5% Enhancement: The Supplement Playbook

After wasting a lot of time and money on stuff I’d see advertised in the magazines and on TV I want to speak my truth. I, like many other people in their youth, desperately wanted to believe in super pills and magic powders. In my quest to become like the fitness models and athletes I admire, I’ve swallowed many pills and mixed many different powders in the hope of waking up with an Adonis body. When nothing changed I swallowed some more pills and really started to push the envelope with the stuff. Until I got fed up with unsatisfactory results and a gaping hole in my pocket, only then did I start to educate myself on proper nutrition and everything else that gets you to the next level physically and mentally.
I want to give you, my reader, a run down of what's worked for me and for what purpose. I've been every kind of athlete and person seeking enhancement as you will see below. I hope to limit your fruitless experiments and save you some coins.

For general health

• Fish oil at 2g daily

Fish oil is an excellent anti-inflammatory, joint lubricator and anti-acne supplement. It has also been shown to notably improve triglycerides. So, better brain health, better joints, clear face and skin, and an improved cholesterol profile. What more do you want do you want for sustained good health? It's all more than just theory, I've felt all these benefits and more on this supplement.

For endurance athletes

• Caffeine at 100-200mg daily
• Carnosyn Beta Alanine at 2g daily
• Zinc & Magnesium at 20-30mg and 200mg respectively, taken every day

Caffeine is a stimulant that can be used to enhance endurance and improve your tolerance to pain. Remember the challenge of a run after some time spent in motion? When kaja ka voice starts trying to discourage you? Caffeine can help you persevere and reduce your own rating of perceived exertion. This allows you to push harder for longer. Best taken 30 minutes before an activity.
Carnosyn Beta Alanine buffers lactic acid thereby enhancing muscular endurance and performance. Lactic acid build up is that burning sensation you feel when you're running hard. Beta Alanine delays this process and allows you to run harder for longer. Advice: Buy Beta-Alanine as the patented Carnosyn form. That's what's been proven to be effective. Plain old Beta Alanine simply rides the science train of it's superior counterpart. There's a difference, always remember that. Carnosyn Beta Alanine can be taken at any time of the day.
Zinc & Magnesium are two minerals of real significance to endurance athletes because you lose a lot of both through sweat. If you're an endurance athlete you better wise up and replenish these in order to sustain your running performance, otherwise cramps and discomfort will be your portion when you go out on runs. I take my zinc & magnesium right before bed.

For bodybuilders and strength athletes

• Creatine at 5g daily
• Whey Protein 
• Pre-workout taken once prior to training sessions

Creatine is probably the most researched and proven legal supplement that assists with rapid energy production and recovery during strength and power activities. It's affordable and it's highly effective. I personally use Creatine in its patented Creapure monohydrate form. It can be taken at any time of the day.
Whey Protein is taken purely for convenience and to help ensure that I'm consuming a good amount of protein per day. Good means at least 6 separate servings of protein a day. I can't always eat chicken or fish so I substitute with Whey. Benefits include: increase fat burning potential due to higher thermic effect and increased recovery from resistance training due to protein's ability to repair muscle tissue.
Pre-workout is one of the most commonly used supplements for gym goers and for good reason. A good pre-workout will help you get super focused on your session, provide you with a small boost in strength and endurance while also improving your nitric oxide levels for a better 'pump' in the gym. Good pre-workouts typically contain caffeine (alertness), L-tyrosine (focus), L-Citrulline (pump) and Beta Alanine (endurance) among a few other things. Always read the ingredients label of any pre-workout and see if it has what you require as not all pre-workouts are created equal. Don't just swallow pills and powders that contain ingredients you don't properly understand because the packaging is fancy.

For mortals just trying to lose weight

• Caffeine at 100-200mg daily
• Green tea extract at 400mg daily
• Konjac fiber at 3g per day

Caffeine at the higher dosage end can really aid fat loss by increasing your metabolism and suppressing your appetite. Very effective when taken early in the morning to help blunt appetite and get your metabolism going.
Green tea extract is a plant extract commonly consumed for fat burning properties, heart health boosting capacity and ability to slow down the absorption of carbohydrates. It's most effective when taken with or just after meals.
Konjac fiber is fiber you take roughly 30 minutes before meal with at at least 500ml of water to help fill your stomach and prevent you from overeating at meal time. Once consumed it goes on to expand  in your stomach. Nkani ya njala reduce.

For those looking for an energy boost

• Caffeine 100-200mg daily
• Multivitamins

Caffeine for this purpose serves as an anti-sleep substance that wakes you up and helps you stay sharp. For those that feel sluggish this might be all you need to help pick you up. Effective when taken at the point when you start to feel fatigue creeping in.
Multivitamins are of particular importance to individuals that tend to suffer with low energy because it might be that you're low on a particular vitamin or mineral and your body isn't able to operate optimally. For many that have experienced it, what does your pharmacist often suggest? Usually a B-complex vitamin. For women, probably an iron supplement. In my opinion it's best to cover all your bases and simply invest in a good multivitamin to prevent deficiencies across the board.

For think tanks

• Lion's Mane at 3g daily
• Alpha Glyceryl Phosphoryl Choline (GPC) at 300mg daily
• Panax Ginseng at 400mg daily
• Rhodiola Rosea at 100mg daily

Lion's Mane is a mushroom extract supplement that has been proven to be a very potent cognitive enhancer that positively impacts memory, focus and alertness.
Alpha GPC is a compound proven to increase brain metabolism and directly improve focus and memory in individuals that supplement with it.
Panax Ginseng is a plant extract with exciting cognitive boosting properties on offer. You can expect more mental agility and better memory when supplemented.
Rhodiola Rosea is a herb and 'neurological anti-fatigue' supplement that combats stress and anxiety and boosts mood. All this directly impacts and improves cognitive function across the board from memory to mental sharpness.
My interest in nooptropics was sparked after watching the movie Limitless and I've dabbled in them ever since. While the ingredients above didn't provide me with the extreme mental advancement witnessed in the movie, I did however experience a lift in mental clarity and reduced brain fog. I was definitely sharper and could process information faster.

For men that want to feel like more of an Alpha Male

• Zinc at 30mg daily
• Maca root at 1.5-3 grams daily
• LongJack/Tongkat Ali at 300mg daily
• Fenugreek  at 500mg daily
• D-Aspartic Acid at 3g daily

With the exception of zinc (mineral) and D-Aspartic Acid (amino acid), these are all plant and herb extracts that have been shown to have noticeable effects on the male body. The effects are more on your libido to be honest but they can make a small contribution towards your feeling of manliness with a mild testosterone boost. Worth a shot if that’s what you’re into. Perhaps you want to be more of a lion at home...no judgement here.

My final piece of advice on supplements - Don’t let the marketing get to you. Supplements are a small part of everything. By my estimation you should only expect a 5-10% in performance when you take them. For some, that may be all they need to get to the next level and realize their absolute potential. For most, optimized nutrition, proper training and adequate sleep will do more for you than any legal over-the-counter pill or powder ever will.



Disclaimer: This post is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of the guidelines herein is at the sole choice and risk of the reader