The vast usage of dietary supplements within the military force was examined by the Association of Medicine in 2008. To stay healthy and awake, around 60% of military staff use a couple of dietary supplements to improve exercise, work out and weight training.
In any case, what improvements from the usage of dietary supplements in this environment have been confirmed? What kind of evidence is out there to help guide us on the usage of dietary supplements?
This is something the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) examined to help the school in appropriately explaining to military staff about the benefits and safety of superfoods for fitness and physical exercise.
Scientific Evidence of One Substance
The evidence-based examination by the USUHS investigated beta-alanine’s advantages as well as safety.
USP board of trustees uses volunteering experts to assess the quality norms for prescriptions, food sources and dietary enhancements.
The experts could not confirm that beta-alanine improves athletic execution or speeds up recuperation from exercise. However, they found moderate evidence for a causal relationship between beta-alanine and paresthesia. Parestesia is often depicted as a burning or prickling sensation felt in the hands, arms, legs, or feet, or in other parts of the body.
At any rate, what’s the significance here? It recommends that the potential gains of beta-alanine is minimal. The beta-alanine usage doesn’t keep up with the lack of evidence for its benefits. Furthermore, the clinical assessments suggest beta-alanine the benefits may lie in other areas than physical exercise.
Further Examination Required
This assessment should of course not be summed up to mean that no dietary supplements support physical training and exercise. Likewise, it doesn’t mean they are risky or have negative side effects.
The appraisal in the Food Review article (referred above) gives but one entrance to the dietary update research area. Users of exercise enhancing dietary supplements are all around – and there are amazing possibilities to examine the future benefits, along with the safety.
Still, I’m certain our supplement providers are giving their customers quality products. The experts I have heard want to foster their usage and are open to assess the long-term benefits of novel and effective dietary supplements.
Whether we do more studies now to uncover the advantages and safety of brain- and memory supplements, or whether we remain content with old-fashioned methods to improve cognitive function, is now a question for the military. Should we now perceive and portray dietary supplements as mere foods, or improve our understanding in the effectiveness of various compounds, the military will likely continue to study the area further.