How Lifestyle Affects Athletic Performance
An athlete’s performance is largely dependent on the lifestyle he or she adopts. For optimal performance, regular exercise, a pleasant environment, healthy diet, clean air , and an ability to handle and perform under pressure are crucial. In addition, athletes are increasing turning to dietary supplements in an effort to give their performance a boost.The Importance of Supplements
For athletes, supplements provide a variety of advantages, including improving their physical strength and power, enhancing their energy level, and burning excess fat. For example, athletes need ample muscle mass strength and size and the ability to engage in strenuous and lengthy training sessions, which leads them to take protein supplements. While athletes could choose to include more protein in their daily diet by adding fish, poultry, and dairy products, supplements are also a viable option that can also help prevent them from consuming excess fats in protein-rich foods.Reasons for Taking Supplements
Enhanced muscle strength: Regular training and exercise, as well as a healthy diet, is necessary for muscle growth. However, protein supplements also help boost muscle strength. Unfortunately, this can give athletes unfair advantages, which is why the use of protein supplements are considered a punishable offense in some athletic communities.Increased fat burning abilities: Athletic dietary supplements contain branch chained amino acids, which facilitate the process of building up proteins and muscles in the body. At the same time, these supplements enhance fat oxidation or burning, particularly during workouts. It’s important to note that the amino acids contained in supplements can cause a metabolic imbalance in the body, which can be dangerous.
Potential Dangers
Nutrition experts caution athletes about the use of diet supplements due to their potential dangers. They like to remind athletes that there are plenty of natural and effective ways to enhance muscle strength and get rid of excess body fat and weight, provided they have the determination and discipline to follow through. A few of the top risks associated with the use of diet supplements include:
Stomach ailments: Gastrointestinal distress is a common side effect of many dietary supplements, particularly for athletes struggling with lactose intolerance. Problems may include nausea, bloating, and stomach cramps, especially when using dairy-based proteins.
Reduced appetite: Supplements can decrease appetite. Not only can this prevent athletes from getting much needed nutrients, but it can also cause extreme fatigue.