Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training

There are fewer solid answers about probiotics than almost any other type of supplement I’ve written or read about. The evidence points to probiotics being good for you, but once you start getting deeper into the details, things get a little fuzzy.

Probiotics clearly provide health benefits, but when it comes to figuring out which ones, when, and how much, the answers aren't as clear as when you talk about creatine monohydrate, zinc, or protein.

In this article, I’ll provide the best answers I can to the following questions.

What are probiotics?

According to the World Health Organization, a probiotic is a "live microorganism which when administered in adequate amounts benefits the host."

The key is that the organisms must benefit the host, and that you consume enough to make a difference.

You already have an entire world of critters living on your skin and throughout your digestive system. Most of them are partying in your intestines, where the good ones binge on fiber and the bad ones binge on sugar.

Okay, it might not be that simple, but I'm trying to make this mildly entertaining for a blog post about bacteria.

I'll focus on the health benefits of probiotics in humans. However, probiotics might be beneficial to your dog, cat, or pet orangutan.

The foods you eat, water and other beverages you drink, and environment you live in all influence the types of bacteria living in and on us.

A quick change to your diet or environment can really mess with the balance of your gut flora. You've probably experienced that if you've ever drank the tap water at a hotel in Mexico or even gone on a restrictive diet, like a ketogenic or vegan diet.

You've housed good and bad bacteria from the moment of your birth.

Factors That Affect a Newborn’s Microbiome

A healthy gut starts at birth and contains Escherichia, Clostridium, Bacteriodes, and Bifidobacterium. The following are factors that affect the health of a newborn’s gut.

Genetics

Method of childbirth

Antibiotics use

Breast vs. bottle feeding

Stress or inflammatory level of mother

Though probiotics can be added to infant formula, there’s little to no evidence to suggest formula feeding can be as effective as breast feeding.

What do probiotics do?

Probiotics affect your health in four different ways. They:

Compete with pathogens for adhesion sites and nutrients. When probiotics outnumber pathogens, there's a greater chance the pathogens won't have a place to set up camp and multiply.

Produce byproducts that improve your health, such as short-chain fatty acids, used by the endothelial cells lining your gut, creating a barrier between your gut and circulation.

Enhance immune function.

Influence other organs and tissues by producing neurotransmitters.

Just as a cow's manure benefits the crops in a farmer's field, byproducts of probiotics benefit the environment of the gut, and the cells that live there.

Beneficial Byproducts of ProbioticsOrganic acidsHydrogen peroxideBacteriocins (peptides that prevent the growth of certain pathogensBacteriocin-like inhibitory substancesConjugated linoleic acid (CLA)Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA)Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)

What's a genus, species, or strain?

When you see probiotics on a food or supplement label, you'll see them written with two to three words, such as Lactobacillus gasseri KS-13.

The name describes the genus, species, and in some cases, the specific strain.

Genus (Lactobacillus): The genus is the most general identifier. Organisms of the same genus shares a few common traits, but you wouldn't want to make an assumption about health benefits based on gunus alone.

Species (gasseri): Most formulas designed for general health list the genus and species. The species share enough common traits that more specific health benefits can be attributed to them.

Strain (KS-13): This is the most specific identifier of a probiotic. Usually,

In this audio article, I cover:

What are probiotics?

What do probiotics do?

What's a genus, species, and strain?

What are the health benefits of probiotics?

Which probiotic is best?

For the written version --> Health Benefits of Probiotics: Your Guide

There are fewer solid answers about probiotics than almost any other type of supplement I’ve written or read about. The evidence points to probiotics being good for you, but once you start getting deeper into the details, things get a little fuzzy.

Probiotics clearly provide health benefits, but when it comes to figuring out which ones, when, and how much, the answers aren't as clear as when you talk about creatine monohydrate, zinc, or protein.

In this article, I’ll provide the best answers I can to the following questions.

What are probiotics?

