To Supplement or Not To Supplement – That is the Question!

The role of supplements in body composition and overall health is a subject much debated between personal trainers and health professionals. Personally, I see a role for supplements on certain occasions for certain people and here’s why:

Before attending Charles Poliquin’s BioSignature I didn’t really invest much in supplementation at all, the odd protein bar & 1000mg of Vitamin C if I had a cold was about as far I got. Since Biosignature I have also attended seminars on nutrition and supplementation by Pete Williams; an experienced Functional Medicine Practioner, Laurent Bannock; a top Performance Nutritionist, Mike Mahler; Strength Coach and Naturopathic Lectures at CNM.

When I returned from BioSignature I confess to thinking all the answers lay in supplementation. Flaxseed and Fenugreek seeds were going to get me the skinny legs I’d always dreamed off. However, it’s not quite that simple, nutrition is a vital part of any one person’s wellbeing but it’s only one part. Clients are like puzzles and actually helping people on a journey to optimal health involves piecing together a complete picture of their lifestyle and that includes everything from their relationship with their other half to what they had for dinner last night, both can determine your state of mind and therefore both impact upon physical health.

I use supplements with clients as a means of solving health issues caused by stressful lifestyles and a poor understanding of good nutrition.

Follow Your Gut

Without doubt the most important thing to establish overall is good digestive health, which is often disrupted by modern day living. The absorption and assimilation of food is imperative for good nutritional status. Poliquin, Williams, Bannock, Mahler and every lecture I have ever attended all reiterate the importance of gut health, so vastly ignored by many people. Imagine filling a car with premium petrol yet having a leak in the petrol tank, at some point a red light will flash up and you’ll come grinding to a halt.

Testing your stomach acid is the first step and something I confess to overlooking at times, but the minute I get back on stomach acid (HCL) supplementation I feel better. I’m a total stress head, a Type A personality that never switches off, every waking moment I recount my list of things to do and then add another ten things. Stress depletes stomach acid and it’s pretty much downhill from there so good gut health and its necessary supplements are first on my list with clients.

Fitter Food

Obviously getting people to clean up their diet is also a huge priority. Dare I mention Paleo without sparking a huge debate??! All I simply ask is that people eat as naturally as they can to see what works for them. Whether you prefer Paleo, Zone, Mediterranean…. these all involve largely removing processed foods and without doubt have the biggest impact on blood sugar management. They have given me the best results with clients in terms of body fat reduction, increased lean muscle mass, consistent energy levels, improving sleep patterns and cognitive health. The challenge is finding a sustainable model that balances the right amount of carbs, fat, protein and includes cheat days that allow people to enjoy their favourite foods without damaging their waistline, it’s trial and error but with the right commitment you get there in the end.

The need for further supplementation once the diet is clean is entirely down to the individual’s ability to eat a rainbow every day. I totally understand why this is tough and requires some forward planning. People often rely too heavily on the protein side of the diet ("I think I've eaten too many nuts") and neglect the vegetables and fruits. Everyone is busy these days, we eat on the go, we eat in offices, on trains, etc. and you can’t just shovel down handfuls of spinach and tuck into steamed kale. In such cases I recommend green drinks and juicing to increase vegetable intake as much as possible. I set my clients tasks each week, one client told me increasing her gym sessions to four times a week was much easier than increasing her vegetable intake by 3 servings a day!

Zinc and Magnesium

The other supplements I usually recommend are Zinc and Magnesium. The benefits and roles of these two minerals are too huge to list here but most people are deficient in both. It has been suggested that this is a result of the over farming of soil which has left foods lacking the mineral content of previous years. Also food now has usually travelled thousands of miles before it hits your plate which plays a big factor in its vitamin and mineral content. So unless the majority of your diet is local, organic food which is pretty much impossible in London, chances are you may need a course of these. It’s easy to test for these using a Zinc test and by looking for physical manifestations of deficiencies.

Magnesium is also really important especially if you train intensely (as all Fitter Londoners do!) due to its lead role in muscle recovery and body composition. Topical application is really good and can be in the form of Epsom salts baths, magnesium spray oil or topical magnesium cream.

Omega 3’s

The jury is out with regard to the anti-inflammatory benefits of taking fish oils but I have definitely witnessed cognitive benefits from consumption of pure grade fish oils, especially in stressed out clients, which inevitably leads to overall improvements in health and fat loss. Generally most people consume larger amounts of Omega 6, especially if they eat out often and so I recommend Omega 3’s to balance ratio of the two. I also encourage clients to eat more sources of Omega 3’s including ground flaxseed and wild fish.

Whatever you do NEVER buy from high street retailers, these are not filtered for heavy metals such as mercury and generally rancid by the time you consume them which will do you much more harm than good.

Multi Vitamins

I have asked several experts about these….what strength? One a day? What brand? Generally I wouldn’t touch high street brands but there are several brands I would recommend and I certainly take one as an insurance for good health. Living in a city is pretty toxic and you can’t always guarantee you’ll hit your optimal vitamin and mineral intake so it’s a good safety measure.

Post Workout

I’ve listened to various arguments for and against this vital “window of opportunity” and whether it was invented by supplement companies (makes sense eh?) But having explored the research and tested going with and without myself I do think it’s important to refuel and feed your muscles within 15-40 minutes for optimal recovery. Whether its food, bars or shakes, a mixture of protein and depending upon body fat levels some high GI carbohydrates. I personally prefer shakes for convenience and fast absorption and I’ve played around with whey, brown rice and hemp. It’s totally individual, the most accurate guide to what works for you is performance, recovery and how much wind you have!

Other stuff…

There’s lots more you can do, trust me I’ve looked into adaptogenic herbs; ginseng, ashwagandha, liquorice and in some cases I truly believe professionally prescribed use of these maybe necessary but if you are going to continue stressing about the tube delays, how fat or skinny your legs are and the latest events on Facebook you’re probably just wasting your time and money. Ten minutes of deep breathing, 30 minutes of daylight and a decent night’s sleep could be just as effective.

Fitter London are now offering Nutrition MOT’s which includes an analysis of digestive health, zinc status testing and mineral/toxicity testing. Call 07971263265 for more details.