Niacin a supplement providing athletes and fitness enthusiasts natural energy to fuel their training!
Proven4 sport supplement products carry a wide assortment of vitamins and minerals so you can get the most out of your training! Both our pregame formula and energy formula contain niacin to help you combat fatigue and promote mental and physical alertness!
If your training is starting to hit a wall and you’re looking for something to help carry you through a training plateau, the niacin in our sports supplement products may be just the thing to elevate you and bring you closer to your goals! Learn more about what niacin can do for your training in today’s post!
What Is Niacin?
In the sports nutrition industry, there are new and trendy ingredients that are added to sports recovery drinks or energy formulas daily — from turmeric to matcha — you’ll find they run the whole gamut! In our sports products, we like to keep things clean and simple and use tried and tested vitamins and minerals we know will improve athletic performance, thus why we use niacin.
Let’s explore niacin in detail below!
Niacin is a B vitamin — B3 to be exact — and its basic function is to turn the food you consume into energy that you can use during your training. Sounds amazing, right?! Getting additional energy from the food you’re already eating and using it for fitness gains is one of the most sought after things athletes are after, and it’s been right in front of us the whole time!
So, what other benefits can niacin provide to the athlete?
Apart from energy support, niacin has a myriad of benefits and because niacin is not stored in our bodies, there needs to be a consistent source for us to draw from.
Niacin also benefits not only in energy support but also in muscle recovery! In a review from the Journal Of International Society of Sports Nutrition, it indicated that niacin may also play a role in fat metabolism. It helps keep the body using its carbohydrate source while blocking the release of free fatty acids from fat tissues, which can lead to a premature usage of muscle glycogen.
And, we all know athletes rely on muscle glycogen to power us through our workouts — it prolongs our ability to stay strong and focused during both lifting weights and cardio.
The review also found that active people who are low in B vitamins tend to perform worse during high-intensity workouts in addition to having a decreased ability to build muscle and recover properly.
Because niacin is a water-soluble vitamin, it is lost through urination and perspiration — two factors that athletes face on a daily basis. So, supplementing or using a sports product with niacin is a very vital piece to their training.
This aids to the next point that athletes require more niacin than the average sedentary individual. Other factors that increase the body’s need for niacin is stress, tissue injury, illness, and those with a poor diet high in processed foods.
How much niacin is recommended?
The recommended amount of niacin for adult men is 16 mg and for adult women, it’s 14 mg. Not only can you get a good amount of it in our pregame and energy formulas, but niacin is also found in a variety of foods such as:
- Animal sources – Beef, poultry, fish, and pork
- Plant sources – Nuts, legumes, and seeds
- Fortified foods – Cereals and breads
If you think you would benefit from additional niacin, you can find it by itself in supplement form or in a B complex dietary supplement.
Niacin is a B vitamin that supports the athlete by providing energy and preserving muscle glycogen to help fuel their workouts and move them closer to their goals!
Proven4 Pre-Workout And Recovery Products
Not only do we use the best ingredients and vitamins and minerals that fuel your training, but our products are also NSF Certified For Sport®! Why is this important? If you’re an athlete who complies with the list of banned substances for your sport, you know you’re getting a product that is clean and free from the 270 common substances tested.
Improve your training with a product that supports you! Find your Proven4 product today!