In the article, we consider the use of melatonin in sports nutrition.
Melatonin is a sports supplement to normalize nightly sleep in people. It is actively used in the vast majority of sports, especially in the pre-competition period, when stress loads increase, which can negatively affect healthy sleep. In bodybuilding, just like in fitness, melatonin is in great demand due to its ability to accelerate the recovery process. This property of the drug is very useful as part of a set of muscle mass and for weight loss.
What is melatonin?
Consider a description of melatonin in sports nutrition.
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland. Its main task is the regulation of sleep and wakefulness. In addition, melatonin is involved in a number of regulatory and metabolic processes. Its normal level makes it possible to feel cheerful throughout the day, and at the same time helps to sleep soundly at night. No less important is the ability of this hormone to improve sleep quality.
Melatonin is also found in the hormonal system of other animals and mammals. This is one of the most important regulatory mechanisms in our body. With pathologies that are associated with its synthesis, the risk of a person acquiring chronic insomnia increases.
The human body absorbs melatonin very well from the outside, for example, from sports supplements, namely from the so-called sleep pills. It is completely non-toxic and does not cause any serious side effects, so it is sold not as a medicine, but in the form of an ordinary supplement.
The benefits of taking it
Why is melatonin so useful in sports nutrition?
The modern daily routine of a modern person is overloaded both day and night. Lack of sleep, along with a full-time working day, interruptions in nutrition, lack of protein, strength training and much more simply inhibits the normal production of melatonin and other important hormones. As a result, it becomes difficult for a person to fall asleep, and at the same time sleep is not strong. Stress also makes itself felt, against which the slightest noise leads to awakening.
Such a restless sleep is not considered healthy, since there is completely no phase of the so-called delta sleep (fourth stage). As a result, immediately after awakening, people feel tired, have not slept, and, moreover, are overwhelmed, even with a sleep duration of more than nine hours.
This problem can be solved through the use of drugs for sleep. The first thing that may come to mind is sleeping pills, but doctors do not recommend using such serious pharmacological drugs for sleep, because they are endowed with an excessive effect with corresponding undesirable consequences. They do not stimulate the release of melatonin, they only block the effects of certain receptors, thereby causing sleep. It is impossible to call him healthy in such a case.
It is much more rational to acquire melatonin, since it does not produce a depressing effect and is needed only to restore sleep, and not in order to replace it. Its influence is useful not only against the background of sleep. Like glycine, it normalizes all mechanisms of day and night changes in the human body, as a result of which it can improve daytime alertness and suppress a sleepy state in case of lack of sleep, but the dosage here should be completely different.
The Importance of Sleep in Sports
In bodybuilding, for example, good sleep is one of the whales on which the constant progress of muscle mass can be supported. A person can train according to an ideal program, while consuming the right amount of protein with nutrients, but in the absence of a healthy sleep, you can not get the desired result.
Therefore, melatonin is so important in sports nutrition.
During sleep, people produce growth hormone, which is responsible for a number of recovery processes. This hormone accelerates protein synthesis, and, in addition, the active restoration of muscle cells is launched. Against this background, excess fat is also burned with the help of insulin-like growth factors. Largely due to the synthesis of growth hormone, athletes can sleep not only at night, but also during the day.
From the sphere of physiology and endocrinology it is well known that the norm of this hormone is produced only under the condition of deep sleep. It is in connection with this that different sleeping pills like melatonin are in great demand in fitness and bodybuilding.
In addition, strength indicators, along with sports results in general, depend on sound quality sleep. Already immediately after the first dosage of such sports nutrition - melatonin in tablets - a person will feel its effect during strength training.
The use of the substance is justified in almost any situation. Even when a person does not have difficulty sleeping, such an additive can be a means to significantly improve it. This is especially true for adults.
Types of melatonin: release form
Melatonin has long been sold in pharmacies from various pharmacological companies in the departments of drugs intended for sleep. However, this biological supplement almost always has a clearly overestimated cost and is usually dosed in a non-standard way. It is worth noting that most manufacturers produce melatonin in capsules. In some situations, these may be pills. There are no differences between capsules and tablets. Also in sports nutrition, melatonin in drops is used.
How to take melatonin?
Consider the instructions for use with melatonin in sports nutrition.
As part of the use of this tool, it is imperative to observe the annotation, not exceeding the dosage. It is important to remember that this active substance can not be absorbed immediately, so you can not drink melatonin immediately before going to bed. The use of this supplement is recommended at least twenty or thirty minutes before bedtime. According to consumer reviews, one half of a single serving of this hormone in the morning will help a person overcome drowsiness.
How to take melatonin in sports nutrition is interesting to many.
The dosage of melatonin may vary depending on the purpose of admission, and, in addition, on individual characteristics. The initial dosage of melatonin is from 1 to 2 milligrams per day, in the first three days it is required to check the tolerance of the drug. Subsequently, the dosage of melatonin can be gradually increased to 5 or even up to 10 milligrams per day.
Preparations
So, consider drugs that contain melatonin:
- Neighborhood "Melaxen" is the most popular drug of melatonin, which is of American origin.
- Apik melatonin is a drug containing 3 milligrams of melatonin and 10 milligrams of pyridoxine in one pill.
- Means "Vita-melatonin" contains 3 milligrams of melatonin in one pill.
- The drug "Melatonin Plus" acts as a tool containing 2 milligrams of melatonin in one pill.
- Tasimelteon is a new drug for treating insomnia. This product is currently undergoing clinical trials. Tasimelteon is an agonist of melatonin receptors.
Sports nutrition
Sports nutrition with melatonin has recently become especially popular among the planetary population, many manufacturers produce melatonin, and their number is constantly increasing. It is worth noting that sports nutrition enriched with melatonin is significantly cheaper than certain pharmacological drugs, which makes them the most preferable for purchase. So, here is a list of the most popular melatonin-fortified supplements:
- Optimum Nutrition Melatonin .
- Melatonin from a company called NOW.
- Sports Nutrition with Melatonin from Biochem.
- Melatonin Nutrition from Cheap Supplements.
- Melatonin from Natrol.
Melatonin in foods
As already noted, melatonin can be synthesized by both animal organisms and all kinds of plants, which means that a small amount of melatonin is present in food. A sufficiently large amount of the hormone melatonin is found, for example, in foods such as rice. Scientists have found that when rice is used, this hormone contained in it is able to absorb well and bind to special receptors in the brain. True, in other studies, scientists have proved that this hormone in food slightly affects plasma melatonin levels, which in turn means that this useful component is practically not absorbed from food.
Side effects and reviews of melatonin in sports nutrition
This hormone is one of the most toxic substances. It does not harm health even in a very large dosage. Melatonin almost does not cause side effects, however, allergic reactions are possible along with headache, nausea, morning drowsiness and edema. Almost all side effects of this hormone are reversible.
Reviews about this tool are available in large numbers. Mostly they are positive. Melatonin is used in sports very often, it is usually well tolerated by the body, the main thing is to follow the instructions and not exceed the dosage.