A quick discussion on supplements

It is truly mind boggling how many guys (far more guilty than females) spend hundreds of dollars – even into the thousands – on powders and pills each year that they consume pre, during and post training, and then go home and eat a burger, or a bowl of pasta, or some chicken but with chips and gravy. Or similarly, consume the protein powder post workout, with perhaps their first proper meal post workout being something decent like eggs, avocado and nuts, or salmon and vegetables, but then a few hours later its straight back to the usual garbage fuel of breads and pastas.

I will spell this out clearly – if you don’t fuel appropriately at least the majority of the time, you are wasting money on highly marketed supplements that will give you absolutely 0 benefit, and merely add to the financial cost of your excrement. They are just a supplement – a supplement to a quality fuelling approach. They are the icing on the cake – the final 1 or 2%. They aren’t going to make or break your program or your development, but may enhance it just that little bit extra – provided the other things are done correctly – being the real nutrition, plus recovery – these things will make or break your programs level of success.

So now that we have gotten that clear – we will take a brief look at a few of the major supplements. There are literally thousands of supplements and aids that you can consume (many of them banned substances), so we will only be covering the most commonly used and potentially beneficial. And this is very, as it is impossible to give specific guidelines to follow without knowing all the other parameters of the person in question (training volume, bodyweight, whether your current fuelling and lifestyle habits make any supplementation beneficial, etc.) There will however be links provided for further information to make decisions for yourself regarding supplementation.

Caffeine

Caffeine is such a commonly consumed substance that it is rarely though of as a ‘supplement.’ But it still warrants a quick comment, due to how common its use is. Caffeine is certainly a proven training aid for athletes – via the stimulation of the nervous system, the using of body fat for fuel, as well as preserving the glycogen in muscles for longer. In short, caffeine’s primary benefit is that in stimulating the nervous system, it lowers your perceived rate of exertion – in whatever your physical activity is.

While it is certainly effective – there is always the risk of developing a dependency. You do not want to get to a point where you always require it just to get through a training session. Additionally, the more you use it, the more of a tolerance you will develop (similarly to alcohol – were regular drinkers require many more drinks to attain intoxication than someone who rarely drinks) and over time you will require larger and larger amounts just to match the same effects.

Additionally, if you perform your training sessions in the evening, I would recommend against the use of any caffeine prior to training, due to the inhibitory affect it will have on sleep. Caffeine has a half life of anywhere between 4-6 hours, meaning that 4-6 hours after ingesting it, you still have half that amount in your bloodstream – not ideal when 4-6 hours after an evening session, you will be trying to sleep. And even if you have no problems falling asleep, the quality or depth of your sleep will still be impacted.

A very rough guideline for caffeine consumption is 2- grams per kilogram of bodyweight – but again, like with all other substances, its direct impact on you will be very individual specific. Not everyone will respond in the same way – or to the same degree. Even though caffeine is just thought of as a standard substance, monitor it closely.

We have been talking largely about caffeine largely with the most common form of caffeine intake in mind – coffee. For those who love coffee – the best way to take coffee in is to ingest it in a way where the fat content within then drink is also high. This will make the release and absorption within the bloodstream much more gradual – rather than a sharp spike and ‘[ick me up’ followed by the inevitable crash a couple hours later. The best way to do this is by adding a high quality butter, or a coconut product to the caffeine. The best example and most well-known of this form of coffee consumption is bulletproof coffee – so if you are interested in more information, do a quick search on Google or YouTube on Bulletproof Coffee.

Similarly – Pre-Workouts

The same information that we have discussed applies to pre workouts. There are millions of them – of varying qualities – and there are none that I could recommend as they are something we don’t prescribe. Most are laced with other synthetic substances of questionable quality – and many banned too. Some people make their own simple pre-workout supplements, with the best being a combination of high-fat coffee like bulletproof coffee with additional BCAA’s added in, but this is beyond the scope of this discussion. The main gist of this point is to not buy standard commercially available pre-workout supplements. The occasional caffeine kick with quality coffee is fine. But if you are requiring these to perform, it is time to look at the rest of your fuelling and recovery.

One final point on caffeine – it should go without saying that all the other common places that you will find caffeine are no good – and to be consumed as little is possible – and realistically not at all for someone focused on performance. So soft drinks, iced coffee, etc – you don’t need to read this to know you are setting yourself backwards with every mouthful. Every mouthful you don’t have is doing your physical development good.

