Muscle Supplements - Using Nitric Oxide For Body Building

Every year, several new supplements are being introduced to the market. The majority of these actually do not last very long because of their obvious ineffectiveness in helping people gain more quality muscle. Bodybuilders are looking for new and natural ways to spur their body to newfound growth without the risk of adverse side effects. Nitric oxide has done just that.

Nitric oxide or NO is a free form gas that is naturally produced in the body which functions to improve communication among cells. The molecular composition of the gas is one atom of nitrogen and one atom of oxygen. The amino acid Arginine is broken down by enzymes inside the body. This process produces nitric oxide. The enzyme group is known as NOS or Nitric Oxide Synthase converting L-arginine into L-citruline. Nitric oxide has several other useful functions in the body such as regulating blood circulation, controlling and managing brain activities as well as functions of the liver, lungs, stomach, kidneys and other vital organs.

Bodybuilders have become quite interested in nitric oxide because of its blood circulation enhancing effects. Since athletes and gym enthusiasts aim to provide as much nutrients to their muscles for growth and strength as possible, nitric oxide has proven to be a great supplement especially when taken together with muscle-enhancing products like protein supplements and creatine.

More nutrients will be delivered via blood flow and absorbed by the muscles in effect making them larger and more conditioned against stress. Nitric oxide also has anti-inflammatory actions that help bodybuilders tolerate pain associated with muscle stress. This means that they can workout longer and recover faster. Hormonal actions are also affected such as regulating the release of gonadotroptin-releasing hormones and adrenaline.

A lot of health experts and bodybuilders suggest that you take nitric oxide 30 to 45 minutes before hitting the gym. This will help cause vasodilation or widening of the blood vessels to flush nutrients into your muscles. The effect would be increased endurance and tolerance to heavy weights, fuller pumps and faster recoveries. Some also find that supplementing via a post-workout drink will maximize the benefits provided by nitric oxide. You may consume 25 to 50 grams of protein, 5 to 10 grams of creatine or dextrose and 6 to 12 grams of arginine. On non-training days, bodybuilders also try to maintain maximum nutrient absorption in their muscles to aid recovery and tissue repair and growth by consuming more nitric oxide.

Take note that exercise boosts the effect of nitric oxide output. Whatever muscle you're working becomes more flushed as it fills up with blood thereby causing nutrients to flow in and be absorbed. Exercise increases ROS or reactive oxygen species and PNS or peroxynitrite species production that can inhibit protein synthesis and impair insulin effectiveness. Ingestion of anti-oxidants will help support nitric oxide and prevent its degradation such as vitamin E and C, selenium, grape seed polyphenols and lipoic acid. Folic acid is also good in supporting the conversion process of transforming arginine into nitric oxide.

Is BS NO Xplode Safe For Young Teenagers?

Bodybuilding is often seen as an adults-only routine. And most of them are very much open about taking body building supplements for added strength, energy, ad the ability to build more muscles quickly. However, many are not aware that majority of the teens are in fact more physically active than adults. A lot of teenagers do sports like track and field, dancing, football, cheer leading, and the like. And these teenagers who are competitive and are participative in contact sports, also need to work out and strengthen their muscles the way adults do. So a lot of people question, are dietary supplements such as the BS NO Xplode safe for teenagers to take?

Teenagers may be fortunate to have more time to eat and mothers who are willing to prepare healthy meals for them. However, as young and active as they are, they too could suffer a form of deficiency from proteins, energy, and other nutrients, thereby experiencing weakness and fatigue. Well, the BS NO Xplode is a supplement they can take if they're at least 16 years of age. The BS NO Xplode supplies the body with energy that teens may use for physical excursions. So teens who are 16 years old or above are permitted to use the supplement as they are at the peak of growth and are most active in this phase.

