Science-backed ingredients power the body to new heights

What would it be like to run, cycle or swim longer and faster than anyone else? Want to be able to lift with more power or challenge your routine? How about finishing a workout and feeling like you could start another one?

There is a powerful connection between maximized, targeted nutritional support and physical training. Long-term success in any physical or mental effort depends on meeting the day-to-day and long-term demands that the body’s metabolism requires to adapt to training. The use of targeted ingredients before and after exercise is vital for maximizing peak performance and end results.

Performance supplements can be formulated to promote energy, strength, power, speed and recovery to support enhanced athletic performance during training and competition. Positive results can occur very rapidly if attention is paid to the energy and stamina the body needs to increase the workload at the proper pace.

However, if nutritional support is inadequate, the demands of training can dramatically increase the amount of stress and tissue breakdown that occurs. This actually can reduce the body’s ability to properly adapt, thereby increasing the risk for decreased muscle mass, increased fat deposition, decreased mental, physical and emotional energy levels, and a markedly increased risk for injury.

The perfect workout supplement will promote energy production and fight fatigue with ingredients that work synergistically to help consumers train harder, improve performance and gain a competitive edge. High impact formulas used before, during and/or after exercise can support metabolic, physical and mental functions, along with recovery and stress management to maximize results in training and performance.

Ribose is a carbohydrate molecule that provides every cell in the body with energy. It facilitates the production of ATP, a molecule that is the primary source of energy for all cellular processes. The heart, muscles and other vital tissues do not make ribose very quickly, and it is not stored in tissues and cells.1

Ribose is one of the more popular supplements for athletes, who take it to increase stamina and endurance and to help them recover from workouts more quickly. The theory is that ribose helps athletic performance by supplying cells in the muscle tissue with a continuous supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the “energy molecule.”

Research has shown that ribose helps speed recovery of the heart muscle after a heart attack and improves blood flow to the heart in those affected by ischemia (reduced circulation). Ribose supplementation has been used to support heart function and rejuvenate cardiac tissue after both heart attack and heart surgery.1

The carnitines—acetyl L-carnitine (ALC) and glycine propionyl L-carnitine (GPC)—are dipeptides, which are two amino acids linked together. They are found in nearly all cells of the body and help turn fat into energy. They are responsible for the transport of fats into the energy-producing centers of the cells known as mitochondria. There, the fatty acids are oxidized to produce vital biological energy that is essential to running all cellular processes.2

ALC helps maintain healthy brain function, focus and mood. It supports memory and cognitive function by maintaining the synthesis and transmission of neurotransmitters necessary for memory, concentration and learning.

ALC also offers antioxidant properties by supporting the production of glutathione, a major cellular antioxidant and detoxifier. ALC also supports healthy fat metabolism for the production of energy, as well as healthy hormone balance for men and women.2

GPC supports healthy fat metabolism and circulatory health. It also promotes healthy nitric oxide (NO) production, which is essential for healthy circulatory flow to support the delivery of nutrients to the cell and the removal of metabolic toxins.

GPC has powerful antioxidant properties that help reduce excessive oxidative stress; it has a strong affinity for heart and muscle tissue; and it can support healthy stamina and performance. GPC also supports hormone balance and the ability to maintain a favorable balance of cortisol and insulin—excess stress, particularly heavy training, can cause cortisol to rise, which can result in imbalanced hormone levels in men and women. Stress can also cause the sugar-controlling hormone insulin to rise, which can result in blood sugar imbalances and body fat increases.2

L-phenylalanine promotes mental and physical focus, clarity and physical energy. Because phenylalanine is essential for the synthesis of proteins, like all amino acids, it helps build a healthy, strong body. It also fosters healthy muscular contraction and helps regenerate muscle tissue damaged commonly by strenuous sports and activities that require endurance.3

Leucine, isoleucine and valine are branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) that activate muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and help reduce the harmful effects of stress on the body. About 70 percent of BCAAs are spent during training, which means they need to be replaced. Leucine specifically impacts lean muscle-mass building and muscle repair. Isoleucine supports leucine in the biochemical processes that support muscle growth and the protection of lean mass. Valine reduces fatigue during training.4

Arginine is a precursor to nitric oxide (NO), a vasodilator that opens blood vessels so the heart can pump more blood more efficiently, which can improve cardiovascular performance. Arginine also stimulates the production of certain hormones, especially beneficial growth hormones and insulin that help usher glucose into cells to be used for growth and energy output. This is one of the reasons it’s believed to enhance physical performance, stamina and strength.5

Jack Grogan is chief science officer for Uckele Health & Nutrition. He is a recognized expert in hair mineral analysis, a valuable tool in determining the causes of nutritional imbalances or deficiencies. With considerable experience in the fields of biology, biochemistry and nutrition, he has been influential in the development of hundreds of proprietary nutritional formulas and programs.

Uckele Health & Nutrition is an innovation-driven health company committed to making people and their animals healthier. On the leading edge of nutritional science and technology for over 50 years, Uckele formulates and manufactures a full spectrum of quality nutritional supplements incorporating the latest nutritional advances. www.uckele.com

References

1. Kersick C et al. “Effects of Ribose Supplementation Prior to and during Intense Exercise on anaerobic Capacity and Metabolic Markers.” Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2005 Dec;15(6):653-64.

2. Bloomer RJ et al. “Glycine propionyl-L-carnitine increases plasma nitrite in nitrate resistance trained men nitrate.” J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007 Dec 3;4:22.

3. Nootriment.com. “Phenylalanine Uses, Benefits and Possible Side Effects.” Nootriment.com. https://nootriment.com/phenylalanine/. Accessed May 12, 2017

4. Shimomura Y et al. “Exercise Promotes BCAA Catabolism: Effects of BCAA Supplementation on Skeletal Muscle During Exercise.” J Nutr. 2004 Jun;134(6 Suppl):1583S-1587S.

5. Cambell BI et al. “The Ergogenic Potential of Arginine.” J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2004 Dec 31;1(2):35-8.