Do Your Supplements Work
Posted by admin on October 27th, 2008
Determining The Effectiveness of Supplements
When you are happy with your dietary pattern and base supplementation i.e. protein powder, fish oil, creatine etc, you can start considering other supplements that may help you gain the results you are after. It is very easy to be taken in by the hype surrounding some supplements and rather than taking the word of the manufacturer, it is very useful to have a method that allows you to decide if a supplement is actually giving you the results you want. This is the method I use when I evaluate a potential supplement.
Once you have decided on what supplement you want to trial, decide what results you want from it. What does the manufacturer say it will do? Which of these do you rate the most highly?
Decide on how long you will trial the supplement. Does the manufacturer specify when you will see results? You can decide to trial the supplement for a certain period of time or for certain quantity of the supplement.
When testing supplements, only test one at a time and don’t make any other adjustments to your dietary pattern or training during the trial period. This gives you the opportunity to see how your body reacts to the addition of that supplement alone, without other factors coming into play.
Keep a log of your training, food, supplements, energy levels, sleep, mental state, measurements etc. for at least 4-8 weeks prior to and throughout the trial. Make sure that you are recording all the elements that the supplement is supposed to work on. It is important to see if the supplement gives the results that you are after without adversely affecting you in any way.
After the test period, look at your log. Did the supplement work – did it give you what you wanted? If so great, you have found an effective addition to your supplement program. If not, you can start the process again with your next supplement.
Remember to sign up for my 5 part Building Muscle and Strength e-course.
If you are interested in me personally designing your programs and helping you achieve your size and strength goals go to busy-fitness.com/online-personal-training/
Wayne
