It’s our Strain on the Game Christmas Special, and we’re kicking it off with the bit we didn’t give enough airtime this year: supplements.

After Stephen gets hit with a proper dose of “man flu” and calls Adrian for help, the lads dive into why even a “good diet” doesn’t always cover you anymore — from the decline in the nutritional quality of food (and what soil depletion has to do with it), to the reality of winter in the UK and vitamin D.

Adrian breaks down the supplement basics in a way footballers (and normal humans) can actually use:

• Fish oils (what to look for, why sourcing matters, and how they support recovery and inflammation)
• Magnesium (sleep, stress, nervous system regulation — and why glycinate wins)
• Vitamin D (Northern Hemisphere problems… and why Adrian is “solar powered”)
• Creatine (performance benefits, plus Stephen’s horror story of “creatine gummies” that were basically just expensive sweets)

• • Plus quick hits on probiotics, tart cherry, turmeric, and why you’ve got to be careful with things like zinc (because more isn’t always better)