A healthy essential diet is vital for everyone, whether or not you exercise a lot or a little. Extra vitamins or sports supplements can be of added value for certain athletes.

But which one and for whom?

In this article, we briefly discuss the most well-known supplements. If you want to know more, you can read the in-depth articles.

You will get enough vitamins and minerals if you exercise no more than three times a week and eat a healthy and varied diet.

 For most supplements, no scientific evidence has been found that they are of added value for athletes. They often add little or nothing to a better sports performance.

In addition, some supplements have a negative effect on sports performance or are even harmful to health.

Which nutritional supplements should I be careful with when I exercise?

• Be careful with herbal preparations, which can sometimes be harmful or (in combination with medication) unsafe. If in doubt, always ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• Some supplements contain substances that appear on the doping list. No one wants an unwanted positive test. For this, always consult with proper coach, like sports nutrition from coach levi.
• Stuart Bloom a sport author from ascoring.com write a complete article about sports nutrition from coach levi. You should read it.
  
  

Dietary Supplements Alphabet

The list below is a selection of the most well-known and used supplements among athletes.

More information about the operation and effect of the supplements can be found in the underlying articles.

Antioxidants:

you get enough through your diet. If you get too much (via supplements), your muscles will recover and grow more slowly!

Amino acids:

are the building blocks of proteins and stimulate muscle growth. The amino acid L-leucine has been shown to promote muscle recovery and muscle growth.

More scientific evidence still needs to be about the effect of other specific amino acids.

Weight loss :

 Weight loss supplement has yet to be proven to work. Often there are substances in it that give you a rushed feeling, which makes you think you are more active and lose weight.

However, that is not the case; they do, however, entail health risks such as insomnia, panic, and nausea. In addition, they may also contain doping substances.

Caffeine:

is found in coffee, cola, chocolate (milk), energy drinks, and to a lesser extent in tea. It invigorates and takes away fatigue. Do not drink energy drinks, which often contain a lot of sugar.

Creatine:

Creatine is also found in your body. As  a supplement can help with muscle building, ongoing training, and better explosive training performance.

If you use it too much and for a long time period, your body produces less creatine.

Proteins are in food and are needed by everyone because the are very essential for  bodily functions. Athletes need more protein than non-athletes. For most, these extra proteins can easily be obtained from 'normal' food. If this is not feasible, you can consider a protein supplement.

Probiotics: There is no evidence of the positive effects of probiotics on sports performance. Athlete can suffer from adverse effect such as abdominal pain and problems with bowel movement.

Vitamins: with a healthy and varied diet, you get enough vitamins, even as an athlete. In specific situations, a vitamin supplement can help with general health.

But it has proven that it directly affect better sports performance.

Reference

Stuart Bloom article about sport nutrition coach, https://www.ascoring.com/sport/sports-nutrition-coaching-for-endurance-athletes-from-coach-levi.html

Eating for Exercise and Sports by https://www.nutrition.gov/topics/basic-nutrition/eating-exercise-and-sports