In the build of bodybuilding, most people center their routines on gaining muscle while losing fat. While some people believe that proper nutrition is one of the vital components of having an improved physique and a healthy body, others believe that taking supplements add mass and definition to the body in bulking and cutting.
According to All Max Nutrition, supplement stacking pertains to the use of multiple supplements that work in synergy to achieve a certain fitness goal. As per the publication, the usage of multiple supplements can be compared to assembling one’s fantasy football team, in which each player has his own strength and function and when combined together, they players form a team that would win against other teams.
Supplements can be stacked together either to gain mass or weight (bulking) or lose lose fat (cutting). According to Body Building, by combining the supplements, one can achieve his goal. In addition to bulking and cutting stacks, there is also the so-called staple supplement. As per the publication, a sample supplement is something a person takes throughout the year and it is unaffected by a bulking or cutting cycle. The publication added that the staple supplements include multivitamins, whey protein, fish oil, creatine, and beta-alanine. Multivitamins help in the cellular processes in the body while whey protein serves as fuel for the growth and repair of damaged body tissues during workout. Fish oil provides omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital to cardiovascular health. It allows the heart to function properly to pump blood, which transports oxygen to the parts of the body and to the cells. Creatine helps the muscles build phosphocreatine, which boosts the body’s energy during training. Then, beta-alanine helps in the synthesis of carnosine, an antioxidant that inhibits the production of lactic acid during exercise.
The bulking stack usually contains creatine, branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), fish oil, whey and casein powder, and beta-alanine. Creatine is the LeBrone James of supplements, according to Men’s Fitness. Supplement Research Foundation President and certified sports nutritionist Rehan Jhali also told the publication that it was the most reaserch-proven sports supplement on the market today, with hundreds of clinical studies revealing that the supplement could improve lean body mass, boost strength, increase energy levels, and enhance muscle size. Branched chain amino acids help by reducing muscle damage following strength training and boosts muscle recovery, which allows a person to come and go to the gym as often as he can. Aside from a boost in muscle growth, BCAAs also decrease muscle soreness after workout. Fish oil helps reduce inflammation, which indicates quicker recuperation of muscles. Also, it helps the muscles produce bulk-building protein. Whey stands as one of the best muscle-building supplements, including the BCAA leucine, which stimulates synthesis of muscle protein. Whey is also easily digested by the body, enabling them to reach and repair the muscles quickly. Then, beta-alanine fights muscle weakness with carnosine, a substance in the muscle that helps prevent the build up of lactic acid, which causes pain during training
The top five supplements for cutting of losing fat include L-carnitine, green tea extract, BCAAs, CLA, and fish oil. According to Prime Health Solutions, L-Carnitine is a naturally occurring building block of protein, which has long been used to improve the performance of the athletes. It helps in the transport of fatty acids from the blood into the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell; thus, fats will be utilized for energy. Green tea extracts contain ingredients called catechins, which increase the metabolic rate, and boosts the release of norepinephrine, a hormone that contributes in fat burning. BCAAs elevate the rate of protein synthesis in order to prevent protein breakdown during training. Conjugated linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid, which also enhances fat loss, while fish oil helps stimulate fat oxidizing enzymes to improve blood and oxygen flow to the muscles..
While supplement stacking has proved to be effective in adding muscle mass and losing body fat, it is still important to consume healthy foods, which contain natural nutrients essential for burning excess fat and helping the body grow.
