Top 5 Supplements For Gamers & E-sports

Introduction

With the evident increase in gamers and competitive gamers likewise, it is natural for them to believe in myths about supplements that will boost their performance and benefit their health overall. However, do not be mistaken. These gimmicks that are everywhere on the internet are mostly exaggerated and extremely hyped up with marketing tactics.

The three most basic and fundamental tools for an athlete are undoubtedly, exercise, food, and sleep. Without these three essentials, even a supplement will not help to cover the losses your body is going through. More so, it’ll certainly do gamers a lot of good to use the best gaming equipment, like https://www.razer.com/gaming-mice for instance.

If a list of the top 5 supplements important for gamers were to be provided, Vitamin D, Fish Oil, Iodine, Curcumin, and ZMA would be recommended. This is due to the known fact that in athleticism, supplements play a small role as compared to the physical training regime, diet, and sleep.

This drives home the fact that there is no magical protein powder or supplement that you must take. If the amount of exercise and sleep, not to mention your diet regime, is imbalanced, a supplement will not become your miracle pill.

By replacing the nutrients that are insufficient, the gamers will be closer to reaching their ideal performance standards. If the body is not in peak condition, supplements can only help to a certain extent. Moreover, supplements can assist in recovery, aches, and give the boost of energy needed in improving performances.

Vitamin D3

Firstly, we will be talking about the fundamental Vitamin D3. Being a competitive gamer, you will naturally lack Vitamin D as the games, matches, and tournaments itself take place indoors and it is a requirement to bask under sunlight outdoors in order to receive Vitamin D. Lack of Vitamin D will not let your body absorb calcium, which is essential for bone growth and may result in weak and soft bones. Additionally, Vitamin D also helps in stabilizing the immune and neuromuscular system.

A blood test will be the most accurate way to understand the amount of Vitamin D that should or should not be supplemented. The typical recommended dosage for Vitamin D supplements is 60-80 ng/dL, and supplements are usually found in the form of tablets.

There is also an additional way health sites are promoting in regards to taking Vitamin D3. That is, adding a supplement of Vitamin K2 together with the Vitamin D3. This works in a way whereby Vitamin D3 controls the way calcium is taken into the blood, and vitamin K2 acts as the navigator to direct where calcium will be deposited in your bones.

Fish Oil

Next, we have Fish Oil. This is usually taken for the omega-3s fatty acids it contains as there are many benefits to it that have been meticulously backed up by research. Omega fatty acids are typically known as omega 3, 6, and 9. Among those, omega-3 fatty acids are commonly lacking in people, which can potentially bring forth numerous risks.

These include fatigue, muscle memory, depression, poor blood circulation, anxiety, thirst, and excessive urination. The risk for heart diseases, as well as cancer and diabetes, increases tenfold when the omega-6 and omega-3s in your body are unbalanced.

Research has shown that omega-3s have proven to help in areas of depression and anxiety. Likewise for issues on excessive thirst and urination, having such symptoms under control will mean lesser distraction to the gamers. Other aspects omega-3s can target in regards to gamers’ is improved eye, bone, and joint health, improved sleep, and cognition abilities, as well as a reduction of inflammation.

One good recommendation to get your omega-3s is to consume one tablespoon of cod liver oil daily, and it is important to understand that your body can take up to three months to really start reaping the benefits.

Iodine

Next, we will talk about Iodine. Even though deficiency in iodine is pretty widespread among athletes, it has often been buried under other health trends. Since training results in sweating to a certain extent, competitive gamers do sweat profusely during their matches as well and electrolytes and iodine are lost. Iodine is in charge of many functions, including stimulating the function of the thyroid and boosting the immune system by getting rid of toxins from the body. It also plays a vital role in regulating your body’s metabolism, due to the body requiring iodine in order to manufacture thyroid hormones.

Targeting competitive gamers, iodine may provide a way to improve cognition, and the best way to obtain it is through a variety of foods. These include cranberries and 100% pure cranberry juice, which contains a huge amount of antioxidants. The recommended intake is around 150mcg daily. One thing to note is that majority of iodine is lost while urinating. Hence the more you sweat, the more iodine you lose on a daily basis.

Curcumin

Fourthly, we have Curcumin. This supplement is typically not on anyone’s list but it should be with valid reason. Curcumin is known as a compound that turmeric contains and it has medicinal properties such as strong anti-inflammatory benefits, as well as it being a powerful antioxidant.

However, you should not take the easy way out and just decide to cook with turmeric more as it contains a very low content of curcumin. Competitive gamers who are always at a higher risk for recurring injuries or strains should take curcumin rather than ibuprofen.

This is due to the minimal side effects it is associated with. It is also said to improve brain functions and have been proven to lower risks for various brain diseases.

Since curcumin does not get absorbed into the body easily, piperine is known to have increased the rate of absorption drastically. Therefore, it can be said that the best curcumin supplements should and must contain piperine.

ZMA

Lastly, we have ZMA. ZMA stands for Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate, Magnesium Aspartate, and Vitamin B6. You should be getting enough zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6 in your daily life.

Magnesium plays a role in keeping your cardiovascular system healthy and maintaining it, while Zinc is known as an essential element that you need to consume daily. Zinc supports the entire body’s immune system and is essential for the synthesis of protein.

In competitive gaming, sleep can be said to be a very important condition to fulfill, and it can also help in improving performance. If you are looking for ways to make your sleep more restful, ZMA would be recommended instead of consuming any over the counter sleeping pills.

Conclusion

Now that we have gone through all five essential supplements that are usually found in deficit, you now know which to focus on and what not to believe in. The most important takeaway from this is that there is no magical pill or supplement for your body to achieve peak condition; you just have to work hard to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle, along with a healthy balance of the supplements mentioned above.