The BS NO Xplode is safe to drink because it is basically a creative supplier for the body. Creatine is a nitrogen filled organic acid that naturally occurs in the body. It gives the body added energy through Adenosine Triphosphate generation. So taking the supplement is only increasing what your body already has or may lack of. With added creatine, teenagers can lift more weights and do more exercises at the gym. And with that they get to bulk on more muscles. The supplement also constitutes the Muscle Volumizing Creatine Matrix. It cause the muscles to expand for added room for creatine and other increased volumizing nutrients. As long as teenagers are sure to utilize these through work outs and intense exercises, then there's no harm in taking them.

Soy Versus Whey Protein for Muscle Building

If you visit a muscle building forum, you will undoubtedly see a few threads full of people arguing about the pros and cons of soy versus whey protein for muscle building purposes. So in this article, I'm going to try and sort it out once and for all. It's a pretty simple issue really, so it won't take long to get to the truth.

The Biological Value indicates both how digestible the protein is and how available the protein is for use by the body. Biological value began as a percentage - A whole egg rated at 100% nitrogen absorbed. According to the study conducted by a medical doctor by the name of Aaron Tabor, soy protein versus whey protein has a bigger advantage especially when it comes to your exercise.

Basically, there are a couple of different protein powders. Whey protein is derived from cows milk. Remember that old nursery rhyme, Incy Wincy Spider Well that mentions curds and whey. Basically two parts of milk. Whey protein is obviously taken from the whey part of the milk.

Then theres soy protein. This is the stuff that is made from soy products. Obviously comes from a different place so it will obviously have different properties. The question you want answered is, which is better for muscle building

My answer to this question is whey protein. The answer can get quite involved when you look at it from a scientific point of view, but I'm not a scientist, I'm a bodybuilder, so I'm going to look at it from a bodybuilders point of view.

Basically, it has been shown in various scientific studies that soy protein can lead to higher levels of estrogen in the body. This is the female hormone and something that you don't want to have more of if you are looking at building muscle.

Firstly, you don't want estrogen because it has no role in muscle building, it only has a negative impact. Heightened levels of estrogen is what actually causes gynocomastia, or man boobs. And I'm not just talking about the little bit of fat that some guys have, I'm talking about actually growing small amounts of breast tissue.

On the other hand, whey protein can actually cause your body to become more anabolic. Meaning it will build muscle more efficiently. And since you are looking to use whey protein for muscle building, this is the one you want to choose.

So there you go, the debate can finally be ended and you can get rid of that tub of soy protein you have sitting in your cupboard.

Hydrolyzed Collagen, Protein Hydrate

Protein Hydrate is a Hydrolyzed Collagen that helps regulate the body's metabolic state by providing enzymatically digested collagen of a low molecular weight that is rapidly absorbed in the digestive tract. It provides important amino acids often missing in most diets. Normal food sources provide significant amounts of trytophan, cysteine, methionine, and histidine, however the Protein Hydrate formula has high amounts of glycine, lysine, and proline that are often found in low amounts or are even missing in other food sources or supplements. Protein Hydrate becomes important as a dietary supplement (along with a normal diet of other proteins) since age induced wear and tear of the connective tissues increases as we age.

This Protein Hydrate contains high levels of the amino acid glycine, which helps the Liver detoxify stored chemicals. It has also been helpful in speeding recovery from injuries.

This formula is an animal based Hydrolyzed Collagen protein powder from grass fed cows which contains biologically active peptides. This protein formula works best when taken on an empty stomach away from food, and then waiting 20-30 minutes before eating anything. It can be mixed with juice or warm tea, and it is absorbed fastest when it's not mixed with other fluids that contain proteins or amino acids.

Hydrolyzed Collagen is exceptional because it has a molecular weight less than 1000, and this low weight results in extremely rapid absorption from the intestinal tract.

The rapid speed of absorption and the distinctive spectrum of amino acids in this formula has a positive impact on a large number of metabolic pathways. It has been found that many people will experience immediate positive effects within 5-18 minutes of consumption when taken on an empty stomach. For example, tests have been done with a number of individuals using 2 tablespoons of the proprietary formula mixed in juice, and some of the effects noticed within 15 minutes of consumption include: improved mental alertness, mental clarity, concentration, and energy. Some people have experienced a short period of dizziness of 3-5 minutes because it causes a sudden release of brain neurotransmitters, however it is not dangerous and passes quickly.

