TORQ aTAC

TORQ aTAC is a 28-dose powdered drink mix to be taken at the first signs of fever, cold or flu infection. It can also be used during heavy training loads or during International travel. Each dose contains 1000mg Vitamin C, 1000mg Glutamine and 500mg Echinacea.

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Product Highlights

  • Attacks Colds & Flu
  • Supports Training Peaks & Travel
  • High Strength Formulation
  • Comprehensive 28 Dose Pack
  • Natural Orange or Lime Flavours
Per Dose:

  • 1000mg Vitamin C
  • 1000mg Glutamine
  • 500mg Echinacea
  • 10g Carbohydrate
  • 100-200ml Hydration

Product Summary

TORQ aTAC is a powdered drink mix available in 2 flavours (Orange and Lime) which is to be added to 100-200ml of water and consumed at the first signs of a fever, cold or flu infection. This product can also be used in smaller doses during periods of high load training or whilst travelling at times when the body could be particularly vulnerable to infection.

Formulated with a potent blend of Vitamin C, Glutamine and Echinacea, these micronutrients have collectively been proven to reduce the severity & duration of symptoms of the common cold & flu. The formulation is to be taken at the first signs of infection and followed up with further doses as per the recommended protocol outlined under the product usage tab. Other uses/protocols are also explained under the product usage tab.

As well as delivering these potent micronutrients, each dose of TORQ aTAC contains 10g of carbohydrate and fluid to provide energy and hydration at a time when normal appetite and thirst reflex may be suppressed.

A milder protocol can be followed if using TORQ aTAC as a pre-emptive strategy to ward off infection during high load training or during International travel. Again further details are explained in the product usage and technical info tabs.

To learn more about how to build a healthy immune system, please take the time to read our Immune System Support Resources. Also, please take a look at TORQ dFND, our other Immune System Support product which contains high potency Vitamin D3 and Zinc in ‘one-a-day’ tablet form to support ongoing immune health.

Product Usage

For Cold & Flu Relief

Take at the first signs of fever, cold or flu.

Mixing Instructions

Add 1 level scoop (1 dose) of powder to 100-200ml water, stir well & drink immediately. A scoop is included in the pack. More or less water can be used depending on how strong you would like the flavour to be. Always add the powder to water, not water to powder to avoid poor mixing.

Recommended Protocol
Each pack contains 28 doses* of TORQ aTAC
At the first sign of infection consume 1 dose of TORQ aTAC
Repeat procedure every hour for 6 hours
Continue taking a dose every 3 hours for the remainder of the day
Take a dose on waking the following morning
Continue taking a dose every 3 hours for the remainder of the day until bedtime
Repeat procedure the following day if necessary
If symptoms have diminished significantly move to 1 dose 3 times per day
When symptoms have abated stop taking the product
*28 doses should be sufficient for a heavy single cold/flu event

The table below demonstrates an example of how the full 28 doses supplied in TORQ aTAC could be used over a 5 day period.

Example Usage Daily Doses Cumulative Doses
Day 1 10 10
Day 2 6 16
Day 3 6 22
Day 4 3 25
Day 5 3 28

The above protocol will deliver the following volumes of micronuturents:

Day 1 (based on 10 doses): 10,000mg Vitamin C // 10,000mg Glutamine // 5,000mg Echinacea

Day 2 & 3 (based on 6 doses): 6,000mg Vitamin C // 6,000mg Glutamine // 3,000mg Echinacea

Day 4 & 5 (based on 3 doses): 3,000mg Vitamin C // 3,000mg Glutamine // 1,500mg Echinacea

Protocol Variation

The above protocol is recommended based on the available mega-dosing research, as discussed in our Immune System Support Resources. If your symptoms are mild however and you feel that you might be ‘coming down with something’, you may find that a single dose before bedtime and once again the next morning is sufficient to give your immune system the support it needs to fend off the infection. On this basis, you could experiment with other less intensive protocols. If there is no doubt that you have an infection however and have obvious cold/flu symptoms, we strongly advise following the mega-dosing protocol recommended above.

For High Load Training or Travelling

Take a single daily dose when required.

Mixing Instructions

As above.

Recommended Product Usage

TORQ aTAC has been absorbed into the TORQ Recovery System range on the basis that research appears to support its efficacy for being used alongside TORQ’s other Performance Nutrition products (along with TORQ dFND) to support the immune system at times when the body is either under substantial stress from high training loads or when travelling internationally, such as on a crowded aeroplane with recirculated air. Often the two coincide – an athlete exhausted from training or competing who then has to travel.

