Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Dysfunction – The Ubiquitous Driver of Disease?
August 29, 2021BUILD, Food for Your Muscles
September 26, 2021BOOST Yourself, Reduce Fatigue and Falling Energy
Have you ever woken up in the morning without energy or felt tired day after day? I guess you have, and you must be wondering why? That’s a billion-dollar question. We know that it is somehow related to our cells’ bioenergetics. Most of us have heard of mitochondria from our schooldays. Every human cell has mitochondria — the nuclear power plant of our organism. The most probable cause of chronic fatigue can be linked to impaired mitochondrial bioenergetics. Besides, a constant battle between antioxidants and free radicals, just like in Steven Spielberg movies, is being fought in our bodies. All these circumstances affect the work of our cells and the work of mitochondria. With this in mind, training our soldiers from time to time and providing support, if necessary, seems like a great idea. Training is reflected in healthy living habits and proper nutrition, while support comes from supplements. Athletes do everything to stay in top shape and to be successful, but is there a reason for ordinary Joey to take supplements? If the reasons are pure intentions to improve health, be more rested and focused, the answer is yes, of course.
On our list, BOOST is one interesting supplement that can be used to promote health. What is BOOST, and why is it different from everything we have seen so far? BOOST represents a mix of molecular hydrogen, caffeine, and Nitrosigine. Although it can be taken by athletes and brings a lot of benefits to them, everybody can use it as a daily supplement to be more energetic and productive.
Molecular Hydrogen Water: Drink of the Future
Hydrogen (H2) is a frequent component in the human body and is commonly found and produced during fermentation in the gut. It’s mostly known for its antioxidant capabilities and is considered the ultimate antioxidant. The use of hydrogen is prevalent in Japan, where it is believed that it can reduce wrinkles and slow down aging. But how does it work? There are plenty of other antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, beta carotene, and polyphenols, and most of them are ingested by food. Scientists use them in their studies, but there is still a debate about how effective they are. What’s really going on here?
When antioxidants enter our system, they are evenly distributed in cells and organs and fight free radicals a.k.a. reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS). Although small amounts of free radicals have multifunctional roles in cells, in higher doses they can be extremely bad and lead to oxidative stress and the development of diseases. Therefore, harmful radicals must be neutralized without jeopardizing their physiologically beneficial functions.
And here we come to the fascinating thing about H2 — it reacts selectively with free radicals without affecting their biological role. Hydrogen is inert under physiological conditions and reacts only with highly ROS.1 Due to its size and reactivity, it usually reacts only to those more harmful free radicals such as hydroxyl radical (•OH) and peroxynitrite (ONOO−). To make the trick even better, unlike an ordinary antioxidant that reacts in all cells, H2 reacts only in the organs with the most inflammation.
Now let’s get back to fatigue. We cannot tell with certainty, but fatigue in both acute and chronic forms often results from excessive oxidative stress.2 A disturbance of mitochondrial function by ROS and RNS may explain an overall loss of energy. Since H2 has been shown as a successful antioxidant in many studies, it can be used for preventing and treating fatigue, either alone or in combination with other treatments. This is supported by several scientific publications. For example, it has been shown that H2 treatment enhances recovery from ankle injuries3, 4 and attenuates muscular damage and relieves sore muscles after exhaustive eccentric strength training.5 In other studies, employing H2 in athletes increased overall stamina and maximal oxygen consumption6 and improved muscle function.7
Molecular hydrogen can be consumed in various ways, but drinking hydrogen-rich water (HRW) is the simplest and cheapest way. HRW Tablets produced by Drink HRW deliver more hydrogen to your cells than any other product on the market as far as we know from our research and literature review. And best of all, they are completely safe, and their effect was confirmed in multiple scientific studies.8
