At age fifty-one I ran my 17th marathon faster than I had run a decade earlier, and I owe it to a rare sea mollusk from New Zealand! I am no elite athlete. I am just an average Joe who enjoys distance running, but I, like most runners, thought I would get slower with age.
I began running marathons at age 37 with a trip to San Francisco and a race raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It was a glorious event but I hobbled around like a crippled old man for weeks afterwards. For the next decade I could average one, occasionally two, marathons a year. It literally took so much out of me that I couldn’t properly train and recover for any more than that
At age 50 I decided to challenge my “mature status” by training and completing three races in a year. By this time I had become fairly well educated about nutrition, effort, and the limits of my own ability. I still struggled with post run soreness and delayed recovery. As apart of my research ( I am a type “A” physician) I discovered the critical role of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory mechanisms in healing and recovery.
Most exercise generates chemicals and changes in the body that promote inflammation. This is a conundrum as stress pushes the body to adapt and become more fit, yet it also leads to soreness, muscle fatigue, and joint pain. As a physician biased towards natural mechanisms for reducing the effect of inflammation, I did extensive research into natural anti inflammatory tools for both my own benefit and that of my patients, as I had observed the same set of problems in their lives.
It was in the midst of this research that I came across a product called Omega XL. Omega 3 fatty acids are nature’s anti-inflammatory medicines, and I discovered that Omega XL contained the highest concentration and bioavailability of omega 3 fatty acids than any other product I could find. This little capsule derived from the green lipped mussel of New Zealand was thoroughly researched, and there was a voluminous literature published by independent investigators about its benefits. However, I wanted to see if it worked for me. Two months prior to my first “post 50” marathon I began taking Omega XL, careful to not alter any other aspect of my training such as diet and mileage as to properly asses the effect of this product. What I discovered confirmed the research; I recovered quicker and had less post-run soreness and discomfort. I didn’t measure all the inflammatory markers that were collected and followed in the research papers, but I knew how I felt and it supported the claims of the product. For me the biggest difference was how I felt after a training run or a race.
Prior to using Omega XL, I was hobbled and in agony after a marathon, unable to run or train for 2-3 weeks. Recently, however, after running the recent Albany Marathon I was back on the roads three days later looking forward to my next race. I initially thought that this recovery was just a fluke. Maybe I had trained harder or rested more, so I continued the Omega XL through my training and running of the North Carolina Marathon a few months later. Again, I was amazed at not only my time in the race but by my post race recovery.
Understand that I am a skeptic and not given to endorse any product on a whim, but here was a product that had both credible research and my own experience to support its value. Currently I am a few months from running in the 114th Boston Marathon. Not only has my training been injury free but my seasonal allergies have abated! (an unsuspected anti-inflammatory benefit)
You don’t have to train for a marathon to reap the benefits of Omega XL. Anyone who suffers from inflammatory conditions such as asthma, arthritis, back and joint pain, and even heart disease may potentially benefit from this anti-oxidant powerhouse.
I will continue to take Omega XL and will encourage my patients to do likewise.
I began running marathons at age 37 with a trip to San Francisco and a race raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It was a glorious event but I hobbled around like a crippled old man for weeks afterwards. For the next decade I could average one, occasionally two, marathons a year. It literally took so much out of me that I couldn’t properly train and recover for any more than that
At age 50 I decided to challenge my “mature status” by training and completing three races in a year. By this time I had become fairly well educated about nutrition, effort, and the limits of my own ability. I still struggled with post run soreness and delayed recovery. As apart of my research ( I am a type “A” physician) I discovered the critical role of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory mechanisms in healing and recovery.
Most exercise generates chemicals and changes in the body that promote inflammation. This is a conundrum as stress pushes the body to adapt and become more fit, yet it also leads to soreness, muscle fatigue, and joint pain. As a physician biased towards natural mechanisms for reducing the effect of inflammation, I did extensive research into natural anti inflammatory tools for both my own benefit and that of my patients, as I had observed the same set of problems in their lives.
It was in the midst of this research that I came across a product called Omega XL. Omega 3 fatty acids are nature’s anti-inflammatory medicines, and I discovered that Omega XL contained the highest concentration and bioavailability of omega 3 fatty acids than any other product I could find. This little capsule derived from the green lipped mussel of New Zealand was thoroughly researched, and there was a voluminous literature published by independent investigators about its benefits. However, I wanted to see if it worked for me. Two months prior to my first “post 50” marathon I began taking Omega XL, careful to not alter any other aspect of my training such as diet and mileage as to properly asses the effect of this product. What I discovered confirmed the research; I recovered quicker and had less post-run soreness and discomfort. I didn’t measure all the inflammatory markers that were collected and followed in the research papers, but I knew how I felt and it supported the claims of the product. For me the biggest difference was how I felt after a training run or a race.
Prior to using Omega XL, I was hobbled and in agony after a marathon, unable to run or train for 2-3 weeks. Recently, however, after running the recent Albany Marathon I was back on the roads three days later looking forward to my next race. I initially thought that this recovery was just a fluke. Maybe I had trained harder or rested more, so I continued the Omega XL through my training and running of the North Carolina Marathon a few months later. Again, I was amazed at not only my time in the race but by my post race recovery.
Understand that I am a skeptic and not given to endorse any product on a whim, but here was a product that had both credible research and my own experience to support its value. Currently I am a few months from running in the 114th Boston Marathon. Not only has my training been injury free but my seasonal allergies have abated! (an unsuspected anti-inflammatory benefit)
You don’t have to train for a marathon to reap the benefits of Omega XL. Anyone who suffers from inflammatory conditions such as asthma, arthritis, back and joint pain, and even heart disease may potentially benefit from this anti-oxidant powerhouse.
I will continue to take Omega XL and will encourage my patients to do likewise.
