May The Force Be With You Summary

When ingested, complex carbohydrates are broken down within the stomach and absorbed by muscles. The amount of glycogen stored by a muscle is directly correlated to the amount of work an athlete can do during a training session3. Glycogen is oxidized by muscles when used3. Once the glycogen stores within the muscle are depleted, fatigue sets in and hinders the athlete’s ability to perform. Therefore, supplements have been made to provide athletes with carbohydrates that can replenish the glycogen stores, which allows them to perform past their usual capacity and avoid the effects of fatigue. Fats play an important role in maintaining the health of joints and major organs, which is why fats are part of a balanced diet and cannot be neglected. Omega-3 fatty acids protect a person’s muscles, joints, immune system, cardiovascular system, and nervous system.1 An athlete’s training is extremely intense and can damage the joints and muscles over a long period of time, thus, it is important that athletes consume large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids relative to the average person so that they keep their muscles and joints in peak condition. Of the three macronutrients listed, protein is the most important macronutrient as a high protein intake preserves muscle and augments the formation of more muscle, which is a sought-after goal for many athletes.1 Repairing and building more muscle requires a source of protein and amino acids to synthesize

The biological value in whey protein enhances the body’s ability to absorb essential amino acids after resistance training decreasing the athlete’s recovery time. When athletes combine whey protein and creatine monohydrate they expect “a greater increase in lean tissue mass and muscular strength than supplementations with whey protein alone” (Burke, Chilibeck, Davison, Candow, Farthing, & Smith-Palmer 2001, p 350). Exogenous Cr supplementation increases the body’s Cr levels until saturation occurs. This saturation of Cr increases the PCK shuttle continuum allowing training intensity, volume, and duration of the exercise the athlete is performing to continue at a maximum rate. Any excess Cr in the blood is cleared through sweat, urination or renal filtration. Measurements in strength and peak torques of athletes supplementing with whey protein and creatine monohydrate (WC), whey protein (W), and a placebo (P) were taken. According to Burke et al, (2001) “repeated measure analysis of variance was used to assess changes in body composition, strength, and peak torque for the three groups (WC vs. W vs. P) across time” (p. 354). A twelve week strength training program was constructed and consisted of a “4-day split routine involving whole body musculature” (Burke et al, 2001. p 352). Subjects used detailed training logs to compare progress over the 12 week experiment. The end result from this experiment shows that subjects who “supplemented with both creatine and whey

The evidence I will provide is strictly scientific, the information comes from the Journal of Sports Nutrition. The article is written by Richard B. Kreider, Exercise & Sport Nutrition Laboratory Department of Human Movement Sciences and Education The University of Memphis. The author has many credentials, such as his testing of finding the effects of six weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation in male and female track athletes, which can be found in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning. All of his research is peer reviewed.

Almost everyone who has pursued a sport with any seriousness has experienced muscle fatigue and the most commonly-cited culprit is lactic acid. However, viewing lactic acid as the metabolic 'bad guy' of athletics is fundamentally in error. In fact, "lactic acid is actually a fuel, not a caustic waste product. Muscles make it deliberately, producing it from glucose, and they burn it to obtain energy. The reason trained athletes can perform so hard and so long is because their intense training causes their muscles to adapt so they more readily and efficiently absorb lactic acid. The understanding now is that muscle cells convert glucose or glycogen to lactic acid. The lactic acid is taken up and used as a fuel by mitochondria, the energy factories in muscle cells" (Kolata 2006). What was long assumed to be harmful to athletic performance is in fact vitally necessary for sustained effort by the athlete. The reason that trained athletes may have less lactic acid and lower rates of fatigue than untrained athletes is that their bodies have learned to absorb the acid and use it as fuel more productively, not that their bodies produce less lactic acid.

One of the most widely used supplements by athletes is creatine. Creatine phosphate is an important energy source during brief, high-intensity activities and is important in rapid recovery (Creatine: MedlinePlus Supplements and Maughan, Depiesse, & Geyer, 2007). “There is substantial evidence to show that creatine supplementation can increase the amount of creatine and creatine phosphate in the muscles and can improve performance in strength and power events” (Maughan, Depiesse, & Geyer, 2007).

