January 11, 2008
Are Dietary Supplements Needed?

Question: My nutrition teacher and I recently had a discussion about working out. She is a certified dietician and told me if I have a very healthy diet, I don't need to take anything at all. She told me all I need to do is have a great diet and workout, and I will be perfect. She also said that mostly every supplement will harm you in the long run. But then I see every single person who works out taking supplements, and I have no idea what's right and what's wrong. Please help me! Thank you.

Justin Leonard: Your teacher is right. However, it can be argued that those who use supplements tend to live longer. But do they live longer because of the supplements? Or are they generally more health conscious? I agree that many supplements could in fact harm you in the long run.

You mentioned that many of the people you see are taking supplements. For the general population, supplements are often used for aesthetic reasons. Athletes use supplements to recover quicker, get stronger, and boost physical performance. They may also use supplements to improve mental alertness and delay muscle fatigue. Caffeine does both.

Justin Leonard: It is unclear how the technique you described will work the transverse muscle. That is not to say that it is ineffective. The transversus abdominis is basically like a weightlifting belt. Its function is to stabilize the core muscles and internal organ structures that surround the abdomen. Because of its role, it is generally regarded as a breathing muscle. The only way to work it is by creating a stomach vacuum. This can either be done by "sucking" your abs in as far as you can, or by holding your breath and straining while lifting heavy objects (Note: This is referred to as the Valsalva maneuver. It is not recommended).

Justin Leonard: If your main goal is to lose weight, you must look to solutions other than exercise. Muscle weighs more than fat. So you could in fact gain weight on an exercise program. Statistically, a woman who exercises for 12 weeks will only lose about 5 pounds after fluctuations in weight are averaged out. Men will lose anywhere from 8 to 10. Exercise alone is virtually ineffective for significant weight loss. However, it is extremely effective for health and strength. You will not see a significant reduction in weight until the diet changes consistently. Fat loss on the other hand is a bit different. Right now, you may be experiencing a reduction in total bodyfat while increasing muscle. Total bodyfat also includes visceral fat, which is the type of fat that surrounds the organs and cannot be pinched. This too could result in what appears to be a constant weight without a decrease. But in reality, it's actually a good thing.

Justin Leonard: Yes, too much creatine could cause a bloating effect, particularly during the so-called creatine "loading phase." The loading phase, in my opinion, is a gimmick concocted by the supplement companies to generate more revenues. It has to do with how much you consume. I do not consider bloating or swelling a side effect. It might be undesired, but different from a side effect, which is usually adverse in nature. Creatine supplementation is usually beneficial to those who use it. Scientific research has shown this to be the case over and over. The key is not to take more than the body needs, for this is what causes the bloating. What some people do is gradually test it using lower doses. If everything appears to be okay, the dose is increased.

Justin Leonard: Be skeptical when reading advice from bodybuilders. You will hear many bodybuilders saying that you should eat more frequently. This is based on the assumption that the meals are smaller than normal. Also, bodybuilders typically have no problems losing weight due to the amount of lean muscle mass they have. The key is to eat fewer calories than your body needs. It takes a deficit of 3,500 calories in order to lose 1 pound. So according to your BMR (basal metabolic rate) measure of 2,627, you would need to take in no more than 2,127 calories per day. If this is done over the course of 7 days (500 x 7 = 3500), you should drop 1 pound per week.

Justin Leonard: It depends. The body can build muscle with minimal protein. If you simply want to gain weight, the rule is that you must consume 500 calories more per day than your body needs. One pound is equal to 3,500 calories. Over the course of 7 days, the excess of 500 calories should amount to 1 added pound per week. Yes, eating 18 - 20 calories per pound can definitely make you fat, particularly if you don't weigh much to begin with. Conversely, this amount of calories may be ideal for a larger person looking to gain muscle.

