Understanding Vital Heart’s Role in Supporting Cardiovascular Health

Why This Matters

Your heart is your most important muscle. For all athletes, but particularly bodybuilders, extreme endurance trainers, and people with high blood pressure, keeping your heart healthy is crucial. Sometimes, your heart walls can grow too thick. This condition is called left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), which means the main pumping chamber of your heart becomes thicker than it should be.

This is not just about having a “big heart” from exercise. LVH can make your heart work harder and pump less blood, leading to a low ejection fraction. This matters because your body needs oxygen-rich blood to function properly. The good news is that research shows certain natural compounds may help support heart health and address factors that contribute to heart problems.

In this article, we explore what causes LVH, how it affects your heart’s ability to pump blood, and what science tells us about natural ingredients that may help support healthy heart function. Vital Heart by Strom Sports NZ is formulated with these research-backed ingredients to provide targeted cardiovascular support.
Quick Facts

• Main benefit: May help support healthy heart function and reduce oxidative stress that contributes to heart tissue thickening and stiffening
• Research backing: All ingredients have comprehensive research and human trials investigating their use for cardiovascular health
• Best for: Athletes who work their heart hard, particularly in endurance sport and bodybuilding, people with high blood pressure, or those using performance-enhancing substances that drive up oxidative stress
• Key ingredients: CoQ10 (400 mg), aged garlic extract (1.2 mg S-allyl cysteine), ginger extract (50 mg gingerols), rosmarinic acid (30 mg)
• Timeline: Trials on the individual ingredients show 4 to 8 weeks for measurable benefits.
• Safety: Generally well tolerated in clinical studies when used as directed
  
  
  

The Science / How Heart Enlargement Happens

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) happens through cardiac remodeling, which is when your heart’s structure changes in response to stress or damage. Think of it like your heart trying to adapt to tough conditions, but sometimes this adaptation goes too far.
The main problem is not just that heart cells get bigger. The real issue is damage to the cell membranes and surrounding tissue, which causes excess inflammation and excessive collagen development. This process is called fibrosis. Scar tissue builds up in the heart muscle, making it less flexible and less able to pump effectively.

Here is what happens step by step:

1. Oxidative stress damages heart cells

2. The body responds with inflammation to try to heal the damage

3. If the issue is not resolved, too much inflammation leads to scar tissue formation (fibrosis)

4. Scar tissue makes the heart less flexible and harder to pump

5. This reduces ejection fraction, meaning less blood gets pumped with each heartbeat

6. With lower ejection fraction, oxidative stress and inflammation can increase further
   

Recent research shows that CoQ10 can improve mitochondrial function and systolic performance in cardiovascular disease patients, with significant research in heart failure and compromised ejection fraction. CoQ10 acts as a potent antioxidant and plays a key role in electron transport in oxidative phosphorylation of mitochondria, the process heart cells use to make energy.

Key Ingredients + Their Roles

The Vital Heart formula targets key drivers of cardiovascular stress with four research-backed ingredients:

CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10) - 400 mg
CoQ10 supports ATP production through oxidative phosphorylation and helps the heart make the energy it needs to pump effectively. With excessive oxidative stress, normal CoQ10 supply can be inadequate. Studies using 200 mg daily of CoQ10 in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy showed improvements in heart function. The heart has a high energy demand, so adequate CoQ10 levels are crucial.

Aged Garlic Extract - 1.2 g (providing 1.2 mg S-allyl cysteine)
This is not regular garlic powder. Aged garlic extract contains S-allyl cysteine, a compound that activates the NRF2 pathway, the body’s natural antioxidant defense system. Research shows garlic consumption has cardioprotective effects, with many clinical trials indicating reduced total cholesterol and improved platelet function.

Ginger Extract - 50 mg gingerols
Ginger has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory components that may improve cardiovascular risk factors. The active compounds called gingerols can block P38 MAPK, a protein involved in pathways that increase scar tissue formation in the heart.

Rosmarinic Acid - 30 mg

Found in rosemary and lemon balm, rosmarinic acid activates PPAR-α receptors, which control how the heart uses fat for fuel. This supports CD36 expression and fatty acid transport into mitochondria. Since the heart relies on approximately 60 percent fatty acid metabolism, insufficient fatty acid supply can increase oxidative burden.

