Cyber Monday – Save Big on Supplements


Today only you can get a 20% discount! There’s no coupon code or extra step needed to get 20% a number of supplement brands. This is a great time to stock up on your favorite brands and integrate into your workouts and fitness goals. Bodybuilding.com has you covered for all your sports nutrition needs!

 

cyber monday deals
What Bodybuilding.com has to say about CYBRO MONDAY
Whether you’re ending the year as the top scorer in your gym, planning for a 2014 reboot, or giving someone the gift of the next level of fitness, check out our biggest Cybro Monday sale ever. More than 50 of the biggest names in sports nutrition are offering amazing ways to power up for less. These deals are good today only, so start shopping before it’s Game Over.



What’s the Deal with Deer Antler Supplements?


Our resident Health expert, Dr. Tracey Greenwood breaks down what the deal is with deer antler supplements. The “banned” supplement has become a hot topic since being mentioned in a Sports Illustrated story related to the NFL and Ray Lewis. It’s important to note that while it may be banned by the NFL it’s not an illegal supplement. Is it safe and what are the benefits for women? Read on…

deer-antler


Deer Antler Velvet

Deer Antler Velvet is taken from an adolescent deer before their antlers turn to bone. It comes in many supplemental forms such as spray, powder and pills.

The benefits of this new popular supplement for both men and women consist of:

• Increased strength & endurance
• Increased lean body mass
• Anti-Aging
• Reduce or Slow Signs of Aging
• Improve Immune System
• Accelerated Illness & Muscle Recovery
• Improve Athletic Performance
• Chronic Skin Ulcers
• Relieve Arthritis
• Increased Blood Circulation
• Increase Number of Red Blood Cells
• Reduce or Slow Tissue, Bone and Muscle Degeneration

The active ingredient in deer antler velvet is Insulin–like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 is similar in molecular structure to insulin. Its production is stimulated by growth hormone. Growth hormone is made in the anterior pituitary gland, is released into the blood stream, and then stimulates the liver to produce IGF-1. IGF-1 then stimulates systemic body growth, and has growth-promoting effects on almost every cell in the body, especially skeletal muscle, cartilage, bone, liver, kidneys, nerves, skin and lungs.

Metabolic Effects
Mediated through IGF-1, Growth Hormone facilitates the transport of amino acids across cell membrane, which results in increased amounts of RNA leading to increased protein synthesis producing an anabolic effect on skeletal muscle.

With regards to carbohydrate metabolism, IGF-1 acts much like insulin, and administration of IGF-1 tends towards a hypoglycemic state. IGF-1 is thought to be extremely important in the overall action of insulin on skeletal muscle because it moves glucose out of the blood and into the muscle to assist in growth. IGF-1 results in improved insulin sensitivity, which may be of benefit for someone with diseases that cause insulin resistance such as Diabetes and Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome.

IGF-1 may have some effects on lipolysis through facilitation of growth hormone. Growth hormone increases the phosphorylation of a hormone called Hormone Sensitive Lipase (HSL). HSL liberates stored fats and increases fat oxidation at rest as well as during exercise. Growth hormones is one of the greatest stimulators of fat metabolism.

Exclusive Benefits for Women
A possible added benefit of Deer Antler velvet for women is the speculation that it can balance hormones during menopause. Pantocrine, an active ingredient in deer antler velvet, is officially recommended for menopausal issues in Russia. Pantocrine has been found to alleviate menopausal symptoms as well as abnormal and delayed menstrual cycles. Pantocrine on its own may help women during menopause. Studies performed in Russia, showed that women taking deer velvet reported diminished symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, even to the point where their periods passed by almost unnoticed. They have also reported increased sexual interest, and a sense of being in touch with deeper reserves of vital energy, and anti aging effects in their skin.

It is always my belief that these “new” natural supplements need to be given time for extensive scientific research to prove the health claims to be valid.

REFERENCES:
Elliot, J.L. et al. Presence of insulin-like growth factor-I receptors and absence of growth hormone receptors in the antler tip. Endocrinology 1992 130: 2513-20.

Lewitt M. et al. Insulin-like Growth Factor-Binding Protein-1 Modulates Blood Glucose Levels. Endocrinology 1991 129: 2254-2256.

Sleivert, G. et al. The effects of deer antler velvet extract or powder supplementation on aerobic power, erythropoiesis, and muscular strength and endurance characteristics. Int. Journal of Sports Nutrition & Exercise, 2003 Sep; 13 (3): 251-65.

