Dietary Supplements for Sports Women
The term dietary supplement refers to the extra components of nutrition added to the diet to balance the diet or mitigate the deficiency of some components. It may include vitamins, minerals, amino acid, and some herbs. One characteristic feature of the supplements is that they involve highly concentrated quantity of the one or more of the ingredients usually taken in as a capsule, in powered form or as a soft gel like substance. Usually a dietary supplement follows the limit specified by recommended dietary allowances (RDA) akin to the nutrients in food.
How Dietary Supplements Help Sports Women?
Supplements help boost sports performance by increasing endurance, muscular strength, reducing recovery time and minimizing health risks. Vitamin and mineral supplements are used by more than half of the women athletes today. This helps balance the diet and in addition provides the extra energy needed for athletic performance. It is most wide spread among sports like weight lifting. Multivitamins are the most widely used followed by vitamin C, iron, B-complex vitamins, vitamin E, calcium, and vitamin A. Iron supplements too are commonly used by women athletes.
Important Dietary Supplements
Important dietary supplements include calcium, potassium and iron.
Calcium
Calcium is a prerequisite for bone health, muscle building and proper functioning of nerves. Milk, yogurt, fortified grains, soy, and leafy greens contain large amounts of calcium. For better maintenance of bone mineral density intake of proper amount of Vitamin D and Vitamin K is also required. The upper limit for intake of Vitamin D is 50 micrograms daily. It is ideal to take calcium supplements in smaller doses three times a day instead of a single dose.
Iron
Iron helps in the passage of oxygen into the blood and muscles cells thereby aiding in energy production. Deficiency of iron may affect temperature regulation and create fatigue. High intensity training followed by low calorie intake can lead to iron deficiency. It’s better to take iron supplements on an empty stomach. Meat proteins and fortified grains are ideal sources of iron. Leafy greens, dried fruit and beans also contain iron, but this iron is poorly absorbed. The upper limit of iron intake should be 45 mg.
Potassium
Along with sodium, potassium is required in balancing body fluids, muscle, and nerve function as well as energy production. Potassium is a common constituent in sports nutrition drinks for the same reason. It is also essential in managing blood pressure. Bananas, citrus fruits and juices, potatoes, milk and meat are good sources of potassium. Medical advice must be sought regarding potassium intake since higher quantities may adversely affect the functions of heart.
Don’t be Misled
Dietary supplements should not be confused with performance enhancing drugs. Many products available in the market contain such drugs which are prohibited. Some herbal products and nutritional supplements may contain banned substances such as ephedrine. The use of such products may lead to serious health problems.