The 5 Essential Supplements Everyone Should Be Taking - Dr Layne Norton

Summary

In this insightful discussion, the top-tier supplements for overall health and performance are explored. Creatine monohydrate and caffeine lead the list, backed by extensive research for their benefits in enhancing strength, cognitive performance, and even mood. Whey protein earns its place for improving body composition, while rhodiola, ashwagandha, and beta-alanine are highlighted for their potential in reducing fatigue and boosting work capacity. The conversation delves into optimal dosages, timing, and the importance of understanding mechanisms behind supplement efficacy.

Takeaways

• 💪 Creatine monohydrate is highly recommended for its benefits, including increased lean mass, strength, performance, and potential cognitive benefits. It's a well-researched, safe, and low-cost supplement.
• ☕ Caffeine is a powerful nootropic and performance enhancer. It boosts cognitive and exercise performance, but it can negatively impact sleep, so it's best consumed earlier in the day.
• 😴 Caffeine tolerance can be reset in about a week by going cold turkey, though withdrawal symptoms like headaches and fatigue are common during this period.
• 🥤 Whey protein is a versatile, bioavailable protein source that improves body composition. Whey isolate is recommended for those with lactose sensitivity, while whey concentrate is cheaper but contains more carbs, fats, and lactose.
• 🔬 Rhodiola rosea is beneficial for reducing fatigue and improving cognitive function, with optimal dosages ranging from 150 to 450 mg.
• 🏋️ Ashwagandha has been shown to increase strength, lean mass, reduce cortisol, and modestly elevate testosterone. Typical dosages range from 300 to 600 mg.
• 🌿 Beta-alanine and citrulline malate are useful for improving fatigue resistance and performance, though more research is needed.
• 🤔 Despite some concerns about mechanisms, ashwagandha is believed to provide benefits beyond what is explained by its impact on cortisol and testosterone.
• 📊 The speaker emphasizes that thousands of studies back creatine's benefits, highlighting its safety and efficacy over decades of research.
• 🧠 Caffeine's analgesic effects are noted, and the potential for healthy user bias in studies correlating caffeine use with better recovery and sleep is discussed.

Q & A

What is the speaker's top recommended supplement and why?

The speaker's top recommended supplement is creatine monohydrate. It is recommended because it increases lean mass, improves strength, enhances performance, and may have cognitive benefits. It's also safe, low-cost, and backed by thousands of studies over decades.

What are the potential side effects of creatine, and how does the speaker address them?

The potential side effect mentioned is hair loss, based on a 2009 study that showed creatine supplementation increased DHT levels. However, the speaker dismisses this as not proven, as the study did not show a viable mechanism, and the results have not been replicated.

How does caffeine benefit cognitive and physical performance?

Caffeine is described as the original nootropic and performance enhancer. It increases cognitive performance and exercise performance, making it useful for both mental and physical activities.

What are the potential downsides of caffeine consumption?

The main downside of caffeine consumption is its negative impact on sleep. It is recommended to take caffeine earlier in the day to avoid disrupting sleep.

What is the suggested dosage of caffeine for different purposes?

For anti-fatigue benefits, as little as 50-100 milligrams may suffice. For performance benefits, around 200-300 milligrams is suggested, and for acute strength benefits, 300-600 milligrams may be effective.

How does the speaker describe the relationship between caffeine and dependency?

The speaker acknowledges that caffeine dependency can develop, with withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and fatigue. They recommend tapering off caffeine gradually to minimize discomfort.

Why does the speaker include whey protein in their recommended supplements?

Whey protein is included because it is a tasty, relatively cheap, and highly bioavailable form of protein that has been shown to improve body composition.

What are the differences between whey protein concentrate and isolate?

Whey protein concentrate is cheaper, contains more carbs and fats, and may not be well-tolerated by those sensitive to lactose. Whey protein isolate is more expensive, better tolerated by people with lactose sensitivity, and generally mixes better.

What are some other supplements mentioned by the speaker that they feel are beneficial?

The speaker mentions several other beneficial supplements including Rhodiola Rosea, beta-alanine, citrulline malate, ginseng, and ashwagandha. These are considered lower-tier but still show promise in improving performance and reducing fatigue.

