A guide to sports drinks, health products and muscle builders.
How many of these fancily packaged and extravagantly advertised products actually work?
In recent years, there’s been an explosion in the quantity and types of sport supplements available and the sports supplement industry is now estimated to be worth a staggering 15 billion US dollars a year. But how many of these fancily packaged and extravagantly advertised products actually do what they say on the tub or sachet?
More importantly, are they worth parting with your hard-earned cash for, or are they nothing more than modern witchcraft? In this article, we’re going to look at the main product types out there, explain how they’re supposed to work and how effective they’re likely to be.
First things first
Although it’s true that some sports supplements can help you maximise the gains from your workout, the fact is that no amount of supplementation can substitute for a poor diet – all you’ll achieve is very expensive urine and a severely depleted bank balance. Therefore, before you even begin to think about using sports supplements, you need to ensure you’ve sorted out your dietary basics.
Supplement basics
Before you even consider using sports supplements, you need to ensure that your dietary basics are right. Don’t fall into the ‘performance in a bottle syndrome’, and delude yourself that a junk diet is OK so long as you’re taking fancy and expensive supplements. Many of the naturally-occurring, performance-giving substances in food have yet to be properly identified and aren’t found in even the most advanced supplements, no matter how exotic. Then there’s cost. Sports supplements aren’t cheap; could that money be better spent on increasing the quality of your diet in the first place?
The bulk of your diet should be comprised of whole, natural unprocessed foods, rich in unrefined carbohydrates (to fuel exercise), and high-quality fruits and vegetables, with minimal intakes of refined, processed, sugary or fatty foods. Proper hydration is crucial too, and you should be drinking plenty of fresh water.
Any supplementation should be carefully targeted to your individual needs. For example, if moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is your main fitness pastime, there’s little benefit in shovelling down bucketloads of creatine, which only helps boost short-term, high-intensity energy pathways. Beware of exotic and fancy claims: evidence for the efficacy of many so-called wonder supplements is sparse. If the claims sound too good to be true, they probably are.
Finally, don’t think that even with the perfect diet and the best sports supplements, you’ll notice the benefits if your training programme is not right and you don’t allow yourself adequate recovery.
But let’s assume you’ve got your diet sorted, are training hard, have it all planned out and you want to make the most of your efforts. Which sports supplements should you consider using and what benefits could they offer? The answer depends very much on your training, your sport and your exercise goals. Endurance activities such as running and cycling will require more emphasis on energy and fluid replacement, whereas strength and power sports – such as bodybuilding, sprinting and wrestling – will require more emphasis on muscle gain and maintenance.
However, some products – such as recovery drinks – can be useful across the board. For the sake of convenience, we’ll divide these products into the following categories:
• Energy replacement (eg, carbohydrate drinks)
• Fluid replacement (eg, electrolyte drinks)
• Recovery (eg, combined protein/carbohydrate drinks)
• Protein and strength/muscle gain (eg, creatine and protein drinks)
• Fat burners
• Health and protection (eg, vitamin/mineral supplements, antioxidants)
It’s important to understand that many products span more than one of these categories. For example, many fluid-replacement drinks contain useful amounts of energy-replacing carbohydrate; while recovery drinks proper often combine protein and carbohydrate with electrolyte minerals and vitamins and minerals.
Energy replacement drinks
Energy replacement drinks aim to supply carbohydrate in a rapidly absorbable form, to help provide fuel for hard-working muscles during vigorous exercise. Most energy drinks contain a combination of quick-releasing simple sugars and slower-releasing longer-chain sugars, to provide a quick-acting, yet sustained increase in blood sugar, which in turn helps keep muscles fuelled. There’s a mountain of evidence to show that muscles can store only enough carbohydrate (or more specifically glycogen – a form of carbohydrate) to fuel around 1½ to 2 hours of high-intensity exercise; when muscle glycogen stores start to become depleted, there’s a sudden and often dramatic drop in performance.
Trying to replenish carbohydrate using conventional high-carbohydrate foods (eg, bread, pasta, potatoes, etc.) while on the move is almost impossible; not only does digestion slow down the rate at which the released carbohydrate comes ‘on tap’, most people also find it impossible to consume solid food during vigorous exercise without suffering from stomach cramps, abdominal bloating and so on. In contrast, energy drinks can be drunk on the move without causing abdominal distress, and can therefore help to prevent glycogen depletion during endurance training/events.