Long term effects : supports repair of musculoskeletal injuries, reduces inflammation, improves hydration of the connective tissues of the body, improves joint flexibility, improves signal induction, improves sleep, reduces pain, improves cellular calcium uptake, increases metabolic rate, and improves the quality of hair and nails.

Many athletes and body builders take protein supplements regularly to support muscle repair and growth, however most protein supplements do not contain the raw materials needed by the body to repair corresponding connective tissue damage. Protein Hydrate Hydrolyzed Collagen taken as a food supplement provides the proper ratios of amino acids needed for collagen production. In addition, hydrolyzed collagen contains naturally occurring glucosamine and hyaluronic acid which supports connective tissue repair as well as providing hydrating and volumizing effects due to the natural ability of connective tissues to hold water.

Roland Moskowitz, M.D., notes that partially hydrolyzed collagen has been used as a food for at least a millenium. Collagen hydrolysate products are considered GRAS i.e., Generally Regarded as Safe, by the Food and Drug Administration. Collagen hydrolysate is now being used in the treatment of osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis. The fact that it is considered to be a food with a high level of safety makes it useful for long term use.

What is the function of Collagen and why do we need Hydrolyzed Collagen? Due to the limited food choices in our diets and the wear and tear that occurs with strenuous activity and aging, many people become depleted of the important amino acids needed to make Collagen. This can be a significant problem in individuals involved in strenuous physical activity such as athletes and construction workers.

Collagen is the most abundant fibrous protein found in the body, but in a dietary supplement unprocessed collagen is not digestible. Protein Hydrate provides predigested collagen that contains both free amino acids as well as peptide fragments (smaller chains of amino acids) that are rapidly absorbed through the walls of the intestine into the blood stream. These components are used by the body to build structures and to regulate the functions of the cells. Up to 30% of all the protein in the body is collagen, and up to 70% of the proteins in the connective tissues are composed of collagen. In the body, collagen is made by specialized cells in the skin, ligaments, bones and cartilage. The protein Hydrate formula also provides additional amounts of the amino acids glycine and glutamine. Glucine supports detoxification and glutamine helps the cells increase their levels of the energy storage molecule creatine.

How does it work?

The body's natural ability to repair supporting connective tissue (bone, joints, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, skin, hair and nails), an maintain hydration of the cells diminishes after age 25. Hydrolyzed collagen provides the missing link in supplying additional amounts of amino acids like glycine, lysine, and proline which are specifically needed by the body to build connective tissue structures, and to regulate the functions of the cells. Therefore, free amino acids and small peptides in Protein Hydrate provide the advantages of easy digestion, rapid absorption, as well as metabolic regulatory effects.

What are the benefits?

In addition to providing certain missing nutritional links lacking in most dietary supplements, it provides the specific amino acid building blocks needed to build and repair collagen.

For Athletes and Body Builders: it supports muscle growth, increases metabolism, and provides structural material and nutrients needed for the repair of injuries (cartilage, ligaments, tendons, bones and discs).

Anti-Aging: it provides a positive nitrogen balance which is important in the nutritional support of age relayed degeneration like collagen loss and cartilage damage. It is an excellent food product for individuals with a sedentary lifestyle, as well as the very active.

Inflammation: it provides nutritional support for individuals predisposed to repetitive joint injury, pain and joint discomfort.

Arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis: it contains amino acids needed for bone and joint health.

Skin tone: it provides critical nutrients, and helps support skin strength, texture, as well as thickness. Healthy skin retains moisture better, and is more elastic, and less prone to develop fine lines and wrinkles.

Hair: it provides nutritional support for healthy hair.

Nails: it provides nutritional building blocks for strong nails.

Weight loss: many users have more energy which promotes a more active lifestyle, thereby promoting weight loss.

