Glutamine for Endurance Athletes?

Here is some correspondence I have been having with a journalist writing an article about the pros/cons of supplementing with glutamine:

I referred the writer to this link for some general info on glutamine (from my SupplementWatch educational site - based on the content from my 2 textbooks on dietary supplements)...

http://www.supplementwatch.com/SupplementWatch/Library/Entries/2009/2/18_Glutamine_-_Professional_Version.html

The I answered a bunch of question for her on the phone - and then handled a question about “how much can glutamine levels become depleted by exercise?” - to which I answered:

30-50% is probably a good range - the depletion of glutamine is very much dependent on the overall intensity of the challenge - so extremely intense catabolic conditions (such as burn patients) might deplete glutamine levels by 90% - while the casual exerciser would have little to no glutamine depletion. A hard-training athlete would be someplace in between - for example, we know that running a 1/2-marathon or full marathon will suppress immune function enough to result in upper respiratory tract infections in about 70% of finishers - so the more intense the effort, the greater the glutamine depletion is likely to be.

...and another = “How does glutamine increase glycogen levels?” - to which I replied:

Glutamine directly increases the activity of an enzyme - glycogen synthase - that creates glycogen in muscle/liver cells (glycogen = the stored form of glucose). Most studies suggest that this effect only happens if you have depleted your glycogen stores pretty significantly (very intense or long duration exercise). From a practical perspective, most people can “get away” with restoring glycogen levels after exercise with just eating carbs (provide the glucose for glycogen synthesis) - but in very depleted states, the added glutamine will enhance the glycogen storage - which could be important for athletes training/competing hard day after day.

...and finally - a very good question about some of the research on glutamine supplements not showing much of anything...

A lot of hard research does not indicate that glutamine does much - if anything - when taken as a supplement. Is this because the use of single amino acids can’t be substantiated somehow? Or is it because they need to work together with other nutrients to be effective? Or are they more effective when taken as BCAAs?

Hi Lxx - I think that most of the "no effect" studies come down to 2 factors:

1. the intensity of the intervention was not high enough - this is based on the fact that the most "extreme" situations (burns, post-surgery, and very intense/long exercise) tend to respond more predictably to glutamine supplementation - while the trials of shorter/easier interventions are hit/miss. It goes back to what I said before - that glutamine is a great supplement to consider if you are training HARD and need some help in "keeping" that muscle and enhancing repair - but if you're not going "hard enough" to get yourself into that hyper-catabolic state, then glutamine will probably not add much for you.

2. compliance with the supplementation regimen - I see this all the time with university-based research on supplements. A grad student will conduct a study on a small number of subjects, give them some capsules to take during a training program, and then not "manage" either the subjects or their supplement well enough (the subjects forget to take their pills or miss a few of the training sessions) - which results in a "no effect" result from the study because the subjects did not "go hard enough" (to create that hypercatabolic state) or even adhere to their supplementation regimen (they can't work if you don't take them).

There is also another factor that is more of a practical consideration when it comes to formulating products:

3. glutamine (which is cheap) is more effective when taken with BCAAs (which are expensive) - this is a harder one to tease out, but since the immune system cells are using all 4 of these amino acids as an energy source, it makes sense to take them together. We have found very good results on reducing post-exercise URTIs (upper respiratory tract infections after marathon running) with a combination of glutamine (1 gram) plus BCAAs (leucine, valine, isoleucine in a 3:1:1 ratio).

Hope that helps!

Shawn

==================================

Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D.

Nutritional Biochemist and Author

www.shawntalbott.com

www.supplementwatch.com

NEW BOOK - “Vigor - 7 Days to Unlimited Energy, Focus, and Well-Being” (http://www.VigorBook.com)

 

Follow me on Twitter  http://twitter.com/DocTalbott

Follow me on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawntalbott

Follow me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/people/Shawn-Talbott/1345073317

-Killer at Large - an award-winning documentary exploring the causes and solutions underlying the American obesity epidemic  (http://www.KilleratLarge.com)

-The Health Professionals Guide to Dietary Supplements (Lippincott, Williams & Wilkens) - http://www.supplementwatch.com/

-Cortisol Control and the Beauty Connection - The All-Natural Inside-Out Approach to Reversing Wrinkles, Preventing Acne, And Improving Skin Tone (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolcontrol.com/

-Natural Solutions for Pain-Free Living (Chronicle Publishers - Currant Books)

-The Cortisol Connection - Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolconnection.com/

-The Cortisol Connection Diet - The Breakthrough Program to Control Stress and Lose Weight (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolconnectiondiet.com/

-A Guide to Understanding Dietary Supplements - an Outstanding Academic Text of 2004 (Haworth Press) - http://www.supplementwatch.com/

Energ-Ease is BACK!

