Q: what are supplements and can't I get what I need from food? Part 2- Athletes, Obesity

Why athletes need supplements

So now that we covered the deficiencies seen in the American diet, what does that mean for the average/advanced athlete? If supplements are concentrated amounts of what is found in food, but food is unable to deliver to our bodies what we need, then it stands to reason that athletes have a higher requirement/greater need for supplements. Even if food was nutritious enough for us, an athlete pushes their bodies to the limit which puts demands on their body above the human adaptation for ‘energy for labor to produce more food’.

Some athletes who are genetically gifted may have gotten by without supplementation at all. But these athletes aren’t representative of all of us and even they won’t know where they could have taken themselves had they been adequately nourished to match their volume of training. In addition to this, there’s the convenience factor for athletes. Many strength and conditioning experts believe athletes should come close to matching their bodyweight in dietary protein. So instead of a 200 pound athlete having 10 chicken breasts per day, they can supplement with a few scoops of protein powder to reach their daily goals.

"..they won’t know where they could have taken themselves had they been adequately nourished to match their volume of training."

Despite the fact that the sports nutrition industry is plagued with companies making false claims for their products, there are go-to supplements backed by years of safety studies and peer reviewed research that may very well benefit any athlete.

Whey protein- most bioavailable of protein sources (highest absorption rate), high in BCAAs (will be covered later), supports the immune system and rapid digestion time makes it ideal for use around (primarily after) the workout.

Creatine monohydrate- arguably the most proven supplement for promoting strength and lean mass. Many untrue myths exist around water retention (occurs in a genetically susceptible select few) and kidney stones. Creatine does improve muscle volume by drawing water to your muscles similar to the way carbohydrates do, but it’s not subcutaneous (water under your skin associated with bloating or water retention). So some of that muscle volume is lost (what people refer to as water weight), but it is proven for boosting strength and promoting increases in new muscle mass independent of the added muscle volume from water. So it’s not all ‘water weight’, it is proven to help promote muscle growth. As far as dehydration concerns, adequate water should be consumed, but whey protein comes with dehydration concerns as well. As a general rule of thumb when taking any supplement, you should ensure that you are properly hydrated throughout the day. Creatine has however been shown to be great for outdoor sports in the heat due to your bodies improved ability to regulate temperature due to the added muscle volume. This goes against the myth of not using creatine with outdoor sports because of dehydration. And for those who view it as too synthetic or compare it to a steroid, it should be known that creatine is naturally occurring in our bodies as well as in any animal meat. So if you’re trying to avoid creatine because you think it’s bad for you and you eat meat…well you’re not doing a good job of avoiding creatine.

BCAAs- the branched chain amino acids are found in high amounts in whey protein which is one of the reasons it is considered to be a superior source of protein. BCAAs stand for branched chain amino acids and they are made up of leucine, isoleucine and valine. Leucine is the most popular of the 3 as it has been singled out as being responsible for signaling protein synthesis. Together the BCAAs support recovery by offering your body amino acids for repair if muscle is being broken down (from exercise, caloric deficit or reduced physical activity) and signaling muscle repair as well. They are a great tool to use during the day and around/during exercise to signal growth and repair when used in conjunction with adequate protein consumption as proteins are responsible for the actual repairing.

The obesity epidemic

Another major issue we’re facing in this country is the obesity epidemic that can essentially be described as the growing of the waistline. The larger the waistline, the higher the probability you will develop metabolic x syndrome which is a group of risk factors that increase the likelihood of an individual developing diabetes having heart disease or a stroke. The Industrial Revolution at the beginning of the 19th century rapidly changed our levels of physical activity and reduced manual labor for a larger percentage of the population. Bring in a larger and more processed food supply during the 20th century with further declining rates of physical activity and you’ll find that too much food, too much processed food with carbs and calories that bring little nutrient value and lower caloric requirements make the perfect combination for today’s obesity epidemic.

Your typical grocery stores keep the real/essential food at the back and to the sides of the store while the ‘food like products’ fill the shelves in between adding forms of carbohydrate that might act like sugar in your body in large amounts to your diet.

When it comes to circumventing the pitfalls of the average American diet, general recommendations would be to practice portion control, shop only on the outside/back of your grocery store, buy almonds, unsalted peanuts, natural peanut/almond butters (they are typically not found on the outside of a grocery store) and turn to Ezekiel bread, potatoes, rice and unflavored oatmeal as sources of carbohydrate. Alsom, focusing more of your diet on healthy fats and protein will help shift the focus away from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates aren’t bad for you and they’re necessary, but they are an energy source for physical activity and many Americans consume way more than they need. Excess protein is typically excreted whereas excess carbohydrates are stored as fat.

"Your typical grocery stores keep the real/essential food at the back and to the sides of the store while the ‘food like products’ fill the shelves in between..."

If you are looking for supplements to manage your weight, healthy fats in the form of supplements like CLA (a fat found in beef and dairy) have been shown to promote weight loss along with medium chain triglycerides (MCTs for short, found in coconut oil) when used in conjunction with a low carbohydrate diet. A cayenne pepper extract called capsicum is supported by research to increase caloric expenditure and send fat to the blood stream to be used for fuel. This is a mechanism of action induced by caffeine as well (releasing triglycerides into the blood stream). There are also ingredients on the market like potato protein extracts and glucomannan with mixed reviews for supporting appetite control. Although there are a few ingredients on the market that support weight management, nothing will overcome a bad diet or high calorie intake.

Conclusion

So hopefully your mind is a either a bit more open to supplement use or if you are new to supplementation you have a good base of understanding to begin taking your next steps. If you ‘prefer to do it naturally’, the truth is you’re missing out on nutrients found in your food anyway. If you ‘get what you need from food’ it’s worth noting that our food is no longer what it’s cracked up to be. If you believe that ‘supplement’s don’t work’ there is a wealth of industry research that says otherwise and we recommend you start with a reputable company to improve your chances of having a good first experience. If you think ‘supplements are for athletes’, think again, they are necessary in all of our diets. Last, if you didn’t know where to begin before, hopefully now you do.