INGREDIENT | DOES IT WORK? | IS IT SAFE? | BOTTOM LINE |
Antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, and coenzyme Q10) You
breathe in more oxygen when you exercise. As a result, free radicals
form and damage muscle cells. Because antioxidants can reduce
free-radical damage to muscle, some people think that taking them in a
supplement might reduce muscle inflammation, soreness, and fatigue. | Does it work? No.
The free radicals that form when you exercise seem to help muscle
fibers grow and produce more energy. Antioxidant supplements might
actually reduce some of the benefits of exercise, including muscle
growth and power output. Also, they have little effect on aerobic
fitness and performance in endurance activities like distance running. | Is it safe? Everyone needs adequate amounts of vitamin C and vitamin E
for good health. Getting too much of these nutrients can be harmful,
but the amounts of vitamin C (about 1,000 milligrams) and vitamin E
(about 500 IU) typically used in studies of performance supplements are
below safe upper limits. The side effects from coenzyme Q10 can include
tiredness, insomnia, headaches, and some gastrointestinal (GI)
discomfort, but these effects tend to be mild. | Bottom Line There’s
little scientific evidence to support taking supplements containing
vitamins C and E or coenzyme Q10 to improve performance if you’re
getting adequate amounts of these nutrients from a nutritious diet. |
Arginine Arginine
is an amino acid in foods that contain protein, like meat, poultry,
fish, eggs, dairy products, and legumes. A nutritious diet supplies
about 4 to 5 grams a day. Supplement sellers claim that taking larger
amounts of arginine in supplements improves performance, partly because
the body converts it into nitric oxide, which expands blood vessels and
increases blood flow. Increased blood flow helps deliver oxygen and
nutrients to exercising muscle and speeds up the removal of waste
products that cause muscle fatigue. | Does it work? Although
the research is limited, arginine supplements seem to have little to no
effect on strengthening and muscle-building exercises (like
bodybuilding) or aerobic activities (like running and cycling). Studies
have used 2 to 20 grams a day of arginine for up to 3 months. | Is it safe? Arginine
supplements seem safe when users take up to 9 grams a day for several
days or weeks. Taking more can cause GI discomfort and can slightly
lower blood pressure. | Bottom Line There’s
little scientific evidence to support taking arginine supplements to
increase strength, improve performance, or help tired and sore muscles
recover after exercise. |
Beetroot or beet juice Beets
and beet juice are among the best food sources of nitrate. Beet juice
might improve athletic performance because the body converts some of
this nitrate to nitric oxide, which expands blood vessels. This blood
vessel expansion increases blood flow and the delivery of oxygen and
nutrients to exercising muscle. The expanded blood vessels also speed up
the removal of waste products that cause muscle fatigue. | Does it work? Many,
but not all, studies have found that beet juice can improve performance
and endurance in aerobic activities like running, swimming, cycling,
and rowing. But whether it helps with strengthening and bodybuilding
exercises isn’t known. Beet juice is more likely to improve the
performance of recreational exercisers than highly-trained athletes. The
usual approach in studies is for participants to drink 2 cups of beet
juice about 2.5 to 3 hours before exercise. | Is it safe? Drinking moderate amounts of beet juice is safe, but it can turn your urine pink or red. | Bottom Line Beet
juice might improve aerobic exercise performance if you’re
recreationally active. But whether dietary supplements containing
beetroot powder have the same effects as beet juice isn’t known. |
Beta-alanine Beta-alanine
is an amino acid in foods such as meat, poultry, and fish. People get
up to about 1 gram a day of beta-alanine, depending on their diet. Your
body uses beta-alanine to make carnosine in skeletal muscles. When you
exercise intensely for several minutes, your muscles produce lactic
acid, which reduces muscular force and causes tiredness. Carnosine
reduces the buildup of lactic acid. Beta-alanine supplements increase
muscle carnosine levels by different amounts, depending on the person. | Does it work? Some,
but not all, studies have shown that beta-alanine produces small
performance improvements in swimming and team sports, like hockey and
football, that require high-intensity, intermittent effort over short
periods. Whether beta-alanine helps with endurance activities like
cycling isn’t clear. It’s also not clear whether beta-alanine mainly
benefits trained athletes or recreational exercisers. In most studies,
participants took 1.6 to 6.4 grams a day of beta-alanine for 4 to 8
weeks. | Is it safe? Taking 800
milligrams or more beta-alanine can cause moderate to severe
paresthesia, a tingling, prickling, or burning sensation in your face,
neck, back of the hands, and upper trunk. This effect can last 60 to 90
minutes but is not considered serious or harmful. Taking divided doses
or a sustained-release form of beta-alanine can reduce or eliminate this
paresthesia. It isn’t known whether it’s safe to take beta-alanine
supplements daily for more than several months. | Bottom Line Sports-medicine
experts disagree on the value of taking beta-alanine supplements to
enhance performance in high-intensity, intermittent activities. The
International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends that if you are
healthy and want to try beta-alanine supplements, take a daily loading
dose of 4 to 6 grams per day (in divided doses with meals) for at least 2
weeks to see if it helps. |
Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) Your
body converts a small amount of leucine, one of the amino acids in
foods and protein powders, to HMB. Your liver then converts the HMB into
another compound that experts think helps muscle cells restore their
structure and function after exercise. HMB also helps build protein in
muscle and reduces muscle-protein breakdown. | Does it work? It’s
hard to know whether you might benefit from using HMB supplements
because the research on these supplements has included adults of very
different ages and fitness levels who took widely varying doses for
different amounts of time. Overall, HMB seems to speed up recovery from
exercise that’s intense enough and long enough to cause muscle damage.
