Nitric Oxide N.O. Supplements

By Kenneth Elliott

If you are into bodybuilding, I am sure you have heard of the buzz word Nitric Oxide. This buzz word has gone through many sports supplement and fitness circles. Nitric Oxide or N.O. has a wide variation of naming schedules. These supplements have exploded from a minor interest, mainly in medical circles, into one of the most popular sports supplement ranges ever produced. The supplement is touted as being able to enhance 'The Pump' or the swelling of muscles due to blood rushing in, to enhancing nutrient delivery, growth, recovery, minimizing soreness and a host of other health and performance benefits.

What is Nitric Oxide?

Nitric Oxide itself can be the name for a simple free form chemical gas produced in the human body as a messenger between cells. The term Nitric Oxide or NO can also be used to describe the biological process of Nitric Oxide as well as the actual chemical gas itself.

Nitric Oxide or NO is produced when the free form Amino Acid L-Arginine is converted into L-Citrulline by the enzyme NOS (Nitric Oxide Synthase). There are many variations of this process as Nitric Oxide is utilised in a whole variety of essential processes in the body, including nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems, including smooth muscle relaxation.

Athletes and Nitric Oxide

The first supplement primarily aimed at increasing Nitric Oxide is the specialised amino acid Arginine-alpha-Ketoglutarate (commonly known as A-AKG) When used in supplemental doses, primarily prior to training, this has shown to increase the production of Nitric Oxide in increasing both vasodilatation (increase in blood flow and vascularity) as well as increased growth hormone output.

The increase in blood flow to stressed muscle tissues has a number of effects.

*Increased Pump - The Pump is a term often used in bodybuilding circles to describe the feeling of fullness when blood and other fluids rush to a muscle group being worked hard in training. This causes a swelling in the muscles and a feeling of fullness and increased hardness, with a display of full veins on occasion which is much prized as an aesthetic sign of athleticism and aids visual definition.

Many trainees accept that part of the appeal of The Pump is the engorged feeling and the way it improves the look of the body during training rather than any lasting benefit. Therefore some of the improvement in Nitric Oxide pump enhancement is simply to improve the overall training experience. This can be beneficial in that feeling the training effect from increased pump will often lead users to train harder and put more effort into a session, so this may be more beneficial than simply giving a certain look. This improvement can be especially helpful during lower calorie diet or cutting training when fat loss is the primary aim. During this time lower glycogen levels in muscles can lead to a feeling of flatness or difficulty feeling the effects of hard training. Use of NO products during these phases can be especially helpful in maintaining a good training pump.

*Increased blood flow and nutrient delivery - Despite the benefits of The Pump often being thought of as simply being all about looks, there is a significant training benefit to be had. Nitric Oxide vastly increases the rate of blood flow to working muscles. This has numerous benefits. First - metabolic wastes are removed from the muscle faster, this means more endurance and stamina, with less likelihood of exhausting the muscle. This means users can train longer and harder and push more weight inducing a greater training effect and therefore faster growth. The increased blood flow from Nitric Oxide supplements also means ingested nutrients, such as creatine, BCAA (branched chain amino acids), anti-oxidants and other beneficial compounds will be delivered directly to the muscles being worked faster and more efficiently than normal. This often means users of Nitric Oxide supplements experience reduced soreness of the muscle group in the following days, a faster activation of the repair and growth process and less likelihood of minor stress injuries, as improved blood flow is needed to repair damage.

*Improved growth hormone output - Growth Hormone is a greatly misunderstood hormone in athletic circles but it does have numerous benefits to adult trainees. Despite its terminology, Growth Hormone is primarily used to enhance strength, improve energy output and decrease stored adipose tissue (burn body fat). When using Nitric Oxide products this stimulates a huge release of Growth Hormone into the system around training times which has shown in numerous studies to vastly improve performance and body composition.

Other benefits of Nitric Oxide supplements -

*Sexual function - Nitric Oxide supplements show a major effect on the blood flow to sexual organs, improving sexual function and satisfaction, with a notable effect in creating and maintaining male erections. Many sexual stimulants and non-pharmaceutical treatments for erectile dysfunction will consist of Nitric Oxide release supplements, often coupled with yohimbine, which have both shown to be highly effective in improving the frequency, duration and quality of erections. Unlike Viagra and other vasodilatory erection drugs, Nitric Oxide supplements actually improve cardiovascular protection and help lower overall blood pressure, making them far safer and more suitable for those with cardiovascular conditions. It is thought that the improved release of Growth Hormone and other hormones may also increase sex drive in both men and women using Nitric Oxide products and these are highly advised by many as a natural alternative to drug treatments in the first instance. There is also some evidence that Nitric Oxide products may improve sperm motility and overall fertility.

*Improvement in immune function and insulin sensitivity - Overall immune function is very dependent on the Nitric Oxide cycles within the body and supplemental Nitric oxide boosters have been used for many years to improve immune response in people. Insulin sensitivity has a great central role in avoidance of diabetes, obesity and a wide variety of other ailments and as such any improvement in insulin control is rated as highly important in overall health, as well as body composition for athletic individuals. Use of Nitric Oxide products shows great improvement in overall glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in many of the body's tissues, making it ideal for both health and sport reasons.