After several months of being out-of-stock, Energ-Ease is BACK (and we’re having trouble KEEPING it in stock - a good problem to have, I guess)...

Energ-Ease is our dietary supplement for “improving energy, stamina, and endurance” - it helps your body to use oxygen more efficiently (so you have that “extra gear” when your workouts and competition demand it) and it helps you to avoid overtraining by naturally maintaining the balance between anabolic/catabolic hormones (so you can train harder to get faster, without getting sick or hurt).

We launched Energ-Ease in 2006 at Ironman Arizona because there was no endurance/stamina supplement on the market that did what I wanted it to do. There were - and still are - plenty of low-potency cordyceps and rhodiola products out there (selling for $50-$75 per month), but none of these delivered the right levels and combination of ACTIVE compounds to truly have a benefit for improving oxygen utilization and endurance performance. We’re the ONLY endurance nutrition company that standardizes all of our products to specific levels of specific active compounds - so you (and we) get the most potent and most balanced benefits. If you care to “do the math” you’ll see that the total content of active endurance compounds in Energ-Ease is much higher than competing products (Adenosine, Rosavin, Eleutheroside, Glycosaponin, Eurypeptide, Reseveratrol, and Withanolide) - but it’s not so much a “more is better” thing - it’s really a matter of “more of certain compounds in combination with the right levels of other compounds” that will help you reach your true potential as an endurance athlete.

One of the reasons that we had trouble getting Energ-Ease back in stock was because we use only the very highest-purity and highest-potency herbal extracts - and these extracts are simply not widely available (and they’re expensive). This is why you won’t see the Energ-Ease formula being “copied” anywhere else - because it’s too expensive for the mainstream companies and too limited in availability to sell to the mass market. That’s fine with us - we’ve always been about serving the niche of competitive endurance athletes (which is where we live as triathletes, cyclists, trail runners, etc) - with the best products possible. We could have been back selling “something” called Energ-Ease within a couple of days if we wanted to use the low-potency Cordyceps and Rhodiola powders that are so widespread in the industry (and so widely contaminated with banned substances), but that’s not our gig - and while it might increase our sales and certainly our profit margins to use the low-potency stuff, it would go against everything that Wicked Fast stands for...

Here’s a short note from a new Wicked Fast COACH who had a breakthrough performance in a recent International UCI Pro-1-2 stage race:

Subject: Energ-Ease ROCKS!

Thanks Julie, you are a star!

The Wicked Fast combo took me to 7th place!

Thanks for everything!!!

I want to order wholesale if possible...

Please let me know re: wholesale process

Thanks

Dave

Here’s the back-story with Dave (and with so many others who TRY Wicked Fast products). Dave is an up-and-coming cyclist. He’s been buying and using Recover-Ease for some time to help him recover faster and more completely after training. He’s a devoted “fan” of Recover-Ease, so we sent him a free bottle of Energ-Ease to try - and the combination of Energ-Ease before workouts and Recover-Ease after workouts helped him to have that breakthrough performance. Is Dave psyched? You bet - so psyched that he is now ordering Wicked Fast products on our wholesale Coaches Program and helping his coached athletes to reach their full endurance potential as he is doing. We benefit - Dave benefits - his athletes benefit - and the competition suffers. Very cool.

Give Energ-Ease a try - you’ll find that “extra gear” in your workouts because your body will be using oxygen more efficiently - and you’ll be able to dial up your workout intensity/duration without succumbing to the tiredness and dead legs that come with overtraining. Maybe you’ll like it so much, you’ll want to share it with others in your club, your training mates, or your athletes (if you’re a coach) - or maybe, you’ll just want to keep Energ-Ease “secret” and let your mates wonder why you’re flying...

Thanks for reading...

Shawn

=================================

Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D., FACSM, CNS, LDN

CEO (Chief Endurance Officer)

Wicked Fast Sports Nutrition

www.wickedfastsportsnutrition.com

Shawn@WickedFastSN.com

801-576-0788

Michelle Barton is a Peach (and can kick your butt)...

Good Karma - that’s all I can say.

