Supplementation

1. Supplementation

2. Vitamins • Vitamins are required in very small amounts • They don’t contain energy • Function as catalysts that help the body use energy nutrients • They assist in such functions as energy release, metabolic regulation and tissue building. • The body is unable to manufacture vitamins, so a persons diet must supply them.

3. Vitamins • A balanced diet is important because food is the main source of vitamins. • However some athletes still have to take vitamins regardless of their diet. • The intake of excessive quantities of vitamins (super-supplements or mega doses) is not only unnecessary but dangerous. • E.g. vitamin A and D when taken in excess may lead to vomiting, headaches, body aches, loss of appetite and fatigue • Research on the effects of mega dosing is inconclusive at the present time. • But it is known that super supplementation does not improve the athletes performance. • Fruits and vegetables are strongly recommended for the needed daily vitamin level • Supplementation of vitamins should only be necessary for such things as ill health or unavailability for a normal diet while travel per say.

4. Minerals • Minerals are inorganic substances found in the body that are necessary for it to function adequately. • They do not provide energy • Iron and calcium are the two most common minerals that are deficient in athletes • Insufficient supplies will affect performance and contribute to health problems

5. Minerals-iron • Iron is fund in haemoglobin, which comprises mostly of red blood cells and carries oxygen around the body. • These cells collect and transport oxygen, delivering it to where it is needed. • Diminished haemoglobin stores will affect performance because the muscle cells are deprived of oxygen, which is needed to break down the nutrients and produce energy.

6. Minerals-iron • A lack of iron can result in sports anemia. • Most frequently experienced in the early stages of heavy training. • It is characterized by a lack of energy and general fatigue. • The condition can be overcome with a balanced diet giving the body an excellent source of iron • People generally more at risk of this disorder are endurance athletes due to sweat loss, females due to menstrual blood loss, vegetarians due to lack of meat and adolescent males due to their growth spurts.

7. Proteins • Protein supplements are in favour with weight lifters, body builders and strength athletes. These supplements may be in natural form or synthetic as a powder, fluid or solid. • Proteins primary importance to the body is its structural role in holding the cells together and in the growth, repair and maintenance of the body. • Many people need to consume about one gram of protein for each kilo of boy weight. Well balanced diets containing fish, chicken, red meat, cheese, breads, cereals, and some types of beans

8. Protein • Excess protein can also negatively affect the body. High amounts of protein can increase the amount of calcium excreted in the urine. This can then interfere with the kidney’s functioning because it must be expelled and cannot be stored In the body.

9. Caffeine • While much of the evidence relating to caffeine and performance is still inconclusive, there is general agreement on areas relating to anaerobic performance and aerobic performance. • It has been thought that caffeine improves the thinking and memory for a short period of time. however there are also studies that show that it makes not increase in performance. The diuretic substance in caffeine is also thought to decrease performance due to the increase of expulsion of water from the body leading to dehydration.

10. Caffeine • Caffeine has ergogenic aid properties which means that it improves performance by assisting the metabolic processes. • Endurance sports are benefited by this process caffeine is able to mobilize fat stores in the body and convert them into free fatty acids which is important.

11. Creatine products • The body has two sources of creatine • Production by body cells and food intake • Food intake in a normal diet accounts for about one gram of creatine per day. It is in the muscle that creatine is converted to creatine phosphate which assists the resynthesis of ATP. • The idea of creatine supplementation is supported by many athletes particularly those who are involved in predominantly anaerobic programs.

12. Creatine products • While manufactures of creatine products continue to market its performance enhancing abilities such as increasing strength, delaying fatigue and burning fat • However many researchers have found little evidence for these hypothesis • The body is unable to stores excess amounts of creatine so the effects of supplementation doesn’t really make a difference.