Health Hotline Magazine | June 2023

Get an Edge with These Supplements

Foundational supplements. These are supplements that provide basic essential nutrients that build a healthy foundation to support regular exercise. The B vitamins create the cellular energy required for exercise, aid in repairing damaged tissue, and are required for the synthesis of red blood cells, which are necessary to carry oxygen throughout the body. In one study, a group of male athletes were depleted of the B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, and B6 over a three-week period by eating mainly processed foods—the athletes’ exercise performance decreased significantly at the end of the three weeks. A quality B-complex or multivitamin will provide all of the B vitamins. Vitamin D supports increases in muscle synthesis, strength, exercise capacity, and performance and decreases muscle protein breakdown, while magnesium is required for energy metabolism and normal muscle function; studies have shown that magnesium needs increase as physical activity levels increase. DHA & EPA. These omega-3 fats found in fish oil support recovery by reducing post-exercise inflammation and oxidative damage. One study found that 3 grams of fish oil taken daily for one week minimized delayed onset muscle soreness after strenuous strength-training exercise in healthy men and women; participants were also able to perform more repetitions after supplementation, possibly due to increased muscle strength or decreased fatigue. Other research has shown that fish oil reduces heart rate and oxygen consumption during exercise (without a decrease in performance), reduces cortisol levels and increases lean body mass, and increases muscle protein synthesis in healthy individuals. Doses in studies range from 3 grams to 8 grams daily. Beet root juice. A study published in the American Journal of Physiology— Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology , found that regular consumption of 70 mL (about 1/3 cup) of beet root juice was associated with increases in blood levels of nitrates and nitrites, decreases in blood pressure, and delayed onset of fatigue in healthy men. The researchers said that the findings suggest that beet root juice can enhance physical performance by “enhancing oxygen delivery and reducing work of the heart, allowing exercise to be performed … for a longer period of time before the onset of fatigue.” Compounds in beets interact with stomach enzymes to produce nitrous oxide— nitrous oxide is converted into nitric oxide, which is responsible for vasodilation. Vasodilation helps improve the flexibility of blood vessels, which is suggested to help allow more blood flow to active muscle and support aerobic metabolism. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). BCAAs are a group of amino acids—leucine, isoleucine, and valine—that are essential for muscle growth and repair, and while most amino acids are metabolized by the liver, BCAAs are metabolized directly by muscle tissue. Exercise, especially endurance exercise, increases the breakdown of protein and amino acids, leading to a decline in levels of BCAAs, which can result in fatigue and muscle soreness. But supplementing with BCAAs before and after exercise has been shown to decrease muscle damage and promote muscle-protein synthesis. In one study, oral supplementation of BCAAs (77mg/kg of body weight) increased BCAA levels during exercise and led to less muscle breakdown. Similar results were found in another study in which subjects consumed 3.6 grams of amino acids with 37 percent BCAAs before and after exercise. The amino acid supplement decreased muscle soreness, presumably by stimulating muscle synthesis and suppressing protein breakdown and muscle damage.

Trimethylglycine (TMG). This natural compound, also called betaine or betaine anhydrous, helps your muscles function at their best, in part by acting as an osmolyte, a molecule that helps cells—including muscle cells—stay hydrated, maintaining optimal fluid balance, reducing muscle fatigue, and increasing endurance. One placebo-controlled study including 24 male subjects found that the men who consumed 1.25 grams of betaine mixed in a sports drink for two weeks were significantly able to increase the number and quality of repetitions in a squat exercise. And while this study found an increase in endurance and quality in a lower-body exercise, a separate study including “recreationally active men” found that 1.25 grams of betaine in a sports drink, taken twice daily for two weeks, increased power and force in exercises involving smaller upper-body muscle groups. And finally, a more recent study including “untrained” college women found that 2.5 grams of betaine daily for eight weeks, along with a resistance training program, improved body composition by enhancing reductions in fat mass, with the body fat percentage and fat mass decreasing significantly more in the betaine group versus the placebo group (there were no significant changes in muscle strength). It is suggested to take betaine pre-workout to help muscle cells stay “pre hydrated” and/or post-workout to re-hydrate muscle cells. Whey protein is one of the best sources of BCAAs, particularly leucine, and is quickly absorbed and utilized by the muscles, giving them the food they need to stop muscle breakdown and shift to growth and repair. Whey protein also contains cysteine, an important building block of the body’s master antioxidant glutathione, and has been found to increase glutathione levels.

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