My Daily Supplement Protocol
Today I'll break down my daily supplement protocol. What I take, when i take it and why. This is something that comes up a lot so I wanted to offer my thinking on the topic.
First, supplementation should be regarded as an assisting resource to boost your health. Perfect supplementation will not fix a lack of sleep, poor hydration or an absence of exercise. As the name suggests it is meant to supplement a healthy lifestyle. The vast majority of your results are going to come from three areas.
1-Whole food nutrition.
2-Training.
3-Sleep. These are not listed in order, all three of them need to be in relatively good order for you to expect sustained progress in a healthy way.
Certain specific supplementation may interfere with medications and/or health issues you may have. It is important to consult your Doctor regarding your daily supplementation.
Coq10- studies
Benefits-
Heart Health & Cardiovascular Disease: Extensive clinical guidelines indicate that CoQ10 reduces hospitalizations, vascular mortality, and symptom severity in patients with moderate-to-severe heart failure. It may also assist in lowering both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Cellular Energy & Athletic Performance: By taking part in the electron transport chain, CoQ10 boosts ATP (energy) production within cells. Studies on athletes indicate it can reduce markers of exercise-induced muscle damage and improve anaerobic performance.
Antioxidant Protection: CoQ10 helps neutralize free radicals, protecting cell membranes and DNA from oxidative damage.
Migraine Prevention: Supplementation is recognized by the Mayo Clinic as a helpful tool for preventing migraines.
Metabolic & Fertility Support: Research shows it can decrease insulin resistance, lower inflammation, and regulate testosterone in conditions like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
Dosage/Timing - 300-400mg/day. Take in the morning with a meal that has dietary fat. See notes below on importance of taking it in the morning.
Maximized Absorption: CoQ10 relies on dietary fats to be absorbed efficiently. Taking it with breakfast (e.g., eggs, avocado, or yogurt) increases absorption, whereas taking it on an empty stomach can lead to substantially less absorption.
Energizing Effects: CoQ10 boosts cellular energy production. Taking it early in the day aligns with your circadian rhythm and boosts daytime energy.
Sleep Quality: For some people, CoQ10 acts as a mild stimulant. Taking it in the evening or close to bedtime may cause difficulty falling asleep or insomnia
Creatine- studies
Creatine is one of the most rigorously studied and effective sports supplements available. Research shows that creatine monohydrate significantly improves muscle strength, increases lean body mass, and boosts power during short, high-intensity activities. Furthermore, it supports brain health by enhancing cognitive processing, attention, and memory. For a multitude of reasons you need to make sure you are properly hydrated. Taking creatine while chronically underhydrated may cause kidney and liver damage.
Physical Performance & Muscle Growth
Strength & Power: Supplementation increases phosphocreatine in muscles, enabling faster regeneration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) during intense anaerobic bursts.
Hypertrophy: When combined with heavy resistance training, creatine leads to greater gains in lean body mass and muscle morphology.
Brain Function & Cognitive Health
Mental Fatigue: By increasing brain phosphocreatine levels, creatine supports brain bioenergetics. This helps sustain cognitive functioning and information processing speeds during periods of metabolic stress like sleep deprivation or mental fatigue.
Memory & Attention: Systematic reviews indicate measurable improvements in domains like memory and attention span, particularly in vegetarians and older adults who may have lower baseline levels.
Dosage/Timing- 5g/day. Take it when you are most likely to remember taking it. Consistency is more important than timing here. Effective dosage may differ for cognitive benefits compared to physical performance benefits. Higher dosages(10-20g) may be required.
Collagen-studies
Joint & Bone health
Osteoarthritis Support: Clinical studies suggest that collagen peptides may be effective in reducing joint stiffness and relieving pain in individuals suffering from knee osteoarthritis.
Athletic Recovery: Research on recreational athletes indicates that collagen supplementation can aid in improving joint functionality and reducing activity-related joint pain.
Dosage/Timing- 20g/day is tolerated well by most people. Timing is not super important here.
Krill Oil- studies
Heart Health & Cholesterol: Research summarized by the Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials indicates that krill oil can effectively reduce total cholesterol and triglycerides while potentially increasing "good" HDL cholesterol. A study in ScienceDirect.com confirmed it significantly lowers "bad" LDL cholesterol.
