NO is a compound composed of one nitrogen and one oxygen atom. The body creates this compound using an amino acid — arginine — and a family of enzymes known as Nitric Oxide synthase.

NO is responsible for several vital things in the body, including blood flow, oxygen delivery, glucose uptake, muscle velocity, power output and muscle growth. Increasing the levels of NO in your body can have several impacts on your workouts and the results you see. Some of the benefits you will see include:

• Gain lean mass more quickly
• Increase strength
• Improve muscle recovery
• Improved endurance

Armed with that basic information about this natural supplement, let’s look at how to take nitric oxide.

There are a few ways in which you can supplement NO. Some brands offer pill forms, which are typically pure nitric oxide. Also available are powder forms, which often contain vitamins and stimulants in addition to NO.

The main ingredient of most NO supplements is arginine — and it’s possible to take too much. Symptoms of overuse are weakness, diarrhea and nausea. To avoid this, assess your tolerance by starting with a small dose for the first week. Slowly adjust your dose as you see how your body tolerates the arginine.

For detailed dosing instructions on how to take nitric oxide, be sure to consult the label on your chosen supplement. Also be sure to look out for other ingredients that might be included in the supplement. Some NO supplement forms will include other vitamins or compounds such as creatine. If you use other supplements for those ingredients, you’ll need to pay attention to your dosing to avoid accidentally getting too much of an ingredient.

When to take nitric oxide is just as important to know as how much to take. It is recommended that NO supplements be ingested twice daily on an empty stomache — one in the morning and one pre-workout. The pre-workout dose should be about half an hour to and hour before exercising.

Like many other bodybuilding supplements, it is highly recommended that NO use be cycled. For this particular compound, follow a guideline of 3 weeks on, 2 weeks off. Also, don’t take NO supplements on non-training days.

These guidelines of when to take nitric oxide can help you avoid getting into a rut in which your body no longer enjoys the same benefits it was initially experiencing.

If you’re ready to start feeling the benefits of nitric oxide or another workout booster, check out the wide selection of bodybuilding and nutritional supplements at Slacor Supplements today!

What is nitric oxide? The simple answer is that it’s a compound made up of one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom.In the body, however, it’s important to understand that this is a compound created with the help of the amino acid arginine and a family of enzymes called Nitric Oxide synthase (NOS). Arginine meets an NOS enzyme, and they produce this important compound.When it comes to building muscle and increasing workout endurance, this compound plays a vital role. It regulates one of the our bodies’ most important functions: blood flow.That’s the technical explanation for the question what is nitric oxide. The most important question, though, is what does nitric oxide do for your workouts?

NO, as previously mentioned, helps regulate blood flow. This means that it gives more blood to your organs and tissues when they need it. Blood flow is, in turn, related to the delivery of oxygen and vital nutrients to the organs and muscles.We have figured out the answer to the question, “What is nitric oxide?”, so the next step is discovering, what does nitric oxide do and how does it do it? For bodybuilders, NO can have the following impacts:

• Increase gains of lean muscle mass
• Increase strength
• Improve muscle recovery
• Increase endurance

Supplementing NO encourages the smooth muscles of your body to relax, allowing oxygen delivery to the working muscles. That increased blood flow also carries valuable nutrients, a key factor in a rapid recovery after workouts. Faster recovery means more frequent training, which also means improved workout results.

During weight lifting, the body will quickly go through supplies of oxygen to the muscles, and lactic acid starts building up, which causes fatigue. Increasing blood flow, and therefore oxygen, to the muscles will allow you to workout longer with less fatigue, hence increased endurance.

Of course, NO increases endurance training abilities. However, there is a special class of endurance trainers for whom this compound can be particularly helpful. Are you training for high altitude performances? A race in the mountains, or climbing, perhaps?For those people, nitric oxide will provide the extra oxygen needed to counteract the oxygen reducing effects that high altitude brings. You will be able to offset the reduced ability to take in oxygen and feel more comfortable, like in your usual, low altitude training conditions.There is another benefit, too — one that is somewhat taboo to discuss but still an important part of overall health benefits. The increased blood flow that comes with supplementing L-arginine to promote NO production has also been found to help treat impotence, a common disorder in men.Now that you’ve answered the question “What is nitric oxide?”, the next question should be, “Where can I get it?” For a full range of bodybuilding and dietary supplements, including NO, visit Slacor Supplements and start giving your workouts the boost they need.

Consuming fish or using fish oil supplements can lower your triglycerides (a type of blood fat) and boost the good cholesterol levels in the human body while thinning the blood slightly. Put simply — your risk of having a heart attack decreases.It can also prevent abnormal heart rhythms, decrease the risk of stroke, slow the hardening of the arteries and slightly lower blood pressure.

