Weight-lifters and athletes are notorious for using various supplements to enhance muscle mass and strength training, but are these methods safe and effective? The answer depends on the nature of the supplements and how they are made.
Stress does a number on the human body. At first, the emotional and physiological responses to stress can be a good thing, boosting one's energy and focus for the task at hand. Chronic stress, however, has a range of dangerous effects that can lead to illness and disease. One of your body's natural soothers is a particular amino acid, and in times of stress and fatigue, it's absolutely vital that you're producing enough of it.
If you're trying to slim down and tone up, the main foundation of your routine should be a healthy diet and exercise. There are some all-natural solutions that can boost your fitness efforts. Supplementing a healthy diet with the amino acid, carnitine, has been shown to improve muscle performance and fat-burn during exercise.
Amino acids are responsible for a vast array of functions and biological processes within the human body, but each one excels in different areas. The amino acid arginine, for example, has become a leading natural treatment for sexual dysfunction.
Amino acids are the building blocks of the enzymes and proteins that help complete almost every major and minor function within the human body. In other words, they are critical to your health. Ornithine is one of twenty amino acid your body uses and is particularly useful for digestion and detoxification processes.
While some so-called body-building supplements that are based on artificial chemicals or protein powders may prove less than effective (or even harmful!), there are natural options that are both safe and powerful. N-acetyl cysteine, for instance, is a naturally-occurring amino acid that can reduce fatigue and decrease muscle damage during intense workouts.
Although these compounds are called "non-essential" amino acids, it does not mean that they're not essential to your health and well-being. The term just refers to the fact that your body can produce these amino acids on its own. However, when faced with advanced age, high levels of stress, or inadequate nutrition, your body may not be able to produce sufficient levels of these compounds.
Conditionally-essential amino acids are usually synthesized by the human body, but may be in limited supply in certain conditions, such as prematurity in infants, severe catabolic distress, or advanced age.