Supplements

An item that it's important to be cautious about before spending scarce funds is supplements. I advise a minimalistic approach to supplementation. When investing in supplements, it's important to buy the basic nutrients that you need and possibly a few supplements that are backed by solid research. Be very cautious about unsubstantiated miracle claims.

I have witnessed several supplement scams on the pages of muscle magazines. For example, I remember one supplementation system that guaranteed results and had the pictures to prove it. They only guaranteed results if you followed their exercise and nutritional program and they used every photographic trick imaginable in their before and after shots. It seemed to me that it was strict nutritional and exercise programs that produced the results and not the snake oil concoction they were marketing. Another feature of that particular program was that the nutritional and exercise programs were so strict that almost no one could adhere to them. (If you've been around awhile, maybe you know which scam I'm referring to.)

Serious athletes need better nutrition than the average person and supplements are a necessary part of that. It is impossible to eat enough food to get the amounts of some nutrients that you will need and athletes are prone to being deficient due to the exertion we put ourselves under.

The approach that I follow is to take a good multi-vitamin and additional anti-oxidants such as vitamins C and E and minerals such as calcium and zinc. Certain nutrients need to be taken in certain ratios and, as Dr. Colgan points out, many vitamins can't possibly contain the amounts that they claim. It's important to look carefully at the contents of what you're buying so that you don't throw your money away. Please refer to a good nutrition book or a nutritionist for the details.

I also supplement my diet with one serving of high quality whey protein each day. Sufficient protein is necessary for proper recovery. It is also necessary for proper immune response and training taxes the immune system. However, too much protein is hard on your kidneys so it is possible to go overboard. Be conservative.

Beyond what I've listed above, I take a couple of carefully chosen bodybuilding-specific nutrients and a few herbs. Creatine monohydrate does exactly what people claim it does. It promotes lean mass and, to some degree, strength.

I also used to take GKG from EAS. GKG contains alpha-ketoglutarate and the amino acid taurine. These nutrients promote tissue regeneration after a hard workout. The evidence supporting the use of them is indirect. They have been seen to speed healing in burn victims. Nonetheless, GKG seemed to work for me.

Ginsing also seems to have a very beneficial effect for me. I always thought that claims regarding herbs were ridiculous and unfounded until I tried ginsing. Other herbs that you might want to try that are not directly related to weight training are ginko biloba and ginger. Ginko biloba is thought to enhance cognition and circulation and ginger is a good anti-inflamatory.

What I've listed is all I take. Some supplements are important but they are expensive so carefully scrutinize information about a particular supplement before getting out your credit card. Do your homework before rushing out to buy something and remember that you don't have to buy something every time you set foot in a nutrition store. Also, keep in mind that any nutritional change will take in the neighborhood of 6 weeks to have an effect.

Last modified: Tue Jul 25 17:28:06 CDT 2000