Supplement’s Are They Wonder Drugs!

By David Wehrenberg

THE MOST POWERFUL “SUPPLEMENT” IN THE WORLD

Here is the most powerful stuff you will ever consume that can change your performance and never get you banned.

It is probably the best-kept secret in health, fitness, athletics and police training today.

Shhh, I’ll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell your competition. It’s…

ORGANIC FOOD!

Just a minute! Organic Food is not a supplement. Are you joking organic food?!

Listen, it’s very, very important that you understand one thing before we talk about supplements. If you don’t eat correctly first, every single supplement you take will be 100% useless. You need to fulfill your daily calorie intake of meals for all your training and fitness regimes before you start taking any supplements.

That’s why they’re called supplements. “Supplement” are meant to improve your nutritional needs of an adequate eating plan.

Even If you get your eating plan right, you still may need to supplement.

(Why? Here’s the deal, if you are eating foods that have been genetically altered or sprayed with pesticides your body still has to work hard to recover from your training and competition events. Our bodies are made to repair themselves naturally. And if your cells have to use more energy to repair damaged cells, that means less out put when you need them to excel in your game! Look at Lance Armstrong a world class athlete eating right and training hard, he gets cancer. There are count less other athletes that have had cancer as well.) Why? Because there are a lack of antioxidants fighting to keep their cells healthy.

How powerful is organic food? Let me back up a minute, what is organic food? Where can you buy it?

Organic food simply means, foods that have not been grown or raised with the synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and mass-rearing techniques. Organic foods can promote fat loss, muscle gain, make you feel stronger, make you feel more alert, make you feel satisfied, recover faster, make you feel happy, make you have to “pee” more, make your bowel movements easier, and prevent illness. All because your body does not have to fight and work harder because of the crap put in your food. Oh yeah don’t forget about the additives that food manufactures process in your favorite T.V dinners, junk food, fast food and restaurants, they will affect your performance as well.

Should I continue?

So now you’re thinking what I am supposed to do? Where can you buy organic food. First look for foods that are labeled organic. Fruits and vegetables have numbered stickers codes on them. Ask your grocery store manger about the codes. Grocery stores have organic island now, look in the meat section sometimes you will find organic beef labeled as well.

But the best place is your local farmers and farmers market. Here in Maryland I found a chef who raises organic chickens. If you live in the big city, start by checking with that small family grocery store for organic foods. Here is a great website to look up organic foods and organic information www.organicconsumers.org

You know, if you had a drug or a supplement that could do all that organic food could, it would probably be illegal or so darned expensive that only “Hall of famers” would eat it.

You must get the food part right first.Then look to the supplements to fulfill any needs you may have over and above what food alone cannot provide. Because it is impossible to eat everything organic, supplements are necessary to not only help your health, fitness and physical training goals but also prevent disease.

Now that I have you bewildered…on to the supplements.

HELP! I’M CONFUSED WHICH SUPPLEMENT DO I CHOOSE…

There are so many more supplements out there. Just look at the shelves at your local health food store.

Vitamins, Minerals, Amino Acids, Branch-chain Amino Acids, Choline, Vanadium, Tribulis, Ribose, Sodium Bicarbonate, Glutamine, Alpha-Ketogluterate, Ipriflavone, HMB, Chromium, and many more. It’s endless.

The problem with the health food/supplement/grocery store supplements is the actual potency in the supplement is not what is listed on the label, or in many cases there is an intentional mislabeling of ingredients as “Natural” with a banned stimulant. This is where athletes get in trouble risking their health and get banned from their sport.

Danger, Danger, Danger Will Robinson lets talk about the three most common supplements.

Anabolic –androgenic steroid (AAS) is a synthetic derivative of testosterone to increase lean body mass, strength and overall athletic performance. The dangerous side effects include increase risk to heart disease, kidney and liver dysfunction, hypertension (high blood pressure), impotence, along with acne (hey that is a sure sign you’re hitting puberty again) man was that rough and hair loss. This is illegal to possess except with a prescription.

As a former cop I locked a lot of people up for possession of illegal drugs, some were athletes that ruined there chance to continue playing sports. The question I often asked is why? I got varied degrees of answer, but the most common one is low self worth. Ponder that for a while.

