Energy supplements can be invaluable when trying to get through the day or power through your workout. They often include vitamins, minerals, adaptogens and amino acids – helping you battle fatigue more easily than ever.
Taurine is one of the most commonly found nutrients in energy drinks, offering antioxidative effects and improving mitochondrial function while supporting exercise capacity and muscle strength.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a naturally-occurring chemical stimulant that is found in various foods and beverages, such as coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa powder, kola nuts, yerba mate tea leaves, guarana berries as well as some non-prescription pain relievers and diet pills. Additionally, caffeine can also be produced synthetically for consumption as tablets, capsules or powdered supplements.
Caffeine acts as a central nervous system stimulant, increasing alertness and concentration by blocking adenosine binding to its receptor, which would normally induce sleepiness and drowsiness.
As with anything, caffeine does have some unpleasant side effects – particularly stomach discomfort, jitters and difficulty sleeping. It may also interfere with some medicines (notably diuretics, estrogens and valproate), reducing their effectiveness. Caffeine should not be taken by pregnant women, children or people with heart conditions as too much caffeine may lead to dangerously increased blood pressure as well as symptoms like tremors, restlessness, nausea and vomiting in higher doses; moreover it may aggravate existing health conditions like acid reflux or ulcers as well.
B Vitamins
The B family is a collection of eight water-soluble vitamins essential to turning food into energy. Collectively referred to as B-complex vitamins, these essential components of our nutrition play an essential role in turning energy-yielding carbohydrates like those found in carbohydrates into fuel for cell growth and proliferation. Furthermore, B vitamins act as coenzymes to speed up chemical reactions in our bodies.
Vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin) help the body metabolize carbohydrates and fats for energy, while Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) contributes to hormone and cholesterol production, cell growth and red blood cell formation. Foods high in Vitamin B5 include liver, avocado and yogurt.
Folate, also known as folic acid, aids the body in efficiently using fats and proteins for energy while simultaneously supporting cell growth and developing red blood cells. Folic acid can be found in leafy greens, liver, beans as well as fortified foods or supplements; vitamin B12 plays an essential role in neurological function, DNA production and red blood cell formation and is found in eggs, meats and dairy products.
Beetroot
Beets are an easy-to-grow root vegetable with a distinctive dark red hue, making them popular among cultures worldwide and long used both as food and a medicinal supplement.
Beetroot contains nitrates which have been scientifically proven to improve blood flow and oxygen delivery to the muscles, leading to improved performance during physical activities such as running. According to studies, athletes who drink beet juice prior to training tend to run further and faster.
Nitrate-rich beetroot may offer anti-inflammatory, vascular protective and antioxidant benefits. Studies suggest that regular consumption of beetroot reduces blood pressure by attenuating inflammation and mitigating oxidative stress.
Beetroot may not be suitable if you suffer from high blood pressure or have digestive problems, so if any health conditions exist it would be prudent to consult your physician first before consuming beetroot to ascertain its suitability for you.
CoQ10
Coenzyme Q10, an essential cellular energy booster found naturally throughout our bodies, helps ensure proper mitochondrial function to support vital energy production centers in cells such as mitochondria – which provide energy production during exercise – to keep our muscles running at maximum efficiency and to avoid muscle fatigue during intense workouts. Athletes often take coenzyme Q10 supplements for this very reason! Coenzyme Q10 supplements may help prevent exercise-related mitochondrial dysfunction (which can cause muscle fatigue) as well as reduce oxidative damage from intense workouts by supporting mitochondria while supporting vital energy production centers such as mitochondria – keeping cells running optimally! Athlee athletes use coenzyme Q10 supplements to prevent exercise-related mitochondrial dysfunction (which can cause muscle fatigue) as well as to minimize oxidative damage caused by intense workouts.
CoQ10 supplementation may help lower migraine frequency and severity. According to one study, women taking CoQ10 had significantly fewer and shorter migraine episodes compared to a placebo group.
CoQ10 may help treat heart failure, fight gum disease and reduce blood sugar levels while also aiding Parkinson’s disease symptoms, memory and fatigue in those living with fibromyalgia. Furthermore, taking CoQ10 may reduce side effects from statins (a type of cholesterol-lowering drug prescribed to those with high lipid levels or heart disease risk factors).
