Articles

Cordyceps has been a standard ingredient for exercise performance since it first gained attention when researchers discovered Sherpas were making a special tea concoction with them. Studies demonstrated that cordyceps plays a critical role in allowing the body to adapt to high levels of physical stress, the kind of performance-under-duress that has earned Sherpas a reputation for amazing physical capabilities.

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a characteristic of carbs in different foodstuffs that affects choosing what carbs to use during long-term exercise. Since glucose is by far the main sugar in the bloodstream, glycemic index tracks the change in blood glucose levels for 4-6 hours after eating on an empty stomach, and it’s measured by administering 100 grams (about a quarter pound) dry weight of a specific carb source. The area under the curve for the rise in blood sugar from 100 grams of glucose is defined as a GI = 100.

We typically associate amino acids with rebuilding muscles and post-training recovery, so why are amino acids important for immune function? Because your immune system operates differently from muscles, nerves, and other organs; it uses amino acids as energy, even preferring them to glucose and fats.

The immune system’s major amino acid fuels are glutamine and the branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine, which we’ll just lump together as BCAAs for this blog. Because of their known importance for immune cells, research has focused on these amino acids and immune function in long-term, strenuous exercise.

Q: A lot of pros are using ketone esters. Do they really work?

A: Not as well as one would think. Here's why.