Who It’s For / When to Use

This formula may be particularly beneficial for:

Primary candidates:

• Bodybuilders and strength athletes using performance-enhancing substances
• Endurance athletes with high training volumes
• People with high blood pressure (hypertension)
• Those with a family history of heart problems
•  People taking statin medications, which can reduce CoQ10

Specific scenarios:

• If you have a low ejection fraction
• If echocardiogram scans are showing buildup of scarring and fluid
• During periods of high physical or emotional stress
• If you are experiencing reduced capacity for cardiovascular training

Important considerations:
Always consult your doctor before starting any heart health supplement, especially if you have existing heart conditions, take medications, or use performance-enhancing substances.

Pro Tip: Take CoQ10 with a meal containing fats, such as nuts or avocado, to improve absorption. The body absorbs CoQ10 much better when taken with dietary fats.

Timing recommendations:

• Take with breakfast or lunch (avoid evening doses if you notice mild energy boost)
• Consistency matters more than exact timing
• Allow 4 to 8 weeks to assess benefits

What to expect:
Week 1 to 2: No noticeable changes as ingredients build up in the system
Week 4 to 6: Possible improvements in exercise recovery
Week 8+: Potential improvements in cardiovascular markers if monitored by your doctor

Lifestyle factors that help:

• Maintain healthy blood pressure
• Manage stress levels
• Get adequate sleep (7 to 9 hours)
• Stay hydrated, especially during intense training

Important: This supplement works best as part of a comprehensive approach to heart health, not as a replacement for medical treatment or healthy lifestyle choices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long does it take to see benefits from heart support supplements?
A: Research suggests 4-8 weeks of consistent use. Studies show CoQ10 levels increase
from 0.85 mg/L to 2 mg/L after consistent supplementation, with improvements in heart
function parameters. Be patient - heart health improvements happen gradually.

Q: Why do bodybuilders specifically need more heart support?
A: High oxidative load and mechanical stress from intense training, plus potential use of
performance-enhancing substances, can increase cell damage and inflammation in heart
tissue. Combined with carrying very high amounts of muscle tissue which the heart needs to supply blood to, makes for the cardiovascular system facing a unique challenge.

Q: What's the difference between this and just taking CoQ10 alone?
A: While CoQ10 is well-researched for heart health and improving low ejection fractions, the combination addresses multiple pathways to tackle the problem from different directions. Reducing oxidative stress, downregulating the buildup of scar tissue, Compounds in ginger and garlic work synergistically as antioxidants, sustaining health and bolstering the body's resilience against oxidative harm. Each ingredient targets different aspects of the problem.

Research References:

"Clinical Evidence for Q10 Coenzyme Supplementation in Heart Failure: From Energy
Fuel to Oxidative Stress Control" (2020) - MDPI Antioxidants Journal

"Effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on heart failure: an updated systematic review
and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials" (2021) - American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition

"Q-SYMBIO - a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of coenzyme Q10 in
chronic heart failure: Primary results" (2014) - European Journal of Heart Failure

"Cardioprotective properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): A comprehensive
review of experimental and clinical studies" (2023) - Phytotherapy Research

"Aged garlic extract reduces blood pressure in hypertensives: a dose-response trial"
(2013) - European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

"Antioxidant effects of Allium sativum (garlic) and Zingiber officinale (ginger) on
malondialdehyde and glutathione levels in rats" (2018) - Comparative Clinical Pathology

"Therapeutic potential of allicin and aged garlic extract in cardiovascular disease" (2020)
- Chinese Medicine Journal

"Rosmarinic acid and its therapeutic potential in cardiovascular diseases" (2019) -
Phytomedicine

"Leviathan Vital Heart: Formulation Background & Release" - Thomas Kirk Research
Documentation (2025)

The Vital Heart formula was developed based on this research to provide targeted support for cardiovascular health in athletes and active individuals. Each ingredient dosage is based on amounts shown effective in clinical studies. Vital Heart by Leviathan Nutrition is designed to help support heart function, manage oxidative stress, and promote long-term cardiovascular performance.

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