Fitness 360: Mary Murphy, Raising The Bar Higher: Supplements

Once your body is accustomed to a workout, you'll find that the whole foods in your diet likely won't replenish all the vitamins and minerals you expend. And that's if your whole diet is based off whole foods. Most packaged and contrived foods are stripped of nutrients and replaced with synthetic sugars and preservatives.

That's where supplementation comes in.

Mary Murphy Fitness 360

Watch The Video - 07:39

Mary Murphy has her nutrition on lockdown; she must to compete at the NPC level and succeed. And, no, she doesn't ingest a litany of capsules and powders. Her supplement plan is simple, and geared toward replacing lost minerals (like calcium) and vitamins. Her body active body uses these essential nutrients, so she must re-supply her system.

"We just don't know what we're getting in our food anymore, where it's coming from," Murphy said. "I think it's really important to make sure you're taking something to fill those nutritional gaps. Without being completely balanced, you're just not going to get the results you want."

Mary begins with the basic multivitamin (she takes Optimum Nutrition's Opti-Women) and a good protein powder. Protein can be used to replace a meal if you're in a fix. The shakes are portable, easy to make and easy to drink.

Recently, Mary started taking BCAAs post workout. These amino acids help muscles recover after you destroy them in the weight room. If you aren't lifting weights and exercising, then why are you even here? She also takes glucosamine and chondroitin to help her joints recover.

Mary would be busy enough just taking care of her amazing body, but she works as a nanny (for 3 children!) full-time, so she is constantly on the go.

She takes her vitamins every morning so she can keep going her energy levels alive and chasing down lively youths.

"I need that extra energy," she said. This is how she gets it.

Mary's Supplement Philosophy

"Seeing how we don't always know where our food is coming from, I like knowing that I'm filling all my nutritional gaps with supplements; a multivitamin is a good example of that. As an athlete, I put my body through a lot day-in and day-out. Using supplements assures me that I'll have a great workout and then be able to get up and do it all over again the next day. My favorite pre-workout is Amino Energy by ON. For my post-workout, I usually try to eat one of my meals or if that isn't an option I'll have a protein shake."