When looking for the best nutrition for athletes, understand that live enzymes are not nutrients resembling vitamins and minerals. They are catalysts, which appear as biochemical agents combining two compounds so they can react with each other, while the enzyme itself remains intact.

The relevance of live enzymes, notably in nutrition for athletes, cannot be over-inflated, “In short, virtually nothing happens in the body without the help of enzymes”, says Ellen W. Cutler, co-author of ‘Micro Miracles’. Live enzymes are frequently mentioned in discussions surrounding nutrition for athletes, but what are they, why does anyone need them, and where do people uncover them?

Enzymes are not nutrients like protein, vitamins, minerals, or carbohydrates, but they are catalysts for the chemical reactions that make those nutrients work in the body. While there are 1,300 distinct variations of live enzymes that help the body function, the most common are digestive enzymes. Equally fundamental are metabolic enzymes that are important to burning fat and generating energy.

Metabolic enzymes originate in five different areas of the body, the stomach, liver, salivary glands, the wall of the small intestine, and the pancreas. Since energy is fundamental to build muscle, to sustain a natural weight loss routine or to stay physically fit, metabolic enzymes play a central role in appropriate nutrition for athletes.

It is quite clear that digestive enzymes are crucial live enzymes, too. If your body does not have an adequate amount, the organs switch functions. The liver and the pancreas from producing metabolic enzymes, so tasks like converting fat into energy are given a lower priority. That is not beneficial for an athlete requiring nutrition to burn fat and spark energy. Live enzymes help deliver essential nutrition for athletes to most effectively burn fat and produce energy.

According to Joseph Brasco, M.D., Gastroenterologist at the Center of Colon and Digestive Diseases in Huntsville, Alabama, “Because the pancreas and liver need energy to produce enzymes, the resulting drain renders the organs temporarily unable to perform their functions of detoxification, blood sugar control and fat burning”. So, lacking those healthy, digestive, live enzymes and metabolic enzymes, you feel lethargic, tend to get fat, and you could even endure mood swings.

To understand why live enzymes are critical in nutrition for athletes, you should know the description of enzymes from ‘The Nutrition Almanac-4th Edition’ (1996 McGraw Hill, Gayla J. Kirschmann and John D. Kirschmann), “The active chemicals in the digestive juices which cause the chemical breakdown of foods are called enzymes, combinations of amino acids that are capable of inducing chemical changes in other substances”.

Fortunately, live enzymes are now relatively easy to come by in concentrated whole foods that deliver absolutely natural nutrition for athletes. Some of the ultimate concentrated whole foods and health drinks with live enzymes are offered only online. Teeming with effective antioxidants that can be readily assimilated by the body, these formulas deliver a brilliant regenerating effect on the liver and pancreas, as well as the adrenals, reproductive glands, nervous system and kidneys.

To acquire the correct digestive juices that change nutrients into energy, explore the Internet for online health food stores that suggest nutrition for athletes with live enzymes from whole foods. Look for natural whole foods and health drinks that are made from real fruits, herbs and other plants. Feeding the body the nutrients it needs with live enzymes helps it to absorb those nutrients more productively and perform at optimal levels over the long haul.

An abridged publication of the NutriSearch Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements, 4th edition, was out earlier this year. This “Consumer Edition,” is meant for those that don’t need all the specialized scientific information contained in the full edition. As an overview, this handbook contains:

Evaluations of over 1500 US and Canadian supplements
Discussion of 18 critical Health Support Criteria
Graphical results for top-rated 4- and 5-star products
NutriSearch’s Gold Medal of Achievement recipients

At first the author, Dr. Lyle McWilliam, opens with the reason for supplementation. Even though the American Medical Association (AMA) has now acknowledged that all adults need a supplemental daily multiple vitamin, many are ignorant of this piece of evidence and the many additional scientific studies that substantiate the need of supplementation. There is also an increasing worry amongst nutrition experts that the Recommended Dietary Allowances, established during World War II, are now too low for the typical adult’s health needs.

The rationale for supplementation begins with an awareness of the root cause of most major disease. Dr. McWilliam discusses this root cause being oxidative damage and ensuing inflammatory events and documents how this can result in major disease such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and many (if not mostly all) other degenerative conditions.

Given this background, a methodology to rate and score commercially obtainable supplements is established. Dr. McWilliam selected a panel of 12 foremost experts, who have published one or more works on specific daily nutritional intakes and devised a “blended standard” of daily adult requirements to use in evaluating the numerous products available today. Also, 18 crucial Health Support Criteria including Completeness, Potency, Mineral Form, Bioactivity of Vitamin E, Gamma Tocopherol, Antioxidant Support, Bone Health, Heart Health, Liver Health (detoxification), Metabolic Health (glucose control), Ocular Health, Methylation Support, Lipotropic Factors, Inflammation Control, Glycation Control, Bioflavonoid Profile, Phenolic Compounds Profile, and Potential Toxicities are discussed at high level.

Top rated products (Gold Medal awards) are highlighted in two groupings: Single Product and Combination Product. A single product includes a multi-vitamin and mineral, whereas a combination product may include further nutritional elements, e.g., bioflavonoid or phenolic compounds.

