Alan Ritchson Shares the 3 Supplements Fueling His Intense Training Routine

When Alan Ritchson started training for his role as Jack Reacher, his grueling five-day-a-week lifting routine quickly started taking a toll on his body. To power through the strain, he leaned on a few essential vitamins and minerals to keep him going.

Ritchson sat down with GQ to reveal the essentials he can’t live without, giving a special shoutout to Trace mineral drops, performance electrolytes, and methylcobalamin B12.

To prepare for his role as Jack Reacher, Ritchson had to bulk up by 30 pounds, which meant transitioning from his usual high-volume bodyweight training to grueling weightlifting sessions.

With limited recovery time between workouts, the strain on his body quickly began to add up.

“I started having muscle cramps, Charlie horses everywhere—it was awful,” he said.

For years, Ritchson worked with nutritionists who all pointed to magnesium as the missing piece in his diet. But as he puts it, there was more to the equation than just magnesium deficiency.

He also took a genetic test, which revealed a shortage of methylcobalamin B12.

Methylcobalamin is a form of vitamin B12, essential for numerous bodily functions, including red blood cell production, nerve function, and DNA synthesis. A deficiency can lead to fatigue, nerve problems, and cognitive issues, making it crucial for overall health.

Following a recommendation, Ritchson started using the ConcenTrace brand. Now, this supplement stack has become a staple in his daily morning routine—which he says he couldn’t survive without.

“The other day, I did some pushups and during the pushups, I started to cramp up. I came up and I took these [trace minerals and electrolytes]. I waited 15 minutes, cramps were gone and I finished the workout,” he previously told Men’s Health.

Related: Alan Ritchson Shared His Cheap Protein Hack for Getting, and Staying, Huge