How to choose the right supplement ingredients for the five most popular sports?

Among numerous sports nutrition supplements, caffeine, creatine, β-alanine, sodium bicarbonate, and nitrate have been widely recognized by scientific research as the "five major" functional components capable of effectively enhancing athletic performance. Their primary distinctions lie in different mechanisms of action and applicable scenarios. This article will systematically analyze their characteristics to assist you in making an appropriate selection.

Caffeine-The 'Awakening Agent' of the Central Nervous System

The primary target of caffeine action is the central nervous system. Its molecular structure resembles that of adenosine, enabling competitive binding to adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that promotes sleep and modulates fatigue. By blocking adenosine, caffeine reduces fatigue and drowsiness while enhancing the release of dopamine and norepinephrine, thereby improving alertness, concentration, mood, and pain tolerance threshold. This results in a subjective feeling of "relaxation," allowing individuals to endure higher-intensity training or delay the onset of fatigue.

The "Energy Currency" of the Creatine Phosphoglycerate System

Creatine is stored in the body as phosphocreatine. During high-intensity, explosive movements (e.g., weightlifting or sprinting), the direct energy source of muscles, ATP, is depleted within seconds. The function of phosphocreatine is to rapidly transfer its high-energy phosphate group to ADP, thereby re-synthesizing ATP at millisecond-scale rates.

Supplementation with creatine can increase the phosphocreatine stores in muscles, thereby maintaining maximal output power more persistently and accelerating recovery between sets. It primarily enhances the 'capacity' rather than the 'perception' of muscle work.

β-alanine-The pH buffer master in cells

β-alanine is the rate-limiting precursor for the synthesis of carnosine. Carnosine is a key dipeptide present in skeletal muscles, whose core function is to buffer hydrogen ions. During high-intensity exercise, glycolysis produces large amounts of lactic acid and dissociates H+, leading to a decrease in muscle pH (acidification). This is one of the direct causes of muscle burning sensation and reduced strength.

Elevating creatine levels enhances the muscle's intrinsic buffering capacity, delays acidification, and thereby maintains contractile function at high intensity, with the most pronounced effects observed during maximal exercise lasting 1 to 4 minutes.

Sodium bicarbonate-the extracellular "blood alkali reserve"

Unlike the intracellular buffering action of β-alanine, sodium bicarbonate acts on the extracellular fluid. As an alkaline substance, it directly elevates the bicarbonate concentration and pH of the blood, thereby increasing the body's alkaline reserve. During high-intensity exercise, hydrogen ions produced by muscles diffuse into the bloodstream. The higher alkaline reserve in the blood can more effectively neutralize these acidic metabolic byproducts, thereby slowing the decline in blood pH and indirectly helping muscle cells maintain a more favorable internal environment. This is particularly advantageous during extremely high-intensity exercise, which leads to significant accumulation of lactic acid in the blood.

Nitrate-The "Optimizer" of Metabolic Efficiency

Nitrate supplements, represented by beetroot juice, primarily function through the nitric oxide pathway. In vivo, nitrates are first reduced to nitrites, which then serve as a backup pathway to generate nitric oxide when nitric oxide synthase activity is impaired (e.g., under hypoxic conditions). Nitric oxide dilates blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, and may improve mitochondrial respiratory efficiency, thereby reducing the oxygen consumption required for ATP production. The ultimate outcome is a decrease in oxygen demand for muscles at a given submaximal exercise intensity, or an increase in power output at the same oxygen intake, thereby enhancing exercise efficiency and delaying fatigue.

The effects are more pronounced in endurance or intermittent training programs, with relatively minor impacts on absolute maximum strength or speed. The use of natural foods containing nitrates (e.g., beetroot juice) offers more comprehensive health benefits compared to chemically synthesized sodium salts.

The choice should be based on a careful analysis of the "restrictive factors" of your exercise, not on popularity.

If the bottleneck lies in mental fatigue, distraction, or late-stage persistence in prolonged competitions → caffeine is the preferred option.
If the bottleneck lies in single maximal explosive force, maximum weight, or power maintenance during repeated sprints → creatine is the preferred choice.
If the bottleneck occurs during the high-intensity exercise phase (1-4 minutes) with intolerable muscle burning sensation→β-alanine is the preferred option.
For multi-round, high-intensity sprints (e.g., 400m run or boxing round) with excellent gastrointestinal tolerance→ sodium bicarbonate may be considered.
If the bottleneck lies in poor economy in long-distance endurance or slow recovery after interval training→ then nitrate is preferred.

Advanced Combination Guide:

Intracellular and Extracellular Buffering (β-Alanine + Sodium Bicarbonate): Theoretically, it can simultaneously enhance the buffering systems of both cells and blood, providing the strongest acid resistance for extreme exercise lasting 1-7 minutes. Research evidence indicates a positive cumulative trend.
Energy and buffering combination (Creatine + β-Alanine): This is the classic long-term regimen for strength and conditioning athletes. Creatine enhances the energy capacity of the phosphagen system, while β-Alanine delays the subsequent acidification caused by the glycolytic system, collectively covering different phases of a high-intensity training session.

To mitigate safety and quality risks, prioritize products with third-party certifications like 'NSF Certified for Sport' or 'INFORMED-SPORT' during procurement. These certifications effectively reduce contamination risks from banned substances.

Check the product label to ensure that the main ingredients and dosage are consistent with the recommended range. Avoid products with complex ingredient lists or excessive "proprietary mixtures." Additionally, choose based on individual conditions. For example, those sensitive to the stinging sensation of β-alanine may opt for the "sustained-release" type; individuals with fragile gastrointestinal tracts may choose "enteric-coated capsules" for sodium bicarbonate.

Supplements are merely "the icing on the cake." Balanced nutrition, scientific training, and adequate recovery remain the foundation for performance enhancement. If you have any health conditions (e.g., hypertension, kidney disease) or are a high-level athlete, consult a sports medicine physician or registered sports nutritionist before use. In summary, we hope this article proves helpful to you.