Use of Nitric Oxide boosting supplements

Nitric Oxide supplements come in a variety of forms and formats. Some are tablet based, some come in drink formulations. The drink formulations are often joined with creatine and other workout improving nutrients and may come stacked with stimulants to give an all-in-one pre workout supplement, designed to improve the workout in a whole variety of ways. These are an excellent way to use Nitric Oxide supplements but it should be with care as the high stimulant doses sometimes used make them unsuitable for those with low tolerance for caffeine like stimulants and they may also keep users awake if used at the wrong times. Tablet format Nitric Oxide supplements are generally safe for use at any time of day and can be used to both improve the pump, training effect, growth hormone release and overall muscle mass development. Sexual stimulants containing Nitric Oxide boosters are generally designed to be used less than an hour before sexual activity to improve function and performance.

Safety of Nitric Oxide supplements

These supplements have a long history of use and have proven to be extremely safe and even beneficial to overall health. Despite rumors which have arisen from fundamental misunderstanding of human biology, Nitric Oxide supplements actually reduce blood pressure, improve cardiovascular health, raise immune function and reduce body fat, making them not only effective for athletes but healthy and safe alternatives to harsh bodybuilding drugs for athletes. Nitric Oxide supplements are not banned by any sporting organizations and are considered health food supplements for users of both sexes and all ages. - 17269

About the Author:

Do you want to build huge muscles that your friends will talk about for years to come? If so, you need to get these Bodybuilding supplements. Nitric oxide boosters help to improve the blood flow to your muscles thus improving the delivery of nutrients.

Keep Up Your Excellent Health With Good Quality Nourishment And More

By Leonard W Cole

One approach to make sure that we have and continue our best healthiness is to consume a nutritional diet. Our bodies were not intended to eat most of the nutritionally vacant foods that line our store shelves. Our bodies were designed for the unprocessed food that occurs in the environment.

Most likely the top thing that you can do to enrich your complete health and well-being is to consume a balanced and wholesome diet. Though, the packaged, processed convenience foods that are so widespread in our society are often easier than the nutrition of real foods.

It can essentially be a somewhat simple task to reach a strong nutritional balance in your diet if you just reflect on a couple of things. For case in point the healthiest foods are always found around the perimeter of the store. The produce department, the butcher block and the dairy case are all along the edges of the store while the processed and packaged foods are always in the center.

The mainstays of your diet should come from the outer perimeters of the grocery store and you should limit your intake of the stuff in the center of the store. A good rule of thumb is if it was not around in your great-great grandparents time then they wouldn't have been able to eat it and if they didn't eat it neither should you.

Begin with the natural foods found in natural world and try to incorporate a healthful array of various fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils, lean meats, poultry and fish and low-fat dairy. If you choose a vegetarian or a vegan diet you will still need to try to get a healthy variety but of course, you will do away with most of the animal products.

Always remember to eat in moderation. Even the healthiest foods can cause problems if you eat too much of them and all foods can be part of a nourishing regime if eaten only in moderation. Of course, it is always a improved option to consume too many vegetables than to consume too much chocolate cake but it is better to consume all in moderation and a few things sparingly. Exercise your common sense.

Use a daily multivitamin. Nearly all of even the healthiest diets do not supply enough of the nutrients that we need. A high-quality multivitamin can fill in the gaps of diet. You may want to think about some other good for you supplements such as green drinks or products made from the acai berry, which is one of the healthiest fruits in the world.

Aside from all of that it is also crucial to refresh your body by getting adequate slumber and make sure that you move about and get some exercise every day. Our bodies were intended to eat healthy, be asleep and renew daily and move about and get exercise. - 17269

About the Author:

Uncover the truth and find out if acai berries offer necessary nutrition our bodies need to lose fat - For more information about acai berry stop by my blog at AcaiWow.com for exceptional nutritional supplements and excellent fitness.

A Look at the Powertec WB-MS Multi-System Gym

By Trent Adams

Almost all of us want great, toned, and ultra buff bodies. Except for sumo wrestlers and other people that need those extra pounds mandated by their culture, that is. Most of the time, we are subjected to strict muscle and body building workouts and strings of gym equipment. But that said, there are fitness machines designed to enable us to do more than just one work out.

The Powertec WB-MS Multi-System Gym is that equipment. hat is best is that they are practically designed for residential use. Once you have this at home, there is no reason why you can't have those abs and chiseled biceps even without leaving your home.

The Powertec WB-MS Multi-System Gym is engineered to give you a wide variety of workouts. You can do weight lifts, heavy squats, and other weight training exercises. Even if you are doing things on the heavy side, youll feel secure with the machines stable structure and platform. It's Earthmover trademark says it all.

The Powertec WB-MS Multi-System Gym is virtually a three-station home gym. The whole design of the Powertec WB-MS Multi-System Gym are backed by systemic research and physics and engineering. The key to the Powertec WB-MS Multi-System Gym is its lever systems.

These lever arms are secured by pillow block bearings, rendering the Powertec WB-MS Multi-System Gym as one of the most durable home gym equipment in the industry. Since the machine is not using any cables or pulleys, the Powertec WB-MS Multi-System Gym is basically maintenance free. Without a doubt, you'll save a lot of money for repairs and maintenance.

As for the frame and overall structure, you have the strongest when you opt for the Powertec WB-MS Multi-System Gym. Made from high quality and durable materials, you could not go wrong with this baby. The design is also worth a mention, which really looks great on your residential setting.

The structure flaunts a solid 3x2.5-inch steel tubing and a 12-gauge wall thickness. If you really want your money's worth, then check out the Powertec WB-MS Multi-System Gym. This machine is truly a worthy investment if you want to really have those great body. - 17269

About the Author:

Exercising is a must if you want to stay healthy and doing it at home is the best way forward. Our line of affordable yet fully functional home gym fitness equipment will help you achieve your fitness goals whatever they may be. Our wide array of equipment includes used treadmills and a lot more.

Boost Your Physique - Get A Personal Trainer

By Ricky Hill

The current generation has grown prone to a deficiency of physical activity and its adverse effects. Pollution has joined a number of other problems like hectic schedules and cut-throat competition to create a health menace around the globe.

In addition, with the growing urge to excel at any cost, the need to stay fit and healthy has increased manifold. Thus people of all ages and walks of life are increasingly feeling the urge to incorporate fitness training in their lives.

However, the field of goal oriented fitness routines is a specialized one that needs professional care and expertise. A qualified personal trainer with extensive qualification and experience can give the right instructions in these matters, and hence his services must be availed.

Personal training can inspire and even force a person to scrupulously follow a fitness regime without any breaks. Going to the gym is often neglected by people after a tiresome day at work. A personal trainer can be of immense help in such situations. In addition, he will know precisely what health program would fit you best, keeping your fitness needs and expectations in mind.

Personal trainers often administer fitness tests to assess your current level in the fitness graph and where you need to improve. Therefore, they can always guide you and tell you about the body parts that you must work on. No two bodies are exactly alike as far as fitness and health are concerned, and no one comprehends this better than a personal training instructor. In reckless efforts to try out complex fitness regimens, an average person might end up exhausting or even causing harm to himself. It is very critical to go step by step to attain a fit body, and personal training is necessary to define these steps.

You don't have to allot time from your busy regimen to go to the gym if you have a personal trainer by your side. A personal trainer can even visit your place for exercising if you already have exercise equipment installed at your home.

A trainer who is dedicated, focused, courteous and capable can make a big difference in your personal and professional life. It would not be an exaggeration to say that all one needs to do for healthy living in today's world is to hire a knowledgeable personal trainer. - 17269

About the Author:

Find out the qualities of a good Personal Trainer and the kind of Personal Training that suits your physique at Fitness 360 Singapore.

2 Basic Elements to a Good Abdominals Exercise Routine

By Travis Hunt

Many men want information on how they can prepare for an abdominal exercise program to achieve toned abs without going to the gym most of the time. This article will assist you how to start building your abs in less than an hour every week.

Consider changing your style of living if you want to get the best out of your abdominal exercise program. If you want to be in better shape, you have to stick to a better routine. Also, good habits are vital to have GREAT (and in a flash) six pack abs.

Defined and cut abdominal muscles are always the first to be noticed. Most likely, men and women with tight abs are considered irresistable.

Take the case of celebrities like Mark Wahlberg, Usher, and Brooke Burke; they work hard to maintain their bodies because THAT'S what people WANT. Toned six pack abs muscles are plain sexy. Everybody would want to look that good.

You are always anxious to find out the answer to this pressing question: What steps do I need to take to have ripped abdominal muscles? You are not alone; I have been bothered by the same question a lot of times before.

The answer is uncomplicated: adapting an abdominals exercise program that is doable.

A magic pill is not necessary. There is no need to obtain abs fitness equipmentthat don't deliver what they promised. You can get six pack abs with the just the right mindset and attitude and adhering to a healthy lifestyle.

The two most essential parts to an effective abdominals exercise programs involves dedication and hard work. Keep in mind that you don't get six pack abs instantly. Once your exercising comes naturally to you, then it should not be difficult maintaining your routine.

1. Follow a Healthy, Well-balanced Diet. Sticking to healthy food options is the most basic step of the program. Altering the way you eat and, most importantly, WHAT you eat is the first thing you need to do as you start the journey to a leaner you.

Dieting is not the enemy here; you should take this into full consideration if you want to eat better.

By reducing bad fats in your diet, you are giving your body the chance to burn existing stored fat. Saturated fat that's almost always present in fast food and junk food is just no good. Period.

Lessening your intake of carbs will be good for you. Take care not to eat too much of carbs for it will ruin your diet. Nevertheless, completely eliminating it will just have the same effect as carb-overload.

2. Commit to a Challenging Exercise Routine. The second and last step to a fool proof abdominals exercise program is to EXERCISE. You need to have regular exercise and a healthy diet if you want to get the most of what your body is capable of achieving.

With proper diet and frequent exercise, there's really no stopping you from getting six pack abs. To get you started on your personal abdominals exercise program, search through countless resources online or ask a professional fitness trainer. - 17269

About the Author:

If you want to know more about a six pack abs training program that will help you meet your goals. I strongly recommend the program I successfully used to get AND maintain my 6 pack. Check out: No Nonsense 6 Pack Abs Program. A best-selling and effective six pack abs programs I've found after doing a lot of research.

Solutions to Knee Pain and Loss of Function in the Knee

By Dr. Stefan Tarlow

Often chronic knee pain is caused by one of the three common types of arthritis: osteoarthritis, traumatic arthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis.

A serious injury can bring on traumatic arthritis. If ligaments are torn or the knee is fractured, it can cause damage to articular cartilage which will only worsen with time. Of course, this is painful and affects the knees ability to function.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: When the synovial membrane produces an excess of fluid, the joint space overfills. The fluid becomes thick and inflamed and causes damage to the cartilage. The result is pain, stiffness, and a loss of cartilage.

