Fitness enthusiasts, here’s everything you need to know about nutritional supplements

Are nutritional supplements only good for men, do you need supplements if you eat a balanced diet? An expert answers common questions and debunks myths about nutritional supplements.

Fitness is a key factor in our day-to-day life, and many choose to work out at the gym. But when you work out, your body burns calories and you require supplements to make up for the energy loss. It is essential to avoid exhaustion and burnout. Fitness enthusiasts often take supplements to get adequate and measurable essential nutrients. But people often don’t understand the science behind supplements and there are several myths circulating about them. Akshita Goyal, nutritionist at Proquest Nutrition, debunks some of the common myths:

Men are able to build muscle mass because of the male sex hormone, testosterone.(Shutterstock)

Myth 1: Supplements are good only for men.

Many women work out at gyms but consciously avoid supplements because of the belief that supplements will give them a masculine physique and take away their femininity. This is not true. Actually, men are able to build muscle mass because of the male sex hormone, testosterone. Unless women take synthetic testosterone (steroid), they will not develop masculine muscle tone. The fear of looking “manly’“ is completely unfounded and needs to be dispelled.

Nearly all nutrients found in supplements are available in food sources or are generated by the body. (Shutterstock)

Myth 2: If you eat a balanced diet, you don’t need supplements.

It’s true that nearly all nutrients found in supplements are available in food sources or are generated by the body. However, not many people know what the body needs and where to get it from. Even if they do, it’s nearly impossible to eat the right foods in just the right proportion to be able to access all the vital nutrients that your body needs to meet its caloric and nutritive requirement.

Moreover, the nutrients present in our daily diet are often compromised while growing, processing and cooking. Research finds our diet lacks in essential nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and Vitamins A, C, and D. A good supplement ensures that you get adequate and measurable essential nutrients to make up for the lack of nutrients on account of faulty farming practices and overcooking of the food we eat.There are only a few manufacturers who blend all the revitalising ingredients in the right quantities and combinations to come up with products that help your body recover whatever it has lost through exercise.

Myth 3: A high-protein diet puts stress on your kidneys.

This is another common myth. Remember, our kidneys are incredibly efficient at filtering unwanted substances from our bodies. Hence, a high-protein diet can’t strain your kidneys. The kidneys are built to handle this problem. It can flush out unwanted stuff through urination. It is therefore advised that you increase your water consumption when taking proteins in higher quantities. This helps to eliminate the by-products of protein breakdown through urine. Consuming the recommended amount of protein is not going to stress your kidneys.

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