How to Choose Vitamins for Youth Athletes
Youth athletes and parents often turn to vitamin supplements with the idea that they are necessary or advantageous. It helps to have the facts surrounding the hype on vitamin supplements.
1. Don’t be swayed by the hype. There is no scientific evidence that supports the general use of vitamin and mineral supplements to improve athletic performance.
2. Watch your diet. Being properly nourished ensures getting enough vitamins and minerals.
3. Understand supplementation. Supplements may improve poor nutritional status or deficiencies from an inadequate diet.
4. Don’t use supplements indiscriminately. It is generally a waste of money, and it may also lull children into thinking they are eating properly when they’re not.
Vitamins and Minerals in Sports Supplementation
In the sports world is very habitual consumption of dietary supplements, either in the form of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc.. The choice of this or other products are often based on the last article we read in magazines, or the seller of the store supplements that we recommend something, or even in our personal trainer. But are we really taking something that will lead to improved athletic performance, or are we simply throwing money and we noticed the well-known “placebo effect”? We refer to the placebo effect when discussing the benefits experienced by athletes (in this case in particular) when they are waiting for positive change in their athletic performance. It appears that the reaction to “be observed or treated” in a special way by their coaches (or even themselves) that are waiting to see an improvement after administration of a supplement, is in itself sufficient to perceive such an improvement or to the athlete go further in their effort and performance.
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