Prized for it's healing and energizing properties by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for over 2000 years, deer velvet is now gaining scientific backing that supports this ancient healing knowledge.

Research has demonstrated that deer velvet stimulates the body's immune system, which helps keeps infections away and the body healthy. Research at New Zealand's AgResearch facility at Invermay, near Dunedin, showed increased production of white blood cells after treating with extracts of New Zealand antler velvet. An increase in white blood cells is a clear signal of enhanced immunity.

Enhanced immunity, while always valued for preventing colds and infections is not the only benefit of deer velvet supplementation. Deer Velvet is gaining serious scientific attention for boosting strength and recovery in athletes. In fact many professional baseball and football athletes are not waiting any longer and already have begun to see deer velvet as their edge to speedier recovery from injury, more explosive strength and endurance.

New Zealand triathlete, Hamish Carter, who won gold at the 2004 Olympic games was quoted as follows: "I really believe it helps my training, energy and endurance. I feel better and recover faster when taking velvet. I’m sure taking velvet has the potential to give me the incremental improvement all athletes strive for." Studies completed by the Russians in the 1970s seem to confirm Carter's appraisal and more recent research in New Zealand is also supportive.

The University of Otago Human Performance Centre has completed preliminary research that indicates a possible link between New Zealand deer velvet and improved athletic performance. It seems to promote improved strength and endurance in response to training. Also there is an improved recovery response from exercise associated muscle tissue damage.

In a double blind study at the University, 51 male athletes undertook a 12 week period of supervised training during which strength and endurance were monitored. The group that exercised and took a deer velvet supplement showed greater improvements in muscle strength and endurance than the control group did.

A second study that measures creatine kinase enzyme levels in the bloodstream, an indicator for muscle tissue damage found that those athletes supplementing with deer velvet for 2 weeks prior to the testing had much reduced enzyme levels. In other words the muscle damage in the group taking the supplement was less. It also became apparent that these supplemented athletes suffered significantly less muscle soreness and recovered on average a day earlier than the non-supplemented group. This is a significant benefit to athletes as it allows to them return to training quicker than before. While further research is necessary to confirm the knowledge base of TCM it seems that this natural product may be of enormous benefits to athletes.

These days New Zealand Deer Antler Velvet leads the pack as it is particularly prized for its purity and high quality. It is a natural source of glucosamine, chondroitin and collagen. It is named after the soft, velvet-like covering that deer antlers have before they turn bony. It is humanely harvested for its medicinal and performance qualities from early season deer antlers under the supervision of veterinarians.

Renowned traditionally for greater energy levels, supportive to the joints and bones, offering greater muscular strength deer velvet is also acknowledged for improved immunity and enhanced sexual performance. It is also known to stimulate collagen production, a factor that gives skin its elasticity and youth. With such a wide range of potential benefits further research is revealing more all the time.

Deer antler velvet is a rich source of collagen and IGF-1 and IGF-2. Insulin Growth Factors are substances that have a similar molecular structure to Insulin. It is important in childhood growth but the body produces far less of it as we age. IGF-1 increases lean body mass, reduces fat, builds bone, muscle and nerves. One of the most exciting benefits of IGF-1 is its ability to repair peripheral nerve tissue that has been damaged by injury or illness.

Deer velvet is an all natural product and is steroid free. Deer velvet may cause stomach upset in some susceptible individuals. However deer velvet extracts in spray form not only avoid stomach issues but are much more potent. Deer velvet spray is at least 10 times more potent when applied under the tongue. It enters the bloodstream quickly by this method and is quickly becoming the preferred method of ingestion by athletes.