We’re all familiar with antioxidants. They’re packed into colorful fruits and vegetables, and getting enough of them daily is not just important for keeping your performance and recovery on track, but also supporting everyday body functions that keep you out of harm’s way.

Of all the antioxidants out there, you’ve probably passed by glutathione (GSH) supplements on the shelves of health food stores many times and seen it labeled as a detoxifier, immune system booster, or even the “master antioxidant.”

And if you have any friends that are big into nutrition and fitness, you’ve probably heard through the grapevine that it can also help for exercise performance.

Regardless of where you stand on the GSH knowledge spectrum—whether you know a lot about it or have never heard of it, we’re giving you a detailed breakdown of one specific form of glutathione—Setria®.

We’re talking about what it is, what it does in your body, and why Setria® Glutathione is the best you can get.

What Is Glutathione?

Glutathione is an essential antioxidant and sulfur compound composed of three amino acids—cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid—and is the major non-protein thiol in most organisms 1.

It’s found in relatively high concentrations in several bodily tissues and plays critical roles in mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation, maintaining redox balance, enhancing metabolic detoxification processes, and regulating immune function 2.

Several chronic, age-related conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases, mitochondrial dysfunction, diabetes, and even cancer, have been linked to inadequate levels of glutathione 3, 4. As such, supporting endogenous levels becomes critical to maintaining health and well-being throughout the lifespan.

However, one of the big factors influencing glutathione status is the degree of variability in an individual’s capacity to actually produce glutathione; this generally results from genetic variability in the enzymes needed to produce and/or regenerate it 2.

Some enzymes require certain nutrient cofactors, so nutrient deficiencies can interfere with production. Increased levels of oxidative stress, malnutrition, or increased toxic burden can also result in an increased need for glutathione and thus a lower GSH status.

But what does glutathione actually do? Let’s find out.

The Role Of Glutathione In The Body

When it comes to protecting your body, antioxidants are one of the major gold stars. As for glutathione, it’s quite possibly one of the most powerful antioxidants in the body, and many of the benefits are linked to its ability to combat oxidative stress and fight free radicals, thereby protecting the body against any adverse effects ensued from free radical accumulation. However, that’s not it.

It’s also involved in 5:

  • Neutralizing singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radicals, and superoxide radials
  • Serving a cofactor for antioxidant enzymes
  • Regenerating vitamin C and E
  • Neutralizing free radicals produced during Phase 1 liver metabolism of toxins
  • Transporting mercury out of cells and the brain
  • Regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis
  • Supporting mitochondrial function
  • Maintaining mitochondrial DNA

Aside from its antioxidant role, one of the other key functions it’s involved in is detoxifying both xenobiotic and endogenous compounds 5. It facilitates excretion of these harmful compounds from the body, and low levels of GSH have been linked to chronic exposure to chemical toxins that lead to things like macular degeneration, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Some of the most common clinical conditions associated with glutathione levels include 2:

  • Aging and age-related disorders
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Cancer
  • Chronic liver disease
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Diabetes
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Hypertension
  • Infertility (men and women)
  • Autoimmunity (Lupus, MS, etc.)
  • Mental health conditions
  • Neurodegenerative disorders
  • Parkinson’s disease

But in terms of glutathione and exercise performance, it’s the antioxidant role that shines. Strenuous physical activity can induce oxidative stress, a state whereby the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) exceeds that of the antioxidant defense capacity of the body 6.

Studies show that even sub-maximal exercise for 30 minutes is enough to elevate oxidative stress, and high levels of ROS are known to be involved in several pathophysiological implications.

It’s also been suggested that excessive ROS production may contribute to oxidative skeletal muscle fatigue, which will have a damaging effect on both immediate performance and recovery 7.

However, studies show that supplementation with the precursor to GSH production, N-acetyecysteine (NAC), may enhance exercise performance by increasing glutathione levels and reducing oxidative stress in individuals with low resting levels of glutathione 8.

One study found that after just 30 days of supplementing, the group with low GSH levels saw improvements in VO2max, time trial, and Wingate test by 13.6%, 15.4%, and 11.4%, respectively.

Thus, researchers concluded that 30 days of supplementation restored baseline glutathione concentrations, reduced systemic oxidative stress, and improved erythrocyte glutathione metabolism.

Another study found that two weeks of oral GSH supplementation of 1g per day helped to alleviate fatigue in healthy men during and after cycling exercise 9.

This may be, in part, due to the facilitation of aerobic metabolism of lipids in skeletal muscles as a result of increased mitochondria biogenesis and decreased muscle acidosis.

