Wondering
what supplements are important for gains? In this article, you’d be
able to see the right supplements for you and see the science behind it.
Many
people might think that supplements are not needed, that to be ripped,
just a good diet is needed. Sure, that is possible, but if you have the
tool that can help your training and just disregard it, then a lot of
gains are just left out on the table.
The dilemma lies however
with the number of supplements around in the market nowadays. To add up
to that, is the inability to know when to take it, what works and how
they work, can add to the burden.
To make the most out of your training and
help you build muscles, there are 5 supplements that are most beneficial to people.
1. Creatine
Creatine is a legal supplement that can be found in just about every
supplement store. It can be claimed that it is the most popular and
most effective bodybuilding supplement presently available. One of its
many positives is that it’s 100% natural and can be found in many foods
so it is unlikely for it to be found illegal in sports or competitions.
Though
creatine is produced naturally in our bodies to help supply energy to
the muscles and can be found in certain foods, supplement is still
needed because the process of cooking food destroys most of the creatine
content in it. Creatine can be found in 90% of the body’s muscles. The
liver can also produce smaller amounts of creatine and kidneys from
amino acids. Protein synthesis which aids in
muscle growth could also benefit from the help of creatine.
From
a bodybuilder’s point of view, creatine is a big factor in building
lean muscle quickly, improve performance in high intensity exercise,
elevate energy levels and accelerate recovery rates.
There are 2
ways to take creatine, one of them is by loading the muscles with with
20 to 30 grams of creatine per day for four to seven days. At the end of
the phase, as a maintenance a regular intake of 5 to 15 grams per day
should be taken. The second one is more gradual in nature, the loading
up stage is skipped for just a supplement of 5 to 15 grams per day for
an extended period.
To get bigger, faster and stronger, creatine is a must!
2. Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that is produced naturally
in the body. Carnosine, a compound that plays a role in muscle
endurance in high-intensity exercise is produced with the help of
beta-alanine. This is how beta-alanine works, since carnosine can be
found in the muscles, when there is high level of carnosine, muscles are
able to perform for longer periods of time before they become burnt
out. Carnosine does this by regulating acid buildup in the muscles,
leading cause of muscle fatigue.
Since beta-alanine is one of
carnosine’s main component, beta-alanine supplements are instrumental in
boosting the production of carnosine, thus enhancing sports
performance. Other benefits of beta-alanine as backed by Scientific
Studies include: increases aerobic endurance, enhances muscular strength
and power output, increases muscle mass, promote muscular anaerobic
stamina and elevates exercise capacity so you can train harder and
longer.
The ideal dose for beta-alanine is 2-5g/day, which just
like creatine is not dependent on timing, it can be taken at any point
during the day, but it would be more advisable to take it with a meal to
make it more effective.
3. Caffeine
Caffeine has long been used by athletes to help increase energy and
endurance. It is also considered to be the best pre-workout supplements
for focus, training capacity and it is also able to increase aerobic
capacity and improve sustained power output.
While caffeine helps
in decreasing the perceptions of fatigue and muscle pain, it also works
on the nervous system by promoting spinal cord excitability and muscle
fiber recruitment. It has been shown that it improves physical
performance in all method of sports at the same time delaying mental
exhaustion.
Some of the most popular sources of caffeine are:
coffee, canned/bottled coffee drinks, tea, soft drinks, caffeine
capsules, energy drinks/shots, dark chocolate, gels, caffeinated
mints/gum, green tea extract, pre-workout supplements/fat burners.
Effects
of caffeine can be felt with as little as 20 mg (0.3 mg/kg of
bodyweight). Its benefits can be maxed out at around 200 mg (3 mg/kg of
bodyweight). When taken at very high doses (6 mg/kg of bodyweight or
400 mg4), it may start to decrease performance and increase anxiety
level. Caffeine should be taken 1 to 2 hours prior to training as
caffeine levels in the bloodstream peak approximately 60-90 minutes
after consumption.
4. Whey Protein
Your body can benefit greatly when whey protein supplementation is
combined with appropriate exercise. Some of these benefits are:
a.) It improves your immune system
Vigorous
exercise could adversely affect the immune system, research however,
showed that consuming whey protein reduces the effect of exercise on the
nervous system and helps keep you protected.
b.) It helps you lose fat while preserving muscle
If
you’re trying to get ripped, you can extremely benefit from whey
protein. Research has also shown that when you consume whey while
cutting down the calorie intake, more muscles are retained and body fats
are lost. So you can add the pounds in muscle while getting rid of
unwanted body-fat.
c) It helps to reduce stress
One way of
relieving stress is through exercise but according to research,
consumption of whey protein also makes the person less stressed than
those who don’t. This is due to the change of serotonin levels in the
brain.
d.) Helps to increase size and strength
There’s also
another study that showed that people who take whey an hour before a
workout, managed to boost their fat-free mass and muscle strength
compared to those who took a placebo.
The amount of
whey protein to supplement depends on the person’s goals. For example:
-
an athlete or highly active person who wants to lose body fat while
retaining lean muscle mass, a daily intake of 1.5-2.2g/kg bodyweight
(0.68-1g/lb bodyweight) is a good goal.
- an athlete or highly
active person who wants to lose body fat while retaining lean mass, a
daily intake of 1.0-1.5g/kg bodyweight (0.45-0.68g/lb bodyweight) is a
good goal.
5. ZMA

ZMA is a supplement that consist of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6, all
of which are vital for biological processes. ZMA was developed to try
to provide athletes and bodybuilders other means to prevent the loss of
these vitamins and minerals while exercising. When nutrients are lost
during exercise, may it be through perspiration or metabolism, ZMA then
works to replace these nutrients. Which, in turn, could facilitate a
number of processes that may improve athletic performance.
Other
benefits of ZMA to athletes and body builders include: increased
endurance and strength, as well as higher testosterone levels; better
sleep and faster recovery. Additionally, since ZMA is a natural
testosterone boosting supplement, it can be legally used by athletic
organizations and is therefore a much preferred substitute for athletes
who wants to improve their performance without having the fear of facing
legal issues.