Guarana. What is it, benefits in sports nutrition, for weight loss. How to take powder, tea, energy drink, tablets

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Guarana is extracted from the berries of a vine native to Brazil and Venezuela. Numerous studies (example) have shown that the effect of taking it is many times greater than the effect of caffeine in burning excess fat and producing additional energy. Today it is found in many sports nutrition products and energy drinks.

What is guarana

A creeping vine up to 10 m long with large leaves and bunches of light flowers looks bright and extravagant during the seed ripening period. Orange-red, hazelnut-sized “tomatoes” are tightly packed into clusters or long cobs. When they burst, it seems that tens of hundreds of eyes open - these are dark glossy seeds in white “pockets”.

Once extracted, they resemble small chestnuts, only soft. With the growing popularity of the plant, it began to be grown for industrial processing. 1 vine produces about 3 kg of seeds. They are peeled, dried, and ground into powder. Each manufacturer subjects raw materials to varying degrees of purification and adapts them for the production of food products.

Compound

Guarana has long been valued in its homeland for its high content of guaranine, a substance similar to caffeine. In terms of its volume (2-6%), the liana is far ahead of the coffee tree.

The fruits of the plant also contain:

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Compatibility with other tools

Guarana is not usually used on its own. Most often, it is part of complex supplements (pre-workout complexes, fat burners, etc.), since, in addition to its own stimulating effect, it can enhance the effect of other active substances.

The combination of taurine, caffeine and guarana may have too strong an effect. When taking several products at the same time (it could be an energy drink, a thermogenic, a creatine supplement), check the composition - guarana may be present in each of them. Calculate your daily dose carefully.

Beneficial properties of guarana

Many centuries ago, American Indians already knew how to use the stimulating capabilities of the plant. The fruits of the vines drowned out feelings of hunger and fatigue, treated infections, headaches, fever, cramps, intestinal disorders, and joint pain. With the advent of civilization, and with it strong alcohol, the aborigines relieved hangovers with herbal drinks.

Guarana is such a successful combination of nutrients and taste that it has been widely used:

• in the preparation of chocolate, sweets, coffee;
• production of energy, alcoholic, dessert drinks;
• production of cosmetics and hygiene products;
• in teas, alcohol extracts, capsules, tablets, elixirs to increase athletic endurance and lose weight;
• in medicine (selected countries).

Laboratory studies have shown the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of guaranine. Clinical trials of the plant extract in dosages of 37.5-300 mg have demonstrated a positive effect on cognition (perception of new things), memory, tone, and human mood.

US scientists did not recognize the medicinal potential of guarana, but agreed on the advisability of its use as a food additive.

Where and for how much can I buy the drug?

The plant is sold on the sports nutrition market in its pure form; you can often find products that bear the same name. You can buy it at the pharmacy and at specialized points of sale of supplements for athletes. Large sports nutrition stores offer both the pure substance in powder and a variety of additives for drinks and food. The average price for Moscow is:

• Price of the supplement “Guarana berries, organic powder”, 100 g - UFG, Brazil - 1150 rubles.
• The cost of sports nutrition "Guarana (powder) raw", 100 g - Brazil - 1125 rubles.

Real reviews from athletes after using the sports supplement are mostly positive.

• Alexey: I’ve been working out in the gym for a couple of years. Lately I’ve been feeling tired, I just couldn’t lift my arms, and I had to drag myself to training. They advised me to try guarana, the effect is amazing. A feeling of lightness, strength and energy, although after training the fatigue returned.
• Evgeniy: I added the drug to my drink before classes. Initially, I didn’t notice that reception in the evening was prohibited. I noticed that my heart began to beat like crazy and I couldn’t sleep. After restoration, I carefully studied the instructions, and now I accept them with pleasure.

If you see the name “Liquid Chestnut”, then know that it is the same guaranine, but with the addition of carnitine and other useful additives.