Recommended for: anybody who performs large volumes of training, particularly where workouts last 90 minutes or more – such as runners, cyclists, swimmers, triathletes, rowers, etc – and those who need to train for shorter periods, but more than once a day. However, if you train less than this, a decent high-carbohydrate diet will almost certainly provide all the energy you need.
Fluid replacement drinks
Fluid replacement drinks supply fluid to hard-working bodies. In addition to water, electrolyte minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride are provided. Not only do these help to maintain normal physiological processes overall, but have particular side benefits – for example, sodium also stimulates thirst and increases the physiological drive to drink; and studies have shown that small amounts of glucose increase the rate of fluid absorption from the small intestine into the body, especially where the rapid intake of fluid into the body is important, eg during exercise in hot conditions.
Recommended for: anybody who exercises vigorously for more than an hour in hot or humid conditions. Conversely, those who exercise at more moderate intensities in cooler conditions have little to gain, as do those whose exercise sessions last less than one hour. In these circumstances, fluid from plain water and minerals from foods in the diet will normally be more than sufficient.
Recovery drinks
Recovery drinks are taken immediately after training and supply carbohydrate for the synthesis of muscle glycogen, and amino acids (protein) to replace and rebuild muscle fibres broken down during training. Studies have shown that the two hours after training are a window of opportunity, during which your muscles behave like sponge, soaking up what they need to power you through your next workout and build new muscle. Recovery drinks aim to supply precisely the right combination and ratio of carbohydrates and proteins, at the right time and in a form that’s convenient to prepare, easy to drink and rapidly assimilated.
Recommended for: anybody who trains seriously – including aerobic power and strength athletes; those doing high volumes of training, where the need to continually replenish muscle glycogen and avoid excessive muscle tissue breakdown is crucial; and even recreational trainers, who may find it hard to get a really well-balanced meal down their neck immediately after training.
TAGLIATO PER LIMITE DI 10.000 CARATTERI, ARTICOLO COMPLETO AL LINK IN FONDO
About Andrew Hamilton
Andrew Hamilton BSc Hons, MRSC, ACSM, is a sports science writer and researcher specialising in sports nutrition. A lifelong endurance athlete himself he has worked in the field of fitness and sports performance for over 30 years helping athletes to reach their true potential.
FONTE: https://www.peakendurancesport.com/...ports-drinks-health-products-muscle-builders/
How many of these fancily packaged and extravagantly advertised products actually work?
In recent years, there’s been an explosion in the quantity and types of sport supplements available and the sports supplement industry is now estimated to be worth a staggering 15 billion US dollars a year. But how many of these fancily packaged and extravagantly advertised products actually do what they say on the tub or sachet?
More importantly, are they worth parting with your hard-earned cash for, or are they nothing more than modern witchcraft? In this article, we’re going to look at the main product types out there, explain how they’re supposed to work and how effective they’re likely to be.
First things first
Although it’s true that some sports supplements can help you maximise the gains from your workout, the fact is that no amount of supplementation can substitute for a poor diet – all you’ll achieve is very expensive urine and a severely depleted bank balance. Therefore, before you even begin to think about using sports supplements, you need to ensure you’ve sorted out your dietary basics.
Supplement basics
Before you even consider using sports supplements, you need to ensure that your dietary basics are right. Don’t fall into the ‘performance in a bottle syndrome’, and delude yourself that a junk diet is OK so long as you’re taking fancy and expensive supplements. Many of the naturally-occurring, performance-giving substances in food have yet to be properly identified and aren’t found in even the most advanced supplements, no matter how exotic. Then there’s cost. Sports supplements aren’t cheap; could that money be better spent on increasing the quality of your diet in the first place?
The bulk of your diet should be comprised of whole, natural unprocessed foods, rich in unrefined carbohydrates (to fuel exercise), and high-quality fruits and vegetables, with minimal intakes of refined, processed, sugary or fatty foods. Proper hydration is crucial too, and you should be drinking plenty of fresh water.
Any supplementation should be carefully targeted to your individual needs. For example, if moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is your main fitness pastime, there’s little benefit in shovelling down bucketloads of creatine, which only helps boost short-term, high-intensity energy pathways. Beware of exotic and fancy claims: evidence for the efficacy of many so-called wonder supplements is sparse. If the claims sound too good to be true, they probably are.
Finally, don’t think that even with the perfect diet and the best sports supplements, you’ll notice the benefits if your training programme is not right and you don’t allow yourself adequate recovery.
