How to Choose Nutritional Supplements – Performance Supplements
| February 13, 2011 | Posted by admin under Health and Fitness |
It’s the goal of any fitness buff to have improved endurance and strength during an activity. Two biggies in performance supplements are creatine and pyruvate. Here’s what they are:
Creatine is an amino acid or muscle fuel that is found in a variety of foods including lean red meat and fish, and can be reproduced synthetically. It is available in powder or capsule form. Here’s how it works. Creatine combines with phosphorous to make Creatine Phosphate (CP), a high-powered chemical that rebuilds the muscle’s ultimate energy source, Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). ATP does for muscles what gasoline does for your car. A high level of stored creatine (20% or more) has shown to extend peak performance for longer periods during short duration, high-intensity exercise. Reports also say that people who take creatine supplements may recover from intense activity faster and experience less post-exercise muscle soreness.
What to Look for When Choosing Creatine
In a word, purity. The higher the better. Read the labels. They will often say “pure creatine” or give you an actual percentage amount.
How to Take Creatine
There are two phases in taking creatine-the loading phase and the maintaining phase. For the loading phase, most manufacturers suggest you take 20 grams of creatine for five consecutive days at even intervals throughout the day in 4 servings of 5 grams (approximately 1 round scoop.) For the maintenance phase, 5 grams per day is necessary to maintain the health benefits. Best results occur when taken immediately after your activity.
Creatine in powder form should be mixed with 3 to 4 fluid ounces of any high-sugar, low acid beverage such as orange juice or cranberry juice. Take capsules with 2 cups (8-16 ounces) of juice. Avoid mixing creatine with hot or caffeinated drinks which could interfere with its effectiveness.
Pyruvates occur naturally in the body and are key in converting food/fuel (glucose) to energy in our bodies. Here’s an example: During exercise, glucose is naturally and quickly broken down into pyruvic acid, which can further break down into lactic acid and carbon dioxide for more energy. When pyruvate is taken prior to cardiovascular exercise, less glucose from your food is needed to be broken down into pyruvic acid for energy — you’ve already provided it. Now you have extra glucose in your bloodstream which conserves oxygen. What this means is that with more oxygen in your blood, your body tends to use fat as an energy source instead of glucose, increasing the amount of fat you burn during exercise. Not too bad!
What to Look for When Choosing Pyruvates
Pyruvic acid is unstable unless it is bonded with a mineral. The most common forms of pyruvate are potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium. For improved endurance and strength, potassium and calcium are the best forms especially when they are combined. Stay away from sodium pyruvate as it can cause high blood pressure, water retention and other health problems.
How to Take Pyruvates
Pyruvates comes in capsule form. Read the label for specific directions and quantities as the different brands vary. As a general rule, take 2 capsules between meals and 2 additional capsules 1 hour prior to exercise.
