Do You Need Dietary Supplements?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 11:25You probably take some sort of supplements. So do I. But do we really need them for our workouts to be successful?
If you read enough bodybuilding magazines, you may think that you don’t have a chance of building a good body without taking lots of expensive supplements. The truth is, you don’t need any—especially if you eat a healthful diet with the right amount of calories and nutrients. This is not to say that supplements do no good, just that they are not necessary. And most of them really are a waste of money.
Let’s start with the simplest and cheapest, vitamins and minerals. These nutrients will not help you with your workouts unless you are deficient in them and are remedying that deficiency. Most nutrition experts say there is no evidence active people need more vitamins and minerals, but there are dissenting opinions, especially regarding antioxidants. To play safe, you can take a multi-vitamin and mineral pill that provides no more than the recommended daily allowance. This will cover you in case your diet is lacking in something, and in case active people do need more. Do not supplement beyond the RDA for minerals, which can be toxic in high doses. If you eat fortified cereals or energy bars, make sure you add in the supplemental nutrients you get from them when deciding if you need more.
Energy bars and sports drinks are considered to act as supplements. You do not need these, but they can be convenient. (Endurance athletes may need sports drinks, but weight trainees don’t.) Energy bars can be useful as a snack or meal replacement when you don’t have time to get regular food. Remember, you don’t want to miss a meal or go too long without eating. An energy bar holds up well in your pocket or briefcase, which is more than you can say for a banana. A protein bar is a protein supplement, not a true energy bar. Energy comes from carbohydrates, although a mixture of macronutrients works best. Both energy bars and sports drinks add to your intake of calories, so be sure to count those in. By sports drinks, I mean hydration beverages of about 6% carbohydrate, like Gatorade. There are also energy drinks that have all kinds of things in them and are usually quite expensive. Read the label and decide if you want to put that in your body.
Most of us don’t need separate protein supplements. There are a lot of these on the market, usually in powdered form. If you are on a low calorie diet (which I don’t recommend) or if you are a strict vegetarian (vegan) you may want to try a supplement. Whey with a little casein is best. Soy protein is also good. It is hard to get a lot of protein without getting a lot of fat as well, unless you eat dozens of egg whites, so protein powders may be helpful there. Always read the label to see what you’re getting, consider the rest of your diet, and remember that 1 gram protein per pound of body weight (2 g/kg) a day is all your body can assimilate—and that should be taken throughout the day, not all at once.
If you want to gain weight and just can’t do it with real food, you may want to check out the various weight gainer supplements. These are usually high calorie meal replacements. Some are ridiculously high in calories. You may want to use one for a few hundred calories, but not for thousands. These do not replace real food. Read the label and see what you’re getting overall, not just the calories.
Of all the specialized muscle building supplements, the only one we know works is creatine monohydrate. The sports medicine literature now has quite a few studies, most of which show it is effective in increasing performance for strength athletes, such as weightlifters, shot putters, and sprinters, but not for endurance athletes. Creatine adds some muscle, and some weight, and helps you work out harder. It is far less popular among women than among men because of the weight gain involved. About 20% of those who take it see no effects, and some stop taking it because of gastrointestinal problems. It appears to be safe, but has not been proven for really long-term use, and most people cycle it, either a month on and a month off, or only when getting ready for sports season. I do not recommend creatine except for advanced lifters who have reached a plateau. It should not be taken by anyone under 16 and athletes from 16-18 should only take it under medical supervision. If you use the loading protocol described on the label, you should see results in a week. If you don’t, you’re not going to. Do not take more than the recommended dosage. It won’t help, and it may hurt. Do not take this or any other performance supplement without first consulting with your doctor.
Most of the other supplements that got a lot of early press have not panned out. Studies that showed muscle building properties from chromium picolinate were done by the patent holder, and nobody else has been able to get the same results. The amount of pyruvate used in the studies that seemed promising is not practical for normal use. Results with supplemental L-carnitine have been mixed, and if it works at all, it would probably be with endurance exercise. HMB has seemed to help recovery in some studies, but not others. It seems safe, so if you want to try it, it’s probably ok, but expensive. Claims have been made for ribose, but I haven’t seen anything convincing yet. Human growth hormone has medical therapeutic uses but it is expensive and has extreme side effects. The studies showing it works for improving body composition all used an injectable version. There is no evidence that capsules meant to encourage the pituitary to produce more do anything at all. Ephedra is not used for muscle building, but rather for fat loss and “leaning out.” It can be dangerous and I recommend you avoid it. There are better ways to lose weight.
Remember, none of these products or supplements replaces a healthful diet, adequate rest, and consistent exercise. Always read the label and consult with your doctor before using them.