January is health-kick season. Gym memberships soar, exercise classes are packed out, and sales of health foods and dietary supplements get a timely bump.
Thanks to the easy availability of information online, the general public has an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the relationship between diet and physical activity in achieving their health goals. Sports nutrition is no longer just the preserve of elite athletes. People want to tap into the dietary secrets of professional sports stars and enjoy the benefits in their own training regimes.
That has created a booming market in sports nutrition products. The UK sector grew by 25% in 2023 alone, with a quarter of Brits saying they have consumed a sports nutrition product in the past three months. Beyond that, other categories are looking to cash in on the trend. A good example is the functional foods sector ramping up nutritional claims on packaging and branding - and perhaps adding extra supplements.
The whole field of supplements and their impact on physical health and activity performance is a big one. There are a lot of myths and misinformation floating around. There are also a few surprises in terms of what some of the most effective nutritional additives for sports actually are.
With that in mind, we thought we’d share a few lesser-known facts about some of the commonplace food additives in our range.
Sodium Bicarbonate: The High-Intensity Secret Ingredient
You’re more likely to hear bicarbonate of soda mentioned on an episode of The Great British Bake-Off than any fitness channel. But humble ‘baking soda’ is a secret ingredient athletes use to offset the effects of lactic acid during high-intensity activities like sprinting, rowing and combat sports.
One recent study of elite-level martial artists in Asia found that sodium bicarbonate boosts mean power and peak power, helping athletes strike more regularly with sustained intensity and recover faster. It works by acting as a pH buffer in the muscles, so when oxygen levels start to run low and anaerobic respiration takes over, feelings of fatigue and cramp are delayed.
Creatine: Good for Brain and Body
Creatine is produced by muscle cells to maintain energy output during high-intensity anaerobic exercise and reduce lactic acid levels. It’s widely used as a sports supplement to help build muscle resilience and strength. The study referenced above found that combining creatine with sodium bicarbonate is particularly effective.
Contrary to oft-repeated claims, medical studies have found no evidence that taking creatine as a supplement within recommended doses has any adverse effect on kidney health. On the other hand, research has also found that creatine has neuroprotective properties potential applications for combatting neurological conditions like Parkinson's disease and depression.
Vitamins: The Importance of Post-Workout Replenishment
The various health benefits of vitamins get talked about a lot. But their particular role in sports nutrition, and specifically how supplements support physical performance, is a little more low-key. For example, prolonged endurance exercise can deplete water-soluble vitamins like B complex and C, making repletion crucial for recovery and energy metabolism. However, dosing is important, as high levels of antioxidants like vitamins C and E can interfere with the body’s natural oxidative stress response, slowing down its adaptation to high-intensity exercise.
Amino Acids: Essential for Muscle Recovery
Glutamine is heavily marketed among protein supplements as an aid to muscle recovery. But the evidence for this is limited, with research suggesting that, under normal conditions, the body produces enough of its own.
More important from a supplementary point of view are essential amino acids, or those your body cannot produce that have to be obtained through diet. And most important among these from a sports nutrition perspective are branch-chained amino acids (BCAA). Leucine is the best-known BCAA and plays a key role in muscle protein synthesis. But rather than focus on specific amino acids, the science suggests that getting a complete set of essential amino acids in your diet is more effective for long-term health and performance, as it ensures you have a complete set of the building blocks needed for muscle building. With this in mind, why not check out our ground-breaking Protein for EveryBody- NiHPRO. Lactose free, free from 24 major allergens, GMO free, sugar free. Developed to compete not only on price with Whey Protein Isolate and Whey Protein Concentrate but sensory and amino acid profile too.
For full details of all nutritional supplements we stock, contact our food and drink team.