The ONLY Supplements That ACTUALLY Work
Summary
TLDRThis video discusses nine scientifically-backed supplements that genuinely improve health. The first three enhance muscle performance, with creatine monohydrate being the most effective. It not only boosts exercise capacity but also cognitive performance. Protein intake is crucial for muscle strength, and TMG aids in muscle and cognitive health. A multivitamin and mineral supplement benefits memory and cognition. Omega-3 and psyllium husk support heart health. Collagen peptides and hyaluronic acid improve skin health. Melatonin helps with sleep, while glycine and NAC support antioxidant levels. The video also debunks popular but ineffective longevity supplements.
Takeaways
- 💪 Creatine Monohydrate is the most effective nutritional supplement for athletes, increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass, with safety concerns disproven.
- 🧠 Creatine also enhances cognitive performance, especially in older adults, as suggested by a meta-analysis published in August 2022.
- 🏋️ High protein intake is crucial for maximizing muscle performance, with a recommended 1.6g per kilogram of body weight per day.
- 🥩 The quality of protein is important, with a focus on leucine content for initiating muscle protein synthesis, and plant-based options like pea or brown rice protein are available.
- 🚴♂️ TMG (Trimethylglycine) improves muscle performance when combined with exercise and may have potential in reducing dementia risk.
- 🧠 A multivitamin and mineral supplement can benefit cognition, as shown in the COSMOS mind study, but it should not replace a healthy diet and exercise.
- ❤️ Omega-3 supplements, specifically a mixture of EPA and DHA, can reduce heart attack risk, but caution is needed due to potential risks of mega-dosing.
- 🌾 Prebiotic fiber like prebiotic husk can improve gut health, insulin sensitivity, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
- 🌟 Collagen peptides have been shown to reduce skin wrinkles and improve skin hydration and elasticity, beyond the benefits of regular protein intake.
- 💧 Hyaluronic acid, taken in supplement form, can improve skin wrinkles and has been supported by randomized clinical trials.
- 💤 Melatonin supplements can help with sleep, but the correct dose and timing are crucial for effectiveness and safety.
Q & A
What is the most effective nutritional supplement for increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass?
-Creatine monohydrate is considered the most effective nutritional supplement for increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training.
What are the common myths about the safety concerns of creatine monohydrate?
-Common myths include creatine causing hair loss, increasing uric acid levels, posing health risks to kidneys, causing dehydration, and muscle cramping. These concerns have been disproven.
How does creatine monohydrate affect cognitive performance?
-Creatine supplements not only increase muscle creatine stores but also brain creatine stores, which can enhance memory performance, particularly in older adults.
What is the recommended daily protein intake to maximize muscle performance improvements from resistance exercise?
-A protein intake of 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day is recommended to maximize muscle performance improvements from resistance exercise, with older adults potentially needing up to 2 grams per kilogram.
What are some high-protein foods and supplements that can help reach the recommended daily protein intake?
-High-protein foods include beef (which is about 25% protein), and protein powders such as whey protein, pea protein, brown rice protein, and soy protein.
What is the role of leucine in protein supplementation?
-Leucine is an essential amino acid that plays a pivotal role in initiating muscle protein synthesis, determining the quality of protein in the context of muscle building and maintenance.
What is TMG, and how does it benefit muscle performance?
-TMG (trimethylglycine) accelerates the recycling of cells' energy storage (ATP) and enhances muscle protein synthesis. It improves muscle performance when combined with exercise.
What cognitive benefits does TMG provide?
-TMG may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by lowering high levels of homocysteine in the blood, though more research is needed to confirm this benefit.
What supplement was shown to improve global cognition in the COSMOS-Mind study?
-A multivitamin and mineral supplement was shown to improve global cognition in the COSMOS-Mind study involving over 2,000 people over three years.
What are the potential risks of mega-dosing Omega-3 supplements?
-Mega-dosing Omega-3 supplements can increase the risk of developing an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation, so it's advised to take about 1 gram of Omega-3 as a mixture of EPA and DHA.
Outlines
💪 Supplements for Muscle Performance and Cognitive Health
The first paragraph introduces nine health supplements supported by human clinical trials. It emphasizes three key supplements for muscle performance: creatine monohydrate, protein powder, and TMG. Creatine is highlighted as the most effective nutritional supplement for athletes, enhancing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean muscle mass, with safety concerns debunked. Creatine also shows promise for cognitive performance, especially in older adults. Protein intake recommendations are discussed, with a focus on the importance of leucine for muscle protein synthesis. TMG is noted for its potential to improve muscle performance when combined with exercise and possibly reduce Alzheimer's risk.
