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| Edited By: Pushkaraj S Shirke |Source: DNA |Updated: May 09, 2017, 08:25 AM IST
Some supplements are very effective, and even necessary for athletes and individuals, who pursue an active lifestyle. But there are also many that are useless to the common man, and some even to athletes. The balance lies in genuinely assessing your body’s nutritional needs, addressing them with whole foods first and then ‘supplementing’ the deficit with supplements.
Of the hundreds of supplements available in the market, the effectiveness to cost ratio of only a handful works up to where benefits outweigh the cost.
A good, cost-effective whey protein is one that has more whey isolates than whey concentrate in the mix. Whey concentrates are not very digestible and therefore are a waste of money even though they are cheaper. And pure whey isolates may not be worth the buck for commoners.
No other ergogenic substance has been proven to be as effective as the plain old creatine monohydrate. Doctors fear this supplement blindly believing that it causes kidney stones because it sounds similar to creatinine. It does not. For sheer power and strength, creatine is effective as it replenishes the ATP power generation cycle in the muscles. For endurance, not at all.
As a pre-workout or a pep me up, caffeine is the most effective stimulant. Simple, strong coffee shots can also suffice the need for a pre-workout, unless you are caffeine tolerant. In that case, you could choose another pre-workout to push you to maximise your workout on dull/fatigued days. But it is advisable to not use it daily and only when needed to avoid developing tolerance or caffeine addiction.
Apart from these three, it is advisable to use other supplements only when advised by your sports nutritionist or fitness consultant. And you will end up saving more money than you can imagine. Probably enough money to hire a good fitness consultant to guide you to better results for an entire year or more.
Pushkaraj S Shirke is a K11 trained fitness consultant
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