Merhaba folks! There’s absolutely no question that one of the most interesting and complex fields in sports science is that of sports nutrition. There’s a lot of absolute nonsense spouted by irresponsible people, particularly on the internet, all with the aim of selling pills. Many of these pills are about as useful as taking tic tacs and in some cases they can be harmful. The sports nutrition industry is enormous and there are plenty of products promising huge gains in muscle mass and sporting performance without have to lift a weight. I thought therefore that I’d just talk briefly about the two supplements for which there is the most scientific rationale (outside carbohydrates and protein). They are creatine and beta-alanine (BA). "The main effect of both creatine and BA is that they enable you to complete more work, which in turn makes you stronger. But remember, they won’t make you stronger on their own!" |
Creatine is perhaps the most effective ergogenic (performance enhancing) nutritional supplement currently available to athletes in terms of their ability to sustain high-intensity exercise and in improving lean body mass during training. It is particular relevant to sports such as rugby, rowing and field athletics and has been shown to increase maximal strength values in resistance-trained athletes. There have been a couple of proposed reasons for this improvement in muscular performance. By increasing bodily reserves of creatine, supplementation is thought to: - enhance the phosphagen energy system’s ability to provide ATP (the body’s energy currency) to the working muscles, thus allowing an increased capacity to continue training ;
- enhance protein synthesis; and
- may increase muscle fibre growth if combined with the appropriate resistance training programme.
Additionally, creatine monohydrate has been shown to enhance the effects of a protein-carbohydrate mix. Most studies on creatine have advocated a ‘loading phase’ at the beginning of creatine supplementation. This comprises of approximately 5g taken 4 times per day for about 1 week followed by 3-5g/day thereafter. This has been shown to increase muscle creatine and phosphocreatine stores by anywhere between 10-40% although further research needs to be conducted to determine if this supplementation protocol needs to be ‘cycled’ (a process of returning to a loading phase for 3-5 days every 3-4 weeks and then a washout period). Beta-alanine (BA) BA has been shown to be effective in increasing intramuscular carnosine concentrations. Carnosine is an important muscle buffer during high intensity exercise which may be vital in delaying neuromuscular fatigue and has been shown to help increase training volumes and lower subjective feelings of fatigue in American Footballers performing a series of anaerobic performance measures. In English, this means that it ‘neutralises’ the acid build up in muscles (the burning feeling that makes us reduce our exercise intensity). Additionally, BA has been shown to produce positive performance effects when combined with creatine supplementation. Whilst the optimal dosage of BA is still yet to be determined, positive results from previous research suggests between 4.5 and 6g per day. In short, the main effect of both creatine and BA is that they enable you to complete more work, which in turn makes you stronger. But remember, they won’t make you stronger on their own! Next time I thought I’d write about how to build powerful getaway sticks. If you don’t know what getaway sticks are at the moment, you will this time next week. Until then, stay robust, amigos! Joycey 
David Joyce Injury and Performance Consultant at Galatasaray FC. Holds a Masters in Sports Physiotherapy and lectures on the MSc in Sports Physio course at the University of Bath. |
Articles and Downloads  Andrew Hamilton looks at Beta-Alanine and its ability to create lean muscle gain and body fat loss.
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/can-body-fat-loss-and-lean-muscle-gain-be-targeted-with-nutritional-supplements-39323
Ron Maughan and Andrew Hamilton look at emerging evidence for the possible benefits of two naturally occurring compounds – quercetin and beta-alanine, both of which are attracting attention from researchers in the field of sports nutrition. Sports nutrition: are protein drinks effective in boosting sports performance?
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/sports-nutrition-are-protein-drinks-effective-in-boosting-sports-performance-42022 New research suggests that there’s less evidence for adding protein to carbohydrate than many would have us believe. | 
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When it comes to fluids, the demands of Ironman necessitate that you choose a beverage that satisfies multiple requirements - fuel, replenish, hydrate, deliver electrolytes, and taste great. Athletes look for fluids that will work for them, so the composition is crucial. 
Sports Nutrition for triathletes, especially the Ironman variety, can chew you up and spit you out. The training alone can quickly do you in. If you enter a competition inadequately hydrated or fueled, or fail to keep pace with your fluid needs on the course, then your race day could end much sooner than expected.
