Nutritional Supplments
Pangea Tradewinds
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For most people in these hurried, stressful times, the diet is sadly lacking in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Any home exercise activity could certainly benefit from nutritional supplements.
This section of the website provides reviews and testimony from authorities in the field of nutrition in order to help you attain your fitness goals. We want you to be informed about the pros and cons of common supplements before you choose to consume them. Also we refer you to the best merchant from whom to purchase each product. We have researched the best price so you don't have to!
The supplements discussed below are meant to be consumed in addition to healthy food. We do not recommend supplements to be used as a substitute for regular meals!
Among the products reviewed we start with protein, naturally, since protein is the building block of our muscles, blood, skin, hair, bones, and other tissues. If you hope to build muscle, you must get plenty of protein! It is recommended that you consume at least 1.0 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day. If you are healthy, it wouldn't hurt to exceed this guideline.
Don't skimp on carbohydrates. Carbohydrates supply you with energy. Building muscle requires lots of energy as well as protein. If you have inadequate carbs in your diet, your body will rob you of muscle and other tissues by burning protein for energy! Since protein is more expensive than carbs it is more economical to derive your energy from carbohydrates. It is recommended that you consume 1.5 to 2.0 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight per day.
A good balance of nutrients to follow is 40 % of your calories from protein, 50 % from carbohydrates, and only 10 % from fats.
If you find that you are gaining unsightly fat, you can work off the excess calories with plenty of aerobic exercise, an activity we can all use anyway! Do aerobic exercise every day but weight training every other day. Get plenty of rest in between workouts. You grow muscle mass only when you are asleep!
More Info on Supplements
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More Info on Supplements
A supplement that can help to improve athletic performance is called an "ergogenic
aid". They promise to improve performance, strength, and speed. Some of these
products have been used for years and have evidence supporting their use, while others are
new and relatively unknown. Here we describe the various products marketed as ergogenic
aids, such as creatine, HMB, medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), branched-chain amino acids
(BCAAs), pyruvate, suma, vitamin C, and DHEA and androstenedione.
Creatine
Creatine is widely used for improving sports performance. It is a naturally occurring
substance in the body. Your body makes it from the amino acids L-arginine, glycine, and
L-methionine that are found in protein, so as long as dietary protein intake is
sufficient, supplementation should not be necessary.
However, people on a vegetarian diet may have difficulty with creatine production
because meat is an important source.
In the body, creatine is converted into phosphocreatine, which is a type of stored energy
in muscles. Taking creatine supplements is believed to increase the supply of
phospohocreatine in muscles. Research studies suggest that it is beneficial for short
bursts of high-intensity exercise of the repetitive type, such as basketball and soccer.
Preliminary studies show that may be beneficial for increasing muscle and bone mass during
weight training. Studies of endurance activities, such as marathon running, or
non-repetitive activity, such as sprinting, do not shown as strong benefits.
Some studies have found a gender difference in the response to creatine, with men
responding better. Some researchers have suggested that this is because women have a
naturally higher level of creatine in muscle tissue than men so it may not be of benefit
to women.
A typical dosage is 2 to 5 g per day. Absorption into muscles is enhanced when creatine is
taken with a simple carbohydrate. Caffeine may block the effects of creatine.
Creatine appears to be safe, at least in healthy athletes. Creatine is metabolized in the
kidneys, however, and there is some concern about causing kidney injury with excessive
doses of creatine.
Another concern is that creatine is metabolized in the body to formaldehyde, which is a
toxic substance. It is not known whether the amount of formaldehyde produced during
creatine supplementation will cause harm.
HMB
HMB is short for beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyric acid. It is a substance that occurs
naturally in the body. It is formed from the breakdown of the amino acid leucine, which is
found in high concentrations in muscles. During weight training and prolonged exercise,
there is damage to muscles that causes the breakdown of leucine and a resulting increase
in HMB. HMB supplements may work by signaling the body to slow down the destruction of
muscle tissue.
HMB has been used for weight training because it may help with muscle building by reducing
the amount of muscle that breaks down during exercise. It is also used to help prevent
muscle damage during prolonged exercise.