Rather than mega-dosing as discussed above, which is a protocol specifically designed to fight an infection, we would recommend taking a single dose of TORQ aTAC daily during a particularly high load phase of training. Once the period of high training load has finished, stop taking the product. If travelling, take a single dose of TORQ aTAC the day before travel, a dose on the day of travel and a dose the day after and then stop taking the product.

IMPORTANT: Before taking this product, please consult your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any prescription medication, have any medical condition, epilepsy, or are pregnant or breastfeeding. TORQ aTAC should support and not replace a healthy balanced diet.

Technical Info

TORQ aTAC: Mega-Dosing

Both TORQ aTAC and TORQ dFND products were developed off the back of extensive research carried out at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic when we were highly motivated to learn more about immunity and how we might be able to help people to look after themselves. We strongly urge you to read our Immune System Support Resources if you haven’t done so already, because cultivating a healthy immune system isn’t simply about taking supplements, it’s about addressing your nutrition in general, exercising and knowing when you’re likely to be most susceptible to infection and taking action to avoid putting your immune system to the test.

TORQ aTAC was formulated as a result of thorough and comprehensive attention to peer-reviewed published research (see references tab) which has informed us on how best to fight or ‘attack’ a cold or flu infection once the immune system has been breached. This product has been developed as a last line of defence against viral or bacterial attack and we must emphasise that by reading our Immune System Support Resources, you can take action to significantly reduce the number of times you need to use it. This is not a product we want to sell an unnecessarily large amount of – think of it as an item for your first aid kit. Sometimes despite doing everything you can to avoid it, circumstances can conspire against you and you will pick up a bug.

Vitamin C

There are an enormous number of studies linking Vitamin C to immunity and the European Food Standards Agency (EFSA) recognises Vitamin C as providing ‘Maintenance of the normal function of the immune system’ but when you dig deeper into the studies, it becomes clear that Vitamin C may have huge benefits with regard to helping the immune system to actually fight an infection, whilst having a rather less profound effect on preventing you from getting an infection in the first place. It’s this nuance that we believe is misunderstood about this amazing micronutrient.

The RDA for Vitamin C is just 40mg and this is considered the minimum amount to prevent scurvy (the disease sailors used to get as a result of months of vitamin C deficiency), but it’s widely accepted that it’s not a toxic substance, so taking up to 1,000mg per day shouldn’t have any side effects. That said, why take 1,000mg per day when you only need 40? For reference, an orange contains about 50mg Vitamin C.

It’s the human body’s enormous requirement for Vitamin C when it gets infected which is quite staggering. Most mammals are able to manufacture their own Vitamin C rapidly from glucose but humans can’t. Why this very useful biochemical pathway has evolved out of us as a species is not known, but for instance cats and dogs will manufacture their own Vitamin C at gram quantities when they get infected – probably why you never see your pet with a cold!

When we become infected with a virus or bacteria, substances called ‘Free Oxygen Radicals’ are produced, often called ‘Free Radicals’ for short. In simple terms, free radicals are unbalanced atoms. A stable atom has an equal number of electrons surrounding it and can support biological functions, but an unbalanced atom will wreak havoc, attacking vulnerable cells and making them more susceptible to infection. According to Carr and Maggini (2017) Vitamin C works as an electron donor, providing the unbalanced atoms with the electron they are missing, stabilising them and increasing resistance to infection. Vitamin C is termed an ‘antioxidant’ for this reason, it reverses/prevents the oxidative damage caused by free radicals.

Where the studies/reviews into Vitamin C appear to be less flattering are in those which look at the nutrient as a preventative treatment – to stop you getting sick in the first place. There is little evidence to support consuming amounts above the RDA to ward off infection. Similarly, lower doses of the nutrient once infected are likely to have little effect because at this point the human body’s requirement is significant. The key to using Vitamin C effectively appears to be to maintain high intakes (gram quantities) at the point of infection and this is called ‘Mega Dosing’.

Hickey and Roberts (2005) criticised the conclusions of many researchers over the last 60 years for not considering the pharmacokinetics of Vitamin C – the way the body reacts to a drug/nutrient, the time it takes to move through the body and its absorption/bioavailability. They suggest that small doses, in the 100’s of milligrams taken infrequently is like throwing stones at machine guns in the war against infection (our words, not theirs). Even mega doses taken infrequently will have limited effect, because of the speed at which the vitamin is used up at times of infection. The researchers suggest an extreme protocol involving a 10g (10,000mg) initial mega dose at the first sign of infection, followed by at least 2g (2,000mg) per hour thereafter.

