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Knight9
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03.21.2015
Before we begin, let me say that the content of this post is based entirely on my opinion. That being said, my opinion is based largely on personal experience with supplementation over the past 15+ years. I’ll be 33 next month and began using dietary supplements at 15 years old; whey protein was the first dietary supplement I used in hopes of improving my performance and making my training more productive. From there, between working at GNC for several years and bodybuilding competitively from age 23 to present, I’ve tried hundreds of sports and general health supplements. Some were very effective and delivered the intended result(s). Some were complete garbage in that they either failed to do what they were designed to do or even worse, produced a result that was negative. Meanwhile, there are many supplements that I used based on faith; supplements not necessarily designed to produce an acute or even noticeable effect but purported to have a positive effect just the same. Generally, I shy away from naming names so for the sake of this article, I’ll try to keep things as generic as possible unless I feel a specific brand or trademarked ingredient is a make or break detail. Here are the top 10 supplements I feel are most essential.
1. Multi-Vitamin & Mineral: When I think think about it, I said whey protein was the first supplement I ever used but the reality is that Flintstones Chewable vitamins came first! Most of us have used, use and or will use a muti in our lifetime and for good reason; we recognize the common inadequacies in our diets and want to fill in the holes. Granted, some of us are more successful when it comes to attaining nutrients naturally through the foods we eat but under no circumstances should anyone become lax in their eating habits simply because they believe a supplement will fix it. I think we can all agree that it’s best to get as much nutrition as we possibly can through whole foods and that a multi should be viewed as no more than a SUPPLEMENT to an already strong foundation of good nutrition. A solid multi will contain highly bioavailable forms of a broad spectrum of nutrients in efficacious potencies. Beyond that, some EFAs and a whole food component are great additions to any multi. Capsule vs Tablets? Either one can work. However, depending on how they’re made, some tablets don’t break down very well and can lead to difficult and or incomplete digestion. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, a good multi should never make you feel nauseous or otherwise “bad”! I’ve gone through quite a few that did exactly that. A good multi might not necessarily make you feel like Superman upon your first dose but you are guaranteed to notice it’s absence should you run out of it or suddenly stop taking it!
2. Fatty Acids. As is the case with most vitamins and minerals, we must consume EFAs in order to sustain health. That being said, unfortunately, we often fail to consume optimal amounts of EFAs through the foods we consume. Many of us do eat foods like fatty fish, whole eggs, avocados, nuts, flax and other healthful oils such as olive oil. However, the consistency with which some of us do so can vary and really it’s the same concept as taking a multi vitamin and mineral. In my opinion, fish oil is the most potent and most cost effective option for the Omega 3 fats EPA and DHA. While flax oil is loaded with the omega 3 fatty acid ALA from which the body can synthesize EPA and DHA, the ability to do so is extremely limited in humans as I understand it. And while Flax may be a healthful oil to supplement with, it seems as though high EPA and DHA fish oils may be the most direct and efficient route for omega 3 supplementation. A good fish oil supplement will contain the maximum amount of EPA and DHA possible in each softgel. Compare brands to see which offers the greatest potency for your dollar. For a standard 1000 mg fih oil softgel, you should expect a minimum 500 of those milligrams to be from EPA and DHA per capsule. Also, be sure that the brand you are considering certifies that the product is free of contaminants such as lead and mercury. When it comes to omega 6 supplementation, evening primrose oil makes the most sense to me when it comes to attaining GLA. Most high quality versions contain 1300 mg of evening primrose oil per softgel providing at least 100 mg of GLA in each. Two softgels each of both evening primrose oil and fish oil is what I supplement with each day.
3. Ubiquinol/Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10)- Never forget that your heart is, well, at the heart of things. Miss a beat and you’ve got a problem. We all need to make sure that our heart continues to perform as it should. Enter, ubiquinone (universally referred to as Coenzyme Q10) and ubiquinol. Ubiquinol is the reduced and active form that acts as an antioxidant in the body and helps the body produce energy. Stress, intense training, sickness and anything else that taxes the body will deplete the body of ubiquinol and compromise optimal functioning. Ubiquinol has been shown to have a profoundly positive effect on heart function and for that reason, I supplement with 200 mg 2x daily. Why not use ubiquinone(CoQ10)? Because ubiquinone must first be converted to ubiquinol before it is used by the body, it makes more sense to supplement with the active form. And from what I understand, as we approach our late 20s, the conversion of ubiquinone to ubiquinol becomes less and less efficient. Look for this product in softgel form carrying the Kaneka QH trademark.
