Texans strength and conditioning coach Dan Riley has compiled a ...

Registered Dietitian and get the scoop.
Which supplements do you recommend to your players
The only supplement I recommend to our players is a multi-vitamin. I am not
qualified, nor are most coaches, athletes, doctors, personal trainers, or “fitness
experts,” to prescribe anything but normal foods.
There are no magic pills or potions available that give you energy, make you run
faster, jump higher, think better, or improve position specific skills. Having the longterm
discipline to eat a balanced diet of normal foods is the only “secret formula.”
The term “balanced diet” is often misinterpreted. It is not a computer-generated
menu of organically grown beans and sprouts. It is simply the proper amount of
normal foods purchased in your neighborhood grocery store.
Nutrition “Experts”
Supplements are not more effective than the food you eat. If they were, scientists
would publish this information for all to see. Unfortunately few athletes review the
scientific literature. Muscle magazines, literature handed out in the health food store,
and opinions of other athletes are not reliable sources.
In the 1990’s we’ve all become experts in the area of nutrition and supplements. We
visit the health food stores and buy potions like there’s no tomorrow. Yet when we’re
sick we don’t randomly take medicine to cure the illness. We visit the doctor and he
or she prescribes the appropriate medication.
If your vision becomes blurry you do not go to the department store and prescribe
your own bifocals. You visit the optometrist and let a specialist test your eyes. You’re
given a prescription to correct your vision deficiency.
Before taking any supplement you should visit a Registered Dietitian. In the phone
book they have an R.D. after their name. Registered Dietitians are members of the
American Dietetic Association. Registered Dietitians are the most qualified nutrition
specialists available. They have the education, expertise, and information necessary
to prescribe a supplement if you need one.
Ms. Roberta Anding, R.D., coordinates our Houston Texans nutrition program. If a
player needs a supplement, Ms. Anding identifies the deficiency and prescribes a
reputable product in the appropriate amount.
Beware of some Nutritionists. Nutritionists are people with an interest in nutrition. In
most states there aren’t any professional standards or credentials required to be a
nutritionist. Nutritionists number in the thousands. Their advice might be reliable.
However their advice could also be unsound. You can eliminate the possibility of
unsound nutrition information.
How Listen to the advice of a Registered Dietitian. They are certified and rely upon
scientific facts.
Let an expert administer the appropriate tests to determine if you have any
deficiencies before taking a supplement. Few people have deficiencies and most can