Adaptogens
Nutritionist and Naturopath Cliff Harvey of FITNET writes An adaptogen is simply put, any substance that aids the body in adapting to stressors placed upon it.
Adaptogenic herbs are supposed to meet the following criteria:
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The plant must be nontoxic and totally harmless to the body. It must allow the continuing normal physiological of the individual.
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The action it exerts must be nonspecific and should maintain normal body functions despite a wide range of onslaughts to the body (i.e. stress).
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It should normalize body functions irrespective of existing pathological conditions
It is in the area of enhanced stress adaptation that adaptogens are regarded as potentially useful.
Dr. Hans Selye, the endocrinologist who first defined the stress model, described any stress response as potentially having three distinct phases:
Stage One: Alarm
Release of the stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, occur in this stage. Valuable in the short term, these hormones become disruptive to effective cellular function over a long period of time such as prolonged exercise or intense exercise such as hyperatrophy ina gym session.. Cortisol, for example, is a hormone with wide ranging effects on tissues throughout the body. One of the most widely recognized is its immunosuppressive effect. But it also has a negative impact on energy regulation. Cortisol decreases the movement of glucose from the bloodstream into muscle cells (and several other types of cell). This is meant to be a protective response, conserving blood glucose for essential functions, such as brain activity. However, during any prolonged stress, cortisol decreases the availability of this energy to any animal.
Stage Two: Resistance
This is when adaptive changes in the athlete occur. Increased fitness is a perfect example of an adaptive response to physical stress. It is the basis of all modern training programs for endurance sport. When the adaptation occurs, the animal returns to “homeostasis” or normal equilibrium. However, each individual’s capacity to adapt is limited and completely unique, limited of course by genetically imposed margins.. Overwhelm the individual’s adaptive capacity, and you risk illness or injury. Overtraining is the classic example in this regard.





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