Osteoarthritis: When the cushion of cartilage in the knee wears out, it leaves bone against bone. This is quite painful and causes knees to stiffen badly. This condition is usually seen in people who are over the age of 50. It is even more prevalent in people whose family has a history of osteoarthritis.

Is Knee Replacement The Solution?

To make an informed decision about total knee replacement, you will want to consult with your family, your doctor and the orthopedic surgeon he will surely refer you to. Your orthopedic surgeon can outline all of your options, including total knee replacement surgery, other surgeries that may be available to you and non-surgical options as well. Once you have done your homework, you will be able to make an educated choice.

Click here for more on treating knee pain .

Here are some good reasons to have total knee replacement surgery:

Exhaustion of Options: You have tried everything else without success. Once you have gone through physical therapy, cortisone injections, and other types of surgery to no avail, it is definitely time to consider total knee replacement.

Inability to Perform Activities of Daily Living: Problems sitting, standing, walking, climbing stairs, getting in and out of a car, or problems with other common everyday activities indicate a need for total knee replacement surgery. Reliance on an assistive device such as a walker or cane is also an indication.

Symptoms That Indicate a Need For Total Knee Replacement Surgery

Joint stiffness that prevents you from flexing your knee comfortably.

Pain in your knee(s) while at rest.

You are knock-kneed or bow-legged and it is causing pain and problems.

Loss of responsiveness to pain relievers. Note that non-steroidal pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen may be very effective for the early stages of arthritis. However, as the condition worsens, effectiveness may dwindle.

Persistent inflammation and swelling that does not subside with medication and rest.

It is important to realize that the effectiveness of medications may vary widely from patient to patient. The more severe your arthritis, the less effective medications will be. Over time, you may build up a tolerance to medications that prevents them from being effective, or you may develop complications that prevent you from being able to use them at all. - 17269

About the Author:

Dr. Tarlow is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with over 20 years specializing in knee surgery. He opened his own clinic, Advanced Knee Care, with a focus on specialty patient care. Click here to learn more about Dr. Tarlow, knee surgeon and ACL reconstruction.

Body Building Tips, How to Achieve Six Pack Abs

By Ricardo d Argence

If you're up late at night watching TV, chances are, you will be seeing infomercials. A good portion of those are probably promoting ab related products. You'll find machines, medicines, diets of fashion, and workouts that will promise to give you that beautiful six pack you've always dreamed about. There are a lot of theories, but are any of them practical?

Once fads are exposed for what they are, they do not last long as people move on to the next breakthrough invention. What are ways to get flat abs if most of these fail?

This is the best time tested approach to getting yourself a six pack abs. The best way to achieve this goal is through a healthy diet and exercise, but you might not want to hear this. There really aren't any legitimate shortcuts to getting the body of your dreams. If you have discovered how to lose weight quickly, you will soon find out how quickly you will put it back on.

What types of exercises should you do now that you have to exercise? It is best to just get on the ground and start doing thousands of crunches or are there more effective ways to lose the fat? Will this give you the six pack of your dreams? Actually it won't do much at first. A layer of fat covers up your ab muscles. Once you get rid of the fat, you will see your abs. How is it possible to lose the fat?

Getting on the treadmill and doing hours of cardio are what most people believe. However, this is a common misconception as well. Weight training and interval training are the best methods to lose weight the fastest. If you undergo weight training, you will burn more calories, not just during your workout but all the time.

Your muscles will be like incinerators for calories once they begin to develop more. As a result of this, you will be able to burn fat much more rapidly. To add to weight training workouts, it is a good idea to mix in short bursts of sprinting workouts.

Besides the right exercises, you should also try to eat healthier as well. If you're always on the couch, cramming your face full of nachos and beer, you probably won't be getting a six pack anytime soon. Getting different results in your life requires you to take different actions. If you want a six pack, you'll need to change what you're eating. Eat healthy foods and drink a lot of water. Put good things into your body and it will give you good results.

In general, it's not that hard to develop a six pack. Don't think it will be a breeze, you will not wake up to a tone, fit looking body the next day. If you stick to the long process, you could achieve the necessary weight loss of any proportion. - 17269

About the Author:

Get the best selling natural bodybuilding program, the Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System and achieve the best results in a few weeks. Visit us if you want to read more Bodybuilding Articles

Be Acne Free

By Sara Preston

Skin acne is all too common for adolescents. This skin condition is mainly due to the excessive production of oil glands result to blockage of oil ducts that produces the ugly blackheads, whiteheads and pimples and in some severe cases, inflamed and cyst-like sacs underneath the skin. Most have acne on their faces while a few have these on their backs.

Having acne causes a lot of people to hide their faces from friends, family and colleagues. People with acne have low self esteem especially when the skin condition is recurring and severe. Having acne can go from mild condition to extreme cases. The presence of acne is sometimes attributed to hereditary factors and stress levels of patients. Although there are also claims that acne is caused by some food particularly fatty foods, this has yet to be clinically proven.

Developing a good hygiene is one major thing you can do in order to prevent acne. Using sunscreens and foundations can also prevent the formation of skin problems. As an adolescent, you should already be using some mild cleansers for your face to clean excess oil, sweat and dirt. A lot of soap and facial creams are available depending on your skin type.

But when you are already experiencing this skin irritation and feels the inflammation and pain caused by these pimples, you should still continue the cleansing agents but make sure that you also consult a dermatologist. Before trying anything on your face, check with your doctor if this is applicable to your skin condition especially if you are planning to have an oral medication. Remember that what worked for your sibling or friend may not worked for you at all due to your skin type.

