THE BEGINNER'S ESSENTIAL SUPPLEMENTS GUIDE

Confused about which supplements can help you shed fat, increase performance, and feel healthier? We take a look at a few fundamentals that every fit woman should include in her stockpile.

- TIM N. ZIEGENFUSS, PH.D.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in a supplement store—with all those pills, powders, and potions, how can you separate help from hype? As an exercise physiologist and sports nutritionist, I can tell you that in addition to exercising and eating right, a few key supplements can boost how you look and feel. Here’s where to start.

SUPPLEMENT:

Multivitamins

A great multivitamin/mineral complex should be the cornerstone of your nutritional plan. As a scientist, I always recommend foods first, but frankly no one is perfect, and the primary purpose of a multi is to fill the nutritional gaps in your diet of foods that you should be eating but aren’t.

A solid multi provides the most critical vitamins and minerals your body needs in optimal forms. The most important components include: vitamin A (my preference is for the beta-carotene and mixed carotenoids), the B vitamins, vitamin D (always look for the naturally occurring D3 form rather than the less potent D2 version), vitamin E (the tocopherol and tocotrienol forms are particularly important), vitamin C (look for the ascorbate form), vitamin K (those with cardiovascular and/or bone health concerns should consider taking the K2 form), calcium (the citrate form is my personal favorite), zinc, selenium, chromium, iodine, manganese, and molybdenum. Note: A good multi isn’t cheap—you get what you pay for.

Exercise research has shown that women who train intensely lose many critical vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, vitamin C, chromium, selenium, zinc, iron, and magnesium. This primarily occurs through vitamin and mineral loss in sweat and urine, as well as increased uptake for energy production during exercise and recovery.