Contraindications for use

Natural guarana products with various additives should not be consumed in the following cases:

• pregnancy, feeding a newborn;
• chronic migraines;
• neurological diseases;
• stomach and duodenal ulcers, hiatal hernia, high acidity, reflux (release of gastric juice up the tract);
• cardiovascular disorders, arrhythmias, tachycardia, hypertension;

  
  Guarana is strictly contraindicated for hypertension

• diabetes of both types;
• glaucoma;
• insomnia;
• taking medications with theophylline (since the plant also contains it).

Energy drugs should not be used by children, boys and girls under 18 years of age, and adults over 50.

Physical activity during the period of admission

When taking the drug, be sure to include training in your daily routine or increase the level of physical activity.
Classes are carried out 2-3 times a week so that the muscles have time to rest and recover. Loads must be feasible and safe. A person with good physical fitness can choose cycling or running. However, for weights above 100 kg, it is recommended to first consult a specialist and give preference to walking and swimming. Otherwise, there is a risk of joint damage and deterioration of the cardiovascular system.

Application in sports nutrition

Guaranine helps professional and amateur athletes achieve their goals faster, increase endurance, and more intensively remove excess lactic acid, which causes muscle pain.

Experienced athletes adhere to a daily dosage of 200-800 mg (0.2-0.8 g), as well as an interval between doses of at least 8 hours . A surge of strength occurs from half an hour to an hour from the moment you receive the product. The energy effect lasts up to 5 hours.

The German drug Guarana 1,800 shots from the well-known company Z-Konzept Nutrition is popular in sports circles. It is not considered a doping, but it perfectly stimulates a surge of strength for martial arts, speed, strength, and team sports.

The energy potential of the drug is enhanced by vitamins and fructose. This composition is suitable for supporters of a vegetarian diet. 1 ampoule of liquid oral product per day is enough.

Dosage

After knowing what it is, guarana extract should be taken in the next dose. The average daily dose of the drug depends on the presence of additional components included in its composition, and varies from 200 to 800 mg per day.

Moreover, you need to start taking guarana with the most minimal doses in order to control the body’s reaction and prevent side effects that are possible when consuming a dose of more than 3 grams per day.

When determining further dosage, it should be taken into account that a daily intake of 3 to 5 grams is considered safe (this is no more than 250 mg of caffeine). According to some reports, in sports, to enhance the effectiveness of training, an average daily dosage of up to 4000 mg is allowed, but taking guarana in this amount should be carried out under the supervision of a sports physician.

How to take for weight loss

Thanks to its general strengthening, stimulating effect, guaranine accelerates metabolism and promotes the removal of excess fluid and waste substances. The ballast components of herbal preparations perform a cleansing effect when passing through the digestive tract.

By dulling the feeling of hunger, guarana caffeine facilitates the transition to a limited diet and forces the body to draw energy from fat reserves. By increasing physical activity and endurance, nutritional supplements help burn fat more efficiently during fitness. In a month you can lose up to 6 kg if you regularly devote time to exercise.

From the first days of taking the extract or dietary supplement, you feel a surge of strength, a more optimistic mood, and an incentive to work and move.

For those looking to lose weight, guarana comes in the form of:

• liquid extract;
• capsules;
• tablets;
• drops, ampoules;
• powder for drinks;
• dry substrate for tea.

Popular dietary supplements in capsules with Lida and Herbalife NRG vitamins, which remove excess fluid and stimulate fat burning up to 2-10 kg per month.

Liquid extracts with vitamins in ampoules, such as Power System, Narinin, Multipower Guarana Shot, are absorbed faster. Each manufacturer has its own original formula for the product, so you need to use the dosage regimen specified in the instructions on the labels.

