By Vasudha Zora
Fitness experts warn about overdoing or mixing up supplements in race to look ripped as fast as possible
Bengaluru that continues to be one of the country’s leading fitness markets is not just packing in protein powder into its gym bag. Creatine, electrolytes, collagen, fat burners and testosterone boosters are becoming increasingly common among recreational gym goers. Fitness experts say that the culture around supplements has shifted faster than people’s understanding of what they are actually consuming.
According to ACSM certified trainer, INFS transformation coach and fitness influencer Akshay Tamra, the supplement culture has significantly changed over the past decade and moved beyond basic nutrition, keeping pace with the emerging trends on social media. “The supplement use we see now has moved to performance optimisation and recovery focused products. Social media, fitness influencers and growing scientific awareness have all contributed to this trend. Creatine monohydrate, pre-workouts, magnesium glycinate, electrolytes, omega-3, caffeine and vitamin D have become mainstream,” he said.
He shares that city has also witnessed increased participation in recreational strength training, greater emphasis on performance, recovery and longevity along with interest in endurance sports.
He adds that for most healthy gym goers, protein powder is regularly consumed if dietary protein is insufficient, creatine monohydrate for cognitive function, caffeine is used when appropriate, while electrolytes are for prolonged high sweat training and vitamin D or omega-3 are taken if dietary intake lacks the matter. However experts say that blood tests are important before taking supplements.
According to Neil, NASM certified, CPR and AED and physio working with Thryde, a fitness platform, a few years ago, people only talked about steroids. “I see a lot of people using SARMs, testosterone boosters, fat burners, pre-workouts, collagen, hair gummies and all kinds of ‘natural hormone boosters’. Social media has driven this obsession as many come across incredible transformations and want results as quickly as possible. Companies are well aware of this and so they market products as shortcuts to build muscle, burn fat, boost testosterone or improve appearance.”
He added that the problem is that many people start believing supplements are the reason someone looks great, when in reality it usually takes years of training, nutrition, consistency and hard work that happens behind the scenes.
Fitness experts say that clients ask them about supplements before establishing training, nutrition or recovery habits. Many people now approach trainers seeking visible results within weeks while most of their questions surround the supplements their favorite influencers are taking or promoting. “Extreme dietary practices, such as prolonged fasting, very low carb or zero carb diets, detox teas and restrictive calorie plans are seeing a rise as they align with the client’s expectations today. It has become common to stack multiple supplements without understanding their purpose, composition or potential interactions. I see people take a combination of pre-workouts, creatine, protein, fat burners, testosterone boosters and other recovery supplements simultaneously,” said Akshay. He states that many assume that more supplements equal better results while they overlook the importance of nutrition, sleep and training.
Experts note they are increasingly seeing people combine multiple products without clear understanding of dosages or interactions. “Many supplements already contain similar ingredients, so when people combine fat burners, pre-workouts, testosterone boosters and other products, they are getting much higher doses than they realise. This can affect sleep, increase heart rate, raise blood pressure, upset hormones and even put extra stress on the liver and kidneys,” said Neil, adding that sometimes increased use of supplements can actually slow progress because recovery starts suffering.
Both experts agree that people expect supplements to compensate for poor lifestyle habits, which are further influenced by social media and transformation focused marketing. “Trainers should
recommend supplements only when they are evidence based, appropriate for the client’s goals and not a substitute for proper training, nutrition and recovery. The biggest myth is that supplements are the key to achieving a great physique. No supplement can replace consistent training, balanced nutrition, quality sleep and patience,” said Akshay.
According to Neil, steroid use can increase muscle size and strength but they affect the entire body, and are not just limited to muscles. “When someone takes steroids, the body stops making as much as its own testosterone because it thinks there’s enough. Over time this leads to hormonal problems, reduced fertility alongside other serious health complications some of which affect the heart, liver, kidneys and mental health,” he said.
Neil works with clients who have taken high and consistent doses of steroids without proper guidance provided to them earlier. On talking to them, he notes that many are happy to see the quick results but after a few months they complained about poor sleep, excessive acne, high blood pressure, low energy, hormonal problems or abnormal blood reports followed by mental health issues.
“Don’t buy a product because of marketing. Buy it because there’s real scientific evidence behind it and because you actually need it. Fitness should improve your health, not damage it,” Neil says.