Caffeine: Probably the Most Abundant Human Habit
Caffeine consumption is generally accepted in society, and almost everyone we know drinks coffee. There has been a lot of confusion about caffeine in the past, and there are still debates about whether it contributes to health or not. But one thing is for sure — it’s effective and wakes you up. The optimal caffeine dose that can improve cognitive abilities without the risk of adverse effects is 200 mg.9 The upper limit of “safe” caffeine intake is about 400mg. Based on the USDA Food Composition Database, one cup of espresso contains 63 mg of caffeine on average, while a cup of brewed coffee contains about 95 mg.10
How does caffeine work? The most common effect of caffeine is acting as a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. This is mostly because caffeine suppresses adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine acts as a CNS depressant, enhances sleep quality, and reduces the arousal in normal conditions. Adenosine levels in the brain steadily rise when we are awake. By suppressing adenosine, caffeine increases alertness, improves visual attention, and maintains attention mainly in extended, demanding tasks.11 A small dose of caffeine affects alertness and reactive time in sleep-deprived subjects.12 It can also decrease cognitive decline13 and have potential benefits to individuals with Parkinson’s14 and Alzheimer’s disease.15
There are many positive effects of caffeine. For example, it seems that 200 mg of caffeine could improve reaction time and memory in the elderly.9 To be objective, we must also highlight some downsides of caffeine. In some individuals, primarily in ones that do not consume coffee regularly, caffeine can affect sleep quality and sleep duration. In some people, it can also be linked with an increase in anxiety.16 However, most of these events occur when we consume extremely high doses of caffeine.
Caffeine may not affect mitochondria as H2 does, but it can be very important for everyday activities. If you want to be more focused and have more energy, you should be considering caffeine ingestion. So take a little break for a cup of coffee, or even better, take BOOST and boost yourself.
Nitrosigine: New Player in the Hood Making Progress
Finally, we came to the last ingredient of BOOST, Nitrosigine. Nitrosigine is one of the new kids on the block, but it is quickly proving to be a powerful sports enhancement supplement. Many associate Nitrosigine as a pre-workout sports drink, but it’s much more than that. Inositol-stabilized arginine silicate (Nitrosigine) is a complex of arginine and silicon, with the addition of potassium and myo-inositol as a drying agent to stabilize and deliver the primary active ingredient. Nitrosigine’s mail role is to increase blood flow and vasodilation by stimulating nitric oxide (NO) production. Increased blood flow can nourish our muscles better, work as a cleanser, and remove metabolic byproducts produced during exercise.17 Besides this, increasing NO production can be a potential therapeutic strategy in treating and improving mild cognitive impairment.18 Nitrosigine can also help to reduce stress and anxiety in everyday life19 and help us feel revitalized and relaxed.
How much is enough, and when should we take Nitrosigine? Based on analyzed studies, the proper dose of Nitrosigine is 1500 mg. Nitrosigine increases blood concentrations of arginine up to 5 hours and of silicon for at least 1.5 hours after using the product for a couple of weeks.20 It is considered safe to use, but because of its blood pressure lowering effects, it is best to consult your doctor before taking it if you are on medications to address this.
Take-Home Messages
- H2 water, caffeine, and Nitrosigine taken alone could significantly improve energy levels, arousal, and cognition, and decrease fatigue.
- BOOST is a super combination of H2 water, caffeine, and Nitrosigine and contains proper doses recommended in the scientific studies.
- BOOST helps you feel more energized and less tired during the day.
- BOOST does not have any side effects and is considered safe for everyday usage.
References
1. Lucas, K., Rosch, M., & Langguth, P. (2020). Molecular hydrogen (H2) as a potential treatment for acute and chronic fatigue. Archiv der Pharmazie, 354(4),2000378.
2. Morris, G., Puri, B. K., Walker, A. J., Maes, M., Carvalho, A. F., Walder, K., Mazza, C., & Berk, M. (2019). Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: From pathophysiological insights to novel therapeutic opportunities. Pharmacological Research, 148, 104450.
