Vigour – Health and Sports Nutrition

Cod liver oil is a nutritional supplement derived from the liver of cod fish. It has high levels of the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, and very high levels of vitamin A and vitamin D.
The Omega-3 fats are needed for the growth and regeneration of every single cell in the body which is why they have such wide-reaching effects.

These fish oils are essential for the healthy function of the brain, heart, joints, and digestive system. The benefits of these nutritional supplements are clear not only for those involved in regular physical activity but for anyone looking to improve their overall health and vitality.

There are numerous products on the market, with Seven Seas providing an extensive and well known range in either liquid or capsule form to be taken daily.

All-In-One supplements are ideal for anyone looking for essential supplements and sports nutrition in a single shake.
These innovative products provide a unique combination of whey protein and vital nutrients needed by your body to support muscle growth, strength and recovery.

One serving of Maxi Muscle’s Cyclone mix, for instance, contains Protein (30g), Creatine Monohydrate (5.1g), and other key ingredients such as Beta-Ecdysterone and HMB.

All-In-One Supplements allow anyone participating in a weight training or athletic regime to improve performance, growth and overall physical well-being without the need of numerous individual products.

To obtain peak health and performance our bodies require many different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Vitamins help the body turn food into energy and tissues. There are 13 vitamins in all: vitamin A; the vitamin B complex, which includes thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12 pantothenic acid, and biotin; and vitamins C, D, E, and K.
Minerals are needed for growth and maintenance of body structures. They also help to maintain digestive juices and the fluids found in and around cells.

Consuming enough food that will supply your body with the recommended daily amount (RDA) of nutrients your body needs is possible, but not easy. The use of a daily multivitamin such as Seven Seas Multi-Spectrum Multivitamins & Minerals (one a day) is an effective solution to combat deficiencies even in a varied and well-balanced diet.

We’ve all heard the nursery rhyme detailing the biological makeup of our species. Some of us, allegedly, are made from “snips and snails and puppy dog tails”. Others purportedly contain high levels of “sugar and spice and everything nice”. We’re also full of bacteria. This is the same bacteria we avoid with anti-bacterial soap; the same bacteria found on counter tops; the same bacteria found in yogurt. Some types of bacteria are kind to our bodies; others are not so kind.

This is a numbers game. The good bacteria attack the bad bacteria. This decreases the amount of bad bacteria, keeping our digestive system balanced and healthy. If the bad bacteria outnumber the good bacteria, then the good bacteria are destroyed. Consequently, yeast and more bad bacteria are produced, resulting in dysbiosis of the intestine.

Depletion in good bacteria, leading to dysbiosis, can be caused by a number of factors. Poor diet is the leading cause. The computer phrase GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) applies handily to this situation. A bad diet leads to bad digestion, leading to some unpleasant conditions, such as yeast infection or irritable bowel syndrome.

Biotic means life. The good bacteria in our intestines are called pro-biotics. They’re good for our health. Mainly at work in the large intestine, they regulate digestion.

Pre-biotics, as their name implies, work before life, or in the early stages of bacteria development. They feed and encourage bacteria growth in the small intestine, so it can perform in the large intestine.

Anti-biotics are used to treat bad biotics in our body. Anti-biotics kill life—good life included. Therefore an anti-biotic barrage on your system will knock out your pro- and pre-biotics, as well as the bad bacteria that caused the illness in the first place. This is a fine way to develop dysbiosis.

To treat bacterial imbalance, add pro-biotics and pre-biotics to your diet. Both are most effective when consumed in yogurt, sauerkraut, or other fermented foods. Both can be added to your diet as a supplement. Supplements containing pre- and pro-biotics in tandem are called syn-biotics. These syn-biotics combine the two in a symbiotic relationship benefiting our body. The effect becomes greater due to the supportive relationship of pre-biotics and pro-biotics.

We have a delicate check-and-balance system regulating our metabolic processes. One might assume that pro-biotics could give an athlete a competitive edge, but that’s not completely true. Pro-biotic supplements have not been proven to increase performance in a healthy athlete. Injured or chronically exhausted athletes recover slightly more quickly with pro-biotic supplements, but so do non-athletes.

The body athletic will benefit kindly from pro-biotic supplements because a healthy body will respond more adeptly to the demands placed upon it. Other than that, the benefits are the same as for any person and do not favour an athlete.

The key to reducing body fat is to ensure that your energy intake is lower than your energy expenditure. Energy is measured in calories, and whilst the body is in a negative energy balance, weight loss will occur. So to lose weight in the quickest possible manner, energy intake should be reduced, and energy expenditure should be increased. This is achieved in practice by eating a balance, low calorie diet, and exercising regularly.

Obtaining the right amount of calories can be achieved more easily with the use of sports supplements, giving you greater control of your total calorie intake. Using supplements, you also have more control over the macronutrient profile of your diet. E.g. you can use whey protein powder do give your diet a greater shift towards protein.

As well as dieting and exercise, thermogenic supplements such as Maximuscle’s Thermobol can be used to stimulate the metabolism and increase the rate at which body fat is lost.

Health & Fitness

Whey and Casein protein powders both have benefits and can be part of a healthy diet and workout regime. Understanding the difference between the two can help one decide which suits his/her lifestyle and is the most beneficial, and at what times.

Casein powder and whey powder are typically used to build muscle, and most athletes use them as part of their daily protein intake. Casein powder contains a protein found in milk, and is digested more slowly than whey or soy protein. As a result, the body can absorb the protein more efficiently. It is a good choice to consume before bed, and can also be used between meals when they are spaced further apart. It can take up to seven hours to be fully digested and, because of this, guarantees a slow release of protein that helps to refresh and replenish muscles after sleep.

It also has higher calcium content than other protein powders. Whey powder is derived from milk and includes all amino acids as well and has a slightly higher overall biological value than casein powder.

Whey powder is helpful in building lean muscle mass, so it is usually used as a supplement immediately before or after a workout routine. Whey powder is digested more quickly and can give muscles the necessary proteins for almost immediate replenishment.

Sometimes, Casein powder is used in whey protein, MRPs and bulking powders because it is cheaper to process and easier to manufacture. In general, aside from whey having a slightly superior amino acid profile, casein does much the same work as whey powder with the exception of its slower rate of digestion – making it a strong choice for using before bed to ensure a constant release of protein into the body through the night. Supplementing a diet with protein supplements aids in the growth and recovery of muscle, and by using a balance of whey or casein powder, one can ensure that the body has a constant stream of protein availability.

Sports supplements are nutritional products used to enhance athletic performance. They represent a range of substances – including vitamins, minerals, herbs, plant extracts, amino acids, and hormones and come in a variety of forms.

These ergogenic aids are widely used among athletes of all types to assist in providing the necessary capacity for increases in energy, power, endurance, and muscle mass to compete effectively.

Athletic performance notwithstanding, the ability to recover – maintaining and re-establishing normal physiological function, is readily improved with the use of supplements.