Ask the Experts - Fitness
Answers from Andrew Hamilton:
Q. I have a query concerning my energy levels. I will be moving out to America in two weeks for intensive tennis training. I will playing first thing in the morning, coming home to do schoolwork and then going back to the tennis centre later on to play again. I find that doing this much in one day, my energy levels drop and I cannot concentrate, especially whilst doing my studies. I get extremely tired and find it difficult to continue. I recently went to a health shop to ask them for any advice. They suggested that I used 'Super Guarana - 1200mg per tablet' whenever I felt tired. I asked whether this was a banned substance for athletes in Britain and America and she said that it was not banned. However, I wanted to check with you if this was in fact true. Or is there something better that you could recommend. I already take omega-3 supplements and this does not seem to help.
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Answer:
Guarana is a herb that contains naturally occurring stimulants known as xanthine alkaloids. The best known of these is caffeine (also found in coffee, tea and cocoa beans), but there are others such as theophylline and theobromine. The caffeine content of guarana is extremely high – about 4 times higher than fresh coffee beans – and this explains why the health shop recommended the particular product in question; caffeine is a stimulant and pick-me-up, increasing mental alertness and (in certain circumstances) physical endurance too. Caffeine is not a banned substance, either by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) or the USA’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). However, because many herbs contain a wide variety of naturally occurring compounds, taking a herb because it contains a legal compound doesn’t exclude the possibility that you may be unwittingly consuming other illegal compounds, so to play safe, it’s probably best to stick to tea and coffee if it’s caffeine you’re after!
However, there’s a more fundamental issue here – why are you becoming so tired in the first place? Rather than adopting a ‘sticking plaster’ type approach by using stimulants like caffeine to get you through bad patches, it would be much better to try and address the root cause of the fatigue. Your first port of call should be to your GP – he or she can run some simple tests to ensure that you’re not suffering from any medical condition, viral type infection or nutrient deficiency (eg iron or B vitamins), all of which could cause undue fatigue. Assuming these tests are all clear, the next thing to look at would be your carbohydrate and fluid intake. Any shortfall in fluid intake will leave you feeling tired and lethargic and carbohydrate intake is particularly important when you are training hard. Not only is it important that you consume enough carbohydrate to fuel your training (even a slight shortfall will leave you feeling tired), it’s also vital that you consume the right type. The bulk of your carbohydrates should be from unrefined whole grains (wholemeal bread and pasta, whole grain rice, beans and lentils, oats and other whole grain cereals, potatoes, bananas and other starchy vegetables and fruits. Quick releasing refined carbohydrates such as sugar and sugary drinks, confectionary, jam, chocolate, cakes etc. can disturb blood sugar levels in vulnerable individuals, leading to energy peaks and troughs, during which extreme fatigue and tiredness are apparent. You may find it helpful to seek the advice of a qualified nutritionist in this respect. As for omega-3 supplements, there’s plenty of evidence that they can benefit long-term health, but I would also recommend that given your circumstances, you consider taking a broad-spectrum one-a-day multivitamin/mineral supplement.