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Sports Nutrition: For Serious Athletes And Weekend Warriors

Sports Nutrition: For Serious Athletes And Weekend Warriors

by Carolyn Steber | August 29, 2014

The market for sports nutrition supplements, including those that support energy and endurance, is showing no signs of slowing down as it opens up to every kind of athlete.

The demand for sports nutrition supplements for both professional and general consumers is on the rise, according to Trisha Sugarek MacDonald, BS, MS, director of research and development at Texas-based Bluebonnet Nutrition Corporation, makers of the Extreme Edge line of supplements. “In fact, sports nutrition represents the second largest market segment in the supplement industry, and the profits ring to the tune of about $91.18 billion this year. This is according to BCC (Business Communications Company) Research, a market research and industry analysis insight group,” she said.

A large portion of this growth has been within the youth segment for sports performance supplements, according to Sugarek MacDonald. A recent study performed by the National Health Interview Survey showed that 1.6 percent, or 1.2 million kids, are now users of sports performance formulations. “These changing demographics of the typical sports endurance supplement user has been responsible for the growth of the base market for sports supplements, and in turn, helped fuel the explosive sales growth seen in this category.” 

Another driving force is the recent shift from a category that was nearly exclusive to serious athletes, to one that is now overwhelming driven by recreational athletes looking to improve their overall fitness, performance and endurance, said Victor Ferrari, CEO of Geneva-based Horphag Research, exclusive worldwide supplier of Pycnogenol. “These everyday athletes are drawn to evidence-based products that leverage natural ingredients and supports their overall wellbeing,” he said. “For those who exercise recreationally, as well as serious athletes, taking antioxidants can help promote muscle recovery, improve fitness levels and reduce the risk of muscle damage.” 

But regardless of whether the consumer is a top athlete or a weekend warrior, both want a product that is safe. “We’ve seen a trend of consumers looking for safe, evidence-based natural products and supplements to improve athletic performance and energy,” Ferrari continued. “As this category continues to grow among recreational and everyday athletes, we anticipate that these consumers will continue to look for products, like natural antioxidants, that are proven safe and effective for multiple applications that not only benefit both their athletic performance but also their overall wellness.” 

The desire for proven safe products has become especially important in light of some bad press for sports nutrition supplements. “There is a lot of interest in this category, but also a lot of bad press,” added Timothy J. Monk, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Pittsburgh-based Klean Athlete Nutritional Supplements, a division of Douglas Laboratories. “There is no doubt athletes are looking for guidance in improving both endurance and energy levels. However, there is definitely a movement to do this in a more natural and safe way. The industry’s image has been hurt with some preworkout products that promised a lot, but also had ingredients that were quite controversial.” 

But there are ways to quell customer’s fears of unsafe sports nutrition supplements. For example, retailers should only offer products from companies that make safety a top concern. “We start by limiting our sports nutrition products to companies that we already have a strong working relationship with,” said Ramona Billingslea, marketing manager at Betsy’s Health Foods in Houston, TX. “We know these companies are members of the Natural Products Association, participate in a number of certification programs, and have even ourselves personally visited most of their manufacturing facilities.” 

Billingslea also suggested that retailers ask to see a copy of the manufacturer’s insurance coverage and to find out if the company has had any warning letters from the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), and how any such letters were resolved. “They can also check out reviews from independent ‘watch dogs’ such as Consumer Labs to make sure the sports nutrition products they are considering have passed their third-party testing,” she added.

Ingredients for Peak Performance 

Whether your customer is a weekend warrior or a triathlete, they will likely be interested in improving their energy and endurance so they can workout more efficiently and perform at their best.

To achieve optimal levels of energy and endurance, athletes must fuel their bodies properly. This is all done with nutritional timing. “The body is like a well-oiled, mean machine and like a car, it needs fuel. The more pure the fuel, the better the performance,” said Sugarek MacDonald. “By feeding the machine at optimal times during the workout process, athletes and weekend warriors help their bodies achieve their goals in record time.” 

According to Sugarek MacDonald, studies have shown that replenishing carbohydrate stores during an endurance event can help to maintain glycogen stores, while supplementing with protein after a workout can expedite recovery. “Thus, nutritional timing is critical for individuals looking to optimize the availability of nutrients in an effort to maximize their workout,” she added.

There are three stages to any workout. The first is the pre-exercise period, which is defined as two to four hours before physical activity, and is the perfect time to fuel up. “It has been shown in research that carbohydrates (CHO) two to four hours prior to exercise improve muscle and glycogen stores and help to maintain blood glucose levels,” she added. Carbohydrates will prevent blood sugar levels from plummeting during exercise.