Hickey and Roberts also suggest in the same review, when talking about an effective frequency for taking Vitamin C, that ingestion should be every 2-3 hours to maintain sufficient levels within the blood, but either way, the suggestion is to take a very high initial dose followed up by regular doses in gram quantities to keep concentrations high in the body. They also discuss a concept called ‘titration to bowel tolerance’ suggesting that as an infected body is so desperate for Vitamin C, the only way of knowing if you’ve had enough is to keep consuming it until it affects your bowels. A recognised side effect of overconsumption of Vitamin C is diarrhoea – their argument is that if you’re not infected, relatively small amounts of Vitamin C could cause this issue, because the body simply can’t use the nutrient and has to excrete it, but when infected the intake threshold is raised significantly.

Gorton and Jarvis (1999) published a study addressing a mega dose protocol and the results were highly significant. Subjects consumed 1g (1,000mg) every hour for 6 hours at the onset of a viral infection, followed by 1g (1,000mg) 3 times per day. The results demonstrated an 85% reduction in cold/flu symptoms as a result. This was a notably lighter protocol than anything proposed by Hickey and Roberts, but still provided significant results.

We are entirely aligned with the concept of mega dosing at TORQ. If you’re not sick, let a healthy balanced diet supply the Vitamin C you need – an orange a day will do this easily. If you feel yourself coming down with something, at the first available opportunity you should follow the mega dosing protocol using TORQ aTAC.

The TORQ aTAC protocol delivers a significant 10,000mg of Vitamin C in day 1 followed by 6,000mg per day thereafter.

Glutamine

Glutamine offers a range of potential benefits from assisting in muscle/strength gain through to improving intestinal health and fuelling the immune system. Studies are equivocal on the role of Glutamine in enhancing muscle/strength gain, but research by Legault et al (2015) does appear to back a reduction in muscle soreness and an improvement in post-exercise recovery. This coupled with evidence supporting its role within the immune system led us to including this conditionally essential amino acid in our TORQ Recovery Drink formulation.

Our Recovery Drink aside, can supplementing with pure Glutamine work alongside Vitamin C to help you fight an infection once you know you’re sick? There is no doubt that Glutamine plays a critical role in fuelling the white blood cells to assist the immune system in fighting infection. There are theoretical arguments however that as Glutamine is so abundantly available in the human body – if not consumed in your diet, it can be released by breaking down muscle tissue – that a Glutamine supplement as such wouldn’t be beneficial.

This is countered by a study by Ren et al (2013) which suggests that supplementing increases available Glutamine for the immune system to use as a fuel and helps to fight infection due to skeletal muscle not being able to generate sufficient concentrations. Even if it could, as many of our readers are athletes, does the prospect of breaking down hard-earned muscle mass to fight an infection at a metabolic cost to your body sound desirable? We didn’t think so. Additionally it would make sense that if your particular illness were to suppress your appetite, the value of supplementary Glutamine becomes clearer, as it will be delivering a much-needed nutrient that you will be struggling to attain via your diet.  The other area to consider, which is discussed in the section Fuelling, Recovery & Immunity of our resources is that if you have been under a heavy exercise load, your Glutamine baseline levels will be suppressed – again justification for supplementing at this critical time.

What we have found particularly interesting whilst researching this area is the positive interplay that exists between Vitamin C and Glutamine supplementation. Glutamine fuels the white blood cells of the immune system to assist them in fighting infection, whilst Vitamin C stabilises and strengthens the integrity of all the cells in your body increasing their resistance to infection. It sounds like the perfect combination to us.

In terms of dose, you’re probably getting between 3 and 6 grams of Glutamine per day in your diet and a review by Gleeson (2008) suggests that one can consume up to 30g per day over 14 days without any ill effects, but at these levels you’re likely just to be wasting your money. In the context of supporting your immune system at a time of infection, when your general day-to-day nutrition is perhaps suppressed due to loss of appetite, the 1gram of Glutamine per dose of TORQ aTAC is significant, representing (based on our protocol) 10g (10,000mg) on day 1 and 6g (6,000mg) per day thereafter.

