Many Americans are becoming involved in strenuous physical activities, from ultra-marathons (100-miles races), cross-country running and Iron Man Triathlons. These activities can actually cause structural damage to cells that include muscle soreness and swelling, prolonged loss of muscle function, and leakage of muscle proteins into circulation. As a result, we are seeing that strenuous exercise may actually have harmful effects on health and consequently, the search is on to find ways to help offset these effects.

A new study suggests that Coenzyme Q10 may help offset the harmful effects of strenuous exercise. In the study, 20 professional runners between the ages of 38 and 45 took either 150 mg of CoQ10 (as 5 30-mg capsules) or placebo.

-The CoQ10 group saw an 8% decrease in triglycerides after the race (1.91 to 1.75 mmol/L) compared to a 24% drop in the placebo group (1.71 to 1.31 mmol/L). This much smaller drop is thought to be due directly to CoQ10 as higher levels of triglycerides during exercise improve skeletal muscle activity and exercise capacity, “which could indicate potential ergogenic effect of CoQ10.”

- Regarding levels of DNA damage as measured in the urine by a protein called 8-OHdG, the CoQ10 group saw a 43% increase (0.023 to 0.033 pg/mL) while the placebo group saw a 71% increase (0.028 to 0.048 pg/mL), indicating CoQ10’s ability to decrease DNA damage.

- Regarding levels of fat tissue damage measured in the urine by isoprostanes, the CoQ10 group saw a 300% increase (1.0 to 4.0 ng/mL) while the placebo group saw a 427% increase (1.1 to 5.8 ng/mL).

For the researchers, “CoQ10 supplementation before strenuous exercise decreases the oxidative stress and modulates the inflammatory signaling, reducing the subsequent muscle damage.”

Men given a daily dose of 600 mg for ten days in a row produced more testosterone and less cortisol than men who didn’t take phosphatidylserine after fifteen minutes of exercise.

This was the conclusion that researchers at the University of Mississippi drew after performing an experiment with ten healthy men. The subjects had to cycle for fifteen minutes a couple of times, and also did five ‘sets’ of three minutes. Each ‘set’ started with a moderate level of effort – about 65 percent of the VO2max – and ended with 85 percent intensity. The researchers measured the concentrations of cortisol, testosterone, lactate and growth hormone in the subjects’ blood before and after the exercise. During one of the sessions the men took phosphatidylserine and during the other session a placebo.

Phosphatidylserine is found in the membranes of cells. When taken as a supplement it improves the receptors’ function and resistance to stress. Exactly how it works is not known, but small-scale human studies have shown that phosphatidylserine lowers cortisol concentrations after exercise and exposure to stress. That was the reasoning behind the research we’re talking about here. The researchers wanted to know whether they could improve hormonal response using a fairly simple supplement. After all, less cortisol and more testosterone means more progression.

Look for Phosphatidylserine in BioRhythm’s AfterGlow, which provides 800mg per serving.

Creatinol O Phosphate or COP increases levels of ATP in the muscle, and this may be due in part because of its actions as an intracellular buffer, a phosphate donor, and a stabilizer of cell membranes. The end result is that contractility (force of contraction) of muscles is increased – especially in low oxygen, low blood flow conditions. These conditions would be present during demanding activity such as weight training.

When you are performing an explosive activity like weight training you are going to create conditions in which lactic acid increases and PH drops in the muscle. ATP levels also drop as you perform intense activity. These are the conditions that cause muscle failure.

So what happens when you supplement with Creatinol O Phosphate? Your muscles are able to generate a greater amount of force which leads to strength gains, and increased muscular endurance.

Look for Creatinol O Phosphate in Muscle Sport International’s Lean Revolution and Mass Revolution.

I have to start out by saying I am definitely excited about this product as I have used it several times with excellent results. Every other sleep supplement that I have ever used has fallen into one of two categories. One being products that are not effective and two being products that work but leave you feeling drowsy or hung over in the morning. This is the first product that actually worked without any type of “hangover” effect. Specifically the product helped me fall asleep and stay asleep without waking up in the middle of the night and in the morning I felt rested.

Below is a breakdown of the key components of Sleep Revolution and what each one does.

L-theanine creates a sense of relaxation via at least two different mechanisms. First, this amino acid directly stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, creating a state of deep relaxation. Second, L-theanine is involved in the formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA). GABA influences the levels of two other neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin, producing the relaxation effect.

