Best herbs for your fitness journey

It's important to start off noting that no herb can make you a superhuman, unless you put in the work. Sports and nutrition is the stepping stone of being in a good shape, however, if you do follow a healthy routine in general, there are a few herbs that can add to that. We've compiled a list of a number of dietary supplements that have been proven to enhance oxygen efficiency, improve blood flow, balance hormone profile, and improve stress adaptation.

Rhodiola

Rhodiola has been shown to have some pretty remarkable effects as a triple-threat analeptic for energy, focus and vitality, making it a favorite amongst endurance athletes. In fact, long before they were using synthetic steroids, the Russians tested Rhodiola their Olympic athletes, claiming it enhanced endurance and reduced recovery time.

Rhodiola helps improve oxygen transfer from lungs to red blood cells. It is a Himalayan root used by the Sherpa people to “adapt” to the stress of living and working at high altitudes. Even today, Sherpa climbers chew on rhodiola for an energy and endurance boost when helping mountaineers scale Mt. Everest. One mechanism for rhodiola’s anti-fatigue effects is an enhancement of oxygen efficiency — with subjects living at high altitude (5,380 meters) showing a beneficial effect of rhodiola supplementation on blood oxygen levels, time to exhaustion, VO2 peak, and pulmonary ventilation during endurance exercise. Additionally, its been shown to help the body produce adenosine triphospate (APT). This provides energy on a cellular level.

Cordyceps

Cordyceps helps speed transfer of oxygen from red blood cells to mitochondria. It is a Tibetan mushroom used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for “lung protection” and to balance the “Qi” — the fundamental “energy of life.” In clinical studies, cordyceps feeding results in significant improvements in fatigue, oxygen uptake, and endurance exercise performance. Additionally, a 2016 study found that acute and consistent supplementation of cordyceps may improve tolerance to high intensity exercise.

Eurycoma

Eurycoma balances two important hormones in the body — cortisol and testosterone. It is a root, often called Malaysian ginseng, that is used as a traditional remedy in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam) to help individuals “adapt” to the reduced energy and depressed mood that often come with chronic stress and overtraining.

Eleuthero and Ashwaganda

Ashwagandha (Indian ginseng) and Eleuthero (Siberian ginseng) provide resistance to physical stress and increase energy levels. They are used in traditional medicine as “adaptogens” to help the body adapt to stressful situations.

One study on ashwagandha published in International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda found that people who took a supplement of 300 mg of the herb two times a day for 12 weeks saw improvements in their VO2 max. Another study in Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine looked at elite cyclists who took 500 mg of the supplement twice a day for eight weeks and found that their endurance and VO2 max significantly improved.

Benefiting the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, ashwagandha root nourishes and strengthens adrenal, thyroid and immune functions. It also helps to decrease inflammation and lower blood sugar. Because it stabilizes the adrenal system and lowers cortisol levels, ashwagandha root has become popular in recent years for relieving anxiety and, despite the herb’s energizing effects, as a sleep aid. If you run high mileage or are doing otherwise intense training, you put yourself at risk for elevated cortisol levels, sometimes chronically. This can have unpleasant consequences like fatigue, insomnia, weight gain, menstrual cycle disruptions, mental fog, vulnerability to infection, and increased risk of injury. Ashwagandha helps you chill out and adapt to whatever stressors you are putting on your body from harder training to anxiety.

Eleuthero was one of the first adaptogens to be recognized and adopted as an endurance enhancer and is generally considered more stimulating than ashwagandha. There has been extensive research on its ability to help minimize fatigue during endurance activities, as well as enhancing focus during times of fatigue. In one 8-week study on recreational male endurance athletes, eleuthero supplementation was found to enhance endurance capacity, elevate cardiovascular functions and alter the metabolism for sparing glycogen.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a universal health care ingredient used not only for internal ailments, such as cold and cough but also external ailments, like muscle pain and wounds. Turmeric effectively relieves pain, stiffness, and swelling because of its key ingredient, curcumin.

Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant that destroys free radicals in the body. Free radicals create oxidative stress, which is known to cause inflammation and aggressive tissue damage. Curcumin protects our blood vessels, muscle cells, and tissues by neutralizing harmful molecules. Turmeric is frequently used in Ayurvedic Science and Traditional Chinese Medicine and to treat arthritis-based joint pain. You can include turmeric in your everyday meal or consume it as a liquid herbal supplement.

Chamomile

Chamomile is loaded with a good deal of health-benefiting properties, including flavonoids that typically deal with inflammation and spasms. Also, chamomile is used as an effective treatment to soothe tensed muscles and boots sleep. Chamomile is available in different forms, such as oil, tea, and in cosmetics. To relieve pain, you can sip chamomile tea or massage the oil on the sore muscle twice a day.

Devil's Claw

This fascinating herb is found in the wild Kalahari desert of South Africa. The herb extract is used in a variety of joint inflammation treatments, such as rheumatoid arthritis, goiter, muscle and joint pain, and backache. The herb can reduce 60% of pain associated with arthritis and chronic lower back pain.

Devil’s claw is available in both tablet and tincture form. You can use either of these to treat your symptoms. However, the tincture is more effective as it directly gets absorbed into the bloodstream without needing to be digested. If you have gastrointestinal problems, tincture proves to be a better choice.

Arnica

Arnica is universally used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine to treat a number of skin problems. However, the flower has been long-used in relieving joint aches, muscle pain, and mild bruising. Arnica oil is extracted from the bright yellow mountain daisies, found in the mountains of Serbia and Europe all through the year.

Lactone is one of the active ingredients found in Arnica. Lactone stops the production of Nuclear Factor Kappa Beta (NF-kβ) at its onset of starting an inflammation. NF-kβ is a protein complex that controls the immune system’s response to an injury, wound, infection, or tissue damage.

Ginger

Ginger contains anti-bacterial and antiviral properties along with anti-inflammatory compounds, such as shogaols and gingerols. Ginger is widely used in treating cold and flu symptoms, such as sinus pain, muscle ache, and headache. Besides, many traditional healthcare practitioners prescribe ginger to treat bouts of nausea, cough, and digestive problems.

As an active anti-inflammatory agent, ginger reacts the same way in our body as COX-2 inhibitors do in arthritis drugs. The anti-inflammatory properties in the herb reduce oxidative stress caused by free-radicals.