Nutritional supplement for athletes: supplementation that works!
How useful are nutritional supplements for athletes?
Due to physical activity, many athletes have an increased need for nutrients. Nevertheless, experts debate whether nutritional supplements are useful in every case. Some people actually manage to cover their macro- and micronutrient requirements through their diet. Then nutritional supplements are not always absolutely necessary. But sometimes this is not the case, so that it is only possible to stay healthy and fit with capsules and tablets.
Thus, nutritional supplements are a great option when it is not possible to meet the need for minerals and vitamins through dietary supply. Even if a deficiency of a certain nutrient is proven, athletes should turn to supplements, as nutritional supplements are also called.
These nutritional supplements have it all
There are some nutritional supplements that are particularly example popular. They can be easily integrated into the training and can always further optimize the sport. What are the nutritional supplements that are so popular?
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are important fatty acids that the human body urgently needs but cannot produce itself. Among other things, omega-3 also regulates the hormone balance, e.g. testosterone production, which in turn can have a positive effect on muscle building. Furthermore, the fatty acids are said to have anti-inflammatory properties, which can prevent sports injuries or overloads. They also have a positive influence on the cardiovascular system. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in the following foods:
- Flaxseeds and oil
- Hemp oil
- Walnuts
- Olive oil
- Avocado
- Salmon, mackerel and other fatty fish species
Especially those who rarely include the mentioned foods in their diet may be deficient in omega 3. The solution is a nutritional supplement that not only strengthens the health of the body, but also strengthens muscle building.
Zinc
Zinc is an important supplement during sweaty workouts. The nutrient is excreted through sweat – both during endurance training and strength training. The mineral is so important: It supports regeneration, promotes cell growth and strengthens the muscles. Last but not least, zinc is also indispensable for the immune system.
Signs that the body does not have enough zinc include:
- Lack of concentration
- Disturbed Metabolism
- Susceptibility to infections
- Fatigue and lack of drive
- So these nutritional supplements can make a real difference! In Oregano Vida are not only zinc, but also a number of other important vitamins and minerals.
Magnesium
Magnesium belongs to the electrolytes and provides more energy. In addition, the nutrient strengthens bones and muscles. Magnesium is therefore indispensable for building and maintaining muscles. Although it is contained in many foods, the requirement is often not covered. This is often noticeable in the form of calf cramps.
Iron
The iron requirement is also increased in athletes. Here too, sweating causes people to excrete the mineral – as much as 0.7 mg per liter of sweat! In addition, it can happen that red blood cells are reduced by the mechanical stress. This leads to a loss of iron, which often impairs energy metabolism and results in fatigue. Lower endurance performance is the result. For competitive athletes and all others who enjoy sports, this is a no-go! Iron is simply part of a healthy diet for athletes.
Creatine
Anyone who has ever looked for supplements for sports has certainly already stumbled across creatine. Next to protein powder, it is one of the most sold nutritional supplements.
Its effect is unique: creatine increases the performance capacity of the body, which is especially beneficial during strength training. Especially sprints or HIIT units go better with it, because the muscles are supplied quickly and reliably with the necessary energy.
Admittedly, the body can also produce this nutrient itself. But those who want to really go full throttle during strength training should rely on the nutritional supplement for more power.
L-Carnitine
If you take the amino acids lysine and methionine, you get L-carnitine. This protein mixture helps to transport fatty acids into the cells. This makes it possible to burn fat more quickly. The need for L-carnitine can usually be met by meat, fish and dairy products. However, those who do not consume animal products or do not consume them regularly must turn to certain vegetables, seeds and nuts. It is therefore much easier to turn to nutritional supplements if you do not consume enough L-carnitine and want to boost fat burning.
Vitamin A
Like many other nutrients, vitamin A helps in the growth of cells. Thus, it is equally important for sports. Since it is found exclusively in animal products, it makes sense for sport very many people to resort to nutritional supplements. By the way, this vitamin is also what improves vision!
B-Vitamins
Vitamin B is needed for many different processes in the body. Among the B vitamins are vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. They help to provide more energy, which is indispensable for athletes – whether in endurance sports or weight training.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C increases endurance and provides better effects of workout when taken together with vitamin E. This type of vitamins is present in many foods – especially fruits. However, since the supply is of very great importance, nutritional supplements with vitamin C should not be excluded.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D usually comes together with vitamin K2. The combination of active ingredients maintains bone density and strengthens the bone structure. This is based on the following effects:
- Vitamin D helps the body to produce more vitamin K-dependent proteins. The body needs these to be able to transport calcium into bones and muscles.
- Vitamin K2 supports the formation of growth hormones such as testosterone.
The body can produce vitamin D itself – provided it gets enough sunlight. Thus, this is only possible in the summer months, when you are in the sun for at least 20 minutes without sunscreen. A nutritional supplement, on the other hand, is simply swallowed daily in the form of pills – and the requirement is already covered.
BCAA
The amino acid complex BCAA is also very popular when it comes to nutritional supplements, as it supplies muscles and cells. Since the nutrients are predominantly absorbed by the body through fish, eggs and dairy products, it makes sense to rely on appropriate supplements, especially when following a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Collagen
The body’s own protein collagen is present in 6% of its own body weight. It gives cartilage, ligaments, bones, tissue and tendons more elasticity, strength and stability and is therefore indispensable. In addition, collagen is considered an active ingredient that increases performance.
But how is collagen formed? This is where vitamin C comes into play. This vitamin keeps production going. Therefore, it is a basic requirement for sufficient collagen. So if you rely on collagen as a nutritional supplement, you should also take vitamin C and zinc.
When does the supplement make sense? With increasing age, the production decreases more and more. Therefore, it is important to cover the need elsewhere.
Nutritional supplements and sports – what you should pay attention to
Nutritional supplements are very useful in cases of great stress, increased nutrient requirements and malnutrition. However, capsules and pills are also a good choice if it is not possible to take in all micronutrients in the quantity that one should by means of the diet during stress.
In fact, not all athletes have the need for nutritional supplements. Especially if you only train a little in your free time, you can also manage well with a healthy diet.
If there is a high energy requirement and the training is quite intensive and frequent, supplements are often a good decision. Especially if you are working towards a specific goal, a small supplement is very useful in sports.
Taking the supplement
And when should nutritional supplements be taken? Many supplements require sufficient fluid intake. They must be taken with enough water. Others, however, should always be taken with a meal. This varies from product to product.
Buy high quality nutritional supplements
On the market there are numerous products from the field of supplementation, which promise an increase in performance, great results and other positive effects. However, when buying nutritional supplements, you should pay close attention to their quality. Good supplementation can be recognized by the following characteristics, among others:
- Transparent information about the product
- Tips on useful product combinations
- Positive rating (real rating of a sportsman or sportswoman)
- High bioavailability
- It is especially important that nutritional supplements should come from the EU. After all, there are different guidelines all over the world. With products from the EU, close attention is paid to ensure that they do not harm consumers.
In addition, one should not buy the cheapest product on the market. After all, one should not save on health! Only those to whom nutritional supplements are worth a little more money usually get high-quality supplements that fully serve their purpose.
Conclusion: Increase performance with nutritional supplements
The human organism has a need for nutrients to maintain important functions. Since in sports there is a higher activity nutritionally, this need is often increased. Therefore, many advise nutritional supplements for different sports. These supplement the nutrient balance of the body with all the substances it needs to withstand the training loads and to provide high performance.
At Kingnature we carry nutritional supplements that are good for the body and provide it with exactly what it needs to perform. This allows you to complete intense workouts and achieve great results!