Joint & Arthritis Support: Clinical evidence suggests krill oil reduces pain, stiffness, and inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. One study found that taking 300 mg daily for 30 days significantly improved symptoms.
Skin Health: Recent findings from the National Institutes of Health (.gov) explore its potential for maintaining skin hydration, improving elasticity, and protecting against UV-induced damage.
Muscle Function: Studies on aging adults show that six months of supplementation can increase knee extensor strength and grip strength.
Brain Health: While more human data is needed, Healthline notes its high phospholipid content may make it more neuroprotective and easier for the brain to absorb than standard fish oil.
PMS Relief: Clinical trials have found that krill oil significantly reduces physical and emotional PMS symptoms, sometimes outperforming fish oil in managing irritability and stress.
Dosage/Timing- It is important to take your krill oil with dietary fat to ensure proper absorption. 500-1000mg is an appropriate dosage.
Triple Magnesium- studies
"Triple magnesium" supplements combine three highly absorbable forms of magnesium (typically glycinate, malate, and citrate or oxide). Research shows this combination optimizes absorption across different pathways, providing proven benefits like improved sleep quality, reduced anxiety, lowered blood pressure, and better muscle function without the digestive distress often caused by a single source.
1. Magnesium Glycinate (Brain & Sleep)
Benefits: Known for its calming effects on the nervous system, it is highly studied for reducing anxiety, combating insomnia, and preventing migraines.The Studies: Research indicates that magnesium bisglycinate increases sleep efficiency, decreases sleep onset latency, and helps lower cortisol (the stress hormone). Because the amino acid glycine crosses the blood-brain barrier, it is also highly recommended by experts for managing stress.
2. Magnesium Malate (Energy & Muscle Support)
Benefits: Formulated with malic acid, a compound found in fruits, this type supports energy production at a cellular level. It is the premier choice for combating muscle soreness, fatigue, and muscle spasms.The Studies: Studies have frequently explored magnesium malate for its efficacy in managing pain, improving cellular energy in muscles, and alleviating symptoms associated with fibromyalgia.
3. Magnesium Citrate or Oxide (Digestion & Absorption)
Benefits: Citrate is highly bioavailable and brings water into the intestines to safely alleviate constipation. Oxide serves as a dense, basic magnesium source used to quickly address systemic deficiencies and relieve heartburn.The Studies: Clinical trials continuously show magnesium citrate's high absorption rate, making it ideal for maintaining baseline nerve, bone, and heart health.
Dosage/Timing- 200-350mg/day is the typical dosage for triple magnesium supplements. To optimize your sleep this should be taken 30-60 minutes before bed.
Electrolytes- studies
Electrolytes provide essential minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium—are critical for regulating fluid balance, muscle contractions, and nerve signals. Studies show they are vital for rehydration after illness or intense sweating. However, for most everyday activities and light exercise, a balanced diet provides sufficient electrolytes, and extra supplements are often unnecessary.
Optimal Hydration: Electrolytes pull water into your cells. Studies, such as those on the Beverage Hydration Index, indicate that specific electrolyte-carbohydrate combinations enhance fluid retention compared to plain water.
Muscle and Nerve Function: Minerals like sodium and potassium generate electrical impulses needed for muscle contractions and steady heartbeats. While many commercial drinks claim to prevent cramps, research indicates this is not universally true, though proper balance is essential for preventing irregular heart rhythms.
Cognitive Performance: Research on hypo-hydration demonstrates that consuming electrolytes alongside water can prevent cognitive decline and quicker response times associated with mild dehydration.
Cardiovascular Health: Long-term epidemiological studies highlight the synergistic role of electrolytes in blood pressure regulation. For instance, a high potassium and low sodium diet is strongly associated with a decreased risk of stroke and unfavorable cardiovascular events.
Dosage/Timing- Dosage of electrolytes is dependent on activity level, temperature(environmental temperature and body temp) humidity and if you are a salty sweater or not(this can be tested). This guide can be helpful to determine appropriate dosage for different scenarios. Timing is dependent on your exercise output, temperature and humidity. For extended exercise sessions(60+ minutes) it may benefit you to sip on an electrolyte mix during or prior to exercise.
