Supplements for the Fall Season

As we head into wintertime, our team over at BECYCLE wanted to feature a few amazing supplements we use to stay in high spirits through the colder months: melatonin and vitamin D. Melatonin, a naturally-produced compound that assists us in maintaining a natural circadian rhythm, is critical heading into the fall season to help keep your sleep schedule in check. Vitamin D, a wonder vitamin for the bones and immune system, helps you stay healthy all season so you never miss a beat.

Local company BRAINEFFECT offers great supplements for both melatonin and vitamin D, allowing you to support local businesses while you support your health! Read on for an overview of what these seemingly magical potions can do for you.

Melatonin

Healthy sleep is the basis for our performance during the day. Every athlete knows this, as sleep is one of the most important tools we can use to to optimally regenerate and improve performance.

Unfortunately, many people today live contradictory to their "inner clock" -- our daily schedules affect our melatonin levels, which are critical to controlling our day-night rhythm, effectively telling us when to rest and when to be active. Working long nights, traveling across time zones, and spending too much time in front of screens (the artificial blue light actually inhibits your natural melatonin production!) all disturb our melatonin levels. Day to day stress affects us as well, as the stress hormone cortisol suppresses melatonin production.

The result is that many people do not reach the natural level of melatonin in order to fall asleep well and sleep soundly due to their lifestyle. Sleepless nights, hours of counting sheep and less efficiency during the day are pre-programmed.

So what can we do to counteract this imbalance? Optimize your lifestyle the best you can and add a melatonin supplement to your routine.

Research shows the benefits of taking melatonin boosters. Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US have found that taking melatonin in low doses of 0.5 mg to 1 mg decreases sleep latency, meaning that it shortens the time it takes to fall asleep (1). A Yale meta-analysis shows similar results: across 19 separate studies, melatonin supplements were shown to decrease sleep latency and increase the amount and quality of sleep (2).

In comes Sleep Spray, which is BRAINEFFECT’s answer to melatonin boosters. This ingenious supplement is actually in spray form, which is both more pleasant and convenient than a pill, and allows the melatonin to be absorbed more quickly into the body. It’s delightfully minty but still sugar-free, so you never have to worry about brushing your teeth after spraying. I’ve taken it on long-haul flights, and it fits conveniently into my handbag for quick use once I’ve gotten to my destination. It’s a great start for anyone trying to regain balance in their lives and get better quality sleep.

Vitamin D3

Darker days are almost upon us as we head into winter. How can we ensure that our energy and health from the summer months continues year-long? One way is to consider vitamin D -- a critical vitamin for immune strength as well as for bones and muscles. Our bodies can synthesize vitamin D for itself within the skin through direct sunlight. But as we head into winter… our vitamin D production drops off. The combination of the cold weather and lack of sunlight in the morning and evening are lethal to our vitamin D levels.

So what does vitamin D do?

Emerging research supports the possible role of vitamin D against cancer, heart disease, fractures, depression, and generalized weakness (3). The vitamin plays a direct role in promoting bone strength and structure, but it also helps to modulate cell growth and neuromuscular and immune function (4). Vitamin D also reduces inflammation, which is critical for maintaining peak performance in spin class and yoga alike.

BRAINEFFECT also offers an amazing vitamin D supplement in their Vitamin D3 Oil. Again, this supplement isn’t a pill, but is rather an MCT oil solution, allowing you to take it in a multitude of different ways. The oil combines vitamin D3 with vitamin K2, which assists the absorption of vitamin D into the body, and activates many repair processes in your blood vessels, organs and brain. Taking 5-10 drops a day does wonders in both winter and summer months!

Both products are sold in the studio.

Have any supplements you like to take in the fall or winter seasons? We'd love to hear about it at hello@becycle.de.