Listing and describing dietary supplements could be so extensive that it is divided into three
categories which are vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, botanicals, and herbals.1 Vitamins,
minerals, and amino acids are found in foods, botanicals are extracted compounds from foods
then concentrated into a liquid or solid supplement, and herbals have no nutrients, but are found
in foods.1 Dietary supplements are used worldwide and add to benefit our health. With so many
to choose from, the decision can be hard to choose from. To assist with making a choice, it
would be wise to choose the manufacturer that participates in one of the dietary supplement
certification programs such as NSF (Certified for Sport), United States Pharmacopeia, and
Informed- Choice.1
Name it goes by
Beta- alanine/ did not find any other names
Its claim and how it impacts the body physiologically
Beta- alanine has been proven to intensify athletic performance, exercise capacity, and build
muscle mass, as well as overall health. Since it is not an essential amino acid, the body does not
used it to synthesize proteins. Overall body strength, muscular endurance, and body composition
is enhanced.
Its effectiveness based on scientific evidence
Research propose that beta-alanine supplementation can significantly expand muscle carnosine
intensification.1 Concentrates have demonstrated improved execution with beta-alanine
supplementation amid various episodes of high- intense physical exercising enduring more
prominent than 60 seconds, but no more than 4 minutes.1
Its potential benefits and/ or health hazards
Beta- alanine supplementation was proven to enhance exercise capacity without fatigue.
Enhanced exercise performance with effects lead to improved muscle strength and
cardiovascular health.2 The only hazard found with using this supplement was not to exceed over
5g during daily intake.3
Would you recommend it?
I would recommend using beta- alanine supplementation because levels of carnosine are
increased, it decreases the chance of fatigue by improving exercise performance, and the assist
with reducing acid levels during physical activity in the muscles.
Name it goes by
Omega- 3 Fatty acids,
α
- linolenic (ALA), Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), Docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA)
Its claim and how it impacts the body physiologically
Omega-3s assume vital jobs in the body as parts of the phospholipids that structure the cell
membrane. DHA, specifically, is particularly high in the retina, cerebrum, and sperm.
Notwithstanding their auxiliary job in cell membranes, omega-3s give energy to the body and are
utilized to frame eicosanoids. Eicosanoids are signaling molecules that have comparative
substance structures to the fatty acids from which they are inferred; they have wide-extending
capacities in the body's cardiovascular, aspiratory, safe, and endocrine frameworks.4
Its effectiveness based on scientific evidence
Consuming omega- 3s has been known to benefit the heart, eye health, and brain. Diets wealthy
in immersed unsaturated fats (SFAs) are related with an expanded predominance of obesity and
type 2 diabetes, while long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 unsaturated fat rich eating regimens
have anti- inflammatory impacts and might be defensive against metabolic variations from the
norm.5
Its potential benefits and/ or health hazards
The recommended dose for EPA and DHA should not exceed 3g/d and no more than 2g/d as a
supplement. Omega-3s have been proven to be effective for athletes with exercise- induced
bronchoconstriction due to asthma, but not recede muscle injury or inflammation, complement
the immune system, or cultivate performance.
Would you recommend it?
I would recommend omega-3 fatty acids as a supplement because the body do not produce it.
Being that they are beneficial to the heart and brain, I would try to get the recommended amount
through food first.
Name it goes by
Quercetin
Its claim and how it impacts the body physiologically
Quercetin has been known to help with arthritis, bladder infections, heart conditions and blood
vessels, prevent cancer, and many other health benefits. The improved physical execution
brought about by quercetin announced by a few studies may be owing to the diminished layers in
muscles, which thusly lessens the negative and comprehensive impacts of intemperate oxygen
radicals amid physical exercise.7
Its effectiveness based on scientific evidence
Quercetin is a flavonoid that has been proven to be a powerful antioxidant. It is more potent than
vitamin C. Quercetin’s effects provide protection against the brain, heart, toxic compounds,
some tissues against ischemia- reperfusion injury, and instigate oxidative stress.6 A study
suggests that this supplement may promote endurance performance on untrained athletes, but
more research is needed. Quercetin can prevent post- exercise immune system perturbations and
perceptivity to infections, promote sleep, act as an antidepressant, reduce symptoms of
osteoarthritis, inhibit inflammation- producing enzymes, exerts immune and inflammation
modulating activity, lowers blood pressure, and help prevent diabetes and diabetic complications.
Its potential benefits and/ or health hazards
It is not recommended for trained athletes at this time. Any person taking quercetin should not
exceed 1,000mg/d. No potential hazards were found. Quercetin may also be beneficial as an
anti- allergy effect by inhibiting the release of histamines by mast cells and basophils. There is
evidence that quercetin has anticancer mechanisms that includes antioxidant, anti-proliferative,
pro- apoptotic, cell signaling effects, and growth factor suppression.7 Studies have proven that
heart disease risks decreased notably as flavonoid intake increased.
