Supplement Godfather

Q: How has the science of sports supplements changed since the Arnold era? I mean, back in the day, Arnold and Lou were chewing back brewer’s yeast, digestive enzymes, wheat germ, and egg protein powder.

A:  Things have changed drastically, to say the least. In terms of sports supplement science, there really is no comparison between today and the era of Arnold and Lou Ferrigno. Back when Arnold and Lou were competing, the science of sports supplements really didn’t even exist. They would supplement their diets with various things, but they would generally be food-type ingredients such as lecithin, high-calorie creams, and egg protein. For example, back in the ‘70s, Arnold would supplement with brewer’s yeast, which was one of the first real sports supplements back then. Brewer’s yeast was consumed for its exceptionally high levels of key B vitamins and for the trace minerals chromium and selenium. Nowadays, with the advancements in science and production technologies, we would use a high-potency B-vitamin complex or multivitamin/mineral supplement instead of brewer’s yeast. Another great example of scientific advancement is creatine. This supplement is commonplace nowadays, and there are hundreds of clinical studies to support its benefits. Back in the ‘70s, creatine wasn’t commercially available and there were no clinical studies to think of. It’s pretty amazing to think about how far things have come since those days! I wonder how much bigger Arnold could have been with all the knowledge and information we’re privileged to have today.

Read another cool article about bodybuilding now vs. the 'Arnold era' here!

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