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Summary
On episode 154 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan runs through five supplements worth considering when your diet alone can’t cover the gap: fish oil, creatine, vitamin D, a multivitamin, and magnesium.
His core rule going in: a supplement is only meant to supplement real food, not replace it. If you can get something from food, get it from food first.
He walks through what each one does, when it actually makes sense to take it, and the tradeoffs, like fish oil going rancid, creatine’s water weight, and money wasted on vitamins your body just flushes out.
Links
- https://40plusfitness.com
Key Takeaways
- Supplements are meant to fill gaps in your real food, not replace it. Take a supplement to compensate for what you can’t get from food, not as a shortcut around eating well.
- Fish oil supports heart, joint, and brain health through omega-3s. Because it oxidizes quickly, store it in a cool, dark place like the fridge and periodically smell a capsule to check it hasn’t gone rancid.
- Creatine is one of the most studied supplements and helps strength and possibly brain function. Allan cycles on and off it because it also causes water retention that can add a few pounds of bloat.
- Vitamin D deficiency is common for people who work indoors and get little sun. A blood panel is the best way to know if you actually need to supplement, since your body can make its own vitamin D from safe sun exposure.
- Multivitamins should fill nutritional gaps from unusual eating patterns, not replace a varied diet. Allan takes one during ketogenic phases when he isn’t eating much fruit and could otherwise miss vitamin C.
- Water-soluble vitamins like C and B get flushed out once you exceed what your body can absorb. That puts a real limit on how much benefit you actually get from a multivitamin.
- Magnesium, taken as a ZMA blend with zinc, acts as a sleep aid. It helps Allan fall into deeper sleep, and that depth occasionally produces vivid or lucid dreaming.
- None of these are meant to be permanent fixtures. Add a supplement when your food, environment, or goals create a real gap, and drop it again once that gap closes.
“If you need the supplements, take the supplements. Otherwise, it can be a big waste of money if you’re already getting it from your food.”
Coach Allan