If it is still on the mild stages, creams and lotions can be applied on the affected areas. These can be bought over the counter or without prescription. But if you realize that it doesn't do any good on your skin after weeks of usage, you better check with your doctor so he or she can recommend the best oral treatment or antibiotics for you. Antibiotics that have salicylic and sulfur content will most likely work well for your acne problem.

If the immediate relief and topical treatments are not working for you, then you may already have a severe case of acne that would require a more intensive treatment. Severe acne causes inflammation, deep cysts and scarring. You may have to undergo more procedures to solve your skin crisis.

If not treated properly, skin acne may leave dark marks, pits or pock marks or scars that are hard to recover from aside from the embarrassment associated with bad skin.

Make sure that you have an acne skin care regimen so you no longer have to hide. - 17269

About the Author:

You can find many a home remedy for acne you can try if you want to learn how do you get rid of blackheads.

How To Treat Hemorrhoids Fast

By Olivia Campbell-Price

Many people suffer from hemorrhoids. But there are ways that you can treat this problem. If you have a chronic problem that seems to cause hemorrhoids all the time, then a visit to the doctor to discuss how to treat hemorrhoids that you have will be necessary. Your doctor may recommend one or more procedures including surgery to get rid of them.

First there is a treatment that is done outpatient, called rubber band ligation. Basically in this procedure, the hemorrhoids will have a rubber ligature placed right above them. As this cuts off the supply of blood going to the hemorrhoid it will die and fall off. Once that happens all your body will do is have to heal up the area where the hemorrhoid has fallen off from.

Hemorrhoids can be removed by way of sending an electrical current through it. This procedure is referred to as hemorrhoidolysis. Sclerotherapy is another procedure whereby the hemorrhoid is injected with a substance that makes the hemorrhoid become hard and die off.

A rarely used therapy is cryosurgery, where the hemorrhoid will be frozen off; this was found to have too many side effects. It may be used but on very limited terms. Lasers may be used to remove the infected area, but it has become less popular through the years with other options becoming available that help out more.

Two other procedures but much more invasive are the hemorrhoidectomy. These are where a surgery is done and the hemorrhoids are removed completely. It has been shown to cause problems with incontinence though in later life. In a stapled hemorrhoidectomy, soft tissue will be resected to a dentate line and the blood flow of hemorrhoids is hindered. These are both used for tough internal cases of hemorrhoids and are a lot less painful to recover from and fewer problems later for patients.

Though some of these procedures sound a bit difficult to recover from, they really aren't that bad. In most cases your doctor will use the surgery or treatment that will be easiest on your body. The easier procedures to recover from are of course the least invasive ones. If you have any questions or concerns don't be afraid to ask the doctor before you undergo one of these options.

For individuals who prefer more natural methods, how to treat hemorrhoids is really a matter of diet and exercise. There are herbal remedies that can be quite effective to get rid of hemorrhoids, but by far, the best way to treat them is ensure that you have a good fiber-rich diet to assist with proper elimination. - 17269

About the Author:

You can get fast relief from the pain and discomfort of hemorrhoids. Some people have even reported that their piles have gone within 48 hours using this effective hemorrhoid cure. Be the next success story and simply click here now.

Sports Medicine and Legal Designer Analolics

By Kenneth Elliott

Sports medicine is a very huge industry business. Along with sports are the athletes who are always looking for an edge over their competitors. Today, legal designer sports medicines are providing that edge. One of the largest areas of sports supplementation today is the use of Prohormones and other Legal Designer Anabolics. Prohormones are synthetic compounds which are used in short cycles to enhance areas of physique development and physical performance. Prohormones are not a replacement for proper diet or exercise but they can enhance results beyond normal ranges.

Prohormones can aid the development of new lean muscle tissue, improve strength, enhance sexual desire and performance and help retain muscle whilst shedding unwanted body fat.

Prohormones are usually sold alongside other sports supplements however as they act within the hormonal systems of the body it is important to research and understand Prohormones more carefully than others to ensure you get the maximum benefits whilst avoiding side effects.

WHAT IS A PROHORMONE?

In a purely technical definition a Prohormone is a compound that is converted into an active hormonal compound by enzymatic process inside the body. Essentially the Pro means prior or providing and the Hormone describes an active substrate in the body which performs various functions.

In the world of Sports Supplementation and Ergogenics (compounds which improve performance) Prohormones refers specifically to those compounds which convert into Anabolic Androgenic hormones such as Testosterone.

Anabolic refers to Tissue Building meaning the effect of a hormone on causing increases in protein synthesis and the creation of new muscle tissues.

Androgenic refers to Masculinisation or Enhancing the Male Characteristics meaning the effect of a hormone on the things that create the male sex characteristics such as higher sex drive, facial hair growth, confidence and aggression etc.

WHAT DOES TESTOSTERONE DO?

In the male body the principal sex hormone is called testosterone as opposed to female bodies which have estrogen as their primary sex hormone. These primary sex hormones make most of the fundamental differences in how men and women differ in physical and psychological markers. Testosterone in men pushes men to develop larger muscles, have higher upper body strength, higher sex drives, higher body hair and development of facial hair as well as more confrontational or competitive tendencies. Testosterone is the most famous but by no means the only anabolic hormone in the human body.

