Should you take supplements?
It seems like each month there is a new supplement released that has been designed to burn fat and build muscle in record time. Boosting metabolism, increasing testosterone, raising thermogenesis, almost sounds too good to be true…
While the optimisation of one’s health through supplementation can occur, it should be looked at like the icing on the cake. Trying to out supplement poor lifestyle (eating and exercise) habits is only going to result in you washing your money down the drain.
We like to think of supplements as the last stop on the train ride. Unfortunately, many people often make it their first stop. Focus on your core fundamental habits first. Progress if need be by controlling energy balance and including regular, formal exercise. Then, once these have become habitual, sprinkle the icing on the cake with the supplements that would be relevant for you.
With that out of the way, let’s look into where supplementation could be useful and what products you could use to help assist our journey. I’m sure if you’ve gone to any supplement store you would’ve been overwhelmed by the range of products on the market today. First it’s important to think of supplements as the name suggests, products you take to “supplement” your current diet. Which means nutrients you are not currently obtaining in sufficient quantities through food alone.
Beyond this, we could look to categorise certain supplements into the category of:
Protein Powder
Omega-3
Multi-vitamin
Caffeine
Creatine
Beta Alanine
Electrolytes
Considerations for an everyday individual.
A great resource for anyone interested in supplements is examine.com. Examine gives a comprehensive breakdown of any supplement and the current research that has been conducted with that supplement. If it’s worth taking, Examine will tell you. Beyond this, be aware of the marketing lure on most supplements. They are designed to poke our trigger points and snag those looking for a quick fix. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.