Recommended Supplements

First things first:

We don't sell dietary supplements at Simple Solutions Fitness.

However, since clients often ask questions about them, this resource was created to help you with suggestions that could support your goals.

When choosing a supplement, we want to make sure your choices are:

• High-quality, safe brands.
• Backed by real results.
• At a reasonable price point.

Now it’s worth reiterating, supplements are just that; a supplement to the foundations of exercise, nutrition, and recovery. Your body needs many nutrients to function well.

Food provides a unique health benefit not contained in dietary liquid and powder.

There are a few supplements proven to have a measurable effect on muscle growth, energy, and performance in addition to your whole foods. You'll notice that the list of them is very short.

For more information about how to use these supplements, check out the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (JISSN).

The Journal is open access and their position stands are gems. Highly recommended if you'd like to learn more about sports nutrition and supplementation strategies that might improve your performance and body composition.

NOTE- After painstaking research, these are the products we believe in. To be upfront that SSF receives a small commission when you buy directly through us. We appreciate your consideration of supporting us by making your purchases via the links below!

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the amount of a nutrient you need to meet your basic nutritional requirements. For protein, this amount is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

Translated, a 120-pound woman needs 44 grams of protein per day.

Per the JISSN Position Stand on Protein;

"For building muscle mass and for maintaining muscle mass through a positive muscle protein balance, an overall daily protein intake in the range of 1.4–2.0 g protein/kg body weight/day (g/kg/d) is sufficient for most exercising individuals, a value that falls in line within the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range published by the Institute of Medicine for protein."

Translated, an active 120-pound woman would need anywhere from 76 to 109 grams of protein per day.

Protein is important for supporting your lean body mass (and of course your hair, skin & nails).

Protein supplements should never be your exclusive protein source.

Ergogenic or performance-enhancing supplements are for those who want to try and get every rep they can out of a workout.

Per the JISSN Review highlighting Ergogenic Aids;

"Ergogenic aids may help prepare an individual to exercise, improve exercise efficiency, enhance recovery from exercise, or assist in injury prevention during intense training."

Carbohydrate, protein and fats can all be considered ergogenic in the right context. There are a few other supplements that we might consider in addition to those.

1. Creatine
2. Caffeine
3. Beta-Alanine

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine monohydrate is one of the most researched supplements for its effectiveness and safety.

New research shows it also supports brain health.

"In addition to athletic and exercise improvement, research has shown that creatine supplementation may enhance post-exercise recovery, injury prevention, thermoregulation, rehabilitation, and concussion and/or spinal cord neuroprotection." - JISSN Position Stand on Creatine supplementation

Caffeine

Available at your local Starbs and in need of no further hype.

"Small to moderate benefits of caffeine use include, but are not limited to: muscular endurance, movement velocity and muscular strength, sprinting, jumping, and throwing performance, as well as a wide range of aerobic and anaerobic sport-specific actions." - JISSN Position Stand on Caffeine and exercise performance

While you don't need a "supplement" for this, the caffeine content of brewed coffee is highly variable.

See Eric Trexler's (an author in the position stand) extensive article on caffeine for further technical reading.

Beta-Alanine

You're likely least familiar with this supplement. Beta-Alanine (ß-alanine) is a buffering agent that has been suggested to help improve high-intensity exercise performance by increasing muscle carnosine content.

According to the JISSN Research Review Update on Exercise and Sport Nutrition, ß-alanine;

"Research suggests improvements in exercise performance with more pronounced effects on activities lasting one to 4 min; improvements in neuromuscular fatigue, particularly in older subjects, and lastly; potential benefits in tactical personnel."

No supplement is guaranteed to live up to all it's hype. Whenever you take a supplement, you should be sure that you'd be comfortable throwing the money away.

To that effect, Beta-Alanine is the one maybe on this page. Researchers noted that while it appears that ß-alanine supplementation can improve performance, some studies have failed to demonstrate a performance benefit.

For more information about how to purchase these supplements, please contact the manufacturers or distributors directly by clicking any of the links above.

DISCLAIMER - These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases. None of the statements on this website should be interpreted as medical advice. Consult your physician or licensed health care professional before starting any supplement, dietary, or exercise program, especially if you are pregnant or have any pre-existing injuries or medical conditions.