While 90% of the supplements out there are nothing but SNAKE OIL, there are some that are very beneficial.

While I am not a doctor, I have bee in Martial Arts since childhood, I hold a Second Degree Black Belt in Tae kwon do, Purple Belt in Brazillian Jiu Jitsu and have been training Kickboxing for 9 years on and off. While this does not qualify me for anything when it comes to supplements, I am going to talk about this drawing from my own experience experimenting with different supplements over the years to enhance my performance while staying within the rules and laws. Once you start reading the Supplements I am recommending you will see that I have no agenda. Without further a due.

• Beet Root Extract- In just 3 days supplementing this I was able to shave 1.5 minutes per mile off of my 5 mile runs. Beets Root Extract (I suppose lots of beets would do the same), helps your body increase Nitrous Oxide  which in turn dilates your veins allowing oxygen to travel more easily throughout your body, putting less stress on your heart which in turn improves your cardiovascular health. https://examine.com/supplements/beet-root/
• Vitamin D- More of a hormone than a vitamin, you can take supplements or just enjoy the sun ether way it will improve your overall health and help balance hormone levels such as Testosterone in men. Humans are meant to live in the sun. Many ailments plague those who do not have sun exposure or vitamin D. Vitamin D also slightly boots testosterone levels https://examine.com/supplements/vitamin-d/.
• Magnizium derived from D Aspartic Acid/D Aspartic Acid- This will slightly increase your bodies testosterone production, every bit helps in combat sports. https://examine.com/supplements/d-aspartic-acid/
• Zinc- Helps immune system function, and also said to slightly increase testosterone, I have not noticed a difference on Zinc the way I have on D Aspartic Acid or Vitamin D, but I have noticed that I do not catch colds in the cold weather when my wife and kids do.
• MCT Oil/Olive Oil/Fish Oil - Good for your joints, circulation and the fatty acids are part of a healthy diet and are used for energy when you are on a low carbohydrate diet and they help the body mobilize fat cells.
• Caffeine - Coffee, Tea, Pills, it makes no different, caffeine will help you push through your workout when you are tired and unmotivated, caffeine is more natural and easier on your body than pre-workout.
  The only other thing in my opinion worth taking is a good multi vitamin, and do not take it every day, just every few days to prevent deficiencies. If you enjoy drinking on the weekends you must supplement magnesium glycinate/Selenium and Vitamin B6/B12, failing to do so will lead to Myofascial pain syndrome.
• Yohimbe - This is not something to take often, this is what you want to take on those really bad days when Caffeine alone was just not enough to get you through your workout. Word of caution, if you have a heart condition do not try this without speaking to a doctor.

The above is for athletic performance not body building, if you are body building I recommend Whey and Casein protein powder an hour before and after each workout. I also recommend Creatine monohydrate as recommended by the manufacture and ensure you are drinking plenty of water.

I am not a doctor or a dietitian, I am simply relating what I have used in the past to help prepare for BJJ competition and MMA fights. If this list was for everything I have tried it would be much longer, this is simply what I believe works and it is also backed up by research. Use supplements at your own risk, I do not guarantee any results. If Beet Root Extract does not take time off of your mile run you can comment calling me any name you want.

By: Frank Aiello 8/13/2018