The 'Livewell Interview' with Will Brink
The 'Livewell Interview' with Will Brink
Here goes with the Live Well interview with Will Brink relating to the latest news in supplements...
See Will's ebooks online here:
Muscle Building Nutrition
www.musclebuildingnutrition.com
A complete guide bodybuilding supplements and eating to gain lean muscle
Diet Supplements Revealed
www.aboutsupplements.com
A review of diet supplements and guide to eating for maximum fat loss
Q: What supplements is currently being developed which you think could be really big in a couple of years time?
A: Honestly, I have not seen any particular compound that I thought was going to be a big seller in the next few years, but I can't be every where all the time of course. Also, what will be a big seller does not mean it's any good per se. Meaning, many of the top selling products are based on marketing hype rather then solid science. I think some of the more interesting focus right now, is novel delivery systems for compounds already in use, that could potentially increase the efficacy some compound.
Q: Are there any supplements past and present that won't stand the test of time and are on their way out?
A: Oh, supplements come and go all the time, and many are even rehashed every few years after people forget how worthless they are. Hard to say, again, what stands the test of time is not always the best supplement, but the supplement that is marketed the best. Good stuff, like creatine, protein powders, etc., will stand the test of time of course as they work, are safe, and have solid data behind them.
Q: How has the supplement industry changed over the last ten or so years?
A: The supplement industry has changed dramatically in the past few years, as many of the best known supplement companies have been purchased by larger pharmaceutical companies, investment houses, or larger supplement companies. As I predicted some years ago, it was only a matter of time until big industry realized sports nutrition could be quite profitable and a growth industry. The industry is going through some growing pains, and will hash itself out over time.
Q: What changes would you like to see in the industry in the future?
A: Pretty much the same changes I have been pushing for all along, which is a greater emphasis on real science to validate supplements vs using some Russian study done on rats in 1946 to sell a product. In the end, those tactics hurt us all as they give more ammo to the anti supplement crusaders who already think all supplement companies are hucksters.
Q: With all these new products coming on the market, how can users be sure they are safe and effective?
A: The only way end users can be sure, is to be an educated consumer and do their own research. If you take the word of ads or paid athletes as to what works, you will get snookered. This is not unique to the supplement industry of course. Any industry is the same in this respect.
Q: Is there consistency in terms of regulation in different countries? For example is testing/legislation in Europe more or less vigorous than in the US?
A: Oh, not at all. The laws, regulations, etc., are quite different country to country as they are for any topic. There are many ingredients that can be sold in one country, but not in another, and so on. For business people, it's quite a maze in fact.
Q: Are there any general rules for taking supplements? For example is there a standard set of supplements you would recommend for runners or bodybuilders or ballet dancers, or does it have to be more tailored than that?
A: As the needs of those athletes are quite different, so will be their supplement use. For example, creatine would be a great addition to the bodybuilders diet, but of little use to the ballet dancers diet. In a general sense, being we are all more or less physiologically the same, there are general guide lines perhaps for all of them. For example, a good multi vitamin, a source of essential fatty acids, and so on might be seen as useful to all athletes, or even non athletes.
Q: You recently wrote an e-book on weight loss supplements, diet, and exercise. What is the book about and who is it for? Would athletes find it useful?
A: The book is designed to explain once and for all the facts about the weight loss nutrients already available, not necessarily to uncover new and novel compounds never seen before. My feeling is that the vast majority of people out there, say better than 90%, buying supplements still don't have a clue as to what works and what does not work regarding supplements that already exist. If they did, there would not be so many bottles of junk sold in the local health food store or gym. The news groups and my email box, are still filled with questions about pyruvate, chitosan, DHEA, and other products, so I know confusion is still rampant.
I felt those people, athletes and 'normal' people alike, could really benefit from an easy to read concise look at what is on the shelves already from someone they can trust to get the straight scoop. I do feel even most well informed people will still learn a few tricks they didn't know, but the fact is, it's not a book written for the 'hard core' bodybuilding crowd. It's a look at weight loss nutrients combined with an easy to follow Ten Tip Guide to Fat Loss, along with easy to follow exercise routines. So, for well informed bodybuilder types who really know their stuff, this may not be the book for them. For the other 95% plus people in the world, who are constantly bombarded with BS about these nutrients, this book will clear it all up for them.
Q: Where can people find the book?
A: The book is sold directly from my web site www.aboutsupplements.com
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