- July 25, 2022
- 14:26
The sports supplement industry is one of the wealthiest industries to date; they’re also one of the most unregulated industries. As a result, it’s almost impossible to trust what the label says on a supplement, which should be another lesson on why not trust everything we read.
Although many supplements on the shelf have been contaminated with illicit substances or contain poor-quality ingredients, it doesn’t mean supplementation is terrible – as long as it’s done correctly and safely!
Correctly supplementing isn’t that difficult. The greatest ‘difficulty’ comes with making the right choices at the right time and saving your money. Each year people spend tens of thousands of rands on supplements that have no benefit to their health; it’s more effective to save your money by only buying a few supplements and getting the rest from food.
What are Supplements?
As the name implies, supplementation is adding a part to a whole to supply a deficiency or reinforce a whole. Regarding nutrition, supplements add a nutrient to the otherwise complete diet to improve the intake of that nutrient that cannot be met by diet alone.
Generally, supplements are taken orally as a pill or powdered formulation – although intravenous or intramuscular preparations are commonly used. As for what can be classified as a supplement, it can be anything, from fluids (saline solutions) to pancreatic enzymes; if it’s to be added to a diet, it’s a supplement.
There are plenty of uses for supplementation. The most notable is supplementing in sports, supplementing energy to help meet an enormous calorie demand, and supplementing specific nutrients to improve performance and aid recovery. Or a bodybuilder that is supplementing creatine and protein for the goal of improving muscle hypertrophy and gains.
Clinically, supplementation can be a life-saver. For example, supplementing glutamine and arginine amino acids can help with burns. In addition, using copper to support the immune system fight off pulmonary infections – particularly with tuberculosis – and using micronutrient supplements for immunology and immune function is extensive – more on that later!
Why Bother With Supplements?
So many supplements are available, and it becomes difficult not to get them. Why wouldn’t you want that collagen powder that claims to heal wounds and rid your life of all problems? If you don’t need to supplement your diet, then don’t supplement – it’s as easy! How do you know if you need to supplement?
How do you determine if you need a supplement? Firstly, the only people who can tell you that you need to supplement are health professionals, and the only way they can decide that is after a full assessment and review of your blood chemistry. So, for example, I can’t tell you that you must supplement iron to help with your anaemia until I analyse your diet and look at a complete blood count, and the same can be said about any nutrient supplementation.
However, regarding sports supplements, it’s not a matter of need – if you don’t supplement something, it doesn’t mean you’ll become deficient – and more about your goals, training regimen, and budget. Also, because supplements in sports can make a huge impact, changing your diet can have the same effect. So supplements might be worth it if you can afford them, can’t change your diet, and have a disciplined training regimen.
The Risks Involved With Sports Supplements
Supplementation to improve athletic capability has been around for millennia, with the Greek Olympians in 776 BCE supplementing dried figs with certain mushrooms as ergogenic aids (substances consumed to improve performance). Despite the long history of supplements, there are still so many issues surrounding the industry, with the significant detriment being the lack of governance and regulations on sports supplements.
Sports supplements’ most prominent issues are under-dosed products and incorrect, negligent labelling. Unfortunately, most supplements available are no better placebos, with ingredients that have no benefit or supporting literature or grossly mislabeled products with under-dosed products.
Under-dosed products contain ingredients at a dose that will have no effect, such as a protein powder that claims to have 20 grams of protein per serving that only has 2 grams of protein. A South African study done on 70 local supplement companies found that only two companies adhered to what they claimed, while some were found to have less than 80% of the ingredients as to what was on the label.
Another study found that more than half of the omega supplements available did not adhere to label claims, particularly with eicosapentaenoic acids and docosahexaenoic acid. This means most of what they claimed to be in the product was a lie. Scary to think that buying a fish oil supplement could mean you’re buying poor quality, unsafe steroids!
Furthermore, a study conducted in 2004 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) found that about 15% of supplements tested contained illicit substances such as testosterone and other anabolic androgenic agents. Yet, despite the study being done nearly ten years ago, there have been very few changes to the regulation laws surrounding supplements.
Ultimately, there is the risk that there is no guarantee that the ingredients listed in the product are what they say, and unfortunately, there is no way to be sure – not all of us have access to a lab to test the product. The best approach would be to find trusted suppliers and manufacturers, which is tedious, but if you want to use supplements, you should at least ensure your money’s worth. There are a few sites that test products, such as Consumer Lab, that can help decide the quality of a product.
Which Supplements Work As Claimed?
The reality of supplements and their labelling is that there is poor regulation and supervision, but it doesn’t mean all products are of poor quality. Generally, you can assume the cost of the product reflects the ingredients. So, for example, a 20 kg protein powder that costs as little as R400.00 ($25) is likely filled with poor-quality ingredients and many filler substances (maltodextrins, anti-caking agents, husks, etc.), and substances that you don’t want to be putting in your body.
Higher-priced items that cost a month’s rent and have a total of 10 servings generally show the quality of ingredients used, such as products by Muscletech, Solal, and Gold Nutrition. Don’t get me wrong. There isn’t a guarantee that more expensive products are of higher quality, just that you should meet suspiciously low-priced products with caution.
After researching a trustworthy manufacturer, you must decide which supplements will help you meet your goals. Vitamin and mineral supplementation should only be done if they are needed. Also, ensure your diet is nutrient dense and varied – it’s more feasible and healthier. The same can be said for sports supplementation. However, when it comes to athletes and gym-goers, it can be challenging to meet all your needs from diet alone, then supplementing becomes a great idea.
Despite there being hundreds of supplements making dubious claims, there is only a handful that somewhat works as claimed and even fewer that do what is claimed. Moreover, the product in question has adequate, non-controversial evidence supporting its claim.
Only five products (so far) work as claimed, excluding protein powders, pre-workouts and other mixed formulations. They are caffeine, creatine, beta-alanine, sodium bicarbonate, and beetroot (specifically, Nitric Oxide). However, supplementing these products will most certainly work as they claim – caffeine will help with cognitive performance and lipolysis (fat breakdown), and creatine will promote muscle gains and strength performance. Read here for more detail on the five best sports supplements.
Other supplements such as L-carnitine, BCAA’s, and Chromium picolinate are classified as supplements that don’t work as claimed. Primarily due to insufficient research and controversial results. You can read more here on why they don’t work and the reasoning behind their claims.
The supplement industry is rapidly growing, with thousands of supplements for health, energy, performance, and endurance. But with the lack of regulations and laws, the industry has become untrustworthy regarding ingredients and doses used.
Supplementation should only be used when there is a need for the product. Otherwise, it’s simply a waste of money. In addition, consumers need to understand the supplements they take and why they take them because most supplements are no better than placebos, making them pointless to take.
Want to know if you need supplements? See your dietitian help you with safe and effective supplementation.
