The use of sports supplements does not make up for a bad diet. Supplementation should be used as an addition to a good diet to help the sports performer maintain a training level and to facilitate good performance and health. Below is a beakdown of some of the most commonly used nutritional supplements around today.

Multi Vitamin and Mineral Tablets

People who lead an active livestyle and are involved in regular physical activity are much more likely to use up their bodies supply of vitamins and minerals. Taking a daily multivitamin supplement ensures that your body has a sufficient supply of these nutrients. Supplementing with multivitamins will not suddenly make someone perform at a higher standard, but your general health and recovery is more likely to be better.

Carbohydrate Supplements

Our body uses carbohydrates as a primary energy source during everyday life and training. Athletes need higher than normal levels of carbohydrate in their diets and one way to get these is by supplementation. There are many carbohydrate supplements available on the market such as Maxim or Maltodextrin and are usually taken mixed with milk or water.

Protein Powders

Protein is required to build muscle, without a good, steady supply of protein your muscles will not grow. Excellent food sources of protein include poultry, fish, milk and eggs.

Protein supplementation is often undertaken by athletes as it is a more convenient method of comsuming the extra protein, and the supplements can come in several forms. Protein Powders, usually mixed with milk or water, offer a nutritional shake / drink that is high in protein and relatively low in fat and carbohydrate. Protein shakes are often used for convenience more than anything, though when consuming large amounts of protein daily, some people find it easier and less filling to drink it rather than eat it. Various types of protein powder are available including Egg Protein, Soy Protein, Milk Protein and Whey Protein. In recent years, Protein Bars have become popular. These are snack bars which are high in protein.

Amino Acid Tablets

Amino acids are the building blocks that make up protein. Early suggestions were that taking amino acids directly would be more efficient than digesting protein. However, Amino acid tablets have become less popular as the benefits have not been supported by research, though they still may play a supplementary role for some athletes, possibly vegaterians.

Weight Gainers

Often used by bodybuilders weight gainers are high calorie drinks / shakes used to aid or supplement your calorific intake to ensure it is sufficient for growth. The majority of weight gainers use complex carbohydrates but some athletes like to manufacture their own weight gainers by mixing a protein powder and a complex carbohydrate supplement together in a single drink.