Food supplements have become almost obligatory training and competition companions for many runners and many athletes in general. But in the jungle of all the products available, the question that you can rightfully ask is: are they uninteresting “sweets”, real miracle products to increase your form and your performance or do them ultimately constitute a real doping approach?
Unlike the food additive (mixed directly with certain foods), the Hypoxygen food supplement is, for its part, a concentrated source (vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, enzymes, amino acids, etc.) which is sold in isolation. As its name suggests, the Performance Supplement must provide substances having an effect on the organism and which would be missing or in insufficient quantity in the normal diet of an individual!
The different product categories
For an endurance sport (running, swimming, cycling), the food supplements will not be the same as for a sport of strength, speed or power.
Amino acids and proteins
For endurance athletes, the consumption of proteins other than those provided by the current diet on a daily basis is generally not necessary.
Regarding amino acids, 2 may be of interest in sport:
The glutamine: This is yet the most abundant amino acid in the body, you can ask the question of the interest to consume complement? In fact, physical activity drains glutamine stores faster than it reforming, which can lead the body to destroy muscle cells. In addition, glutamine supplementation can reduce the vulnerability to infections after heavy workouts because a decrease in glutamine in the body causes a weakened state of the immune system in the face of post-workout infections.
The BCAA: These are amino acids with branched chains in their structure that are part of the so-called essential amino acids in your body. They are of some interest in sports nutrition, because they are the first amino acids degraded during sports effort. Supplementation may therefore be advised to decrease protein degradation in skeletal muscles. They are also known for their action on reducing lactic acid production and thus also promote increased endurance and recovery.