Nutrition Tips

Triathlete Supplements

By Dr. Rick Kattouf II, CEO/Founder of TeamKattouf, Inc.

Many triathletes are looking for the “edge.” If you are properly trained, properly fueled and properly rested, the right supplements can be that extra something you are looking for. There are a myriad of sports supplements available, and it can be challenging to find the best ones for your needs. Here is a list of supplements that should be in every triathlete’s supplement toolbox.
Nitric Oxide Stimulators
Nitric oxide (N0) is produced from the amino acid L-arginine through a process called Nitric Oxide Synthase. NO is a vasodilator (dilates blood vessels).  By dilating blood vessels, we can drive more nutrients and oxygenated blood to the working muscles. As an endurance athlete, this means you can help you go longer, harder and faster before you fatigue. Think of your body as an oxygen pump, and the more oxygenated blood we can drive to the working muscles, the better our performance for a longer duration.
Creatine
I’ll spare you the physiology details of the ATP-PC (Adenosine Triphosphate-Phosphacreatine) system. About 95% of your creatine is stored in skeletal muscle. Creatine supplements can help to increase energy reserves (ATP) in our muscles, which helps increase lean muscle, improves performance and enhances recovery.
Tribulis Terrestris
Tribulis is a vine plant that grows in tropical climates. As a dietary supplement it may help to increase the body’s natural testosterone levels.
Branch Chain Amino Acids
There are three BCAAs (Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine). Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. BCAA can help to facilitate recovery. By improving recovery, we can then improve performance.
Antioxidants
Exercise, stress, decreases in sleep, etc. can cause oxidation reactions to occur which can then produce free radicals. Free radicals can cause damage to the cells in our body. In order to battle these oxidation reactions and free radicals from forming, antioxidants are key. Supplements containing the following antioxidants can be very beneficial: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc, Beta-carotene, Acai fruit, Pomegranate, etc.
Maltodextrin
This is a complex carbohydrate that can be mixed with your fluid replacement drink of choice for in-training fuel. You can also create your own recovery fuel by mixing maltodextrin with a protein powder.
Caffeine
As an endurance athlete, caffeine prior to workouts and races can prove to be beneficial. It has been shown in studies that caffeine can help an athlete become more “efficient” by causing the body to facilitate fat as its primary fuel source and to spare glycogen (glycogen is stored in our muscles and in our liver). 100-200 mg of caffeine prior to training and racing can be helpful.
The definition of supplement is, “Something added to a complete thing.” There is no magic in one particular legal supplement, rather, when we have the “complete thing” (this is spot-on training, nutrition and repair/recovery), adding the right supplements can help to improve recovery and performance.
As you begin your 2011 triathlon season, a close look at your supplement toolbox could help you get the biggest return possible on your investment of time!