According to the World Health Organization, a probiotic is a "live microorganism which when administered in adequate amounts benefits the host."

The key is that the organisms must benefit the host, and that you consume enough to make a difference.

You already have an entire world of critters living on your skin and throughout your digestive system. Most of them are partying in your intestines, where the good ones binge on fiber and the bad ones binge on sugar.

Okay, it might not be that simple, but I'm trying to make this mildly entertaining for a blog post about bacteria.

I'll focus on the health benefits of probiotics in humans. However, probiotics might be beneficial to your dog, cat, or pet orangutan.

The foods you eat, water and other beverages you drink, and environment you live in all influence the types of bacteria living in and on us.

A quick change to your diet or environment can really mess with the balance of your gut flora. You've probably experienced that if you've ever drank the tap water at a hotel in Mexico or even gone on a restrictive diet, like a ketogenic or vegan diet.

You've housed good and bad bacteria from the moment of your birth.

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Factors That Affect a Newborn's Microbiome

A healthy gut starts at birth and contains Escherichia, Clostridium, Bacteriodes, and Bifidobacterium. The following are factors that affect the health of a newborn's gut.

GeneticsMethod of childbirthAntibiotics useBreast vs. bottle feedingStress or inflammatory level of mother

Though probiotics can be added to infant formula, there's little to no evidence to suggest formula feeding can be as effective as breast feeding.

What do probiotics do?

Probiotics affect your health in four different ways. They:

Compete with pathogens for adhesion sites and nutrients. When probiotics outnumber pathogens, there's a greater chance the pathogens won't have a place to set up camp and multiply.Produce byproducts that improve your health, such as short-chain fatty acids, used by the endothelial cells lining your gut, creating a barrier between your gut and circulation.Enhance immune function.Influence other organs and tissues by producing neurotransmitters.

Just as a cow's manure benefits the crops in a farmer's field, byproducts of probiotics benefit the environment of the gut, and the cells that live there.

Beneficial Byproducts of ProbioticsOrganic acidsHydrogen peroxideBacteriocins (peptides that prevent the growth of certain pathogensBacteriocin-like inhibitory substancesConjugated linoleic acid (CLA)Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA)Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)

What's a genus, species, or strain?

When you see probiotics on a food or supplement label,

Delayed onset muscle soreness. The inevitable outcome of an occasional workout.



Sometimes it shows up with the first step out of bed. As you stand from your bed, pain and stiffness fill your quads and glutes, waking you up faster than jumping in an ice bath.



Or, you take a shower, reach your arm up to wash your pit, brush your pec with your loofa (err...bar of soap), and scream from the soreness in your chest.



Welcome to a day with DOMS...Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.



Like paying taxes on a portion of your income, DOMS is the inevitable effect of some of your best training sessions.



When people face DOMS for the first time, they often ask:



* “Did I do something wrong?”* “How can I make this go away?”



As I often remind members of VIGOR Training, my online fitness programs…



Expect to feel sore periodically, get hurt on occasion, and get injured at some point in the future.



Expect to feel sore periodically, get hurt on occasion, and get injured at some point in the future.



Article Shortcuts* What Is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness?* What Causes Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness?* How To Relieve Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: What Doesn’t Work* How To Relieve Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: What Might Work* How To Relieve Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: What Works * Summary



What Is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness?



Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is the pain, stiffness, and slight swelling you feel in the hours or days following an intense exercise session.



Most of the time, it's triggered by:



* Starting a new training program after a prolonged absence or when you’re brand new to exercise* Starting a new block of strength training or changing training style, especially when rep ranges exceed eight reps per set and the volume is higher than average* Eccentric or ballistic training (weights, downhill running, plyometrics, etc.)



For VIGOR Training members, that means they’ll experience DOMS about one out of every four to six weeks.



You might get a little soreness from walking or running, but in most cases, the soreness comes from strength-based movements like squats, lunges, presses, jumps, etc. Even body weight exercise, like in boot camp classes, can leave you feeling pretty sore the next few days.



