PHYSICAL FITNESS
Enhancing Physical Performance
To discuss the positive role that fulvic acid can play for people who exercise regularly, it is important to understand the processes of exercise and the physiological and biochemical changes that occur during sports.
Metabolism
Simply put, metabolism is the conversion of fuel (carbohydrates, fats, or proteins) into a source of energy (ATP) which the body can use for exercise and our metabolic rate can be defined as the speed that this process can occur.
When involved in any kind of activity, our metabolic rate increases. However, the type of metabolism we use depends on the type of exercise being carried out.
For example, jogging can be classed as AEROBIC exercise, sprinting can be classed as ANAEROBIC exercise, and aerobic and anaerobic exercise use slightly different metabolic pathways and produce different by-products.
Aerobic exercise basically means exercise in the presence of oxygen and anaerobic exercise means to exercise in the absence of oxygen but both types of exercise require a source of energy. ATP is the principal energy ‘currency’ produced during metabolism but much more ATP is produced during aerobic exercise which is one of the reasons why we can jog for longer than we can sprint.
However, no matter what type of exercise we are partaking in, there will always be a point at which we can go no further and we need to stop.
Both of these by-products can affect performance and recovery in different ways and both can be remedied with oxygen.
Lactic Acid
The build-up and accumulation of Lactic Acid during anaerobic exercise are thought to contribute to the pain and soreness experienced by sportspeople following strenuous exercise.
During a sprint, there is not much we can do to prevent lactic acid from building up but we can take measures to prevent a prolonged accumulation. Such measures include an aerobic ‘warm down’ to re-introduce oxygen to the muscle cells, or by ensuring a high concentration of oxygen is present in the cells before and during anaerobic exercise. Both measures are effective to prevent muscle pains following sport.
However, Fulvic acid directly hijacks the lactic acid/pyruvate/lactate recycling process to more rapidly recycle lactic acid and buffer it back into ATP in order to reduce soreness and provide an immediate boost of oxygen, energy, and soreness reducing delivery straight to muscles under high workloads.
By effectively buffering lactic acid faster – Fulvic acid allows for greater levels of endurance and performance, all the while reducing soreness and boosting the mitochondria, which are the power plants of the muscles that generate energy.
How Fulvic Acid Can Help?
Fulvic acid is an organic material that is produced by the action of microbes over millions of years. These microbes help to break down dead and dying vegetation and the by-product of this breakdown is fulvic acid.
It is this characteristic of fulvic acid which makes it so useful for sportspeople because if fulvic acid is taken regularly over a period of 2–3 months then the problems associated with lactic acid and carbon dioxide may be reduced.
Fulvic acid has the ability to deliver O2 directly to the muscle cells and thus may reduce the detrimental effects of lactic acid and CO2 build-up.
Although thorough research is yet to be done on this specific subject, testimonials have shown that when fulvic acid supplements are taken for sufficient time, muscle soreness after exercise is decreased and the ability to train for longer is noticed.
Fulvic Acid and Vegetal Silica
Another characteristic of fulvic acid is its ability to dissolve vegetal silica into a form easily used by the body. Silica is vital for the healthy production of collagen which is important for sportspeople.
Collagen is an integral component of connective tissue such as ligaments and tendons and if these structures are kept strong then sports injuries may not occur.
Also, if tears to tendons and ligaments do occur, it is vital that a good source of bio-available silica is taken regularly to aid the healing process.
Only by taking vegetal silica in combination with fulvic acid, will the best effects be seen.
Fulvic acid should be considered essential to a modern sports and exercise training program.
Electrolyte Therapy
An electrolyte is something that can assist in the transfer of electricity in cells. The importance of electrolytes in sport is well documented with the absence of which being linked to muscle cramps, dehydration and decreased performance levels.
These electrolytes are actually minerals that can be found in almost all foods in varying quantities. Minerals such as sodium and potassium are extremely important for sportspeople but other minerals such as calcium, magnesium and chloride.
Many sports drinks contain a very limited number of electrolytes and use mineral ingredients which are known to be very poorly absorbed.
Fulvic acid is one of nature’s most powerful electrolytes as many research articles prove its ability to maximize the electrical chemistry of the cell. The reason that fulvic acid is so powerful is that it naturally contains around 75 different minerals and also has the ability to provide minerals to a cell if they are needed. Therefore, when sweating occurs during prolonged exercise and blood electrolytes are being lost through the skin, fulvic acid will immediately replace these and prevent loss of performance. Fulvic acid is the only substance known to man with this ability.
Fulvic acid should be considered essential to a modern sports and exercise training program.
Antioxidant Defense
During exercise, oxidants are produced which can cause damage to cells and tissues. These oxidants are actually produced by our own metabolism and, as sportspeople have a faster average metabolic rate than non-sportspeople, their requirement for antioxidants is higher.
An oxidant is a very unstable molecule which basically wants to become stable again. To do this it has to ‘steal’ from other molecules which, if those molecules are not antioxidants, causes damage. The importance of preventing this is highlighted by the fact that in some circumstances, oxidants can attack DNA.
Therefore it is vital, especially for athletes, to consume a regular amount of anti-oxidants. Well known antioxidants include vitamins A, C and E but the complex structure fulvic acid makes it far more powerful an anti-oxidant than any other nutrient known.
Creatine Supplementation
Supplementing with creatine is hugely popular among sportspeople and athletes. Many scientific studies have shown its effectiveness for increasing endurance during high-intensity training and increasing muscle mass.