4. Vegetable/Phytonutrient Drink Powder- As much as I feel that we should all be EATING our fruits and veggies, the unfortunate reality is that many of us are not consuming the quantity we should with enough frequency. It’s my personal belief that we should be consuming vegetables with every meal we eat; especially if that meal contains animal proteins! Most vegetables are alkalizing and help balance the acidity caused by consumption of animal proteins, grains, processed dairy foods and the laundry list of foods that comprise the “Standard American Diet”. Will fruit, vegetable or “green” drinks ever replace the powerful benefit of fresh whole foods? Not even close. Can they help fill in some gaps or otherwise, SUPPLEMENT your diet with phytonutrients while helping to alkalize your body? If it’s a good formula, then yes! Look for products with significant doses of fewer ingredients rather than inconsequential amounts of a million things. Beware of products that take up valuable milligram real estate with fiber or other ingredients that are not fruits or vegetables! Fibers and gums are cheap for manufacturers and consume valuable space that you’re paying for; especially when you find them as part of a “proprietary blend”. Look for products that contain USEFUL and POTENT ingredients. You want ingredients that pack as much of a punch into the 5, 10, 15g serving size as possible. Barley grass, wheat grass, kale, spinach, carrot, beet etc: phytonutrient powerhouses. Apples, pears, bananas: filler. And perhaps one of the most important things to keep in mind is the form of the ingredients! Does the formula contain the whole fruit/vegetable or does it contain juice powder? Obviously, products containing juice powder(s) are MUCH MORE POTENT AND MUCH MORE COSTLY TO PRODUCE. Think about it; it might take 10 whole carrots to produce 4 oz of juice. From that juice, once the water is evaporated, you may only be left with 15g of powder. Whereas, if you were to grind up and dehydrate 10 whole carrots you would be left with a significantly greater amount of powder due to the fiber not being removed. Whole carrots are great don’t get me wrong. But when you are paying a premium for a supplement, the idea is to pack the greatest amount of potency possible. Removing the phytonutrient void fiber and creating a formula of concentrated juice powders is the best way to accomplish this. You want phytonutrients, not an overpriced fiber. Again, it’s the most costly so don’t be surprised to find that it is not often done! A good vegetable/fruit formula can be very beneficial. Just be sure to research before buying.
5. Vitamin D3: By now, you have likely heard some of the purported benefits of D3 supplementation. Most of us had our first introduction to D3 in being told that we must have enough of this nutrient to absorb calcium. Recent findings have lead many to advocate for D3 supplementation as it may help battle everything from cancer to depression while boosting testosterone, sex drive and immune function. From personal experience, I can tell you that the $10 it costs me to supplement with D3 on a monthly basis is money well spent. I feel more energetic and positive when I supplement with D3 and definitely don’t get sick as often as I used to. I think D3 is awesome stuff. Recently, I’ve heard people say that we shouldn’t supplement with D3 or calcium because it increases plaque formation and hardening of the arteries. In my humble opinion, that sounds like ignorance and perhaps the real problem is a lack of Vitamin K2 to direct calcium to the skeletal system and away from the cardiovascular system! (Which leads me to my next recommendation). When it comes to dosages, in my experience 1000 IU daily is pretty much minimum. I supplemented with 10,000 IU daily for 3 months straight (despite reading how easy it supposedly is to over-consume) and my D3 levels were still sitting below normal when getting my blood tested. I’m not saying that D3 can’t be dangerous if levels become to high. What I am saying is that based on my own experience, it wasn’t very easy for my blood levels to become dangerously high. Currently, I take 5000 IU daily.
6. Vitamin K2: As I touched upon above, if you’re supplementing with D3, you should be definitely also be supplementing with K2. K2 will help direct calcium to the teeth and bones and deposit itself there rather than in your arteries! Will you feel any different supplementing with K2? I didn’t feel any different but maintaining my cardiovascular health is something that is very important to me. For that reason, I invest in a good vitamin K2 complex that includes 1000 mcg of MK-4, 200 mcg of MK-7 and 1000 mcg of Vitamin K1 per softgel. I take one softgel daily.
