Supplements for super performance

Sports need special nutrition to perform to your optimum level. But nothing can replace food. Many sports enthusiasts depend on artificial supplements to enhance performance but are ignorant of what good food can actually do to their body. The main focus need to be and goo balanced diet as per the sport they play which can be supplemented with supplements to help them work better. A supplements is something added to the diet typically to make up for a nutritional deficiency but does not replace food. There are a host of supplements sold in the market with all possible claims but not all are useful. Let us check the supplements available in the market.

Protein powders

Being the most popular supplements, there are tones of variety of these in the market, the most fast selling one being whey protein.

They come in various blends like concentrate, isolate, hydrolysed etc. They are used by people who do weight lifting to help their broken muscles recover. They can also be taken by vegetarians to make up for the protein deficiency in their diets. a normal person needs 1g/kg body weight protein/day whereas a sportsman may need 1.2-1.5g/day depending on the sport they play.

Creatine

This is naturally produces by our kidneys and liver to give energy to our muscles. Creatine supplement can increase total body mass and lean mass, improves performance in short burst exercises like sprints, long jumps, 200mt running, basketball, football etc., helps weight lifters to carry more weight, helps in recovery and improves muscle strength. It dows help in endurance activities like marathon, aerobics etc. The normal dose of creatine/day is 2-5gms. Creatine supplements are not recommended for anyone under 18 years of age as well as pregnant or breastfeeding women. Speak to a health professional before taking creatine supplements. Always read and follow the instructions on the package when taking creatine.

Caffeine

This is a natural stimulant found in tea, coffee and sprots drinks in very high amounts. It helps you be awake, alert and improves

endurance in athletes. It decreases perceived exertion during performance and may also increase fat burning during exercise. The recommended level of caffeine is not more than 400mg/day( 3 cups)

Branched chain Amino acid(BCAAs)

They are made up of 3 amino acids isoleucine, leucine and valine which help to improve muscle endurance and recovery and also boost immune system. Recommended dosage is between 3-5 gm before and after training.

Glutamine

This is an amino acid which prevents muscle breakdown and reduces the chanced of infection in athletes by improving immunity. Research has also found that glutamine supplements can help maintain muscle mass by preventing protein breakdown and improving glycogen synthesis thereby increasing muscle glycogen stores. It also helps to maintain gut health. Recommended intake of glutamine is 3-4gm/day.

Sports drink

These contain large amount of sugar, and proportionate amount of electrolytes especially needed by endurance athletes like marathon runners or any endurance sport as these athletes lose huge amount of water, sodium and potassium through sweat. You may benefit from sports drinks if you do heavy exercise or sports for more than 45 minutes at a time.

There are lots of other ones available in the market but not all that they claim is true. So please choose your pick, wisely.