When you are bodybuilding, one thing that should be of concern is how soon your muscle recovers and also if you are dealing with muscle cramps. In order to have better muscle recovery, many people tend to use supplements like protein powder or creatine.
While these supplements do have benefits, there remain various implications regarding their long-term side effects. That’s why, an all-natural supplement like Shilajit is generally preferred by many athletes. Not only does Shilajit helps in muscle recovery and cramps, but it also has a number of other benefits.
Here today let us find out how Shilajit helps in muscle recovery and muscle cramps.
Shilajit for Muscle Recovery
Muscle recovery is a quintessential part of those people who are trying to gain muscles. Without muscle recovery, you can’t possibly hope to have a great physique. It has been said and proven time and again that without proper recovery, you are doing nothing but overtraining.
What is Required For Muscle Recovery?
There are a lot of factors that help in muscle recovery of which one of the most important is sleep. If you are sleep deprived you can never hope to recover after a strenuous workout. This is why it is advised that you get a good night-time sleep, without any stress.
When you are well-rested your muscle recover pretty well. Some of the main highlights of better muscle recovery would be:
How Does Shilajit Help in Muscle Recovery?
Now that you know the importance of muscle recovery, let’s discuss how Shilajit helps with that.
Shilajit is an ancient herbomineral found in the Indian subcontinent. This all-natural supplement is also known as Mumiyo, Mineral Pitch, Asphalt, Jew’s Pitch, Mineral Wax, or Ozokerite in English. Besides, Shilajit is a Sanskrit word that means “Conqueror of mountains and destroyer of weakness,” so the name itself is sufficient to say Shilajit is a miracle supplement.
But do not take our word for it and take a look at the scientific evidence regarding how Shilajit is good for muscle recovery.
1) Increases Testosterone
A study was done on a group of men who were divided into two groups, one who took Shilajit daily for ninety days and another was a placebo. The study concluded that when taken daily PrimaVie-branded purified Shilajit increases total testorene by 20% in healthy individuals and free testosterone by 19%.
The more testosterone in your body, the better your muscle recovers. Given Mineral Pitch’s ability to increase overall testosterone in the system it becomes all the more reasonable to incorporate it in your daily diet.
2) Helps Absorb Nutrition Efficiently
Mumiyo is rich in Fulvic Acid, around 15% to 20%, to be precise. You might not know that Fulvic Acid has great absorption properties. Thanks to this property, your body will absorb nutrients as quickly as possible. This in turn results in faster muscle recovery. Apart from this, it also enhances oxygen levels inside the system.
Shilajit’s faster absorption also helps in retaining water in your system. This especially is essential as you lose a lot of water after a heavy workout session. If your body doesn’t have enough water you will have dehydration which can cause a lot of problems later on.
3) Increase in Collagen Production
Collagen is the main structural protein found in various connective tissues all throughout the body. Collagen is responsible for repairing damaged tissues and tendons. There are a lot of factors that lead to a decrease in collagen production including but not limited to age, smoking, alcohol use, excessive sun exposure, and stress/anxiety.
Thankfully, Shilajit has been shown to improve collagen production after continuous use. The more Collagen you have in your system, the better your muscle recovery. Taking Mumijo before pre or post-workout will work wonderfully for you. Apart from this the increase in Collagen production also improves mental clarity, stress reduction, and energy.
4) Enhances Endurance
The more body endurance you have, the better you’ll be able to work out. In many studies, Shilajit has proven to have improved endurance in those who took the all-natural supplement daily. Being rich in fulvic acid, Shilajit increases the overall energy level inside the body.
Not only this but Mineral pitch also helps in decreasing muscle soreness. In a study, it was found Mumiyo improves skeletal muscle functioning and better adaptation to strength and resistance training. Moreover, this ancient herbomineral also strengthens ECM (extracellular matrix) related gene expression. This ECM is responsible for maintaining, developing, regeneration, and restoring skeletal muscles.
Final Verdict
When it comes to muscle recovery, Shilajit is really helpful. From the above points, it is quite clear Shilajit is a really good supplement for bodybuilders. What makes it all the more lucrative is the fact that it’s all natural with no side effects whatsoever. With other supplements like protein powder or creatine, there remains a risk of long-term side effects but because Shilajit is a natural supplement you won’t be facing any long-term implications.
Shilajit and Muscle Cramps’
Muscle Cramps are the worst. That sensation of that slight tic is extremely agonizing, to say the least. The sharp and stabbing pain can stay for a couple of seconds to a few minutes. Muscle cramp which is also known as charley horse can be very painful. The most common cause of cramps is exercising or doing any sort of physical labor.
Although cramps can occur in every muscle throughout the body, generally there’s a trend of muscle cramps happening in the legs, especially in the calf area. It should be noted that Muscle cramps and muscle spasms are two different things.
What Causes Muscle Cramps?
Generally, muscle cramps happen due to the over-exertion of any particular group of muscles, sweating a lot, or just holding a particular position for a long-time. Nevertheless, often times the root causes of cramps remain unknown.
While most of these cramps are pretty harmless, some might have a medical concern like:
Other Factors that Led to Muscle Cramps
Age: As you grow older you lose muscle mass, making you more vulnerable to muscle cramps.
Poor Conditioning: When your body is out of shape, you are more prone to develop cramps due to weak muscles.
Extreme Sweating: After a tiring workout, your muscle becomes weary and more vulnerable to cramps.
Pregnancy: During pregnancy, you will more muscle cramps than usual.
Medical Issues: Issues like diabetes or illness that involve nerves, liver, or thyroid, can increase the risk of muscle cramps.
Weight: When you are overweight you bear the risk of getting muscle cramps.
How Shilajit Benefits From Muscle Cramps?
An all-natural substance like Shilajit can really help with several problems related to human muscles. We have already discussed how you can have better muscle recovery by taking Shilajit. Likewise, the same can be said about muscle cramps.
Even though Shilajit might not directly contribute to fixing muscle cramps, its other benefits do help with this issue. Generally, muscle cramps are caused due to poor muscle conditioning or tight/inflexible muscles. Moreover, they are also caused by weak muscles. Thanks to its wonderful properties, Shilajit helps in muscle building.
When consumed daily, Shilajit increases testosterone levels, builds endurance, enhances nutrition absorption properties, enriches the body with electrolytes, and strengthens ECM-related gene expression.
Final Verdict
Despite the fact that Shilajit does not contribute directly to solving muscle cramps when used daily, it can definitely keep the body from developing muscle cramps. That being said, it is advised to look for other measures to stop muscle cramping.