Technically...



DOMS is classified as a type I muscle strain injury and presents with tenderness or stiffness to palpation and/or movement."Cheung K et al. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. 2012



Don’t let the word “injury” lead you into believing your muscle soreness should prevent you from physical activity, though. Activity and exercise actually lessen the soreness, whereas remaining sedentary can make things worse.



DOMS slows you down, but it's not debilitating.



The faster you work through it, the sooner you can get back to high-intensity training. As you'll see, there's much you can do to speed through the recovery process.

When you think "exercise" for health, longevity, and general fitness, you probably think of cardio or endurance exercise. In my opinion, strength training is the most important type of training for young and old, unhealthy and fit. In today's audio article, I'll share 9 strength training benefits for your mental and physical health and fitness.

If you're looking for a simple, effective, easy-to-follow strength training program to follow at the gym, try VIGOR(ESS) Training.
Ladies: https://tomnikkola.com/vigoress/
Guys: https://tomnikkola.com/vigor/

Glutathione is often referred to as "the body's master antioxidant." But that description doesn't do justice to the health benefits of glutathione and how it affects your wellbeing and longevity.

In this article, I'll address the following. To jump to a specific section, click on the link.

What Is Glutathione?

Glutathione is tripeptide made from the amino acids cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid. A tripeptide is a compound made with three amino acids.

Peptides and proteins are similar in that they're both made of amino acids. However, proteins are much, much larger. It's like the difference between our grandson's half-ounce Tonka Tiny dump truck, and a 700,000 pound Caterpillar dump truck.

All three amino acids - cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid - are necessary to build glutathione. But cysteine is the rate-limiting amino acid, meaning that if you're supply of cysteine is low, your glutathione levels will fall.

Glutathione is found in two forms in the body: reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG). Oxidized glutathione is made from two reduced GSHs bonded together by sulfur atoms. Not surprisingly, this makes sulfur another key component of glutathione function.

Sulfur is the third-most abundant mineral in the body. If you recall from Do Detox Diets Work, sulfur plays a critical role in detoxification. No sulfur, no GSSG.

Healthy cells contain about 100 times as much GSH as GSSG. However, under significant oxidative stress, the ratio of GSH:GSSG can drop from 100:1 to 10:1 or even 1:1.

What Does Glutathione Do?

Glutathione plays a number of important roles in maintaining health, many of which are still being discovered.

Detoxification

Glutathione protects the body from heavy metals, and toxins like alcohol and persistent organic pollutants.

It also helps transport mercury out of cells and out of the brain. If you have mercury-filled fillings, which can leach mercury into your body, you will use glutathione as part of Phase I detoxification to remove it.

Though glutathione can help remove many of these toxins, if your demand for glutathione exceeds supply, you may not have enough for other roles it plays in the body.

Combats Free Radicals

Glutathione acts as a powerful antioxidant. It also helps regenerate the antioxidants vitamins C and E.

In fact, lower GSH levels are thought to be one of the main causes of the acceleration of degenerative diseases. When glutathione isn't available to squelch free radicals, free radicals spread faster and inflict greater damage.

I think of it like a California wildfire. As long as there's enough nearby water and other stuff to stop a fire, you can end the blaze it before it does much damage. But, if all the water was being used to water homes in Las Vegas, there won't be enough flowing to California to stop the blaze.

In your body, if you need to squelch the free radicals caused by your elevated blood sugar, but you're using up most of your glutathione to deal with heavy metals you're unknowingly consuming in your "greens drink," three scenarios could play out.

