Supplements.
Supplements can be of great benefit in your diet and are recommended for the majority of professional athletes as a way to aid performance and recovery. However with a vast majority of supplements available on the market it is important to recognise which are both safe and are of benefit to your specific needs, as many make claims based on little or no scientific research.
What are supplements?
Supplements are used to enhance particular aspects of your diet and athletic ability such as nutrient support, performance, recovery and concentration. They should be taken as a tool to help you improve certain areas of your diet or performance and used in conjunction with healthy dietary and lifestyle habits, not just on their own.
Supplements come in many different forms; tablets, powders, shakes, drinks and bars.
They can be divided into two categories:
- Dietary supplements
- Nutritional Ergogenic aids
Dietary supplements
These groups of supplements allow you to meet a specific nutrient requirement if it is not met through the diet. For example a multi-vitamin, protein powder, sports drink or bar. In these forms it is a convenient and practical way to receive every day nutrients.
Nutritional Ergogenic aids
These groups of supplements allow you to enhance your performance and recovery. There are a lot of supplements on the market which focus particularly on this area for example creatine, caffeine, amino acids, essential fatty acids.
Creatine
Is probably one of the most well known supplements on the market. Primarily its use is to increase performance during high intensity training through improving muscle strength and delaying the onset of fatigue. It can also contribute to an improvement in power, strength and lean muscle mass. The majority of research supports evidence in improving recovery and reducing oxidative stress with limited evidence to support long term use.
Amino Acids
Protein and amino acids supplements generally refer to the essential amino acids i.e. the ones that cannot be synthesised in the body. These supplements usually contain individual amino acids as their sole ingredient or are fortified with a specific amino acid.
The timing of the intake of amino acids is essential; to be effective it should be taking immediately after training, within 45 minutes post workout with a High GI carbohydrate.
There is no benefit of taking an excess of protein in the diet either through food intake or supplements as there is only a certain amount of protein the body can utilise. High amounts will not be converted to muscle mass instead it will be excreted or converted to fat.
Branched chain amino acids(BCAAs)
Branched chain amino acids are specific amino acids such as leucine, isoleucine and valine. They are seen to enhance recovery after exercise by reducing the development of central fatigue i.e. central nervous system fatigue.
Research does suggest BCAAs can help to reduce muscle damage. Similar to amino acids the timing of intake and ingestion with a high GI carbohydrate will increase their effectiveness.
Caffeine
Caffeine can be found in natural dietary sources such as tea, coffee and chocolate. Its effects have been seen in athletic activity to predominantly stimulate the central nervous system, cardiac muscles and epinephrine release activity. As of yet, there is no clear mechanism how caffeine enhances performance but taken pre event in combination with a high GI carbohydrate have shown a positive benefit.
However, caffeine can affect individuals on different levels with some experiencing headaches, increased heart rate and tremors. Therefore it is encouraged to experiment with caffeine supplements during training to understand your body’s reaction.
Essential fatty acids (EFAs)
Essential fatty acids relate to the good fats in your diet, more commonly known as Omega 3 and Omega 6.
There has been mixed research in their role in an athlete’s diet but primarily it is to help combat inflammation and increase fluidity in the cells, promoting both increased recovery rate and reduced injury. Omega 3 is predominantly taken in the form of fish oils however the quality of these can vary and it is important to assess the quality of the supplement before it is taken.
Other supplements include:
Antioxidants
During periods of heavy training and games, cells within the body can potentially be damaged as a result of free radicals produced through exercise. These free radicals are capable of producing a high level of cellular damage consequently affecting performance and recovery.
Anti oxidant supplements on the market include Vitamins C and E.
Although little research supports their ability to increase performance, strong evidence suggests both help to reduce oxidative stress and minimise cell damage caused by free radicals. Taking together their effect is shown to be even more effective than on an individual basis.
Over view of supplements
From the overview above of only a handful of supplements on the market it is clear a general understanding of what supplements can do for you and what is in on the market is required to make an informed decision of what is right for you.
Supplements are there to both support and enhance your performance and are an important aid in your training however a lot of supplements are misleading and make all kinds of claims.
Before you begin a supplement program it is important to know exactly what you want to achieve and which is the safest supplement to help you do this and not to be mislead into supplements which could potentially not only damage your performance but your long term health.
Remember; Supplements cannot replace or improve bad nutritional habits. A healthy well balanced diet is needed for a good foundation in which supplements can be incorporated.
Katey Halliday
BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition
References
Burke. L, Deekin. V (2002), Clinical Sports Nutrition, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Australia Pty Limited, Australia
Kleiner S. M (2001), Power Eating, 2nd Edition, Human kinetics
IRFU Performance Nutrition (2007), “IRFU recommendation, Sports supplements and the young rugby players”
Ivy, J, Portman. R (2004), The future of sports nutrition, Nutrient timing, Basic Health Publications Inc
Mann. J, Truswell A. S (2002), Essentials of Human Nutrition, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press