Here at Wicked Fast, we don’t “do” sponsorships (in the traditional sense anyway) and we don’t “do” advertising (again, not as you might traditionally think of “advertising” - more on that in a future blog) - BUT, we DO SUPPORT a wide range of endurance athletes and endurance events around the country and around the world. We often send product samples (to use as podium and raffle prizes) and swag (like our great clothing, water bottles, and gear bags) to events (triathlons, ultra runs, etc) because we feel this is a great way to give something back to the sports that we’ve been doing for so many years.

We also have a limited number of athletes that we “support” in various ways. We don’t do this as “sponsorships” per se, but do it more because we just LIKE these particular athletes and they like US and our products. Typically, these have been long-time users of Recover-Ease and Energ-Ease (www.wickedfastsportsnutrition.com). We sometimes will send “extra” (free) bottles of product with their orders - and sometimes we’ll send “extra” (free) product when they’re attempting a “big” event (like back to back to back ultras or huge speed attempts or other such craziness)...

We feel like helping out a few of these great folks ends up helping us in the end anyway (that’s the part about “good karma”) because these athletes have amazing performances and they talk about our amazing products to their training buddies. We could not ask for more than to be associated with “good karma” folks - that’s a big part of why we started Wicked Fast in the first place.

Here is a recent note from one of our “Friends of Wicked Fast’ - and amazing ultrarunner (and person), Michel Barton. Last year, Michelle won just about every ultra in California - setting course records in most of them - and chatting up her buds about how Recover-Eae was helping her to bounce back faster from her nutso training and racing schedule. We met Michelle thru a mutual friend and fell in love with her contagious enthusiasm for life (one of those “good karma” folks). Here is one of her recent notes:

Dear Julie and Shawn,

Thank you soooo much for the restocking of Recover-EASE!!

I have good news, I won the Leona Divide 50 miler and broke the course record!!!

I was 1st woman and 4th overall in 7:19:04.

I seriously could not do this without your support and your amazing incredible product!!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!

You are so wonderful, I appreciate all that you have done for me!!

I will send you some photos from the race!!!

Have a great day!!

Best always, Michelle

That’s all for now - you (and we) need to get out there for our morning workouts - thanks for reading...

Shawn

=================================

Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D., FACSM, CNS, LDN

CEO (Chief Endurance Officer)

Wicked Fast Sports Nutrition

www.wickedfastsportsnutrition.com

801-576-0788

How to stay "in shape"???

I am VERY often asked by friends and colleagues the simple question of “how to stay in shape” given the demands of work, family, travel, and all the rest...

It’s a tough question to answer because it doesn’t help very much to tell someone to “eat right and exercise” - because everyone knows that - it is more the “HOW” of what exactly do DO that gets in our way.

I just answered an email from an old college buddy (not that he or I are actually “old” - so let’s just get that straight right up front)...He asked, “Let me know what you suggest for a 45-year old trying to keep the “glory days” from ending on the roads and the ice rink.”

Here is my reply:

John - Here is a quick type of circuit workout that I rely on, especially when low on time and when traveling...They are intense enough to make a difference in your fitness and quick/easy enough to do anywhere and not represent an “obstacle” based on time or equipment constraints.

For eating, I use this approach (myself and in several research studies) that I call the “Helping Hand” (I also write about this in more detail at www.cortisoldiet.com) - it is pretty self-explanatory based on the graphic below and enables you to “count calories” without really counting - pretty much every meal you would create using the Helping Hand ends up at about 400-600 calories. Do this at breakfast, lunch, and dinner and you average out to about 1,500 calories per day (eat a 4th time if you’re exercising that day).

Hope these help - and let me know if you have any questions...

Shawn

Cal Circuit

Exercises = 8

Work Time = 24min (3 sets)

Warmup – 2min

Cool-down/Stretch – 2min

Rest = 1min between sets 1 & 2 (2min total)

TOTAL WORKOUT TIME = 30min

 

Warmup – Jumping Jacks (whole body warmup)

Set 1 – 45 seconds ON / 15 seconds OFF

            1min H2O break

Set 2 – 50 seconds ON / 10 seconds OFF

            1min H2O break

Set 3 – 55 seconds ON / 5 seconds OFF

Cool down / Stretch

 

1.     Sit Jacks (abs)

2.     Bent-over Rows – 60# bar (back)

3.     Jumpies (legs)

4.     Pushups (chest)

5.     Squats – 60# bar (legs)

6.     Upright Rows – 60# bar (shoulders)

7.     Burpies (whole body)

8.     Curls – 60# bar (arms)

Hope that helps a few people - Thanks for reading,

Shawn

==================================

Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D.

