Supplements - myth or reality? Find out how useful these drugs are and whether they should be taken by people who exercise and lead an active lifestyle. The words that food should be the only medicine belong to Hippocrates. Now on the market there are a large number of different biologically active additives (BAA). For obvious reasons, manufacturers promise buyers a huge number of positive effects. But is this really so, or are these statements just a publicity stunt? Today we will try to find out whether dietary supplements are needed in bodybuilding.
BAA are substances obtained from natural raw materials, animal or plant origin. Also dietary supplements can be produced from minerals. You can use dietary supplements at the same time as meals or add them to meals. They can be produced in various forms: solutions, capsules or tablets. When using dietary supplements, it is important to remember that they do not belong to drugs and are intended only to regulate the body's work.
Types of dietary supplements
Supplements are usually divided into two types: parapharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.
Nutraceuticals
are called dietary supplements containing additional sources of macro and micronutrients necessary for the body to function properly. This type of dietary supplement is intended primarily to optimize the human diet and is designed to eliminate nutritional deficiencies. In the body of athletes, the consumption of nutrients is much higher in comparison with ordinary people. For this reason, the answer to the question - whether biologically active additives are needed in bodybuilding, by and large is already known.
The task parapharmaceuticals is the regulation of certain processes in the human body, and they are used as a prophylactic agent for certain diseases or in conjunction with medications for complex therapy. Parapharmaceuticals are more drugs than nutraceuticals. A large number of ingredients that make up these dietary supplements are used in the manufacture of medicines. At the same time, the dosages of all components do not exceed the therapeutic ones, which should exclude the possibility of any side effects.
Appointment of dietary supplements
It should be noted right away that dietary supplements should not be treated as medications. They are not able to heal people, but they can provide some help. Today, the ecological situation on the planet is very tense and the human body is highly susceptible to the effects of various toxins and carcinogens. In addition, people themselves enhance this negative impact, using, for example, alcohol or tobacco.
Improper nutrition also negatively affects the body. As a result of all these factors, a person does not receive a large amount of minerals and vitamins. This is where dietary supplements can help. Of course, they are not able to force a person to stop smoking or drinking alcohol, but they will be able to compensate for the deficiency of micronutrients. A fairly large number of dietary supplements contain vitamins and minerals and are necessary for children, pregnant women and people whose work is associated with strong physical or mental stress.
Supplements can be used as a preventive measure against various diseases or to help the body recover faster after serious illness. A high-quality dietary supplement can help people in the treatment and health promotion, but they cannot cure the disease.
How to choose dietary supplements
You must remember that the high cost and abundance of advertising is not at all a guarantee of a high quality product. You should also be aware that on the packaging of the supplement, the content of all the ingredients that make up their composition must be indicated. These can be absolute values or the percentage of a person's daily requirement for these substances.
A quality dietary supplement contains from 20 to 30 percent of the daily dosage of each micronutrient in one capsule or tablet. It is best if this indicator is in the range from 50 to 100 percent.
Pay attention first of all to those dietary supplements that contain a full range of essential vitamins and minerals. This should be at least 12 vitamins, as well as zinc, iodine, magnesium and calcium. If the content of these ingredients is not indicated by the manufacturer, then there is a high probability that this value is negligible.
Also, try not to purchase dietary supplements from private distributors. Dietary supplements are quite popular today and there are a large number of people who are ready to make money by selling counterfeit drugs. By purchasing a supplement from individuals, you do not have a full guarantee that this product is genuine and of high quality. In the best case, you simply will not get any effects from their use, and in the worst case, you will harm your body. Use supplements purchased from pharmacy kiosks and official dealers of manufacturers.
The choice of dietary supplements should be approached very thoroughly. Do not trust advertising and carefully study the packaging of dietary supplements.
How to use supplements
Be sure to consult a doctor before using dietary supplements. To obtain the maximum possible result, it is necessary to use dietary supplements in a strictly allotted time and with an appropriate nutrition program.
Review your diet for compliance with the required. A person should receive most of the nutrients through food, and dietary supplements should be considered only as an addition to their diet, and not completely rely on them. That's all I wanted to say on the topic of biologically active additives are needed in bodybuilding.
Learn more about the role of dietary supplements in the nutrition of athletes from this video:
