The 5 Best Supplements We Don't Make

It is critical that every successful business focuses on their core competencies. No company can be all things to all people. It seems clear to me that Biotest focuses on supplements that build muscle. Building muscle is their core competency. They are good at it.

I don’t expect Biotest to be my one stop shopping for health food supplements. Many the above mentioned products I purchase elsewhere. The last thing I would want them to do is to lose focus on muscle building.

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“High performance muscle” is definitely a core idea: Surge Workout Fuel, Plazma, Mag-10, Metabolic Drive, etc. I also really appreciate what I call the “Hardcore Health” category: Flameout, Micellar Curcumin, Superfood, and all the rest.

These also fit into what TC Luoma calls “health span” supplements – it’s not just about increasing life span but making sure those years in your long life are healthy, active, generally “feel good”, and not chained to a host of prescription drugs and their side effects. I appreciate those just as much as the bigger-stronger-leaner stuff these days.

Thanks for your feedback!

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Does this mean that we wouldn’t want to take our expensive vitamins or supplements at the same time as Psyllium?

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I’ve always adhered to this premise and taken it between meals. I believe TC has also advocated for taking it ahead of meals and not with meals.

I think another really important angle that should be discussed is supplement timing, grouping and dosing. Which supplements do you take in the AM, midday, or PM and when specifically (i.e. ZMA 45 min before bed)?

Also useful to discuss which supplements can (or even should) be taken together (i.e. Vit D or I-Well and vitamin K), and which should not (psyllium husk with other supplements, avoid ZMA and calcium if possible).

Furthermore, I think it’s also important to discuss which supplements can/should be divided into doses and which should not. A clearly demonstrable example is pulsing protein - it’s far better to consume 30-50 grams over several doses than one 120-150 gram dose. ZMA on the other hand is likely much less effective if all three capsules are not taken together roughly 45-60 min before bedtime (does and timing dependent). Perhaps for something like Superfood it doesn’t matter (i.e. one scoop in the AM, one in the PM).

TC has specifically alluded to the veracity of several studies (aspirin and others) for which the results may have been significantly impacted by the above variables - so much so in fact that it’s potentially the difference between diametrically opposed study outcomes.

I’m sure the science is not settled on every supplement - but I think it would be great to have an evolving and growing list to keep track of these variables. For many of us, especially as we age and are more focused on health and longevity, it becomes harder and harder keep track of such things. Many times, it’s just a matter of more easily organizing an already busy day and dividing things into manageable blocks of time.

It’s possible that this approach is overthinking things, but we know from previous studies that supplement efficacy can be elusive due to a number of factors. We can easily write it off and say, meh, just take stuff whenever, but unfortunately chemistry and our bodies don’t always work that way.

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I think it’s possible there’s some “absorption” issues. But honestly, I don’t sweat it myself. It may be like the “coffee dehydrates you” idea. It may cause a slight loss of water on paper, but not nearly as much as you’re ingesting to drink the coffee itself. It’s a net win. If someone does sweat it, just use the between-meals approach. Here’s how I use it: Chris's Random Thoughts & Rants (B)Log - #18 by Chris_Shugart

Good points, and I generally try to stick to the known guidelines for most efficient usage: ZMA or ElitePro Minerals before bed, Indigo-3G before workout nutrition or the biggest meal of the day, etc. I also take all of my Flameout capsules before bed because of the apparent cortisol and stress-lowering effects. Helps ensure quality sleep. More info on that here:

That said, I do think we could drive ourselves nuts if we overthink the issue. That could lead to a compliance problem. For example, years ago I worked with a high school coach who could “never take creatine right.” He’d start loading, miss one of the four daily doses, and quit taking it out of frustration. If he had just been consistent with a single daily dose he would’ve gotten the same eventual effects he was after.

But even then, there’s probably a “best” time to take creatine:

But if that time doesn’t fit your schedule, it’s not like the creatine won’t work.

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For what it’s worth, I think an article on the timing of some supplements would be really helpful.

TC covered the fat-soluble vitamin part of that here:

https://forums.t-nation.com/t/fat-soluble-vitamins-ensuring-absorption-conversion/

Nice article, reminded me of that scene in “Miracle on 34th Street” where the Macy’s (real) Santa sends a mom to Gimbels for a pair of skates.

Frankly, someone/thing has to underwrite good, useful knowledge and frankly, it doesn’t bother me at all that BioTest is underwriting it all–you get what you pay for.

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I’m 71. From my experience, niacin, 1500 mg per day, divided, works for me for blood lipid control. Niacinamide doesn’t. Niacin flush is very real and you’d better be ready for it. Endur-acin, for me, nearly eliminated niacin flush. My doctor is incredulous. Don’t take this as a recommendation,or as medical advice - just telling you my experience.

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Thanks for the feedback. I know some of our older articles say to take regular niacin and suck it up, but man, the flush is painful for me even with a low dose and taken with food or after a meal. Maybe I’m more sensitive to it, but I’ve had to delay leaving the house because I looked like I’d been given 40 lashes. Endur-Acin works great though.

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i read in a book on bone health that cacao/cocoa actually has some of the highest levels of phytates/phytic acid anti-nutrients that could block the absorption of other vitamins and minerals. the authors recommended switching to a fermented cacao product (nibs/powder) where the phytate content was greatly reduced.

By that logic, we’d have eliminate half the foods on the planet: whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, etc. My guess is that this is only the problem if 100% of your diet is cacao. An overall healthy diet tends to balance itself out. In short, there are much bigger fish to fry.

Thanks for your response. I would say a good strategy would be to take initiative on the top foods that are highest in phytates. And the best way we know to do that is to consume those foods in either a fermented or a sprouted form in the case of legumes like you said. They’re actually not that hard to find. I would also add that for example, if you are consuming this food around the same time that you take your supplements, and it would probably be wise to consider the anti-nutrients within due to absorption issues.

Tip: do not take your fish oil and supplements at the same time you take your fiber; I say wait at least an hour or so before and after you take your fiber.

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That one makes sense. Morning-ish vs. night for me.

Interesting article. You know, at one time Biotest made a supplement that contained CoQ10. I miss Receptormax.

I’d almost forgotten about that. Good supp.

Organic psyllium, eh? The back of my bag has a Warning “Cancer and Reproductive Harm.” I wonder what that is about.