Energy Supplements

Energy supplements have grown in popularity not only among athletes and bodybuilders, but also among weekend warriors as well as for many who simply seek higher levels of energy in their day-to-day lives.

Consequently, this webpage will seek to help clarify energy-supplements, give critical info on sports energy-supplements, but also discuss good quality supplements for energy as well.

Natural Energy Supplements

1. Androstenedione. Sometimes called andro for short, it is a known precursor that the body metabolizes into testosterone.
2. Androstendiol. Known steroid precursor that the body metabolizes into testosterone.
3. DHES. A known steroid precursor the body metabolizes into testosterone.
4. Scullcap. A powerful herb in the hands of a professional. Can cause abnormal liver function if not used correctly.
5. Lobelia. One of the most venerated and powerful herbs. Should only be used by a skilled master herbalist.
6. Chaparral. A powerful herb that actually helps cure cancer say herbalists, which may be why the medical establishment doesn't want people to know about it. Used as a cure-all by Native Americans, it helps the lymphatic system and rebuilds tissue while toning the system. Should only be used, though, by someone with skill.
7. Organ/Glandular Extracts. Avoid these. Doctors say there is the possibility, however, remote of mad cow disease.
8. Comfrey. A powerful herb that is one of the finest healers of the respiratory system. FDA warnings exist about it, however. Should only be used by a skilled master herbalist.
9. Ephedra. Recently banned by American minor-league baseball, the U.S. Olympic committee, professional football, and American college athletics. Will most likely be banned by American Major League baseball soon as well. This compound should not be used by those seeking safe sports energy supplements as there are better natural energy supplements that can give you added energy and edge in athletic competition.
10. Germander. Can harm the liver. Avoid it.
11. Aristolochic Acid. A known carcinogen. Yes, carcinogen as it causes cancer. Can cause terrible damage to the kidneys.

These supplements range from weight loss supplements to false energy supplements. As always, you should also avoid steroids unless prescribed by a trained medical doctor. While steroids are not energy supplements per se, they are often classified incredibly with sports energy supplements.

Sports Energy Supplements

Now that I've isolated some energy supplements you should avoid, let's talk about those you should take. Before we do that, however, bear one thing in mind: Many vitamins and minerals require more than one other mineral as a co-factor or catalyst for proper function. Don't view an energy supplement as an island unto itself. The B vitamin complex, for example, are all interdependent and need each other for optimum efficiency. Let's now talk about the energy supplements and energy compounds you need that can increase your energy.

1. Gingko Biloba. this herb has many multi-faceted capabilities including increasing blood flow to the brain as well as throughout the whole body. It can also increase your energy. One of the most powerful herbals in the world.
2. NADH. Any talk of powerful energy supplements needs to include NADH. Used mainly by those who fight chronic fatigue. NADH ( nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme that works hand-in-hand with ATP (adenosine triphosphate), stimulating its production. The more NADH a cell has, the more energy it produces. ATP is important as is responsible for many body processes including storing and releasing energy for work within the body.
3. DMAE. This vital nutrient for the brain can not only balance out emotions but increase energy as well.
4. MSM. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is found in minute amounts in blood and even in most foods. It is a building block for proteins as found in connective tissues, skin, hair, and muscles. Studies are still ongoing with its power mainly supported by anecdotal stories.
5. Vitamin B12. A vitamin that is especially crucial for vegetarians, women, and those suffering from anemia, not to mention fatigue, vitamin B12 actually helps in the creation of red blood cells. These cells are important to maintaining good energy stores.
6. Vitamin B9. B9 is a little appreciated vitamin but it has been shown to help stop the progress of cancer, coronary artery disease, but it also helps improve energy levels as well.
7. Vitamin B8. This B vitamin is often called the energy and beauty nutrient as without it, the body's energy production will lag. A single human cell has 300 to 600 mitochondria, energy factories if you will, that produce a vital molecule -- ATP. B8 helps metabolize ATP -- indeed the mitochondria depend on vitamin B8.
8. B Complex. As alluded, the B vitamin complex is vital to the establishment of energy throughout the body.
9. Siberian Ginseng. Ginseng has been used in the Orient for literally thousands of years. A known aphrodisiac, this potent herb is one of the most revered, respected, and well researched herbs in the world. I have personally used it for over 20 years. It is a very potent energy enhancer.

The Best Supplements for Energy

When I first started using this next supplement 20 years ago, I was ridiculed, but after over two decades of use, I can testify with assurance that one of the best sports energy supplements or supplements for energy is Bee Pollen.

