What's in the leading running supplement?
Endurance Supplements with the right balance
With all of the Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements on the market today, sometimes it becomes a little hard to understand just what each product does. If you've ever asked yourself, "What does Vitamin B do for me?" then read on.
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Read all about it. Research Packet
Eleuthero: Used for centuries in Eastern countries for its ability to restore vigor, increase longevity, enhance overall health and stimulate both a healthy appetite and a good memory. It has also been widely used in Russia to help the body adapt to stressful conditions and to enhance productivity. Eleuthero has been shown to prolong exercise time to exhaustion and enhance immune function.
Cordyceps is a genus of parasitic asomycete fungi. Cordyceps sinensis, the cordyceps species most widely used as a dietary supplement, naturally grows on the back of the larvae of a caterpillar found mainly in China, Nepal and Tibet. Cordyceps has been used as a tonic food, beverage and food supplement in China for invigoration, health preservation and reducing fatigue for thousands of years. Purported benefits of Cordyceps is improved oxygen consumption, provides for more robust lung function, supports greater natural resistance, reduces symptoms of fatigue and increased vitality.
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Can they really help your performance?
Vitamin E (tocopherol) is a lipophilic compound that is located in the cell membrane and is essential for normal cell function during exercise. Dietary supplementation of vitamin E has been shown to increase tissue resistance to exercise-induced lipid peroxidation in humans.
Natural vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) which is has higher bioavailability than synthetic vitamin E consists of two families of antioxidants: Tocopherols & Tocotrienols. The combination of D-alpha-tocopherol and mixed tocopherols has been shown to provide a broader spectrum of activity than D-alpha tocopherol alone.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has certain biological functions that can influence physical performance. It is needed for synthesis of carnitine, catecholamines and neurotransmitters. In addition vitamin C increases glucose and free fatty acid mobilization through epinephrine synthesis, enhanced iron absorption and antioxidant benefits resulting in enhanced immune resistance. The physiologic functions that vitamin C exerts facilitates recovery from intense training and thus promotes performance.
The available formulation includes a mixture of ascorbic acid and calcium ascorbate which is a buffered form of Vitamin C. Calcium ascorbate consists of 90% ascorbic acid bound to 10% Calcium. This form of Vitamin C minimizes the gastrointestinal discomfort (acidic irritation) that sometimes occurs in people who use pure Ascorbic Acid.
Vitamin A (beta-carotene) is one of the most versatile vitamins promoting overall enhanced vitality and health. Vitamin A functions in vision, immune defenses, maintenance of body linings and skin, bone and body growth, normal cell development, and reproduction. Vitamin A also provides antioxidant protection from free radicals and helps form and maintains healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucous membranes, and skin.
Beta-carotene is one of the most important naturally occurring antioxidants. It is responsible for the orange or yellow colors of many fruits and vegetables and is converted by the body into vitamin A.
Selenium (as amino acid chelate) is an antioxidant cofactor of glutathione peroxidase and recharges vitamins E and C. Selenium provides antioxidant protection when there is increased production of free radicals with intense physical training. It is also proposed to increase aerobic power through enhanced oxygen transport.
Selenium is bound to an amino acid to form a chelate. In this form Selenium is protected from the digestive system until it can be absorbed into the intestinal tissue.Learn more about Anti-Oxidants
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) helps the body release energy from carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Thiamin also functions in the conversion of pyruvate into acetyl CoA; thus, a deficiency of thiamin could impair metabolism of carbohydrates and result in the accumulation of lactic acid.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) helps the body release energy from protein, carbohydrates and fats and is involved in hormone production. A deficiency of riboflavin has been shown to impair performance, and supplementation with riboflavin has been shown to improve performance when riboflavin status has been adequate.
Vitamin B3, Niacin (niacinimide) is required for energy metabolism and for the synthesis and processing of many essential substances by the human body. The two coenzyme forms of niacin, NAD and NADP, participate in numerous metabolic activities and are central in energy production from carbohydrates, amino acids and fatty acids, as well as glycogen synthesis. A deficiency has the potential to affect both muscular and nervous function.
Niacinamide is one of the two principal forms niacin. It is a more water-soluble form of the vitamin and does not produce flushing of the skin and has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.
Vitamin B5, Pantothenic Acid (d-calcium pantothenate) is active in metabolism and is a building block of CoA, a key enzyme that releases energy from foods. Pantothenic acid stimulates the adrenal glands and boosts production of hormones responsible for healthy skin and nerves. Pantothenic acid is an essential component of coenzyme A, which functions in the metabolism of fatty acids, triglycerides and cholesterol. Pantothenic acid plays a role in the synthesis of adrenocortical hormones (cortisone and its intermediates), hemoglobin and myoglobin.
The main supplemental form of pantothenic acid is calcium D-pantothenate and is found to be an effective natural pantothenic acid found in food sources.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) plays an important role in the metabolic pathways required for exercise, principally amino acid metabolism and glycogen breakdown. Exercise may increase the requirement for vitamin B6 by 1.5-2.5 times.
Vitamin B6 consists of six specific compounds, namely pyridoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine, and their respective phosphates, Pyridoxine hydrochloride is the principal form of vitamin B6 used for food fortification and in nutritional supplements
Vitamin B7, Biotin is important in cell growth, the production of fatty acids, metabolism of fats, and proteins and release of energy from food. Biotin is also indicated for healthy hair and skin, healthy sweat glands, nerve tissue, bone marrow and assisting with muscle pain. Biotin is also helpful in maintaining a steady blood sugar level.
