The Importance of Amino Acids

Do you know how important amino acids are to your body and muscle building? They are the building blocks of protein and muscle tissue. Sounds pretty important huh? Of the 23 amino acids, nine are considered essential, meaning our body can't produce them and we must obtain them from nutrition or supplementation. Aminos are also important in metabolic process, which means they may play a role in improving certain diseases such as diabetes, obesity, insomnia and arthritis.

What to Eat After a Workout

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But, when most people think they just grab a greasy burger after an all-out, intense workout, they better think again!! This is a big no-no. When you workout, your body is burning fuel from your pre-workout meal. Glycogen stored in muscles begins to breakdown and an hour after your workout, your muscles begin to break down. Right after a workout, your body is the most receptive to absorbing carbohydrates and protein.

Are Raspberry Ketones Really a Miracle Fat Burner?

 

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While Dr. Oz has touted Raspberry Ketones as a "miracle fat burner in a bottle" in February 2012, there have been no human studies that show raspberry ketones burn fat or benefit your weight loss to date. However now, there are interesting studies performed on rats. One study gave male rats raspberry ketones, which resulted in an increased secretion of adiponectin, a protein used by the body to regulate metabolism. As a result, the rat had less fat. Another study fed rats a high-fat diet with varying amounts of raspberry ketones. The rodents that received more raspberry ketones burned more body fat and gained less fat tissue. A third study found that the raspberry ketones stimulated the breakdown of the fat cells after fat cells were exposed to raspberry ketones in a test tube.