7. Curcumin: Curcumin is extracted from turmeric root and purported to have a laundry list of benefits. What interested me most in curcumin is its potential to help regulate inflammation as well as the promise it shows for promoting cardiovascular health and liver cell regeneration. Per the reccomended dose, I began supplementing with 500 mg taken twice daily with food. After two weeks of use I noticed a significant reduction in back and knee pain. I also noticed that my breathing was more effortless during training. Finally, I noticed overall better digestion. What I have to make a point to mention is that curcumin is allegedly poorly absorbed by the body. As a result, a number of trademarked forms of curcumin have been developed. Meriva, Theracurmin and BCM-95 are the main forms you will see. The first curcumin I used was Meriva. Once that bottle ran out I tried a brand that uses Theracurmin as their curcumin source and didn’t feel the same benefit. I also tried BCM-95 and found that I felt better while using that than the Theracurmin. In the end I went back to Meriva, felt the most benefit again and have been using it ever since. I’m not saying that one is definitively better than another. This is simply my experience with them. There was enough research backing curcumin to prompt me to try it. The positive effects I experienced were enough to make it a mainstay in my daily supplement regimen.
8. Benfotiamine: This unique form of thiamine might not appear to be the most sexy supplement but considering the potential protective benefits it offers, I strongly believe that EVERYONE should be supplementing with benfotiamine. The positive effects of benfotiamine usage became known after administering it to diabetic patients for the purpose of protecting against various neuropathies and tissue damage from high and or uncontrolled blood sugar (glycation). Granted, you or I might not be diabetic but over the course of a lifetime, damage caused by glucose (glycation) is a very real threat to all of us. Studies have shown benfotiamine to protect against glycation. It should make sense that if glycation can be reduced, the chances for overall cardiovascular health would be greatly improved. I strongly feel that ALL bodybuilders should supplement with benfotiamine. The constant consumption of food and carbohydrates that most bodybuilders practice make this product that much more relevant. 250 mg twice daily is how I use it.
9. Probiotics: Here is a supplement that really takes some trial and error to get right! I can’t tell you how many different probiotic products I used before finding out which ones worked, which didn’t and which ones made things worse! Probiotics are meant to replenish good bacteria in the gut so that bad bacteria can be controlled. Considering that many people fail to eat a proper diet, this is often an uphill battle. Synthetic chemicals such as artificial sweeteners, fluoride, chlorine, antibiotics, many prescription drugs, pesticides and many more all kill good gut bacteria. To make matters, bad bacteria thrive a thrive on some of the things we ingest. Sugar is one of them! FOS (fructooligosaccharides) which is often added to probiotic formulations as a “prebiotic” to help feed good bacteria is now being questioned because critics say it may also feed bad bacteria! True? Who knows. Throughout much of history, man has preserved foods using lacto-fermentation methods and in turn, consumed significant amounts of healthy bacteria by consuming those foods. Currently, most people living in developed nations don’t eat a whole lot of fermented foods. Even foods such as sauerkraut that are produced using fermentation methods are most often pasteurized killing any good bacteria and negating any would-be benefits. The consumption of good bacteria is now more important than ever. The BEST way to improve gut health is with regular consumption of fermented foods. Unfortunately, most people don’t eat many raw fermented foods and instead opt for probiotic supplements. I make it a point to do both! When it comes to finding the right probiotic for you, it may be a matter of trial and error. Reading reviews might also help. If a large number of people find success with certain products then you might also. What can you expect from probiotic supplementation? General improvement in bowel function should be noticed. If you’re in serious need of a probiotic due to your gut flora being severely imbalanced, you will likely even notice an improvement in mood and mental clarity. I consume a total of 50 Billion CFUs (colony forming units) by way of probiotic supplements daily.
10. Magnesium: Again, not the sexiest supplement out there but this is one that can have huge benefits. Most of us don’t have enough magnesium in our diets; especially athletes. Magnesium is needed for hundreds of enzymatic reactions to take place in the body and is vital for proper neuromuscular functioning. It also helps sharpen insulin sensitivity and improve cardiovascular function. What do I notice with magnesium supplementation? Markedly better performance in the gym in the form of increased stamina, power and muscle pump. I also noticed reduced subcutaneous fluid and I sleep better at night. What form is best? I’ve noticed the best result with a glycinate/lysinate chelate at a dose of 2 tablets twice daily. Citrate is common but is more likely to give you diarrhea due to poor absorption.
Granted, there are other supplements that I use. However, I consider these ten the most essential and most fundamental part of my regimen. Stay tuned; next time I will address my top 10 picks for most essential “sports” supplements. But just for the record, I truly believe that any supplement that will help your body function most optimally, be it a “health” or “sports” supplement, is a performance enhancing supplement by default!
