According to Javier Ibáñez, an expert in Sports Nutrition and professor at Degree of Human Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Navarra, before an athlete opts for nutritional supplements -such as caffeine, energy drinks or proteins such as whey proteins- it is best to optimize his per diem expenses with the help of a specialist, both to improve his physical performance and his health.

This is one of the guidelines that the expert - head of the Technical Unit of research of the Center of programs of study, research and Sports Medicine of the Government of Navarra - will present in a talk open to the public that will take place on Monday, May 29 at Sciences Building of the University of Navarra (17.00 hours).

In Ibáñez's opinion, the consumption of nutritional supplements in Spain is very similar to that of other countries in our environment: "In athletes, the use of these aids is in the majority and is on the rise. In aerobic sports -such as cycling or triathlon- they opt for caffeine, energy drinks and branched amino acids. In strength sports (weightlifting, bodybuilding, throwing in athletics, etc.), on the other hand, it is more common to resort to creatine monohydrates, whey proteins, essential amino acids and hydroxymethylbutyric acid (HMB)".

However, and although they are completely legal supplements, the expert recommends always buying them in pharmacies or demanding a certificate of quality and purity that confirms that they do not contain contaminants or doping products, if you choose to buy them online. Likewise, he emphasizes that only a few of them have a reliable test of their usefulness: "These would include caffeine, which improves aerobic physical performance and reflexes; Creatine monohydrate, which improves strength and physical performance when it comes to short, repeated sprints (with a weeks consumption financial aid also to increase muscle mass); essential amino acids, which help increase muscle mass; and carbohydrates, useful for improving physical performance in aerobic, anaerobic and strength sports."

This activity is organized by the project "Por una comida sana, tú decides" of the School of Pharmacy and Nutrition of the academic center.