If you’ve ever spent some time in a convenience store or sports supplement shop, you may be perplexed by the array of supplements that line the store shelves. And, more often than not, you’ll find a 16 year old kid with a blank stare on his face trying to sell you whatever product makes him the most commission.
So, how do you know when you should pick a brand name or go generic? What’s the difference between the 15 different tubs of whey protein powder? Here are my three rules to standby:
1) go with a product that tastes good
2) choose supplements and products with research to back their claims
3) run from products with outrageous claims
For multivitamins, you can go cheap but your best bet is one of the multi packs (several pills a day). Why? Certain minerals are too big and bulky to fit into a multi. With 100% of the daily value for all vitamins and minerals those pills would truly be horse pills. Oh, and skip the mega multis- you don’t need 3000% of anything unless you are deficient.
With other supplements, choose brands with good, sound research behind them (look on the website or ask a dietitian or physician for tested brands). Here’s an example: I pay significantly more for a specific brand of glucosamine & chondroitin sulfate that was used in the NIH Glucosamine Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT) – it’s backed by research and I’ve noticed a huge difference in comparison to the other brands that I’ve tried.
With sports supplements, choose something with an effective dose. This is pretty important since some companies skimp on dose. And of course, choose a powder or bar that tastes good.
Though you don’t always need to go with a name brand per se, when it comes to sports supplements sometimes brand names mean trust, integrity and an effective dose. With multivitamins, omega 3s and other supplements, you may not recognize the brand name but still get a great product.