The Best Bodybuilding Supplements for Your Goals
Whether you’re just starting out in the bodybuilding arena or have been weight training for years and years, you are most likely going to be using the same few fundamental supplements in your routine. There are, quite simply, a few products that no bodybuilder worth his salt would be without. What are these staples?
The first is creatine, or more accurately, creatine monohydrate. For years now, it has been the undisputed heavyweight champion in the bodybuilding arena. Second only to protein as far as necessary bodybuilding tools, it really works in conjunction with protein to build lean muscle mass. Here’s how: Protein is made up of amino acids. Creatine itself is actually a combination of three amino acids, which are arginine, methionine and glycine. However, creatine also functions as a catalyst for energy.
When you eat protein, the creatine that naturally occurs in your body helps as a sort of ‘storage facility’ for the energy that is derived from the protein. When needed, it supplies the muscle cells with this energy. That is why creatine is such a powerful tool to use in bodybuilding, especially when taken before and after protein consumption.
While we are on the subject of protein consumption, it makes sense to discuss the various types of protein powder out there and why this is such a popular supplement for weight trainers and bodybuilders too. If you haven’t been around the bodybuilding scene for very long, you may think that all protein powders are alike. After all, protein is protein, right? Wrong!
There are generally four different types of protein on the market: Whey protein (made from milk), albumen protein (made from egg white), casein protein, and soy protein. Whey protein, by far the most popular protein on the market, is broken down into concentrated formulas or ionized formulas.
Before you throw your hands in the air and give up, though, it really is fairly simple to determine which protein you should use. Simply put, use the one you like best, because you will tend to mix up a shake more often and get greater use of your protein powder if it is one that you truly enjoy tasting.
Protein powders come in all sorts of varied flavors these days. You can still get your basic chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry, but a lot of companies have great flavors such as orange creamsicle, peanut butter and even mint cookie! Most protein powders come with directions for a serving size of about 25 gram of protein per scoop, some a bit more and some a bit less.
If you are a “hard core” bodybuilder, you will probably be using ionized whey protein, which is said to be the most easily digested of the proteins, and the one that reaches your muscles the fastest. Some bodybuilders mix their proteins so that they get the widest range of protein benefits possible. They tend to take whey in the morning and afternoon and casein protein before bed, because it is digested at a much slower rate. Therefore, it will continue to fuel your muscles while you sleep, which is also when you tend to make repairs (and, accordingly, gains) in your muscle.
Egg protein is great and has a very high bioavailability, but it does tend to be pricier and there are not as many varied flavors on the market. Soy protein is a wonderful choice for vegetarians and vegans, although it is not as complete a protein as the others.
Last, most bodybuilders tend to use some sort of fat-burning supplement so that all of their hard work building muscle in the gym is not hidden under a layer of fat or extra water weight. You can make great strides in your workout and a lot of gains in the gym and if you are carrying a layer of fat over your muscles none of it will show through! Most of the fat burners that were considered dangerous have been taken off the market, as they were purported to cause irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, and even death. You can find safe, effective and reasonable fat burners now that contain ingredients that are actually healthy.
One such ingredient is green tea. The energy derived from green tea is much gentler than coffee, and you will feel your core body temperature rise when you drink it so you know it is working! Not to be outdone by tea, coffee — or any sort of caffeine supplement — is also found in many fat burners and can give you just the pump that you need to lift more weight. Sometimes you will see caffeine from herbal sources in your fat burner supplement, and this is fine.
Many bodybuilders also include appetite suppressants in their fat burning compounds, such as hoodia gordonii, which is an African herb that is a very effective appetite suppressant.
Less food consumption, along with some creatine, a good protein, and a lot of hard work in the gym, is the basic formula that all bodybuilders follow.
Megan Hazel is a freelance writer who writes about health and fitness topics including herbal supplements.
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