WHICH SUPPLEMENTS REALLY WORK?

With so many supplements promising performance gains, sorting the proven from the mere placebo is baffling at best. Nutritionist Anita Bean shines a light on the evidence base

- Anita Bean

The sports nutrition market is awash with tablets, powders and potions promising performance gains. Some of them are very eye-catching; a nutritional improvement, if it works, is a relatively easy gain – no extra work required, just a small financial outlay. But most of us also realise that many, if not most, supplements overpromise and under-deliver. There’s no replacement for a varied, well-balanced diet and strategic nutrient timing around training. Nonetheless, sports supplements are widely used by cyclists at every level of the sport.

According to a recent consensus statement by the International Olympic Committee, the majority of these products have little evidence to back them up. At best, they are unnecessary and, at worst, are harmful or prohibited. That said, there are a few products that are supported by robust research and may offer performance or health benefits. Here, I’ve sifted through some of the most popular supplements for cyclists and put them into three categories:

SUPPLEMENTS SUPPORTED BY SOLID EVIDENCE

Vitamin D

BENEFITS: BONE HEALTH, MUSCLE FUNCTION, IMMUNITY

Vitamin D is important for muscle function, bone health and immunity. A study of 50 competitive male road cyclists found the majority had low levels of vitamin D, putting them at greater risk of injury and respiratory infection. In tests on a group of footballers who were given either a vitamin D supplement or a placebo, researchers found that, after eight weeks of training, the supplemented group showed significant performance improvements compared to the placebo group.