HSC PDHPE Core 2: Factors Affecting Performance

Supplementation “Vitamins, minerals, protein and carbohydrates are often supplemented. Supplementation is a process used by athletes who cannot derive sufficient nutrient intake from their food consumption to meet their needs. Supplementation can be valuable where a genuine deficiency exists or where the nutritional demands are such that athletes may find it uncomfortable to consume the necessary volume of their food. However, caution needs to be taken, because in many cases the normal dietary intake is in fact sufficient and athletes using supplements are then taking in unnecessarily high amounts of certain nutrients”.

“Supplementation is very common for today’s athletes, but its effectiveness is often debated. Can an athlete obtain all their essential nutrients from their diet, or do they require dietary supplements – that is any addition to their regular diet to achieve their nutritional goals”.

Supplementation - Vitamins and Minerals “The human body needs only small amounts of vitamins to sustain our bodily functions and perform well. Vitamins assist the body to use energy nutrients, but do not contain or provide energy themselves. Since the body only uses the vitamins that it needs and cannot store the excess (e.g excess water soluble vitamins such as B and C – excreted from the body), the benefits of vitamin supplements seem negligible.” “In the case of fat soluble vitamins, supplements can even be dangerous. Vitamins A and D can accumulate in the body, and excessive quantities can result in pain, headaches, nausea, fatigue and loss of apetite. However, most multivitamin supplements provide the recommended daily intake and so are not a concern, but they can prove expensive”. Are organic compounds, obtained through diet or supplements, that are needed by the body to develop and grow.

Supplementation - Vitamins and Minerals Are chemical elements, obtained through diet or supplements, that the body needs to develop and grow. “The main mineral areas to consider are calcium and iron, as many athletes tend to be deficient in these, resulting in poor performance. Females are also more likely to be calcium or iron deficient”.

“Calcium is a key mineral in healthy bones and teeth. The quality of bone tissue is built up during our younger years and starts to gradually deteriorate from our mid 20’s. A more rapid deteriorate occurs later in life, which may result in osteoporosis. It is important to focus on healthy bone development during childhood and adolescent years to maintain a healthy bone structure throughout adult life”. “Key sources of calcium include dairy products: Fish (Salmon) Green leafy vegetables. If we maintain an adequate balance of calcium in our diet from an early age, supplements may not be needed”.

“Haemoglobin is a protein in our red blood cells that collects and transports oxygen to where the body needs it. Low levels of haemoglobin can dramatically affect performance, since the muscles are deprived of oxygen which is needed for energy production. This can result in symptoms of fatigue and lack of energy. Iron is found in haemoglobin, and so is very important in maintaining peak performance. High amounts are found naturally in lean meat and green leafy vegetables, including spinach and grains. Many individuals do not consume enough iron as part of their daily diets, so supplements are very common.

There are, however, a number of situations in which athletes may benefit from supplementation in the short term, such as those who: Are undergoing weight loss resulting from long periods of reduced energy consumption. Are travelling to countries with different food choices. Are on a restricted diet for any reason Have a pre-existing vitamin or mineral deficiency which cannot be corrected through diet alone Have a heavy competition schedule that interferes with normal eating.”

“Protein helps the growth and repair of body tissues so it is of vital important to athletes. Insufficient protein consumption can contribute to slower recovery from training and performance, loss of muscle mass and reduced immunity to infection. However, athletes need to be wary of consuming too much protein as excess protein is stored as fat. This is particularly true considering that most people, including athletes, consume sufficient amounts of protein in their normal diets. Protein supplementation is most likely to be of relevance for athletes who cannot derive a sufficient amount from their normal diet. Reasons could include being vegetarian, travelling frequently or living in areas where meat and other food sources of protein are expensive or difficult to obtain. Consuming protein prior to and post resistance training will promote muscle growth and strength gains.”

“Caffeine is a drug classified as a stimulant. That is, caffeine speeds up the functioning of the central nervous system which can increase alertness. It is present in: Tea Coffee Chocolate Cola Drinks Or can be used as a supplement The supposed benefits of caffeine supplementation are increased: Alertness Changed perceptions of fatigue mobilisation of fat cells Disadvantages can include: Over arousal Elevated Heart Rate Reduction in fine motor control

“Research is inconclusive on the performance benefits of caffeine, however, if there are benefits these are most likely to be in short duration, high intensity activities. Caffeine is no longer on the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) banned substance list”. Caffeine is absorbed through the intestines. It’s effects can be felt in as little as 30 minutes but the majority of caffeines ergogenic effects are seen after minutes when blood levels of caffeine peak. New evidence has shown that high doses of caffeine (6 milligrams per kilogram body weight) are unnecessary to see performance enhancement and generally result in adverse side effects.

“Creatine is a compound that occurs naturally in the body. It is found mainly in the muscle tissue in the form of creatine phosphate, which provides a ready source of ATP to the working muscle in times of high demand (such as in high intensity anaerobic exercise). At times of lower demand (that is, at rest or during lower intensity or more aerobic exercise), creatine is resynthesised to creatine phosphate ready for the next high intensity bout. The average person requires approximately 2 grams of creatine a day. In a normal training diet an athletes dietary intake will be approximately 1-2 grams per day and the body has the ability to produce the remainder. The main source of dietary creatine is animal products, such as meat. Dietary intake increases in athletes who consume large amounts of meat products in their diet (such as young male team sport athletes). Athletes attempt to increase the body’s stores of creatine by supplementation.

“The body has a maximum, or ceiling, amount of creatine it can store and once this maximum is reached it will break down the excess creatine into creatinine and excrete it through the urine. Some athletes naturally have higher creatine stores than others, and therefore reach their ceiling very quickly when they start supplementing. These athletes are often referred to as non- responders as they often see little or no benefits/bodily changes during creatine supplementation. Athletes who have low dietary intakes of creatine (such as vegetarians) often report large bodily changes (mainly weight gain) and performance benefits from creatine supplementation”.