Zinc is an antioxidant and a component of many enzymes. It plays an important role in the formation of protein in the body and involves in various functions of the body from cell growth to testosterone production.

Approximately 50 – 60% of the total body zinc is in the muscles. Hard exercise and stress deplete the body from zinc. Ergo – Tech whey isolate protein helps replenish zinc stores.

Selenium is an essential trace mineral with antioxidant activity. It has a key role in the production of thyroid hormones. When combined with vitamins E and C, selenium may enhance recovery from intense strength training.

Other benefits of selenium are:

• May speed up the healing process in sports injuries.
• May aid recover from overtraining syndrome.
• Protects muscles against oxidative damage.

Vitamin C is water – soluble vitamin that has antioxidant activity as well. It protects the muscles from exercise – induced oxidative damage and promotes muscle growth. It acts as a coenzyme to convert proline to hydroxyproline and lysine to hydroxylysine. Both hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine are important for collagen synthesis.

Other benefits of vitamin C are:

• It may prevent from overtraining syndrome.
• It may speed up exercise recovery.
• It supports protein synthesis.
• It may have a protective effect against post – exercise myoglobinuria (PEM).

Vitamin E may be the most important antioxidant related to exercise. It may prevent from exercise – induced muscle damage and lipid peroxidation, and helps with recovery from intense exercise. Studies show that vitamin E along with vitamin C lowers serum and breath markers of lipid oxidation at rest and following an exercise session.

 

Other athletic benefits of vitamin E include:

• Plays a role in the formation of steroid hormones.
• Reduces muscle cramps and fatigue.
• Helps prevent muscle soreness after workouts, after being taken for at least 4 to 8 weeks.
• Decreases free radical damage during weight training.
• Inhibits prostaglandin formation and subsequently, combats inflammation and accelerate recovery of sports injuries
• Facilitates recuperation from intense exercise training.
• May prevent exercise – induced muscle breakdown.

Co – Enzyme Q10 is a potent antioxidant and has a multiplicity of uses in the body. It is a vital cofactor in the production of energy, improves aerobic capacity, reduces muscle soreness and fatigue, and may prevent exercise – induced muscle breakdown.

 

A metabolic enhancer, co-enzyme Q10 is present in all cells of the body, with the heart and liver containing the highest concentration. It has shown that co-enzyme Q10 improves exercise performance especially in patients with heart diseases.

Glutathione is one of the primary antioxidants in the body. Supporting liver detoxification, it is a sulfur – containing compound made of the three amino acids cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine.

The body needs vitamin B2, vitamin B6 and selenium to produce glutathione. It may have a protective effect against athletic overtraining syndrome.

Alpha – Lipoic Acid (ALA) is referred to as the “universal antioxidant” for being soluble in both water and fat. It helps to recycle vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione, and Co –Enzyme Q10 in the body. ALA helps the body replenish muscle glycogen by acting as an “insulin mimicker” and accelerates exercise recovery.

Other athletic benefits of ALA are:

• ALA helps with the oxidation of pyruvate, BCAA (branched chain amino acids), and alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG).
• ALA may prevent from athletic overtraining syndrome by enhancing glutathione level within the muscles.
• ALA reduces oxidative damages caused by training or competitions.