FEATURES

Do Supplements Help Performance?...RACE RESULTS...

Saturday, 06 June 2015 00:10

ED.  - Minnesota men sweep Du National (Standard Distance) podium and grab two of the top three women's spots. Kevin O'Connor wins the Sprint. USAT coverage tomorrow. More words and pics on Tuesday. - RESULTS

- Devon Palmer and Sarah Mercer win convincingly at New Bri - RESULTS

By Katie Davis (usatriathlon.org)

As we near the outdoor competitive season, many athletes are thinking about their performance nutrition regimen. Some may start experimenting with powders, pills or other mysterious products that promise enhanced recovery, increased muscle gains and better energy during workouts. I love discussing supplements with my athletes because — unlike a lot of Internet outlets — my advice is 100 percent science-based, unbiased and unpaid for by any companies. Here are three things I tell my athletes that many supplement companies would not be too thrilled to hear.

1. The marketed positive outcomes of supplements is often based on theory, not proven science. ...

There are millions of physiological processes that happen constantly in the body over the course of a day. This opens the door for supplement companies to pick a metabolic process, pull out a nutrient utilized in the process and try to convince you to supplement it. One example of this is L-carnitine, which facilitates the influx long-chain fatty acids (i.e. fat stores) into the mitochondria of cells in order to be utilized for energy instead of using stored carbohydrate, or glycogen. Because of this fact, supplement companies encourage supplementation of L-carnitine to "enhance fat burning" and "spare muscle glycogen" during exercise. The problem? No studies have shown this to actually happen when L-carnitine is supplemented. While it may make sense in theory, it doesn't pan out when put to the test.READ MORE