MMA Training : MMA Fitness Articles

Endurance Supplements: The Choice is Yours

MMATraining.com Fitness Article by Tammy Strome

Do you run, swim, bike, or row two or more days a week for periods of 15-20 minutes or more? Do you call yourself a marathoner or a tri-athlete? If you do then you are among the millions of people that participate in endurance activities. You are an endurance athlete!

You follow a good diet and a good training program. You care about your performance. You may look for something that could help you do better. Is an endurance supplement the answer?

Endurance supplements are promoted to improve endurance performance. This could be through increasing carbohydrate availability, increasing muscle glycogen, improving hydration status or promoting recovery after the event. There are many ingredients on the market that make these claims and sorting fact from fiction can be a daunting task. Below is some information that may make this task easier for you!

Ingredients that may be worth using in your endurance program:

Glycerol: This supplement can increase hydration levels in the body when taken before exercise. Proper hydration levels are critical to maintaining endurance performance. Glycerol does appear to be most effective when taken in hot and humid environments. 1   There may also additional benefits of reduced heart rate and increased endurance when combining carbohydrates. 2   The recommended dosage for Glycerol is 1 gram per kilogram of bodyweight mixed with fluid. 3   One thing to consider is that some individuals can experience gastric upset with this product. It would be important to test the effectiveness of this substance before using it in an event. 4   Glycerol can be purchased in most health food stores.

Caffeine: In appropriate dosages this substance can be effective for increasing endurance performance. Research suggests that caffeine appears to increase free fatty acid availability for fuel, which may create more energy available for low intensity endurance events. 5   It can also offer increased alertness due to the stimulatory effects on the nervous system. The performance enhancing benefits do tend to decline in regular users of caffeine and they can also decline if too much caffeine is ingested. Caffeine is also a diuretic so extra hydration may be needed to counter the dehydrating effects of this supplement. Some individuals do experience gastric upset from caffeine ingestion due to the stimulating properties. It would be wise to experiment with appropriate dosages prior to any event. Acceptable dosages to experiment with vary from 100mg - 200mg. Caffeine is most concentrated in coffee and tea, but in can be purchased in tablet form from most health food stores.

Sodium Citrate/Bicarbonate: This substance may be useful in moderate 6   to high intensity endurance events 7   as it can help reduce fatigue by buffering excess acid produced by the body. 8   The level of performance improvement seems to be around 1-3%. 9   This would be enough to see a visible improvement. It is possible that Sodium Citrate/ Bicarbonate may be of more benefit to athletes at risk for dehydration. There may be a risk of gastric upset with this supplement when certain levels are exceeded. 10   Sodium bicarbonate can be purchased in grocery stores as baking soda. The recommended dosage is about 300mg/ Kg of body weight. 11  

BCAA's: Branched-chain amino acids are the first amino acids sacrificed in protein breakdown. This can occur in prolonged endurance activities where protein is used as an energy source. It can also occur in situations such as high altitude training or where protein and nutrient availability are limited. 12   It would be recommended to be already taking adequate dietary protein, particularly a whey protein isolate. It is naturally rich in BCAAs. BCAAs can be purchased at health food stores. A usual dosage is somewhere between 4-6 capsules prior to exercise. This will vary by product.

The following supplements offer limited research as to their effectiveness as an endurance supplement:

  • L- Carnitine
  • Ginseng
  • Coenzyme Q10

Endurance supplements may help you perform better. However, It is very important to remember that proper nutrition, proper training and positive lifestyle patterns have a far greater impact on your body and its performance in endurance activity. It may be of greater benefit to consider supplementing your diet with fundamental building blocks to good health such as a whey protein isolate, a multi vitamin, a fish oil and a good greens supplement. These nutrients will supplement your diet and provide you with the support you need to reach new levels in performance.

The choice is yours!

Tammy Strome, RNCP, Ckin, IFBB Pro

Professional Health and Wellness Coach

Co-founder, CRE8iON Fitness & Wellness Inc.

  1. R A Robergs PHD, “Glycerol hyperhydration to beat the heat”, Sport Science Training Technology (Jan 1998).
  2. Montner et al, “Pre-exercise glycerol hydration to increase cycling endurance time”, International Journal of Sports Medicine 17 (1998) 27-33.
  3. Dan Bernardot , PHD, RD, Nutrition for Serious Athletes (Us: Human Kinetics, 2000) 87.
  4. Dr John Berardi, PHD, CSCS, personal interview, 11 Jan. 2006.
  5. Dan Bernardot, PHD, RD, Nutrition for Serious Athletes (US: Human Kinetics, 2000) 132
  6. www.Nutritionreview.org, “Sodium Bicarbonate”, 2005.
  7. LR MchNaughton et al, “Neutralize acid to enhance performance”, Sport Science Training and Technology, Sept 1991.
  8. www.Nutritionreview.org, “Sodium Bicarbonate”, 2005.
  9. Dr John Berardi, PHD, CSCS, personal interview, 11 Jan. 2006.
  10. Dr John Berardi, PHD, CSCS, personal interview, 11 Jan 2006.
  11. McNaughton, L. (1992), Bicarbonate Loading and its use in sports, International Clinical Nutritional
  12. Dr John Berardi, PHD, CSCS, personal interview, 11 Jan 2006.

 
Bet on MMA at Bodog
 

More Articles by Tammy Strome