Young guys often ask me how I got started in the supplement industry and how they can do the same. The fact of the matter is that there is nothing in college you can learn which will prepare you for supplement science, other than a fundamental background in biology and chemistry. For me, what paved the path was a basic love for science, exercise and athletic training. Now let me make this very clear; athletics has changed tremendously since 1986, when I started on my path and lifelong obsession.
By Christian Santi
Many of these changes have been positive. Training schedules evolved into those emphasizing more recuperation between same sessions. Advanced routines from the late 1970?s and early 1980?s often called for each body part to be trained three times a week over a six day per week rotation. Clearly we have found a better way.
Supplementation has evolved. Ask anyone who was training 25 years ago (yes I?m aging myself) what the hell protein powders were like. The gases produced surely contributed to the thinning of the earth?s ozone layer. There have been major advances in nutrition on many levels. We now know about the post-training window for replacing carbohydrates and protein. We have been educated on eating frequent, smaller feedings of protein six or more times a day rather than eating 3 squares a day. The list goes on and on.
Many in the athletic community have lost sight of what I call ?holistic nutrition?. This has steadily occurred over the past 20 years. The emphasis has become simply performing a certain way on a certain day as long as your health holds up. When your health fails, you fade off into the sunset. Back in the day (20-30 years ago) athletes frequented health food stores. I?m not talking about stores that simply sell thousands of supplements; but old-fashioned health food stores that sell organic fruits, vegetables, grains, cold-pressed oils, whole grain breads, cereals and so on. It was part of the athletic culture to be concerned about overall health and well-being. This was an era prior to the establishment of today?s huge and specialized sports nutrition industry. Back then; if you wanted to pursue nutrition and supplementation to improve your performance, it was achieved through the use of general health food, wellness and longevity concepts. There was no large sports supplement industry to hand us products. We had to find applicable concepts in the world of general nutrition and supplementation to help us be better, healthier, athletes.
It seemed like more of the priority back then to eat brown rice rather than white; organic whole grain breads rather than a bagel from the local deli; fresh fruits rather than a sugary drink when running low on energy. Bodybuilders actually made it a priority to eat vegetables a couple times a day because it was healthy. While the knowledge of phytonutrients, polyphenols, and pigmented fruits and vegetables wasn?t there, as it is today, we simply knew that oranges had vitamin C; carrots had pro-vitamin A (beta-carotene), and bananas had potassium.
There are certainly exceptions in today?s world, but only a small minority of the populous eats or understands the importance of a balanced, whole-food based diet. I just read an interview with a well-known top-level mixed martial artist whose diet was something like this:
- Breakfast ? 10 egg whites and grits
- Mid morning ? Meal replacement shake
- Lunch ? Chicken breast and white rice
- Afternoon ? Meal replacement shake
- Dinner ? Steak and white rice
- Evening ? Chicken breast and white rice
The publication in which this interview appeared commended this MMA competitor for the well-planned diet plan he followed. Regardless of how he looked on fight day, his dietary practices are a disaster!! ? No fiber, no vegetables, no fruit, no whole grains and no essential fats. This kind of unbalanced, nutritionally deficient, eating plan is far too common in this sport. It also has contributed to some of the health problems we are seeing in athletics today. I believe that proper diet and well-informed supplementation can mitigate some of the health risks inherent in hardcore MMA. Alternatively, the unhealthy things MMA fighters often do to become fighters, can be that much more risky if nutritional countermeasures are not considered.
There are great supplements that have been proven to lower cholesterol, others that lower blood sugar and still others that fight inflammation in joints and tendons. For example, many of today?s elite bodybuilding diets advocated daily servings of red meat, some even more than once a day!?! We certainly have heard enough bad cardiac news among our brotherhood of bodybuilders. Very simply, it?s time for us to work toward healthier blood lipid levels.
Generation X and Y athletes (people currently 20-40 years old) appear to have an understanding of ?macro-nutrients?- at least protein and carbohydrates. For instance, it?s commonly understood that athletes need 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight or more. Almost everyone knows to cut carbohydrates when trying to lean up and to increase them when trying to add bulk. Only recently have the value of certain fats been discussed in sports publications; however, in practice very few athletes incorporate these essential nutrients into their daily diet. Fatty acid selection can have huge effects on health, longevity, inflammation control and the ability to get ripped to the bone. I?ve spent hours sharing theories and hypotheses on sources of omega 3?s, 6?s and 9?s and the optimum relative ratio of each in the diet. There is no doubt that the right fats can have medicinal-like effects on the body.
How many people in the athletic arena know that nuts should be eaten raw rather than roasted and that they should be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator? Who among us know that ?ORAC? values are the measure of a food?s antioxidant power; and why is it important to health and ultimately to muscle growth? What about grass-fed beef (not just organic beef)? It?s one of nature?s most anabolic foods. It?s low in fat, low in cholesterol, high in CLA?s and high in omega 3?s. Speaking of omega 3?s, how about the theory that, in excess, these fats can slow muscle growth in the same way that aspirin can?
Where am I going with all these seemingly random facts? It?s simple ? sports nutrition and supplements make up maybe 5% of the world of nutrition science. It seems that athletes get a good part of their nutrition education from sports supplement company advertisements. Let me be quite clear, this is not an attack on sports nutrition companies. My personal feelings are quite the opposite; many nutrition companies sell quality products that make our quest for peak performance easier and more productive. But make no mistake; ads are designed to sell products. They are not designed to provide you with a comprehensive education on the subject at hand. Medical doctors have been bombarded by pharmaceutical company sales tactics. Many of the prescriptions written are selected by doctors based upon which pharmaceutical company sales rep made the best pitch (not to mention which rep bought the best lunch).
Over the past two decades, supplement ads and publications have educated us well on the properties and relative benefits of micro-filtered whey protein isolate vs. ion-exchanged whey isolate vs. whey protein concentrate. The same applies for creatine ethyl-ester, creatine monohydrate and creatine phosphate. Everyone is so obsessed with picking the best potion, that they have been distracted from the fundamentals. Even within the world of supplementation, if there are 2000 sports products; there are well over 40,000 products in the health, wellness, and longevity categories. Many of these same items have crossover properties that can help you get lean, huge, and live longer to enjoy your body, mind, and preferred sport.
In upcoming installments, I will explore what foods and supplements from the holistic nutrition world can help accomplish our goals, feel better in and out of the gym, and help promote a healthy active lifestyle. At times I?ll jump on my soapbox, other times I?ll wax poetic, and I may even share some anecdotes from 20+ years in the nutraceutical industry and competitive athletics. So sit back, relax, and strap your asses in! There will be some bumps ahead? 
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