Nutritional Supplements for Strength and Power Athletes

Nutrient

Theoretical ergogenic value

Summary of research findings/recommendations

Creatine

Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid that is derived from the amino acids glycine, arginine, and methionine. When creatine enters the muscle cell, it accepts a high-energy phosphate and forms phosphocreatine (PC). PC is the storage form of high-energy phosphate, which is used by the skeletal muscle cell to rapidly regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) during bouts of maximal muscular contraction

Creatine has been proven to increase strength, muscle mass, and sprint performance. Research supports the use of creatine in increase strength, lean body mass, power, sprint performance, and recovery. No clinical side effects are supported in the literature

Protein

Protein is the main component of muscles, organs, and hormones. The cells of muscles, tendons, and ligaments are maintained, repaired, and enhanced with protein. Skeletal muscle growth is possible only when muscle protein synthesis exceeds muscle protein breakdown; thus, adequate dietary protein is essential

Research has defined a vital role of protein development of muscle mass and hormonal regulation. Post-workout protein supplementation has shown increases in protein synthesis and muscle mass

Amino acids

Amino acids are organic compounds that combine to form proteins. When proteins are degraded, amino acids are left. The human body requires a number of amino acids to facilitate skeletal muscle growth and repair, as well as hormonal development that is necessary for adaptations to stress

Amino acid supplementation has extensive research suggesting that pre- and post-workout AA supplementation can increase protein synthesis and slow degradation

β-Alanine

β-Alanine is an amino acid that is not involved in structural proteins and functions to combine with another amino acid, histidine, to form carnosine. Carnosine is believed to be one of the primary muscle-buffering substances available in skeletal muscle. In theory if carnosine could attenuate the drop in pH noted with high-intensity exercise, then one could possibly exercise longer

β-Alanine supplementation appears to improve submaximal cycle ergometry performance and total time to exhaustion. There appears to be enough research currently to evaluate its effectiveness, and it appears that not only does β-alanine appear to increase muscle carnosine levels, but those changes appear to translate into performance benefits

Arginine

Arginine is an amino acid that has numerous functions in the body. It is used to make compounds in the body such as nitric oxide, creatine, glutamate, and proline and can be converted to glucose and glycogen if needed. In large doses, arginine also stimulates the release of hormones growth hormone and prolactin. Arginine has also been suggested to assist in wound healing, help remove excess ammonia from the body, and stimulate immune function

There are some conflicting results in the research regarding arginine. However, there is some evidence that arginine supplementation can increase strength, muscle mass, and growth hormone levels

Aromatase inhibitors

Aromatase is an enzyme involved in the production of estrogen that acts by catalyzing the conversion of testosterone (an androgen) to estradiol (an estrogen). Aromatase inhibitors are believed to inhibit the conversion of testosterone to estrogen, thereby increasing endogenous testosterone levels

While aromatase inhibitors as a nutrition supplement are relatively new, there is research suggesting that AIs can increase endogenous levels of testosterone. However, there is no evidence that these increases in testosterone lead to performance benefits

Zinc magnesium aspartate

Zinc and magnesium are two minerals that are used in a number of metabolic processes and hormonal regulation. Zinc is an essential trace element involved in a range of vital biochemical processes and is required for the activity of more than 300 enzymes. Magnesium is an essential element in human nutrition; it is the cofactor in enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism and is also involved in several hundred enzymatic reactions in which food is metabolized and new products are formed

Preliminary research findings have indicated that training decreases zinc and magnesium availability leading to reductions in testosterone and strength. Zinc and magnesium supplementation have been suggested as a means to maintain zinc and magnesium status and thereby improve training adaptations. However, there is still some discrepancy in the literature

Glutamine

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body, representing about 60 % of the amino acid pool in muscles. Glutamine serves a variety of functions in the body including cell growth, immune function, and recovery from stress

Research has shown glutamine to contribute to the prevention of muscle breakdown, increase in growth hormone, protein synthesis, improved intestinal health, decrease in the risk of overtraining, and improved immune system function

β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyric acid

β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyric acid, or HMB, is a metabolite of the essential amino acid leucine. HMB is thought to play a role in the regulation of protein breakdown in the body. It appears that HMB supplementation has a protective effect on muscle and may help the body get a head start on the recovery process by minimizing the amount of protein degradation after exercise

