Supplements
Approximately 40% of the American population
consume dietary supplements and a higher percentage of athletes consume
supplements. It is not necessary to take dietary supplements to acquire
success as an athlete or maintain a healthy life style. Nutritional deficiencies
are not associated with sports training or exercise. With this in mind
common sense dictates that supplementing beyond the intake of normal food
and drink is not necessary. The best way to improve athletic performances
is to train hard and smart and maintain a nutritionally sound diet (3,7).
Most claims made by supplement manufactures
are anecdotal. Tests on supplements for quantity and purity indicate many
supplements fall short of manufactures claims. Some supplements are promoted
as "Steroid replacers" substances that increase testosterone
levels in the body. All claims of this nature are completely unfounded.
Testosterone is produced in the human body from cholesterol and the body
produces ample supplies of cholesterol (7). The supplement industry is
poorly regulated, so buyer beware. Some supplements even contain ingredients
that are on the banned drug list and can cause an athlete to test positive
on a drug test . (E.g., Ma Huang contains the banned substance ephedrine.)
Not only are dietary supplements not necessary
they are expensive. Most athletes turn to supplements in an effort to
improve performance, increase strength and develop more muscle mass. Often
the athlete only needs to increase caloric intake to achieve the desired
results. There are more economically efficient ways of increasing calories
in your diet. The following is an efficient and inexpensive method of
increasing calories:
* Half gallon of skim milk or 2%
* Can of unsweetened condensed skim milk
* Fruit (bananas, blueberries, etc.)
* Peanut butter
* Favorite cereal (ideally low in sugar)
* Any other good food items
* Blend in a blender, refrigerate and drink between each meal.
There are no super drinks or magic potions
that improve athletic performances. The road of success is paved with
smart training, hard work and sound dietary habits.
Go to Nutrition Part 1--Essential
Nutrition
Go to Nutrition Part 2--Alcohol
Go to Nutrition Part 3--Hydration
Go to Nutrition Part 4--Supplements
Go to Nutrition Part 5--Food
Tables
