Sports Nutrition

Supplements are something that many people wonder about.  Are they good for you?  Will they enhance my performance?  Are they fair to take?

There are many various types of supplements on the market.  The goal of any supplement is to supplement your diet.  This means it will provide for your diet what you may not already have. 

In that, it goes without saying that natural is always going to be better for you.  That means that it is a much better option for you to insure that you have a high quality of natural foods in your diet rather than having a bag full of vitamins and minerals that you have to take. 

Do I Take Them Or Not?

Only you can truly answer if supplements are in fact right for you and your needs.  There is no easy to way to answer this question but we can break it down to help you to understand both points of view.

As an athlete, your body will demand more nutrients including vitamins and minerals of all sorts.  It needs this as well as additional calories to keep up with your demand. 

It is not simplistic to handle this need though.  The best way to get the things you need to balance your diet is to get it from natural, whole foods.  To do this, you need to really concentrate on what you need, what is included in what you eat and then insure it is all balanced for optimum nutrition.

That is not an easy task to do, though.  Not only do you need to increase the levels of calories that you consume, but you also need to consider the various minerals and vitamins your body needs to make that happen.

Not sure what we mean? 

• Niacin
• Iron
• Riboflavin
• Thiamin

That’s just to name the most essential. 

In most cases, if you can eat a well balanced diet full of vegetables and variety, you can achieve these needs while doing it.

But, if you can not commit to this level of dedication, then providing yourself with a solid supplement can be helpful.  Yet, you still have to pay attention to what you are taking.

When purchasing vitamins, you need to make sure that they are the highest of quality and that they are easily absorbed into your body.  They should be purchased form a health food store or someplace that is designed for optimum health products.

Beware!

Some vitamins can be dangerous if you take too much of them.  This can do the exact opposite of what you are trying to accomplish.  If this is something you are not sure about, seeking out the help of a dietician, your pharmacist or even your doctor.

Vitamins are powerful things and they need to be kept regulated for your own safety.

Another reason to speak with your doctor is to insure you are not deficient in any of your vitamins as well.  This will help you to balance yourself naturally and therefore find the best success overall.