The High Performance Journal​ - July 25th 2023

Since our second daughter was born, my mother-in-law has been staying over with us and I'm so grateful for that because if she wasn't here we'd be struggling.

During that time, she confessed to me that she was having trouble sleeping. She'd wake up at 1 am in the morning and would not be able to go back to sleep no matter how hard she tried.

As the problem solver that I am, I asked her if she'd be open to testing out a few things to see if we can help her get better sleep and she agreed.

After asking her a few questions she took a supplement (the first one I mention in this article) and she found herself sleeping until 5 am for the first time in years.

Also, over time her mood got better and she felt cognitively sharper than usual.

This is an example of what finding the right supplements can do for your life.

One thing I want to get across about them is that are secondary to making lifestyle changes. They're called "supplements" because they're meant to "supplement" a healthy lifestyle.

Most supplements lack evidence and are overhyped but the ones I'll be talking about in this article are not.

There are 3 main supplements that I won't be mentioning today but are what I consider foundational:

1. Whey protein
2. Creatine
3. Caffeine

The ones we'll be discussing today are ones that I've been taking and have been recommending my clients to take to improve their health and well-being.

Supplement #1 - Magnesium L-Threonate or Magnesium Glycinate

Magnesium is involved in over 300 metabolic reactions in our body.

It's been shown that up to two-thirds of people in the Western world don't meet their magnesium needs. This is due to depleted soil conditions, use of chemicals like fluoride & chlorine, excess sugar and caffeine intake, and excess stress.

There are many types of magnesium out there but the 2 that I recommend to clients (and my MIL) are Magnesium L-Threonate & Magnesium Glycinate.

Researchers theorize that magnesium plays a role in helping people sleep by relaxing the nervous system & causing chemical reactions in the body that produce sleepiness.

One study​ found that older adults with insomnia who used 500 milligrams of magnesium daily for eight weeks helped them fall asleep fast, stay asleep longer, reduce nighttime awakenings, and increase their levels of naturally circulating melatonin.

They have also been shown to improve symptoms of migraine headaches, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke, and to relieve anxiety in subjects prone to mental stress.

The best way to check if you're magnesium deficient is to do a blood or urine test. If you're deficient in magnesium I highly recommend taking it on a regular basis.

Here's the brand I use and recommend to my clients: ​Magtech from Natural Stacks​ 

Supplement #2 - Curcumin

Curcumin is an active component of the Turmeric spice and is part of what gives Turmeric its yellow hue.

Research​ has shown that curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.

Benefits include increased memory & retention​, lowered risk of heart disease, cancer prevention, reduction of Alzheimer's symptoms, and may act as a way to decrease depression.

The caveat to this is that you don't want to take it on its own as it's poorly absorbed in your bloodstream.

To experience the full effects of curcumin you want to consume it with black pepper, which contains piperine. Piperine is a natural substance that increases the absorption of curcumin by 2000%.

Here's the brand I use and recommend to my clients: ​Nature Wise​ 

Supplement #3 - Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid. When taken in produces carnosine, which is stored in your muscle.

Carnosine reduces lactic acid accumulation in your muscles during exercise, which may lead to improved athletic performance.

The benefits you get from Beta-Alanine are performance related​. It helps increase your endurance, and time to exhaustion, and has been shown to increase your ability to do shorter high-intensity exercises like HIIT.

This is a supplement I take specifically for endurance activities. I take this on days I hike up hills, run, or do rucking as I find it helps me perform longer.

The caveat to taking this is that there's a weird side effect of having your face tingle. This has been shown to not be harmful but just something to look out for.

Here's the brand I use and recommend to my clients: ​Bulk Supplements​ 

3 Supplements for a Fitter Body

When thinking of supplements I like to use the theory of Big and Small Rocks:

Think of a bucket you're trying to fill. The big rocks you'd use to fill it are exercise, nutrition, sleep, and hydration. The small rocks would be supplements.

Focus on adding the big rocks first (lifestyle) and then fill out the rest using small rocks (supplements).

You now have 3 supplements that may help you become a fitter healthier version of yourself.

Onwards and upwards 🚀

- Dan

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