What are ergogenic aids?; Are they useful for the triathlete?

Surely you have all heard about ergogenic aids, but ... do you know what they really are? Do you know what they are for?

Belén Rodríguez Doñate, Doctor in Nutrition from our collaborator OHP Medical Center, explains what they consist

Do you know that the hydration and handling of carbohydrates, depending on the schedule and type of training, are some of the best ergogenic aids available to an athlete? Do you know what kind of nutritional supplements have proven to be effective as ergogenic aids for the athlete and can improve your performance as a triathlete?

In 1983 HM Williams defines ergogenic help as a procedure or agent that improves the production of energy and provides the athlete with an advantage that allows him to perform above of what he would achieve with his natural ability or training. At present we can define the ergogenic aids as any technique, method or substance of support to the athlete made in order to improve performance.

The ergogenic aids can be directed to the improvement of some physical quality (strength, speed, coordination), improvement of biomechanics, decrease anxiety, reduce the tremors, control of weight, improvement of competitive attitude, decreased fatigue, improvement of recovery etc ...

Today there are many Ergogenic aids available and aimed at improving the performance of the athlete. Ergogenic aids can be classified into:

Among the ergogenic mechanical aids we can find the breathable clothing, One templates that improve our footprint, some zlighter tractors etc., among the physiological aids we can highlight the appropriate periodization of training, altitude training or even within what is known as doping, collecting blood from the athlete and then injecting it in the days before the competition.

 

The ergogenic aids of psychological type they are of special importance, effective and necessary; An example of this is the mood of the spectators in a competition. In the pharmacological field, the best known ergogenic aids may be anabolic and other drugs such as growth hormone. In the field of nutrition we can divide the ergogenic aids into three classes:

            -Management of hydration

            -Manipulation of the diet

            -Use of nutritional supplements

 

In relation to these nutritional aids there are numerous myths about their use and effectiveness. The objective of this article is to present the type of nutritional supplements that have proven their scientific efficacy and that could therefore be used to improve the performance of a triathlete.

It is important to note that today the number of nutritional supplements available in the market and aimed at improving sports performance are countless. There are numerous fashion products whose efficacy and safety have not been demonstrated in scientific studies.

 Thus, according to the latest revision of the International Institute of Sports Nutrition nutritional supplements for athletes can be classified, according to scientific evidence that supports its use and effectiveness, in: apparently effective and safe, possibly effective, insufficient evidence and apparently ineffective and / or dangerous. Among the apparently effective and safe and therefore could be recommended for use in athletes are the following:

According to this classification, the rest of the products that we find in the market that are aimed at improving the performance of the athlete, are not effective or are not safe.

My recommendation as a sports nutrition professional is that: before consuming any nutritional supplement, consult a "serious and qualified professional who bases his claims on scientific evidence", that is, a sports doctor or nutritionist-nutritionist specialized in nutrition sporty. He will advise you if it is really necessary to take some kind of these products, what type of product is the most recommended depending on your objectives and what is the optimal dose and how to take them.

And remember ...

"The first ergogenic aid we should use is the hydration and manipulation of carbohydrates and proteins according to the schedule and type of training"

"The use of supplements can be a very efficient ergogenic aid provided it is handled carefully and under the supervision of a qualified professional"

"Adequate nutritional and supplementation guidelines can make a difference in a competition"

 

Written by Belén Rodríguez Doñate. Doctor in Nutrition, Dietitian-nutritionist specialist in Sports Nutrition, responsible for the Nutrition Unit of the OHP Sports Medical Center