Mark McGuire the single season home-run king made (DHEA) dehydroepiandrosterone a legal form A’dione androstenedione famous. It’s know as a natural testosterone which is sold over the counter it’s a enhancer or steroid precursor. A’dione is produce in gonads, which act as precursors to testosterone, estrogen increasing muscle mass and strength. Studies found that this so called “natural” supplement increase HDL cholesterol associated with the development of cardiovascular disease, lowers natural testosterone production, liver dysfunction, shrinkage of testes, baldness and aggressive behavior.

This supplement hasn’t been found to increase muscle growth therefore the FDA and Drug enforcement agency has deemed this to be legal to sell in the stores or internet. Basically this supplement damages your body same as anabolic steroid with no increase in performance. And of course this is always on the athletic committee banned list!
Ephedra or better know as Fat Burners has been marketed to reduce fatigue, increase strength, power and speed; decrease reaction time and improve physique.

Let me make two things perfectly clear when it comes to supplements in the “ephedra/fat burner” category.

One.
There is no data supporting that fat burner supplements will improve your performance and increase aerobic capacity or satisfy your desires to be lean and fit looking without a properly designed exercise program and eating plan.

Zilch!
They are not the magic pill they are promoted to be, and most of them don’t work at all.

Two.
If you have ANY medical condition and have not been given a clean bill of health by your physician, do not take ANY supplement promoted as a fat burner. Even if you have been given a clean bill of health you may want to keep your distance anyway.

Many athletes have used fat burners without incident, there have been some who have died while taking them. Most recently, Baltimore Oriole MLB pitcher Steve Bechler took three ephedra in 2003 before a spring training session to lose weight, he collapsed and died on the field.

Let me repeat this again.

There have been athletes, teenagers, adults who have died while using ephedra.

Now some information.

Ephedra/fat burners are stimulants. More often than not they are combinations of caffeine and ephedrine. Most supplement companies use their herbal sources of white willow bark and Ma Huang so they can promote the product as a “natural fat burner”. Regardless, the same risk-benefit situation exists.

FDA has received 1000’s of reports on adverse side effects, which vary and always depend on dose consumed.

Side effects noted in studies using ephedrine and caffeine combinations are: dizziness, headache, tremor, depression, euphoria, insomnia, dry mouth, hypo tension, high blood pressure, palpitations, racing heart, constipation, nervousness, transient and increased blood sugar values, and increased sweating. The risk of using ephedra far out weight the benefits to get in game shape.
Lets talk Creatine supplementation, this supplement is one of the most popular as a ergogenic aid (food or drug that offers the hope of greatly improved performance) among athletes at all levels. Creatine is marketed similar to that of carbohydrate loading, it’s function is to push more water into the muscle to www.sportperformancecoach.com

help the energy system, providing greater resistance to fatigue and improving some effects on strength, power, speed, with a normal diet.

Not all the findings support performance claims. The FDA and NCAA have concerns about creatine due to the reported side effects, which include muscle cramping, spasm, strains, stomach problems, kidney dysfunction, and heat illness due to dehydration, diarrhea, headaches, seizures, nausea. In addition, weight gain due to water retention in the muscles not due to muscle growth.

Many athletes get no benefits out of creatine at all! I tried it years ago and it did nothing for me - no improvement or side effects. Well one - peeing my money down the toilet.

Our bodies already produce creatine naturally in our kidneys and pancreas if your taking this for a long period of time you will actually shut down natural production.

Here is a way get more water into the muscles for free – we all want stuff free! Ready, drink MORE (H20) water. If you’re drinking soda. Stop! Drink a glass of nice cool refreshing water instead.

Olympic committee has made Creatine legal for competition they consider it as a food. However, do you really want to risk the side effects.

There you have it. Supplements you need to stay away from or you’re going to get sick or BANNED!

Ok so now what? Do I have you more confused on what should you take? It’s simple here we go……

GET THE BASIC FIRST

multi-nutritional supplement

According to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines we should eat 3 to 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day and as of January of 2005 the new guidelines suggest 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day. I don’t know about you but I am in the athletic training industry and I always don’t get to eat the required daily amount. Besides even if you are someone who eats the required amount, there is a problem with your body receiving all nutrients from fruits and vegetables.

