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Maintaining good nutritional health for active adults and athletes is essential and many individuals may assess their specific needs and routine and subsequently consider taking additional supplements. It is suggested athletes supplement with a few additional nutrients to stay healthy during intense exercise but supplements are only considered healthy when they are in addition to an already healthy diet, not as a replacement and not when taken for the sake of it. If you don’t partake in intense exercise and your trainer or doctor hasn’t already suggested it, then supplements are unlikely to be necessary for you. Active adults or athletes may include supplements to help meet nutritional needs, improve nutrient deficiencies, enhance athletic performance or achieve personal fitness goals but without a well-designed nutrition plan in place, supplementation is said to be rarely effective so consider that to be your initial step. After that though you may be looking into the confusing and complicated world that is supplements. So let us steer you through the confusion and help you with a simple guide to supplements, without wanting to sell you our own product or link you to a sponsor. There are two types of supplement: -Dietary supplements. Including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, botanicals, and extracts or concentrates from plants or foods. They are typically sold as capsules, tablets, liquids, powders or bars and required to be clearly labelled as a dietary supplement. -Ergogenic aids. Including substances, drugs or techniques used to enhance athletic performance. They can range from acceptable practices of carbohydrate loading to “illegal and unsafe approaches such as anabolic-androgenic steroid use.” Supplement use remains controversial and is a personal choice. Common questions asked by active adults, athletes, and sports nutritionists relate to the manufacturing and supplement quality and whether they actually work and are safe. Before you start taking a particular supplement we recommend looking for evidence-based research information on that exact product before spending your hard earned money on it and then putting it in your body. Helpfully, The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) has provided an advantageous classification for supplements based on clinical research:
4.Apparently ineffective: Supplements lack sound scientific evidence and/or research has shown the supplement to be clearly ineffective and/or unsafe. In conjunction with legitimate online classifications and evidence based research, if you’re working with a sports dietitian, a personal trainer or a sports coach they can be a valuable resource for supplement information. They will already know and have experience with a variety of supplements and products and will be able to steer you in the right direction if you’re unsure. The information gathered from our pointers and the above resources will enable you to make the best decision about taking sports supplements for your health and fitness goals.
Supplement Value of Vitamins and Exercise Performance
Vitamins are organic compounds essential to regulating metabolic processes, energy production, neurological functioning and protection of our cells and they’re usually the first supplement people reach for. And with good reason, dietary analysis on active adults and athletes reported a variety of vitamin deficiencies. Although research shows a possible benefit of taking vitamins for general health, there has been minimal to no ergogenic benefits reported. The following vitamins common to athletes have been researched as proposed nutritional ergogenic aids:
|
Nutrient |
Ergogenic Claim |
Research Findings |
|
Vitamin A |
may improve sports vision |
no improvement in athletic performance |
|
Vitamin D |
may help prevent bone loss |
may help with calcium co-supplement |
|
Vitamin E |
may prevent free radicals |
decrease in oxidative stress found/more research required |
|
Vitamin K |
may help bone metabolism |
elite female athletes show improved balance of bone formation and resorption |
|
Thiamin (B1) |
may improve anaerobic threshold |
doesn’t appear to enhance exercise capacity at normal intake |
|
Riboflavin (B2) |
may enhance energy availability during exercise |
doesn’t appear to enhance exercise capacity at normal intake |
|
Niacin (B3) |
may enhance energy metabolism, improve cholesterol and blunt fat stores |
shown to decrease cholesterol but decrease exercise capacity |
|
Pyridoxine (B6) |
may improve lean mass, strength, aerobic capacity and mental focus |
well-nourished athletes show no improvement in athletic performance. Some improved fine motor skills when combined with Vitamins B1 and B12. |
|
Cyano-cobalamin (B12) |
may increase muscle mass and decrease anxiety |
no ergogenic effect reported, however, when combined with vitamins B1 and B6 may reduce anxiety |
|
Folic acid (folate) |
may increase red blood cells for better oxygen to muscle and decrease birth defects |
found to decrease birth defects in pregnant women, but shown not to enhance athletic performance |
|
Pantothenic Acid |
may benefit aerobic energy |
research reports no enhanced aerobic performance |
|
Beta-carotene |
may help exercise-induced muscle damage |
may help decrease exercise-induced muscle damage, but more research is required for improved athletic performance |
|
Vitamin C |
may improve metabolism during exercise |
well-nourished athletes indicate no enhanced performance |
Supplement Value of Minerals for Athletes
Minerals are inorganic elements essential for metabolic processes, tissue structure and repair, hormone regulation and neurological function. Research indicates active adults or athletes have been deficient in these important elements. Mineral deficiency may negatively affect athletic performance and therefore supplementation may be helpful. The following mineral supplements common to athletes have been researched as proposed nutritional ergogenic aids:
|
Nutrient |
Ergogenic Claim |
Research Findings |
|
Boron |
may promote muscle growth during resistance training |
no evidence currently exists to support this theory |
|
Calcium |
may promote bone growth and fat metabolism |
shown to stimulate bone growth taken with vitamin D and may promote fat metabolism. No ergogenic benefit for athletic performance. |
|
Chromium |
sold as chromium picolinate and claims to increase lean mass and reduce body fat |
recent studies show no improvement in lean mass or reduced body fat |
|
Iron |
may help improve aerobic performance |
shown to only improve aerobic performance in athletes suffering from iron deficiency or anaemia |
|
Magnesium |
may improve energy metabolism/ATP availability |
shown to only improve exercise performance in athletes suffering from magnesium deficiency |
|
Phosphorus (phosphate salts) |
may improve energy systems in the body |
shown to enhance the aerobic energy system during endurance training. More research is required |
|
Potassium |
may help with muscle cramping |
no ergogenic benefits reported and research remains unclear if it helps with muscle cramping |
|
Selenium |
may improve aerobic exercise performance |
improvements in aerobic exercise performance have not been demonstrated |
|
Sodium |
may help with muscle cramping and reduce risk of hyponatremia |
shown to maintain fluid balance during heavy training |
|
Vanadyl sulfate (vanadium) |
may stimulate muscle growth, enhance strength and power |
not shown to have any effect on muscle mass, strength or power |
|
Zinc |
may reduce upper respiratory tract infections during heavy training |
shown to minimize exercise-induced changes to immune function during training |
So, here we can see that vitamin and mineral supplements only add value if you are initially deficient and when they do add value they add to your general health which may improve your fitness in general, but they are not an ergogenic performance enhancing aid.
The Role of Dietary Supplements for Athletes
Dietary supplements can play an important role in an athletic diet. However, they should be viewed as supplements to the diet, not replacements for a good diet. While there are very few supplements backed by scientific evidence to enhance athletic performance, there are some shown to be helpful for exercise and recovery. Whether you’re an active adult, athlete working alone, or have hired a sports nutrition specialist, it’s important to stay current on supplement research. The following common nutritional supplements have been researched and classified as either: apparently effective, possibly effective, too early to tell, or apparently ineffective:
Apparently effective and generally safe:
Muscle building supplements
Weight loss supplements:
Performance-enhancing supplements:
Possibly effective but more research required:
Muscle building supplements:
Weight loss supplements:
Performance-enhancing supplements:
Too early to tell and lacks sufficient research:
Muscle building supplements:
Weight loss supplements:
Performance-enhancing supplements:
Apparently not effective and/or unsafe:
Muscle building supplements:
Weight loss supplements:
Performance-enhancing supplements:
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March 24, 2021
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