British bodybuilder Tilda Selby started her career in the Wellness division in 2021, won her IFBB Pro card in the Figure division in 2023, and will soon compete in the Bikini division.
On Aug. 22, 2024, Selby pulled back the curtain on her daily supplement stack, revealing the 12 supplements she uses three and a half weeks out of her IFBB Pro Bikini division debut.
Tilda Selby’s Supplement Stack
Vitamin K2
Vitamin B Complex
Vitamin C
Thyroid Stack
Omega 3:6:7:9
Berberine & Digestive Stack
EAAs (Essential Amino Acids)
[Related: 8 Vitamins and Nutrients You Need To Take To Stay Fit Over 40]
Competition prep often deprives the body of essential nutrients and vitamins. Selby advises using supplements to compensate for the dietary restrictions.
1. Vitamin D3 and K2
Vitamin D3 supports bone health, immune function, and mood regulation. K2 ensures proper calcium utilization in the body. Together, they help maintain hormonal balance.
2 & 3. Vitamin B Complex & Vitamin C
Vitamin B complex can help reduce fatigue, manage stress, and promote energy production, which are all crucial during contest prep.
Vitamin C plays a multifaceted role in bolstering the immune system, aiding collagen production, acting as a potent antioxidant, reducing inflammation, and facilitating recovery. Vitamin C is crucial during contest prep because dietary restrictions likely prevent Vitamin C intake from whole foods.
4 & 5. Multivitamins & Turkesterone
A high-quality multivitamin supplement is a nutritional safety net, ensuring daily micronutrient requirements and supporting the immune system, energy levels, and hormonal balance.
Turkesterone is a natural plant extract believed to enhance muscle protein synthesis and prevent muscle tissue breakdown, even while in a calorie deficit.
6 & 7. Thyroid Stack & Omega 3:6:7:9
Supporting thyroid function maintains energy and metabolic rate during contest preparation, when natural hormone production may decline. Omega 3:6:7:9 supports heart health and immune function and can be beneficial for skin and joints. It can also aid in fat loss, lower blood pressure, lower bad cholesterol, and remove plaque in arteries.
8 & 9. Berberine & Digestive Stack
Berberine helps regulate insulin and blood sugar levels, facilitating efficient muscle nutrient delivery. Studies suggest berberine can reduce testosterone levels in women while increasing them in men. (1)
I take berberine before carbohydrate-containing meals.
Selby’s carefully curated digestive stack optimizes nutrient intake, absorption, and digestion while promoting gut health.
10 & 11. Creatine & EAAs
Creatine is one of the most extensively researched sports nutrition supplements. Selby takes it before her training sessions as it helps with muscle strength, endurance, performance, energy, and muscle fullness. (2)
Creatine is usually cut at the end of a contest prep as it can make you hold water.
Selby consumes EAAs in the morning and during workouts. EAAs support muscle recovery, prompt protein synthesis, and preserve lean muscle mass. EAAs can also help hydration. Selby recommends an EAA supplement enriched with a hydration complex to prevent dehydration during contest prep.
12. Glutamine
Selby usually adds glutamine to her morning coffee to support her immune function and enhance recovery. However, a meta-analysis published in the Clinical Nutrition journal concluded that glutamine supplementation does not affect the immune system, aerobic performance, or body composition. (3)
The same study revealed that glutamine supplementation led to more significant weight reduction, which can be excellent for athletes aiming to shed body fat during a cut.
Furthermore, Selby uses a stimulant-free pre-workout with beta-alanine to avoid tingling sensations. However, she will use a stimulant pre-workout when tired. Selby’s supplement stack doesn’t include a protein supplement, a staple in most contest prep routines to shed fat while preserving muscle mass.
References
Zhao JV, Yeung WF, Chan YH, et al. Effect of Berberine on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Mechanistic Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2021;13(8):2550. Published 2021 Jul 26. doi:10.3390/nu13082550
Hall, M., & Trojian, T. H. (2013). Creatine supplementation. Current sports medicine reports, 12(4), 240–244. https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0b013e31829cdff2
Ramezani Ahmadi, A., Rayyani, E., Bahreini, M., & Mansoori, A. (2019). The effect of glutamine supplementation on athletic performance, body composition, and immune function: A systematic review and a meta-analysis of clinical trials. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), 38(3), 1076–1091. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2018.05.001
Featured image: @tildaselbyfit on Instagram
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