Supplementation
When to Supplement
I believe food should be the initial source of macro and micronutrients for most patients and athletes. If you have tried to alter your body composition, improve muscle mass, rehab your injury, or improve your performance through food without success, it's time to consider supplements.
I have been partnered with 1st Phorm out of St. Louis Missouri for the last 4 years for all supplementation use within the clinic and for my patients and athletes online.
1st Phorm is by far the superior supplement available to us as Americans. It's a clean supplement, with quality ingredients, and most importantly, they submit to 3rd party testing to verify they have no harmful ingredients. Many of your cheaper big-box supplements are lying on their labels, or possibly even hiding harmful chemicals like lead, mercury, dyes, talc etc. When it comes to your health, I recommend finding a brand you trust and find out if they submit to 3rd party testing.
Below are the most often utilized supplements in my clinic with a link to the website, with a brief overview of what they are commonly prescribed for. I use all 6 of these products personally, and I pay for them out of pocket.
Shoot me an email or schedule an office visit if you want to discuss supplementation and how it is related to your metabolism, your injuries, and your health.
Phormula-1
Your go-to whey protein in a natural formula. Naturally sweetened with 21g of protein per scoop.
Magnesium
Many of us (50% of US population) are deficient due to decreased amounts in soil and our food. Aids with sleep and muscle cramps,
Level-1
Meal replacement protein. Slow to metabolize keeping you full, and providing adequate protein for muscle synthesis.
Full Mega
A fish oil you can trust. Always read your labels. Full Mega has clinically useful amounts of EPA and DHA, unlike your cheap off-brand fish oil from the box store. Helps with inflammation and fills nutritional Omega 3 gaps.
Creatine
The most researched supplement in history. Increases anabolic muscle synthesis and allows for increased ATP production over short bouts of exercise.
Micro Factor
All of your micronutrient requirements in one daily package.
-Antioxidant
-Multivitamin
-Probiotic
-CoQ10
-EFA
-Fruit and Veg
Training
Training comes naturally for many of us. It's oftentimes the most fun part for the athlete. It's easy for us. What isn't easy is what comes after, the recovery, the rehabilitation when we are injured, the supplementation to keep us performing day in and day out.
Many things can get in the way, not understanding how to properly manage training load, how to recover post workout, financial considerations, or fear of side effects.
Whatever your reasons are, do the research, ask the hard questions, and decide if a supplement is in order. Many supplements such as whey protein, creatine, fish oil, and multivitamins are well studied, and have been around for decades.
I wouldn't recommend anything to a patient or client that I wouldn't take myself, and I'm already taking everything listed on this page, and have been for years.
