Athletes use sports supplements to improve their performance. Due to the ability of sports supplements to provide a physical or psychological boost during training, they are labeled as ‘ergogenic aids.’ Athletes’ and women’s supplements have different formulations, from carbohydrates, powder-based proteins, and creatine to gel- and gummy-based caffeine. These products are sold to professionals, weekend revelers, or anyone who wants to bolster their body activity.
Although the nutrition supplements market is flooded with attractive and promising options to improve performance, there can be risks too. Most people only pay attention to the benefits and neglect the risks of using nutrition supplements. Welcome as we explore the potential benefits of sports supplements and their dangers.
Factors to Consider Before Taking Sports Supplements
Sports supplements are available as powders, drinks, and pills, but they perform the same function of boosting athletic function. Here’s what to consider before taking supplements.
- Supplements aren’t an alternative for food or diet. No diet is perfect, so you need a supplement during training, competition, or illness.
- Most supplements are supported by extensive research to showcase their benefits, while others lack evidence of their use. Talk to your healthcare provider for professional guidance.
- Supplements don’t diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent diseases but are energy boosters for training or competition.
- Regulating nutrition supplements by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is impossible before they enter the market. However, you can buy products certified by a third-party company like National Safety Foundation to make an informed choice. These agencies ensure brands adhere to strict guidelines while preventing tampering and don’t contain banned substances.
Potential Benefits of Sports Supplements
Sports supplements are known to boost performance, but are they safe for athletes to consume? The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) helps clarify the thin line between dietary supplements and food for users’ safety.
WADA keeps an update on banned substances; manufacturers must review the list to ensure their products are safe for athletes. If athletes test positive for using banned substances, they can face different penalties like sidelines, several years of ban, or a lifelong ban for infringing the WADA code. Here are the significant benefits of sports supplements.
Energy Boost
Energy is what an athlete needs for the best workout. Sufficient sleep is one way to achieve this, but external boosts from supplements might be helpful. Good practice and discipline help to control dependence on stimulants like caffeine, but having it several times a week can push an athlete to desired performance. Look out for these ingredients in your supplements.
- Caffeine – a potent stimulant that boosts energy and endurance during a performance
- Yerba mate – a natural caffeine source with anti-inflammatory properties.
- Guarana – a natural caffeine source.
- Beta-alanine – boosts moderate to high-intensity physical activity.
- B vitamins – They energize the body while avoiding fatigue.
- Carbohydrates – the body’s source of fuel for workouts
- Beetroot – Dilates blood vessels to improve blood flow and is high in nitrates. As a result, it enhances muscle build, contraction, and relaxation.
Recharge Electrolytes
During workouts, the body loses electrolytes through sweating, especially in hot, humid weather. Electrolytes include minerals like sodium, calcium, and potassium responsible for different body functions. The water you take during a workout should have a proper balance of electrolytes to prevent headaches, cramping, fatigue, nausea, or blood pressure, especially in hot, humid weather.
Most sports drinks aren’t recommended because they contain more sugar and fewer minerals to replenish electrolytes.
Protein Boost
Professional athletes, like the one you can bet at casinos listed on https://casinoudenrofus.info/udenlandske-casinoer/, need more protein than regular people. Proteins help the body recover, grow muscles, and maintain if your calories are lower. People on plant-based diets need supplements to obtain sufficient protein they can’t get from their diet.
A plant-based diet contains fewer less absorbable proteins than animal sources, and they don’t contain the necessary amino acids. Hence, vegan athletes may find the need to supplement protein to help with muscle gain and prevent muscle loss, especially during weight loss. Sufficient proteins also help the body avoid fat gain.
Better Results
Protein use comes with many unsubstantiated claims and also empty promises. Thus, you need to know what you’re looking for: creatine and protein powder are effective supplements that produce better results for athletes. In a weight loss journey, protein powder builds spare muscle loss, slows metabolism, and leaves you looking less firm.
Aid in Recovery
Most people work out without focusing on recovery. For frequent workouts to produce results, you must rest and have high-quality nutrition for quick recovery and energy. Here are some supplements that help in a recovery process:
- Amino acids – Proteins contain amino acids. But supplements will do you good if you’re on a keto diet.
- ZMA – athletes have a deficiency of Zinc, Magnesium, and vitamin B6
- Omega-3 fatty acids – intense training causes inflammation in the body, and omega-3 acids can help repair.
The Downside of Sports Supplements
Different countries have varying regulations surrounding the production and use of sports supplements. In a flooded market, it’s challenging to regulate the products; hence counterfeits can easily penetrate the market and pass for genuine options. Besides, there are other risks of using sports supplements.
- Some products don’t list all ingredients contained in a product, omitting the banned list
- Counterfeits, especially for products purchased online
- Contamination from prohibited substances during production
- A product may contain fewer or more products than what’s listed
- Some products may be ineffective or deliver the opposite of what was claimed
Safety Measures to Reduce Risks
Sports supplements have risks, but that’s not to say they aren’t safe to use. Athletes can do the following to avoid falling prey to some of the risks related to supplements.
- Do due diligence on a product to ascertain whether the supplement is helpful.
- Avoid or limit the use of sub-standard supplements. Find out what supplements are high or low quality and avoid using them.
Conclusion
Sports nutrition supplements are available in stores online and for people in countries where legislation is stringent. Therefore, if you’re living in such areas, you can get whatever you need from the less restricted areas. Further, you should know what you need and ensure you get a genuine product.
WADA is keen to produce an updated list of banned and tested products that coaches and athletes should use to avoid disappointments. Moreover, education on safe supplement consumption will help athletes make informed decisions to remain healthy and safe.