Health
Capsaicin is the chemical that gives chili peppers their heat. Capsaicin supplements increase calorie expenditure for several hours and may be useful as a weight loss supplement. Capsaicin works by increasing levels of the "fight or flight" hormone epinephrine (adrenaline), which accelerates the use of fat and stimulates metabolism.
Canadian scientists have found that capsaicin is effective in the treatment of prostate cancer. Capsaicin makes prostate cancer cells more sensitive so that lower doses of radiation are needed during treatment of the disease. It also suppressed prostate cancer cell growth in cell cultures grown in the laboratory.
Glucosamine is an amino monosaccharide(carbohydrate) marketed to promote joint health and reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis. The body uses glucosamine to produce joint cartilage.
In a study conducted with rats, British researchers found that glucosamine increased the bioavailability of insulin, which would help the body regulate blood sugar. Animals fed glucosamine for 5 days showed reduced blood glucose levels. It is not known whether these results are transferable to humans.
(Drug Design, Development and Therapy 9: 6167, 2015)
The legendary American football trainer Vince Lombardi popularized the saying "No Pain, no Gain". Gains in muscle mass and strength, endurance, power and speed come from pushing yourself harder than before, and that hurts. If you can handle the pain of training, this will help you get to the next level.
Researchers from the University of Oklahoma, led by Alexander Gonglach and Christopher Black, found that caffeine helped cyclists cope better with moderate, but not severe, pain that accompanied training. During a workout that produced moderate pain, caffeine (5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight) allowed athletes to do more work, ride farther, release more power and achieve higher oxygen consumption. Caffeine had no effect on exercise performance at intensities that caused severe pain.
Caffeine will reduce the pain of exercise as long as the intensity is not too high.
(Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 48: 287 - 296, 2016)
According to a study conducted on rats by scientists at Shiraz University in Iran, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protects the heart from low blood flow by increasing nitric oxide production in the heart arteries. One group of animals performed HIIT training for 8 weeks, while the other group performed no training. The HIIT group performed seven intervals for seven minutes at 80 to 100 percent of maximum effort with 3 minutes rest between intervals.
HIIT increased nitric oxide (NO) levels by 150 percent. Nitric oxide is an important chemical secreted by the inner lining of blood vessels that controls blood flow. The animals were exposed to reduced blood flow to the heart to simulate a heart attack. The trained animals suffered substantially less damage to the heart.
Intense interval training protects the heart from reduced blood flow by increasing nitric oxide levels in the coronary arteries.
In addition to intensive interval training, exercisers should always provide the body with sufficient vitamins and minerals.
(Iran Journal Public Health, 44: 1270 . 1276, 2015)
Creatine monohydrate is a miracle supplement! It increases muscle mass, boosts strength and power, improves performance during interval training, protects muscle mass during aging, prevents muscle breakdown in diseases such as multiple sclerosis, improves mental focus and boosts energy levels.
Brazilian scientists have shown that creatine lowers the average resting blood pressure of young adult men by 3 mmHg - a reduction of almost 10 percent. Creatine also improves the vitality of blood vessels and increases capillary density. Creatine works by increasing creatine phosphate levels in the cells. Creatine phosphate is a high-energy compound that indirectly supplies most cellular functions with energy.
(Nutrition, Journal 13: 115, 2014)