The best Single Products were:
USANA Health Sciences (Essentials) – Editor’s Choice
Creating Wellness Alliance (Vitalize Men’s, Women’s and Senior Women’s Gold)
Douglas Laboratories (Ultra Preventive IX, IX with vitamin K, X)
TrueStar Health (TrueBASIC Solo)

The top rated Combination Products were:
USANA Health Sciences (HealthPak 100 US and CA) – Editor’s Choice
Douglas Laboratories (Daily Essentials and Longevity Support Pack)
TrueStar Health (TruBASICS Plus for Men and Women)

We highly recommend this guide for consumers who know the increasing dangers in our environment and who are seeking the best products available. The full edition is recommended for those who need all the scientific details and evidence backing up this report. A children’s multi-vitaman analysis is also obtainable in the “Comparative Guide to Children’s Nutritionals,” which rates over 160 US and CA products.

Getting the proper nutrition is important for people of all ages but eating right often becomes difficult for seniors. The elderly, who are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, may have a hard time getting all the nutrients required for a balanced diet. Malnutrition often presents itself as weight loss, disorientation, and lightheadedness and is often mistaken for illness or disease. If you take care of an elderly parent or grandparent there are plenty of steps you can take to help them get adequate nutrition as they get older.

The best way to find out why your loved one is not eating well is to pay attention and ask them questions. Be encouraging of honesty and openness and reassure them that they are not a burden to you or anyone else in your family. Remind them that they are important to you and that you are there to take care of them. Some of the possible causes of poor nutrition include a decrease in sensitivity of the senses of smell and taste. This affects their ability to taste and enjoy food making them less likely to eat food.

Another cause is side effects of medications which sometimes reduce appetite, make food taste strangely, or cause nausea. Many seniors are also on fixed or limited incomes and out of worry for money, they may cut back on grocery expenses or eat less-nutritious foods in favor of expensive nutritious food. Seniors also experience physical difficulties as they become frailer with age and deal with arthritis and fibromyalgia. Simple tasks like peeling fruit or standing for a long time to cook a meal become too challenging.

Here are some practical tips to ensure that your elderly senior is getting proper nutrition. Offer them nutritionally dense foods because many seniors don’t eat as much as they should. The food they do eat should be as nutritious as possible:

Offer whole and unprocessed foods that are high in calories like healthy fats like nut butters, nuts, and olive oil, whole grains like brown rice, whole wheat bread, and whole grain cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables, and protein-rich beans, legumes, and dairy products.

Make food that is aromatic and flavorful. As elderly people’s senses become dulled with age, it is important to make foods that smell strongly delicious in order to stimulate their appetite. You can intensity flavors with herbs, marinades, dressings, and sauces. Combine textures such as yogurt with granola and switch between a variety of foods during one meal to keep food interesting.

Make eating a family occasion. Depressed seniors who feel lonely and isolated are less likely to take the time to sit down to eat a healthy meal. Sit down with the whole family or invite them over on a regular basis. When mealtime becomes an interesting and fun occasion, seniors are more likely to eat and more likely to enjoy what they are eating.

Promote healthy snacks in between meals. Many seniors don’t enjoy large meals so an alternative solution is to plan for several mini-meals throughout the day. Make the meals nutritionally dense with many fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Cut back on high sodium meals and food with high saturated fat content.

Sports Nutrition for MMA

Fluid Needs for Fighting

Your mom may have told you: drink 8, 8oz. glasses of water per day. Although this advice is considered conventional wisdom, it surely isnt based on any science. If that advice does apply to anyone, it certainly isnt mixed martial artists who spend a good amount of their day jumping, punching, and wrestling in a hot, stuffy gym. Your fluid needs are unique, and as such, need a unique approach. As you likely know, dehydration results in a tremendous reduction in performance capacity. If youre dehydrated, your body and mind will suffer. In the ring, this is a formula for disaster. There are two major reasons why an MMA practitioner has different fluid needs than both your average Joe and other athletes: one is that your activity level is much higher than most other athletes. Because MMA training is unusually intense and usually has a long duration, there is significantly more fluid loss than a steady-state activity like jogging. Secondly, because of the level of conditioning required to be competitive, mixed martial artists tend to have significantly more muscle mass than most. Glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrate, needs a lot of water. The vast majority of glycogen is stored in muscle, so you need to drink more fluid just to keep the glycogen in your muscle hydrated.

How Much Fluid Do I Need?
Simple, everyone is different. Alright, so figuring out exactly how much fluid you need isnt quite so simple. But, with a little bit of work up-front and a commitment to monitoring your progress; you can ensure youre getting the right amount of fluid. Here are some general guidelines that you can use as a baseline:

Hydration Before Training
Drink at least15-20 fl oz. 2 hours before training/competition
Drink 8-10 fl oz. 15-30 minutes before training/competition

Hydration During Training
Drink 8-10 fl oz every 10 minutes
If youre training more than an hour and a half, drink 8-10 fl oz. of electrolyte replacement drink every 30 minutes.

Its possible that what youre already doing closely resembles these guidelines. However, because the variability of ones training varies so much, there is a more accurate way of going about staying hydrated.

