Exposing The Sketchy Science Behind Your Supplements

The supplements industry has exploded, reaching almost $400 billion dollars just last year. But how much of the bodybuilding supplements industry is a scam? Protein powder, creatine, multivitamins, athletics greens, BCAA's, fat burners, etc. What gym supplements actually work and what doesn't? Today I’m testing the most popular workout supplements, comparing their claims against real scientific data. I’ll show you what scams to avoid and which gym supplements research says you should use instead. Starting with one that may come as a surprise … creatine.

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Americans alone consume well over 4 million kg of creatine yearly. But many companies have been taking advantage of this trend. Up to 30% of people naturally have high levels of creatine, which is why about 1 in 4 don’t see any performance benefits from it. But that’s only part of the story.

Often, companies selling workout supplements use complex terms on their creatine products to impress or even confuse buyers, and make their products seem a lot better than they actually are. Then, they bump up the price, and people think it “must be better”. But many of these expensive creatine forms are less effective than creatine monohydrate. And a lot of times they aren’t tested for safety either! So, does this mean you should stop taking creatine? Not necessarily.

But to avoid the gym supplements scams, you’ve gotta make sure you’re picking the right kind. For now, research has consistently shown that just plain old creatine monohydrate is not only the safest and most effective, it’s also the cheapest. Just try to get one that’s been third-party lab tested so you can be sure of what you’re actually consuming.

BCAA supplements may be one of the oldest scams in bodybuilding. BCAAs only contain 3 amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. So, providing your body with too many BCAAs might actually block other amino acids from being used, potentially hurting muscle recovery and growth.

But I know you might be wondering: if this research on BCAA’s is 10 years old, why do top brands still sell them as bodybuilding supplements? Well, that’s exactly why. Because they sell. That said, here’s a pro-tip: if you do want to supplement amino acids, EAAs, or essential amino acids, are a much better option. EAAs include 9 of the most important amino acids rather than 3. And they can be especially useful for vegetarians or those who like to work out fasted. But here’s how I see it. If you eat well and get enough protein, neither BCAAs or EAAs are very likely to help much. And that actually brings us to the last scam to watch out for, and the latest supplement craze taking over the internet.

Green supplements are supposedly an easy way to get your fruits and veggies in without having to chop, blend, or cook anything. But there’s been little to no evidence supporting green powders’ supposed health benefits. They also make use of deceptive nutrition labeling practices, such as the use of unregulated terms like “superfoods” and stuffing the product with water-soluble nutrients, to make them sound better than they actually are.

Some of you might now be thinking “green supplements are better because they’re sourced from whole foods”. While that is true, research has yet to show this makes any difference. Even if you “extract” the nutrients from whole foods, you still lose a lot of what makes them so good for you in the first place. Because of this, as of 2018 the Public Health of England declared that greens powders do not count towards your “5-servings-a-day.” of fruits and veggies. And that’s part of the problem. Because of how green powders are marketed, many people think they can rely on these supplements instead of eating real food. Whereas eating enough servings of fruits and vegetables a day has tons of strong evidence showing it improves health, body composition, gut health, digestion, longevity, and pretty much everything else you can think of.

So while it’s possible a greens powder may provide a small benefit for those who eat very little fruits and vegetables, it’s not a replacement. And it’s definitely a lot more pricey than a simple multivitamin.