Supplements and Their Place in a Training  Regimen

We are frequently asked what supplements our athletes should take in conjunction with their training. This is not an easy question to answer.  It is true  that heavy training increases an athletes’ caloric needs, and it is true training creates stressful demands on both the musculoskeletal  system and the cardiovascular system. A good diet, balancing protein and carbohydrates, is very important to assist recovery and performance. Heavy training on a consistent basis makes it difficult for the athlete to eat enough to meet his or her needs. This is where supplementation can play a key role in an athletes’ performance.

When speaking about supplements, the first thing that pops into everyone’s head is steroids. Steroids are illegal, destructive, and have no place in sports. Supplements by definition are dietary aids taken to fill a need in one’s diet. The most common example is a daily multivitamin. When examining athletic performance, the most common and effective supplements are protein, creatine, and caffeine. Creatine and protein directly affect muscle building and muscle performance. Caffeine directly affects muscle performance in endurance athletes. All three supplements have been studied exhaustively, and all have been found to be safe and effective. The NCAA has put limitations on the amount of caffeine an athlete can consume before competition.

The question we are examining here is:  What supplements should an athlete take?  Protein and creatine are a must when it comes to building strength. Both can be found in red meat, and there are several powder forms of protein and creatine. Why take supplements? Why not? In conjunction with good training habits, results can be seen within minutes, days and weeks. Results from a good training program alone or just diet alone take weeks to months.

The best strategy is to clean up your diet first. Set your goals of training to include your diet. After you have good discipline with your diet, then slowly add supplementation to complement your goals. You may consider consulting a dietitian to guide you through a proper diet plan. When it comes to supplements, we at Kinetic Connections have found Advocare products and Pro-Grade products to be the best and most pure products to use. It is important to know if any of the products your athletes are taking have banned substances in their ingredients. Neither of these product lines do. Both offer a contact number if you have any questions regarding their products. If you are interested in purchasing either of these products, you may do so by clicking here.  If you have any questions regarding this topic feel free to e-mail your question or call us.Continue reading »

Is running bad for you? This is an age old question. If you think about it, before there were cars, bicycles, or any other forms of transportation, we depended on our feet to get around. Human beings are built to propel themselves and the only way to pick up the pace is to trot, jog, or run. Somewhere along the line we have devolved and no longer run to get from point A to point B. The excuse for not running, and I do mean excuse, is that running is bad for you.

Who says running is bad for you? People who don’t like running, of course. Some of the reasons people say running is bad for you: It’s bad for your knees, you could have a heart attack, it can ruin the female reproductive organs, it’s hard on your feet. The reasons, or should I say excuses, running is so bad for you can go on forever. It’s pretty safe to say, again, those who say running is bad for you are people who don’t like to run.

Let’s explore some of the myths on why running is bad for you. It’s bad for your knees. This may be true for people who  Continue reading »