Dietary Supplementation in Soccer

It seems that a topic that comes up frequently amongst athletes is “Dietary Supplementation” or vitamins.  Over the years there have been several fads and myths about what works best and what doesn’t.  I’ve seen a lot of unique approaches to supplementing in that time.  As a college student I felt that a well rounded and vitamin-rich diet consisted of crust for carbohydrates, pepperoni and cheese for protein, and tomato sauce for vegetable.  Pizza, the miracle food for college students!

Millions of dollars are spent each year on vitamins.  Many companies promote extremely high dosages of certain vitamins that are sure to improve athletic performance and increase speed of recovery.   Many of these companies promote their claims with questionable research that sometimes edges on the “Wild West Medicine Show” side of the sports world.  The “supplement du jour” changes frequently as athletes get paid to promote and use these vitamins.  Younger athletes buy this stuff up like tourists buy cheap t-shirts.

So what works and what doesn’t?  I work alongside Registered Dieticians who study this stuff all the time.  Harmoniously they state that a well-rounded diet that includes protein, carbs, a little “healthy” fat, and foods rich in colorful vegetables and fruits will give you all the vitamins you will ever need.  Nanna Meyer, a world renowned sports nutritionist who works with the USOC and many world class athletes stated her opinion about most of the supplementation that athletes spend so much money on.  “It’s very expensive urine”, she said.  Meaning that the body will use what it needs and excrete the rest.  She further suggests that if an athlete feels the need to use vitamins then they should go with a simple over-the-counter multi-vitamin.

So, as much as I hate to admit it my mom was right.  Eat your fruits and vegetables.