Action

Athletes often do not know what is best to buy to increase the effectiveness of training and complete “drying”. But what's the point of guessing for a long time? Guarana powder is indispensable in these matters. It promotes:

acceleration of metabolic processes in the body. Guarana accelerates fat burning even without changes in diet. This effect is confirmed by people's reviews. All you need to do is buy a special supplement with guarana and take it according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. As a result, metabolic processes are activated, and calorie consumption accelerates significantly. In combination with active physical activity, the result comes much faster; suppressing hunger. Just read the reviews to be convinced that guarana powder copes well with appetite and quickly creates a feeling of fullness. As a result, it is much easier for you to stick to your diet; increasing physical activity. Guarana gives incredible vigor, relieves excess fatigue and replenishes energy reserves. As a result, it is simply impossible to sit still. Long walks, gym workouts, and increased stress become part of life. As a result, much more energy is burned, your own fat deposits are consumed, and you lose weight; strengthening the immune system. Guarana powder contains a full range of useful components - sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, tannin, saponin, zinc, vitamins B1, B2, PP and others. This composition helps strengthen the functioning of all organs and systems, as well as the removal of harmful toxins; restoration of vitality. Taking the supplement gives you a boost of energy, sadness and melancholy go away, you want to work and achieve new successes. Reviews confirm that guarana improves vitality and improves mood. It is often prescribed to people who suffer from chronic fatigue, apathy and depression; improving brain function. It has already been proven that guarana directly affects human brain activity. After taking the supplement, thought processes are activated, blood supply to the brain improves, memory develops

In addition, concentration improves, which is very important in strength sports.

Many people believe that it is enough to buy a guarana supplement, take it, lie on the couch and lose weight. This is wrong. Results can only be achieved in combination with physical exercise. Believe me, if you do not take action, even the most powerful fat burner will not give results.

Instructions for use of the extract

For guarana extracts (otherwise known as liquid chestnut), the daily intake averages 300 mg. For weight loss, the recommended dosage is 1-2 capsules (ampoules) per day with food. The alcohol extract is drunk 10 drops with water 3-4 times. 1 dose should be timed to coincide with the first, most active half of the day.

The second - no later than 17.00, otherwise the body will not have time to use the boost of energy, and the quality of sleep will deteriorate. To increase the effectiveness of physical activity, drink the specified amount 1 hour before exercise or training. Course duration is 1 month; a break is required before re-use.

Guarana capsules (tablets) of different brands for removal from such unpleasant conditions as asthenic syndrome, psychological fatigue, you may need 3-6 pieces. This amount cannot exceed the limit of 400 mg of guaranine. Their course is shorter - 2 weeks. All drugs are stored in a cool, dark place where the temperature is not higher than +20°C.

conclusions

1. Gaurana can be a good lifeline for you before a responsible start or training, when you no longer have the strength. But remember that this life preserver lasts up to 3 hours. And then there comes a decline, even greater than you had before the guarana. You have to pay for everything.

2. When you drink guarana, you seem to be “borrowing” from your body. And this “debt” must be repaid in the form of rest. Therefore, I do not recommend using guarana before every workout.

3. As for guarana, which is found in complex fat burners and pre-workout complexes, its concentration per serving is much lower than in pure guarana. And in such preparations it serves as an auxiliary substance, and not the main one.

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Source

Tea

There are many black teas on sale, exclusively guarana, as well as black and green types mixed with ginseng, passion fruit, orange, mate (Paraguayan holly leaves), pomegranate and sunflower petals. Dry tea leaves are packaged in single bags, sticks, in bulk in boxes of 100 g, bags of 0.5 kg.

All teas produce a tonic, invigorating effect. They eliminate or greatly alleviate symptoms of depression, stress fatigue, and lack of sleep

Prepare the water for brewing - bring it to a boil, let it stand until the temperature drops to 85°C. Pour boiling water over a glass, clay, porcelain teapot, pour 1 tbsp. (or according to the recipe on the package) loose tea leaves, pour in 250 ml of prepared water.

If desired, you can add fresh mint, a slice of lemon, or lime. Leave for 5-10 minutes. to the desired strength. Bags and sticks, like regular tea, are dipped directly into a cup of hot water.

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Reception features

Guarana 2000 is a powerful stimulant that accumulates energy, is available in liquid form in ampoules, each ampoule contains 25 milligrams of the active substance, instantly reaches its destination, does not dissipate and is absorbed into the tissue.

