If you read my articles you’ll notice I mention a lot about supplements, including a multivitamin. Vitamins A, C, D, E and K are vital to your health. My previous article on vitamins explained what each did. However that article did not include the B vitamins. While there is no Vitamin B there are several vitamins that fall into a category called a B complex. Let’s examine them to get a better understanding.   B1 Thiamine   Sources: spinach, mushrooms, tuna, peas, tomato, eggplant, lentils, whole grains   Functions: Necessary for energy production from food Assists in DNA synthesis   Deficiency: Weakness in extremities Swelling Rapid heart rate Nausea Gastrointestinal distress Fatigue   Cautions: Besides a very rare possibility of skin rash there thiamine likely has no major side effects.   B2 Riboflavin   Sources: mushrooms, asparagus, green leafy vegetables, eggs, salmon, almonds   Functions: Helps metabolize iron Helps metabolize toxins in the liver Aides in red blood cell … Read entire article »

After protein one of the most popular supplements in the fitness industry has to be creatine. This supplement is widely used by bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts alike. Chances are though while the majority of weight lifters take it in abundance they may not be aware what it is. Creatine is actually a naturally occurring organic compound in vertebrates (this includes humans). Its primary biological function is to supply energy to the muscles. While it may sound like something that has just been around for the past few years it was actually discovered in 1832 by Michael Eugene Chevreul, a French chemist. It is named for the Greek word for meat, kreas (κρέας) While creatine is widely known as a supplement, creatine is naturally produced in the body by the breakdown of amino acids in … Read entire article »

Most people who lift weights are aware of or have even used protein supplements. Most times this is taken by mixing powder with a fluid to make a shake or through an edible bar. Now I have noticed that a lot of people generalize protein and are unaware that there are several types of supplemental protein. Here is a breakdown of the different types of supplemental protein. WHEY- By far the most popular and well known. Whey protein is named for its origin of whey. This is the liquid that remains from milk curdles that have been strained in the cheese making process. The milk plasma liquid goes through processing where the majority of fat and lactose (milk sugar) is removed. The remaining product is then dehydrated to remove all of the excess fluid. Whey … Read entire article »

If there is one supplement recommended over ant other it has to be a multivitamin. A multivitamin is a combination of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients. We’re only concentrating on the vitamin part now through. Even if you know nothing about nutrition you know that there are a series of letters that spell out health and wellbeing. Those letters are A B C D E and K. The following will explain what the vitamin is good for, where you can get it and how much you need and cautions you may want to observe. You may notice that I skipped Vitamin B, the reason for this is that the B vitamins encompass a large group of varied compounds. They’ll get their own separate article in the future. The dosages here … Read entire article »

If you look at the world of sports you will find many shining moments. At the same time you can also find stigmas and dark clouds. One such issue that is especially present in the media today is the use of performance enhancing drugs. These are more commonly and generally referred to as steroids. Bodybuilding is especially associated with such drugs. There are those out there who believe that every bodybuilder, and in some cases every weightlifter is shooting up while pushing up. I won’t be naive and pretend that the entire industry is innocent. At the same time I won’t be ignorant enough to believe that everyone who lifts weights is using. It’s just not true, so much so there is a collective of natural bodybuilders who pride themselves on … Read entire article »