Unlocking the Power of Supplements: A General View

Along my fitness journey, I’ve wondered from time to time, how can I be healthier, more effective, and more efficient? Basic Dietary supplements have always been of interest because they can be a cheap and easy method to get some key nutrients in your body to improve your health. I thought I’d do some research into general supplement research this week to finally nail down a supplement plan for myself, and hopefully provide some information to anyone else who is trying to figure out which supplements are worth it for them, and which are not.

I know this is a longer post, so for those who are not interested in reading through pages of text, there is a conclusion section for each supplement that gives you a general recommendation on the supplement.

1. Protein
2. Creatine
3. BCAAs
4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

I think the most common supplement I hear and see people incorporating in their diets are protein powders. Proteins are key nutrients everybody needs, regardless of whether you regularly workout or not, to build, repair, and maintain healthy muscles and bones. Every adult should aim to get at least 0.38 grams of protein per pound of body weight (or 0.84 grams per kilogram). If you are someone who works out regularly, then you want to increase that number by quite a bit to allow your body to effectively repair and build muscle. Generally, if you want good muscle growth, a reasonable goal would be 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (or 2.2 grams per kg). 

Whey protein is one of the most common protein powders, that comes from whey, the watery portion of milk. (It is most commonly used from the leftovers of the cheese-making process). (Source) Boscaini et al (1) discuss in their review the beneficial effects of whey protein and its components for satiety, energy balance, metabolism, and even inflammation. The group emphasizes the effects of whey on the gut microbiome. To avoid getting into tons of detail, the paper’s main discussion was on how whey protein is great for body recovery and performance. It also demonstrates a strong potential to help with hunger because whey has a high content of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) that stimulate the production of satiety hormones. Whey also improves vascular function, inflammation, glucose tolerance, and lipid metabolism (a great help with cholesterol) Ling (2). Overall, this makes whey protein an amazing addition to any functional adult diet, especially those aiming for high athletic performance. On the other hand, it is also very effective in helping with metabolic diseases, like obesity and type II diabetes.

Casein protein is also found in milk, helping with building muscle and recovery from workouts. I would mainly look at Casein as a replacement for whey if you are someone who has lactose intolerance, specifically being sensitive to whey protein. (Source) The purpose and effectiveness of both proteins are very similar, but the main differentiation factor is the speed your body can utilize the protein. Whey is fast-acting, and Casein is more for slow release. (Source) With this information, the general advice would be that Casein is a great alternative for late-night protein and hunger, for those trying to minimize eating after a certain hour, because it will slowly absorb the amino acids over 3 to 4 hours.

Conclusion: Whey and Casein proteins are both very effective supplements for everyone, regardless of physical activity. The recommended daily dose is 1g/lb per day if aiming for muscle growth, with adjustments possible depending on your body and workout goal specifics. Whey is a fast-acting protein, while Casein is a slow release, concluding that Whey is better for early or intra-day protein intake, while Casein is more effective as a night-time protein choice or if you are taking protein for the purpose of reducing your hunger/weight loss. Based on it’s expert’s experience, Health.com (Source) recommends Naked Nutrition Whey Protein as the best overall Whey Protein pick due to its taste, texture, and simple ingredient list that is Informed Choice certified. It’s important to note that this choice does contain 3 grams of sugar due to the use of coconut sugar as 1 of 3 ingredients (though this is probably better for taste than it is bad for your health). On the Casein side, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Casein is a great choice as it has high-quality certified materials as well as other vitamins to improve your workouts and recovery. If you want the best of both worlds, PEScience Select Low Carb Protein Powder gives you the option to have both Whey and Casein together for optimal protein intake and usage.

Creatine is an extremely popular and widely researched supplement. There are many forms of creatine, the most common being creatine monohydrate. Though there are some subtle differences, different forms of creatine seem to show the same benefits in strength increasing, fat-free mass building, and muscle morphology if used in cooperation with heavy-weight training. Creatine is helpful regardless of workout type or style, but do see diminishing returns as your workout time lengthens, which makes it not as effective for endurance or HIIT-type workouts, but perfect for heavy resistance training. Based on research, it is suggested that creatine in amounts of 0.1 grams per kilogram of body weight, combined with exercise, improves training at a cellular level. For those who are not aware, Creatine is actually produced already in your livers, kidneys, and pancreas from the foods we eat every day, mainly in meats. This means that vegetarians tend to have a lower resting creatine level, even more reason to use creatine as a supplement if you are not consuming meat. I would encourage you to read more from Cooper et al (3), as they go much further in-depth on creatine. Before you start taking creatine, know that the average creatine product recommends 5 grams per day, whereas the above recommendation of 0.1 gram per kilogram, may tend to be higher than this number. If you are new to creatine, I would personally recommend sticking to 5 grams per day, mainly because creatine is also a great method to move your body toward dehydration. Staying hydrated and drinking water with the creatine itself is very important. Recommended doses are to drink 6-8 ounces with the 5-gram creatine dosage per day, and continue to drink up to 3-4 liters of water per day. I have not yet researched the common idea of a “loading phase” where the individual will take up to 20 grams per day for a week to maximize your muscle stores faster, instead of getting there a little slower at 5 grams a day over 3-4 weeks, but from personal experience, the loading phase makes the transition significantly more difficult, as you feel dehydrated very easily.

Conclusion: Creatine is a useful addition to your daily supplements to improve overall fitness and physical capability, though there are diminishing returns as workout time lengthens. Taking 5 grams per day is recommended, but can be adjusted based on your weight and diet. Creatine also requires an increase in your daily water intake and should be considered if you are planning to add this to your diet. I would recommend getting Nutricost Creatine Monohydrate, as it is a relatively cheap and simple option for something that should be a simple addition to your diet. If you take pre-workout, check to see if it already includes your daily 5 grams of creatine, as it is a common ingredient in pre-workout mixes.

