There are so many products that are available in just about every market imaginable. It takes days, weeks and sometimes even months of research before you decide which TV or car to buy. In Los Angeles, there are thousands of fitness facilities, which means there are so many hairs to split when figuring out which one is the best for you. You can just look at price or location, or take other factors into consideration as well. With the increase of visibility from social media, especially Facebook, you’re being bombarded with targeted ads and marketing every moment that you’re awake.
Almost everyone, especially here in Los Angeles, has to work two or three jobs to pay rent. Unless you inherited money or are supported by your parents (or the few true success stories) you rarely have enough time to take care of yourself. You might eat poorly or skip workouts because you’re so broke or exhausted from having to work so much, that you’re always looking for shortcuts to help. Whether that means holistic medicine to avoid expensive doctor trips (read about my $6,000 an hour ER visit at Cedars) or magical pills that burn fat off your body while you’re sleeping, there are many temptations available just one click away, thanks to Amazon.
The question is: are they worth it?
The answer isn’t usually as simple as a yes or no. It depends on a few factors. First, you need to determine if the company is legitimate or not. That can be challenging, so you need to research what is in their product and if the possible deal is too good to be true. I tell a lot of my clients that they shouldn’t be looking for deals on protein powder because high quality whey isn’t cheap. You don’t see deals often on the higher quality products like MTS Nutrition because the amount of protein they claim is in the product, well, it is actually in there. Look up amino spiking for more information on that. Then, if you feel as though the company seems reputable enough to take their word that what they say is in there, is actually in there, will it have a positive impact on you and help you reach your desired goal?
Sometimes, the answer is yes, it will help. I am not against supplements. I think that protein supplements and pre-workouts can be extremely beneficial, but you need to use the right product in the right amount for you. Sometimes, the answer is a clear no, it won’t. There are a lot of snake-oil like products out there. The placebo effect is going to be your worst enemy with those, because a lot of people are going to support those products based on their own personal experiences and feelings, but you shouldn’t hold any weight there. Then, there are a lot of unknown products that may or may not help. They might not have done any clinical studies. Clinical studies might not exist at all for those products. There might have been sketchy clinical studies where the third parties were created or bribed to provide certain results. You need to be cautious as a consumer due to the corruption out there.
In that case, there are two bits of research you need to conduct. First, are there legitimate clinical studies and scientific evidence that a certain products works, and also, is there enough of that active ingredient or substance in the product to make the difference you need? Pre-workout supplements are notorious for being far too weak because having enough of that active ingredient is more expensive and the companies want to maximize profit. Also, serving sizes are often going to be different for the 100 lb and 300 lb person using a certain product, such as a pre-workout, but most labels won’t mention that. If it is made for a 200 lb person, it could be too strong for the 100 lb individual and far too weak for the 300 lb consumer. This is why I often recommend making your own pre-workout.
For many of these products, however, it doesn’t really hurt to try and see if it works for you. I’ve had notoriously bad luck with any and all joint supplements out there. I’ve probably wasted thousands of dollars on them. My joints are still in awful shape. I have, however, had positive experiences with apple cider vinegar. It didn’t change my life, but it seemed to help my chronic acid reflux a bit and at a reasonable and painless price. While I’ve never felt as though arnica has helped with any of my internal or external injuries, I know many who swear by it. The placebo effect can be very strong for certain people and if there are no negative side effects, other than the expense involved, it doesn’t hurt to continue a habit you enjoy. (Smoking, for example, obviously does have major other negative side effects, for comparison.)
Recently, I tried some products from Ageless Nutrition. One was a very holistic and natural test booster and the other was a hair supplement. While I didn’t feel any spike in strength, endurance or energy throughout the day from the test booster, I did have to shave more often over the course of the month that I was taking two of each of these a day. As a result, I don’t think it would hurt for anyone with hair growth issues to give the hair supplement a shot. If also claims to help with skin and nails, but I didn’t really notice any differences there. If it works, you’re in great shape and if it doesn’t it was a $30 or so experiment.
Are there any products such as these that you absolutely love and use on a daily basis? Let us know in the comment section below because these daily habits can definitely help you stay hungry and fit!
(*Hungry & Fit are not board-licensed doctors and you should not take this as medical advice.*)
