Creatine Supplementation
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in large amounts in skeletal muscle and brain as a result of dietary intake from animal muscle (e.g. meat, fish). Creatine is not on the WADA doping list.
Performance Enhancing
Creatine supplementation has been shown to enhance the performance of exercise involving repeated sprints or bouts of high intensity exercise, separated by short recovery intervals. Therefore, competition or training programs involving intermittent high-intensity work patterns with brief recovery periods (e.g. soccer, basketball, football, racquet sports), or resistance training programs may be enhanced by creatine loading. Dietary creatine supplementation is popular with sportspeople who require explosive power, & it has been reported on numerous occasions to increase muscle strength & power.
Performance Enhancing
Creatine supplementation has been shown to enhance the performance of exercise involving repeated sprints or bouts of high intensity exercise, separated by short recovery intervals. Therefore, competition or training programs involving intermittent high-intensity work patterns with brief recovery periods (e.g. soccer, basketball, football, racquet sports), or resistance training programs may be enhanced by creatine loading. Dietary creatine supplementation is popular with sportspeople who require explosive power, & it has been reported on numerous occasions to increase muscle strength & power.
Co-ingestion of creatine with a carbohydrate-rich diet can enhance post-exercise glycogen replenishment & can increase creatine loading.
Summary of benefits:
Side Effects
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Protein Supplementation
Protein has several important functions in the body. These include:
1. Formation and growth of body tissues, especially muscle tissue and cells 2. Repair & recovery of damaged tissues such as muscle tissue 3. Production of red blood cells, hormones, antibodies & enzymes 4. Provision of emergency fuel during exercise when carbohydrate & fat stores are depleted. Protein is required to assist in the recovery or repair of damaged body tissue. It is also needed for the growth of additional muscle tissue when using resistance training to achieve gains in body strength. Additional amounts of protein are usually achieved by the increase in carbohydrate intake as a part of the training diet and therefore protein supplements are rarely needed in addition to this; however, the most common forms of supplementation are protein powders made into shakes & protein bars. Timing of protein consumption is a more important consideration for the athlete. |
Performance Enhancing
Ingestion of protein with carbohydrates immediately post exercise enhances the synthesis of glycogen and stimulates muscle protein synthesis, which is important in terms of post exercise recovery from muscle micro-trauma, and aids in muscle growth as part of the adaptive process. This is because when consumed together, they stimulate a greater release of insulin. Put more simply, more protein releases insulin & insulin allows the muscle cells to take up glucose, therefore refuelling glycogen stores within the muscle. Insulin also plays a key role in the dynamics of protein synthesis. Insulin stimulates protein synthesis and helps to reduce protein breakdown.
Ingestion of protein with carbohydrates immediately post exercise enhances the synthesis of glycogen and stimulates muscle protein synthesis, which is important in terms of post exercise recovery from muscle micro-trauma, and aids in muscle growth as part of the adaptive process. This is because when consumed together, they stimulate a greater release of insulin. Put more simply, more protein releases insulin & insulin allows the muscle cells to take up glucose, therefore refuelling glycogen stores within the muscle. Insulin also plays a key role in the dynamics of protein synthesis. Insulin stimulates protein synthesis and helps to reduce protein breakdown.
Side Effects
High protein intakes can increase the amount of calcium excreted in the urine. This may cause problems with athletes at risk of weakened bones. High protein intakes are also known to accelerate the progression of pre-existing kidney disease. From a nutritional point of view, excessive intakes of protein tend to be expensive especially if protein supplements are used. High protein intakes based on the consumption of large amounts of animal foods (e.g. meat and dairy foods) can result in a greater fat intake. High protein intakes may increase fluid requirements. However, the main concern is that excessive focus on high protein foods may displace other valuable foods (e.g. fruit and vegetables) or other important nutrients such as carbohydrate and fibre from the diet. Whey Protein is classified into Group A by the Australian Sports Commission.
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