Supplementation

Creatine is hands down the most studied sports nutrition supplement on the market that has been shown time and time again to be safe, well tolerated by most everyone, and highly effective when it comes to building lean muscle, increasing strength and power output and helping to prevent the loss of muscle while in a caloric deficit or in later years of life. Newer research has even shown the cognitive enhancing properties of creatine and how it can aid in the progression of Alzheimer’s (Type 3 diabetes) and dementia.

When looking to purchase creatine monohydrate, the container should only have 1 single ingredient in it. You do not want or need to have any fancy proprietary blends or alternative creatine formulations. It is simple to take. I recommend simply taking a 2-5 gram dose daily, whether training or not. As for timing, it does not make a significant difference. Some studies may show that taking it post workout with some form of simple sugar and your protein shake etc may have some added benefits – but ultimately, as long as you are taking it daily, it is a splitting hair difference as to when you consume it.

Creatine can be naturally found in many meats, but for the sake of obtaining an efficacious dose, supplementation is the way to go and it has been shown time and time again to be safe and have little to no side effects from ongoing use.

Vitamin D3 is not a supplement to neglect. It can help bolster your immune system, aid in bone growth/strength, help boost your mood and so much more. It is a fat soluble vitamin so this means that your body can store it, unlike a water soluble vitamin which will be excreted in the urine if too much is consumed. This being said, the recommended doses you will find on the average vitamin D supplement is far lower than what has been shown to be optimal for the average person. People who live in colder climates where there is less daily sun exposure, those who work inside and do not get sun exposure, or those with darker skin complexions will often require a greater intake of vitamin D to obtain optimal levels for their health. Due to the immune system support it provides, individuals who are sick may also choose to increase their dose of vitamin D as further aid to recover from illness.

Taking vitamin D in doses spaced throughout the day is likely more ideal than one single high dose. Taking 5000iu per day is well tolerated by most with some people reaping benefits as high as 10,000iu per day – however, if taking more then 5000iu per day you may want to get bloodwork completed to ensure blood levels do not surpass 50ng/ml or 125nmol/L.

Vitamin D can be taken in a capsule or a liquid tincture formula. Either are fine – but generally speaking, liquids are going to have a greater absorption rate in the body over a capsule which may not be as well digested in the stomach.

Vitamin D can be found naturally in the diet in such foods fatty fish, egg yolks and animal meats.

Vitamin C is likely a supplement that everyone has taken at some point or another as it has been touted to help support the immune system so it is often taken by individuals when they are feeling sick or during cold and flu season. While vitamin C does help to support immune system function, it also plays many other roles such as wound healing, especially of the skin as it aids in collagen production. It also helps to support the healthy development of all body tissues, iron absorption, and the maintenance of cartilage, bones and teeth.

Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin which means any excess in the body will be excreted through urine. This makes consuming it safer as you will not reach toxicity levels that will cause harm, or at least not without triggering gastrointestinal concerns that would lead to diarrhea and vomiting to purge from the body. Taking too much will also be identifiable by the bright fluorescent colour it will turn the urine.

Like vitamin D, taking a higher dose during times of high stress or illness will further support the body in overcoming illness. Daily doses of 2000mg are well tolerated but increasing to 3000-4000mg during illness may result in a greater recovery time. Breaking the dose up throughout the day is advised, not exceeding 1500mg at a single dose.

Vitamin C can be found in capsules or liquid formulas, and both are effective as long as a good quality formula is being taken.

Vitamin C can be found naturally in foods such as fruits and vegetables, so make sure to incorporate lots of these quality food sources to your diet.

Zinc is an essential nutrient that aids in immune system function, metabolism, response to inflammation, skin and cell growth/repair, wound healing, gene expression, DNA and protein synthesis. For men, zinc is also an essential nutrient to aid in testosterone production to support natural health hormones.

Supplementation with zinc is well tolerated and safe for mostly all adults. Often found in a capsule form and can be take in doses of 20-25mg daily.

Zinc can be found in foods such as shellfish, meat, nuts/seeds, diary, eggs and whole grains.

A high percentage of the population is clinically low in magnesium which poses a great concern given it plays a roll in well over 600 biological processes in the body such as regulating the function of the heart, blood sugar levels, mood and nervous system function. Supplementing with magnesium may assist in exercise performance, exercise recovery, nervous system response to stress, improvement in mental health, sleep, hormone production, digestion and so many other crucial aspects of health that must not be overlooked when pushing to make forwards progression in your health and wellness. There are many different types of magnesium, of which hold efficacy for different desired outcomes.

The big one I often recommend to clients is magnesium bisglycinate. This is going to be the best version of magnesium to take to help reduce cortisol and help the nervous system relax in the evening to help promote a deeper, more restorative sleep. Other practical variations are magnesium threonate which can help improve brain function and memory, magnesium taurate which helps support heart and blood pressure and sulfate, aka Epsom salts, the help calm sore and overworked muscles during times of high stress, post workout or during injury.

These are often found in capsule formulations which are completely fine for most applications. For pain relief, a topical magnesium is likely the most practical as its absorption is greatest and will act on the site of injury right away.

