Can Supplements Really Improve Your Physical Performance

An amazing new study just came out that shows the incredible importance of nutritional supplements, even in athletes.

And the implications for slowing down the aging process are impressive.

For decades, I’ve been stressing the importance of mitochondrial energy production. I have written two books on it (Bursting With Energy and The Type-2 Diabetes Breakthrough). I also patented the first clinically useful test for mitochondrial function. I call it Bio-Energy Testing®.

There’s no doubt about it, your mitochondrial function is the single most important determinant of your risk for disease, how long you will live, and your overall quality of life as you get into your 60s and beyond. Anything that improves mitochondrial function is something we need to be paying big-time attention to. And that’s why this study is so important.

Researchers enlisted the help of 42 healthy women between the ages of 18-30. All of them were regular exercisers. They divided the women into three groups. They gave group one a combination of iron glycinate (36 mg of iron), zinc glycinate (15 mg of zinc), copper glycinate (2 mg copper), l-carnitine (2,000 mg), and phosphatidylserine (400 mg). They gave group two the same amounts, only with different mineral formulas that are more common, but may not be as effective as the glycinate forms. The iron was in the form of ferrous sulfate, the copper was in the form of copper gluconate, and the zinc was in the form of zinc gluconate. They gave group three the placebo.

Before starting the supplements, the women ran as hard as they could for three miles. After the run, they rode as hard as they could for 25 minutes on a stationary bike. And after the bike, they climbed as many steps as they could in 90 seconds. Then, after 30 days of taking the supplements, the women repeated all of these tests. The results were amazing.

Group one decreased their three-mile run time by 3%, increased their stationary bike distance by 8%, and increased the number of steps in the step test by 8.3%. Group two did not show any significant improvement in the run time or the bike, but they did show a 7.3% improvement in the steps test. The reason that group two did not improve nearly as well as group one probably has to do with the fact that glycinate minerals are better utilized. As you would expect, the placebo group did not show any significant improvement. Here’s why these results are so impressive.

Even though 3-8% improvements seem minimal, they aren’t. Any athlete knows that even a 1% improvement in performance is substantial. A 3-8% improvement is huge! Secondly, the only factor that could have caused the improvements was the supplements. There were no differences in training during the 30-day trial. Here we have proof that simply taking the right supplements can significantly influence performance times independent of training.

And three, improved performance times can only mean one thing: improved mitochondrial function. As far as I know, this is the first time scientists have been able to show that taking supplements can improve mitochondrial function!

The researchers chose the nutrients very specifically. For instance, iron, in addition to its role in carrying oxygen to the cells in hemoglobin, affects mitochondrial function through a critical mitochondrial complex called cytochrome c oxidase. Copper is also part of the cytochrome c oxidase complex.

Additionally, copper-dependent enzymes control oxidative stress, improving mitochondrial function. The researchers picked zinc because it can affect mitochondrial function in a variety of ways, including decreasing oxidant stress, improving the elimination of carbon dioxide by the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, improving the function of the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase, which reduces lactic acid, and activating several mitochondrial enzymes.

As far as l-carnitine goes, studies have previously shown that supplementation decreases exercise-induced fatigue and improves muscle recovery. Carnitine forms the enzyme carnitine transferase, which is critical for optimal mitochondrial function. Phosphatidylserine affects exercise performance by improving nerve conduction, increasing enzyme cofactors related to mitochondrial function, and decreasing inflammation. Studies have shown that supplementing with phosphatidylserine decreases fatigue during exercise and extends the time to exhaustion in a long biking session.

This study was done on young women. What about older men and women? My guess is that anything that improves mitochondrial function in young people who already have good mitochondrial function will improve it much more in older people with their compromised mitochondrial function.

I do have a reservation about supplementing with iron of any kind without checking your ferritin level. Elevated ferritin levels are the best indicator of excessive iron. And excessive iron will cause your body to break down faster as you age. Ideal ferritin levels for women are 20-40 ng/mL and 40-70 ng/mL for men. If your level is over that, do not take the iron part of this combination.

The main thing is to make sure you have your mitochondrial function evaluated. You can find a doctor who can do that at www.bioenergytesting.com. And if it turns out that your mitochondria need some help, try taking the supplements that were used in the study.

You can also add other nutrients that I've found to work incredibly well at boosting mitochondrial function. These include resveratrol, curcumin, niacinamide, d-ribose, and others, all of which are available in Advanced Mitochondrial Formula. You can order it by following this link.

Yours for better health,

Frank Shallenberger, MD