Why are Supplements Important?
While I strongly believe that people should generally get all of their nourishment from their diet, there is a plethora of benefits from supplementation. In a perfect world we wouldn’t have any need for supplements, but unfortunately (for a variety of reasons) most times we cannot access the nutrients we need. For our body to function at its top level, it is important to follow the natural rhythms and cycles of the body. Supplementation helps streamline the process to ensure that we are receiving the nutrients we need at the best times for the body’s top functional optimization.
There are several different factors that cause the need for supplements such as:
- lack of access to whole nutritious foods
- lack of resources to purchase
- lack of availability due to shortages/ seasonality
- living in remote locations or areas without good selection
- dietary restrictions because of allergies, diet type, moral issues
- performance enhancement
History of Supplements
Most people don’t realize it, but supplements are not regulated the same as over-the-counter drugs. Supplements are considered a food additive and therefore have limited regulation by the FDA. In fact, the supplement industry is typically self-regulated by trusting that the supplier practices good manufacturing practices (GMP). There are also several third party companies that audit manufacturers. Keep an eye out for the third party companies logos that rate the supplements and their suppliers on the market. It would be wise to visit some of their websites to see what their standards are for their seal of approval. Here are a few of those third party audit company’s logos that you can reference.
Another good way to decide what companies manufacture the supplements is by reputation. There was a time in the wild west of the 1990’s when supplement companies were popping up all over the world just to put a snazzy label on something, make a few claims about the ingredient’s effectiveness, and put out a subpar product to make a few bucks. This led to companies literally starting shell companies they expected to fold to get poor and sometimes dangerous products to the market. Now, with the internet, it is much harder for these companies to continue to exist like that.
ALWAYS READ THE LABEL!!!
You should ALWAYS read the label to see what the actual ingredients are. While your reading the label, keep an eye out for anything that says “proprietary blend” or something similarly labeled. With “blends” you really have no idea of the ratios of ingredients you’re looking for. Protein powder is notorious for mislabeling it’s ingredients this way.
Companies will say there’s 25 g of protein in a product but in reality there’s only 18 g of protein and another 7 g of amino acid and nitrates to “fluff-up” the actual protein content. The same is true for pre-workout pills and powders. I’ll go into more detail as far as the best options for delivery and alternatives to maximize to effectiveness of supplements, but this is just some basics to look out for when you choose to buy supplements.
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/using-dietary-supplements-wisely
https://www.strongerbyscience.com/supplement-regulation/
Benefits of Supplementation
People are becoming more and more aware of the benefits of supplements. Especially when they are used in conjunction with a a whole-food diet, daily exercise, and healthy lifestyle. Like I said before, I personally believe that people should be consuming their nutrients through whole, natural food sources of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins. That being said, additional supplementation can enhance the effectiveness of nutrient absorption on the body and mind.
Preventive Medicine
I’d also like to state that it’s my personal belief that many people can alleviate their need for harsh medications if they can fully adopt a healthy lifestyle in conjunction with correct supplementation. For legal reasons I have to state that I am not a doctor, dietician, nor do I hold any degrees on the issue of nutrition and supplementation. To make clear, all of my statements are my own opinions and based on my own personal experience as well as with clients I’ve worked with. As with anything regarding ingesting something new, you should always consult with your doctor before starting a supplementation program. This is especially true if you are currently taking any medications as some supplements may have an adverse effect to prescribed and over-the-counter drugs.
Now that this gives you some basics. Let’s take a look at some of the more popular supplements on the market. Here’s a list of supplements I’m currently taking as well as others I’ve taken in the past to give you some personal perspective on each.
Common Supplements
Protein
Protein is one of the most popular supplements on the market today for fitness-minded individuals. We’ve know about the benefits of protein synthesis in lean muscle building for decades, yet we are still in the infancy of effectiveness in the use of protein supplements. As I’ve said before, it is way more ideal to ingest your protein sources from natural whole foods such as chicken, meat, fish, nuts, dairy, seeds, legumes, etc. If you decide that you would like to additionally supplement with a protein powder then it’s important to choose the right one.
