The 3 Whey's to Get Stronger and Healthy
Bridging the Gap between Whole Nutrition & Supplements to Improve your Health and Performance
By Coach Ernest Allen Founder of Atlas Pro Training LLC
As we go into 2022 with a fist full of goals and to improve our health and performance. Everyone is looking for an edge to improve the results they want to achieve from their training program, and in most cases, the use of supplements is used as a magic bullet or a shortcut to get the results they are expecting to get. The consumption of supplements is one of the main subjects I discuss with my clients on a daily basis, I always make sure to help them understand that supplements are a stop-gap( a bridge) between the whole food they consume in their diet, and the macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals that they could be missing on a daily bases.
With that said in my experience consuming whole foods and eating a consistently balanced diet is often ignored and when they start a training program they start to look for a short cut so they turn to supplements and these supplements become the foundation of their nutrition plan which is not sustainable. For one reason it’s relatively expensive, secondly what the body does not use it dumps what leads you to literally and figuratively flush money down the drain, and thirdly it is not sustainable in a realistic fashion, just think about how many different supplements you have tried for a few months over the past several years including the ones in your the kitchen cabinet that have gone unused. The use of supplements can be beneficial to and health and performance training program, whether your goal is to lose weight and improve your body composition, or if you are an athlete who is looking to gain weight, get stronger, faster, in the offseason supplements can give you the added edge you are looking for, but only if your nutrition plans’ foundation is based on consuming whole foods that have the three main macronutrients:
Carbohydrates: 4 calories per gram- Provides a quick efficient source of energy that can be used quickly
Proteins: 4 calories per gram- Responsible for repair of the body, and provide amino acids that are essential to help the body function.
Fats (lipids): 9 calories per gram- Used as an energy source during aerobic activities (not as efficient as carbohydrates) and is responsible for maintaining the integrity of cellular membranes, and are also used to aid the body in the absorption of certain vitamins like vitamin A, D, E, and K.
These macronutrients are vital to the body for producing energy (carbohydrates and fats) and contributing to the growth and development of tissues (proteins). And as I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the consumption of supplements should be used as a bridge between the gaps in your nutrition plan as you train to push yourself physically. Consuming whole nutritious foods should be the foundation of your nutrition plan. This is not only a sustainable part of a complete nutrition plan, but it may help you change your behavior and your attitude towards food, which is the key to maintaining your health and achieving your performance goals long term.
I am not a licensed dietitian or a certified nutritionist, but in my experience, as a trainer/coach, I have worked with clients of all degrees of physical abilities and body type over the years, I have found that in order to reach and achieve the health and performance goals you have set for yourself, your nutrition plan should be based on consuming whole foods with a balanced plan of consuming supplements.
If you have questions about any supplements here are three third-party dietary supplementation certification organizations that you can go to their website and consult: