We Can Beat The Russians!!!

I’m a SUCKER for the Winter Olympics  — okay let’s just be real here and say any Olympics — I just sit and watch for hours regardless if I’ve heard who won.

We have about 2 months before the Olympic games will here and I will be again glued to the TV.  The Olympics is more than my obsession its about athletes who dedicated themselves to their sports. They know how to push their bodies like no one and don’t know the word failure.

As a kid the big thing was to beat Russian. They were beasts, such amazing athletes.  One of their advantages where Adaptogens. Dr. Israel Brekhman, the Father of Adaptogens, was a Russian scientist who’s job it was to study plants of Far East Russia.

Dr. Brekhman showed the plants, yes, the right combination of plants adapotgens back in the 1960s could help athletes and soldiers be healthier, cope with stress, maintain high levels of energy, free the body from fatigue and recover from hard training.

In a society plagued by chronic stress, a targeted solution to prime and protect the body from its harmful effects is necessary. Deemed “nature’s answer to stress,” Isagenix Ionix Supreme contains adaptogen compounds that work in the body by increasing its ability to adapt to stress while also improving physical and mental functioning under stressful conditions (1-2).

More specifically, and in one of his many research papers, Brekhman and his colleagues defined adaptogens as natural plant substances that:

1. Increase the body’s ability to cope with internal and external stresses.
2. Exhibit stimulating effects after both single-time use and prolonged use, leading to increased working capacity and mental performance under stressful and fatigue-inducing conditions.
3. Normalize the functions of the body.
4. Are entirely safe and have no negative side effects.

While all adaptogens are restorative to the body’s stress response and capacity to perform, certain combinations were studied by Brekhman for the exclusive purpose of boosting performance and fighting fatigue. With that purpose in mind, Isagenix has formulated the new e+ Natural Energy Shot with Brekhman’s own adaptogen formula coupled with naturally sourced caffeine—talk about the perfect pairing for energy and performance!

• The first energy-boosting adaptogen in Brekhman’s formula, and now in e+ is Eleuthero (full name: Eleutherococcus senticosus). Eleuthero, also known as Siberian ginseng, is a thin, thorny shrub native to forests in southeastern Russia, northern China, Japan, and Korea.

The research behind Eleuthero has shown it to improve endurance exercise, oxygen uptake, and overall performance in athletes. One study published in 2010 echoed just that–college-aged male tennis players who supplemented with eleuthero for eight weeks had significantly enhanced endurance time and elevated cardiovascular functions (3).

• Another adaptogen in e+, Rhodiola (full name: Rhodiola rosea)—native to the arctic and mountainous regions throughout Europe, Asia, and America—also has scientific research behind it alluding to athletic improvement. A 2012 study conducted on cyclists found an improved heart rate response to exercise and a decreased perception of effort in subjects who took rhodiola one hour before exercise (4).

The adaptogens in e+ not only can help power a workout, but can also help you resist stress to stay mentally sharp after a hard day’s (or night’s) work. Rhodiola, for instance, has been found to reduce general and mental fatigue in doctors working night shifts (4).

One of the most recent reviews of adaptogens, published in October 2012, gives cause to always have e+ on hand when a pick-me-up is needed.  According to the review, adaptogens “induce increased attention and endurance in situations of decreased performance caused by fatigue and/or sensation of weakness” (5).

The bottom line is that adaptogens are plant substances that help the body to better handle external and internal stressors, they enhance the body’s ability to perform physically, and they increase energy and mental alertness. Israel Brekhman spent his lifetime and career studying adaptogens and how we can use them to prime and protect the body. With e+, Isagenix is taking some of Brekhman’s best work and giving people the tool to take themselves and their health to the next level.