Nutrition

What are the top three most popular supplements that are primarily hype/marketing instead of actually demonstrating an effect?

Top 3 Hyped Supplements: BCAAs, Greens, Protein Powder

So what are the three most popular supplements that are primarily hype or marketing and not really demonstrating an effect in research? The first one I'm gonna say is BCAAs or branched-chain amino acids and that refers to valine, leucine, and isoleucine which are three of the nine essential amino acids we need for muscle protein synthesis. The thing about it is that you need all nine essential amino acids present in the bloodstream in order to build muscle so just adding the BCAAs into your regimen is not necessarily going to help you build muscle because your body still needs the other six essential amino acids which it will break down muscle that you already have in order to get those six into the bloodstream to begin that buildup process again. It's called muscle turnover. The second supplement I'm gonna say is greens products. So don't get me wrong I do think that some people benefit from them but there's really no research out there to prove any sort of performance benefit to these kinds of products. It's really a multivitamin and potentially a multivitamin plus probiotic so some people do benefit but there's no research on it. This third one's a hot take. I'm gonna say protein powder but only because I don't think protein powder needs to be worked into everyday recipes and I don't think it's something people should consume every day. I would much prefer people eat whole food sources of protein.

BCAAs, greens products, and protein powder are all popular supplements, but their effects are often overhyped in marketing. They may not be necessary for everyone, as whole food sources of protein can provide adequate nutrition.

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The three most popular supplements that are primarily driven by hype and marketing, rather than demonstrating a significant effect in research, are BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids), greens products, and protein powder.

BCAAs, which include valine, leucine, and isoleucine, are essential amino acids needed for muscle protein synthesis. However, simply adding BCAAs to your regimen may not effectively build muscle. Muscle protein synthesis requires all nine essential amino acids, and without the other six, your body may break down existing muscle to obtain them. This process is known as muscle turnover.

Greens products, while potentially beneficial for some individuals, lack research to support performance benefits. These products often function as a combination of a multivitamin and possibly a probiotic. While some people may find value in them, there is limited scientific evidence to back their claims.

Lastly, protein powder is a controversial supplement. While it can be useful in certain situations, such as convenience or specific dietary needs, it is not necessary to incorporate into everyday recipes or consume daily. It is generally preferable to obtain protein from whole food sources.

It's important to approach supplements with critical thinking and consider the available research before investing in products that may be driven more by marketing hype than actual effectiveness.

How much creatine should an athlete take?

Optimal Creatine Dosage: Loading vs Progressive Phase

How much creatine should an athlete take? This answer is going to depend on whether or not the athlete has already started taking creatine or not and also timing, periodization. So there's kind of two options if you're just getting started taking creatine. You could do what we call a loading phase. The overall goal of creatine is to saturate the muscle with creatine and there's two ways to do it like I said. Number one a loading phase and number two more of a slow progressive phase into it. So this loading phase is going to be intaking 20 grams of creatine per day for at least a week and that is going to saturate the muscle pretty quickly. Some side effects of doing this are typically weight gain but it's water weight. So if you're dealing with an athlete who's already lean or potentially even dehydrated these are not bad options. Doing a loading phase could totally benefit them but if you're dealing with an athlete who maybe would be a little bit freaked out by some weight gain or that's just not necessary you can do more of that slow progressive saturation and do like five grams of creatine per day and that's ideally something that's taken before exercise or immediately after you know when blood flow is nice and high to get that creatine really cycled throughout the body. But either like I said loading phase of 20 grams per day or the progressive phase of five grams per day for like three or four weeks.

Depending on the athlete, they could take either 20 grams of creatine per day for a week (loading phase), or 5 grams of creatine per day before exercise or immediately after (progressive phase) for 3-4 weeks.

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The amount of creatine an athlete should take depends on whether they have already started taking creatine and the timing or periodization of their training. If they are just starting, there are two options: a loading phase or a slow progressive phase. During the loading phase, an athlete would consume 20 grams of creatine per day for at least a week to quickly saturate the muscles. This may result in temporary weight gain due to water retention, but it can be beneficial for lean athletes or those who may be dehydrated. On the other hand, if weight gain is a concern or unnecessary, a slow progressive saturation approach can be taken. This involves consuming five grams of creatine per day over a period of three to four weeks. Ideally, the creatine should be taken before or immediately after exercise when blood flow is high to effectively distribute it throughout the body. So, depending on the circumstances, an athlete can choose between a loading phase of 20 grams per day or a progressive phase of five grams per day for several weeks.