What concerns does the speaker have about ashwagandha despite its positive effects?

The speaker is concerned about the lack of a clear mechanism behind ashwagandha's benefits, particularly in increasing strength, lean mass, and reducing cortisol. They express caution whenever outcomes are observed without a known mechanism.

Outlines

00:00

💊 Essential Supplements Everyone Should Consider

This paragraph discusses the 'Mount Rushmore' of supplements, with a focus on creatine monohydrate. Creatine is highlighted as a safe and extensively studied supplement, known for increasing lean mass, strength, and cognitive performance. The speaker debunks the myth that creatine causes hair loss, explaining that the claim is based on a single, unreplicated study. They emphasize that creatine's benefits are well-supported by thousands of studies worldwide. Caffeine is also introduced as another key supplement, praised for enhancing cognitive and exercise performance, though it's noted that it can negatively affect sleep if consumed later in the day.

05:03

☕ Caffeine: Benefits, Dosage, and Dependency

The focus shifts to caffeine, discussing its benefits, optimal dosage, and the potential for dependency. Caffeine is acknowledged for its performance-enhancing effects, especially at higher doses, though it can lead to withdrawal symptoms when consumption is reduced. The speaker shares personal experiences of tapering caffeine intake before competitions, noting its slight analgesic effects. The paragraph also touches on the ability to reset caffeine tolerance within a week, though this process can cause discomfort.

10:05

🧬 Whey Protein and Other Tier Two Supplements

This paragraph explores whey protein as another foundational supplement, noting its affordability, taste, and effectiveness in improving body composition. Different forms of whey, such as isolate and concentrate, are compared, with recommendations based on lactose tolerance. The discussion then moves to 'Tier Two' supplements like Rhodiola Rosea, beta-alanine, citrulline malate, and ashwagandha, which show promising benefits but require more research. Dosage recommendations for these supplements are also provided, along with a brief commentary on the mechanisms behind their effects.

Keywords

💡Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine monohydrate is a popular supplement known for enhancing muscle mass, strength, and exercise performance. In the video, it is highlighted as a 'Mount Rushmore' supplement due to its widespread benefits, including improved cognitive function and potential effects on depression. The discussion emphasizes its safety, with thousands of studies supporting its use, and debunks myths such as its alleged link to hair loss.

💡Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant widely recognized for its ability to boost cognitive and physical performance. It is described as the 'original nootropic' and a crucial supplement for enhancing focus and exercise outcomes. The video discusses the optimal timing and dosage for caffeine intake, noting its impact on sleep and potential for dependency. Despite these downsides, caffeine is credited with significant benefits, including its role in reducing fatigue and improving strength during workouts.

💡Whey Protein

Whey protein is a high-quality, bioavailable protein supplement that is widely used to improve body composition by supporting muscle growth and recovery. The video includes it in the top tier of essential supplements, praising its affordability, taste, and effectiveness. Different forms of whey protein, such as isolate and concentrate, are discussed, with considerations for lactose intolerance and specific benefits related to antioxidant status.

💡Supplement Tiers

The concept of 'supplement tiers' refers to the categorization of supplements based on their effectiveness, safety, and research backing. In the video, the speaker organizes supplements into tiers, with the 'Mount Rushmore' tier including the most reliable and well-researched options like creatine, caffeine, and whey protein. The second tier includes supplements with potential benefits but less extensive research, such as beta-alanine, citrulline malate, and ashwagandha.

💡Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is a supplement that is known for its role in improving exercise performance by delaying muscle fatigue. It is mentioned in the video as part of the second tier of supplements, with particular reference to its popularity in the fitness community, partly due to endorsements by athletes. The supplement is noted for its ability to enhance endurance during high-intensity workouts.

💡Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb used to manage stress and improve strength, lean mass, and overall well-being. The video discusses its inclusion in the second tier of supplements, noting its ability to reduce cortisol levels and modestly elevate testosterone. Although it has shown promising results in increasing lean mass and strength, the exact mechanisms remain unclear, prompting a cautious but optimistic view.

