Kp Fitness Daily

Vitamin D3 and K2 Benefits

Maintaining healthy bones is not just about increasing your calcium intake. Did you know that alongside calcium you should also look into vitamins D and K2?

Vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 ensure that calcium is absorbed easily and reaches the bone mass, while preventing arterial calcification. Helping to keep your heart and bones healthy.

Separately, K2 regulates normal blood clotting, whilst D3 supports a healthy immune system and supports muscle function.

Vitamin D3 has been shown to provide a variety of benefits such as promoting bone health, supporting a healthy inflammatory response, supporting the immune system, and maintaining already-normal blood pressure levels. That’s why some consider the “sunshine vitamin” to be the most important vitamin in the body.

Did you know that this nutrient is also considered a hormone? This is because vitamin D3 can be synthesized naturally in our bodies in response to sunlight, can act as a signaling molecule, and nearly every cell in our body has receptors for it.

Most notably, it enhances calcium delivery by increasing the absorption of calcium through the intestinal walls. In fact, in the absence of vitamin D3, we only absorb 10-15% of calcium from the food we eat, but when vitamin D3 is present, the calcium absorption is increased to 30-40%.

Vitamin K is another fat-soluble vitamin that exists in two forms: vitamin K1 (phylloquinone, mainly found in green leafy vegetables) and vitamin K2 (menaquinone, mainly found in fermented dairy and produced by specific bacteria in the intestine). Vitamin K2 is the more bioavailable form, and it remains in the body longer.

Both vitamins have a strong safety profile even at high dosages. If you’re taking any medications, check with your doctor about your vitamin K intake, however.

Can supplement make up for a poor diet?

Dietary supplements may provide excessive or insufficient amounts of particular nutrients. The reality is that a pill can never replace the benefits of a diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and some meat, eggs, fish, dairy, and high quality fats.

Wholesome foods deliver nutrients in a perfectly balanced and complete manner that our bodies have evolved to absorb.

Many people assume supplements are harmless because they are “natural.” This is not necessarily true. More than 500 supplements have been found to be adulterated with pharmaceuticals or closely related compounds. These include stimulants, bodybuilding steroids, antidepressants, weight loss medications, and drugs aimed at treating erectile dysfunction — all with potentially dangerous side effects.

While supplements can indeed help they are still just a supplement. Always try and get most of your nutrients from whole food. At the end of the day there is no short cut for hard work and effort.

Also when using supplements what works for other may not always work for you. Listen to your body and it will tell you what adjustments to make.

Creatine for muscle gains

You have probably heard of creatine but if you haven’t it is a supplement definitely worth checking out. I have used this supplement over the last several years now and it has helped me tremendously in the gym.

Creatine is a natural supplement often used to improve athletic performance. It may also boost brain function, fight certain neurological diseases, and accelerate muscle growth.

Creatine is the top supplement for improving performance in the gym.

Studies show that it can increase muscle mass, strength, and exercise performance

Additionally, it may help lower blood sugar and improve brain function, although more research is needed in these areas

About 95% of the body’s creatine is stored in the muscles, mainly in the form of phosphocreatine. The other 5% is found in the brain and testes.

When you supplement, you increase your stores of phosphocreatine. This is a form of stored energy in the cells. It helps your body produce more of a high energy molecule called ATP.

ATP is often called the body’s energy currency. When you have more ATP, your body can perform better during exercise.

Creatine also alters several cellular processes that lead to increased muscle mass, strength, and recovery

Some people believe that creatine is unsafe and has many side effects. However, scientific evidence does not support these claims

In fact, creatine is one of the world’s most tested supplements and has an outstanding safety profile

Always consult with your doctor before trying anything new as supplements always affect everyone differently. Creatine and Protein is always a must for me when it comes to getting in shape. If you’re considering trying to get in shape or just want to add some muscle give it a try.