Supplements

By far, the best resource for the science behind all performance supplements is Examine.com. When in doubt and you want an unbiased opinion, you should check them out!

So, looking back at our client’s notes over the last three years (and taking away some special medical cases), It seems that regardless of their goals and eating, we end up recommending the following stack of health supplements to pretty much all of our clients!

• A high-grade multivitamin

• Magnesium Citrate

• Vitamin D (in winter)

• High dose of Vitamin C

• Probiotics (10Billion+ Bacteria)

• Fish Oils

• Caffeine with L-theanine

On top of this, some of our clients have been on performance supplements. What we prescribe very much depends on current eating and training habits and what we are trying to achieve. We have NEVER and WILL NEVER recommend fat-burning pills HGH, or Anabolic Steroids (because of ethical, philosophical and medical reasons I went into in Lesson 12). I do occasionally recommend protein powders, creatine, arginine and ZMA, though… but only very rarely… and I tend to avoid pre-workout mixes unless someone really loves it. (a cup of coffee is usually a good enough pre-workout boost for most of us !)

If you’re interested, I also sometimes add Iron, a B-complex and EPO to some of our female clients, but the vast majority of our private clients are not on any performance/sports supplements. I’m not against them… it’s just that we haven’t needed them much with my clients. Also, please pay attention to timings as not all supplements work well together: For example, if you’re taking calcium, then that can eat up whatever you taking at the same time, so that should be taken by itself. As always, arm yourself with knowledge.. What you put in your system is a very personal thing – we all absorb food, nutrients, vitamins and minerals differently –  so be wary of anyone telling you what you MUST do and don’t be afraid to experiment to see what feels right for you.

There is an argument that all supplements are a waste of time as they don’t get absorbed.. The evidence I’ve seen for this is mixed. So personally, I think on balance, it’s worth having them.. but I would never rely on them and use them instead of a good, varied, nutrient-dense diet.. remember they are SUPPLEMENTARY to your diet… not a replacement.