From young to old, beginner to elite, and regardless of the sport, there is no doubt that sports supplementation is one of the hottest topics of conversation among athletes. It’s not just the prospect of maximizing athletic performance simply by popping a few pills or sports drinks that’s tantalizingly alluring; There’s also the lingering fear that if you don’t indulge, you could be left behind in your competitor’s wake as he or she makes the most of the vast array of products that now graces retailers’ shelves. But what are the real benefits of using ergogenic aids? Are there drawbacks? Where should you start?
Supplementation: A Thinking Athlete’s Guide to Planning a Program
Most athletes at some point in their careers use one or more dietary supplements; After all, when a great deal of time, effort, and money is invested in performance-enhancing training, the additional investment in a supplement program seems relatively small. However, the financial cost is perhaps the least important of the issues that should be considered before using supplements. Athletes must think hard and be careful to get the potential benefits without the drawbacks. There are a number of fundamental questions related to the use of sports supplements, including the reasons for supplement use and where to start. Other factors that need consideration include; the pros and cons of supplementation; the role of multinutrient supplements; the value of two of the most ergogenic supplements; the potential benefits of antioxidant nutrients.
Performance ‘Tuning up’: music and video as ergogenic aids
Although you may think otherwise, not all ergogenic aids come from bottles or tubs! According to some sports psychologists, the right sounds and images at the right time not only lift the spirit, but also help you train and perform better and can therefore also be considered ergogenic aids. In particular, new research suggests that listening to carefully selected music and watching self-motivational videos may be especially valuable for athletes seeking to improve performance in both training and competition Andy Lane. a sports psychologist who has done some research in the area of these new techniques, and explains how they can be tested and suggests ways they can be incorporated into training. Some of their findings include the following: music can be used to enhance emotions and emotions have a powerful ergogenic effect on performance and an athlete’s response to music is highly individualized but can be assessed using the “regulation” scale. of the mood of the music”. It has also been said that music can be an ergogenic aid, but what is this music/mood regulation scale? How can you determine which types of music are most likely to improve performance and what are the techniques needed to put together your own music? and video sequence?
research summary The latest research on ergogenic aids, with new studies on different ergogenic aids, have included:
Creatine and running serum
In recent years, other more exotic and expensive forms of creatine have appeared, claiming to offer performance benefits over standard creatine. One of these is ‘creatine whey’, a liquid form of creatine that is claimed to offer other advantages over powdered creatine. Californian researchers examined the effects of ingesting creatine whey in long-distance runners; their findings noted that runners taking the whey had significantly lower rates of perceived exertion and better endurance. However, there was no notable improvement in the 5000m race times of those taking the whey, leading them to conclude that their findings did not support whey creatine as an ergogenic aid.
Phosphatidylserine as a future ergogenic aid for endurance athletes?
Phosphatidylserine is a naturally occurring lipid found on the inner surface of cell membranes in most animal and plant tissues, but according to new research by a team of Welsh scientists, it could also have the potential to improve the ability of resistance when taken as a supplement. The research team took two groups of male endurance cyclists and asked one to supplement with phosphatidylserine for 10 days and the other to take a placebo. After a series of tests and comparisons, they noted a large increase in time to exhaustion during the V02 max test, up to two minutes, which while evidence of phosphatidylserine as an erogenous supplement, this is the first test to reach this conclusion. further research will be needed for a conclusive result.