NAIROBI, Kenya, November 24, 2025 – Renowned strength and conditioning (S&C) guru Geoffrey Kimani has cautioned against the wanton use of supplements.
Kimani says it is pointless to use supplements without a clear goal in mind.
“Your goal informs your training program and your recovery protocols. And we
also say at some point, you really don’t need some of those supplements. If you’re not in an elite kind of program…if you’re not training to compete in an elite level, then you don’t need supplements. Just good old sleep,” the former sprinter said.
The former S&C coach for the national men’s 7s team, Shujaa, further advised that supplements should only be used to aid recovery and complement dietary needs.
“Supplements have also been mainstreamed by elite athletes. We use supplements like the name suggests to supplement. For example, you can be in a situation where you’re not getting enough in terms of your dietary needs, but also use them to accelerate recovery because it is the most essential part for you to be able to come back the following day fully recovered and ready for the next session,” Kimani said.
Equally an issue of concern for Kimani is tendency to put unnecessary pressure on young athletes to perform.
He said teenagers and youngsters should be allowed to enjoy themselves while imparting the skills associated with their disciplines.
“I see us putting so much pressure on young kids when we are sending them out and telling them, you need to come back with a medal. At that age, emotionally, those kids are not ready to deal with win and losing. That’s a time when kids are supposed to be having fun and enjoying and also enhancing the skills of that
respective sport that they’re engaging in,” Kimani noted.
Besides working with Shujaa for close to eight years, Kimani has left his imprints at various national teams, including Harambee Stars and the women’s volleyball side, Malkia Strikers.
He was the lead consultant (S&C) for the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) leading to and during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
The Highway Secondary School alumnus has also worked with a number of athletes, most notably, Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala.
