The Case Against Supplements
There are a lot of supplements out there, but how many are you actually supposed to be taking? The biggest money makers are: protein powders, pre workouts, bcaa’s, creatine, caffeine and vitamins. In the US alone, over 68% of the population consume macro or micro nutrients via supplements. Moreover, 78% of Americans believe that taking supplements leads to a healthier lifestyle.
Before I begin, I'd like to clarify that I am not against the consumption of supplements altogether. I do believe that some of these pills and powders can be helpful to certain individuals. However, I do believe that we are ignorantly looking for the way way out.
Take protein for example. Protein powders can be bought almost anywhere. From Walgreens to Target to Amazon and health stores, hundreds of brands are available practically everywhere. The argument for a protein powder is that an athlete needs to consume more protein in his/her diet. While this is true, most Americans are not athletes. Going to the gym for an hour a day does not make you an athlete. A professional athlete (2-5 hours of training)or someone who is lifting very heavily in order to increase strength requires between 0.8-1.2 grams of protein per pound of their body weight. Take a 180 pound man, he would need between 144 and 216 grams of protein a day. Those numbers are easy to consume with whole, natural foods. A 4oz burger contains 30g of protein, 6oz of tuna contains 60g, 8oz of chicken breasts contains a whopping 70g of protein! Not to mention eggs (6g) and a slice of cheese (7g) or beans (39g per cup). And unlike the powders, these do not come with side effects and include many other micronutrients your body needs.
Another powder that it often abused is pre workout. The idea behind this supplement is to give you a quick boost of energy in order to maximize your time in the gym and consequently maximize your gains. What the general population has not realized however, is that the crash often comes just as fast and as hard as the rush of energy. Besides, after taking the pre workout for a few weeks, the body becomes dependent on it and you won't be able to train without that jolt in the near future. If you're lacking energy, listen to your body. You may need more sleep, more rest or may be overworked/stressed. Getting the proper amount of sleep and rest is imperative for all of us. A pre workout supplement may help you get through your session but it will only compound the damage you are doing to your body.
The powders may be more expensive but the pills are far more popular. Multivitamins are a part of most Americans’ daily lives. Over 80% of the US population take a multivitamin or a mineral supplement in pill form. Again, the idea here has its merit. If you do not have enough vitamin A or C or iron in your diet, take this pill. The issue here is that many people have no clue if they are consuming enough vitamins and minerals or if they're consuming too much! As necessary as these micronutrients are to your diet and your health, many can become toxic if you over do it.
Whether it's protein powder, pre workout, vitamins, minerals or caffeine, we have to be careful. All of these are quick fixes to a much bigger problem. They may be convenient but they will not replace or fix a bad diet.
My suggestion for you is to dedicate as much time and research toward what you put into your body as you do when you research a car or home or investment before buying it. Pay attention to how much you consume, find out how much you need, and adjust accordingly. It is much safer and more beneficial for you to sacrifice some time in order to prepare your meals and buy what you need than to patch your body up with quick fixes.