Athletes have used Bee Pollen for decades for that extra edge of energy and endurance not only for performance, but also for training. Non-athletes can benefit too. Why is Bee Pollen so powerful? Because it literally contains every nutrient needed to sustain life.

Years ago, I read a book written by Carlson Wade, a noted nutrition author on bee pollen benefits>. His claims were so incredible, I had to see for ourselves and I found Wade didn't exaggerate.

Bee Pollen is one of the best supplements for energy in the world. According to holistic physician and psychologist G. Liebold,

"Bee pollen is an excellent prophylaxis and therapeutic treatment against all the precocious symptoms of old age. It should be considered a universal geriatric treatment in the form of a natural remedy. Bee pollen causes an increase in physical and mental abilities, especially of concentration and memory ability, activates sluggish metabolic functions, and strengthens the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. This natural nutriment from the bees removes the causes of cardiovascular symptoms, such as arteriosclerosis, cerebral insufficiency, and other sequelae. It prevents nutrient deficiency during old age, gravidity [pregnancy], and the lactation [nursing] period. Bee pollen accelerates convalescence after serious illness and/or an operation, increases the body's physical defensive powers of the immune system stimulates mental and psychological resistance to stress, and creates a harmonizing of vegetative and hormonal disorders."

Warnings & Precautions About Energy Supplements

First, some general guidelines. Pregnant and/or nursing mothers should always consult with their physician first before using any supplements. Those also who are using medications should consult with their doctor as well as many energy supplements can either amplify or lessen the effective of the prescription OTC drugs. In general, everyone should consult with their doctor before embarking on any supplement program.

Now, some specifics. As mentioned previously in this page, all B vitamins should be taken together, especially Vitamin B12, B9, and B8.

Doctors also recommend if you have an allergy, don't take any Bee Pollen product, including Bee Pollen, honey, bee propolis, and royal jelly.

Also, be advised that Ginkgo Biloba is a known blood thinner. Its anticoagulant capability may wrongfully mix with other blood thinners or even common aspirin. Stick to the recommended dosages. Avoid megadoses of sports energy supplements or energy supplements in general.

How To Choose Quality Energy Supplements

I recommend the following tips in choosing quality energy supplements.

1. The supplements should be produced at pharmaceutical standard GMP registered facilities. (These are the same standards pharmaceutical companies in the United States are required to operate under as mandated by the FDA.) Nutritional supplements are not regulated by FDA and as such fraud is rampant with many so-called supplements containing contaminants with 1 in 5 not having the ingredients as proclaimed on the label!

2. Ensure the supplement manufacturer has a Certificate of Analysis (COA) on file for review by you the customer thus confirming the potency of the herbal ingredients listed on the label.

3. Ideally, make sure the supplement does not contain any fillers or additives such as sucrose (sugar), starch, gluten, silica (sand) or any other artificial colors, dyes, or flavors.

4. Look for tablets with enteric coating as this inert substance protects the vitamins from being lost in the gastric acids. Enteric coating protects the vitamins until they can dissolve in the upper intestine where they are then assimilated into the blood stream.

5. For energy supplements that have herbal extracts, make sure the herbal ingredients were taken by standardized extraction. In other words, make sure they're standardized extracts. This preserves the potency of the herbal. It's expensive to do so, which is why most companies don't do this.

Recommended Energy Supplements

After much searching, I've found a company that adheres to the preceding criteria that is headquarted in New Zealand. I mention New Zealand deliberately as it has the same rigorous standards that the US FDA has for pharmaceutical medications, even surpassing their standards. Their supplement products are rightly called nutraceuticals.

Their main energy supplement nbsp;has not only a full array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and trace nutrients not easily found, but they also have standardized extracts of key herbals like Gingko Biloba. Plus they have DMAE, MSM, vitamins B8, B9, B12, and NADH.

However, having used Bee Pollen for over 20 years, and knowing of the tangible increase in energy, we came across their Bee Pollen product as well.

This product doesn't just have bee pollen, but royal jelly, bee propolis as well. It's also created from bee pollen gathered in the pristine Northwest corner of New Zealand's South Island.

This company actually guarantees the base bee pollen they use is the purest in the world and completely free from contaminants. This Bee Pollen product has a full gambit of B vitamins, Acetyl L-Cysteine, plus Siberian Ginseng as well. 

Yours in health, hope, and harmony,
Nutritional-Supplement-Bible.com