All About Sports Nutrition

All About Sports Nutrition

What is Sports Nutrition?

Science has proven that muscles need specific nutrients to grow and recover and that certain dietary regimens are best for extending training times and achieving peak endurance and performance goals. The sports nutrition market continues to expand exponentially as athletes, bodybuilders and even lay consumers seek new ways to diet, slim down and build strength. Fat burners, lean muscle gainers, metabolism boosters, vitamin waters, energy drinks, nutrition bars, protein powders, shakes and smoothies, nitric oxide formulas, antioxidants, meal replacements and weight loss supplements all fall into the sports nutrition category. Once just for the athletically inclined, the sports nutrition industry now targets the healthy lifestyle, exercise and nutrition of all persons.

Recent reports from the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports reveal that when exercise or physical work exceed more than an hour a day, the importance of adequate energy and nutrients becomes more critical.

"There is no doubt that the type, amount, composition and timing of food intake can dramatically affect exercise performance, recovery from exercise, body weight and composition and health," - Melinda M. Manore, Ph.D., RD, FACSM Department of Nutrition and Food Management, Oregon State University.

Sports nutrition claims and health benefits

Although thousands of sports nutrition products are available to consumers, not all are verifiably nutritious and beneficial. Because over-the-counter sports nutrition products are classified in the U.S. as dietary supplements, they're not regulated by the FDA and, as a result, the efficacy and safety of some products might be questionable. The upside? The manufacturers of sports nutrition products must be truthful in the health claims they state on their labels. Regardless, it's not always easy to distinguish nutritiously substantial products from those that aren't.

Sports nutrition products are said to be most beneficial when targeting specific dietary needs. For instance, bodybuilders may be more concerned about protein intake for muscle gain and recovery, while runners and track and field athletes need to boost endurance and focus more on hydration. An office worker or lay person may consume an energy drink with fat-burning ingredients in the morning and have a meal replacement for lunch, while professionals who work out regularly opt for nutrition bars during snack time and pre and post workout formulas to increase metabolic rate and efficiency.

Intake

There are currently no standard recommendations such as RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance), RDI (Recommended Daily Intake) or the new DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) - above and beyond those of individual macronutrients (carbohydrates, fat and protein) and others (vitamins, minerals, etc.) - that specifically target sports nutrition intake. Needs vary from person to person and are typically based on individual diet, age, amount and type of daily exercise and weight. Many seek the help of nutritionists, personal trainers and dieticians in an effort to better understand required nutrients and to compile personalized sports nutrition regimens. Others have simply conducted research on the Internet and elsewhere to expand their knowledge base.

Note: The USDA Food and Nutrition Information Center is an excellent Internet source for fitness and health information and guidelines for sports nutrition.

Fat burners

Sports nutrition products that claim to possess fat-burning qualities can be deceiving. Although not too long ago there were only a handful of fat burners available (most were interpretations of the ephedra/caffeine/aspirin (ECA) stack), there are thousands on the market now and few are scientifically backed in terms of efficacy. Since ephedra fat burners were outlawed by the FDA in April 2004 for perpetuating adverse effects such as heart palpitations, insomnia and tremors, supplement companies around the globe have attempted to duplicate ephedra's fat-burning qualities (not entirely proven) with little to no success.

Fat-burning processes in the body vary among individuals and are impacted significantly by diet, amount and type of exercise, body composition, general health, age, weight, gravity, etc. Because the list of physical factors is so extensive, creating one product to suit everyone's fat-burning needs is improbable, hence, the conundrum for supplement companies. It is advisable to research any sports nutrition product that either portends to be a fat burner or one that allegedly contains fat-burning ingredients. Although, fat-burning herbs and plant-based substances may aid fat loss physiologically, conditions must be optimal and the accompanying dietary regimen strict. Nutritionists and dieticians continue to suggest that a balanced diet combined with adequate exercise remains the best way to lose weight, burn fat and keep it off.

Sports nutrition and lean muscle

Building lean muscle with sports nutrition products is a science. Products which target muscle toning, strength, size and physique (protein powders, shakes, smoothies, protein bars, etc.) have proven beneficial to athletes and bodybuilders over time and many contain the basic nutrition needed by cells to produce energy and for muscle tissue to grow and repair. Some products are most beneficial to the body when consumed before working out while others are best consumed after.

Similar to fat-burning supplements, individuals need to experiment with a variety of sports nutrition products before finding one that maximizes lean muscle mass and strength. There are thousands on the market, and claims made by supplement companies range from unsubstantiated to varying levels of efficacy based on product research, ingredients, freshness, handling and brand.

Endurance gains

Once in tip top physical shape, the next step for athletes and bodybuilders is to extend workout times and endurance. Many lay people have even use endurance-enhancing sports nutrition products in an attempt to relieve fatigue, laziness and a decline in mental acuity and sharpness (often resulting from poor diet). In order to benefit from sports nutrition endurance products, both muscles and cardio systems need to be fit and ready. Although energy drinks and other products that contain caffeine, herbal stimulants, fruit sugars and other plant-based derivatives may provide a short-term energy boost, long-term endurance gains can be obtained only through proper nutrition, balanced electrolytes and an efficient metabolism.

Sports nutrition safety - buyer beware

Because the sports nutrition industry makes available such a wide variety of beverages, snacks, endurance formulas, foods and supplements (and in different pricing categories), consumers must educate themselves on best case scenarios. Many sports nutrition products are fortified with substantial vitamins, minerals, whole food derivatives and nutrition, while others offer little more than processed sugars, low-quality ingredients and scant scientific research to back claims of efficacy and nutritional support.

• If flavor is the primary concern, little knowledge and research is required other than a little trial and error

• If nutrition and results are the focus, it's advisable that consumers research several product lines and compare and evaluate individual ingredients in order to arrive at a sound value consensus.

Sports nutrition and the FDA

Most sports nutrition products are classified as dietary supplements and are not regulated or inspected by the FDA. As mentioned previously, this may call into question product content, safety and efficacy. An Internet search using the phrase "sports nutrition and the FDA" turns out hundreds of warning letters issued by the FDA to sports nutrition companies making unsubstantiated health claims about products. It's advisable to research a sports nutrition product thoroughly before buying it to make an informed decision regarding safety and potential benefits.

References

1. The Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide: Peak Performance for Everyone from Beginners to Gold Medalists. The Complementary and Alternative Medicine Information Source Book. Edition 1, 2001 p149(1).
2. European sports nutrition to hit 4bn. Alex McNally. Beverage Daily.com Aug. 2007.
3. Department of Health and Human Services. Feb 2003. http://www.casewatch.org/fdawarning/prod/2003/extremesports.shtml
4. Nutrition and Physical Activity: Fueling the Active Individual. Research Digest Series 5 no. 1 March 2004. Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
5. Rating the fat burners: find out what the most effective fat-burning supplement is and how to avoid getting ripped off! Marvin Heuer. Muscle & Fitness. March 2006 v67 i3 p110(4).
6. Sales of Supplements Containing Ephedrine Alkaloids (Ephedra) Prohibited. US FDA 2004.
7. Time to grow: whatever your bodybuilding goals, with these instructions on what to eat and when, your muscle gains will be covered round-the-clock. Allan Donnelly, Jim Stoppani. Flex. Oct 2007 v25 i8 p158(5).

By: Mitch Pellecchia

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