After you've been training for a while, it is natural to start getting interested in supplements. Now it's a real jungle out there with every type of supplement imaginable just sitting at your figertips and some jacked professional is paid to...
After you've been training for a while, it is natural to start getting interested in supplements. Now it's a real jungle out there with every type of supplement imaginable just sitting at your figertips and some jacked professional is paid to tell you how awesome it works.
As I have stated before, supplements can be very beneficial when you use them properly. But they're called "supplements" because they should be supplementing your proper nutrition and training program. Many people still believe in magic beans and just because you drink a scoop of whey every day you'll get jacked - regardless of how poor your eating is and how half-assed your workouts are.
Personally I have taken supplements and I've also lifted hard and not taken anything. Both times my gains were largely dependent on the foods I put into my body and not the powders I mixed up.
That being said, if you have your training and nutrition in-check, there are three supplements, that when starting out, you definitely need to consider. In other words, don't buy anything else until these three supplements are in your pantry.
Whey Protein Is The Most Important Supplement You Can Purchase
Whey is definitely the most popular and effective supplement you can get. Whey protein contains all the essential amino acids, digests rapidly, can taste great, and most importantly, helps your muscles grow and recover.
A solid whey protein is essential for post-workout nutrition. To maximize your gains, you don't want to rely on whole foods post-workout as they take too long to digest. The rapid digestion of whey makes it perfect for post-workout nutrition. Along with the rapid digestion, whey protein is typically low in fat meaning most of the calories are coming from protein.
Creatine
Creatine has only been around for slightly under 20 years, but is currently most widely used by athletes and hardcore weightlifters. Creatine is not a magic muscle pill, but has been shown to be effective in a number of areas. Without getting too scientific, while lifting weights or exercising, the body uses an immediate form of energy called adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP). Once this energy source is depleted, the body then moves toward burning its glucose and glycogen stores. Which then means that the more creatine you have in your muscles during exercise, the more speed and power you should have when exercising.
Glutamine
First of all, let's start with a few facts about glutamine:
So, i'll try skip the science and explain how the body uses glutamine and why it's important to take it. First of all, the majority of glutamine is consumed not by muscles, but in the intestines for regular digestive functions. The body puts priority on these functions and will start to destroy and break down muscle tissue (which contains glutamine) if there is not enough glutamine for these cells to operate correctly.
So really, by supplementing with glutamine, we're feeding our intestinal cells what they need so they don't steal it from our muscles. Protein is important for muscle growth, and glutamine prevents muscle loss. Glutamine also regulates protein syntheses. This means if your muscles don't have enough glutamine, it will be hard for your body to grow new muscles.
I hope you now know more about the top three supplements to take, how they work and what they do to help you tear it up in the gym!