Creatine works by allowing the muscle cell to recycle our energy currency, ATP, making it available for further use and therefore allowing the muscle cell to work harder. Usually, when we exercise, our ATP is broken down into ADP and this reaction releases energy. However, once in the ADP form, it takes a while for it to be converted back into ATP to be available as an energy source once again.
The presence of high concentrations of creatine allows the cell to regenerate ATP from ADP much quicker than normal allowing the cell to work for longer periods.
However, although there is a wealth of research behind creatine’s use for sportspeople, there are also concerns regarding its long-term use. Below is a list of reported side effects following creatine supplementation:
Kidney damage
Muscle cramping
Leg pain
Stomach problems
Fulvic acid is an ideal replacement for creatine as this nutrient will offer all of the above benefits of creatine but will also work for endurance athletes and will not cause any of the side effects mentioned above. Indeed, if you suffered from any of the conditions above then fulvic acid will probably help those too!
Fulvic Acid supplements are now essential to a modern and safe sports regime because it does everything creatine does and MORE, except coming with a massive host of other benefits, and none of the drawbacks that creatine does.
If you thought creatine gave you a performance boost – just WAIT until you experience what Fulvic/Humic acid will do for you.
Main Benefits for Athletes:
1. Supports Endurance
Due to the trace minerals, electrolytes, and other essential nutrients it contains, many individuals report improved energy levels when taking fulvic acid.
Studies have found that Fulvic acid activates and energizes nearly every biological process in the body, helping cells remain active in the face of damage caused by stress, an unbalanced diet, prolonged loss of sleep, and oxidative damage.
In albino mice, fulvic acid supplementation significantly enhanced physiological energy status in a forced swimming test. Dibenzo-alpha-pyrones (DBP, metabolites derived from plants and animals), fulvic acid, and their derivatives were found to be the principal constituents contributing to these effects.
2. Muscle Adaptation
In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, fulvic acid has been reported to exhibit adaptogenic and potent anabolic properties—it’s been used for centuries to treat many disorders, including muscle and tendon injuries. Fulvic acid consists of naturally occurring low and medium-molecular-weight compounds, including oxygenated DBPs and acylated DBPs, which exhibit a number of positive biological inhibitory properties that are hard to obtain from any other source.
Furthermore, fulvic acid has been reported to aid physical performance and relieve fatigue by enhancing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, the mechanism by which your muscles are fueled.
3. Nutrient Absorption
Obtaining the proper amount of electrolytes and other trace minerals through a balanced diet is imperative for digestive health, healthy metabolic functions, and nutrient absorption. However, food alone often isn’t enough.
While the plants we eat offer a variety of vitamins and minerals we need, there are others from the soil that we can’t get by ingesting plants alone. Fulvic acid serves as nutrition for plants, and consuming fulvic acid is a way to get that nutrition directly from the source for ourselves. In addition, fulvic acid aids your body’s ability to make use of the other nutrients you do get from plants almost immediately.
Fulvic acid can boost supplement/nutrient absorption by over 60 TIMES by enhancing something known as "clathrin-mediated endocytosis" - or the process in which your body uptakes nutrients directly into the cell from the bloodstream. This means you can use LESS of your other products and get MORE results, saving you money!
4. Testosterone Production
(Don't worry ladies - it won't give you a beard or make you "man-ish")
You have good reason to be suspicious of any supplement that claims to improve testosterone levels. Most have little backing scientifically, but there is research supporting fulvic acid’s potential to help T levels.
In 2010, Indian researchers gave 35 infertile test subjects 200mg/day of Fulvic acid for 90 consecutive days. When the hormone and sperm parameters were compared from day one to day 90, the researchers noted the following improvements:
● Total sperm count rose by 61%.
● Sperm quality increased by 37%.
● Serum testosterone levels increased by 23%, and FSH rose by 9%.
Markers of oxidative damage also went down, whereas hemoglobin slightly increased.
One more recent study from 2015 showed that in healthy volunteers aged between 45-55 years, 250mg/day of shilajit extract for 90 days was able to:
● Increase total-testosterone levels by 20%
● Increase free-testosterone levels by 19%
● Boost DHEA levels by 31% while maintaining normal LH and FSH levels.
Summary
It is widely known that fulvic acid possesses truly remarkable biological properties that make it a wonder nutrient. It is these same properties that make its use as a supplement for sportspeople second to none.
There is no other nutrient known that can:
Reduce the impact of carbon dioxide during sport
Reduce the impact of lactic acid during and after sport
Provide optimal protection against the increased production of oxidants
Provide the most powerful electrolyte in existence
Dissolve silica to maintain the strength of joints and connective tissue
Provide useable oxygen directly to our cells to accelerate the healing process
The use of fulvic acid in sports is growing rapidly and it is little wonder why. Its power to provide optimal nutrition for the sportsperson along with the potential for improved endurance, decreased recovery times and protection against injury is unsurpassed.
If you are a keen and dedicated sportsperson or athlete, make Fulvic Acid part of your daily exercise and training regime.
Fulvic acid delivers all of the above and so much more:
Our Fulvic acid supplies over 70 trace minerals and elements imparting a steady charge of bioelectrical energy.
Our Fulvic acid is a super transport system for nutrients. You can feel the difference, especially if you take supplements.
These Minerals, when combined with enzymes, form alkaline detoxifying agents.
Minerals like iron and zinc supply energy to the body. Our Fulvic acid is plant-based, plant-derived trace mineral-rich in chromium, vanadium, selenium, and boron.
Fulvic acid is easy on the stomach and helps your internal flora thrive by providing necessary nutrients – and can replace nearly ALL of your other supplementation for enhancing workout and professional performance, all the while giving you benefits your other supplements couldn’t dream of doing.