You lose important nutrients when you cook vegetables.
With all the pesticides sprayed on fruits and vegetables that is even more nutrients broken down from them as well.
With all of the pollution that we breath, your body has to fight to keep disease away and if your cells are not receiving enough nutrients you could be more susceptible to illness.

Even though you may be getting all of your nutrients from fruits, vegetables and meats every athlete, non-athlete must take a good quality multi-supplement that will boost your immune system to prevent disease, have your cells work properly, re-balance your body recovery system, improve your energy level.

The important thing to remember is to stop wasting your money on poor quality supplements. If you’re buying a supplement that is cheap in price it won’t do you good!

The majority of multi-vitamins are woefully inadequate. In a recent study Haven Hospital found many supplements were made with the wrong ratio altogether. Of the 257 vitamin products tested, only 49 were judged adequate. Only 5% of the vitamins were actually adequate for meeting nutrition needs. When buying vitamins/supplements from a supermarket or health store you have no idea what the potency is of that product. Many products come from over seas where there are no manufacturing standards and you have no idea what the potency is.

There Is a Vast Difference in Nutritional Supplement

The biggest concern for supplements is the safety in the manufacturing process. Purity is the biggest concern somewhere between 20 to 40 percent of U.S. dietary supplement products fail to meet analyses for purity and label claim.

A quality and pure supplement must surpass highest standards and guarantee potency can only be met by U.S and Canadian Good manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for pharmaceutical.

The 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act puts supplement in the food category, which only require manufactures to produce a safe supplement and any claims made about the product substantiated. Therefore the FDA does not require manufactures to obtain a pre-market approval for these products.

What does that mean to you? That the current standard of manufacturing is Voluntary for each company and they can establish there own manufacturing standards and quality control. Plus any misleading labeling, unsafe or false claims lies strictly with the FDA and not with the manufacturer. Buyer Beware! Is what the FDA is saying to the consumer.

The issue with these companies is not unsafe ingredients but rather with the poor hygienic manufacturing process and lack of strict quality control standards that cause contamination or make an impure inferior product. Source: Macwilliam

This is where you get in trouble for taking tainted supplements that can harm you or test positive of a banned substance.

What question should you ask before buying any supplement?

Are these supplements science based and have cell technology

Is the manufacturing process accurate and consistent with US Pharmaceutical standards

Is the supplement pharmaceutical grade (GMP)for potency and uniformity

Is it listed in the Physician desk reference (PDR)

Does the multi supplement contain ingredients of chelated minerals & mega antioxidant for maximum cell function

Will the store or company stand behind there product with a complete refund

What nutrients should a supplement have in order for your body to run at its maximum efficiency?

Olivol- maintains healthy heart

Vitamin E Protects LDL cholesterol maintain strong cell nutrition

Vitamin C combats cellular damage caused by free radicals

Vitamin A maintains healthy skin & immune system

Lutein and Zeaxanthin maintains good eye health

N-Acetyl/L-Cysetine important antioxidant/detoxification composition

Glutathione-Master antioxidant for every cell in body

Lycopene-Maintain health of organ

Coenzyme Q10-Energy production of cells(This is key to improve your game)

Alpha Lipoic Acid-Offers wide variety protection of free radicals that cause disease

Selenium-Essential component of bodies antioxidant defense system

In this report I have included a partial comprehensive guide of the best nutritional supplements studied.

Comparative Guide Nutritional Supplements

Now that you got the basic of what your body needs cellularly this is one of

THE MOST USEFUL SUPPLEMENT WHILE TRAINING TO BE IN THE BEST SHAPE

You’re busy. I know it. You know it. But you have to eat to be competitive. If there is one big issue for everyone trying to beat the competition, it’s eating consistently. Eating every 2-3 hours may be one of the most powerful training strategies out there. When your body is fed regularly, it willingly gives up the fat for energy. When you miss a meal (or skip one intentionally), your body gets defensive. It holds on to fat and teaches your body to make more fat because it thinks it may never be fed again slowing you down even if you’re hitting the weights everyday. This mechanism goes back to caveman days to protect humans from periods of starvation during the months when food was less plentiful.

Well, if you need to eat every 2-3 hours and you “have a life”. How are you supposed to eat?

The answer. MRPs.

MRP stands for Meal Replacement Powders.

MRPs are your best bet when you need in between snacks and pre and post workout food when eating a meal is just not possible due to time constraints, (I hate missing reruns of MASH!).