You should remember how to take guarana 2000 energy storm. One ampoule 30 minutes before training, but no more than two ampoules per day. Do not mix with alcoholic beverages to prevent unpredictable consequences.

Energy storm is beneficial for all athletes, regardless of direction

Contraindicated for use by minor children due to their fragile psyche. Do not use if you have heart problems or high blood pressure.

Energy drink

Canned and bottled energizer drinks, of which there are many on the shelves of all stores, are the cheapest products. It may contain real guarana extract, but it is also replete with harmful flavors, dyes, preservatives, and sweeteners.

Much better quality than more expensive sports drinks. Together with guaranine, they contain vitamins, minerals, juices, and harmless sweeteners. Potassium sorbate (E202) serves as a preservative. It is considered not dangerous if the content is within 0.01-0.2% of the volume of the drink. Energy drinks are drunk chilled, 200 ml per day, less saturated tonics - no more than 2 bottles of 0.5 liters.

To prepare homemade drinks, powdered guarana extract is used. It is diluted with water, infused for 10-15 minutes. or according to the instructions on the package. There is a practice of enriching your favorite juice, yogurt, and fresh milk with a small amount of powder. Most extracts are not rated for high temperatures, so keep the drink cold.

What to eat while taking guarana

When taking guarana, you must switch to dietary nutrition. You should review your diet and remove all harmful high-calorie foods from it.

It is advisable to keep a food diary to monitor your results and adjust the menu in time.

Diet

You should eat 5-6 times a day. The number of main meals is 3. Most of the calories should be consumed in the morning, because the body does not need them at night. It is advisable to eat sources of carbohydrates during breakfast. During the day, porridge and vegetables are combined with meat. For dinner, preference is given to protein products.

Authorized Products

The diet should include meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, dairy and fermented milk products. Cereals, preferably whole grains, are suitable sources of carbohydrates.

The diet should contain fish and meat.

You can eat mushrooms and chicken eggs in small quantities. The latter will additionally help reduce the daily calorie intake by ensuring long-term saturation.

You can make juices and compotes from fruits and vegetables, but you will have to avoid adding sugar. Desserts are replaced with honey, dried fruits and nuts, but in limited quantities.

Prohibited Products

The list of prohibited foods includes all foods that contain a lot of calories and few nutrients. For example, sweet carbonated drinks, fast food, milk and white chocolate. It is recommended to avoid store-bought sauces. It is advisable to avoid consuming spices that whet your appetite. Coriander, peppermint, black pepper, fennel and cinnamon have a similar effect.

Preparations in tablets with guarana

Tabletted and encapsulated extracts are sold in plastic jars of 30, 60, 90, 100, 120, 180 pcs. with the same wide dosage range, for example 900, 800, 500, 106.2 mg

Depending on the strength of the impact, they can be prescribed:

• for patients with weakened immune systems as an addition to the treatment program;
• for the recovery period after surgery, injury, long-term illness;
• to reduce appetite in case of obesity;
• with IOP of the hypotonic type, loss of strength of various etiologies.

The tablets are convenient to take with you to the gym or on the road if you need to stay alert during the day and at night. Absorption of the active substance can last up to 1 hour. If necessary, speed up the process, drink them on an empty stomach or after meals after 1-1.5 hours.

Guarana extract – effect on the woman’s body

Consumption of guarana extract helps reduce appetite and improve mood.

It is recommended:

• To relieve stress;
• With nervous tension;
• For chronic fatigue;
• As an aphrodisiac;
• For skin irritations;
• Weakened immunity;
• To improve performance.

Women fell in love with guarana because of its antioxidant properties. It prevents the aging of the body, has a positive effect on the condition of the skin, makes the skin elastic and prevents the appearance of fine wrinkles. Guarana is a powerful fat burner. It is effective in the treatment of cellulite, as it promotes the breakdown of subcutaneous fat.

Contains vitamins

Guarana is a healing drug that gives a synergistic (mutually reinforcing) effect with vitamin preparations. German manufacturers produce complexes based on a scientifically balanced formula. One of the equivalent components is good quality guaranine.