You handle the heavy metals, but don't deal with the free radicals caused by your high blood sugar

You deal with the free radicals from the high blood sugar, but don't handle the heavy metals

You do a mediocre job at handling both, and they both cause long-term damage

By the way, I'm trying to simplify this as much as possible so you understand the concept, rather than leave your bored by writing about "the reduction of disulfides, hydroperoxides, sulfenic acids, and nitrosothiols, the detoxification of aldehydes, xenobiotics, and heavy metals, and the synthesis of eicosanoids, steroids, and iron–sulfur clusters." (Deponte M)

Enhances Skin Health

As an antioxidant, glutathione protects the skin from the damage of ultraviolet light. Maintaining higher glutathione levels may slow the development of wrinkles and improve skin elasticity.

Glutathione is often referred to as "the body's master antioxidant." But that description doesn't do justice to the health benefits of glutathione and how it affects your wellbeing and longevity.

In this article, I'll address the following. To jump to a specific section, click on the link.

What Is Glutathione?

Glutathione is tripeptide made from the amino acids cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid. A tripeptide is a compound made with three amino acids.

Peptides and proteins are similar in that they're both made of amino acids. However, proteins are much, much larger. It's like the difference between our grandson's half-ounce Tonka Tiny dump truck, and a 700,000 pound Caterpillar dump truck.

All three amino acids - cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid - are necessary to build glutathione. But cysteine is the rate-limiting amino acid, meaning that if you're supply of cysteine is low, your glutathione levels will fall.

Glutathione is found in two forms in the body: reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG). Oxidized glutathione is made from two reduced GSHs bonded together by sulfur atoms. Not surprisingly, this makes sulfur another key component of glutathione function.

Sulfur is the third-most abundant mineral in the body. If you recall from Do Detox Diets Work, sulfur plays a critical role in detoxification. No sulfur, no GSSG.

Healthy cells contain about 100 times as much GSH as GSSG. However, under significant oxidative stress, the ratio of GSH:GSSG can drop from 100:1 to 10:1 or even 1:1.

What Does Glutathione Do?

Glutathione plays a number of important roles in maintaining health, many of which are still being discovered.

Detoxification

Glutathione protects the body from heavy metals, and toxins like alcohol and persistent organic pollutants.

It also helps transport mercury out of cells and out of the brain. If you have mercury-filled fillings, which can leach mercury into your body, you will use glutathione as part of Phase I detoxification to remove it.

Though glutathione can help remove many of these toxins, if your demand for glutathione exceeds supply, you may not have enough for other roles it plays in the body.

Combats Free Radicals

Glutathione acts as a powerful antioxidant. It also helps regenerate the antioxidants vitamins C and E.

In fact, lower GSH levels are thought to be one of the main causes of the acceleration of degenerative diseases. When glutathione isn't available to squelch free radicals, free radicals spread faster and inflict greater damage.

I think of it like a California wildfire. As long as there's enough nearby water and other stuff to stop a fire, you can end the blaze it before it does much damage. But, if all the water was being used to water homes in Las Vegas, there won't be enough flowing to California to stop the blaze.

In your body, if you need to squelch the free radicals caused by your elevated blood sugar, but you're using up most of your glutathione to deal with heavy metals you're unknowingly consuming in your "greens drink," three scenarios could play out.

You handle the heavy metals, but don't deal with the free radicals caused by your high blood sugarYou deal with the free radicals from the high blood sugar, but don't handle the heavy metalsYou do a mediocre job at handling both, and they both cause long-term damage

By the way, I'm trying to simplify this as much as possible so you understand the concept, rather than leave your bored by writing about "the reduction of disulfides, hydroperoxides, sulfenic acids, and nitrosothiols, the detoxification of aldehydes, xenobiotics, and heavy metals, and the synthesis of eicosanoids, steroids, and iron–sulfur clusters." (Deponte M)

Enhances Skin Health

As an antioxidant, glutathione protects the skin from the damage of ultraviolet light. Maintaining higher glutathione levels may slow the development of wrinkles and improve skin elasticity.

"Do detox diets work?" "What do you think about me going on a 12-day water fast?" "Should I get a juicer and start juicing?"

