Night time recovery: the importance of natural ergogenic aids

Nighttime recovery is very important for an athlete who needs to be in good shape for the next day, ready to perform new physical exercises.

This article gives an overview of the best nighttime recovery methods, especially those defined as energy “stimulants” suitable for influencing the hormonal production of testosterone, GH, IGF1 and promoting the inhibition of other hormones like cortisol known for its negative influence on the recovery process with deleterious effects on the immune system during periods that include high levels of stress or intense and prolonged physical activity.

The only complaints made from those who took these supplements are that they did not “experience” any benefits. Let’s analyze the problem by considering two factors:

  • firstly it’s important to check the quantities reported on the packaging; often in order to comply with the safety food regulations for products purchased without any prescription, the dosage does not correspond to the necessary quantities studies reveal are needed to achieve beneficial results.
  • secondly it’s important to understand that these supplements have been tested on top level athletes so, if we do not perform high intensity training sessions similar to theirs, our body will not need to recover in the same way and this may prevent the supplement from bringing any real benefits.

In most cases this supplement works as an adaptogen by modulating the regulation of hypo or hyper values, never distorting the natural body’s homeostasis. This supplement works just like food by being metabolized as fast as the cells and mitochondria are able to.

This is why trained athletes are the ones who will mostly benefit from using these supplements independently from the various formulations provided by nutritionists, biologists or doctors experts in nutraceuticals which may go above the medium quantities reported on labels.

It is also true that some of these supplements may work really well for individuals who have a sedentary life since studies have found that arginine and citrulline may be very useful in fighting erectile dysfunctions or low sperm counts.

Citrulline

Citrulline is even more effective than arginine when it comes to stimulating NO (nitric oxide), an important factor in improving blood vascularization.

Arginine

Arginine has proven to be effective in increasing spermatogenesis as well as its mobility contributing to an efficient sperm growth for male infertility cases.

Can these nutraceuticals be also used by women?

Yes it surely can, obviously not for the benefits described above but to improve venous return or capillary fragility and also thanks to OKG use (an L-ornithine amino acid connected with alpha-ketoglutarate salts) it may greatly stimulate collagen levels improving skin tone and promoting well aging effects.

This effect is also ascribed to the increase of the GH hormone recorded by many studies after having administered arginine and ornithine in L-amino acid form or alpha-ketoglutarate salts.

Alpha-ketoglutarate salts have proven to be very effective in advancing nitric oxide levels for supporting vasodilatation and microcirculation in the capillaries. These benefits make this supplement ideal for pre-training muscle hypertrophy and also for exercises that require high levels of endurance and capillary oxygenation.

It’s important to specify that the arginine and ornithine capacity of stimulating GH levels is mostly connected to intravenous injections administration; to achieve the same results orally, a total dosage of around 0.2g for every kg body weight needs to be taken; during non-workout days the dosage needs to be administered in at least two parts, during workout days a third part will be needed. The supplement can be taken before or after the workout according to the subjects morphology and his training objectives during that day.

It’s important to keep in mind that subjects who already had chickenpox may experience the appearance of herpes simplex after a high dose arginine intake. This is why for these subjects it’s advisable to take 1 g of L-lysine every 3 g of L-arginine; studies have demonstrated that Lysine intake combined with arginine, contributes to GH growth and at the same time neutralizes the appearance of Herpes Simplex.

Ergogenic aids with interesting properties are ashwagandha and tribulus. The latter is a very well known plant of indian origins used within sports.

Ashwagandha

Withania somnifera, known commonly as ashwagandha or Indian ginseng is greatly beneficial when taken before working out in the morning or during very stressful times. Thanks to the presence of withanolides, which have adaptogens and ergogenic properties, Ashwagandha stimulates TSH levels during hyper-stimulus reducing high levels of cortisol and, if taken before going to bed, improving the parasympathetic systems functionality and regulating night recovery and sleep quality.

Tribulus terrestris

Tribulus terrestris is also widely used as a traditional asian herbal remedy especially by Ayurvedic pharmacology. This plant is also known in Europe and has been especially used within the traditional Bulgarian medicine for treating different types of illnesses.

This plant contains an active protodioscin ingredient known by the oriental tradition to be effective in curing impotence, abdominal swelling and some types of cardiovascular diseases. It is also used by ayurvedic pharmacology as a restorative geriatric treatment in fighting a general sense of fatigue.

During the 90s, tribulus terrestris extracts have been used by some east European nations during the Olympics in order to improve sport performance thanks to an active ingredient which may stimulate muscle growth.

Protodioscin is a steroidal saponin substance that constitutes around 45% of the tribulus terrestris extracts obtained by the aerial parts of the plant. This substance has revealed a potential in incrementing the production of endogenous testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S).
KeForma has formulated a series of supplement products specifically designed for these needs.

GH layer

The name already reveals its properties. It’s a supplement based on L-arginine and OKG in addition to vitamin B6 well known for its effectiveness in improving the amino acid absorption and metabolism. This supplement needs to be taken when glycemic levels are low after having fasted for at least 3 hours, between 4 to 6 capsules before going to bed preferably combined to 5g of L-glutamine.

Improving sleep

For those who suffer from irregular sleep-wake syndrome and disrupted sleep in connection to overtraining its advisable to take 1 Serenox Retard vial instead of Strato GH because ashwagandha and hawthorn (great natural hypotensive) properties together with L-arginine and citrulline, promote better sleep and contribute on GH stimulation.

It is also confirmed that these two supplements can be used successfully during pre workout, when performing endurance or high intensity training like super series or functional training like crossfit.

Tribulus Plus

Another KeForma supplement is the new Tribulus Plus that apart from the tribulus ingredient it also contains zinc, Ganoderma reishi mushroom and vitamin B6 completing its positive action on the immune system.

This is because low testosterone levels are nearly always associated with immune system stress conditions. These nutraceutics have demonstrated their high potential in stimulating the immune system and that is why they are great for nighttime recovery.

Also excellent in the morning if planning to train or before workout when outdoor sports are performed during the afternoon/evening when the temperatures tend to decrease.

The recommended daily dose is from 2 to 4cps during the above mention times depending on the subject, the type of training performed, the season and immune system conditions.

It is always fundamental to remember the importance of a healthy style of life when it comes to food and exercise. Using supplements and specific nutraceutics should be always discussed with a nutritionist, biologist or specialized nutraceutic doctor in order to personalize the dosage and timing according to the subjects needs, whether he is a professional athlete or not, in order to guarantee good results and maintain the right expectation levels related to these functional supplements.

The Strategic Nutricion Center Center is highly competent in offering these services giving complete attention to each person’s needs in relation to their objectives.

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