To assess the effectiveness of a dietary supplement in a client's nutrition plan, I monitor specific health markers and performance metrics related to their fitness goals, along with any subjective feedback on their well-being and energy levels. For example, in a client aiming to improve joint health, we introduced a high-quality fish oil supplement and observed significant reductions in joint pain and increased mobility over three months, alongside their regular exercise regimen. This improvement was both a subjective report from the client and an objective measure of enhanced performance in their workout routines.
To assess the effectiveness of a supplement in someone's plan, you need first to have a very clear understanding of the goal. For example, a client may have heard that consuming a curcumin supplement might be beneficial for lowering inflammation. But if there's no evidence of high levels of chronic inflammation, adding this supplement to their intake may not be necessary. So, when you understand their goals, you then have a clear outcome you can measure against. --- A common one in my practice is helping plant-based clients increase their protein intake. Vegans have a limited choice of high-quality protein sources as they don't eat meat, fish, seafood, or dairy. While tofu is an excellent protein source, it can be challenging to eat this every day. So, I generally recommend consuming a plant-based protein powder alongside their breakfast and dinner to provide a strong foundation of protein intake that takes the pressure off of the meals. In this instance, measuring effectiveness comes in many different forms: - Do they feel fuller for longer? - Do they feel more energy? - Are they recovering better from their exercise? A recent client of mine was struggling to get enough protein. They were a plant-based ultra-runner who had a very carbohydrate-rich diet. After recommending a few simple swaps to increase protein in their diet, I also recommended a daily protein shake twice a day alongside their breakfast and dinner to see how they fared. They immediately noticed better energy levels and were recovering quicker from their harder efforts in training. So, to summarise. To identify the effectiveness of a supplement, it's essential to understand a client's goals; from there, you have something to measure the progress against. This will look different for each individual, their goals, and the supplement of choice.
When there is a reason a client cannot get enough of a nutrient from food itself that's a good indication for a supplement. When something can be measured I always feel safer recommending a supplement since often these come in larger doses that naturally present in food or in a form not present in nature. Specifically, I have seen a lot of success in iron supplements used in runners - especially female runners. We can measure iron using blood work. However, sometimes 'anemia' isn't just from iron deficiency. So in many cases additional supplementation is needed to correct a documented anemia aside from iron alone in runners who are not consuming enough total daily calories. Success is seen when the supplementation can correct a measured deficiency.