Electrolytes are minerals in the blood and other fluids of the body that carry an electrical charge. They are important for maintaining hydration levels, regulating the pH of the blood, supporting brain and nervous system function, and many more physiological events that keep the body working optimally. People who exercise regularly, eat a clean diet, eat a low carb / low calorie diet may have greater requirements for supplementing with electrolytes especially for the sake of obtaining adequate sodium that is not found in sufficient amounts in a healthy and balanced whole foods diet. Deficiencies in electrolytes could result in dehydration, cramping, headaches, muscle pain, poor recovery and performance, brain fog, decreased energy, irrational food cravings, irregular heart rhythms and nervous system down regulation. Getting bloodwork done may be the best approach to determining if you are deficient in any of these essential minerals. Often the fix could be as simple as using a good quality salt such as celtic or pink Himalayan sea salt in the diet or adding a pinch to water throughout the day. Others may require some additional support, especially if they are training hard, living in warmer climates or are simply prone to perspiring at a greater rate than others.

A quality electrolyte supplement such as LMNT is as excellent way to hydrate your body as keep your body charged with the correct balance of minerals necessary.

Just like B12, iron is predominantly found in animal based foods so avoiding this food category will often lead to deficiencies without proper supplementation.

Non-meat based food sources of iron are legumes, soy products, nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens, potatoes, certain mushrooms, dried fruit, whole grains, enriched pasta and bread, blackstrap molasses and dark chocolate (45% cacao solids)

Although a plant-based diet can contain all the nutrients necessary to sustain a healthy lifestyle, certain sub-categories of vegans/vegetarians who are uninformed about the risks of nutritional deficiencies may be at greater risk for a) not eating enough food b) not eating complete proteins and c) following a plant-based diet for illogical reasons such as for weight loss where other lifestyle factors such as excessive exercise may further drive nutritional intake into a hole. There may be a requirement for certain plant-based dieters, especially those who are very physically active and have goals such as maximizing muscular development, to supplement with essential amino acids or the individual amino acid leucine to help support muscle protein synthesis as well as prevent muscle wasting due to external stress on body and insufficient intake of proteins to support the adequate recovery for exercise.

This category of supplements will never go away, because the industry knows that if they can prey on the insecurities of people who are trying to lose body fat and are willing to do whatever they can to make it happen quicker – they will be able to dig their talons in and continuously sell their products. There may be some fat burners that are more effective than others and may be able to be implemented into a fat loss program if done correctly and are used in conjunction with a well devised exercise routine and complimentary diet plan. But just popping fat burners and hitting the cardio section is a true recipe for disaster and couldn’t be further from proper course of action to actually see sustainable results.

Pro Tip: Want to know what strip fat off the body?

Walking daily. Sleeping 7-8 hours. Consistency with a resistance training program 3-4 times per week. A diet that is comprised of 80-90% whole foods. Aiming for a gallon of water per day. Give it a try for a month and tell me you didn’t lose significantly more body fat than you did popping pills.

This is probably the equivalent of fat burners, but for men. Sometimes even taken in conjunction with fat burners, as if abs in a bottle was a real thing. One thing to remember here is that these testosterone boosting products will NEVER take you beyond normal physiological levels of testosterone. So if you already have healthy normal hormone levels, these products will not make a difference to you. There may be some ingredients that help to increase stamina and libido, and during short stents of use with appropriately managed exercise programming may see marginal increases in strength – but nothing significant that would be worth the dollar spent to supplement with for a 12+ week period that you couldn’t obtain purely through a good diet, exercise and sleep routine.

However, IF you testosterone levels are in the toilet to begin with and you are considered to be clinically low – these products may have some added benefits for helping to increase T levels but again..these things are not steroids and will never take your body beyond what it is naturally capable of producing. And because it isn’t quite as simple as just increasing T levels (must consider estrogen and DHEA and other factors that work synergistically to balance hormones) these products are often still not the best route to correcting low testosterone levels. See below for section of Hormone Replacement Therapies.

There really is not a whole lot to say here. These products are all just 100% a scam and do not work. Do not waste your time, money or mental capacity messing around with these products as you will never get the results you want from the application of any of these types of products.

Magnesium plays a vital role in the function of the nervous system, sending signals to all the nerves in the body that stimulate muscles, organs and all other tissues to function optimally. Magnesium also is required for the production of thyroid hormones with help to regulate metabolism. Magnesium is also essential for helping to down regulate the nervous system and manage stress in the body. Stress is triggered by the release of cortisol (stress hormone) which when chronically elevated can lead to a decrease is hormones and metabolic function.

Zinc plays a role in the production of growth hormone and the regulation of insulin in the pancreas. It also is a strong immunoregulator helping to prevent illness, is essential for thyroid hormone production, improves stress response, reduces inflammation and balances sex hormones in men and in women.

Omega 3s can be very practical for reducing inflammation which can be responsible for an array of hormone imbalances. Omega 3s may also help with the management of a healthy body composition, reducing body fat, which can support healthy hormone production. Benefits may also include better digestion/elimination, better joint health, and better brain function – all of which will contribute to a healthier, stronger body which will always be a far more optimal place for the body to be when trying to improve hormone levels.

This herb has demonstrated its ability to impact the endocrine system which is responsible for hormone production as well as aiding in mood, stress response, and reproductive function. It is considered an adaptogenic herb which means it can help regulate stresses within the body which can further assist with improving sleep cycles. Poor sleep routines and chronically elevated cortisol levels are a significant contributor to poor hormone production, so ensuring that these two boxes are checked are critical for optimal hormone health.