There are no shortcuts

First things first, when it comes to supplements it’s essential to understand that supplements should only ever be used to support a healthy balanced diet and what you eat, how you sleep and managing stress, should be the first things you address when wanting to enhance your performance and perfect your progress.

That being said, sometimes it might not always be possible or attainable to get everything you need through food, good sleep might be proving problematic and stress might feel at times hard to manage. Therefore in some cases supplementation might be able to fill in some gaps with what you’re missing - as well as provide an extra oomph to smash and support your goals.

Protein powder

When it comes to performance, health and weight management, getting enough protein is a must. Protein is the building block of all our cells and is an essential nutrient in helping our bodies repair, rebuild and regrow.

It’s important that we get most of our protein through good quality natural sources like:

Lean meats

Eggs

Tofu

Fish Lentils & legumes

However, sometimes it can be a struggle to get this when we are constantly on the go, or making sure we’ve prepared a high protein post-workout meal for that EvolveYou workout that’s just been completed. That’s where protein powder comes in. Enjoying a post-workout protein shake or adding protein powder to your morning oats can be a delicious and easy way to pack in more protein, helping to aid recovery, performance and your progress.

Creatine

Taking creatine is a popular supplement for many avid gym goers, and there’s good science to support this too. Although creatine is naturally occurring in our muscle cells, supplementing it provides our muscles with extra fuel, helping to push harder for longer. Other studies have shown that supplementing creatine can aid the body in muscle growth and support recovery - and is particularly helpful when it comes down to high intensity and repetitive exercise like body-building, powerlifting or activities like football, hockey and track sports.

Because it helps to boost performance, creatine is best taken on the days you work out and shortly before you do your session. You can either take creatine in either a powder or pill form. The powder is much more easily absorbed into your body, however for those on the move a pill might be much easier to take.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that helps to keep your bones, teeth and muscles healthy. Some research has even shown that increasing your intake of vitamin D can enhance performance, increase your strength and even prevent certain bone injuries!

That being said a lot of us tend to be deficient in this vital vitamin and that’s due to the reason that although it can be found in a small number of foods like:

Egg yolks

Red meat

Oily fish - like mackerel, salmon and tuna

One of the best ways to get our fill of vitamin D is through the use of natural sunlight. However as the cold, dark winter nights loom in, it might be important that you increase your intake by supplementing it. In fact the NHS and UK government recommend that everyone in the UK should supplement with vitamin d during the autumn and winter months!

Omega-3

Omega 3 essential fatty acids are (as the name suggests), essential to promoting a healthy heart, brain and good hormonal health. Found in:

Oily fish - like mackerel, salmon and tuna

Walnuts

And seeds such as (flax, chia and hemp)

This super fat has also been proven to decrease inflammation, improve cellular function as well as support recovery. Our bodies can’t produce these healthy fats from scratch, so if you’re not eating at least one portion of oily fish a week or regularly consuming walnuts and seeds, then it’s important that you consider supplementing it.

If you think you may benefit from a particular supplement, check out Zooki, as they aim to use quality and natural ingredients in their products.

Are all supplements created equal?

Now that we’ve looked at a few supplements that may enhance your progress and performance, it’s important to understand that not all supplements are created equal. If you’ve decided that your body could benefit from a boost, it’s important to be selective when it comes to shopping.

✅ Quality always

Most supplements are synthetic and can contain sneaky ingredients to either bulk them up and/or make them tasty. So when searching for supplements always look at the ingredients list and aim to avoid chemicals and artificial sweeteners where possible.

✅ Read the label

If you’ve decided you want to supplement, it’s essential that you read and follow the labels with when and how much to take.

✅ Buy from a reputable retailer

Most supplements are safe to consume, however to be sure always buy from a reputable retailer.

✅ Discuss with your doctor

When it comes to supplementation, it’s important that you first assess whether you actually need to take them. If you ever have any concerns we recommend that you always speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

The bottom line

When it comes to health, progress and results that’ll last, no supplement can ever replace good nutrition, quality sleep and management of stress. So always aim to address these first and then see what you might need to support your goals.