Muscle tone and Strength are supported.

Exposure to Toxic substances: the high glycine content of the formula assists the detoxification process of the liver.

Tissue hydration is supported.

In addition many users report feeling more alert with improved concentration, balanced mood, improved energy and an increased sense of well-being.

Nutritional Supplements to Gain Weight - 4 Easy Tips

For those of us who do not have a hard time gaining weight and it sort of comes natural to us do not know what it is like for those that can not. For the person that is has an ectomorphic body type it can be very difficult to gain weight. The big reason for this is because their bodies easily burn all food intake. Sometimes nutritional supplements to gain weight can really spike increases and satisfy your hunger to get bigger. What is an ectomorphic body type?

- Hard to gain weight
- Delicate body
- Usually flat chest
- Lean
- Lightly muscled
- Thin
- Very fast metabolism

Now there are many people that think they can not gain weight but do not realize that they are ecto-mesomorphs. This body type can respond to gaining weight if done correctly. Here are 4 easy to follow tips that are the most important to anyone trying to gain weight.

1. The most obvious is diet, and by diet I mean that you must have a plan in place utilizing proper food intake and balance of all types of food with huge increases in protein and calories. Most people, when they hear the word diet, they think of less eating, when in reality a diet is just a food plan of any kind.

2. Included in the diet, should be nutritional supplements to gain weight such as proteins and weight gainers. If using just protein, it will help fuel the muscles and eventually build more muscle. Muscle weight way more than fat so it makes sense the you would gain weight. Weight gainers will help you even further because not only do they have the protein, but they are also packed with calories. In some cases triple or more of what you would get in a normal meal! So definitely the using nutritional supplements to gain weight are very important.

3. The third tip is to exercise and lift weights. Spend a lot of time in the gym or working out with you home gym to help gain muscle mass. You can take all the protein in the world but will not see it work for your body if you do not lift weights. You have to tear the muscle fibers in order to build new ones.

4. And finally, rest is very important to any changes in your body. The human body responds well when it is in prime condition. This is when it has had enough sleep and days off from exercise. Your will actually do most of your gaining in your sleep, so get plenty of it.

Overall, you must include nutritional supplements to gain weight. This will give you the extra boost and edge. It will speed up the gain. One more tip is that it is not about gorging yourself with any type of food; it is about eating many of the right foods including weight gainers, proteins, fruits and vegetables. These tips should get you started on the right path to gaining more weight and muscle.

Benefits of Protein Supplements

Advantages of Protein Supplement

Protein is an important nutrient needed by the body. It is one of the three nutrients that the body uses as energy source. The three supplements are carbs, fats and protein. Protein is actually amino acids linked like a chain. Amino acids are the body's primary source of nitrogen and the right nitrogen balance is essential for proper growth and repair of the muscles.

Protein is also important to the body for a number of other reasons apart from helping to build muscles. Protein helps to maintain the right blood PH level, creates and maintains the right hormone levels, is an energy source, regulates the fluid balance of the body and is necessary for chemical reactions to take place in the body.

The importance of protein to the proper functioning of the body led to the development of various types of protein bodybuilding supplements such as Whey Protein. Supplements are designed to help meet up with the body's protein requirement. Made from protein extracts, it compliments the protein gotten from daily food intake and builds the body's protein levels to what is needed for larger muscles or better performance.

How Protein Affects Muscle Growth

Increasing your protein intake during a training program will help you achieve better and faster results. Your body is constantly using up protein as you go about your daily activities. The body converts protein to energy and also uses it to repair and replace muscles. Muscle tissues are constantly needing replacement and repairs and protein is needed to achieve this. When you take bodybuilding supplements you help your body to maintain a positive nitrogen balance, which helps to maximize muscle repairs.

When you do not take in enough protein, you confuse the body because it does not have all the needed materials to work with. Without enough protein your body cannot replace or repair all the muscle tissues that need attention. This will lead to muscle loss and will affect other body functions that require protein. For example, the body will have problems maintaining proper hormone and PH levels.

