The Science Of Supplements | #2
Hello Friends,
Welcome to The Health Plunge, where I share the interesting things I come across in my pursuit of bettering myself every day. Here you'll find the discoveries I've made while studying this month's theme, along with other exciting insights I can't wait to share. I hope this provides both entertainment and enlightenment in your own journey to better health.
December Theme
The Science of Supplements: Your Guide to Enhanced Focus, Energy & Sleep
Think of supplements as enhancers, not foundations. While they can optimize your health and performance, they work best when built upon the essentials: balanced nutrition, regular movement, and quality sleep. In this month's deep dive, we'll explore how strategic supplementation can amplify these foundational pillars and help you achieve optimal health.
Week 1: Micronutrient Deficiencies
Week 2: Supplements for Better Sleep and Recovery
Week 3: Becoming Limitless - Supplements for Increasing Focus
Supplements for Better Sleep and Recovery
Quality sleep is fundamental to recovery, whether from workouts, illness, or injury. While we'll explore sleep and recovery supplements separately, remember that supplementing to improve your sleep will enhance your recovery simultaneously. You can also check out my articles I’ve written about sleep here:
Sleep Supplements:
Its role in sleep: We discussed L-theanine in our month of stress management, it is an amino acid found naturally in green tea, which due to it’s anxiolytic effects can act as a sleep aid. After crossing the blood-brain barrier, it promotes alpha brain wave activity by increasing GABA levels – an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps quiet racing thoughts and promote relaxation.
Dose: 100-400 mg, 30-60 minutes before bed.
Its role in sleep: Apigenin, a natural bioflavonoid abundant in chamomile tea and other herbs and vegetables, promotes sleep through several key mechanisms. By regulating GABA metabolism and activating chloride channels in the brain, it induces a natural state of relaxation. This compound also helps reduce cortisol levels, making it particularly effective for those whose sleep is disrupted by stress.
Dose: 50 mg, 30-60 minutes before bed.
Its role in sleep: Magnesium, a mineral many people are insufficient in, plays a vital role in sleep regulation. It promotes relaxation and sleepiness by interacting with the GABA system, and research has shown it can reduce the time it takes to fall asleep (sleep latency). The above forms of magnesium are most beneficial for their ability to effectively cross the blood-brain barrier.
Dose: 145 mg Magnesium L-threonate, 200 mg Magnesium glycinate, 30-60 minutes before bed.
Its role in sleep: Glycine, an essential amino acid, serves multiple roles in the body: it functions as a neurotransmitter, comprises 25% of collagen protein, and acts as a precursor to various biomolecules. While naturally present in meat, eggs, lentils, and dairy products, supplemental glycine can enhance sleep quality through two key mechanisms. It lowers core body temperature and interacts with NMDA receptors, which activate the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) - our body's primary circadian rhythm regulator.
Dose: 2-3 grams, 30-60 minutes before bed.
Its role in sleep: Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, plays a fundamental role in sleep regulation. While naturally present in foods like tea and fermented rice, supplemental GABA can enhance sleep quality by calming neural activity and reducing racing thoughts. This explains why many effective sleep supplements work by either increasing GABA levels or enhancing its activity in the brain.
Dose: 100-300 mg, 30-60 minutes before bed.
A Strategic Approach to Starting Supplements:
Rather than taking multiple supplements simultaneously, adopt a scientific approach. Test one supplement at a time for 1-2 weeks, as individual responses vary based on unique body chemistry. Using sleep tracking devices like the oura ring can help measure effectiveness and guide your decisions about what works best for you.
Recovery Supplements:
Its role in recovery: Creatine is one of the most well-researched supplements, known primarily for enhancing muscle strength and power. Creatine can also support overall recovery by reducing muscle damage and inflammation.
Dose: 5 mg daily, I put it in my morning cup of coffee.
Its role in recovery: Rhodiola rosea, a medicinal herb with deep roots in traditional medicine, offers powerful anti-fatigue benefits for exercise recovery. During intense workouts, your body produces high levels of adrenaline, which can lead to an energy crash post-exercise. Rhodiola helps regulate this stress response by modulating adrenaline levels, preventing the typical post-workout fatigue. This adaptogenic herb effectively smooths out the body's stress response curve, helping maintain energy levels even after intense physical exertion.
Dose: 300-600 mg, 30 minutes prior to exercise.
Its role in recovery: Omega-3 fatty acids serve as powerful anti-inflammatory compounds, helping your body recover from various forms of stress. Whether you're healing from an injury, recovering from intense exercise, or fighting illness, these essential fats work to reduce systemic inflammation and support the body's natural healing processes. The active components, particularly EPA and DHA, modulate inflammatory pathways to accelerate recovery.
Dose: 2-5 g.
Additional Finds
100 Tips for a Better Life:
No its not what it sounds like. You see, in this article, the author discusses 100 tips for a better life. Oh, is that what you thought it was? Well this isn’t game show. Enjoy.
Kidding aside, I do like this list of tips. Here are a few tips that I enjoyed:
“Remember that you are dying.”
“If other people having it worse than you means you can’t be sad, then other people having it better than you would mean you can’t be happy. Feel what you feel.”
“Call your parents when you think of them, tell your friends when you love them.”
“In relationships look for somebody you can enjoy just hanging out near. Long-term relationships are mostly spent just chilling.”
“Personal epiphanies feel great, but they fade within weeks. Upon having an epiphany, make a plan and start actually changing behavior.”
Disclosure: As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