But let’s assume you’ve got your diet sorted, are training hard, have it all planned out and you want to make the most of your efforts. Which sports supplements should you consider using and what benefits could they offer? The answer depends very much on your training, your sport and your exercise goals. Endurance activities such as running and cycling will require more emphasis on energy and fluid replacement, whereas strength and power sports – such as bodybuilding, sprinting and wrestling – will require more emphasis on muscle gain and maintenance.
However, some products – such as recovery drinks – can be useful across the board. For the sake of convenience, we’ll divide these products into the following categories:
• Energy replacement (eg, carbohydrate drinks)
• Fluid replacement (eg, electrolyte drinks)
• Recovery (eg, combined protein/carbohydrate drinks)
• Protein and strength/muscle gain (eg, creatine and protein drinks)
• Fat burners
• Health and protection (eg, vitamin/mineral supplements, antioxidants)
It’s important to understand that many products span more than one of these categories. For example, many fluid-replacement drinks contain useful amounts of energy-replacing carbohydrate; while recovery drinks proper often combine protein and carbohydrate with electrolyte minerals and vitamins and minerals.
Energy replacement drinks
Energy replacement drinks aim to supply carbohydrate in a rapidly absorbable form, to help provide fuel for hard-working muscles during vigorous exercise. Most energy drinks contain a combination of quick-releasing simple sugars and slower-releasing longer-chain sugars, to provide a quick-acting, yet sustained increase in blood sugar, which in turn helps keep muscles fuelled. There’s a mountain of evidence to show that muscles can store only enough carbohydrate (or more specifically glycogen – a form of carbohydrate) to fuel around 1½ to 2 hours of high-intensity exercise; when muscle glycogen stores start to become depleted, there’s a sudden and often dramatic drop in performance.
Trying to replenish carbohydrate using conventional high-carbohydrate foods (eg, bread, pasta, potatoes, etc.) while on the move is almost impossible; not only does digestion slow down the rate at which the released carbohydrate comes ‘on tap’, most people also find it impossible to consume solid food during vigorous exercise without suffering from stomach cramps, abdominal bloating and so on. In contrast, energy drinks can be drunk on the move without causing abdominal distress, and can therefore help to prevent glycogen depletion during endurance training/events.
Recommended for: anybody who performs large volumes of training, particularly where workouts last 90 minutes or more – such as runners, cyclists, swimmers, triathletes, rowers, etc – and those who need to train for shorter periods, but more than once a day. However, if you train less than this, a decent high-carbohydrate diet will almost certainly provide all the energy you need.
Fluid replacement drinks
Fluid replacement drinks supply fluid to hard-working bodies. In addition to water, electrolyte minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride are provided. Not only do these help to maintain normal physiological processes overall, but have particular side benefits – for example, sodium also stimulates thirst and increases the physiological drive to drink; and studies have shown that small amounts of glucose increase the rate of fluid absorption from the small intestine into the body, especially where the rapid intake of fluid into the body is important, eg during exercise in hot conditions.
Recommended for: anybody who exercises vigorously for more than an hour in hot or humid conditions. Conversely, those who exercise at more moderate intensities in cooler conditions have little to gain, as do those whose exercise sessions last less than one hour. In these circumstances, fluid from plain water and minerals from foods in the diet will normally be more than sufficient.
Recovery drinks
Recovery drinks are taken immediately after training and supply carbohydrate for the synthesis of muscle glycogen, and amino acids (protein) to replace and rebuild muscle fibres broken down during training. Studies have shown that the two hours after training are a window of opportunity, during which your muscles behave like sponge, soaking up what they need to power you through your next workout and build new muscle. Recovery drinks aim to supply precisely the right combination and ratio of carbohydrates and proteins, at the right time and in a form that’s convenient to prepare, easy to drink and rapidly assimilated.
Recommended for: anybody who trains seriously – including aerobic power and strength athletes; those doing high volumes of training, where the need to continually replenish muscle glycogen and avoid excessive muscle tissue breakdown is crucial; and even recreational trainers, who may find it hard to get a really well-balanced meal down their neck immediately after training.
TAGLIATO PER LIMITE DI 10.000 CARATTERI, ARTICOLO COMPLETO AL LINK IN FONDO
About Andrew Hamilton
Andrew Hamilton BSc Hons, MRSC, ACSM, is a sports science writer and researcher specialising in sports nutrition. A lifelong endurance athlete himself he has worked in the field of fitness and sports performance for over 30 years helping athletes to reach their true potential.
FONTE: https://www.peakendurancesport.com/...ports-drinks-health-products-muscle-builders/
