Oh, supplements. There are so many out there…purporting to solve all kinds of problems…in a relatively easy way…just take a pill or a scoop & you’re good to go! With all the available options, I have to ask one of my favorite questions: To supplement or not to supplement? And, per usual, my answer is not necessarily black & white.
Recently I’ve noticed a resurgence of creatine. It’s nothing new…it’s been around quite a long time. Creatine came into public consciousness in the 1990’s after British Olympic track & field champions, Linford Christine & Sally Gunnell, reportedly used it. Body builders & strength athletes (football, baseball), of course, have been supplementing with it forever. But now I’m seeing it suggested for endurance athletes.
To see what my peeps think about creatine (and more importantly, about supplementation in general), I posted in my Fitter. Stronger. Faster Facebook group. I asked if anyone is currently taking creatine, why they’re using it, and has it worked for them. I got one positive answer (from an athlete who is using a nutrition coach) & several “Should I take this?” questions.
In order to better understand this issue, I chatted with my Strength Coach, Kevin Nicholes of Xtreme Fitness & Wellness. Here is a summary of our thoughts on to supplement or not to supplement.
First Things First
Before you decide to add any supplement into your diet, I would encourage you to first adjust the following:
Step 1. Eat enough…and make sure your macros (carbs, proteins, fats) are dialed in for your age, gender, exercise levels & exercise goals. Getting enough good, solid, basic food into your body is 1st priority towards ensuring that your body has enough raw materials to…
- Support your exercise
- To rebuild all the stressed systems that life & exercise break down.
- Fats repair nerves, cell walls, reduce inflammation
- Proteins repair hormones, enzymes, bones, muscles
- Carbs (the fruits & veggie kind) supply vitamins & minerals which repair just about every system in your body
Step 2. Eat enough protein (animal/seafood is easiest…but with proper planning, it can absolutely be vegetarian or vegan). Because protein is such a key piece to maintaining & rebuilding a healthy body, it’s worth giving it its own bullet point. I find that many of my athletes…especially the older ones…just aren’t eating enough of this macro. If you read dietician Erin Green‘s blog posts (Downside of Restrictive Diets for Athletes & Staying Well-Fueled for Training & Life), rec’s for endurance athletes are:
1.2-1.6 grams / kg of body weight / day
(To find your weight in kg simply divide weight in pounds by 2.2.)
Step 3. Drink enough water. Notice I said “water”…not “sports drinks” or “energy drinks” or “soda” or “coffee” or “juice”…just plain ol’ water! Without proper hydration human bodies are a mess. When as little as 2% dehydrated (03lb loss for a 150lb person), we can feel…
- Tired
- Hungry
- Weak
- Out of shape (i.e., higher heart rates)
- Cramping
- Slow to react
- Distracted
- Increased carb cravings
Do any of those symptoms sound familiar? Are any of these symptoms why you’re considering a supplement in the first place?? Hmmmmmmm…….
Step 4. Prioritize Recovery (rest days, rest weeks, sleep, etc.) so that it is spot-on. What makes for great recovery? Several factors are key:
- Properly timed – Alternate Hard, Intense exercise Days with Rest Days.
- Enough of it – Suffice to say, if you’re waiting until you’re too tired to exercise…it’s too late. You needed recovery days ago. So, schedule those Rest Days & Rest Weeks frequently & regularly.
- The right kind – There a saying that there’s “no such thing as a recovery run”. I’ve heard this many times & now that I have my Oura Ring data, I believe it. Rest Days are just that…for rest. Recovery = take a walk, take a nap, throw the ball for your dog, play in the park with the kids. Recovery does NOT = running, playing a pick-up game of basketball, lifting weights, 1-1/2 hr yoga class, Pilates, skiing, hiking with elevation gain/loss.
- Get more sleep – I’ll just say it…it might be controversial. If you’re not getting at least 07hrs of sleep each night…you aren’t doing your body ANY favors. Our society loves to push this idea that we can get away with just a few hours of sleep. But, my fellow athletes, YOU are athletes! YOU need to take care of your bodies!! Let the masses “get by” on their 05hrs of sleep…YOU know better…and your body will thank you with all sorts of amazing energy, clarity, focus & improvements!
Still Need That Supplement?
There you go. Those are my 4 steps to implement before deciding to take a supplement. By getting on top of #1-4 you may very well notice that the reasons you wanted to take a supplement in the first place are gone!
But, if you’re still not feeling like energy levels, recovery, etc., etc., etc., are where they need to be…then by all means, try a small, consistent dosage over a few months’ time. Here’s the caveat though. You gotta track it! You have to determine what metrics you’ll use to assess whether it’s “working or not”. And then you have to track the data in order to see the changes in the metrics. Without the assessment piece you’re pretty well just shooting in the dark! Good luck & reach out if you have questions!
Happy training!