Echinacea

Echinacea is a plant (part of the daisy family) native to North America and the 3 varieties used in Echinacea supplements are Echinacea Purpurea, Echinacea Angustifolia and Echinacea Pallida. There are a variety of health claims linked to Echinacea, but the one we’re interested in is the prevention and/or treatment of colds and flu.

According to David & Cunningham (2019), as more athletes aim to support their physical training with a healthy and most importantly, natural diet, the search for natural remedies to support immunity is on the rise. Echinacea has been shown to support immunity via the increase in effectiveness of the mucosal barrier, the first line of defence against pathogens entering the body, whilst Echinacea may also increase the activation of cytokines and lymphocytes which are key to the white blood cells capacity to attack illness circulating throughout the body (Hall et, al. 2007).

One of the most interesting findings from the Hall et, al. 2007 research cohort, demonstrated that although the number of cold and flu infections between the control group and Echinacea group were similar, the duration of the illness was significantly reduced from 8.6 days to 3.4 respectively. This of course has significant importance for athletes who are aiming to train and peak for an event. Every day training lost through illness, is a day of potential training adaptation lost.

However, the effectiveness of Echinacea stems further than just treatment. Research has also aimed to explore the effectiveness of echinacea on the prevention of the common cold. Schoop and colleagues, explored the effectiveness of echinacea on the prevention of symptom development after participants of a controlled study, were inoculated with a common rhinovirus. Analysis of this paper established that those who did not supplement with Echinacea were at a 55% greater risk of developing symptoms of the clinically controlled, inoculated rhinovirus. This is important to the context of a training athlete, as this would suggest that with supplementation of Echinacea, an athlete would be greater protected against illness and therefore maintain an over-all greater training load, leading to enhanced adaptation. The implication is that supplementing with Echinacea may be useful at times when the body is more susceptible to infection – during high load training cycles when immunity may be suppressed or whilst travelling, particularly on aeroplanes where the chances of meeting a pathogen are increased. These are clearly benefits that we wanted to incorporate into TORQ aTAC (see below – TORQ aTAC: Pre-emptive Strategy).

The NHS website seems to sum Echinacea up pretty well and provides the kind of balance a thorough review of the research literature reflects. We have referenced 3 studies/review papers in the ‘references’ section of this resource, but read the following link if you would like further information:

https://www.nhs.uk/news/lifestyle-and-exercise/echinacea-cold-study-claims-analysed

This article supports the assertion that Echinacea supplementation may reduce the severity and duration of a cold/flu if taken at the point of infection. Interestingly, the benefits seem to lie in Echinacea’s antioxidant properties, so it may work in a similar way to Vitamin C by stabilising cells through free radical neutralisation, making them more resistant to infection. Overall, although the research doesn’t seem anything like as convincing as mega dosing with gram quantities of Vitamin C, we certainly wouldn’t write Echinacea off if used in combination with a Vitamin C mega dose and Glutamine, the overall benefit being a sum of the parts.

In terms of dose, the research reviewed by the NHS looked at 4,000mg (4grams) per day starting at the point of infection. The TORQ aTAC protocol delivers 5,000mg in day 1 and 3,000mg per day thereafter.

If you’re interested in learning more about Echinacea, read our article Echinacea: Immunity, Health & Performance.

Carbohydrate & Hydration

You will have heard the age-old saying ‘feed a cold and starve a fever’ but research suggests that there’s little truth to it. The following article is well referenced and implies the importance of hydration and energy intake in all cases of cold and flu:

https://www.healthline.com/health/feed-a-cold-starve-a-fever#is-it-true

Each dose of TORQ aTAC contains 10g of sugars/carbohydrate, providing 40 calories of instant energy at a time appetite may be suppressed and you don’t feel like eating regular food. Our Performance Nutrition background also recognises that fluid uptake/hydration is enhanced with the inclusion of carbohydrate and it also means that we don’t need to use calorie-free artificial sweeteners which find their way into many mainstream Vitamin C supplements in particular. The TORQ aTAC protocol delivers 100g of carbohydrate (400 calories) on day 1 and 60g of carbohydrate (240 calories) per day thereafter.

As outlined in the healthline article above, looking after your hydration is essential when fighting cold of flu. We recommend mixing each dose of TORQ aTAC with 100-200ml water, but more water can be used if you prefer a lighter flavour and want more hydration benefit. You should drink plenty of other fluids alongside TORQ aTAC in order to remain as hydrated as possible.