3. Javorac, D., Stajer, V., & Ostojic, S. (2020). Case report: Acute hydrotherapy with super-saturated hydrogen-rich water for ankle sprain in a professional athlete. F1000Res, 9, 245.
4. Javorac, D., Stajer, V., Ratgeber, L., Olah, A., Betlehem, J., Acs, P., Vukomanovic, B., & Ostojic, S. M. (2020). Hydrotherapy with hydrogen-rich water compared with RICE protocol following acute ankle sprain in professional athletes: A randomized non-inferiority pilot trial. Research in Sports Medicine, 1–9.
5. Todorovic, N., Javorac, D., Stajer, V., & Ostojic, S. M. (2020). The effects of supersaturated hydrogen-rich water bathing on biomarkers of muscular damage and soreness perception in young men subjected to high-intensity eccentric exercise. Journal of Sports Medicine, 2020, 8836070.
6. Mikami., T., Tano, K., Lee, H, Lee, H., Park, J., Ohta, F., et al. Drinking hydrogen water enhances endurance and relieves psychometric fatigue: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 97(9), 857–62. Aoki, K., Nakao, A., Adachi, T., Matsui, Y., & Miyakawa, S. (2012). Pilot study: Effects of drinking hydrogen-rich water on muscle fatigue caused by acute exercise in elite athletes. Medical Gas Research, 2(1), 12.
7. Korovljev, D., Stajer, V., Ostojic, J., LeBaron, T. W., & Ostojic, S. M. (2019). Hydrogen-rich water reduces liver fat accumulation and improves liver enzyme profiles in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled pilot trial. Clinics and Research in Hepatology and Gastroenterology, 43(6), 688–693.
8. Nehlig, A. (2016). Effects of coffee/caffeine on brain health and disease: What should I tell my patients? Practical Neurology, 16(2), 89.
10. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central 2019 [Accessed 2021 01 Sept]. Available from: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/.
11. Nehlig, A. (2010). Is caffeine a cognitive enhancer? Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 20, S85–S94.
12. Zanini, D., Stajer, V., & Ostojic, S. M. (2020). Hydrogen vs. caffeine for improved alertness in sleep-deprived humans. Neurophysiology, 52(1), 67–72.
13. Arab, L., Khan, F., & Lam H. (2013). Epidemiologic evidence of a relationship between tea, coffee, or caffeine consumption and cognitive decline. Advances in Nutrition, 4(1), 115–122.
14. Costa, J., Lunet, N., Santos, C., Santos, J., & Vaz-Carneiro, A. (2010). Caffeine exposure and the risk of Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studiess. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 20, S221–S238.
15. Santos, C., Costa, J., Santos, J., Vaz-Carneiro, A., & Lunet N. (2010). Caffeine intake and dementia: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 20, S187–S204.
16. Botella, P., & Parra, A. (2003). Coffee increases state anxiety in males but not in females. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 18(2), 141–143.
17. Rood-Ojalvo, S., Sandler, D., Veledar, E., & Komorowski, J. (2015). The benefits of inositol-stabilized arginine silicate as a workout ingredient. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition,, 12(Suppl 1), P14.
18. Talarowska, M., Gałecki, P., Maes, M., Orzechowska, A., Chamielec, M, Bartosz, G., & Kowalczyk, E. (2012). Nitric oxide plasma concentration associated with cognitive impairment in patients with recurrent depressive disorder. Neuroscience Letters, 510(2), 127–131.
19. Smriga, M., Ando, T., Akutsu, M., Furukawa, Y., Miwa, K., & Morinaga, Y. (2017). Oral treatment with L-lysine and L-arginine reduces anxiety and basal cortisol levels in healthy humans. Biomedical Research, 28(2), 85–90.
20. Kalman, D. S., Feldman, S., Samson, A., & Krieger, D. R. (2015). A clinical evaluation to determine the safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of an inositol-stabilized arginine silicate dietary supplement in healthy adult males. Clinical Pharmacology: Advances and Applications 7, 103–109.