What is Creatine?

Creatine is an amino acid found naturally in your body.

It’s been shown to help build muscle and strength, especially when used in combination with resistance training.

Recent studies suggest that creatine may also support improved cognition.

Benefits of Creatine

• Boosted Endurance

  Creatine may help to improve sports performance by supporting stamina and strength, making it possible to work out longer and at a higher intensity—especially when lifting weights, sprinting, or performing other actions that require short but powerful bursts of effort.

  For example, one 2021 study determined that creatine led to increases in both low-speed and high-speed strength, maximal work output, sprint performance, and fat-free mass.

• Reduced Injury Risk and Quicker Recovery

  Creatine has been shown to reduce cramping.

  Some research has found a link between creatine and a reduced risk of muscle and joint injuries.

• Bonus Benefits for your Brain

  Emerging research suggests that supplementing with creatine may support enhanced memory performance in healthy people, particularly older adults.

  One recent review found that participants who supplemented with creatine performed better on tests of memory than those that received a placebo.

  Another recent study found that participants who supplemented with five grams (g) of creatine for six weeks experienced a small, but beneficial, improvement in cognitive performance.

Timing Creatine Supplementation with Exercise

One recent study found that taking creatine after exercise may produce more benefits than taking it before, but the evidence wasn’t particularly strong.

Is Creatine Right for You?

• Creatine for Vegetarians

  Most of the creatine in our diets comes from meat or seafood. Vegans and vegetarians might need a boost.

  Researchers evaluated nine studies concerning creatine levels in vegetarians.

  The researchers determined that supplementation helped increase lean tissue mass, muscular strength, and muscular endurance in participants.

  “Overall, it appears vegetarian athletes are likely to benefit from creatine supplementation,” wrote the authors of the review, which was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

• Other Notes and Precautions

  • Safety Concerns

    Creatine monohydrate is the safest and most extensively researched form of the supplement, even at higher doses (a typical dose is 3 to 5 grams per day).

  • Weight Gain

    One common side effect of creatine supplementation is weight gain, but it tends to be due to an increase in muscle, and not fat.

  • Dehydration

    Creatine draws water to the muscles from the rest of the body, potentially causing dehydration.

    It’s important to drink plenty of water when supplementing with creatine.

Devices that promise results tend to get our attention, especially when it comes to weight loss.

Vibration machines—also known as vibrating plates, shaking machines, or shaking platforms—are a more recent entry into this popular category.

What Are Vibration Machines?

Using whole-body vibrations that force the body’s muscles to contract reflexively, these devices can assist with weight loss and muscle building.

Found in some gyms and health clubs, these devices are also available to purchase for home use.

Styles and Designs

Styles and designs vary. Some have you stand on a vibrating plate.

Others resemble an enclosed stand-up tanning bed. This version typically comes with red light therapy, along with the vibratory plates under the feet.

Health Benefits

Some reported effects of vibration machines include:

• increased blood flow
• reduced inflammation in muscles / joints
• improved flexibility
• weight loss assistance

Fifteen minutes a day, three days a week, can help with:

• fat burning
• strength building 
• decreased cortisol levels
• less muscle tension

Additional Benefits with Light Therapy

Machines with red-light therapy offer additional benefits, such as:

• less visible wrinkles
• healing of damaged tissues
• regeneration of damaged tissues
• decreased inflammation

Other Benefits

The positive effects of vibration machines go beyond fitness. Some users report:

• Better lymphatic drainage, which can lower overall swelling and improve toxin reduction.
• Less back pain and reduced bone loss.
• Improvement in balance and strength.

How Do They Work?

When the device’s platform vibrates, the body’s muscles reflexively contract at a rapid pace. This causes an increase in muscular activity.

The intensity of the vibration determines the amount of energy the body burns.

Users report the vibrations feel similar to a massage, and the red lights are a welcome and warming addition to their general workouts. 

Within a Workout

Besides standing on the device and allowing the vibrations to do their thing, some people add exercises like squats and lunges to improve results.

One study found that using vibratory and unstable platforms increased participants’ muscular functions on their front legs when they performed suspended lunges.

Results of Research Studies

Studies have found that benefits can go beyond weight loss.

It’s important to note that many studies have been small in both scale and time, and most participants have typically been obese or overweight.

Larger and longer-term studies are needed to compare these vibration devices with traditional exercise.

• Weight and Fat Loss

  A review of studies conducted for less than six months found that participants using whole-body vibration had significant amounts of fat loss, but not significant changes in body fat percentage. 