Easy Ways for Mixed Martial Artists Assess Hydration
Although following the guidelines above gives you an excellent baseline, there are many variables like altitude, humidity, and clothing that can make generic guidelines inaccurate. One of the most accurate ways to assess hydration is to check out your urine color. If its cloudy and yellow, then you know that youre dehydrated. This is because the toxins that your kidneys filter out arent diluted in a large enough urine volume to be invisible. On the other hand, if its clear, youre likely getting enough fluid. Its normal to have a slight color in your urine, especially first thing in the morning or after taking a multivitamin.

Another fantastic way to monitor your hydration is to weigh yourself before and after your training session. Although you do burn a bit of fat during training, the vast majority of your weight loss is fluid. For example, if you weighted 155lbs. before your training session and weigh in at 153lbs. after your training, which means that, you lost 32oz. of fluid. (1 pound=16 ounces of fluid). A 2-3% loss of bodyweight during training can impair your performance and put added stress on vital organs. You should try to maintain adequate levels of hydration during training and replenish any losses within 1 hour of training. If you weigh more after training than you did before, thats a sign you overdid it and drank too much.

The Hydration Plan Recap:
1.Mom may know best in most cases, but not when it comes to your hydration!
2.Everyones fluid needs are different from yours-so learn what your body needs.
3.Use the hydration guidelines as a starting point. Adjust to your training and body needs.
4.Check the color of your urine. Dark Yellow/Brown=severe dehydration, Yellow=moderate dehydration, Slight Yellow/Clear=Hydrated!
5.Weight yourself. Before and after training to get an idea of how much fluid you have lost and drink according. Sipping works better than chugging.

Train hard, eat smart and stay hydrated!
Daniel M. Solomon, Registered Dietitian (RD)

Reference: (1)Benardot, Dan. Advanced Sports Nutrition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2006. Print.
(2)Clark, Nancy. Nancy Clarks Sports Nutrition Guidebook . 4th. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2008. Print.
(3)Judelson, Daniel. Hydration and Muscular Performance: Does Fluid Balance Affect Strength, Power and High-Intensity Endurance?. Sports Medicine 37(2007): 907-921. Print

ISO 2 Nutrition
Recently I came across a brand that was new to me although I am sure I had heard of them before the brand in question is iso 2 nutrition, after reserching I found that they sponsor a lot of top performing atheletes in various areas such as MMA, weight lifting and some other exciting sports.

Here is some information on some of the products that iso2 offer:

Complete Energy 4.5kg
Complete Energy is an energy based formula to aid recovery and provide athletes with a steady level of glycogen to support muscle performance whilst training. Can be used as a pre, during and post workout drink. Ideal as a pre-contest bodybuilding carbohydrate loader or prior to participating in any sport.

Complete Recovery
Complete Recovery all-in-one formula has been specifically designed as a pre and post workout drink. The formula contains a matrix of slow and fast release proteins, creatine monohydrate, l-glutamine, l-leucine, omega fatty acids, vitamin & mineral complex. All these ingredients have been used to promote lean muscle growth and recovery. To aid digestion, we have added our unique enzyme blend Enzoaid to maximise the absorption of nutrients.

Pro-Brek
Complete Pro-Brek is a high quality protein oat based cereal for the serious athlete.

ISO2 Nutrition is a strong believer in a balanced breakfast to start the athletes day and this product offers you the perfect start to your nutritional daily intake. Complete Pro-Brek is rich in a blend of quality proteins, amino acids, BCAAs, glutamine and L-Carnitine for its weight management properties.

Complete & Burn
Iso 2 Complete & Burn has been designed specifically for weight management, putting you in control. This product contains natural ingredients and is designed to be used in conjunction with a sensible diet plan which may help promote fat loss and an increase in the body’s metabolic rate.

Complete Protein
Iso2 Complete Protein Whey Matrix is a new concept formula consisting of the highest quality hydrolysed whey proteins (Isolate & concentrate) rich in amino acids and BCAA’s with added leucine, Isoleucine, l-glutamine and our patent pending Enzoaid. This makes Complete Protein fast absorbing and great for improved recovery after physical exertion.

Glutamine Factor 3
Glutamine Factor 3 is an advanced recovery formula specifically bioengineered for rapid repair and recovery. We have taken the basic form of l-glutamine and enhanced it with the amino acids l-leucine, Isoleusine & peptide bonded amino acids (PBAA). These amino acids may contribute to accelerated recovery and repair, more so than basic l-glutamine based powders.

Weight Gainer
ISO 2 Weight Gainer has been specifically designed to provide athletes with good quality low glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates. Many weight gain formulas in today’s marketplace contain mostly cheap simple sugars that lead to unwanted fat mass gains. Each serving delivers 440 quality calories from time released proteins & low GI complex carbohydrates. This formula can be taken throughout the day to replace meals or contribute to extra calories needed for mass building diets and will not cause stomach bloating. Can also be used as a pre and post workout drink.

One the benefits of iso 2 nutrition is not just the great products but the prices are also fantastic so be sure to check out the iso2 nutrition products!