Over the past decade, I have dedicated the majority of my free time to bettering myself as a person, and the gym allows me to achieve this goal that I have long desired. The psychological feeling of pushing yourself past your limits is incomparable. It releases stress, clears the mind, and more importantly, makes you healthier. And this is what I am here to discuss, the whole idea of "health." Unfortunately, the industry that I have been deeply involved in for a good portion of my life, has taken a drastic turn in recent years. Fitness has been divided by a very distinct line between those with naturally attainable physiques, and the drug crazed super humans. Although this distinct line is slowly being merged together, and not necessarily in a good way.
The largest known distributor of supplements is GNC, also referred to as the General Nutrition Center. And the word nutrition in this sense strikes me in a peculiar way, because some of the products they sell contain chemicals that are detrimental to human health. Potentially the most sold, yet unnecessary supplements are the pre-workouts, which more often than not, contain a lot of similar chemicals. The three most common substances that you may find in some of these supplements are beta alanine, caffeine, and creatine. When these three chemicals are combined, it can be very beneficial to athletic performance. Beta alanine, once the body processes the substance, is converted to the molecule carnosine, which primarily acts as an acid buffer specifically designed to respond to drops in muscle pH. What this does is it decreases muscle fatigue, which allows you to complete those high-intensity workouts, and complete more reps in the process. You know that strange, tingly feeling that almost feels like pins and needles under your skin? That's the beta alanine at work, and don't worry, the tingling is completely harmless. In the world of supplementation, it's commonly referred to as paresthesia. So maybe next time, try just take a smaller dose.
Another common chemical found in these pre-workouts is creatine, which like beta alanine, is a non-essential amino acid, meaning that it can be made in the body, but is not necessary for proper function. Creatine is quite simple in the fact that it pulls water into the muscles, which enables protein synthesis to occur at a faster rate due to the increased hydration. Personally, I combine these supplements when I workout, but the difference between me, and the kid who is just starting to workout, is that I am much more educated in the field. I know when and how to use these supplements, and specifically when to stop their use.
This is primarily the concern with a lot of people in the industry, the lack of education. Instagram famous fitness models are supposedly using some of these products, but everybody knows that the only reason they are "using" these supplements, is to promote the specific company. More often than not, these famous fitness icons use performance enhancing drugs. I'm of course talking about steroids, growth hormone, the list goes on. These supplements obviously aren't sold at your local GNC, and yet, the idea of supplementation has been incredibly distorted by the people that many put up on a pedestal.
Even the great Arnold Schwarzenegger, back in the Golden Age of bodybuilding, admits to using steroids. It may be unfortunate, but in order to achieve such a monstrous physique while maintaining an unhealthily low body fat percentage, is to take steroids. The industry knows this, and the people that have been deeply involved in the industry know this.
In reference to GNC supplements, they’re just as pricy, and most of the chemicals that are listed on the label, can’t even be pronounced without stuttering. There is little to no regulation on what companies are allowed to put into these products, and I’ve extensively researched the majority of the products on their shelves, and needless to say, I’m disgusted. It’s simply astonishing as to what is allowed to be sold in stores. On numerous occasions, GNC has been caught selling products with amphetamine-like substances. Not to mention, some these substances are carcinogenic, which is absolutely terrifying to people who use these products. To make a long story short, they’re legally selling carcinogenic drugs to make a profit, which it’s just outright inhumane. If they put these chemicals in their products, people will return to their stores to purchase similar products. Why? Well the simple answer is due to the mysterious chemicals that are predominantly as addictive as amphetamines. When will the FDA begin to efficiently research these chemicals? Where is the line drawn between what is beneficial to athletic performance, and what is a health threatening drug?
In conclusion, I am by no means ragging on GNC for who they are and what they stand for, I am simply pointing out a rising dilemma in the industry. I am very confident that most of GNC’s products are beneficial to overall health, and absolutely recommend to take your vitamins, and to meet your daily nutrition requirements by any means necessary. But supplementation is an art, and educating yourself before you start powering through bottles of pre-workout is something that you should probably consider. Like anything, an art takes a ridiculous amount of time to master, and mastering the art of nutrition and supplementation is something that takes years of practice, consistency, and experimentation. So before you go and buy that $60 supplement online, please, for the sake of your health, research and understand what you’re putting in your body before you do it.
