Ergogenic Aids
An ergogenic aid is any training technique, mechanical device, or nutritional practice, pharmacological method, or psychological technique that can improve exercise performance. Athletes strive for the leading edge and many of them use ergogenic aids to improve their energy and performance. This includes things that may help to prepare or recover from exercise. Ergogenic aids may also allow an individual to tolerate heavy training to a greater degree, or help them stay healthy during intense training.
An example of a mechanical ergogenic aid might be a heart rate monitor or light weight running shoes. Illegal steroids or human growth hormones would be an example of a pharmacological aid. A nutritional aid might be the use of sports gels, carbohydrate loading, or other dietary supplements. Even practices that help with mental preparation, such as meditation, chanting and visual imaging, can be used as safe ergogenic aids.
By far the most common ergogenic aids are the dietary supplements. Amino acids, protein powders, and caffeine to name a few. Congress defined the term “dietary supplement” in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. A dietary supplement is a product taken by mouth that contains an ingredient intended to supplement the diet. These ingredients may include vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and other substances such as enzymes.