WHAT DO PROHORMONES DO? Prohormones represent legal alternatives to AAS (Anabolic Androgenic Steroids) as they can convert into powerful anabolic hormonal substances in the body. When using prohormones your body undergoes a powerful transformation in its hormonal chemistry. With this increased hormonal platform you find many metabolic processes are increased, meaning you will find it easier to gain new muscle tissue, train harder, get stronger and shed unwanted body fat.

Prohormones convert into hormones that can increase the rate of protein synthesis. This meaning your body can utilise more of the protein you ingest and turn it into new muscle tissue as a response to training stimulus at a far faster rate than you could with a normal hormone level.

Prohormones could be thought of as Turbo Chargers for your body. They are not an alternative to proper diet and exercise and these will always be the principal ways to induce positive changes in your body. However, the carefully planned use of Prohormones can allow you to speed up progress or break through barriers that you might not achieve under normal circumstances.

TAKING PROHORMONES

Use of prohormones should be carefully planned. Year round use is not advisable as taking prohormones temporarily disrupts your natural hormone levels. Prohormones are generally used in well planned cycles. These cycles can last anywhere between two and twelve weeks, though you will find that most common is around 30 days or 4 weeks.

When you begin taking Prohormones they begin to convert into active hormonal substances in your body. These substances may have different effects although they will tend to have very noticeable changes in muscle tissue development, strength and sex drive.

PCT AND SUPPRESSION

Anytime you place an artificial hormone in your body you will find this can disrupt your natural hormone levels as the body senses this extra source of hormones and responds by reducing its own production. In men this means that during use of Prohormones your natural testosterone production, controlled by the HPTA (Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Testicular Axis - the three organ systems that oversee and actually make testosterone in men) responds by dropping its output. This is known as Suppression or Shutdown.

Prohormones are so powerful that during their use you will not see any effect from this diminished natural hormone levels and can gain new muscle and lose unwanted fat much more easily than normal. However following the completion of a course of prohormones you will find that you need to restore your normal hormone levels to ensure you maintain the gains made during the cycle. There are various other compounds that can be used to naturally restore your natural hormone levels. This process is known as PCT (Post Cycle Therapy). Almost all Prohormone cycles should be followed by a proper PCT.

VARIATION IN PROHORMONES AND GOALS

Prohormones come in many different forms and each can have very different effects depending upon its chemical structure. Different prohormones can be employed for different goals which is why you will often find a wide range of different prescriptions for their use.

Prohormones have different structures, some are very anabolic but not very androgenic, some are mild, others are very powerful, some are easy to use whilst others can have harsh side effects and must be used very carefully.

Choosing Prohormones will depend on your current goals and needs. Strong prohormones may help you pack on much more overall size but may well add a little body fat and water whilst you do. Other prohormones may add less mass but will be very dry meaning no water bloat or excess fat. Other prohormones may be more suited to helping you hold onto muscle whilst on a strict fat loss diet and will aid with leaning out.

Whichever your current goal in training and diet is, you will find various prohormones more suited to the task.

COMMON PROHORMONE MANUFACTURERS

Prohormones are made by many companies, some as part of wide sports supplement ranges, while others are made by companies specialising in prohormones alone. There are many new companies joining the market all the time however it is important to look for a good reputation when purchasing your Prohormones.

Noted Prohormone manufacturers include Anabolic Xtreme, LG Sciences, Androtech Labs, BBS, ALRI, Gaspari Nutrition, Black China Labs, AMMO, IBN, RPN, Designer Supplements, PharmagenX, EST Nutrition, Ergopharm and Spectra Force.

COMMON SIDE EFFECTS

Side effects of Prohormones vary as much as their primary effects but are usually related to the effects of hormones such as Testosterone or Estrogen.

Prohormones that may show some conversion into estrogen or progesterone (female hormones) may cause fat gain, water retention (bloat) or gynecomastia (female breast tissue, sometimes called bitch tits or man boobs). To avoid these side effects it can be advisable to use a separate anti-estrogen or estrogen blocker supplement alongside. Also avoid harsh converting prohormones if you have ever had any problems with gyno before.

Prohormones that may show some conversion to DHT (dihydrotestosterone) a powerful testosterone substrate may see extra spots, prostate enlargement or hair thinning. These side effects are not always avoidable. There are mild DHT blockers you can use to reduce these effects but in general stronger compounds may always show these effects to some degree. Look for milder or non DHT converting prohormones if these side effects worry you as these effects are usually only seen with harsher compounds.

Prohormones have different androgenic levels. Those with very low androgen levels may cause a decline in sex drive and mood, while those with high androgen levels will generally show a drastic rise in sex drive and mood. Many people stack anabolic and androgenic compounds together to get the benefits of both.

Prohormones that are methylated can place additional stress on the liver. Methylation is a process which enhances the oral availability of prohormones - meaning more of the substances survive into your body; however this additional stress on the liver can be harmful if overdone. When using methylated compounds always eliminate alcohol intake, drink extra water and use cycle support compounds such as Milk Thistle Extract which cleanses and protects the liver. Alternatively avoid methylated compounds entirely.

PROHORMONE HINTS AND TIPS

Always consume extra protein whilst cycling prohormones as your body can utilise much higher levels of muscle building protein during this time.

Always drink plenty of extra water to ensure proper hydration.

Stacking two or more prohormones at lower doses can be more effective than using a high dose of a lone prohormone.

Always plan a proper Post Cycle Therapy for after your Prohormone cycle to ensure you maintain gains and avoid side effects.

