Nutrition

Isotonix delivers nutrient dense solutions which move from the stomach into your intestine in a fast, controlled way.

Learn more about isotonic products here or go directly to the following recommended products:

While improving their nutrition the Martial Artist is moving closer to achieving 100% of their genetic potential. To do this one must have optimum consumption, digestion, absorption and elimination. To accomplish the desired goal, all four stages of this process must be in order.

What is Good Nutrition?

• Eating organically; foods grown free of toxins and pesticides
• Drinking non-chlorinated water; bottled or filtered. A minimum of eight 8 oz. glasses a day.
• Taking dietary supplements; from a good source and when possible combinations and formulas specific to your unique needs.
• Making sure you are eating or not eating the specific foods your body requires at any given time.

Why Supplements?

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR OUTSIDE ENVIRONMENT

• Soil demineralization: In the last decade or two the mineral content in the soil has been greatly depleted. Farmers no longer allow the soil time to replenish its minerals. This leads to diminished nutrients in our food, so that even with a seeminglyhealthy diet it is impossible to be sure that you are receiving the desired and expected nutrients from your food. Also the manipulation of our food at the genetic level, has produced foods that are bigger and tougher for travel, but have been depleted in nutrients.
• Pollution: Air pollution, pesticides and industrial pollution contaminating the water all end up on your dinner table with your food. higher stress: Excessive stress can lead to digestive tract disorders and malabsorption of our food. If you can not digest what you eat, you are not actually getting any of the nutritional benefit from your food. There are supplements which can help repair the digestive system.
• Chemicals, additives, colouring and preservatives: These can be largely eliminated by eating organically.

LOOKING AT OUR INNER ENVIRONMENT

• An overall increase in degenerative disease.
• Chronic fatigue syndrome • and many others.
• Some common complaints.
  • Low Energy • Over Weight • Indigestion
  • Headaches • Allergies • Depression
  • Mood Swings • Lack of Mental Clarity
  • Colds / Flu • Eating Disorders

Some Supplements for the Martial Artist

Not all supplements are created equal. Make sure the supplement you choose has a broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals and non-medical ingredients, in the proportion required for the human body.

A good multi-vitamin, along with acidophilus, added fiber for the digestive system, trace minerals and essential fatty acids form the basic supplement regime. Specialty formulas, herbals, homeopathics and rainforest botanicals can also be added to accomplish certain tasks. Good product lines are Vitamost, Super Blue Green Algae, Nature’s Sunshine, and Dr. Gelda, with products for general health, weight management, cholesterol reduction and the building of lean body mass.

Vitamin B Complex

The vitamin B complex can have an impact on an athlete’s strength, endurance and reaction time. It is a water soluble group of vitamins which the body cannot store. Skipping just one meal can result in an almost immediate deficiency, which can show itself by a 27 draining off of energy and strength. Members of this complex are necessary before an enzyme can break down food and turn into energy. No matter how much someone eats, without the B complex he cannot turn that food into energy. The complex also helps to keep a clean supply of oxygen available to the muscles for strength.

Yet even more important to the Martial Artist is the effect these vitamins have on the central nervous system. Choline, one of the B complex vitamins, is necessary to relay commands from the nervous system to the muscle. If there is a shortage, the muscles simply will not react. Like a tiny network of switches, the central nervous system requires the B complex to keep it running smoothly, making all the proper connections fast and efficient. It is a critical element in reaction time.

Nature supplies an abundant amount of the B complex in whole grain. However, modem processing methods destroy the vitamins. The government requires that only a few

members of the complex be replaced by the food processing industry but to properly function, Martial Artists need all of them. The best natural sources are whole grain wheat, brown rice, liver, and beans.

The B complex consists mainly of 11 distinct vitamins. These are Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, Biotin, Panthothenic Acid, Choline Bitartrate, PABA and Inositol. A deficit of B complex may lead to mood swings, tremors, exhaustion, irritability, crying for no reason or tantrums.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is probably the most talked about and most misunderstood vitamin. Most of the controversy is over its ability to prevent illness. Controversy notwithstanding, it has a benefit for the Martial Artist which is just plain fact.