Therefore, if you’re a trained athlete, you’ll need to exert yourself
more than recreationally active people to cause the muscle damage that
HMB might help treat. | Is it safe? Studies haven’t reported any side effects in adults taking 3 grams per day of HMB for up to 8 weeks. | Bottom Line It’s
not clear whether taking HMB supplements will improve athletic
performance. The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends
that if you are a healthy adult who wants to try HMB supplements, to
take 3 grams per day in three equal servings of 1 gram for at least 2
weeks to see if it helps. HMB comes in two forms: one with calcium and
one without. A dose of 3 grams of the type with calcium supplies about
400 milligrams of calcium. |
Betaine Your
body makes betaine, and it is also found in foods such as beets,
spinach, and whole-grain bread. You get about 100 to 300 milligrams a
day of betaine when you eat a nutritious diet. How betaine supplements
might affect or improve your performance isn’t known. | Does it work? Only
a few, mostly small, studies have evaluated betaine as a performance
supplement. Most of these studies examined the use of betaine
supplements to improve strength and power performance in bodybuilders.
The studies found either no performance improvements or only modest
ones. Participants in these studies took 2 to 5 grams a day of betaine
for up to 15 days. | Is it safe? The few
studies in which athletes took betaine supplements didn’t find any side
effects. But there hasn’t been enough research to know for sure whether
it’s really safe. | Bottom Line There’s little scientific evidence to support taking betaine supplements to improve performance if you eat a nutritious diet. |
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) The
amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine are known as BCAAs. Animal
foods, like meat, fish, and milk, contain BCAAs. Your muscles can use
these three amino acids to provide energy during exercise. Leucine might
also help build muscle. | Does it work? There’s
little evidence that BCAA supplements improve performance in endurance
activities like distance running. BCAA supplements might help increase
your muscle size and strength together with a weight-training program.
But it isn’t clear whether taking BCAA supplements will help you build
more muscle than just eating enough high-quality protein foods. | Is it safe? A
nutritious diet with enough protein can easily provide 10 to 20 grams a
day of the BCAAs. Taking up to another 20 grams a day of BCAAs in
supplements seems to be safe. | Bottom Line There’s
not much scientific evidence to support taking BCAA supplements to
improve performance, build muscle, or help tired and sore muscles to
recover after exercise. Eating foods containing protein automatically
increases your intake of BCAAs. |
Caffeine Caffeine
is a stimulant in beverages (like coffee, tea, and energy drinks) and
in herbs (such as guarana and kola nut). Caffeine is also added to some
dietary supplements. Moderate amounts of caffeine might increase your
energy levels and reduce fatigue for several hours. | Does it work? Caffeine
might improve endurance, strength, and power in team sports. It’s most
likely to help with endurance activities (such as distance running) and
sports that require intense, intermittent effort (like soccer and
tennis). Caffeine doesn’t help with short, intense exercise like
sprinting or weightlifting. People have different responses to caffeine.
It doesn’t boost performance in everyone, or may only slightly boost
performance.
The usual dose of caffeine to aid performance is 2 to 6 milligrams per
kilogram of body weight, or about 210 to 420 mg caffeine for a 154-pound
person. (By comparison, a cup of coffee has about 85 to 100 milligrams
of caffeine.) Taking more probably doesn’t improve performance further
and can increase the risk of side effects. | Is it safe? Caffeine
intakes of up to 400 to 500 milligrams a day seem safe in adults.
