Personal bests, competition wins, new challenges—athletes, and particularly endurance athletes—tend to want to push themselves hard to perform. So it makes sense that there is a big interest in sports supplements, like running gels and protein powders.
We all need macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that give us energy and build structures like muscles and other cells in our bodies.
When we are very physically active—like long-distance runners, cyclists, or triathletes—our need for both energy and building blocks for muscles and other cells increases because of the extra work our bodies are doing.
So supplements—such as sports gels or protein powders—that contain these macronutrients might make sense. But can they do anything that food can’t?…