When a muscle loses its strength, it is more difficult to contract and relax it.  You can stop tremors, such as in Parkinson’s, if you can relax the muscle.  You can maintain the strength of a muscle longer, to contract and relax it, by buffering.    

A buffer is a solution that resists change in pH following addition of acid or base.  The amino acid histidine is the only amino acid that can act as a buffer at normal pH of about 7 (Ref. Pamela C. Champe, Richard A. Harvey, Biochemistry, 2^nd Edition, Lippincott-Raven Publishers, 1994, Page 12).  Histidine produces carnosine, which is found in human skeletal muscle and can act as a buffer for muscle.  The more acid the pH of muscle tissue, the weaker the muscle becomes. “Fatigue of muscles during exercise, what is the cause?  The primary cause is accumulation in muscle tissue not of lactate, rather of protons.  Increase of protons (decreased pH) can affect the function of muscles in a number of ways (Ref. Robert K. Murray, MD, Ph.D., Daryl K. Granmer, MD, Peter A. Mayes, Ph.D., D.Sc., Victor W. Fodwell, Ph.D., Harper’s Biochemistry, 25^th Edition, Appleton & Lance, Stanford, Connecticut, 2000, Page 733).”  Thus a buffer for muscles can prolong the start of fatigue.  The greater the fatigue, the less muscle control.  The less muscle control, the less ability to contract and relax muscle.  The ability to relax muscle can give it the ability to resist tremors that occur in Parkinson’s.   

There is a contraction-relaxation cycle of muscle.  This cycle is powered by the chemical energy of the body called ATP.  ATP is the source of energy in the body for the relaxation-contraction cycle of muscle (Harper’s Biochemistry, Page 730).  ATP is produced in the mitochondria, the energy factories of the body.  The production of ATP is a respiratory process requiring oxygen as the rate-limiting step.  This means the body will produce ATP as long as oxygen is present in the process.  “Which allows the respiratory chain to function at the maximum rate until the tissue has become virtually depleted of O2 (oxygen) (Page 140).”  Thus optimizing oxygen utilization in the body can enhance production of ATP.  The more ATP, the more power muscle will have.  The more power muscle has the stronger its ability to sustain the contraction-relaxation cycle and resist tremors.    

In summary, you want to maintain strong muscles to generate the contraction-relaxation cycle of muscle.  Fatigue reduces the ability of muscle to maintain the strength necessary for the contraction-relaxation cycle of muscle.  Decreased pH leads to fatigue.  ATP is also necessary to generate the power for muscles.  The power and strength of muscles can help to resist tremors.  Most tremors can be stopped if muscle can be relaxed.  You need power in your muscles, to have the ability to relax them.      

Orthomolecular medicine is a system of medicine that uses natural substances, non-toxic, and safe in a wide range of dose.  It mainly uses herbs and vitamins/minerals. 

The following are orthomolecular methods to maintain muscle strength and power.  This may be a way to reduce tremors in Parkinson’s. 

1.      Consider foods that contain the amino acid histidine, which can buffer normal pH of 7.  Natural sources of histidine include rice, wheat, and rye.

2.      Consider the supplement carnosine.  This can act as a buffer in muscle tissue.  The longer you prolong pH from decreasing, the stronger the muscle.  Buffers such as carnosine can resist change in pH in muscles.  This web site product page contains the supplement carnosine.

3.      ATP is necessary for the contraction-relaxation cycle of muscle.  The rate-limiting factor in producing ATP is oxygen.  Ginseng supplements containing G-115 have been proven in research to improve oxygen utilization and enhance physical endurance.  G-115 extract can help the respiratory processes run more efficiently by enhancing the utilization of oxygen. 

4.      Arginine and lysine compete with histidine.  Consider eating histidine-containing foods and supplementing carnosine, when you are not supplementing arginine and lysine or eating protein foods that may contain them.

5.      Consider weightlifting exercises to increase muscle and make it stronger.   Increasing the strength and power of muscles can help to resist tremors.   However, you should be careful not to stress your muscles in Parkinson’s.  Thus most forms of weightlifting would seem to stressful for a Parkinson’s patient.  There is a form of weightlifting called static contraction.  This is a system of lifting weights invented by Sisco and Little.  It uses muscles, in a method described in biochemistry, as “sustained contraction”.  The form of the exercises is posture positions that can allow rapid muscle growth, but are not overly stressful.  The workouts can be highly beneficial and last as short as 10 minutes!  Of course, any exercise program should be in consultation with your doctor.  Sisco and Little are authors that can be found in Internet bookstores.  Good luck.

Note – In order for these anti-aging ideas to be successful, you must use supplements of the highest quality. Dr. Bob often said, "almost all supplement companies produce poor quality." You can consider the product page of this web site. Almost all the products met Dr. Bob’s approval. Since he passed away we have attempted to keep the same high standards.

WARNING:  DO NOT STOP ANY TREATMENT OR MEDICATION YOU CURRENTLY USE.  CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING THE USE OF SUPPLEMENTS. 

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