People use supplements as their aid when it comes to gaining mass, adding muscles, and reducing fat, in addition to natural food sources of carbohydrates, protein, and fats. At present, people are presented with a number of supplements, from protein powder to weight loss supplements, which they can purchase and use in order to get their desired results.
Among the available supplements, the core one’s that beginners need include protein powder, branched chain amino acids, glutamine, creatine, and fish oil, according to Body Building.
Aside from protein, fiber, and vitamin food sources, whey protein is one of the best pick of body builders when it comes to gaining muscle mass and weight and losing fats, according to Men’s Fitness. It supports a 12-week study conducted by researchers in Minnesota, where the participants’ daily calorie intake were decreased by 500 calories. A portion of the participants were given whey while the others received an isocaloric beverage mix. According to the study findings, those who consumed whey lost a considerable amount of body fat (6.1 percent total) and preserved their muscles when compared to those who drank the isocaloric mix beverage. Protein supplements are fast acting and they allow a person to meet his daily protein needs, even when he is preoccupied with work. Whey is also digested easily and quickly, making it an ideal protein source after workout.
Branched Chain Amino Acids or BCAAs are also past of the “must have” workout supplements. As building blocks of protein, amino acids allow remarkable improvement in both performance, muscle density, and recovery rate by stimulating protein build-up in muscle, according to Web MD. They also prevent significant muscle catabolism or breakdown; thus, allowing one to achieve more muscle growth. The supplement is also useful in preventing faulty impulse transmission in the brain cells of people who have anorexia, tardive dyskinesia, and advanced liver disease.
Glutamine, which is an adaptogenic amino acid protein derivative, is another bodybuilder’s core supplement. According to Men’s Fitness, glutamine serves as the most abundant amino acid in the body. Much of it is produced in the lungs and it has the highest concentration in the skeletal muscles and it also helps boost the body’s immune system and well being. For people who are trying to gain muscle mass, glutamine aids in muscle growth, decreased muscle breakdown, healthy immune system function, and gastrointestinal health. It is usually consumed after training, as it has the ability to reproduce muscle glycogen and glutamine levels that are depleted during exercise. Glutamine can also be obtain in natural food sources, such as eggs, beans, tofu, cheese, ricotta, yogurt, milk, chicken, pork, beef, spinach, cabbage, and parsley.
One of the most well-researched supplements in the health and fitness industry, Creatine has shown its potential on boosting athletes’ performance, whether in sprinting, weightlifting, strength training, and other high-intensity activities. The supplement has the ability to produce energy in a faster rate, allowing a person to train harder and more often; thus, faster results are achieved. University of Oklahoma assistant professor of exercise physiology Chad Kerksick told Men’s Health that if one could lift one or two more repetitions or five more pounds, his muscles would get bigger and stronger. This means that the extra energy creatine provides to a lifter allows him to add more repetitions to his workout and this factors in to the increase in muscle size.
Omega-3 fatty acids are helpful to the body and they can be obtain from fish oil supplements. As per Body Building, these fatty acids fish oil are viewed as essential fatty acids; they are necessary for human health, but they cannot be produced by the body. As a supplement, fish oil helps boost a person’s cognitive function, immune system, cardiovascular health, skin integrity, vision, and joint health. Natural food sources of omega-3 include fish, beef, eggs, walnuts, and flaxseeds.
The aforementioned supplements have proven themselves to be helpful in the real of health and fitness. However, it is important to remember that natural food sources still stand the best sources of macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
