Science Based Fitness

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What is Science Based Fitness?

Your free- source of information, news, and deep dive into the latest science in the world or fitness and health. We dive deep into the literature and debunk a lot of fake claims. Also, providing helpful tips and workouts to improve your health and quality of life. 

Creatine

Creatine

New in the world of research

Creatine has been proven to be a valuable supplement when it comes to increasing muscle and recovery, but new research may conclude possible cognitive benefits. More research has come out regarding the protective benefits of creatine monohydrate and the brain. Possible protective benefits include protective properties for neurodegenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, overall mental health, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, 

We’ve known for some time about the benefits of creatine and increasing muscle mass, but….It wasn’t until recently did we learn about the benefits for the brain and heart. 95% of creatine storage is in the muscle and the remaining 5% is stored in the heart and brain. Supplementing with creatine significantly benefits optimal healthy creatine levels. Creatine possesses anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-excitotoxic properties. Clinical research on neurodegenerative illnesses has shown that Creatine supplementation results in less effective outcomes. 

 

Benefits

Our Recommendations

Recent publications shown healthy brain creatine levels may improve mitochondrial function and improve oxidative stress, which may be relevant treatments for neurodegenerative diseases , including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

SOURCES:

Chang H, Leem YH. The potential role of creatine supplementation in neurodegenerative diseases. Phys Act Nutr. 2023 Dec;27(4):48-54. doi: 10.20463/pan.2023.0037. Epub 2023 Dec 31. PMID: 38297476; PMCID: PMC10844727.

Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, Gualano B, Jagim AR, Kreider RB, Rawson ES, Smith-Ryan AE, VanDusseldorp TA, Willoughby DS, Ziegenfuss TN. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021 Feb 8;18(1):13. doi: 10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w. PMID: 33557850; PMCID: PMC7871530.

Wax B, Kerksick CM, Jagim AR, Mayo JJ, Lyons BC, Kreider RB. Creatine for Exercise and Sports Performance, with Recovery Considerations for Healthy Populations. Nutrients. 2021 Jun 2;13(6):1915. doi: 10.3390/nu13061915. PMID: 34199588; PMCID: PMC8228369.

Wu SH, Chen KL, Hsu C, Chen HC, Chen JY, Yu SY, Shiu YJ. Creatine Supplementation for Muscle Growth: A Scoping Review of Randomized Clinical Trials from 2012 to 2021. Nutrients. 2022 Mar 16;14(6):1255. doi: 10.3390/nu14061255. PMID: 35334912; PMCID: PMC8949037.

Forbes SC, Cordingley DM, Cornish SM, Gualano B, Roschel H, Ostojic SM, Rawson ES, Roy BD, Prokopidis K, Giannos P, Candow DG. Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Brain Function and Health. Nutrients. 2022 Feb 22;14(5):921. doi: 10.3390/nu14050921. PMID: 35267907; PMCID: PMC8912287.

Forbes SC, Candow DG, Neto JHF, Kennedy MD, Forbes JL, Machado M, Bustillo E, Gomez-Lopez J, Zapata A, Antonio J. Creatine supplementation and endurance performance: surges and sprints to win the race. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2023 Dec;20(1):2204071. doi: 10.1080/15502783.2023.2204071. PMID: 37096381; PMCID: PMC10132248.

Stares A, Bains M. The Additive Effects of Creatine Supplementation and Exercise Training in an Aging Population: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Geriatr Phys Ther. 2020 Apr/Jun;43(2):99-112. doi: 10.1519/JPT.0000000000000222. PMID: 30762623.

Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow DG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL, Lopez HL. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 13;14:18. doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z. PMID: 28615996; PMCID: PMC5469049.

 

Hibiscus sabdariffa

Hibiscus

Burn fat with hibiscus tea

Why Hibiscus Tea?

Hibiscus Sabdariffa has been traditionally in herbal drinks as well as in the food industry and herbal medicine. New research has shown that drinking 1-2 cups of hibiscus tea and INCREASE FAT OXIDATION in humans. Meaning, hibiscus tea significant effects in lipid metabolism, and may help prevent diabetes. Another study found that drinking about 240-ml of hibiscus tea eat day for 6 weeks found significant improvement in lowering blood pressure. Hibiscus sabdariffa has been studied in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and during studies, they found those who drank hibiscus tea experienced greater weight loss. 

Weight loss

People lost more weight even though they were consuming the same amount of calories

Lower Bloodpressure

May lower bloodpressue

Antioxidant

Rich in powerful antioxidants

Increase fat loss

Increase fat metabolism

Energy balance

May block some of the fat storing process

Balance hormones

May help regulate hormone balance.

Check out More

Sure, you can use hibiscus in the supplement form, but it’s recommended to drink the tea instead due to the possible toxicity of consuming too much. 

Combine with lemon verbena, and you have a powerful fat burning drink

Sources: 

McKay DL, Chen CY, Saltzman E, Blumberg JB. Hibiscus sabdariffa L. tea (tisane) lowers blood pressure in prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults. J Nutr. 2010 Feb;140(2):298-303. doi: 10.3945/jn.109.115097. Epub 2009 Dec 16. PMID: 20018807.