If you are involved with bodybuilding training or any form of sports that require high levels of energy your muscles would more regularly be in need of repair and replacement. That is why weight lifters, body builders and sport people need more protein. To help maintain proper protein and nitrogen levels, you would need to take bodybuilding supplements such as Whey Protein.

The Role of Nutrition in Martial Arts, Police & Military Personnel

For a considerable amount of time, nutrition has not played a prominent role in the life of many martial artists, police, and military personnel as a means of improving performance. Top athletes are always looking for an edge. Although the martial arts are more of a way of life and a life style than a sport per se, the needs of the martial artist are the same as that of the elite athlete.

Mental aspects not withstanding (i.e. mental awareness, strategy, cunning, etc.), the need for speed, agility, strength, flexibility, and the ability to recuperate from tough workouts (and unforgiving sparing partners) is paramount to the success of athletes and martial artists alike. Police and military personnel can also have unique requirements that require them to perform at peak physical and or psychological levels.

Over the past decade our knowledge of sports nutrition has evolved into a science that has swept the athletic world and has been partially responsible for the ever increasing numbers of athletes who are pushing the envelope of human ability and performance. Although a handful of the worlds top martial artists, police, and elite military units have taken advantage of the 'cutting edge' nutrition being used by top athletes, the majority of these communities has not taken advantage of the new science of sports nutrition.

The advantage of improving one's performance through nutrition and correct supplementation is obvious for the athlete, but what about the martial artist? Obviously technique, form, and knowledge of one's chosen martial art is essential to the mastery of that art, but what if the person, regardless of skill level, becomes a little faster, stronger, and able to resist and repair from injuries and training better?

Will they not be an improved version of their former self? Of course they will! Proper nutrition can make the martial artist, as it has for so many of today's top athletes, an improved and potentially more accomplished practitioner of their art, plain and simple. If a policeman is able to stay alert, has more endurance or strength, etc., will he/she not have an added advantage to the job? Of course.. The benefits to the soldier are obvious. Bottom line? To not take advantage of the science of nutrition and supplementation, is to short change the martial artists, police, and military personnel.

As a trainer for many athletes from various sports, police, and, military personnel, and the author of numerous articles on sports nutrition and training, I have come to a few general guidelines that should be of considerable help and interest to the martial artist, police, etc. who want to improve both health and performance. Though nutrition is a complex topic, I have devised a basic guide to the major and minor nutrients that should be helpful to the martial artist, police, and athlete alike who are trying to make food and nutrient choices. Of course this guide is in no way total or complete, and many individual differences may apply, but as a basic guide to examining these nutrients, it could give you the edge you have been looking for.

Protein

Proteins are made up of amino acids which are the structural units of the protein molecule. There are approximately 20 amino acids. Eight of them are considered 'essential' because the human body cannot make them on its own - which is the definition of an essential nutrient. Link a few amino acids together and you get a peptide. Link a bunch of peptides together and you get a protein. The shape of the individual amino acids (and resulting proteins) is unique and highly specific, so I won't go into great detail about it here.

Suffice it to say, proteins are an essential part of virtually every function in our body from the muscles, to certain hormones, to our immune system(s) and a whole lot more. In particular, the amino acids known as the 'branched chain' amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) and the amino acid L-glutamine are of particular interest to active people as they are anti-catabolic (muscle sparing) and immune enhancing, to name only a few functions and benefits of these particular amino acids.

Though the RDA for protein is generally sufficient for couch potatoes (with some debate) the majority of athletes and/or highly active people will benefit from higher intakes of high quality proteins. Proteins with the highest biological value (BV) are the proteins that should constitute the majority of the active person's diet, as they are superior for maintaining positive nitrogen balance, reducing recuperation time from workouts, improving immune function, etc.

Whey protein concentrate (WPC) and isolates (WPI) have the highest BV of any protein, is almost 50% branched chain amino acids, and is high in L-glutamine, which is why I recommend several servings a day of WPC/WPI to all the athletes/martial artists/police I work with.

