Sports Medicine
Dr. Ken Kinakin
D.C., CSCS
Dr. Ken Kinakin is a sport medicine doctor, chiropractor, certified strength and conditioning specialist and personal trainer! He’s also the author of the book “Optimal Muscle Training” and has competed in bodybuilding and powerlifting for over 20 years. Dr. Kinakin lectures around the world to doctors and personal trainers on the areas of weight-training, rehabilitation and nutrition. He is also the clinic director for the AIM Health & Wellness clinic (see www.aimhealthgroup.com), with a rehabilitation and training centre in Mississauga, Ontario. Dr. Kinakin founded the Society of Weight-Training Injury Specialists (SWIS), an organization that educates and certifies doctors, therapists and personal trainers in the area of exercise muscle testing, rehabilitation and treatment of weight training injuries (see www.swis.ca).
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Powerlifters vs Bodybuilders
Q. I’ve heard that powerlifters are even heavier and more hardcore users of supplements than bodybuilders. Do you believe this is true and, if so, why?
A. I think powerlifters and bodybuilders are both heavy users of supplements, but different supplements. I find that bodybuilders and powerlifters are both high users of protein and carbohydrate powders and EFAs. Bodybuilders use more thermogenic products and testosterone enhancers such as Tribulus terrestris. Powerlifters tend to use more creatine and neurodrivers such as tyrosine. After treating hundreds of bodybuilders and powerlifters, I find both are usually on a low-quality multivitamin/mineral such as a One A Day, thus causing an extreme deficiency of B vitamins and minerals. This usually sets them up for overtraining symptoms, such as not recovering from workouts, decreased enthusiasm for training, feeling dizzy when going from lying to a standing position, sensitivity to sunlight, and always needing sunglasses. An easy remedy for this is to get a high-quality multivitamin/mineral and take two tablets/capsules three times a day. I prescribe this simple recommendation every day in my clinic and cannot believe the difference it makes with training and recovery. Sometimes we get too caught up in details and miss the fundamentals.
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