Vitamin B9, Folate (folic acid) is required for a number of enzymes that are critical for DNA synthesis and amino acid metabolism. In addition, folate’s role in assisting with cell division makes it a critical nutrient for growth, the synthesis of new cells, such as red blood cells, and for the repair of damages cells and tissues. Thus, folate requirements might be higher with exercise, since damaged muscle tissue needs to be repaired. Research has shown that most athletes have low intakes of folate.
Folic acidis the synthetic form of folate. Although folate (the natural form) and folic acid are very similar in structure, folate is not as stable as folic acid. Also unlike folic acid folate needs to be broken down in the digestive system before the body can absorb it. Therefore, folic acid is absorbed more efficiently than the natural form of the vitamin.
Vitamin B12 (as cyanocobalamin) plays a key role in the body and is also associated with lower levels of homocysteine in the blood which may become elevated after strenuous exercise. It is required for energy production and overall health of the body, including red blood cell formation and for nervous system health. Research has suggested that vitamin B12 metabolism may be altered in ultra-endurance runners.
Vitamin B12 has the largest and most complex chemical structure of all the vitamins. It is unique among vitamins in that it contains a metal ion, cobalt. Cobalamin is the term used to refer to compounds having vitamin B12 activity. Methylcobalamin and 5-deoxyadenosyl cobalamin are the forms of vitamin B12 used in the human body. The form of cobalamin used in most supplements, cyanocobalamin, is readily converted to 5-deoxyadenosyl and methylcobalamin in the body.
Learn more about B vitamins
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a collective term for a mixture of positional and geometric isomers of linoleic acid in which two double bonds are conjugated. CLA isomers are mainly present in ruminant animal fat, dairy products and partly-hydrogenated vegetable oils. Some of the reported physiologic effects of CLA include: enhances immune function, reduces inflammation, reduces body fat gain, enhances lean body mass gain and promotes bone health.
Learn more about Conjugated Linoleic Acid
Calcium (as citrate) results in enhanced ATP use, decreased lactic acid production, increased oxygen transport and increased glycogenolysis.
Calcium citrate is the salt of citric acid and does not require stomach acid for absorption which, makes is more readily absorbed and utilized by the body.
Magnesium (as oxide and amino acid chelate) contributes to over 300 enzymatic reactions, possibly leading to enhanced carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism. Purported benefits of magnesium increased power through muscle mass, as well as an associated increase in aerobic power and endurance.
Magnesium oxide and amino acid chelate are both forms of elemental magnesium that have increased bioavailability.
Vitamin D maintains normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. It promotes bone mineralization in concert with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and hormones. Without vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, soft, or misshapen.
Learn more about Macrominerals
Chromium (as picolinate) is an essential nutrient involved in the regulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Normal dietary intake of chromium in humans is often suboptimal. In addition to its effects on glucose, insulin and lipid metabolism, chromium has been reported to increase lean body mass and decrease percentage body fat.
Chromium picolinate is a chromium salt that enhances absorption of chromium from the digestive tract.
Copper (as gluconate) is needed by the body for normal growth and health and is important for nerve function, bone growth, and to help body use sugar. Copper is also an essential nutrient that plays a role in the production of hemoglobin, myelin, collagen, and melanin and works with vitamin C to help make a component of connective tissue known as elastin. In addition, Copper is a strong antioxidant, is needed to make ATP and processes anti-inflammatory properties.
Copper gluconate is the copper salt of D-gluconic acid is a readily absorbable form of copper.
Iodine (potassium iodide) is commonly known to have a major effect on thyroid function, being a main component of the thyroid hormone thyroxine. Thyroid hormones affect heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and weight. They act on the body to increase the basal metabolic rate, affect protein synthesis and increase the body's sensitivity to catecholamines (such as adrenaline).
Potassium iodide is a salt of iodine that delivers stable iodine to the body.
Iron (as amino acid chelate, FerrochelÒ) is a key element that is required for the delivery of oxygen to tissues and the use of oxygen at the cellular and subcellular levels. It serves as a functional component of iron-containing proteins and plays a critical role in energy use during work.
Ferrochel is an amino acid chelate of iron, which forms a highly stable bio-available bond. Unlike other forms of iron, Ferrochel does not compete for binding sites of some other minerals such as calcium.
Manganese (as gluconate) is an essential trace element that the body uses in a number of metabolic processes. While manganese is well known for its role helping the body to maintain healthy skin and bone structure it is also important element of cartilage formation, glucose tolerance and helps to activate superoxide dismutase (SOD) – an important antioxidant enzyme.
Manganese gluconate is a chelated form of manganese for enhanced absorption.
Molybdenum (as citrate) is a trace mineral found in all tissues of the body, particularly in the bones, teeth, kidney, and liver. It helps the body make the enzyme xanthine oxidase, which helps the body use its iron reserves, and burning of fat.
Molybdenum citrate is the salt of citric acid which provides for better absorption.
Zinc (as oxide and gluconate) is often refered to as “the well-being mineral” because is enhances a wide range of physiologic systems and functions. It is essential for membrane, protein and enzyme synthesis and regulation. Zinc also plays an essential role in the function of lactic acid dehydrogenase and could theoretically benefit an-aerobic performance through improved clearance of lactic acid. Research has found that there is up to a 50% increase in excretion during strenuous exercise.
Zinc gluconate is an ionic compound of gluconate and zinc. Zinc gluconate and zinc oxide are popular forms of zinc for their easy absorption and assimilation.
Learn more about trace minerals