Suttie, J. et al. Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1) Antler Stimulating Hormone? Endocrinology 1985 116: 846-848.



Bodybuilding.com 2012 Supplement Awards Winners


During the 2012 Olympia weekend, Bodybuilding.com presented the 2012 Supplement Awards to a select few. This annual contest recognizes the best supplements in the fitness and bodybuilding industry. The nominees were based on sales and customer votes. The 2012 awards brought in a record 2.4 millions votes. MusclePharm took home top honors as Brand, Pre-workout and Best Packaging of the Year awards. Optimum Nutrition and BSN were also big winners taking home multiple awards.

 

NEWS RELEASE:
Bodybuilding.com, the Internet’s most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site and largest online retailer of nutritional supplements, just announced the 8th annual 2012 Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards winners live at Joe Weider’s Olympia in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards have set the standard for recognition of the best products and brands in the fitness and supplement industry.

The original 70 nominations were based on sales, and since customers’ opinions are what truly count, Bodybuilding.com let the general public vote from July 13 – August 31, 2012 to pick this year’s final winners. There were a record-breaking number of votes this year. Last year there were just over one million votes but this year we crushed that number with an impressing 2.4 million votes! The people have spoken loud and clear and Bodybuilding.com has listened.

With much anticipation, the results are finally here.

2012 Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards: Winners List
• Brand of the Year: MusclePharm
• Supplement of the Year: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey
• Breakout Brand (Most Improved) Of The Year: BEAST Sports Nutrition
• New Supplement of the Year: Driven Sports Craze
• New Brand of the Year: Quest Nutrition
• Muscle Building Supplement of the Year: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey
• Pre-Workout Supplement of the Year: MusclePharm Assault
• Intra-Workout Supplement of the Year: Scivation Xtend
• Recovery Supplement of the Year: SciVation Xtend
• Protein Powder of the Year: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey
• Protein Bar of the Year: BSN Syntha-6 Decadence Bar
• Energy Supplement of the Year: BSN Nitrix
• Energy Drink of the Year: Optimum Essential AmiN.O. Energy
• Fat Loss Supplement of the Year: Cellucor Super HD
• Weight Gainer of the Year: Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass
• Creatine Supplement of the Year: ProMera Sports Con-Cret
• Glutamine Supplement of the Year: Optimum Nutrition Glutamine 1000 Caps
• BCAA Supplement of the Year: BSN AMINOx
• Multivitamin of the Year: Optimum Nutrition Opti-Men
• Joint Health Supplement of the Year: Universal Animal Flex
• RTD of the Year: Cytosport Muscle Milk RTD
• Tanning Product of the Year: Dream Tan Dream Tan
• Best Packaging of the Year: MusclePharm

See photos from the award presentation on bodybuilding.com.

 

 



Supplement Industry Investing Millions into Romney’s Presidential Campaign


The supplement industry is big business (billions of dollars) and unlike the pharmaceutical industry, makers don’t have to wait for federal review before hitting store shelves. The supplement industry continues to battle with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over regulating dietary ingredients. Manufacturers are required to report illnesses linked to their products and it only takes one case to start a firestorm. Supplement giant, Iovate Health Sciences Inc. experienced this when the FDA warned consumers to stop using hydroxycut products in 2009.


Many health & wellness companies are supporting former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney’s campaign for presidency. It’s not that Romney has any direct ties to the supplement industry (that are known) but rather his support for business. A successful business owner himself, Romney appeals to many companies for his business sense. It’s worth mentioning that Romney was in charge of the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and a number of supplement companies are based in Utah. The Olympics generated millions for the state and companies base there appear to be strong supporters of his campaign.

VIA USATODAY:

Executives with Utah-based supplement companies. They include David Lisonbee, CEO of 4Life Research, who gave $500,000 to the super PAC this year; and Steve Lund, co-founder of Nu Skin Enterprises, a Provo, Utah, nutrition and skin-care company. Eli Publishing and F8 LLC, which share a Provo address, donated $1 million each to the super PAC. State records list Lund as Eli Publishing’s registered agent.

Mitt Romney has refused to list his fundraising supporters however USA TODAY compiled a list and written more about the tie to the supplement industry. Read the entire story on USATODAY.com.

 

 

Parts of this story from USATODAY.



Disclaimer: Reader discretion advised, please consult your physician before beginning any exercise or diet program.