Any supplement that can help you get the best out of yourself when it comes to performance (as long as they are safe) are worth considering if you want to see how far you can push your body.
Finding small ways to make marginal improvements can help you reach your maximum potential. They also boost your confidence so you are able to give the best account of yourself when it matters.
Dietary supplements can help you both in training and in competition, allowing you to maximise your gains and potential.
Different supplements work for different athletes and you may find some upset your stomach, so it’s important to practice with them before a big event.
If you want to experiment with a few or find more information on which might be right for you, here are four of the best nutritional supplements to boost your performance.
Caffeine
Elite athletes in almost every sport use caffeine to enhance their performance, and there’s a lot of scientific research showing it has a positive effect.
Caffeine works in a number of ways. It’s believed to increase your tolerance to pain, which is why it’s used so commonly by endurance athletes, and it’s been proven to boost running and cycling performance.
It stimulates the nervous system to make you feel more alert focused, and increases adrenaline production.
The great thing about caffeine is it comes in a lot of different forms so you can pick one that suits you. Whether it’s a tablet, an energy drink or a coffee, you’re usually best off taking it about an hour before exercise.
Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is widely used in pre-workout supplements because it can improve performance.
It’s been shown to improve time to exhaustion for cyclists and rowers by as much as 14% in some studies.
Regular supplementation can increase the body’s resistance to muscle acidosis, which is what causes the heavy feeling in your muscles that makes you feel like you have to stop a workout.
Delaying this means you can continue with high-intensity workouts for longer and push harder.
Creatine
Creatine can boost your performance by up to 15% in high-intensity exercise, which is why it’s one of the most commonly used supplements in the gym.
It works by helping you to replenish the ATP stores in your muscles, which are used as fuel for short stints of explosive exercise.
If you have more creatine in your system, you can produce more energy from your muscle cells leading to bigger gains in muscle mass and strength.
Nitrate
Nitrate, commonly found in beetroot juice, is used by a lot of athletes. That’s why beet shots have become so popular in recent years.
The body converts nitrate into nitric oxide, which causes blood vessels to expand so that more blood is available to the working muscles.
If you take a shot of beet juice around 2-3 hours before exercise, this will result in peak levels of nitrate when you workout.
Nitrate is particularly effective for endurance events because it reduces the oxygen cost during exercise, so it’s frequently used by runners, cyclists and triathletes.
Finding small ways to make marginal improvements can help you reach your maximum potential. They also boost your confidence so you are able to give the best account of yourself when it matters.
Dietary supplements can help you both in training and in competition, allowing you to maximise your gains and potential.
Different supplements work for different athletes and you may find some upset your stomach, so it’s important to practice with them before a big event.
If you want to experiment with a few or find more information on which might be right for you, here are four of the best nutritional supplements to boost your performance.
Caffeine
Elite athletes in almost every sport use caffeine to enhance their performance, and there’s a lot of scientific research showing it has a positive effect.
Caffeine works in a number of ways. It’s believed to increase your tolerance to pain, which is why it’s used so commonly by endurance athletes, and it’s been proven to boost running and cycling performance.
It stimulates the nervous system to make you feel more alert focused, and increases adrenaline production.
The great thing about caffeine is it comes in a lot of different forms so you can pick one that suits you. Whether it’s a tablet, an energy drink or a coffee, you’re usually best off taking it about an hour before exercise.
Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is widely used in pre-workout supplements because it can improve performance.
It’s been shown to improve time to exhaustion for cyclists and rowers by as much as 14% in some studies.
Regular supplementation can increase the body’s resistance to muscle acidosis, which is what causes the heavy feeling in your muscles that makes you feel like you have to stop a workout.
Delaying this means you can continue with high-intensity workouts for longer and push harder.
Creatine
Creatine can boost your performance by up to 15% in high-intensity exercise, which is why it’s one of the most commonly used supplements in the gym.
It works by helping you to replenish the ATP stores in your muscles, which are used as fuel for short stints of explosive exercise.
If you have more creatine in your system, you can produce more energy from your muscle cells leading to bigger gains in muscle mass and strength.
Nitrate
Nitrate, commonly found in beetroot juice, is used by a lot of athletes. That’s why beet shots have become so popular in recent years.
The body converts nitrate into nitric oxide, which causes blood vessels to expand so that more blood is available to the working muscles.
If you take a shot of beet juice around 2-3 hours before exercise, this will result in peak levels of nitrate when you workout.
Nitrate is particularly effective for endurance events because it reduces the oxygen cost during exercise, so it’s frequently used by runners, cyclists and triathletes.
