SUPPLEMENTATION
Everything you need pre workout
Before you head off into your training session, you should be prepping your body for all out war. Okay, maybe that’s a little bit over the top, but you should be making sure that your body has everything it needs to perform at its best every time you step into the gym.
Supplements to increase mental and physical performance have been around for quite a while now in the fitness industry, but have increased in popularity recently, with quite a few new ingredients coming through in the past few years.
Understanding BCAAs
A branched-chain amino acid is an amino acid having an aliphatic side-chain with a branch . Among the proteinogenic amino acids, there are three BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Non-proteinogenic BCAAs include 2-aminoisobutyric acid.
Everything you should be taking pre workout
I am a big advocate of pre workout. If like me you are serious about your training and always strive to be better than your session, why would you not take something that can help you improve your results in the gym?
Pre-workout has been around for a long time, and I find myself lucky enough to be of the generation that had access to the likes of original Jack3d and Driven Sports Craze before they were banned. These were two of the best (and strongest) pre workouts I ever tried, and I have been searching for the same effect ever since they were discontinued. If you know, you simply know. Saying that, there are still plenty of great pre workouts out there that can be used to good effect, and we will be getting onto some of the ingredients you want to be keeping an eye out for soon. First though, there are a few things you want to do before you even reach for that heaped scoop of magic dust.
Which supplements for which sports?
First of all, let's completely brush past the notion that supplements are exclusively for bodybuilders, powerlifters and other gym-goers. If you exercise at all, or take part in any sport, then there are supplements that will definitely benefit your performance, your recovery and much more.
Instead of listing individual sports and reeling off an endless list of supplements... I thought it would be wise to try to categorise some aspects of various sports, which may be shared by many, and suggest some supplements relevant to that particular aspect, so you can see how these products can help you in your sport.
Understanding L-Citrulline
L-citrulline is a substance called a non-essential amino acid. Your kidneys change L-citrulline into another amino acid called L-arginine and a chemical called nitric oxide.
These compounds are important to your heart and blood vessel health. They may also boost your immune system.
The science behind muscle building
This is a tough one to write as I don’t like to over complicate muscle building or fat loss. Everyone can build muscle, and everyone can lose fat, therefore, how can it be that difficult?
In its simplest form, muscle building occurs when you train hard consistently and eat in a calorie surplus. You could tell the majority of the population to go away and lift weights in the 6-12 rep range for 6 months, with the aim to get stronger each week whilst eating in a surplus and the majority would come back with new muscle. You don’t have to explain to them the science behind it.
Stop losing muscle when you diet
There is absolutely no reason that you should be losing significant muscle mass when you decide to cut your calories and diet. I say ‘significant’ because depending on the severity of your diet, you may lose a small amount. However, this is usually when the said person Is dieting for a competition and extremely low body fat levels are needed. For the average joe who would just like to cut down so they can see their abs, there should be no reason why any muscle loss occurs.
Understanding L-Glutamine
Glutamine is an amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. Its side chain is similar to that of glutamic acid, except the carboxylic acid group is replaced by an amide. It is classified as a charge-neutral, polar amino acid. It is non-essential and conditionally essential in humans, meaning the body can usually synthesize sufficient amounts of it, but in some instances of stress, the body's demand for glutamine increases, and glutamine must be obtained from the diet. It is encoded by the codons CAA and CAG.
Understanding Omega 3
Omega−3 fatty acids, also called Omega-3 oils are polyunsaturated fatty acids characterized by the presence of a double bond three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in their chemical structure. They are widely distributed in nature, being important constituents of animal lipid metabolism, and they play an important role in the human diet and in human physiology. The three types of omega−3 fatty acids involved in human physiology are α-linolenic acid, found in plant oils, and eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, both commonly found in marine oils.
Understanding Beta-Alanine
Beta-Alanine is a naturally occurring beta amino acid, which is an amino acid in which the amino group is at the Beta-position from the carboxylate group . The IUPAC name for Beta-alanine is 3-aminopropanoic acid. Unlike its counterpart α-alanine, Beta-alanine has no stereocenter. Biosynthesis and industrial route In terms of its biosynthesis, it is formed by the degradation of dihydrouracil and carnosine.