What supplements should an individual take for improving athletic performance in their chosen sport?  It is now a known fact backed by years of scientific data that supplements, when taken in proper amounts, contribute to improving health.  The thinking of the medical community that all anyone needed was a well balanced diet has been proven incorrect and new scientific research has proven the effectiveness of supplements.

The below quote is from the book Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy - The Harvard Medical School Guide To Healthy Eating by Walter C. Willett, M.D.
CHAPTER TEN- Take a Multivitamin for Insurance,  page174.

“Once upon a time, vitamins were thought of only as nutrients needed in small amounts to prevent diseases with exotic-sounding names like beri, pellagra, scurvy, and rickets.  So nutritional guidelines for vitamins were based on the amount needed to avoid these diseases.  Because they were becoming rarer and rarer, it seemed that the vast majority of Americans were getting enough vitamins.  Getting more than the amounts needed to prevent those deficiency diseases, from either food or supplements, was a waste, so the thinking went.  Or as one critic of vitamin supplements was fond of saying, they are good for nothing more than giving America the “richest urine in the world.”

Some innovative thinking and the wonderful, logical conversation of science has been changing the way we think about vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients.   The biggest shift has been the realization that many cases of nutrient deficiencies, just like beri-beri and scurvy.  The new findings suggest that some people-probably many people- don’t get enough of these essential micronutrients.  By increasing the amount we get, mostly from food but maybe from supplements as well, we could substantially improve our long-term health.”

OK, what supplements should a person be taking?  Ground Zero starting point for every person should be an excellent quality multi-vitamin taken with meals.  Next up are the Network Antioxidants:

1. Alpha Lipoic Acid
2. Vitamin E natural (mixed tocopherols)
3. Vitamin C 
4. Coenzye Q10
5. Glutathione. 

 

Taking these first four network antioxidants will boost the body’s immune system.  And will increase the body’s level of Glutathione, which taken in supplemental form isn’t particularly effective because the body does not absorb it well in supplemental form.  These four antioxidants all work synergistically together to boost the effectiveness of each other.  This information is taken from The Antioxidant Miracle- By Lester Packer, PH.D. Director of the Packer Lab, University of California at Berkeley.

Speaking from personal experience, I have been using the Packer Plan of network antioxidants for over a year.  During this time I haven’t had a fever once and I haven’t missed a day of work.  And I have experienced no illnesses that have knocked me out of everyday life.  I had a sore throat for two days and general malaise.  But it never turned into the flu.  I have gotten a few friends to take this regimen and all have experienced similar increased wellness.  Remember this is science based on years of research by the top minds in the fields of nutrition.  There are thousands of antioxidants many of which we consume in the foods we eat.  Our diet is still the single most important component to maintaining proper health. 

Other ALL STAR supplements for athletes from football players to powerlifter’s and bodybuilders, to long distance runners and recreational warriors who like to push their body’s on weekends.

1) Glutamine - Why is Glutamine so important?  Even though Glutamine is considered a non-essential amino acid, glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body.  It is severely depleted during weight training and strenuous activity, affecting a person’s ability to recover from training and wear down the immune system.  Supplementing with Glutamine greatly enhances the body’s ability to recover from stress.  People who have open-heart surgery are often prescribed supplemental Glutamine after surgery to speed the body’s ability to recover.

Although Glutamine’s benefits are initially subtle, they’re distinctly cumulative.  You won’t get the immediate and clear response that can occur with creatine and other supplements like Nitrox Oxide and stimulants.  But the long-term effects on enhancing your physique can be even more dramatic over time.  Continued supplementation is crucial.  Recommended dosage- 5 grams before training and 5 grams after training preferably mixed in a Whey protein shake, up to 20 grams per day in divided dosages when involved in heavy weight training.

2) Creatine - The original Creatine Monohydrate is safe and effective at adding size and strength by increasing the body’s ability to use more ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP is the energy currency of every cell in the human body.  This will allow you to lift more weight and extend sets a little further, which in turn will result in increased strength and size over time.  New to the market in the last few years are new formulations of Creatine. Creatine-Alpha-Ketoglutarate, Creatine Gluconate, Creatine Ethel Ester and one or two others forms.  What differs between these new forms from the original monohydrate?  Science has attached new molecules to creatine to make them more easily usable by the body.  No more loading phase is needed and smaller doses of only 2 or 3 grams are needed to achieve the desired affect, and the feeling of being bloated is gone.  So these new types of creatine are evolutions in the effectiveness of Creatine. And you should experiment with each type to see which is most effective for you.

3) Whey protein - there are two forms of Whey protein Concentrate and Isolate.  Concentrate is excellent but Isolate is the best form and far superior.  Isolate is the purest form of Whey protein and 90% or more protein, where concentrate is anywhere between 29% and 89% protein depending on the product’s quality and manufacturing process.  So 100% Whey Protein Isolate is the most expensive type to manufacture.  Thus, you get what you pay for.  The old adage “you get what you pay for” is most definitely true when it comes to whey isolate.  It is best used immediately after training because whey protein is the most biologically usable form of protein by the human body.  The dosage is 20-40 grams.  Whey proteins also have a very high concentration of BCAA’S.  See #4 for more info on BCAA’S.

4) Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’S)-These are comprised of three amino acids. L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, and L-Valine.  “BCAA’S are the best way to enhance post-exercise repair of tissue damage,” says Shawn Talbott, PhD, chief scientific officer of Supplement Watch Inc.  “They serve as a fuel source for the immune system cells, which then are able to more efficiently repair damage- especially in muscles and lungs.”  The dosage is several grams before and after training.

These four supplements are time tested, and have anecdotal and scientific track records of their effectiveness and safety. They work and they work well.  For the drug free athlete, taking advantage of 21st century nutritional knowledge can take YOUR level of performance to new levels.  A note of importance is that these supplements need to be taken consistently day after day, month after month, year after year, to reap the substantial benefits they offer, just like your athletic field of endeavor. Consistent commitment and dedication to YOUR particular field of training will pay dividends after years of commitment.  Larry Bird and Michael Jordan each shot millions of shots to become legends practicing fundamental skills relentlessly over years and years.  This is true of dieting and supplementing with consistency will pay dividends over time!