Do you have to pair beans and rice to get the protein benefit?

Unlocking the Protein Power: Pairing Beans and Rice for Optimal Benefit

Do you have to pair beans and rice to get the protein benefit? So this question is touching on this concept of complete and incomplete proteins. So a complete protein is one that contains all nine essential amino acids, which are necessary for muscle synthesis. An incomplete protein only contains some of the nine essential amino acids. So this is why when we talk about vegan and vegetarian athletes, we really promote a very well-balanced diet with lots of different legumes and other sources of high quality plant-based proteins, because we want to make sure they get all nine essential amino acids. So specifically with pairing foods together, the idea is that you can create a complete protein out of two incomplete proteins. So beans and rice is a classic example. Now the misconception is that these things need to be paired together in the exact same meal every time. And research has shown that's actually not true. It can be more of a day-to-day basis. So again, it goes back to the promotion of just a really well-rounded diet with a big variety of foods for those who do not consume meat proteins.

You don't need to pair beans and rice together in the same meal every time to get the protein benefit. It can be done on a day-to-day basis, as long as you have a well-rounded diet with a variety of foods for those who do not consume meat proteins.

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Pairing beans and rice is often recommended to obtain the benefits of complete proteins. Complete proteins contain all nine essential amino acids necessary for muscle synthesis, while incomplete proteins only have some of these amino acids. For vegan and vegetarian athletes, a well-balanced diet with a variety of legumes and other high-quality plant-based proteins is encouraged to ensure they receive all nine essential amino acids.

The idea behind pairing foods is to create a complete protein from two incomplete proteins. Beans and rice are a classic example of this combination. However, it's important to note that these foods don't necessarily need to be consumed together in the same meal every time. Research has shown that it can be more of a day-to-day basis.

Ultimately, the key is to follow a well-rounded diet with a diverse range of foods for those who don't consume meat proteins. This approach ensures a sufficient intake of all essential amino acids.

What are valuable certifications in nutrition?

Unlocking the Value of Nutrition Certifications

I love this question. So what are valuable certifications in nutrition? The first answer to that is looking for someone that is a registered dietitian. So that means they've gone through not only the accredited schoolwork necessary to graduate with a degree in nutrition, but they've also done over 1,500 hours of supervised practice and sat and completed successfully a board certification exam to become a dietitian. And that's way different than someone who just calls themselves a nutritionist, who anybody could call themselves that. So you definitely want to focus on being a registered dietitian as far as a nutrition professional goes. After that, there are certifications in just about every practice area within nutrition, whether that be clinical, food service, or even community-based. So mine, for example, is CSSD, which is a certified specialist in sport dietetics. And that signifies that I've spent countless hours studying and have sat for and passed an exam that's specific to sport nutrition. And besides sport, there's a ton of other areas of nutrition that offer certification, such as diabetes practice, pediatric nutrition, anything like that. So anybody who has this kind of certification, it just signifies that they've sat for and successfully passed an exam in that specific practice area.

To find a valuable certification in nutrition, look for someone that is a Registered Dietitian. There are also certifications available in many different practice areas such as Clinical Nutrition, Food Service, Community-Based Nutrition, and Sport Dietetics. These certifications demonstrate that the professional has studied and successfully passed an exam in their specific practice area.

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Valuable certifications in nutrition include being a registered dietitian. Registered dietitians have completed accredited schoolwork, over 1,500 hours of supervised practice, and a board certification exam. This sets them apart from individuals who simply call themselves nutritionists.

Additionally, there are certifications available in various practice areas within nutrition, such as clinical, food service, and community-based. For example, a certified specialist in sport dietetics (CSSD) certification indicates expertise in sports nutrition. Other certifications cover areas like diabetes practice and pediatric nutrition. These certifications demonstrate that individuals have dedicated time to studying and have successfully passed exams specific to their chosen practice area.

