If you’re into fitness chances are at some point you’ve considered using supplements to help you reach your goals. The problem is there is so much hype, marketing, and misinformation about supplementation that it makes it really difficult to know which supplements are actually worth taking.

As a trainer I get a lot of questions about what supplements to take, and since I became sponsored (by SD Pharmaceuticals) I’ve done a lot of research into this topic. The fact is that there are some supplements that can have a very significant benefit to you, while others might be a waste of money.

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First of all let me be honest by admitting that I am a bit of a supplement-junkie. I enjoy taking different supplements and experimenting on myself to discover what works (for me) and what doesn’t, and I’m fortunate to be in a position where it is easy for me to do this. But if I had to give a short answer to the question “what supplements are necessary for health, building muscle, or losing fat?”, my response would be: “NONE.” 

The majority of people don’t really need to take supplements; unless you are suffering from a specific illness, have a nutritional deficiency, or a doctor prescribes certain supplements for you, none of them are actually necessary requirements.

So I could summarize this article in a few words by simply stating:

You Don’t Need Supplements

To achieve optimal health and fitness, lose fat, build muscle, or improve performance, your focus needs to be on your nutrition and training (as well as rest and recovery). Until you are following a solid nutrition and training plan, supplements probably won’t be of much benefit to you.

OK, so let’s assume your training and nutrition are on point, and you’ve been making some decent progress, but now you want to take things to that next level. This is where supplementation can really support you. Still, there are a LOT of supplements to choose from, and all of them promise to deliver amazing results. Where do you start?

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Start with the Basics

If you’re considering taking supplements, there are a few basics that will benefit most people regardless of your goals. Here are some of my recommendations:

  1. Vitamin D3 – A vast amount of research has demonstrated the huge health benefits of taking vitamin D3, that reach for beyond just improving bone density. Vitamin D can boost immune function, prevent disease, support hormone production, and more! Check out my blog post on Vitamin D3 HERE.
  2. Whey Protein Isolate – This is a very bio-available source of complete protein. It’s just an easy and convenient way to help reach your protein requirements.
  3. Fish Oil – Many people do not get enough Essential Fatty Acids from their diet and supplementing with fish oil can help meet this nutritional shortfall. Fish oil is an excellent source of Omega 3 fats which have numerous health benefits.
  4. Greens Concentrate Product – In my experience many people do not get enough micronutrition and don’t eat enough vegetables. In that case a concentrated ‘greens’ supplement may be recommended.
  5. Caffeine – I wouldn’t necessarily recommend caffeine as a standard supplement for everyone to consume, but when used in moderation it can help improve performance (when used before exercise) and can support fat loss. However, if overused it can have a negative affect on one’s health.
  6. Creatine – Again, this isn’t really a “basic” recommendation for everybody, but if your goal is to get stronger or build muscle, creatine can help. Check out my blog post on Creatine HERE.

Of course there are so many more supplements to choose from, and I can’t possibly review all of them in one post. But what I can do is recommend some resources for you to use to do your OWN research. There are a few excellent websites where you can find legitimate scientific research on almost every supplement available. Here are my top 3 recommended sites for evaluating supplements:

PubMed – 

PubMed.gov is a free search engine accessing primarily the MEDLINE database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics. The United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health maintains the database as part of the Entrez system of information retrieval.

Ergo-Log –

Ergo-Log.com is a news site about legal and illegal ergogenic aids. Their aim is not to encourage or discourage the use of ergogenic aids. They simply share relevant news and research on supplements intended to improve performance or body composition.

Examine.com – 

My top choice for supplement research is Examine.com. This is an independent and unbiased encyclopedia on supplementation and nutrition. They are not affiliated in any way with any supplement company, and have one goal – to be the unbiased source for supplements and nutrition. Definitely worth checking out!

By referring to the above resources to answer your supplement questions it should be clear what supplements are actually worth taking related to your specific goals.

Let the Gains Begin!