Controlling Fat and Cellulite with Better Body Building Supplements

Posted by Angela on May 29th, 2007 filed in Healthy Weightloss

So what is it about woman’s body composition that makes them so susceptible to cellulite? Women have a higher ratio of body fat to muscle mass than men. However, men are also susceptible to unwanted fat and cellulite over a lifetime with changes in body fitness and metabolism.

Cellulite is the top layer of fat poking out through layers of skin that have thinned over time. With age, there is less oestrogen production and skin loses elasticity and rebound, so fat literally starts to bubble up to the surface.

Hormone changes cause constant fluctuations in a woman’s body composition. Levels of Estrogen and progesterone can be upset when a woman’s body is under stress and not receiving the right support and nutrients. The 10-15 years before menopause (from 30 to 35 years of age), menopause, and pregnancy are when a woman’s body composition and fat levels will shift with hormonal changes and create challenges of cellulite and loss of skin tone.

Looking at a lifetime perspective on body fitness and metabolism, there is a dramatic decrease in anabolic (i.e. fat-burning) metabolism after the age of 30-35. Before that time, nature signals to the brain to create lots of DHEA and other growth hormones for procreation. Anabolic metabolism is the body chemistry that rebuilds, repairs and replaces cells. As the body is building more muscle mass with a high anabolic metabolism, the body sends out messages from the brain that there’s more reason to burn calories and keep the body at the optimum level of fitness for a lifetime.

After the age of 30, the brain starts signaling that the body is past the reproductive phase and does not need to maintain such high levels of DHEA or anabolic metabolism. Unless there is a burning increase of a need for muscle mass, catabolic metabolism starts to kick in and create extra fat and slows everything down. A woman’s body composition is headed to a catabolic slow-down unless she keeps increasing muscle mass that creates more energy in the body.

For a woman, the increase of muscle mass has also been found to increase bone density and strength. The combination of a fitness program with body building supplements, whole foods, proper sleep curbs catabolic process that stacks on the cellulite.

The most important body building supplements for stabilizing a woman’s body composition are ones that address her hormonal needs and encourage her active lifestyle, ie create more energy and more motivation to use the extra energy.

DHEA is a hormone produced by the brain and released by the adrenals that dramatically reduces after age 35. Studies have shown vast amount of benefits of supplementation with DHEA, ranging from improving body composition, immune function, increasing energy, enhancing mood, and assisting women with post-menopausal and other hormonal ailments. It is critical to combine DHEA with 7-keto to make sure the DHEA is metabolised appropriately and does not create an excess of testorone and estrogen. (see Master your Metabolism article for recommended Dosages)

Better body building supplements target the role of decreasing anabolic metabolism by increasing cellular production which increases energy throughout the entire body and stops the catabolic decomposing process which results in unnecessary fat.

The effects of these supplements will be gradual and supportive of a lifetime fitness program rather than promising super hero strength over night. However do be prepared for extra energy that you will need to ways to use constructively!

For a woman’s body composition to stop making excess fat, we want to enhance the cells to create protein for new muscle mass. Two important body building supplements for encouraging HEALTHY cell reproduction are l-carnitine (or acetyl l-carnitine) and alpha lipoic acid. Recommended daily safe dosages are 200mg to 500 mg of l-carnitine and 100-500mg of lipoic acid.

People who should not take DHEA:

People UNDER 35 (unless following the advice of a physician)
Pregnant or nursing women
Men with prostrate cancer