Sports Research: Part II

The fact is that many athletes want to know about sports nutrition, but don’t know where to start. There are myths and facts floating around in every high school, college locker room (men & women), and professional team about what foods, vitamins, and supplements are good for athletes. Of course, an athlete’s optimal vitamin intake and choice of the like tend to vary for each sport. I have been researching information regarding supplements in professional sports for myself and also to share with interested readers like yourself. Like I stated in an earlier post this month, I would prefer to get all my essential vitamins, acids, proteins, etc from natural methods such as food intake. Although, through my research of late, I’m finding out more and more that it would take a serious overload on food in order to acquire all of the necessary elements and essentials for optimal performance naturally versus taking supplements. If an athlete should choose to take supplements, they should be used IN CONJUNCTION with a healthy diet. One without the other will not create the optimal intake of those proteins, vitamins, and essential nutrients the body needs to repair, maintain, and build those strong muscles required for competition. Remember that a supplement is to be used in addition, as extra, or as an appendage to your regular daily diet.

The few questions that constantly vacillate mind of athletes are, How do I gain more muscle?, How can I improve recovery?, and How can I increase my power and strength?. I can help answer a few of these now. Your muscles are made up of protein. Protein is made of polypeptides, which are various strands of amino acids combined in different arrays to create different amino acids. There are 20 amino acids and the human body can only produce 11 of them (non-essential amino acids). The remainder (essential amino acids) is acquired through the consumption of food. The best foods with the most amino acids are veal, lamb, red meat, fish, eggs, and milk.

How Can I gain more muscle? – For an increase in muscle one must create the correct mix of all 20 amino acids to support growth in the muscle areas. This isn’t to say drink an overdose of protein shakes and eat protein bars every day; your body can only use so much protein throughout your daily activities before it starts to store it. You don’t want your body to store protein because it does so in the process of metabolizing (converting) it to fat which is opposite an athlete’s desire. Protein intake must also be accompanied with exercise and weight training in order to fully see the benefits of increased muscle mass. Failure to exercise or weight train will also result in the storing of protein (i.e. Fat).

According to MSNBC you can use the following formula to calculate the amount of protein an average person should consume (in grams): (weight ÷ 2) – 10 = protein consumption in grams. However, if you are an athlete or a person involved with high intensity activities fitness.com suggests that you use this formula: weight *0.6. For body builders and those looking to seriously increase in muscle mass multiply weight by 0.8. People that do more obviously will need more energy throughout their day than the average person.

How can I improve recovery? – Muscle recovery and post-exercise soreness can be optimized with the consumption of a protein packed drink or snacks after workouts, but unfortunately any over consumption of protein will not increase these benefits. Protein is an essential nutrient that helps build and repair muscle tissue, provide structure (nails), and transport oxygen and electrons to name a few. Eating and drinking things with protein in them after a hard practice can help your muscles recover, but will not completely eradicate soreness or fatigue after the fact. Other nutrients and supplements, discussed in the next session of sports research, will help inhibit recovery further.

According to Ian Rollo and Clyde Williams consuming a carbohydrate-electrolyte (CHO-E) drink, such as Gatorade, 30 minutes prior and 15 minutes between intervals will definitely increase performance during a workout. Many scientists and nutritionists alike say that another great post-practice recovery drink is chocolate milk. McNamara of CBS News notes in her article that during the 2004 Summer Olympics superstar swimmer Michael Phelps was known for drinking chocolate milk between races. A known Kenesiologist, Jason Karp of Indiana University, found that milk has protein, potassium, vitamin D, and calcium that will naturally supply the body with the means to repair muscle and also maintain strong bones. Chocolate contains a large amount of antioxidants which is beneficial for blood causing a reduced capability of clotting. Chocolate milk was proven in his study to have just as much carbohydrates and protein as the leading endurance formula recovery drink, Endurox r4, at less than 50% of the cost. So those who want to increase their endurance and decrease their muscle fatigue before and during a workout should drink a CHO-E drink accordingly. For those who are a bit more financially bound, but still interested in muscle recovery, you would do well with having a light pre-workout snack, such as a bagel, and thermos of chocolate milk during and after a workout.