FOODS FOR FITNESS

Herb that helps super athletes who over-train.

The Olympic games isn’t about medals. Anyone watching the extravaganza from Atlanta, could not help but be impressed ...by the trail of injuries, illnesses and infections carving through what are supposed to be the World’s fittest humans.

Unfortunately for athletes at Olympic level, fitness does not equal health. Severe daily training suppresses the immune system as well as putting the whole body under strain. Olympic competitors balance on a fine line between peak form and total collapse. Add the stress of medal chasing in a strange environment, and it’s a wonder that more of them don’t give out.

A recent trial of a supplement designed to help protect athletes against the side effects of hard training has uncovered secrets said to have been known to Russian and East German Sports Scientists for years.

The trial conducted by Dr. Moira Williams, tested Elagen Sport, a supplement that contains a natural adaptogenic herb, Eleutherococcus senticosus, and the energy catalyst Co-enzyme Q10. After a few top sportsmen had reported successfully recovering from post viral fatigue after using Elagen Sport, Dr. Williams decided to try the supplement with some of the hardest training sports people she could find: triathletes.

Their discipline, due to be an Olympic sport in 2000, involves swimming, running and cycling events one after the other, with the pinnacle of the sport - the infamous Ironman events which features a 2.4 mile swim in open water, followed by a near 100 mile bike ride, with a true marathon 26.2 miles of running to finish off.

Not surprisingly, several of the 23 chosen for the trial were already suffering from long standing fatigue or virus related conditions. The results were outstanding, perhaps best summarised by World Endurance Triathlon Champion Erik Seedhouse whose event is a 10 times continuous Ironman. Yes that’s 10 events, one after the other which he completes in a shade over nine days! (sleep time counts).
According to the amazing Erik: “Usually it is quite difficult to gauge changes during training as a result of a supplement when the volume is so high, but there was a definite reduction in recovery time and a concomitant improvement in overall quality; not only this but as an insurance policy against infection, this product has to be the ultimate - I’ll definitely be using it from now on.”

British record holder in the Double Ironman Triathlon Mark Kleanthous also reported Elagen Sport helped him recover - and he needed major help, having been knocked for six by his record performance - a five mile swim, 22- mile bike ride and 53 mile double marathon -completed in 23 hours, 41 minutes!! “Having competed for the last 15 years I have found Elagen Sport to actually work!”, he said.

According to Dr. Williams, the vast majority of triathletes involved gave very strong feedback. The results were in line with Russian research. “It demonstrated a clear improvement in recovery from fatigue problems.” Research shows that ES helps the body adapt to stress and boosts components of the immune system, helping to stave off viruses, colds and flu.”

CoQ10 is an energy catalyst normally derived from the diet and also acts as an antioxidant.

By Simon Martin
Health Guardian September/October 1996.