Supplements can be tricky to navigate, especially for athletes. Whether you play a sport or train regularly for your own benefit, you are considered an athlete. Taking care of your body becomes vital when you’re an athlete because you’re constantly putting your body under stress. Supplements are simple additions to your lifestyle that can help you recover or reach your goals faster. I’ll go over the list of supplements that I think are worth it for athletes to use.
Protein
If you haven’t read the 2 reasons why you need more protein in your diet, then go read it now to understand the importance of protein. Protein is overlooked by most everybody in their diet. The likelihood that you are hitting your protein needs everyday without trying is very unlikely. Use this protein calculator to see how much protein you need everyday and you will probably be shocked by the amount you are missing. Protein is one of the most important macronutrients for your body. Even if you’re not an athlete you still need protein in your diet because of all the processes it assists with. Athletes tend to need more protein because they need strength and energy to keep training at an intense level. Protein can be found in food, which should be your main source of protein. Protein supplements are usually protein powders that you can add to smoothies, food, or mixed with milk or water. There are also protein drinks or bars that you can purchase for easy on the go protein intake. I’ll link some recommendations below that I have used before.
Creatine
Creatine is an amino acid that can be found within your body’s muscles and brain. It can usually be received from food such as red meat and seafood, but it’s hard to intake enough as an athlete. Creatine increases strength and helps you grow lean muscle mass. This is a large reason why it can assist athletes. Most creatine is stored in your muscles and converted to energy, so when you’re exerting tons of energy playing a sport or working out, creatine can help you boost strength and endurance. Creatine can help athletes push themselves to do those extra reps, sprints, or jumps because it provides more energy. When you have extra energy, you can do workouts to your max effort which allows athletes to see faster progress. It also allows you to recover faster, so you can get back into training with less muscle fatigue. Creatine can help people see greater muscle mass, strength, and performance. It’s well known in the bodybuilding or weight lifting community because it can help people reach their strength and aesthetic goals faster. People can usually do more reps with an increase in their creatine storage, which results in an increase in lean muscle mass. Creatine is not only for bodybuilders though, it can be useful for almost every kind of athlete. Creatine helps provide you energy so if your goal is to gain big muscles and you’re lifting weights a very specific way, then you will most likely gain this kind of aesthetic. If you’re a runner and take creatine, then your body isn’t going to suddenly gain these giant muscles without training in a specific way. The energy from creatine will most likely allow you to run further with less muscle fatigue. Creatine is misunderstood by many people because it’s most well known among the bodybuilding industry, but it has so many benefits for any kind of athlete.
Carnitine
Carnitine is derived from an amino acid and can be found in almost every cell in your body. It plays a vital role in energy production by transporting fatty acids into the mitochondria so they can be oxidized and converted to energy. Carnitine is naturally found in meat, fish, poultry, and milk. Carnitine is the broad name for the different kinds of compounds such as L-carnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine, and propionyl-L-carnitine. It helps to boost energy, speed up muscle recovery, aid in weight loss, and increase muscle tissue. Most carnitine is stored in your muscles while a small amount is stored in your liver and blood. Carnitine pairs well with whey protein and can bring you tons of benefits to your athletic performance.
Beetroot Juice
I know you might be thinking it sounds gross or fake, but beetroot juice can be a gamechanger for athletes. Beetroot contains nitrates, which morph into nitric oxide in your body. Nitric oxide helps relax blood vessels, which allows better blood flow within your body and more efficient oxygen use. These benefits are huge for athletes because it allows them to run faster, lift heavier, delay fatigue, and enhance overall performance. A lot of people use pre-workout, but those products are loaded with sugars, artificial flavors, and tons of chemicals that are terrible for your body in the long run. It physically makes people itch and get the jitters because of the massively high caffeine content. Beetroot juice is a natural substitute that really only has one ingredient – beets! All the wonderful benefits are naturally occurring and won’t affect your body negatively by receiving the same workout benefits. Beetroot juice works best when taken about 90 minutes before exercise and works for 2-3 hours after ingested. It can be a great supplement for athletes or anyone looking for a healthy energy boost throughout the day. Give beetroot juice a chance before you go to grab any artificial pre-workout.
When you’re an athlete the biggest thing you’re looking for is increased performance and recovery. These supplements can provide help with these two goals, so consider giving them a try. Allow yourself a test run of a month consistently taking them and see what performance or recovery differences you see and feel. Whether you take any supplements or not it’s always good to learn more about what’s out there. Knowing that you have options if you feel like you’re struggling in your sport or training can be a great feeling. Consider trying one out and see how you feel!
