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Now, when I mention the word supplements, I'm not talking about taking your multivitamin pill every morning. I'm talking about Creatine loading, vitamin cocktails, whey protein shakes, "recovery drinks", weight loss supplements, etc....
How many of you take supplements to help you with your exercise/training regime, and how many are you are training completely natural?
For the past year or more, I have been basically what I consider to be "natural" which means I only take:
Optimum Nutrition Whey protein powder
Udos Choice Oil
GNC Mega-men Sport multi vitamin
Since I am not looking to bulk/gain muscle, this absolutely works for me.
My training routine is basically:
Morning: Some form of cardio like a 5-9 mile run, 1hr jump rope (double unders usually), or HIIT. This is done 5 days per week M-F.
Afternoon: Either martial arts practice, Tabata workout, Vinyasa yoga, or a Crossfit workout after a 30 minute jump rope warmup.
Evening: Either martial arts training/intstruction, Crossfit or Yoga.
My nutrition/fueling all comes from my food/nutritional intake.
Back when I used to cut then bulk I would be more supplement heavy. Now, I have no desire to gain so I dont bulk or take creatine anymore.
I don't necessarily consider it non-natural. But how long has the practice been going on? 20 years? 30 years?
Are you asking how long people have been using protein supplements? I don't know exactly when they became commercially available, but I first used protein supplements in 1973. I was a senior in high school and was making shakes with protein powder and raw eggs in a blender. My family thought I was crazy and they still do.
Now, when I mention the word supplements, I'm not talking about taking your multivitamin pill every morning. I'm talking about Creatine loading, vitamin cocktails, whey protein shakes, "recovery drinks", weight loss supplements, etc....
?
most of this stuff is completely natural, just requiring you to consume less food to achieve the desired benefit load.
most of this stuff is completely natural, just requiring you to consume less food to achieve the desired benefit load.
I think the whole deal of taking naturally occurring compounds that are commonly found in the foods we eat and attaching labels to them of "natural" and "unnatural" is pretty asinine.
The most commonly used definition of "natural" is anything that isn't involving exogenous hormones such as testosterone, growth hormone, any forms of prescription drugs....etc. Beyond that, you're not taking anything that gives you any sort of tremendous advantage.
A lot of it is about convenience. I could eat a whole watermelon, but a few grams of L-Citrulline into my water bottle pre-workout is far more convenient. The same goes for many other supplements.
There is a lot of Creatine hate in this forum. In fact, unless I way miss my guess, all of the other nutritional products listed in the o.p. were filler to make yet another post about evil Creatine stand out. Full disclosure, I don't use Creatine myself. No reason. It just isn't on my radar. I've heard it bloats some people. Whey protein does that to me. Unless I use a digestive enzyme or the protein powder has them in the formula, extra protein usually sits on me for hours. But I don't regard these products as unnatural.
Americans like to kid themselves and claim with a straight face that you can look like the guys at your gym with the crazy lats just on what is in the refrigerator. Erm... no you can't. For the kind of body that people take a second look at, you better at least be using a protein powder regularly. To keep training month after month without getting sick, you better be on some kind of mult-vitamin. As for Creatine... I simply don't think it is the worst thing a person could take.
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Supplements are there just as the word implies, to supplement. If you don't have your diet down pat or your workouts, if you don't train with the right amount of intensity, all of the supplements in the world won't make a difference. I don't even use protein supplements regularly anymore since I get plenty of protein from my diet but I certainly don't see the issue with them whatsoever.
I take BCAA's, Citrulline and L-Carnitine-L-Tartrate during my workouts as I've found them to be very beneficial for me in terms of extending endurance and improving my recovery time. They give me an assist but it still all comes back to what I'm eating, day in and day out, as well as my workouts. I certainly don't think that supplements such as BCAA's are unnatural in any way, shape or form.
Supplements are there just as the word implies, to supplement. If you don't have your diet down pat or your workouts, if you don't train with the right amount of intensity, all of the supplements in the world won't make a difference. I don't even use protein supplements regularly anymore since I get plenty of protein from my diet but I certainly don't see the issue with them whatsoever.
I think you guys are getting a little overly sensitive whenever someone questions the need for supplements. The truth is, some have stated that you cannot reach your fitness goals unless you supplement. But there are others who will disagree and have the body to prove it.
I think anytime anyone makes a guarantee that a certain supplement is 100% safe, that raises a red flag to me - especially when it comes to taking certain vitamins. I've heard it said that vitamins are natural, you need vitamins, therefore, they are 100% safe to take. Well, there are some conditions with that. Number one, as long as you're taking the dose correctly, and two, as long as you aren't already getting your daily allowance through diet, and that you have a proven deficiency with said vitamin or mineral. For instance, Calcium. Calcium can be dangerous if one takes in too much. Same with vitamin D. The daily allowance for either is so low, that just about anybody can get their daily allowance through a bit of diary and some sunlight. I mean, if one is already taking a multivitamin pill in the morning, and he/she can see that their pee is neon yellow - why take the extra supplements? There body is getting rid of all the extra they're not using.
Now in terms of protein whey, I don't really think it's dangerous. I don't believe I've ever made that claim. Unnatural? I'm just saying that most people get their load of protein through diet. The protein whey is good if you're not eating enough protein. But to me, I think it all goes back to a proper diet and proper training techniques. Now, I DO think supplements are good for those who have underlining health issues where the supplements replace what the body can't seem to produce enough on its own. But if someone is perfectly healthy, eats a relatively good, nutritious rich diet, why would they need supplements?
I think you guys are getting a little overly sensitive whenever someone questions the need for supplements. The truth is, some have stated that you cannot reach your fitness goals unless you supplement. But there are others who will disagree and have the body to prove it.
I think anytime anyone makes a guarantee that a certain supplement is 100% safe, that raises a red flag to me - especially when it comes to taking certain vitamins. I've heard it said that vitamins are natural, you need vitamins, therefore, they are 100% safe to take. Well, there are some conditions with that. Number one, as long as you're taking the dose correctly, and two, as long as you aren't already getting your daily allowance through diet, and that you have a proven deficiency with said vitamin or mineral. For instance, Calcium. Calcium can be dangerous if one takes in too much. Same with vitamin D. The daily allowance for either is so low, that just about anybody can get their daily allowance through a bit of diary and some sunlight. I mean, if one is already taking a multivitamin pill in the morning, and he/she can see that their pee is neon yellow - why take the extra supplements? There body is getting rid of all the extra they're not using.
Now in terms of protein whey, I don't really think it's dangerous. I don't believe I've ever made that claim. Unnatural? I'm just saying that most people get their load of protein through diet. The protein whey is good if you're not eating enough protein. But to me, I think it all goes back to a proper diet and proper training techniques. Now, I DO think supplements are good for those who have underlining health issues where the supplements replace what the body can't seem to produce enough on its own. But if someone is perfectly healthy, eats a relatively good, nutritious rich diet, why would they need supplements?
Why are you spending so much time on this topic? If you don't like dietary supplements then don't take them. It's as simple as that. You should be spending your energy trying to get back into shape.
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