“Sports Nutrition”

The so-called “sports nutrition” group includes concentrated sources of macronutrients or their combinations that are commercially developed for use by athletes. The most popular products are powders with protein concentrates or isolates, the basic building blocks of which are amino acids. Individual amino acids or various combinations thereof, such as branched side chain amino acids (e.g. BCAA) and essential amino acids (EAA), can also be purchased individually in the form of capsules or other dosage forms.

In addition, various simple and complex carbohydrate sources are particularly popular among endurance athletes. They come in the form of powders, gels, energy drinks and bars and even gummies. Both macronutrients are needed for optimal regeneration, which is why certain recipes contain a combination of protein and carbohydrates in different proportions.

In general, the ergogenic properties of sports nutrition can be attributed to four main physiological needs that these products support:

1) Hydration and rehydration: fluid intake to maintain electrolyte homeostasis.

2) Energy supply: carbohydrate storage before, during and after exercise.

3) Anabolism: Protein intake for amino acid availability for optimal adaptation to training and recovery after training/competition.

4) Osmolality: the absorption of electrolytes to replace losses caused by sweating.

In general, these parameters are considered the most important determinants of athletic performance in science that studies the physiology of effort and the biochemistry of the response to training.

Each category of sports nutrition contributes to one or more of the physiological components listed above, although to different degrees, and furthermore, the benefits of sports nutrition depend on the type of sporting discipline itself. The risk of fluid imbalance, loss of electrolytes and depletion of energy reserves is a common problem in sports disciplines that require high volume, frequency and duration of muscle contraction, such as long-distance running and fast walking.

Shorter and more explosive sports disciplines such as sprints and some technical disciplines require high levels of muscular strength and the associated muscular hypertrophy that results from adaptation to training. In these disciplines, in addition to the availability of glucose, an adequate supply of proteins or amino acids during training is important. Although these products typically contain nutrients in similar amounts to whole foods, sports nutrition can provide the practical advantage of combining all of the key macronutrients needed for a specific goal in a single product while facilitating digestibility due to processing.

In addition, the use of new packaging technologies can facilitate transport, hygienic storage, preparation and consumption, especially in situations before, during or after competitions and training. Sports nutrition also differs from “everyday” foods in that it contains fewer micronutrients compared to the many hundreds of nutrients and phytochemicals found in unprocessed foods, so sports nutrition should not be used as a nutritional replacement for athletes, but only as a complementary strategy in cases, in which a specific combination of important nutrients is required.

Table 2: Summary of the basic ingredients and physiological benefits of "sports nutrition"

Product

Water -

hydration

Carbohydrates -

energy

Protein -

anabolism

Electrolytes -

osmolality

Isotonic drink
**
*

*
Energy drink
*
**

*
Electrolyte drink
*


**
Energy gel

**


Protein drink
*
*
**
*
Sport bar

**
*
*
Chews

**


Liquid meal replacements

*
**
*
*

  • Advantages: they contain most of the substances that the body needs during activity with little fiber and fat and are therefore easier to digest and use. The packs are in practical, portable and hygienically perfect packaging with appropriate dosage and individual packaging.

  • Cons: more expensive than regular foods, especially protein supplements. Over-reliance on supplements can lead to an unbalanced basic diet

  • *Indirect benefits **Direct benefits