Beyond Performance | Part 1: Why Supplement?

When used strategically, smart supplementation balances peak performance and long-term health, allowing you to stay stronger, recover faster and perform at your best – both now and in the years to come says biochemist and exercise scientist Kirsten Flanagan.

We don’t spend enough time thinking about the marginal decades of our lives – the years beyond peak competition (or just training), where real quality of life is defined. When we’re 70, 80 or 90, we still want to carry our own groceries, open a jam jar, pick up our grandchildren and, of course, still run, bike and swim! Not too much to ask, right?

The difference between merely surviving and thriving comes down to healthspan – how long you live in full functional health – not just lifespan, the number of years you exist. Instead of just chasing performance gains in the short term, we also need to optimise for long-term vitality.

Many believe that peak performance and long-term health are opposing goals – that we must sacrifice one to achieve the other. But the two are not mutually exclusive. With the right strategy, you can have both. Beyond sleep, recovery and nutrition, supplementation is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal – not just to fill gaps but to enhance performance and build a resilient body.

WHY SUPPLEMENT?

There are two primary reasons to supplement:

• Correcting deficiencies – nutrients like vitamin D and magnesium address deficiencies that negatively impact our health and performance.

• Enhancing performance – some supplements go beyond replenishment, like creatine and beta-alanine, fuelling physiological adaptations that maximise strength and endurance.

Used strategically, supplementation allows you to stay stronger, recover faster and perform at your peak – both now and in the years to come.

Understanding deficiencies

Many athletes assume a good diet covers their nutrition, but not all deficiencies are obvious. There are two types:

• Overt deficiencies (eg, severe vitamin D deficiency) cause clear health issues like fatigue and frequent illness.

• Covert deficiencies are more subtle, and far more prevalent than we think, and can impact recovery, energy and performance. They don’t cause immediate symptoms like extreme fatigue or illness, but they slowly chip away at performance and recovery – showing up as slower healing, nagging joint pain, lingering fatigue or brain fog. These issues often feel ‘normal’ until major issues like chronic inflammation, stress fractures or hormonal imbalances force us to take notice.

Unfortunately, standard blood test ranges are based on general population averages, often missing suboptimal nutrient levels that impact high performers. Without sufficient raw materials needed to fuel key biological processes, performance suffers in the short term and long-term health issues can follow.

Supplements as performance tools

Supplements aren’t just for fixing deficiencies – they can also be used to enhance performance. Many supplements are taken because they trigger specific physiological responses that support our output or recovery, not because they’re missing from our diet. For example, creatine boosts ATP production to increase power output and muscle recovery, beta-alanine buffers lactic acid to delay fatigue in high-intensity efforts, and curcumin acts as a potent anti-inflammatory, supporting joint health and recovery.

Adopting a preventative mindset

You have two choices: be proactive or reactive about your health. Being reactive means waiting for chronic issues like recurring injuries or hormonal imbalances before taking action – often relying on pharmaceuticals that treat symptoms rather than solving the root problem. A proactive approach fortifies your body ahead of time, using supplements, nutrition and testing to prevent small issues from becoming major roadblocks.

Think of your body like a car – you wouldn’t wait for the engine to fail before changing the oil. Routine bloodwork, DNA testing, microbiome analysis and training logs can help you understand what your body needs to function at its best. Investing in preventative strategies now – including supplementation – will keep you performing at your peak for years to come.

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

If you’re new to supplements, or just starting to explore adding them to your routine and you’re still a bit sceptical, let’s break down some of the most common myths and separate fact from fiction.

“I can get all my nutrients from food”

Even with a carefully planned diet, we’re likely not getting optimal levels of key nutrients. Modern food just isn’t providing the complete nutrition we need and now supplements are no longer supplemental, but foundational. Farming practices have depleted soil nutrients, reducing the vitamin and mineral content of our food by up to 40% compared to 40 years ago. Shelf-life is prioritised over nutrient density.

At the same time, lifestyle stressors – poor sleep, environmental toxins, medications, work stress and a high training load – all increase nutrient needs. On top of that, athletes in particular have higher metabolic demands, requiring far more nutrients to function on a daily basis. Our needs are not normal, so our intake should be adjusted accordingly.

Some nutrients are difficult (or impossible) to get from food alone. Vitamin D is a prime example; unless you get enough daily sun exposure, supplementation is often necessary. Similarly, omega-3s, creatine, and certain B vitamins can be hard to get in optimal amounts through diet alone. Even protein is challenging to get enough of, never mind in the right amino acid profile, particularly if you’re following a plant-based diet.

“Synthetic supplements are bad”

A synthetic supplement is simply a vitamin, mineral or compound that has been created in a lab instead of extracted directly from food. One main reason for this is to control the purity (eliminating unwanted compounds) and potency (ensuring dosages are accurate). This does not mean it is unnatural or ineffective – most synthetic nutrients are chemically identical to the forms found in food, meaning the body processes and uses them in the same way.

Some vitamins and minerals are difficult or impossible to get in high amounts from natural sources alone, and sometimes they need to be synthesised into a form that is better absorbed by the body. For example, synthetic vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the same form the body makes from sunlight, while natural D2 (often from mushrooms) is far less bioavailable. Many minerals also get synthesised and chemically bound to ‘carriers’, such as magnesium glycinate or zinc bisglycinate, which optimises their

uptake in the gut.

What matters more is the form (the structure) and bioavailability (how well it is absorbed and used in the body) of the nutrient. Choosing bioavailable, high-quality forms ensures you get the full benefits without wasting money on ineffective versions.

It is true that natural-source supplements often contain extra co-factors, enzymes and phytonutrients that can enhance absorption, but at the same time, foods contain natural compounds that hinder absorption, sometimes to a greater extent. Getting more potent amounts of a nutrient, in a more bioavailable form, from a supplement can ensure you’re getting what you need.

“Supplements are expensive urine”

A common misconception is that supplements are a waste because they’re simply excreted – but this ignores how the body actually uses nutrients. When you take a supplement, your body absorbs what it needs first, using vitamins and minerals for energy production, muscle repair, nervous system function and recovery. Only the excess is excreted, and for water-soluble vitamins like B vitamins and vitamin C, this is a natural process of maintaining balance, not a sign that they weren’t needed.

What many don’t realise is that nutrient demands fluctuate daily – intense training, stress, poor sleep and illness increase the need for certain vitamins and minerals. This is why consistency is key – keeping nutrient levels topped up ensures your body has what it needs when demands spike. The real risk of ‘expensive urine’ comes only if you over-supplement with unnecessary ingredients or poor-quality forms that aren’t well absorbed. Choosing bioavailable, research-backed supplements in the right doses ensures they are effectively used, not wasted.