A: "Doctor, I started playing sports, I will need supplements."

B: "What kind of sport do you practice?"

A: "I'm going to run half an hour on Sunday morning"

This hypothetical conversation will make you smile, but it often happens this way: we think that the body needs some kind of supplements if we increase our level of physical activity a little bit.

Let's forget about a source of irreplaceable integration: food . Fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables, whole grains have all the vitamins and minerals we need, legumes, eggs - and for those who consume them, meat and fish, milk and cheese - they contain enough protein to supporting the activity of our muscles.

Supplements and sporting activities are not always an inseparable pair, let us see how and why.

Supplements and sports activities: an inseparable pair?

We have already realized that sports and supplements do not necessarily constitute an inseparable pair. Worse still: if taken without a prescription and a professional check, excessive use of supplements could be harmful .

In fact, an excess mineral-mineral from incorrect use of supplements is eliminated with urine or can cause disorders such as vomiting, diarrhea, headache and weight loss.

In particular, symptoms of liver toxicity occur when excessive amounts of vitamin A (hypervitaminosis) are introduced.

Those who practice sport at a competitive level may need integration to maintain an optimal state of health and good sports performances.

We mean those who practice sports for 3 hours or more for at least 4 times a week . In these cases the organism is "put to the test" due to the high energy expenditure, intense sweating, and important muscular work, therefore feeding alone may not be sufficient to restore such heavy consumption.

The sports doctor or the nutritionist who follows the athletes, on the basis of their physical characteristics and the sport practiced, will decide which supplement to administer, the quantity and duration of the intake.

In all other situations we talk about amateur sportsmen, or those who practice sport for about 1-2 hours between 2 and 4 times a week, on a non-professional level.

Unless otherwise prescribed by a doctor or a particular physiological condition, there is usually no need for supplements . As long as the diet is balanced, rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins . A nutrition professional could help to reorganize nutrition properly, before thinking about any supplements.

For those who practice sport, at any level, the first source of "integration" must be food : the right doses of carbohydrates to give energy, proteins for muscle activity and fats for support and energy reserve functions, of minerals and vitamins to stop losses.

Secondly, it will be possible to evaluate the actual need for supplements, always under the supervision of the doctor or nutritionist.

Supplements for sports activities: what they are

The Italian legislation implementing Directive 2002/46 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 June 2002 (Legislative Decree 21 May 2004), defines food supplements as " food products intended to supplement the common diet and which constitute a concentrated source of nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, or other substances that have a nutritional or physiological effect, in particular but not exclusively amino acids, essential fatty acids, fibers and extracts of vegetable origin, both single-component and multi-compound, in pre-dosed forms ”.

There are supplements that may be necessary in particular physiological conditions for sporting activity, especially at professional-competitive level. Below is a list of the main ones:

> The so-called BCAAs, (branched- chain amino acids or BCAAs: branchedchain amino acid ) or - from the definition of the Ministry of Health - " products aimed at the integration of amino acids and derivatives ", to recover intense muscular efforts.

These are essential amino acids (which the body does not produce and must be supplied, normally with food). According to some studies, these amino acids are anabolic, that is able to promote protein synthesis and promote recovery processes, after an impressive muscular work.

Also in this case natural nutrition can reach the need for amino acids, given that they are present in the proteins of common foods.

Their recommended daily intake quantity which should not normally be more than 5 g . The 2: 1: 1 ratio of leucine, isoleucine and valine is preferable .

> Products to increase calorie intake : they are based on simple carbohydrates that provide at least 200 Kcal per serving. They are very often integrated with other nutrients, for example B vitamins, vitamin C.

Even common foods such as rusks, chocolate, dry biscuits or fresh or dried fruit could give the same energy.

> Products for water-saline reintegration: in reintegration it is necessary when the loss of water with sweating reaches about 2.5 / 3 liters .

They consist mainly of water, carbohydrates and mineral salts and are of 3 types: hypertonic - drinks whose concentration is higher than that of blood plasma, which require long times of intestinal assimilation; isotonic - drinks with a concentration equal to that of plasma, which require average times of intestinal assimilation; hypotonic - drinks whose concentration is lower than that of plasma and require very short times of intestinal assimilation.

> Products for the integration of proteins : these are proteins in powder form, for the "reconstruction" of muscle mass, they are usually derived from milk or soya or other legumes .

Remember that the protein intake can reach up to 2 g / kg bw / day in power sports. These products should not be used for too long, there are contraindications in cases of kidney disease, pregnancy and under 12 years.

> Creatine: is an amino acid found almost exclusively in the muscle (95%) and in a small percentage the brain, liver, kidneys and testicles. Studies have shown that creatine would be able to improve recovery time and effort at high power.

The suggested daily intake is 3 g per day while higher doses are not recommended because there are side effects: muscle cramps, muscle heaviness, diarrhea, gastrointestinal pains.

> Carnitine : is an amino acid derivative (normally synthesized in the liver from lysine and methionine) present in skeletal muscles and in heart muscle; stimulates the oxidation of fatty acids in the mitochondria, for energy purposes . It is used by athletes, as it would be able to increase the speed of muscle contraction and fatigue resistance, to relieve tiredness and muscle pain .

> Caffeine : it is an ergogenic supplement, which is a substance that can help improve sports performance . Caffeine also stimulates the release of lipids from adipose deposits and stimulates the release of endorphins which improve cognitive abilities and raise the pain threshold and thus remove the appearance of the sense of fatigue. These results are possible with moderate intake (3-6 mg per kg of body weight) while high doses could cause side effects such as nervousness, irritability, agitation, headache, palpitations.

> Omega-3 : essential fatty acids, which must be introduced with the diet or through supplements; they have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system by improving vasodilation, promoting an antioxidant effect and an antithrombotic action. They are used by athletes for muscle recovery after intense effort as they reduce inflammation induced by physical exercise.

Of course the examples cited are just some of the countless types of supplements used by both athletes and amateur sportsmen.