Pump you up! - sports supplements

Vegetarian Times, May, 2000 by Melissa Winkler

Can sports supplements make you bigger, faster and stronger?

Health food store shelves are literally overflowing with supplements that promise to help you achieve peak athletic performance. The claim is enough to convince many sports devotees to give some of them a try. Sam Sheldon, age 24, runner and longtime vegetarian, is one of the countless enthusiasts who've been lured by manufacturers' claims. While training for the 1999 New York City Marathon, he started every day with a protein shake and a multivitamin, and two hours before his run snacked on an energy bar. He also tried a variety of pills purported to improve athletic ability, including chromium, vitamin E with zinc, and the Chinese herb ciwujia (pronounced su-WAH-ja), which is touted to reduce muscle fatigue during aerobic exercise. In the end, Sheldon came away with mixed reviews. "With the exception of the added protein," he says, "the supplements didn't make a difference."

Several athletes, however, do notice a change and swear by the stuff. Some coaches even supply their teams with performance enhancers like creatine. But there are many doctors and nutritionists who say that sports supplements are at best a waste of time and at worst potentially dangerous.

Getting the Essentials

"If you're looking for energy and stamina, start with a good breakfast," asserts Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook (Human Kinetics Publishers, 1997). "If athletes are eating properly, chances are they'll get everything they need through a varied diet." But how many people know the precise amount of essential nutrients, such as zinc and iron, they're getting--let alone absorbing--on a regular basis? And even though they have good intentions, not everyone loves folate-rich leafy greens and protein-packed legumes. Even Sheldon admits to lapses in good nutrition when those pizza and cookie cravings set in. Like millions of other fitness enthusiasts, he turned to supplements for nutritional insurance. Because whether you're running marathons or just a few miles on the treadmill, there are several nutrients that play a significant role in helping you achieve peak performance. Here's what the experts recommend.

NUTRITION KNOW-HOW

* CALCIUM plays a vital role in preventing muscle contractions, and athletes who don't get enough of this miners may experience muscle cramps. Calcium is also essential for keeping bones healthy and strong, which reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Between diet and supplements, adults should get at least 1,000 milligrams (mg.) daily (calcium-rich foods include fortified soy products, kale and broccoli). Be sure to get enough magnesium too (1 mg. for every 2 mg. of calcium) and vitamin D (about 400 international units [IU] daily) to maximize calcium absorption.

* IRON is best known for its role in the production of red blood cells, which transport oxygen throughout the body. Depleted supplies can cause fatigue and lead to anemia. The RDA is 10 to 15 mg., and to enhance absorption, iron is best taken with vitamin C (like a glass of orange juice).

* ZINC is necessary for a healthy immune system and is especially important for exercisers since levels are believed to drop during and after extensive workouts. In one study, athletes lost twice as much zinc through urine after a long run as they did following a comparable period of inactivity. Since getting enough of the mineral may be a challenge if you don't eat meat, supplements can be particularly useful for vegetarians. Daily dose: 15 to 30 mg.

* VITAMINS C AND E are both potent antioxidants. They help repair the damage done by free radicals, compounds that play a role in muscle stiffness and soreness, inflammation and tissue damage. Antioxidants are particularly important for athletes because exercise increases the amount of oxygen that goes through your system; this spurs cell oxidation, which leads to free radical production. Vitamins C and E are also believed to increase lung capacity, which can enhance endurance levels. While vitamin C is abundant in fruits and vegetables, vitamin E is rather scarce in food (found in small amounts in seed and nut oils, peanuts, avocados and dark leafy greens), so supplementation is often the easiest way to get it. Daily dose: 250 to 1,000 mg. of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E. (Because fish oil is a common source of vitamin E, check labels carefully).

* PROTEIN is an essential building block of muscles and organs. When you don't get enough, your strength and energy dwindle and you recover more slowly from injury. What's more, says Janet Walberg Rankin, Ph.D., a professor of sports nutrition at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, "a lot of research supports a higher protein requirement for people who are very active." This is because during periods of strenuous exercise (i.e., a workout that lasts more than an hour and a half), protein is diverted from its normal functions to serve as fuel for muscles. Some experts believe this condition raises protein needs by as much as 25 percent. Clark recommends that active people get at least 0.5 gram of protein for every pound of body weight. That adds up to around 65 grams if you're a 130-pound woman and 85 grams if you're a 170-pound man. Be careful not to overdo it, however. Excess protein gets converted to fat and raises the level of a toxic waste product called urea in your blood, which can be hazardous to your health.