Diet is an important part of any athlete’s regime, proving the fuel required to perform. However diet alone may not always be able to provide everything you need, this may be due to a deficiency you have or the fact that some nutrition you may not be able to take in. That’s where supplements come in. In this article we explore the most beneficial supplements for powerlifters, adapted from Dan Austin and Bryan Mann’s second edition of Powerlifting.
Before taking supplements
Before taking a supplement, it’s important to check a couple of things. First, if you are competing as a powerlifter see if your organization allows its competitors to use the supplement. For example, some organizations such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) test for pseudoephedrine, but others do not. Someone competing in a meet sanctioned by this organization who takes a cold medicine that contains pseudoephedrine may test positive. Another thing to check is the reputability of the company that makes the supplement. In many instances athletes have tested positive for banned substances simply because they took supplements that were contaminated. Some supplement companies do independent testing on their products to ensure they will not cause positive drug tests.
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