The Possible Side Effects of Supplementations with the name/type of supplement.

Dietary supplements, like medications, come with dangers and drawbacks. However, vendors are not required to conduct human research to demonstrate the safety of a dietary supplement. Unlike pharmaceuticals, the majority of dietary supplements are self-prescribed with no participation from medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, or pharmacists. Taking dietary supplements in excessive dosages or in place of prescribed medications, or if taking a variety of supplements, you are more likely to experience side effects. Some supplements can cause bleeding or alter your response to anaesthetic if taken before surgery. Supplements might also have unfavourable interactions with some medications.

Here are a few instances of what is meant:

·         The blood thinner warfarin's effectiveness to prevent blood clotting may be reduced by vitamin K.

·         Many medicines can be harmed by St. John's wort because it accelerates their breakdown and reduces their effectiveness (including some antidepressants, birth control pills, heart medications, anti-HIV medications, and transplant drugs).

·         Antioxidant supplements, such as vitamins C and E, may diminish the efficacy of several cancer chemotherapy treatments (National Institutes of Health, 2020).

The American Cancer Society (2015) states that in 2013, over 100,000 calls to poison control centers in the United States were due to supplement exposure such as vitamins, herbs, protein powders, and botanicals. The society further states over 8,000 persons are said to have been treated in medical institutions as a result of these calls. Poison control centers received over 1000 reports of instances with moderate to severe consequences. This does not include the 2,500 people who were treated in hospitals for electrolyte and mineral supplements, which resulted in 350 moderate to severe responses and two fatalities, according to poison control centers. Overall, due to a lack of awareness, serious side effects will arise if the medication is not used properly or at the specified dosage.

Endurance supplements with the recommended dosage.

By virtue of training for their sporting competitions, athletes that participate in endurance activities expend tens of thousands of calories. Therefore, there are a few supplements that have been developed to assist with endurance events such as middle distances, long distances and marathons. Caffeine is one such dietary supplement that has been used to improve endurance, glycogen storage, fat oxidation, fatigue prevention, and perceived effort reduction. Caffeine supplementation, in particular, has been reported to work as a glycogen saver by increasing the mobilization of free fatty acids via adrenaline (epinephrine) induction. (Laurent et al., 2000). The recommended dosage is 3–6 mg per kilogram of body weight 45–60 minutes prior to physical activity.

In addition, after the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, another supplement, creatine, acquired public favour. Creatine is an unflavored, transparent powder that liquifies quickly and can be obtained as creatine monohydrate or in a mixture with phosphorous as a dietary supplement. According to USADA (2021), creatine loading can improve an athlete's capacity to accomplish tasks that demand quick bursts of power with the correct training. Creatine dosage for optimal enhancement and performance would be 5 to 7 days, consume 20 grams of creatine in four equal doses, then reduce to 3 to 5 grams each day. Collectively, these endurance supplements present favourable outcomes that athletes can use to enhance their performance

High-intensity Supplements with recommended dosages.

High-intensity exercises are those that get you moving quickly or vigorously enough to burn three to six times as much energy per minute as sitting calmly. Inasmuch, there are supplements that assist with these types of exercises such as sodium citrate and sodium bicarbonate. Sodium bicarbonate and sodium citrate appear to be helpful in activities that last long enough to produce a difference in the hydrogen ion gradient, are intense, and involve large muscle groups (REQUENA et al., 2005, p. 213-224). With the recommended dosages enhancement is inevitable. Therefore, with the assistance of sodium bicarbonate research has shown a gradual increase in energy output to sustain high-intensity activities. Furthermore, with the use of the supplement sodium citrate research has shown significant improvement in performance. Oopik et al., (2003) state that after drinking sodium citrate, the volunteers took considerably (p=0.01) less time to complete the 5 km run than after drinking a placebo (1153.2(74.1) vs. 1183.8(91.4) seconds). The sodium citrate dosage recommendation for maximum performance is from 0.1 to 0.5 g/kg BM, with energy-giving advantages requiring a minimum of 0.3 g/kg BM consumption.

 Overall, the major adjustments to performance with the ingestion of sodium bicarbonate and sodium nitrate prove that both supplements have the capability to enhance performance.

Moderate intensity supplements and repeat physical activities with the recommended dosage.

