Astaxanthin & Astavita

So in my quest to set a PR at Ironman Florida this year, I've been evaluating lots of strategies. One of them is nutrition and supplementation. I have a tendency to get sick a lot while I'm training hard, even when I eat relatively well (or so I think) and get decent sleep (7 hours on average). One of the products that peaked my interest last year was Astavita, a relatively new antioxidant on the market. Chris Lieto, a 3x Ironman winner, is the triathlon world's spokesperson for the product. He's pretty hot, so that also helped to spark my interest in their marketing campaign. :) But anyway, apparently Astavita is a really great product, and it's derived from astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant. This is what Lieto had to say about it:

"Astavita has been helping me fight off free radicals for years. By taking it on a daily basis it speeds up my recovery and reduces the free radicals in my system caused by physical and mental stress. What's even better is that it is all natural. It is from a safe source of algae that is grown in bio-Domes in Maui where it is monitored and protected from the outside environment. When it is at its optimal stage it is harvested. You know you are getting the best and safest Astaxanthin on the market. I don't go a day without it.”

Essentially, astaxanthin is a carotenoid (like beta carotene, lycopene and lutein). Carotenoids are derived from photosynthetic plants and organisms like algae. The significant research that has been conducted supporting astaxanthin's benefits suggests that it is up to 300x more powerful an antioxidant than many other common supplements, like Co-Enzyme q10. Research shows that it may be beneficial in cardiovascular, immune, inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. It also supports the assumption that it protects body tissues from oxidative damage, which is why it is a great supplement for endurance athletes. Astaxanthin also crosses the blood-brain barrier, which makes it available to the eye, brain and central nervous system to alleviate oxidative stress that contributes to ocular, and neurodegenerative diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and even Alzheimer's.

I'm hoping that it will help me to recover faster, and in turn, help me fight off illness. I'll keep you posted on how it goes since I just ordered three bottles.


Take it from Chris (*bonus - he makes a Speedo cameo*):

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6963071327143631776&ei=3Z2MScu7G4P6-QGi4ITiCQ&q=chris+lieto+astavita&hl=en