Dietary Supplements for Health, Adaptation, and Recovery in Athletes.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate whether gelatin and/or collagen supplementation could improve connective tissue health in athletes.
Results Summary
Preliminary data suggest that gelatin and/or collagen may improve connective tissue health, potentially aiding recovery and adaptation in athletes. However, the evidence is not yet conclusive, and further research is needed.
Population
Athletes
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Creatine monohydrate | increase | recovery from and adaptation to intense training | - | - | may improve | #1 |
Creatine monohydrate | increase | recovery from periods of injury with extreme inactivity | - | - | may improve | #2 |
Creatine monohydrate | increase | cognitive processing | - | - | may improve | #3 |
Creatine monohydrate | decrease | mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) | - | - | reduce severity of or enhance recovery from | #4 |
Omega 3-fatty acid supplementation | decrease | mTBI | - | - | may reduce severity of or enhance recovery from | #5 |
Replenishment of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency | increase | some aspects of immune, bone, and muscle health | - | - | will likely improve | #6 |
Probiotic supplementation | decrease | incidence, duration, and severity of upper respiratory tract infection | - | - | can reduce | #7 |
Gelatin and/or collagen | increase | connective tissue health | - | - | may improve | #8 |
curcumin or tart cherry juice | decrease | inflammation | - | - | may reduce | #9 |
curcumin or tart cherry juice | decrease | delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) | - | - | may reduce | #10 |
Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) | no change | strength and/or lean mass | - | - | does not consistently increase | #11 |
Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) | no change | markers of muscle damage | - | - | does not consistently reduce | #12 |
Some dietary supplements are recommended to athletes based on data that supports improved exercise performance. Other dietary supplements are not ergogenic per se, but may improve health, adaptation to exercise, or recovery from injury, and so could help athletes to train and/or compete more effectively. In this review, we describe several dietary supplements that may improve health, exercise adaptation, or recovery. Creatine monohydrate may improve recovery from and adaptation to intense training, recovery from periods of injury with extreme inactivity, cognitive processing, and reduce severity of or enhance recovery from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Omega 3-fatty acid supplementation may also reduce severity of or enhance recovery from mTBI. Replenishment of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency will likely improve some aspects of immune, bone, and muscle health. Probiotic supplementation can reduce the incidence, duration, and severity of upper respiratory tract infection, which may indirectly improve training or competitive performance. Preliminary data show that gelatin and/or collagen may improve connective tissue health. Some anti-inflammatory supplements, such as curcumin or tart cherry juice, may reduce inflammation and possibly delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) does not consistently increase strength and/or lean mass or reduce markers of muscle damage, but more research on recovery from injury that includes periods of extreme inactivity is needed. Several dietary supplements, including creatine monohydrate, omega 3-fatty acids, vitamin D, probiotics, gelatin, and curcumin/tart cherry juice could help athletes train and/or compete more effectively.