Note: Glutamine is also relevant to the ‘meaningful calorie intake’ achieved through taking TORQ aTAC during illness. As well as energy from carbohydrate, Glutamine provides nutritional support to the body as an essential component of protein – a nutrient typically bypassed at times of reduced appetite.

TORQ aTAC: Pre-emptive Strategy

Our Immune System Support Resources explain the important role that fuelling properly with carbohydrate during exercise and consuming a recovery drink immediately after exercise play with regard to immune support. We have since recognised that the role that fuelling and recovery products have with regard to immune support during high load exercise can be further strengthened by the use of TORQ aTAC.

The research is clear, fuelling with carbohydrate and ensuring that you consume a Recovery Drink immediately after exercise will not only boost performance and assist in the overall recovery process, but it will also support your immune system, leaving you less vulnerable to infection.

According to research by Gleeson and Bishop (2000) carbohydrate becomes an important fuel for the immune system cells which can increase tenfold during and post exercise when compared with resting conditions. These immune system cells are boosted by the body to help immunity at this vulnerable time and Carbohydrate supports their effectiveness. Also, according to Cupps and Fauci (1982) cortisol, a stress hormone that is linked to immunosuppression, is inhibited by the presence of Carbohydrate.

Ed Burke (2002) dedicates 2 pages of his book ‘Serious Cycling’ to the role that fuelling with carbohydrate during exercise plays in strengthening the immune system. Talking of researcher Dr Nieman, he says:

“Our research shows that sports drinks not only provide carbohydrate energy during exercise, but support the link between sports drinks and less stress on the immune system. Carbohydrate drinks of about 6 to 10% carbohydrate (TORQ Energy Drink is within this range) will not eliminate the stress of cycling, but our research and work of others show they can reduce the increase of several by-products of stress and hard exercise.”

In cooler conditions, when drinking an energy drink is less desirable, as our Fuelling System suggests, carbohydrate can be delivered in more appropriate concentrated forms like our Energy Gels, Energy Bars and Energy Chews.

All of this points to ensuring that you maintain good fuelling practices and that you feed immediately with Carbohydrate straight after exercise. TORQ Recovery Drink provides this carbohydrate, along with a potent dose of Glutamine, which has also been found to assist and support the immune system following exercise.

The role of Glutamine is an interesting one and again Gleeson and Bishop discuss this. Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid, meaning that the human body can produce it on demand without having to source it from the diet and therefore it will remain at consistent baseline concentrations to support normal immune function. During the stress of higher load exercise however, the demand for glutamine utilisation may exceed the body’s production capabilities. Blood glutamine concentrations can be decreased by up to 20% below baseline following prolonged or strenuous exercise and will normally take around 24 hours to recover fully – and can take even longer if training loads are exceptionally high. Also, these percentage reductions can further increase if athletes experience exceptionally high training loads. This has lead some researchers to re-label Glutamine as ‘conditionally-essential’ rather than ‘non-essential’ because there are times when supplementation is beneficial and one of these occasions is post exercise.

Again, Cupps and Fauci (1982) assert that Glutamine availability is suppressed in the absence of Carbohydrate – in other words, Carbohydrate consumption during exercise increases Glutamine availability. Paradoxically therefore, the more diligently you fuel with Carbohydrate and pay attention to your recovery nutrition, the less important Glutamine supplementation becomes, because the presence of Carbohydrate reduces the drain on Glutamine reserves. That said, the term ‘heavy exercise’ is quite broad and even with the most diligent of fuelling practices some training sessions have the potential to leave you exceptionally drained. To this end, our TORQ Recovery Drink doesn’t only contain a substantial serving of fast-delivery carbohydrate, but also a research-recommended dose of Glutamine. We call it ‘belt and braces’.

It’s perhaps the role that glutamine plays in supporting the immune system that makes the use of TORQ aTAC so relevant as a product during times of exceptional training load. However, glutamine aside, as we discussed in the previous tab, both Vitamin C and Echinacea are antioxidants, the benefits of which are to neutralise free radical damage and stabilise the cells of the body when under threat from viral/bacterial infection. The act of exercise itself generates this free radical damage and we support the use of these nutrients in a limited way as a pre-emptive strategy to nip any pending infections in the bud at a time when the body is most vulnerable.

As we have explained in the Product Usage tab, we recommend taking a single daily dose of TORQ aTAC for short periods of time during these extreme phases of training or competition. Under this tab, we also encourage the use of TORQ aTAC over the few days surrounding International travel on the basis that the likelihood of encountering an infection will be higher due to increased human contact. International travel after a period of high load training or competition is also not unusual.

