What dietary supplements should I choose to improve my training results?

Many people who are not involved in the sport think that intensive physical activity is nothing unusual. After all, it is “only” lifting weights, cycling or “simply” running. However, every athlete knows very well that these disciplines require a considerable amount of building blocks and – generally speaking – energy. These cannot be obtained in sufficient quantities from ordinary food, so it becomes necessary to take additional measures. Which sports nutrition supplements should be used, and what specific benefits do they bring?

What are dietary supplements?

Before we move on to the most critical issues in this area, i.e. what are the best supplements for athletes and how they should be taken, it is first worth getting to know the basics. So what are dietary supplements, and why are they such necessary support during sports?

Dietary supplements are professional nutrition products that, depending on their composition, can bring completely different effects to an athlete. In general, they are concentrated carriers of energy and microelements, the taking of which is supposed to increase strength, improve muscle regeneration, and replenish glycogen or strengthen joints. Another essential function and some nutritional supplements for athletes is stopping catabolism and supporting and enhancing metabolic processes.

If someone wonders whether they need to take energy supplements for athletes, they should realise that their composition contains a potent amount of various types of microelements and vitamins. Unfortunately, during strenuous exercise, the body excretes these components in large quantities, resulting in their deficiency. This leads to a deterioration in the body’s functioning, and thus to a decrease in sports results. Therefore, taking supplements with vitamins and microelements to replenish them is essential as a warm-up.

Pre-workout supplements for endurance athletes

The list of supplements for athletes is very long, and for a layman just starting in a slightly more advanced sport, it can cause objective vertigo. Therefore, if you want to get into the subject calmly but effectively, it is best to divide the products available on the market according to the time of their use. As it turns out, they should be taken before training, during training, and afterwards. So what are the best supplements to take before you start your workout activity?

The primary supplement that you should take before your workout is pre-workout. This is a collection of different substances, such as creatine, citrulline or beta-alanine, for example. The purpose of pre-workout is to mobilise the body for training and thus to achieve better results.
Another type of product is the most popular substance among all physically active people, namely creatine. This is an agent that affects the renewal of ATP molecules, the energy carrier in the body. In other words, by taking creatine, you can exercise longer and more intensively, which translates into the achieved results. In addition, creatine also influences the amount of energy in muscles and the increase in their mass.

Finally, it is worth mentioning glutamine, which saves proteins in the organism during intensive physical effort. It also hydrates the muscles and facilitates mass muscle gain.

List of supplements for athletes to use during training

Another significant group of supplements are those that should be taken during training. What specifically can be recommended in this regard?

By far, the essential supplement is certainly BCAA amino acids. It is a substance that combines L-leucine, L-valine and L-isoleucine, thanks to which the effect is achieved of protecting muscles from the so-called burning, i.e. starting to take nutrients from them. What is more, BCAA improves the body’s regeneration ability and contributes to a significant improvement in its performance. Very often, dietary supplements with a high BCAA content contribute to a noticeable reduction in fatigue after training and improve protein and glycogen metabolism.
During training, it is also worth taking supplements with amino acids from the EAA group, which significantly impact regeneration capacities and protect muscles against catabolism.

Check out supplements for athletes – what to take after training?

If you do strength or endurance sports, the last group of supplements you should take are those born after training. This is an essential part of an athlete’s day because it is then that the regeneration process begins. What can help with this?

There is no denying that the essential dietary supplement is protein. In most cases, it comes in the form of a powder, so you can quickly and conveniently prepare a protein shake. Protein is essential because it supports the regeneration processes of muscle fibres damaged during training. Not only does it protect them from catabolism, but it also nourishes them effectively, so you can safely return home after training and prepare a meal without the risk that your body will not regenerate effectively.