Top Ten Supplements for Athletes

Creatine Supplements. Creatine is available in liquid or granular form from many manufacturers. It can also be administered intravenously; however, injections should be given under strict medical supervision. Carbohydrate solutions increase the uptake of creatine in your muscles so they should be included with each dose.

According to American College of Sports Medicine, caffeine may be the most widely used stimulant in the world. It can come in many forms such as coffee, nutrition supplements, tea, soft drinks, energy drinks and chocolate.

A team of researchers from the University of Orleans in France found that during a long endurance trial, athletes who took high levels of mixed branched-chain amino acid supplements (including valine, leucine, and isoleucine) reported feeling less tired.

Demonstrations also show Citrulline Malate as having a protective effect against acidosis and ammonnia poisoning. 12 The metabolic actions of Citrulline Malate clearly explain the anti-fatigue properties in man and shows great promise to its uses as a performance enhancer for athletes.

Nitrate-rich foods like beets, radishes, and pomegranates are a great way to boost the production of nitric oxide (NO). Several studies have used either beet root juice or pomegranate extract in multi-ingredient performance supplements and have observed improvements in strength, hypertrophy, and performance in resistance-trained men.

The agreed amount of protein athletes require is generally around 1-1.5g/lb (bodyweight); the supplementation of whey/egg/casein protein is an easy and cheap way to achieve this.

There are many studies therefore demonstrating the need for athletes and sports enthusiasts to take glutamine supplements after exercise. One [5] showed that a group given glutamine two hours after an intense training session reported considerably fewer infections in the following weeks than those given a placebo.

Another reason that fish oil supplements may be good for serious athletes is the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3s that are plentiful in fish oil. Word around the bodybuilding, CrossFit, and endurance athletics communities are that fish oil can also help with injury prevention.

While supplementing with beta-alanine should help most individuals who are involved in exercise, endurance athletes who are training and performing with low to moderate exercise levels may not notice as great of effects simply due to the fact that their body will not be producing as much excess hydrogen ions so they won't have as great of a lactic acid build-up as other athletes.

BCAAs should always be part of an athlete's supplementation. Not only does it work as a pre-workout supplement, it can also be used for recovery BCAAs should always be part of an athlete's supplementation.

Protein Powder: Protein powder is another essential supplement to athletes. It definitely is not easy getting a minimum of 1 gram per body pound of protein. Protein will help build muscle tissue. Extra muscle equals a better performance in sports and a better and stronger physique.

Vitamins and Minerals for Athletes The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says athletes need to make sure they meet their daily vitamin C and D and B vitamin needs. As an antioxidant, vitamin C protects your body from free radical damage, vitamin D is important for healthy bones and the B vitamins help extract the energy you need from the food you eat.

Creatine is also a popular and somewhat controversial supplement used by some athletes in the belief that it enhances performance. Why do people take creatine? Despite creatine’s wide use, the evidence that creatine supplements improve athletic performance is inconclusive.

Or Carbs + Protein? Casein Protein - The Facts. This type of protein is the most abundant form in cow’s milk, accounting for about 80% of its protein content. All forms of casein contain a high-quality blend of essential, nonessential, and branched-chain amino acids.

Given the growing body of evidence pointing to the need for optimum magnesium nutrition in athletes, what tests are available to coaches for determining magnesium status? Muscle magnesium (obtained through a needle biopsy) is one of the most accurate methods of assessment, but it is time-consuming, very invasive and can cause discomfort.