Examining the Effectiveness of Five Common Sports Nutrition Supplements
Examining the Effectiveness of Five Common Sports Nutrition Supplements
Continuing with the discussion of dietary supplements, this post is about common sports nutrition supplements.
While I've highlighted five supplements here, the world of sports nutrition offers many more options to explore. These five were chosen based on my work as an instructor of Sports Nutrition at my local community college for the past 10+ years and what students often ask about.
The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements provides detailed Fact Sheets on various dietary supplements for comprehensive information.
The overarching message is crucial: critically evaluate why you're considering a specific supplement, assess its validity, and determine if it truly serves your needs. Consult healthcare professionals or a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, like myself, for personalized guidance.
The Five Most Common Sports Nutrition Supplements – Are They Worth It?
Creatine
What is Creatine? Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in small amounts in various foods and made by the body. It supplies your muscles with energy. Your body can make it, and you get it from animal-based foods such as meat and fish.
Supplementing with creatine may help improve performance during high-intensity, short-duration activities (2-2½ minutes).
Proven Benefits of Supplements: Supplementing with creatine may help improve performance during high-intensity, short-duration activities (2-2½ minutes). Athletes and bodybuilders commonly use it to enhance strength, power, and muscle mass. Little evidence shows it will help with endurance activities such as swimming, cycling, and distance running.
Potential Risks: Creatine is generally recognized as safe; it's essential to use creatine supplements responsibly and understand that contamination could occur in any supplement. Without proper hydration, some individuals may experience muscle cramps and GI distress.
Does it work? It appears so – for the right types of activities. Again, this is for those short-duration activities. Creatine monohydrate is the most often used form in research.
Key Message: What is your goal with taking this supplement? Do resistance training regularly and increase progress (weights, reps, sets). Double-check the dosing and follow the guidelines – more will not yield faster results. And look for a product that is third-party certified. Best-selling and most popular does not always mean “better” or “safe.”
Whey Protein
Whey protein is a complete protein that can help supplement your protein intake from food.
There are several types of protein, from whey, casein, pea protein, soy protein, hemp protein, and potentially more. Whey protein is among the most popular.
What is Whey Protein: Whey is one of the two main proteins in milk (the other is casein) and was headed down the drain in making cheese (Lil’ Miss Muffet eating her curds and whey). It comes from dairy milk or cow’s milk.
Proven Benefits of Supplements: Whey protein is a complete protein that can help supplement your protein intake from food. Following a workout, whey protein (or any protein) can help repair muscle and tissue. The “proven” benefits are that protein following a workout can help with recovery and repair, and protein supplements may help fill any gaps. Chocolate milk will also work.
Potential Risks: A couple of things to note: if someone has a dairy allergy, they should avoid whey protein. And those with lactose intolerance may also have challenges with it. Though this is the protein and not the lactose from milk, there is still likely some carry-over into the protein powder or supplement. Some protein supplements have come back with heavy metals in lab testing (arsenic, lead, and mercury); however, in low levels and are higher in plant-based protein (whey is not plant-based). So, it is generally safe, in the way supplements are generally safe. You have to trust the supplement company.
Does it work? Whey protein is a complete protein; protein is an essential nutrient. Protein powder, including whey protein, will contribute to overall protein needs. However, the “more is better” mantra does not mean more muscle.
Key Message: Most people, including athletes, can eat enough protein to meet their needs, considering the protein is in animal foods, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, grains, and vegetables. If you want supplemental protein, whey is an option among many choices.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant drug that is found in coffee, tea, energy drinks, and in some supplements.
What is Caffeine? Most people think of caffeine and coffee as interchangeable – which, of course, is not true. Caffeine is a stimulant drug that is found in coffee, tea, energy drinks, and in some supplements. It can give the perception of increased energy (it has no calories, so no “energy”) and minimize fatigue.
Proven Benefits of Supplements: It might improve strength, power, and endurance performance. However, the benefits vary based on the person's prior caffeine use, and everyone reacts to caffeine differently.
Potential Risks: Many supplements, like pre-workouts and energy drinks, have caffeine and additional stimulant substances. While the marketing may suggest that the caffeine content is the same as “a cup of coffee,” it doesn’t always acknowledge the additional stimulant effects on the heart. Excess caffeine, no matter which form it is consumed, can cause heart problems and even be fatal. The maximum dose (not recommended) is 400-500 mg of caffeine daily for adults.
Does it work? Potentially – but consider supplements as a last resort as they can easily be overconsumed compared to coffee or tea. You may need to test it out to see if you feel a benefit. But then also consider the placebo effect.
Key Message: It may help but don’t depend on supplements, and more is not better; more can be fair. Look for caffeine per dose or serving – it is listed in mg on most food items, such as caffeinated sodas and energy drinks.
Learn more: Department of Defense Dietary Supplement Resource Operation Supplement Safety, Caffeine for Performance
Branched Chain Amino Acids
BCAAs are easily found in animal-based foods including fish.
What are Branched Chain Amino Acids: Amino acids are the building blocks for protein, and three are “branched chains,” which refers to their structure. These three branched-chain amino acids are leucine, isoleucine, and valine and are found in animal-based foods, including dairy, fish, and meal. It is highly unusual for someone to be deficient in these amino acids if they eat.
Proven Benefits of Supplements: There is no evidence that BCAA supplements will improve performance in endurance activities and may help increase your muscle size and strength with a weight-training program. However, there is no clear evidence that BCAA supplements will help build more muscle compared to eating appropriate amounts of high-quality protein foods.
Potential Risks: If you eat food – there is no real risk. As with many supplements, the bigger risk appears mainly related to potential contamination issues and whether it has what it claims in the bottle/container.
Does it work? Not as much as people think or want it to. A high-quality diet that includes the animal-based protein foods is usually enough – and supplementing isn’t going to give any additional benefits.
Key Message: While claims that it will help reduce muscle soreness, help improve performance, and build muscle are common claims – the BCAAs from food will do the trick, and supplements are not superior or more helpful.
Glutamine is found in many protein foods including dairy and eggs.
Glutamine
What is Glutamine? Glutamine is another individual amino acid (a building block of protein). You can get it from food, but the body can also make it from the amino acid glutamate, making it a non-essential amino acid. Non-essential because we can make it and do not need to consume it.
Proven Benefits of Supplements: Not much – like with many of the individual amino acid supplements, it has very little known or practical benefit. It is suggested that it may improve performance with muscle and strength and recovery. However, there is not enough evidence to show this is true.
Potential Risks: None yet known – other than adulterated supplements. We get it easily from food.
Does it work? Probably not, but if it does, the effect is minimal.
Key Message: Save your money and buy some food.
As noted in the introduction, while I chose five supplements here, there are plenty more that you may wonder about.
You can get more information from the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets.
The key message for all of this is to check why you are taking any specific supplement, whether that reason is valid, and whether you are getting a benefit from taking that supplement.
Check with your healthcare provider or a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist like me to get more information.
