Day 5: Supplements

                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.