When I'm faced with these questions or conversations, I often try to do my best to dodge them, not because I don't have something to say, but for a couple of other reasons.

First, the answer takes longer than most people are willing to listen to (hence, this full article to answer the question).

Second, people aren't really asking me for my opinion, as much as they're looking for approval, thinking that doing a detox is a "healthy choice."

Instead of detox, you might wonder about juicing, cleansing, water fasts, drinking celery juice, and most of the other versions of detox programs popularized by celebrities or pseudo-science "experts."

As with other questions, such as "Is intermittent fasting good for you?" or "Is coffee bad for you?" or "How much protein should I eat?" I decided to sit down and write out an answer, once and for all.

I recommend reading this from beginning to end the first time. I've written it just as I'd explain it if you asked me that initial question. However, if you want to jump around, I've divided the article into the following sections to make it easy to navigate.

What are toxins?

Toxins are compounds either produced by living organisms, or through synthetic means, which are poisonous or harmful to the organisms that make them, or to other organisms.

Though we tend to think of toxins as chemicals produced by modern-day manufacturing, toxins have been around since the beginning of time.

Some of the more common "natural" toxins include glycoalcaloids, produced in the green spots of stored potatoes, mycotoxins produced by fungi in different foods, aflotoxins in nuts, rice, fruit, and milk, and lectins in beans.

These aren't the types of toxins commercialized detox programs target, though. When you think of detoxing, you probably think of chemicals related to plastics, pollution, or heavy metals.

Modern-day manufacturing creates numerous new chemicals each year, but not all manufacturing-related chemicals are toxic.

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Are there really 84,000 chemicals used in commerce today?

An often-cited stat is that "There are more than 84,000 chemicals used in commerce today." This number is a huge exaggeration. The "84,000" comes from a list of chemicals in the EPA database. However, the list includes many duplicates of the same chemical, as well as the names of chemicals that are not used.

The more accurate number is about 7700 chemicals used in commerce.

Most detox programs focus on eliminating toxins like persistent organic pollutants, phthalates, and heavy metals, which I'll briefly review next.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were used in flame retardants, pesticides, paints, coolants, and lubricants until around the 1970s, when Europe, the United States, and Australia began banning their use.

"Do detox diets work?" "What do you think about me going on a 12-day water fast?" "Should I get a juicer and start juicing?"

When I'm faced with these questions or conversations, I often try to do my best to dodge them, not because I don't have something to say, but for a couple of other reasons.

First, the answer takes longer than most people are willing to listen to (hence, this full article to answer the question).

Second, people aren't really asking me for my opinion, as much as they're looking for approval, thinking that doing a detox is a "healthy choice."

Instead of detox, you might wonder about juicing, cleansing, water fasts, drinking celery juice, and most of the other versions of detox programs popularized by celebrities or pseudo-science "experts."

As with other questions, such as "Is intermittent fasting good for you?" or "Is coffee bad for you?" or "How much protein should I eat?" I decided to sit down and write out an answer, once and for all.

I recommend reading this from beginning to end the first time. I've written it just as I'd explain it if you asked me that initial question. However, if you want to jump around, I've divided the article into the following sections to make it easy to navigate.

What are toxins?

Toxins are compounds either produced by living organisms, or through synthetic means, which are poisonous or harmful to the organisms that make them, or to other organisms.

Though we tend to think of toxins as chemicals produced by modern-day manufacturing, toxins have been around since the beginning of time.

Some of the more common "natural" toxins include glycoalcaloids, produced in the green spots of stored potatoes, mycotoxins produced by fungi in different foods, aflotoxins in nuts, rice, fruit, and milk, and lectins in beans.

These aren't the types of toxins commercialized detox programs target, though. When you think of detoxing, you probably think of chemicals related to plastics, pollution, or heavy metals.

Modern-day manufacturing creates numerous new chemicals each year, but not all manufacturing-related chemicals are toxic.

