Did you know that you are probably using supplements and you didn’t even know it? Don’t fret! A lot of people have a misunderstanding of what these are, and we want to clear the air…

Supplements have been given a bad reputation in the gym world, mostly due to the mass stereotyping of bodybuilders, steroids, HGH, testosterone boosters, etc. But, what most people don’t know, is that supplements are not just muscle growth enhancers, but also things found in everyday medicine cabinets.

What are Supplements?

The word “supplement” means exactly just that. They are substances that must be taken in order to fulfill requirements in our diet that aren’t either ingested through food or made in the body. Dating back thousands of years, supplements in the forms of herbal medicines have been used since the time of Sumerian, people found in what is known as modern day Iraq. Since the beginning of man, we have used supplements to provide full nutrition profiles to the body that we can’t otherwise get.

With my clients, I use the word micronutrient to describe a supplement. In any gym, you are going to hear all about macronutrients. “Hey bro, you tracking your macros?” What does that mean? The term macro just refers to macronutrients which describes protein, carbohydrates, and fats. By tracking or counting these nutrients, we can better understand our nutrition and how to control each to reach a certain goal. Micronutrients are smaller than macronutrients. These are the base of our nutrition. Micronutrients include minerals, vitamins, etc. They form the base of our nutrition.

In order to build a house, we need to have a sturdy base. The micronutrients are the base, and then the macronutrients and our goals are the house itself. Even multi-vitamins, fish oils, and other commonly used substances are considered supplements.

So, don’t be scared of the word supplements. Instead, embrace them. Love them. Use them to help build the mansion that is your goals!