…okay. Unless you actually ARE an athlete.
I have to giggle at the amount of folks who sit in my office (or in their own offices and see me via Facetime – am I wearing pants? Who knows?) who rattle off their list of supplements puffing with the pride of a champion:
• BCAAs
• Pre-Workout
• Creatine
• Whey Protein
• Mega Muscle Man
• RAWR TESTOSTERONE Protein Powder (invented name, but likely actually real somewhere on the market) [drank before and after working out]
• Electrolyte mix
• Sports chews
• Ginger shots
Sound familiar? Seen anyone chugging this stuff at the gym? That means “they” have gotten to you. “They” – the companies that lead you to believe you NEED this stuff to trim down/lose fat/gain muscle/run fast/lift hard.
“But Monica, EVERYONE knows you NEED protein/creatine/whey/BCAAs….. to bulk up.” Oh?
Friends, unless you are an athlete (and even if you are, but aren’t actively training), it’s unlikely that you need ANYthing other than FOOD to meet your nutrition and training needs.
I know our HIIT classes, spin rides, and Bikram yoga sessions are exhausting. We are sweating buckets. But you do not NEED to eat/fuel like an ATHLETE when you are a casual exerciser. Yes, even you, 6 day a week Flywheel queen, are NOT an ATHLETE.
I work with athletes. I work with some of the most incredible bodies of our time. These folks don’t do Barry’s Bootcamp. They train HOURS AND HOURS per day. They have extremely vigorous matches or games SEVERAL times per week. They sometimes spend more time on the field than in their own homes. Performance nutrition is a completely different animal from civilian nutrition.
While I’m thrilled with frequent and intense exercise, I hardly ever encounter clients who need BCAAs. Just because you work out, it doesn’t mean you have to guzzle a protein shake immediately afterward. You DO need a sound and balanced nutrition plan, but don’t waste your money on marketing tools that are really best left to the professionals (if at all!) “Waste” your money on personalized nutrition sessions… or shoes.
Essentially Yours,
Monica