🧠 Cognitive and Heart Health Supplements
This paragraph delves into supplements for cognitive performance and heart health. A multivitamin and mineral supplement is cited for its significant benefits on global cognition, as demonstrated in the COSMOS mind study. The importance of individual nutrients like vitamin B3, D3, K2, zinc, and magnesium is underscored, leading to the creation of a personalized multivitamin. Omega-3 is recommended for heart health, with caution advised against mega dosing due to potential risks. Prebiotic fiber from inulin husk is also mentioned for gut health and its indirect benefits on metabolic health.
🌟 Supplements for Skin Health and Sleep
The final paragraph focuses on supplements that improve skin health and sleep quality. Collagen peptides are discussed for their ability to reduce skin wrinkles and improve hydration, with evidence suggesting they are more effective than regular protein intake. Hyaluronic acid is another supplement shown to improve skin elasticity and reduce wrinkles. Melatonin is noted for its sleep benefits but with a warning against high doses due to a lack of long-term safety data. Glutathione precursors are suggested as an antioxidant strategy for those over 45 to support mitochondrial health. The paragraph concludes by advising against certain longevity supplements that lack evidence for effectiveness.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Creatine Monohydrate
💡Protein Intake
💡Leucine
💡Betaine (TMG)
💡Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement
💡Omega-3 Fatty Acids
💡Psyllium Husk
💡Collagen Peptides
💡Hyaluronic Acid
💡Melatonin
Highlights
Nine supplements backed by human clinical trials can make a difference to health.
Creatine monohydrate is the most effective nutritional supplement for athletes, increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass.
Initial safety concerns about creatine have been disproven, including links to hair loss and kidney health risks.
Creatine supplementation enhances memory performance, especially in older adults.
Protein intake of 1.6 G per kilogram of body weight per day maximizes muscle performance improvements from resistance exercise.
Higher protein intakes are associated with improved muscle strength and lower death rates.
Protein powders are a convenient way to reach daily protein targets without added sugars or salts.
Lucine content in protein is pivotal for initiating muscle protein synthesis.
TMG (Trimethylglycine) improves muscle performance when combined with exercise and may reduce dementia risk.
Multivitamin and mineral supplements can benefit global cognition, as shown in the COSMOS mind study.
Omega-3 supplements reduce heart attack risk but caution is needed due to potential risks of Mega dosing.
Pelium husk feeds gut bacteria, improving insulin sensitivity, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
Collagen peptides reduce skin wrinkles and improve skin hydration beyond regular protein intake.
Hyaluronic acid improves skin wrinkles and has been shown to enhance skin elasticity.
Melatonin supplements should be taken in low doses around 2 hours before sleep for optimal effect.
Glutathione levels decrease after the age of 45, and supplementing with its building blocks can support health.
Supplements like calcium Alpha ketoglutarate, nicotinamide riboside, and fistin showed no lifespan extension effects in the Interventions Testing Program.
If only one supplement could be chosen, creatine would be the top pick based on the discussed evidence.
Transcripts
there are so many supplements out there
and most of them do absolutely nothing
but looking through the human clinical
trials there are nine supplements that
actually make a difference to our health
and the first three are fantastic for
muscle performance so in this video I'll
show you what these supplements are and
the scientific evidence behind why they
work the popular supplements to avoid
and save your money because a critical
news study has just been published and
if I could only have one supplement what
supplement would it be here are the
first of three supplements for muscle
performance and then we'll have a look
at a supplement that improves memory and
cognition the first supplement is the
most widely studied of all and the
evidence is so strong that the
international Society of Sports
Nutrition concluded that it is the most
effective nutritional supplement
currently available to athletes in terms
of increasing high-intensity Exercise
capacity and lean body mass during
training it also helps with muscle
recovery after exercise and luckily for
us the initial safety concerns have been
disproven specifically we know that
there is no link to hair loss it does
not increase uric acid levels it poses
no health risks to our kidneys it's not
associated with dehydration or muscle
cramping and it increases lean muscle
mass not fat Mass the supplement is
creatine monohydrate and I Take 5 G
every day but remember that just because
I take a supplement does not in any way
mean that you should as well but what
most people don't know about creatine is
the emerging evidence for improvements
on cognitive performance and there's a
second specific supplement that we'll
talk about later in the video as well
for improved cognition so creatine
supplements not only increase muscle
creatine stores but also brain creatine
stores and this is especially important
during times of stress such as sleep
disruption and even aging itself during
these challenges it can cause the levels
of brain creatine to decrease and
multiple randomized clinical trials have
investigated creatine supplements and
its effects on cognitive performance and
those trials were combined into a
metaanalysis published in August 2022
the analysis concluded that creatine
supplementation enhances measures of
memory performance in healthy