Recovery is enhanced on a cycle so train more often and harder than normal. Reduce training for the week after you stop using prohormones to give your body a break then return to normal to keep your gains.

Prohormones can make your other supplements more effective - use protein shakes, weight gainers, creatine and pump enhancers to maximise your gains on cycle.

Dont use prohormones before 18 and always be sensible with their use as abuse can create more harm than good. - 17269

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Be like the pros, take Pro hormones today to build lean big muscles.

Personal Trainers Can Be Used To Conduct Successful Team Building Events

By Alexander Morries

An organization can thrive only with good team productivity, and if team members are physically active and productive, then the team fares well and the organization prospers. Hence team motivation and unity are of extreme importance. Gym and fitness programmes included in team building events in close supervision of a personal trainer can help immensely in this respect.

A team building session brings a pleasant break from the daily monotony of work, besides fostering unity and raising confidence levels. These events form a core part of the HR strategy, as organizations don't want to risk losing business by having an unproductive team. Issues related with insecurity and hierarchy always prevail in organizations and to help employees feel comfortable and cared for, team building sessions become an absolute necessity.

Employees forced to slog away their hours in desk jobs are always prepared for some physical activity. This is what creates the requirement for personal training at team building sessions. An employee can find out about diverse fitness routines and balanced diets with appropriate calorific values from a personal trainer. Such sessions help in inculcating a culture propelled by knowledge about fitness at the workplace and the employees can even build upon their newly gained knowledge by enrolling in a gym to continue the fitness regime.

Employees suffer from working on computers all day long, which often results in stress related physical ailments. Obesity too has become a major problem now. A personal training event informs what complications the employees are afflicted with and the cures available, besides giving them much needed breather by providing a welcome break from the dull routine.

A personal training event involving a gym session can be tailored to solve health needs of staff, and can rejuvenate them and spur them on to improve their lives and standards of productivity. The employees feel their worth being recognized and their health taken care of, and this builds a strong bond between them and the organization.

A personal trainer hired for such a session must have extensive knowledge on computer related ailments. He must be well aware of the mentality of the employees as well so that he can conduct an engaging session with them. In addition, he should be in a position to offer the kind of advice that they can really work on.

Cohesion among members and high motivation levels are the two requisites that make a successful team, and employers always attempt to achieve these. Any amount invested on a team building event focusing on personal training and gym sessions is always a profitable venture, as the business will prosper if employees are healthy and active. - 17269

About the Author:

Find out the qualities of a good Personal Trainer and the kind of Personal Training that suits your physique at Fitness 360 Singapore.

KRE-ALKALYN - ENHANCED CREATINE SUPPLEMENTATION

By Kenneth Elliott

In the sports supplement industry Kre-Alkalyn is just another name for Creatine. It is a trademarketed name for the pH-buffered enhanced version of creatine. Ever since its release in the early 1990's, Creatine Monohydrate has become firmly entrenched as one of the premier sports supplements and all natural ergogenics (performance enhancing compound). The supplement was first used by elite athletes in power sports. Since then the substance has moved to amateurs looking to boost muscle mass. Amateurs have also found medical use of the supplement in various medical applications, including providing support for people with neuromuscular diseases and auto-immune disorders. Creatine has also found use as a nootropic (mental cognition enhancer). But there are side effects and intolerances which is where Kre-Alkalyn is designed to come in. Kre-Alkalyn takes the natural benefits of Creatine and both enhance the effects and minimises the possible downsides of Creatine supplementation.

CREATINE MONOHYDRATE - THE START

In the bodybuilding industry as well as the medical industry Creatine Monohydrate, more properly known as methyl guanidine-acetic acid, has become firmly entrenched. These industries have taken such a hold of the supplement because it is a naturally occurring compound and a constituent of animal foods, although modern Creatine supplements are artificially synthesized in laboratories. Our liver and kidneys synthesize creatine from the amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine and it is not considered an essential nutrient, although supplementation with Creatine products have shown massive improvements in major markers of physical performance, including muscle mass increases, explosive strength output, protein synthesis, fatigue blocking and intracellular hydration. Creatine works through the ATP-PC (adenosine triphosphate-phosphocreatine) energy system which provides the primary energy for working muscles during short burst activities, in practice anything under 20 seconds duration, which makes creatine supplementation extremely important for athletes involved in weight training, sprinting and any strength/speed sports.

SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH REGULAR CREATINE? WHY USE KRE-ALKALYN?

Although creatine is a naturally occurring compound is does have a number of issues. These issues need to be kept in mind when using this compound for maximum effectiveness.

Problem 1: Creatine Purity - Very cheap Creatine supplements may not actually contain pure creatine and may even be loaded with cheap fillers or potentially hazardous toxins. These can include excess sodium, Dihydrotriazine, Dicyandiamide and of course Creatinine. Creatinine is a useless metabolic by product of excess Creatine and has no useful physiological benefits - it may even have some negative indicators. Generally you can avoid Creatine Purity issues by buying a reputable brand that can show 100% purity certification. Kre-Alkalyn is always 100% pure.

Problem 2: Creatine Intolerance - Around 20 to 30% of the population show some degree of Creatine supplementation intolerance or non-responsiveness. In creatine responders up to 20% increases in TCr Content of muscles can be seen, however in the percentage of those with Intolerances we may see as little as an 8% rise. Even worse than this poor performance however some users see severe gastrointestinal distress, with diarrhoea, abdominal cramping, bloating or puffy skin and even vomiting. This can make creatine supplementation virtually impossible for many people and even for those with only mild symptoms it can prevent them from seeing maximum benefits from this otherwise excellent compound. Kre-Alkalyn works for those non-responders and you won't see the unpleasant intolerance side effects.

