Are supplements and supplementation necessary for our health and performance in the gym?
- Working out already simulates our bodies to increasing our endurance, loosing fat, and building muscle. (kink, 2023)
- To increase the effects of working out, good nutrition is required, which includes having a balanced diet (kink, 2023)
- Supplementation comes in when your diet does not suffice the needs to your lifestyle. (kink, 2023)
- Over time the supplement market has greatly increased making it much more difficult to choose which supplements to take. (kink, 2023)
- Creatine is one of the most popular supplements and most researched supplements in the world (Layne Norton, 2002)
- Working to increase muscle through helping you work harder/ longer in the gym (Layne Norton, 2002)
- Creatine has also been researched to show it’s a very safe supplement for both men and women. (Layne Norton, 2002)
- Creatine is typically looked down upon and gets called a steroid. This anger the Fitness/body building community as “ it is totally different and works in a different manner” (Layne Norton, 2002)
- Creatine is also backed up by body builders stating its not a lab synthesized supplement (Layne Norton, 2002)
- Naturally found in food we eat such as fish and assorted read meats. (Layne Norton, 2002)
- As a society we don’t consume nearly enough protein for an average diet but just scooping protein powder as supplementation and arise many risks if you’re not educated on what protein powder you are consuming (Harvard Health Publishing, 2022)
- The long-term effect effects on protein supplements are unknow (Harvard Health Publishing, 2022)
- Protein powder is used for SUPPLEMENTATION ONLY, not to replace protein in our diets (Harvard Health Publishing, 2022)
- Protein powders depending on the person can cause digestive distress to the digestive tract (Harvard Health Publishing, 2022)
- Greens powder has become a very popular supplement in the past few year to help people reach their daily intake of vitamin and minerals (WebMD, 2022)
- Greens powder has slowly become a great way to enhance a healthy diet to receive extra vitamins and minerals (WebMD, 2022)
- Greens helps people to ensure they are reaching their recommended levels to keep a healthy body (WebMD, 2022)
- Greens powders become costly over time with a typical container costing anywhere from $30-$70 for 30 servings, taking this on the daily can become very expensive (WebMD, 2022)
- Greens powders vary from brand to brand with the amounts of nutrients they hold so its import to consult a doctor before taking any (WebMD, 2022)
- Greens is a great way to improve health areas you are lacking in but just like any supplement this is a processed way of doing so and receiving the nutrients directly from fruits and veggies themselves would be much better as they don’t include various fillers (WebMD, 2022)
- Pre workout is a supplement many must be very careful with, and you must do your research on yourself and the brand you are wanting to take (Meyer, 2023)
- Pre workouts can provide beneficials aspects to a workout but also harmful (Meyer, 2023)
- Pre workout supplements can be associated with risks of toxicity, dehydration and even over training (Meyer, 2023)
- There are many steps you can takt to prevent these risks, you can make sure you are drinking enough water, not adding additional caffeine to your body, and listening to your bodys signals (Meyer, 2023)
- Pre workout is shown to increase performance but depending on the individual this can change. Some may respond way more to the supplement that others (Meyer, 2023)
- Pre workout is also not a magic substance when partnered with working out you still need and optimal workout plan, and diet for the best results (Meyer, 2023)
- Caffeine is a main ingredient in pre workout which can be great in moderation (clevelandclinic, 2022)
- Overtime the high content of caffein gets people addicted causing high caffeine tolerances, this results in a racing heartbeat, and other heart side effects like heart palpitations (clevelandclinic, 2022)
- Having real food before the gym is the best way to get energy for a workout (clevelandclinic, 2022)
- A constant theme arises across all supplements that you do not need to take supplements as you can receive all the compounds through real foods however they can have other beneficial effects but also risks (NHS, 2018)
clevelandclinic. (2022, September 1). Is Pre-Workout Powder Safe? Does It Work? Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/does-taking-a-pre-workout-actually-work
Harvard Health Publishing. (2022, August 15). The hidden dangers of protein powders – Harvard Health. Harvard Health; Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-hidden-dangers-of-protein-powders
kink, shaun. (2023, December 1). Best Supplements for Working Out: 5 Brands . Health News; Health News. https://healthnews.com/nutrition/vitamins-and-supplements/best-supplements-for-working-out/
Layne Norton. (2002, June 5). Creatine: What It Is And How It Works. Bodybuilding.com. https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/creatine-what-it-is-and-how-it-works.html
Meyer, A. (2023, May 28). What Happens to Your Body When You Take a Pre-Workout Supplement Every Day. EatingWell. https://www.eatingwell.com/article/8044310/pre-workout-supplements/#:~:text=While%20some%20pre%2Dworkout%20ingredients
NHS. (2018, June 26). Do I need vitamin supplements? Nhs.uk. https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/do-i-need-vitamin-supplements/#:~:text=Most%20people%20do%20not%20need
WebMD. (2022, September 15). Greens Powder: Are there Health Benefits? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/diet/greens-powder-are-there-health-benefits
