subject: Are The Supplements You're Taking A Waste? [print this page] Would you be interested in a pill that can burn fat from your body like a knife through butter? I think it's safe to say that most people would answer yes to this question.
Here is the challenge: how are you supposed to separate fact from fiction? After all, I'm sure you don't want to waste money on useless pills and powders.
So let me save you some money by shedding light on some dietary supplements that aren't as good as they say:
1. Arginine: The supplement companies claim two things about Arginine. One, that it increases vasodilation-the expansion of blood vessels. Two, that it increases growth hormone. The problem with taking large doses of a single amino acid is that it can block the absorption of others. Moreover, even if Arginine did increase growth hormone production, the body would decrease its own internal production.
2. Fat cell potentiators: The contents of fat cells have to be transported into your mitochondria before they can be burned. And carnitine is a supplement that allegedly does just that. Carnitine, however, is not going to have a substantial effect on how much fat your body burns.
3. Cell hydrators: Cells grow whenever they are hydrated. And creatine is a cell hydrator and volumizer. Creatine, however, does not work as good as the supplement companies claim. It does have an effect on your body, but don't expect massive gains here.
4. ZMA: ZMA is a blend of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6. The claim here is that ZMA increases levels of testosterone and IGF-1, anabolic hormones that help muscle repair itself. Again this logic is flawed because the body doesn't operate on such simplistic terms. Even if this supplement did increase hormonal output, your body would simply counteract the effect by decreasing production.
5. Casein protein: Compared to other protein powders, casein is a good choice because it digests at a much slower rate. And just like carbohydrates, your body does better with slower digesting sources of protein. This supplement, however, has been overhyped. You are far better off eating a solid source of protein with lots of vegetables.
There is lots of money to be made by selling supplements. So expect many more supplements to be hitting the market again and again. The key is to not buy into the hype and stick to what has worked for centuries: regular food.
