B Vitamins for Energy - Robert Seik, PharmD

B Vitamins have many important functions and are responsible for many biochemical reactions in the body. One very important function is B Vitamins for Energy. Without a full spectrum of B Vitamins we do not have energy. B Vitamins are necessary as co-factors to make hormones and neurotransmitters so that are brain can communicate and it affects our mood. We also need B Vitamins to help us detoxify.

The important thing is to make sure you get your B vitamins from a very nutrient dense diet. We promote the food first model. We talk about the Paleo diet and how it can help you achieve metabolic efficiency, but we often have to add supplements because our food does not have as many nutrients as we need. Also, athletes burn through these nutrients particularly because of energy expenditure and that's when B Vitamins are depleted.

There are times when athletes can over consume protein and it is important to know that protein depletes B Vitamins. When we have protein metabolism activated, B Vitamins are co-factors that are taking the amino acids from protein that is being broken down. These amino acids are then being used to make over 65,000 enzymes that our liver produces, to make tissue that need to be repaired from use.

Triton Nutrition has a special form called B-Energy Complex that follows GCMP standards and that delivers the nutrients in a form that is absorbable. For example Vitamin B-2, which is called riboflavin. Riboflavin HCl (Riboflavin Hydrochloride) is very inexpensive to produce and you will often see this form in many poor quality supplements, but it is poorly absorbed. Riboflavin-5'-Phosphate, which is the best form for us to absorb and utilize, which is the most abundant form found in nutrient dense foods is the form that Triton Nutrition uses.

Vitamin B-6 or Pyridoxine is often found in the form of Pyridoxine HCl in poor quality and cheap supplements. Again, this form is poorly absorbed so you aren't actually taking in the amount that you think you are. Triton Nutrition uses Pyridoxal-5'-Phosphate, which is the active form.

Vitamin B-1 or Thiamine can be found in the form Thiamine HCl, which is actually quite usable, but you also need to take the fat soluble form, which gets into the brain and that's called Benfotiamine. We need B Vitamins in the brain to make neurotransmitters.

There is also Vitamin B-12 known as methylcobalamin, which is the active form of Vitamin B-12. If someone is very low in Vitamin B-12 they may need to take a sublingual tablet in order to boost their levels. Vitamin B-12 in the form of methylcobalamin can also be found in Triton Nutrition's NeuroKinetic Cream. The reason it is called NeuroKinetic Cream is because it has the necessary ingredients to make neurotransmitters. NeuroKinetic Cream also has 5-MTHF, a special form of Folic Acid.

The B-Energy Complex also contains Folic Acid, B-3 in two forms and B-5. So when looking for a B Vitamin Complex you want to make sure you have the active forms of the B Vitamins.

by Robert Seik, PharmD