One of the first things we actually talk about when I bring someone on as a client, is talking about cutting out just about every single supplement they take. And so I just wanted to lay out the three most popular supplements that people are buying that are of little to no use and address how to get the most out of the supplements that you should be taking.
So if you’re a person who spends a lot of money on supplements, you need to take a listen to this ’cause you can save yourself a lot of money. And so we’re gonna dig into those three and then discuss ones that you will benefit from.
Fat Burners
The number one supplement that people spend their money on that is absolutely a waste of your money is a fat burner. I know the concept of what people are wanting when they get a fat burner because they want to burn extra fat. But the reality is, it’s basically just caffeine. It’s just a bunch of caffeine and a bunch of things that are gonna speed up your heart rate.
You can get the same exact result from drinking coffee. Everyone’s always looking for things to take to quickly lose some fat. Save yourself the money and spend that same money on some whole food and protein. These will speed up your metabolism and actually add nutritional value to your diet unlike the fat burner pills.
BCAAs
Number two is BCAAs. This is something that I see people buy a lot of because they’ve been told that in order to recover you have to have BCAAs. So this is kind of a double-edged sword, okay.
BCAAs if you do not eat an adequate enough of protein because they can supplement the deficiency. However, most people don’t under eat enough in their protein to really need any BCAAs. And when I mean adequate enough, I mean like drastically under.
So if you’re like way low, like in a 50 grams 60 grams below what you need then BCAAs would be something you would want to use. But once again, if we go back to point one and start eating more whole foods and protein, then that shouldn’t be an issue.
One other reason BCAAs could be okay is if you were doing faster cardio or weight training. If you were not eating and then went to the gym you would want to make sure you can replace some protein in the body.
BCAAs have become a supplement that everyone hops on the train of because they feel like that’s what they have to do to recover from training and that’s not the case.
Protein Powder
And so the third one, and I’m gonna be careful when I say this third one, ’cause I know people are gonna jump down my throat when I say it, but protein powder. Protein powder needs to only be used, if your daily consumption is not able to meet what you need.
There’s this huge misconception about protein, about how they have to have protein powder. The big thing that comes with protein powder is that magical 30-minute anabolic window that people thinks exist at the end of the workout.
That’s actually not true. I’ll talk about that in a different post, ’cause I wanna show the science on that. Because that myth has been around for so long that it is hard to show people the truth in that. So we’re gonna pull up the data on that one.
Protein powder is not an absolute essential supplement. It should mainly be used as a meal supplement. I have a client that’s a surgeon, and so sometimes she’s doing surgery for 10, 15 hours. A protein shake becomes the only thing that she can eat or drink during that time. Now we are using it as an alternative to fast food or not eating. Those are the times you will want to use protein powder, not, I just got done working out and I have to get in protein in the first 30 minutes.
The window is actually three hours. If you eat within three hours of working out you have the same protein synthesis or the same protein uptake that you would in that 30-minute window. That 30 minute window was basically created by supplement companies to sell you that you have to take protein.
So I talked about the three supplements that you’re wasting your money on. I just want to mention really quick about the three supplements that you can spend money on and you should spend money on.
Three “Must Have” Supplements
Pro/Prebiotics
Number one, is gonna be a probiotic, prebiotic. Taking care of your gut health is crucial, and it’s something that people don’t take seriously. There’s a big difference when your gut is healthy and when your gut is not healthy.
I’m talking down to your emotions. If you’re suffering with depression, your focus, even your allergies. It can all be traced back to your gut health. Once again, you always want to try to use your diet first before you take supplements, but a pro/prebiotic is a great supplement for improved gut health.
Fish Oils
Number two is a fish oil. Fish oil is going to help with brain function, and it is going to help with recovery as well. And so having a good fish oil is good. Make sure you’re getting good quality supplements when you’re getting them though. Do not buy supplements from Walmart!
I can say that again. Do not buy supplements from Walmart or any convenience store. The reason they’re so cheap is because the quality is crap. So you’re basically paying a lesser amount because you’re getting a lesser amount in it.
There’s a really good website called Labdoor, where you can go in and look at a ton of different products. It’s a third-party testing company. It measures what is actually in the product. You’d be surprised, but a lot of the popular brands out there have crazy high levels of metal in the supplements.
Creatine Monohydrate
The third supplement i recommend taking is creatine monohydrate. You don’t need anything super crazy. Every year or so supplement companies come out with this new creatine this, and new creatine that. It’s all bull crap. You only need creatine monohydrate.
It’s super cheap but it’s great stuff. Our bodies naturally make creatine, but not always enough to support the type of training we are doing. Creatine supplementation will help increase muscle mass, muscle endurance and muscle strength. If you can push harder in the gym, you will make greater gains in the long term.
Lastly, I recommend to do a blood test. Figure out the things you’re actually deficient in. A multivitamin’s great, but if you’re only deficient in one area then why are you taking a whole multivitamin supplement? If you’re low in vitamin D, then take vitamin D supplement.
Let Us Know How We Can Help
If you’re buying any of those three, stop! If you want some suggestions on ones that you can replace those with, shoot me a DM or, drop a comment down below. So keep these questions coming guys. The last two or three posts that I’ve made have all been from people who have reached out to me and are asking questions. So either do that in the comments or do that in the DMS.
I’ll just keep putting out the information that everyone wants to hear. Also, If you are in the area and looking for a gym in Topeka, then stop by or click the link —> https://lionheartapf.com/join/ to learn more!!