Energy pills that work : can these five supplements help unleash the muscle-building power within you? - and don't - Energy

Men's Fitness, March, 2002 by Alan E. Shugarman

Frankenstein's monster had it easy. All he needed was a few thousand volts of electricity to get him up off his slab and into full-on rampage-the-countryside mode. For the rest of us, getting energized isn't such an instant, facile process. The hectic pace of today's world, a demanding job and lack of adequate sleep all conspire to turn you into a sluggish beast, too tired to get through the day, much less power through a workout. Instead of waiting for lightning bolts to strike, you may find that supplements such as the five we review below are just what you need to help you stop dragging your feet.

Supplement: GINSENG

Breakdown/Benefits: Ginseng is one of several herbs that fall into the category of adaptogens, substances that help the body adapt to different types of stress, be it from exercise, work or keeping your spouse happy. Since stress tends to rob the body of energy, adaptogens are supposed to revitalize you, allowing you to get more out of your exercise and speeding up your recovery. Forms of ginseng are found in Asia, Siberia and America; each has a different effect, but all are touted as having the ability to charge up the body through adaptogenic compounds called ginsenosides. The research on the many types of ginseng and their effects on energy, however, has been inconclusive at best (the claims of most makers rely on a single researcher's work), even though, anecdotally, people have been juicing themselves with ginseng supplements often enough to make them a best-seller. Do your own trial-and-error testing to see if any of the available varieties puts a little tiger in your tank.

Dosage: 100 to 300 milligrams per day. Take for only two or three weeks, then take a two-week break to reduce the impact of negative side effects.

Side effects: Generally considered safe, although the list of possible ill effects includes headaches, insomnia, anxiety, skin rashes, asthma attacks, diarrhea, euphoria, nervousness, heart palpitations, increased blood pressure, and reduced blood-sugar levels. Check with your doctor if you have hypoglycemia, high blood pressure, insomnia, hay fever, asthma, emphysema, blood-clotting problems, heart disorders, or diabetes.

Cost: About $10 for a one-month supply.

Supplement: MACA

Breakdown/Benefits: Found in the mountains of Peru and supposedly eaten by Incan warriors before battle, maca is an herbal adaptogen consumed by the Andes Indians and is thought to promote heartiness. Recent research has focused on its effects on sexual performance, with mixed results. Maca is rich in nutrients, so, in theory, it should boost energy, but supporting research is lacking. Still, as an adaptogen; maca may help the body adjust to higher exercise workloads and prevent excessive damage from the stress of training. That the Andean people have used maca for countless years should be evidence enough of its usefulness. Witnessing 80-year-old men hike up the Andes mountainside with 100-pound packs as if it were a walk in the park, all while munching maca root, is very convincing.

Dosage: 200 milligrams to one gram per day. Take without other adaptogens to determine its true effects, if any.

Side effects: No known negative effects.

Cost: Around $10 to $15 for a one-month supply.

Supplement: RHODIOLA

Breakdown/Benefits: Another adaptogen, rhodiola is also known as "arctic root" or "golden root." Grown high in the mountains of Siberia, rhodiola was researched extensively by the Russian scientific establishment during the Cold War in an effort to give Soviet Olympic athletes an edge over the rest of the world. Some of the research showed that after taking rhodiola athletes experienced enhanced VO2 max, endurance, mental performance and fat burning. In a more recent study, 170 milligrams of rhodiola rosea taken daily for two weeks decreased symptoms of mental fatigue in a group of doctors on night duty.

Dosage: 100 to 300 mg per day.

Side effects: Generally safe, but some people may experience allergic reactions. In some cases, doses of more than 800 mg a day can cause irritability and insomnia.

Cost: Around $30 for a one-month supply. Be sure to get rhodiola rosea--this has standardized amounts of rosavin, the major active compound in rhodiola. It's a little more expensive than standard rhodiola but worth trying and still relatively cheap.

Supplement: NADH

Breakdown/Benefits: NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is an energy-carrying molecule within the body that is partly made from vitamin B3. When you eat, your body breaks the food down, and at some point energy is passed to this NADH molecule to be turned into ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the body's energy currency. Several supplement companies have marketed NADH products, but research has been limited. (One study found that 30 percent of subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome benefited from NADH). To date, there is little promise for most normal healthy people, who have plenty of NADH floating around. But under certain types of stress (excessive exercise, ultra-endurance events, alcohol overindulgence, etc.), the body's ability to produce enough NADH can be somewhat compromised.