Generales

By Andrea Carolina Vargas Malagón, Journalist at UdeA Communications Office 

Choosing a healthy lifestyle involves staying active and eating well, both of which are crucial for enhancing your overall quality of life. But starting a workout routine or taking supplements without professional guidance can compromise your health instead of supporting it. 

This content comes from Alma Mater newspaper. » View PDF editions

Only healthcare professionals should guide the use of dietary supplements; taking them without proper advice can pose serious risks. Photo: Communications Office / Alejandra Uribe F. 

Developing healthy habits—such as staying active and making thoughtful food choices—lays a strong foundation for long-term well-being. Many people confidently turn to gym workouts and dietary supplements to transform their bodies, enhance performance, and improve their overall health. But starting these routines without expert supervision—or worse, relying on advice from unqualified social media figures—can seriously endanger your health. 

Many people make the mistake of turning to nutritional supplements too soon, hoping for rapid muscle growth, fat loss, or enhanced performance. But before using supplements, you must undergo a thorough personal assessment and work with healthcare professionals, since every individual’s body, background, and goals differ. 

“The sports nutrition pyramid is completely upside down. When people first join a gym, their immediate question is which supplement will help them build muscle, lose weight, or reshape their bodies. But the priority should be to establish a solid nutrition and training plan, ensure adequate rest, and only then decide whether supplements are truly needed,” said Maximiliano Kammerer López, sports nutritionist and professor and researcher at the School of Nutrition and Dietetics, Universidad de Antioquia (UdeA). 

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), a respected global leader in sports science and performance research, highlights that supplements should only complement—never replace—a foundation of proper nutrition and hydration. 

 
“Most supplements work well; the real problem lies in how people prescribe them,” explained Kammerer López. Health professionals must carefully evaluate each individual’s condition before recommending supplements and setting the correct dosage. Supplements require careful use and guidance from health specialists. 

Understanding a person’s health history plays a vital role in recommending supplements safely. “If someone has kidney stones, gallstones, diabetes, or liver or kidney problems, they likely shouldn’t use protein or creatine without medical supervision, since these supplements might aggravate their condition,” Kammerer López explained. 

Among gym enthusiasts and regular trainees, fat burners, pre-workouts, energy drinks, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), protein, and creatine are the most commonly used supplements. However, scientific evidence supports the effectiveness of only protein and creatine. 

Once a nutrition expert recommends protein or creatine within a diet and training plan, the question becomes: how do you choose from the countless products available? With such a wide variety, understanding what to look for and how to confirm a supplement’s safety and effectiveness is essential. 

“Start by researching the manufacturer to confirm its credibility and trustworthiness. Then, make sure the label details the ingredients, identifies the product as a dietary supplement, and provides clear dosage and preparation instructions. Above all, verify the scientific evidence supporting the supplement,” explained Kammerer López. 

Australian Institute of Sport Supplement Classification: 

• Group A: Supplements with strong scientific evidence of effectiveness (e.g., protein, creatine, caffeine). 

• Group B: Supplements showing potential benefits but limited evidence; should be used under professional supervision. 

• Group C: Supplements lacking sufficient scientific support; generally, not recommended. 

• Group D: Supplements that are banned or carry a high risk of doping and health hazards. 

In Colombia, you need to confirm that Invima—the National Institute of Food and Drug Surveillance—has officially registered the product. This registration confirms the product has undergone evaluation and complies with the country’s quality and safety standards. Invima oversees the regulation and monitoring of dietary supplement manufacturing, importation, marketing, labeling, and sanitary registration throughout Colombia. 

Exercise always begins with the same principle: a thorough diagnosis.  

Individuals should undergo a comprehensive physical and medical evaluation before starting any training or nutrition program. “While regular exercise brings significant benefits that outweigh potential risks, those risks still exist—mainly musculoskeletal injuries and, in rare cases, cardiovascular events like heart attacks. That’s why conducting a pre-participation assessment is crucial to understand each person’s starting physical condition,” said Jaime Alberto Gallo Villegas, a sports medicine specialist, professor at the Universidad de Antioquia’s Faculty of Medicine, and coordinator of the Research Group on Medicine Applied to Physical Activity and Sports (Grinmade). 

Knowing your body’s initial condition—including physical fitness and potential risk factors—enables you to set realistic goals and pursue them safely. Because each person’s body is unique, professionals must design exercise and nutrition plans that align with the individual’s specific needs, abilities, and goals. 

Gallo Villegas warns that skipping these crucial assessments means overlooking biomechanical issues that can significantly affect performance. Starting a training program without considering these factors increases the risk of injuries such as tendonitis, overuse-related inflammation, and more serious muscle damage, including tears. 

“As experts in physical activity and sports medicine, we always begin with a full assessment of the musculoskeletal system, an analysis of cardiorespiratory fitness, and the identification of any risk factors—before prescribing an exercise program to improve physical performance. This in-depth assessment enables us to tailor a plan that aligns with each individual’s physical condition and training objectives. For instance, we often rely on heart rate to guide training intensity and volume,” explained Gallo Villegas. 

Jaime Alberto Gallo Villegas and Maximiliano Kammerer López both agree: adopting healthy lifestyle habits must begin with a consultation with qualified healthcare professionals. A thorough medical and nutritional evaluation is essential to understand the body’s current state, identify strengths and limitations, detect potential health risks, and define each person’s specific needs. This process forms the foundation for building training, nutrition, and—when appropriate—supplementation plans that are not only safe and effective, but also truly support long-term well-being.