Food supplements for sport: work or bad?
Proper eating habits usually make all the nutrients needed to properly practice any physical activity, and to cover all the nutritional needs and energy of the athlete or sportsman. In 90% of cases, if the person follows an appropriate diet for the type and frequency of activities carried out, not be using any supplements, especially not to risk needlessly jeopardizing the health products with little or harmful indicated.
Supplements or nutritional supplements for sports are many, some are only composed of minerals, vitamins or other only by amino acids (proteins): energy drinks, herbal extracts, etc… If these products are used under the supervision of a nutritionist or sports physician, usually there are no problems, but generally those who do sports or physical activity independently, blindly assume supplements without knowing which ones are useful and what are harmful, and in uncontrolled doses, which can then more harm than good health.
It’s common desire for professional sports or amateur sports, want to increase muscle mass with minimal effort, and perhaps many people think that taking supplements of protein for a month will get a body similar to those of bodybuilders you see in magazines fitness .
But the reality is different.
Advertising very misleading, especially in the world of sports supplements, for which there is a serious and scientist literature available about it. On the contrary can be easily found in magazines and newspaper advertisements and fitness articles without any scientific basis, which causes widespread misinformation on the subject.
Many gyms and sports centers, welfare or sell products without neither permission nor health checks, usually of foreign origin, used without medical supervision. Many of these products cause irreversible damage to health, because nutrition labels are not declared the real components of the product, thus putting at risk the health of people who use them in other situations, the problem was not whether the product, but the massive doses taken with the idea that “the more you take, the more work” theory totally wrong. Another frequent error is to replace a meal with a glass or a bar of extra energy or integrator.
Energy products are used to give more strength and energy in a short period of time. Also help improve the metabolism of the mechanisms involved in the production of ATP, which is the energy of the cells. L ‘use of these products is totally legal, even if certain sports regulations prohibit the use of some products because of begging help athletes who use them, to the detriment of others, undermining the very concept of competition.
Those most at risk are adolescents and enthusiasts from the fitness world, because they have an interest in obtaining a more muscular body and with minimal effort, a little ‘as the magic potions that give immediate effects. In many cases, these situations are driven by instructors from gyms, for a pure commercial purpose. Moreover, many of these sports products have high prices: the risk of spending a lot then disappointed to stay or, at worst, get some health problem.
In the case of professional sports is evaluated case by case basis to determine if the athlete really needs an extra energy, but always under the control of a sports doctor or nutritionist specializing in sports.
In fact, exercisers only as a hobby or to keep in shape, has no need nor supplements energy drinks: just a balanced diet, adequate and controlled by a nutritionist. Just then remember that the consumption of these products does not increase significantly the yield, but only put at risk the health if not checked.