Nutritional Biochemist and Author

smtalbott@mac.com

www.shawntalbott.com

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/DocTalbott

Follow me on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawntalbott

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Your Calf Says Chee!

Funny story from one of my recent trail running adventures…

In a recent 50-mile trail run in the mountains of Utah, I was trading leads back/forth with another guy. You typically will see the same people several times in a long trail run – you might run together for awhile, then leave them when you’re feeling good (or they leave you) and then join up again in various sections of the course.

This particular guy was a phenomenal downhill runner – absolutely flying on the rocky single track. I’m better on the uphill sections – so I’d creep past him on the ups and he’d blow past me on the downs.

We both had on ipods so we didn’t talk too much except for the short, “how ya doin’?” and “looking good” encouragement that all trail runners share with each other – but on one of the last long rocky downhill sections, I heard him coming fast behind me – and just before he got to me, he popped out his earbud and yells to me, “Your calf says Chee!”

I couldn’t believe what I heard, so I popped out an earbud and asked, “What did you say?” – to which he repeated, “Your calf says Chee!”

We ran together for the next couple of miles (without earbuds) and when I asked how in the world he knew what the Chinese symbol on my left calf represented, he explained to me that his ipod contained a series of Chinese language lessons that he was trying to get through for school (International Business major) – and he recognized the “Qi” symbol from his studies (meaning life force and pronounced “chee”). I explained to him that I had been studying the Western equivalent of Qi – what we call “Vigor” in mood-state research for about the last 10 years.

At that point in the race (about mile 47), his college-student body clearly had higher Qi/Vigor than mine, so he went on to the finish line a few minutes ahead of me – but it struck me how the concept of Qi/Vigor is starting to finally reach into the mainstream public consciousness – especially considering that Burnout (the opposite of Vigor) has been a part of our mainstream vocabulary for so long.

If you know someone who could use a little more “Chee” or Vigor in their life, then encourage them to check out some of the video and audio resources on this website, including:

A book on the topic of Vigor – 7 Days to Unlimited Energy, Focus, and Well-Being (all proceeds to charity)

A scientific publication about using traditional approaches to restore Vigor

Thanks for reading,

Shawn

====================

Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D.

Chief Scientific Officer

Wicked Fast Sports Nutrition

648 E Rocky Knoll

Draper, UT 84020

(801) 915-1170

Shawn@WickedFastSN.com

www.WickedFastSportsNutrition.com

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/DocTalbott

Follow me on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawntalbott

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Vermont 100 - A New Edge

July 17 & 18 were the dates of the 2010 Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run in Windsor Vermont (near Woodstock).

I went into the 2010 event with high hopes - I DNF’d last year (2009) at mile 77 (the Spirit of ’76” aid station). In 2009, I reached the end of my mental endurance - I just could not imagine going any further (I ran the first 50 miles in a little over 10 hours - very fast for me - and that was clearly the wrong plan). Body was great - but my mind had me going too hard too soon and I paid for it in the later miles (and crumbled mentally from 70 to 77).

For 2010, I was much better prepared mentally - having finished Rocky Raccoon 100 in Texas in February (a smidge over 23hours) and Ironman St. George in May - but my physical preparation was hampered by a torn/strained left hip flexor. A few weeks of physical therapy and low-mileage running had it feeling OK, but I was not sure how it would feel as the miles started to pile up.

The day began beautifully with a 4AM start - but you could tell that it was going to be a HOT day. The official high temp was 90 - but there were open sections of the course that reached 96 degrees. The problem in the mid-part of the day was not so much the heat, but it was very humid and body core temps were very hard to keep under control.

Feeling pretty good at 2:30AM at the Bed & Breakfast in Woodstock (20min away from the race start). Ate some apple cake, Clif bar, and an ice coffee to start the fueling for the day. Also took my Xango juice (to control inflammation), Eleviv (for mental focus), and Energ-Ease (for endurance) to get me going.

Throughout the race, I planned to use the same supplements that I typically use every day in training:

Xango Juice (inflammatory balance) = www.xango.com

Eleviv (stress hormone balance and mental focus) = www.eleviv.com

Energ-Ease (endurance) = www.wickedfastsportsnutrition.com

Wicked Lean (fat burning) = www.wickedfastsportsnutrition.com (coming in August)

Recover-Ease (post-exercise recovery) = www.wickedfastsportsnutrition.com

The tattoo below (of my left calf) is the Chinese symbol for “Qi” (pronounced “chee”), which means “life force” and is roughly what we refer to as Vigor in modern psychology research (www.VigorBook.com)

Vigor is defined as a “3-tiered sustained mood state, characterized by physical energy, mental acuity, and emotional well-being” (you might recognize the opposite of Vigor, which is called “Burnout”) - and I was hoping that my Vigor would stay high and allow me to see the “Welcome 100 Milers” sign within 24-30 hours later...

Vermont 100 is known as one of the “easier” 100 mile races because of the non-technical roads (see below) - but they are very hard and can really beat up your legs as the miles go by. I’d much rather run on technical dirt and rock trails - but this is what makes Vermont harder than it gets credit for...

Vermont 100 is also unique for the horses that run with us - YES, they go the entire 100 miles!

And don’t forget the amazing scenery in Vermont - hills, covered bridges, farms/barns - anything to keep you mind off your legs!

At mile 21, I made a switch to some new shoes (and had some Xango juice to settle my stomach - yum).

The shoes look like a cross between Moon Boots from the 1970s and clown shoes - but these Hoka trail shoes are the MOST comfortable shoes that I have ever worn. I got TONS of questions about them from other runners, and I was always able to give them a great recommendation. Too bad I only got to wear them until mile 70 this year!

This sign is just mean! (73.8 to go?!?!) Why not just put a sign with a huge middle finger?

The guys I was running with named this hill “Inferno Hill” because it was SO hot and humid - we were just dripping sweat and cooking in our own juices at this point - we knew it was going to be a long hard day...

Right after a very hot section of pavement - you cross another covered bridge and run along a beautiful river...

More beautiful scenery at about mile 45 - I was already hurting pretty bad here. My quads were KILLING me - which is very rare for me - but was clearly caused by my change in running form to favor my left hip flexor. By running differently to “save” the hip flexor, I was using my quads in a different manner - so they started to hurt a lot earlier in the race than I expected.By the time I reached this 50.3 mile to go sign, I was already feeling fatigue in my hamstrings and calves - and the very first stirrings of cramps...

When I saw Julie (my wife and “crew”) at the Camp Ten Bear Aid Station (mile 47) - I already knew that a sub-24hour finish was not going to be possible. Prior to the medical check at mile 47, I ate a huge bowl of pasta salad and drank a Gatorade and a Coke - so when I hopped on the scale and was told that I was STILL down 5 pounds due to dehydration, I knew I might be in trouble. I figured I could take it easy for the rest of the day and then have a fun run into the cooler night hours and finish easily before the 30-hour cutoff.

I was never able to “get ahead” of my dehydration - and I suffered for the rest of the day with cramps (legs and stomach), vomiting, fatigue, and low motivation - not exactly the “vigorous” day I had planned.

By the time I made it to Tracer Brook (57), I needed to take a long break - standing in the cold stream helped my legs feel better, so the next section to Margarittaville (62 miles) felt less-terrible (but not good because I still could not keep down any real food or liquid). When I reached Margarittaville, Julie was waiting for me with a chair and some encouragement. I was ready to call it a night at that point, but I got talking to some old timer there who basically told me, “look, this is a 100-miler, you’re supposed to feel terrible” - so I sucked it up and headed off into the night.

After about 2 miles, I knew that when I reached mile 70 (Camp Ten Bear again), I should probably call it quits. I felt terrible, stomach and legs were shot, and energy was very low. It was a little cooler at this point, but I was already “too far gone” to be able to rehydrate and refuel to get on a pace to get me to the finish line 30 miles away. At the medical check, I was down 10 pounds from my start weight - just shy of the 7% dehydration that triggers an automatic withdrawal from the race.

I was disappointed to DNF again this year - but I feel good about finding that new “edge” to my mental and physical endurance. We met a TON of great new friends - special thanks to Race Director Julia for putting on a great race and the the folks from Team G.A.C. for support out on the course. I also feel very fortunate to have had so many people texting and twittering and facebooking me their good vibes throughout the race - that all means a great deal to have that support!

I’ll be back next year (2011) for another try - here’s to hoping that the third time will be the charm!

Thanks for reading,

Shawn

==================================

Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D.

