Supplements can be intimidating. Hands down. They are pitched and practiced by some of the biggest gurus in fitness, however, they do not exclusively belong to those with washboard abs and millions of followers on social media. One of Leverage Nutrition’s missions is to dismantle this stereotype and open the doors of supplement use to every individual on a health and fitness journey.
It is important to break down the intimidation that comes along with supplementary diets. People use supplements all of the time, but not always in the way you think! When we can’t fall asleep or fight to stay asleep because our bodies don’t naturally produce enough melatonin, we take melatonin pills. When our bodies are not producing enough oil to keep our skin moisturized, we use lotion. When we are tired because our bodies are not naturally producing enough of a molecule called adenosine, we drink a coffee to wake ourselves up. Melatonin pills, lotion and coffee are just the surface of the measures that people take daily to compensate for our bodies when they do not perform perfectly. So, when we workout multiple times throughout the week, maybe it is time to introduce L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, and L-Valine into our system. These are three amino acids needed by the body to repair cells and build muscle, but our bodies cannot produce them on their own. Or if we are looking to improve our heart health or to clear up our skin, then introducing a bit more of alpha-ketogluarate may be a good idea. Alpha-ketogluarate is a precursor to nitric oxide production and is proven to boost nitric oxide levels in the body by increasing L-arginine, an amino acid which releases nitric oxide to improve blood flow and circulation to working muscles.
Humans are engineered to supplement, to strategize how we can improve a body function or a feeling by incorporating something new into our lives. When we look at nutrition supplements in the same light that we view melatonin pills, lotion or coffee, dietary supplements may be stripped of their intimidation and viewed as the accessible, beneficial products they are. Do not hesitate to explore energy boosters, restorative muscle formulas or daily multi-vitamins if it means leveraging how your body performs and continues to grow.