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Are there really 84,000 chemicals used in commerce today?

An often-cited stat is that "There are more than 84,000 chemicals used in commerce today." This number is a huge exaggeration. The "84,000" comes from a list of chemicals in the EPA database. However, the list includes many duplicates of the same chemical, as well as the names of chemicals that are not used.

The more accurate number is about 7700 chemicals used in commerce.

Most detox programs focus on eliminating toxins like persistent organic pollutants, phthalates, and heavy metals, which I'll briefly review next.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were used in flame retardants, pesticides, paints, coolants, and lubricants until around the 1970s, when Europe, the United States, and Australia began banning their use.

Assuming you're following an awesome strength and conditioning program (like VIGOR Training), 28 Days could be the best muscle gain, fat loss diet available. It isn't easy, but it's incredibly effective. And you only need to stick with it for four weeks. Can you do that?

The Problem With "Slow and Steady"

"Slow and steady" is what people want to hear when it comes to weight loss. I used to say that to new clients when I first started out as a personal trainer, too.

With enough experience, though, I realized that "slow and steady" rarely worked. If someone isn't ecstatic about the changes they see in their first two to four weeks, their likelihood of sticking with their program past the first month goes down dramatically.

Over time, I focused more on the first four weeks of a client's program, knowing that if I could help them accomplish something more radical in that short window of time, they'd be more likely to follow along with a more sustainable program later on.

Over the years, I've experimented with different "jump starts." I don't believe in starting with a 12-day water fast, a detox, or a cleanse, for reasons I'll address in future articles.

Instead, I believe in focusing on strength training, skipping snacks, eating more protein, and incorporating a form of intermittent fasting. It's simple to follow, minimizes cravings and fluctuations in energy, and sets people up for an easier transition to a more sustainable nutrition and exercise pattern after the "jump start" is over.

28 Days is a starting point. It isn't a miracle diet (there is no such thing), and it won't undo all the damage of decades of poor food and lifestyle habits. However, 28 Days is extremely effective for a few reasons:

Anyone should be able to commit to something for four weeks. The average lifespan is 78.7 years, or 4092 weeks. We're talking about 4 weeks of strict commitment to get your health and fitness headed in the right direction.

These four weeks of discipline can lead to a big enough change that you'll feel inspired to keep going with good nutrition and consistent exercise once they're over.

Four weeks is short enough to see an end in site. Well, it isn't really an end, it's just an end to the beginning of a better you.

28 days. Can you stick to a diet for four weeks? Would you forego your favorite foods to shed some fat, minimize your muffin top, shrink your saddlebags, or get some shape to your shoulders?

I lost 17.6 lbs., 6.8% in body fat, gained 1.5 lbs. of lean mass, and lost 4 inches off my waist!

Brandon Wallace

If this sounds interesting, let me try to talk you out of it first.

28 Days Might Not Be For You

I won't cajole you to follow this program. I won't coddle you to keep with it. In fact, I'm going to dissuade you from even getting started because 28 Days isn't for everyone.

28 Days is not for you if:

You believe "slow and steady" is the right solution when just getting started with weight loss

You come up with reasons every diet or exercise program "won't work for you" before you've even given them honest efforts

You are unwilling to get sufficient sleep or invest time and effort in strength training

You want to believe you can "eat all the foods you love and still lose weight"

You are more concerned with losing weight than you are with dropping body fat

You are going to "play the field" by starting on this tomorrow, and looking through "other options" the day after – if you won't be monogamous, don't make the initial commitment

You're dealing with adrenal fatigue, unmanaged hypothyroidism, kidney disease, or other health problems where your doctor recommends against higher-protein intakes.

Disclaimer

I am not a licensed healthcare practitioner, physician, or medical professional. I offer no medical diagnoses, treatments, suggestions, or counseling.

The information presented in this article has not been evaluated by the U.S.