In the hustle to keep my edge, popping a few pills has helped a ton.

By Steve Nash

When I hit my 30s, everything started getting harder: building strength and endurance, recovering from workouts, warding off sickness. Of course none of the 20-something phenoms I run up and down the court with care about any of that, so I’m always looking for a legal advantage. I’ve learned that eating the healthiest diet, training a little more, and trying to get a lot more sleep than other players goes a long way, but adding a couple of key natural supplements to my diet about a year ago —————————————————has had the most surprising effect.

Now, at 36, I count on a probiotic pill to keep my digestive system on track, glucosamine to keep my joints healthy, and a multivitamin for overall wellness. What’s essential to all of these supplements is that they come from whole-food sources. I took a synthetic vitamin — the cheaper ones can derive their nutrients from coal tar (yes, coal tar!) — for a long time, but then I started hearing that the body doesn’t absorb them well. When I looked into the alternative, vitamins made from fruits and vegetables, the switch seemed like a no-brainer. These vitamins are quite a bit more expensive, but a number of studies back their effectiveness, and more important, I feel better on them.

But here’s the thing: There’s a lot of legitimate skepticism out there surrounding supplements, and some can even be unhealthy. For example, ephedra, derived from a Chinese herb, was designed to give people a boost of energy but increased heart rates to dangerous levels. My advice? Don’t consume any supplement without first doing your homework. Make sure the ones you choose are made from whole foods and that the company tests the foods that go into them for safety. If you have any doubts at all, check with your doctor. And if you don’t see results after two months, stop wasting money on the supplement. I’m banking on these things keeping me in the game into my 40s; hopefully they’ll keep you performing at your highest level for a long time, too.

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This article originally appeared in the June/July 2010 issue of Men’s Journal.