IM NUTRITION
RESEARCH
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT:
Core Extreme Nutrition Boost
W
hen the first generation of pre-workout products hit the shelves
more than a decade ago, they weren’t much more than several
different kinds of caffeine analogs mixed with some arginine.
The pre-workout market became a contest of who could jam the
most stimulants into a single serving. Thankfully, times have changed.
Pre-workouts have become smarter and more sophisticated. They now
coax performance out of the central nervous system and brain, rather
than holding it at gunpoint and making demands. Case in point is Boost
by Core Extreme Nutrition.
Boost is one of the first formulas to boast a new patented ingredient
called PeakO2, which has been shown in clinical studies to improve max-
imum power output. PeakO2 is a blend of six different organic mushroom
extracts that help your body adapt to physical and mental stress. A study
performed at the University of Chapel Hill in North Carolina found that
athletes who used PeakO2 for 21 days significantly improved their time to
exhaustion. PeakO2 also contains L-ergothioneine, a master antioxidant
that can help you train longer and recover more rapidly.
Along with PeakO2, Boost is made up of an innovative blend of amino
acids, botanicals, minerals, and a moderate dose of two types of caffeine:
caffeine anhydrous, which you find in most pre-workout formulas, and
a special gentler version of extended-release caffeine that smooths and
sustains the stimulating affect. The amino acids are formulated in clini-
cal doses, and include two grams of beta-alanine, one gram of betaine,
one gram of citrulline malate, and 500 milligrams each of choline and
tyrosine. Schizandra berry powder is derived from Schisandra chinensis, a
tart berry that has traditionally been used in Russian cultures to kickstart
performance and endurance. (If the Russians use it for strength and
conditioning, count us in!)
With an emphasis on proven well-sourced ingredients, completely
transparent supplement facts, and only four calories per serving, Boost by
Core Extreme Nutrition is truly the next generation of pre-workout formu-
las. Boost is currently available in two flavors: Blue Razz and Green Apple.
For more information, be sure to check out coreextremenutrition.com.
Eat Fat To
Beat Stress
Happy Pills
If there were a pill that could make you happier, wouldn’t
you take it? Well, there is. It’s called a multivitamin. A
study published in the journal Nutrients described how
27 young adults took a multivitamin/multimineral every
day for four weeks. The subjects were then given the
Profile of Mood States test. The result showed that the
multivitamin seemed to mitigate feelings of depression,
compared to the subjects who took a placebo. The
scientists were not sure how the admittedly modest
vitamin product achieved this. Some speculate that the
vitamin C might have an antidepressant effect, or that
the body might be using the rich vitamin B content to
create more of the “feel-good” neurotransmitter sero-
tonin. Regardless of your age, or your mental state, tak-
ing a daily quality multivitamin is always a good idea.
20 JUNE 2017 | ironmanmagazine.com
Cortisol is a catabolic
stress hormone that gets
released after intense
workouts. It’s anti-muscle
properties are part of
the reason why killing
yourself day after day in
the gym isn’t always the
shortest path to your
physique goals. Luckily,
we have learned that periodizing intensity and using
smart recovery methods can blunt cortisol’s affects.
However, cortisol is also released during social and
psychological stress. Since you can’t tell your boss to
“just chill,” the next best thing might be to eat more
healthy fat. Scientists in Vienna, Austria, have found
that the healthy unsaturated fats from chia seeds
and walnuts can limit the release of cortisol even
during periods of extreme stress. They also found that
while most subjects tend to move less (read: skip
workouts) during stressful periods, the ones who ate
walnuts and chia seeds engaged in significantly more
exercise despite the stress.