Personal Trainers and Fitness pro’s lean on supplements… Because they have too…

I would like to start by saying that we do believe in using supplements, but they are NOT to be confused with magic pills (sorry!). They cannot undo the damage that a crappy diet and lifestyle can cause. However, they CAN be used to help fill in the blanks in your diet and to support your workouts and busy lifestyle. Sandbox personal trainers first believe that good health comes from good food and lifestyle habits; but we’ve conceded that there are many cases where supplementation can accomplish things that food simply cannot.

Everybody has their own unique circumstances which may lead to an increased need to use a supplement. There are a few reasons as to why supplements may be an important addition to YOUR health regime:

  • Food Quality: Unfortunately, the quality of our food has taken a nose dive in the last 50 years. This is a result of over farming land, the popularization of antibiotics to preserve the shelf life of food, and the use hormones to increase the speed of food production. The major companies that provide us with food are focused less on nutrient value and more on profits. One example of this is the increasingly common defienciency in magnesium. Magnesium is now the second most common defienciency in developed countries; and magnesium content in crops is dependent on soil quality.

 

  • Stress: If you are dealing with large amounts of stress your body may be largely unequipped to even absorb healthy foods because of how cortisol (and other stress hormones) interrupt the digestive process. This stress can be from poor sleeping habits, emotional stress from a relationship or work situation.

 

  • Medications: Both prescription and over-the-counter medications can have different effects on the digestion process, making it difficult to absorb the nutrients from even the healthiest foods. Medications may cause irritation of the esophagus, the stomach lining, and disruption in your intestinal bacteria balance (leading to constipation, diarrhea, and/or general discomfort). One of the more common examples of this is antibiotics causing an bacteria Clostridium difficile leading to general discomfort after eating and diarrhea.

 

  • Current Deficiency: If you are already deficient in something you may need a higher dosage of it to get your body back on track. Once the balance has been restored, you can slow down on the supplement and return to using food and good lifestyle habits, maintain a healthy balance.

The world of supplements is forever-growing and extremely overwhelming. There are so many different types, brands, and different opinions out there. If you are interested in learning more, our straight goods supplement series is a good place to start!

Read more about our Most Commonly Used Supplements:

PROBIOTCS      MAGNESIUM

VITAMIN D       OMEGA 3’s

References:

Kresser, Chris. Are Supplements really Necessary? ChrisKresser.com. (Jan 19 2009) Retrieved from: http://chriskresser.com/are-supplements-really-necessary/

Longitudinal trajectories of sleep duration in the general population. Statistics Canada. (2013) Retrieved from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-003-x/2013011/article/11877-eng.htm

Public Health Agency of Canada. (2009). Tracking Heart Disease and Stroke in Canada, 2009. Retrieved from: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/2009/cvd-avc/pdf/cvd-avs-2009-eng.pdf