The desire for more physical energy and endurance is one of the leading health issues among the general population, and is a major reason why many people take dietary supplements. There are at least four fundamental keys to physical energy:
1) Eating healthy, balanced meals throughout the day. Beginning with breakfast, many nutritionists advise eating 5-6 small and healthy meals appropriately spaced throughout the day, as opposed to just the traditional three. This approach provides the body with a continual supply of nutrients and energy sources.
2) Releasing the optimum amount of energy from the foods. The body needs certain vitamins, minerals and enzymes to fully breakdown proteins, carbohydrates and fats within foods; and to convert them into the type of fuel it requires at the individual cellular level.
3) Performing regular exercise and/or anaerobic activity. Under proper medical advice and supervision, getting your muscles moving and blood pumping has benefits for cardiovascular health, maintaining healthy body weight, and creating a sustained sense of vitality.
4) Getting proper rest. The body needs proper down time to recharge itself. As a rule of thumb, getting eight hours a night of quality sleep is sufficient to rejuvenate most individuals.
Some of the safe and essential supplements to consider for supporting physical energy and endurance include:
B-vitamins — These essential nutrients are necessary for the conversion of cellular energy;* They are needed to process proteins, carbohydrates and fats, and convert them into ATP, which is the fuel our cells run on.
Co-enzyme Q10 (coQ10) — A powerful antioxidant, it is also necessary for cellular energy production.
Iron — It is an essential part of hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying molecule in red blood cells (which is needed for cellular energy), and is part of the Krebs cytochrome energy cycle.
L-Carnitine — This amino acid is required to transport fatty acids into cells for energy production. It is also a key nutrient for energy production in the heart and skeletal muscles.
Magnesium — One of the essential minerals to the body, it mediates proper muscle function and is necessary for cellular production of ATP.
Adaptogenic herbs — Eleuthero, Korean Ginseng (Panax) and Rhodiola roots have been used for centuries to promote physical endurance and vitality, and their value has been validated by modern scientific studies
