As a sports person your body is your greatest asset and therefore it should be in the right shape always. What you eat therefore becomes of great importance. Eat everything in the right proportion. You will also have to exercise your body.

1.Vitamin B

Lacking the energy to push out those last few reps? Chances are you’re low on this group of micronutrients, which includes vitamins B6 and B12, thiamin, riboflavin and folate. The body uses these to convert protein and sugar into energy and to produce red blood cells. Athletes with low levels performed worse during high-intensity exercise, according to research published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

2.Calcium

Milk does a body good — the commercials didn’t lie. Each additional cup of skim milk consumed per day reduced runners’ incidence of developing a stress fracture by 62 percent, according to a study from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The calcium, along with vitamin D, potassium and protein in the dairy drink significantly increased participants’ bone density — and a strong skeleton is key for any high-impact activity.

Athletes or any other sports person usually take supplements to boost their body nutrients. There is nothing wrong with that since they use a lot of those. They need plenty of proteins since their muscles suffer wear and tear when they are out in the field.

Supplements for Athletes – Primary Supplements

Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil) are probably one of the most commonly used supplements on the market today and for good reason. When high quality fish oil is taken in large enough amounts, it provides the biggest bang for the buck as far as supplements are concerned. Most people know about the improved cardiovascular health and function, improved lipid profiles (lower triglycerides), improved brain function and mental acuity, and its powerful anti-inflammatory properties without harmful side effects like over the counter products.

B-Vitamins increase energy production and are neurotransmitter cofactors so they help improve our mood, and they help us detoxify which we need after exercise (and binging). The process of building and repairing muscle (processing protein) depletes B-Vitamins so if you’re lifting heavy or damaging your muscle tissue in your workouts or job, you need to take extra B-Vitamins to help the rebuilding (strengthening) process because you are burning through them at an alarming rate.

There is a word of caution to all athletes who use supplements. Many of those who are found to be breaking anti-doping rules are usually guilty of being ignorant. This is because they consume supplements not knowing that some of them contain banned substances.

Supplements can present a high risk for several reasons:

Some supplements contain banned substances

Some supplements can be contaminated during the manufacturing process

Some supplements will list ingredients on the label differently to how they would appear on the Prohibited List

You will no doubt have seen athletes taking supplements or well-known athletes endorsing them in advertising campaigns. Our advice to you should you be considering using supplements is to assess the need, risks and consequences before using supplements.