Vitamin C has long been recognized for its role in the formation of connective tissue called collagen. It protects the gums from bleeding, and it improves the healing of wounds, reduces toxicity, and is an antioxidant (reduces free radicals). For the Martial Artist who does a lot of sparring, Vitamin C can help protect tissue and blood vessels from bruising and minor injury. Since it is water soluble, Vitamin C cannot be stored for future use. Most animals synthesize their own Vitamin C and have no dietary need for it. Humans have a genetic defect which prevents the body from synthesizing it so Vitamin C must be obtained through food.

The best foods from which to derive Vitamin C (ascorbic acids) are oranges, cantaloupes, fresh strawberries, broccoli, spinach and tomato juice. Because of the acid, high doses of Vitamin C can cause irritation to the stomach much like aspirin can. If a person uses a supplement, they should get one that includes rose hip to help buffer their stomach against such possible effects. A deficit in Vitamin C can lead to scurvy, atherosclerosis, bleeding gums, painful joints, edema, bruising easily, weakening of the connective tissue, slow healing, and skin degeneration leading to wrinkles.

Vitamin E

Many people call Vitamin E the athlete’s vitamin. Although the body is capable of storing this vitamin, physical activity bums up huge amounts of it, increasing most athletes’ needs. Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant, it is instrumental in heart function, skin health, reproduction, anti rancidity, and keeping pure oxygen available for tissue for greater energy and endurance. Most people who supplement their diets with this vitamin report that they do no breathe as heavily during intense exercise.

During the 1960 Olympics, the Australian swimming team used a kind of super E therapy by eating large quantities of wheat germ cereal and wheat germ oil which are heavy in Vitamin E. The team took all the medals that year and E began to earn its reputation with athletes. It is used heavily in many European countries, but has only recently been getting the attention it deserves in the United States and Canada.

A deficit in Vitamin E can lead to miscarriage, decreased skin cell count, infertility and premature skin aging.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A or its precursor Beta Carotene (non-toxic even in high dosages) is used for night vision, cell repair, wound healing, and disease resistance. A deficit of this vitamin can lead to dry, tough and leathery skin, poor night vision and slow healing. It is found in yellow vegetables, carrots, squash, and yams.

Protein and Essential Amino Acids

Protein is the chief tissue builder and the basic substance in every living cell. It is not a vitamin but a necessary food like carbohydrates and fats. The body does not store protein for future use. What a person uses each day must be supplied daily. If the protein supply is insufficient, the body will feed upon its own tissues, in particular the muscles. This “cannibalism” can be devastating to the Martial Artist, leaving muscles weak, flabby and unresponsive. Insufficient protein can also cause premature aging. A good rule of thumb for gauging protein is to divide body weight by two. The resulting number is an approximate minimum number of grams of protein a person should have daily. If a Martial Artist is in hard training this amount can almost be doubled.

Protein alone is not enough to prevent its deficiency. The body cannot use a whole protein molecule. It must first break down the protein into basic amino acids, which are absorbed by the body and reassembled into new protein combinations in the body tissues and cells. Of the 22 amino acids required by the body, 11 of them cannot be manufactured and must be supplied daily. These are known as the essential amino acids. Even with the amino acids, protein synthesis still requires the presence of vitamins and minerals.

Zinc

Zinc is one of the essential minerals for healing. It is used in the body to form elastin for tendons and ligaments. It also aids in digestion and the formation and upkeep of the prostate gland, sperm, skin, hair and immunity. A deficit in Zinc can lead to stiffness due to decreased elastin, white spots on fingernails, prostate enlargement, chronic tendonitis, and stretch marks.

Isotonix delivers nutrient dense solutions which move from the stomach into your intestine in a fast, controlled way.

Learn more about isotonic products here or go directly to the following recommended products: