AMPED Post-Workout: Everything you need to know

While the health benefits of exercise are well known, it is still a physiological stress placed upon the body. Proper training can help prevent injuries and overtraining. However, many find the need to adjust and supplement their nutrition to optimise adequate recovery between exercise sessions.

We recently launched AMPED™ Post-Workout, a multifunctional post-exercise supplement formulated with natural ingredients like tart cherry, curcumin, astaxanthin and collagen peptides to promote recovery from strenuous exercise.

Strenuous exercise can induce muscle damage, resulting in both local and systemic effects that worsen two to three days post-exercise (1). These changes — including delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and muscle protein breakdown — ultimately end in the beneficial responses of repair, adaptation and growth of muscles (2). It can take up to two to three weeks after a bout of intense exercise for the body to fully repair damaged tissues (1). Therefore, achieving an appropriate balance between training and recovery is important for maximising results.

Recent nutritional research has focused on the phytonutrient components of functional foods, such as flavonoids, curcumin and carotenoids, as well as other nutrients like collagen. Many experts have proposed that these may act synergistically to enhance overall exercise recovery (3). AMPED Post-Workout is an innovative, comprehensive formula that supports athletic performance and joint health while promoting muscle recovery following strenuous exercise.

What Makes This Formula So Unique?

Tart Cherry

Tart cherry contains flavonoids like anthocyanins that can help athletes and exercise enthusiasts recover faster from exhaustive exercise. Tart cherry supplementation has been reported to improve muscle recovery and reduce strength loss and soreness following intense exercise (4-6). Endurance athletes who supplemented with tart cherry had significant improvements in their half-marathon race finish times and immune response following a half-marathon (7).

Curcumin

The yellow pigment from the rhizome turmeric root, curcumin exerts potent health effects that may afford protection against exercise-induced stress (8). Like tart cherry, curcumin also supports muscle recovery following strenuous exercise (9-11).

Astaxanthin

This naturally occurring carotenoid is found in marine species such as microalgae, crustacea, fish and some birds. In contrast to these species, humans are unable to synthesise astaxanthin. We are dependent upon either dietary sources (including salmon, lobster, shrimp and crab) or supplementation (12). Current evidence suggests that supplementing with astaxanthin can improve exercise efficiency, performance and recovery due to its potent free-radical-scavenging effects in cells (13-17).

Collagen Peptides

These peptides are the building blocks of cartilage production, providing strong support for healthy joints. In healthy men and women, supplementation with collagen peptides has been reported to ease exercise-related joint soreness, which can hamper athletic performance benefits (18-20).

Taken right after a hard workout, these ingredients in AMPED Post-Workout work together to support your exercise performance and recovery. Not to mention, it tastes great, too!

References

1. Clarkson PM, Sayers SP. Etiology of exercise-induced muscle damage. Can J Appl Physiol. 1999 Jun;24(3):234-48.
2. Kanda K, Sugama K, Hayashida H et al. Eccentric exercise-induced delayed-onset muscle soreness and changes in markers of muscle damage and inflammation. Exerc Immunol Rev. 2013;19:72-85.
3. Rawson ES, Miles MP, Larson-Meyer DE. Dietary supplements for health, adaptation, and recovery in athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2018 Mar 1;28(2):188-199.
4. Bowtell JL, Sumners DP, Dyer A et al. Montmorency cherry juice reduces muscle damage caused by intensive strength exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Aug;43(8):1544-51.
5. Connolly DA, McHugh MP, Padilla-Zakour OI et al. Efficacy of a tart cherry juice blend in preventing the symptoms of muscle damage. Br J Sports Med. 2006 Aug;40(8):679-83; discussion 683. Epub 2006 Jun 21.
6. Levers K, Dalton R, Galvan E et al. Effects of powdered montmorency tart cherry supplementation on an acute bout of intense lower body strength exercise in resistance trained males. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015 Nov 16;12:41.
7. Levers K, Dalton R, Galvan E et al. Effects of powdered montmorency tart cherry supplementation on acute endurance exercise performance in aerobically trained individuals. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2016 May 26;13:22.
8. Kunnumakkara AB, Bordoloi D, Padmavathi G et al. Curcumin, the golden nutraceutical: multitargeting for multiple chronic diseases. Br J Pharmacol. 2017 Jun;174(11):1325-1348.
9. Tanabe Y, Maeda S, Akazawa N et al. Attenuation of indirect markers of eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage by curcumin. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2015 Sep;115(9):1949-57.
10. McFarlin BK, Venable AS, Henning AL et al. Reduced inflammatory and muscle damage biomarkers following oral supplementation with bioavailable curcumin. BBA Clin. 2016 Feb 18;5:72-8.
11. Delecroix B, Abaïdia AE, Leduc C et al. Curcumin and piperine supplementation and recovery following exercise induced muscle damage: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Sports Sci Med. 2017 Mar 1;16(1):147-153.
12. Guerin M, Huntley ME, Olaizola M. Haematococcus astaxanthin: applications for human health and nutrition. Trends Biotechnol. 2003 May;21(5):210-6.
13. Brown DR, Gough LA, Deb SK et al. Astaxanthin in exercise metabolism, performance and recovery: A Review. Front Nutr. 2018 Jan 18;4:76.
14. Earnest CP, Lupo M, White KM et al. Effect of astaxanthin on cycling time trial performance. Int J Sports Med. 2011 Nov;32(11):882-8.
15. Djordjevic B, Baralic I, Kotur-Stevuljevic J et al. Effect of astaxanthin supplementation on muscle damage and oxidative stress markers in elite young soccer players. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2012 Aug;52(4):382-92.
16. Baralic I, Djordjevic B, Dikic N et al. Effect of astaxanthin supplementation on paraoxonase 1 activities and oxidative stress status in young soccer players. Phytother Res. 2013 Oct;27(10):1536-42.
17. Baralic I, Andjelkovic M, Djordjevic B et al. Effect of Astaxanthin Supplementation on Salivary IgA, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Young Soccer Players. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:783761.
18. Clark KL, Sebastianelli W, Flechsenhar KR et al. 24-week study on the use of collagen hydrolysate as a dietary supplement in athletes with activity-related joint pain. Curr Med Res Opin. 2008 May;24(5):1485-96.
19. Zdzieblik D, Oesser S, Gollhofer A et al. Improvement of activity-related knee joint discomfort following supplementation of specific collagen peptides. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2017 Jun;42(6):588-595.
20. Dressler P, Gehring D, Zdzieblik D et al. Improvement of functional ankle properties following supplementation with specific collagen peptides in athletes with chronic ankle instability. J Sports Sci Med. 2018 May 14;17(2):298-304.