3 things to know about health supplements and nutrition
Behind the scenes at the WTA, a professional sports league for female tennis players, one team works to ensure these elite players are in their best health. As senior vice president of WTA’s sport science and medicine department, Kathleen Stroia advises players on their nutrition programmes to ensure that they stay healthy throughout their playing careers. The WTA currently partners with USANA to provide their athletes with nutritional supplements.
She is also a physiotherapist and athletic trainer who treats WTA players. During the week of the WTA Finals, Stroia chatted with Yahoo Singapore on the sidelines of a USANA event and gave some advice about nutrition and health supplements.
Don’t over-estimate the power of health supplements
“One of the common misconceptions is that supplements can cure disease,” said Stroia. She elaborated, “While there are products for weight loss, that’s not what supplements do, and [another misconception] is that you [become] fitter once you take supplements – it’s not that alone, it’s the partnership between supplements, a good health strategy, exercise and a quality nutrition plan.”
Get expert advice before taking supplements
Consulting a medical professional and dietitian is a good starting point to know about your nutrition and health, says Stroia. “Knowing your own body, what your goals are, what your level of activity will be and what the demands of that activity will be, and then working with professionals – you can really put a good plan in place,” she said. “Once you have that plan in place it’s about carrying out that lifestyle.
“I’m an advocate of fitness, health, conditioning. and combining these. It’s difficult to get everything through your nutrition,” she added.
A gluten-free diet is not for everybody
Stroia cautions that if you are not suffering from celiac disease, stripping out gluten from your diet may not be advisable.
She explained, “Sometimes people feel like if they drop the gluten that they’re going to feel better and lose weight, and it’s really important that you have an understand that you’re going to miss so many other vitamins and minerals that you need in your diet by taking that away – because it really is in a lot of foods, and it’s necessary to have a well rounded diet.”
