Performance Drinks: There is a wide variety of performance drinks that are geared for different types of athletic enhancement, their uses include, maintaining hydration, electrolyte balance, glucose and glycogen levels, and alertness. Performance drinks include such ingredients as maltodextrin, creatine, protein, caffeine, sodium, potassium, vitamins and minerals. Many different factors will determine how well a sports performance will work in an athlete such as carbohydrate concentration, temperature, and intensity of activity. With so many varieties it is impossible to determine which ones can actually benefit athletic performance, but they can benefit if the ingredients are consumed on a regular basis but not in excess. The article states that ingestion within 15 to 60 minutes before performance can adversely affect blood glucose levels to the point of hypoglycemia, but this seems very extreme and probably would not be an issue unless the athlete previously had problems with blood sugar such as diabetes.
Iron Supplements: Iron is a mineral that is important to all body cells. It is particularly important for blood cells because iron is needed to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in blood cells that carries oxygen to body tissues. If you don’t have enough iron you may develop iron deficiency anemia, a condition in which your blood contains less hemoglobin than normal. Iron is found in meat, poultry, and fish.fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and legumes. If you get enough iron in your diet you don’t need a supplement. Athletes should be monitored by their health care professional for sports anemia which stems from above average exertion on a regular basis, but it is not always the product of iron deficiency.
Protein supplements: Protein is detremental to a balanced diet and plays an important part in the repair and growth of muscles. While it is important, a misunderstood fact about protein is that it builds mass, this is simply not true. Protein in conjunction with other foods such as carbohydrates and poly unsaturated fats and adequate calorie intake is what builds mass and helps performance. The suggested intake of protein for an athlete in training is 1.5 to 2.0 g. per kilogram of bodyweight, you can consume this much without protien supplements but how much chicken, fish, and beef can one person eat? When buying protein supplements it is important to purchase from a reputable company, or buy F.D.A. approved protein that is made for diabetics, (if you think that the F.D.A. only approves things that are good for you, look at school lunches), and always keep in mind that, A. consuming excess protien can be harmful to the kidneys and liver, and B. when you consume to much you are litteraly flushing it down the toilet.
Chromium: Chromium is an essential trace mineral in the body that aids insulin in the transfer of glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. Chromium supplements produce results only for individuals who are chromium deficient. Natural sources of chromium are whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Aerobic exercise increases chromium losses, but if it is determined that supplementation is required, doses of over 200 mcg may lead to anemia so it’s important that athletes are careful when using chromium.
Important things to remember about supplements
- Like everthing in life, more is not better. Moderation is the key, supplement, don’t replace.
- It is important to be educated about proper nutrition.
- It does not all have to be guess work. Most sports programs require a physical before participation, a visit too a clinical nutritionis would also not be a bad idea, that way anything an athlete needs to improve his health or performance can be determined.
- Food is always a better source, but supplements can make life easier on people who cant realistically eat 5-7 meals a day.
- R.D.I. and R.D.A. should be closely monitored.
- If it seems to good to be true, it probably is. “Guaranteed growth”, and other catch phrases should be discounted, the main point of supplementing should be to maximize performance and health.
- Educate athletes on proper nutrition, and emphasize work off the field is just as important as on.
- Is it legal to supply these supplements, to athletes?
- Long term affects are understood.
- Is the product safe for consumption by young athletes?
- Side effects.