Did you know that people have diets as crazy as sleeping to avoid hunger pains or eating cotton balls?
Folks are desperate to lose weight or improve their gains at the gym. When a new fad arises, people will gorge on whatever so-called experts say will solve their weight-loss issue. Most of the time those fads turn out to be fake, but some offer real promise: deer antler supplements.
You heard that right. This is a supplement that uses deer antler velvet to boost health and well-being. While that may not sound like the most appetizing thing, you may change your tune when you see the benefits.
Keep reading for the down low on why the fitness industry is losing its mind about deer antler supplements.
Question Number One: What Are Deer Antler Supplements, Anyway?
Did you know that some deer grow new antlers each year, and they only take 120 days to get to full size?
Deer are fascinating creatures, to say the least. They make a strange mating call, and they grow these strange antlers on their heads.
For starters, only male deer have antlers. It’s not like a Rhino horn, which is made of keratin. No, deer antlers are bone.
The reason we refer to them as velvet is that they grow a layer of velvet over the bone. This velvet helps the bone to get the necessary nutrients and oxygen. Then it disappears once those antlers have reached full length.
Not all deer shed their antlers, but a few species do on a yearly basis. They have to rip the antlers off to begin the growth cycle begins again.
But antlers aren’t dead while on the deer’s head. In fact, they are very much alive and even circulate blood.
What Do Deer Use Their Antlers for?
First and foremost, antlers serve for mating purposes. Deer with the biggest antlers have greater success when mating. The males will then fight each other with them to prove their dominance.
Plus, these antlers are useful tools. They can fend off predators or clear brush with them. Some deer even use the antlers to redirect sounds to their heads for better hearing.
Why Use Deer Antler Supplements for Optimal Health?
People have been using deer antlers for health purposes going back thousands of years. China is an example, where it is common to eat animals for their mythical properties.
That trend continues to this day as many professional athletes try out new exercise tips and workout tips to boost their performance. They use a nasal deer antler spray as one example.
Deer antler velvet is a living thing, as we’ve established. As such, it is rich in hormones, vitamins, and other nutrients. Primarily, it has a strong growth hormone called IFG-1.
The growth hormone industry is huge. For the most part, those with growth issues take it. Stunted development, for example, requires some form of growth hormone to achieve normal growth.
Hormones are vital not just to our development, but our everyday function as humans. They affect everything from our emotions to our sexual desire. Without them, we would grow weak and die.
However, many athletes claim that taking growth hormones boosts their performance. Deer antler supplements have been a controversial topic among professional leagues, but let’s take a look at what they can do.
What Can Deer Antler Supplements Do?
While research is only preliminary, the results are already surprising. Evidence suggests that IGF-1 (the deer velvet supplement) helps with the healing process. Specifically, improving the healing of tendon injuries and cartilage.
This is a game-changer since injuries can put an athlete out of the game for months. Many injuries in games like football or basketball involve overextended tendons. Healing these between games prevents major injuries and keeps players up longer.
Perhaps the antler supplement can help to rebuild muscles, too. But for the current moment, evidence only suggests that it can help you with healing. Until they do additional studies, we cannot recommend them for any other purpose.
How Do They Work Inside Your Body?
When your body heals itself, it uses proteins to do so. These proteins need to construct a matrix upon which they can create protein building blocks. Building those cells faster would, of course, promote healing.
As mentioned above, there is no evidence yet that it can help with muscle growth. But for the time being, many athletes swear that it helps them to recover faster between games.
Should You Use Deer Antler Supplements?
As with all things, take them at your own risk. You should do thorough research before taking any supplement beyond the typical ones like vitamin C and D. You cannot blame someone else if you suffer negative consequences for trying deer antlers out.
Do be aware that the FDA does not currently approve deer antler supplements. Some professional sports leagues have even banned them. Until governments do thorough research to approve it, we can only look at a handful of studies.
Only certain people should be trying to take deer antler supplements. You may benefit if you are one of the following:
- You have a highly-demanding physical lifestyle that requires frequent recovery
- You are prone to injuries
- You have suffered from growth difficulties
- You need to heal faster after a major injury such as snapping your Achilles tendon
Find Deer Antler Supplements Today
Deer antler supplements are exactly what they sound like: the antlers of deer ground down into a powder. Antlers contain tons of nutrients, primarily growth hormones. Some may benefit from their healing properties, but they won’t be for everyone.
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