So long as the dietary fundamentals are in place, the use of sports supplements such as carbohydrate drinks and gels, protein and caffeine can play an important role in boosting performance and aiding recovery.
In this section, you’ll find the most up-to-date scientific information on when to consider supplementation, and how this should fit into an overall dietary plan.”
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The theory that athletes need to take zinc supplements to protect their immune systems during periods of heavy training has been cast into doubt by a new study from Australia and New Zealand. Zinc is vital to healthy immune function, and previous studies have shown that people with severe zinc deficiency are prone to a... MORE
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Post-exercise vitamin C does not aid recovery from delayed-onset muscle soreness Hopes that vitamin C supplementation after heavy exercise could aid recovery have been dashed by a recent British study, which found no beneficial effect on delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Unaccustomed exercise causes muscle damage and a reduced ability to generate force. Although the initial... MORE
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Perhaps the perfect dietary fat for endurance athletes has finally been found. ‘Medium-chain triglycerides’ (aka MCTs) are unique fats which are absorbed from the digestive system more quickly than regular lipids, and scientific studies have linked MCTs with an increased metabolism of body fat, preservation of muscle tissue, and significant increases in metabolic rate. To... MORE
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Ask most athletes to name some key minerals for human performance nutrition and you’ll probably find calcium, iron, zinc and even chromium popping up in their lists. But they are unlikely to mention magnesium. Despite magnesium’s pivotal role in energy production, many coaches and athletes remain unaware of its critical importance in maintaining health and... MORE
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You’ll never hear a bad word about glucosamine, but here’s the lowdown on whether it works In the wake of a massive US trial, Diane Back examines the case for this hugely popular sports-injury and anti-arthritis formulation. Glucosamine is a rare example of an ‘alternative’ supplement that has gained widespread mainstream credibility among both the... MORE
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Oxygen is amazing stuff. Thanks to its special chemical reactivity, it provides us with the energy required to sustain life, including the ability to power movements and muscular contraction. This explains why oxygen – and the ability to absorb, transport and use it – is so important to endurance athletes, who need lots of the... MORE
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Why all the fuss about vitamin B6 and what does it mean to athletes? It’s a funny business, nutrition. Sports nutrition is even funnier. While a Government scientific committee has issued a warning that taking more than 10mg of B6 a day ‘may damage nerve endings’, the Colgan Institute of Sports Nutrition in San Diego,... MORE
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This vitamin-like compound is an essential part of the human diet Wouldn’t it be great if there were something you could drink or eat just before a marathon – something which would be almost guaranteed to knock five to 10 minutes off your performance time? Well, according to some scientists, that ‘something’ does exist. It’s... MORE
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Does this natural amino acid have the same energy-boosting effects as BCAAs? Some sports science research supports the idea that taking Branch-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplements during endurance exercise will enhance performance. The theory is that during endurance exercise the muscles will start to utilise BCAA for energy, so reducing their concentration in the blood... MORE
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Phosphates strengthen your bones and teeth but they may also help you grind your way to faster workouts and competitive efforts Phosphates make your bones and teeth as hard as rocks, but they also might help you grind your way to faster workouts and competitive efforts. At least, that’s what some sports nutritionists and sports-supplement... MORE
