Can’t you just get enough from food?

My go-to supplements

 

Long time ago, someone once asked me “if I were to name one thing that I would recommend in terms of fitness, what would I say.” I knew they were asking because of my shape. People very often want the results but they are not willing to put in the work. So, if my answer to the question was do “10 push ups a day”, they would try that and hope to get close enough to the way I looked.

My proper training started about 15 years ago; at a much later age than most young people these days. But it wasn’t just the training. I started watching my nutrition, taking supplements a few years later, and regularly checking my hormones. The bottom line is that there isn’t just that “one thing” that would give great results.

My current fitness level is based on things I’ve been doing, eating or taking consistently for many years and not always based on studies done or theories written by experts. It’s based on what I’ve tried and worked for me over the years. When people tell me for example that they read somewhere that creatine causes hair loss, I point them straight to my own head. The truth is, if you do an online search, you’ll find that there has been a study for just about any food or supplements followed by a whole list of all sorts of side effects.

Coming back to the supplements now, I have listed below my “must go” most of which I have been taking for many years. This is not to be followed without doing your own research, blood tests or taking into account your own diet; It’s hopefully an eye-opener when it comes to considering an extra boost to your nutrition.

  1. Multivitamin: For me Animal Pak by Universal Nutrition is the God and I’ve been taking it religiously for almost 20 years. This has been around since the early eighties and contains over 60 ingredients. It has been taken by professional athletes and serious gym-goers for years. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals including Zinc, Vitamins C, B, D, plus EAA and BCAA Amino Acids and more. I used to take in tablets (11 pills in a pack!) but recently switched to the powder option.

  2. Protein Powder: Powders are an easy way to get more protein daily. I aim to hit 1 gram per pound body weight a day. This isn’t easy to just get from food as I’m not the biggest eater and I’m also a pescatarian. The powder I take is Form – I love the peanut chocolate flavour – which holds about 30g of protein a dosage so I often take it twice a day. Form is a plant-based protein and has been voted by Men’s Health and Women’s Health as the best-quality protein for a few years in a row. I know the founder and I remember the extra mile he went to ensure he produced a high-quality and the healthiest product when he was launching Form.

  3. Creatine: My product here is the Animal Micronised Creatine. It wasn’t broadly available in the UK until more recently and since I switched to this brand I can feel the improvement. In general, creatine helps with building muscle mass, and improving workout performance and recovery. I use the powder version instead of the capsules because I can easily mix it in my protein shake.

  4. Glucosamine and Chondroitin: Without going into too much detail here, there is good evidence that these supplements, often taken together, are good for your joint health and are supposed to slow the breakdown of cartilage in the joints. When you lift heavy weights and also naturally lose cartilage over the years, this became one my regular daily supplements. I’m not going to mention a product here but I would go for a reputable brand that’s got plenty of good reviews.

  5. Vitamin D: Although I do take a great multivitamin, some blood tests I did a few years ago showed low levels of vitamin D and my doctor recommended additional supplements. The fact that I live in the UK obviously doesn’t help! Since I have been taking an extra 4000 IU in addition to my daily multivitamin, the blood tests have shown much better results.

  6. Vitamin C: In addition to my multivitamin I also take vitamin C tablets to ensure my immune system is at its best. Not sure how much this or the combo of everything else has helped but I’ve got to say that in the last 8 years, I’ve had just about 3 colds so I think that’s a pretty good reason to keep taking it.

  7. Iron: Similarly to vitamin D, my iron level hadn’t been great until I got on supplements. In my case, most of this is attributed to the fact that I don’t eat meat however it’s probably advisable to have your levels checked regardless of your diet. Low iron can contribute to loss of energy and hair loss among other things. As a side note, extra iron can cause gastrointestinal irritation and emergency visits to the toilet so I had to reduce and spread the daily dosage through the day.

  8. Omega 3: As my cholesterol has been naturally higher than ideal, I have been using the recommended by my doctor OMACOR 1000mg which has improved my blood test results since I started taking it.

  9. DHEA: Getting a bit more serious now. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), is a hormone produced by your body’s adrenal glands. DHEA production peaks in the mid-20s and gradually declines with age. Low levels are linked to several conditions, such as depression and sexual dysfunction. As I suffer from chronic depression and my DHEA levels showed low on my blood tests about 2 years ago, this is another supplement I take daily and usually first thing in the morning before hitting the gym.

  10. Testosterone: Last but not least! Setting the sex drive aside, low T is associated with loss of energy, depression and inability to keep up with the activities you love. I’m usually up by 5.30 am and go to bed around 11 pm or even midnight. My days are long and far from those of the average male. So even when my testosterone levels about 10 years ago were low but still within the recommended range, I had to ensure that I get them up and keep them at the upper level of the range. If I am to continue as active as I am now I need to make sure I get the most support possible.

Of course, this sounds like a pretty long list and it doesn’t cover everything I take. I’m not sure to what extent all this has contributed to my current fitness level. As I said, “It’s not just that one thing”; consistent working out,  good nutrition (most of the time!) and hormonal balance have all played a role.

But the point here is that good nutrition is good. But when you want to be at your best, food on its own isn’t enough to give you enough of everything and that’s why you need supplements. And that’s exactly why they call them supplements. They simply add extra goodies to the ones you get from food.   

Of course, not everyone is the same or absorbs food the same way, but assuming you are a relatively healthy individual, it pays sometimes to just test for yourself or at least consult a credible source like the NIH or The British Medical Journal.

Nicholas Polo