The Shakedown on Supplements

Supplements: The Good & The Bad

Ah, the world of supplements. There are so many out there, good and bad, so how do you really know which ones to use? How much is too much? What is this stuff really doing to your body? These should all be questions you should ask yourself before purchasing anything. Always research something before you buy it, don’t trust the guys in the stores; they are there to sell products! Like everything in life, there are pros and cons to supplements. There’s also a point where it becomes a little ridiculous at how much stuff people can be on. I’ve seen people on tons of supplements and people that aren’t on much, I never really notice a huge difference between the two, besides the amount of money in their pockets probably. I don’t advocate supplements at all, I’d rather hit the gym and get the gains myself, not with the help of some crazy supplement. I don’t want to get stronger because I’m on creatine, I want to get stronger because I’m busting my ass in the gym. Plus, supplements can put a hole in your wallet quickly, that’s not nice. With that being said, I’ll go over some of the basic supplements that are popular and my opinions of them. I’ll also go over when I think people can go over the line with supplements. Just remember, supplements can be useful, but there’s nothing better than natural food and hard work.

PROTEIN POWDERS:

 

Protein powders are probably considered the holy grail of supplements. Everyone seems to have a tub of protein somewhere, even the most passive gym goers. When lifting, muscles are torn apart in little sections and protein helps build the muscles back up, but stronger. There’s about a half hour window after a workout where your body will absorb the protein and simple carbs in a shake more effectively. In the grand scheme of things, don’t stress out about this 30 minute window. The difference if you get your protein from a shake after a workout or a meal a few hours later is so insignificant, you’ll never notice it. So, if you are coming home from the gym and are having chicken for dinner in like an hour, just skip the shake and chow down some protein infested chicken. The most important thing is that the body gets enough protein throughout the day. Protein can easily be found in natural food sources such as: chicken, milk, cheese, beans, etc. It’s always better to get your protein from natural food sources but, it’s a lot easier to make a shake rather than a meal for protein. This is why protein powders have become so popular, we love easy in America. One should be attempting to intake about half of their body weight in protein. So a 180 lb. person should aim for around 80g of protein a day, a 200 lb. person should have around 100 lb. a day, you get the math. Of course, this varies from person to person, but about ½ of your body weight is a good place to start. Optimum Nutrition is known for having some of the best protein, so I usually go for that. On occasion I will buy Body Fortress (sold in Walmart) it's very cheap ($15 a tub) and pretty much contains the same things as all the other proteins. I recommend protein powders when food is not available, or if you are in a rush; but real food is always the better option here. It's a SUPPLEMENT for a reason, you should supplement it when other options aren't available, not rely on it.

CREATINE SUPPLEMENTS:

Creatine is a substance that is produced by your body and found in food (mostly red meat and fish), so it’s natural. But, you should still know what you are putting in your body. The creatine molecule (phosphocreatine) can be converted into ATP, which is the body’s main source of creating energy. Creatine helps your body produce energy (ATP) more rapidly, thus making you lift longer, thus making you lift more, thus making you stronger. People that take creatine will almost always gain weight, so don’t take this if you are trying to drop a couple pounds. Most of the weight in the beginning will be water weight, but over time you will gain muscle because the increased energy is causing you to lift heavier and longer. This stuff almost seems like steroids doesn’t it!? Make sure you drink tons of water while taking creatine to avoid dehydration. I have used creatine before, didn’t see anything crazy or huge (like I’ve seen with most supplements). I still have a tub full of creatine monohydrate, maybe I’ll get back into it one day when I’m bulking (if that ever happens).I’d recommend getting a tub of Creatine Monohydrate if you want to try out creatine, don’t get crazy (there's tons of different types out there), Creatine Mono will get the job done and it’s cost-effective. Like everything, it affects everyone differently. Everyone can get big without creatine, so I don’t really consider it necessary. It’s like that shiny toy on the shelf at the store you want, you don’t really need it, but you sure as hell want it.

PRE-WORKOUT SUPPLEMENTS:

 

Pre-workout supplements are used to give a jolt of energy before a workout, to really lock you in and focus. Always use PWO in moderation because of the tendencies of high caffeine levels and other junk none of us have ever heard of. I don’t really have an issue with PWO’s, except that you will build a tolerance to the supplement eventually, making you having to take more to feel the effects. This is where things can get dangerous and you NEED to know what you are taking. Research all those names you’ve never heard of and find out what it’s really doing to you, I hate to be extreme, but it could end up saving your life. I’ve experimented with a few PWO’s (Superpump 250 by Gaspari Nutrition & White Flood by Controlled Labs) and had pretty decent results. I definitely felt more locked in and focused; I felt like I could take on the world. In the end, I never bought more than one tub because I felt it wasn’t worth the money. Supplements can get very expensive; PWO’s usually run around $30-$50 a tub, which adds up. Especially once the tolerance builds up, using more and more every workout, so it runs out even faster! I felt that I could get my workout done without the pre-workout; but if I had the money I would probably opt to keep one around. Just research the product thoroughly and know what it can do to you.

 

Fish Oil:

Fish Oil is a supplement that is concentrated more towards the body than anything fitness related, but it’s still important. Why is it important? So glad you asked! Fish Oil contains two Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids (EPA & DPA) that the human body CANNOT produce. These EFA’s are found in fish and only fish. This site has great information on fish oil and the effect it has on the body. Personally, I don’t eat fish, which is why fish oil is even more important for me (and you if you are like me). If I’m not taking fish oil, there’s no other way I’m getting these EFA’s. Even if you eat fish, I’d recommend keeping a bottle around. I take 2-3 per day, usually after a meal. Optimum Nutrition is the brand I go with, just because I have used their products for a while and their known for quality. Everyone should have fish oil, especially if you aren’t particular to fish like me.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

To be honest, I’ve tried tons of supplements in my days, even ones I chose not to write about because it gets repetitive. Most things I’ve taken, the only things I’ve seen are minimal gains, nothing ever blew me away when I was taking a certain supplement. It’s just not worth it to me. A lot of new lifters will load up on supplements, because they don't wanna wait to see results, they want the results right away. They will be disappointed when those gains don't come or they suddenly stop. There will be people who disagree with me, people who live by supplements, but this is just my point of view. When you are taking 5 different pills a day and three different supplements before/during/after workout, that's a little scary. These people can't possibly understand everything that stuff is doing to them. They can go ahead and put that stuff into their body, when they probably have no idea what half of it is doing. Especially the amount of money they are blowing on these supplements, because the world of supplements is definitely not CHEAP. I believe anyone looking to see gains should just grab some protein powder and bust their ass in the gym. Don’t wait for some pills/powder to make you stronger, hit those weights and let those naturally make you stronger. I’ll always choose hard work over pills and such, and you should too. This allows you to be proud of your gains that you got yourself, with no one’s help. As always, these are just my opinions. I hope you guys enjoyed this article as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I’m not sure what I’m doing article wise next week so if you guys have any suggestions please let me know and I’ll get started on them! Thanks as always and have a beautiful weekend.

dcorrigan50@gmail.com