Beat Cramps With ENDURE

August 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment

 

DA72XC Low section of woman running on treadmill in fitness center

When it comes to maximizing your performance during intense physical activity, energy, stamina and endurance are crucial. Your ability to effectively re-hydrate and replace your body with lost electrolytes is essential to performing at your best. If you don’t, fatigue, dehydration and—worst of all— cramping will set in, causing decreased energy and stamina.

Whether we call them cramps, stitches, or just a pain in the butt, muscle contractions can strike without warning, putting a serious damper on any workout or practice. But what’s to blame for these uncomfortable muscle troubles?

It seems no one’s completely safe from muscle cramps, which commonly attack the calf muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps, arms, and abs. In a perfect world, muscle fibers shorten and lengthen back up when they contract; a cramp occurs when the muscle fibers stay shortened, causing tension and that familiar pain.

Muscle spasms can also happen off the court, creeping in when we least expect it. Cramps can occur up to six hours after exercise so we may not be safe even after hitting the showers. And don’t rule out the notorious charley horse, which often attacks the leg muscles in the middle of the night.

When it comes to cramping, scientists aren’t 100% sure of the causes, but a loss of electrolytes and dehydration is the most common hypothesis, so it’s important to hydrate effectively and replenish lost minerals after intense physical activity. Our favorite electrolyte product is ENDURE from Trace Minerals Research. It contains Utah Sea Minerals and a plethora of other naturally occurring trace minerals to help replenish your body’s stores of potassium, sodium and magnesium—an essential electrolyte that naturally relaxes muscles to prevent cramping.

Staying hydrated during intense physical activity is a battle in itself because drinking too much water or sweet sports drinks can cause bloating or stomach aches. ENDURE can be added to plain water as an electrolyte booster with no carbs, sugars or calories for effective and efficient hydration that leads to enhanced performance.

 

 

Filed Under: Minerals, Sports Performance

Serrapeptase: The Miracle Enzyme?

June 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment

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We’ve talked about digestive enzymes before, and we all know about the myriad benefits of enzymes for digestive health, but systemic enzymes are another class of nutrients that aren’t discussed as much, though they are just as important—from protease and bromelain for heart health and inflammation, systemic enzymes are necessary for optimal health. A new systemic enzyme, Serrapeptase, is gaining in popularity as more research shows that it may help with inflammation, heart health and clearing out mucous, among other things.

Discovered in the early 1970’s, this proteolytic enzyme was isolated from the Serratia species of bacteria located in the intestines of silkworms and used to digest their cocoons. Though Serrapeptase has only been used in the United States for about a decade, it has been used all over Europe and Asia in clinical settings for nearly 40 years.

Also called Serratia Peptidase, Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme, which means that it chops up or digests proteins into their constituent amino acids.  When this enzyme is isolated and coated in the form of a tablet, it has been shown to act as an anti-inflammatory and a pain-blocker, much like aspirin, ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). What’s more, preliminary research indicates that Serrapeptase may even help inhibit plaque build-up in arteries, thereby preventing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and a resulting heart attack or stroke. Therefore, much like aspirin, this naturally derived enzyme may work to prevent inflammation, pain, heart attack and stroke. Unlike aspirin and other over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs, Serrapeptase has not been shown to cause ulcers and stomach bleeding.

Serrapeptase is thought to work in three ways:

  1. It may reduce inflammation by thinning the fluids formed from injury, and facilitating the fluid’s drainage. This in turn, also speeds tissue repair.
  2. It may help alleviate pain by inhibiting the release of pain-inducing amines called bradykinin.
  3. It may enhance cardiovascular health by breaking down the protein by-products of blood coagulation called fibrin. Conveniently, Serrapeptase is able to dissolve the fibrin and other dead or damaged tissue without harming living tissue. This could enable the dissolution of atherosclerotic plaques without causing any harm to the inside of the arteries.

The standard dose for Serrapeptase is 10-60mg (10mg of Serrapeptase is equal to approximately 20,000 enzymatic units), and it should be supplemented on an empty stomach—30 minutes before a meal or two hours after a meal—three times a day. Most studies use 10mg of Serrapeptase taken every eight hours.

Our favorite Serrapeptase supplement is Serrapeptase Complete from Anova Health, which provides 40,000 IU of Serrapeptase per capsule. Each vegetarian and kosher capsule is also micro-enteric coated for maximum absorption.

 

Filed Under: Anti-Inflammatory, Enzymes, Sports Performance

Improve Your Workouts and Heart Health With ARNOX Advantage

March 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Arnox Bottle - Web TransparentWhen most people hear Nitric Oxide, they probably think of the laughing gas at the dentist, or “The Fast and the Furious.” But Nitric Oxide—which is related to Nitrous Oxide—isn’t the molecule responsible for giving cars a burst of energy, but for facilitating communication between the cells in your body. One of its main functions is increasing blood flow by dilating blood vessels, so it’s taken by athletes and non-athletes alike for its cardiovascular benefits, and increased performance in the gym and even—ahem—in the bedroom.

There have been thousands of studies on Nitric Oxide, and it’s so important that it was named “Molecule of the Year” by Science magazine in 1992. In 1998, the Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded to the three doctors who discovered its role as a cardiovascular signalling molecule.

Nitric Oxide (NO) works by signalling the smooth muscle of your blood vessels to relax, which dilates the vessels and causes increased blood flow. This is great for athletes and bodybuilders who want to get their blood pumping as much as possible during workouts, but also for people with plaque buildup in their arteries and other circulation problems.

Nitric Oxide supplements don’t actually contain the gas, but contain L-Arginine, an amino acid that aids in your body’s production of NO. Arginine is also found in foods such as crab, spinach, sesame seeds and turkey. ARNOX Advantage contains 5,000 mg of L-Arginine in a highly bioavailable form, as well as L-Citrulline, another amino acid that further helps your body convert L-Arginine to NO.

Because NO only lasts a few seconds in the bloodstream, ARNOX also contains helpful antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D3 and Vitamin E that help increase the duration of NO in the bloodstream. ARNOX also contains potent herbal nutrients from hawthorne berry, horse chestnut, green coffee, and redflower ragleaf, which are are herbs that further help with arterial health.

With a delicious berry flavor, ARNOX Advantage is a great-tasting way to boost your NO levels, and support athletic performance, a healthy heart and increased circulation.

Filed Under: Heart Health, Libido, Sports Performance