Xtend-Life-Questionst
Issue 12th July 2006

What are the right supplements for young athletes to take? I am a trainer of professional boxers and could use some advice to increase their speed, power and endurance.

Answer: from Warren
 
There are a variety of supplements that can help with speed, power and endurance.  Usually they are in the form of amino acids.  Unfortunately it is not an area that I have a good depth of knowledge in.  However, I would say that if you are using high dose amino acids make sure they take a break from them for a couple of weeks every four weeks.

Some athletes report an improvement from taking our Natural Energy formula.  It contains a lot of natural substances that increase energy and endurance levels, and it is safe to take continuously.

I should stress the importance of athletes to take some powerful antioxidants however.  This is something that many athletes overlook in their quest for higher performance.

An athlete has a much higher intake of oxygen due to exertion and as such is much more susceptible to damage from free radicals.  Unless they take a powerful antioxidant they will age before their time and are more likely to suffer a range of other diseases in later life and at an earlier time than most people.

An obvious example of the damage that is being done to the body by excessive free radicals is marathon runners.  Notice how many of them look old before their time.

I cannot over-emphasis the importance of not just an ordinary antioxidant, but the necessity of a super antioxidant.  In that respect you can’t get better than our Total Balance.  I would suggest that you try to have them taking a full daily dose of one of the Total Balance versions.

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Question: from Jim (Subject: Taking a break from supplements…)q2

You have mentioned before the need to take a break from consuming Xtend-Life products.  Specifically, and correct me if I'm wrong here, stopping all supplementation (except for Omega 3/DHA Esters) for 2 weeks after 6 months of supplementation.

I believe this refers to a full dose of Xtend-Life's flagship product, the Total Balance formulation. What if I were taking the half dose of Xtend-Life Total Balance Unisex, 3 tablets a day? Would I still need to take a break, and if so what are the recommended time periods?

To make things clearer I will list out the exact supplement regime I follow:

Everyday I take -

3 x Total Balance Unisex
3 x Neuro-Natural Memory
2 x Omega 3/DHA Esters

(Once in 3 months I usually add 2 tablets of Viral-Protec per day to the mix.)

Answer: from Warren
 
Yes you should still take a break, but you only need to do it once a year for two weeks whilst you are on a half dose.

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Question: from Barry (Subject: Nutrients and stomach acid...)q3

I have been following the discussion of nutrients and stomach acid with interest.  Here is a related question that might be useful for the newsletter.
 
It has been pointed out that as we age our bodies become less efficient at extracting and absorbing nutrients from food.  There can of course be other reasons why a person's digestion is less than optimal. 

My question is this.  If a person's digestion is compromised (because of age or other factors), is that person's ability to absorb the nutrients in a nutritional supplement also compromised?  Does it depend on whether the nutritional supplement is released in the stomach or in the intestines?

Answer: from Warren

This is a valid question.  I will answer it as I understand it. 

To extract the nutrients out of the food we eat the food has to react with both acids and most importantly enzymes.  As we age many of us experience a significant drop in the availability of essential enzymes.

If these enzymes are not available in sufficient quantities then the body would find it difficult to extract the active nutrients from the food and they would pass through the digestive tract partially unprocessed.

In contrast, many of the nutrients in supplements are already ‘extracted’ and in a form ready to use.  The only challenge is to get them through the walls of the upper intestine into the blood stream so they can be delivered to the cells.

As I have mentioned in previous newsletters, some nutrients can be released in the stomach without being damaged by acids whereas others will be damaged.  Either way the objective is to get the active ingredients to the upper intestine and have them pass through the intestinal wall into the blood stream.

So, I guess the simple answers to your questions are:

1. “Is that person's ability to absorb the nutrients in a nutritional supplement also compromised?”  Maybe, as the walls of their intestines may be such that it is difficult for the nutrients to pass through unless the supplement contains co-factors to help with that delivery…for example, additional enzymes.
 
2. “Does it depend on whether the nutritional supplement is released in the stomach or in the intestines?” Yes, but only for those ingredients that are sensitive to stomach acid.  For example, a simple multi-vitamin/mineral tablet is OK to be released in the stomach.  In those cases the bioavailability depends upon the choice of the type of vitamins/minerals used.  For example, calcium citrate is more bioavailable than calcium carbonate.  Of course the factors referred to in #1 above still apply.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Important notice: All material provided is for informational and educational purposes only, and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken solely on the contents of this publication. Consult your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health and wellbeing or on any opinions expressed within this newsletter. The information provided in this newsletter is believed to be accurate based on the best judgment of the editor but the reader is responsible for consulting with their own health professional on any matters raised within.

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