Pushing The Limits

Athletes are constantly pushing physical boundaries. While their drive to improve can bring new records, it is often at the cost of potential injury or illness.

All athletes experience DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), some frequently. In the past, DOMS was seen as caused by an accumulation of lactic acid in overworked muscles, showing up anywhere for 24 to 72 hours after extreme exercise. Recent studies show that there is also a component of micro-injury to muscles.¹ 

This new information makes it even more important that athletes support their training routines with nutritional supplementation that helps improve protein synthesis, reduce toxic waste build-up, and address potential inflammation.

The adaptogens in Adapta-Fuel provide powerful nutritional support by improving the uptake and utilization of nutrients at the cellular level, by protecting against the negative impact of stress hormones which can blunt the production of cell energy, and by aiding the cells in eliminating toxic wastes like lactic acid. These benefits result in an improved training response, reduced recovery times, and accelerated healing response.

The first requirement for an herb to be defined as an adaptogen is that it must increase the person’s broad resistance to stress (whether internal or external). This is done by the adaptogens helping the cells convert and access energy during prolonged stress, where the cells would normally be depleted quickly. When the body experiences stress, such as intense physical training, complex molecules called beta-lipoproteins quickly build up in the cells and inhibit the key enzymes, hexokinase, from converting glucose to cell fuel. Adaptogens can play an important role as detoxifiers, removing the beta-lipo-proteins and helping the cells maintain an energy supply. Adaptogens also help to maintain cellular sensitivity to insulin during stress, which can be blunted by the action of cortisol. Insulin is key in allowing the cell to take in glucose for the conversion to energy.

1.  Cheung K, Hume P, Maxwell L. Delayed onset muscle soreness : treatment strategies and performance factors. Sports Med. 2003;33(2):145-64. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200333020-00005. PMID: 12617692.