The modern world has many advantages that make our existence easier in almost all areas of life. Jobs are becoming more ergonomic; we can communicate in seconds with people who live at the North Pole, and we can even flirt by pressing a single button; now, does today’s world benefit us for the correct nutrition of our body?
We live in the post-industrial era in which pollution abounds, food is of low quality in most cases, and our lifestyle has nothing to do with that of our ancestors, who took advantage of the nutrients of mother earth in its maximum expression and that is why today we will talk about the need for supplementation.
With the characteristics of today’s society, for any sedentary person or with little activity, it would be advisable to take supplements to meet the nutritional demands that our body demands, but if we are already talking about the case of athletes or people with a demanding job at physical, mental or emotional levels the need is much greater.
In this article, we are going to focus on the supplementation that can help athletes and the objectives that must be pursued as a priority, which in my opinion, are two: The maintenance of health is an essential requirement, and for that, you have to reach all the nutritional demands that the body needs and then as a more secondary objective, to be able to obtain an extra plus in performance. In this chapter, we will talk about the best supplements the market offers us and their usefulness so that we can understand within each context which supplement can be best for us.
Why is it important to know the best sports supplements?
The human body permanently lives in homeostasis, and without resources, it will always prioritize its vital functions. The body does not understand that you want to maintain muscle mass to compete in Mister Olympia; it is not going to prioritize that you want to have long, bushy hair like Brad Pitt in Legends of Passion or that you want to be number one in Crossfit.
Our metabolism is very strict in its work; if you do not cover its nutritional needs, it will organize itself to get what it needs from somewhere. If our body has to make us bald, it will; if it needs protein and it doesn’t receive it, it will steal it from your muscle; and if you dehydrate in a long-distance race and he needs calcium from the bones, it will take it without any contemplation. That is why the supplements are going to help us to be able to cover those nutritional needs and ensure that our metabolism has correct functioning.
The ten best supplements for athletes
The coffee
Caffeine from coffee acts directly on the central nervous system, and you may perceive tiredness later; the concentration we acquire to perform our tasks is greater and performance increases.
On the contrary, it can alter your rest and circadian rhythms, so you must know how to tolerate this substance. A different alternative with similar effects would be a good cold shower.
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most studied supplements with the greatest effects demonstrated by science. Creatine is a natural substance that the human body can synthesize. At high intensities, creatine supplementation will help perform more efforts (more repetitions, for example), consequently increasing performance and muscle mass.
In the same way, taking creatine in the form of a supplement increases fluid retention at the cellular level, also improving the perception of lean mass, but in turn, improving muscle permeability and the absorption of amino acids from the bloodstream into the cells. Muscular.
Whey protein
Whey Scitec protein is one of the main proteins found in dairy products. It is a derivative of the cheese production process and provides considerable amounts of essential amino acids necessary to carry out the functions of proteins in the body. It is usually used to reach the necessary protein demands in athletes.
In the aminogram, we must look at the composition of the branched amino acids that are the most important for muscle recovery; leucine must make up 10% of the total, and isoleucine and valine 5% each. It is a way of knowing the quality of the product.
Essential amino acids
Essential amino acids are those small organic molecules from proteins that our body cannot synthesize on its own; we must add them to the diet. It’s a similar option to whey protein but goes more directly. Ideal for post-training.
Seawater
The marine world is the most important ecosystem on earth: its waters have been creating a life for millennia. We come from a single-celled marine organism. It is the elixir of the origins of life, and its intake excellently nourishes our body. Seawater is a source of mineral resources in which, with a greater or lesser concentration, all the elements of the periodic table necessary for our body are found.
Mucuna pruriens
The Mucuna pruriens seed is a natural source of the amino acid L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA); it has multiple benefits and helps us maintain circadian rhythms according to nature; it is a powerful motivator and has an antioxidant effect and is antidepressant among many other things.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic plant that is becoming more and more popular in Spain. Its use originates from the Ayurvedic tradition of India; it is classified as “Rasayana,” one of the most important branches of Ayurveda indicated to tone the body and mind and be a support in moments of weakness. In the West, we have recovered it by classifying it in the group of adaptogenic plants, which are capable of helping the body in physical and mental stress situations.
One of the most interesting characteristics of the ashwagandha root is its balancing activity: it is capable of giving energy and, at the same time, relaxing the body. This virtue sets it apart from other plants, making it a very interesting option for many people and situations.
L-Tyrosine
L-Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid; the body can synthesize it, and direct intake through the diet is not required. Even so, our levels may need to be higher, and we must resort to food or supplements. Helps to reduce fatigue and tiredness in exercise, thus improving sports performance.
Citrulline malate
Malate citrulline is a mixture of Malic Acid and Citrulline, which is involved in the Krebs cycle and acts as a vasodilator, thus improving blood flow to the muscles to receive more blood, oxygen, and nutrients. Increases endurance as it delays fatigue by inhibiting lactic acid.
Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid synthesized in the liver that can be ingested through the diet, especially from sources of animal origin, particularly white and red meat, or through supplements. Its study has received great interest due to its direct relationship with carnosine synthesis.
The most important function of carnosine in the body is related to pH regulation; carnosine acts with phosphocreatine as an important buffer at the intracellular level. At the muscular level, in addition to this function, another important function related to the activation of myosin ATPase has been attributed to it., which plays a fundamental role in maintaining ATP reserves. It plays an important role during exercise, with a key physiological role, as we have commented, in intracellular acid-base regulation, as well as in protection against oxidative damage and regulation of calcium sensitivity, among others.
Conclusion
The modern world has many advantages in different areas of life. Still, when it comes to nourishing ourselves well, we need the necessary knowledge to approach the nutritional demands we need. We have a huge supply of food products, but their quality, in many cases, could be better.
Supplements are very beneficial to complete our nutritional goals, so we must first know what each one can provide us to later identify the quality of the product. It is important to understand that each person reacts differently to supplementation stimuli, so we must, first of all, inform ourselves correctly and then be able to try them and find out what advantages or disadvantages they can provide us.