individuals especially older adults that
provides another reason for me to
supplement with creatine 5 g a day and
now for the second of three supplements
for muscle performance there's a
striking correlation between decreased
muscle strength and increased death
rates even after adjusting for other
risk factors so we want to maximize
muscle strength in youth maintain our
strength in middle age and minimize the
loss in old age and we know from
multiple lines of evidence that higher
protein intakes improve the muscle
building response to exercise which is
why the clinical guidelines suggest to
increase protein intake so what is the
perfect level of protein intake to
maximize the benefits of exercise well a
2018 metaanalysis that combined 49
studies found that protein intake of 1.6
G per kilogram of body weight per day
maximized the muscle performance
improvements from resistance exercise
and older adults may even need a higher
amount up to 2 g of protein intake per
kilogram of body weight per day that's
because their digestive systems they're
not as great at absorbing the protein
from the diet and they also experience
accelerated muscle loss as they age but
that's a lot of protein for someone
weighing 80 kg that equates to about 128
g of protein each day now to put that
into perspective beef is only 25%
protein so to reach that protein Target
it would require an 80 kg individual to
eat about half a kilogram of beef per
day but from a British medical journal
analysis we can see that higher protein
intakes are not only associated with
improved muscle strength but also with
lower death rates and protein powders
are a great way to help reach these
protein targets and that's the second
supplement that I'm talking about the
protein is highly bioavailable but just
make sure that the protein that you
select doesn't have added sugar and salt
and When selecting protein it's
important to factor in what their Lucine
content is so Lucine is an essential
amino acid and it plays a pivotal role
in initiating muscle protein synthesis
it's one of the key elements that
determines the quality of protein
especially in the context of muscle
building and maintenance so wey protein
for example is typically rich in loosing
but for those following a plant-based
diet achieving the same amount of Lucine
intake it may require a higher amount of
overall protein consumption but don't
worry there are excellent plant-based
protein powder options available for
example pea protein or brown rice
protein and even soy protein now with
soy protein there's a popular myth on
social media that soy increases estrogen
but an updated metaanalysis confirms
that soy protein it does not have any
effect on testosterone free testosterone
or estrogen levels in men it also used
to be thought that protein timing was
important that we wanted to spread our
protein intake throughout the day but
new research suggests that that isn't
nearly as important compared to Total
daily protein intake the third and final
supplement for muscle performance works
by accelerating the recycling of our
cells energy storage called ATP and it
also enhances muscle protein synthesis
but there is controversy with the
supplement a 2017 analysis found that of
the seven studies published at the time
only two of those studies showed
improvements in muscle strength or power
so what's going on well here's the
crucial point when the supplement is
combined with exercise then there's a
muscle performance Improvement compared
to just exercise alone otherwise there's
no effect the supplement is called TMG
and there's a second benefit of taking
TMG which I'll cover shortly but first
since that 2017 analysis other Studies
have been published such as this one in
2021 TMG improved muscle performance
performance of soccer players compared
to a placebo or a dummy pill but it's
not just the muscle performance benefits
for why I take TMG in 2020 a large
review was done to try and identify the
risk factors for developing Alzheimer's
disease one of those risk factors was a
high level of homosysteine in the blood
now I want to be clear that we're very
early in the research Journey on this
and it's not a done deal we still need
to do a lot more studies before
confirming that TMG can reduce dementia
rates but just like creating supplements
it offers another reason to consider
taking TMG so I take 500 Mig daily and I
include it in
micrites not in any way mean that you
should as well but on the point of brain
health the fourth supplement that I take
I take specifically for cognitive
performance and memory and then we'll
have a look at two supplements for heart
health now a massive study in 2022
called the cosmos mind study was
published and it involved over 2,000
people the study ran for 3 years and in
the group who took this supplement
compared to the placebo or dummy pill
they had a statistically significant
benefit on global cognition this
supplement was a multivitamin and
mineral supplement and to be clear the
supplement should in no way replace a
great whole food diet and regular
exercise and it was because of the
cosmos mind study results that inspired
me to create my own multivitamin and
mineral called microvitreoretinal
separate supplements of vitamin B3 D3 K2
zinc and magnesium but when I looked for
a multivitamin and mineral supplement
that could combine all of those
supplements together and met my
requirements I couldn't find one
specifically I didn't want to take
vitamin A or E I didn't want to Mega do
and most of the existing products didn't
contain vitamin K2 plus I wanted to have
magnesium in the form of magnesium Tate
for the reasons that I explain in this
video here overall reaching our
recommended daily intakes of
micronutrients is a good idea and the
cosmos mind results provide strong
justification to supplement with a
multivitamin and mineral but again just
because I supplement does not in any way
mean that you should as well the fifth
supplement I take is to reduce my heart
attack risk so from a large trial called
the vital trial involving over 25,000
people the group who took the supplement
had an unexpectedly High 28% reduction
in the risk of having a heart attack and
that was compared to the group who took
the placebo but just like my warning
about Mega doing with vitamins and
minerals there are significant risks of
Mega doing with this supplement as well
including an increased risk of
developing an abnormal heart rhythm
called atrial fibrillation so I only
take about 1 G of Omega-3 as a mixture
of EPA and DHA the sixth supplement I
take is also for heart health and then
we'll have a look at two supplements
that reduce skin wrinkles this
supplement helps to feed the bacteria
that grow in our gut and through this
mechanism we see improvements in insulin
sensitivity blood sugar levels blood
pressure and cholesterol so I take
between 3 and 5 gram of pelium husk
every day but when looking at pelium
husk Brands you need to be aware of the
lead content so from an analysis done by
consumerlab.com yurba primer and now
Foods had very low levels of lead so
those are the brands that I use and just
like protein powder it can be mixed into
smoothies or shakes and it helps keep
you Fuller for longer the next two
supplements have strong evidence that
they reduce skin wrinkles and improve
skin hydration then I'll go through a
supplement for Sleep the first
supplement has evidence from multiple
clinical trials that it reduces skin
wrinkles by about 8% and the first
supplement is collagen peptides but it's
not without its controversy collagen
peptides are short chains of amino acids
and amino acids make up protein so one
interesting question is whether simply
supplementing with protein would offer
the same benefits as collagen peptides
well the body can absorb these short
amino acid chains and they're
transported to the skin so in a 2020
randomized controlled trial of burn
patients one group took protein and the
other group took a matching amount of
collagen peptides the collagen peptide
group experienced a significantly higher
wound healing rate compared to the
protein group suggesting that collagen
peptides do indeed have benefits to the
skin Beyond regular protein intake the
benefits were confirmed in an analysis
that combined 23 separate randomized
clinical trials together where collagen
peptides were shown to improve skin
hydration and elasticity so I take
between 10 to 15 gram of collagen
peptides every day and keeping with the
theme of improving skin Health the
eighth supplement that I take is
hyaluronic acid 200 Mig and I made a
detailed video about hyaluronic acid
recently which you can find here but
just like collagen peptide supplements
we have multiple randomized clinical
trials showing that hyaluronic acid
improves skin wrinkles and this study in
2021 showed an 18.8% improvement I take
200 mg as part of
micrites that we should avoid a few
popular supplements and save our money
so lowd do melatonin supplements have
great evidence from Human studies
showing improvements in the time of
takes to fall asleep and Sleep Quality
but the big issue is dose and timing
melatonin helps to regulate our sleep
wake cycle so taking a lowd dose
melatonin supplement only works if you
take it around 2 hours before you want
to fall asleep then there's the issue of
dose the body creates up to 80
micrograms of melatonin an hour while we
sleep so that equates to about 640
microgr for an 8 hour sleep but many
melatonin supplements have doses much
much higher than that and we don't have
the long-term safety data about Mega
doing melatonin supplements so
personally I take 300 micrograms about 2
hours before wanting to fall asleep but
melatonin doesn't only have effects on
sleep there's also antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory effects this is
especially important to consider with
respect to aging and on the point of
antioxidants there's one extra
supplement I want to mention before
discussing some supplements to avoid and
save your money so from the age of 45 a
powerful antioxidant called glutathione
starts to decrease so by supplementing
with the building blocks of glutathion
we can support our glutathione levels
and the body can control those levels of
glutathione a small study in 2022
explored this idea where they gave older
adults a combination of glycine and
neack supplements and compared it to a
placebo the Glycine and neck group had
significant improvements in their
mitochondrial Health now we're very
early in the research jour on this and
out of everything that I've discussed so
far the strategy has got the least
evidence but from the age of 45 I'd
consider taking a Glycine and neack
supplement around 1 gr now as promised a
new study has come out suggesting that a
few popular supplements in the longevity
space have no effect this study is from
the interventions testing program and
they tested a supplement called calcium
Alpha ketoglutarate there was no
lifespan extension effect seen this
program also found no effects for
nicotinamide riboside and fistin which
just like calcium Alpha ketoglutarate
are incredibly popular in the longevity
space these results are important
because the hype around all three of
these supplements came from my studies
but when the gold standard of my studies
the interventions testing program found
no effect with these supplements
personally I wouldn't buy them instead
if I had to choose only one supplement
out of all of the ones that I've
mentioned in this video hands down it
would be creatine for the reasons that I
explained in this video here and a
massive thank you to all of the patrons
supporting the channel
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