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What is the importance of maintaining proper cellular health?
While it is important to take in a steady regimen of nutritional supplements for energy and endurance, you must also take care not to neglect the energy of your cells. Maintaining optimal cellular energy has been shown in studies to lead to added energy and stamina for your daily life. But why is this so? It has been found that about 95% of our cellular energy is generated by the mitochondria, (also known as the cell?s power plants). It is the job of the mitochondria to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which serves as ?fuel? for the body.
Unfortunately, mitochondria also produce high levels of free radicals, which are unstable, harmful molecules that form within the body. These free radicals have been linked to a variety of health concerns, including cancer, diabetes, emphysema, arthritis, and various cardiovascular, neurological, autoimmune, skin and eye conditions. Even aging is a factor of free radical damage.
However, the nutrients known as antioxidants have been shown in countless clinical studies to possess defensive properties against free radical damage. Studies now determine that regular antioxidant supplementation, along with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, can effectively help protect your cells from against free radical risks, while also boosting general immunity. And this, in turn, can result in increased energy and endurance. A 1990 study published in Reader?s Digest found that there was a definite link between aging and the production of free radicals. The researchers concluded that free radical production doesn?t just rise with aging, it causes it, as well.
But how can enhancing cellular energy and defending against free radicals benefit athletic performance and energy? Well, an unfortunate by-product of physical exercise is free radical production. As such, increased antioxidant protection is recommended for those engaged in physical activity. And certain antioxidants
-- including coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), alpha lipoic acid, and acetyl L-carnitine -- have actually been shown in studies to increase mitochondrial energy production, while protecting from free radical damage. Here is a list of those nutrients shown to impart antioxidant benefits:
? Vitamin A (also known as retinol, retinaldehyde, and retinoic acid)
? Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
? Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
? Vitamin B3 (niacin)
? Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid).
? Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine)
? Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
? Biotin (vitamin H)
? Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
? Vitamin E (tocopherol, tocotrienol)
? Chromium
? Lutein
? Lycopene
? Selenium
? Zinc
? N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC)
? Para-amino benzoic acid (PABA)
? Alpha lipoic acid (ALA)
? Pine bark extract
? Bilberry extract (European blueberry)
? Ginkgo biloba
? L-Glutathione
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