Justin Leonard: How many sit-ups can you currently do in one minute? Technically, I would need to know a lot more about your workout history and fitness level. If you are new to working out, the abs will only be able to endure about one or two workouts per week (because of the soreness from lack of conditioning). However, if you are accustomed to working out, you may be able to up the frequency of the workouts to about two to three per week. For now, consider the following: Practice doing the sit-ups using the exact protocol that you will have to do during testing. Perform as many as your body will allow. Once you've built up your resistance to fatigue, try to add more repetitions to ensure you can meet the minimum requirement. In addition, supplementation with protein and creatine may help to improve strength and stamina.

Justin Leonard: It sounds like bloating; possibly from the protein supplement. Many contain cheap milk byproducts that might be difficult for the body to break down. Abdominal training alone can increase the size of the ab region in some people. The solution to your problem is really tricky since the exact cause is unknown. You might consider switching protein powders as a test. Also, be sure to take only one scoop (or less) of protein per serving. The body can only digest so much at a time. A surplus of protein, or any nutrient for that matter, will most certainly be stored as fat.

Justin Leonard: Both ZMA (zinc magnesium aspartate) and tribulus (a plant/herb) supplements claim to boost testosterone production. The following is a link (PDF file) to a study which renders ZMA as pretty much a useless supplement. The researchers in this study found that ZMA had no significant effect on strength or endurance in trained/fit subjects.

Justin Leonard: A liquid diet is also a fad diet. On a liquid diet, you will lose weight fast, mainly muscle. You will also lose some fat. You will quickly gain the weight back when you return to your normal eating habits. The weight loss is primarily attributed to water loss. This is true despite that fact that you are on a "liquid" diet. Let me explain:

Justin Leonard: Generally when you try to gain weight, it negates any effort to sculpt the abs. In a perfect world, one can sculpt the abs while increasing the size of other muscles. Some have the genetics to do this, but most don't. Therefore, my recommendation is to focus on either losing or gaining. If you commit to the later, you will more than likely have toned abs early on, but as your weight gain efforts progress, the visibility of the abs may fade.

Justin Leonard: Welcome to Leonard Fitness. The truth is, some people will notice a significant body transformation, while others will not. There could be several reasons that you are not experiencing the progress you desire. After reading your story, I have determined the following possibilities: 1) your workout intensity may be too low 2) you have a high set point, which is common amongst those who have had children 3) genetically, your body may not be built for significant weight loss 4) you are building muscle and burning fat, in which case the gains in lean muscle mass can negate any "scale" weight loss.

Justin Leonard: It's hard to say precisely. The simple answer is "whenever you can." Morning or night, it doesn't matter. Just try to get a workout in when you can. You may want to also consider doing 15 or 30 minute workouts if time is limited. You can also break up your workouts, such as performing two separate 15 or 30 minute sessions per day. There are several ways you can sneak in a workout. It is important to note that workouts need not be performed in one consecutive bout. The accumulation of exercise has also been shown to be effective (e.g. multiple 15 or 30 minute bouts throughout the day).

Justin Leonard: I am not familiar with Progressive Veggie Greens. If this is a typical "green" supplement drink, then it may indeed provide a health benefit. I agree with your wife in that real vegetables are always better. Green drinks are basically multivitamin supplements. Vegetables provide a considerable amount of vitamin, mineral, antioxidant, enzyme, and some amino acid content. They are also responsible for the energy-producing substances found in popular energy/sports drinks (e.g. caffeine, spirulina, green tea, ginseng, barley grass, etc.).

Justin Leonard: First, 10% bodyfat is an arbitrary number. While it is fairly low, it does not guarantee the visibility of the abdominal muscles. What is your gender? In general, women should never have a bodyfat percentage this low (for health reasons). Men who are around 10% bodyfat will usually have visible abs. As for tips and secrets, there aren't many you haven't heard of. A combination of sound nutrition, cardiovascular, and strength training will yield the best results. Lean body mass increases metabolic demands, resulting in a greater overall reduction in bodyfat. When energy demands are increased, fat loss can take place at rest or even during sleep. This is otherwise known as a resting metabolic rate or RMR. It is important to note that strength training will actually provide the greatest single increase in metabolic demands. Your final question was in reference to how long it would take to reach your goal: Since everyone responds differently to exercise and nutrition, there is no way to make a prediction on how soon you will reach your goal.

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