I’m going to step out a little bit here and break a rule that I had set for myself when starting blogging; “no blogs on supplements”. I set that rule for myself as it’s far too large a field for any amount of blogging to cover. It is constantly changing as new research happens and as new products come on the market. One weeks fad is next weeks forgotten item sitting in a dusty corner of the shelf it once flew off of in the store. Also, each person is going to respond to each supplement differently. What works very well for someone might have no affect whatsoever for someone else. Just the way it goes. Then, I believe placebo plays a huge roll in supplementation. If you believe it works you will feel better while using it which will yield a little extra intensity in your workout regime and just like that, your new supplement that could very well have been flavoured baking flour produced some results. So, to that member who asked me after their class the other day, this one is for you. Let me add in here, that I do not claim to be any kind of expert on supplementation at all, nor am I going to try to offer any specific advise here. Just potentially shed some light in a simple way.
First and foremost, here is what I tell the “average” person (if you are reading this, that is you!). We need to first look at what we are talking about in definition.
Supplement - noun - something that completes or enhances something else when added to it.
or
Supplementation - noun - the addition of an extra element or amount to something.
Therefore, by taking a supplement we are assuming that we need to add extra of something. How do you know you need it? That’s a question you have to ask yourself. The member who asked me about supplements said “I don’t just want to create expensive pee”. I loved that. So often that is what we are doing by throwing a whole array of supplements down our gullets. Not to mention, they can be potentially harmful if we are overloading organs (kidneys specifically) and our system as a whole with too much of a good thing. More of something is always the answer.
I would next look at what you need to “not be taking” for the average person. If you follow a strict and precise diet plan and are still not seeing the results that you want, then I would start to look deeper down the rabbit hole at potentially what you could add. If however you more than the very rare soda, highly processed foods, cookies, cake, fast food, alcoholic beverage, candy, ...well, you get where I am going; then you need to start there. Fact is, before you start worrying about “supplementation”, you should be looking at what you should be taking out of your diet. There is far more to be gained by taking away all those unhealthy things than there is by adding in a commercial product to “fill a void” in your nutrition.
One thing that almost of us land-locked people in Saskatchewan do not eat enough of is fish. Fish gets us those good fats; our Omega 3-6-9. There are all kinds of claimed benefits to the Omegas family. One of the most widely researched and backed benefits is anti-inflammatory. Simply put, joint health. Again, this is going to change from person to person but in my own experience, both for myself and people I train with, they work. A simple “fish oil” supplement (which come in a wide range of different Omega breakdowns) helps keeps my joints feeling better. When I stop taking it, I notice more pain in my joints than when I am taking it. It is relatively cheap and something I can tell is working. That is going to be the only supplement I am going to share my personal experience and thoughts about.
So, before you go out and spend all your hard earned money at your favourite supplement shop, maybe first take a look at what you should not be putting in to yourself. You might actually be able to save some money instead of going and spending more. You’re welcome! :)