Hot Topic: Sports Nutrition and Supplements

Question 1

What are the three most common types of sports performance supplements

Answer 1

sports drinks, sports foods, and sports supplements

Question 2

What are sports drinks

Answer 2

provide carbohydrates and fluid

Question 3

What are sports foods

Answer 3

usually in bar form - nutrient-dense and leverages the functionality of food proposition

Question 4

What are sports supplements

Answer 4

tablets, powders, ready-to-drink, etc.

Question 5

What are important considerations with performance supplements

Answer 5

dosage
placebo
mechanism
sport
safety/regulation

Question 6

What is the function of creatine

Answer 6

increases Cr and PCr stores

Question 7

What is the function of carb loading

Answer 7

increases muscle glycogen stores

Question 8

What is the function of carb mouth rinses

Answer 8

taste receptor cells send nerve impulses to the brain

Question 9

What is the function of protein supplementation

Answer 9

amino acid leucine stimulates muscle protein synthesis

Question 10

What is the function of caffeine

Answer 10

opens Sr Ca2+ release channels

Question 11

What is important about regulations surrounding performance substances

Answer 11

some are illegal/banned, while some are unsafe to take
eg. erythropoietin (EPO) and human growth hormone (hGH)

Question 12

What are some muscle building supplements with strong evidence to support efficacy and safety

Answer 12

protein, creatine monohydrate, essential amino acids, B-HMB

Question 13

What are some muscle building supplements with weak/mixed evidence to support efficacy

Answer 13

ATP, BCAA, phosphatidic acid

Question 14

Why is creatine a good supplement option

Answer 14

increases PCr stores, which is the first fuel used (therefore can increase “explosive” bouts in performance)

Question 15

How does creatine impact performance and strength

Answer 15

performance: short-lived tasks like sprinting, but no improvement in endurance exercise
strength: increased reps and total lifting volume, with increased muscle mass overtime

Question 16

Why supplement with protein

Answer 16

amino acids are the building blocks of muscle mass
- resistance exercise increases anabolic sensitivity, and with protein supplements this leads to increased muscle mass, strength, and function

Question 17

Does timing of supplements matter?

Answer 17

yes, there is an anabolic window
- total amount consumed each day matters as well

Question 18

Why use caffeine supplementation?

Answer 18

delays fatigue, improves alertness, and increases mean power output

Question 19

How many elite athletes use caffeine

Answer 19

74%

Question 20

What is an important limitation of caffeine

Answer 20

high doses can increases heart rate and anxiety

Question 21

Why take antioxidants?

Answer 21

muscle contraction creates free radicals - antioxidants quench free radicals which reduces damage to muscles

Question 22

Why take nitric oxide precursors

Answer 22

they are vasodilators which contribute to mitochondrial respiration and muscle contraction

Question 23

What are some examples of nitric oxide precursors

Answer 23

L-arginine, L-citrulline, nitrate

Question 24

What is the function of nitrate and where is it found

Answer 24

reduces the oxygen cost during moderate/high-intensity exercise
- found in beetroot juice