If you are an Brazilian Jujitsu athlete or live a very active life I cannot stress enough the importance of taking high quality supplements. Athletes should try to get their nutrients through healthful foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and maintain a clean diet so that supplements are truly supplements rather than the main nutrition source. However, many world-class athletes take vitamin supplements on a regular basis to make sure they are getting the proper nutrition to perform their best.

It does not matter if you are a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete, a golfer, a runner, or a pro football player; as an athlete your body needs vitamins for recovery after workouts and to prevent sickness and injury.

Injuries, such as broken bones, sprains, strains, and bruises are often a result of poor nutrition in the body. Vitamins keep all parts of your body in optimum shape which can assist you repel annoying injuries that keep you sidelined. Meanwhile, sicknesses such as the flu and the common cold are due to your body’s immune system being worn down and susceptible. Vitamins ensure that your immune system is functioning at its best.

High quality supplements are not going to make you invulnerable, but they should give you the confidence that your body is at its best. The rest of your athletic ability is then up to you and your training.

Why Are Most Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Useless for Athletes?

The kinds of vitamins athletes take are more important than just consuming them. Many store-bought supplements are inadequate because they are never absorbed by the body.

Many times, vitamin supplements are shoddily made. They are more like vitamin bricks than fuel for athletes. Many businesses are more concerned with making money than how well you perform as an athlete. Do not be too frustrated, however, because there are several different natural nutrition companies that do make effective vitamins that are proven to not only be absorbed by your body, but also to be absorbed by the correct part of the body.

Each vitamin and mineral has its own distinct job in a specific part of your body. This is why you need so many different vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. For example:

* Folic acid should be released into the stomach
* B vitamins and vitamin C should have a sustained release function so they can maintain blood nutrient levels for over 12 hours
* Amino acids should only be released when they reach the upper intestine. Most amino acids are ruined by stomach acids.
* Vitamin supplements should always be consumed with food to ensure proper absorption

Where Can Athletes Buy High Quality Vitamins?

As an athlete you may have never heard of some of the great natural supplement companies because they do not use tons of money on advertising. Instead, they spend it on research to develop top notch products that actually make a difference for athletes. They depend mostly on the testimonials of world-class competitors that use their supplements.

Most vitamins for Brazilian ju jitsu will be found online or at your local health food store. To find out if the vitamins are high quality the business should have:

* Integrity – make sure that they have a track record of success
* Clinical studies published in scientific journals demonstrating that the vitamins are absorbed and used by the body
* Simple access to the ingredients and any other information pertaining to the product
* A money-back guarantee so you can return them if they do not work
* Proof that real athletes use them

Note that to get published in one of the clinical journals is extremely difficult because the scientific community as a whole has to agree with the findings of the independent clinical study. Most businesses hire their own scientists to put out studies that “may suggest this and that,” but prove nothing and are not even reviewed by the scientific community as a whole. Athletes cannot afford to waste their time, talent, or money on vitamins that are not supported by independent research.

In conclusion, vitamin supplements are extremely helpful in the diet and training regiment of athletes. Making sure that you are consuming well-made and developed supplements can support your overall health, athletic recovery, and prevent injury and illness. Dig for information before you buy so you can make a informed decision on which supplement will be most useful for you.

About Rodrigo Vaghi: Rodrigo started his Gracie Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 14, in the original Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro. Vaghi’s instructors were Grandmaster Helio Gracie and his sons: Rickson, Royce, Royler and Rolker. After many years of training with the Gracie Family, Rodrigo has become a close family friend and black belt instructor representing the undisputed champion of the Gracie’s: Rickson Gracie. Rodrigo Vaghi is the proud owner of Vaghi Martial Arts and head of its Brazilian Jiu Jitsu St Louis Brazilian Jiu Jitsu St Louis Program.

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