Do
Supplements Work?
Let me first set things straight by informing that you
do not need supplements to get results. However, in recent years science has proven that
some supplements can enhance performance and provide the additional nutrients your body
needs, particularly if you not getting enough from your normal meals and are training
hard. Whatever it is, never replace your meals with supplements. Supplements are meant to
be used in addition to your normal diet, which should be already in good order.
What's the rational for using supplements,
you asked? Mainly to:
- support recovery
- provide protection against possible nutrients deficiency
- provide convenience
- enhance performance
However, many unscrupulous supplement companies are going
overboard and make wild claims about their products. While some claims are
substantiated, most are not. We will never be short of a supplement that promise to help
in us in:
- building more muscles
- burning fat
- increasing sexual
performances
- increasing endurance
- becoming younger
- becoming stronger
etc
Which then are the ones that work? There
are some that do work while some are plain useless. It is important to also note that some
are quite toxic and dangerous when consumed in excess. What should you do, as a consumer,
to guard yourself from falling into the traps?
Beware of all claims. Those that sound too
good to be true, usually are. We provide here a list of common supplements that
are being marketed for various fitness use and have concluded whether they are useful or
not. Possible side effects are also included.
- Protein powders
(including whey protein, soy protein and egg & milk protein).
Claims: for muscle growth and repair.
Effectiveness: Yes, particularly if you are
not consuming enough protein in your normal diet to match your activity and goals.
- Weight gainers
Claims: for weight gain, recovery and
muscle growth.
Effectiveness: Yes if used as a post-workout
recovery drink or if one is severely underweight. If consumed in excess under normal
circumstances, the weight gain would be mostly fat.
- Amino acids
Claims: for muscle growth.
Effectiveness: No. You would be better off
sticking with protein powders and cheaper too.
Multi-Vitamins
and Multi-Minerals
Claims: insurance against micronutrients
deficiency.
Effectiveness: A good multi-vitamin and
multi-mineral supplement provides the best protection from its complete spectrum of all
the vitamins and minerals your body everyday. Deficiency in a single nutrient can lead to
severe consequences.
- HMB
Claims: increasing muscle mass and strength
Effectiveness: Not proven to work. Put your
money somewhere else.
- Creatine
Claims: increasing strength and power
Effectiveness: Yes. This is by far, the most
researched and scrutinized supplement on the market today. And most supported its
effectiveness. Many athletes are taking creatine to enhance performances. Possible side
effects include diarrhea and water retention.
Caffeine
Claims: increasing endurance and support
fat-oxidation
Effectiveness: Yes. Just like creatine,
caffeine has been proven to work by many researches. Taken in moderate amount,
it could help increase performance and utilization of fat for endurance
activity, especially for those well-trained. Possible side effects include stomach upset,
irritability, nervousness, and diarrhea.
We will discuss other supplements
in future article. That's it for now.
