The Best Supplements For Men Over 40
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Are you a man over 40 looking for the best supplements you can take?
In this article I’ll show you the best supplements for men over 40, that are proven to work.
Men over 40 are being lied to
The top ranking blogs aren’t giving men over 40 a shred of hope for improving their overall health, energy, and fitness -
“You have a few more years until (bad health issue kicks in)”
“The body isn’t the same as it was 20 years ago”
“Your body isn’t functioning the same as it used to”
Jesus. It’s all BS.
You can be healthier, fitter, stronger, more energised than you were 20 years ago.
How do I know this to be true? Co-founder of Unstoppabl and my business partner Nick JD is 47– I’m sure he’ll love me for saying that…
Nick is better now than he has ever been in every sense of the word:
He lifts heavier than he ever has
He runs faster than most guys half his age at the track (apart from me… unless he’s false started…)
He has more energy that he did 20 years ago
He doesn’t get ill
He recovered from COVID within a week and was back in the gym and at the track
There is not a health concern in sight
Why am I telling you this?
Because it’s time to rewrite the story you’re told as a man over 40. That somehow because you’ve reached a 40+ you’re no longer as capable as you once were.
This is BS. You’re being lied to.
I see my business partner, Nick, day in day out do everything I do and more.
I say this to provide you with a different lens to view yourself through before reading this article.
You’re as old as you think you are
You’re as capable as you’ve ever been
You can take on any challenge that comes your way, especially the ‘so called signs of ageing as a man’
Anyway…
Why choose supplements as a man over 40?
Supplements, supplement what you’re not getting in your diet.
If you’re feeling tired, low on energy, and not as healthy as you once were, it’s not because you’re over 40. The first place to start is always your diet.
Increase the amount of fruit, vegetables and protein you eat on a daily basis. You wouldn’t believe how much better you’ll feel.
Add in some weight training and you’ll very quickly start having the energy and get up and go you had 20 years ago.
The testosterone lie for men over 40
As we age testosterone naturally starts to decline 1% a year after age 30 or 40. No getting away from it. (1)
Testosterone helps to:
Keep your sex drive high
Keep your bones strong, decreasing the chance of osteoperosis
Maintain strength and muscle mass
Maintain normal growth of facial and body hair
Yes, there are supplements you can take to increase your testosterone. But it should not be your first solution.
There are plenty of ways you can keep your testosterone levels high without taking a load of pills:
Exercise and lift weights. Men who do this regularly have higher levels of testosterone, period (2) (3)
Eat your protein. If you feel like you’re losing muscle mass or strength, it’s because you’re not eating enough protein. It's not because of low testosterone! (4)
Minimise stress and cortisol levels. Stress increases cortisol, cortisol reduces testosterone levels. You’re under more stress than you were 20 years ago, so how can you remove some of it and make your life easier? Sleep, regular exercise and laughing to name a few, will reduce stress. (5) (6) (7)
Get some sunlight, it’s a natural testosterone booster (8)
Eat and drink healthy. Alcohol and drugs decrease testosterone levels (9)
That’s 5 ways you can naturally boost your testosterone levels.
Done the above consistently still feel like you have low testosterone levels for a man over 40? Go and see your doctor, get some blood tests, and take it from there.
Then and only then should you consider supplements to boost your testosterone levels.
Supplements men over 40 should DEFINITELY consider
This is a blog of two halves. First, the supplements that have plenty of research around them.
The benefits are well proven, and ones you should definitely consider (hence the title).
The second half covers new emerging supplements that you may or may not have heard of.
These will be supplements that don’t have as much research around them.
The benefits less proven in the research, and ones you won’t need if you have a well-rounded diet.
Supplements for men over 40 with plenty of research behind them
Multivitamin
In an ideal world, we’d get all the vitamins we need from the foods we eat. But life doesn’t work that way. If you’re a man over 40 you have more responsibilities than ever before.
Life happens and the diet can veer off course. And you’re not always going to get right amount of vitamins you need for overall health.
Taking a multivitamin per day is an easy way to make sure you’re getting what you need. A multivitamin is great for staying healthy and at peak performance.
A multivitamin is well worth the investment.
Benefits of multivitamin supplementation
Taking a multivitamin can help to improve your immune function. That means less illnesses, and if you do get ill you’ll recover quicker
Taking a multivitamin makes sure you’re getting the right micronutrients your body needs every day. This is vital for your overall health
Multivitamin supplementation can also help to improve the length of your telomeres. Longer telomeres are associated with a longer biological age (10)
A daily multivitamin can improve your heart, eye, hair, skin, nail and bone health too
Multivitamin choice and how to take it
This is the multivitamin Nick and I use, and the one we recommend to our clients. It’s high quality. You should take this particular one 3 times a day.
