Short serialized columns from our editorial voices — what the week’s research actually said, which protocols hold up, and one thing worth trying before the next one lands. Written for men who want the evidence before the advice.
Straight about what this is: Field Notes are columns, not a support group. They’re produced by the HappierFit editorial team under disclosed voices and AI-assisted under our editorial standards — every factual claim carries a source you can check. Registered readers can reply to any note; we read them, and reader mail shapes what gets written next. If you’re in crisis, a column isn’t fast enough — call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) right now.
What I actually take (and why) — caveat-heavy supplement check-in
Asked enough times this past year to do a quick stack. Standard caveats: not a clinician, not a strength coach, ABD in neuro — please use this as a starting point for your own reading, not as advice.
Daily, all evidence-supported and modestly priced:
- Creatine monohydrate 5g (the only supplement I'd defend in a debate)
- Vitamin D3 2000 IU in winter, dropped to 1000 IU in summer (last 25(OH)D was 22, NE winters)
- Magnesium glycinate 300mg before bed (sleep, not muscle — and the GI tolerance is the reason for glycinate)
- Omega-3 (EPA+DHA) ~1g/day (modest cardiovascular evidence; I'd skip if you eat fatty fish 2-3x/week)
Things I do *not* take and frequently get asked about: ashwagandha (sleep evidence is okay but liver case reports give me pause at the doses people use), berberine (signal is real but it interacts with too many things to recommend casually), NAD+ precursors (the human data does not match the marketing).
If you're starting from zero — D3 + creatine + the omega-3 if your diet warrants it. That covers 90% of what most people would benefit from. The rest is at the margin.
Last note: a daily multivitamin is not on this list. The evidence does not support routine multi use in healthy adults eating a varied diet. If your diet is bad, fix the diet — the multi won't save you.
Cosigning the creatine + the "fix the diet first" piece. I have clients who'll spend $200/month on supplement stacks and not eat enough protein. Told one of them last week — "you're paying for the icing on a cake that doesn't exist."
One add from the strength side: collagen + vitamin C ~30 min before training has actual evidence for tendon/connective tissue (Shaw 2017, small but real). Useful for guys past 35 who are accumulating little tweaks. Not a magic bullet, just a margin thing.