Here goes with the Live Well interview with Will Brink relating tothe latest news in supplements…
Q: What supplements is currently being developed which youthink could be really big in a couple of years time?
A: Honestly, I have not seen any particular compound that Ithought was going to be a big seller in the next few years,but I can’t be every where all the time of course. Also,what will be a big seller does not mean it’s any good perse. Meaning, many of the top selling products are based onmarketing hype rather then solid science. I think some ofthe more interesting focus right now, is novel deliverysystems for compounds already in use, that could potentiallyincrease the efficacy some compound.
Q: Are there any supplements past and present that won’tstand the test of time and are on their way out?
A: Oh, supplements come and go all the time, and many areeven rehashed every few years after people forget howworthless they are. Hard to say, again, what stands the testof time is not always the best supplement, but thesupplement that is marketed the best. Good stuff, likecreatine, protein powders, etc., will stand the test of timeof course as they work, are safe, and have solid data behindthem.
Q: How has the supplement industry changed over the last tenor so years?
A: The supplement industry has changed dramatically in thepast few years, as many of the best known supplementcompanies have been purchased by larger pharmaceuticalcompanies, investment houses, or larger supplementcompanies. As I predicted some years ago, it was only amatter of time until big industry realized sports nutritioncould be quite profitable and a growth industry. Theindustry is going through some growing pains, and will hashitself out over time.
Q: What changes would you like to see in the industry in thefuture?
A: Pretty much the same changes I have been pushing for allalong, which is a greater emphasis on real science tovalidate supplements vs using some Russian study done onrats in 1946 to sell a product. In the end, those tacticshurt us all as they give more ammo to the anti supplementcrusaders who already think all supplement companies arehucksters.
Q: With all these new products coming on the market, how canusers be sure they are safe and effective?
A: The only way end users can be sure, is to be an educatedconsumer and do their own research. If you take the word ofads or paid athletes as to what works, you will getsnookered. This is not unique to the supplement industry ofcourse. Any industry is the same in this respect.
Q: Is there consistency in terms of regulation in differentcountries? For example is testing/legislation in Europe moreor less vigorous than in the US?
A: Oh, not at all. The laws, regulations, etc., are quitedifferent country to country as they are for any topic.There are many ingredients that can be sold in one country,but not in another, and so on. For business people, it’squite a maze in fact.
Q: Are there any general rules for taking supplements? Forexample is there a standard set of supplements you wouldrecommend for runners or bodybuilders or ballet dancers, ordoes it have to be more tailored than that?
A: As the needs of those athletes are quite different, sowill be their supplement use. For example, creatine would bea great addition to the bodybuilders diet, but of little useto the ballet dancers diet. In a general sense, being we areall more or less physiologically the same, there are generalguide lines perhaps for all of them. For example, a goodmulti vitamin, a source of essential fatty acids, and so onmight be seen as useful to all athletes, or even nonathletes.
Q: You recently wrote an e-book on weight loss supplements,diet, and exercise. What is the book about and who is itfor? Would athletes find it useful?
A: The book is designed to explain once and for all thefacts about the weight loss nutrients already available,not necessarily to uncover new and novel compounds neverseen before. My feeling is that the vast majorityof people out there, say better than 90%, buying supplementsstill don’t have a clue as to what works and what does notwork regarding supplements that already exist. If they did,there would not be so many bottles of junk sold in the localhealth food store or gym. The news groups and my email box,are still filled with questions about pyruvate, chitosan,DHEA, and other products, so I know confusion is stillrampant.
I felt those people, athletes and ‘normal’ people alike,could really benefit from an easy to read concise look atwhat is on the shelves already from someone they can trustto get the straight scoop. I do feel even most wellinformed people will still learn a few tricks they didn’tknow, but the fact is, it’s not a book written for the ‘hardcore’ bodybuilding crowd. It’s a look at weight lossnutrients combined with an easy to follow Ten Tip Guide toFat Loss, along with easy to follow exercise routines. So,for well informed bodybuilder types who really know theirstuff, this may not be the book for them. For the other 95%plus people in the world, who are constantly bombarded withBS about these nutrients, this book will clear it all up forthem.
Q: Where can people find the book?
A: The book is sold directly from my web sitewww.aboutsupplements.com
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About the Author – William D. Brink
Will Brink is a columnist, contributing consultant, and writer for various health/fitness, medical, and bodybuilding publications. His articles relating to nutrition, supplements, weight loss, exercise and medicine can be found in such publications as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.
He is the author of Priming The Anabolic Environment , Body Building Revealed & Fat Loss Revealed. He is the Consulting Sports Nutrition Editor and a monthly columnist for Physical magazine, Musclemag and an Editor at Large for Power magazine. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.
He has been co author of several studies relating to sports nutrition and health found in peer reviewed academic journals, as well as having commentary published in JAMA. He runs the highly popular web site BrinkZone.com which is strategically positioned to fulfill the needs and interests of people with diverse backgrounds and knowledge. The BrinkZone site has a following with many sports nutrition enthusiasts, athletes, fitness professionals, scientists, medical doctors, nutritionists, and interested lay people. William has been invited to lecture on the benefits of weight training and nutrition at conventions and symposiums around the U.S. and Canada, and has appeared on numerous radio and television programs.
William has worked with athletes ranging from professional bodybuilders, golfers, fitness contestants, to police and military personnel.
