To Supplement Or Not To Supplement – Part 1

What supp?

Some common questions regarding supplementation I often get asked are along the lines of;

‘Should I be using supplements?’

‘Which supplements are best for me?’

‘Is there a way to reach my goals faster with supplements’  

My personal views on supplements are that they should only ever be used to ‘supplement’ a wholesome diet, if at all. Now if you have a medical condition and have higher demands than humanly possible to attain through diet alone, or that you have impaired absorption and thus also need more of a particular nutrient through your diet, then supplements can make this a whole lot easier to reach optimal levels. To me this is one of the few times I would personally supplement, another time I would consider supplementing is if I had a deficiency in a nutrient and wanted to bring my levels back to normal as quick as possible whilst still altering my diet to eliminate the need for supplements down the track. I would never use supplements with the intention to fast-track results.

Supplements are not the solution to your goals. Nothing can beat a healthy lifestyle consisting of a clean diet and regular exercise. No supplement will magically shrink your waist-line or pack pounds of lean muscle onto your body. And no supplement comes without potential risks that are never spoken about.

All in all I do believe supplements have a place in this world and can be beneficial to people at some point or another. However I think it’s important you should know exactly what it is you are taking and why as well as the possible consequences and that is why I have decided to write a mini series on different supplements. I will cover some of the more common supplements, including their uses, appropriate dosage, when are how to take and any potential concerns.

I would love your input throughout the series and if you have any supplements you would like to see featured please leave a comment and I will be sure to cover it in the series.

Rhiannon Leake 

4 U Body Fitness

Mobile Personal Training Specialist