Is supplements really necessary? I have a feeling that its the supplements industry just trying to sell us as much as possible.
what do you consider important supplements for performance?
Myself now after trying alot I think that I only need this
magnesium
zink
A multivit
Fish oil
Vit D
Opinions?
A lot depends on the specifics of your diet and individual needs. But my default assumption is they are not necessary until proven otherwise. They cannot correct a bad diet, and unfortunately people have a tendency to let supplements take precedence over food.
Vitamin D during winter months is one of the few nutrients you really cannot get in optimal amount from most whole foods.
Most people will probably benefit from fish oil, but again that depends on diet. And just because a little is good, doesn’t mean more is better.
I think multis are kind of a waste most of the time. The doses tend to be too high and there’s no need to take them every day. It’s not as if your food has no vitamins and minerals in it. You’re going to get most if not all of your requirements from food. Throwing in a multi a couple times a week is a cheap conservative way of covering any possible suboptimal intakes.
You could get a hair and minerals test to target specific vit and minerals for your needs.
Volle,
Performance is not really necessary but the game of elite performance is fun, addictive and has given some of us focus.
The supplement industry has been reacting to the consumer who has progressively been looking for alternatives to heal themselves opposed to trusting the medical wizards.
Who can blame them really?
Have you ever read any of the nutritional journals or text books about nutrition?
Do you know anything about gut health, digestion and how each of us absorb various minerals and nutrients?
depends on your goals. if you want to be optimal they are needed. if u think you can eat your way to more creatin and bcaa needed for recovery. most people dont eat the amount of food required to benefit. Also most people dont read the scientific studies behind supplements. the study of citrulline malate used 9 grams on patients. Most supplent companies put 1 gram of it and only recommend one gram. So right there you know its not gonna work.
Volle,
Take a look at a few things.
" The Supercharged Hormone Diet" by Natasha Turner. = She has done a really good job of breaking somethings down in terms of how the hormonal system works , symtoms people have and how to target the fix it plan.
I have spoken about keeping blood sugar even in the past but how she is able to address this topic is very helpful as it pertains to many athletes.
Two other books of interest might be
" Prescription for Nutrional Healing" by Phyllis A Balch and " Staying Healthy with Nutrition" Elson M Haas , with buck levin.
both are reference guides you might want to have on hand to research something you specifically want to answer.
Another test you might take for yourself is to take one key issue you feel you may have an issue with and look at any links there may be nutritionally to what problem you wish to solve. Start there and see what you find out.
I experimented for some time with veggie juicing and was amazed at how fantastic this made me feel. I knew right away there were things I was not getting enough from but I soon discovered there was much more to it than just naturally supplmenting with minerals and vitamins. That experience led me to more questions about protein and which complex carbs to consume.
Many people do not drink enough water even if they think they do.
Even if you are drinking a ton of water your system might not be able to fully utilize the water as is due to other mineral and vitamin issues.
Most athletes do not eat enough protein and if and when they do it’s not necessarily bio available so supplementing makes a ton of sense for high performance.
And lastly what about fat? You gotta get the right kind and usually it means you need to add it .