Creatine for men over 40
Creatine is a natural substance that helps to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Your body needs ATP to be able to power your muscles. When you have more ATP you can be stronger and more powerful for longer when exercising.
This is one of the most well-researched and effective supplements you can buy.
This should be a staple for every man whether you’re over 40 or not.
Why should you take creatine?
Creatine can help to increase muscle mass. Creatine helps to raise levels of insulin-like growth factor 1. This can also increase muscle mass (11)
Creatine can improve your strength and power. Think about it like this, if you’re in the gym and you’re weightlifting, creatine can help you get that extra rep out. This is where the real gains start to happen
Creatine can help you to move with more speed, power, and strength. So if you run, cycle, row, swim, play football or rugby etc you will be faster
Creatine can improve muscular endurance. It can also improve resistance to fatigue and recovery from intense exercise by 15% (12). What that means for you is you’ll be able to go faster for longer and feel less tired
Creatine also helps you at work, it improves decision making, and your focus (13)
Creatine also speeds up muscle growth. Taking creatine for as little as 5-7 days increased lean body weight and muscle size (14)
Side note: you need to have a solid training programme and nutrition to get these benefits. You won’t get magically stronger, faster, and more powerful taking this.
Creatine choice and how to take it
This is the one Nick and I take every single day. We put a small scoop (5 g) into our protein power alongside a small scoop of leucine.
You don’t need to cycle creatine on and off throughout the year. It’s safe to take all year round. Take 3-5g of creatine each day and you’ll get the benefits.
Protein powder
This is one of the most convenient ways to get more protein into your diet.
As a busy man sometimes you’re forced to have food on the go. This can lower the quality of the foods we’re forced to eat. This can have a negative effect on your weight, energy levels, and focus throughout the day.
Benefits of protein powder
Protein powder can improve your recovery from exercise and decrease muscle soreness
You feel fuller for longer, which makes managing your weight easier (15)
Protein powders help build muscle and strength when combined with resistance training (16)
Protein powder choice and how to take
If you’re a vegan I recommend this one.
For the best results, take one scoop of your protein powder with some milk or water within 30 mins post-workout.
You can also use this as a snack between meals and meetings. Taking a protein shake to your office can be a game-changer for you and your overall health.
Leucine supplementation for men over 40
This is one of the most game-changing supplements for men over 40.
As we age there is an increased risk of sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is where we lose muscle mass and function as we age.
To offset this? Regular resistance training and increase the protein you consume.
But here’s the kicker…
Leucine kickstarts the path to strength building, muscle building, and recovery. Without it, none of this happens.
Most protein powders fall short of the amount of leucine needed for this process to happen effectively (shock!)
It’s almost as if they knew they could sell the leucine as its own supplement, hmmm…
Benefits of leucine supplementation
Leucine triggers muscle protein synthesis (MPS). MPS brings amino acids into the skeletal muscle. This helps you grow and repair muscle damage caused by intense exercise
Leucine can help to offset sarcopenia, which is where you lose muscle mass
Leucine helps to better manage blood sugars levels. This can decrease your risk of diabetes
Some studies have shown that Leucine may help with weight loss too (17)
It can also help to increase the production of human growth hormone (HGH). HGH helps to preserve your tissue, organs, and bones as you age which can lead to a better quality of life
Leucine can improve muscle mass too. Who doesn’t want to look better in a shirt and trousers?!
Leucine choice and how to take it
After I finish at the gym, I have a protein shake and add a small scoop of leucine to it too. This is the one I use. You should be aiming for 3-6g of leucine consumption per day.
Fish oils
The Omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) provide many health benefits. If you don’t eat much oily fish throughout the week, fish oil is a great dietary supplement.
Benefits of fish oils
They can reduce your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol profile
They can reduce your chances of heart attacks and strokes
Fish oils can help you to burn more fat, improving your body composition
Fish oil choice and how to take
To get the benefits I spoke about, you should be taking 400mg of EPA and DHA daily. The number of tablets you need will vary from brand to brand, so always check the label.
This is the fish oil supplement I use and the one I recommend you get.
Also, if you’re a vegan, here’s the one I recommend you get too.
Electrolytes
Electrolytes are essential minerals - Sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. They’re vital to many key functions in the body.
Throughout the day as we move, exercise, sweat, and go to the toilet, we lose electrolytes.
It’s important to keep them topped up for good body and brain function. The easiest way to get electrolytes back into your body is by adding them to water.
Benefits of electrolytes
You stay more hydrated throughout the day, which can help if you have a weight loss goal
Electrolytes can boost your energy levels and improve your focus throughout the day
Electrolytes can help you sleep better, which is so important for all men (18)
Electrolytes can treat headaches
They can prevent kidney stones (19)
They can also improve your heart health (20)
They can improve cognition, improving your brain function. This can improve the quality of the decisions you make at work in your business (21)
Electrolytes can strengthen your immunity (22)
This makes it another great supplement for men over 40.
