A study on use of beta-alanine supplements in elderly people has shown promising results. In the test nine men and seventeen women were given either beta-alanine supplement or placebo. The participants performed a cycling test to determine their muscle endurance.
“These findings suggest that ninety days of BA supplementation may increase physical working capacity by delaying the onset of neuromuscular fatigue in elderly men and women.”
The study showed that supplementing beta-alanine in people of age 55 to 92 showed significant increase in skeletal muscle carnosine. Which means that BA supplementation improves muscle endurance in the elderly.
Source: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2008, 5:21
Beta-alanine is fully legal, yet not as known as many other sports supplements. In the body Beta-alanine turns into carnosine. Research show that using Beta-alanine has following effects:
- improves muscle endurance by buffering lactic acidin both aerobic and weight exercise
- promotes recovering
- lowers blood pressure
- decreases inflammation
- works as an antioxidant
In weight training Beta-alanine has shown good result especially when combined with creatine. Some sources state that best effects can be gained when using larger doses for a longer period of time.
While more research is done many weight trainers have told to achieve better results when having Beta-alanine compared to not using it.
Creatine is available both in powder and serum form. Creatine powder is the more popular of the two, creatine serum being the newer option. The largest difference between the two is the form itself. Creatine serum is the liquid form of creatine mono-hydrate.
Sometimes one may hear the claim that body would absorb creatine serum instantly, whereas the powder would need a longer time to absorb. As good as this would sound, it’s not true. Both the powder and the liquid take time to be absorbed.
Although there are a lot of individual opinions of the preferable form of creatine supplements, neither of them gets better results than the other. The one you want to choose is depends more about your personal habits and most likely about the price. Creatine powder is usually much more lighter for your wallet, and one can easily buy different types and brands.
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Recently Austria’s cyclist Bernhard Kohl admitted to taking Cera during this year’s Tour de France. CERA is a similiar blood booster compared to EPO, which helps athletes to take in more oxygen. Germany’s Stefan Schumacher, Leonardo Piepoli and Riccardo Ricco have also failed Cera tests.
These doping cases have had its impact on cycling scene. For example next year’s Tour of Germany is cancelled because companies are not interested sponsoring the event.
“Due to the current developments in professional cycling we are no longer in a position to successfully finance and market the event,” said a statement from Tour of Germany organisers. “The value of the broadcast has similarly decreased.”
The International Cycling Union said Wednesday that it would double doping bans to four years in serious doping cases. This way, however, it may be hard to judge between deliberate and accidental cheating. Former Tour champion Alberto Contador commented Thursday:
“Imagine today I take some medicine for, I don’t know, a flu or a headache and I test positive and my career is done,” he said. “I think these actions are well-intended but you have to be able to distinguish between the cases.”
Glutamine is an amino acid which is found naturally in our bodies. It plays a key role forming the proteins that maintain our cellular health and tissue repair. Glutamine is stored mainly in the muscles but can be found in the liver, lungs, brain and blood.
Intense exercise can deplete glutamine levels in our bodies, and it may take up to 24 hours for these resources to fully recover. The body tries to increase the amount by breaking down muscle tissue and releasing the glutamine into the bloodstream. This of course leads to reduced muscle mass.
Supplementing with glutamine has many benefits such as enhanced muscle growth and improved recovery time after intensive workouts. Glutamine also supports the immune system. There are no known drug interactions or nutrient problems associated with glutamine, however, some users have experienced minor headaches.
There are L-Glutamine and D-Glutamine, from these you should choose L-Glutamine as it resembles more the natural amino acid we have in our systems. Taking glutamine you can take 10 grams a day and split it between before and after training can help improve your strength, reduce muscle catabolism and improve recovery times.
Magnesium is a natural mineral produced by our bodies and also found in food. The usual symptom for our bodies to not get enough magnesium is fatigue. Magnesium has a plenty of good properties, and sometimes athletes found it useful to take magnesium supplements.
Some studies show that healthy magnesium intake is vital for both endurance and anaerobic performance. An optimal magnesium intake may be essential for antioxidant protection and for the correct regulation of inflammation. Using magnesium supplements can also reduce fatigue, since many enzyme systems that require magnesium help restore our normal energy levels.
One very good effect of magnesium for athletes it is function to relax muscles. This is desirable for both young and old athletes. Because magnesium requires an acidic stomach environment for best absorption, often the best time taking it is between meals or at bedtime. The amount of extra magnesium a day is around 350mg.
Bio-Engineered Supplements & Nutrition makes its profits by selling weight-loss and energy-boosting products e.g. Endorush and Astro-Phex. This summer BSN paid roughly ten million dollars for a three-year sponsorship with UFC.
By associating the company with UFC — which draws three million male viewers ages 18 to 49 to a fight — the head hopes BSN supplements will become indispensable to a large swath of the coveted young male demographic.
Although Ultimate Fighting divides peoples opinions, not only does the company believe UFC is here to stay, they believe that in ten years ultimate fighting will be the biggest sport in the world.
Creatine is a natural compound occurring naturally in the human body and in nature. In its natural form this compound can be found in high protein foods like meat or fish, and it’s called creatine monohydrate.
Creatine works in body to help supplying energy to muscle and nerve cells. It has been shown to improve muscle strength and decrease recovery time needed following a work out. Creatine monohydrate works the best for activities that require rapid or intense effort, for example weight lifting or sprinting.
A number of studies have proven that when creatine supplements are used in conjunction with exercise, significant gains can be made in strength and endurance. It has also been shown to improve muscle strength and decrease recovery time needed following a work out.
Chrome
It is believed that chrome plays a role in adjusting the sugar levels in blood. However, it is not exactly known why out bodies need it. When chrome is absorbed in blood it binds to protein called transferrini. From blood chrome moves to tissues. Chrome can be found in muscles, liver, spleen and kidneys.
The most important sources of chrome in food are meat, nuts, whole-grain, cheese, leaven and egg yolk.
Copper
The enzymes containing copper are part of many vital reactions from using iron and forming hemoglobin to growing of bones, central nervous system and maintaining the color of hair. Copper also plays a important role in forming of the connective tissue of skin and elastine.
The daily minimum amount of copper is not strictly defined but it is around 1.5 to 3 milligrams. Copper deficiency can cause irritation, pessimistic thinking, weakness in muscles or difficulty in breathing.
Good sources for copper are liver, wheat brans, peanuts, rye bread, and shrimps.
In a previous article you were introduced whey protein. This time we’ll take closer a look at the other protein out there - soy protein.
Soy protein is protein got from a plant, and more specifically - from soy beans. Soy beans contain complete protein and have one of the best protein digestibility among all protein sources. Soy beans also contain little or no fat and have virtually no cholesterol. Because soy beans contain no lactose it is also good for lactose intolerant individuals.