ABSTRACT

Numerous nutritional factors have appeared in the marketplace over the last half century purported to enhance physical status or athletic performance. Among the many ingredients are creatine; β-hydroxy β-methylbutyric acid (HMB); carnitine; proteins; amino acids (e.g., leucine, glutamine, arginine, and ornithine); herbs (e.g., Tribulus terristrus, grape seed extract, ginseng); and minerals (e.g., zinc, magnesium, boron and chromium). Many of these ingredients have appeared in different forms (e.g., chelated compounds, organic components, etc.). While some of these nutritional factors have proven to be worthy of consideration for general dietary support in meeting the augmented needs of athletes and serious exercisers, additional concepts have emerged over the past decades that have helped to sculpt the strategy of their use and degree of efcacy. Nutrient timing, or more specically the strategic consumption of specic nutrients and level in accordance to a training session or competition, has

11.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 177 11.2 Industry Opportunities for Nutrient Timing Innovation .............................. 178

11.2.1 Fast Nutrients .................................................................................... 178 11.2.2 Nutrient Forms .................................................................................. 181 11.2.3 Phasic, Time-Released, or Long-Acting Nutrient Delivery .............. 182

11.3 Marketing Innovation ................................................................................... 183 11.3.1 New Technology for Old Ingredients................................................ 184 11.3.2 Product Programs/Kits ..................................................................... 184 11.3.3 Research Marketing .......................................................................... 184

11.4 Innovations in Specic Nutrients.................................................................. 186 11.4.1 Protein Innovations ........................................................................... 186 11.4.2 Carbohydrate Innovations ................................................................. 188 11.4.3 Sport Drink Innovations ................................................................... 189 11.4.4 Summary Guidelines to Consumers ................................................. 191

11.5 Conclusions ................................................................................................... 191

become one of those important concepts. As an example, with all other factors controlled, ingesting a protein supplement instead of dinner six hours after a resistance training session probably will not have a favorable impact on net protein balance as long as the level of total protein, calories, and other key nutrients are matched for the day. Meanwhile, an acute increase in net protein synthesis due to taking that same protein supplement immediately after a resistance training session versus not eating for several hours suggests that postexercise is a critical timing point with regard to net protein turnover, especially when protein accretion is considered incrementally over numerous training sessions (Tipton and Ferrando 2008). The concept of nutrient timing is valuable to endurance sports as well, and companies have been working feverishly over the past decade or so to investigate reformulations of their sport beverages to keep up with science and their competition to provide better and effective products for consuming athletes.