Can Nutritional Supplements Enhance Athletic Performance?
There are over 100 compounds advertised to be supplemental “ergogenic aids,” substances you eat that improve your use of energy, increase energy production, or shorten the time needed to recover from exercise. Of these, only a few actually have any evidence to support their use as performance enhancers. But many are known to be dangerous or potentially harmful. In Part 1, I discussed the ergogenic qualities of vitamins and minerals, amino acids and proteins, and carbohydrates. In general, compounds from these categories are relatively safe when taken in the prescribed dosages. Some of them do indeed improve performance if an athlete is not getting sufficient amounts from a balanced diet. The other supplements do not have a dietary origin, and in fact act like drugs. But unlike prescription medications, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not have the same regulatory control over supplements. Back to top Caffeine Caffeine is the one compound with good scientific evidence to
