The effects supplements have on students today is not nearly as important as what supplements’ impacts will be further down the road.

Ryan Wagner, certified sports nutritionist and manager of Complete Nutrition in Ames, said students often won’t begin to experience the long-term impacts of their previous health decisions until later.

“Things like a multivitamin, things like fatty acids, those are all clinically proven things to help you have a better quality of life,” Wagner said. “Truly everybody can take an interest in their supplement, whatever the goal may be.”

As Iowa State tries to maintain the No. 1 spot in fitness among universities for the second year in a row, supplements are a piece of the puzzle, but they’ll never be more important than diet, sleep, water and hard work, Wagner said.

“Regardless of whether they see it as an end-all-be-all or not, it’s really helped people. It’s kind of that last kick in the butt,” Wagner said. “A lot of times it’s really just that final little push to get them where they already want to go.”

Ryan Carrero, senior in interdisciplinary studies, said he notices a lot of gains and added energy boost when taking supplements. They help increase blood flow and transport oxygen to the blood cells, which gets him more stamina and reps.

“I get the most benefit out of my workout,” Carrero said. “It makes you perform and recover day by day, so you have no setbacks.”  

Once students know that supplements are only meant to help along the way, pretty much anything can be beneficial depending on the person and goal, Wagner said. Supplements’ biggest advantage is not that they are necessary, but they will accelerate progress when taken correctly in accordance with what a student is trying to do. 

“There is no magic pill,”  Wagner said. “If there was, I’d be a very rich man living in the Bahamas. … [But] multivitamins, essential fatty acids, protein — those are your three basics for anybody, regardless of goal, regardless of age, regardless of gender.” 

Almost all people believe supplements are for men who want to get bigger and stronger, Wagner said. He said multivitamins, fatty acids and protein can be essential to everyone no matter what age and will help them live a healthier quality of life.

“There’s no age too young,” Wagner said. “My nephews and little brother-in-law … take gummy omega-3s. [My brother-in-law] takes a multi already. He’s only 5,” Wagner said.

EAS, a supplement company partially developed at Iowa State, was a huge brand in the 1990s, Wagner said. Now one could argue that today it is companies like Complete Nutrition that are gaining popularity.

“It changes constantly. Everybody’s always wanting to find that next big thing,” Wagner said. “That’s what the whole industry is going to.” 

People today don’t want something they just hope works for them, Wagner said. They want to be able to pull up research and know doctors who studied it.

“Make sure you’re not expecting the supplement to do the work,” Wagner said. “You’re still the one who has to lift the weights, run the mileage and eat the proper things.”