We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. David Vanata, Sports Nutrition Professor at Ashland University and founder of Vantrition.
Here is a little information on Dr. Vanata's background. "With The company’s founder and President, Dr. David F. Vanata, RD, CSSD, LD, has advanced degrees (Ph.D., MS) in Human Nutrition from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and the Florida State University, respectively, is Board Certified in Sports Dietetics, and a registered and licensed dietitian (RDN). He has manfacturing, quality control/assurance experience in the food industry and has been counseling athletes for decades. His expertise in the formulation and manufacture of food related products, as well as understanding the speicific needs of athletes, combined with the scientific knowledge of the metabolic pathways associated with athletic performance and nutrition, enables him to lead this company forward with the development and manufacture of protein and amino acid supplements for athletes."
When it comes to riding and racing a dirt bike, it definitely takes a toll on your body. Whether you are looking to recover faster or get stronger, protein supplementation can be a way to help. So we asked Dr. Vanata about supplementation for Motocross athletes.
Since motocross is a very physically demanding sport, what role would taking a protein supplement have with recovery?
Demanding sports, such as motocross, require muscular strength and endurance to maximize your performance. After a training ride or race, your body experiences muscular damage due to the event. Protein supplies the necessary nutrients, amino acids, to repair and grow muscle fibers to prepare yourself for the next day or event. Without protein, your muscles will not have the needed nutrients to adequately repair, grow, and recover. This will result in a decrease in performance and an increase in overuse injuries. It is like trying to build a wall without bricks. You may want to, but you can't without the required parts. That is what protein is, the bricks to the wall.
As a Sports Nutrition Professor at Ashland University, what are areas that most athletes are lacking regarding their overall nutrition?
The areas that we see the largest deficiencies in would be total protein intake requirements needed for that particular sport and their actual intake. Even those athletes who take protein supplements are unaware of the timing and combination of other nutrients needed with protein in order to maximize muscular growth and repair. Just drinking a protein supplement after working out that day is not enough. You must focus on carbohydrates, as well as timing and other nutrients. There is also a tremendous lack of understanding the role nutrition plays in reducing inflammation, which occurs from athletic events. If you can reduce inflammation, you can improve performance and reduce the risk for injury.
We see a lot of ads out there for supplements, especially protein. Are they all the same?
Not really. Are all motorcycles the same? Are all cars? Hardly. You get what you pay for. You may not actually see the difference, but it is usually there in the parts, or ingredients, of protein supplements. We formulate and manufacture all of our products. So, we know exactly what goes in them. We don't cut any corners. So, athletes who take our products notice the difference. I always say that if you are not getting any noticeable benefits for nutritional supplements that you are taking, stop taking them. Our products are formulated to maximize nutrient absorption, not our bottom line. We never add any fillers or ingredients that are not necessary. If you look at all of our products' ingredients listed, you will see no added fats, fillers, sugars, or gums to any of them. Compare our ingredients to others out there and you will begin to notice the difference between our high-quality blends and the trash that others are selling. We want athletes who stay with us for the long haul; we are not just trying to sell someone a "one and done" supplement. That is why we have loyal athletes; they feel and see the difference in their athletic performance.
I noticed that Vantrition Protein is manufactured in Ohio. What benefit does that make for the consumer?
We manufacture, as well as formulate, all our products in Ohio. We do not have other companies produce or make our blends. This is important because we know exactly what is going into our products. There are many supplement companies who have large businesses manufacturing their products for them. So even though they have their name on the label, they have no idea what is exactly in them, let alone have any control on the cost of the manufacturing. We never run out of products, so you won’t see an "out of stock" label on our site. What legitimate business would be out of stock on an item? That is one of the signs that it is not a true supplement company. I think athletes want a product that, if they have a question, they can contact us directly and we can answer them.
Vantrition products mix very well compared to other brands that I have tried in the past. What's the secret?
We spend a considerable amount of time formulating our products. We believe that we have the best tasting products out on the market. Once athletes taste our products, they tell us that they are the best tasting supplements that they have ever had. That comment has been made constantly by our customers. Our products don't lump up at the bottom of your shaker, and they dissolve in water or milk totally. We use high quality ingredients, not cheap ones that taste funky, or don't dissolve. If a supplement doesn't taste good, most athletes will eventually stop taking them. We know this, so we make sure when we introduce a new product or flavor, you can rest assured, that we have spent many hours, days, and months perfecting them. Otherwise, we don't release it.
Thanks for sitting down with us and clearing the air on protein supplements. It looks like this could really help recovery between rides and improve training in the gym too. If you would like more information on Vantrition supplements, check them out at https://www.vantrition.com.
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