Dietary supplements make up for a lack of nutrition, right?
Wrong! Many health goals are met by eating whole, natural food, not by consuming
dietary supplements. Athletes report many reasons for consuming dietary
supplements. A popular one: “it’s hard to eat healthy; I don’t have time to
cook, because my sport takes up a lot of my time.” However, a deeper look into the food habits of
athletes reflects missed meals or snacks, high fat and/or low carbohydrate
intake, inadequate total calorie intake, the use of recovery shakes as meal
replacements, or an emphasis on supplement intake before food.
The athlete may
say:
- I'm tired all day.
- I can't maintain my weight.
- Eating healthy is expensive.
- I think I need more protein.
- I'm so hungry at night.
- I tend to eat more sweets after dinner.
A proper nutrition plan and healthy food choices can address
many of the concerns commonly brought forward by athletes.
Research supports that adequate food for performance can:
- Increase energy.
- Improve performance.
- Increase speed, stamina, & endurance.
- Improve mental focus.
- Decrease recovery time.
- Improve mood & sleep.
- Reduce the risk of injury, cramping, & muscle pulls.
- Increase muscle mass.
- Decrease fat mass.
The comparisons below illustrate how whole food combinations actually provide more nutrition than dietary supplements.
Clearly, food is a better bang for your buck! The risk of contamination/adulteration in dietary supplements is eliminated, and you receive more nutritive value from food than dietary supplements. Working with a sports dietitian is highly recommended to help individualize your unique food fueling strategies to reach performance goals. Drug Free Sport AXIS™ also provides a growing "Athlete Recipe Box" with athlete-friendly recipes that require little time, taste great, and are easy to prepare.
