As an experienced Houston personal trainer, there are certain items that I feel that I should mention.

Only a few of the supplement companies' products will give you any actual benefit, despite what they lead you to think. In addition, those that are known for being beneficial will give you only a marginal one to three percent improvement.

Another little known fact to most folks is that approximately ninety percent or more of their products don't have any legitimate positive effect, and some may even have a negative effect. Furthermore, a good number of the companies do not have enough scientific evidence to prove that their products can help you lose weight.

Consider this: if you aren't properly keeping track of your exercise and diet, or even worse, you don't have a set program in place, then you shouldn't waste your hard earned money. This is because you will not be able to properly determine whether you are simply experiencing a temporary placebo effect or not. Unfortunately, by the time you deduce out that the "magical" supplement that you've been taking has done absolutely nothing to enhance your performance or weight loss efforts, it may be several months after you started taking them. I bet you didn't think that's already been factored in by the supplement companies. They have already prepared a new supplement and are waiting for you with a smile and plenty of marketing tools at their disposal. Have you ever wondered why you see so many ads for brand new weight loss products coming at you each month? Don't get sucked in, my friend!

It also helps to remember, that if you are not documenting as much as you can in your fitness program, by that I mean, take regular body compositions and tape measurements, record your sleep patterns, the time of day you exercise, your exercise routines, the duration and intensity of exercise, etc, you simply will not have the information needed to make an informed choice. Don't base your decision purely on hype. Remember, a performance athlete who is focused on their game can quickly conclude if a supplement is beneficial. In their world, one to three percent is crucial and could clearly be the difference between winning or losing in their chosen sport.

What should supplements should you be using, you ask? Omega 3, good multivitamins, minerals, antioxidants and the like have various proven health benefits. You should take a good look at that, and get the necessary supplements that your body needs. Additionally, you should examine your protein intake levels. If you simply cannot get the protein in each day that you need from food, then utilizing protein powders can be a great way to get the protein intake that your body requires.

As a Personal Trainer based in the Houston area, I always begin by getting my clients to look at all of these nutritional facts and I encourage them to make them a part of their lifestyle. Only after you've established a good, solid exercise routine, a consistent diet, and most importantly are getting real results, you could then try to pick it up a notch by trying out a performance or weight loss supplement. Make certain that you choose one that has a well established long term track record, as well as a notable amount of consumer reviewed data. Avoid all of the overly hyped up supplements that aren't backed up with any verifiable scientific data.

Another thing that I should mention, carefully examine the ingredients when you are looking at the product you are thinking of trying. It has been my personal experience to find that it is all too common for many companies to put a lot less of a particular ingredient in their product than what the research requires.

You should always test out a supplement individually to see how it effects your body and remember to not get seduced into buying multiple supplements all at once. All you'll have at the end of the day is pure confusion and an empty wallet if you end up getting coaxed. This is because, should you get some positive results, you will probably not be able to figure out which of them is doing the trick. It would be easier for you to use one supplement at a time so things do not get muddied up. Also, don't forget to keep in mind that supplements may not deliver the same results from person to person.

For example, creatine is an excellent instance of that very same phenomena. Creatine has a large number of studies as well as a massive amount of data behind it. If you took a cross section of 100 males, on one end of the spectrum the guys there could take a kilo a day of the stuff and get no results at all(not something that I would recommend), and on the other end of the spectrum those guys can just simply stare at the container, and their muscles erupt like no other. Realistically speaking, most males fall slightly one way or the other from the middle and gradually slide out towards one end of the spectrum. So you can see, it is vital that you test products in order to see how effectively they work with your particular physiology.

A major step that should be on your "to do" list prior to taking any supplement, is to check in with your physician to be certain that it will not be negatively effected by any supplements that you are contemplating. This is especially true if you are taking any medications that may react with a supplement you are considering. After you've checked in with your doctor and he's given you the go ahead, remember to document as much info as you can about your fitness program, as this is essential in helping you to determine the effectiveness of the product you're taking.