Electrolyte choice and how to take
I put 2 scoops of this electrolyte powder into a 2.2L bottle of water that I’ll drink throughout the day.
Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the most used and well researched supplements for men over 40.
Most people consume it in the form of coffee. Over 400 billion cups are drunk each year, wow! So why should you consider this supplement if you’re not using it already?
Benefits of caffeine
Caffeine can speed up your metabolism
Caffeine can help to improve mental alertness, memory, and speed reasoning (23)
It can suppress your appetite which can help with weight loss if that’s a goal you’re looking to achieve
It can also improves performances in the gym and in your chosen sport
Caffeine choice and how to take
This is personal preference, there’s coffee I know people love drinking and I don’t!
Whatever you choose, the recommended amount is 3-4 cups of coffee per day. This is around 400mg of caffeine.
You can also get your caffeine fix from caffeine gum, powder, and tablets. Be careful as these tend to be a lot stronger.
And if you want to sleep better, have a midday cut-off, so this doesn’t affect your sleep.
Caffeine has a half-life of 12 hours, so give your body plenty of time before your bedtime to flush it out.
Zinc
Zinc is a nutrient that plays many vital roles in your body. It’s found in red meat, shellfish, and legumes such as lentils.
Benefits of Zinc supplementation
Zinc can boost your immune system. The office of national statistics show that minor illnesses account for over a quarter of sickness absence in 2020. What would it mean for you to not have time off due to a minor illness? How much money and time would you save? How much more would you get done (24)
Zinc can improve your skin health
Zinc can help boost your metabolism. Zinc supplementation increased the number of calories burned by 194 calories a day after 4 months of supplementation. Another study showed an increase of 527 calories a day after 2 months of taking zinc. Imagine burning an extra 527 calories without doing anything different in your day?! (25)
Zinc choice and how to take it
The recommended daily zinc intake for an adult in the UK is 10-15 mg daily. The Department of Health in the UK advises that intake of zinc should not exceed 25 mg per day. (26)
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin containing vitamins D1, 2, 3. We produce vitamin D when we’re exposed to sunlight.
In the modern world, we spend a lot of time inside sitting at a desk.
Vitamin D supplementation could be important for you as a man over 40. Especially if you don’t feel like you’re getting enough sunlight.
Benefits of Vitamin D supplementation
Vitamin D can boost your testosterone levels
Vitamin D can decrease the severity of Covid 19 (27)
Vitamin D can decrease the chance of heart disease (28)
Vitamin D can regulate your mood and reduce the chance of depression. If you’re experiencing negative emotions always seek professional and medical help (29)
Vitamin D supplementation prevent spasms and muscle cramps
Promotes the absorption of calcium in the gut. This means your bones are going to be stronger and healthier. This can protect you from osteoporosis as you age
Vitamin D choice and how to take it
I take one vitamin D tablet every single day. It’s not harmful to take vitamin D every day either. You should be consuming somewhere between 2000 IU – 10,000 IU per day. Make sure you get a high quality supplement like this one, with a good amount of Vitamin D in them.
If you’re deficient in vitamin D right now, it would be wise to be towards the higher scale of this recommendation.
Probiotic for men over 40
Another thing you need to keep on top of is your gut health. Gut bacteria helps us to digest our food properly. Gut bacteria helps us to better absorb protein, vitamins, and minerals in our body to keep us fit and healthy.
To keep your gut functioning properly over the age of 40, have a probiotic supplement.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that can be consumed through fermented foods or supplements.
Benefits of probiotic supplementation
Probiotics can help to improve the health of your gut. This can help with weight loss, digestive and skin health... and improve your immune function
Probiotic choice of how to take it
This is the one I recommend, you should take this twice a day. One capsule with breakfast and one with dinner.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin. It can be difficult to get the amount we need for overall health through our diet.
Benefits of vitamin K supplementation
Studies have shown supplementation can improve bone mineral density. This can decrease your risk of bone fractures as you age (30) (31)
Vitamin k can also help to reduce reddening of the skin (32)
Vitamin k can also improve bone, heart, and cognitive health. These factors are important for a better quality of life
Vitamin K choice and how to take it
Adults need around 1 microgram per kg of body weight per day. For example, an 80-kilo male would need 80 micrograms (μg).
CBD oil
Cannabidiol (CBD) is found in the cannabis plant. CBD can produce a calming effect and help you sleep, which is so important for your health.
