Is it safe to use sports supplements during pregnancy?

Hi Eliza,

I would speak with a registered dietitian, not a nutritionist, who specializes in prescribing diets during pregnancy regarding your question. Your physician should be able to recommend one.

As for exercise during pregnancy, the general recommendation is if you have been exercising before you became pregnant, it is usually OK to continue exercising. It is often recommended to avoid any bouncing movements or high intensity training. Because I am not familiar with your medical history, I cannot prescribe a specific exercise program and would suggest discussing this with your physician as well.

Hi Eliza,

Whey protein is definitely fine...there is nothing in whey protein that isn't in milk - except for sweeteners and other functional ingredients that have been used by millions of pregnant women.

Creatine has never been tested in pregnant women in a scientific study (nor have many drugs or other foods and supplements), so it is probably fine but I would stay off the creatine during pregnancy just to be sure (even though it is the most thoroughly-studied supplement ever and has never been shown to have even the mildest negative side effect).

ZMA should be fine too. In fact, probably the best nutrient for people (especially men) who are having trouble conceiving, is zinc (which is the main active ingredient in ZMA). However, you should probably ditch the ZMA and instead take a quality multi-vitamin/mineral that is designed for pregnant women.