They discuss a few different studies that have been down, one of which was done by adding protein to a carbohydrate sports drink. In this study cyclists were given the carbohydrate sports drink, a placebo or the carbohydrate sports drink spiked with protein. In this study it was found that there was no benefit to having the additional protein in the drink during exercise. And although there have been studies with opposite results, they have yet to replicated (Gibala). They also discuss the importance of athletes finding receiving the best information when they are conducting their own research when it comes to protein. They suggest that athletes find credible sources when using the Internet and/or finding a certified

Majority of studies on the effects of creatine and sprint performance portray positive effects and consider creatine to be an ergogenic aid. A study by Casey researched the effects of creatine supplementation on performance. In this study 20-30 grams a day were ingested, which is the recommended daily value over a five to six day period. There was a positive relation between muscle creatine uptake and improvements in performance during repeated bouts of maximal exercise. (1). Based on the findings of this study it is believed not only do the increased phosphocreatine levels affect performance but also the improvement in ATP resynthesis.

In contrast to athletes consuming recovery drinks for vital nutrients, studies have shown that food like fresh fruits and veggies are also great for replenishing athletes. Bananas, for example, contain necessary vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and electrolytes. This makes them an excellent post-workout snack. Furthermore, bananas are commonly known for having a large amount of potassium, which helps keep an athlete’s body healthier by protecting muscle mass (Michelle). In addition to having an abundance of potassium, bananas are an exceptional source of another crucial mineral: magnesium. Magnesium helps athletes recover by keeping their blood pressure levels regulated. This demonstrates that putting foods like bananas and other fruits and veggies

The endurance of exercise performance could be limited by the availability of muscle glycogen (Roberts PA1 2016).

Nutrition is important for athletes as it provides the fuel needed to maintain energy and ensures optimal performance (Nhmrc,2017). Athletes need to provide their body with enough energy for training and ensure proper recovery (medicalnewstoday,2017). In this assignment, I will discuss the strengths and weaknesses in my diet 24 hours before sport. I will also discuss the nutrition a sports star consumes 24 hours before a game and the benefits of eating the correct types of foods.

A double-blind study was performed, in order to determine whether health young men performing prolonged resistance-typed exercise training would have increased muscle mass and strength when protein supplements were consumed before sleeping. Forty-one health young men participated in a supervised progressive resistance-typed exercise training, which were performed three times a week for a total of twelve weeks. In addition, the participants were required to consume a bottle consisting of either a protein or noncaloric placebo drink prior to sleeping on a daily basis. To prevent any bias in the results, the bottled beverages were masked for taste, smell and color and distributed randomly to each participant. The impact of the study was assessed based on the before and after measurements of body composition, muscle fiber type composition, muscle

Carbohydrate intake during exercise performance was normally used in various sports such as cycling, running and also team sports (Febbraio, Chiu, 2000; Tsintzas et al, 1995; Welsh et al, 2002). Athletes could consider a low carbohydrate diet to improve body composition, less stress and faster recovery. Noakes (2014) showed that athletes consumed a low carbohydrate diet managed to ride four minutes longer before reaching exhaustion. A (Nicholas et. al., 1997) study investigated the restoration of high-intensity running capacity following a diet containing additional energy in the form of carbohydrate or fat and protein. However, Hermansen et al (1967) argued that there were high oxidation rates of carbohydrates at 75% of V02

Exercise has been repeatedly shown to have a strong relationship with intra-muscular protein metabolism. Muscular hypertrophy is only possible when net anabolism occurs (Tipton et al., 2004). As a result, many athletes turn to supplementation to ensure there is positive protein balance in their diet to increase the opportunity for hypertrophy and performance optimisation. Habitually athletic people have been shown to have a higher protein requirements (Campbell et al., 2007),however the International Society of Sports Nutrition acknowledges that this higher requirement is possible to achieve through a “balanced diet”, it goes on to state that protein supplementation is also an practical way to ensure adequate protein intake (Campbell

The pursuit of great health and well-being takes us through different paths, which may include supplements, exercises and good diet. In the humdrum of our daily lives, finding time for our health leads us on the quest of supplements.

The above supplements are just that, supplemental products for support of your system as you work toward getting more fit or gaining the most from your athletic activities. Those supplements that you see advertised as miracle boosts are typically only false advertising or unsafe for your body. You can get real benefits from sports supplements as long as you recognize that you still have to put in the time and effort at practicing, playing or working