by Maria Teresa L. Ungson
NEED energy this 2010? Here are three types of energy boosters that are easily accessible. But be guided by this WebMD article to help you identify what type of energy you really require and the truth behind these energy boosters.
Before you start filling your shopping cart with products that have “energy” in the name, consider what the word really means. What sort of energy are you after? “The definition of energy depends a lot on the context,” says Paul M. Coates, PhD, Director of the Office of Dietary Supplements. Are you an elite athlete, a sprinter trying to shave seconds off your best time? Or are you an average person just hoping to make it through a whole movie without dozing off? The type of energy supplement that could benefit the former might do nothing for the latter.
To make things simpler, we’ve divided energy supplement ingredients into three categories: stimulants, which rev up the metabolism; substances that affect metabolism — specifically how the cells derive energy from nutrients; and calories, which are the basic fuel our bodies use to run. They work in very different ways, though many energy products will combine ingredients from all three categories.
Energy Supplements: Stimulants
• Caffeine
• Herbal sources of caffeine and related compounds like guarana, yerba mate, and kola nut
• Green tea
• Capsaicin (red pepper)
• Ginseng
• Bitter Orange (specifically, the ingredient synephrine)
If you’re feeling groggy after lunch, what you really want is a stimulant. And for all the exotic herbs and amino acids sold as energy supplements, one of the most potent stimulants is also the most familiar: caffeine. Caffeine is a common ingredient in just about any product marketed for energy enhancement. “Caffeine and similar compounds do step up the metabolism temporarily,” says Roger Clemens, PhD, spokesman for the Institute of Food Technologists. “That can make people feel better. There’s pretty good evidence that caffeine can temporarily improve mental focus and, in athletes, help stave off exhaustion.
While some products are seen as natural alternatives to caffeine, many actually contain caffeine itself or similar chemical substances that have similar effects. These include kola nut, yerba mate, and guarana. Green tea also provides a dose of caffeine, as well as the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG.)
Ginseng is not a caffeine derivative, but it may also serve as a mild stimulant. “There’s a lot of historical use of ginseng as a tonic,” says Coates, but not much scientific evidence. Capsaicin — the ingredient that makes chili peppers hot — is also sometimes used for its purported stimulant properties.
Bitter orange is another energy supplement unrelated to caffeine. Though it hasn’t been studied much, some experts are concerned about potential risks. Its active ingredient – synephrine – is chemically similar to ephedrine, the active ingredient in ephedra, which was pulled off the market in 2004 because of its life-threatening health risks. Coates says that bitter orange may prove a less harmful successor to ephedra, but more research needs to be done.
Bottom line: Will these supplements boost energy?
Yes. Stimulants like these will probably rev up your metabolism temporarily and give you a lift. Are their effects superior to — or even different from — what you’d derive from a cup of coffee? Probably not.
Energy Supplements: Substances that Affect Energy Metabolism
• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
• B vitamins, like vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folic acid, thiamine, niacin
• Amino acids, like creatine, carnitine, tyrosine, phenylalanine
Many energy supplements are derived from the nutrients, proteins, fats, and amino acids that are already in our bodies or that we get from food. And they do work – in a sense. Research has clearly shown that these compounds support the energy metabolism process. They affect how the body processes the nutrients we eat and converts them into energy. But while these compounds have a role in the body’s metabolism, will taking them as supplements actually boost an average person’s energy? That depends. If you eat a well-balanced, healthy diet, you likely get enough of these vitamins and amino acids from food, and probably don’t need supplements, says Coates. “If you’re not medically deficient in substances like CoQ10 or [the amino acid] carnitine, there’s virtually no evidence that taking more will enhance your energy.”
But people who are deficient in CoQ10, carnitine, and B vitamins may benefit from the supplements, says David Leopold, MD, director of Integrative Medical Education at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine. “And deficiency is much more common than we think,” he notes. Who is likely to be deficient? Athletes who push themselves hard might be depleted in these nutrients. Plus, people who have poor diets or take regular medications, such as acid blockers, anti-inflammatory painkillers, or antibiotics, says Leopold.
Paul R. Thomas, EdD, RD — a scientific consultant at the Office of Dietary Supplements — says that creatine does have the potential to increase energy output under particular circumstances. For instance, a sprinter running a 100-yard dash might benefit from it. But the effects are that specific. In fact, creatine might actually decrease athletic performance in longer-term physical activity, and it carries some risk. Leopold says that creatine can interfere with sweating, thus contributing to dehydration, muscle strain, and cramps.
Bottom line: Will these supplements boost energy?
If you are deficient in these nutrients or are an elite athlete, you might benefit from some of these supplements.
Energy Supplements: Calories
Many of us have a skewed impression of what calories are – we see them as villains who lurk in food and make our pants too tight. But calories are the measurement of the energy potential in any food we eat.
So the third category of energy supplements consists of calories, usually carbohydrates (like sugars), which our bodies can easily break down and absorb as energy. They’re in energy drinks, energy bars, energy gels — and even so-called enhanced waters.
“If there’s a lot of easily metabolized sugar in a product, it could raise your blood sugar and rev you up a little,” says Coates. But that benefit fades pretty quickly. As the blood sugar drops again, you’re liable to feel sleepy.
And in the long-term, relying on high-calorie energy drinks and foods for a boost is a bad idea – especially if you don’t get much exercise. Calories you don’t burn just become fat. Carrying around excess weight will probably leave you feeling less energetic.
Bottom line: Will these supplements boost energy? For athletes, yes. For everyone else, an occasional energy drink or energy bar might give you a brief blood sugar boost. Taken regularly, they can lead to weight gain.
Be a wise consumer this 2010. Only purchase supplements that you really need and works for your lifestyle. Also, always keep in mind to eat a healthy diet, get enough rest or sleep and exercise! These three are actually the main ingredients to maintaining a healthy and energetic life! Wishing everyone an energetic 2010!
