2-year study even after adjusting for potential confounders including age, BMI, education, gender, ethnicity, smoking, drinking, disease conditions, and poverty. Interestingly, exercise had the greatest benefit in increased energy for those who had health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, and depression.

Exercise trial studies show similar increases in feelings of energy. One intervention study was made with depressed seniors. They exercised 45 minutes 3 times per week for 10 weeks. A control group didn’t exercise but received health education on depression for an hour twice a week. After 10 weeks the exercise group showed a large increase in feelings of energy. The increase was 1.3 standard deviations, nearly a doubling of their reported energy levels. The control group, however, made no significant improvement in energy levels (see chart above).

In one study, heart failure patients who were sedentary started a 3-hour per week stepping exercise program. After 12 weeks the exercising heart patients showed a significant (1 standard deviation) improvement in energy levels.

All of the intervention trials showed uniformly positive improvements in energy even in those persons with health problems and chronic illness. The authors summarize their findings; “Sedentary people who feel fatigued are likely to experience a moderate to large increase in feelings of energy if they become regularly physically active.”

So what kind of exercise is best for improving energy levels?

The study authors point out that for most people, and especially people who are older or have chronic health problems, moderate aerobic exercise (walking, stepping machine, stationary bicycling, etc.) is best, – 30 minutes 3-5 times weekly will show good results.

Also, choose exercises you enjoy (exercise to music, golf, active gardening, walking in the park, etc.).

Keep in mind that excessive exercise (too much too soon) may actually increase feelings of tiredness and fatigue, especially in persons not used to regular exercise.

The bottom line is clear: If you want to enjoy more energy in your life, regular, moderate physical activity is a key ingredient.

As always, if you have health problems, get your doctor’s guidance as needed in developing a safe, effective activity program.

Reference: O’Connor PJ et al. Chronic physical activity and feelings of energy and fatigue. MedSciSportsExerc.2005; 37:299-305.

fatigue

Edward Dumchus asked:




I have been dieting, to lower my blood pressure, by losing weight. I lost 22 pounds, and did get my blood pressure down, but my weight loss stalled for 6 weeks.

Then I read about some supplements that might help get my weight loss moving again.

I started taking these supplements, and began losing weight again. I have lost 6 pounds since I added these supplements to my daily routine.

These supplements are all widely available, and none of them are stimulants, but they seem to help rev up the body’s metabolism, and increase energy.

Before I list the supplements, I want to offer a brief introduction about how energy is produced at the cellular level.

The body’s energy is produced in tiny structures inside individual cells that are called mitochondria, and are basically microscopic energy factories which produce a substance called ATP or adenosine triphosphate.

ATP affects our metabolism, as well as how energized we feel. It allows the individual cells to work, and determines our overall feelings of vitality.

As we age, the number of mitochondria in each cell declines, and the function of the remaining mitochondria diminish. This can be a result of lifelong exposure to varying stressors, such as toxins, infections, medications, radiation, and alcohol, even physical or mental stress. These stressors can interfere with the functioning of the mitochondria, as well as production of new mitochondria within the cells.

Fewer mitochondria and less effective functioning of the mitochondria results in less ATP. Our metabolism slows down, and we feel we have less energy.

These nutritional supplements seem to help improve the functioning of the mitochondria, as well as production of ATP, and this boosts our metabolism, and helps with weight loss.

The first is CoQ-10, which is a substance found throughout the body. It is a potent antioxidant, and is so widely spread throughout the body, that it was originally called ubiquinol or ubiquinone, (both names come from the word ubiquitous). It is a nutrient that is required for ATP production.