- What is the nutritional supplement so good for?
The regular practice of some sport, both as an amateur or as a professional, implies a muscular effort that raises the caloric needs of our body, demanding a supplementary contribution of nutritional substances. The choice of this food supplement is conditioned by the type of sport practiced and its duration, in addition to the physical characteristics of the subject, among other factors.
Often, athletes seek different aids to improve their sports performance: combinations of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, other dietary supplements such as energy gels and even drugs, whose potential is not yet clearly demonstrated and which, in some cases, can be highly Harmful if administered without medical supervision .
Depending on the sporting activity that is carried out, power (speed races ...) or endurance (marathon, half marathon, etc.) may prevail.
High power activities require high energy production in a short time, while resistance activities, on the other hand, have to be extended for extended periods . That is, each involves different systems to provide enough energy to the muscle.
ENERGY SOURCES
The body's first energy supplier to meet caloric expenditure is glycogen , whose reserves are very limited. It is estimated that if doing sports, only the reserves of this polysaccharide will be used, only an intense activity could be carried out for 40 minutes .
Therefore, as our body consumes it by carrying out a continuous effort of less intensity, the combustion of fats has to come into play as an additional source of 'fuel' . That is, the muscle begins to use proteins as fuel significantly when its glycogen stores have been depleted.
What influences us to use one energy source or another ? These are the main factors:
The physical condition: the better this is, the more fat reserves you will use for the same intensity of exercise.
Sex: Women consume less carbohydrates when they exercise moderately, saving more glycogen and less protein.
The diet: if it is poor in carbohydrates, muscle and liver glycogen quickly deplete during exercise and the body is forced to 'throw away' the proteins.
A diet with less carbohydrates than is advisable endangers the glycogen stores of muscle and liver and may be the source of a state of fatigue.
When these reserves are depleted or the concentration of blood glucose decreases, what appears in the world of sports is known as "pájara" , which forces the athlete to greatly reduce the intensity of the exercise or even stop.
Atmospheric conditions: in a hot environment, the consumption of muscle glycogen increases. This greater dependence on carbohydrates is reduced after a period of acclimatization of the athlete.
WHAT DO YOU GET AND HOW DO THE GELS ACT?
Carbohydrates (especially glucose and glycogen) are the main energy substrate for active muscle fiber during physical exercise. Therefore, it is essential to ensure the supply of carbohydrates necessary during exercise, not only to delay the onset of fatigue , but also to enhance sports performance .
Energy gels are mainly composed of fast-absorbing carbohydrates (20-90 grams), used by the brain and muscles as fuel during exercise. They also usually contain salts or electrolytes and / or some stimulants such as caffeine. Those that are intended for ultra-distance tests are also enriched with branched amino acids (BCAA's).
Each sports brand contains its own combination and proportion of carbohydrates. However, all of them usually contain at least two types of carbohydrates with different intestinal transporters , with the aim of increasing the absorption rate to 90 grams per hour in cross-country sports.
Many of them carry salts to promote the replacement of electrolytes that are lost with sweat and urine during the race or training and also stimulating substances such as caffeine, which stands out for its analgesic function by decreasing the perception of pain, combating central fatigue , activate the use of fats as fuel for the body and promote the thermogenic response of the body, increasing energy expenditure after consumption.
There are more and more gels that incorporate branched amino acids (BCAA's) in their mixture. Long-term sports, especially those that exceed three hours long, are great candidates for taking this supplement as they reduce central fatigue and reduce muscle damage caused by exercise.
Lately, sports nutrition laboratories are also including in their range of energy gels products with antioxidants . They add them to eliminate free radicals that occur when making high intensity efforts and whose high production can decrease the sodium and potassium pump of skeletal muscles.
There are also ecological gels that avoid using synthesized chemicals or genetically modified organisms.
Depending on the amount of carbohydrates, water, texture, mineral salts (sodium, magnesium, chlorine ..), the amount of vitamins (B1, B6 and B12, C), if they contain or No caffeine or BCAAs or if they are ecological or not, there are innumerable amount of brands that must be 'prescribed' to each athlete depending on the sport they practice and their physical characteristics.
WHO SHOULD TAKE ENERGY GELS?
Energy gels are indicated in the case of people who practice sport regularly and perform physical resistance activities in tests or medium and long distance runs.
That is, if this is not your case but you face challenges such as, for example, doing the Camino de Santiago, the best option would be to use non-artificial carbohydrates (fruits, nuts or a good ham sandwich).
Unwanted effects
Being dietary supplements, gels can have unwanted side effects such as:
-They could sit badly and cause vomiting or diarrhea.
-Provoke a dehydration but drink the necessary water (although there is already a gel mark that has solved this problem).
-Those who carry caffeine, being a stimulant, should not be consumed by heart patients or hypertensive patients.
-Your intake is not recommended if you suffer from kidney problems.
To the above, it should be added that the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), the Spanish Diabetes Federation (FEDE) and the Spanish Diabetes Society (SED) are very cautious with these types of supplements, the use of which they always recommend under prescription medical because its abusive and controlled consumption may predispose to insulin resistance and subsequent development of type 2 DM.
Moral? A good training plan and proper nutrition are the best and safest aids for sports.
María Amaro is a nutrition expert at Feel Good Clinic.
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