There are several brands of WPC/WPI on the market. Other high quality proteins such as skinless chicken, fish, eggs, soy, and lean red meats, have relatively high BV values and are good proteins. Another point that is important to know, the higher quality the protein, the less the person has to eat and this allows the person to keep total calories lower by sticking to these high BV proteins.

For a person who is active in the martial arts, has a busy job, and probably does some weight lifting and/or aerobics, an intake of.7?.8 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight is what I have generally recommended. For high level bodybuilders and competitive distance athletes, the protein intake will be higher, approximately 1g of protein per lb /bodyweight being the most common.

In certain situations, amino acid supplementation is useful, but most people will have no problem getting what they need by eating plenty of high quality protein foods. Low grade, high fat, preservative loaded, protein foods such as luncheon meats, hot dogs, etc., should be avoided for obvious reasons.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are made primarily of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that cycle into a ring. They can be 'simple' or 'complex' depending on the number of rings that are hooked together and the way the carbohydrate effects blood sugar (1). Though the rings can be slightly different in shape, their common theme is the ring structure. Similar to amino acids that make up proteins, when you link the simple units (the sugars) together you get carbohydrates with different properties.

As most people know, carbohydrates are a primary source of energy for the body. The best type of carbohydrates to eat are those that are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Though foods such as pasta, breads, and white rice are considered 'complex' they are highly processed foods, totally inadequate in fiber, vitamins, and minerals and should not make up a high percentage of a persons carbohydrate intake. Though these foods are often fortified with certain vitamins, in my opinion this does not truly replace what is lost during processing, not to mention the many nutrients that are not replaced.

Americans are notoriously low eaters of fiber, and heavily processed foods mentioned above do nothing to correct this deficit. High fiber carbohydrate foods such as brown rice, beans, lentils, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and many others, are the preferred carbohydrate foods for health, performance, steady blood sugar levels, and reduced bodyfat levels.

Though the high carbohydrate/low fat diet is all the rage these days, it has not been in my experience the optimal diet for the many athletes, martial artists, and?normal? people I have worked with (see fats below). Data continues to support the fact that high carb low fat diets are not optimal for either health for weight loss. Eating too much of anything, including carbohydrates, will make one fat (too bad the makers of non-fat foods fail to tell you this) and cause a host of other ills I don't have the space here to cover.

There are many researchers, books, and studies using both animals and humans that seriously questions the high carbohydrate/low fat diet as the optimal diet for health and performance. Two grams per pound of lean bodyweight of carbohydrates is more than sufficient to fuel the energy needs of most athletes if other aspects of their diet is adequate (i.e. correct use and amounts of certain fats and proteins). And, as mentioned previously, the source of those carbohydrates is of paramount importance.

Fats

The very word sends a shiver down the back of the leanest person. There is not a more misunderstood nutrient in all of nutrition than fats. Many people know there are big differences in how various carbohydrates effect the body and some people even know that different proteins have different properties, but 'a fat is a fat, no'? is what the majority of people would say if you asked them about this much maligned nutrient.

Fats have just as many biochemical differences in the human body as do carbohydrates and proteins, and thus have just as many different effects on the body that range from very good to very bad. It really depends on the type and amount of fat(s) we eat(2). Americans tend to get their dietary fats from saturated fats, rancid fats, and highly processed fats ( which contain by products such as trans fatty acids), thus giving fats a bad name.

As mentioned earlier, an essential nutrient is anything the human body cannot manufacture on its own and must be obtained from the diet, or the person will become sick and/or perish if the nutritional deficit is not corrected. We know there are a multitude of vitamins and minerals, eight amino acids, and two types of fats that are considered essential nutrients for life itself to continue.

You should be aware that there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate, but that's a whole other story. The two fats that are known to be essential to health are Linoleic acid (LA) which is an Omega-6 fatty acid and Alpha-linolenic acid (LNA) which is an Omega-3 fatty acid. Both of these fats can be found in various foods that have not been heavily processed.