It is also well documented that protein or amino acid intake with or without CHO consumed near strength training can enhance muscle protein synthesis, especially during resistance training, Sugarek MacDonald continued.

The second stage is during exercise, where nutrition intake continues to be key. “Carbohydrate intake during exercise has shown to have an ergogenic effect on the body by increasing performance in a number of ways, such as maintaining blood glucose levels, high CHO oxidation, sparing of endogenous glycogen and synthesis of glycogen during low-intensity exercise,” Sugarek MacDonald explained.

And finally, there is the post-workout stage. “After a good workout, your muscles are starving for nutrients, especially fast acting carbohydrates and quick absorbing protein,” Sugarek MacDonald said, adding that her goals for any postworkout include 1) achieving an anabolic state, 2) eliminating metabolic waste, 3) replenishing glycogen, 4) building muscle, and 5) bolstering the immune system. “However, the window of opportunity opens and shuts very quickly, so you need to act fast. One hour after your workout, the window begins to close; after four hours, the window is shut!” 

Post-workout nutrition should include carbohydrates and protein in a ratio of 3:1, such as 60 g of carbohydrates mixed with 20 g of protein. “CHO should be consumed immediately after exercise to replenish muscle glycogen rather than two hours later,” Sugarek MacDonald recommended.

Bluebonnet Nutrition offers several products for the various stages of exercise. The first is Extreme Edge Pre Workout, which helps prepare the body for the rigors of a workout. As mentioned above, pre-workout nutrition is important to keep energy levels up. Extreme Edge Pre Workout helps prepare the body with simple, fast-acting carbohydrates in conjunction with amino acids such as arginine, lysine and branched-chain amino acids, plus some caffeine. “All the ingredients listed above help ignite explosive energy and sharpen mental focus in addition to CarnoSyn, the patented and most studied form of beta-alanine, which also helps to increase the concentration of carnosine in the muscles, preparing them for extreme performance while decreasing fatigue,” Sugarek MacDonald said.

The company also offers Extreme Edge Carbo Load, with complex carbohydrates, to refuel the body and provide endurance. “Carbohydrate formulas like Extreme Edge Carbo Load that contain nutrients, such as alpha lipoic acid, cinnamon (Cinnulin PF), and chromium, that support glucose and insulin activity so that athletes can avoid the dreaded bloodsugar nosedive,” Sugarek MacDonald explained.

Bluebonnet also offers Extreme Edge Post Workout containing naturally occurring minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphate and potassium to help replenish electrolytes, which are lost through sweat, she added.

Billingslea said she sees a variety of all types of athletes interested in the Bluebonnet products at her store. “Customers appreciate how clean the Bluebonnet products are, the certificates they have, and the transparency in the ingredients,” she said. “The Blue Bonnet Extreme Edge line is our most popular sports product.” 

D-ribose is also helpful during a workout to improve energy. When taken just prior to completion of a workout, it can support the cardiovascular system by helping the body produce energy naturally, Monk explained. The D-ribose in Klean Athlete’s Klean Endurance is a safe and clinically researched ingredient that supports the natural way the body produces triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of the cell*, Monk said. “Our bodies must have an adequate supply of D-ribose to form major cellular constituents such as our genetic material (DNA and RNA), numerous cofactors, certain vitamins, and, importantly, ATP,” he added.

D-ribose accentuates the body’s natural process of energy synthesis and tissue recovery.* Through this action, Dribose helps muscles regenerate lost energy and potentially maximizes any physiological consequences of this energy depletion situation, Monk continued, adding that energy depletion may negatively impact muscle performance. “The loss of energy in muscles directly contributes to the common symptoms of stiffness, soreness, weakness and pain due to exercise,” he said.* 

The effect of D-Ribose administration on exercise performance has been studied. “In a four-week study involving recreational body builders, ribose was given to determine its effect on body composition and exercise performance,” Monk said. “While there was no difference in pre/post exercise composition between the ribose and placebo groups, the ribose group showed significantly greater gains in both muscle strength and endurance.”* 

Consumers may like to know that the people at Klean Athlete practice what they preach. “I am the ultimate weekend warrior,” Monk said. “If you can swim it, bike it or run it, I have probably completed the race. At Klean, we take fitness and exercise very seriously and try to live the same lifestyle as the athletes we wish to serve. If you are an active individual looking to provide your body with a simple yet safe and effective supplement program, Klean is for you.” 

