Sports & Fitness

Creatine

Creatine is an amino acid derivative made naturally in the body.

This organic compound is well studied and there is strong evidence suggesting that creatine supplementation together with training has the potential to improve lean muscle mass, strength, muscle endurance, resistance to fatigue, and recovery. 

This means you may be able to adapt easier and see results from training with creatine supplementation, compared to training alone.

BCAAs 

The essential BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) leucine, isoleucine, and valine are important for the synthesis of muscle protein and are burned by muscle cells for energy. Studies show that supplementation increases exercise endurance. 

Like other essential amino acids, BCAAs function as precursors (building blocks) for muscle protein synthesis. Importantly, BCAAs, especially leucine, also exert anabolic effects by directly stimulating muscle growth and inhibiting muscle protein degradation.

Whey protein

Whey protein, a group of milk-derived proteins with a high concentration of essential amino acids and BCAAs, activates muscle protein synthesis and recovery in response to resistance exercise.

Supplementation can decrease body weight and body fat and increase lean body mass when combined with resistance training. Leucine, one BCAA rich in which whey protein, plays an important role in muscle protein metabolism, healthy glucose metabolism, and body weight maintenance.

HMB

HMB (β-hydroxy β-methyl butyrate) is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine. HMB is naturally produced in small amounts when your body breaks down leucine (with protein intake). This metabolite helps maintain muscle function and support muscle growth and strength. HMB preserves the structure of muscles and supports resistance and endurance training performance.

HMB levels decline with age, and this drop is linked to diminished lean muscle mass and strength, which can be complemented through supplementation.

CoQ10 

CoQ1 (Coenzyme Q10) is essential for cell energy and also protects cells against oxidative damage. 

Clinical studies have demonstrated an exercise-enhancing effect of CoQ10 supplementation. In a study in trained and untrained individuals, supplementation with 100 mg of CoQ10 for 14 days increased the length of time participants could exercise before reaching exhaustion.

L-carnitine

L-carnitine is a compound obtained from food and synthesized in the body from the essential amino acids lysine and methionine. 

It is required for burning fat for energy production within the mitochondria and can act as a free radical scavenger. Studies have demonstrated that L-carnitine supplementation can improve exercise performance and recovery.

Rhodiola rosea

Studies have also shown that Rhodiola has positive effects on exercise performance and endurance. 

Rhodiola is an adaptogen, increasing the body’s ability to adapt to the stress of physical exercise. 

Moreover, Rhodiola also increases the utilization of fat for energy, improves mitochondrial function, and suppresses free radicals.

D-ribose

D-ribose is the biologically active form of the naturally occurring sugar, ribose, and is produced in the body from glucose.

Ribose is involved in the synthesis of ATP, which provides energy to muscle cells during exercise. 

Supplementation with ribose is shown to accelerate ATP synthesis following its depletion during intense exercise.

Tart cherry 

Tart cherry concentrate has been found to reduce muscle damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, and muscle soreness in athletes. 

In another study, marathon runners experienced significantly faster recovery of strength and muscle function when given tart cherry juice.

Adding this berry concentrate to a post-workout regime may encourage faster relief from the minor discomfort and stiffness that may come with exercise.

Curcumin

Curcumin is a turmeric spice extract with widespread well-documented health benefits due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 

The more free curcuminoids the body absorbs, the better. 

Curcuminoids are the compounds in curcumin that can offer antioxidative support and help inhibit inflammation to support joint and vital organ health, promote heart and immune health, and more.

Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant carotenoid that is naturally present in krill oil. It has been shown to play a role in controlling free radical activity and increasing mitochondrial function. 

Research shows that this antioxidant can help support the joints as well as brain, cardiovascular, immune, and mitochondrial health. 

Furthermore, it can also support healthy blood glucose levels for those already in the normal range.

Omega-3

Studies support the use of omega-3 fatty acids to support recovery from strenuous exercise. Omega-3 fats, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), can help counteract age-related muscle loss. 

In a controlled study in older adults, daily supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids containing over 1.8 grams of EPA and 1.5 grams of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) increased the rate of muscle protein synthesis compared with corn oil, which provided no benefit.

Bromelain

The anti-inflammatory activity of the proteolytic enzyme preparation bromelain has been attributed to its ability to reduce inflammatory factors.

In a study, patients reported reductions in discomfort and improvement in range of motion at the end of the study.

L-arginine 

L-arginine is a semi-essential amino acid, which means it can be synthesized by the body’s metabolic pathways, but possibly not in sufficient quantity. With semi-essential amino acids, you want to get as much from your diet as possible, so that your body can avoid using other amino acids to synthesize it.

Muscle soreness can make it difficult to maintain an exercise routine. Supplementing with arginine has been shown to support muscle mass, health, and recovery after exercise — and has other potent whole-body health benefits as well.

PEA

PEA (Palmitoylethanolamide) is a lipid compound that occurs naturally in tissues throughout the body, including the central nervous system. A growing body of research suggests PEA supplementation may be effective for relieving discomfort from a variety of causes without triggering adverse side effects. Most of the existing preclinical research indicates that PEA works by changing the expression of certain genes and reducing inflammatory signaling, but other possible mechanisms have also been proposed, including its ability to stimulate signaling through cannabinoid receptors in the nervous system.

Boswellia

Boswellia serrata (frankincense) is a traditional joint support plant in Ayurvedic medicine.

The anti-inflammatory properties of Boswellia have been attributed to the specific inhibition of inflammatory factors by boswellic acids, a constituent of the Boswellia gum resin.