Supplements #

When thinking about taking supplements, it’s important to consider the balance between the potential benefit (i.e., whether there is proven evidence that the product can enhance your performance) and the potential risk (whether the product is safe and does not interfere with the absorption of other nutrients).

Supplements usually fall into four categories: A, B, C and D. This classification ranks sports products according to the scientific evidence and practical reasons that determine a product’s safety, legality and effectiveness in enhancing athletic performance.

Most of the products of interest to you are in Category A, which are sports nutrition, health supplements and performance-enhancing supplements. Category A includes products whose benefits have been proven by scientific studies when taken according to all the rules for taking them. Category B products have been confirmed by a number of experiments, but more research is needed to clarify the specifics. These foods include fish oil, cherry juice or some varieties of antioxidants. Category C foods have no benefit (or no proven benefit), and those in group D are generally prohibited and should never be consumed.

Doping control #

When working with professional athletes, one has to be extremely careful when giving advice on supplements, whether they are medical preparations (say, those containing omega-3 fatty acids) or products directly related to training (such as protein shakes or ergogenic substances like caffeine, bicarbonate, etc., which have been proven to improve performance). The reason is that doping controls are quite common in big sports. A positive test result may be the result of a tainted multivitamin product with harmful substances. Therefore, only tested products with a certificate confirming multiple tests for any harmful substances are recommended.

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