Additional human clinical research suggests that L-theanine may have application in improving the quality of sleep, improving learning performance, heightening mental acuity, promoting concentration, reducing negative side effects of caffeine and supporting the immune system.

(GABA) is an amino acid found mainly in the human brain and eyes. It is considered an inhibitory neurotransmitter, which means it regulates brain and nerve cell activity by inhibiting the number of neurons firing in the brain. GABA is referred to as the “brain’s natural calming agent”, by inhibiting over-stimulation of the brain, GABA may help promote relaxation and ease nervous tension. GABA is also helpful in promoting sleep for those who have difficulty sleeping.

Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally in the pineal gland at the base of the brain. It is important in regulating sleep, and may play a role in maintaining circadian rhythm, the body’s natural time clock. Natural melatonin production decreases with age, and the decrease is associated with some sleep disorders, particularly in the elderly.

Performance Nutrition takes a unique approach to selecting the brands we stock in our stores. Rather than just stocking the most heavily advertised products we look for the products we want to use – ones that use effective doses of active ingredients, products formulated based on science, products that don’t exaggerate their claims, ultimately products that work.

We look for manufacturers with a proven track record for formulating quality sports nutrition and health supplements. When you buy supplements from Performance Nutrition, you can be sure you’re getting exactly what you pay for. Every supplement at Performance Nutrition lists the product’s potency, as well as the ingredients and important supplement facts right on the label.

We look for companies that start with the highest quality ingredients; have them tested in state-of-the-art laboratories, with countless quality checks along the way before the product reaches the end consumer.

When you buy products from the following select manufacturers; Intek Nutrition, Muscle Sport International, BioRhythm Advanced Dietary Supplements, ANS Supplements, Optimum Health Nutrition, and Tri Pharm you will get the assurance of quality and efficacy.

These industry leading manufacturers strive to meet and exceed the quality criteria for the industry as detailed by the certifications listed below that these manufacturers adhere to.

1) GMP or cGMP refers to the FDA’s “current Good Manufacturing Practice “. The cGMP for supplements set regulations, which have the force of law and require that the manufacturers, processors, and packagers take proactive steps to ensure that their products are safe, and effective. To enforce compliance manufacturers can be audited by FDA inspectors at any time.

2) Member of the U.S. Organic Trade Association

National organic regulations include

• prohibit the use of irradiation, sewage sludge, or genetically modified organisms in organic production;

• reflect NOSB recommendations concerning items on the national list of allowed synthetic and prohibited natural substances;

• prohibit antibiotics in organic meat and poultry; and

• require 100% organic feed for organic livestock.

3) FDA process food license

The FDA enforces laws dictating the differences and the relative risks products pose to consumers. The FDA aims to provide ‘safe and effective’ products to consumers. From product testing to label scrutiny, FDA tests almost every aspect of food and drugs to ensure ‘safe and effective’ use.

Our goal is to work with manufacturers who develop products based on science. We are very selective in the products we choose to support and insist on safety and formulations backed by science.

How often in real life are you pushing forward with your hands with your back braced off a flat surface? My guess would be, probably never. So, if that’s the case, why do so many people put so much emphasis on the bench press? In real life power is gathered from the ground, and is very rarely done straight out perpendicular to the body. Taking the example of an NFL lineman, when pressing with his arms, he’s doing it at an incline angle. Also, if he’s completely upright he’ll most likely end up on his back. He gathers power through his feet and transfers it through his body. Training should reflect this where the majority should be done standing, with seated or lying down being more secondary or supplemental options.

Jaime Gamache M.Ed., CSCS, is Owner and Head Strength Coach of The Way Human Performance Institute ( www.thewayhpi.com or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/pages/The-Way-Human-Performance-Institute/117742824954659 )

Whether you believe in evolution or creationism, one fact remains: human beings were designed to move from the ground up.

In the health club/nautilus culture, machines were designed with the intention of working every major muscle group in an isolated way with the theory that fitness is achieved by the collective summation of the parts of the body. Functional training takes an oppositional stance of the body acting as a whole and disregarding the strength of a single muscle group over others.

