Vanadyl Sulfate: Could it be a wonder drug for the future? :: Sports Medicine Health Essays

Vanadyl sulphate A Wonder Drug For The Future? Introduction In the hawkish world of sports, athletes are always trying to get an edge. When practice is non enough, many athletes try to change their diets to gain an advantage over the competition. To get down more than educated decisions about what they eat, many athletes look closely at what happens to sustenance once it enters their bodies. From studying the gastrointestinal and endocrine systems, athletes and researchers have intimate to appreciate the role of insulin in athletic performance. In order to rear performance, researchers have developed a product called vanadyl sulfate, which supposedly mimics the effects of insulin. succession its effectiveness as a workout supplement is still in question, vanadyl sulfate also has promise as a possible secondary treatment for diabetes. The Insulin Theory To properly comprehend the importance of insulin and the rational behind wanting to increase it artificially, one must first understand the make of sugar metabolism. Sugar metabolism is the process by which the body converts food into energy that can be used by muscle cells. (http//encarta.msn.com/ ascertain/default.asp) The process begins when enzymes break down food into glucose, a simple sixer carbon sugar that can be easily absorbed in the intestine. From there, the hormone insulin plays several important roles. It is obvious that the cells that make up a person need energy to survive and function. Insulin is crucial in the rake of energy to cells. In the body, glucose is the standard form of energy after digestion. Unfortunately, glucoses size and structure make it hard for the molecule to pass finished the outmost membranes of many of the bodys cells. Insulin helps to fix this problem. Specifically, insulin bonds with the outer membrane of cells to increase permeability. This enables glucose to pass through the cell membrane more easily and gives the cell access to more energy. Without insulin, it is extremely difficult for glucose in the blood to be used by the bodys cells as energy. Conversely, an abundance of insulin increases the rate at which glucose is used by the cells and whence lowers the amount of glucose left in the bloodstream (Guyton, Hall, 972). In addition to dower to provide the cell with energy, insulin can also help the cell in other ways.