Just whip them up in the blender and take them with you wherever you go. When it’s time to eat, just “slam it down” in about 5 minutes. Done. Nutrients provided. No starvation, and you’re one meal closer to making to hitting your goal.

Here’s some things to consider when selecting your MRP:

Buy one that tastes good.You may need to try a few different brands and flavors before you find one that suits your tastes. Most come in a variety of flavors and are easy to mix so the texture is pleasant and not chalky or “clumpy”. The best one I found is by a company called USANA Health Science.
Chose one with a good quality protein. A soy based proteins that is low-glycemic is the best because it has heart-healthy benefits, maintain cardiovascular system and maintain optimal bone health. They are what are called complete proteins meaning they contain all the essential amino, its also better at regulating digestion, immunity, and muscle growth.
You may pay a couple of extra bucks to get an MRP that will satisfy your needs.
Don’t rely on MRPs to satisfy all your nutrient needs. It’s tempting because it’s so easy to just down a shake, but you must focus your eating plan around food to be successful.
You don’t want to bother with shakes then a good protein bar that is low glycemic (sugar) is the next best thing, open the wrapper away you go.

“HEALTHY” FATS…I SMELL “FISH”

If I had to pick one supplement that everyone should take, it would be fish oils.

Here’s why:

Fish oils, rich in the Omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent depression, stabilize the moods of maniac-depressives, and alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia.
Fish oils is one of the few substances known to lower concentrations of triglycerides (fatty substances) that pose a cardiovascular risk, in the blood.
Increasing the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids has direct effects on serotonin levels.
Fish oils, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) help prevent heart disease, depression, and cancer.
Research has shown that supplementation with fish oils can markedly reduce interlukin-1beta production and results in a significant reduction in morning stiffness and the number of painful joints in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Several clinical trials have concluded that eating fish regularly or supplementing with fish oils can reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death by as much as 50%.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic report that supplementation with fish oils, EPA and DHA is highly effective in slowing down the progression of IgA nephropathy, a common kidney disease.
Epidemiological studies have shown that populations with a high intake of fish oils have a lower incidence of inflammatory diseases such as asthma.
Researchers at The University of Tromso now report that fish oil supplementation lowers blood pressure significantly in people with hypertension and has no effect on glucose control even in people with mid diabetes.
Medical researchers in New Zealand provide convincing evidence that an increased consumption of fish oils helps reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. Source: charlespoliquin.net
The researchers found that supplement users scored higher on mental speed tests than those who did not take supplements. Fish oil supplement users were found to have greater red blood cell membrane omega-3 fatty acid content, which was correlated with improved cognitive function later in life. A greater ratio of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to arachidonic acid was also related to better cognitive function. Source:usana

When choosing your fish oil supplements, look for the one’s with the highest concentration of EPA and DHA. It is these two substances, which are known to provide fish oil’s healthy effects.

Other sources of healthy fats are flax seed oil, canola oil, borage oil. The goal here is to increase your intake of health promoting Omega-3 fatty acids and reduce your intake of Omega-6 and Omega-9 fatty acids that are associated with many disease processes.

Recommendations to get you started:

The supplement I found that has all the qualities I spoke about is a company called USANA Health Science, there is no doubt in my mind they are the best. If you’re not completely satisfied they will return your money no questions asked. That’s important; no health food or giant vitamin chain store will do that. Check out testimonials of what people and Olympic athletes are saying about USANA.

Check out USANA at http://healthylife.usana.com

A Guide to help what to take.

Adult -Organic Food - Adult Essential Vitamins -MRP Protein drink - plenty of water
Teenager: Organic Food - Body Rox Vitamins - in-between meal fruit or MRP Protein drink - plenty of water/Milk.
Child: Organic Food -Usanimal Vitamins - in-between meal fruit- plenty of water/Milk.

That’s it Here’s To YOUR HEALTH !

About the Author:

David Wehrenberg is a certified Athletic Trainer and Former Police Officer located in Maryland, District of Columbia, Northern Virginia. His website is http://www.policefitnessbootcamp.com

Site Search

Supplement’s Are They Wonder Drugs!

By David Wehrenberg

Comparative Guide Nutritional Supplements

About the Author:

Navigation

Stay Updated