Consider a few examples of the use of dietary supplements. Practical experience, analysis of scientific literature indicate that the main features of nutrition during direct preparation for competitions and during competitions are associated with the improvement and preservation of the achieved sports performance of a special orientation, as well as with urgent recovery.

Therefore, the first task, if a high, limiting level of fitness has already been reached, is to maintain the diet and diet habitual for a given athlete or group of athletes. This is necessary in order not to introduce new dietary ideas or food products, especially for special purposes, into practice during the critical pre-competitive time, not to change the regimen and basic diet

In this case, all kinds of changes in the diet can shift the established balance in the body's metabolism and lead to a change in sports form in one direction or another. However, another important conclusion can be drawn from this: if you want to continue to improve your athletic form, then it is necessary and desirable to influence the internal processes of the body. So, for example, the requirement for additional nutrition at a distance (during games) and in between starts during one day of competition is unconditional.

Carnitine (vitamin W), found mainly in muscles, is involved in the process of fatty acid oxidation, transporting them through the inner mitochondrial membrane, where they are oxidized and energy is released. With a lack of carnitine, the oxidation of fatty acids is difficult. During intense training, carnitine, contributing to the utilization of fats, contributes to the energy supply of muscle work, and the more carnitine is in the body, the more branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are stored in the muscles. Thus, carnitine is a powerful factor influencing the exchange of contractile proteins during intense training towards their conservation. Decreased concentrations of carnitine in the muscles during high loads are difficult to compensate for with normal nutrition.

The addition of carnitine to the diet leads to an increase in body stamina, an improvement in heart function, a decrease in subcutaneous fat, faster recovery due to an overall improvement in metabolic processes in cells, in which vitamins, minerals and other essential substances more freely penetrate into cells, and toxic metabolic products are removed from the cell. It is recommended to take before training, as well as before and after sleep, when the body lacks energy.

Isotonic carbohydrate drink with a stimulating effect contains guarana extract, caffeine, minerals and trace elements (potassium, calcium, magnesium), vitamins (C, E, PP and group B, folic acid, beta-carotene), carbohydrates (maltodextrin, dextrose). The stimulating effect of the drink is provided by the high content of caffeine and its variety - guarana extract. The combination of pure caffeine (rapid effect on the body) and guarana extract (delayed effect) provides a prolonged effect of the product.

Evidence has been obtained of the saving effect of exogenous carbohydrates on glycogen stores in muscles, on the content of muscle proteins, on increasing efficiency and improving results. With multi-day competitions, carbohydrate nutrition can be started after 30-40 minutes. after start. If an athlete has a long playing time (in team sports), then, according to American researchers, carbohydrate intake is optimal after 1.5-2 hours of work.

When training with a predominant focus on endurance, in addition to the diet and diet habitual for an athlete, it is possible to carry out such traditional and well-studied dietary measures by foreign experts that are aimed at creating an increased level of glycogen in the muscles. This technique is called “glucogen supercompensation” or “taper”.

The question of the effect of protein or mixed nutrition on the performance of an athlete during games, as well as in between loads, is also well known. Recent studies by American scientists and practical experience clearly indicate the possibility of such a method of additional supply of glucose and proteins to the body (for the purpose of recovery), especially in conditions of psychophysical stress during multi-day repeated games.

Biochemical adaptation to protein nutrition during games is based on the processes of glucose synthesis from amino acids. The latter are formed in significant quantities in the body during prolonged exertion. Enzymes involved in metabolism glucogenic amino acids, increase their activity in response to physical activity and the impact of additional protein nutrition.

Factors that significantly limit physical performance for endurance, but regulated by special products, are the loss of water and salts, as well as a violation of the body's thermoregulation. Losses of water during work for one hour in the aerobic power zone in an athlete weighing 70 kg reach 1.5-2 l/h (at 20-25°C). At the same time, energy consumption during games (basketball) is about 8-10 kcal/min (33.44-41.80 kJ/min).

