As a pharmacist, you get certain questions over and over again. "Should I take vitamin D?" "Is this supplement reliable?" "Does this actually work?" Friends, family, everyone eventually comes in with the same doubts.

I heard the same questions from athletes, but with more at stake. Especially from high-level combat sports athletes, people who invest weeks of their lives in one competition, and who simply want to know what they can rely on. I wanted the best for them, so I referred them to brands that offered vitamins and minerals in the correct dosage, and, just as importantly, in the right form.

Meanwhile, I also took supplements myself. But like so many people, I never kept it up for long. Four, five capsules a day, spread across different jars: it was just too much hassle to make it a habit.

One day, I ran into an old friend: Muhammad Abdurachmanov, Vice European Champion in wrestling at 70kg. I genuinely asked him if he had good sponsors. I know the supplement landscape for athletes well, so I assumed he would have a few, like the cyclists, marathon runners, and footballers that Belgium has been supporting for decades.

His answer surprised me. He had none. Only friends who supported him, nothing else. That moment stuck with me. Because the problem wasn't Muhammad. The problem was the system around him.