A review of ergogenic nutritional supplements for athletes

Abstract

Ergogenic supplements are defined as substances that contribute to or support the doing or production of a job. These supplements are used for many purposes such as increasing the performance of athletes, accelerating recovery in athletes, improving capacity, and reducing and preventing muscle injuries and muscle fatigue. Ergogenic supplements, which are of great interest to athletes and trainers, are classified as nutritional aids, pharmacological aids, psychological aids, mechanical and biomechanical aids, and physiological aids. Among these supplements, they are the most actively used nutritional aids and attract attention in the market as muscle-building nutritional supplements, weight-reducing nutritional supplements, performance-enhancing nutritional supplements, and general health-promoting nutritional supplements. Protein and amino acids provide benefits in long-term or short-term explosive power activities. Fats are used as the main fuel in long-term aerobic exercises. In addition, caffeine, ginseng, antioxidants, and coenzyme Q10 also serve as ergogenic nutritional supplements. It has been reported in studies that minerals such as B, C and E vitamins, chromium, magnesium, iron, and zinc affect sports performance in a good way. In case of deficiency of the aforementioned vitamins and minerals in athletes, many negativities occur. In this study, the use of ergogenic nutritional supplements by athletes before, during, and after training was compiled using the current literature on the types of these supplements.