With the right kind of supplements, all your hard work in the gym will bear fruit. The right kinds of supplements enhance both your performance and metabolism. However, it is important for you to know the basic qualities of a good supplement that will help you to pick out the right one from the market.
Given below are some key points that will assist you in choosing good-quality supplements:
- Note the quality and appearance of the packaging. Low-quality packaging generally indicates inferior products.
- Examine the serving size indicated and the size of the supply. Do not go in for a product that has a large serving size and small supply size. A good product generally offers a month’s supply no matter what the serving size is.
- Branded ingredient names and proprietary compound names at the back of the label indicate quality of the product. It is indicative of the product research and development effort of the company.
- Ingredient contents and concentrations should be clearly listed on the label. Correct ingredients and their concentrations make a product work as they should. Important ingredients are usually listed in the beginning.
- High-quality products have scientific references listed in the label if space allows.
- Ensure that you spot contact information on the product label. It is an indication that the product is genuine.
Following these basic rules ensures that you buy a supplement of good quality.
Supplements are required to achieve your bodybuilding, health, and fitness goals. Supplements help you to improve your workout, stamina, and energy. Supplements that are backed by science are both efficient and safe.
Listed below are some important supplements and their functions in helping to improve your physique:
Calcium: It is essential for bone development. Low-fat dairy foods high in calcium increase metabolism and energy conversion.
Creatine: Creatine supplements increase the body’s store of creatine. This increases the phosphocreatine and thus more phosphate is available for regeneration of ATP, which is your muscle’s energy source. This will surely help in performing more exercise repetitions. Recommended dosage is about 5 g per day.
Whey Proteins: They form the richest source of proteins and provide the powerful amino acids that are required by the body for growth, repair, and building up of immunity. The isolates are separated from milk products. The quantity of proteins to be taken depends on your body weight. Two-thirds are generally assumed to be available from the food that you take. The balance needs to be supplemented. The protein required by the body is about 1 g per kilogram of body weight in a day. For a body weight of 60 kg, 40 g of protein is got from the food that is eaten. The balance 20 g needs to be supplemented. Supplemental protein causes greater improvements in muscular size and strength. If you consume a rapidly digesting protein source just before, during and/or after your training session, it will help stimulate protein synthesis. It can also help you shed some fat. Whey protein is a rapidly digesting source of protein.
Amino Acids:
- Arginine is an essential amino acid that your body cannot produce on its own. Arginine helps hormone secretion, the removal of toxic waste products, and improves your body’s immune defense system. Arginine is known for its ability to produce nitric oxide through vasodilatation. This greatly aids in nutrient transfer to the muscle and helps in faster repair and growth of muscles. Fitness enthusiasts are known to take arginine about 30 minutes prior to the workout for a pump of energy.
- Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that helps to increase the carnosine levels in the muscles during high-intensity workouts when the concentration of hydrogen ions increases. Carnosine helps to buffer these ions and increase stamina. You can train harder and longer and push fatigue away. The recommended dosage of beta-alanine is 1.6 g taken up to four times a day.
- Leucine is an important branched chain amino acid (BCAA) that you should consume, if you are a bodybuilder, owing to its anabolic properties. Studies have shown its direct effect on regulating protein synthesis. It activates a major complex in the anabolic pathway (sensitive to leucine concentrations) known as the mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR. If the concentration of leucine is low then signals are provided to mTOR that there is not enough protein to synthesize new skeletal muscle protein and it is not activated. Increased leucine concentrations cause activation of mTOR, and cause synthesis of new skeletal muscle protein. Activation and consequent protein synthesis occurs at levels of 2.5 – 5 g of leucine.
- Another non-essential amino acid found in abundant levels in the human body is glutamine. It is found in the blood, gut, and the skeletal muscles. It also acts as a fuel for the immune system. Workouts result in muscle injury. Glutamine levels are seen to reduce in the body after workouts. Thus supplementation of glutamine is essential to reduce muscle deterioration. Glutamine activates the immune system to induce recovery and tissue repair of the muscle cells that occurs during training and workouts. It is also known to increase protein metabolism. A daily intake of 2 g of glutamine has been known to stimulate increase of growth hormone levels in the body.
Omega 3 fatty acids: These are the good fats, generally obtained from the bodies of deep-sea cold water fish such as salmon. They help to maintain a healthy heart, brain, and nervous system. They are anti-inflammatory and help to reduce joint inflammation and result in increased flexibility. Low quality fish oils can be high in mercury. The recommended daily dose is 3 g of fish oils that contain EPA and DHA.
Antioxidants: Any workout leads to increased oxidation and production of free radicals in your body. This oxidative stress can be effectively decreased with the consumption of antioxidants. They neutralize the free radicals and reduce the damage caused by them. Vitamin C and vitamin E are potent antioxidants. So are grape seed extract, lycopene from tomatoes, and green tea extract. Green tea extract is also known to increase energy expenditure.
Carbohydrate: If you care to consume a rapidly digesting simple carbohydrate just before, during, and/or immediately after your training, it will facilitate protein synthesis as well as resynthesis of glycogen. This aids muscle building and faster recovery. Taking a carbohydrate drink also helps training for long periods of time.
Ensure that your supplementation includes a multi-mineral source. They are as much essential for the well-being of your body. A diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables supplies the much needed nutrients and vitamins required for basic good health. A fair consumption of greens ensures the neutralization of blood pH that may become acidic with protein consumption.
In summary, it is a great idea you to seek the help of a professional who will design a high-quality training and supplement program and help you to follow it through. This will enable you to maximize the training results and the potential benefits.