💡Adaptogens

Adaptogens are natural substances that help the body adapt to stress and restore balance. In the video, both rhodiola and ashwagandha are cited as examples of adaptogens, praised for their ability to improve fatigue resistance and cognitive function. These supplements are said to 'put you back to center,' making them valuable for maintaining mental and physical performance under stress.

💡Citrulline Malate

Citrulline malate is a supplement known for its ability to enhance exercise performance by reducing fatigue and potentially stimulating mTOR, a key pathway for muscle growth. In the video, it is discussed within the context of the second tier of supplements, with an emphasis on its performance-enhancing effects during workouts and its possible anabolic properties.

💡Supplement Mechanisms

Supplement mechanisms refer to the biological processes through which supplements exert their effects on the body. The video touches on the importance of understanding these mechanisms, especially for supplements like ashwagandha, where the outcomes (e.g., increased lean mass) are evident, but the exact biological processes are not fully understood. This highlights the need for further research to elucidate how certain supplements achieve their benefits.

💡Healthy User Bias

Healthy user bias is a type of bias where individuals who engage in healthy behaviors, like using supplements or wearables, might also engage in other health-promoting activities, skewing the perceived effectiveness of the supplements. The video suggests that the positive sleep and recovery data associated with caffeine use from wearable device users might be influenced by this bias, as these individuals are likely also exercising more and maintaining healthier lifestyles.

Highlights

Creatine monohydrate is considered a must-have supplement due to its extensive research supporting benefits like increased lean mass, improved strength, enhanced performance, and cognitive benefits.

Despite concerns, creatine is safe, with a large body of evidence debunking myths about hair loss, which originated from a single unreplicated study in 2009.

Creatine also shows potential in treating depression, with effects comparable to SSRIs, making it a low-cost, high-yield supplement with diverse benefits.

Caffeine is praised for its cognitive and exercise performance-enhancing effects, although it can negatively impact sleep if consumed later in the day.

Interesting data from WHOOP suggests caffeine consumption is linked to better recovery and sleep quality, though this may be influenced by confounding factors like healthier lifestyles among users.

Caffeine dosage varies depending on the desired effect: 50-100 mg for anti-fatigue, 200-300 mg for performance benefits, and 300-600 mg for acute strength gains.

Caffeine withdrawal can cause symptoms like headaches and fatigue, but tolerance can be reset within a week by going cold turkey.

Whey protein is another essential supplement, valued for its taste, affordability, and ability to improve body composition. Whey isolate is recommended for those with lactose sensitivity.

Whey protein concentrate contains beneficial components that positively influence glutathione and antioxidant status, though it may cause digestive issues for some.

Beta-alanine, citrulline malate, and ashwagandha are mentioned as beneficial supplements with good research backing, but more long-term studies are needed.

Ashwagandha is noted for increasing strength, lean mass, reducing cortisol, and modestly boosting testosterone, but the exact mechanism remains unclear.

Rhodiola Rosea is recommended for its adaptogenic properties, enhancing fatigue resistance and cognitive performance, with effective dosages ranging from 50 to 450 mg.

Citrulline malate is highlighted for its potential to improve fatigue resistance and may have a small anabolic effect by stimulating mTOR.

The speaker expresses interest in further understanding the mechanisms behind supplements like ashwagandha, especially when significant benefits are observed without clear explanations.

Creatine, caffeine, and whey protein are emphasized as foundational supplements with substantial evidence supporting their efficacy, while other supplements like ashwagandha and Rhodiola Rosea are considered beneficial but require more research.