These two fats are highly sensitive and reactive to heat, light, and oxygen (i.e. they go bad quickly), and are totally ruined or lost during the processing of our foods. The reason poly -unsaturated vegetable oils that line the shelves of most super markets can sit there for years on end is because they have been heated, deodorized, and generally processed to the point that they are the nutritional equivalent of white bread and table sugar. I recommend people avoid those oils.

Because of all the fat bashing by the popular media and health professionals who should know better, most people have come away thinking that all fat is bad and serves no other purpose than to make our hips and stomach wider while ruining our health. Nothing could be further from the truth. The membrane that surrounds every single cell in your body, the sheath around nerves, various hormones, prostaglandins, and countless other parts of the body (especially the brain) depend on the dietary intake of the right fats.

The importance of the essential fatty acids for health and performance cannot be understated. It is true that certain fats, such as, saturated fats, rancid fats, and trans fatty acids (found in margarine, Crisco, and other products), can cause numerous health problems from heart disease to cancer and insulin resistance, to name only a few ills of a diet high in the wrong types of fat.

However, the essential fatty acids (especially the Omega-3 fatty acids) are anti-lipolytic (stop fat storage), anti-catabolic (stop the break down of muscle tissue), increase metabolic rate and beta oxidation (burn calories/increase fat burning), improve insulin sensitivity, reduce the chances of heart diseases, and a whole lot more (3).

Though early research told us that we need a bit more LA (the Omega-6 fatty acid) than LNA (the Omega-3 fatty acid) in our diet, we find in practice that a diet containing higher amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids (LNA) gets the best results in health, bodyfat levels, and performance.

The richest source of the Omega-3 fatty acid LNA is Flax oil, which also contains a small amount of the Omega-6 oil LA (4). Flax oil can be found in the refrigerated section of any good health food store and is derived from the careful processing of flax seeds (5). As a nutritional consultant to various athletes, I have used flax oil with many of the country's top bodybuilders (a group of athletes notoriously fearful of eating fat) to reduce their bodyfat levels and improve their performance and health. Two/three tablespoons a day over a salad, taken straight, or in a protein drink does the trick (6).

Another major source of Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in deep water cold fish such as sardines, mackerel, and salmon (7), and I recommend that people eat two to three servings of these fish per week. Good sources of LA are unprocessed vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, sesame, and many other oils found in health food stores.

Fats to avoid are highly processed vegetable oils and other processed vegetable products (such as margarine), rancid fats, and to a lesser degree, saturated fats. The key to health and performance is a proper balance of essential fatty acids (LNA and LA), mono unsaturated oils (found in olive oil, avocados, etc.), and small amounts of saturated fats found in lean meats and other sources combined with the right carbohydrates and proteins.

Vitamins/Minerals

Obviously a full description of every vitamin and mineral and all their functions would take several large text books, so I won't even attempt it here. A good multi vitamin is an insurance plan to make sure we get all the major vitamins and minerals that for what ever reason we failed to get from our food on any given day.

There is not a single cell in our entire body that does not require the use, or interaction with, some vitamin, mineral, or biological function that is dependent on the above nutrients in adequate amounts. If you think we get all the vitamins and minerals we need from our highly processed food supply (as some health professionals maintain), then I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to sell you. Some (but not all) nutritionists and other health related professionals will often say something like 'vitamins supplements just cause expensive urine'.

The last time I checked, chemo therapy, heart bypass operations, and hundreds of other medical treatments cost considerably more than the average multi vitamin. If the intake of vitamins were to prevent any major disease in say one out of a 100,000 people, it would have been worth every cent in my book. In my opinion, the correct use of vitamins, minerals, herbs, essential fatty acids, and many other nutritional based compounds, is the best route to optimal health and performance. Any major brand of multi vitamin from such manufacturers as Twin Lab, Solgar, or Nature's Best, to name only a few good brands, would be fine.

