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Nitrate and exercise performance
Nitrate and exercise performance is one of the most studied topics in sports nutrition. Nitrate is one of the handful of ergogenic substances with solid evidence behind them. Keep reading to find out what is nitrate, its roles in the body and how it can benefit your athletic endeavours. What is nitrate Nitrate (NO3−) is an anion, i.e. a molecule with more electrons than protons. Nitrate is naturally found in plant foods such as leafy greens and root vegetables, including lettuce, spinach, rocket, celery and beetroot (1, 2). The role of nitrate in the body Some of the nitrate taken in the diet is converted to nitric oxide (NO) (1,…
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Sports supplements intake in Australia
In this article we will look at some statistics regarding sports supplements intake in Australia. As you may know, sports supplements are widely consumed worldwide. They are taken by athletes and the general public for a variety of perceived or expected benefits. Sports supplements According to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Standard 2.9.4, a formulated supplementary sports foods is “a product that is specifically formulated to assist sports people in achieving specific nutritional or performance goals.” (1) Based on the same legislation, sports supplements may contain vitamins or minerals under certain restrictions, amino acids or other compounds used as a nutritive substance also under certain restrictions. Per…