Univit® Energy effervescent tablets are available for sale. They contain 9 vitamins, minerals calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, coenzyme Q10. Guarana is present here as a stimulant and as an enhancer of absorption and assimilation of other components.

The drug increases performance, motor activity, and helps to withstand conditions of strong psycho-emotional stress. It is recommended to take 1 piece, dissolved in a glass of water. Course – 1 month.

The intended purpose of the drug Complivit® SuperEnergy with guarana is to provide the body with a complex of substances necessary for energy and other types of metabolism, strengthening the immune system, and stimulating vitality.

The composition includes most B-vitamins, the vitamin-like substance L-carnitine, selenium, zinc, green tea extract, and catechins from the group of antioxidants. Tablets are used in a monthly course of 1 piece. during breakfast.

Power engineering mechanism

But the fact is that “energy drinks” contain quite large amounts of substances called stimulants, primarily caffeine.
Caffeine (and other stimulants) itself is not a source of energy, since it does not contain glucose or triglycerides. But it actively stimulates (stimulates) the body’s production of energy from its own sources. By the way, taking any energy drink has one significant disadvantage: after the first surge of strength and vigor (energy maximum), after some time an energy minimum comes - a feeling of decline and depression. The danger of energy drinks lies primarily in this kind of “deception” - it seems to a person that he is receiving additional strength, while in fact he continues to deplete an already tired body. Addiction to energy drinks can be costly for a frivolous consumer - in some cases it can lead to serious exhaustion. And a nervous breakdown. If you remember this (and choose products from serious manufacturers who care about high-quality raw materials for their products), then you can use energy drinks completely safely in cases where it is necessary. So, we figured out that the basic basis of most “energy drinks” is the stimulant caffeine. What about guarana? Yes, guarana extract also contains caffeine in quantities comparable to what is found in tea, coffee, cocoa, mate and some other products. It turns out that there is no difference whether you drink guarana extract or just a cup of coffee? However, there is a difference.

Precautionary measures

Guarana is such a strong substance in concentrated form that you need to follow some rules.

1. It is dangerous to consume liquid chestnut simultaneously with alcohol; there is a risk of cardiovascular problems.
2. Excessive, long-term consumption of funds can have the opposite effect - reduce productivity, make it difficult to quickly concentrate and perceive information. This occurs due to overexcitation and subsequent fatigue of the nervous system and muscular system.
3. Deterioration in well-being can be caused by counterfeits, as well as additives in energy drinks, drugs: synthetic - because they are harmful and enter the body in large quantities; natural (vitamins, minerals) - because they disrupt the physiological balance towards an excess of any biochemical elements.
4. People who have health problems should recharge their energy with greater caution. It is more logical for them to limit contact with guarana to 2 times a week or consult a doctor regarding individual dosage. But even those who feel excellent should not get carried away, but soberly assess all changes in their condition.
5. Exit from the course of guaranine use should be gradual. The body, left without a stimulant, may respond with at least a headache, irritability, and restless sleep.

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Guarana[edit | edit code]

Guarana

or
"Paulinia cupana Kunth"
(named after S. Pauli (1603-1680), a researcher of the flora of Denmark) is an evergreen creeping shrub from the sapindaceae family Sapindaceae, growing in the Amazon River basin in Brazil and Venezuela.

Wild guarana can be found in various areas of the Amazonas state in Brazil. But, for many years in states such as Brazil, Pará, Goiás and Mato Grosso, guarana has also been grown for industrial purposes.

Under favorable conditions, guarana can climb to a height of up to ten meters. Its dark branches are framed by oval-shaped leaves with denticles along the edges and flowers on short stalks, collected in inflorescences. The plant begins to bear fruit only in the third year, in January or February. And from a five-year-old guarana bush you can already harvest about three kilograms of fruit.

