CHAPTER 20

DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS—

Beware of What You Put in Your Body!

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I have always recommended that athletes try to obtain all their nutrients from a healthy, real-food diet. This provides micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats), and phytonutrients (thousands of other plant compounds). This is not always possible. If you have increased nutritional needs or an inability to obtain certain nutrients in adequate amounts from a healthy diet, you may need to supplement your diet. Supplementing with products made from real foods is the most effective approach but is not always an easy task.

 

 

 

Many of the popular dietary supplements available can be dangerous, especially for endurance athletes. For example, a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that common doses of vitamin C—1,000 mg a day—can actually reduce oxygen uptake and significantly diminish endurance. Another recent study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise demonstrated that an antioxidant supplement, comprised of vitamins E and C, beta-carotene, zinc, and others in common use, did not prevent exercise-induced abnormalities, including inflammation, and may actually delay muscle recovery.

It’s important to note that the same nutrients in a healthy diet will not cause these problems. The fault is in the dietary supplement—and this includes the source (natural versus synthetic) and types of nutrients as well as the dosage. While the two studies cited here are recent ones, there are many more; it’s been known for a long time that popular dietary supplements can be dangerous.