In order to reach your fat loss goals or improve your performance, people are often tempted to turn to supplements. Ever flipped through a fitness magazine? You are bombarded with glossy before/after pictures, medical and chemical diagrams, all the while trying to convince you that your efforts are going to waste without their products.

Sometimes supplements can be helpful when you have established appropriate eating habits and exercise regularly. However, sometimes they can be harmful with risks ranging from mild nausea to organ damage or even death. There is no shortage of supplements on the market. Unfortunately, many of them don’t work as claimed and haven’t been well studied.

Fortunately, we examine 3 popular supplements that do have some research behind them.

Creatine

Creatine is a compound found naturally in meat and made in the human body. It helps provide energy for short, very high intensity exercise sessions.

Is it effective? Creatine supplementation can help increase lean body mass (some of this may be water weight) and improve weight lifting and sprinting performance in some people. Creatine is not helpful for endurance sports or sports where a light body mass is important for performance (ie. running a marathon).

Is it safe? The long term health effects of regular creatine supplementation are not known. So far, creatine appears safe as long as your kidneys are healthy.

Glucosamine

Glucosamine is produced in the body and is part of joint cartilage. People take glucosamine supplements in the hopes of preventing or reversing joint damage and pain.

Is it effective? Early studies found glucosamine decreased joint pain and improved functioning among osteoarthritis sufferers, but recent studies have not shown these benefits. Frankly, more research is needed.

Is it safe? Overall, glucosamine appears to be a safe supplement. However, people with shellfish allergies may need to avoid glucosamine products that are made from shellfish. As always, read the product label.

Caffeine

Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, energy drinks, caffeinated waters, and bars. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that affects most of the body’s systems.

Safe and Effective? Caffeine’s effects can either help or hurt your weight loss goals. Caffeine can help endurance, strength and power sport performance in some people. However, the side effects of caffeine such as jitteriness, anxiety, increased heart rate and blood pressure, stomach upset and poor sleep could hurt performance. This is especially true if you’re sensitive to caffeine or not used to it (ie. great story about having three esspresos in one morning when vacationing in Italy). If you choose to supplement with caffeine, many National Health bodies recommend no more than 400 mg/day for adults, which is approximately 3 cups of coffee.

Bottom Line

If you are thinking of supplementing ask yourself: Do the risks outweigh the benefits? Even when supplements are pure, safe and effective they can’t make up for a poor diet. Supplements will never replace a well-designed training program, a well balanced eating plan with enough calories and sleep. Even then, we recommend you check with your doctor or a registered Dietitian for more advice on whether supplementing is right for you.

For more information regarding supplements check out Vince DelMonte’s Your Six Pack Quest. The program comes with more bonuses than I can count (see full review), including ten- 84 day meal plans that accommodate for any body type, and entire chapter discussing supplements and their use.

To Find A Fat Loss Program that’s right for you, click the button below: