Published on: 16 March 2018
Last Updated on: 27 July 2024
We cannot run away from the fact that supplements can help you to reach your fitness goals faster. Most of them have well-known ingredients or cutting edge that have the required scientific backing. The challenge is knowing the workout supplement to choose. I know you could have been hearing about supplement scams in local news on a daily basis. This article will guide you on what to avoid and what you need to look for while choosing workout supplements. You need to choose a brand that uses scientific minds to build great products on the basis of solid science and results. Below are some of the things you need t check out for when making your next sports nutrition and weight loss product purchase.
Make Sure You Know the Brand :
Companies spend a lot of money every year while attempting to build trust. You can compare trust to consumer preference and loyalty. Most supplement companies that have been in existence for a long period should have invested a lot in the quality of their products and good manufacturing products that comply with the industry practices. All supplement companies must meet the standards that are set by drugs and poisons board or FDA. If you are not sure of the company, search for their brand name on reputable review sites or bureaus in the region. You need to identify a company that deals with best selling workout supplements in the global market.
Can You Get to Their Customer Service?
Confirm whether the company has a toll-free contact with real human beings to handle the phone calls. Some companies spent a lot of cash on infrastructural investments that support their products in the marketplace. Some small companies like outsourcing their operations and production of products. therefore, customers may have to way of talking to them. Be wary of any company that you cannot reach with a lot of ease.
Does the Mark have a Trust Mark or Third-Party Analysis Label?
A reputable brand should undertake a lab analysis of their products to confirm whether they meet the claims that are on the label. You can go ahead and request a certificate of analysis from that manufacturer to make sure that the product has the ingredients written on the label. You can also search for trust marks from third-party organizations as another way of verifying the supplements. Some of the marks include USDA organic, USP and NSF and they are given to the supplement company after meeting stringent product audits.
Search for Clinical Studies :
Sports nutrition or weight loss products must have one or multiple ingredients that are in amounts that are clinically validated. This is what makes them make assertions like ‘lose weight,’ ‘build muscle,’ or ‘recover faster.’ The product packaging or company website must reference these clinical studies. The product should have the amounts of grams, milligrams, and micrograms of all the active ingredients that are listed on the product. Ingredients such as essential fatty acids, creatine, and proteins have a broad range of source types and dosages. Therefore, be keen to look at the specific ingredients when doing your search.
Only Buy from Reputable Stores :
Leading retailers carry out their independent analysis and thus you need to buy your sports nutrition or weight loss products from a store you trust. Some stores have trained associates that can answer any questions you have regarding the products. This will help you in making the right decision especially if you are having several products to choose from. Finally, you need to check on the ratings and reviews of the company. Find out the manufacturer’s consumer rating on its website and third-party retailers. Go through the common comments and questions on these sites. Also, read the consumer experiences on other posts so as to gain some form of confidence in the products.
All the above tips will help you to find the best workout supplements that the market has to offer. All you need is an effective product that is safe for your health. The market has several high-quality companies and products but you cannot identify them unless you do your assignment well.
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There are numerous products in the market for increasing your natural levels of the human growth hormone, and in this article, we discuss the two very popular and often compared Growth Factor Plus Vs Peak Height. Both of these products offer similar results, but their makeup is completely different. They can both be found at HeightGrowthClub.com.
Reviews of Growth Factor Plus vs Peak Height:
Growth Factor Plus:
Growth factor plus is a great supplement for teens who are getting enough of their daily intake of other vitamins and nutrients they need in order to grow tall and grow quickly. And what of their claim? Growth Factor Plus contains all of the five main amino acids that your body needs in order to increase your human growth hormone levels. They also contain a combination of soy protein, colostrum, pituitary concentrate (a.k.a. bovine pituitary extract). They claim that the pills work to make you grow taller as you are sleeping, make growth spurts produce better results, high-quality natural ingredients, and more.
According to the dietary information label, the list of ingredients does in fact not contain many essential vitamins that many other forms have, making this product a marketing tool for amino acids more than anything. While the amino acids are very important for the production of natural HGH levels, Growth Factor Plus is just what the label shows – a bunch of amino acids and some calcium, and soy protein. This drug has not been approved by the FDA as they claim. Their product simply is regulated by the FDA to ensure that the chemicals in the pills aren’t harmful to anyone.
Don’t let this fool you though, because they have wonderful reviews (although one can be unsure how many of them are legitimate) and are rated a 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google. Yet they are very pricey at $169.00 for one bottle of 60 tablets.
Peak Height:
This product is another common form of HGH producing pills available on the non-prescription pills market. It contains two similar and most proven of the various amino acids – L-Arginine and L-Ornithine. The main thing to realize in the chemical makeup of these pills is also that they are multivitamins, offering 100% or more of the 2000 calorie daily values of vitamins C, D (500%), E, B6, B12, Calcium, and Zinc.
What Peak Height does is not just target the spinal column and joints, but your entire body. The ingredients in Peak Height allow your body to more naturally produce higher HGH levels and boost energy with their vitamins, as well as increase these levels by providing you with those essential vitamins and nutrients your body needs to maintain itself, not just for growing.
The product claims that you can grow about 3 inches by taking it regularly, even without diet and exercise. This has not been approved by the FDA either as they are simply multivitamins with amino acids in them.
Peak Height is simply a more expensive multivitamin ranging from $20-$30 per bottle. They are cheaper than Growth Factor Plus, but you don’t get all those amino acids either.
So above mentioned are all the details of Growth Factor Plus vs Peak Height.
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A muscle injury of any type can be extremely painful, weaken the body, and make it difficult to proceed with your daily activities. Muscle injuries include a pulled muscle or muscle strain and can occur for various reasons. Speeding muscle recovery time is crucial to carrying on with your life without pain.
Muscle injuries can limit the muscle’s movement, not only in that muscle but in surrounding ones attached via tendons and aponeurosis. Arteries, veins, and nerves penetrate the epimysium (connective tissue sheath surrounding the muscle). When a muscle is damaged, nerve impulses are sent to the brain, signaling pain. Blood flow can be compromised in severe muscle damage, and blood loss into the surrounding tissue can cause a bruise or hematoma.
Skeletal muscles also need signals (impulses) from the nerve cell to contract the muscle fiber. When an injured muscle cuts off these nerve impulses, the muscle cannot perform. In bodybuilding, muscle injury is what builds stronger, larger muscles as new cells fill in the tears. However, extreme damage can lead to serious issues.
How Does A Muscle Injury Happen?
A muscle strain can occur in various ways, each causing a different set of problems. Fatigue will not result in the same pain and damage that extreme exercise can cause.
Any strain on a muscle can reduce motion and cause pain. Minor and moderate injuries are easily treated at home. However, more severe damage (diagnosed as grade 3), such as rotator cuff tears, Achilles ruptures, or hamstring ruptures, might require surgery.
Muscle injury can occur in three different areas: within the muscle, at the connection between the muscle and tendon (most frequent), or in the tendon that attaches the muscle to the bone.
Muscle strains and injuries can happen to anyone. While athletes are more likely to experience these injuries, the general population is also at risk. Acute strains can occur while walking if you lose your footing or slip, throw an item, lift something heavy, jump, run, or lift something improperly.
Muscle injuries include:
Strains: these contraction-induced injuries occur most often when muscles work across multiple joints during rapid acceleration and deceleration more than the tensile forces the muscle fibers can withstand
Contusions: caused by compressive force to the muscle, such as in contact sports collisions that lead to muscle damage with bleeding resulting in a bruise
Lacerations: most often occur due to injuries, such as industrial or traumatic accidents that cut the muscle
Here are some of the most common causes of muscle injury:
Poor Conditioning
Engaging in physical activity when the muscles have not been adequately conditioned can increase the risk of injury.
Improper Exercises
Doing extreme, high-intensity exercises or those your body is not used to can cause exercise-induced muscle damage. The ensuing trauma can lead to inflammation, swelling, increased passive tension, decreased muscle strength, soreness, reduced range of motion, and problems with insulin sensitivity as the muscles are involved in glucose uptake.
Fatigue
Overexertion of the muscle can lead to muscle fatigue, weakening it and making it more susceptible to injury.
Improper Warmup
Working the muscles without preparing them through proper warmup exercises and stretches can cause muscle injury. Lack of flexibility can increase the risk of injury as the muscle fibers are tighter than they should be.
Overuse
Repetitive tasks can cause micro-trauma to the muscles. For example, someone on the computer all day doing repetitive movements with the keys or the mouse may experience muscle pain in the inner elbow or wrist.
Injury
Whether caused by sports or trauma, an injury can result in mild to severe damage to the muscle. Bruising is a sign of bleeding, and while minor bruises are not dangerous, some forms of hematomas can be life-threatening in the case of serious injuries, including when fractures or internal organ damage is present.
Poor Posture
Sitting or standing in the wrong position for a long time can strain the muscles. Muscle strains are more common in the neck, back, shoulders, and hamstrings.
What Can You Do For Muscle Injury?
The treatment you need depends on the severity of the muscle strain. Muscle injury is categorized into three grades as follows:
Grade 1: mild damage to less than 5% of individual muscle fibers, causing minimal loss of motion and strength.
Grade 2: more muscle fibers are affected with increased damage, yet no complete ruptures. The injury can cause significant loss of motion and strength and may take two to three months to heal.
Grade 3: complete muscle or tendon rupture that may require surgery to reattach the damaged tissue.
The tips below can help you speed up recovery from a muscle injury:
Rest
Injured muscles need time to heal, and that means letting them rest. An injured muscle is more vulnerable to further damage, so avoid activities that can further increase the strain.
Sleep
Getting adequate sleep is crucial to muscle recovery, as that is the time when growth hormone and insulin growth factor 1 promote cellular regeneration and tissue repair. Anything less than 7 hours reduces recovery efforts inside the body.
Hydrate
Hydrated muscles heal better than dehydrated ones. Along with water, increasing intake of fruit and vegetables provides additional fluids along with crucial vitamins and minerals the body needs for muscle repair.
Compression
Compression wrapping of the affected area supports and reduces swelling in the injured area. Do not make the compress too tight, which can cut off circulation.
Elevate
Raising the injured muscle above heart level decreases blood flow to the area, helping to reduce swelling. The sooner you can do that, the better it is to speed healing.
Ice
Applying ice packs to an injured muscle immediately can help reduce swelling and pain. Focus on doing it for 15 minutes every hour for the first two to three days (longer if necessary).
HGH Therapy
It has been clinically proven that HGH not only boosts muscle development but also enhances muscle repair and recovery. Find out what is the HGH cost in the US and whether HGH therapy is right for you.
Manual Therapy
Physical therapy targets the damaged muscle to improve circulation, increase mobility, decrease swelling, reduce pain, and promote healing.
Heat
After icing for three days, apply heat a few times daily to restore blood circulation to the area for healing.
Pain Management
There are many ways to manage pain, including over-the-counter medications, prescription painkillers (which can lead to addiction if used long-term), supportive braces, and getting help from a pain management specialist, if needed.
Increase Protein Consumption
Muscles need protein, and eating more protein, along with taking collagen or whey powder supplements, provides the muscles with nutrients to speed the healing process.
Consume Tart Cherry Juice
Studies have shown some benefits of tart cherry juice for reducing inflammation, soreness, and damage to the muscles.
Switch To Low-Impact Exercise During Injury Recovery
Strength and flexibility exercises can help improve strength and range of motion while speeding muscle recovery. A physical therapist can help determine the appropriate exercises for your condition.
