How Omega-3 fatty acids help your brain

In the last 2 years EthicSport released 13 new products thanks to research and development intense activity.

EthicSport® products are made using only the best raw materials and following the highest production standards. The formulation of each product is unique and guarantees top performances during training and competition. Our experience comes from the field and is growing day by day thanks to the collaborations with professional teams, sports federations, medical staffs and Universities.

SUPER DEXTRIN is our last product released by EthicSport.

It has a series of unique and particular features, which permitted the formulation PATENT.

SUPER DEXTRIN is a “SUPER MALTODEXTRIN”, it permits a steady energy flow, useful for athletes carrying out intense activities, mainly endurance.

This product contains innovative ingredients.

It contains:

1. HBCD (Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin) => allows a steady glucose supply to the body,
2. Palatinose™ => is a special carbohydrate with low glycemic index, helps to improve fat oxidation during physical activity.
3. Maltodextrins DE6 and DE18 => permit a more gradual energy release to the body.

Find out all the secrets in the introduction VIDEO!

What are the Super Dextrin advantages?

1. Super Dextrin supply carbohydrates with high molecular weight
2. It has a low osmotic pressure (120mOsm/l) this is able to influence positively gastric emptying
3. It has a high solubility and a fast intestinal absorption
4. It releases energy gradually to the body, useful for athletes carrying out intense activities, mainly endurance.
5. The special blend generates less insulin peak than normal maltodextrin, permitting to the body energy reserves coming from fats.

Super Dextrin is a real revoltion in energy supplements, useful for athletes carrying out intense activities, mainly endurance, supply carbohydrates with high molecular weight and allows a steady glucose supply. This permits to have long lasting energy.

This product is recommended in pre-workout and during the activity, in several sport.

SUPER DEXTRIN IS THE NEW ERA FOR ENERGY SUPPLEMENTS!

It is well known that exercise is one of the best way to prevent some diseases, but now the American College of Sports Medicine (Acms) in its latest Guidelines has stated how much physical exercise is necessary to be healthy.
From cardiovascular diseases to diabetes, from hypertension to obesity from osteoporosis to cancer: with a 30 min. daily training for 5 days a week (150 min. /week) adults between 18 and 65 years old may prevent all these diseases. The best training strategy is to do some aerobic activities (running, swimming, cycling) together with some stretching and muscle strengthening exercises. Alternatively, as suggested by a new study carried out by the University of Leicester and published on The Lancet it is advisable to walk for 20 minutes per day to reduce body weight and to decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases by 8%.

 

An increased dietary fiber intake is directly linked to benefits on metabolism, such as a reduction of body weight and prevention of type 2 diabetes and obesity. A great number of studies carried out on animals and humans have confirmed this evidence. What was unknown until now was the mechanism behind these results. A new study carried out by a team of French researchers showed that the beneficial effects linked to fermented fibers are due to their ability to regulate intestinal glucose. This study published on Cell, related dietary fibers to the production of intestinal glucose. In particular, it has been noted that intestine is able to produce glucose and to release it into blood stream between meals and during the night. 
This phenomenon is detected by the nerves in the walls of the hepatic portal vein, which in turn, send a nervous impulse to the brain producing a decrease in the feeling of hunger, an increase in energy consumption at rest and the reduction of hepatic glucose: these factors have a positive impact on diabetes and obesity.

Reference: De Vadder, F., Kovatcheva-Datchary P., et al., “Microbiota-Generated Metabolites Promote Metabolic Benefits via Gut-Brain Neural Circuits”, Cell, published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.12.016



 

Is it true that Omega-3 fatty acids are good for your brain? 
According to a new study published on Neurology the answers seems to be “yes”: people with high Omega-3 levels from marine sources may have a delayed loss of cerebral mass in later life. Doctor James Pottala of the Sioux Falls, University of South Dakota, co-author of this study, explains that 30-40% of fatty acids in cortical gray matter is composed of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), one of the Omega-3 fatty acids. For this reason, researchers suggested a possible correlation between polyunsaturated fatty acids and cerebral mass. Doctor Pottala and his colleagues measured polyunsaturated fatty acids in red blood cells of 1,111 women, who then underwent MRI eight years later at an average age of 78 years old. Results showed that eight years later participants with higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids had a bigger cerebral volume, that is, they showed a delay of 1-2 years in the onset of cerebral atrophy. These results adds up to those obtained from previous studies and all suggest that an increased polyunsaturated fatty acid intake, from proper supplementation, can delay cerebral atrophy and possibly dementia. 

