Supplements for Golf

[bfoy]

I have been fortunate to be around the game my entire life.  The one thing people are always looking for is the one secret to get better.  In the era we live in, I see more and more young tour professionals taking supplements to help improve their overall fitness, ultimately getting them in the best physical fitness to have a chance to play the game at the highest level. Some of my peers have been taking Golfsmart drink and wanted to see if anyone else has tried this yet?

[treebound]

Here is a link to their ingredients page, given to help people see what is supposedly in the supplement to allow people to know what someone wants them to intake into their bodies. http://www.golfsmartdrink.com/products/golf-smart There are lots of people who have turned away from artificial supplementation and instead look for more natural ways to feed their bodies nutritionally. Additionally drug testing for PEDs is becoming more complex and testing agencies have migrated their influence into amateur sports as well (see cycling and running and triathlons for examples). When I read this opening post it started to sound like the beginning of a sales pitch, and as such I don't know if it was meant as such. All I can really say is for people to do their own research and not buy into something just because it has their chosen sport included in the product name as though someone has found "the secret" formula to increase performance for a given sport or hobby. To the OP, nothing personal and please don't take this as a personal attack, but I've developed a healthy cautionary approach when it comes to so called performance enhancing products. Have a nice day, drink some water and eat some fresh fruit and vegetables, and maybe with practice one's improved performance will come from natural means instead of from a magic bottle. I'm not a doctor nor dietician, I'm just some random guy posting an opinion about a product that I know little about. YMMV Mods, feel free to delete the link if you see fit and don't find it appropriate.

[saevel25]

I have been fortunate to be around the game my entire life.  The one thing people are always looking for is the one secret to get better.  In the era we live in, I see more and more young tour professionals taking supplements to help improve their overall fitness, ultimately getting them in the best physical fitness to have a chance to play the game at the highest level. Some of my peers have been taking Golfsmart drink and wanted to see if anyone else has tried this yet?

Hydrate properly. In the summer I can go through 4 bottles of water per 9 holes of golf.

Fuel properly. If you haven't eaten in a while, have a lite meal before playing. If you ate before, and your walking 18, grab lite snack for the turn.

Get into shape, nothing helps out more than actually being active more in life outside of golf, which can help you maintain energy while playing. I recommend HIIT exercises mixed in with incline hiking on the treadmill. Greg Norman mentioned he use to carry his clubs up the steepest hill he can find to train. Basically you want very strong thighs, hamstrings, and gluts. This will allow you to carry yourself through the round and have the legs needed for those last shots.

[DoubleEagle]

Like many, I suppose, my idea of rehydrating and nutrition was a bottle of Gator Aid and a Snickers bar at the turn.

As I have aged, I now need at least 3 bottles of water per round (actually 4, as I drink one on the way to the course) and

a couple of nutrition (protein) bars and/or an apple.  As the temp rises, I try to really hydrate before I get on the course.

Rule before and while playing:  No beer, no candy or chips

[mpb1472]

Got a good tip years ago from long distance runners. Most of them are not drinking straight water on a very hot day. They mix Gatorade with water 50/50. Too much water alone flushes out the electrolytes your body has lost. Almonds, cashews, a protein bar or trail mix works great. I even bring along a peanut butter and jelly sandwich sometimes.

[dsal13]

I take a 5 hour energy as im going to the first tee... drink 4 bottles of water throughout the round. A protein bar at the turn. I also go with no alcohol chips or candy..

[JUSTGOLF]

GOLFSmart was the WORST thing I've ever tasted, did NOTHING for my game, focus or energy level and cost more than a cold beer from the beer cart...... JUST ANOTHER GIMICK TO TAKE YOUR MONEY. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY .... Stick to water

[Shorty]

Some of my peers have been taking Golfsmart drink and wanted to see if anyone else has tried this yet?

You have got to be joking.

A fool and his money are easily separated.......

Eat a banana and drink some water.

[Hardballs]

Brilliant! There's me working on creating lag, and timing release, turns out I've been wasting my time without the correct golf drink! Energy drinks, as a rule, suck! Not only do they taste chemically and awful, but I'm pretty sure 95% of them are mainly caffeine sugar and water, with plenty of colours and additives! it's a luminous sweet coffee that will rot anything it touches! I know people who swear by them, and have offered me one, but if I see a red, blue or green drink in a bottle with either "fast, power, energy" on it, I'd rather drink my own piss! Give me tea, or a juice!

[Grndslmhttr3]

If you believe drinking something called Golfsmart will improve your game, I've got a bridge to sell you

[Brian W]

You have got to be joking.

A fool and his money are easily separated.......

Eat a banana and drink some water.

QFT

I drink lots of water, a protein bar at the turn and stay away from alcohol or other snacks.  I also keep sunflower seeds in my bag as gum tends to hurt my jaw because of the ferocity my brain assumes is necessary to deplete a piece

[vangator]

I played in a scramble a little while ago and had 33 beers. Hey, they were free! Got to admit I didn't have my best round. The hardest part was pushing the tee in the ground. I tended to do a nose dive. :-) I typically never drink alcohol during a round. I do a lot of the things suggested here during rounds. But as a lifestyle I definitely supplement. It's hard to get the proper nutrition from what you eat and drink.

[Hammer 4]

Cantaloupe is good for you too..A couple of cyclist's that use to race often told me they always had a baggie with as many chunks of cantaloupe the baggie would hold.

[mburton]

as far as getting in the best shape and preparing before ever showing up to the course, basic supplementation.  I've been powerlifting for the past 3 years, and there's a few staple supplements that i feel are helpful as far as aiding recovery and helping muscle growth/fat loss.  there's sooo many supplements that are nothing but hype, so i've found it's best to go with the main supplements that are proven to be effective.

right now i'm taking:

- 120-180g of whey protein based on intensity of my lifts that day

- BCAA's every day (not sure on mg count, it's different day to day based on level of activity)

- Multivitamin

- Fish Oil when particularly sore

- ZMA at night to aid in sleeping, still not sure how i feel about this supplement

- creatine, not currently on it but have used it in the past, it's not the steroid-esque demon ppl perceive it to be, it just helps the body retain more water weight and hydrates your muscles more effectively

this is just based off my observations, but these have been the most effective for me. if i had to chose 2 to simplify i'd go with protein and a good multivitamin.

also like others have said, hydrating is important to all fitness goals (muscle gain, fat loss, athletic performance, endurance)

[Shorty]

if i had to chose 2 to simplify i'd go with protein and a good multivitamin.

Despite all of the scientific evidence saying that multivitamins are a waste of money and completely ineffective.

Try a decent diet.

[vangator]

Despite all of the scientific evidence saying that multivitamins are a waste of money and completely ineffective. Try a decent diet.

Shorty, you should listen to "Dead Doctor's Don't Lie" by Dr. Joel Wallach. Very good speaker. Funny too. I have his tape and have listened to him live.

[Cool Breeze]

Quote:

Rule before and while playing:  No beer, no candy or chips

No beer?

Damn.  Next you're going to tell me no cigars.

Seriously if it is blistering hot outside, some fruit before the round and plenty of water during is all I want.

If it is comfortable (not too hot), I may enjoy a cold one or three during the round.

[Hardballs]

On hot days I like cigarettes and juice, on cold days I like cigarettes and coffee laced with alcohol! I'll eat anything but prefer savoury, like a pie or sandwich, A round usually only takes between 2hr40min and 3hr20mins, I find I can easily go that long without food, even when we carry.