Anti - oxidants

'Anti-oxidants' and 'free radicals' are the hot buzz words these days on television news shows, news paper articles, and magazine features. Though scientists in the health and nutritional fields have known about them for decades, they have recently been getting a lot of attention by mainstream media and more open minded medical researchers.

Anti-oxidants are a special class of vitamins and other non vitamin compounds that neutralize free radicals before they can damage cells in our body. What is a free radical? A free radical is a highly reactive molecular fragment that has a single unpaired electron. The unpaired electron wants to?pair up? with another electron.

The free radical will steal this electron from virtually anything it comes in contact with, including our cells. This reaction, if left unchecked, leads to a free radical chain reaction and damage to various parts of the cell depending on where it takes place. An anti-oxidant can donate an electron without itself becoming a free radical and thus can break the chain of events leading to an uncontrolled free radical chain reaction (8).

Free radical pathology is now believed to be linked to diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and dozens of other afflictions. Without going into a long (and boring) biochemical explanation, there are many things that cause free radicals to be released, such as smoking, exposure to various toxins found in air, food and water, sickness, exercise, and stress in general.

Anti-oxidants such as vitamin E and C and other compounds such as selenium, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), and proanthocyanidins (derived from grape seed extract), to mention a few, will help recuperation from tough workouts, improve immunity, possibly prevent certain diseases, and improve your health in so many different ways it would take another article to explain. A good anti-oxidant formula made by any one of the brands I mentioned previously, should be added to the diet in addition to the multi- vitamin. Whey proteins can also greatly improve anti oxidants status and is recommended.

Sports Supplements:

The topic of sports nutrition supplements, such as: androstenedione and other?andros,? Arginine, Colostrum, CLA, Creatine, Ecdysterone, GH Supplements, Ginseng, HMB, Myostatin Inhibitors and Tribulus, to name just a few, is beyond the scope of this article. Each supplement has its potential uses, dawbacks, doses and other variables that need to be examoned on an indavidual basis. People in the martial arts, law enforecement, or military that want to understand these supplements; whether or not they are worth useing, doses, types, etc., should consider reading my ebook on the topic of sports nutrition supplements, nutrition, and training called Muscle Building Nutrition.

Conclusion

The above list of foods and supplements is in no way complete or the entire picture when it comes to additional ways the martial artist, police, and military personnel can improve his or her health, strength, bodyfat levels, and recuperative abilities. However, the information presented here can make for a foundation of health and performance that could add a considerable edge for those who seeks it.

If you want to learn more about training, supplements, nutrition, and other topics essential to law enforcement/military performance and health, check out OptimalSWAT and the Practical Applied Stress Training (P.A.S.T) program designed to take tactical LE to the next level.

Notes

(1)The way a carbohydrate effects blood sugar after it is eaten is known as the glycemic response. The glycemic index (GI) is a list of foods and how they effect blood sugar. Some foods we think of as 'complex' actually raise blood sugar much faster than many foods we think of as 'simple'.

(2) The health problems related to fats is are far more complex than most people appreciate. The pathology of disease(s) caused by high fat intakes of the wrong types of fat is a complex interaction between certain fats, carbohydrates, a lack of certain vitamins and other nutrients, free radical/anti-oxidant mechanisms, and other factors that are poorly understood.

(3) For more information on the many benefits of the essential fatty acids and to find out more information about fats and health in general, read?Fats the Heal fats that Kill? by Dr. Udo Erasmus published by Alive books.

(4) LNA and LA are in a 4:1 ratio in flax oil.

(5) Like fresh eggs, milk, meat, etc, all fresh unprocessed oils will spoil (go rancid) if not refrigerated constantly and eaten shortly after opening the bottle.

(6) All highly unsaturated oils, including flax, should NEVER be used to cook with as this will change the structure of theses oils making them toxic and of little use for the purpose they are intended for.

(7) The 'fish oils' DHA and EPA can be formed in the human body from LNA by desaturase enzymes.

(8) It is important to note that free radical reactions are a normal and essential part of metabolism. It is the uncontrolled free radical chain reactions that we are concerned with.