Supplements Made Easy - Part 1
Posted October 24th, 2006 at 10:50 PM by Jonathan Faccone
Section: Nutrition, Supplements
This is Part 1 of 3 in my “Supplements Made Easy” for runners and other endurance athletes. Make sure to check back and read Part 2 and Part 3 later this week.
Lets face it, the subject of supplementation programs for runners has been unclear and downright confusing. There are so many of these supplements on the market to choose from and not enough precise information out to advise us on what we need and what works.
Studies are constantly being done to support or criticize older ones, along with a barrage of marketing from companies saying how their product is the one that will actually work for us. With all the ambiguity about the credibility of supplements, it is important to keep in mind that picking the right supplements is an extremely important issue for an athlete’s success.
In fact, supplementation can be vital for any athlete - especially runners and endurance athletes looking to maximize performance and ultimately to stay healthy for the long term.
That’s why I’m going break it down for you and make it as simple as possible:
When shopping for supplements, it can be easy to overlook what may be the most important determinant to an athlete’s performance: quality food. Let’s keep in mind that supplements are exactly what the word itself implies; “supplement”, which means something that should be an addition to ones food intake.
No supplement is the most important part of an athletes training - nor is there a supplement on the shelf that will give you superman-like powers. Believe it or not, the quality of food that you put into your body is the most important determining factor in helping you reach your full athletic potential.
Imagine driving a race car using poor quality fuel and then expecting it to perform at the highest level for an extended period of time. The car will run, and may do so for a while, but it will NEVER reach its full potential nor perform at a high level for the requisite amount of time.
The same goes for athletes; whether the body functions and performs optimally over a long period of time depends on the quality of nutrients taken in, as well as, their quantity and timing. However, it can be very hard to consume enough of these nutrients from food alone - especially when it comes to endurance athletes. That is why using certain supplements at particular times are can be helpful in achieving maximum performance.
Come back tomorrow to read Part 2 of “Supplements Made Easy and learn about the most important supplements and how to shop for them.
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Sources: [BodyBuilding.com], [New Hope]
Picture from: [BBC]
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Tags: athlete, endurance athletes, food intake, nutrition, performance, supplements, vitamins
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Lets face it, the subject of supplementation programs for runners has been unclear and downright confusing. There are so many of these supplements on the market to choose from and not enough precise information out to advise us on what we need and what works.
The Final Sprint
[…] This is Part 2 in my “Supplements Made Easy” Series for runners and other endurance athletes. Make sure to also go back and read Part 1! […]
October 25th, 2006 at 7:26 pm[…] This is Part 3 in my “Supplements Made Easy” Seriesfor runners and other endurance athletes. Make sure to also go back and read Part 1 and Part 2! […]
October 27th, 2006 at 9:04 pm[…] 5) Strive for positive, long-term health patterns. This is essentially common sense, but doing as your mother told you can go a long way toward avoiding the Wall. Runners need between 8-9 hours of sleep per day (consistently). Eat healthy foods that fuel the body and reduce inflammation. Find an array of supplements that address your personal issues of concern, but that also will not empty your wallet. Snuff out sicknesses as soon as they start by getting extra rest, hydration, and medical care. […]
January 30th, 2007 at 2:09 pm