Athletes Advocating the Need for Supplements in Sports
The news we all have been accustomed to hearing is that a professional athlete tested positive for a banned substance (PED) and puts the blame on the supplement industry that a product they were taking “must have been tainted and caused a false positive.” We all know the narrative. However, it appears one athlete, in particular, is clearing the industry of wrongdoing and touting all the good it has done for her and how she believes supplements have helped not only her health, but her performance on the pitch. Now there’s the need for supplements?
SCORE! The Need for Supplements
Or rather… GOAL! U.S. Women’s Soccer defender, Christie Pearce, is back playing defense, only this time for the rights of supplements and their use for the American people. As if her 311 appearances on the US Soccer Team and three-time Olympic gold medalist credentials weren’t enough, this time she decided to stand before lawmakers and staffers, explaining her position for the need for supplements.
She, herself, has been a longtime supplement user and told the group on Capitol Hill, “One thing I’m always focusing on is my fitness. If it weren’t for the proper supplements, I don’t know if my level of play would be where it is today.” With the use of recovery products such as protein powder, BCAAs, and other products found on the shelves of supplements stores, we all understand the benefits these products play in our success. However, many of those trying to enforce laws and change policies when it comes to the supplement industry, themselves, don’t exercise or have ever taken a supplement in their life. That’s like someone who has never played soccer in their life, trying to change how the game of soccer is played when they themselves don’t understand what they are talking about. There’s the need for supplements and some people simply don’t understand that.
During her time on the National Team as well as on the Sky Blue FC (New Jersey) team, she mentioned how difficult it was to maintain a schedule due to the rigorous demands of playing. She was constantly training, on the road traveling, in and out of hotels, practicing, and playing in matches. Pearce mentioned that she did her best to maintain a healthy and nutritious diet, but it was never enough to meet the demands she put on her body as a professional athlete.
For Pearce, preparing her body for the stress put on it playing at such a high level, she began asking questions and doing her own homework to see if there was something out there that would give her that little extra competitive edge and help her recover faster. She mentioned, “I began looking to trusted sources of information, such as team nutritionists, and took a good look at product labels. As I transitioned from college playing to the national team, I realized that the foods I was eating were not enough. The right supplements give you something extra. They helped me prepare for each training session and game.”
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