Improve your military performance with key supplements to resist fatigue and speed up recovery. Discover the importance of amino acids, glutamine, carbohydrate and protein shakes, fatty acids, caffeine and antioxidants. Optimize your training and perform at your best.
Improving performance in the Army is based primarily on two criteria: withstanding fatigue during training and recovering as quickly as possible. Training for this profession requires a high volume of work, and providing essential nutrients is vital not only to withstand this energy expenditure, but also to increase performance. In this sense, nutrition is crucial and one detail can make a big difference in terms of performance.
Supplementation is a support that must be taken into account to reach where food is difficult to reach. We have compiled the key products that every soldier should take into account to supplement their diet.
Branched chain amino acids (BCAA's)
One of the best-performing supplements that no long-distance athlete should be without. Three essential amino acids, valine, leucine and isoleucine, are branched-chain amino acids that have two important functions in your military life:
- It forms the “building blocks” for restoring muscle mass catabolized during very prolonged exercise. But in addition to promoting protein synthesis, it has other important functions from the point of view of sports performance, such as anti-catabolic.
- In long-duration endurance sports, the drop in plasma amino acid levels is avoided and the onset of fatigue is delayed, which is very important in very demanding training sessions or competitive tests.
The recommended daily dose of BCAA supplements is 100 mg/kg of body weight for adults, preferably taken 15-30 minutes before training to avoid fatigue. This option is interesting for long endurance tests or intense cardiovascular training.
For protein resin, it is best to take them before going to sleep, since it is during sleeping hours that the body carries out its anabolic processes. Or at night, since protein synthesis takes place during rest. For better absorption, it is recommended to take them with a glucose drink, such as isotonic or juice, without any food or shake.
Glutamine
Glutamine is an amino acid with an important anti-catabolic function. It prevents muscle loss in times of high oxidative stress and promotes protein synthesis. Intense exercise over prolonged periods can cause a decrease in blood levels of glutamine, associated with overtraining and other catabolic states. In such cases, glutamine supplementation ensures rapid replenishment.
It is recommended to take it during periods or phases of the season when you have high training loads or competitive periods, it will significantly help you recover and prevent immune system declines. Add a few grams of glutamine to several meals throughout the day, especially before bedtime.
Carbohydrate and protein shakes
Contrary to what you might think, these shakes are not exclusive to bodybuilders and strength sports, the truth is that they have much more meaning and importance in any long-distance athlete. Consider that the energy and muscle wear of a triathlete or marathoner is much greater than that of any strength athlete. There is an almost total depletion of glycogen reserves and the continuous muscle contractions end up causing inflammation and tears in the muscle and connective tissue. If these structures are not replaced, tears and states of muscle catabolism will soon appear. The protein needs for long-distance athletes are considerably greater than in other athletes.
If we add to this high demand for nutrients the little time available to eat a complete diet, we realize the need to resort to a supplement of this type after training. The ideal for this post-workout shake is to maintain a proportion of 70% carbohydrates and 30% proteins.
To calculate the amount needed, add 1 gram for each kilo of body weight, for example, if you weigh 70 kg you need about 70 g. In this shake we want fast absorption, so the protein must be whey protein, also called whey protein, which dissolves well, is assimilated quickly and has a high biological value. It is ideal for this post-workout moment.
It is important to take this hydrolyzed powder ONLY with plenty of water for correct and rapid assimilation. If mixed with milk or juice, gastric emptying will be delayed.
Fatty acids
Although they may seem like the “bad guys” of nutrients, the truth is that our body needs the presence of fats and even cholesterol. Essential fatty acids are an important help, especially in endurance sports, such as this one. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a powerful antioxidant with anti-cancer effects. It is not considered an essential fatty acid because the body could live without it, however, it is of great importance in cellular metabolism.
Reduces body fat while increasing lean muscle mass (anti-catabolic effects). Reduces high-density lipoproteins (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) and triglycerides. Stimulates immune function.
Caffeine
This very common stimulant has two major advantages for a triathlete. On the one hand, it mobilizes fats for burning, saving important muscle glycogen, and on the other hand, it activates us by stimulating all levels of the central nervous system, delaying the onset of physical fatigue.
Drink plenty of water, as caffeine increases renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate, and decreases proximal tubular reabsorption of sodium and water, resulting in moderate diuresis (an effect attenuated by exercise). You must stay hydrated to avoid dehydration during a demanding event.
Antioxidants
The body has a series of natural enzymes that act as antioxidants, but their levels decline with age. That is why we must stimulate these natural defenses to alleviate the negative effects of free radicals produced by intense exercise.
Choose supplements that contain the main antioxidants, such as carotene, vitamins C and E, and minerals such as selenium and zinc. Other nutrients with antioxidant power are coenzyme Q10, lycopenes and fats such as CLA.
It is good to do antioxidant “cures” from time to time, especially during periods of high physical wear and tear, stress and periods in which your diet is very limited, such as in the case of diets or periods when training and preparation are strenuous.
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