Nowadays, it is almost impossible to go through your day without being the subject of an advertisement. However, Ads are not the problem; the real issue is whether you really need those products and if they work at all.
The fields of vitamins and supplements are huge, and the recommendations vary from one person to another. Therefore, in this article, we will only focus on the supplements that men need to maintain optimal health status.
Note that some of the supplements we feature may serve a certain subset of people, such as those who seek muscle hypertrophy or endurance.
Arginine is an important amino acid that takes part in several physiological functions, including muscle growth, acceleration of the post-exertional repair process, and reduction of blood pressure.
According to the Mayo Clinic, arginine is the perfect supplement to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system.
However, this amino acid is not recommended for individuals who just had a heart attack, as it could worsen the situation.
How does it work?
As we mentioned earlier, arginine is an amino acid that’s used to make larger peptides and proteins. There are 20 amino acids to use as building blocks in the human body; some of them play more important roles than others.
Arginine is believed to upregulate the production of nitric oxide (NO) in the muscles’ vasculature, which improves blood perfusion and muscular endurance.
This same property is thought to enhance cardiovascular health by keeping the coronary arteries wide open.
Testosterone is a major reproductive hormone that plays a role in both males and females.
Physiologically, testosterone is secreted by the testes and adrenal glands; however, the testicles secrete the predominant portion.
Contrary to popular belief, testosterone is also found in the bloodstream of females, but in negligible concentrations.
Low testosterone levels can be devastating for males leading to symptoms, such as muscle atrophy, erectile dysfunction, and metabolic abnormalities.
Fortunately, these issues could all be treated with testosterone supplementation.
In a 2015 study, researchers found that men who got their testosterone levels back to normal after dealing with hypogonadism were 24 percent less likely to develop coronary artery disease and 36 percent less likely to develop a stroke.
Other benefits of testosterone include:
How does it work?
Testosterone exerts its function by binding to androgen receptors, which are spread throughout the body. Once testosterone binds to AR, the complex will translocate inside the nucleus of the cell to initiate protein synthesis.
Eventually, the proteins and enzymes induced by testosterone will result in all the health benefits we’ve listed above.
If you’re a gym enthusiast, you must be familiar with the importance of energy drinks.
When you perform an intense workout, your body heats up like crazy, and that heat must be dissipated somewhere.
Sweat is the key here! When you sweat and it evaporates on your skin, your body will cool down, which maintains the physiological temperature of 37 Celsius.
However, there are many downsides to excess sweating, including dehydration, decreased performance, and the disturbance of normal organ functioning.
You’re probably thinking that the solution to this is to drink water, correct? Well, water is not the best option after excessive fluid loss.
The reason for this is that when you sweat, electrolytes (e.g. sodium, calcium) are also lost along with water. And let me tell you, the last thing you want is an electrolyte imbalance.
Unfortunately, many athletes have fallen into this trap, which led to their death.
Energy drinks are the solution to this problem. You see, these beverages not only contain water and performance-boosters, but they are also loaded in electrolytes.
How does it work?
The way energy drinks work is quite simple. In short, their composition is produced in a way to keep a healthy ratio between water, electrolytes, and stimulants.
Vitamin D is a crucial hormone in our metabolism; it is part of several metabolic pathways, including calcium and phosphate synthesis.
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to severe symptoms, such as fragile bones, hair loss, and skin abnormalities.
How is vitamin D naturally produced?
The process of producing vitamin D is complex and includes multiple steps.
Sunlight – when your skin gets exposed to the photons from the sun (or any other source of light), cholesterol will get transformed into vitamin D3.
Liver enzyme – vitamin D3 will then get metabolized into 25-hydroxyvitamin D3.
Kidneys enzyme – finally, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 gets transformed into 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3, which is the active form of the hormone.
As you can see, sunlight exposure is a crucial step in the production of vitamin D. Unfortunately, not all people get sufficient sunlight during the day, especially those who live in cloudy regions, such as England and some parts of North America.
For this reason, supplementing your body with vitamin D is very important to keep your brain, muscles, and bones healthy.
Epimedium, also known as horny goat weed, is a traditional herb that was used for centuries in China for medicinal purposes.
Horny goat weed is part of alternative medicine, and it has gained massive popularity over the past few years.
This substance may benefit the following conditions:
How does it work?
Horny goat weed stimulates the body to produce hormones, such as testosterone and catecholamines, to counter the effect of bone loss, erectile dysfunction, and hay fever.
The field of nutritional supplements is loaded with myths, misconceptions, and misleading advertisements. Every year, millions of dollars are spent in promoting products that you don’t even need.
We wanted to change that!
For this reason, we opted to write this article to inform you about the most important supplements men need, especially with certain conditions (e.g. hypogonadism and testosterone). HARD HEADD’s Supplement lineup covers all of the above supplements, be sure to try them for yourself.
If you have ever tried any of the supplements listed in this article, feel free to share your experience in the comment section below.
