A to Z of nutritional supplements: dietary supplements, sports nutrition foods and ergogenic aids for health and performance—Part 23

Little is known about the naturally occurring phospholipid, lecithin, in terms of its effects on athletes, apart from its link with choline. Although branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation was discussed in an earlier article in this series, it is appropriate to discuss leucine separately, since many athletes, both young and old, use it routinely these days. It is rare for individuals to be deficient in linoleic acid, since it is widely available in the diet, and consequently it does not appear to be taken often by athletes. In the late 1960s, γ-linolenic acid (GLA) supplementation was first given as a therapeutic agent using mixed triglycerides with/without GLA in claudicants undertaking leg exercise. The majority of studies on GLA since then have been clinical but there is some interest in GLA as a supplement in athletes.