Benefits of Deer Velvet – Sports Performance & Recovery

Sam Cane - International rugby professional

Athletes demand A LOT of their bodies – and they are not the only ones!

CANES DEER VELVET helps EVERY body meet the demands for a physically and mentally demanding lifestyle.

Awareness of Canes Deer Velvet is already high among New Zealand athletes, with professional sportsmen such as Sam Cane, Liam Messam and Aidan Ross making it a regular part of their nutritional intake.

The benefits for circulation, healing and joint health are significant for anyone who is active in sport or other physical activity. And a strong immune system is highly important to someone who continually puts their body under immense stress, and has invested huge time and energy into preparing for their specialist sporting event.

Researchers have shown Deer Velvet promotes peripheral circulation. This maximises delivery of nutrients and oxygen around the muscles, and ensures efficient removal of the waste products produced with exercise (e.g. lactic acid build up) Good circulation and oxygen to the brain helps the body to deal with fatigue and stress associated with intense exercise.

The anti-inflammatory prostaglandins assist the body to regulate inflammation and swelling in the joints and muscles, and therefore pain. And they are helpful also in reducing recovery times after physical workouts and minimising the effects of sports injuries.

Other relevant nutrients include natural erythropoeitc factors, amino acids, fatty acids and lipids, precursors to hormones, and minerals. Our NUTRIENTS page explains exactly how they support the body.

Velvet and Athletic Performance – Research Results are Remarkable!

Clinical trials have proven that velvet may increase athletic performance and lower risk of heart disease.

In 2004, 10 experts from 5 US universities and 2 research institutes investigated the physiological performance enhancing effects of New Zealand deer antler.

32 male weight training enthusiasts that had at least 4 years experience were chosen and randomly assigned using a double-blind placebo trial design. The placebo group received sugar capsules and the velvet group received 1350mg of deer velvet twice per day, a total of 2700mgs.

Prior to and immediately following a 10-week period of velvet supplementation, each subject participated in a series of measurements including the measurement of maximal aerobic capacity, maximal power output on a cycle ergo meter, maximal strength for the bench press and squat, and a comprehensive blood chemistry profile.

At the start of the study, there were no significant differences between the groups in their respective body composition profile variables.

At the end of the study, the velvet group showed the following remarkable changes:

Significant improvements in aerobic capacity in the velvet group, with VO2 Max increasing by 9.8%.(measured in litres)
Greater strength, shown by significant improvements in maximum squat strength (9.9%) and bench press performance (4.2%)
Reduced muscle damage- 25% lower than baseline as measured by levels of Creatine Kinase (an enzyme indicator of muscle damage)
Dramatic improvement in rate of repair following muscle damage.
Less fat on their torso. By the end of the trial the trunk to limb fat ratio had reduced from 104.7 to 101.0. There was no measured effect on weight or body mass indices.
Significant reduction in LDL cholesterol (12.2%) and as a result the LDL/HDL ratio had declined by 8.4% reducing the groups cardiovascular risk.
Greater stamina.
No significant negative alterations in blood chemistry were observed.