Mozaffari-Khosravi H, Jalali-Khanabadi BA, Afkhami-Ardekani M, Fatehi F, Noori-Shadkam M. The effects of sour tea (Hibiscus sabdariffa) on hypertension in patients with type II diabetes. J Hum Hypertens. 2009 Jan;23(1):48-54. doi: 10.1038/jhh.2008.100. Epub 2008 Aug 7. PMID: 18685605.

Da-Costa-Rocha I, Bonnlaender B, Sievers H, Pischel I, Heinrich M. Hibiscus sabdariffa L. – a phytochemical and pharmacological review. Food Chem. 2014 Dec 15;165:424-43. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.05.002. Epub 2014 May 27. PMID: 25038696.

Buchholz T, Melzig MF. Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used for Treatment of Obesity and Diabetes Mellitus – Screening for Pancreatic Lipase and α-Amylase Inhibition. Phytother Res. 2016 Feb;30(2):260-6. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5525. Epub 2015 Dec 3. PMID: 26632284.

Herranz-López M, Olivares-Vicente M, Encinar JA, Barrajón-Catalán E, Segura-Carretero A, Joven J, Micol V. Multi-Targeted Molecular Effects of Hibiscus sabdariffa Polyphenols: An Opportunity for a Global Approach to Obesity. Nutrients. 2017 Aug 20;9(8):907. doi: 10.3390/nu9080907. PMID: 28825642; PMCID: PMC5579700.

Chang HC, Peng CH, Yeh DM, Kao ES, Wang CJ. Hibiscus sabdariffa extract inhibits obesity and fat accumulation, and improves liver steatosis in humans. Food Funct. 2014 Apr;5(4):734-9. doi: 10.1039/c3fo60495k. Epub 2014 Feb 19. PMID: 24549255.

Kao ES, Yang MY, Hung CH, Huang CN, Wang CJ. Polyphenolic extract from Hibiscus sabdariffa reduces body fat by inhibiting hepatic lipogenesis and preadipocyte adipogenesis. Food Funct. 2016 Jan;7(1):171-82. doi: 10.1039/c5fo00714c. PMID: 26489044.

Ojulari OV, Lee SG, Nam JO. Beneficial Effects of Natural Bioactive Compounds from Hibiscus sabdariffa L. on Obesity. Molecules. 2019 Jan 8;24(1):210. doi: 10.3390/molecules24010210. PMID: 30626104; PMCID: PMC6337177.

 

Quercetin

Quercetin

Recently, neuroinflammation is thought to be one of the important causes of many neuropsychiatric diseases. Quercetin is a natural flavonoid, and it is well known that quercetin has antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. Quercetin contains antioxidants called flavonoids that bond to free radicals and neutralize them. 

Benefits of Quercetin

Daily intake of quercetin significantly improved anxiety-like behaviors and reduced inflammatory markers in the brain. Additional benefits include reducing risks of heart disease, cancer, and degenerative brain disorders. An 8-week study  in 50 women with rheumatoid arthritis observed that participants who took 500 mg of quercetin experienced significantly reduced early morning stiffness, morning pain, and after-activity pain.

In a review of test-tube and animal studies, quercetin was found to suppress cell growth and induce cell death in prostate cancer cells.

Other test-tube and animal studies observed that the compound had similar effects in liver, lung, breast, bladder, blood, colon, ovarian, lymphoid, and adrenal cancer cells.

Benefits

Quercetin

Quercetin is also available as a dietary supplement in capsules, tablets, powders and extract

Brands we recommend

Sources:

Burdeos, Johna. “What Is Quercetin? Benefits, Foods and Side Effects.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 5 Jan. 2024,

www.forbes.com/health/supplements/quercetin/.

Lee B, Yeom M, Shim I, Lee H, Hahm DH. Protective Effects of Quercetin on Anxiety-Like Symptoms and Neuroinflammation Induced by Lipopolysaccharide in Rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Apr 28;2020:4892415. doi: 10.1155/2020/4892415. PMID: 32419805; PMCID: PMC7204389.
 
Anand David AV, Arulmoli R, Parasuraman S. Overviews of Biological Importance of Quercetin: A Bioactive Flavonoid. Pharmacogn Rev. 2016 Jul-Dec;10(20):84-89. doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.194044. PMID: 28082789; PMCID: PMC5214562.
 
 

Rhodiola Rosea

Rhodiola rosea

 Science-Backed Health Benefits

What is it?

