Supplements are all the rage!! Yet we are becoming unhealthier and the obesity rate seems to climb year after year. In American culture it has become ritualized and our pursuit to optimize appearance, health, and performance has led to many down falls. Many people are not reaching goals or becoming healthier.
Take the word supplement and break it down. It means something that completes or enhances something else when added. We spend so much money on supplements and not enough on real food. We spend approximately $30 billion a year on supplements according to the New York Times.
The problem with supplements is that they cannot out perform a poor diet. Let’s take filling a large hole to 100% in the least amount of time. What if you can only put 1 item at a time inside the hole. What would you do with the pebbles and larger rocks? Of course, you would start with filling up the space with larger rocks because it will take more space and less time to fill the hole. Then we would start adding pebbles to fill the gaps. The rocks are diet, sleep, and exercise. Next would be the pebbles which would be your fitness specific programming and your supplements. Yet in my experience many people start with the pebble which is not nearly as effective and a waste of money.
So, what are supplements good for? They are good to help with deficiencies and to enhance an established and balanced diet for optimal health and performance. For example, it may take more work and time for someone who is vegan to get enough protein in their diet. This is of course depending on the individual’s specific energy needs. That’s when you would use a protein shake as a supplement. Also, let’s take biochemical individuality into the equation as well as ancestry. Maybe in your ancestry, there was a use of a lot of Vitamin D but you live in an area with not much sun exposure. You may need a Vitamin D supplement. These are just examples of specific needs. In most cases this is how supplements should be used. There are cases in which someone may really need it but those are few and far in between.
But are supplements absolutely necessary? No! So why do we spend so much money? I was stuck in this trap like many others. Its no fun and you are wasting money without getting results.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common supplements and breakdown what do they do and what are they used for.
Protein- Protein is 1 of 3 Macro nutrient.
Myth – Protein causes muscle gain.
Protein does not do this alone as the body is much more complex. But a protein supplement helps advanced athletes build muscle more than it does the beginner. This is most likely due to the advanced athlete needing more protein for recovery or reaching a certain body mass. But where it can help a novice is with macro nutrient deficiency. But my recommendation is to start with food. (this tends to be closer to vegan/ vegetarian diet and also depends on individual needs) If you eat plenty of meat and high protein sources of food then you are most likely making your protein amount daily.
My recommendation for protein supplements
1. On days you want to eat closer to a vegan lifestyle, or If you have a true macro nutrient deficiency. (Must track food to know this)
2. If you are an athlete having trouble getting to your protein amount
3. If you are going to use protein get an organic protein.
4. Pay attention to gut issues
BCAA’s – Branch Chain Amino Acids
Myth – BCAA’s are the main source of recovery BCAA’s are a group of 3 essential amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine. These are single out because they aid recovery.
Recommendations for BCAA
1. If you take Protein you need to take BCAA
2. If you have gut issues taking protein it may be better to take BCAA’s
3. fasted training
Pre-workout –n use before workout. What makes for a good pre workout Caffeine, Theanine, Agmatine and more…..
Myth – I need pre-workout to get a good workout
Be wary of pre-workout because it can be the reason you have trouble sleeping if your workout at night. Also, all because you feel more energy, doesn’t mean you had a great workout. Perceived effort vs actual effort are 2 different things. Because you are performing better, doesn’t mean it is leading to optimal health. There are trade offs and the law of diminishing returns.
Recommendations for Pre-workout
1. Don’t depend on pre-workouts
2. Use sparingly. When needed
3. Use natural Pre-workouts like Coffee more often (if you don’t want as strong as a hit of caffeine, make it with theanine or other methods)
Greens supplement – Taken to up vitamin and mineral up take and get more nutrients in the body.
Myth- This must be taken everyday
The problem when viewing that you need to take a supplement everyday it tends to lead to more poor food choices. Think of Greens as a supplement and it can be very beneficial. Green supplements are typically nutrient dense foods like Wheat grass, spirulina, chlorella, alfalfa, herbs, vegetables and fruits. 8
Recommendation
1. Use more frequently
2. Use when your low of veggies and fruit servings
3. Make sure you choose organic
In conclusion, what do you do? Simple, use Supplements like the word supplements mean. To either enhance what your doing or something that you may truly deficient in. Work on the foundation of the house which is food and proper training. How do you know what to take? Start by writing down what you eat and look there or ask someone who is a professional and is willing to take time with you on different occasions. This process is not going to happen in a week but through time. Also taking multiple medical test will help give you good idea of what you may need. This is all depending of your normal range and what you are doing for physical activity.
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