HMB is not essential in our diets. There are small amounts in citrus fruit and catfish. An
HMB supplement is needed in order to reach the therapeutic dosage, A typical dosage of HMB
is 3 g per day. HMB should not be confused with the supplement gamma hydroxybutyrate
(GHB), which can have strong sedation effects. HMB appears to be safe, however, more
long-term studies are needed. HMB should not be used by children, pregnant or nursing
women, or people with severe liver or kidney disease.
Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCT’s)
Unlike other types of fats which must be broken down in the intestines and then made into
a different type of fat to be transported in the blood, medium chain triglycerides are
absorbed intact and taken to the liver, where they are used directly for energy. They
provide a concentrated source of energy, as an alternative to carbohydrates which are
often used by athletes for “carb loading”.
Some people notice some abdominal bloating after taking MCT, which may interfere with
sports performance.
Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
Amino acids are naturally occurring molecules that the body uses to make protein.
Branched-Chain Amino Acids refer to the amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine, which
all have a “branched-chain” molecular structure. Muscle tissue is particularly
high in branched-chain amino acids.
People use branched chain amino acids to build muscle, improve sports performance, and
minimize the effects of overtraining. This is because strength training and endurance
activity uses up greater amounts of branched-chain amino acids than regular daily
activities.
Branched chain amino acids are found in all foods containing protein. The best sources are
red meat and dairy products. Whey protein powder, chicken, fish, and eggs are other good
sources.
Branched chain amino acids are believed to be quite safe but can interfere with
Parkinson's medications.
Pyruvate (Dihydroxyacetone Pyruvate, DHAP)
Pyruvate supplements have become popular with bodybuilders because it is believed that
pyruvate can reduce body fat and enhance energy. This is because pyruvate supplies the
body with pyruvic acid, which is a natural compound involved in energy metabolism.
Preliminary research suggests that pyruvate can help with weight loss and improve the
capacity for endurance exercise.
Pyruvate is not an essential nutrient, which means that your body can make all that it
needs without supplementation. It is found only in small amounts in food, with apples
being the best source. A typical dosage of pyruvate is 30 g per day.
Pyruvate occasionally causes stomach upset and diarrhea. Safe therapeutic dosages in
children, women who are pregnant or nursing, and people with liver or kidney disease have
not been established.
Suma
Suma (Pfaffia paniculata) is an herb that is sometimes called “Brazilian
Ginseng”. It is a vine that is native to central and south America. Russian Olympic
athletes have used suma to enhance sports performance.
Suma is also used as for stress, as a general body tonic, and to fight infection. It has
been recommended for chronic fatigue syndrome, menopause, ulcers, impotence, and anxiety.
A typical dosage of suma is 500 mg twice a day. Although suma has not been associated with
serious side effects, more safety studies are required. The safety of suma in children,
pregnant or nursing women, and people with liver or kidney disease has not been
established.
Vitamin C
Very intense exercise, such as training for or running a marathon, can temporarily
suppress immune function by slightly impairing the production of white blood cells that
fight infection. It may be that the body reduces its inflammation-fighting immune cells a
bit to give the exercise injuries a chance to heal by themselves. Researcher David Nieman
of Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., found that 50% to 70% of athletes report
symptoms in the second week after a marathon.
Taking vitamin C prior to intense exercise may help to prevent colds, although not all
studies agree. One double-blind, placebo controlled study of 92 runners found that taking
600 mg of vitamin C for 21 days prior to a race made a significant difference, Two weeks
after the race, 68% of runners taking placebo developed cold symptoms, whereas only 33% of
the runners taking vitamin C.
The dosage of vitamin C used in the studies ranges from 600 to 2,000 mg per day. For
adults, the recommended tolerable upper intake level is 2,000 mg per day. However, people
with a history of kidney stones, children, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency,
iron overload, pregnant or nursing women, people with kidney or liver disease, or a
history of iron overload should have an intake less than this.
Hormone Supplements
This group of hormones is believed to increase testosterone. They should only be used if
they are prescribed by a qualified health professional, as the long term effects of these
hormone supplements are not known.
Androstenedione
Androstenedione is a hormone that is produced naturally by the adrenal glands, ovaries,
and testes. Androstenedione is converted from DHEA. It goes on to become the hormones
testosterone and estrogen.
People use androstenedione to build muscle and increase strength because it is believed to
increase testosterone levels. However, being a hormone, they affect the body’s
hormonal balance, which can cause unpredictable side effects. In addition, one study found
that androstenedione increases estrogen levels.