Exercises that raise your heart rate to 50% to 60% over resting levels are considered moderate-intensity activity. With added supplements performance in these exercises can be optimally productive. Therefore, the use of the supplement Beta-Alanine can increase energy outputs that support moderate intensity and repeated activities. In activities lasting one to several minutes, beta-alanine is most helpful. Beta-alanine is most effective in exercises lasting one to several minutes. It can help reduce fatigue while increasing exercise capacity and muscle endurance (Semeco, 2018). Furthermore, research has shown that Beta-alanine has an increased capacity to enhance performance. According to Hobson et al., (2018) when exercise ability was measured, there was a significant difference between the Beta-Alanine and Placebo groups (P= 0.013). In addition, the study showed that Beta-Alanine groups had a 0.591(0.341–1.071) impact size, but the Placebo groups had a lesser effect size of 0.156(0.040–0.566;)

The meaning of the Dose-response principle

A concept that links a drug's potency to its efficacy in treating a specific symptom or organ system (American Psychology, 2020). The amount of medicine required to create the desired effect is referred to as potency, while efficacy refers to the drug's capacity to function at a target receptor or organ to generate the desired effect is referred to as efficacy. Dose–response curves can be graded, indicating a continuous link between dose and effect, or quantal, indicating an either–or effect, such as arrhythmia prevention. Individual responses to a given dose of medicine differ significantly.

A few supplements can be used in a dose-response principle to obtain improvements in exercise performance.

·         Caffeine supplementation has shown to be an effective ergogenic aid in enhancing athletic performance.

·         Sodium bicarbonate

Factors to consider before supplementing a diet.

·       Consult your doctor to see if the supplement you're considering is safe and effective for you.

·       Keep in mind that supplements cannot be sold for the purposes of diagnosing, treating, preventing, or curing diseases.

·       Instead of relying on information from marketers, look for information regarding supplements on noncommercial websites.

· Remember that the phrase "natural" does not always imply "safe."

References

American Cancer Society. (2015, March 31). Risks and side effects of dietary supplements. American Cancer Society | Information and Resources about for Cancer: Breast, Colon, Lung, Prostate, Skin. Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/complementary-and-alternative-medicine/dietary-supplements/risks-and-side-effects.html

 

American Psychology. (2020). APA dictionary of psychology. APA Dictionary of Psychology. https://dictionary.apa.org/dose-response-relationship

 

Hobson, R. M., Saunders, B., Ball, G., Harris, R. C., & Sale, C. (2012). Effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: A meta-analysis. Amino Acids, 43(1), 25-37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-011-1200-z

 

Laurent, D., Schneider, K. E., Prusaczyck, W. K., Franklin, C., Vogel, S. M., Krssak, M., Peterson, K. F., Goforth, H. W., & Shulman, G. I. (2000, June). Effects of caffeine on muscle glycogen utilization and the neuroendocrine axis during exercise. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10852448/

 

National Institutes of Health. (2020, September 3). What you need to know. Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/WYNTK-Consumer/

 

Oopik, V., Saarmets, I., Medijainen, L., Karelson, K., Janson, T., & Timpmann, S. (2003). Effects of sodium citrate ingestion before exercise on endurance performance in well trained college runners. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 37(6), 485-489. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.37.6.485

 

REQUENA, B., ZABALA, M., PADIAL, P., & FERICHE, B. (2005). Sodium bicarbonate and sodium citrate. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 19(1), 213-224. https://doi.org/10.1519/00124278-200502000-00036

 

Semeco, A. (2018, December 7). Beta-alanine — A beginner's guide. Healthline. Retrieved October 13, 2021, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/beta-alanine-101#athletics

 

Siegler, J. C., Midgley, A. W., Polman, R. C., & Lever, R. (2010). Effects of various sodium bicarbonate loading protocols on the time-dependent Extracellular buffering profile. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(9), 2551-2557. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181aeb154

 

U.S FOOD and DRUG Administration. (2018, February 23). Five things to consider before taking a dietary supplement. FDA.gov. https://www.fda.gov/food/information-consumers-using-dietary-supplements/tips-dietary-supplement-users

 

USADA. (2021, March 10). What do athletes need to know about creatine? U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). https://www.usada.org/spirit-of-sport/education/athletes-need-know-creatine/