Let's talk supplements you take & how much you spent?

[QuarterMillionMan]

I used to add these pills to smoothies but now I just blend it with water & ice cream, multivitamins & minerals, calcium, magnesium glycinate, vitamin D3, Flax oil, lactobacilus salivarius. I used to take liver pills, protein shakes, creatine, DHEA, etc. When I look back it was a waste of money. Whey protein is the by-product waste of making cheese and I used to pay $35 for a tub of it. I used to buy Muscle Milk ready to drink cartons at $2 or $3 each. At a liquor store today a guy bought a $12 Rhino XXX male enhancement pill. I had to ask the guy how it works. He spoke highly about it. Even the store owner said he takes it too and it doesn't have side effects such as head aches, energy rushes, etc. I've tried similar pills which made me feel like a raging bull lasting 5 hours. I told myself never again. Energy drinks are expensive too but not sure if it's a supplement. I liked Red Bulls but the caffeine & sugars are bad.

[james.hendrickson]

QMM - why not take a plain multivitamin, eat a balanced meal and work out regularly?

[QuarterMillionMan]

James supplements are in addition to a well balanced diet and work out. Typical breakfast an avocado and non-fat milk and coffee followed by 100 sit ups (33 x 3), 50 pushups (17 x 3), 1 mile jog around my neighborhood. Lunch a sandwich. After work light work out lifting weights (ie, dumbell curls, shoulder presses, etc). Dinner a chicken breast no skin, rice, and veggies.

[QuarterMillionMan]

I would add that I get a lot of sunlight exposure every weekend. Talk about being tanned. And I get cold water exposure every weekend in the ocean where I spend an hour or more boogie boarding.

[ua_guy]

The only supplement I've ever taken is a multivitamin. I'm not sure I'm a believer in multivitamins, but the information I seek about them seems to indicate they can't really hurt, and they can help in addition to a well-balanced diet. I'm currently taking a daily multivitamin from Mega Foods, which replaced a bottle of Centrum that I finished. The Mega Foods ones are mega-expensive in comparison. $0.52/vitamin!

Middle and high school teachers and coaches taught me most of what I still find true about overall health and fitness today. That was reinforced by coaches in college. Exercise and movement. Sleep. Clean eating. Don't get sucked into fads or products, and the only diet I should ever follow is returning to clean eating and monitoring for calories in < calories out.

[myrdale]

This is one of those topics where there is just not a lot of good information.

The standard American diet, as bad as it may be, you're still going to have 99.9% of the necessary vitamins and minerals one way or the other. There is that occasional person who decides they are going to live on chicken nuggets and Mountain Dew exclusively, and they don't fall over dead (immediately).

The "Daily Value" presented on vitamins is the minimum amount you need (on average). Me being a 6'3" man at 250 pounds is going to have a different requirement than a 120 pound woman. There is a concept of an optimum value, which may be significantly higher than the daily value listed.

Personally on a daily basis I take a multivitamin, with an additional D vitamin on a routine bases (3-4 days a week). I have a cousin who takes 20 or so vitamins every day, she has weight issues and has convinced herself that all these various pills will make her healthy.

For working out there is a very short list of supplements that actually work from my understanding, and they are fairly simple.

Whey Protein helps rebuild muscles after fatigue.

Creatine provides additional energy to your muscles. It helps you get a few more reps in, and helps you push slightly heavier weights. I've heard rumors about it causing the equivalent of roid rage, that is nonsense. It does hold onto water and does concentrate in your muscles, so when you flex, from a vanity stand point, it makes you look bigger. Your arms will shrink after not taking it.

CLA is suppose to help with fat loss.

[QuarterMillionMan]

These next few items may be considered supplements of sorts and it's free so it's not costing me any money. Sunlight which I get good amounts of at the beach. Cold water plunges also at the beach. Grounding or earthing where at the beach as well when walking barefoot I get good amounts as well. Do research on this and reach your own conclusions about it. In short it has to do with electrical and connecting your body to the natural electric charges of the earth. I know this theory is a little wacky but who knows. Fasting is another thing I've been doing but not genuine fasting. The longest I've endured without eating is 16 hours. Or I've cut down from 3 or 4 meals a day down to 1 or 2 meals a day. I'm not trying to lose weight and I'm 5' - 7", 137 lbs and fit and trim and would like to gain more muscles and put weight on but research the benefits of fasting and learn why people fast. I aspire to try and make it a whole day or 2 days of fasting but when I drink a tumbler of champagne or a bottle of Heineken it goes well with something to eat. And I've discarded seed oils and replaced it with extra virgin olive oil. And I've cut out a lot of carbs such as rice, bread, processed wheat but will be making ground turkey spaghetti today w/garlic, onions, celery, and Ragu (which has lots of sugar which is another thing I've cut down but hard to eliminate), etc.

[bjl584]

Whey protein, creatine, EAA