Fueling Fitness

If you’re an athlete or are taking part in fitness activities for the purpose of health and maintenance, you’re probably wondering if there is a better way to eat and drink to make you stronger, quicker, faster, and indefatigable.

No magic nutrition bullets exist for fueling fitness, despite the giant industry that has been assembled to sell us supplements that suggest we can be Superman or Superwoman as long as we consume their products (I did find references in the scientific literature that specify some supplements that may be of benefit—see the sidebar “Consider These for Supplement Experimentation”).

While they may be of help to some athletes, the supplements are unlikely to be a major part of your fueling process. They can give you an extra edge going into a high-intensity training session or a competition, but you can get that from something as simple as having a cup of coffee an hour before a run or a weightlifting session.