Top 5 Supplements for Athletes

Sometimes, even though a perfect diet can be constructed, it is impossible to follow it all the time. People have tried, but when you get into the desire for the highest performance you can deliver, supplementation becomes something of a necessity.

A multivitamin is important. But before you even consider taking one, it's important that you get your diet in line. A multivitamin should not be a necessity--it should be, as it was intended--a supplement, not a replacement for a nutritious diet. A multivitamin should contain all your essential vitamins and minerals, or as many of them as you can find, to provide a little extra cushion for your diet. If you're highly active, there's a good chance the government's recommended daily allowance of each vitamin will not suffice to keep you in top shape.

Creatine is important. Creatine monohydrate supplements help fuel the ATP-CP cycle. Adenosine triphosphate, when your muscles contract, is reduced to adenosine diphosphate--creatine phosphate (phosphocreatine, which is what creatine is stored in the muscles as) lends to the adenosine diphosphate a phosphate group, allowing it to be used for more contractions. Small doses of creatine have been shown to enhance athletic performance significantly. More creatine phosphate saturation of the muscles can allow stronger and more frequent contractions.

Fish oil can provide essential fatty acids that the rest of your diet might miss. There's evidence to support the idea that fish oil can reduce inflammation and may provide for heart health. A good source of fish oil is, obviously, fish. The fresher the better. Preferably not fried or broiled. Baked is good, as is grilled. Fish oil caplets also work nicely, and allow somewhat more portion control.

Glucosamine/Condroitin are two supplements that work together and have been shown to help stave off osteoporosis. While there is no evidence to suggest that it will help protect already healthy joints, surely osteoporosis is not something you would want to risk. It's well-established that people with osteoporosis, good athletes do not make.

Flax seed oil is another supplement to cover your essential fatty acids. Most Americans have a severe defficiency in some of the essential fatty acids, and flax seed oil can help straighten this out. There is also anecdotal evidence to support the idea that flax seed oil can help decrease recovery time, can smooth out the skin, and aids in digestion, though these claims have not been confirmed by any scientific studies.

The next time you hit your supplement/health/natural foods store, be sure and look for some of these supplements, if you're an amateur athlete, or a professional one.