Vitamin D- studies
Extensive research shows vitamin D is crucial for absorbing calcium to build healthy bones. Major studies—including Harvard's VITAL trial—also highlight its benefits in reducing advanced cancer risk by about 20%, slowing cellular aging by protecting telomeres, and supporting immune system regulation.
Bone Health: Promotes calcium absorption, preventing bone-thinning (osteoporosis) and fractures in older adults.
Cancer Risk Reduction: High-dose supplementation over 5 years is linked to a lowered risk of advanced or fatal cancers.
Anti-Aging & Cellular Health: Landmark studies suggest vitamin D protects chromosomal caps (telomeres), potentially slowing pathways of biological aging.
Immunity: Modulates immune function and decreases inflammatory responses.
Autoimmune Protection: Higher levels are associated with a decreased risk of multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes.
Dosage/Timing- Take vitamin D supplements in the morning with a meal that contains healthy fats (like avocado, eggs, or nuts). This maximizes fat-soluble absorption and avoids potential nighttime melatonin interference. The standard recommended daily dose is \(600\) to \(2,000\) IU, depending on your age and health needs.
This is not a perfect or exhaustive list. Your needs can and likely will be different than mine. I exercise and sweat consistently so this protocol may not be best for you. As previously stated, consult your Doctor regarding your supplementation protocol. If you have any questions about specific products I’d be happy to answer. Shoot me an email using the contact page on the drop down menu.
Successful mentality for starting a new exercise program.
It All Begins Here
In this article we’ll talk about cultivating the right mindset when starting a new exercise program. I’ll go over setting reasonable expectations, I’ll guide you on effort and consistency, and we’ll discuss tips for successfully implementing something that sticks. I’ve been coaching fitness for over 15 years and have witnessed commonalities among clients who get a new practice to stick and have seen trends in those who start with the best of intentions only to lose steam after a month or two of working out.
Setting ExpectationsIf you've committed to a exercise program you've got a WHY. Whether its getting healthier for your family, dropping 20lbs to boost your confidence, or getting ready for an upcoming wedding your why is the foundation of this shift into the uncomfortable. Most people that reach out to me to make a change have an iron clad, top of the line why. The first place I start to see people falter is expectations, and its clear why.Modernity has major pitfalls for expectation setting. I’ll highlight a few in bold below.
WE ARE OVER INDULGING IN ELITE EXPOSURE
We expose ourselves to people we would have never or rarely ever crossed paths with in real life. If you follow CrossFit Games Athletes, bodybuilding champions, professional Hyrox athletes and Olympians on your instagram feed you can be flooded with world class athletic performance and physiques in a way that would never have been possible in human history. You’ll see borderline inhuman weights lifted, world record running paces held, and physiques that would make the finest Greco-Roman Hero blush with embarrassment. This is a novel challenge for humanity.
30 Years ago if you worked out 3-5x a week you would likely be one of the fittest people you knew. Now we have folks who work out 6-12 times a week and don’t think they’re doing enough because they are exposed to the most elite athletes on the planet 24/7. It’s crucial to not compare yourself to professional athletes, world champions and the best of the best when you are just in the very beginning of an exercise journey. I’ve been very active my entire life and have a lot of time to commit to my fitness and I consciously limit my exposure to elite athletes on social media.
SPOT THE SALE
Youtube, Instagram and X are flooded with promises and guarantees for results in incredibly short time spans or your money back. (Usually followed by the cop-out “RESULTS MAY VARY”) If someone on Youtube is guaranteeing a personal record lift or 15+lb weight loss within a 6 week period you are dealing with at best a sketchy sales pitch and at worst a full blown charlatan. An honest professional cannot guarantee you lose 15lbs in 6 weeks because there are too many variables out of their control. They can’t diet for you, they can’t ensure you get proper sleep and recovery, they can’t even make sure you get all your workouts in. Beyond that, every body is unique. What works wonders for one person can be significantly less effective for another. When you see videos or adverts bragging about astronomical results in short time period I’d encourage you to mark that in your head as a sale, don’t let it effect how you set expectations for yourself moving forward.
