A few short notes on a few supplements.
Creatine
Not always recommended.
Creatine is used to provide for energy for short term movements, think sprinting and weightlifting.
Tennis players take creatine because it gives them more power and force production, whilst also improving their rally tolerance.
But, there are numerous side effects that should be considered.
- Possibility of cramp which is often catastrophic.
- Muscle cramps due to creatine have occurred in players who usually never cramp, this is of course a terrible thing to happen during a match.
- It is hard to predict who is going to be affected by this
- Water retention.
- For players who retrieve and prefer to play out long rallies, we don't think creatine is a good idea. The additional weight only serves to slow a player down. For a big server? It might be a better idea.
- Rapid changes in strength can affect your strokes and coordination
- Creatine can increase strength endurance even in the absence of exercise, but changing a single factor significantly is sometimes not ideal in a sport that requires many moving parts
- It can become a crutch
- If you decide to stop taking creatine, you will get weaker. This is a bad feeling that most players want to avoid.
When do we recommend taking creatine?
In the off season, we recommend taking a small dose to start (think 2-3 grams) and never a loading dose. See how your body reacts, unfortunately the scientific literature is unsurprisingly overwhelmingly in favour of supplementation. This general advice does not account for the specific situations an ATP pro faces.
Ashwagandha
A Double edged sword.
Ashwagandha is incredible for improving stress tolerance and reducing jitters. But taking it for longer than a few weeks at a time can sometimes result in a lack of motivation.
Some studies find a reliable improvement in VO2 max and increase in testosterone levels.
Who should take it?
During periods of moderate to high stress (not low stress), ashwagandha might be useful. Never use for more than 8 weeks at a time.
Whey protein
A highly useful supplement that any ATP pro should be taking.
Magnesium (glycinate)
Useful for inducing sleep, involved in hundreds of processes in the body, helps to manage insulin sensitivity.
Take a form that does not result in gastrointestinal distress (usually glycine).
Melatonin
This is a tricky one, especially for athletes who are constantly switching time zones. One food that contains very high amounts of melatonin naturally is pistachios. One typical snack we prescribe to athletes is a pistachio and protein yogurt bowl before sleep.
Collagen
Specific forms of collagen exert distinct pharmacological effects. See collagen for more information.
Apigenin
Found in chamomile tea, supplements struggle with bioavailability due to specific chemical properties.
Other
Choline, Alpha-GPC…these supplements can help with concentration due to their presence in the phospholipid membrane.
Some players prefer to take coffee in the morning of a match. However, we generally advise players to pair caffeine with L-theanine in order to avoid serving jitters.
For more information, contact us.