The guarana fruit is usually yellow in color with a bright red tip and contains one or two smooth oval seeds about the size of a grape. It is these seeds, and not the pulp itself, that are the main product from which Brazilians prepare the drink. Therefore, to remove this pulp, the fruits are first soaked. After separating the juicy shell, the seeds are washed, dried, roasted and ground into powder. Later, this powder, containing caffeine, is mixed with water, sometimes adding cocoa and cassava (a genus of plants of the Euphorbia family, grows in the tropics of America).

Since ancient times, local Indians have used guarana fruits to prepare not only a tonic, but also a medicinal drink.

Many adherents of the guarana drink note its medicinal properties, claiming that it is not just a tonic drink, but also a sedative that supports heart function, as well as an effective medicine against arteriosclerosis. It is believed that guarana also helps in the treatment of dysentery, migraine and neuralgia.

Side effects

It is believed that guarana and its preparations have a gentler effect on humans than coffee.

Indeed, adverse reactions are not common, but coincide with signs of excess in the coffee drinking culture:

• increased breathing;
• acceleration of heart rate, turning into a violation of ri /img]
• tinnitus;
• frequent urination;
• indigestion to vomiting, diarrhea with pain in the intestines;
• dry mouth;
• fading sensations in the eyes;
• body twitching, spasms, tremors;
• redness, hypersensitivity of the skin, circles under the eyes;
• overexcitement, anxiety, turning into attacks of unmotivated panic;
• sleep disorder or vice versa drowsiness;
• feeling hot or cold sweat.

These symptoms can be single, combined, or varying in intensity. If discomfort occurs, it is recommended to reduce the dosage, gradually bringing it to 0. In case of severe discomfort, you should consult a doctor.

Harm

As a mild and natural form of caffeine, the harm from guarana is fairly mild. However, if the dosage or frequency of administration is exceeded, it causes the same undesirable effects as caffeine:

• Cardiopalmus.

• High blood pressure.

• Tremor.

• Anxiety.

• Diuresis disorders.

Insomnia, nausea, vomiting, headaches, convulsions, arrhythmia continue the list of side effects.

With prolonged use, addiction may develop. With abrupt withdrawal of guarana, withdrawal syndrome is possible, which is manifested by anxiety, irritability, and migraines.

Are there any analogues?

Plants containing caffeine (coffee, black, green teas), as well as a special type of glycosides (Paraguayan holly, ginseng) have a similar effect. In this series, coffee stands out as the most aggressive, while the others give an adrenaline-like effect much more mildly.

This is explained by the fact that in guarana and teas, caffeine is bound by other substances into a slightly soluble compound. An interesting type of glycoside, mateoside, was found in holly raw materials. Experts believe that thanks to it, mate tea can invigorate you in the morning and calm you down in the evening.

Recommendations

How much caffeine should you take before training? A cup or two, but the effect is insignificant and does not last long.

With Guarana energy drink everything is much simpler. If you use guarana 2000 correctly and follow the dosage, the product will not cause any consequences, but will noticeably increase your vigor.

Guarana powder is well absorbed into the blood and spreads throughout the circulatory system, quickly reaching the brain and has a long-lasting effect.

On the Internet you can find a lot of positive reviews about energy Storm:

Christina

“I tried the drug, I can give it a 5 for its fast-acting properties and a good boost of energy. The downside is the taste, but this is not for everyone. Among similar energy drinks, he is the best”;

Anton

“It works just great! After a twenty-minute warm-up I felt a quick surge of strength, it went straight to my head, I’m delighted.”

Reviews about the effectiveness of guarana

Many who have come into contact with the energy potential of guaranine are unanimous in their opinion - they really want to move, they are in the mood to resolve accumulated issues, complete pending tasks, and generate plans for the future.

Those who, taking herbal supplements, are not lazy to do gymnastics and walk every day, note an accelerated rate of weight loss, strengthening of muscles, increased resistance to colds and infections.

Nature has accumulated such extraordinary, very useful capabilities in guarana. A person can only wisely use this for his own benefit.

Article design: Mila Friedan

Reviews of the product Guarana 3000 (Russport) 25 ml 20 amp