One of the oldest supplements known to man also happens to be one of my favourites, and you’ve probably ran into it a couple of times before, and that would be the superfood Ginseng. A lot of people use ginseng whenever they come down with a cold or fever, but did you know it can be used to “level up” your training? It does this because ginseng actually acts like a natural steroid. Ooohhh, I said the S-word, but it is a fact and I’ll get into that a little bit later. But for now, let’s take it a couple of steps back. Actually all the way back, because we’re going to be learning about the history of Ginseng.
History & Origin
Ginseng has actually been used in Chinese medicine for centuries. It was used to treat things like the common cold and believe it or not, flesh wounds in battle. Ginseng was so revered, that it was often called the ‘divine herb,’ and because it was, it was squarely reserved for high society. The Emperor and all his cronies. In fact, the Emperor at the time had ordered 3000 soldiers to retrieve some Ginseng, and if they return empty handed, they would be beheaded! Talk about insanity! [1]
Benefits
The thing you have to understand about Ginseng is that there are actually 2 types. And that’s Panax ginseng & American ginseng. And these 2 work like Yin & Yang to each other. While Panax ginseng stimulates your mind and increases your energy, American ginseng helps to calm your nerves and lower that stress hormone, cortisol. Are you starting to see how beneficial Ginseng could be to your CrossFit training?
Ginseng primarily does this by it’s high Ginsenoside compounds, which are like the natural steroids I was telling you about earlier. Again before we get into that, let’s dive in deep into each of those Ginseng Roots. [2]
Panax ginseng, like mentioned before, is heavily involved with producing more energy for you. And one of the ways it does this is through its ability to improve your cognition, meaning your brain power. While Ginseng’s antioxidant content is not nearly as potent as that of Acai fruit, Spirulina Algae or Tongkat Ali, it’s still pretty effective. And because it is, it impacts your neurotransmitters in such a way that increases the communication between your muscles and your cells. Allowing you to really hone in on your focus. Actually, in a 2015 research review, it was almost unanimous that Ginseng helped to improve cognitive performance, especially with short-term memory, thanks to its many phytochemicals and antioxidants, and a special compound called compound K. [3]
In addition to antioxidants, Ginseng’s polysaccharides & it’s oligopeptides also help to combat oxidative stress, which we know is the main contributor to fatigue & tiredness. By reducing this, and in some cases eliminating it, Ginseng helps to improve your energy levels, making it all the more useful when it comes to your high-intensity training. [4]
But there is a caveat to this. You shouldn’t use Panax ginseng with exceedingly high doses of caffeine. Most people recommend that you shouldn’t be taking Panax ginseng with over 200mg of caffeine (about 2 cups of coffee).
Benefits of American Ginseng
American Ginseng, as stated before, is like Panax’s cousin. While it definitely can improve and increase your energy levels, the main selling point of American ginseng is that it helps to reduce stress. Believe it or not, ginsenosides--the natural steroids we mentioned--are more present and available in American ginseng than Panax, even though Panax ginseng is widely recognized by athletes. Why is that? Well no one knows for sure, but we do know that because it’s got such a high amount, it acts like an adaptogen. Meaning your stress hormone, cortisol is greatly reduced, especially in times of intense training. Not only, but it helps to increase alertness and mental clarity. [5]
Another thing worth noting about it’s adaptogenic qualities is that it acts like an ergogenic aid. That means it’ll vastly help to improve your endurance, which makes all the difference for any athlete from all walks of life.
American ginseng is also extremely useful in warding off any dangerous diseases and also helps to increase your immunity to those diseases. Thanks to its varying degrees of phytochemicals and polyphenols, American ginseng offers protection against influenza like illnesses, which in today’s environment is ever important. [6]
This is further backed up by a study in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, where 747 subjects taking American Ginseng reduced the incidence of colds and fevers by 25%! How incredible is that? [7]
Looking at all these benefits of Ginseng, it’s no wonder why we use it in our supplement, SUNFIRE.
It’s the 1st ever, all-natural & Paleo-friendly pre-workout made exclusively for those just starting out in CrossFit & those who want to take their workouts to the next level.
All so that they can gain that unstoppable energy to last longer with each rep and become unstoppable.
And for a limited time only, you can take up to 30% off SUNFIRE when you order today & also get over $100 in sweet bonuses!
Visit our website and order now: https://apollosupps.com
Sean James is a passionate and driven young CrossFitter from Toronto, Ontario.
He created Apollo Essentials with a guiding vision.
That anyone from anywhere could become an athlete. That's what his company strongly believes and he'll do whatever it takes to see it through.
Throughout his life, he's always enjoyed fitness and nutrition. You could even say it saved his life. With him being over 200 pounds in the 12th grade. But he took a long look at himself and became a dedicated fitness enthusiast. Who knows where he'll go?
After many, many months of research, he decided to hop into the supplement industry and started to create his own supplement, SUNFIRE.
The 1st, all-natural & Paleo-friendly pre-workout made exclusively for CrossFit beginners & driven athletes.
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