Problem 3: Instability in liquids and conversion into Creatinine - The real unspoken problem with Creatine Monohydrate is its complete instability in liquids. Even a 100% pure rated Creatine Monohydrate placed in liquid begins to destabilise and convert into the waste compound Creatinine. All creatine, once processed by your muscles, will eventually be exhausted and spent as Creatinine waste but if this happens before you even get to use it you will see markedly less improvement in performance, more side effects, possible kidney stress and certainly a lot of wasted money. Kre-Alkalyn is not just 100% pure when dry, it maintains this enhanced pH buffering in liquids too.

KRE-ALKALYN - THE ENHANCED CREATINE ANSWER

Scientist Jeff Golini, a former bodybuilder, first brought the Nitric Oxide amplifier AKG (Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate) to the market but then went a step further and finally investigated creatine with the idea of creating a better product. What he noticed first was really rather simple chemistry, even 100% pure rated creatine is grossly unstable in liquid and conversion to unwanted creatinine is inevitable over very short periods of time.

With Kre-Alkalyn he hit upon a rather simple, but highly effective pH correction and balancing reformulation of creatine that avoids this problem entirely. Kre-Alkalyn is not excessively complex and does not rely on the esterification or other exotic creatine forms to work, which means you will find that for a patented product, Kre-Alkalyn retains much of the value for money of basic creatine whilst working far more effectively. Even Creatine Ethyl Esters and other formats will be unstable in liquids and show increased creatinine conversion over Kre-Alkalyn whilst still being far more expensive.

Kre-Alkalyn is patented in the U.S to Protected Patent #6, 399, 661

THE KRE-ALKALYN pH BALANCING ACT

Below is a results list explaining the 100% conversion times for positive Creatine into waste form Creatinine in various liquids. This table shows actual results of 1 gram of Creatine Monohydrate in 1 litre of corresponding liquid. Clearly this much liquid is rarely used for a single gram of creatine but you can easily extrapolate the results into different amounts and see how much creatine you might be wasting in your sports drinks or even sitting digesting in your stomach contents long before it reaches your muscle tissues and can perform its job. Kre-Alkalyn is shown at the end.

PRODUCT: CREATINE MIXED WITH EFFERVESCENT FORMULAS TYPICAL pH: 3 100% CONVERSION TO CREATININE: 43 seconds

PRODUCT: CREATINE MIXED WITH JUICE TYPICAL pH: 3 100% CONVERSION TO CREATININE: 43 seconds

PRODUCT: CREATINE MIXED WITH DEXTROSE TYPICAL pH: 3 100% CONVERSION TO CREATININE: 43 seconds

PRODUCT: CREATINE MIXED WITH SUBLINGUAL SERUM TYPICAL pH: 4 100% CONVERSION TO CREATININE: 2.8 minutes

PRODUCT: CREATINE MIXED WITH PROTEIN SHAKE TYPICAL pH: 7 100% CONVERSION TO CREATININE: 8.4 minutes

PRODUCT: CREATINE MIXED WITH WATER TYPICAL pH: 7 100% CONVERSION TO CREATININE: 8.4 minutes

PRODUCT: KRE-ALKALYN CREATINE TYPICAL pH: 12 100% CONVERSION TO CREATININE: Never

As you can see, the difference made by Kre-Alkalyn pH-Correct Creatine is so great that the comparison to normal Creatine Monohydrate is staggering. With the use of Kre-Alkalyn you raise the pH value of creatine out of the Creatinine conversion level completely and can see total uptake of Kre-Alkalyn creatine to muscle tissue where it can be used effectively.

THE BENEFITS OF USING KRE-ALKALYN:

1. Kre-Alkalyn is 100% pure and totally free from toxins, excess sodium and creatinine byproducts

2. Kre-Alkalyn form creatine is pH buffered so it DOES NOT convert into waste by product Creatinine even in liquids.

3. Kre-Alkalyn remains stable no matter how you use it, in water, with protein or weight gainer shakes, as a tablet or capsule format with a drink - guaranteed stability.

4. If you have never responded well with creatine before you can see all the benefits with Kre-Alkalyn

5. Avoid unpleasant bloating, cramps, abdominal distress and puffy water retention by using only Kre-Alkalyn pH correct creatine

6. Simple design without exotic form technologies means most licensed Kre-Alkalyn products remain far cheaper than Ethyl Ester competitors and other expensive versions.

7. Kre-Alkalyn can be found in both powdered form or in capsules, as much more of it converts to active creatine in muscle tissue and is not wasted you can use significantly less and loading is NOT required. As a rough guide 1 to 2 grams of Kre-Alkalyn is equivalent to 5-10 grams of creatine monohydrate.

8. All of the insulin enhancing products such as Dextrose loading drinks, D-Pinnitol, Alpha Lipoic Acid etc which have improved regular creatine can be used alongside Kre-Alkalyn compounds with equal success, with the added benefit of no gastric distress or wasted creatine. You will find many brands of Kre-Alkalyn as capsule forms will already come with these enhancements. - 17269

About the Author:

Are you looking for a pre workout energy supplement that will help you to get the most out of your workout? If so, Kre Alkalyn is exactly what your looking for.