Nutritional Biochemist and Author

801-915-1170 (direct)

smtalbott@mac.com

www.shawntalbott.com

NEW BOOK - “Vigor - 7 Days to Unlimited Energy, Focus, and Well-Being” (http://www.VigorBook.com)

 

Follow me on Twitter  http://twitter.com/DocTalbott

Follow me on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawntalbott

Follow me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/people/Shawn-Talbott/1345073317

-Killer at Large - an award-winning documentary exploring the causes and solutions underlying the American obesity epidemic  (http://www.KilleratLarge.com)

-The Health Professionals Guide to Dietary Supplements (Lippincott, Williams & Wilkens) - http://www.supplementwatch.com/

-Cortisol Control and the Beauty Connection - The All-Natural Inside-Out Approach to Reversing Wrinkles, Preventing Acne, And Improving Skin Tone (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolcontrol.com/

-Natural Solutions for Pain-Free Living (Chronicle Publishers - Currant Books)

-The Cortisol Connection - Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolconnection.com/

-The Cortisol Connection Diet - The Breakthrough Program to Control Stress and Lose Weight (Hunter House) - http://www.cortisolconnectiondiet.com/

-A Guide to Understanding Dietary Supplements - an Outstanding Academic Text of 2004 (Haworth Press) - http://www.supplementwatch.com/

Malaysian Ginseng

I’ve been asked LOTS of questions lately about an interesting Malaysian herb called “Eurycoma” (aka Malaysian Ginseng and by its Latin botanical name, Eurycoma longifolia). Since I have conducted a range of research trials on eurycoma over the past 5 years, I thought I would provide an outline of some of the important factors to consider if you decide to give eurycoma a try…

The information below is a synopsis of eurycoma – but please feel free to delve into the details of eurycoma and some of its complementary balancing compounds at these links:

Eurycoma (more detailed) = http://www.supplementwatch.com/SupplementWatch/Library/Entries/2008/10/2_Eurycoma_longifolia_%28Professional_version%29.html

Citrus PMFs (for intracellular cortisol balance) = http://www.supplementwatch.com/SupplementWatch/Library/Entries/2008/10/2_PMFs_%28Poly-Methoxylated-Flavones%29%28Professional_version%29.html

Catechins (from green tea for norepinephrine balance) = http://www.supplementwatch.com/SupplementWatch/Library/Entries/2009/2/20_Green_Tea_-_Professional_Version.html

Theanine (for stress relief and dopamine balance) = http://www.supplementwatch.com/SupplementWatch/Library/Entries/2009/5/13_Theanine_-_Consumer_Version.html


Eurycoma (Eurycoma longifolia)

Introduction
Eurycoma is a tree root, often called Malaysian ginseng (to suggest its benefits as an “energy tonic”), and also known by its local name “Tongkat Ali” in Malaysia. In Vietnam, eurycoma root is called “Cay Ba Binh” meaning the “tree that cures 1,000 diseases” to denote its widespread use in traditional remedies.

Don’t waste your time “Googling” eurycoma on the Internet, because you’ll be confronted with thousands of outlandish claims for the root to cure cancer, “boost” testosterone levels, improve sexual potency, and pretty much cure whatever ailment you can think of.

That said, there is actually some very solid research (in humans) on the health benefits of eurycoma – BUT you need to be sure you are getting “true” eurycoma root that has been harvested properly, extracted properly, and remains pure (there are many examples of fake eurycoma, improperly extracted (toxic) formulas, and contaminated (heavy metals) products on the market – so Buyer Beware).

What CAN Eurycoma Do?
So, if you can wade through all the disreputable claims and inferior products to find legitimate eurycoma root extract, what can you expect? The best and most appropriate use of eurycoma root extract is to help support hormone balance. Why should you care about “hormone balance”? Because hormone imbalance is the biochemical root of a long list of “modern” stress-related conditions, including fatigue, depression, mental confusion, weight gain, low sex drive, immune suppression, and many others. By restoring hormone balance, eurycoma can help to reverse each and every one of these symptoms that many of us associate with “aging” and with our too-busy frantic lives.

The research evidence for eurycoma’s health benefits in humans is focused primarily on maintaining hormone balance (cortisol and testosterone), which results in measurable improvements in psychological parameters such as reduced stress levels, improved mood state, and enhanced vigor (a term from psychology research that indicates “mental and physical energy”).

