Let me begin by saying that I am not a fan of (most) sports/training supplements. I am a proponent of the philosophy that we should eat a balanced diet that provides the necessary nutrients. There may be some argument that that foods we eat today are more depleted of nutrients than they were in the past, but let’s face facts: 1) Americans, over all, eat too much food—generally, too much of foods that are nutrient-poor as opposed to nutrient dense foods; 2) we eat the wrong foods; and/or 3) we are dieting our way to obesity. So, first and foremost, we should be focused on consuming healthy foods.
I have shared before the thought that weight management 50% caloric balance, 30% macro balance, and 10% nutrient timing. That leaves about 5% for food composition and 5% for supplementation. Of that remaining 10%, food composition likely carries more importance than supplementation.
Nonetheless, there may be some need for supplementation for optimal performance. In The Renaissance Diet, Dr. Mike Israetel et al. suggest 5 categories of supplements that warrant consideration: whey protein, glycemic carbohydrate supplements, creatine, stimulants, and casein protein. For performance and muscle hypertrophy, these are all that have strong support in the literature. With regard to stimulants (e.g., pre-workouts and “fat-burners”) caffeine alone is likely sufficient.
Remember, we want to refer to “diet” as what one habitually eats. It should not be equated only with a hypocaloric diet. When one is hypocaloric for the purpose of losing body weight, calories and, thus, food intake will be restricted. As such, there is some risk of being nutrient deficient—particularly, if one is restricting carbohydrates (e.g., on a ketogenic diet).
When restricting carbs and training intensely, performance will suffer. Protein will remain important and whey and/or casein protein supplements may be helpful. In the absence of carbohydrates, there is a great possibility that important nutrients and other benefits of whole foods might be lacking. Multi-colored (and particularly green leafy) vegetables should be a priority. To make up for the absence of a variety of fruits—particularly berries—I have found extracts, like Biotest’s Superfood, quite beneficial. There are other brands of comparable quality, but the price on this product is pretty good at less than $24 for 28 serving. (I buy direct from Biotest*– https://biotest.t-nation.com/products/superfood.) Biotest Superfood contains freeze-dried extracts from eighteen fruits and vegetables packed full of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, antioxidants, enzymes, adaptogens, prebiotics, probiotics, etc.—all the good stuff nutritionists tell us we need (and might be missing in our foods). The taste can be a bit bitter, but mixed in a protein shake it isn’t so bad. The label reads 0 kcal, which seems unbelievable, but in a 5 gram serving the most calories possible would be less than 25 kcal (carbohydrates have 4 kcal/g). Considering how much food would have to be consumed to get the nutrients packed into a single serving, the price is affordable.
For anyone training with any level of seriousness and trying to watch calories at the same time, I would encourage supplementing with 5 g each of creatine HCl and a superfood powder. It may offset some of the potential for decreased performance while being hypocaloric. Nothing, however, can offset a poor diet. Always focus first on small portions of nutrient-dense foods and avoiding “junk” (i.e., nutrient-poor, calorie-rich foods).
Eat your best today; eat better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!
*Note: I get no financial compensation from Biotest.