Pills, supplements and more, what do we really need?

1. Vitamins

Whenever you feel ill, it's always helpful to take extra vitamin C (this also applies when you're hungover). A zinc supplement is also helpful. Furthermore, if you're feeling completely well, you can generally get your vitamins from your diet. However, using vitamin pills incorrectly for extended periods can be really damaging to your body. So: eat a varied diet, make sure you eat your fruits and vegetables, and drink plenty of water. This might be a challenge for many, but remember that it's better than resorting to pills.

2. Omega 3

Another one you can easily get from your diet: by eating oily fish. Enjoy salmon on Wednesdays and herring on the weekend. Eating fish every week is healthy, and omega-3 is important for your overall health. It contributes to a healthy cardiovascular system, lowers blood pressure, and can even improve academic performance.

3. Pre-workout, BCAAs, protein powder and creatine

The four that most strength athletes have at home. But are all four necessary?

You might need pre-workout, but if you're dedicated, you don't need it. You can easily get that extra energy from your coffee or from your mood at the gym.

BCAAs, or branched-chain amino acids, are made up of essential amino acids. You might think you need them as a supplement, but if you eat enough protein, chances are you're already getting enough BCAAs.

A scoop of protein powder after a workout can be so delicious and convenient. Exactly, and that's the only reason to use it. Because you can easily get your protein through your diet.

And finally, creatine can be used to supplement your creatine phosphate system. This system is used for short strength training sessions. By using creatine, you can push your strength training just a little bit harder, perhaps by a few seconds or repetitions more. And this is the only one of the four that's very difficult to obtain from your diet.