Nutritional Supplements

Nutrition Supplements

Obviously, a high level energy sapping game like badminton requires speak physical fitness and agility.

To maintain it day after day in the highly competitive play circuit, simple balanced diet alone may not be sufficient. Badminton players may need nutritional supplements under certain conditions.

First and foremost, let us consider water. During an intense match, replenishing water alone may not be sufficient as the player also lose salt, other electrolytes and sugar while playing. Therefore, under certain circumstances, it may be prudent to drink nourishing sports drink which contain salt, electrolytes and sugar in water. But ideally the the solute component should not exceed 8% of the total volume as levels above that delays the absorption of water itself.

Second is the requirement of proteins. Ideally additional protein can be obtained from diet alone. Supplementation is rarely necessary. Enthusiastic high protein supplementation is harmful to the body and hence is not recommended on a routine basis.

Third is vitamin supplementation. There is a wrong notion that vitamin supplementation regularly improves health and performance levels. It is a gross misunderstanding. By a balanced diet, anyone can get the recommended daily allowance of almost all vitamins. Unnecessary supplementation of vitamins are harmful and gives rise to hypervitaminosis diseases.

Fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K are especially notorious as other water soluble vitamins can be excreted in urine to some extent when consumed in excess. Moreover, vitamin A is a teratogen, meaning it can cause congenital birth defects when the child is in mother's womb, if the mother happens to supplement herself unnecessarily. So any female badminton player planning to become pregnant should especially watch out for vitamin A.

Fourth is the requirement of iron. Healthy male badminton players seldom have iron deficiency or anaemia. But sometimes, female badminton players can get anaemia if they loose excessive blood in their periods. Even then, iron supplementation should ideally be commenced under medical supervision only as iron is also capable of causing disease when present in excess in the body.

Fifth is the requirement of zinc, chromium, trace elements, aminoacids,calcium and creatine. With a balanced diet, they can be obtained from diet alone. Supplementation is rarely needed.

There are two major disadvantages with supplementation.

There are still not yet identified nutrients in our diet. Recent findings of antioxidants in oats, lycopene in tomato and genestein in soy are just a few examples. So it is never known what a badminton player misses out on if he goes for a pill popping schedule instead of consuming a balanced diet. Pills contain just what the product information says, nothing more.

Some of the nutritional supplemention claiming to improve stamina and strength can contain banned anabolic steroids and diuretics. Taking them unnecessarily can result in positive dope testing which can ruin any promising career.

So the final consensus regarding nutritional supplementation is this. Consume a balanced diet and try to get everything you need from diet alone. Under genuine requirement needs, choose what you have to supplement with the advise of a sports medicine specialist. Even then, be sure about what you are taking and whether it is legitimate and truly beneficial.

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