Hundredths of a second can separate a gold medal winner from someone who doesn’t make it to the Olympic medal stand. Therefore, athletes are looking to gain every performance advantage they can get their hands on. As scientific advances in sports nutrition continue to unfold, specific functional ingredients can help athletes train harder, gain strength, size and speed, and feel better so they perform their best.
The concept of “nutrient timing,” which should more aptly be called “ingredient timing,” continues to prevail as one of the most powerful methods of enhancing training and performance. And, specific ingredients have made their way to the forefront of sports science research.
Here's a look at the top ingredients and the science behind them: carbohydrates, protein and amino acids, caffeine, beta-alanine and creatine.