Surgery
Serious injuries may require surgical intervention to improve healing. Seek medical help for severe muscle injuries.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections
PRP injections may accelerate muscle tissue regeneration in the damaged area.
Conclusion
Muscle injuries can cause significant pain, bruising, swelling, decreased range of motion, and loss of strength. The pain can be sudden, sporadic, stabbing, achy, ongoing, or combined.
As the muscle heals, stem cells around the injured area regenerate new muscle fibers, and scar tissue forms around the area. Torn muscle tissue may never fully regenerate, making it susceptible to future muscle strains.
Trying the RICE method of rest, ice, compression, and elevation is always the best step to take immediately. A newer recommendation is the PEACE approach, which has you protect the area from further injury by reducing use, elevating to decrease swelling, avoiding anti-inflammatory treatments (ice and NSAIDs) to allow inflammation for healing, compressing the area with a bandage, and educating yourself about the recovery period.
Protecting the muscles from injury is crucial, and giving strained muscles time to heal can reduce the risk of further damage. Seek medical attention if the pain and weakness are ongoing or severe.
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Many artists use art not only to express their ideas and thoughts but also to relieve stress. Artists claim that creating art can provide a catharsis for difficult emotions, distract you from your worries and much more. Also, getting into the state of “flow” can also be restorative for your mind. As all the mentioned benefits aren’t enough, you will get a beautiful piece of art in the end.
It is essential to know that art shouldn’t be created and enjoyed only by those who are talented or artistically inclined. Art should be created and enjoyed by everyone. Studies show that art therapy can help you relieve anxiety, depression, and stress. So, if you are feeling tense and need a natural and fun way to unwind, it’s time to get some brushes, colors and a canvas and delve into an art activity. Here are some great art ideas for stress relief recommended by Mac Fine Art galleries.
Create Something Beautiful:
Some people are deeply talented and able to create lifelike paintings, funny cartoons, powerful drawings and similar with ease. Other people may even experience difficulties trying to draw stick figures and hearts. If you are like one of the latter, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try art therapy. In fact, when it comes to stress management and enjoying the benefits of art, talent or the end product don’t matter at all. It’s all about the process of creating art and expressing your feelings. However, if you are not comfortable expressing yourself through a drawing, you could create something that’s just for you in your own personal drawing journal. You don’t have to show it to your friends or someone else.
Create Your Own Mandala:
Art therapists and even many famous psychologists such as Carl Jung have recommended creating mandalas for stress relief. Mandalas are circular designs that often consist of unique patterns and symbols. While making a mandala, you will process your feelings or things you went through in your life. It’s an excellent idea to symbolize some of your feelings, triumphs or losses with unique patterns and colors. There is no need to reveal your story because you may potentially trigger rumination. You just need to root yourself in the moment and allow the entire process to free yourself from negative thoughts or heal yourself from negative emotions. Your mandala can look however you want it. It can be rich with meaning or very basic. All you need to do is have fun. After you are done with drawing, you should also color it. If you really enjoy coloring mandalas but no so much the process of creating them, you can buy mandala coloring books.
Join an Art Class:
If you have enough time, it would be great to join an art class. One of the benefits of attending an art class is that it cements the activity into your schedule and routine. Also, being supported by a group can be a stress reliever in itself. If you don’t have enough time for this, consider taking a one-time workshop or something similar. Consider all your options and see what works best for you.
You Can Always Doodle:
If you don’t have much time for art classes or creating a complex painting at home, you can always dedicate 20 minutes of your time for a drawing session. Remember how you doodled at school when you were bored? It really felt good, right? It’s time to embrace your inner doodler again! You can get a sketchbook for 5-minute doodles, and keep it somewhere handy. If you love writing a journal, don’t forget to beautify the margins with hearts, flowers, smiling faces or whatever else you want. Doodling will let your inner artist slowly come out whenever you have time, and just enjoy life.
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