Independent to these discussions about the use of TORQ aTAC as a pre-emptive strategy to support the immune system at certain times, this does not replace our advice to ensure daily consumption of Vitamin D3 and Zinc via our TORQ dFND product. We recommend taking a TORQ dFND tablet daily – further information can be found HERE.

Covid19

We have to emphasise that we cannot and will not make any claims as to the effectiveness of either TORQ dFND or TORQ aTAC against the symptoms of Covid19. There is insufficient research into this novel virus for any firm recommendations to be made by anyone other than those treatments that have been recognised by the MHRA as being effective against the disease.

In our Immune System Support Resources, we draw attention to the fact that most colds and flu infections come from different types of coronaviruses and that there is perhaps a logic to the notion that what has been proven to work for colds and flu may also apply to Covid19. We also refer to some promising trials into mega-dosing with intravenous Vitamin C in with Covid patients in Wuhan, China in April 2020 towards the start of the pandemic and a more recent update in the Orthomolecular Medicine News (August 2020) referring to currently unpublished data. We also talk in our resources about a recent review (April 2020) by Dr Zhen Yan of the University of Virginia School of Medicine demonstrating the benefits of aerobic exercise with regard to coping with respiratory illness through the production of the antioxidant Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase (EcSOD).

Our plan is to update the Immune Support Resources regularly as the research comes in. For instance, at the time of writing this text, nutraingredients.com have published this interesting article (December 2020) where about 350 leading researchers, doctors, healthcare professionals and nutritionists have backed the VitaminC4Covid campaign who support oral mega-dosing with Vitamin C or its use intravenously in intensive care to halt the onset of severe Covid19 symptoms. Their website criticises the suggestion that the use of Vitamin C in the fight against Covid19 is considered by many as being ‘fake information’.

This article also interestingly comments on the importance of Vitamin D and Zinc. Within the text of the article the authors state that:

“The current World Health Organisation (WHO) position on supplementation states that micronutrients, such as vitamins D, C and Zinc are critical for a well-functioning immune system and play a vital role in promoting health and nutritional well-being. There is currently no guidance on the use of micronutrient supplements as a treatment of Covid19.”

Within the same article, the author quotes Patrick Holford, who established the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in 1984 with Nobel Prize-winning Vitamin C researcher Linus Pauling as saying:

“We’ve had 11 viral epidemics this century. The reality is there will be more. Vaccines, by their nature, are reactive. Vitamin C, together with Vitamin D and Zinc are proactive. Keeping one’s immune system strong is a critical part of any anti-viral strategy.”

It’s no coincidence that Vitamin C is a key component of TORQ aTAC and both Vitamin D and Zinc are combined in our TORQ dFND product. Research supports supplementing with these micronutrients to support the immune system and with regard to Vitamin D, even the mainstream media are communicating the UK government’s message that the vulnerable should be supplementing with it to help support normal immune function and protect them against Covid19. The government/NHS and are recommending a daily dose of 400iu. TORQ dFND contains 1,000iu. It is recommended by the NHS that the daily dose should not exceed 4,000iu as this could be toxic.

We can provide insight into the latest research and what ‘might’ help you should you be unfortunate enough to contract Covid19, but ultimately you will have to draw your own conclusions from the information you digest from a variety of sources. Medical treatments have now been approved in the fight against the disease and at the time of writing, proven vaccines are also being rolled out across the country. Let’s hope that in the future, all we need to worry about are colds and flu and that if mutations of Covid19 do exist, more continues to be understood about their effective treatment.

Immune Resources

Maintaining a healthy immune system is much more than simply taking supplements as and when you need them. TORQ aTAC is primarily designed to be taken at the point of showing symptoms of an infection and for all intents and purposes, if you’re showing symptoms, this means that you will have failed in protecting yourself in the first place.

TORQ dFND contains potent doses of Vitamin D and Zinc, which can often be deficient in the human body due to seasonal factors and/or them naturally not being in the foods you eat, so this product exists to address these shortfalls.

Beyond taking dFND daily and having aTAC ready in your first aid kit and for use periodically during higher training loads, there are so many other things you can do to build a healthy immune system and protect yourself from infection. This is why we have researched and reviewed the area of Immune Support so comprehensively and we strongly urge you to read our resources so that you can be armed with all the available information. Exercise offers significant benefits to immunity, but there are also times that it can render you vulnerable to infection. Also, you can’t substitute a healthy well balanced diet with supplementation.