Branched-chain amino Acids (BCAAs) are made of a few specific amino acids, leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Among many functions, BCAAs are very important for the regulatory control of protein metabolism, and when tested in rodents, increased BCAA concentration in the body stimulates protein synthesis and inhibits protein catabolism (the breakdown of proteins). To verify, testing was done with amino acid mixtures that did not include BCAAs and there was not much influence on either function. Matthews, 2005 (4) repeated the study in humans to find that BCAAs do inhibit protein catabolism, but do not have much effect on synthesis. Due to BCAA’s effects on the brain (see Fernstrom, 2005) (5), it has also been examined for treatment for some neurological diseases and metabolic diseases (PKU, bipolar disorder, motor control issues, ALS, MSUD).

Branched-chain amino Acids (BCAAs) are made of a few specific amino acids, leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Among many functions, BCAAs are very important for the regulatory control of protein metabolism, and when tested in rodents, increased BCAA concentration in the body stimulates protein synthesis and inhibits protein catabolism (the breakdown of proteins). To verify, testing was done with amino acid mixtures that did not include BCAAs and there was not much influence on either function. Matthews, 2005 (4) repeated the study in humans to find that BCAAs do inhibit protein catabolism, but do not have much effect on synthesis. Due to BCAA’s effects on the brain (see Fernstrom, 2005) (5), it has also been examined for treatment for some neurological diseases and metabolic diseases (PKU, bipolar disorder, motor control issues, ALS, MSUD).

Common benefits that are mentioned for omega-3s are improved heart health, depression relief, and protection against cognitive decline. There seems to be good evidence showing the benefits of omega-3s. There are different types of Omega-3s, EPA/DHA & ALA. EPA/DHA omega-3s tend to come from cold-water fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines), while ALA is found in plant oils, seeds, leafy vegetables, and animal fats. Omega-3’s are considered “essential” fats because they are nutrients that our bodies are unable to sufficiently supply on their own, but rather, they need to be obtained through our diets.

Heart Health: Leaf A, 2007 (8) has shown strong evidence for the beneficial effects of omega-3s in helping fight heart disease. Omega-3s appear to help the heart beat more steadily, lowering blood pressure and heart rate, and improving blood vessel function. In higher doses, it can also lower triglycerides, which helps to ease inflammation. This inflammation reduction helps fight the development of issues like atherosclerosis, where arteries start to see a build-up of fats and cholesterol, which eventually obstructs blood flow.

Cognitive function: Maltais, 2022 (9) investigated the effects of omega-3’s to improve cognitive performance among different age groups. They took a large group of 193 adults between the ages of 20 and 80 years old for 6 months, provided each individual with 2.5g of omega-3 per day, and randomized between placebo and real supplement. After 6 months, there seems to be very little difference between groups and their cognitive, but it helped improve memory scores for those adults who were originally scoring low episodic memory scores before the 6 months.

Depression: Due to an unrealized reason that countries that tend to have higher fish content in their diets have lower depression rates, studies have been done on how omega 3’s from fish-heavy diets may help. A Harvard Health blog article, written by David Mschoulon, MD, Ph.D. (Source), spoke briefly about how omega-3’s may assist in improving depression. Omega 3 easily travels through brain cell membranes, interacting with mood-related molecules and having anti-inflammatory properties that may help relieve depression. Dozens of studies exist today, using between 0.5 to 10 grams of omega 3’s per day (where 1 g/day is equivalent to eating 3 salmon meals per week). Because of the variations from study to study, it has been difficult to draw exact conclusions, but there is evidence showing that some regular doses of omega-3 can be very effective in combatting depression and suicide, especially in cases where antidepressants are ineffective or in cases where depression is linked to overweight issues.

Conclusion: Omega-3 fatty acids are recommended and required for every individual. As an “essential” fat, they are not easily created by our body and need to be incorporated into our diets to get healthy requirements. Fish and plant oils (recommended for vegetarian and vegan diets) are the best ways to get this. Recommended doses are around 1-2 g/day, but can go up to 10 g/day if being used to combat depression symptoms, with a recommended ratio of 60% EPA/DHA. It is also good to note that most experts in the field take the time to say, that despite the overwhelming benefits of Omega-3s to our general health, there are also negative side effects when taken in large doses. For this reason, sticking to healthy 3-5 fish or plant oil meals a week and some supplements to make up for the lack in diet are recommended, and increased doses should be taken with advice or further research. If you plan to try adding Omega-3’s to your diet, I recommend Sports Research Triple Strength, as it gives you the proper 1-2 g/day recommended, while also popular brands do not offer as much.

After taking some time to research and understand the purposes of each of these supplements and what the data shows in terms of their effectiveness and real-world use cases, I plan to start making post-workout whey protein shakes, sometime between my dinner and sleep, a daily supplement. I currently have ~3-5 grams of creatine in the mornings with my coffee/tea and intend to continue this going forward. I also want to watch the total intake of fish and plant oils that I eat weekly and on weeks where I am not able to get these foods in my diet at least 3-5 times, I will supplement my week with an Omega-3 supplement. For BCAAs, I have only tried this once in the past and did not get much out of it, but I have heard great things from friends and colleagues. At this point, I don’t plan to make any effort to incorporate this into my diet, but I may revisit this in the future.

Thanks for taking the time to read some of my work. Check out my other blog posts here: https://thegoalset.com/blog. If you guys ever have any questions, feel free to reach out or comment on the post! There are also so many resources online, that I encourage everyone to take some time to do their own research so you can make the best choices based on your situation.