There are many supplements on the market today that are designed to fulfil a whole host of roles from helping you build muscle, lose body fat or to improve mental focus and performance. Whatever your goal, the one thing that we need to consider is that underpinning the effectiveness of your training and supplementation is creating a healthy environment where the body can work effectively.
Creating this environment is fundamentally reliant on a balanced, varied diet which provides essential vitamins and minerals that support all physiological processes. However, even with a varied diet some people will be at risk of not providing enough essential nutrients for a number of different reasons. Here, we outline some of the most important supplements that support health that we think you should consider taking and why:
1. Omega 3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in oily fish, and so in those who consume regular amounts of fish, this may be less of a concern. Omega-3 plays essential roles in the creation of healthy cells, is considered a nootropic in that it can enhance brain function, it is anti-inflammatory and has cardio-protective effects. It has even been suggested to influence sports performance.
It appears that the ratio of another fatty acid (Omega-6) to Omega 3 is important for many of these health benefits. Our typical western diet is rich in Omega-6 as it is found in grains, meats, nuts and seeds. Omega-3 is found in very few sources of the correct type and amount, our ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 is usually very high and for health, we need this to be as close to a 1:1 ratio as possible. It is not often practical to reduce Omega 6 when considering someone’s goals and the benefits these foods might have on muscle growth and performance, so the use of an Omega-3 supplement at around 2000mg per day is often suggested to bump up Omega-3 intake, reduce the ratio and deliver the benefits Omega-3 offers.
2. Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is often fortified into some food products such as cereals, and is found in dairy products. Even though it is found in these foods, much of our body’s production is reliant on sunshine, which stimulates the body to produce it’s own vitamin D. It is probably unsurprising that in colder, more northern climates, especially during the winter months, that studies have shown Vitamin-D deficiency to be extremely prevalent, even amongst professional athletes who you might expect to be aware of such things.
Vitamin D is essential for hormone regulation, bone and oral health by regulating calcium and phosphorus absorption, it also has immune system effects that may offer protection against some form of cancers and diabetes. Deficiencies in Vitamin-D have been associated with reduced athletic and mental performance, so whatever your goals are, in the winter months, this is arguably the most important health-promoting supplement you should be taking, even when you have a balanced and varied diet.
3. Creatine.
This one may surprise you, as creatine is known for its capacity to increase strength and maintain power output, so is often seen as a performance based supplement. However, creatine supplementation has been shown to have positive, protective effects on the heart, brain and even suggested to help with conditions such as arthritis, Parkinson’s, diabetes and depression. Despite some persistent and long since disproven myths, it has no side effects and can be used year-round with no ill effects.
Combining creatine supplementation with some form of resistance training enhances the protective effects of resistance training against age-related muscle loss. As we age, people should seriously consider supplementing creatine to preserve long term mental and physical health.
In summary, many of the essential vitamins and minerals we need to promote health and create a foundation to reach our goals, can be found in the diet. However, under certain circumstances, diet alone might not be enough to provide the amounts we need for optimal health, the use of these three awesome supplements comes highly recommended by leading health, fitness and sports performance researchers
Paul Rimmer Bsc.
