Do Sports Nutrition Supplements Really Boost Performance?

According to a 2023 report from PureGym, 79% of the UK population feel that their health has become more important in the last three years. If you feel like this reflects you, have you wondered about the importance of sports nutrition supplements as part of your routine? Read on to find out more about the benefits of sports nutrition supplements.  

What are Sports Nutrition Supplements? 

 Sports nutritional supplements can also be referred to as dietary supplements or ergogenic aids. These specialised dietary supplements are supposed to enhance your exercise routine or athletic performance and can be procured in various forms, including tablets, capsules, liquids, powders, and bars. A multitude of these consumables contains an assortment of ingredients that can be merged into several combinations. The most prolific ingredients used in the sports nutrition sector are amino acids, protein, creatine, and caffeine. However, do these supplements provide any valid benefits? 

Do Sports Nutrition Supplements Boost Performance?  

Now that you know what sports nutrition supplements are, you are likely weighing up how they could benefit you. Below is a breakdown of the common ingredients in sports supplements and how they provide unique benefits to the human body.  

Caffeine 

 According to results from an article by the National Institute of Health, caffeine, also known as trimethyl xanthine (amongst other names), is likely to support you in endurance-based and long-duration activities, like running and football. Furthermore, the blog reciprocated the findings by explaining that caffeine works by blocking the activity of the neuromodulator adenosine. In other words, caffeine reduces the ability to perceive pain and exhaustion.  

Creatine 

Creatine monohydrate, more commonly known as just creatine, helps with providing energy to the muscles for short-term, predominantly anaerobic activity. The National Institute of Health provides further context, associating creatine with increased strength, power and work form. Creatine may also aid the human body in adapting to the gruelling exercise of athletic regimes. Despite this, according to a blog by the University Hospitals, although athletes may attempt to receive creatine from food sources like meat or fish, it can prove frustrating to get the right amount of creatine from natural means alone to optimise their performance.  

Protein 

 You’ve likely heard a lot of speculation surrounding the benefits of protein in the sports nutrition industry, but are any of the rumours true? The National Institute of Health found that protein optimises muscle training response during exercise and the subsequent recovery period.  

Which Sports Nutrition Supplement Form is the Best? 

With so many types of supplements to pick from, it can be daunting to decide which ones are best for you. According to the data in an article from Tablets&Capsules, capsules and tablets are the most widely available dosage forms under all the categories and dietary supplement manufacturers prefer capsules overall. Capsules, especially hard capsules, dominate the dietary supplement market because they offer manufacturers formulation flexibility. However, despite the flexibility that comes with tablets and capsules, they can be difficult to swallow for some people. Your decision in supplement choices should reflect what you are comfortable with. Common ingredients like creatine are available as powder or pill and in energy bars and drink mixes. However, it is advised that most athletes and non-athletes should examine their current diets and eating habits before they begin taking any dietary supplements.  

Sports Nutrition Supplements with Rain Nutrience  

Here at Rain Nutrience, we offer a wide range of nutritional supplement & vitamin contract manufacturing. we offer the quality, innovation, attention to detail and bespoke features of a small manufacturer – but with high levels of flexibility and the ability to produce extremely high volumes to optimise the value equation to meet your nutritional supplement & vitamin contract manufacturing needs. Our experience lies not just in protein powder formulation and manufacture, but with a huge range of sport and performance nutrition supplements. These can be powders, capsules, tablets, or even sub-assembly blends for onward manufacture. We work with a wide range of different companies, including plant-based protein manufacturers and plant-based supplement manufacturers alike.