A personal trainer shared the 2 popular fitness supplements he would never take

• Personal trainer Hayley Madigan isn’t against supplements, but there are some she avoids.

• Madigan told Business Insider why she doesn’t use products like energy drinks and protein bars.

• There is no one-size-fits-all approach to taking supplements.

Personal trainer Hayley Madigan knows that certain supplements can help her feel and perform at her best.

But there are others Madigan, 34, would never take.

More than half of American adults take supplements, according to the American Medical Association, and the market will be worth an estimated $308 billion worldwide by 2028, up from $191 billion in 2020, according to Statista.

But experts say we should aim to get the nutrients our bodies need from food. While supplements like protein powder and creatine can be especially helpful for those who are active like Madigan, not everyone should take them. And some can even make us feel worse than before. If you’re not sure what supplements you need, talk to your doctor.

Madigan, who is based in Portsmouth, UK, told Business Insider why she avoids products that include energy drinks and pre-workout supplements.

Madigan avoids energy drinks and pre-workout supplements

It’s not uncommon to see people going to the gym drinking energy drinks and pre-workouts, but not everyone gets along with them.

Madigan used to take pre-workout supplements, which are different from regular energy drinks because they also contain ingredients designed to boost workout performance, to boost her energy.

But Madigan said she stays away from high-caffeine supplements like these because they tend to send her energy levels crashing and make her feel anxious and sick, she said.

“I found that I was crashing after the pre-workout wore off and it had a tendency to make me feel more tired,” Madigan said. “So now I train in the morning and I tend to use my morning coffee instead of pre-workout.”

Madigan isn’t the only personal trainer to stop taking pre-workout supplements. Celebrity trainer Luke Worthington previously told BI that he made the same decision after realizing he was working out when he should have been resting.

Protein bars often contain artificial sweeteners

Although protein bars can be a convenient way to eat more protein, they are often highly processed and contain various artificial ingredients. Research suggests that ultra-processed foods are linked to a range of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and obesity. They can also have a more immediate negative effect on someone’s health if they are sensitive to certain ingredients.

“I also don’t have protein bars because the artificial sweeteners in them were wreaking havoc with my stomach and digestion,” Madigan said. “I’d rather add more ‘real food’ than have too many artificial supplements throughout the day.”

Studies suggest that eating too many artificial sweeteners can lead to gas and bloating, while research in rodents suggests they could harm “good” gut bacteria.

Everyone is different

It can be tempting to try supplements that we see others taking, but there is no one-size-fits-all approach as each of us has different requirements.

Vitamin B12 helps keep our body’s blood and nerve cells healthy. Madigan thought she might need to take a supplement if she wasn’t getting enough from her diet (found in foods like meat, fish, eggs and dairy). But a blood test showed he had naturally high levels, so he didn’t need it, he said.

Read the original article on Business Insider