The Best Supplements for Javelin Throwers

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF SUPPLEMENTS?

The purpose of supplements is to make up for what you lack in your whole food based diet. A whole food based diet is eating things like chicken, steak, eggs, rice, oats, olive oil, milk, etc. first and foremost. That is where 90% of your nutrients should come from. Anything that contains multiple ingredients is technically not a “whole food” due to it containing multiple foods in one. The other 10% of your diet should be made up of 9% processed foods / non whole foods that will help get extra calories

in, help you eat on the go, or digest faster, and the other 1% should come from supplements to make up for what you lack with eating normal food. For example protein is found in animal sources but can be taken as a supplement for those who may not get the proper amount on a normal day.

The extra nutrients you get from supplements should typically not be viewed as much as improving your performance, but more as a recovery tool. Sure, by taking protein powder and creatine, it will help you recover and build more muscle, and as we know, more muscle will aid in performance, but I would not rely on those to give you the added edge to throw further or lift more weight. You are just using the supplement to maximize your muscle recovery.

Nevan Burke (left) Dan Labbadia (Middle) Jordan Davis (right)

PROTEIN POWDER

Protein powder is one of the best supplements you could take because it is very simple and it just adds protein to your daily diet. You should not rely on protein powder being your main source of protein, the best times to take it are when you are short on protein for the day, protein sources are scarce, or when attempting to lose weight and cravings ensue. Whey protein was originally often discarded after being left over from milk production companies and when they found out they could sell it as protein powder the supplement industry capitalized on it. Whey protein digests very quickly, feeding your muscles and allowing for a higher overall daily protein intake. This helps recovery and muscle growth, however drinking 24g of protein powder would have the same effect as eating 24g of protein from a whole food.

Whey protein isolate is the purest form of protein and may help your stomach if you are sensitive to lactose, but it is typically more expensive.

Whey protein concentrate is not as pure of a form of whey protein, and typically has more milk fat and carbs in it, but can be the cheapest option

Whole food protein powder is made up of ingredients such as: Chicken, beef, egg, and salmon proteins and typically includes many carbs as well such as brown rice protein, oats, and dehydrated sweet potato. The purpose

of these shakes is to be a whole food meal replacement, and are typically the most expensive kind of protein and the serving sizes per container is much smaller.

Vegan protein is typically made up of pea protein and rice protein, the carbohydrate content is much higher because a lot of the protein is coming from a fiber or carb source and protein content is typically lower in the range of 17g-21g per scoop compared to a whey protein which is about 24-30g per scoop.

CREATINE

Creatine is naturally found in red meat and fish but it is often hard to get the full daily dose through whole foods so that is why the supplement can help. Taking 5g of creatine each day will increase ATP in your muscles which allows your body to do more work (more weight / reps) , help muscle recovery, and improve cognitive function. Creatine completes this process by causing water to move into the muscles (volumization) which is why it is essential for the user to be properly hydrated and also to allow for proper kidney function.

CAFFEINE

Caffeine is extremely helpful to increase mental alertness, energy, and performance levels. It takes about 30 minutes for caffeine to fully hit the system and should not be consumed the first hour of waking up in the morning because your adenosine system is not awake yet and you should hydrate very well before consuming caffeine. Anywhere from 150mg - 300mg a day will be a healthy amount. Caffeine should not be consumed within 8 hours of sleep because of its lasting half life effect. Sticking to natural sources of caffeine like black coffee is recommended, however an occasional reign or red bull won’t kill you.

Supplement forms: Black Coffee, Pills, pre workout powder, carbonated energy drinks

ELECTROLYTES

LMNT Electrolyte Packets

Electrolytes are essential for hydration and should be consumed directly upon waking up, as you become very dehydrated while you sleep. This will also help give you energy right when you wake up as your adrenal system is awake and ready to receive nutrients. In addition to consuming right when you wake up, you should consume before, during, or after a workout. Depending on how cardiovascular your workout is, and the temperature outside, aim to consume about 2000mg of sodium from electrolytes per day especially if you are training very hard.

MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE

Magnesium glycinate is a supplement that combines the mineral magnesium with the amino acid glycine. The chemical bond between the two allows the body to absorb and use magnesium more effectively, which is why it’s sometimes called “chelated” magnesium. Magnesium is super helpful to be able to aid in recovery from long training days, improve sleep, bone density, increase testosterone, increase energy, and improve exercise performance. It is smart to slowly increase your dosage of this, because magnesium has effects of causing very frequent bowel movements.

BEEF LIVER

Beef liver is great for consuming micronutrients, vitamins and minerals that are often not consumed in the everyday diet due to the lack of taste in beef liver itself, and it’s not a very mainstream food. It is very useful to aid in joint and bone health during heavy lifting and training cycles. Beef liver is a rich source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, D, E, K2, B1, B2, B3, B6, and folate, as well as minerals like iron, zinc, selenium, and copper. Beef liver pills can support a variety of bodily functions, such as liver and heart health, skin and hair health, energy levels, and immunity.

ASHWAGANDHA

Ashwagandha is a supplement found naturally in the fields of Asia and Africa. This supplement is typically taken in the form of capsules and is a great way to relax, reduce inflammation, and relieve stress. Oftentimes when training extremely hard it is good to relax after a hard day / week and this may help aid in the sleep process as well as relieve some physical stress. Oftentimes the body responds to physical stress identically to mental stress and worry. This is also possibly a better alternative to melatonin, as it does not come with as many side effects that melatonin comes with. (melatonin can cause an extremely deep sleep which is great but can cause dark dreams, grogginess, and an early wake up which can be hard to fall back to sleep after having 3-5 very deep hours of sleep)

GLYCEROL

Glycerol is a fluid that helps keep the body hydrated before intense exercise, by consuming directly before exercise. Hydration through water and sodium should be consumed an even amount throughout the day and glycerol is something that you can take at the last minute if you are dehydrated to give you a boost and prevent you from losing fluids during actual exercise. The way it works is by allowing your muscles to be saturated with fluids and it allows ATP reproduction through gluconeogenesis. ATP production which we talked about in the creatine section, allows the muscles to have more energy

and do more work, this hydration and ATP production happens specifically through the gluconeogenesis process which is directly related with the bodies glucose levels so it will be especially helpful if your body has some carbohydrates stored or that were eaten as a part of your pre workout meal.

SHILAJIT

Shilajit is found naturally in the Himalayan mountain range in Asia. Shilajit is meant to increase energy, focus, and reduce the body’s inflammation. By containing antioxidants and minerals it is also known to increase testosterone levels, support iron deficiency, and improve cardiovascular health. This is great to take in the morning with your electrolyte power and the combination of the two can act like a stimulant free pre workout.

Supplement Forms: Resin, Powder, tablets.

Tablets are recommended because the Resin form tastes horrible, and the tablets are the second closest thing to its natural source.

PSA: please consult with a physician before taking any of these supplements and these are not brand endorsements. Each brand has its pros and cons and it is recommended you look into each brand before choosing for yourself.

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