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If you want the kick without the jitters, pop some American ginseng. A recent study at the Mayo Clinic found that taking 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams of the herb can provide an all-day energy boost.
Five hundred milligrams of L-carnitine—an amino acid that shuttles nutrients into cells' power plants—will also do the trick. Of course, the best energy boost is weight lifting. Studies show that pumping iron three times a week can increase energy levels by up to 50 percent even on days you don't lift. You can't get those results in a bottle.
Mark Moyad, M.D. Dr. Moyad is the Phil F. Jenkins director of preventive and alternative medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center.
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