Nutritional aids

• Nutritional aids


  Taken as dietary supplemetns to enhance performance
• Examples of nutritional aids


  Creatine

  Caffeine

  Bicarbonate

  Nitrates
• Creatine


  Naturally produced and stored in the muscle cell as Phosphocreatine, can be synthetically absorbed as Creatine monohydrate

  Legal

  Athlete type: anaerobic, weightlifters, sprinters
• Performance benefits of taking Creatine

  Increased Phosphocreatine stores lead to increased energy for ATP-PC system

  Increased maximum and explosive strength

  Reduced fatigue in high intensity activity / improved recovery
• Risks of taking Creatine

  Increased weight gain

  Increases water retention

  Gastro-intestinal problems
• Caffeine


  A stimulus that heightens the central nervous system

  Legal

  Athlete type : aerobic, middle/long distance runners
• Performance benefits of caffeine usage

  Stimulates fat metabolism

  Allows glycogen sparing

  Increased focus and attention
• Risks of caffeine usage

  Dehydration

  Gastro-intestinal problems

  Anxiety/insomnia
• Bicarbonate


  An alkaline taken one hour before an event - soda loading

  Legal

  Athlete type : anaerobic , sprinters
• Performance benefits of bicarbonate usage

  Increased buffering capacity

  Increased tolerance to lactic acid

  Delayed OBLA

  Increases intensity and duration of training
• Risks of bicarbonate usage


  Nausea

  Gastrointestinal problems
• Nitrates


  Consumed by eating root vegetables such as beetroot and taking root vegetables

  Legal

  Athlete type : aerobic, middle/long distance runners
• Performance benefits of nitrate consumption

  Vasodilation of blood vessels , so increased oxygen transport to the working muscles

  Reduced fatigue

  Increased intensity and duration of performance

  Decreased blood pressure
• Risks of overconsumption of nitrates

  Dizziness / headaches

  Possible carcinogenic risks