Creatine

Contrary to what is often believed, creatine is not some man-made magic powder that will give you Arnold arms and Ollie Wines thighs. It is actually naturally existing within animal products – particularly meat (although it is present in quite negligible quantities). Hence the use of supplementary creatine. There is no doubting the effectiveness of creatine supplementation when strength development is the goal. But of course the key questions are ‘how much?’ and ‘for how long?’ Mark Verstegen uses 5 grams per day with their athletes at EXOS. Charles Poliquin recommends larger dosages.

With creatine supplementation it is once again very much up to the individual – and to do your own research and play around with different loading amounts and lengths. Take notice of its impact – and adjust accordingly. However a key point here – don’t just permanently use it for the sake of it. Use it in key times when you hit a plateau of some sort, and need a boost to take things to another level (similar to caffeine.) This is merely another potential supplementary aid. Your physical development will come along in leaps and bounds , merely from sticking to a focused program, and fuelling and recovering properly – consistently.

Additionally, like with any supplement, quality varies – so it is always best to look around a little and do some research if you are determined to use a particular supplement. For more detailed discussion on creatine supplementation, like with most things supplements, Charles Poliquin is the best guy to learn from.

Protein shakes/post workout shakes

These are probably the primary thing that people mean when they talk about ‘workout supplements’ or ‘training supplements’ – and indeed these were what I primarily had in mind when talking about hundreds and even thousands of dollars being spent per year in expensive excrement while consuming crap food a lot of the time. I will say it again one more time and then won’t dwell on it again – if you aren’t consuming fuel made up primarily of quality, it is completely irrelevant to answer ‘what is the best post workout supplement.’ That post-training window is only a very small amount of time – but the after-training effect (preferably enhancement/improvement) continues on within your body long after the session (24-48 hours) – provided it is given a continual source of quality input.

So is a post-workout/post-training supplement necessary? – (and we are having this discussion with strength training in mind.) If your fuelling plan is very good – and that should be an expectation, not a bonus, then it isn’t absolutely necessary – but the additional benefit is undeniable. There are those out there (and high level athlete coaches too) who believe that post-training shakes are unnecessary and that you can attain everything you need from eating properly. However this overlooks the quickness and ease of delivery into your system, the building blocks and nutrients in that important 30 minute window immediately after a session.

I have to admit, I certainly agree with the general attitude that whole foods and high quality whole foods are the key requirement here – and I don’t even bother going into post-training shakes with anyone until the real fuelling is on top of. But there is most certainly that added benefit to the quick intake of a high-quality post training nutritional supplement in the immediate 30 minutes after training, followed by a real meal a further 90-120 minutes after the consumption of that supplement. For more information on the post-workout benefit, have a read of Charles Poliquin’s thoughts here.

‘But which powder? What type? And what brand? There are so many.’ Something that needs to be touched on here, is that most post-workout supplements, just like their pre-workout supplements, and basically any other supplement, that is commonly available and highly marketed, is of very poor quality. Yeh it may be expensive, but that is all part of the brand positioning – the price tag gives the illusion of quality. Most whey and casein products are of very low quality, and difficult for the body to absorb effectively. It really is ridiculous that you can’t just grab a supplement and rely on its quality – however this is the situation we find ourselves in – you have to actually do your own research to source quality. And don’t let the fact that a certain football club or athlete uses a product or a brand –or at least appears to use a product or a brand – fool you – this is how sponsorship works. These clubs or athletes are sponsored by these brands or products to give this exact illusion. I can speak from experience from a long time ago - as I fell for the same thing as a teenager – the AFL club that I grew up barracking for had a supplement sponsor that appeared on their uniform, and I used to buy it convinced of its quality. I know better now.

So as far a quick and efficient post-training supplement or shake, where should you look, or at least what direction should you look. The main thing is to focus on finding a high quality grass fed organic whey product. Try finding that in your standard ‘muscle-head’ supplement store. Thankfully we have the internet to assist with this. Do a little research, but don’t get caught up in amounts of this or grams of that, provided it is certified organic grass-fed whey, you are on a winner. Goat products also make a good alternative to the cow products, due to the higher bio-availability of the nutrients (in other words absorption by the body is better.) Additionally, many people who have intolerance issues with cow dairy products experience no such issues with goat. For these reasons, Tera’s Whey is a very good option. This product can easily be purchased and shipped from various distributors via a google search (although Amazon distributors don’t appear to ship this product to Australia).

