Sports like wrestling, football and rugby require physical and mental strength. No matter what your sport, the best way to improve your strength and power is to eat a healthy diet, train hard and rest, states Colorado State University. However, for some, that may not be enough. If you're an athlete who needs a physical strength boost, certain supplements may help you become stronger and more powerful on the field, the Australian Institute of Sport reports.
Creatine
Creatine is a substance that your body makes naturally. For your muscles to work, they need energy in the form of ATP. Creatine's role in the muscle is to produce new ATP, providing a fatigued muscle with the energy it needs to go the extra mile, the Australian Institute of Sport reports. The AIS states that creatine is especially beneficial for athletes that participate in sports requiring short bursts of intense strength and power, like football. It recommends a "loading phase" of 4 or 5 grams of creatine monohdrate over a five day period. After that, switch to 3 g of creatine per day. The AIS warns that prolonged use of creatine has not been studied and may not be safe.
Glutamine
Glutamine is an amino acid that provides energy to muscle tissue, the AIS reports. Supplementation with glutamine may prevent muscle loss after training. In addition, glutamine might help prevent "overtraining syndrome," which can reduce strength and power levels during competition. The AIS claims that a safe glutamine dosage is between 0.1 or 0.3 g per kilogram of body weight. Like creatine, the long-term safety of glutamine is not known, and it should be used with caution.
Ribose
Ribose is a naturally occurring sugar that plays a role in ATP production. Ribose is similar to creatine in that it's involved in the production of new ATP molecules. However, ribose also helps prevent ATP loss --- presumably leaving more ATP available for working muscles. The AIS claims that athletes that strength-train and sprint may benefit from ribose supplementation. However, the quality of research investigating ribose on athletic performance has been inconsistent and the jury is still out on ribose's strength-boosting abilities. However, ribose appears to be safe, the AIS adds, at a daily dose of 10 to 20 grams.
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