Teenagers should limit their caffeine intake to no more than 100
milligrams a day. Taking 500 milligrams or more a day can reduce rather
than improve physical performance, disturb sleep, and cause irritability
and anxiety. Taking 10,000 milligrams or more in a single dose (one
tablespoon of pure caffeine powder) can be fatal. | Bottom Line Sports-medicine
experts agree that caffeine can help you exercise at the same intensity
level for longer and reduce feelings of fatigue. They suggest taking 2
to 6 milligrams per kilogram of body weight 15 to 60 minutes before you
exercise. The National Collegiate Athletic Association and International
Olympic Committee limit the amount of caffeine that athletes can take
before a competition. |
Citrulline Citrulline
is an amino acid that your body produces; it is also present in some
foods. Your kidneys convert most citrulline into another amino acid,
arginine. Your body then transforms the arginine into nitric oxide,
which expands blood vessels. This expansion increases blood flow and the
delivery of oxygen and nutrients to exercising muscles and speeds up
the removal of waste products that cause muscle fatigue. | Does it work? The
research on citrulline as a performance supplement is limited. The few
studies find that citrulline might help improve, hinder, or have no
effect on performance. In these studies, participants took up to 9 grams
of citrulline for 1 day or 6 grams per day for up to 16 days. | Is it safe? There
isn’t enough research on citrulline to know for sure whether it’s safe.
Some users have reported that it can cause stomach discomfort. | Bottom Line There’s not much scientific evidence to support taking citrulline supplements to improve exercise or athletic performance. |
Creatine Creatine
is a compound that is stored in your muscles and supplies them with
energy. Your body produces some creatine (about 1 gram a day), and you
get some creatine from eating animal-based foods, such as beef and
salmon (about 500 milligrams in a 4-ounce serving). But it is only when
you take much larger amounts of creatine from dietary supplements that
it might improve certain types of performance. | Does it work? Creatine
supplements can increase strength, power, and the ability to contract
muscles for maximum effort. But the extent of performance improvements
from creatine supplements differs among individuals.
Use of creatine supplements for several weeks or months can help with
training. Overall, creatine enhances performance during repeated short
bursts of intense, intermittent activity (lasting up to about 2.5
minutes at a time), such as sprinting and weight lifting. Creatine seems
to have little value for endurance activities, such as distance
running, cycling, or swimming. | Is it safe? Creatine
is safe for healthy adults to take for several weeks or months. It also
seems safe for long-term use over several years. Creatine usually
causes some weight gain because it increases water retention. Rare
individual reactions to creatine include some muscle stiffness and
cramps as well as GI distress. | Bottom Line Sports-medicine
experts agree that creatine supplements can improve performance in
activities that involve intense effort followed by short recovery
periods. It can also be valuable in training for certain athletic
competitions. In studies, people often took a loading dose of about 20
grams per day of creatine (in four equal portions) for 5 to 7 days and
then 3 to 5 grams a day. Creatine monohydrate is the most widely used
and studied form of creatine in supplements. |
Deer antler velvet Deer
antler velvet supplements are made from the antlers of deer or elk
before the antlers turn into bone. Deer antlers might contain growth
factors that could promote muscle growth. | Does it work? There’s
been little research on use of deer antler velvet to improve
performance in either strength or endurance activities. The few
published studies have found no benefit from taking the supplement. | Is it safe? Deer antler velvet hasn’t been studied enough to know whether taking it is safe. | Bottom Line There’s no scientific evidence to support taking deer antler velvet supplements to improve exercise or athletic performance. |
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) DHEA
is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Your body converts
some DHEA into testosterone, the male hormone that enhances muscle size
and strength. | Does it work? There’s
been little study of the use of DHEA supplements to improve performance.