Rhodiola Rosea is a popular plant in traditional medical systems in the Nordic countries, Eastern Europe, and Asia. It belongs to the family of Crassulaceae with notoriety for stimulating physical endurance, attention span, memory, and work productivity . The genus Rhodiola contains more than 100 different species, and at least 20 of these are used in traditional Asian medicine . However, the most of all animal and human studies have been conducted on RR, so whether other species confer the same health benefits is unknown .Research studies on the RR root phytochemistry have revealed the presence of six distinct groups of chemical compounds: phenylpropanoids (rosavin, rosin, and rosarin), phenylethanol derivatives (salidroside and tyrosol), flavonoids (rhodiolin, rhodionin, rodiosin, acetylrodalgin, and tricin), monoterpernes (rosiridol and rosaridin), triterpenes (daucosterol and beta-sitosterol), and phenolic acids (chlorogenic, hydroxycinnamic, and gallic acids) Rhodiola rosea L., also known as “golden root” or “roseroot,” belongs to the plant family Crassulaceae. RR grows primarily in dry sandy ground at high altitudes in the arctic areas of Europe and Asia. The plant reaches a height of 12–30 inches (70 cm) and produces yellow blossoms. It is a perennial with a thick rhizome and fragrant when cut. The Greek physician, Dioscorides, first recorded medicinal applications of rodia riza in CE 77 in De Materia Medica. The traditional use of RR as a tonic in Siberian and Russian medicine stimulated extensive research leading to identification of RR as an adaptogen—a substance that nonspecifically increases the resistance of an organism and does not disturb normal biological parameters.

Rhodiola show increased levels of beta-endorphin in the brain. Beta-endorphin is the stress-relieving, feel-good, analgesic peptide

Benefits of Rhodiola

The main effects of genus Rhodiola described are adaptogenic, that means “natural herbal products that are nontoxic in normal doses produce a nonspecific response and have a normalizing physiologic influence,” and stress protective. Moreover, Rhodiola has been described as an antioxidant, antitumor, antidepressive, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, and immunostimulating agent. Many other benefits from the use of RR have been found, including its ability to regulate blood sugar levels for diabetics and to activate the lipolytic processes. Although detailed molecular mechanism of the lipid-lowering and antiinflammation effects of salidroside are to be identified, in vivo studies on high-fat diet–fed LDLr−/−mice demonstrated that this RR compound reduced serum lipid levels and decreased atherosclerotic plaque formation. A number of studies have shown that RR increased physical work capacity and dramatically shortened the recovery time between bouts of high-intensity exercise.

Rhodiola seems to reduce anxiety and various stress symptoms, particularly fatigue, while simultaneously improving cognitive and physical performance in stressful situations.

Top

Brands

Rhodiola supplements are low in cost but high in value

Thorne

$17

Double Wood

$18

Life Extension

$12.75

Benefits

The main effects of genus Rhodiola described are adaptogenic, that means “natural herbal products that are nontoxic in normal doses produce a nonspecific response and have a normalizing physiologic influence,” and stress protective. Moreover, Rhodiola has been described as an antioxidant, antitumor, antidepressive, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, and immunostimulating agent.

Antioxidant

Synthesizing proteins involved in stress resistance

Antitumor

Enhancing physical and mental resilience and performance in times of stress.

Antidepressive

Reduce anxiety and various stress symptoms.

Sources

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Mikayla PCOS

Mikayla

Battling PCOS and my journey 

A daily Battle

It’s always been a dream of mine to start a family. As a child, I dreamed about having babies. However, I stopped taking birth control shortly after our wedding, and that’s when the battle began. 

I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism at first, which is common for women. I notice something wasn’t right when I felt lethargic and started to gain weight.  I’ve always been thin, and I didn’t have any dietary changes, so I knew something was off. I started taking medication, but I still struggled to lose weight. After a couple meetings with an endocrinologist, I was also diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. (PCOS) For anyone trying to start a family, PCOS is real battle and struggle. Someone battling PCOS may experience excessive hair growth, thinning hair, acne, weight gain, and inflammation. 

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Mikayla Waltamath

Fitness and Lifestyle coach

My dream of having a baby has become more of an uphill battle, and I have to work even harder to be able to create the right environment. For women battling PCOS, we need to stick together! Support is important, and lifestyle changes even more crucial. I’ve never had to worry about dieting or watch what I ate. I also ate in moderation, but now, I had to focus on macronutrients. I would often battle between feeling too inflamed to workout, and forcing myself to do it! It’ important for women with PCOS to maintain a healthy weight despite the additional struggles. 

It’s important for us to stay at a healthy weight, limit or completely eliminate simple carbohydrates, and be active with little flexibility. I’m not bragging when I say that I could eat almost anything and not have to worry about gaining a pound to now eating even better and still battling gaining weight. I have a very loving and supporting husband who is there for me, and he’s a fitness and health nut, but we still struggle with symptoms of PCOS. 

On most days, I eat less calories than required, and yet, I still end up feeling bloated. Certain foods cause my body to react differently, so it’s been a major lifestyle change. Although diet is one aspect, but my greatest struggle is fertility. I often think it’s not fair that all I’ve dreamed about was having a child, and it’s been a struggle. I’m here to say, LET’S NOT GIVE UP!

Support

Support is crucial, and making sure we’re in this together gives us hope. Follow me as we continue the battle with PCOS!