Last Updated on March 22, 2024 by Neelam Singh
With the increasing popularity of health supplements in the sports world, it’s essential that we understand its potential impact. Viraj Pandya, Sports Physiotherapist in an exclusive interview with THIP Media addresses the topic and the underline issues related with it. For the full exclusive interview click on the link below.
Q. What are health supplements?
Supplements are an addition to your general diet or regular food. Supplementations can come in different forms like powder form or the liquid form, tablet form, etc. But the person who is taking these supplements should have the right knowledge about their consumption. For more help, people can always approach any fitness expert, doctor or even a health expert.
Q. How can young athletes identify whether a supplement is good for them or not?
When it comes to young athletes, I would advise not to take supplements. They should depend clearly on their regular meals (vegetarian or non-vegetarian) till a certain age. If still they go for supplements, then it is advisable to do this in consultation with their coach and health experts.
Q. Where does this popularity of using health supplements come from (especially among young athletes)?
These trends are mostly European and American. The concept of supplements is not indigenous. There is a science behind it and consuming them without proper consultation can be harmful.
Q. How do you guide athletes using these unproven health supplements?
There’re consequences of unproven and the unregistered supplementation that leads to health hazards. But there’s a huge number of people who prefer consuming it.
Ideally, athletes should know what they are eating. They should eat all the right meals – macro and micro, considering their specific goals, i.e., whether they want to reduce fat, muscle growth or want to gain body weight, etc. Multivitamins can help them in a better way.
Q. What are the potential dangers and risks associated with supplements?
A supplement which is not registered, not proven by tests, by Food and Drug Administration or by certain standards, can be considered as dangerous. But if someone is obsessed with supplements, then there are chances that consuming these supplements can lead to early osteoporotic changes. In females, it can affect their menstrual cycles and further, hormonal changes.
Q. While buying specific supplements should they seek some professional advice?
Yes. One should always have the right guidance while buying supplements. Since you are free to buy them from any stores, and it doesn’t require any kind of prescriptions, it is advisable to have adequate guidance about the supplement. Because the idea of having health supplements stems from enhancing your performance in terms of strength, endurance and anabolic rush, therefore, right guidance plays a role.
Q. Are there any alternative approaches or strategies that can be recommended to athletes in order to enhance their performance?
There are millions of resources to know about diet like books and websites. This you can access with a single click; however, you will need a customized approach to your health and future requirements. You need to understand the core of your diet. It is always an individualised program, but consistency is the key.
Q. Are there any health supplements that can also have harmful effect on an athlete’s mental well-being?
Yeah, definitely. Take the example of fat burners. Our body is controlled by the brain. These supplements affect your brain cells, and make your brain work as per requirement. Brain will secrete a certain hormone which changes our body to reduce our fat. This can also induce anxiety in you. Such kind of products, I would say, are wrong products to consume.
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