Would you recommend it?
I would recommend quercetin because it has many health benefits such as acting as an
antioxidant seeking and destroying free radicals. Quercetin is a higher dose of vitamin C that
protects against allergies, inflammation, colds, high blood pressure, and many more. There were
no potential harms reported, but no one should exceed the daily dosage.
References
1. Dunford, M & Doyle, JA (2019). Nutrition for Sport and Exercise (4th ed.). Boston, MA:
Cengage. ISBN 978-1-337-55692-7.
2. Blake JS, Munoz KD, Volpe S. Nutrition: From Science to You. 4th ed.
Boston, MA. Pearson; 2019. ISBN: 9780134668260.
3. Furst T, Massaro A, Miller C, Williams B, LaMacchia Z, Horvath P. β-Alanine
supplementation increased physical performance and improved executive function following
endurance exercise in middle aged individuals. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018;15(1).
doi:10.1186/s12970-018-0238-7
4. Office of Dietary Supplements - Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Ods.od.nih.gov.
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/. Published 2019.
Accessed February 21, 2019.
5. Oh D, Olefsky J. Omega 3 Fatty Acids and GPR120. Cell Metab. 2012;15(5):564-565.
doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2012.04.009
6. Kelly G. "Quercetin" Alternative Medicine Review. Health Reference Center Academic.
2011;16(2):172+. http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/ps/i.do?
p=HRCA&u=vic_liberty&id=GALE%7CA259077887&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon#. Accessed
February 21, 2019.
7. Askari G, Ghiasvand R, Paknahad Z et al. The Effects of Quercetin Supplementation on Body
Composition, Exercise Performance and Muscle Damage Indices in Athletes. US National
Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. 2013;4(1):21-26.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3570907/. Accessed February 21, 2019.
Reply 1
Hello Ashley. Great information you have provided in your post. Supplements save lives for
people like me who’s diet is not on track, but at the same time I refuse to have a cabinet full of
vitamins and minerals. My life has suddenly spun out of control as well as my nutrition intake,
and fast food has been my best friend. In America, we have a wide variety of desirable choices
of foods. Many of those foods lack essential nutrients as in our vitamins, calcium, potassium,
magnesium, etc. I’m thankful for at least a multivitamin to suffice slightly for what I am
missing, and as preventive measures for diseases. It could be easy to over consume on
supplements, which is why it is extremely important to not exceed the recommended dosage.
Supplements do not guarantee a better life, but sometimes they are needed in many different
circumstances.
Your mentioning of beetroot juice sparked my interest because of the benefits it provides. The
taste of beets has no gray area in between love and hate, and has risen to superfood status.
Dietary supplementation with beetroot juice, containing around 5– 8 mmol inorganic nitrate
(NO3−), builds plasma nitrite fixation ([NO2−]), diminishes blood pressure, and may emphatically
impact the physiological reactions to physical exercise.1 Studies have shown that 3-6 days of
NO3- supplementation depreciate the oxygen level costs of intense exercising and promote
tolerance in young healthy adults.1 This is important to me as a fitness instructor to assist with
maintaining my endurance levels.
1. Wylie L, Kelly J, Bailey S et al. Beetroot juice and exercise: pharmacodynamic and dose-
response relationships. J Appl Physiol. 2013;115(3):325-336.
doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00372.2013
Reply 2
Hello Sarah! Your three choices of supplements were at the top of my list. I did elaborate on
Beta- alanine because this is something I may potentially add to my list. Beta- alanine has been
proven to accentuate athletic performance, exercise capacity, and conform muscle mass, as well
as overall health.1 Many people do not have the stamina others may have during exercising and
may need an extra push, and beta- alanine can assist with that. Just to add to your informative
post, beta- alanine is a nonessential amino acid, meaning the body can generate it from other
amino acids without needing to retrieve it from foods. Our bodies use it to synthesize carnosine,
another amino acid, that is stored in the brain helping to reduce fatigue, as well as balance pH
levels in the muscles.2 Carnosine fills in as an acid buffer and balances the build- up of acid,
which expands the measure of work the muscles can do before they reach exhaustion. Without
satisfactory measures of the superfluous amino acid, our bodies cannot deliver carnosine
productively, which means the buffering limit is constrained, and therefore, so is our endurance
and stamina. Daily oral intake of beta- alanine of 6g for 4 weeks has been shown to increase
carnosine content by 60%.2 It may sound as if we do not need beta- alanine and only ingest
carnosine, but carnosine is not absorbed good orally. The body breaks down beta- alanine, and
then is used to produce carnosine.
1. Blake JS, Munoz KD, Volpe S. Nutrition: From Science to You. 4th ed.
Boston, MA. Pearson; 2019. ISBN: 9780134668260.
