Performance Enhancers: A Confession from A-Rod

Last week was a revelation to baseball. Alex Rodriguez admitted using performance enhancing drugs while with the Texas Rangers from 2001 to 2003. A lot of people were disappointed – former team mates and coaches, but more importantly, millions of fans who look up to him.

Rodriguez has been adamant in expressing his regrets on ever using performance enhancing drugs. He said he was sorry; he was caught in an “everybody is doing it” era and there has been overwhelming pressure for him to prove himself. However, he was also fervent in his statement that he has not taken anything of that nature since 2003 and he has given his word of honor to educate people especially the youth on the harms of drug use.

Incidentally, there has been an increase in actions and measures taken against illegal drugs including steroids. Among teenage athletes, as much as 6% admitted to having tried performance enhancing drugs. Another survey reported on the access to steroids and other performance enhancing supplements of students in middle and high school. It was reported that “18.1 percent of eighth graders, 29.7 percent of high school sophomores, and 39.7 percent of seniors” stated that obtaining steroids was “fairly easy” or “very easy.”

This is very alarming indeed. With incidents like the one with Alex Rodriguez where performance enhancing drugs are known to be used in the pro-leagues, high school and college athletes will find another reason to rationalize steroid use. “If A-Rod uses it, why should I?” will be a common argument.

One of the most common performance enhancing substances is creatine. Other common substances and drugs used to improve athletic performance are: protein supplements, amino acids, coenzyme Q10, caffeine, chromium picolinate, ginseng, anabolic steroids, and growth hormones.

It’s scary to experiment with illegal substances, even those which are not regulated. Without extensive research on these substances, you may just end up wasting your money and your career.

The best way to improve athletic performance is proper nutrition, a sound training plan, and healthy mental and emotional states.

Believe in yourself!

You are far more capable of improving your game than a tab of steroidal pills.

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Creatine Supplementation: Improving Your Athletic and Mental Performance

The use of sports supplements have run into agreement as well as opposition from medical professionals, sports practitioners, and athletes alike.

Creatine is a naturally-occurring nitrogenous organic acid in all vertebrates. Its main function is to provide energy to muscles, particularly skeletal muscles, and nerve cells. Biosynthesis of creatine in the body is usually derived from protein and al most all the creatine produced is stored in the skeletal muscles.

Studies have shown that creatine can reduce fatigue, with the subjects taking creatine supplements more active than those who are not. Read more about that study in this article.

Athletes who take creatine supplements will expect an increase in their lean muscle mass. It can also be effective in boosting anaerobic capacity for high intensity cycling sprints and can step up the power levels for short burst periods of high intensity aerobic activities.

Creatine supplementation is generally considered safe in healthy individuals. There are still limited clinical researches for the short- and long-term of using creatine supplements having unpleasant health side effects.

The creatine ethyl ester is the commercially form which creatine is made available, another one is the more common creatine monohydrate.

If you are planning to supplement your diet and exercise with creatine, always ask for medical advice. Check with your doctor. It is always a good thing to throw caution to the winds when you are putting your health on the line.

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Sports Nutrition: Are You Eating Right As An Athlete?

As an athlete you have a slightly different diet than the average person. Since you are moving more, you need enough energy for your activities.

For the average person, the American Dietary Guidelines recommends the following:

• Consume a variety of nutrient-rich foods and beverages within and among the basic food groups and choosing foods that reduce the intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt, and alcohol.

• Meet recommended intakes within energy needs by adopting a balanced eating pattern.
As an athlete, you must follow these dietary recommendations not only for your health but also for your athletic performance.

Protein is an important part of an athlete’s diet. However, you are not encouraged to eat more than your recommended protein intake because your body will store that excess calories in the form of fat tissues. If you want to develop muscle mass, you have to do strength training and take in just a little more than your recommended intake of carbohydrates as well as small amounts protein, but not too much or you’ll end up developing love handles.

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy and as an athlete you need to eat more energy-giving foods to sustain you. Even desserts are a green-zone for athletes since most of these are rich in sugar and are good sources of carbohydrates.

Fats or lipids are also sources of energy, just like carbohydrates. It is a common misconception that fats are bad for you. There are good fats and there are bad fats. Good fats are the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats whereas the fats you should avoid are saturated and trans fats.

Some of the American Dietary Guidelines recommendations on fat intake are as follows:

• Consume less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids and less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol, and keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible.

• Keep total fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.

Proper nutrition is as essential as constant practice for an athlete. Your body must be able to respond to the demands you make and that means eating the rights foods at the right amounts to be able to fully achieve your competitive potentials.

In addition to eating right, you must also be well-hydrated. Adequate water intake is vital to your body as you continuously lose fluids and electrolytes through perspiration, urinating and defecating, as well as in breathing.

Remember that water is important in nutrient transport. You need water to carry those nutrients you get from the healthy foods you eat to the muscles, organs, and cells where these nutrients are most needed.

As an athlete, you should even be more attentive to what you eat because you also demand more from your body than the average person. Therefore, you should supply it with the nutrients it needs, and in the right amounts, of course.

When you’re out there on the field, in the middle of an intense competition, sometimes it can come down to what you’re eating as an athlete. Proper nutrition is very important for an athlete. Like a sports car which needs high-octane fuel for optimum travel velocity, an athlete must also be eating the right foods to fuel peak athletic performance.

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Building Muscles and Gaining Weight

When you want to build muscles, your first consideration is the food you eat. Eating the right foods at the right amounts is important in developing lean muscle mass and gaining weight.

Yes, weight gain! Don’t cringe! The weigh gain we’re talking about here is the gain of lean muscle mass and not excess fat.

Did you know that muscles weigh more than fat?

It only follows that if you’re going to build muscles, you’re also going to gain weight but good weight.
If you want to build muscles you will have to eat more carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy although 20% of it must also come from fats.

Yes, you heard it right – fats. There are the good fats, and of course, the bad fats and we all know all about the saturated and trans fat, don’t we? But what do we know about monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats? Not much…But there are good sources of energy as well as good for your heart too!

There is the common misconception that when loading up on protein will help you gain lean muscle mass faster. The excess protein you eat will only be used as energy if you don’t perform weight or resistance training exercises.

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In sports, proper hydration is important not only to the athlete’s physical condition but also to his/her athletic performance.

Water has four main functions in the body: circulation of nutrients and elimination of wastes, regulation of body temperature, lubrication of joints and tissues, and facilitation of digestion.

When in training or during competition, the body’s demand for water increases considerably. Hydration and fluid replenishment, which in sports are used interchangeably, is therefore an important part of the training and competition. Water intake and hydration strategies must be in place to prevent dehydration.

Typically, a 15-minute interval for water intake is recommended and water is best absorbed by the body at a temperature range of about 4-7°C.

The importance of hydration in sports has given rise to the production of sports drinks which, in addition to water, also contains electrolytes and small amounts of carbohydrates in the form of glucose. These are not readily absorbed by the body as quickly as water but they can be helpful in replenishing electrolytes lot through perspiration and in providing energy in the form of glucose.

Here’s another power truth about water…

Proper hydration facilitates blood circulation. The fluid component of the blood known as plasma is made up of about 90% water. Hydration ensures that water in the blood, which is lost as a response to the body’s attempt of regulating its temperature, is replaced continuously throughout the periods of intense activity. This can translate to a continuing proper function of the cardiovascular system.

Now that should keep you refilling that water bottle every time!

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