Body composition control supplements, taken on their own, can provide more than significant help to the athlete, but, at least from a theoretical point of view, the benefit can be maximised by combining several products. Of course, not all associations are successful, and it is necessary to learn which supplementation products are the most suitable. Some solutions will be considered in this section.

Different supplements, but with the same function

  As we saw when discussing individual supplementation products, many dietary supplements have to be taken in quantities within a certain range. Some, then, have side effects that for certain athletes may be of such magnitude that the product cannot be taken except in very small amounts, well below the generic maximum limit set by research. Sometimes the maximum dosage that can be reached may not be sufficient to achieve a considerable beneficial effect. Well, taking products with different active substances at relatively low dosages, but which perform the same action, may be an alternative to taking a single supplement at a relatively high dosage. This solution may involve either combining products that induce the organic response via the same pathway, or supplements that induce it via different pathways.

Thermogenetic supplements and facilitators of β-oxidation

  Some of the functions performed by supplementation products are particularly related. This is the case with thermogenics and β-oxidation facilitators. Taking only a thermogenic supplement may increase the calories burned, but the ratio of fats to carbohydrates used as an energy source may not be optimal; similarly, taking only a β-oxidation facilitator may cause the body to favour fats over carbohydrates as an energy source, but if the calories burned remain relatively few, then the fats oxidised will also be relatively few. Taking, on the other hand, both a thermogenic and a β-oxidation facilitator will maximise lipid oxidation since on the one hand the calorie expenditure will be increased and on the other hand, the calories burned will derive in the highest proportion from fat. A particularly effective combination suggestion is between guarana (thermogenic) and yerba mate (facilitator of β-oxidation), which, taken together, also have an anorectic effect: in a study by Andersen (2001), taking yerba mate (336mg) and guarana (258mg) lengthened the duration of gastric emptying by 53%. In other words, it prolongs the duration of the food digestion process and with it the feeling of satiety. In Andersen’s study, the compound of yerba mate and guarana was taken three times a day for 45 days before main meals. It resulted in a weight loss of 5kg, compared to only 300g lost in those who did not combine the products in this way. Taking the two products for longer than 45 days is unlikely to result in further weight loss, but taking them for a year makes it easier to stabilise body weight, thus avoiding the yo-yo effect.