The invention of these machines has led to a host of exercises where the feet are no longer in contact with the ground (ie. leg extensions and leg curls). Excessive use of these machines creates strength where the focus of that strength is not at the point of contact with the ground, but at a point around the ankle. This creates unnatural or unbalanced torque on the knee. Exercises of this type are called “open chain” because the direction of force is not at the farthest point of the lever arm (ie. hand or foot). ”Closed chain” exercises are by definition the opposite, and maintain the foot in contact with the ground. Squats, lunges and even leg curls on a stability or medicine ball are all examples of closed chain exercises.

Jaime Gamache M.Ed., CSCS, is Owner and Head Strength Coach of The Way Human Performance Institute ( www.thewayhpi.com and www.facebook.com/pages/The-Way-Human-Performance-Institute/117742824954659 )

We would like to introduce our newest contributor Jaime Gamache M.Ed., CSCS. He is Owner and Head Strength Coach of The Way Human Performance Institute www.thewayhpi.com located in Cranston RI.

“Toning” is a myth.

Repeat, it doesn’t exist.

Toning only happens in printers.

It’s a word made up by the fitness industry to trick uninformed women (which I’m sure there are none of reading this) into believing that strength training using the same methods as men will cause them harm or to blow up like bodybuilders (which is such and easy process, why wouldn’t everyone do it?)

Well, to put the cart before the horse, as most of you know, putting on quality muscle takes years and years of training. Professional bodybuilders spend most of their lives in the gym and female bodybuilders are no different. The average woman walking into the gym will never even change their muscular circumference, never mind adding bulk.

The reason for this is that when women strength train, at a muscular level they perform a process called “Enervation”. In simple terms, this means that women develop neural pathways that allow them to access and activate muscle cells they already have.

The average person only effectively uses about 30% of the muscle in their body, pro athletes have been found to use up to 50%. The theory for this is that while adrenaline allows women to lift cars off their children, repeated occurrences of that magnitude would have devastating effects on our bones and ligaments. Men and women are born with a certain number of muscle (and fat) cells. This number never changes, regardless of training. While women enervate, men’s muscle cells get thicker. The key ingredient in the difference is testosterone. Testosterone is what allows men to create more muscle mass and while women do have some testosterone in their bodies, most don’t have enough to allow for bulky muscle to develop.

In a practical sense, this means that while on the average, women will not generate the same force that men will. This is more true for upper body strength than lower body strength where it has been shown that women display proportionate strength to mass ratio in the lower body. But, from a tactical standpoint, women can generate considerable force and power when performing the same type of functional training as their male contemporaries.

Jaime Gamache M.Ed., CSCS, is Owner and Head Strength Coach of The Way Human Performance Institute ( www.thewayhpi.com and www.facebook.com/pages/The-Way-Human-Performance-Institute/117742824954659 )

ANS Diesel T is a unique formula combining a high dose of protodioscin, d-aspartic acid and ovine placenta to boost testosterone levels for physique and performance improvement.

D Aspartic Acid has been shown in human studies to increase testosterone by 42% in as little as 14 days. D-aspartic acid is an amino acid present in the neuroendocrine tissues of humans, playing a role in the synthesis of both LH (luteinizing hormone) and testosterone. LH, is secreted causing a subsequent release of testosterone from the testes. D-aspartic acid is synthesized when aspartate racemase converts L-aspartic acid into D-aspartic acid. This conversion occurs in the testes as well as other tissues throughout the human body. Supplementation with 3 grams (3,000mgs) per day, orally, resulted in a 42% testosterone increase while raising LH by 33%.

Protodioscin from Tribulus Terrestris is believed to directly stimulate the release of Luteinizing Hormone (LH). LH is an endocrine hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland in the brain. This hormone travels from the pituitary gland down the leydig cells of the testes where it stimulates testosterone production. Testosterone is considered the KING of all muscle building hormones. But tribulus in general is not capable of exerting such effects on the human endocrine system. Of the many saponins contained in tribulus, only protodioscin is capable of eliciting this prolific influence on testosterone production.

Ovine Placental Powder increases the release of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland. It activates Leydig cell steroidogenesis via LH.

This is a great combination for increasing natural testosterone production.

As of  9-6-11 we are now open for business at our newest location in Framingham MA.  The address is 1291 Worcester Rd Framingham MA 01701.

Our contact phone is 508-309-6617.

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