Thread: Why big studies say supplements don't work

Very good read thanks for sharing.

I don't think I buy that. How do we know the people in the study are representative of people who actually take supplements of their own accord? The study supposedly looks at the psychology of those who take supplements but the participants in the study aren't necessarily supplement takers in the real world. I think people who take supplements are more concerned about their health than those who don't. I can't imagine some fat country boy who eats fried chicken and beer every night is likely to give two shits about taking any supplements.

I think there are those, in the real world, that eat unhealthy diets and sit on the couch all day then take a cheap no name brand of multivitamin believing it to be a silver bullet that got them covered. People must be willing to educate themselves... sorry for the soapbox response.

One study vs. almost everybody on this board seeing results from supplements...hmmmm.....

people on the board are pushing themselves toward better health and or a better body aka they are motivated.

Originally Posted by troubador

I don't think I buy that. How do we know the people in the study are representative of people who actually take supplements of their own accord? The study supposedly looks at the psychology of those who take supplements but the participants in the study aren't necessarily supplement takers in the real world. I think people who take supplements are more concerned about their health than those who don't. I can't imagine some fat country boy who eats fried chicken and beer every night is likely to give two shits about taking any supplements.

It's the "Diet Soda Syndrome". You know, the people who order the bucket of KFC for themselves with a diet Coke. People *want* to indulge themselves, and to many, a supplement is simply something that allows more leeway to indulge. In larger study populations, especially uncontrolled ones, this has a 'damping' effect on the data which definitely tends to hide beneficial results. People trend toward 'normal', neither over or under healthy.

"I ate healthy so I don't have to walk as far to be back to average."
vs
"I ate unhealthy so I have to walk farther to be back to average."

Originally Posted by ThreeGigs

It's the "Diet Soda Syndrome"...

I understood the concept but I think the nature of supplements appeals to those more concerned about health than the average person.

Originally Posted by troubador

I understood the concept but I think the nature of supplements appeals to those more concerned about health than the average person.

I'll disagree with you there. I walk into my bodybuilder supplement shop and I see a wall of whey, another wall of gainers, and one wall that's half creatine, glutamine, and whatever's the rage at the time (N.O. boosters currently), which leaves half a wall for vitamins, coq-10, zma, hmb, omegas, etc.

But, if you walk into a drugstore like CVS or Walgreens, there's a whole aisle, both sides, dedicated to those same things that get only half a wall in a place like GNC. I think the general public is more interested in taking something that is supposed to improve health than actually improving their health. I mean, the vitamin section was larger than the painkiller section in the CVS I was in 2 weeks ago, and the Coq-10 was cheaper at CVS than the Vitamin Shoppe I checked out in NYC.

We tend to think that a lot of these supps are directed toward fitness geeks, but I think Joe Average is probably by far a larger consumer, and Joe Average takes his supps and believes he has more room to indulge, and so he does. It's the Joe Average types that are the noise drowning out the response signal from people who truly do care about their health *and* understand diet and nutrition.

Originally Posted by ThreeGigs

I'll disagree with you there. I walk into my bodybuilder supplement shop and I see a wall of whey, another wall of gainers, and one wall that's half creatine, glutamine, and whatever's the rage at the time (N.O. boosters currently), which leaves half a wall for vitamins, coq-10, zma, hmb, omegas, etc.

But, if you walk into a drugstore like CVS or Walgreens, there's a whole aisle, both sides, dedicated to those same things that get only half a wall in a place like GNC. I think the general public is more interested in taking something that is supposed to improve health than actually improving their health. I mean, the vitamin section was larger than the painkiller section in the CVS I was in 2 weeks ago, and the Coq-10 was cheaper at CVS than the Vitamin Shoppe I checked out in NYC.

We tend to think that a lot of these supps are directed toward fitness geeks, but I think Joe Average is probably by far a larger consumer, and Joe Average takes his supps and believes he has more room to indulge, and so he does. It's the Joe Average types that are the noise drowning out the response signal from people who truly do care about their health *and* understand diet and nutrition.

Id have to agree. Theres the lazys that want a pill to do the work for them. We all know it's not going to happen, but they're too ignorant, and they think the pill will do it all.

What a ridiculous study.
Take a vitamin pill, & a placebo, ask subject "how do you feel" then make a blanket statement "supplements don't work"....Nice.

TRue^

as i said in another thread and pissed people off....supplements are truly overrated..all research done on them is for commercial purposes...the supplements are not going to do the job for you and if you think they are helping it is because it is all in your head and you are probably working out harder ...supplements are only helping you in psyching yourselves up ..well you can do that without supplements, you can get a partner and motivate each other it works better. and another thing is that nobody talks about long term effects ( years) of using supplements because such a study is very hard to do it takes years.
i am 50 years old and back when i was 26 or so i worked out with a guy who does compete and we worked out really good until he started his steroid cycles and started to work harder...i did not take any roids but i stepped up my workout just to keep up with him.and guess what? i almost ( i say almost) got the same gains that he did ..i rest my case.
as a rule of thumb eat properly and use the minimum amount of supplements if you really need it, that is your body can tell you what you need..listen to your body

Originally Posted by bjg

as i said in another thread and pissed people off....supplements are truly overrated..all research done on them is for commercial purposes...the supplements are not going to do the job for you and if you think they are helping it is because it is all in your head and you are probably working out harder ...supplements are only helping you in psyching yourselves up ..well you can do that without supplements, you can get a partner and motivate each other it works better. and another thing is that nobody talks about long term effects ( years) of using supplements because such a study is very hard to do it takes years.
i am 50 years old and back when i was 26 or so i worked out with a guy who does compete and we worked out really good until he started his steroid cycles and started to work harder...i did not take any roids but i stepped up my workout just to keep up with him.and guess what? i almost ( i say almost) got the same gains that he did ..i rest my case.
as a rule of thumb eat properly and use the minimum amount of supplements if you really need it, that is your body can tell you what you need..listen to your body

People were angry at the way you expressed yourself and not at you for saying that most supplements are overrated.

Originally Posted by usafchris

Have to agree, you could have just said hello, or maybe even a little ..... Seems kind of opinionated and close minded of you to come out the way you did.

Originally Posted by Call of Ktulu

People were angry at the way you expressed yourself and not at you for saying that most supplements are overrated.

well hello ..