If you spend long enough in my field, you will get asked the same questions every day. Even though this one particular question grinds my gears, I always do my best to answer…and what is that question?
Drum roll…What supplements should I take?
In the fitness industry, people always put the cart before the horse. Could the answer to your question be so simple, that no one would think of it? With slight contention in my voice, I usually answer a question with a couple more questions (I know that is impolite). What does your diet look like? How much sleep are you getting? If you have done any research on the efficacy of certain supplements, you know that they fall short of their desired marginal gains.
If you work with teenage athletes, you know what their typical diet looks like: chips, pop, fast food, stupid energy drinks and about 4 hours of sleep. Supplements are meant for one thing…and that is to SUPPLEMENT an existing proper nutrition and training regimen. If you are eating like a homeless person, do not prioritize sleep or cannot get up 15 minutes earlier to make breakfast, the rest of life is going to be very difficult.
Now…to avoid complete hypocrisy, there are supplements that I do take and that I do recommend. Creatine, vitamins, protein and green supplements are all things that have been proven to work. This is not my opinion, these things are researched and studied by people a lot smarter than I am. So, I will lean on them giving my suggestions.
To wrap this small rant up. Prioritize sleep and nutrition first. If you can eat well for a length of time, then tiptoe down the supplement road. There is not a single supplement that will ever replace or come close to the power of sleep and eating well. Short cuts will always yield short term results.
