I’m Just a Badminton Player - Can Supplements Benefit Me?

Badminton Player Hi DM,

I am a regular reader at your blog but it mostly seems to emphasize on bodybuilding and weight-loss. I am wondering… if my so-called workout is only badminton and jogging, what kind of protein should i take? I am not focusing on body-building but on weight-loss.

For sports like badminton, can I take supplements to boost my energy or maximize my weight-loss ?

Thank you
GHM

Dear GHM,

Fitness, and good nutrition is for everybody, and is not just limited to bodybuilders and those who wish to go on a weight loss program. But sadly, and in reality today.. most people don’t bother about their nutritional needs unless they want to do something to their body. This is a ‘if it’s not broken, why fix it?’ mentality. Well.. the truth is.. most of us are ‘broken’ - it’s just that we don’t realize it until it’s too late. We all suffer from some form of minor malnutrition and lack certain important nutritional needs of our bodies, mainly due to the poor quality of food we find in our society today.

Everybody deserves to eat well and get the nutrition the body needs. Bodybuilder or not, this will ensure that your body functions at its BEST… that your immune system is at it’s peak, that you live healthily for as long as possible, and are able to resist common degenerative diseases such as diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, stroke, and many others.

Anyway, to answer your question, YES, you can take supplements to help you reach your goals quicker, and give you that extra edge over your competitors. I personally know one coach who gives his entire soccer team a pre-workout supplement to boost performance and endurance right before their match. I know another rugby coach, who does the same to his team. They are both from Malaysia.

A protein supplement too, will be of great help to your body in terms of recovery and weight loss, and bear in mind that you don’t need to consume as much as bodybuilders, since you’re not into weight training.

Here is what I’d recommend you to do if you’d like to consider supplementing, in order of importance:

1. Consume multi-minerals, and a vitamin supplement, to ensure that you’ve got your body’s basic nutritional foundation requirements met. Maintaining optimal health is vital for peak performance, and you’d be surprised to know the effectiveness of this area.. and the number of athletes worldwide (Malaysia especially) who totally ignore this.

2. Then, a protein supplement to help you in recovery and your goals.

3. If you’d like, a post-workout energy supplement before your games, for that extra kick.

Just don’t hope for a miracle pill that will give you miraculous results. Take care of your body.. and it will allow you to do what you desire. I wish you all the best!

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