The 10 Most Essential Supplements : Evan Centopani
Before we begin, let me say that the content of this post is based entirely on my opinion. That being said, my opinion is based largely on personal experience with supplementation over the past 15+ years. I’ll be 33 next month and began using dietary supplements at 15 years old; whey protein was the first dietary supplement I used in hopes of improving my performance and making my training more productive. From there, between working at GNC for several years and bodybuilding competitively from age 23 to present, I’ve tried hundreds of sports and general health supplements. Some were very effective and delivered the intended result(s). Some were complete garbage in that they either failed to do what they were designed to do or even worse, produced a result that was negative. Meanwhile, there are many supplements that I used based on faith; supplements not necessarily designed to produce an acute or even noticeable effect but purported to have a positive effect just the same. Generally, I shy away from naming names so for the sake of this article, I’ll try to keep things as generic as possible unless I feel a specific brand or trademarked ingredient is a make or break detail. Here are the top 10 supplements I feel are most essential.
1. Multi-Vitamin & Mineral: When I think think about it, I said whey protein was the first supplement I ever used but the reality is that Flintstones Chewable vitamins came first! Most of us have used, use and or will use a muti in our lifetime and for good reason; we recognize the common inadequacies in our diets and want to fill in the holes. Granted, some of us are more successful when it comes to attaining nutrients naturally through the foods we eat but under no circumstances should anyone become lax in their eating habits simply because they believe a supplement will fix it. I think we can all agree that it’s best to get as much nutrition as we possibly can through whole foods and that a multi should be viewed as no more than a SUPPLEMENT to an already strong foundation of good nutrition. A solid multi will contain highly bioavailable forms of a broad spectrum of nutrients in efficacious potencies. Beyond that, some EFAs and a whole food component are great additions to any multi. Capsule vs Tablets? Either one can work. However, depending on how they’re made, some tablets don’t break down very well and can lead to difficult and or incomplete digestion. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, a good multi should never make you feel nauseous or otherwise “bad”! I’ve gone through quite a few that did exactly that. A good multi might not necessarily make you feel like Superman upon your first dose but you are guaranteed to notice it’s absence should you run out of it or suddenly stop taking it!
2. Fatty Acids. As is the case with most vitamins and minerals, we must consume EFAs in order to sustain health. That being said, unfortunately, we often fail to consume optimal amounts of EFAs through the foods we consume. Many of us do eat foods like fatty fish, whole eggs, avocados, nuts, flax and other healthful oils such as olive oil. However, the consistency with which some of us do so can vary and really it’s the same concept as taking a multi vitamin and mineral. In my opinion, fish oil is the most potent and most cost effective option for the Omega 3 fats EPA and DHA. While flax oil is loaded with the omega 3 fatty acid ALA from which the body can synthesize EPA and DHA, the ability to do so is extremely limited in humans as I understand it. And while Flax may be a healthful oil to supplement with, it seems as though high EPA and DHA fish oils may be the most direct and efficient route for omega 3 supplementation. A good fish oil supplement will contain the maximum amount of EPA and DHA possible in each softgel. Compare brands to see which offers the greatest potency for your dollar. For a standard 1000 mg fih oil softgel, you should expect a minimum 500 of those milligrams to be from EPA and DHA per capsule. Also, be sure that the brand you are considering certifies that the product is free of contaminants such as lead and mercury. When it comes to omega 6 supplementation, evening primrose oil makes the most sense to me when it comes to attaining GLA. Most high quality versions contain 1300 mg of evening primrose oil per softgel providing at least 100 mg of GLA in each. Two softgels each of both evening primrose oil and fish oil is what I supplement with each day.
3. Ubiquinol/Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10)- Never forget that your heart is, well, at the heart of things. Miss a beat and you’ve got a problem. We all need to make sure that our heart continues to perform as it should. Enter, ubiquinone (universally referred to as Coenzyme Q10) and ubiquinol. Ubiquinol is the reduced and active form that acts as an antioxidant in the body and helps the body produce energy. Stress, intense training, sickness and anything else that taxes the body will deplete the body of ubiquinol and compromise optimal functioning. Ubiquinol has been shown to have a profoundly positive effect on heart function and for that reason, I supplement with 200 mg 2x daily. Why not use ubiquinone(CoQ10)? Because ubiquinone must first be converted to ubiquinol before it is used by the body, it makes more sense to supplement with the active form. And from what I understand, as we approach our late 20s, the conversion of ubiquinone to ubiquinol becomes less and less efficient. Look for this product in softgel form carrying the Kaneka QH trademark.