HEALTHY EXPECTATIONS
I encourage people to set action based expectations and let the outcomes come on their own timeline. Some examples of this for a true beginner is completing three workouts a week or cutting out all processed food for 6 weeks. For a more seasoned athlete examples can be cutting added sugar out of your diet, adding a zone 2 workout or the HAF 180 method aerobic work outside of your normal program to improve your aerobic system. These expectations may not sound as good as “losing 20lbs in one month” but they are firmly in your control, and when executed in a consistent way will undoubtedly lead to improvements in your health over the long term.
What does appropriate effort look like?
Of course it all depends. We'll go over appropriate effort for both true beginners and the dedicated gym rats.
For the true beginner starting a new program, you want to begin with a five to six out of ten effort for the first several weeks. New exercises, rep ranges, and ranges of motion can affect you in unexpected ways so holding back a bit is a good idea. If you come in hot and work at a 10/10 effort level after significant downtime you're risking injury, an incredibly stiff body, and demoralization. We want to take it a little slower to build confidence and consistency. Results are not attained with heroic efforts on single workouts or weeks, they're gained by consistent steady efforts over the long term.
For the dedicated gym population my answer may surprise you. In general your effort should be at a 7 out of 10. There will be exceptions to this such as testing where after many weeks of preparing for a specific test you'll go for a full 10/10 effort. Or conversely zone 2 training where you will be significantly below a 7/10 effort. Approaching workouts at a 7/10 allows you to be challenged enough to grow while still being able to show up and train again tomorrow. If you take every workout as a 10/10 your form will suffer, your body will be pushed beyond its capacity and you will expose yourself to overtraining and all the pitfalls that come with it. Keep in the front of your mind that we're doing this to be healthier and that we're trying to instill good habits, consciously fight the need to continuously test yourself and prove something to yourself. In strength training this may look like sliding 10lbs off the bar so that you can execute with good form, in cardio it may look like slowing your intervals down so that you can maintain a steady pace across all of them instead of chasing that guy in class who you know goes out like a bat out of hell on every workout. Check your ego and reap the rewards when its actually time to test.Building Consistency
Without consistency, you will experience no significant changes in your health. A big part of finding success in this regard is not biting off too much too soon. If you are a true beginner trying to solidify a new exercise routine for the first time in years I would encourage you to commit to 12-16 workouts a month for your first two months. After that you will likely be ready to move up to 4-6 workouts a week if that fits your goals and if you are wiling and able. Starting with reasonable total volume(amount of exercise) allows you plenty of time to recover and lets your body adjust to the new stimulus its receiving. This will greatly decrease your likelihood of injury and burnout.
Mentally its important to keep in mind that life is not ideal, you won't sleep well every night, your schedule wont be perfect and you won't always feel motivated. If you have kids and a full time job you may need to sacrifice a little bit of sleep and get your workout in first thing in the morning. The successful are those who continue despite the above realities. The hardest part of your workout is often getting your shoes on your feet, its truly downhill from there. Expecting it not to be easy and being disciplined in those moments is the difference between accomplishment and failure over the long term.Tips to make it stick
1.Try to find an exercise program you enjoy or find interesting. I'm aware there is a group of people who despise all exercise but try a few things out and figure out what suits you best. If you enjoy it or parts of it, you'll be more likely to keep coming back.
2. Find a program that is community based and has a high degree of accountability. Personal Training, CrossFit and small group classes can be great ways to meet friends with similar goals who will notice if you start to fall off. I've coached several groups in CrossFit who would nag their friends with texts immediately if they noticed they stopped coming to class. Your Coaches or Personal Trainer is much the same, they will be instrumental in keeping you honest and accountable, find one!3. Don't expect anything to happen fast. Lets be honest, it took you years to get to the point you're at now, its also going to take some time to change. When we have reasonable expectations set we feel less disappointment and less discouraged when it takes significant time and effort to see the changes we desire.Conclusion
In conclusion, refrain from comparing yourself to elite athletes or anyone but yourself, try to recognize when you’re being sold snake oil online and set reasonable expectations for yourself at the start of any new fitness endeavor. Focus on your actions(controllables) over arbitrary timelines and don’t meter your effort so that you’re not pushing your body to the limit everyday. If we train today in a way that allows us to train tomorrow we’ll be in a good spot after a few months.
If you have any questions or are looking for a Personal Trainer or Group Coach to help you begin your exercise journey, please reach out via the contact page or via text at 530-351-8866.