Yesterday I
touched on my diet, but omitted any discussion of the supplements that I will
be taking on this journey. Supplements are yet another area where there is a
dizzying amount of information available, & without doing your research,
you can end up with a hefty bill & a cupboard full of supplements that don’t
work.
To me, there are 3
staple supplements that I have used for a long time that seem to work well for
me, & I have introduced two new supplements into my repertoire as I continue
this journey towards the finish line.
Multivitamin
The simple fact is; we do not get all of the essential
vitamins & minerals that we need from our diets. Even if you plan &
track everything you eat, hitting all of your daily vitamin requirements can be
a challenge.
Although a multivitamin is certainly not a
replacement for a healthy diet, adding one daily is a great way to ensure you are
getting the vitamins that your body requires everyday, especially when you are
adding in strenuous exercise.
A multivitamin can
help boost your immune system, increase recovery, oxygen intake, & brain
function, & has also been shown to help combat stress & fatigue. The
use of a daily multivitamin is easy, inexpensive, & in my opinion – a no
brainer.
Fish Oil
In my opinion, fish
oil is one of the most important, yet overlooked supplements available on the market today. Fish oil
can help deliver the omega 3 fatty acids that many of us lack in our diets,
which have been shown to help improve brain function, bone density, cholesterol
levels, & even your mood!
From personal
experience, I find that as I increase my supplementation of fish oils, my
skin feels a lot softer & smoother. Beware though – use of too much fish
oil can result in a fishy smell in your sweat. If this happens, it is probably
best to cut back on the amount of fish oil you are consuming!
Creatine
Multivitamins
& fish oils are widely endorsed by health professionals as positive
additions to (almost) everyone’s diet. A third supplement that I would add to
this list is creatine. For me, creatine has been incredible in helping me
increase my energy, strength & muscle mass, all while speeding up my recovery times.
These muscular
benefits are widely known, causing creatine to be considered a ‘bodybuilding’
supplement meant for those muscle heads hogging all of the benches. What is
significantly less reported, is the positive mental benefits that
supplementation with creatine can provide.
Creatine has been
shown in studies to act as a neuroprotectant that can reduce the risk of neurogenerative
disorders such as Alzheimer’s & preliminary research also shows that
creatine may have a positive impact on brain function & short-term memory.
In short, creatine
is a great supplement that can provide benefits both physically & mentally,
which is the reason it has become a staple in my diet.
Branch Chain Amino Acids
(BCAA’s)
Branch chain amino
acids are a new supplement that I have added to my repertoire over the past few
weeks. The first
benefit? It is by far the most delicious thing that I drink. I am currently
taking the Icy Rocket Freeze brand from Muscletech, which miraculously has 0g
of sugar despite tasting like a soft drink.
It is too early
for me to speculate on the positive benefits, however a couple cited by medical
professionals include increased protein synthesis (which leads to greater
muscle growth), increased fat burning, & improved muscular endurance.
Glutamine
Glutamine is
another supplement that I have added to my cupboard in preparation of the
Spartan Race. Similarly to BCAA’s, glutamine has been shown to increase protein
synthesis, muscle growth, & muscular endurance. Most important to me, &
the reason I have started to supplement with it, is that glutamine has been shown
to improve recovery times.
Vege-Greens
Vegegreens is
a supplement that I have taken for years, however I would consider
it optional, provided you are taking a daily multivitamin. Vegegreens claims to
pack the nutrient equivalent of 6 to 8 servings of fresh vegetables & surprisingly it tastes great.
Beware however, this is one
supplement that is quite expensive at upwards of $80 per bottle, & you can
go through one in less than a month. My strategy is to wait until Popeye’s or
GNC sends me a 50% off, or a 2-for-1 offer, & I go scoop up a couple
bottles.
Whey Protein
Whey protein is another
supplement that I consider optional. I try my best to get all of my protein
from whole foods, but when in a pinch, I will supplement with a whey protein shake to
fill the nutritional gap.
In
conclusion, there are literally thousands of different types of supplements
that you can take, however in my opinion there are really 3 staples; a
multivitamin, fish oil, & creatine. As I gain more experience with BCAA’s
& glutamine, I may add them to the list.
100 Day Spartan.
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