Transcripts

what are supplements that everybody

should have in their stack on average do

you think what are the supplements that

really work okay so I kind of like

Branch these into like tiers right so my

Mount Rushmore of supplements would be

uh creatin monohydrate would be number

one um dosage frequency five grams a day

there may be evidence that like 10 or

even maybe a little bit more has

cognitive benefits Tim Farris been

talking about that yeah so it's very

safe I mean there are people who have

been hand ringing about creatin for a

long time and the the worst thing that

you can say about it is people say Well

it causes hair loss no there was a

single study in 2009 that showed creatin

supplementation increased DHT that is

not the same thing as showing hair loss

DHT is a marker and that is a mechanism

now that's never been replicated and

they didn't show a viable mechanism by

which it does it because the

the the their testosterone levels didn't

change which is the precursor and then

the in the the the product after DHT

didn't change so either creatin is

having some direct effect on this enzyme

or this is a data artifact that has not

been

replicated I tend to lean towards the

ladder um so creatin monohydrate

increases lean mass improves strength

improves performance performance

improves cognitive performance it has

been shown to have a similar effect on

depression as

ssris I'm not saying for people to do

use cre come off your SSR and switch it

out for cre I'm just saying that this

seems to have some really ubiquitous

benefits so and even like some of the

more disease States we starting to see

some benefits for creating

supplementation so I'm not saying

everybody should be on it but it is a

lowcost high yield supplement that is

very safe and we're not talking about a

couple studies we are talking about

thousands of studies done over decades

in Labs all over the world I am very

confident um now caffeine caffeine is

the original neut Tropic it is the

original performance enhancer um and if

you look at the benefits of caffeine

increases cognitive performance

increases exercise performance um

downsides negatively impacts sleep so if

you're going to take it do it earli in

the day preferably unless you've got a

podcast yeah uh you know what one of the

wildest Things is uh whoop release a uh

aggregated set of their data at the end

of each year and on whoop you can track

behaviors and it will correlate those

behaviors with outcomes that you get HIV

resting heart rate sleep sleep quality

duration blah blah blah one of the best

predictors of good recovery and sleep

was caffeine

interesting yeah so that and that's

likees tens of thousands of people

that's interesting so this could be a

case where you know there's confounding

variables of perhaps people who are

taking in more caffeine are exercising

harder and that's helping them get

better sleep right that's interesting so

there's obviously like I mean we know

based on the mechanistic human

randomized control trials that caffeine

negatively impacts sleep I wonder what

about is there a potential that you've

got kind of like a healthy user bias

here with people that doing whoop know

that You' got a 9 hour half life for

caffeine so maybe they're pumping a

couple in a morning and then by the time

that they get to an evening time that

adenosine is yeah I mean I I think um

what's probably the most likely outcome

is some sort of healthy user bias with

people who are using wearables also

taking a lot of caffeine probably more

likely to exercise and have other

healthy lifestyle behaviors but why

would all of the people that are using

whoop are using whoop like it's

interesting it's something I I try and

reach out to the guys and get a little

bit more data I could send that to you

all right so creatine caffeine for

caffeine uh couple of questions first

off there's no real like Optimal dosage

but what do you think about when it

comes to dosage what do you think about

when it comes to timing and what do you

think about when it comes to dependency

so obviously earlier in the day is going

to be better for Sleep based on what we

know um as far as dosage I mean you get

some anti- fatigue benefits like 50 100

milligrams you get get start to get the

performance benefits once you get up

around 2 300 milligrams of caffeine like

for

exercise strength benefits like acute

strength benefits are more like 3 to 600

milligrams of caffeine Christ so I mean

I'm I'm a a pretty big fan of caffeine

and before the meat on Saturday I'll

probably have about a nice 5 600

milligram shot right at the beginning

and I'll probably have a 200 milligram

boost which I'm lifting in prime time at

600 p.m. so I probably won't be sleeping

real great that night but that's okay

just one night um so yeah for the for

the more like standout kind of

performance

benefits um you know you got to get a

little bit higher dosage dependency yeah

I mean you can definitely get I mean

there are absolutely caffeine withdrawal

symptoms I go through them whenever I

start tapering off for a meat because

I'll usually taper down to I used to

completely cut it cold turkey and I just

found that that was intolerable so I go

down to about 100 milligrams a day uh

because actually the other thing people

don't realize in I found I'm like when I

cut out caffeine completely I started