For access to our full range of Immune System Support Resources, click HERE.

Nutritional Info

Nutritional Information for both flavours of TORQ aTAC are supplied under this tab.

Orange Flavour

Ingredients: Sucrose, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) (8%), L-Glutamine (8%), Echinacea Purpurea Root (4%), Natural Flavouring (4%).

per 100g per 13g Serve
Energy (kJ) 1281 167
Energy (kcal) 40 5.2
Fat (g) 0 0
of which saturates (g) 0 0
Carbohydrate (g) 77 10
of which sugars (g) 77 10
Fibre (g) 0 0
Protein (g) 0 0
Salt (mg) 0 0
Vitamin C (mg) 1000  7692
Glutamine (mg) 1000 7692
Echinacea (mg) 500 3846

Allergy Information: No allergens. No gluten containing ingredients used.

No Preservatives // No Colours // No Artificial Sweeteners // Natural Flavouring // Wheat-Free // Dairy-Free // Suitable for Vegans

Lime Flavour

Ingredients: Sucrose, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) (8%), L-Glutamine (8%), Echinacea Purpurea Root (4%), Natural Flavouring (4%).

per 100g per 13g Serve
Energy (kJ) 1281 167
Energy (kcal) 40 5.2
Fat (g) 0 0
of which saturates (g) 0 0
Carbohydrate (g) 77 10
of which sugars (g) 77 10
Fibre (g) 0 0
Protein (g) 0 0
Salt (mg) 0 0
Vitamin C (mg) 1000  7692
Glutamine (mg) 1000 7692
Echinacea (mg) 500 3846

Allergy Information: No allergens. No gluten containing ingredients used.

No Preservatives // No Colours // No Artificial Sweeteners // Natural Flavouring // Wheat-Free // Dairy-Free // Suitable for Vegans

If you would like any further information, please don’t hesitate in contacting us on enquiries@torqfitness.co.uk or by telephone on 0344 332 0852.

References

References in support of TORQ aTAC formulation:

De Tullio, M. C., 2010. The Mystery of Vitamin C. Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, University of Bari: Nature Education 3(9):48.

Pham-Huy, L.A., He, H. and Pham-Huy, C., 2008. Free radicals, antioxidants in disease and health. International journal of biomedical science: IJBS, 4(2), p.89.

Fitzgerald, L., 1988. Exercise and the immune system. Immunology today, 9(11), pp.337-339.

Carr, A.C. and Maggini, S., 2017. Vitamin C and immune function. Nutrients, 9(11), p.1211.

Hickey, S. and Roberts, H., 2005. Misleading Information on the Properties of Vitamin C. PLoS Med 2(9): e307.

Legault, Z., Bagnall, N. and Kimmerly, D.S., 2015. The Influence of Oral L-Glutamine Supplementation on Muscle Strength Recovery and Soreness Following Unilateral Knee Extension Eccentric Exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab: Oct;25(5):417-26. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2014-0209. Epub 2015 Mar 26.

Calder, P.C., Yaqoob, P., 1999. Glutamine and the immune system. Amino Acids: 17(3):227-41.

Ren, W., Li, Y., Yu, X., Luo ,W., Liu, G., Shao, H. and Yin, Y. 2013. Glutamine modifies immune responses of mice infected with porcine circovirus type 2. Br J Nutr: Sep 28;110(6):1053-60. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512006101. Epub 2013 Jan 28.

Gleeson, M. 2008. Dosing and Efficacy of Glutamine Supplementation in Human Exercise and Sport Training. The Journal of Nutrition: Volume 138, Issue 10, pp. 2045S–2049S.

Schoop, R., Klein, P., Suter, A. and Johnston, S.L., 2006. Echinacea in the prevention of induced rhinovirus colds: a meta-analysis. Clinical Therapeutics, 28(2), pp.174-183.

David, S. and Cunningham, R., 2019. Echinacea for the prevention and treatment of upper respiratory tract infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complementary therapies in medicine, 44, pp.18-26.

Hall, H., Fahlman, M.M. and Engels, H.J., 2007. Echinacea purpurea and mucosal immunity. International journal of sports medicine, 28(09), pp.792-797.

Barrett, B., 2003. Medicinal properties of Echinacea: a critical review. Phytomedicine, 10(1), pp.66-86.