4. Vegetable/Phytonutrient Drink Powder- As much as I feel that we should all be EATING our fruits and veggies, the unfortunate reality is that many of us are not consuming the quantity we should with enough frequency. It’s my personal belief that we should be consuming vegetables with every meal we eat; especially if that meal contains animal proteins! Most vegetables are alkalizing and help balance the acidity caused by consumption of animal proteins, grains, processed dairy foods and the laundry list of foods that comprise the “Standard American Diet”. Will fruit, vegetable or “green” drinks ever replace the powerful benefit of fresh whole foods? Not even close. Can they help fill in some gaps or otherwise, SUPPLEMENT your diet with phytonutrients while helping to alkalize your body? If it’s a good formula, then yes! Look for products with significant doses of fewer ingredients rather than inconsequential amounts of a million things. Beware of products that take up valuable milligram real estate with fiber or other ingredients that are not fruits or vegetables! Fibers and gums are cheap for manufacturers and consume valuable space that you’re paying for; especially when you find them as part of a “proprietary blend”. Look for products that contain USEFUL and POTENT ingredients. You want ingredients that pack as much of a punch into the 5, 10, 15g serving size as possible. Barley grass, wheat grass, kale, spinach, carrot, beet etc: phytonutrient powerhouses. Apples, pears, bananas: filler. And perhaps one of the most important things to keep in mind is the form of the ingredients! Does the formula contain the whole fruit/vegetable or does it contain juice powder? Obviously, products containing juice powder(s) are MUCH MORE POTENT AND MUCH MORE COSTLY TO PRODUCE. Think about it; it might take 10 whole carrots to produce 4 oz of juice. From that juice, once the water is evaporated, you may only be left with 15g of powder. Whereas, if you were to grind up and dehydrate 10 whole carrots you would be left with a significantly greater amount of powder due to the fiber not being removed. Whole carrots are great don’t get me wrong. But when you are paying a premium for a supplement, the idea is to pack the greatest amount of potency possible. Removing the phytonutrient void fiber and creating a formula of concentrated juice powders is the best way to accomplish this. You want phytonutrients, not an overpriced fiber. Again, it’s the most costly so don’t be surprised to find that it is not often done! A good vegetable/fruit formula can be very beneficial. Just be sure to research before buying.
5. Vitamin D3: By now, you have likely heard some of the purported benefits of D3 supplementation. Most of us had our first introduction to D3 in being told that we must have enough of this nutrient to absorb calcium. Recent findings have lead many to advocate for D3 supplementation as it may help battle everything from cancer to depression while boosting testosterone, sex drive and immune function. From personal experience, I can tell you that the $10 it costs me to supplement with D3 on a monthly basis is money well spent. I feel more energetic and positive when I supplement with D3 and definitely don’t get sick as often as I used to. I think D3 is awesome stuff. Recently, I’ve heard people say that we shouldn’t supplement with D3 or calcium because it increases plaque formation and hardening of the arteries. In my humble opinion, that sounds like ignorance and perhaps the real problem is a lack of Vitamin K2 to direct calcium to the skeletal system and away from the cardiovascular system! (Which leads me to my next recommendation). When it comes to dosages, in my experience 1000 IU daily is pretty much minimum. I supplemented with 10,000 IU daily for 3 months straight (despite reading how easy it supposedly is to over-consume) and my D3 levels were still sitting below normal when getting my blood tested. I’m not saying that D3 can’t be dangerous if levels become to high. What I am saying is that based on my own experience, it wasn’t very easy for my blood levels to become dangerously high. Currently, I take 5000 IU daily.
6. Vitamin K2: As I touched upon above, if you’re supplementing with D3, you should be definitely also be supplementing with K2. K2 will help direct calcium to the teeth and bones and deposit itself there rather than in your arteries! Will you feel any different supplementing with K2? I didn’t feel any different but maintaining my cardiovascular health is something that is very important to me. For that reason, I invest in a good vitamin K2 complex that includes 1000 mcg of MK-4, 200 mcg of MK-7 and 1000 mcg of Vitamin K1 per softgel. I take one softgel daily.