The few published studies (all in men) have found no benefit from
taking the supplement. Muscle size or strength and aerobic capacity
didn’t improve, and testosterone levels didn’t rise. | Is it safe? DHEA
hasn’t been studied enough to know whether it’s safe to take. Two small
studies in men found no side effects. But in women, taking DHEA
supplements for months can increase testosterone levels, which can cause
acne and facial hair growth. | Bottom Line There’s
no scientific evidence to support taking DHEA to improve exercise or
athletic performance. The National Collegiate Athletic Association and
the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibit the use of DHEA in athletic
competitions. |
Ginseng Ginseng is the root of a plant used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine. Some experts believe that Panax
(also known as Chinese, Korean, Japanese, or American) ginseng might
improve stamina and vitality. Siberian or Russian ginseng has been used
to fight fatigue and strengthen the immune system. | Does it work? Several small studies have examined whether Panax
or Siberian ginseng supplements can improve performance. This research
provides little evidence that various doses and preparations of these
supplements improve performance in athletes or recreational exercisers. | Is it safe? Both Panax and Siberian ginseng seem to be safe. However, ginseng supplements can cause headaches or GI effects and disturb sleep. | Bottom Line There’s little scientific evidence to support taking ginseng supplements to improve exercise or athletic performance.
|
Glutamine Glutamine
is an amino acid that your body uses to produce energy. Adults consume
about 3 to 6 grams a day from protein-containing foods such as meat,
poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, and legumes. Your body also makes
some glutamine, mainly from BCAAs. | Does it work? Only
a few studies have examined the use of glutamine supplements for
improving performance in strengthening and muscle-building exercises
(like bodybuilding) and for recovering from these exercises (for
example, by reducing muscle soreness). Glutamine has either no effect or
provides only a small benefit. | Is it safe? Studies haven’t reported any side effects from the use of up to 45 grams a day of glutamine for several weeks in adults. | Bottom Line There’s little scientific evidence to support taking glutamine supplements to improve exercise or athletic performance. |
Iron Iron
is a mineral that delivers oxygen to muscles and tissues throughout
your body. Cells also need iron to turn food into energy. Iron
deficiency, especially with anemia, limits your ability to exercise and
be active because it makes you tired and reduces your performance.
The recommended amount of iron to get each day is 11 milligrams for
teenage boys, 15 milligrams for teenage girls, 8 milligrams for men to
age 50, 18 milligrams for women to age 50, and 8 milligrams for older
adults of both sexes. Recommended amounts are even higher for athletes,
vegetarians, and vegans. Teenage girls and premenopausal women have the
greatest risk of not getting enough iron from their diets. | Does it work? For
people with iron deficiency anemia, taking an iron supplement will
probably improve performance in both strength and endurance activities.
But if you get enough iron from your diet, taking extra iron won’t help.
It’s not clear whether milder iron deficiency without anemia reduces
exercise and athletic performance. | Is it safe? Taking
less than 45 milligrams of iron in a supplement is safe for teenagers
and adults. Higher doses can cause upset stomach, constipation, nausea,
abdominal pain, vomiting, and fainting. However, doctors sometimes
prescribe large amounts of iron for a short time to treat
iron-deficiency anemia. | Bottom Line Taking
enough iron in supplements to treat iron-deficiency anemia improves
exercise capacity. But a healthcare provider should diagnose this
condition before you start taking iron supplements. If you want to
improve your athletic performance, you should eat a healthy diet
containing foods rich in iron, such as lean meats, seafood, poultry,
beans, nuts, and raisins. If needed, an iron-containing dietary
supplement can help you get the recommended amount of iron. |
Protein Protein
helps to build, maintain, and repair your muscles. It improves your
body’s response to athletic training and helps shorten the time you need
to recover after exercise. Protein is made from amino acids. Your body
makes some amino acids but needs to get others (known as essential amino
acids or EAAs) from food. Animal foods like meat, poultry, fish, eggs,
and dairy products contain all of the EAAs. Plant foods like grains and
legumes contain different EAAs, so eating a diet containing different
types of plant-based foods is one way to get all EAAs. Most protein
powders and drinks contain whey, a protein in milk that provides all the
EAAs. | Does it work? Adequate protein
in your diet provides the EAAs necessary for making muscle proteins and
reduces the breakdown of proteins in your muscles. Athletes need about
0.5 to 0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight a day (or about 75
to 135 grams for a person weighing 150 pounds). You might need even more
for a short time when you’re training intensely or if you reduce your
food intake to improve your physique or achieve a competition weight. | Is it safe? High intakes of protein seem to be quite safe, but there is no benefit to consuming more than recommended amounts. | Bottom Line If
