The most important supplements at a glance!

These days there's a huge number of different supplements out there. From simple protein powder to vitamin products, creatine, and all kinds of amino acid products. But which supplements do you actually need? And which ones are simply a waste of money?

In this article, I'll show you the supplements I consider most important. The ones I cover here have a scientifically proven effect that's genuinely worth mentioning and that justifies the price.

But first, a quick introduction: my name is Marco Laterza and I'm a personal trainer from Zurich. I help my clients reach their goals in nutrition and fitness. If you're serious about getting started, feel free to get in touch with me.

Do you really need supplements?

But first, let me clear one thing up: the products I'll cover in this post are supplements. As the name suggests, they're not mandatory. You can lose weight or build muscle without taking any of these products at all.

What really matters is balanced nutrition and enough exercise. Especially as a beginner, you'll see plenty of progress simply by sticking to a plan over a longer period of time. Supplements are just an extra that can help you squeeze a bit more out of yourself. But they're only meant to supplement your routine, not replace it.

Supplement #1: protein powder

The first supplement on the list is the good old protein powder. It's probably what most people picture when they hear the word "supplement." That's not surprising either, since protein powder is the ideal companion when you want to build muscle.

Protein is essential for building muscle. As a general rule of thumb, aim for between 1.4 and 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For an average man weighing 80 kilograms, that's between 112 and 160 grams a day. That's quite a lot.

If you're struggling to get enough protein from regular food, you can fall back on protein powder. This supplement proves especially helpful with a vegetarian or vegan diet.

There are different types of protein powder. There's classic whey protein, made from milk. There's casein protein, which is digested over a longer period and is therefore ideal to take before bed. On top of that, there are various types of vegan protein, often made from pea or soy protein. Either way, protein powder is well worth recommending, since the value for money is right too.

Supplement #2: creatine

Many of you have probably never heard of creatine. But in the fitness and strength sport world, creatine is hugely popular, since it's one of the best-researched supplements out there. Creatine is one of the few supplements shown to increase muscle strength that's also approved by food safety authorities.

Creatine can boost muscle strength by up to 15%. That's because the supplement allows your body to supply more energy during short, intense efforts. This means you can train with more reps, or even more sets, in strength training. And the higher the load on your muscles, the better your long-term muscle growth.

Creatine is naturally part of our regular diet, though we only get at most 1 gram a day from food. The body can also synthesize creatine itself, at around one to two grams per day. So in theory, you wouldn't need to take creatine at all. In practice, though, the body can absorb up to 7 grams, which shows just how effective taking creatine can be.

On top of that, creatine is also one of the cheapest supplements out there. It has a scientifically proven effect on muscle growth, and great value for money on top of that. It's on the list of essential supplements for good reason.

Supplement #3: vitamin supplements

Vitamin supplements can also turn out to be very worthwhile. After all, they make it easy to cover your basic vitamin needs, which apparently means living healthier, right? Well, here are a few points to keep in mind if you're thinking about buying vitamin supplements:

• You can cover your basic needs with a healthy, balanced diet. That way you eat healthily and don't need to spend money on vitamin supplements.
• With vitamin supplements, the cheap vitamins are often overdosed and the expensive ones underdosed. You also need to make sure the mix of vitamins is genuinely high quality.
• Taking too many vitamins can have negative effects. Too much vitamin A, for example, damages your skin.

Still, there are situations where taking vitamin supplements makes sense. Take a vegan diet, for example. By no longer eating meat, you automatically take in less iron and vitamin B12. To avoid a deficiency here, you could fall back on supplements.

If you've had bloodwork done, you might discover you're deficient in a particular vitamin or mineral. In consultation with your doctor, you could then supplement it.

Vitamin D is a special case here. Vitamin D is mostly produced by the body itself when we're exposed to sunlight. Switzerland has a long winter, though, when the sun doesn't show up all that often. Vitamin D deficiency is very common here as a result. That's why it makes sense for most people here to take vitamin D supplements. Vitamin D is essential for our immune system, our mood, and our muscle growth too. So vitamin D is genuinely worthwhile and effective.

Supplement #4: omega-3

Since we're already on the topic of nutrients we usually get too little of, let's also talk about omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 is an important part of our diet, since it contributes to a normal metabolism. It also strengthens our immune defenses and contributes to the production of tissue hormones.

Omega-3 comes in the form of ALA, DHA, and EPA. While ALA is a plant-based omega-3, DHA and EPA are extracted from either fish or algae. And since we in Central Europe generally eat too little fish, supplementing with omega-3 makes sense.

Of course, you can also get enough omega-3 fatty acids by eating more fish. You can also get plant-based omega-3 through walnuts or flaxseed. So if you eat a varied diet, you don't necessarily need this supplement either.

Which supplements don't you necessarily need?

At this point, I want to briefly cover a few other supplements that can be useful but aren't strictly necessary:

• Testosterone boosters: Higher testosterone levels help men build more muscle and boost libido. But not every testosterone booster is actually effective. They're also often quite expensive. When it comes to supplement basics, a testosterone booster isn't strictly necessary.
• Pre-workout boosters: Especially in strength sports, a lot of people take a so-called booster before training. It's usually packed with caffeine, L-citrulline, and other ingredients. While a booster can be useful for boosting focus and performance, it's not strictly necessary for effective training.
• BCAAs: You'll also often find BCAA supplements for sale. These consist of the key amino acids. But since we already get all the essential amino acids through normal protein intake, BCAAs aren't really necessary. As a supplement, though, they can give a short-term performance boost, especially for advanced athletes.
• Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha can also be very effective. That's because it lowers cortisol levels in the body and, with it, your sense of stress. This means the supplement has a positive effect on your nervous system and sleep, which supports good recovery. Still, the price is quite high, so it's only worth it for those willing to pay it.

Conclusion: balanced nutrition comes first!

In this article, I've walked you through the most important supplements. But don't forget: these products are only meant as a supplement, not a substitute. It's definitely not a good idea to skip an entire meal and drink a protein shake instead. That should only be used when you're not getting enough protein through your normal diet.

Balanced nutrition really is far more important. Focus on eating healthily and with variety. If you feel like you need an extra edge to make progress in your training, that's when you can turn to supplements.