Supplements: Are they necessary for optimal health?
This question is way too common in the health & fitness industry. Unfortunately, everyone is gonna have a different opinion on it! The best way to find out if you need to add supplements into your routine is to assess your overall goals. Personally, I do not believe you need workout supplements in your routine, but I do think they can offer benefits if you’re wanting to see a change/improvement in energy, performance, etc.
The health and fitness industry will do anything to sell you on their supplement and why you need to add greens, reds, collagen, protein, BCAAs, pre-workout, post-workout….. you get the point.
There is no one size fits all when it comes to nutrition. No two individuals consume the same exact foods everyday. One person may be higher in protein, one person may consume more carbs, and another may be vegan. Depending on a person’s goals and current nutrition status, supplements may or may not be needed.
So how do I know if I need supplements?
Short answer: If you’re trying to put on muscle mass, you have to increase your calories and protein intake. If you struggle with eating enough protein from foods, a high-quality protein powder will be extremely beneficial. I recommend 1st Phorm Supplements. Like many, I don’t respond well to whey products, but I love vegan protein powder and the clean ingredients are a huge plus.
When it comes to pre-workout and BCAAs, check in with your body and see how it’s performing. If you’ve noticed your energy is down or you’re struggling to really push through your workouts, you may benefit from a little boost. A good quality pre-workout may be for you! Project-1 by 1st Phorm is a pre-workout I recommend.
Next up: branched chain amino acids, or BCAAs. They’re essential amino acids, meaning our body cannot produce them naturally, so we need to get from our diets. I personally don’t take BCAAs because I believe you can get adequate amounts from food. Foods that are highest in BCAAs tend to be animal meats or animal byproducts. Beef, poultry, fish, turkey, and eggs are good sources of BCAAs. Dairy products such as cheese and milk also contain higher amounts of BCAAs, as well as some plant foods such as nuts, seeds, tofu, and lentils.
I would only recommend BCAAs if you are:
An athlete cutting weight for a sport/consuming a low-calorie diet but need to maximize lean muscle mass retention.
Vegan/vegetarian consuming a lower protein diet.
Endurance athlete with high training volume
I recommend Thorne Amino Complex after a workout to facilitate the recovery process.
To sum things up… Make sure you’re getting a variety of different vitamins and minerals through your diet, getting adequate sleep (7-9 hours a night), and then look into incorporating different workout supplements based on your needs!