What’s up you guys. Today I just thought it would be a good idea to delve into Supplementation in the Fitness Industry. This will become a chain of spontaneously different posts within the same topic. So over the course of the next few weeks or months depending how I feel about the totality of these posts I will dive right in. As a huge disclosure I work for a supplement/ Health and Wellness company at the moment. Yet I will show you an extremely unbiased truth behind all of this. I am not endorsing any supplement company, manufactures, distributors or eliciting sales of any product with these posts. There’s a huge factor individuals are missing when it comes to the supplement industry and I am here to help you make the proper decisions based off of your health and well being as an individual.
What is a Supplement?
Let us start with the basics. What are supplements, why are they here, what do they do and why am I so compelled to buy them? Supplements are known as various things that seem complex yet are very simple. The word Supplement as a definition if you were to goolge it would be ” Something that completes or enhances something else when added to it.” Or to Supplement would be to ” Add an extra element or amount to “. Some people will think that putting the definition out is a little ridiculous but you would be astonished how many times a day people tell me they are codependent on said supplement. Although I am definitely not allowed to disclose the actual context I have heard let us just say people are afraid to leave their codependency in fear that something will happen to them if they were to stop. As stated in the definition it can either enhance or complete something when added to it. Which is so powerful because it’s the cherry on the top. The Ala Carte to my Apple Pie. The Chocolate Syrup that just makes vanilla ice cream so much better. But that doesn’t mean that Apple Pie or that Vanilla Ice cream isn’t tasty to begin with. Which means you can live without it but it’s always nice to have. That right there answers the three questions asked earlier. They help enhance or complete something for you, they are here for a convenience or an enhancement, and it is just a nice thing to have when you need a little fisaz in your life.
To exemplify on what is a supplement beyond it’s definition. They are products that are bought in stores or online without a pharmaceutical prescription. At least within the US. Because I do know certain supplements are regulated in opposing countries that need a prescription to acquire so I am solemnly speaking for the US at the moment. But beyond that they are the things most people will be familiar with ie. multivitamins, pre workouts, protein powder, fatburners, waist trainers, detoxes, greens powder, sleep aid, nootropics and the list goes on. These are all classified as supplements or supplementation. I just need to reiterate this they do not fix anything they just help you in the process or they are just fun to try.
Who is the FDA and why are they important?
The FDA stands for The US Food And Drug Association. Supplements actually fall under the line as food substances within the sight of the government. You are consuming it after all. So you will see on just about every bottle, that contains a supplement on the inside, a stamp on the side that will state ” These statements have not been evaluated or approved of by the FDA” . The label is there to help the user acknowledge that 1. The government has not approved of any statement made by said company that this product can actually help you in any way shape or form. 2. Consume at your own risk. Those are basically the underlining truths behind this. Granted an FDA approval means you need extensive research behind your product and a lot of money and time for the government to take a look and verify that it is ” safe ” to consume and has long term benefits. When I say extensive I don’t mean the bs you see ” Clinically researched” nonsense you might see on a few supplement bottles. Some do have research but it’s also funded and skewed accordingly by the company producing the product. Real reliable right? This allows they to say whatever they want how ever they want and change what you want to hear versus what the actuality of the study pertains and how it might be flawed to hold a bias against the reality of it. That is a topic for another day though. For now just note supplements are not regulated by the government. Now they’re FDA Apporved facilities which are great when you see it on the bottle because that means you can at least believe that the product made actually has the ingredients listed in there. Wait don’t you have to be honest on what and how much is in there when creating a product? The answer is not always. Not entirely that is. You could really create a concoction in your house toss a label on it and WAMO start selling on the internet. Now that’s over simplistic and there’s certain procedures and tests some people do to classify the accuracy of the nutrition label on the back. Certain tests do need to be ran accordingly to verify the label. But there’s also smaller companies that get away with out it. Which is why the term “Third Party Tested” can be very beneficial to your individual decisions.
