Dietary Supplements

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Dietary Supplements

Theses are just a few of the varieties:

Creatine: Our bodies naturally make the compound, which is used to supply energy to our muscles. It is produced in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys, and is transported to the body’s muscles through the bloodstream. Creatine is 100% natural and occurs naturally in many foods; therefore, it can never be banned from any sports or international competitions (unless they banned eating meat). Many foods especially herring, salmon, tuna, and beef contain some creatine, but the supplemented variety comes in the form of creatine monohydrate. Creatine is considered a safe supplement, and has been shown to increase strength performance.

Caffeine: Caffeine is a mild stimulant that occurs naturally in at least 63 plant species. It consists of a xanthine molecule with three methyl groups attached to it. Caffeine has many specific benefits for different types of athletes, and can improve the athlete’s endurance in sports where long-term stamina is needed. Caffeine stimulates the Central Nervous System at high levels, like the medulla and cortex, and even has the ability to reach the spinal cord in larger doses. Caffeine enters the body and forces the working muscles to utilize as much fat as possible. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) presently lists caffeine as a banned substance.  It is difficult to believe that a substance consumed by over 75% of Americans everyday could cause international sport controversy. Studies have shown that blood pressure is increased with the consumption of caffeine, but nothing conclusive. Side effects include sleep deprivation, nausea, cramping, anxiety, fatigue, headaches, and gastrointestinal instability, and for athletes effects include muscle tightness, muscle cramping, and dehydration.

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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 ...

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