Supplements 101

We have all been there standing in the store looking at all the different brands and all the options for these supplements that claim they will make you huge, and you will be a body builder in no time. There has been a huge amount of misleading information about supplements and I hope to clear thing up a little bit for you today.

First off you have to understand no matter what supplements you take they are not magic. They won't turn you into this fitness model that will be on the cover of a fitness magazine. Unless you are taking steroids, but that's a whole different story. Generally speaking there are few supplements that people often consider when they start really getting into working out. The main three supplements are protein, creatine, and pre-workout. All of these supplements can potentially be beneficial but not always needed.

Lets talk about protein. The first thing you need to know is that taking protein powders is not necessary at all. You can get all the protein you need from your diet very easily, as long as you eat a high concentration of lean meats. Because of this I would only advocate supplementing protein shakes if you don't have access to a good meal after a workout or if you aren't able to hit your protein goal on a daily basis (your goal should be about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight). If you decide you are going to supplement protein shakes into your diet you will want to be sure that you are doing so in a way that is most effective. For example there are two type of protein supplements and those are whey and casein, both of which have different properties making them more optimal for different situations. Whey protein is absorbed very quickly into the body and because of this it is great for right after a workout. Because your body needs protein within 30 minutes of working out to have optimal protein synthesis to build and repair muscle. Casein on the other had has a very slow absorption rate because of this it can be great for late at night. While you are asleep your body will be building muscle and if you don't have protein in your body it wont be able to complete this process. That's why taking a casein protein shake at night can be a good option. When it comes to choosing a protein supplement you are going to want to look for high protein and low fat content. Personally I have found Vitamin Whey to be a great balance in term of protein to fat ratio, but the taste is sub-par. If you are looking to go to your local store to purchase something not to pricey I would suggest Vitamin Whey. However, if you have more time and are willing to look online MyProtein has a great selection.

Next would be pre-workouts. Now once again these are very optional and can easily be compensated for by simply eating a good meal before a workout. However, they can be great for days when you are feeling sluggish and when you don't have time to eat a good meal an hour or two before a workout. Essentially a pre-workout is basically just a high caffeine powder that you add to water. Personally I take C4 Sport on legs days just so I can push through and really give my all. But I would only suggest you take a pre-workout when you are feeling sluggish or if you cant get over a hump in your workouts. If you do wish to try pre-workout supplements I would suggest C4-sport it's great and not too expensive and can be found at a local grocery store.

Lastly is creatine. Creatine is the one supplement on this list that you cannot get enough of through diet alone. On average you can only get about 1-2 grams of creatine by diet alone. According to MyProtein "Creatine helps to regenerate a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), your body’s main source of energy. When creatine stores in your muscles are depleted, the production of ATP comes to a screeching halt and your energy is dramatically decreased. Supplementing with creatine increases the available fuel to power ATP, which can increase muscle strength, size and power output." Because of this I feel that creatine can be a great supplement and can lead to some serious energy boost which leads to you pushing more weight. But you have to know that creatine is not steroids, it wont make you huge it simply gives your body more tools to build your dream physique. If you choose to take creatine I would suggest ordering from MyProtein.

At the end of the day you can either take all of these supplements or take none of them. If you work hard and have a good diet you will see strength and muscle gains. But if you know your nutrition is lacking and your performance in the gym could be better then take some serious consideration into considering these supplements.

Reference

What Does Creatine Do, And How Does It Work? (2017, November 28). Retrieved January 19, 2018, from https://us.myprotein.com/thezone/supplements/what-does-creatine-do/