Theoretical calculations show that if it were not for the evaporation of water from the body, then with such work, the body temperature would have to rise by 1 G. It is most expedient to compensate for the loss of water and salts during endurance work with isotonic solutions of glucose with potassium and sodium salts in small portions after 10-15 minutes. Fluid intake should not exceed the rate of loss.

Carbohydrate - mineral drinks are successfully used in the practice of sports as a means to quench thirst (appears with a loss of 500 or more ml of liquid) / replenishing the loss of water and salts. Their positive effect on water-electrolyte metabolism and thermogenesis has been shown in numerous scientific works carried out in the USA, VNIIFK and NIIFK St. Petersburg.

The importance of thermoregulation of the body, especially during cyclic outdoor exercises, is evidenced by a number of official documents, for example, the American College of Sports Medicine, where in a special statement the organizers of the competition are required to provide athletes (running over 16 km) with carbohydrate-mineral drinks.

It is known that with an increase in sports load, the exchange of many hormones increases. The whole complex complex of hormones undergoes constant changes, which are dictated by various physical loads and the neuro-emotional state of the athlete. Some hormones are of a protein nature - polypeptides: insulin, somatotropic hormone, while others are synthesized from amino acids. In the synthesis of prostaglandins, polyunsaturated fatty acids are involved in the synthesis of steroid hormones - cholesterol.

It is easy to assume that the presence in the diet of athletes of easily digestible and complete proteins, in part - biologically valuable fats will contribute to the creation of favorable metabolic background for the synthesis of hormones and the implementation of their action.

Eating dietary food in between loads in these situations should serve to relieve or “soften” the stressed state of the athlete. It has been proven that the presence in the diet of easily digestible protein products, carbohydrates (and partially oils) as part of special products saves the body's strength and contributes to the optimal flow of the processes of restoring the nervous system.

Another important provision that must be observed in the practice of sports is the rapid restoration of the body's energy reserves and the creation of favorable metabolic conditions for the flow of plastic metabolism. For this purpose, carbohydrate-oriented PPBCs containing fructose/dextrose and maltodextrin/glucose polymers are often used recently. If the load on endurance was associated with significant speed-strength or strength efforts, then the most adequate for the body is the use of complex composition PBCs in the early phases of recovery. Their direct influence on the acceleration of recovery processes has also been established experimentally.

Creatine is one of the most important discoveries made in recent years in the field of specialized nutrition. This is confirmed by numerous independent scientific studies. This substance plays a major role in energy production and muscle contractions. The use of creatine allows you to achieve more powerful muscle contractions that increase explosive strength, faster muscle recovery, and less fatigue.

Creatine is suitable for sports in which it is necessary to make jumps, accelerations or finishing jerks. In the jerk phase, the intensity of the load is so great that during it creatine phosphate (phosphocreatine) is also used as an energy source. Supplementing the nutrition of athletes with creatine is also advisable when a high-intensity exercise alternates with a lower-intensity exercise or rest, incl. for team sports. However, athletes for whom weight plays an important role should be aware of the possible weight gain when using creatine.

In addition, creatine is not doping, since in principle it is impossible to distinguish the source of this substance in the body - food. or a synthetic product. Therefore, creatine remains a legally permitted means of improving the performance of athletes, especially since taking this substance does not cause any serious disorders, even in very significant doses.

It should be noted that creatine that enters the stomach can turn into creatinine (due to the instability of this substance in the stomach), which, like slag, is excreted through the kidneys and, entering the bloodstream, does not have the necessary effect on the athlete's body. And since the preservation of the natural structure of creatine during its absorption from the stomach into the blood ensures the effectiveness of creatine's effect on muscle cells, this effect can be improved due to its improved absorption.

Studies have shown that with an increase in the level of insulin in the blood, the accumulation of creatine in the muscles increases significantly (insulin is a hormone, one of the functions of which is to regulate the movement of creatine, amino acids, etc. into muscle cells). Therefore, the so-called so-called so popular today. "creatine transport systems" are designed specifically to interact with insulin and can deliver more creatine to muscle tissue better than regular creatine monohydrate.

The carbohydrate component of such products (often a mixture of mono-