  A 2016 study on middle-age obese women found that vibration training, along with a diet program, was as effective as an aerobic program and a diet program over a nine-month period.

• Lowered Blood Pressure

  Research discovered those who went through vibration training for six weeks had a significant decrease in their systolic blood pressure compared to the control group.

• Mobility for MS Patients

  Another study on progressive resistance training and vibration found that vibration, along with muscle strength training, improved the walking ability and muscle strength of participants with multiple sclerosis.

Safety and Precautions

While generally considered safe, vibration machines are NOT for everyone.

Most of the studies linking vibration to these symptoms were reported in those who expose themselves to vibrations every day for work, and have other risk factors.

Still, more research is needed to understand vibration’s effects on the human body.

Check with your healthcare provider before trying vibration machines, especially if you have health issues or are pregnant.

• Beware Common Issues

  • Fall Risk

    Those who are at high risk of falling should stick to exercises where they can lie down or sit rather than stand.

  • Pain and Tension

    Back, neck, hip, hand, and shoulder pain can develop with repeated exposure to the machine’s vibrations. Other issues may occur such as headaches, nerve damage, and digestive issues.

    Some feel the machines cause too much stress on their bodies due to intense shaking. Regular users report that if you relax into it, it can become more enjoyable.

  • Light Exposure

    Some drawbacks have been reported when using vibration devices, including lights that are too bright inside the enclosed versions of the machines.

    Wearing protective eyewear is a smart choice, if you’re sensitive.

• Don't Neglect Diet and Exercise

  Experts remind those interested in this technology that, while these devices may be a good adjunct to a fitness programs, they should not replace regular workouts like swimming, walking, or cycling.

  Consuming a healthy diet is important too. Positive benefits like weight loss occur when a reduced-calorie diet is consumed.

• Ask a Professional

  Check with your healthcare provider before trying vibration machines, especially if you have health issues or are pregnant.

An easy-to-measure indicator of body fat, body mass index (BMI) is calculated from height and weight.

What is Body Mass Index?

BMI is simply an estimate of body fat that health professionals use to gauge an overweight person’s risk for breathing problems, some cancers, cardiovascular disease, gallstones, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes.

A BMI of 30 or above indicates obesity, and 25 to 29.9, overweight. The normal range is 18.5 to 24.9, and a figure below 18.5 is underweight.

While BMI does not measure body fat directly, it does correlate with more direct measures and seems to be as strong an indicator of risk for metabolic issues and diseases.

What It’s Not

BMI is an inexpensive and easy screening tool, but it does not diagnose a person’s body fatness or health.

Reasons BMI may differ among individuals include the following:

• at the same BMI women are likely to have more body fat than men
• older people, because of muscle loss, may have more body fat than younger adults
• nonathletes have more body fat than athletes

How to Use BMI

Medical professionals often use BMI to help determine whether a patient is overweight or obese. A high BMI may lead a healthcare provider to pursue additional avenues of inquiry.

Some additional methods include measuring waist circumference and skinfold thickness; assessing for obesity-related conditions and diseases; and evaluating nutritional status.

What If It’s Low?

Obesity isn’t the only problem that the BMI addresses. If yours is below 18.5, signifying that you are underweight, your risk of the following conditions may be high: anemia, infertility, malnutrition, muscle weakness, osteoporosis, and immune-system deficiency.

If your BMI calculation seems to indicate underweight, check with your healthcare provider for a thorough evaluation of your nutritional status.

Exercise is vital for life, but injuries often set us back for a couple of days or longer.

Supplements for Injury Prevention

While the occasional pulled muscle or inflamed tendon is virtually unavoidable, certain key nutrients can play a role in injury prevention.

• B vitamins

  The Bs are necessary for energy production, a crucial factor for effective exercise.

  Low levels of vitamin B12, for example, may result in diminished energy and exercise tolerance, together with fatigue and shortness of breath, according to a recent study.

• Omega 3s

  Research has shown that these essential fatty acids can enhance athletic performance while helping to stave off injuries.

  They reduce inflammation and ease postworkout muscle soreness.

• Vitamin D

  Low serum levels of vitamin D have been shown to negatively affect muscle strength and endurance and increase the risk of musculoskeletal injuries like stress fractures.

• BCAAs

  Found in supplement form or food (meat, fish, seafood, milk, eggs), branched-chain amino acids (including valine, leucine, and isoleucine) offer two key benefits for athletes as post-training support.

  First, they stop the breakdown of muscle after a workout.

  Second, they initiate the recovery process, helping to repair muscle.

• Glutathione

  This antioxidant has been proven to reduce symptoms of stress and discomfort in muscles and joints.

  It provides a boost in athletic performance and recovery.

• Calcium

  Adequate calcium intakes guards against fracture risk.

  There is no need to exceed recommended calcium amounts, which are 1,000 milligrams (mg) per day (through a combination of dietary and supplement sources) if you are 50 or younger. For women 51 or older, 1,200 mg is the recommended amount.

  Because the body can absorb only a certain amount of calcium at a time, it's best to break the dosages into roughly 500 mg at a time.

“Resistance training (RT) is the only non-pharmacological intervention known to consistently improve, and therefore offset age-related declines in skeletal muscle mass, strength, and power,” write the authors of a recent study published in the journal Sports Medicine.

But the researchers found that weightlifting and other forms of RT are not popular among our aging population, “likely due to numerous factors including time constraints, a high-perceived difficulty, and limited access to facilities and equipment.”

Benefits of Weight Training

Wayne L. Westcott, PhD, author of numerous strength-training and fitness books, estimated that inactive adults lose up to 8 percent of their muscle mass each decade.

He cited many benefits of weight training, including:

• sharper cognition
• diabetes prevention
• weight reduction
• improved physical performance
• better cardiovascular health
• reductions in pain...
  • in lower back
  • from arthritis

Research on Resistance Training

Research show gains in training capacity and competitive performance for runners, swimmers, cross-country skiers, and many other athletes following the addition of weightlifting to their programs.

Reduced Risk of Disease

A recent meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine provided “the strongest evidence to date that resistance training is associated with reduced risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer-specific mortality.”

Improved Longevity

In one recent study published by JAMA Network Open, an analysis of more than 115,000 people aged 65 and older showed that no matter how much aerobic exercise people did, it was strength training at least twice a week that lowered the risk of dying.

People who did strength training twice or more a week who also did 2.5 hours of aerobic exercise saw their risk of death during the eight-year study period drop by 30 percent.

Strength Training Tips

This advice isn’t just for competitors. Nearly anyone can improve their overall fitness—and potentially add healthy years to their life—by incorporating strength training into their exercise routines.

• Focus on Maintenance

  “Across the lifespan, declines in strength and power occur up to eight times faster than the loss of muscle mass, and are more strongly associated with functional impairments and risks of morbidity and mortality,” wrote the authors of the Sports Medicine study.

  “Strategies to maximize healthspan should therefore arguably focus more on improving or maintaining muscle strength and power than on increasing muscle mass.”

  Building big muscles needn’t be the goal.

• Include Aerobics

  Weight training can have significant effects on balance, endurance, and overall strength, particularly in combination with aerobic exercises such as:

  • walking
  • cycling
  • gentle running
  • swimming

• Start Small

  Working with light dumbbells can be very effective, and so can body-weight exercises such as planks and pushups.

  A small amount of resistance training can lead to major improvements with less time and effort than you might have thought.

• Consult Professionals

  Novices should check with a healthcare professional before beginning a weightlifting program.

  Virtually every gym, YMCA, municipal recreation center, senior center, or similar establishment will have someone on the staff who can help guide a weightlifting plan.

Getting proper nutrition is critical to muscle growth. During normal activity and exercise, your body breaks down muscle proteins to prevent muscular atrophy. Your body depends on muscle proteins to stop this decay and gain muscle (muscle synthesis).

Supplements such as protein powder and branch-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are common options for providing these nutrients to your body. However, these supplements are missing key components, making them less effective.

Benefits of Muscle Synthesis Activators

Oh!mino Muscle Synthesis Activators are the next generation in performance supplements designed for optimal muscle growth and recovery. Oh!mino is complete with all nine essential amino acids (EAAs), electrolytes, and adaptogens. Oh!mino helps you gain strength, build muscle, and recover faster, regardless of your fitness level.[fda:note]

• Support Muscle Growth

  Research shows that having free amino acids in your plasma improves the rate of muscle synthesis. With all nine essential amino acids, Oh!mino is 11 times more effective for muscle synthesis than whey protein and over 20 times more effective than BCAA’s.[fda:note] Taking Oh!mino increases the amount of free amino acids, and in optimized ratios, for greater muscle gains.[fda:note]

• Improve Performance and Hydration

  Electrolytes are minerals that transport nutrients and waste throughout your body. These electrolytes ensure that the brain, heart, and muscles get the nutrients they need to perform. During exercise, electrolytes can help your body recover and increase endurance.

  While many electrolyte supplements only contain cheap mineral salts, Oh!mino contains five fully-balanced electrolytes:

  • calcium
  • magnesium
  • chloride
  • sodium
  • potassium

  Oh!mino increases endurance, athletic performance, and it can also speed up muscle recovery by 373 percent.[fda:note]

• Reduce Muscle Atrophy

  Essential Amino Acids may reduce muscle decay.[fda:note] With the use of all nine essential amino acids, Oh!mino may help maintain muscle tissue growth even without physical activity, making Oh!mino an effective supplement for not only athletes, but for those who are unable to exercise, or older Americans concerned with sarcopenia.[fda:note]

Why Oh!mino Over Other Supplements?

Protein supplements like BCAAs or whey protein are helpful, but they aren’t as effective as Oh!mino. Studies show that common amino acids taken with carbohydrates reduces their effectiveness. That is why Oh!mino is optimized with the proper ratio of all nine EAAs, electrolytes, and adaptogens, and it has zero net carbohydrates.

Conclusion

It is critical that your body is prepared for exercise, receives hydration during workouts, and refuels after exercise. Without adequate nutrition, you aren’t getting the most out of each and every rep.

Oh!mino Muscle Synthesis Activators increase muscle synthesis and performance at a higher caliber than any other supplement in the market. It is unique in that it works pre-, intra-, and post-workout.

Let’s face it: life can be stressful.

Work, family, world events, the changing of the seasons—even in the best of situations, they can take a toll, emotionally and physically.

If you’re suffering from the effects of mild stress or anxiety, take heart. There are effective strategies for coping with the stress of day-to-day life.

How to Manage Stress

• Self-Care

  Small changes in your lifestyle can make a big impact.

  • Regular Exercise

    Exercise is one of the best things you can do to relieve stress, and it works best when you do it on a regular basis. Find something physical that you like to do, and start a routine.

  • Eat Healthfully

    Avoid meal-skipping and junk-food snacks. Reach for nutritious energy-boosters when you’re flagging.

  • Relaxation Techniques

    Relax by practicing yoga or mindful meditation, taking deep breaths, listening to music, or getting a massage.

  • Organization

    Organize your tasks to help avoid procrastination and stay on top of what needs to be done. Make prioritized to-do lists. Do one thing at a time rather than multitasking. Learn how to say no.

  • Keep Perspective

    Challenge your negative thoughts. You may be able to free yourself from a cycle of anxiety by letting go of things that are not in your control.

  • Get Enough Sleep

    In times of stress, it’s critical to get a good night’s sleep every night. Exercise, relaxation, and supplements like melatonin can help.

    You can also try aromatherapy—calming scents include lavender, geranium, rose, sandalwood, and bergamot—and reducing caffeine.

    Other tips for enhancing sleep include:

    • skipping long daytime naps
    • sticking to regular sleeping and waking times every day
    • keeping your bedroom dark and quiet
    • avoiding exercise within a few hours of bedtime

• Nutritional Support

  Nutritional deficiencies can contribute to the symptoms of stress and anxiety. If you’re not getting the following in your diet, consider supplements.

  • Vitamin A

    The antioxidant properties of vitamin A can help keep symptoms of stress under control.

  • B-complex Vitamins

    The Bs keep your nervous system healthy.

  • Vitamin C

    Another antioxidant, C can guard against oxidative damage—which can pump up anxiety—to your nervous system.

  • Vitamin D

    Your body uses vitamin D to help absorb other vitamins, so if you’re D-deficient, you may be deficient in other vitamins as well—which can aggravate stress.

  • Vitamin E

    A stressed-out body uses up vitamin E quickly, so supplementing can bring things back into balance.

  • Magnesium

    The mineral magnesium is critical to health; a deficiency can bring on symptoms of stress.

  • Omega 3s

    Research indicates that omega 3s can help with stress. In one study of medical students, those who supplemented with omega-3 essential fatty acids saw their anxiety symptoms go down by 20 percent.

    Omega 3s also reduce the body’s inflammatory response, which can help with pain.

• Other Supplements

  Consider alternative medicine for more support.

  • Reishi Mushrooms

    They contribute to a calm, centered feeling of physical and emotional well-being.

  • Cannabidiol

    CBD may also be useful. After evaluating results from 76 studies, a team of scientists deemed CBD to show promising results in the treatment of anxiety and stress.