06/13/2025 In this post, I'll be covering Deficiency-Targeted Supplements. These are vitamins, minerals, or other compounds required for basic physiological functions, often supplemented to correct deficiencies due to diet, lifestyle, or medical conditions. ## Creatine Creatine is a energy production enhancer. In scientific terms: Creatine **primarily functions as a phosphate reserve, rapidly donating phosphate to convert adenosine diphosphate (ADP) back to adenosine triphosphate (ATP)**, the primary energy currency of cells. If take it as a supplement, you have more energy, not only for your muscles, but for your brain. Anything that uses ATP. Here's the thing, optimally supplementing with creatine (3-5g/day) will make you retain water (2-6lbs), in your muscles. Essentially giving you a fake pump. And as far as I can tell, any enhancements in strength or brainpower you experience while taking it dissipate after you stop. This means, if you ever decide to come off of creatine, you'll actually have to go through a come down. To add to this, your body already makes about a gram of this stuff a day, and you can get it from the below foods. | Food Source | Creatine per 4 oz Serving (g) | | ------------------- | ----------------------------- | | Herring | ~1 g | | Beef (lean cuts) | 0.5-1 g | | Pork (loin) | 0.4-0.8 g | | Salmon | 0.4-0.6 g | | Chicken (breast) | 0.3-0.5 g | | Tuna | 0.4-0.6 g | | Wild Game (venison) | 0.5-1 g | | Lamb | 0.4-0.8 g | | Sardines | 0.5-0.7 g | So, should you take it? You absolutely can and I absolutely don't. ## Whey Protein There are a few different kinds of protein powder, but whey is considered the best. It is industry standard. Whey protein provides your body and especially your muscles, with protein. And this protein is rich in branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), including leucine, isoleucine, and valine, which are particularly important for muscle growth and repair. Another benefit of a lot of whey proteins is they're high in protein low calories (they're mostly protein). But, is whey protein better than just eating high quality food? No. A study[^1] found that skim milk and beef achieved a similar outcome as whey protein. So, should you take whey protein powder? You absolutely can and I absolutely do, from time to time. ## Fish Oil Fish oil is a very important source of omega-3s, which are essential for bodily function! There are 3 main types of omega-3s our bodies use and out of those 3, 2, EPA and DHA, are most easily acquired via fish (that live in cold water: Mackerel, Salmon, Sardines, Anchovies, etc.). Oil that comes from these fish ends up in little capsules to be sold to the general public. EPA and DHA are also found in other aquatic stuff: algae, seaweed, krill. So, should you take fish oil? You absolutely can and I absolutely don't, because I eat a can of sardines every day. They're actually really good for you because they're really small. There's very little opportunity for biomagnification (the higher up in the food chain, the higher the concentration of heavy metals). ## Multivitamins Multivitamins have a lot of different micronutrients packed a very small package. The question is, is our body able to absorb what's in that little pill? Well, it depends. Vitamins (A, D, E, K) require dietary fat for optimal absorption. Poorly formulated tablets may fail to disintegrate, reducing bioavailability. And interactions between some vitamins and minerals can reduce absorption. So, should you take multivitamin? You absolutely can and I absolutely don't. Not to say that I never would, but I take few choice supplements: D with K and Zinc, and I should really start taking Vit E, and probably Magnesium. I take these specific micronutrients because I've entered my dietary intake into cronometer.com. After doing so, I'm able to see what nutrients I'm missing. You can do the same. And, just so you know, generally Americans are deficient in: potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D, vitamin A, B12, C, E, iron, and folate, as well as zinc. We've got to do a better job of eating nutritious foods. ## Fiber What is fiber? It's a type of indigestible carb that falls into two categories: soluble (it dissolves) and insoluble (it doesn't dissolve). Both have their own functions in the body. Soluble fiber is important because our gut bacteria gets to ferment it (creating short chain fatty acids), which colon cells use for energy. They also reduce the risk of bowel disease and colon cancer. Soluble fiber binds to cholesterol, helping you eliminate it from your body. It can also help slow down rates of glucose absorption. Insoluble fiber keeps us regular. Both of these types of fiber help with satiety. And they can be taken as a supplement, obviously, but are also found fruits, veggies, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, soluble fiber being found in the soft, fleshy, or gel-like parts of plants and insoluble fiber being found in the tougher, structural parts, like skins, stalks, or seeds. You may be wondering: what about miralax, Is it fiber? No, it's polyethylene glycol, a petroleum derivative. It works by drawing water into the colon, which softens the stool and makes it easier to pass. So, should you take a fiber supplement? You absolutely can and I absolutely don't because I consume more than the adequate intake of fiber (via leafy green, berries and nuts). Below is a chart with the the Adequate Intake (AI) recommendations of fiber by age/sex. | Age Group | Female (grams/day) | Male (grams/day) | | -------------------------------- | ------------------ | ---------------- | | Infants and Toddlers (1-3 years) | 19 | 19 | | Children (4-8 years) | 25 | 31 | | Teenagers (9-18 years) | 26 | 38 | | Adults (19-50 years) | 25 | 38 | | Adults (51+ years) | 22 | 30 | [^1]: Burd NA, Beals JW, Martinez IG, Salvador AF, Skinner SK. Food-First Approach to Enhance the Regulation of Post-exercise Skeletal Muscle Protein Synthesis and Remodeling. Sports Med. 2019 Feb;49(Suppl 1):59-68. doi: 10.1007/s40279-018-1009-y. PMID: 30671904; PMCID: PMC6445816. --- Email any questions, or comments to [email protected]. You can also find me on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/thegregleopold/), [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@thegregleopold), and [X](https://x.com/thegregleopold).