like feeling like aches and pains and

stuff it's actually a slight uh

analgesic it has a slight analgesic

effect and I started getting all these

like like feeling why am I like having

like back pain that I haven't had before

the other things and when I just went

down to kind like 100 milligrams a day

to kind of like just maintain um I

noticed that that stuff went away all

right

caffeine um one other thing to add you

you can completely reset your caffeine

tolerance in about a week if you go cold

turkey but you're going to feel pretty

miserable for a couple days it's it's I

mean I thought it I thought it was a

placebo thing and then I did it and I

was like why does my head hurt and why

am I so freaking tired and then my ex

was like you haven't had caffeine in two

days duh I'm like oh yeah duh uh creatin

caffeine whey protein uh whey protein

tasty relatively cheap

soluble um been shown to improve body

composition numerous times it's not

magic it's just a very tasty kind of

ubiquitous form of protein that's highly

bioavailable so I put it on my Mount

Rush isolate concentrate concentrates

perfectly fine in fact there may be some

benefits to concentrate in that it has

uh some of the um uh some of the

components that positively influence

glutathione and antioxidant status um

but a lot of people don't tolerate a

pure concentrate well

um because there's lacto there's quite a

bit of lactose in it and um some people

have sensitivities to the lactalbumin in

way uh a we isolate is going to

basically eliminate the lactose so if

you have any kind of lactose sensitivity

most people tolerate whe isolate like um

my company outwork nutrition the protein

we sell is a whe isolate people like is

is that because it's more anabolic than

concentrate I'm like no we just want to

make sure that almost anybody could use

our protein uh it is more expensive

typically mix is better too so there's

just there's trade-offs uh weight

concentrates cheaper but there's more

carbs and fats and more

lactose uh if you don't tolerate either

of those well then a way hydrate will

probably work for you which is basically

pre-digested way so they've chopped up

The lactal Bu tastes it does not taste

very good and it's expensive but it it

will work well for somebody who can't

tolerate the lactalbumin in a way and

then we go down to like my tier two

which is stuff that I feel strongly is

beneficial uh but I just want to see

like more research done over a greater

period of time and those would be things

like uh rodol Rosa um uh things like

beta alanine citrine malite um Jin sing

actually has quite a bit of good

research on it naming the ingredient

profile of neonic here I'm just there we

are yeah there it is that's what we're

here for baby that's what we're here for

uh uh B ashwaganda ashwaganda another

one so B ranine everyone went crazy for

that when Matt Fraser said on Rogan that

that was maybe it was Rogan or something

else he basically retired from Crossfit

and said that I think he was taking like

some obsurd amount of berer alanine and

attributed a lot of his sort of

increased work capacity acutely to that

um was citrine malet in there was that

one of the ones you just said yeah yeah

why uh fatigue resistance it also seems

to there's some studies suggesting it

may simulate mour that may be a small

anabolic effect we don't know if that's

like independent of other things that

stimulate him tour but it seems to incre

improve performance uh and improve

fatigue resistance just going through

what we went through there the uh Rola

the jinang the uh citrine berer alanine

and the ashwaganda have you got dosages

that you prefer for yourself with those

yeah so Rola it seems like anywhere from

like 150 milligram to 450 milligram and

then after that it actually seems to be

like a a kind of shap off end shape yeah

um you know we

um actually even as low as 50 milligrams

there might be some benefits as well but

if you want like the like there's some

studies that show like uh actual

decreased fatigue and actually decreased

perception of fatigue as well as well as

like uh cognition benefits and it seems

to be like a very um we call an

adaptogen ashwag is kind of like that as

well so it kind of

um puts you back to Center for lack of a

better term

um but yeah some good data on fatigue

resistance for that uh

ashwaganda oh man dosage why did it

escaped my mind just now I think that's

actually uh about 150 to 300 milligrams

or sorry 300 to 600 milligrams for

ashonda

um that's uh in our recovery product and

downside to that is doesn't mix super

well um when you when you mix up our

recovery product it tastes great but it

kind of looks like uh Beach water a

little bit um because of the the

sediment but the

ashwaganda it's interesting

because I'm convinced pretty convinced

because there's been quite a few studies

now showing reliably it increases

strength lean mass um and decreases

cortisol and modestly elevates

testosterone but the effects of on

cortisol and testosterone would not be

enough to show those lean mass benefits

so my one hesitation is I kind of want

to know what theck mechanism yeah what

the mechanism is for that cuz whenever I

see an outcome but we don't know the

mechanism I kind of get the heebie

jeebies yeah we'll get back to talking

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