Source: Neurology 82 February 4, 2014. Pp 435-442 Published online before print January 22, 2014
 

A new meta-analysis on nutrition and ictus showed that consuming fruits and vegetables is inversely associated with the risk of ictus.
In particular, according to the researchers of Qingdao Municipal Hospital in China, every 200 g of fruits consumed daily, the risk of ictus reduces by 32% and by 11% every 200 g of vegetables. 
The meta-analysis took into consideration 20 studies published over 19 years on the main medical journals and 16,981 cases of ictus were analyzed. 
Data show how a diet high in fruits and vegetables can decrease the risk of cerebrovascular events reducing blood pressure, improving micro vessel circulation and reducing body mass index, cholesterol levels and oxidative stress. This is because fruits and vegetables supply micro and macronutrients without adding calories. 
Researchers claimed that this study confirm the positive effects of consuming fruits and vegetables on health and that this kind of nutrition, together with an improved lifestyle is fundamental to reduce the risk of ictus.  

Source: Doctor33

2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans claim that dietary cholesterol is not to be considered as risk factor. These new indications do not refer to LDL cholesterol (the so called “bad cholesterol”), which is still considered a serious threat to cardiovascular health, but they highlight the influence of dietary factors on the increase of LDL cholesterol, which is mainly determined by genetic factors. According to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DAGC), only the 20% of cholesterol is linked to dietary factors. This change is an important step forward in the scientific view of dietary cholesterol, which had always been limited by several nutritional guidelines in the past. Now, according to these new guidelines, the consumption of eggs, even for people with high cholesterol levels, is not considered risky anymore. On the contrary, the most recent studies show that eggs contain about 185 mg of cholesterol and they are high in Vitamin D and protein (about 7 g in total of which 5 g in egg white), while fats are mainly mono and poly-unsaturated, therefore not dangerous for health. 

References: 
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion – Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015
http://www.doctor33.it/le-nuove-linee-guida-aprono-alle-uova-riabilitando-il-colesterolo-alimentare-/articolo-27483.html?xrtd=PRLRCRPTRVLPRVLYTCYCYXS
 

Very often people think that it is important to take energy supplements only before and during the ride, but that's not true! 
Actually, the most important time to take nutrition is at the end of your training session!

During exercise, your body is subject to intense efforts and needs a lot of energy; muscle fibres gets damaged, stress-related hormones are released and the immune system weakens. Therefore, after exercise you feel fatigued and need to put yourself back together. 

If you neglect this important phase, that is the recovery phase, you might get sick more easily. A number of studies showed that in the 72 hrs after endurance exercise, the body is more exposed to infections, injuries and muscle soreness, thus the recovery is more difficult. 
On the contrary, a good recovery strategy makes cyclists perform at their best during every ride. 

Here are some useful tips on how and when taking nutrition during the recovery phase. 

1. What should I eat and drink after exercise? 

It is important to have a combination of carbohydrates and high quality, fast absorbed proteins, preferably associated to an electrolyte drink. This way, carbohydrates will replenish muscle glycogen stores, proteins will start repairing muscle tissue, while electrolytes will restore fluids and minerals lost sweating. 

2. How many carbohydrates should I have?

Carbohydrate intake depends on several factors, such as exercise intensity, body condition, pre-exercise nutrition and temperature. However, an average carbohydrate intake should be around 0.8 - 1.2 g/ kg of body weight.


3. How many proteins should I have?

Some studies show that consuming 20-25 g of proteins with a high biological value immediately after exercise support muscular recovery, especially when choosing whey proteins that are rapidly digested.


4. Are recovery supplements useful?

Recovery supplements are very useful especially (but not only) after races. Recupero® and Recupero Extreme®, for example, are two different blends of carbohydrates, BCAA, micronutrients and electrolytes specific for the recovery phase. These products can be used regularly (in case of Recupero®) or exclusively after very intense training sessions or races (in case of Recupero Extreme®).


5. Are sports products really useful, or should I have only "normal" foods?  

Food supplements should never be taken as substitutes for foods, but  they can be a valid option to increase energy intake before, during and right after exercise. Gels, bars and electrolyte energy drinks are very practical for athletes and very effective if designed to be rapidly absorbed.