7. Curcumin: Curcumin is extracted from turmeric root and purported to have a laundry list of benefits. What interested me most in curcumin is its potential to help regulate inflammation as well as the promise it shows for promoting cardiovascular health and liver cell regeneration. Per the reccomended dose, I began supplementing with 500 mg taken twice daily with food. After two weeks of use I noticed a significant reduction in back and knee pain. I also noticed that my breathing was more effortless during training. Finally, I noticed overall better digestion. What I have to make a point to mention is that curcumin is allegedly poorly absorbed by the body. As a result, a number of trademarked forms of curcumin have been developed. Meriva, Theracurmin and BCM-95 are the main forms you will see. The first curcumin I used was Meriva. Once that bottle ran out I tried a brand that uses Theracurmin as their curcumin source and didn’t feel the same benefit. I also tried BCM-95 and found that I felt better while using that than the Theracurmin. In the end I went back to Meriva, felt the most benefit again and have been using it ever since. I’m not saying that one is definitively better than another. This is simply my experience with them. There was enough research backing curcumin to prompt me to try it. The positive effects I experienced were enough to make it a mainstay in my daily supplement regimen.
8. Benfotiamine: This unique form of thiamine might not appear to be the most sexy supplement but considering the potential protective benefits it offers, I strongly believe that EVERYONE should be supplementing with benfotiamine. The positive effects of benfotiamine usage became known after administering it to diabetic patients for the purpose of protecting against various neuropathies and tissue damage from high and or uncontrolled blood sugar (glycation). Granted, you or I might not be diabetic but over the course of a lifetime, damage caused by glucose (glycation) is a very real threat to all of us. Studies have shown benfotiamine to protect against glycation. It should make sense that if glycation can be reduced, the chances for overall cardiovascular health would be greatly improved. I strongly feel that ALL bodybuilders should supplement with benfotiamine. The constant consumption of food and carbohydrates that most bodybuilders practice make this product that much more relevant. 250 mg twice daily is how I use it.
9. Probiotics: Here is a supplement that really takes some trial and error to get right! I can’t tell you how many different probiotic products I used before finding out which ones worked, which didn’t and which ones made things worse! Probiotics are meant to replenish good bacteria in the gut so that bad bacteria can be controlled. Considering that many people fail to eat a proper diet, this is often an uphill battle. Synthetic chemicals such as artificial sweeteners, fluoride, chlorine, antibiotics, many prescription drugs, pesticides and many more all kill good gut bacteria. To make matters, bad bacteria thrive a thrive on some of the things we ingest. Sugar is one of them! FOS (fructooligosaccharides) which is often added to probiotic formulations as a “prebiotic” to help feed good bacteria is now being questioned because critics say it may also feed bad bacteria! True? Who knows. Throughout much of history, man has preserved foods using lacto-fermentation methods and in turn, consumed significant amounts of healthy bacteria by consuming those foods. Currently, most people living in developed nations don’t eat a whole lot of fermented foods. Even foods such as sauerkraut that are produced using fermentation methods are most often pasteurized killing any good bacteria and negating any would-be benefits. The consumption of good bacteria is now more important than ever. The BEST way to improve gut health is with regular consumption of fermented foods. Unfortunately, most people don’t eat many raw fermented foods and instead opt for probiotic supplements. I make it a point to do both! When it comes to finding the right probiotic for you, it may be a matter of trial and error. Reading reviews might also help. If a large number of people find success with certain products then you might also. What can you expect from probiotic supplementation? General improvement in bowel function should be noticed. If you’re in serious need of a probiotic due to your gut flora being severely imbalanced, you will likely even notice an improvement in mood and mental clarity. I consume a total of 50 Billion CFUs (colony forming units) by way of probiotic supplements daily.
10. Magnesium: Again, not the sexiest supplement out there but this is one that can have huge benefits. Most of us don’t have enough magnesium in our diets; especially athletes. Magnesium is needed for hundreds of enzymatic reactions to take place in the body and is vital for proper neuromuscular functioning. It also helps sharpen insulin sensitivity and improve cardiovascular function. What do I notice with magnesium supplementation? Markedly better performance in the gym in the form of increased stamina, power and muscle pump. I also noticed reduced subcutaneous fluid and I sleep better at night. What form is best? I’ve noticed the best result with a glycinate/lysinate chelate at a dose of 2 tablets twice daily. Citrate is common but is more likely to give you diarrhea due to poor absorption.
Granted, there are other supplements that I use. However, I consider these ten the most essential and most fundamental part of my regimen. Stay tuned; next time I will address my top 10 picks for most essential “sports” supplements. But just for the record, I truly believe that any supplement that will help your body function most optimally, be it a “health” or “sports” supplement, is a performance enhancing supplement by default!
The 10 Most Essential Supplements : Evan Centopani
:headbang:
