Supplements for Your Fitness Goals

Supplements for Your Fitness Goals

Feb 11, 2016

New Year Resolutions

According to a study done in 2007 by the British psychologist Richard Wiseman, from the University of Hertfordshire, 88% of individuals fail achieve their New Year resolutions and most people give up their goals a couple of months after. One of the most common resolutions are losing weight, starting the gym or stop smoking.

 

However, to achieve worthy goals such as getting in a better shape, wishful thinking alone is not enough according to the psychologist Wiseman, we do need to be specific with a proper and detailed action plan, schedule it in and make adjustments. If you have decided to hit the gym this year and get in shape, adjust your diet with a qualified nutritionist and schedule properly your workout routine. HealthAid also recommends these supplements* you might seriously consider as part of your plan to reach your goal.  

 

D-Ribose For An Energy Boost And Recovery

This organic compound, which is naturally produced by our bodies, is taking the sports nutrition industry by storm. Adenosine triphosphate or ATP is often referred to as the energy currency of life because the amount that we have in our tissues determines how much energy we have. It is needed to help our muscles squeeze, hearts pump, brains think and countless actions that we don’t consciously control. D-Ribose is the key building block of ATP, therefore the availability of D-Ribose is vital for energy production and recovery.

 

When the cells in muscles come under metabolic stress, they are unable to synthesise enough D-Ribose and as a result, energy levels are depleted, which can lead to fatigue and exhaustion. On the other hand, increased ATP levels in muscle can help to reduce pain and fatigue that prevent people from maintaining exercise regimens. Therefore D-Ribose taken in supplement form can not only help to enhance athletic performance, but can also aid muscle recovery after exercise. HealthAid D-Ribose provides 1000mg per tablet and can be a great addition to any exercise programme.

 

 

Zinc Citrate

Our body needs the trace element zinc every day but in just the right amount, as too much can be as harmful as too little. We can’t naturally store zinc, so our daily diet must supply zinc which plays a key role for immunity and is required to produce important enzymes involved in tissue remodelling and prevention of cancer. Zinc is believed to help the body to increase the production of T-cells, the white blood of body's immune system cells playing a key role in fighting infections and disease.

 

This is especially interesting when we know that heavy long-term exercise and intense gym training could also decrease the amount of white blood cells circulating through the body and increase stress-related hormones. According to Dr Mercola, “certain diets, such as vegetarian, vegan diets and high-grain diets, are low in bioavailable zinc and high in phytic acids, which further impair zinc absorption and there is evidence that zinc deficiency affects the ability of T cells and other immune cells to function as they should.” Certain drugs also deplete your body of zinc, such as ACE inhibitors, thiazide diuretics, and acid-reducing drugs”.

 

Besides, if you follow an intense workout routine, you might benefit of a good zinc supplement.

 

Zinc is also crucial to help maintain mental clarity, restorative sleep as well as normal reproductive health, including hormonal balance; all crucial factors if you do exercise.

 

In fact, dietary zinc restriction was associated with a significant decrease in serum testosterone concentrations. Levels of testosterone, a hormone primarily required by the body for normal sexual health, naturally decrease with age and insufficient testosterone can lead to issues such as low libido, depression, erectile dysfunction, infertility and poor lean body mass and muscle strength. It is well known that testosterone helps increase muscle protein synthesis resulting in increased muscle mass.

 

In the meantime several studies showed a significant correlation between testosterone concentration and cellular zinc concentration, this is because zinc aids in the synthesis of the hormone testosterone. There are many forms of zinc products in the market and it is important to get the right amount and form to make it more absorbable. When Zinc is bound to aminoacids or citric acid such as HealthAid Zinc Citrate, it is more soluble and much more easily transported to the cells and absorbed.

Though, you need to speak to your health practitioner before taking any zinc supplement. 

 

A Good Multivitamin

We rarely manage to achieve the recommended daily intakes of all essential nutrients, even if we think that we have healthy diets. Then, when people diet or try to lose weight, their calorific intake can drop. Furthermore, the demand of modern lifestyles sometimes leaves people with no time to prepare nutritious meals, and most people resort to convenience foods which don’t always contain the vital vitamins and minerals essential to maintain good health. When this happens, it becomes increasingly difficult to eat recommended amounts of many vitamins and minerals.

 

Therefore, it is recommended that multivitamins such as HealthAid Healthy Mega be incorporated on to your daily routine and especially if you follow a strict weight loss programme. HealthAid Healthy Mega is an excellent supplement, which may help to optimise your daily nutrient levels. The unique formula contains vitamins and mineral complexes with digestive enzymes, antioxidants, and high potency herbs synergistically balanced. This one-a-day formulation ensures a prolonged release over an extended period of time. Ideal for those who are on a weight loss and work out programme, HealthAid Healthy Mega vitamins contribute to normal energy yielding metabolism and to normal function of the immune system. 

 

CLA to Help Reduce Body Fat

Did you know that CLA helps improve the way the body stores and utilizes energy? If you are trying to get rid of abdominal fat and increase your lean muscle, you might include a CLA supplement as part of your Work out PlanExciting Studies published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that taking between 3000 and 4000mg of CLA, Conjugated linoleic acid, might help reduce body fat deposits, especially abdominal fat. This specific kind of fatty acid is also believed to help improve immune function and enhance muscle tone as well ; making it an ideal supplement for people who work out and wish to burn excess fat while building up lean muscle.

 

For maximum benefit, go for a regular intake of CLA in conjunction with a healthy balanced diet and exercise. Since the human body cannot manufacture CLA, you must get it from your diet by consuming high-quality dietary sources such as grass-fed beef or get a high quality supplement providing at least 80% of free conjugated acids per dose. Research highlighted that CLA may help burn excess fat, especially abdominal fat by helping to utilize fatty reserves for energy requirement. Besides, a good amount of CLA is believed to increase muscle mass while reducing body fat.

This fatty acid may also work as an antioxidant & prevent oxidation of cells, help to boost body’s immune system and reduce cholesterol levels, though studies are still ongoing.

 

Branch Amino Acids For Muscle Strength And Recovery

Branched Chain Amino Acid BCAAs refer to a group of essential amino acids, including leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein; as the body can’t produce them, they must be consumed as part of our daily diet. 

 

BCAAs, specifically leucine, are believed to be responsible for regulating protein synthesis, helping to maintain muscle tissue and prevent muscle breakdown. These important amino acids are needed during times of physical stress and intense exercise. Now, data show that BCAA supplementation before and after exercise has proven beneficial effects for decreasing exercise-induced muscle damage and promoting muscle-protein synthesis. Muscle damage develops delayed onset muscle soreness: this syndrome occurs 24-48 h after intensive physical activity that can inhibit athletic performance.

 

Experts believe BCAAs supplementation is especially most beneficial when included with post-exercise-recovery nutrition, within 30 minutes of finishing the workout as this time is known as post-exercise “window of opportunity” where the muscles need immediately the fuel for rebuilding and repair. Providing aminoacids during this time is critical; you might consider BCAA as a useful supplement for muscle recovery but also for immune regulation, according to research findings.

BCAAs supplementation is extensively used by bodybuilders and athletes to maintain muscle strength and increase energy levels in the cells and muscle.

 

HealthAid Branched Chain Amino Acids may be of benefit for people who work out or those who need an extra boost to reduce mental fatigue and tiredness.

 


 

Any information or product suggested on this website is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition. Never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Consult your primary healthcare physician before using any supplements or making any changes to your regime.

 


 

Related Articles

 


 

References

 

More Articles