Basic Supplementing: Athlete, Weight loss, Anyone

A common question I have come across throughout the time I have been training and consulting was always “What should I take?” There is so much on the industry and even more marketing with over exaggerated claims, its easy to become overwhelmed. Unfortunately it usually happens that individuals fall prey to the newest, hottest thing in the magazines. In the next upcoming paragraphs I will try to summarize some basics, later on I will try to take each individual case and further expand the beneficial supplement options. As always, before taking any supplement, consult with your physician before taking ANY Supplement.

The Multivitamin

• Great for all individuals
• Helps to fill any nutritional “gaps”. Foods are losing nutritional value due to preservation methods like freezing and poor soil conditions. Poor diets high in processed food are also a factor.
• Wide variety of options to meet many specific needs(Diabetic, Vegetarian, age, etc)
• Look for “All Natural”. Easy way to check is to look for what form the vitamin E is in: Dl-alpha= synthetic, do not purchase. D-alpha= natural, this is the variety you are looking for.
• Gender specific are excellent(women’s, men’s)
• Whole Food vitamins are also a great option
• Even if a multivitamin suggests multiple tablets/caplets/capsules, I usually just supplement with a single.

Fish oil

• Great for all individuals
• Lack of meals containing fish in the American diet makes this supplement very popular.
• Potential benefits from omega-3 oils (EPA/DHA) range from helping with cholesterol issues and overall cardiovascular health, inflammation issues, to even some links to aiding in weight loss.
• Many varieties are deodorized for those sensitive to fishy smell.

Protein Powders

     

• Athlete, Weight Loss, Potentially non active individuals.
• Provides amino acids, the building blocks of protein.
• Whey Protein powders offer speedy digestion for  great post workout recovery
• Casein Protein digests very slowly for delayed release of amino acids over many hours.
• Some dieters claim that ingesting protein powder eliminates hunger and gives a sense of fullness over longer periods of time.
• Quick preparation, easy to travel with.
• Some proteins tend to be high in cholesterol, just be sure to read the labels for amount and serving size.

L-Carnitine

• Mainly for Weight loss interested individuals.
• Amino acid supposedly involved in fat burning by acting as a transporter for fats out of storage areas(adipose tissue)
• If you’re looking for the potential weight loss benefit be sure to get L-Carnitine, not acetyl L-Carnitine. Acetyl L-Carnitine is supposed to be more involved with mental function rather than fat loss, but both are excellent supplements.

Some other beneficial supplements:

• Athlete: Creatine, Beta-alanine, Pre-workouts, Intra-workouts, Natural Testosterone boosters (Tribulus).
• Anyone: Resveratrol, Red yeast rice (cholesterol specific), Vitamin D, B-12(sublingual), Magnesium.
• Weight Loss: Glucomannan (Konjac), Alpha-2 receptor blockers (Oxy-elite pro by USP Labs is a great one), Caffeine.

Like I stated earlier this is just a very basic overview of the countless number of supplements on the market. The ones I mentioned in my opinion are legit and effective. In an upcoming article I will try to attack each individual separately and provide a more critical critique. I hope this information helps.

Michael Petrinjak, CFT