you are an athlete, you can probably eat enough foods that contain
protein to meet your needs for protein. If needed, protein supplements
and protein-fortified food and beverage products can help you get enough
protein. Sports-science experts recommend that athletes consume 0.14
grams of protein per pound of body weight (about 20 grams for a person
weighing 150 pounds) of high-quality protein (from animal foods and/or a
mix of different plant foods) every 3 to 5 hours, including before
sleep and within 2 hours after exercising. |
Quercetin Quercetin
is a compound found in fruits, vegetables, and some beverages (like
tea). Some experts suggest that quercetin supplements increase energy
production in muscle and improve blood flow throughout your body. A
nutritious diet provides up to about 13 milligrams a day of quercetin. | Does it work? There’s
limited research on the use of quercetin supplements to improve
performance. The studies found that any benefits, when they occur, tend
to be small. In these studies, participants took about 1,000 milligrams a
day of quercetin for up to 8 weeks. | Is it safe? The
studies of quercetin supplements didn’t find any side effects in the
athletes who took them. But quercetin hasn’t been studied enough to know
whether it’s really safe. | Bottom Line There’s little scientific evidence to support taking quercetin supplements to improve exercise or athletic performance. |
Ribose Ribose
is a natural sugar your body makes that helps with energy production in
muscle. Some scientists believe that ribose supplements help muscles
produce more energy. | Does it work? There’s
been little study of the use of ribose supplements to improve
performance. The few published studies in both trained athletes and
occasional exercisers have shown little if any benefit from doses
ranging from 625 milligrams to 10,000 milligrams a day for up to 8
weeks. | Is it safe? The studies of
athletes taking ribose supplements have found no side effects. But
ribose hasn’t been studied enough to know whether it’s really safe when
taken in large amounts for several months or more. | Bottom Line There’s very little scientific evidence to support taking ribose supplements to improve exercise or athletic performance. |
Sodium bicarbonate Sodium
bicarbonate is commonly known as baking soda. Exercising intensely over
several minutes causes muscles to produce acids, such as lactic acid,
that reduce muscle force and cause tiredness. Sodium bicarbonate can
reduce the buildup of these acids. | Does it work? Studies
show that athletes who take sodium bicarbonate might improve their
performance a little in intense, short-term activities (like sprinting
and swimming) and in intermittently intense sports (like tennis and
boxing). But different athletes respond differently to sodium
bicarbonate. Sodium bicarbonate might actually hinder performance in
some people. The usual dose taken is 300 milligrams per kilogram of body
weight, or about 4 to 5 teaspoons of baking soda. Some people find this
amount of sodium bicarbonate, dissolved in liquid, too salty to drink. | Is it safe? Sodium
bicarbonate can cause GI distress, including nausea and vomiting, and
weight gain due to water retention. It is also high in sodium (1,260
milligrams per teaspoon). | Bottom Line Sodium
bicarbonate might provide some performance benefit in strenuous
exercise that lasts several minutes and in sports that require
intermittent, intense activity, especially for trained athletes.
However, in some people, sodium bicarbonate provides no performance
benefit, and it can even reduce performance. |
Tart or sour cherry Tart
or sour cherries of the Montmorency variety contain compounds that
might help you recover from strenuous exercise. Specifically, these
cherries might help to reduce pain, muscle damage from strength-related
activities, and lung trauma from endurance activities that require deep,
heavy breathing. | Does it work? There’s
limited research on tart cherry as a performance supplement. The
studies that have been done suggest that it might help bodybuilders
recover their strength faster and feel less muscle soreness after
exercising. The supplements could also help runners race faster and be
less likely to develop a cold or respiratory problem after a marathon.
The typical dose is about 2 cups of juice or 500 milligrams of
tart-cherry-skin powder for a week before the exercise and for 2 days
afterwards. | Is it safe? Studies of
tart-cherry products in athletes have not found any side effects. But
the safety of tart-cherry supplements has not been well studied. | Bottom Line There’s limited scientific evidence to support taking tart-cherry products to improve exercise and athletic performance. |
Tribulus terrestris Tribulus terrestris
is a plant containing compounds that some sellers claim can improve
performance by increasing levels of several hormones, including the male
hormone testosterone. | Does it work? There’s limited research on the use of Tribulus terrestris supplements to increase strength or muscle mass. The few studies investigating it did not find that it had any benefit. | Is it safe? Tribulus terrestris
hasn’t been studied enough to know whether it’s safe. Studies in
animals show that high doses can cause heart, liver, and kidney damage. | Bottom Line There’s no scientific support for taking Tribulus terrestris
supplements to improve exercise or athletic performance. Some
sports-medicine experts advise against taking any dietary supplements
claimed to boost testosterone. |
No comments:
Post a Comment