General Health

Regular nutrition

Some supplements are taken for general health reasons by athletes, just like ordinary members of the population do.  These supplements usually involve ingredients that are present in a normal balanced diet.  It follows that those who take them do so for one or both of these reasons:

• There is a deficiency of some nutrients in the athletes regular diet due to insufficient availability or ingestion of some food groups
• There is perceived increased need for certain nutrients in some training phases that cannot be met by regular dietary intake.

Examples here might be trace elements, vitamins, and in some cases herbal or oil-based preparations. 

Boosting the immune system

The immune system undoubtedly takes some punishment during heavy training or post match recovery.  Whilst fruit and vegetables are the best way to aid immune function, certain vitamins and other micronutrients can provide additional support.

Digestive health

Again athletes may use probiotics to aid their digestive health, much as regular people do.  There is some suggestion that use of probiotics in some individuals can limit the frequency and severity of gut infections.