Caruso, T.J. and Gwaltney Jr, J.M., 2005. Treatment of the common cold with echinacea: a structured review. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 40(6), pp.807-810.

Shah, S.A., Sander, S., White, C.M., Rinaldi, M. and Coleman, C.I., 2007. Evaluation of echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis. The Lancet infectious diseases, 7(7), pp.473-480.

Richard Z. Cheng, R.Z. 2020. Preliminary Report of Chinese High Dose Vitamin C for Covid-19 Treatment Studies. Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, August 16, 2020. (unpublished)

 

References in support of TORQ dFND formulation:

NHS Website: Vitamin D (vitamins & minerals). General recommendations for daily consumption and Covid19.

Urashima, M., Segawa, T., Okazaki, M., Kurihara, M., Wada, Y. and Ida, H., 2010. Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. Am J Clin Nutr, May;91(5):1255-60. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.29094. Epub 2010 Mar 10.

Owens, D.J., Allison, R. and Close, G.L., 2018. Vitamin D and the athlete: current perspectives and new challenges. Sports medicine48(1), pp.3-16.

Bikle, D.D., 2009. Vitamin D and immune function: understanding common pathways. Current osteoporosis reports7(2), p.58.

Halliday, T.M., Peterson, N.J., Thomas, J.J., Kleppinger, K., Hollis, B.W. and Larson-Meyer, D.E., 2011. Vitamin D status relative to diet, lifestyle, injury, and illness in college athletes. Medicine and science in sports and exercise43(2), pp.335-343.

He, C.S., Fraser, W.D., Tang, J., Brown, K., Renwick, S., Rudland-Thomas, J., Teah, J., Tanqueray, E. and Gleeson, M., 2016. The effect of 14 weeks of vitamin D3 supplementation on antimicrobial peptides and proteins in athletes. Journal of sports sciences34(1), pp.67-74.

Sly, L.M., Lopez, M., Nauseef, W.M. and Reiner, N.E., 2001. 1α, 25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3-induced monocyte antimycobacterial activity is regulated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and mediated by the NADPH-dependent phagocyte oxidase. Journal of Biological Chemistry276(38), pp.35482-35493.

Liu, P.T., Stenger, S., Li, H., Wenzel, L., Tan, B.H., Krutzik, S.R., Ochoa, M.T., Schauber, J., Wu, K., Meinken, C. and Kamen, D.L., 2006. Toll-like receptor triggering of a vitamin D-mediated human antimicrobial response. Science311(5768), pp.1770-1773.

He, C.S., Handzlik, M.K., Fraser, W.D., Muhamad, A.S., Preston, H., Richardson, A. and Gleeson, M., 2013. Influence of vitamin D status on respiratory infection incidence and immune function during 4 months of winter training in endurance sport athletes. School of Sport, Exercise & Health Sciences, Loughborough University.

Owens, D.J., Allison, R. and Close, G.L., 2018. Vitamin D and the athlete: current perspectives and new challenges. Sports medicine, 48(1), pp.3-16.

Bikle, D.D., 2009. Vitamin D and immune function: understanding common pathways. Current osteoporosis reports, 7(2), p.58.

Shankar, A.H. and Prasad, A.S., 1998. Zinc and immune function: the biological basis of altered resistance to infection. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 68(2), pp.447S-463S.

Rink, L. and Haase, H., 2007. Zinc homeostasis and immunity. Trends in immunology, 28(1), pp.1-4.

Bonaventura, P., Benedetti, G., Albarède, F. and Miossec, P., 2015. Zinc and its role in immunity and inflammation. Autoimmunity reviews14(4), pp.277-285.

Read, S.A., Obeid, S., Ahlenstiel, C. and Ahlenstiel, G., 2019. The role of zinc in antiviral immunity. Advances in nutrition10(4), pp.696-710.

Blazsek, I. and Mathe, G., 1984. Zinc and immunity. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy= Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie38(4), pp.187-193.

Gruber, K. and Rink, L., 2013. The role of zinc in immunity and inflammation. In Diet, Immunity and Inflammation (pp. 123-156). Woodhead Publishing.

Prasad, A.S., 1998. Zinc and immunity. In Molecular and Cellular Effects of Nutrition on Disease Processes (pp. 63-69). Springer, Boston, MA.

Wintergerst, E.S., Maggini, S. and Hornig, D.H., 2007. Contribution of selected vitamins and trace elements to immune function. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism51(4), pp.301-323.