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5 Mistakes About Complementation

Taking food supplements requires certain criteria to be met in order to best benefit from their effects. Nutrimuscle explains the most common errors concerning supplementation.
5 erreurs sur la complémentation

Taking food supplements requires certain criteria to be met in order to best benefit from their effects. Nutrimuscle explains the most common errors concerning supplementation.


1 - Not respecting the dosage

Respecting the dosage is certainly the most important criterion when using food supplements.

Depending on the products, the dosage and use will not be the same. For example, it is recommended to consume Multivitamins over the long term, but Boosters are to be used on an ad hoc basis, according to the needs of the athlete.

While some products do not contain any risk associated with overdose (such as vitamin B12 or other water-soluble vitamins), others must be handled with care, such as creatine.


Popularized for its benefits in bodybuilding, creatine is likely to be overconsumed by its users. As a reminder, creatine is subject to a regulatory dose established at 3g per day to preserve the health of the athlete. Like many products, it is essential to respect the prescribed dose.


Conversely, a food supplement taken in underdose does not have the same effects as with the prescribed dose. It will certainly be less effective. Be sure to respect the dosages in order to benefit from the effects of the supplements while preserving your health.


2 - Depend on supplements and have an unhealthy lifestyle

As their name suggests, dietary supplements have the function of supplementing a lifestyle. They come to compensate for the lack of a diet in order to achieve the desired objectives. If the hygiene of life is not good, food supplements will not be able to do anything about it. They are not magic. Their effectiveness depends on many internal and external factors, such as diet, consumption of addictogenic agents (refined sugars, nicotine, soft and hard drugs), level of physical activity and bedtime.


3- Not taking into account his individual needs

Victims of their popularity, many people use the same food supplements as others, thinking they have the same results. However, each body is different and has different needs accordingly.

For example, we know that the gainer is the ally of mass gain. Although the hard gainer is renowned for gaining mass quickly, it may be more appropriate to turn to a lean gainer or a whey, the hard gainer being more intended for ectomorphic people.

To find out what your needs are, we have set up the Nutrimuscle diagnosis which allows you to orient yourself on the food supplements best suited to your profile. https://www.nutrimuscle.com/pages/your-nutrimuscle-diagnosis

4 - Not considering your environment

External factors are markers of influence on the shortcomings likely to occur. They determine micronutrient requirements.

Indeed, living in a polluted city leads to an increase in free radicals in the body and a greater need for selenium, due to pollution and stress factors. Living in a geographical area with little sunlight or practicing an indoor sport results in higher than average vitamin D requirements.

In short, determine the criteria of your environment to best meet your needs through complementation.

5 - Manhandle your food supplements 

Food supplements are sometimes very fragile foodstuffs. This is due to the isolation of nutrients which may be sensitive to their mode of preservation. For them to be effective, they must be well preserved.

Respect the expiry dates and keep your food supplements according to the indications. Most should be kept dry, between 14 and 20°C. Others, like omega-3s, should be kept in the fridge and kept out of reach of light. Indeed, long-term exposure to sunlight can alter the effectiveness of the product.

Certain combinations between products are incompatible, may cancel each other's effects or cause disturbing side effects. Do not combine food supplements without first finding out about their synergies and their contraindications.

Also discover our article 5 myths about food supplements!