Third Party Testing
Third party testing is as stated, tested by a third party/ company. This company will have no correlation or relation to the supplier and they are running diagnostic tests to verify the facts listed are indeed accurate. They also test for metal and chemical levels as well as nitrogen balance ( Actual Protein amount). When you see a company state third party tested, rest assured at least what they are selling is accurate and safe (within the means in which is instructed on the bottle). Always look to see what their certification looks like if it is on their website. Don’t just take their statement for granted.
“Clinically Studied”
This is something you will see on the front of label often. I really dislike this to an extent only because when you do an actual study. If you aren’t using sound and precise means of accurately gauging said study, the study can be misinterpreted rather easily to prove a point that isn’t accurate to begin with. Worse yet the trial in which the candidates were in could either not be controlled properly or it was a small study. Both in which it would be rather hard to prove that correlation meant causation. I could go on and on over this but just know my recommendation when you see the label ignore it. Along with all the other fancy writing on the front because that is called marketing. Everything on the back of the label is what you will be ingesting and that is 10x more important than what the label on the front says. I always advise doing a bit of research on your end before buying a product. There is a lot of information out there but as long as you don’t go based off a single website or blog and broaden your searches to see what other people say. You will be in a better spot to whether you should buy said supplement or not.
Understanding Product Reviews and You
9/10 times if you have been researching a product or ingredient you will have checked out the product reviews. Then 9/10 times you have probably sat their confused because some people swear by it works, some people say it doesn’t work at all, some people say maybe it worked but they don’t. But majority will say it “worked”. My suggestion ignore product reviews unless everyone 1 stared it then just avoid it overall but here’s why I say that.
Supplement companies will do numerous things to skew this reality, they will give their raving loyal fans who love the brand free product and ask them to talk about it. The difficulty here is that whether the product is good or not in it’s entirety is something you won’t know for a fact. I see Instagram Influencers flaunt products saying it’s the best. I go to look at the label and it’s a crap blend with crappy amount of ingredients and they are over charging. I know this because I work with this stuff. People don’t pay attention to this because they trust other individuals for what they aren’t certain of. Which is nothing wrong but doing a little research goes a long way before you waste your money.
I have seen supplement companies pay people to review their products or give incentives to people to rate them a high score and write something nice about the product.
But on the flip side I have seen products with great profiles and people claiming it doesn’t work. Gasp! This is where supplementation becomes tricky. The biggest reason currently is the Placebo Effect. The body is so smart even if you simply believe something is working you would be astonished how the body on a cellular level can make it work. Whether it actually be the supplement or you is very hard to tell. But the case works vice versa if you don’t believe it will work it probably won’t. Not always but for some cases that is what happens. The other existing factor is body chemistry. Everyone tends to react to supplements differently. That’s dependent on your outside stress factors, internal stress factors, basic biochemistry the list goes on. Knowing whether something works for you or not is rather difficult to answer. For most I can say it will work just as it will for everyone else. But there are your handful of outliers in both spectrum’s.
Are Supplements Right For Me?
The answer is well it depends unfortunately. For most people I could easily tell you no. Most people need to strive for better lifestyles and healthier approaches mentally and physically to their lives. Which is where the Apple Pie and Vanilla Ice Cream come into play. Build your base and foundation before Supplementing for that extra 2% of your well being. In all honesty supplements should be seen as a fun way to add to your daily life. Not a means in which you’re starting your healthy life style journey by buying $400 dollars worth of crap you will stop taking in a months time. Supplements don’t provide easy fixes period. They are just the Ala Carte to an already healthy lifestyle. But of course a company is a company and they need to make profits. Whether that’s leaving you to believe you need something of theirs or not. The choice needs to come from a place of reasoning and understanding of not just the product but yourself. Are you really just trying to go for the easy fix? Are you just bored with your currently mundane lifestyle and want to try something new? Will I become dependent on this? Should I be buying food instead? You can ask yourself numerous questions but ultimately the decision is yours. I’ll leave things here and until next time you guys! Peace.
Steven Personius 