Stevia: A Better Alternative to Sugar for Your Health

Is stevia a good alternative to sugar? So my answer to this question is yes, and there's a lot of debate around sugar versus zero calorie sweetener alternatives right now. But my viewpoint on it is this, there is no good long-term research on the effects of non-caloritive sugar alternatives like stevia and sweet and low and those kinds of things. There's no good research showing that it really is truly harmful for us. Now, if we are comparing stevia, a non-caloric plant-based sweetener, to sugar, which comes with calories, I'm gonna choose stevia 10 times out of 10, because for most people, cutting out sugar is really difficult, and stevia offers a non-caloric option to cut those cravings. And pure sugar itself doesn't really do good things for the body. Now, we're not gonna get into the nuances of for athletic performance and all those things. Like, I'm gonna set all that aside and just speak from a health perspective right now. I always say stevia is a better alternative than using pure sugar, and that's based off of studies that have shown switching to a non-caloric sweetener is better for long-term health outcomes than continuing to use sugar.

Yes, Stevia is a good alternative to sugar as it offers a non-caloric option to cut those cravings and has been shown to be better for long-term health outcomes than continuing to use sugar.

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Yes, stevia is a good alternative to sugar. While there is ongoing debate surrounding sugar versus zero-calorie sweetener alternatives like stevia, my viewpoint is that there is no comprehensive long-term research showing that non-caloric sugar alternatives are harmful. When comparing stevia, a non-caloric plant-based sweetener, to sugar which contains calories, I would choose stevia every time. Cutting out sugar can be challenging for most people, and stevia provides a non-caloric option to satisfy cravings. Additionally, pure sugar does not offer significant health benefits. From a health perspective, I believe stevia is a better alternative to using pure sugar, based on studies suggesting that switching to a non-caloric sweetener yields better long-term health outcomes. While we won't delve into the nuances of athletic performance and other factors, from a general health standpoint, stevia is a preferable choice over sugar.

Can you explain celiac disease to someone who recently got a diagnosis?

Understanding Celiac Disease: A Life-Changing Diagnosis Demands Gluten-Free Diet

Can you explain celiac disease to someone who recently got a diagnosis? So celiac disease is an autoimmune condition where someone's gut microbiome recognizes gluten in the diet as a foreign invader, essentially. And this results in the body fighting against that foreign invader and it can cause a ton of gastrointestinal distress, malabsorption of nutrients, and potentially really life-threatening effects depending on the severity of the celiac disease. So subsequently, these people have to go gluten-free in their diet. So that means no wheat, rye, or barley products because all of those contain gluten. Luckily, celiacs has been known about for a little while now, so there are a ton of gluten-free products on the market that hopefully somebody who is diagnosed with celiacs can adapt to eating, but in general, they just, like I said, need to stay away from wheat, rye, and barley. So things like oatmeal are still good, rice is great, root vegetables like potatoes, because wheat, rye, and barley are all starchy carbohydrates, so if you're trying to substitute those out for another starchy carbohydrate, things like oatmeal, rice, root vegetables, potatoes, all of that is going to work.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition where someone's gut microbiome reacts to gluten in the diet as a foreign invader. This results in gastrointestinal distress, malabsorption of nutrients, and potentially life-threatening effects. To manage celiac disease, people must go gluten-free and avoid food containing wheat, rye, or barley. There are plenty of gluten-free substitutes such as oatmeal, rice, root vegetables, and potatoes.

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Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition where the body's gut microbiome sees gluten in the diet as a foreign invader. This triggers an immune response that can lead to gastrointestinal distress, malabsorption of nutrients, and potentially serious health effects. To manage celiac disease, individuals need to follow a gluten-free diet, avoiding wheat, rye, and barley products since they contain gluten. Fortunately, there are many gluten-free products available on the market. It's important to substitute starchy carbohydrates like wheat, rye, and barley with alternatives such as oatmeal, rice, and root vegetables like potatoes. These options can be safely consumed by someone with celiac disease.

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Dr. Emily Werner, PhD, RD, CSSD is the Team Dietitian for the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA. She has also been working as Nutrition Affairs lead for Amazentis and Timeline Nutrition since February of 2022. She has over seven years of experience working with athletes in different capacities including individual consultation, research, academia, and the team sport setting. Her expertise is in the assessment of sport nutrition knowledge and behavior, as well as the application of sport nutrition for health and performance.

Neither AnyQuestion nor its Experts provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or otherwise provide professional healthcare services.