[Sports Nutrition Lounge] Science-based Supplements for Karate Performance

Are you looking to enhance your karate performance? Understanding the right dietary supplements can make a significant difference. Here’s a breakdown based on scientific evidence:

🌱 What Are Dietary Supplements?
Dietary supplements are foods, nutrients, or compounds ingested in addition to your regular diet to achieve specific health or performance benefits. They come in various forms, including functional foods, formulated foods, sports foods, isolated or concentrated forms, and multi-ingredient products.

📋 AIS Supplement Framework
The AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) Supplement Framework categorizes supplements based on scientific evidence and practical considerations, ensuring they are safe, permitted, and effective. Group A supplements have strong scientific backing for use in specific sports situations.

💧 Sports Drinks, Gels, Bars & Electrolytes
These are essential for rehydration and refueling during and after exercise, helping maintain optimal performance.

🏋️‍♂️ Protein Supplements
Ideal for post-exercise recovery, especially after key training sessions or events where muscle adaptation and protein synthesis are crucial.

☕ Caffeine
Proven benefits for combat sports practitioners. Taking 5-10 mg/kg 30-60 minutes before a match can enhance skills that rely on glycolytic metabolism.

⚡ Buffering Supplements (Sodium Bicarbonate & Beta-Alanine)
These supplements show greater benefits in grappling disciplines, though more research is needed for their effects on specific combat skills.

🏃‍♂️ Creatine
While creatine is known to enhance performance in high-intensity sports and aid in training adaptations, its effectiveness in combat sports is not yet solidly proven.

🥤 Beetroot Juice (Nitrate) & Glycerol
More research is required to confirm their potential efficacy in combat sports, but they hold promising possibilities.

Remember, always consult with a registered sports nutritionist before starting any supplement regimen. Your body is your most valuable asset — fuel it wisely! 🌟

• Reference:

  1. Australian Sports Commission. (2024). The AIS sports supplement framework. https://www.ais.gov.au/nutrition/supplements (Accessed: June 4, 2024)
     
     

  2. Maughan, R. J., Burke, L. M., Dvorak, J., Larson-Meyer, D. E., Peeling, P., Phillips, S. M., Rawson, E. S., Walsh, N. P., Garthe, I., Geyer, H., Meeusen, R., van Loon, L. J., Shirreffs, S. M., Spriet, L. L., Stuart, M., Vernec, A., Currell, K., Ali, V. M., Budgett, R. G., … Engebretsen, L. (2018). IOC consensus statement: Dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(7), 439–455. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099027
     
     

  3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2024). Office of dietary supplements - dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance-HealthProfessional/
     
     

  4. Vicente-Salar, N., Fuster-Muñoz, E., & Martínez-Rodríguez, A. (2022). Nutritional ergogenic aids in combat sports: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 14(13), 2588. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14132588