There are natural ways to improve a man’s health and wellbeing and help in meeting lifestyle and fitness goals – including weight loss, better fitness, better nutrition, and stress management.
Taking nutraceuticals can work on your body so you can more meet your lifestyle and fitness goals without the use of harmful drugs.
Nutraceuticals That Can Help
Here are some nutraceuticals that have been found to improve your overall health and wellbeing:
L-Carnitine
L carnitine is an important amino acid that plays a role in the production of energy by helping activated fatty acids within the mitochondria of the cells to be properly metabolized.
People who are overweight are often found to be deficient in L carnitine. Research has revealed that taking L carnitine as a supplement can improve weight loss better than just using diet and exercise alone. It also has the ability to improve exercise performance and recovery from exercise. The dose ranges from 500 mg to 3 grams per day.
Garcinia Cambogia
This a plant from the tropics that contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA) that has been found to reduce the ability of carbohydrates to turn into fatty acids. This means that less fat is taken up by your fat cells and you have less fat. In addition, hydroxycitric acid is believed to reduce your appetite so you don’t eat as much food. One research study involves both men and women who were overweight.
The group took 300 mg Garcinia cambogia extract three times per day about an hour before lunch and supper, with an extra dose taken two hours after supper in order to prevent evening snacking behaviors. These participants had a 15-30 percent decrease in the amount of calories consumed.
Another study showed that taking 440 mg of HCA three times per day before breakfast, lunch, and dinner resulted in the participants losing about 14 pounds when compared to those who simply ate less and exercise more (who lost only 8 pounds in the study).
Phosphatidylserine
This is a supplement that that is found in the brain and spinal cord that has been identified as being good for the improvement of memory and cognitive ability. A lot of clinical research has been done on the use of phosphatidylserine as a supplement to improve memory and cognition in both children and adults.
It has been found to enhance several cognitive parameters in those who took the supplement. It may especially be helpful in improving cognitive abilities of middle-aged people who often suffer from age-related memory loss and cognitive dysfunction during this time.
The dose of phosphatidylserine to take is about 100 to 300 mg of the supplement per day. When taking this dose, you can expect to have fewer complaints of poor memory, including enhanced memory and cognition. One study on young people aged 17-18 years of age-involved taking 100 mg of PS per day. This resulted in an improvement in cognitive function and memory in that age group.
L-Arginine
L arginine has been found to enhance circulation by being a precursor to the molecule in the body called nitric oxide. This results in an increase in the transportation of oxygen and an improved ability to engage in aerobic exercise. The dose is about 5 to 9 grams per day taken 30 minutes prior to exercise. This is taken along with growth hormone in order to build muscle mass.
Beta Alanine
This amino acid supplement has been found to be helpful in those who engage in strength training and other high intensity forms of exercise. It is taken in doses of 2.4 to 6.4 grams per day.
It has been found to increase the breathing threshold, and reduce the time to onset of fatigue of the muscles and the time to total exhaustion from exercising. The total work performed has been found to be increased. Several studies have been undertaken that showed an increase in exercise parameters when compared to taking placebo medication.
Branched Chain Amino Acids
This includes the amino acids valine, isoleucine, and leucine, which are related to each other because they are amino acids that contain branched chains. These amino acids have been found to decrease the amount of skeletal muscle that breaks down while exercising.
Those who take these as a supplement experience a decrease in muscle fatigue and soreness that typically occurs within a few days of exercising. They have also been found to reduce the levels of lactic acid produced during exercise in doses of about 1.3 to 5.7 grams per day.
While you still need to regularly exercise and eat healthy foods, these nutraceuticals have been found to help you with the process of living well and boosting any fitness efforts in which you partake.
