Introduction

There are a number of foundations values that warrant discussion from the outset. These include but are not limited to:

• To supplement or not
• Dosage – minimal vs. optimal
• Food vs. supplements
• Origin – Organic vs. synthetic
• Purpose – performance enhancing vs. optimizing health

To supplement or not

There are some who believe that they should not or do not need to supplement their nutrition.  We respect that. However, that is not the KSI way. Our position is that supplements have a beneficial role to play.

Some people believe they get all they need from food.  We prefer to focus on the question of what the optimal dosages of each micro-nutrient.  And are you getting this from food alone? Asking these questions allows for each person to objectively determine if supplementation is warranted or not.

Dosage – minimal vs. optimal

Clarify your expectations around nutrition, especially micronutrients.  Then you can discuss minimal dosage vs. optimal dosage.

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) or Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) are based on minimum nutrient requirements to avoid deficiency diseases like Scurvy (vitamin C deficiency), rickets (vitamin d deficiency),  and anemia (iron, folate, or B12 deficiency).  They recommend just enough to prevent these diseases.

Higher standards of living and advancements in our understanding have led to the concept of optimal.  Optimal doses are much higher than the minimal dose recommended by the RDA.  It is your choice to focus on the bare minimum to prevent deficiency diseases or to instead focus on optimal doses that could provide further health benefits.

This concept of optimal has not, however, altered the values around nutritional recommendations as provided by the current RDA’s.  Therefore, the majority are still focused on minimal rather than optimal.

It is your choice which focus you choose.

Food vs. supplements

Let me make this very clear from the outset – you will benefit from a value decision between the relative role of nutrition vs. nutritional supplementation. In this chapter we share our value position on the role of nutrition vs. nutritional supplementation

Nutrition is always first. Nutritional supplementation is just that – a supplement. There is a time and place for supplements, but they aren’t intended to replace or exceed the role of nutrition.

The fact that we seek excellence in nutritional supplementation should not be interpreted as a message that it is more important than nutrition.

Nor should the position we take that nutrition trumps supplementation be interpreted to mean that supplementation is not important.

Although we respect the right of anyone to reach their own conclusions, we don’t believe it has to be one or the other. We believe we can place importance on and seek excellence in both nutrition, and nutritional supplementation.

We recognize that from time to time there are trends that come with paradigms that directly or indirectly exclude one or the other – nutrition of nutritional supplementation.  For us, that level of black and white approach may discount our support for the trend/paradigm.

Origin – Organic vs. synthetic

With the rising interest in organic foods, questions are often raised about the use of non-organic materials in supplements. Some brands even claim superiority on the basis of exclusive use of organic raw material in their supplements.

To address this issue we refer to material provided by the ‘Ask the Scientist’ department of our partner company:

The raw ingredients that go into the products come from a variety of sources. Some are derived from plants (our vitamin E, for example, is derived from soy) while others are produced synthetically. Some are derived from natural sources but have been further modified by synthetic steps. Others are derived from fermentation processes.

Natural versus synthetic is just one of the criteria that the company uses to select the raw ingredients that go into its products. Other factors taken into account are potency, purity, safety, stability, and reliability of supply.

All factors being equal, we will select naturally derived materials over synthetically derived ones. But often times, all factors are not equal. We use vitamin and mineral compounds in the chemical form – be it “natural” or “synthetic” – proven to be effectively absorbed and utilized by the body, and that are safe, pure, and free of any contaminants.

There is a common misconception that “natural” vitamins and minerals are extracted from plants in their pure form, making them superior to “synthetic” vitamins and minerals which are made in a laboratory. This is often a misleading distinction.

First, it is not possible to extract pure vitamins from plants without considerable and significant processing that may include harsh chemical extraction solvents. Next, the biological activity of a compound has nothing to do with its source and is more determined by its chemical structure. In other words, it typically makes little difference whether the chemical originates from a leafy plant or is synthesized – it is the same compound, regardless.

Some vitamin and antioxidant compounds can be efficiently synthesized in laboratories to produce products that are identical in chemical form to those found in nature and are extremely pure and equally safe (and often much less expensive than their “natural” counterparts). In addition, some synthetic vitamins are preferentially absorbed over compounds provided by food sources.

One good example is folic acid, which is more easily absorbed than folate from food sources. Folates in food are typically large protein-bound molecules and must be hydrolyzed or deconjugated before absorption and transport into the cell.

Purpose – performance enhancing vs. health optimization

Without a doubt the dominant focus in mainstream influences on supplementation for the physical training market is performance enhancement.  I suggest that more than 90% of supplement users in or influenced by the physical preparation industry exclusively use only ‘performance enhancing supplements’ e.g. creatine.

Any survey or cross reference of articles titled ‘The Top Bodybuilding Supplements you need to be taking’– and there is no shortage of these articles [1] [2]  [3]– on what are the topmost popular strength training supplements today’ would find the following common them – creatine, BCAA, caffeine or similar stimulants, glutamine, fish oils, and protein powders.  The question I have, which may surprise – is this approach optimal?[4]

However, there is another consideration or category of supplementation that I call ‘system support’ or health.  The other category of supplementation is for bodily system support which is a focus on greater health. The use of health optimizers such as a high potency, pharmaceutical grade multivitamin is devoid in the protocol of the mainstream – yet they are the foundational product that we recommend for all.

I compare this discussion to the performance enhancement vs. injury prevention approach in training. I have concluded in training there is no separation between these two. Any increase in injury potential is degrading performance, and any decrease in injury potential is enhancing performance.

I suggest the same in nutritional supplementation – any decrease in system support/health is degrading performance, and any increase in system support/health is enhancing performance.

Conclusion

In this unit we have reflected on the fundamental questions surrounding nutrition and nutritional supplements. We have shared our belief around these values.

 

References

[1] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/supplements-for-muscle-gain#section6

[2] https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/the-8-supplements-for-strength-athletes-and-bodybuilders.html

[3] https://broscience.co/best-3-muscle-building-supplements/

[4] King, I., 2018, Nutritional supplements and strength training: Part 1 – The arrival of smoke and mirrors, KSI Blog, 10 May 2018 (Article)

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Disclaimer

This course is designed to provide information regarding the subject matter covered.  The purpose of this course is to educate.  The author and publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any of the information contained in this course.  It is recommended that you seek independent medical and training specialist advice before proceeding with any training method.