Supplement Smarts: Essential Tips for Fitness, Health, and Weight Loss

Supplements – you may have wondered if you should be taking them and, if so, which ones are just hype, and which are worth the cost? Supplements can range from things like vitamins, minerals, protein powder, greens, melatonin, etc. – the list goes on. This is a huge industry, and of course, a lot of money is spent on advertising the benefits of supplements, so it's hard not to believe that you need them for your health, well-being, and longevity. But supplementation is exactly that – a supplement to an otherwise healthy lifestyle. Many supplements are of little to no benefit; however, there are some that may add value in conjunction with a healthy diet.

That being said, if you have any conditions that may prevent you from absorbing adequate vitamins and minerals, be that from your diet or via supplementation, or if you take medication, the following may not apply to you and may even cause harm, so it's best to consult with an appropriate healthcare provider such as a doctor or dietitian before making the choice to supplement. For the average, otherwise healthy adult, there can be a lack of essential nutrients for various reasons, including diet choices, health conditions, and contraindications with other supplements and medications, among other things.

Before we get into individual supplements, here are a few tips for assessing the quality of a supplement.

• Only purchase supplements with the ingredients listed.
• If there are multiple ingredients that are not necessarily included in the supplement, it may be best avoided. There is likely another brand that has only those necessary ingredients included and not any extra filler for profit.
• Purchase from reputable brands that have third-party verification of the contents and efficacy. https://labdoor.com/ and https://www.consumerlab.com/ are websites that may provide this information.
• If a generic brand is available, it will be cheaper (this applies more to single-ingredient items, where it is less likely that brand reputation plays a key factor).

Not all of what you consume gets digested, absorbed, or is actively available for use in the body. This is bioavailability, and it applies not only to supplements but to the foods you eat as well. In addition, most supplements are best consumed with meals, as this slows the gastric emptying rate and therefore allows for the supplement to be available for digestion and absorption longer, i.e., it stays in your digestive system longer, allowing for more time to utilise it. Fat-soluble supplements should generally be consumed with dietary fats, and some vitamins and minerals compete with each other for absorption, specifically calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.

Multivitamins are commonly taken, and if a person is malnourished, it may help until their nutrition is sorted. However, they tend to contain a lot of unnecessary vitamins and minerals that are abundant in many diets, and they contain vitamins and minerals that compete for absorption, so these are best avoided. If you have or suspect a deficiency, you can work with a nutritionist or dietitian, or obtain bloodwork (for most but not all cases) to determine what exactly you may need to either supplement or try to obtain more of via your nutrition.

Protein powder use is common, especially among people who strength train. While there is not necessarily a need to use protein powder, it can be helpful in meeting protein targets. There are multiple different sources of protein (whey, pea, rice, hemp, casein, etc.) and a variety of good, okay, and awful brands and options. If you choose to supplement protein, look for at least 20 g of protein per 100 kcal (418.4 kJ).

Your daily protein requirements can vary from 1.4 g/kg of body weight per day up to 2.2 g/kg, depending on various factors such as training intensity, nutrition habits, special diets (vegans generally require more as the balance of amino acids is less optimal from vegan sources), etc. Other protein supplements include cookies, bars, etc. Most of these have unnecessary ingredients and less protein than 20g per 100 kcal. Just because something is in the health food aisle does not necessarily mean it is the healthier option. Generally speaking, obtaining all of our nutrition from whole, unprocessed food sources is the ultimate way to get the highest nutritional value.

Collagen is a peptide (a string of amino acids – the foundation of proteins) that is present in our body in the skin, soft tissues like tendons and ligaments, as well as bones. Many people supplement collagen for joint health, and the research is still not very conclusive (there are studies showing efficacy and studies that do not show efficacy, and most studies showing efficacy are industry funded). That being said, in order to absorb collagen supplementation (or anything for that matter), the body needs to break it down into its building blocks. The peptide bonds are broken down into amino acids, and the body then uses the various amino acids to build whatever is needed at that time (these can be enzymes, muscle tissue, connective tissue, etc.) so there is no guarantee that by consuming collagen your body will then use those amino acids to resynthesise collagen.

Due to the limited unbiased research in favour of supplementing collagen, provided you consume enough protein as well as vitamin C and are otherwise healthy (the body needs vitamin C plus amino acids to synthesise collagen), your body should already make enough collagen. Despite the above, several studies do show that undenatured type II collagen may reduce pain for those with osteoarthritis and may be worth exploring in that circumstance under appropriate supervision.

Milk Thistle is not necessarily commonly used, and while not conclusively supported, its possible effects on the liver are worth exploring. This is especially useful for those who enjoy a splash of alcohol. The active ingredient is Silymarins, which is thought to increase muscle protein synthesis in the liver as well as encourage cellular repair of the liver. It's probably most useful after a "night out" to aid in minimising liver damage and aiding in repair.

Vitamin D is synthesised when our skin is exposed to sunlight. It aids in sleep and is necessary for optimal bone strength, mineral metabolism, immune function, neuromuscular functioning, and testosterone synthesis. Most people are deficient in this. 50 nmol/l of blood serum is a common minimum RDI - Recommended Daily Intake - (many governments have previously underestimated the RDI for Vitamin D). Vitamin D can be obtained naturally, but it requires 10–30 minutes of daily full-body sun exposure without any sunscreen with a UV rating of 3+, which is difficult and likely unadvisable due to cancer concerns. Health authorities commonly advise that you need 400–600 IUs/d for good serum vitamin D status. However, a corrected analysis of the data used by the Institute of Medicine found that 8895 IU/d was needed for 97.5% of individuals to achieve values > 50 nmol/L. Heaney et al. (2015) confirmed the mistake. (Menno Henselmans PT Certification Course)

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) should be supplemented, not D2, as this is not very bioavailable. It should be consumed with fat as it is fat-soluble, and although toxicity is possible, supplementation of 4000 IU/d should meet deficiency demands without inducing toxicity.

While supplementation can help us achieve optimal health and aid in nutritional deficiencies, the most beneficial approach is to prioritise overall nutrition while minimally utilising supplementation. Not only is it easier and healthier, but it is also generally cheaper.

There are many more supplements to discuss, so stay tuned for part 2, where we tackle vitamin C, creatine, "Greens" powders, probiotics, magnesium, and fish oil.

‍