{"id":146,"date":"2013-12-16T10:47:06","date_gmt":"2013-12-16T18:47:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/?p=146"},"modified":"2014-03-09T13:02:41","modified_gmt":"2014-03-09T20:02:41","slug":"skeptical-introduction-bodybuilding-supplements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/health\/2013\/12\/16\/skeptical-introduction-bodybuilding-supplements\/","title":{"rendered":"A Skeptical Introduction to Bodybuilding Supplements"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jay Diamond<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"JD<\/a>Six months after I started working out, I could see progress: I wasn’t <\/em>on the verge of death during every workout. I was starting to do weight training, seeing and feeling the results. That\u2019s when I considered augmenting my workouts with dietary supplements.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to note that supplements aren’t meals \u2013 good overall nutrition is the first step to health, and most people can get most required nutrients from a well-rounded diet. I\u2019m an omnivore, but I have friends who are pescatarians, vegetarians, and vegans. I\u2019m not advocating one over another as long as it\u2019s well-rounded, diverse, and hits the basic food groups.<\/p>\n

My criteria around supplements were simple:<\/p>\n

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  1. Do no harm<\/b>. Or at least don\u2019t do any more harm than the normal damage inflicted by living. Everything has an effect, everything has a side effect, but most are benign. I\u2019m interested in bodybuilding for the long-term, so short-term gain at the expense of long-term pain was of no interest (i.e. Doubling the size of BOTH your biceps AND gonads would not be good). You may have different criteria.<\/li>\n
  2. Must have a clinically proven positive effect that is germane to bodybuilding<\/b>. I allow a lot of latitude here \u2013 so small, early studies are acceptable, but big long-term studies are optimal. Many supplements claim broad \u201cfeel good\u201d results like lowering toxicity or generically boosting well-being\u2013 these aren’t germane to bodybuilding… or anything else that can be measured by science. \u201cClinically proven\u201d also demands that there are recommended dosages required to obtain the positive effect.<\/li>\n
  3. I must be able to experience the positive effect<\/b>. Given the wide latitude in (2), a limited budget, and a lot of potential supplements to try, there\u2019s no point ingesting something that doesn’t yield perceivable returns. Note that this is COMPLETELY subjective and anecdotal\u2013 and I accept this criteria knowing how easily fallible humans can be duped.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Hyperbole in body building ads is prevalent, and weeding through the marketing hoopla to find the actual evidence can be daunting. Manufacturers often mix many supplements together for a magic proprietary \u201ccocktail\u201d that can be effectively marketed but mask efficacy of individual ingredients. To discover what\u2019s actually meeting my criteria, I try to keep the ingredients pure (one at a time) and uncomplicated (not a lot of other ingredients). Figure out what works individually, then combine as desired.<\/p>\n

    The first supplement that I started taking was protein. Let\u2019s examine protein supplements under my criteria:<\/p>\n

    Risks<\/span><\/b>:<\/p>\n