Now, first things first, what is a supplement?
According to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), it defines dietary supplements as products “intended to supplement the diet”. There are also categories of supplements, some of which are; meal replacements, protein sources, amino acids, carbohydrate sources, pre- and pro-hormones, biochemical/energy metabolites, herbs, vitamins, minerals and such. Second, what is the best supplement to use? Is there a supplement that is the best? When do you need to use supplements? When most people start supplementing it is usually post-exercise supplementation. Here I will attempt to set things straight in a general sense regarding post-exercise supplements, rather than getting into the details for each nutritional approach and desired outcome. Consider this general advice as the building foundation of your supplementation. Once you get the hang of it, you can go further in-depth should you choose to later on.
A discussion on supplements can get very deep very quickly. Just about everyone and their dog seem to have an opinion on supplements and arguments to justify their claims as to what, why, and how they supplement their nutritional approach and why it’s the only way to supplement. To make it worse, there’s also growing number of products out there with as many varied approaches that it leaves most with a headache trying to work out what’s what. Fortunately, if one takes a step back, and sees the forest of principles from the trees of products, there are good odds of finding exactly what you need. The principle in this context being the post-exercise window of opportunity for nutritional uptake and the products, well, that’s self-explanatory.
As the nature of this advice is intended to be foundational, I will reduce the advice to post-workout supplementation. Pre-workout supplementation can be considered as building on the following foundational advice and is therefore beyond the scope of this discussion. This also includes BCAA’s, stimulants, L-arganine, Glutamine, and other more complex or advanced supplements being pushed by body building product manufacturers. These products I would consider additional to what is presented below, which can be considered bare bones.Post-workout
Consider this as the time period of roughly an hour after you complete your training session, the “window of opportunity”, where your body is more readily processing of nutrients. It is popularly accepted that the first 30 minutes after a session is the critical time period for intake of nutrients, especially for protein and carbs. Now, it would be great if everybody worked as uniformly as one another, but we don’t really. We work on gradients, continuums, processes that whilst being the same for everybody, take place over different time periods. Your level of conditioning, substrate availability, metabolic efficiency, intensity and nature of work carried out, are all dependant on the individual context. Make use of this window of opportunity by;
· Consuming a blend of protein/carb meal or shake within say, 45 minutes, for arguments sake. Some prefer to sip on their post-workout protein shake during the last 15 or so minutes of their workout whilst some prefer to shower first and then consume their protein shake 20 minutes after the conclusion of their workout. Experiment with time frames and determine what works best for you, but ideally, try to consume your post-workout meal or shake as soon as you can.
· This can be either a protein shake, a small meal, a sports bar, or fruit if that’s all you have available. Either way, you’d want 25-30 grams of protein minimum, and maybe twice that, 50+grams in carbs. Be aware of digestive lead times. A meal in liquid form will digest much quicker and replenish your tired muscles and systems more completely, than say a chicken and potato dinner, which could take too long.
Glucose
It is also a good idea to supplement with glucose, especially if you’ve had a torrid weights session or an endurance event. Glucose is an important carbohydrate and key source of energy for the body, and a primary source of energy for the brain. Amongst other important functions, glucose is also a precursor to vitamin C production. Glucose supplements are widely available, and can be found in most supermarkets. Try to find a glucose product which is 100% glucose. Generally 10-15grams per serve is an effective amount. Most commercial post-workout shakes already contain glucose so keep this in mind.Vitamin C
Ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient in humans. It is an antioxidant, and is a cofactor in various enzymatic reactions, including collagen synthesis. There is ongoing debate as to recommended daily intakes, but it is generally accepted one can take up to 10grams daily without harmful effects. I have found that Calcium Ascorbate, or non-acidic Vitamin C supplements to be most beneficial. 1gram post-workout is a good starting point for supplementation.Fish Oil
Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, or in other words, good fats. Its benefits range from reduction of inflammation throughout the body to maintaining cardiovascular health. It is also recommended for high blood pressure. Generally, one or two capsules a day, even in healthy people, will have its benefits, especially if consumption of fish is not a regular part of one’s diet. It is also recommended by some individuals to assist hypertrophy programs. As such, one capsule in the morning, one post-workout, and one at night seems like an insurance policy of sorts.Creatine
Creatine is naturally produced in the body from amino acids, whilst some creatine is derived from animal sources, mainly meat. Creatine is part of the phosphocreatine system, which regenerates ATP from ADP, or simply, it helps with energy production. There are many creatine based products, but the one to start with is the basic creatine monohydrate. A generally accepted method of taking creatine is to use loading dosages after which maintenance doses are used. It is also recommended that creatine use is limited to 8-12 weeks. Given that it easy to misuse creatine, I would recommend taking 5grams with each post-workout shake only. This would serve two purposes, it allows recovery through replenishing stores of creatine used from the workout, and idiot proofs any confusion regarding dosages. It may take longer to saturate the muscles with creatine, but it has been found that this method is still beneficial, and can generally be maintained for longer than 12 weeks. I have found it also has the benefit of increasing water intake in individuals who generally don’t drink enough water. This could also be a drawback for some.It must also be mentioned that anybody with concerns as to the use or side effects of creatine supplementation should seek advice from a medical professional.
You will generally only need creatine once your training begins getting serious or you find you have a tough time recovering.Post post-workout
Generally, try to consume a solid meal within 1 to 3 hours after your workout, to maintain post-workout anabolic conditions. Consume creatine and glucose with your post-workout shake. The fish oil and vitamin C you can consume with the meal following the post-workout shake. For those trying to lose weight, I have to mention this. Even if you are training to lose body fat, do not make the misassumption that by starving yourself or restricting food intake after a workout that you are increasing fat loss. Whilst your body may rely more on body fat stores, it cannot replenish energy or nutrient stores used in the workout. All it will lead to is degeneration of your body, and the transformation of your physique if pushed hard enough, to resemble that of prisoners in hard labour camps who are forced to work without food. There is no need to punish anyone with this kind of nonsense.
There you have it. Sensible use of supplements during the post-exercise window of opportunity will help you get the most out of your training, and whether you are training to improve sports performance, or transforming your physique, it will efficiently take care of a lot of your nutritional requirements. Hopefully the question of what to supplement with and how has been clarified, or at the least, the number of choices for you to make has been simplified. If you have any questions or suggestions do not hesitate to comment or get in touch with me.
