Do you think that supplements are worth it? Are there any fat loss or muscle building supplements that have worked for you? With all the marketing claims from the big supplement companies, you’d think we would all be ripped and sporting huge muscles by now. But that’s not the case… sooo…
…Rather than relying on advertisements to reveal what works, let’s go with real world results and share what we have found to work for each of us as well as what we have found to be a complete waste of money.
Tripled My Monthly Investment in Supplements
I’ll kick things off by sharing my recent experiment where I tripled my investment in fat loss supplements and muscle building supplements.
You would think that by spending nearly $300 on supplements each month I would see some sort of noticeable and measurable improvement.
Let’s see if that was the case with some of the most common supplements on the market… bcaa’s, creatine, fish oil, glutamine, and protein powders, and meal replacements.
Fish Oil
Before this experiment I was consuming 1.5 grams of fish oil (600 EPA 400 DHA) per day.
After reading several studies about the fat burning and muscle building benefits of mega dosing fish oil (4 grams per day) I decided to put it to the test.
…but as soon as I got started with this test I read some research on a VERY popular fitness blog about even higher mega doses of fish oil.
According to this website I should consume 10 grams of fish oil per day. Anyone who had more fat to lose than I did was advised to consume up to 40 grams of fish oil per day.
Initially I thought I was experiencing a slight boost in strength and quicker recovery from my workouts, but after 8 weeks I concluded that there was no noticeable or measurable difference in either of those areas. Not to mention that I didn’t burn fat any faster or gain muscle any quicker.
At 6x the cost ($60/month) of what I normally spend on fish oil it was not worth the extra cost whatsoever. I dropped back down to my regular dose of 1.5 grams per day and do not feel any different.
NOTE: I consume 1.5 grams of fish oil per day mainly for potential health benefits. My joints tend to feel better when I consume fish oil daily as well.
NOTE #2: A reason why I may not have experienced any additional benefit from the added fish oil could be because I already consume a fair amount of essential fatty acids through food in my diet.
BCAA’s
I first consumed bcaa’s a couple years ago when I experimented with Intermittent Fasting. It was prescribed as a way to prevent your muscles from wasting away while you were fasting. The problem was that there is no way of measuring if my muscles would have wasted away if I didn’t take the bcaa’s.
I had known that some of my fellow fitness experts prescribed 8-12 grams of bcaa’s pre-workout. It was recommended as a way for your muscle to avoid going catabolic (wasting away) during your workout.
I then began to read recommendations of mega doses of bcaa’s pre-workout and during workout. These recommendations were from a highly recognized authority in the body transformation industry who appeared to have research to back up the claims.
With my first bodybuilding contest around the corner I decided to put that research and the claims to the test… and believe me I really wanted it to work… especially since I was forking over $75/month just for bcaa’s.
After three months I did not experience any measurable increase in results above and beyond what I normally achieve during this time period.
It appears that I was simply using bcaa’s as fuel… expensive fuel at that.
NOTE: A possible explanation for the lack of improvement from bcaa’s is most likely because I already consume what would be considered a high protein diet. Therefore I already had plenty of bcaa’s from food floating through my blood stream.
Glutamine
There are many studies that show several benefits of consuming Glutamine in your diet, including immune health. But when it comes to muscle building the only studies that I came across used some pretty hefty doses.
After two months of consuming glutamine at $45/month I did not experience any noticeable or measurable improvements above and beyond what I am used to.
NOTE: A possible reason why I may not have experienced any measurable difference with glutamine is because I already get enough through my food and I was previously getting 12 grams of glutamine in my nutrition shake.
Creatine
Creatine is one of those time-tested and proven supplements where I have experienced measurable improvements in strength and endurance.
I consume pure creatine monohydrate made from Creapure. It’s relatively inexpensive and usually costs me approximately $10/month. Previously I had been consuming 5 grams in the morning, but after reading some studies that recommended 10 grams per day, I decided to give it a try. (That increased my expense by $10/month)
I didn’t notice any additional benefits from consuming 10 grams per day compared to 5 grams, so I’ve now cut back to my regular consumption.
