What is "Pure Athlete"?
It's a new fitness term that represents the people who don't use any enhancers at all - not even the ones labeled as natural. So, no performance-enhancing supplements (PESs) and no drugs (PEDs). Only food and training.
The fitness world is generally divided into two categories: natural and unnatural. Anyone who doesn’t use PEDs is considered natural, but that creates a wide and vague category. It includes the athletes who use performance-enhancing supplements and the athletes who don't.
And that's unfair. The people who don't use any PE supplements (creatine, pre-workout, citrulline etc...) shouldn't be lumped in the same category with those who do.
"Pure" gives these athletes a separate category to be classified in.
Get to know more through Q&A
What was the biggest motivation behind the idea of wanting to present the fitness industry with a new category?
My biggest motivation is fairness and clarity. I believe people who train without performance-enhancing supplements or drugs deserve their own category - because the potential and resources are very different. By creating the “Pure” category, I want to give this path the recognition it rarely gets and bring more honesty to the fitness industry.
Are all supplements considered off-limits for a Pure Athlete?
No. Only performance-enhancing supplements.
Which supplements are considered performance-enhancing, and which are not?
Performance-enhancing supplements: creatine, pre-workout, beta-alanine, citrulline malate (and any form of citrulline), nitric oxide boosters, any stimulant-based “pump” or “focus” formulas.
Non-performance-enhancing supplements: Whey or plant-based protein powder, multivitamins, electrolytes, omega 3, vitamin D, magnesium, calcium and other minerals.
Why only the performance-enhancing supplements are excluded from the Pure category, but others are allowed? What's the difference between them?
Because they artificially boost your performance or physique beyond what you can achieve through food and training alone.
For example:
- Creatine draws water into your muscles, making them look fuller.
- Citrulline increases vascularity and blood flow.
- Pre-workouts give you an unnatural energy surge from stimulants
These substances are taken solely to enhance performance and appearance - they are not essential for health and life.
In contrast, non-PE supplements like vitamins, minerals and electrolytes are simply nutrients your body needs for normal function. Their doses can come from daily food or supplements - doesn't matter. They support health and life, not artificially inflate performance and appearance.
What are the differences in progress and physique when training with PE supplements versus without?
With supplements, you’ll be able to progress and recover faster leading to more gains within shorter time, but also you will be seeing yourself a few levels beyond what you actually are. The reason for that is the water retention in the muscles.
Without supplements, your progress might be slower, but you’ll always be seeing your true, honest physique - exactly who you are, built purely through hard work and consistency.
Is there a limit to how much muscle a Pure Athlete can gain?
Yes. The physiques you see from bodybuilders or many influencers are enhanced by PE supplements or PE drugs. There are exceptions based on individual's genetics, but generally speaking you can't expect to have a freak physique. Also, once you get to the very top of what your body is capable as pure, the progress after that is very slow. That's why lifters take enhancers, to break that limitation and open up room for more progress.
Why do you say today’s physiques are inflated?
Because in reality, no one truly looks like they do. Many have stuff in their bodies that enhance their appearance beyond their true state. For example, a person on creatine has extra water in their muscles, which makes them look bigger and leaner at the same time.
Why do you say the fitness industry isn’t really healthy?
Because it promotes a false image. Just slapping a “protein” label on a product doesn’t make it healthy - not when it’s full of artificial, highly processed ingredients.
They made it all about the obvious stuff - if it has protein or doesn't have much sugar it's branded as healthy, yet they put tons of artificial stuff in there. They made people fear fruit because it has sugars, and that is so wrong! True health isn’t just a good-looking body - it’s about feeding yourself with real, nutrient-dense foods the way God intended through nature.
Do you have anything against people who achieve their physique with performance-enhancing supplements and drugs?
Not at all. Everyone makes their own choices about their body and fitness journey. What does frustrate me is when people aren’t honest or transparent about their use of performance enhancers.