There are various supplements on the market which claim to increase athletic performance by improving various rate-limiting processes; however, most are unsupported by strong evidence.
Furthermore, few studies investigate how multiple supplements interact in an athletic scenario – this poses a major obstacle due to their potential additive, neutral and counteractive outcomes.
Beta-alanine
Running is an activity that demands time, dedication, and perseverance to complete successfully. People take up running for its health benefits or to pursue personal bests – or to reach a state known as “runner’s high.”
High-intensity training increases muscle tension and the buildup of lactic acid that leads to fatigue. By supplementing their training regimen with beta-alanine, athletes are able to train harder for longer with greater gains.
Beta-alanine can be found in animal proteins such as beef and chicken; however, plant-based sources tend to contain less of it than animal products. Thus those following vegan diets may not get enough beta-alanine for optimal athletic performance and require supplementation to meet their goals. When searching for supplements containing CarnoSyn – globally patented and banned substance-free beta-alanine with New Dietary Ingredient and self-affirmed GRAS status that has over 55 scientific studies supporting its efficacy – look for products containing CarnoSyn – for best results when selecting product options containing CarnoSyn as only CarnoSyn offers quality beta-alanine globally!
Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the best-studied ergogenic aids, providing significant increases in performance across numerous sports and training styles. Caffeine acts by inhibiting Adenosine Receptors to keep your mind more awake and alert, keeping it from sleeping when training or competing.
Caffeine has also been shown to reduce perceived exertion levels, enabling athletes to train harder for longer. Finally, caffeine has also been found to enhance cognitive performance and mood.
Studies have found that supplementing with caffeine can greatly enhance performance on both aerobic and anaerobic tests. It is believed this effect occurs because caffeine’s effects increase mobilization of fat and glycogen stores as well as boost excitation contraction coupling, improving performance on all forms of tests.
An ideal dose of caffeine to support performance has been determined to be between 3-6 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight, which would equate to approximately 200-400 mg for a 150-pound athlete, depending on their source. This dosage can be achieved via coffee, tea, energy drinks, soda pop or pre-workout formulas.
Nitrate
Nitrate is a precursor of nitric oxide, a powerful agent for improving blood circulation and oxygen delivery to muscles during endurance exercise. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials concluded that supplementing chronically with dietary nitrate improved time trial performance by a small yet significant margin.
Lansley and Bailey conducted studies to assess the effects of nitrate on time-trial performance by recruiting nine club-level male cyclists who completed both 4- and 16.1-km cycle ergometer time trials after acute ingestion of either beetroot juices containing either 6.2 mmol nitrate (rich) or devoid of it (depleted), followed by plasma [nitrite] measurement post beverage consumption; an SMD between the groups with 95% confidence intervals was then calculated.
Nitrate supplementation was found to be effective across all time trial durations; however, its impact was less clear in exercises lasting 300 seconds, which may rely more heavily on anaerobic energy systems than aerobic ones. As such, further investigation should focus on isolating these components during exercise testing in order to ascertain if supplementing with nitrate has more of an impactful result in these types of exercises.
Vitamins
Vitamins are vital to life. While most individuals consume enough micronutrients through a well-balanced diet, athletes may require additional micronutrients in order to meet their training goals. One such micronutrient that may improve performance is creatine. Studies have revealed it to increase muscle mass and power/strength gains while simultaneously increasing short-term high intensity exercise performance and decreasing training-induced lactic acid accumulation. Creatine monohydrate supplements are typically taken daily in four doses over 7 -7 day loading phase before moving onto maintenance levels of 3 grams 3-4 daily thereafter.
Energy supplements may also prove invaluable to athletes as intense training requires lots of energy. Specialized formulas make consuming your daily requirements simple with just one pill or powder. Furthermore, studies indicate that B vitamins such as Thiamin, Riboflavin and Niacin may improve fine motor control – something crucial in sports such as pistol shooting.