Benefits of CBD oils
CBD oil can reduce anxiety levels and improve your sleep. Sleep can be harder to get more of as you get older, so this supplement may help (33)
CBD may also offset arthritic symptoms. This means CBD can help to reduce pain and improve your joint function
CBD can also help to lower cravings for tobacco. So if you’re trying to quit smoking and be healthier CBD could be a great supplement for you (34)
CBD oil choice and how to take it
This is the one I use and recommend. You can take 1 or two doses of this but always read the instructions.
Supplements men over 40 MAY want to consider
As promised, this is the part of the blog where I’ll speak about supplements you may want to consider. These are supplements that aren’t as well researched. The benefits are less known and less proven in the research.
Some of the supplements mentioned here you can avoid buying if you get your diet in check.
Selenium
Is an essential mineral found in soil, water, Brazil nuts, fish, and organ meat.
Benefits of selenium
This is a powerful antioxidant that can protect your cells from free radicals. Free radicals are unstable atoms that can cause illness and aging
Research has also shown a reduced risk of getting prostate cancer and acne risk too (35) (36)
Selenium can remove misfolded proteins, which accumulate as we age. Misfolder proteins are a common characteristic of type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease (37) (38)
Selenium choice and how to take
Here’s the best selenium product on the market. The recommended dietary allowance of selenium is 55 micrograms daily. (39)
Saw palmetto
Next up on the list is saw palmetto. This is a supplement derived from the fruit of the plant Serenoa. Saw palmetto can block an enzyme that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
DHT can cause hair loss, which is common with ageing and a drop in testosterone.
Benefits of Saw Palmetto
May improve libido, and sexual performance (40)
Prevents hair loss
Saw palmetto choice and how to take
Here one of the best saw palmetto supplements on the market today. You should take 160-320 mg per day. (41) (42) (43)
Magnesium for men over 40
Magnesium helps you to maintain good function of your muscles, nerve. It also keeps your immune system healthy.
As you get older you may absorb less magnesium. This makes it a good idea to supplement if you’re not getting what you need from your diet.
Magnesium deficiency can also stop you getting the benefits of Vitamin D supplementation.
Benefits of magnesium supplementation
Can reduce blood pressure (44)
Can decrease risk of diabetes (45)
Magnesium supplementation has been shown to increase sleep quality (46)
Magnesium supplementation can also help to improve your aerobic exercise capacity. This is the amount of oxygen you can use per unit of time. So, if you’re a keen long-distance cyclist or runner, you may see an increase in your performance too (47)
Magnesium choice and how to take it
Between 250-450 milligrams per day (mg/day) should give you the benefits I just spoke about.
If you’re deficient right now, you may want to take more, up to 350 mg/day.
Magnesium should also be taken with food.
Potassium supplementation for men over 40
Potassium is an essential mineral found in fruits, vegetables and legumes.
Benefits of potassium supplementation
Potassium supplementation helps to reduce your blood pressure
It can prevent osteoporosis
Potassium supplementation can prevent strokes too
Potassium choice and how to take it
You should be aiming for 4700 mg of potassium a day.
You won’t need potassium supplementation if you get yourself a good multivitamin.
Vitamin B12 supplementation
Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin, your body needs it but cannot produce it. It’s mainly found in animal product, which can be a challenge if you’re a vegan.
Older adults are more prone to vitamin B12 deficiencies.
Benefits of Vitamin B12 supplementation
As we age, bones can become more fragile. Vitamin B12 supplementation can help with Osteoporosis. (48)
Vitamin B12 may give you an energy boost (49)
Good levels of this vitamin promotes healthy hair, skin, and nails (50)
Vitamin B12 choice and how to take it
2.4 mcgs per day is recommended for adults. Again, a good multivitamin will give you this amount and stop you from being deficient.
Ashwagandha supplementation
Feeling stressed? Meditation is the answer, but this could be a quick fix for you right now.
Benefits of ashwagandha supplementation
Reduces your cortisol levels (51)
Ashwagandha appears to improve mental alertness and improve sleep quality in adults (52)
Improves muscular strength, power, and recovery from exercise (53)
Ashwagandha choice and how to take it
Here is the best choice on the market right now. You should take around 600 mg per day.
Wrapping up
Pareto’s principle dictates 80% of your results come from 20% of the actions. Want to feel like you did in your 20s? Good nutrition and regular resistance training will get you 80% of the way there.
Supplements are the 1% enhancers of what you’re already doing well with your diet and your exercise.
A guy that doesn't lift but drinks protein shakes thinking he’ll get bigger and stronger is going to be disappointed.
If you’re a man over 40 and you’re feeling ‘old’, it’s not because you’re missing out on any one of these supplements.
When you get your training and nutrition dialled in, you will start to feel like you did in your 20’s.
There is no substitute for a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Every day I witness my business partner Nick JD, Co-founder of Unstoppabl, who is 47, do everything I can do and more.
Age is just a number. You’re as old as you think you are.
Don’t believe me? Just ask Nick yourself…
