Before considering any supplement regimen, you’ll want to consult your physician, especially if you are currently taking any medications, as supplements can interfere with medications.
At Built With Science, we truly do not recommend many supplements because, as the name suggests, they are not a core portion of your diet and are a way to supplement your diet based on what you might be lacking.
Out of all the supplements we could recommend, here are a few that may be beneficial. But again, it’ll be best to consult with your physician and/or registered dietitian to get more specific with your supplement regimen.
1. Protein Powder.
Protein is the most important macronutrient for body composition changes. It is possible to hit your protein targets without protein powder, but it can make it easier to do so and easier to stick within your calorie budget.
There are different types of protein powder that you can utilize. Whey protein isolate will be the highest quality and bang for your buck protein powder, but you can also utilize vegan options such as a pea/rice blend or soy protein isolate.
2. Creatine Monohydrate.
Creatine is heavily backed by research and can help improve workout performance. Basically, it can help make you bigger, stronger, and faster. It’s an excellent return on investment as far as supplements go.
It doesn’t work instantaneously, as it’s a supplement you need to take consistently over time to see benefits.
As for the best type of creatine, creatine monohydrate is the most well-researched form of creatine (and cheapest), so we’d recommend sticking to that (Jäger et al., 2011).
3. Fish Oil (Omega 3s).
Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential fat that we need to obtain from our diet or a supplement. The best sources will be from fatty fish. You can obtain some from plant-based sources like chia seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts, but the conversion in the body to the utilized form is less compared to what it would be from a fish source.
4. Multivitamin
A multivitamin can be considered a “safety net” for ensuring that you’re covering all of your needs. It can be more beneficial during a fat loss phase when you’re calories & food consumption might be lower, if you’re a vegan or vegetarian, and/or if you have a restrictive diet in general.