Among the benefits of fish oil supplements is the reduction of inflammation. That may not sound like a big deal, but inflammation is associated with a lot of health problems, including heart disease, cancer, autoimmune disease, psoriasis and Alzheimer’s.

Arthritis may not be life-threatening, but for many it is life-altering. Fish oil supplements can help reduce the symptoms and pain, particularly morning stiffness and joint tenderness. It does not act as a pain reliever; rather, as it builds up in your system, it reduces the symptoms and pain related to the disease.

The Omega-3 fatty acids can increase the lifespan of cells within the body. This doesn’t mean you’re going to stay 25 forever, but it may keep you feeling that way for more years than you thought possible. Another one of the benefits of fish oil supplements is that they are associated with a dramatically reduced risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, a common cause of blindness in the elderly.

In addition to the physical benefits, fish oil supplements can also provide mental health advantages. Combined with drug therapy, the Omega-3 fatty acids can help regulate the moods of those suffering from  depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. It is NOT a substitution for the drug regimen prescribed by your doctor, but it can be an aid to your current treatment.

The human body cannot make Omega-3 fatty acids. We must obtain them from outside sources — whether that be diet or nutritional aids. Most of us don’t eat the recommended 2 servings of fish per week.To ensure you are obtaining the right nutritional booster, look for a fish oil supplement that lists a total amount of EPA and DHA. The label should specifically state levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, not just tell you it has 1,000 mg of “fish oil” in it. That’s not specific enough. Also, you want the milligrams of each of the two desired Omega-3 fatty acids to add up to the overall capsule size, or pretty close.

There is no exact scientific formula when it comes to determining each individual’s daily nutritional needs. Everyone’s requirements are unique. So no matter how much you consume or how varied your diet is, it’s possible to not be getting adequate nutrition for your particular needs.

In young people, serious vitamin deficiencies are typically rare, but slight deficiencies of some vitamins aren’t uncommon in people of all ages — calcium, chromium, folic acid, magnesium, vitamins C, D, E and B6, and zinc are frequent suspects.

Almost everyone can enjoy the benefits of multivitamins in the here and now. Maintaining adequate nutritional levels in the body can assist in mental clarity, boost energy, assist digestive function, increase immune responses and combat stress.

Correct levels of nutrients also can improve skin health, PMS, arthritis, cell development, bone health, reproductive health and nervous system function. Those are all pretty important things to keep running smoothly, no matter what age you are or how healthy you believe yourself to be.

It’s valid to ask, “Why should I take a multivitamin now to prevent illness later?” No, there’s no time travel involved, but taking those little pills now WILL affect you later.

Keeping the proper nutrients in the body will assist in almost all bodily functions in one way or another. The regular maintenance of those levels will translate into one of the biggest benefits of multivitamins — warding off disease and illness in the future.

Maintaining the health and function of our bodies now by supplying adequate nutrients can lower risk of cardiovascular problems like heart disease and stroke and certain cancers — which rank among the top causes of death in the U.S., as well as helping stave off osteoporosis and cataracts.

If you are trying to or have already become pregnant, tapping into the benefits of multivitamins is an easy way to ensure you and your baby receive adequate nutrients. When the mom takes a multivitamin, it not only provides her with the necessary ingredients to stay strong and healthy through the pregnancy but also helps the baby grow and develop properly.

Folic acid is particularly important during pregnancy. It’s always important to consult your doctor before selecting a vitamin supplement or beginning any kind of nutritional program, but for pregnant women this is particularly important since their intake also directly affects their child.

If you want to learn more about the benefits of multivitamins, visit Slacor Supplements and browse the wide selection of products.

There are two categories of these essential elements: fat soluble and water soluble. They are divided by how they interact within the body.Fat soluble vitamins are soluble in lipids, another name for fats, and travel through the lymphatic system and are stored within the tissues of the body. A key factor to note about this type is that once they’re stored, they tend to stay put; and while it’s important to get enough of the essentials, it’s also important to not overtake them.

Water soluble vitamins are ones that our bodies do not store. They are absorbed into the blood stream, the body uses what it needs, and the rest is excreted through our urine. They cannot be stored, thus making it important to keep a steady stream of these needed nutrients to stay healthy.

Now, to answer the vital question of “What vitamins should I take?”, read on.

Of the different types, there are six must have vitamins that you should be looking for when walking down that grocery store aisle. Let’s look at them alphabetically.Vitamin A: This falls under the category of fat soluble. Getting enough vitamin A is essential for eye health. It also reduces the risk of developing such diseases as lung and breast cancer.

B Vitamins: These are water soluble and essential for blood health, the immune system, metabolism, skin health, cell development and nervous system health. Look for a comprehensive blend of B vitamins that include biotin, folic acid, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, thiamin, B6 and B12. The doses for each will differ depending on the vitamin complex you choose, so check the labels carefully.

