Why Do Athletes Take Glutathione?
Athletes stress their bodies beyond the average person. They constantly push their bodies to the limit while finding the balance that prevents chronic pain, fatigue, and injury that can quickly take away the opportunity to perform.
The Master Antioxidant Glutathione is naturally produced in the body. It:
- Eliminates toxins
- Balances the free radicals that can lead to oxidative stress if unchecked
- Boosts the immune system
For an athlete performing at their highest level, the job of Glutathione is even more significant as it balances the free radicals that occur when the athlete’s body is stressed from everyday performance – vital to allowing it to deliver optimal results and prevent injury.
Glutathione Levels and the Athlete
During high-intensity exercise, Glutathione depletes rapidly. Post-activity, the stress on the body and inflammation that comes with it must be addressed immediately, or chronic issues can set in.
Athletes find that as the regular Glutathione stores in the body are taxed, supplementing Glutathione is powerfully helping them keep the homeostasis they need to avoid inflammation and injury, perform at the highest levels, and recover more efficiently. Here’s how-
The Athlete’s Body During a Workout
Every time athletes exert themselves, they produce free radicals in the body. Free radicals are unstable atoms that can damage cells, causing illness and aging. As the body converts increased oxygen to energy, it releases free radicals looking to steal electrons from healthy cells and tissues. These unstable atoms can damage cells and cause illness and aging – but for athletes post-workout, they can damage proteins and lipids. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) can damage cells and tissues, including muscle fibers.
Our bodies produce antioxidants to flush out these free radicals – and create balance in the body. Glutathione promotes immune system function, reduces inflammation, and improves muscle recovery. An overabundance of free radicals, without the necessary amount of antioxidants to neutralize them, leads to oxidative stress and many other issues, most of which are inflammation.
Glutathione Helps Athletes Manage Inflammation
All athletes deal with inflammation, and it’s not necessarily always a bad thing. Muscle damage naturally occurs through rigorous physical activity, and the body’s repair process includes an inflammatory response in the healing process. Inflammation is what helps us to heal and even defend against infection. But chronic inflammation has set in when inflammation and its associated pain continue for extended periods.
The key is to keep that inflammation from microtears in the muscle temporarily – it’s an essential part of muscle building. The body needs to repair it to avoid chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation leads to fatigue, injury, and lower performance levels.
Rebounding faster means lowering inflammation levels. Glutathione rids the body of the potentially damaging free radicals that cause inflammation. When the body has enough of this powerful detoxifier, inflammation can be kept at bay.
Glutathione Helps Athletes Fight Muscle Weakness and Fatigue
Chronic inflammation is the cause of many problems; as this study states, “Higher levels of circulating inflammatory markers are significantly associated with lower skeletal muscle strength and muscle mass.”
Glutathione helps to regulate the activity of critical enzymes involved in protein synthesis, which is essential for muscle growth and repair. By enhancing muscle protein synthesis, Glutathione can help to improve muscle strength and endurance.
It also helps defend the body against the free radical reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can damage cells and tissues, including muscle fibers, when left unchecked.
Glutathione helps defend against cell damage in the muscle as elsewhere, allowing for more energy in the cell by keeping free radicals in check. When Glutathione is low, muscle cells cannot produce ATP rapidly enough to maintain exercise intensity. ATP is the primary source of energy for most cellular processes. When Glutathione helps ATP production, it helps to reduce muscle fatigue and enhance muscle performance.
Glutathione Helps Athletes Prevent and Correct Tissue Damage
Glutathione helps maintain and repair tissue damage and goes hand in hand with aiding the body’s inflammatory response to grueling workouts: stiffness, pain, and swelling lead to overuse or injury by an athlete.
Glutathione neutralizes the ROS free radicals that occur in exercise. As the tissue and muscles are resting, Glutathione comes in and flushes the toxins from the tissues. This allows the tissues to rebuild, as well as strengthen the tissue that is already there.
How Athletes Can Increase Glutathione and Performance
- Eat Properly
Sulfur Rich Foods are rich in Glutathione. Add onions, garlic, and cruciferous vegetables to your grocery list.
- Supplement Properly
Delivery of Glutathione as a supplement is critical to its efficacy. Glutathione is a relatively large molecule. When taken orally, the body can have difficulty absorbing it through the intestinal lining. IV administration has been shown not to provide long-standing effects. Auro Founder Dr. Nayan Patel developed the Auro GSH™ Antioxidant Delivery System, which uses first-of-its-kind patented technology to optimize antioxidant absorption and efficacy in Glutaryl and Glutaryl +. The subcutaneous delivery of this Master antioxidant means a more powerful impact on the body with just four sprays 2 times a day.
- Decrease Exposure to Toxins
Athletes are already pushing their bodies to the extreme. Avoid excessive toxins like alcohol, excessive sun, nicotine, and stress to ensure that your Glutathione levels aren’t further depleted.
Everyone can benefit from more Glutathione in their life. Athletes, consider Glutaryl daily to keep Glutathione levels up and help your performance be at its peak!