Throughout the years, protein powder manufacturers have been notorious for mislabeling the contents of their products. According to Harvard Health and the Clean Label Project, there is the potential for several different types of toxins that are fairly common in lower quality protein powders. There is also the potential for very high calorie and sugar content that can effect unwanted weight gain and blood-sugar spikes. That’s why it’s so important to read the labels and choose a protein powder that has a good reputation for good manufacturing practices, accurate labeling, and being honest in their marketing.
Too many companies out their slap on a flashy label with all sorts of empty and misleading claims. This is not just true with protein powders, but also with any of the other supplements that are “blending” their products. It may be a bit more expensive, but it’s always beneficial to buy a pure and premium product rather than deal with the consequences of using a subpar supplement. If they lack quality then the supplements can not only be ineffective but also have the potential to harm you. For a list of protein powders online rated by non-profit third parties you can find them here. You can also purchase supplements here that I’ve taken myself so I can attest personally to the quality of product.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-hidden-dangers-of-protein-powders
BCAA’S (Branch Chain Amino Acids)
BCAA supplements consist of three different amino acids: Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. These three amino acids are considered “essential” because the body cannot produce them naturally. We absorb them from our food sources. Typically we ingest these three amino acids naturally from eggs, meat, and dairy. They’re responsible for building muscle, decreasing muscle fatigue, and helping to alleviate soreness.
The truth of the matter is that if we eat a good foodsource balance of eggs, meat and dairy then additional supplementation of BCAA’s is almost pointless. However, if you are diet restricted for any reason (lifechoice, ethical, allergy, etc.) where you aren’t getting enough of these foods in your system then it may be a good idea to supplement with BCAA’s. Especially when you are incorporating training.
Like the PROTEIN POWDER, This is another example of a blended supplement that is notorious for mislabeling. That’s why it’s good to do a little research before you buy supplements. You can follow independent third-party institutions to see how a lot of different supplements stack up next to each other. You can find some of their websites HERE and HERE.
We’ve done all the homework so you can find top quality BCAA’s HERE.
Pre-workout
Pre-workout is a supplement that I have a love-hate relationship with. If you get the right ones they can definitely get you amped and feel like your face is gonna melt off. LOL. Or you can drink a cup of coffee (espresso preferably). I took pre-workout for many years and most of time they’re loaded with sugar. I’ve never really seen much effectiveness on muscle from pre-workout. Sometimes people debate about the small amount of creatine or BCAA’s that manufacturer’s add, but none of them would be enough to have any effect on the body. I’m just gonna say it and stick with it. Pre-workout is purely psychological.
Essentially, buying pre-workout is the same as buying concentrated energy drink (i.e. Monster, Redbull, etc.,) but mixed with some other ingredients like beta-alanine to give the “skin-tingles” and a charge of energy with overloaded vitamin B12.
The safety of pre-workouts is a hot-debate but just keep in mind before you buy pre-workout that your buying something purely for the psychological sense of energy. They’re most likely not that great for you because they’re loaded with sugar, caffeine, and B-12. It’s not like they’re much worse than many other things in the Modern Western Diet, but keep in mind they could put stress on your liver and heart.
If you still want to have a go with the pre-workouts, we’ve done the research and found some of the better ones that give good energy and have that nice face-melting feel. You can buy these pre-workouts HERE.
Creatine
Next to protein, creatine has the most effect on lean muscle growth. Creatine helps produce ATP; our cells most basic form of energy. ATP enables us to perform short bursts of strenuous activity such as high intensity training, sprinting, building, and heavy work. Naturally, we consume creatine through animal food sources such as meat, eggs and dairy. Again, if you don’t eat animal products for whatever reason, it may be good to use some creatine supplements.
Like BCAA’s, If you consume enough creatine through your food sources then additional supplementation may not be necessary. Creatine is pretty safe for supplementing and comes in tablet and powder form. I’ve taken it several times throughout my life and did see significant gains from using. I prefer the creatine in powder form and saw good results using the pure 100% creatine monohydrate.
There are a few other types of creatine and again, there’s the “blends” that marketers try to frisk you up with inferior products. That’s why its good to get pure 100% creatine monohydrate from a reputable source such as HERE.