Vitamin C: Most people know vitamin C as a must have vitamin, and as a water soluble type it needs daily replenishment. This element staves off cataracts, boosts immune system function and reduces risk of heart disease and stroke. It’s also important for reproductive health, as well as skin and bone health.

Vitamin D: You’ve probably heard that this vitamin can be absorbed from sunlight. It can also be consumed through supplements. While it increases prevention of certain cancers, getting 15 to 20 minutes of unfiltered sunlight a few times a week is plenty to keep up your levels of this must have vitamin.

Vitamin E: Cardiovascular problems, cataracts and cancer — all are health issues the proper Vitamin E intake can help stave off. This type of vitamin is fat soluble and so stored in the body, but adults should still maintain adequate levels, and when looking for daily must have vitamins, include this in whatever multivitamin you select.

To find out more about nutritional supplements and get products that offer all the must have vitamins you need daily, visit Slacor Supplements for a wide selection that can meet your needs.

Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body. If you are missing just one of these in your diet, your body will break down muscles and protein stores to make it.These compounds are obtained through diet – food and supplements – and include Arginine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenlyalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine, Serine, Tyrosine.

Some of the foods that contain complete proteins, meaning all the essential amino acids, are fish, dairy, poultry and meat. The proteins your body will absorb from these foods are known as high-quality proteins because they can be absorbed more efficiently than those obtained from plants.

Non-essential amino acids can be produced by the body or obtained from foods. If they aren’t obtained through diet, the body can make these compounds from fats, carbohydrates and other amino acids.There are 11 that can be made by the body and part of a protein, including alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine and tyrosine.

There are also others that the body can produce but are not part of proteins, including citrulline, glutathione, hydroxyproline, ornithine and taurine.

These organic substances play unique roles in the body that promote health and prevent disease.

The proteins that essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids make are responsible for most of the reactions that occur inside the cells of the body. Unlike fat and carbohydrates, the body cannot store them for later use.These compounds play various roles in the proper function and health of many important bodily processes and systems. Some of the things these substances affect are metabolism, cardiovascular health, the nervous system, bones and joints, hormone balance, energy and brain function.

They also are a big part of immune system functions, particularly arginine and glutamine. Arginine helps the body deal with severe burns, growth spurts, injuries and infections, and glutamine is the primary source of energy for the immune system.

Because of the connection between amino acids and protein, getting enough of these organic compounds in your diet is vital to muscle building and weight loss efforts, particularly branched chain amino acids.BCAAs are metabolized by the muscles to build protein or burned as fuel to create energy, and can help build muscle, strength and energy, as well as enhance fat loss. Supplements specifically for BCAAs can help boost workout results in addition to benefiting the other systems in the body affected by amino acids.

Learn more about health, fitness and workout boosters and access a wide selection of nutritional supplements by visiting Slacor Supplements.

BCAAs offer not just bodybuilding aids but overall health benefits as well. Some of the things this type of supplement can do for you are:

• Increase muscle recovery
• Prevent muscle loss
• Promote healing of injured tissues
• Boost energy
• Enhance strength, muscle growth and endurance
• Enhance fat loss
• Balance nitrogen content in the body
• Decrease fatigue

It’s not hard to see from this list the many benefits that branched chain amino acids has for everyone, not just bodybuilders. Now that you know why you need them, let’s look at how BCAAs work and how to use them.

Amino acids are the foundation of muscle protein. They fall into two categories: essential and non-essential. Essentials are not produced by the body but obtained from what we consume through foods or supplements. Protein foods or combinations of incomplete vegetable foods can be sources of these compounds. Non-essentials can be made by the body from vitamins and other amino acids.

The type in BCAAs falls into the category of essential. These compounds are metabolized directly by the muscles, unlike other amino acids that go to the liver after being digested. These three are used by the muscles to build new proteins or burned as fuel to create energy.

For this kind of supplement, like many others, timing is of the essence. To gain muscle, strength and energy, the first crucial time to take branched chain amino acids is about 30 minutes before your workouts and within 30 minutes after your workouts. This dose will help keep cortisol levels low, encouraging muscle growth, giving extra energy needed to finish the workout and decreasing soreness after intense exercise.

Another important time to take BCAAs is first thing in the morning. This gets an immediate dose of amino acids to your muscles for fueling and repairing muscles after sleep.

There are more benefits of branched chain amino acids that can be realized throughout the day. Taking a dose late in the day can continue the effects through the night, keeping protein building up and cortisol down. Using supplements between meals can also help keep hunger down and metabolism up, thus increasing fat burning.

When it comes to dosing of BCAAs, as little as 3 grams a day have shown benefits. However, studies involving this kind of supplement produced significant results with about 9 grams per 100 pounds lean body weight per day.

