Athletes often turn to nutritional supplements in order to meet their performance goals. Ingredients such as beta-alanine, creatine, caffeine and nitrates have been proven to increase endurance, strength and power during exercise sessions.
Iron is essential for transporting oxygen throughout the body as an integral component of haemoglobin and myoglobin, both vital for high intensity exercise. Zinc helps regulate nerve conduction and muscle contraction.
Vitamins
Vitamin use is a popular strategy among athletes, yet not enough research exists to support using supplements above their Recommended Daily Allowance as an ergogenic aid for exercise and sports performance.
Before purchasing nutritional supplements at random from health/supplement stores, athletes should make sure they do their research first and research ingredients and labels for third party quality testing. Unfortunately, the dietary supplement industry remains poorly regulated; some supplements could contain banned substances which could compromise performance.
Research has demonstrated that supplementing with high doses of thiamine, riboflavin and vitamin B6 improves precision sports that require fine motor control – such as pistol shooting. Although this improvement was small in scale, it could be counteracted by an increase in protein consumption for heavy training sessions.
Iron
As athletes train hard, their bodies require the appropriate blend of fuel to maximize performance. At the same time, it’s also important for them to pay attention to micronutrients like iron that could potentially lower or increase endurance performance depending on an athlete’s baseline levels of deficiency or overload (1,2).
Athletes with low ferritin levels should take up to 200 mg of oral iron daily (typically taken as supplements), unless advised otherwise by their physician. Iron should always be taken with vitamin C in order to optimize its absorption (4).
Intravenous iron is recommended if diet and oral supplementation have not improved anemia or athletes are unable to tolerate oral supplements due to gastrointestinal side effects. When choosing an intravenous iron supplement, be mindful that two numbers are listed: one represents chemical compound form while the other shows elemental form.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral that contributes to protein synthesis, hormone production and immune function. Recent research suggests it also can increase testosterone and growth hormone levels; deficiency has been linked with decreased VO2 max and poor exercise performance across studies.
While an average diet should provide adequate levels of zinc, many athletes remain deficient due to dietary choices or sweat loss during intense training sessions.
Zinc is an essential trace element that plays an essential role in over 300 enzymes’ proper function and influences cell membrane activity, DNA replication and respiration in addition to muscle tissue regeneration and immune support. While zinc supplements come in several forms, research suggests that the best forms are zinc citrate, zinc gluconate and zinc sulfate supplements.
Caffeine
endurance athletes often ingest caffeine during competition or races. Studies have proven the ergogenic benefits of caffeine, especially for long-distance exercise or when glycogen reserves become depleted. [109] A study using over 20,000 urine samples collected as part of doping control following official national and international competitions found that approximately 74% of elite athletes use caffeine as part of doping control protocols to enhance performance.
Caffeine has also been shown to improve strength and power. However, individual reactions to caffeine may vary based on genetic variations in caffeine metabolism as well as physical factors like coffee consumption habits and gender considerations – with female individuals reacting less favorably than their male counterparts to its consumption.
Pre-workout supplements
Pre-workout supplements may seem like something only elite athletes need to use, but in reality their use could benefit people of all fitness levels. When taken in moderation with a diet rich in proteins and carbs, pre-workout supplements have the power to enhance strength and endurance for both men and women alike.
Ingredients such as beta-alanine, caffeine, citrulline, tyrosine, taurine and creatine are commonly included in pre-workout supplements; however, their dosages can differ widely due to almost half being sold as proprietary blends where exact quantities are not disclosed on their labels.
Amino acids such as the branched-chain amino acids (leucine, valine and isoleucine) are frequently included in pre-workout supplements to decrease lactic acid buildup during exercise and maintain energy supply as well as reduce muscle fatigue.