The long-term effects of using androstenedione are not known.
DHEA
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a hormone that is made naturally by the adrenal glands.
It is used to make the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen.
People use DHEA for osteoporosis prevention, failure of the adrenal glands, and for the
autoimmune disease lupus. It may also improve sexual function in men and women and help
with depression. Athlete’s use DHEA because they believe that like
phosphatidylserine, DHEA will suppress cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone that naturally
increases with heavy exercise and causes muscle breakdown.
The body makes its own DHEA. DHEA production in the body peaks early in life and then
begins to decline in adulthood. By the age of 60, we are producing as little as 5% of the
DHEA we produced when we were 20.
The DHEA supplements you buy in the store are not natural. They are manufactured
synthetically from soybeans.
Although DHEA appears to be safe when taken short-term in therapeutic doses, the long term
effects are not known. There is some concern that DHEA may decrease the levels of HDL (the
“good” cholesterol), and cause acne and male pattern hair growth in women.
Although more research studies are needed, the possiblility that DHEA may increase the
risk of breast cancer exists.
Journal of The American Medical Association Announces Recommendation that All Adults
Should Take Vitamins
July 2002 -- In a landmark article published June 19, 2002, The Journal of The
American Medical Association (JAMA) announced that all adults should take vitamin
supplements to help prevent chronic diseases.
"Suboptimal folic acid levels, along with suboptimal levels of vitamins B6 and B12,
are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, neural tube defects, and colon and breast
cancer; low levels of vitamin D contribute to osteopenia and fractures; and low levels of
the antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A,E, and C) may increase risk for several chronic
diseases. Most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone ...
it appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements," states the article by
Robert H. Fletcher, MD, MSc and Kathleen M. Fairfield, MD, DrPH, both affiliated with
Harvard Medical School.
How should adults who haven't been taking vitamins choose the right ones for them?
The Dietary Supplement Information Bureau (DSIB), a non-profit information resource
created specifically to provide consumers with scientifically accurate, up-to-date
information, offers some practical advice. According to Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, a member of
the DSIB Scientific Advisory Board and a nutrition scientist who is an authority on
disease prevention through vitamin supplementation, here are some guidelines for choosing
vitamins:
Much more detailed information can be found on The Dietary Supplement Information
Bureau's Web site, which provides medically and scientifically accurate, up-to-date
information to consumers and does not sell any product. The Web site can be found at:
http://www.supplementinfo.org.
The Dietary Supplement Information Bureau(TM) (DSIB (TM)) is a national non-profit
organization created to provide accurate information to consumers and to the professional
healthcare community about vitamins, minerals, herbs and other supplements for the purpose
of improving quality of life through better health.
The DSIB (TM) Scientific Advisory Board oversees the development and dissemination of all
information with IMAGINutrition, Inc. (http://www.imaginutrition.com), a nutrition
technology innovation and research think tank based in Laguna Niguel, CA. IMAGINutrition
collaborates with academic research centers on clinical trials using dietary supplements
and regularly collects, analyzes, and disseminates the latest research on dietary
supplements.
For more information about the DSIB(TM) or dietary supplements, visit the DSIB(TM) Web
site at http://www.supplementinfo.org.
More Support for Vitamins!
Consistent use of multivitamins and other key supplements can promote good health and help
prevent disease, according to a new report released from the Council for Responsible
Nutrition. The report found that ongoing use of multivitamins and other supplements (like
calcium or folic acid) can have a demonstrable impact on health.
| Sports-supplement dangers Some products supposedly increase muscle or energy. but they could cause serious harm.
The few good scientific studies available on these "dietary" supplements suggest that they either are ineffective or, at best, produce only slight changes in performance. More disturbing, they can contain powerful and potentially harmful substances, such as:
"All you have to do to get these products is walk into a food-supplement store," says Gary Wadler, M.D., a New York sports-medicine specialist and adviser to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. That's because a federal law, the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, allows supplements to be sold to consumers of any age without rigorous safety testing and without meaningful oversight of product quality. Little is known about the long-term safety of these products in adults, and even less about their effect on youngsters. But if the supplement industry has its way, at least some of these products will be consumed by ever-increasing numbers of weekend athletes and even nonathletes. "Sports nutrition isn't just for hard-core athletes any more," Anthony
Almada, president of a California supplement company, told an industry journal recently.
