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New year, new you! It’s that time of year when firefighters want to improve their health, body composition, and energy levels. These goals often include some supplements, and let’s be honest: the marketing tends to be on point. Are you bloated, tired, and have some fat to lose? Heck, yes, I am; take my money! Often, the claims made in social media ads are overhyped and unsupported by solid evidence. Let me “de-influence” you of a few popular supplements.
Cost per month: $18-79
Benefit: extra vitamins and minerals (a.k.a. expensive multivitamins)
Use: wildland or USAR firefighters on deployments without access to fruits and veggies.
Safety: typically safe. Some GI distress is possible. Do not pair with high doses of other vitamins and minerals.
Bottom Line: the cost doesn’t outweigh the benefit for most firefighters. Skip and spend money on pre-cut fruit, veggies, or a generic multivitamin.
Many first responders turn to greens or vegetable powders to “replace” their daily veggie intake. While marketing for these products sounds promising, getting 2-3 cups of veggies daily should still be the priority. Veggies have more water, fiber, phytonutrients, and antioxidants than powders. However, these powders may help fill some nutritional gaps and can be treated like a multivitamin. Multivitamins are often cheaper, with some powders costing over $100 for a month-long supply.
If you want to spend extra money on green powders, confirm that they are third-party tested or certified (e.g., Informed Choice or NSF Sport) with a proprietary blend that lists the exact amount of ingredients. Skip powders with proprietary blends that do not list amounts of ingredients; typically, the product doesn’t have the amount needed of “x” ingredient to see a benefit. Please stick to the serving size (one per day max); more is not always better regarding supplements.
Cost per month: $22-125
Benefit: minor increase in metabolism (ex. maybe +30 calories extra burned?)
Use: not recommended.
Safety: high risk of side effects like liver toxicity (yikes), GI distress, anxiety, difficulty sleeping
Bottom Line: if it claims to boost your metabolic rate or fat burn, it’s probably too good to be true. Skip these!
Fat loss is hard, especially on shiftwork. Many firefighters turn to fat burners, thinking, “I’ll take anything that will give me an edge to reach my goal.” However, fat burners are notorious for side effects and even liver toxicity due to the combination of herbal ingredients and high doses of caffeine. These supplements tout increased thermogenesis and metabolism – a.k.a burning calories without exercise. While some of these ingredients can raise your metabolism…it’s often a much smaller raise than you think. Is it worth +$30 a month for an extra 30 calories per day? Probably not. Considering the high risk for side effects and minimal (if no) benefit, skip these.
Cost per month: +$500 (to hit the therapeutic dose!)
Benefit: The recommended dose on the label is too low to see improvements in immunity
Use: not recommended.
Safety: low risk of GI distress, avoid with dairy allergies
Bottom Line: more research in adult humans is needed, skip
Colostrum is a popular supplement this time of year due to the claims of boosting immunity. Yes, colostrum, a.k.a the pre-milk mammals produce after having a baby. Of course, supplements like Armra or Miracle Moo use bovine, not human, colostrum. These products claim that daily use will boost immunity and performance. However, colostrum does not have the same effects on the developed adult GI system as it does in a newborn. Because of this factor, colostrum’s benefit is likely closer to whey or casein protein but significantly more expensive. There is some evidence that the immunoglobulin SBI could reduce diarrhea in children and respiratory infection in athletes. Still, you would have to take 8-9 scoops of colostrum available in the market daily. The evidence for hair, skin, and nail benefits is also weak. While side effects are low, the benefits are limited compared to the cost. Skip and stick with a standard whey protein for muscle recovery.
Megan is a Registered Dietitian and coach who specializes in firefighter nutrition. Megan’s mission is to help firefighters perform better, recover faster, and enjoy long, healthy retirements. Megan is the owner of RescueRD LLC, which provides nutrition seminars and coaching for tactical athletes across the country. Check out @Rescue.RD on Facebook and Instagram.
Exercise is not without its risks and this or any other exercise program many result in injury. As with any exercise program, if at any point during your workout you begin to feel faint, dizzy or have physical discomfort, you should stop immediately and consult a medical professional. You should rely on your own review, inquiry and assessment as to the accuracy of any information made available within this program or via this web site.