The Setria® Difference

There’s no shortage of glutathione supplements available on health store shelves or even through food. Still, when it comes to supplying your body with the most powerful one, there’s only one to choose—Setria® Glutathione.

It’s one of the most powerful forms of L-glutathione produced from a unique fermentation process, leaving you with a clean, pure, and effective form of glutathione.

Studies show that supplementing with 1,000mg/day of Setria® Glutathione resulted in a 30% increase in whole blood, 35% increase in red blood cells, and 260% increase in buccal cells glutathione levels.

Not to mention that Setria® can increase NK cell activity twofold for better immune support. One study found that after three months of supplementation with glutathione, there was a 2-fold increase in NK cell activity with 1,000mg of Setria®.

What’s more, Setria® Glutathione also helps to:

  • Protect muscle tissue from radical damage during exercise
  • Support proper immune defenses
  • Boost performance and delay fatigue onset

When To Take Setria® Glutathione

Setria® Glutathione can of course be taken as a sole supplement, but when you combine it with other performance-enhancing ingredients, you’re getting even better results.

In Pre Lab Pro®, Setria® Glutathione combines with L-Citrulline in Setria Performance Blend to deliver a 2-in-1 ergogenic stack with a sustained nitric oxide afterburner boost for second-wind endurance.

While each of these are potent sports nutrients in and of themselves, they combine to deliver bigger and better results. L-Citrulline raises blood NO levels, while L-Glutathione elicits its antioxidant activities to protect NO and extend its beneficial activity.

Combined, they improve workout strength, power, endurance, and overall athletic performance, while fueling, nourishing, and clearing muscles post-workout for a head start on growth and recovery.

Setria® Performance Blend maximizes circulation with a strong, longer-lasting nitric oxide boost for performance like you’ve never experienced before.

Here’s what you’re getting in every scoop of Pre Lab Pro®:

  • Patent-pending, research-backed 2-in-1 stack: Setria® Glutathione + L-Citrulline
  • Shown to promote an NOx boost that extends into the post-workout window
  • Sustains NOx levels in blood 2X than equivalent doses of L-Arginine or L-Citrulline alone
  • Clinically shown to reduce fatigue and accelerate recovery in resistance-trained athletes
  • Clinically shown to boost and maintain lean muscle mass when used in conjunction with resistance training
  • Clean, premium Kyowa Quality from an international world leader in supplement ingredients

Final Thoughts

Training is hard, but keeping up with everything else that goes on around training can be even more challenging. There’s no denying that heavy training can be hard on the body, especially for active tissues like skeletal muscle, and the generation of ROS, as a result, means that damage and impaired muscle force production can ensue—not what you want when you’re looking to hit your lifts for a PR.

Because of this, supplementing with antioxidants to suppress muscle fatigue or facilitate the process of recovery can be highly beneficial for taking your performance to the next level in and out of the gym. And for us, the choice is simple.

References

  1. G Noctor, G Queval, A Mhamdi, S Chaouch, CH Foyer. Arabidopsis Book. 2011;9:e0142.
  2. DM Minich, BI Brown. A Review of Dietary (Phyto)Nutrients for Glutathione Support. 2019;11(9):2073.
  3. R Franco, OJ Schoneveld, A Pappa, MI Panayiotidis. The central role of glutathione in the pathophysiology of human diseases.Arch Physiol Biochem. 2007;113(4-5):234-258.
  4. N Ballatori, SM Krance, S Notenboom, S Shi, K Tieu, CL Hammond. Glutathione dysregulation and the etiology and progression of human diseases.Biol Chem. 2009;390(3):191-214.
  5. J Glutathione!.Integr Med (Encinitas). 2014;13(1):8-12.
  6. CK Sen, M Atalay, O Hänninen. Exercise-induced oxidative stress: glutathione supplementation and deficiency. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1994;77(5):2177-2187.
  7. JK Barclay, M Hansel. Free radicals may contribute to oxidative skeletal muscle fatigue. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 1991;69(2):279-284.
  8. V Paschalis, AA Theodorou, NV Margaritelis, A Kyparos, MG Nikolaidis. N-acetylcysteine supplementation increases exercise performance and reduces oxidative stress only in individuals with low levels of glutathione.Free Radic Biol Med. 2018;115:288-297.
  9. W Aoi, Y Ogaya, M Takami, et al. Glutathione supplementation suppresses muscle fatigue induced by prolonged exercise via improved aerobic metabolism.J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015;12:7.