It's for anyone seeking energy improvement, he said, or "a woman who wants to tone
her body and lose a few pounds, or a person who rides a bike and wants to perform like an
athlete." Nutrition Business Journal, a trade publication that tracks the industry, estimates that 4 percent of American adults have taken a sports supplement at least once, including 1.2 million who use the products regularly. Adolescents are using sports supplements at least as enthusiastically as adults, according to a national survey conducted in 1999 for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The survey found that 6 percent of youths ages 15 to 16 and 8 percent of 17- and 18-year-olds, had taken a sports supplement; the vast majority of users were male. About one in four respondents said they knew someone who took the products. Teenagers and adults seem to be taking the supplements for the same reasons. The first is to develop bigger muscles. Bodybuilding magazines such as Muscle & Fitness bulge with ads from supplement makers pushing these products. To Benjy, 15, creatine "seems like a magical way to gain muscle effortlessly, to look good, impress girls and guys, etc." (Kids quoted here responded to a questionnaire and are identified by first name and age only, to protect their privacy.) Benjy said he was tempted to try creatine because a friend, who "seemed unnaturally muscular for his age," said it was from taking the supplement. But sometimes it's adults who push youngsters to take the pills. "My football coaches suggested I take creatine to bulk up for this year's season," said Cyrus, 17. The second motivation for using such supplements is to have energy to burn, either to improve athletic performance or as an aid to losing weight. Heather, 16, said friends who use an ephedra supplement "are always telling
everyone how much weight they have lost, and bragging and bragging." You don't need to live near a nutrition specialty store to purchase these products. According to industry estimates, 28 percent of sports supplements are sold in mass-merchandise stores and another 17 percent by trainers and through direct marketing and the Internet. Of the teenage Blue Cross and Blue Shield survey respondents who knew someone using such supplements, half said they were "very easy" or "pretty easy" to get. Here's a sample of the products we easily found online and in retail stores:
Any dietary supplement can be marketed without advance testing under current federal law. The only restriction: The label can't claim the product will treat, prevent, or cure a disease. But the label can traffic in vague claims like "enhances energy" or "supports testosterone production." If serious problems are reported, it's up to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prove they're real before it can order a supplement off the market or impose other restrictions. So far, that has not happened. (However, a few manufacturers have voluntarily recalled their supplements after the FDA warned them of possible dangers.) Sports-medicine researchers have tested androstenedione, creatine, and ephedra in adults. There has been no systematic testing in minors and, for ethical reasons, there probably won't be. Here, then, is what's known about these supplements and their effects: Androstenedione--"andro" to its enthusiasts--is a pro-hormone, one of several compounds formed in the body during production of testosterone, the male hormone, a potent muscle-building steroid. To sports aficionados, it's the Mark McGwire drug, the supplement that the brawny Cardinals slugger took on the way to hitting 70 home runs in 1998. "The first time I ever heard of these supplements was on TV, when Mark McGwire broke the home-run record," wrote Kevin, 14, responding to our questionnaire. "Soon after, I heard kids in school talking about it, wondering whether they should take them." But andro flunked the two most rigorous studies of its efficacy. In both studies, volunteers took daily doses of andro while on a strength-training program; control groups followed the same training, but without taking andro. One of the studies, published in 1999 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved young men ages 19 to 29; the other, published last November in the Archives of Internal Medicine, involved men 35 to 65. In both studies, those who didn't take andro gained just as much muscle and strength as those who took the supplement. For the younger group, taking andro didn't even increase the average testosterone level. The older men experienced a temporary rise in testosterone, which subsided to normal levels by the end of the 12-week study. That's because taking the supplement for more than a few weeks disrupts the normal feedback that signals the body to produce its own sex hormones, says Craig Broeder, Ph.D., director of the human performance laboratory at East Tennessee State University and leader of the study involving the older men. "The body says 'I've got too much testosterone' and starts shutting off its own production of the hormone." In both age groups, the androstenedione also produced unwelcome changes in blood-cholesterol levels, with an increase in the harmful kind and a decrease in the protective kind. But perhaps the most disconcerting result of both studies was a marked increase in levels of the female hormone estrogen. In theory, that could lead to feminization, including the development of breast tissue, in long-term male users--a common side effect of prolonged steroid use. Andro use in boys before or during puberty hasn't been studied formally. "We're
