As you search for the best nutrition for athletes, keep in mind that live enzymes are not nutrients like vitamins and minerals. They are catalysts, which act as biochemical agents joining two compounds so they can react with each other, while the enzyme itself remains intact. 

The importance of live enzymes, especially in nutrition for athletes,  cannot be overstated, "In short, virtually nothing happens in the body without the help of enzymes", says Ellen W. Cutler, co-author of 'Micro Miracles'.

To make sure the body is functioning at full potential, experts agree it is a good idea to load up on foods and beverages that contain live enzymes.

Live Enzymes - What Are They?

Live enzymes are often mentioned in discussions about nutrition for athletes, but what are they, why does anyone need them, and where do people get them? Enzymes are not vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats or protein, but they are catalysts for the chemical reactions that get those nutrients working in the body.  While there are 1,300 different kinds of live enzymes that help the body function, the most familiar are digestive enzymes. Equally important are metabolic enzymes that are critical to burning fat and generating energy.

Since energy is important to build muscle up, to maintain a weight loss control program or stay physically fit, metabolic enzymes play a vital role in proper nutrition for athletes.

Metabolic enzymes originate in 5 areas of the body:

• the salivary glands
• stomach
• pancreas
• liver
• wall of the small intestine

Of course, digestive enzymes are essential live enzymes, too. If your body does not have enough, the organs change functions. The liver and the pancreas switch from making metabolic enzymes, so tasks like converting fat into energy are given a lower priority. That is not good for an athlete requiring nutrition to burn fat and generate energy. Live enzymes help provide essential nutrition for athletes to most effectively burn fat and create energy. 

According to Joseph Brasco, M.D., Gastroenterologist at the Center of Colon and Digestive Diseases in Huntsville, Alabama, "Because the pancreas and liver need energy to produce enzymes, the resulting drain renders the organs temporarily unable to perform their functions of detoxification, blood sugar control and fat burning". So, without those healthy, digestive, live enzymes and metabolic enzymes, you feel tired, get fat, and may even suffer from mood swings.

To understand why live enzymes are important in nutrition for athletes,  you should understand the definition of enzymes from 'The Nutrition Almanac-4th Edition' (1996 McGraw Hill, Gayla J. Kirschmann and John D. Kirschmann), "The active chemicals in the digestive juices which cause the chemical breakdown of foods are called enzymes, combinations of amino acids that are capable of inducing chemical changes in other substances".

Fortunately, live enzymes are now abundant in concentrated whole foods that provide perfectly natural nutrition for athletes. Some of the best concentrated whole foods and health drinks with live enzymes are available only online.  Packed with potent antioxidants that can be easily assimilated by the body, these formulas deliver a strong regenerating effect on the liver and pancreas, as well as the adrenals, reproductive glands, nervous system and kidneys.

To get the right digestive juices that turn nutrients into energy, search the Internet for online health food stores that offer nutrition for athletes with live enzymes from whole foods. Look for natural foods and health drinks that are made from real fruits, herbs and plants. Feeding the body the nutrients it needs with live enzymes helps it absorb those nutrients more effectively and perform better over the long term. 

Author Profile-Cliff Smith and his wife Jane Wakefield are constantly researching the latest nutrition for athletes.  Cliff and Jane offer information on more than 415 natural health food products that are not typically sold in retail outlets.  Jane is a breast cancer survivor and award winning tennis player who attributes her recovery to a diet of concentrated whole foods and health drinks (See this Press Release: Breast Cancer Survivor Is A Double Winner at American Cancer Society Hit for the Cure). Cliff is a serious mountain biker who covers hundreds of miles a month over rugged terrain in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona.  See the natural nutrition for athletes he recommends