There appear to be sound scientific findings that suggest HMB supplementation may affect catabolism and protein synthesis. However, there is not conclusive evidence to suggest that HMB supplementation can increase strength or muscle mass

Antioxidants

Oxidative stress is the steady-state level of oxidative damage in a cell, tissue, or organ, caused by free radicals or the reactive oxygen species (ROS). Reactive oxygen species, such as free radicals and peroxides, represent a class of molecules that are derived from the metabolism of oxygen that is increased during exercise. Antioxidants block the process of oxidation by neutralizing free radicals

Research has determined that antioxidants are effective at reducing free radicals. However, their direct effect on the strength and power athlete has yet to be determined

Vitamins and minerals

Heavy prolonged exercise is associated with numerous hormonal and biochemical changes, many of which potentially have detrimental effects on immune function. Vitamins are organic compounds that have many important roles for normal functioning, growth, and maintenance of the body. They also help extract energy from the macronutrients. Each mineral has a specific role, from components of hormones and enzymes to structural function

It is clear that strength-trained athletes have been shown to exhibit deficiencies in one or more vitamins and minerals. Thus, the need to raise levels to within normal range is supported in the literature. However, it is not clear if supplementation in excess of RDI is advantageous to the strength athlete

CLA

Conjugated linoleic acids are essential fatty acids that have been reported to possess significant health benefits in animals. CLA is a naturally occurring fatty acid primarily found in beef and dairy fats. Research has indicated that CLA may possess a number of health- and performance-enhancing benefits

CLA appears to have many benefits for the strength athlete. While there are conflicting results, it appears that there is plenty of supporting evidence as to the efficacy of CLA supplementation on enhancing immune performance

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrate serves as the primary fuel for moderate- to high-intensity exercise. The amount of carbohydrate that can be stored in the liver and muscle, however, is limited, and it takes time to replenish carbohydrate stores. Therefore, it is imperative that active individuals and athletes consume enough carbohydrate in their diet in order to maintain carbohydrate availability

Based on the current scientific literature, it may be advisable for athletes who are performing high-volume resistance training to ingest carbohydrate supplements before, during, and immediately after resistance training

Caffeine

Caffeine is one of the most widely used stimulants in the world. It occurs naturally in the foods and beverages such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, and cocoa. Caffeine acts as a stimulant on the central nervous system, which causes the heart rate and blood pressure to increase. Caffeine and exercise is believed to cause an improvement in time to exhaustion and improved work output during aerobic exercise

Caffeine has been shown in the literature to have both a positive effect on duration of exercise and energy expenditure. Research has also shown an increase in power output. However, further research is needed for conclusive recommendations

The next tier of supplements might take the strength athlete to the next level. β-Alanine is the next great supplement. β-Alanine might be capable of increased time to exhaustion and enhancing the workouts that are necessary to impose substantial overload on the strength athlete. HMB has also been shown to be a powerful anti-catabolic supplement. Sparing precious muscle during rigorous training could prove to be the impetus for growth. Coupled with amino acid supplementation, HMB could enhance the hypertrophic effect. Another supplement that might take the strength athlete to the next level is the aromatase inhibitors. Aromatase inhibitors have been shown in limited studies to increase endogenous testosterone. The strength athlete understands the importance of testosterone in boosting training adaptations. Caffeine is a commonplace additive to the diets of millions of athletes and nonathletes alike. However, the stimulatory effects and the boost in metabolism that caffeine induces mike enhance workouts and assist in the creation of lean powerful muscle.

Finally, the supplements that enhance recovery or support immunity could prove to be the difference in peak performance. Due to the rigorous nature of the training regimens of strength athletes, endogenous levels of vitamins, minerals, and immune markers have been shown to be low. This can be combated by supplementation with multivitamins, antioxidants, glutamine, and CLA. Bring all of these supplements together, couple them with a balanced diet, and a rigorous training program and strength and power athletes are sure to maximize their genetic potential.

Each day new supplements hit the market with the promise of enhancing performance, increasing muscle mass and optimizing strength. However, until valid scientific reports support these claims, there is some risk involved.

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