just hypothesizing," Broeder says, "but based on everything we know, the minute
a child took andro, his normal hormonal development would go awry." Among the
possible results, depending on whether the andro ends up mainly as estrogen or
testosterone: feminization, premature puberty, male-pattern baldness, and premature growth
cessation. Of the sports supplements, creatine is the only one that careful, published research has shown to improve performance of certain athletic tasks. Creatine is an amino acid made by the liver, kidneys, and pancreas; it also occurs naturally in meat and fish. It's stored in muscle and elsewhere in the body and plays a key role in producing immediate bursts of energy. Taking supplemental creatine causes a rapid weight gain of perhaps one to four pounds. Scientists believe the extra weight is mainly water retained in muscles. A few well-designed studies have found that creatine enhances performance requiring brief, intense bursts of strength, as in high jumping and weight lifting. But it doesn't improve the endurance needed for sports like distance running or soccer. There has been no systematic study of creatine's side effects, but there have been case
reports in the medical literature of muscle cramping and the exacerbation of existing
kidney problems. Most studies of creatine involved short-term use, so "long-term
effects are completely unknown," says Bernard Griesemer, M.D., director of a
pediatric sports-medicine practice in Springfield, Mo. The herbal supplement ephedra (also known as ma huang) may be the most hazardous of the major sports supplements. It contains several stimulants, including ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, active ingredients in over-the-counter cold and sinus drugs. But while the drugs contain just one active ingredient, almost all the supplements combine multi-ingredient ephedra with at least one other stimulant, usually caffeine or guarana (an herb containing caffeine). "Ephedrine and caffeine work synergistically," says Bill Gurley, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Arkansas. "The effect is similar to taking amphetamines." The FDA found the combination so dangerous that it banned it from over-the-counter drugs in 1983. In March, the International Journal of Obesity published the first well-controlled clinical trial of the herbal combination ephedra and guarana. By the eighth week, the supplements had produced moderate weight loss. (Two very small studies have found that ephedra plus caffeine slightly increases endurance as well.) But side effects, notably heart palpitations, forced 8 of the 35 users to drop out of the study. And in the real world, where no one is overseeing the dosages, the risks may be more serious. Last December, scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, published a study, partly funded by the FDA, of 140 "adverse event" reports the agency had received on ephedra products. The agency concluded that 87 of the events were "definitely," "probably," or "possibly" caused by the ephedra. Nearly half of those cases involved cardiovascular symptoms such as sudden high blood pressure or a racing heartbeat. There were 17 strokes and seizures, 13 cases of permanent impairment, and 10 deaths, including a 15-year-old girl. Another group of physicians recently wrote The New England Journal of Medicine about a 19-year-old male bodybuilder with no apparent cardiovascular risk factors who suffered a heart attack 15 minutes after taking an ephedra-caffeine energy supplement. For the past four years, the FDA has been trying to exert its limited authority under the 1994 law to limit the maximum doses in ephedra supplements to 24 milligrams a day. The industry has vigorously disputed the idea that ephedra is unsafe and has proposed
an alternative maximum of 100 milligrams a day, with a label saying "not for use by
anyone under the age of 18." Weekend warriors, young athletes, and people who want to lose weight or gain energy should not take sports supplements. Evidence for the products' effectiveness is sketchy at best, and concerns about their safety are too numerous. Adults and youngsters alike should focus instead on the basics of fitness and nutrition. "You can accomplish your goals with a well-balanced diet, a disciplined workout program, and sports-specific training," says Wadler, the sports-medicine specialist. Parents who are concerned that their children may be taking any of these supplements should familiarize themselves with some of the most common brand names and ingredients . It is imperative that the FDA continue pursuing stringent nationwide restrictions on the use of ephedra. At least ten states and several local governments have imposed various limitations, such as requiring a prescription, outlawing sales to minors, or limiting the maximum dose. We've testified in favor of several state and local laws restricting ephedra sales. States and municipalities that have not moved to control ephedra should consider doing so. |
Androstenedione, which can upset the
body's hormonal balance when it metabolizes into testosterone and estrogen, and may cause
premature puberty and stunted growth in adolescents.