Vigour – Health and Sports Nutrition

The recommended dietary allowance / recommended daily allowance is is defined as the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of  approximately 98 percent of healthy individuals.

The RDA for individuals will differ when taking into account the varying requirements of males, females and their relative ages.  Most food packing will include the RDA along side its own nutritional content.

It is also evident that even the healthiest of individuals that have a severe surplus or deficit will develop a number of health issues.  By keeping the required nutritional intake close to equilibrium, the body can operate at optimum levels.

For those with a deficiency, which is often the result of a poor diet or from the additional nutritional requirements from intense exercise, the use of health supplements (vitamins) and sports supplements in the most efficient means of regaining nutritional balance.

The use of a daily multivitamin or a whey protein supplement is now generally consumed by many individuals to easily combat the possibility of deficiency.

PhD Nutrition are a prominent high street sports supplements brand whose popularity extends online due to its comprehensive range of value for money products developed only with the industries highest standards.

Phd Nutrition are especially represented by their leading whey protein products such as Pharma Whey and Synergy ISO7 and there cutting edge creatine and recovery supplements.  Pharma Whey products are developed as a blend of whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate and a combination of other essential ingredients such as branch chain amino acids (BCAA).

Phd recognise the requirements on the modern athlete and after 18 years they continue their on going innovation in meeting those ever changing and demanding needs.

Phd Nutrition can be found with leading online retailers such as Vigour.co.uk

It is a common interpretation that there is no difference between the weight of muscle and the weight of fat.  Although it obviously true that 1kg of muscle weighs the same as 1kg of fat (which holds true for any substance), the real difference is there comparative densities.

Muscle is approximately 18% denser than fat which therefore allows for a leaner body composition due to its overall lower volume that fat.  For those beginning to engage in a healthier diet and exercise, especially in regards to weight loss (fat), there will often be a stage where overall weight begins to level off an possibly even rise again.  The subject now has lower body fat and a leaner body composition with the relative loses of fat outweighed by new denser muscle gains.

For anyone beginning an exercise and diet regime it is especially important not only to consume relevant sports supplements but to also understand body composition more than overall body weight in order to achieve the required goals.

In the market today there is a huge range of sports supplements available to meet every possible nutritional and goal requirement.

However, at the core of any exercise or sporting regime the key elements of nutritional consumption revolve around sufficient protein, carbohydrates and fats.

Under intense exercise, the body requires far more protein than the body can readily consume through food alone to develop at an accelerated and efficient rate.  The use of a protein powder, or protein supplements is the most effective way for the body to gain sufficient protein for lean muscle gains.

Athletes will also need to consume complex carbohydrates and good fats alongside their protein intake in the correct ratio.

Creatine is also an important element to assist in muscle gains and the synthesis of protein .

In summary, alongside a healthy diet of protein, complex carbohydrates and good fats, a supplementation of protein, creatine are generally considered as the most essential sport supplements.

Creatine, alongside other prominent sports supplements, is an essential element for stimulating significant muscle growth.

This benefit is summarized in the Vigour blog : Creatine – Stimulating Muscle Growth.

When looking at Creatine sports supplementation we can recognize the most common forms available with online retailers such as vigour.co.uk is creatine monohydrate and creatine ethyl ester.

A comparison between the 2 forms shows that creatine ethyl ester has a longer half life and is more readily absorbed than its counterpart, creatine monohydrate.  Creatine etyl ester is itself creatine monohydrate with ester attached to increase its effectiveness.  However, both forms are have a positive impact of muscle growth for those that consume it in its recommended volume.

The body mass index is used to provide an estimate of healthy body weight based on an individuals height.

The calculation of BMI is defined as an individuals body weight divided by the square of their height and is widely used to generally categorised people as underweight, overweight or obese.

The Body mass index does however have limitations as it does not account for the difference between body fat percentage and lean muscle mass.  For those with a large proportion of lean muscle, especially those that engage in intense activity and use sports supplements such as whey protein or weight gainers, the BMI may indicate that they may be overweight or unhealthy.

Generally, the body mass index is therefore only a  tool to measure an average ideal weight for any given height.  Alternative methods to provide more accurate means of indicating obesity have been developed such as the body volume index.

L-Leucine-Ketoisocaproic Acid is a compound of Leucine, which is a branch chain amino acid, and ketoisocaproic Acid.  L-Leucine as the compound  is most commonly known, assists the synthesis of protein and subsequently providing lean muscle tissue gains.

L-Leucine-Ketoisocaproic Acid has also been shown to delay or even stop the bodily process of catabolism which can be detrimental to those aiming to build muscle mass.  In effect, the body is switched from being in a catabolic state, whereby muscle can be broken down, to an anabolic state where muscle gains are produced instead.

This invaluable sports supplement results in no side effects to either men or women with products such as Sci-MX Leu-MX capsules being readily available from most prominent supplement stores.

Calcium is predominately stored in the bones and teeth where it remains as a vital component of maintaining their structure and overall health.

Bones are continuously being remodelled with an abundance of calcium being required for the creation of new bone.  A deficiency in calcium can lead to excessive bone breakdown and loss which in turn can lead to an increased of related problems such as osteoporosis.

Calcium is found in some foods, especially dairy products but can also taken as a daily supplement to meet the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of approximately 1000mg for the average adult.

Products such as Vitabiotics Osteocare can provide the necessary Calcium, alongside other key minerals, to help maintain strong healthy bones and is readily available in tablet or chewable form from retailers such as http://www.vigour.co.uk.

For those engaging in athletic activity, the consumption of adequate Calcium is especially important and is a key mineral when sports supplements are being considered.

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient in many living organisms, most notably humans and is also otherwise known as L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate.

Vitamin C is performs a number of  roles in the function of a healthy diet including being an effective antioxidant and supports a stronger immune system against common pathogens.  Ascorbic acid also assist the synthesis of carnitine (essential for the transport of fatty acids and often used as a sports supplement), collagen,  and neurotransmitters and many more.  Obvious deficiencies apart from a lowered immune system and vital synthesis, includes the increased likelihood or scurvy.

It is recommended that approx 75-2000mg of vitamin C is consumed each day with higher doses resulting in diarrhoea and other side effects.

Vitamin C as a supplement to being found in most fruits and vegetables, can be taken on its own or in most cases can be found in multivitamins such as Berocca.