Studies have shown amino acids to be a component to maintaining energy and endurance. “The interest for amino acids is on the rise because the science supporting amino acids in a variety of health applications beyond the age old thought that ‘amino acids are just contributing to a building block of protein.’ Ingredients that have traditionally been for heart, brain or eye health are now coming into the sports nutrition marketplace,” said Karen E. Todd, RD, CSCS, HFS, director of marketing at New York-based Kyowa Hakko USA, a supplier of a full range of amino acids.

The company’s top-selling amino acids include arginine, glutamine, citrulline, ornithine and sustamine. Sustamine is more easily absorbed by the body than complex protein molecules, Todd explained, so it is a highly effective ingredient for hydration, endurance and recovery.* And citrulline is a non-essential amino acid that promotes vascular dilation, which improves oxygen and blood circulation throughout the body, she continued. “Citrulline is converted to L-arginine in the body, leading to increased production of nitric oxide (NO) and effects such as vasodilation,” Todd said. “It is expected to relieve muscle fatigue through promotion of energy production and ammonia elimination.” 

While this all sounds like something only serious athletes take into consideration, Todd said that these supplements are for non-athletes as well. But for the serious sportsman, the company does ensure the products are free of banned substances and they do not contain ingredients on the banned WADA lists.

Also helpful for energy and endurance are antioxidants, such as Horphag Research’s Pycnogenol, a patented antioxidant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree. As a natural nuclear factor-kappa B inhibitor, Pycnogenol reduces inflammation at the onset, combating free radicals and as a result, reducing oxidative damage, helping to maintain healthy blood circulation, improving blood flow and strengthening blood vessels by increasing the body’s natural supply of nitric oxide, Ferrari explained.

A recent study, published in the December 2013 issue of The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, showed that Pycnogenol is effective in improving fitness performance and reducing muscle cramping and soreness by controlling oxidative stress in both elite and recreational athletes.

The study was conducted in two parts with both recreational athletes and triathletes. Participants were observed while completing sit-ups, push-ups, running, swimming and biking over four and eight weeks. According to Ferrari, Pycnogenol was also found effective in significantly decreasing the finish time on runs, significantly increasing push-up and sit-up endurance, significantly increasing speed and strength in a 100-min triathlon, significantly reducing muscle camping, and controlling oxidative stress.

“Pycnogenol is a safe and natural supplement and has an extensive research portfolio which includes more than 340 scientific studies published over the last 40 years,” Ferrari said. “Multiple studies have been conducted on the antioxidant, proving its effectiveness in improving overall fitness levels, increasing endurance, reducing oxidative stress and recovery time—getting you back in the gym faster.” 

Feeling the Burn 

Another way to improve energy is with thermogenic ingredients, such as Advantra Z, a patented bitter orange extract that is distributed exclusively by New Jersey-based Advantra Z, Inc. “Introduced in 1996, this proven thermogenic has been shown to help generate energy and improve athletic performance safely and effectively,” said Bob Green, chairman of Advantra Z. Inc. 

Thermogenesis is the natural process that increases the resting metabolic rate and the rate at which fat is released from the body stores and broken down (lipolysis) to help burn calories, Green explained. “In addition, the constituents in Advantra Z bind to beta-3 adrenergic receptors, resulting in an increase in the body’s ability to breakdown fats, which are further metabolized to produce energy,” Green continued. “The resulting increase in energy production and expenditure produced by Advantra Z occurs in conjunction with an increase in the respiratory quotient, a measure of carbon dioxide produced relative to oxygen consumed.” 

Advantra Z also has a long half-life, so it is has the staying power needed by endurance athletes. “Equally important, Advantra Z does this safely without causing negative cardiovascular and central nervous system side effects,” Green said. “Advantra Z does not cross the fatty membranes of the blood-brain barrier because it is not very lipophilic (attracted to fat).” 

Advantra Z is ideal for athletes and non-athletes alike, and both appreciate that it is not a stimulant, Green said. “Many energy supplements on the market today use stimulants to deliver that initial jolt of energy,” he explained. “Unfortunately, this energy boost is often followed by what can only be described as an energy crash or nosedive. These ingredients may also generate negative cardiovascular and central nervous system side effects.” Instead, Advantra Z provides longer, more sustained energy without a sharp decline in activity or effectiveness.

When it comes to offering sports nutrition supplements, above all else, retailers should make sure that the products they carry are safe and effective. “Retailers should make sure that the sports nutrition/ energy supplements they carry contain tried-and-true ingredients like Advantra Z that have scientifically substantiated structure/function elements,” Green said. “They should avoid carrying products containing flavor-of-the-month ingredients that have little or no scientific support. You need ingredients that work if you’re going to create a steady, repeat customer.”

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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