Supplements for Crossfit

While I have been having some major gains and eating quite a bit with Eat to Perform, I will admit that there is always something more that I could be doing better. While I will preach all day long that you can acquire all nutrients and vitamins for optimal performance via food, various factors such as convenience or expense often get in the way. So for those times I need an extra boost to help my health or fitness goals, the following are what I choose to supplement for Crossfit and overall health.

For general use, I take the following daily:

Gelatin

While I love good homemade bone broth, sometimes it is just easier to get a quick intake of gelatin by means of adding a spoonful to a hot cuppa tea or in a smoothie. Supplementing gelatin is great for maintaining a healthy digestive system and regulating blood sugar, but also great for healthy skin, hair, and nails, and a great source of dietary collagen. I’m a fan of the Great Lakes Unflavored.

Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes

Although I do try to keep some amount of fermented foods in my diet (kombucha and kimchi, primarily), it is good to have some help to get things in the gut working properly. With a diet high in meat and veggies, it can’t hurt to have some assistance in breaking down foods not only to digest them better, but also help to absorb nutrients easily.

I have been using Nature’s Bounty Probiotics and NOW Foods Digestive Enzymes.

Fish Oil

I read a quote once that was something like, “If you cannot cure it with squats or fish oil, you are probably going to die.” For anti-inflammatory purposes among other things, I’m a fan of Vitacost’s KriaXanthin® Antarctic Krill Oil. If you haven’t shopped at Vitacost yet, snag a discount here!

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On workout days, I like to incorporate a couple other supplements to ensure maximum performance.

BCAAS

I sip BCAAs intra-workout and am a huge fan of USP Labs Modern BCAA+. Excellent flavor and has helped to keep my long workout sessions consistent.

Post-Workout Protein

I always have protein shake and banana post-workout! Lately I have been also adding some extra carbs post-workout to help replenish muscle glycogen. My go-to source is True Nutrition (use “w2w” at checkout to get hooked up with a deal for yourself).

Blonyx HMB

Not long after my half-marathon training, the team at Blonyx offered to send me a sample of their HMB Sport to try. Other than protein powder, I have never really been drawn to any additional supplements and since I am not an elite athlete or doing multiple training sessions in a day, I was quite skeptical to try the product. But with the claim of faster recovery, improved endurance, and increased strength gains, all from a “paleo-friendly” product, I opted to give it a try.

And then I injured my wrists.

Fast-forward to the past month, where I resumed taking HMB Sport. Without writing a novel on what HMB exactly is, anything you ever wanted to know is on their site, complete with plenty of science-backed studies and research. Basically, HMB is a natural substance that assists with slowing down the breakdown of muscle and speeds up protein synthesis. Win-win for athletes.

Now, while I have been putting a lot more emphasis on properly fueling my workouts which may play a large role in my recent gains in the gym, I also cannot deny that this product has not helped in my strength, endurance, and recovery. After a bit of a plateau, in the past month alone, I have PRed every max effort lift that was tested: Deadlift (1RM and 5RM), Squat Clean and Power Clean, Jerk, Squat Snatch and Power Snatch, Front Squat, Bench Press. I maxed my strict pull-ups and kipping pull-ups; PRed my “Grace” and didn’t die doing a 2k row. No joke.

As much as I love to admit I became spectacularly better over the past three months by commitment, focus and food I believe the addition of this supplement may have had something to do with it.

Blonyx only carries two products: HMB with creatine, and HMB without. I opted for the tasteless capsule form without creatine since I have always heard that creatine usually causes additional weight gain. However, even without  creatine I gained a bit of weight over the past few months, which is not one of the known side effects of this product. Since I somewhat have had two variables going on in the past few months (food plus HMB), I am going to attribute the weight gain to my increased calorie and carb intake from Eat To Perform.

If price wasn’t an issue, I could guarantee that this product would be a normal part of my daily supplementation, but at about $60/month, it is something that needs to worked into my budget to be able to afford monthly. If you want to try it out for yourself, you can score a discount using any of the links here and code “w2wBlonyx” at checkout!

Your turn..
Do you use any supplements?
Do you load up on protein and carbs post-workout?
Have you ever heard of, or tried HMB?
Are you a supplement skeptic?

Disclosure: I was provided a sample of Blonyx at no cost to me in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own. Also, many of the links above are affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you make a purchase using any of them. To help me support my blogging efforts and my Crossfit addiction, please use and share these links.