Sport Supplements - is it all false?

000WhiteRose000

I recommend checking out this documentary:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01l1yxk/Panorama_The_Truth_About_Sports_Products/


I am not supporting all that is said but it claims the following:

There is no supportive evidence that sports drinks increase performance.
It is important to be hydrated but not too much as this could even lead to death!
We only need liquid carbs if we are exercising over 2 hours.
Lucozade has 8 tsp of sugar.
Diet sports drinks are useless because they have no sugar - no energy.
Drink when you are thirsty - we don't need to tell animals when to drink. Dehydration is not a disease.
There is no evidence to show that BCAA help recovery or performance.
You can get all the protein you need from food and there is no need for protein shakes.

Dunsirn

Seems legit.

I love science - and evidence, and proof.

I dislike snake oil and marketing.

fittertanme

I seen that program and very interesting even when the makers were asked to prove there finding and did not but what also was odd was when they named a prof from some uni who supported then but when asked he did not know any think about it but when it comes to meal replacments then its hands up as I use then and they work for me but I only plan on using them for about 6 more months then will come off them and if my weight go's to hight then back to them bit I am expecting some gain.

BrianSharpe

Dang, can't watch it outside of the UK (can anyone recommend a proxy server?) but not really surprising.

CommandaPanda

I'm going to reply as soon as I install tor so I can watch this video. Unfortunately, if you don't live in the UK then you can't watch anything on BBC's iPlayer =[

beccalucy

Watching this tonight, although my science brain can provide logic for all the points OP gave

dsjohndrow

It's just common sense. If what you take in doesn't fuel your body for the task ahead (usually carbs), or replace something you lost during your sporting event, it's a waste of time. Sugar can be used within a very specific time frame before you exercise, but it is not recommended like it was some years ago. Stimulants like caffeine can help a tad with alertness, but it is nothing like endorphins!

Wonderob

You can get all the protein you need from food and there is no need for protein shakes.

That's plain stupid advice

I don't drink protein shakes because I can't get protein from food - I drink them because they are a convenient way of getting protein inside me, they fill me up, I like the taste and they are a nice alternative to other forms of protein I eat

It's like saying you can get all the benefits of an orange from a tangerine so need to eat oranges!

jaz050465

I suppose the argument is that in the UK we pay our TV licence fee to watch BBC. That's a shame!

VMarkV

You'd be surprised to find that there are really only a handful of supplements that actually increase performance...pretty much just caffeine and a few amino acid like substances (mostly just covering deficiencies/imbalances from not eating WHOLE animals, yes, organs and "gross"/offal is quite essential in the diet, get over it, they taste good)

LorinaLynn

Diet sports drinks are useless because they have no sugar - no energy.

Disagree with this. They still replace the water and sodium your body loses during strenuous exercise. I'm not saying it increases performance, but it's not useless.

SRH7

As a sceptic who studied biology and neurobiology at university I found the programme really interesting... but I also found myself getting a bit annoyed with it! I admit that you do not need all the pills and potions to be a great athlete - you need commitment and consistency - but I do think some sports supplements help.

While I admit that someone doing an hour down the gym does not need a rehydration sports drink (water is fine), anyone doing endurance sport is a different matter - and they admitted as much in the documentary. I don't use the drinks when running (I'm a newbie and rarely run for more than 45 mins) but I do rely on them when hiking up mountains. I know from experience that after four or five hours, when your legs start to get shaky and you have sweated like nobody's business, a sports drink definitely gives me a boost. I also think bananas and a bag of crisps help. Heck, I even carry an emergency can of Red Bull at the bottom of my rucksack for those climbs when I feel like the energy has been sucked out of me (a flask of strong black coffee in winter works wonders for a caffeine kick too).

I also felt annoyed that there was a focus on the danger of kids getting too much sugar by having sports drinks when kicking a football about. I'm not daft; I know that! I want the adult-to-adult discussion of whether these supplements can help me when exercising. I thought it was a bit lazy of the BBC to revert back to the old 'kids-in-obesity-crisis' hysteria (and that's coming from a former newspaper editor).

What I did like, however, was the former cycling champion preparing his pre-World record-beating race meal - a jam butty!!! Perfect.

One thing they missed was the recent mini-study done by Channel 4 which showed that good old-fashioned milk is the best recovery drink - hydrating and full of protein (they tested it on a rugby team post match and found the milk drinkers had fewer aches and pains the next day).

Still, it's good to open a debate on this.

Wonderob

What I did like, however, was the former cycling champion preparing his pre-World record-beating race meal - a jam butty!!! Perfect.

I recall a stadium tour a couple of years ago when we we told that the team's nutritionists pepare their £200 million players prior to the game by giving them Jelly babies! Virtually pure sugar, instant energy I guess!

Bobby_Clerici

No thanks here.
I do not lean on supplements as a general rule and do not much trust these companies to deliver a quality product that matches the fancy label claims. If man makes it, don't eat it.
So, I am NOT real into supplements. Whole food nutrition is best - no argument there.
OK, having said that.....:bigsmile:
I like to keep handy Special K and Nature Valley Protein bars for a quick, relatively healthy snack when I am on the go.
I also take a daily vitamin pack, baby aspirin and fish oil to cover some bases and keep my yang up.
And that's it.