For a good vegan protein powder – or at least one that is dairy free, VegaOne is the best quality that I have personally come across, although for the record, if you haven’t noticed from reading some of his other stuff, Charles Poliquin tends to only recommend animal based products.

For more information on post-workout supplementation, have a read here.
 

Magnesium

As we have mentioned, the overwhelming majority of nutrients (both micro and marco) required to perform effectively and develop athletically can be attained through correct sourcing of whole foods. However, magnesium is one substance that even those sticking to a very good eating plan can be deficient in. Additionally, the more active you are, the higher your magnesium requirements are. Therefore, magnesium is a supplement with many potential benefits – based on the type of magnesium you use. However, surprise, surprise, there are various levels of quality depending on this type of magnesium. Additionally, different types of magnesium benefit different organs or abilities. Outside of the standard protein shakes and occasional caffeine or creatine supplementation, this is the one trace substance that it is seriously worth considering supplementing – or at the very least doing more of your own research into.

Charles Poliquin gives a good overview of the different types of magnesium and their target benefits here.

Additionally, here are some nice, short and simple tips when it comes to looking for the appropriate magnesium supplement here.

Fish oil

Fish oil is another commonly consumed supplement – although it is more thought of as a ‘general health’ aid rather than a ‘performance’ aid. However, having said that, anything that raises your general health parameters (and actually genuinely works – which most general health supplements don’t) will have carryover to your physical performance. Additionally there is growing evidence that it is underrated as an anabolic supplement – upregulating anabolic pathways in the muscle, and downregulating catabolic pathways. Irrespective of that, the great benefit to be gained from fish oil supplementation has to do with the ratio of omega 6 fats to omega 3 fats that we ingest. Humans evolved on a diet of a ratio of 4:1 in terms of omega 3:omega 6, with the ideal intake being listed as anywhere between 1:1 and 3:1, depending on where you refer to. Either way, the bottom line is that the ratio consumed in the common western diet today is as high as 1:20!! Even generally healthier eaters don’t get near that 1:1 ratio.

Although it is simplifying this to a great degree, omega 6 can be thought of as the ‘bad’ – with omega 3 being the ‘good’ and providing for protection against the inflammatory effects of omega 6. Furthermore, for an athlete, omega 3 intake leads to a greater release of growth hormone during sleep as well as improved aerobic metabolism, while it is also believed to lead to reduced muscle soreness as well.

So where are we going with this simplified (and still probably a little boring to the reader) science? Where do I get this omega 3 fat from? Omega 3 is found naturally in both plant and animal foods, however it is far more readily available (doesn’t’ need to be chemically altered by the body when eaten) in animal tissues – particularly the oils of cold water fish like salmon, tuna, cod and mackerel (fresh, ocean caught/non-farmed – not canned or farmed!) The reality is that the majority of fish available to us here in Australia doesn’t fit that bill, and as a result, the omega 3:6 ratio doesn’t stack up. As a result, a high quality fish oil supplement is another potentially useful supplement, even once the rest of the primary fuelling habits are in place, given the somewhat limited quality of what we have at our disposal. Read more discussion on fish oil supplementation from the master here.

Further Supplementation & Review

As mentioned earlier, there are literally thousands of supplements or compounds – as well as abbreviated forms of each other – that you could take. The list is so exhaustive, and various claims so enticing, that it is understandably hard to know where to start. However, once again, we have covered the main ones, with the most proven effectiveness, and without the fuelling basics in place first – and adhered to consistently, there is no point going down the supplement route in any case.

So don’t let all these supplement options and information have your head spinning – focus on;

1. Getting the real food right (and for a consistent period of several months at least)
2. Then you can look to incorporate a post-workout supplement (shake) into your approach
3. And only then, once adhering to these basics (which will provide you with a tremendous amount of benefit if adhered to appropriately with a consistent and focused training program too), then the other options mentioned such as creatine and caffeine, or any other supplementation to come across in your own research that you would like to incorporate/test can be introduced. 1 step at a time.

In case you haven’t picked up on it already, Charles Poliquin is the best first resource to look to when it comes to information and direction in regards to extra supplementation. He also happens to be a very good resource for general fuelling too.

Strength Coach