Performance foods as foods and dietary supplements - composition and function
Other areas of application include objectives such as better sleep, accelerated muscle regeneration and comprehensive stress reduction.
In addition to a personalized diet that is precisely tailored to the individual in terms of nutrients, there is a range of performance foods in the form of amino acids, vital substances and minerals as well as natural stimulants that can be used to naturally improve performance. Furthermore, some nutritional supplements also have a positive effect on regenerative properties and can also be described as performance foods in this context.
Just as helpful at this point are high-calorie snacks that are nevertheless healthy - for example nuts or dried fruit, which can be used for a quick supply of the macronutrients carbohydrates and fats.
The foods in question usually contain signaling substances that serve as information transmitters in the human nervous system to directly increase mental performance. Under certain circumstances, this can not only increase your own comprehension and memory, but also your focus during training.
Foods and dietary supplements that have regenerative properties on the cell structure itself are also beneficial here. These have an antioxidant effect and thus prevent cell damage before it occurs - these are also performance foods.
These foods and food supplements are suitable as performance foods
When it comes to food, eggs, blueberries or green leafy vegetables as well as nuts and seeds, for example, can be used effectively as performance foods.
The choline contained in eggs is a type of precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and serves as an important lever for communication processes between neurons.
Blueberries have an antioxidant effect and therefore also promote concentration. They also have an extremely high mineral content.
Green leafy vegetables such as kale, lamb's lettuce or spinach are rich in zeaxanthin and lutein and improve neurocognitive functions and the body's own metabolic processes thanks to the large number of B vitamins they contain.
Nuts and seeds, on the other hand, contain plenty of omega-3 fats, which have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body and are involved in signal transmission in the brain.
Dietary supplements include gingko extracts, special vitamin B complexes and the sleep hormone melatonin for better sleep, omega-3 fish oil capsules for better memory performance and supplements with natural stimulants such as caffeine or guarana as well as green tea extract.