Supplements and ergogenic aid: when is it time for it?

Ergogenic aids and supplements are mainly aimed at improving sports performance or facilitating the achievement of sporting objectives. They usually improve performance by affecting energy metabolism or through an effect on the central nervous system, increasing muscle mass by promoting protein synthesis and decreasing the percentage of body fat.

There is uncertainty as to whether supplementation is really necessary in all cases. It is true that with proper nutrition you can achieve the best possible sporting performance but, as we know, this can be hard in high competition cases, where there is a high volume and intensity of training. In these cases, the nutritional needs are increased and through supplementation we can get high quality and easy accessibility nutrients for the body.

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In short, supplementation will provide us with the following aspects in high performance:

• Covering high nutritional needs. Facilitating the recovery of glycogen deposits and protein synthesis, for metabolic efficiency.
• Increasing sports performance. Having an adequate knowledge of the scientific evidence on the most contrasted supplements.
• Improving recovery after training on competition.

Scientific evidence demonstrates the importance of maintaining and consuming a diet based mainly on food in its whole form, thus ensuring optimal nutrient intake. These ergogenic and nutritional aids are a convenient and cost-effective means of maximising performance and optimal macro and micronutrient intake. Below, we will highlight some of the supplements with the most scientific evidence for improving athletic performance or nutrient uptake.

First of all, we can highlight creatine, which has been widely studied and is the most common form used to supplement dietary intake. This supplement increases muscle creatine reserves by approximately 30%.

Creatine improves performance in short-term high-intensity exercise by improving the ability to perform repeated efforts, resulting in greater gains in muscle mass, strength and muscle power. At Zumub we offer you three galenic forms of this supplement and you will find among our products creatine powder and creatine tablets.

Secondly, caffeine can bring many benefits to sports performance if used in the right way. It causes a release of endorphins, improves neuromuscular function, alertness, and reduces the perception of effort during exercise. As for caffeine, Zumub offers a wide range of products such as caffeine in capsules, caffeine energy gels, caffeine powder mixtures with beta-alanine and L-Arginine, caffeine+taurine, etc.  

Thirdly, we can highlight beta-alanine. Beta-alanine is the limiting precursor of carnosine, and is one of the immediate defences against the accumulation of protons in the muscles after exercise. Beta-alanine supplementation increases the carnosine content in skeletal muscle, improving tolerance in maximal exercise sets. As for beta-alanine, I would highlight among our Zumub products, Beta-alanine xplode, a supplement which, in addition to beta-alanine, provides us with creatine and vitamin B6.

And finally, we can highlight one of the most widely used supplements among the population and elite athletes: protein supplements. These allow a higher protein intake with a low calorie consumption and can also be digested and absorbed more easily compared to other food sources that provide this macronutrient. This is an aid that can be considered if athletes do not consume an optimal daily protein intake, taking into account the weight and activity level of each athlete on a case-by-case basis. We highlight different types of proteins among our products such as casein, vegan protein and Zumub isolate whey protein.

Bibliografía:

Burke, L. Binnie, M. Goods, P. Sim, M & Peeling, P.(2018). Evidence-based suplements for the enhancement of athletic performance. Internacional Journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 28, 178-187.

Maughan, R. J. (1999). Nutritional ergogenic aids and exercise performance. In Nutrition Research Reviews (Vol. 12, Issue 2, pp. 255–280). You can read the full article here.

Huecker, M. Sarav, M. Pearlman, M. & Laster, J. (2019). Protein supplementation in sports: source, timing and intended benefits. Current nutrition reports, 8, 382-396.