Bee Pollen and Stamina
Bee pollen, which is collected from flowering plants by bees and stored in their hives as food for bee larvae, is rich in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients essential to life. As a food supplement, bee pollen can help reduce stress, help with weight control, strengthen the immune system, build resistance to allergies, and improve health in various other ways.
Some studies suggest that bee pollen can help increase energy and stamina, or help the body recuperate after physical exertion. Many athletes, including Olympic teams, have used bee pollen as a food supplement and noticed improved performance, with no negative side effects. A Russian Olympic coach, Remi Korchemny, performed a study with bee pollen; athletes were asked to run laps at full intensity, and those who had consumed bee pollen had shortened recovery times, and improved recovery times for their heart rates and blood pressure, than athletes who were given a placebo.
There is no special pill or food supplement that will improve your physical endurance or your ability to perform at a high level in an athletic competition; there is no substitute for hard work and training. However, bee pollen contains a number of nutrients that are significant in recovering from physical activity. Amino acids, for instance, are very important in this recovery process, and bee pollen is rich in amino acids — in fact, bee pollen is approximately 25 percent protein.
Bee pollen has been shown to have a high ORAC score — indicating that it is high in antioxidants. These antioxidants help protect muscles from the oxidation that normally occurs during intensive physical training. Thus, they help with recovery. And, when we work out, we perspire. Perspiration is rich in minerals, particularly electrolytes such as magnesium, potassium, and sodium; these need to be replaced. Bee pollen contains significant amounts of magnesium and potassium.
And more, many snack foods are filled with sugars and carbohydrates, which are absorbed quickly by our bloodstreams. This quick absorption accounts for the energy burst we feel after eating a sugar-filled snack. However, once the sugar is absorbed, we then feel sudden fatigue; and these rapid fluctuations in our blood sugar levels stress our bodies and reduce our brain function.
Proper blood cell production and function depends more on our intake of basic nutrients such as proteins, vitamins (especially B-complex vitamins), and minerals. Bee pollen contains a rich concentration of these nutrients; taken as a food supplement, bee pollen will immediately improve our diets by providing our body with foods that it needs. B-complex vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and iron, all present in bee pollen, help us feel more energetic by supporting the function of the adrenal gland (which secretes adrenaline). These vitamins and minerals also support the production of brain chemicals, and boosts the oxygen-carrying capacity of our blood — all helping boost our stamina.
Bee pollen can also help lead us toward a healthier routine diet. The best way to purchase bee pollen is in raw granules, available either at a health-food store or from a local beekeeper, if there is one in your area. Some people simply eat these granules by the spoonful, but others find the taste a bit harsh. It’s easy, then, to sprinkle the granules over yogurt or cereal, or mix it in with a fruit smoothie or other healthy drink. Once you’ve had your yogurt and bee pollen, perhaps with some fresh fruit mixed in, you should no longer be hungry and won’t need to fry up a pan of bacon and hash browns for your breakfast. Just like that, you’ve improved your diet.
