21 Jun Doctor Hoy’s gel spells relief for muscle pain

When it comes to a muscle-relieving gel there’s one I’d recommend above all others: Doctor Hoy’s.
I’ve tried most sports creams over the years for this or that – a strained calf, sore shoulder, tight hamstring, etc.
No sports cream cuts through the muscles to provide relaxation prior to and after physical activity like Doctor Hoy’s.
How does it work?
Without getting too technical, let me say that it contains menthol, which leads to an increase in blood circulation and oxygen flow. An increase in blood circulation aided by Doctor Hoy’s will allow the muscles to get the needed oxygen and also assist in removing the increase in waste produced by the muscles.
The product was developed Bruce Haughey (pronounced Hoy) in 1994. According to Doctor Hoy’s website, the founder of Doctor Hoy’s was not actually a medical doctor, but he came from a family of doctors where health and well being have always been important.
Incredibly the high popular product was first used to treat Bruce and his wife, Roxanne’s, horses.
They were disappointed with the products on the markey to treat horses with sore muscles and came up with a topical analgesic for the horses. The product worked so well it actually wound up being used by many of the horse owners themselves for pain and muscle soreness.
Bruce realized a larger market could benefit and worked closely with the FDA and a licensed drug manufacturer to ensure that his new topical analgesic (considered an OTC, or over-the-counter drug) would meet the legal requirements
The result is a water-based product that contains no oil or petroleum. Because Doctor Hoy’s contains no oil or petroleum there won’t be a messy or greasy residue after using the product. In addition, it won’t stain your clothing or leave a lingering odor.
The water base also allows the product to easily absorb into the tissue for faster, better results than other sports creams on the market,
It does not leave a lingering odor and is gentle on the skin. In fact, it actually contains skin moisturizers such as Fucogel and Glycerin.
Ingredients include the following:
* Menthol USP natural crystals (5%)
* Camphor USP natural crystals (5%)
Inactive Ingredients:
* Distilled water – water that has been purified by boiling and then recondensed
* Hamamelis Virginiana – witch hazel extract- astringent. It is used to carry active ingredients into the skin
* Isopropyl Alcohol – used as topical disinfectant and to aid in use of menthol crystals
* Arnica Montana (1%) – used by many homeopathic types for pain and swelling
* Oleyl Alcohol and Zanthoxylum Alatum – extract of the Szechwan pepper, used to help protect skin from irritation
* Bio-saccharide Gum 1 – thickening agent, water soluble, comes from plants and trees
* Vegetable Glycerin – has many uses used as an emollient and moisturizer
* Ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP copolymer – synthetic gelling/thickening agent for aqueous systems, used for its superior skin compatibility
* Beta Cyclodextrin – used to entrap menthol in timed-release system – it is a natural sugar complex
* Menthol- menthol potion of timed-release system
* Potassium Hydroxide – Naturally occurring mineral, used as an emulsifier and to aid in Ph balance (product contains less than .05%)
* Mannitol – Natural sweetener found in plants, can be used as a laxative, used as part of the time release system
* Cellulose – Obtained from plants, used as a thickener, found in cell walls of plants
* Chromium Hydroxide Green – natural earth pigment, approved by FDA in 1977 as a colorant and is used many products including eye shadows and mascaras – used as part of encapsulated Vitamin E (gives Vitamin E capsule green color)
* Tocopheryl Acetate – used in green Vitamin E beads
* Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose – A thickening agent and a stabilizer derived from wood pulp or plants, used as part of encapsulated Vitamin E.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com