This guideline should be balanced with the specific instructions that come with the brand of supplement you choose. As with all supplements, it’s best to consult a physician before beginning a regimen.

Whether your goal is building muscle, losing weight or just maintaining overall health, visit Slacor Supplements for all your essential nutritional supplements.

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to teens looking to boost their physical performance is steroid use. Creatineis NOT a steroid, it doesn’t act like a steroid and it doesn’t produce the side effects of steroids.So, does that mean creatine for teenagers is OK? Not necessarily. The problem with making this presumption is that while no studies show it is unsafe, there haven’t been any long-term studies done on creatine.Adolescents are in prime growing time through the age of 18, and some even a little older than that. During that time, the general consensus in the medical and athletic communities is that supplements, even natural ones like creatine, aren’t really recommended.

While there are no long-term studies on creatine side effects, there are minor effects in the short-term that users experience, and anyone looking into creatine for teenagers should know about them.General side effects include mostly digestive issues – upset stomache, muscle cramping, diarrhea, dehydration and, for women, increased urination (particularly during their menstrual period).Most of these can be addressed by increasing water intake, minimizing caffeine consumption and adjusting dosages of creatine.

It is true that proper creatine use has been shown to be relatively safe; however, abusing creatine has been shown to have some long-term effects.Creatine abuse – taking excessive amounts and continuing to do so for long periods of time – can lead to a strain on your kidneys and liver. Excess levels of creatine are excreted by the body, and over time the extra work for your organs can lead to serious problems.When evaluating whether creatine is safe for teenagers, the possibility of improper use, intentionally or not, should be strongly considered.

When approaching fitness goals at any age, individuals should give first priority to researching, implementing and maintaining a healthy diet and exercise program. Without this solid foundation, no supplement in the world can help you achieve your goals in a safe and healthy manner.If those foundations are in place, then bodybuilding supplements can help you achieve your goals. However, supplements like creatine are not meant to produce a total body makeover, they just give a little boost. For teens, time spent attending to eating healthy on a regular basis and developing and sticking to a good exercise regimen is far more beneficial than taking a supplement.

If a teen is convinced that creatine is the way to go, here are a few recommendations:

• Carefully read ALL dosage instructions, and err on the side of caution by taking a smaller dose than recommended; and
• Make sure your school athletics department does not prohibit the use of such supplements.

If creatine supplements are something you would like to add to your exercise regimen, check out Slacor Supplements for a wide selection of creatine products and information.

If you already have a healthy, well-balanced diet along with a workout routine tailored to produce the specific results you’re looking for, then you might think a supplement can’t do much for you. However, creatine benefits are even more pronounced for those individuals who have all the other bases covered.No supplement is a magic bean that will do all the work for you. Creatine is a naturally occurring substance in the human body. The brief, nontechnical explanation of how creatine benefits fitness programs is this: The body uses creatine to create more energy for the muscles to use during workouts. Simple, right?

So, what does that mean for you? That simplified explanation of a complex process in the body translates into the following results for creatine users:

• Increased energy
• Ability to achieve and maintain more intense workouts
• Ability to increase frequency of workouts
• Increased muscle mass and strength

Like anything else you put in your body, there are can be some minor creatine side effects with proper use. These side effects include bloating, stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, muscle cramping, increased urnination (typically noted for women during menstrual period), and weight gain.There are a few things you can do to decrease creatine side effects:

• Drinking lots of water: This helps avoid dehydration and also weight gain from water retention.
• Pay close attention to the recommended dosage and try reducing your intake if you are experiencing uncomfortable side effects
• Avoid caffeine: There is some concern it could increase chances of more serious side effects, such as stroke, but there are no conclusive studies.

Creatine use is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. While there are no studies showing harmful effects, there is simply not enough known about how it might affect the fetus or infant to make it worth the risk.While studies are ongoing to look at creatine benefits for some medical problems, such as loss of bone mass, for some medical conditions it is known to be a bad idea. If you suffer from kidney disease, creatine should be avoided as it could worsen your condition. Likewise, if you have diabetes, creatine use could cause you to develop kidney disease.

When there is excess creatine in the body, it is excreted with the help of the kidney and liver. Extreme and extended overuse can put a strain on these organs and lead to long-term health concerns, and therefore should be avoided. Abusing its use can also increase the creatine side effects mention earlier.If you follow the recommended dosage and cycle your use of creatine, these extreme side effects can be avoided, according to the medical research currently available. While there have been no long-term studies of creatine supplements, the short-term research shows that it is a safe and beneficial supplement if taken correctly.

If you want to get started enjoying creatine benefits, visit Slacor Supplements for a wide selection of creatine and bodybuilding supplements to suit all budgets.