Which brands do I recommend? It doesn’t really matter. Most of the bigger supplement brands are much for muchness; the main differences being packaging and/or marketing.
The most important thing is the content of the supplement. Why are you taking it? If it’s to fill a gap you have in your diet (such as B12 for vegans), or it’s to help performance (such as creatine), the dose is key.
After the content, the next consideration is price. You can buy vitamins at the supermarket or from a wellness brand with lots of fancy marketing. The former can meet your requirements, generally at a much lower cost.
One note you should check is how many tablets you need per servings. As an example the Omega-3 brand I use isn’t the cheapest per tablet, but it’s a high dose so I only need to take one. Other brands are lower in cost, however you need 2-3 tablets to hit the serving, making them more expensive per dose!
For protein powder, along with the protein content and cost, type and taste are important too. For types, whey has a great amino acid profile, and is generally the gold standard. If you have issues with lactose, then whey isolate can be easier to digest. If you’re vegan, blends are often better to get the full profile of amino acids. I personally pick protein mostly based on flavour!
One caveat for professional athletes is to check any supplements you use for testing. Informed Sport is a certification that means each batch of that product has been tested for banned substances.
To summarise, when picking a supplement, look at what they contain compared to what you need, and the cost per serving. Personally I find My Protein, Bulk, Amazon or the supermarket are all decent value options. Examine is a great resource for checking optimal dosing too.
Need any help with supplements? Get in touch.