And it sometimes feels like even a nightly TV weatherperson could not keep up with the comings and goings of fads and booms and trends in the field. What’s the straight scoop about sports supplements? The bottom line, and the only fact that holds still it seems, is that supplements have their pros and cons. Let’s have a look.

What Supplements are All About

Fitness training gives intention, direction, focus, and energy to the body’s own astounding natural processes. When cells get used, they come back stronger. The body’s response to demand is to build – not only strength and size and flexibility, but also oxygen efficiency, blood supply, and even cleansing.

Our bodies are built to extract the raw materials for this amazing process of constant renewal from the foods we eat. A close study of how we accomplish that extraction and application is enough to amaze anyone at the genius of the body’s design. There are macronutrients such as proteins and carbohydrates, micronutrients such as vitamins, and things that just make the process work, such as fiber. The body knows exactly how to get them out of the food we eat and where to put them in our bodies.

Exercise can raise the efficiency of this process, but it’s usually not the digestive or metabolic process that needs help nowadays – it’s the food.

Why to Consider Supplements Today

More than half of what Americans eat is “ultra-processed,” and those foods account for 90 percent of U.S. added sugar intake, according to research published in The BMJ, a leading medical journal. In most cases, that makes it harder for the body to extract the nutrients that the food is supposed to be all about. We think this is the first “pro,” the first reason to consider the use of supplements when you train.

The best second reason is that the demands you are placing on your body may be in a different proportion than your diet. Although this happens in subtle and widespread ways, one big, obvious example might be a competitive body builder we know who is dedicated to a vegan diet. Although vegetable sources of protein are abundant and legitimate, it is difficult for her to achieve the levels called for to support the mass and definition she is seeking for competition. Protein supplements, fortunately, are among the longest-established and most readily available. Still, choosing the right one for you might be a challenge.

A different form of supplement is more about the process than the fuel. Supplements that stimulate metabolism and even specific muscle-fluid interaction, for example, come and go. Here, the challenge is even greater to identify the safe and effective options that may be right for you.

Our Short List of Pros and Cons

It’s easy to find research that says supplements are beneficial, and it’s also easy to find research that says they aren’t proven to help much at all. So, you have to weight the pros and cons for yourself. Here is our short list:

PROS

• Increased muscle mass
• Increased strength
• Increased protein synthesis
• Increased blood flow
• Increased muscle recovery
• More stamina
• Enhanced performance
• Fat loss

CONS

• Kidney damage
• GI problems
• Insomnia
•  Headaches
•  Liver damage
• Nutrient deficiencies

The Greatest Con

Of great concern with sports supplements is that some contain large amounts of protein or creatine, according to a report published in NPS MedicineWise. The use of these supplements may cause a raised blood urea or creatinine in an otherwise healthy individual. In addition, the report concluded that long-term use of supplements can have adverse health effects. For instance, supplements could potentially worsen some health conditions or interact with drugs. In addition, some products are contaminated with substances that are prohibited in sport and may contain steroids that are not listed on the product label.

And this brings us to the biggest drawback about supplements – the greatest “con,” no pun intended. The coming and going of claims and products in the supplements field is brisk, to say the least. Getting a guide to help you sort it out seems like a reasonable precaution.

Sorting through the claims and identifying the supplements that can support your own goals and assets is a job to assign to an experienced, proficient, up-to-date trainer. Here at Eclipse 1-on-1, our accomplished team of personal trainers can do just that. We are as invested in your success as you are.