Protein Powders
I’ve always used protein powders as a convenience more than anything. Yes, I do like to get protein into my system as soon as possible after a workout, but I don’t find it to be an absolute necessity.
I also find that I adding protein powder to my Greek yogurt or smoothies leaves me with a “light” feeling in my stomach compared to a meal of equivalent calories.
Protein powders are also an inexpensive form of protein. So when you are consuming 1.5 grams of protein per pound body weight like I do, it can save you some money.
During this experiment I was spending $120/month on protein powder.
So in total that worked out to be an investment of $320/month in supplements. That’s a lot of money for not seeing any noticeable or measurable improvements above and beyond what I normally experience.
So now it’s time to share what worked for me prior to this experiment…
What Supplements Did Work!
A Full Strength Nutrition Shake was a staple in my diet during my body transformation last year. Initially I consumed it for breakfast, but later switched to having it as my post workout meal.
At 300 calories the Full Strength Premium Nutrition Shake is incredibly nourishing and satisfying. Here is a brief nutrition fact breakdown…
* 40 grams protein
* 25 grams carbs
* 5 grams fat
* 6 grams fiber
* 12 grams of Glutamine
* Selenium, zinc, magnesium
* 500 mg of added taurine and tyrosine
* Built in antioxidant blend
* Probiotics for gut health
* Aminogen enzyme
* Chelated vitamin and mineral blends
Full Strength has been put to the test in a 10-week study conducted by the University of Oklahoma and was the most read publication of the year by scientists in this field. Here’s the results that they found…
Although the research was solid and although Shawn is one of my most trusted colleagues who operates his business with incredible integrity (has your best interest at heart), I still needed to put the Full Strength Nutrition Shake to the test.
To my delight the results that I experienced were right on par with what the study revealed…
But the results didn’t stop there. I continued to consume Full Strength for another 6 months and was able to gain more muscle and get ripped even more than before.
Of course the workouts that I was performing from the Metabolic Masterpiece body sculpting program were largely responsible for my results, but Full Strength was nourishing those results.
Conclusion
So now, I’m done with my supplement experiment and going back to consuming one Full Strength Premium Nutrition Shake per day along with 1.5 grams of fish oil and 5 grams of creatine.
It’s nice to know that I’ll be saving myself $200 in the process too 😉
I hope that there is something that you can takeaway from my experience.
It is important to note that just because something did not work for me does not mean that it won’t work for you. We’re all different. I’m incredibly healthy, active, and consume a nutrient rich diet.
Also, what has worked for me may not work for you. I am simply here to share my experiences in hopes that you can learn from them.
In the end, it’s up to us as individuals to carry out our own experiments on ourselves and put certain claims to the test in order to truly know whether or not it will work for us or not.
Which brings me to the final point…
…Now it’s your turn to share what has worked for you and what you have found to be a complete waste of money.
We’re all here to learn from each other and support each other the best we can… so don’t be shy.
Sculpt a Masterpiece,
Scott Tousignant
About The Author
Scott Tousignant, BHK, is a Certified Fitness Consultant with a passion for transforming fitness enthusiasts goal driven, dedicated, and voracious physique artists who take pride in their body, fitness, health, and lifestyle. Embraced by physique artists around the world, his Metabolic Masterpiece Body Sculpting Programs will guide you through the process of sculpting your body into a work of art, by applying what Scott has coined, The A.T.T.R.A.C.T. Formula.
With his synergistic, boredom busting body sculpting workouts you will melt stubborn fat and gain muscle while skyrocketing your metabolism!
The art of molding and chiseling an aesthetically pleasing physique with ideal proportions and spectacular symmetry is one of life’s most rewarding and fulfilling experiences. It’s an opportunity for self growth and self discovery that will impact every area of your life.