Supplement Abuse

Sunday, 03 May 2009 13:39

One question that almost always seems to come up when discussing fitness and exercise is "What do you think about supplements?" or "Should I be taking some supplements?" And my answer has remained unchanged for quite some time. What's my answer?

I'll tell you later.

I'm pretty sure that like most trainers, my opinion and/or recommendations about supplementation seems relevant because the person asking wants to hear from an expert, not a spokesperson. There are seven supplement groups that I am willing to recommend based on why the individual is inquiring. One group that I have never endorsed in any manner is fat loss formulas. With the latest news about the Hydroxycut recall hopefully people will realize there are no shortcuts or magic pills that will make you slim and trim quick. There are two proven methods that do guarantee an attractive, healthy physique: proper nutrition and exercise.

Over a decade ago products were popping up left and right claiming to be the greatest thing to boost your metabolism and "speed" up the fat burning process. Those products contained the Chinese herb Ma Huang, better known as the powerful stimulant ephedra. It didn't take long before the adverse reactions of supplement abuse became apparent: serious side effects like DEATH. And now the king of fat burners - Hydroxycut is being found guilty of having risks that far outweigh the benefits.

The nutritional supplement industry is big business. There are some proven legitimate products that, when used properly - according to directions and as a "supplement" to proper nutrition along with practicing a healthy lifestyle(exercising)- can aid you in achieving your goals. But for each of those products there are handfuls of concoctions that are a waste of your money or worse yet, harmful to your health. Still, they are big money makers thanks to clever marketing tactics. Trust me, most of those models you see in the supplement ads didn't get their bodies from that one supplement. Performance enhancing drugs may be deserving of the most thanks. If you don't want to take my word for it, pay attention to film maker Chris Bell's interview with Christian Boeving in the documentary Bigger Stronger Faster. Mr. Boeving admits that even though he does indeed use Hydroxycut, he also takes testosterone, a far superior product for burning fat. Before I go further, let me be clear that I am not recommending anyone take testosterone to lose fat.

So what supplements do I give the green light? Multivitamin/multi mineral formulas for everyone; omega 3 supplements for everyone; Calcium (I prefer the brand Rebuild) for those at risk of developing osteoporosis; Glucosamine sulfate if you have osteoarthritis or joint pain; Whey protein under the following guidelines: your nutrition intake is near optimum through your whole food consumption AND your training intensity is high enough to warrant the need for protein supplementation; Creatine depending on your training intensity and goals; Meal Replacement Products (MRP's) to help with nutritional consistency, usually for people that travel a lot, or have bizarre schedules that interfere with eating properly most of the time, or someone that needs a very high caloric intake.
Never will I recommend fat loss formulas, unless of course we are talking about proper nutrition and intense exercise.