There are a large number of animal studies that show eurycoma root can restore normal testosterone levels (from low back “up” to normal) – but there is no good research to suggest that eurycoma increases testosterone levels above normal (bad news for the bodybuilding crowd that is always looking for a testosterone booster). This unique “balancing” effect of eurycoma is due to its mechanism of action to help “release” free testosterone from its binding/transport protein (SHBG – sex hormone binding globulin) rather than stimulating production of new testosterone. Most middle-aged adults do not need to produce more testosterone, they simply need to release the testosterone that they’ve already produced and that is floating around in their blood “locked up” by SHBG.

The people who can most benefit from restoring normal hormone balance are obviously those who are suffering from an imbalance – which includes those individuals with chronic stress, sleep deprivation (less than 8 hours nightly), athletes (exercise stress), and dieters (psychological stress from what we call “dietary restraint”). If that weren’t bad enough, the simple process of aging means that anyone past the age of 30 is at risk for hormone imbalance (cortisol rises and testosterone falls with age) – unless you follow an impeccable diet, activity, and sleep regimen –and especially if you’re also exposed to any of the modern stressors listed above.

What To Look For in a Eurycoma Root Extract?
As with any dietary supplement, you want to be sure to purchase eurycoma from a reputable source – one that employs stringent quality control in terms of harvesting, sourcing, manufacturing, and packaging.

Perhaps the most important consideration with selecting a eurycoma root extract is that it be extracted in hot water – not alcohol – and that the water extract is standardized to the proper level of active constituents. The alcohol extracts will result in a high content of toxic compounds (useful for treating infections with certain jungle parasites, but counterproductive to the main use of water-extracted eurycoma for hormone balance). There are a lot of unsupported claims for different extract “ratios” for eurycoma – so you’ll be led to believe that one manufacturer’s “100:1” extract is more potent than another’s “50:1” extract or another’s “20:1” extract. What really matters in terms of potency of the extract is that it is standardized to contain a known and research-proven level of the active compounds – and the only eurycoma extract validated for hormone balance in humans delivers 22% eurypeptides (small protein chains) from a hot-water-extract.

Also important in your choice of eurycoma supplements is whether or not the root has been sustainably harvested. Eurycoma trees are both rare and slow-growing (taking about 5 years to reach maturity for harvesting at the optimal content of active compounds). Disreputable harvesters of eurycoma trees may “clear cut” old growth jungle forests – while reputable harvesters have instituted seedling replanting programs within the Malaysian jungle as well as established eurycoma plantations with the Malaysian government to support the ongoing sustainable harvesting of eurycoma for generations to come.

Finally, you want to be sure to select a source of eurycoma that is formulated to support hormone balance holistically – not just focus on the testosterone side of the equation. In Malysian traditional medicine, and in other traditional medicine systems from around the world, certain “base” herbs such as eurycoma often play the “starring role” in a given formula – but they are balanced with other ingredients to maximize the desired benefits. A properly balanced formula will help to restore “biochemical balance” within the body (hormones, enzymes, and neurotransmitters), which will result in “physiological balance” (optimal organ function – brain, muscles, heart, lungs, etc), and will be perceived as “psychological balance” by the individual (improved feelings of well-being). In the case of hormone balance and mood/energy benefits, ingredients such as citrus PMFs (polymethoxylated flavones), green tea catechins, and the amino acid theanine are good matches for eurycoma due to their complementary effects in balancing cortisol, norepinephrine, and dopamine (each of which addresses different aspects of hormone balance and mood/vigor).

Bottom Line
I have been studying eurycoma in various formulations (combined with PMFs, catechins, and theanine) for the past five years – in athletes, dieters, and people under stress – and in each of these categories of subjects, our research shows a clear and compelling range of benefits – starting with a restoration of hormone balance and leading to significant benefits including reduced stress, improved mood, and enhanced vigor. These clinical studies have been presented at some of the top peer-reviewed scientific conferences in the world, including the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), the Obesity Society, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and Experimental Biology (with the American Society for Nutritional Science and the largest scientific nutrition conference in the world). I am especially excited that the precise 4-ingredient balanced formula that I have used in my clinical studies will be introduced to the marketplace in the coming weeks by one of the leading natural health companies in the world. Please stay tuned for more information…

Thanks for reading,

Shawn

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Shawn M. Talbott, PhD LDN FACSM
smtalbott@mac.com
www.ShawnTalbott.com
smtalbott@supplementwatch.com
www.SupplementWatch.com

Follow me on Twitter @DocTalbott