The best supplements for athletes

Let’s face it, the game has changed no matter what sport or athletic endeavor you participate in, and it has changed rapidly.

If you think about it, running shoes were really only introduced in the last 30 years, and the technological advancements that have occurred with foams, rubbers, and other materials to make running shoes more durable as well as more comfortable have been huge in the last ten or so years. It is the same way with supplements for endurance athletes.

Ten years ago, the Power Bar was revolutionizing how well athletes performed, recovered, and sustained performance. Now there are tons of different powders, drinks, and formulas that all boast endurance enhancement that will keep you performing at your peak and sometimes beyond.

Gatorade

There are plenty of pre-workout, pre-training, and pre-race supplements out there, but one of the most popular is Gatorade. It was formulated to help University of Florida’s athletes perform at high levels despite the outpouring of sweat, necessary salts, and amino acids throughout their workout and in the games.

The essential salts, and amino acids, in Gatorade and other sports drinks that aim to keep athletes’ stamina up, work because they replenish the salts on a cellular level. Without these amino acids, the cells eventually begin to produce lactic acid and that leads to muscle pain and cramping.

An after exertion supplement can be just as important as a pre-exertion supplement in order to keep your muscles from cramping or tightening, and to help your cells and muscles recover as quickly as possible so that you can perform at the same level, or hopefully, higher the next time you work out or participate in your sport.

Vitamins

Your body burns lots more than just water when you are working out, and if you are only putting water or other simple things back into your system, it will take much longer to recover. There are several necessary nutrients that can help you and that work great as supplements for endurance athletes. These essential nutrients can be found in most daily multivitamins, but if you are looking to strengthen your workout and endurance levels, then you will want to look into these supplements by themselves in greater quantities.

Calcium might be one of the most important nutrients for an athlete. Consuming between 1,200 to 1,500 mg a day will greatly help your endurance levels because putting calcium back into your system helps your cells recover at the most basic level.

Iron works at the neurological level and helps your brain sustain its endurance levels in order to keep your muscles firing correctly.

Potassium will help you sustain activity as well as relieve cramps after your workout. Potassium can help reduce fatigue more than almost any other essential nutrient.