Ok, I take or have taken a lot of supplements. I have never taken anything illegal or banned as I am a tested athlete and have been tested while taking a number of supplements. So that being said, I have a pretty good handle on taking safe and effective supplements. Usually I make sure they are 3rd party tested, have a banned substance free certification, or do not have any banned substances in the manufacturing plant where the supplements are made so I do not have a chance of getting a tainted supp.
So now, what supplements work, which ones don’t? And why should you take them? Well, I will start a priority list of what I would take as an athlete who cares about performance and optimal health. Keep in mind I am a male athlete in my 30’s. I will post research links and articles as I find them in my archives over time, so be patient and post questions if you like.
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| Fish Oil |
Health-Here is a compelling article on the top 5 supplements you should take. I start out reviewing what brands I use, below.
Zinc– As a man living in a world full of pesticides, and as an athlete enduring hard training, Zinc helps regulate hormones. It also makes sure you are not deficient as that can lead to higher estrogen/lower testosterone levels. I can definitely notice a difference while taking zinc, I will get leaner, less pec fat, more muscular, and notice more sex drive. I use different trusted brands of different zinc types in order to switch it up on a rotational basis. You can do the zinc test to see if you are deficient. Now foods is a good source. ZMA by optimum nutrition is another good source of Zinc and Magnesium. I have also been tested while taking this.
Fish Oil– Optimizes brain function, healthy source of fat, good for heart, makes blood slippery, so in turn can lower blood pressure, lower inflammation. Also, it was explained to me by a doctor that every cell in your body needs it, so if you don’t get it, you are deficient.
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| Good Multi vitamin. |
Vitamin D– Again, deficient levels will cause problems, one of which is lower testosterone.
Probiotics- You are what you eat, you have to make sure you are absorbing what you eat as well! Not to mention the health benefits of ensuring a healthy digestive tract. Multiple studies have been linking gut health bacteria with mental health. Check out this TED talk on it.
Multi-Vitamin– Make sure you are getting certain minerals and vitamins. No, I do not feel any difference taking multivitamins but they are cheap and I take them to cover my bases. What I take is either Poliquin’s men’s multi or Innate Choice’s Men’s multi vitamin.
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| Poliquin’s Mult Intense. |
Keto OS by Pruvit– I have tried this product for about a month now after reading Paul Carter’s blog on it. It took 3 days for it to kick in for me. I have heard and seen other people get an immediate response from it. The proprietary formula (BHB, MCT powder) puts exogenous ketones in your body, thereby putting you in ketosis for approximately 5 hours. If you know about Ketosis, then you realize how powerful this concept is. Anyways, some people immediately notice intense focus, clear mind, improved vision, energy, lowered inflammation. I started noticing those things on day 3 of use and let me say, this supplement has probably the greatest effect of any supplement I have ever taken. It is not a stimulant, and you can get it with, or without caffeine. The focus, and clean energy you get from this product is a feeling I have never had before. The body fat loss, increased ATP, and lowered inflammation were added benefits. I gave some samples to friends and family, here are some of the responses I got: a type 1 diabetic who in turn uses less insulin now and can manage sugar cravings. Vision improvement. Focus. More intense workouts with more energy, less muscle soreness/fatigue in the following days. People who do intermittent fasting, found it is easier to do when taking it. Less sugar cravings and crashing from Keto//OS. I also gave a couple samples to a competitive strongman who was struggling with muscle cramping during his competition, but then he ended up having one of his best performances, winning the Provincial title. I also have a physique competitor/ Bodybuilder who has had great results using it as a fasting tool for his comp prep.
Whey Protein- A staple among most athletes and especially among strength trainers. I was told to use it post workout by a Gold Medalist in Olympic Weightlifting, as the fast absorption is best used right after a workout. Post workout is the only time you will see me use whey protein. My all time favorite is Reserveage Organics Grass Fed Organic Whey. It tastes the best, and is also the healthiest choice being sourced from grass fed organic cows. The downside is it is expensive, like all good things.
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| Second Place is PhD’s Pharma Pure which tastes good and is also a grass fed product that did have a no banned substance guarantee. |
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| 3rd place is the easy mixing, healthy whey from Athlete Alliance. |
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| Bulletproof whey is healthy but tastes poor and is VERY pricey. |
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| Dymatize is a decent tasting whey isolate. |
This chart is handy to see what is “proven” to most likely work: http://io9.gizmodo.com/how-
