Joining a gym, and trying to make your way onto the fitness scene can be a little daunting, especially when it comes to choosing the right supplements. Choosing a brand or a flavour is difficult enough, let alone deciding which supplements you actually need! So I've comprised a comprehensive guide to supplements for beginners, roughly in their order of necessity! So take a look and see which supplements are best for you!
We'll start with, unsurprisingly, Whey protein! Widely considered to be the main supplement for any gym-goers, Whey protein is certainly an essential for your shopping basket. It comes in various forms, Whey Concentrate, Whey Isolate and Whey Protein Hydrolysate, essentially referring to how refined it is in that order. Protein is essential for muscle growth, with a rule-of-thumb daily serving for muscle growth being 1g of protein per 1 lb of bodyweight. For example, if you weigh 150lbs you should be consuming approximately 150g of protein each day.
Next we have creatine, one of the most vital muscle-building supplements on the market. Creatine is one of the most studied supplements, making it also one of the most trusted. Creatine also comes in numerous forms, with the standard being Creatine Monohydrate. Creatine basically promotes energy in muscle and brain tissue, allowing you to train harder in the gym, and therefore build muscle!
Now let's talk Amino Acids. These usually come as either Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) or Essential Amino Acids (EAAs). What's the difference? Well, there are three Branched Chain Amino Acids, and those three, are three of the 9 Essential Amino Acids! So EAAs are BCAAs with 6 added aminos on top! Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein, and they are also the core of many vital processes in the body.
It's important to make the most of each workout, and what better way to do that then with some great Pre-Workout?! There are a few different types of Pre-Workout available, based on whether you're looking for endurance, a muscle-pump or a quick stimulant. The key ingredient in most stimulant pre workouts – Caffeine, has a very significant effect on muscle strength and power, enabling you to complete a more productive workout. Further ingredients enhance muscle pump, muscular endurance, blood flow and more.
Next we'll look at Fish oils and Omega 3! These fatty acids are great for lowering blood pressure, improving heart health and blood flow and much more. They can help you to build muscle through nutrient partitioning. (Which basically means; calories that might originally be stored as fat can be partitioned into muscle.) On top of these other benefits, omega-3 fish oil has also been proven to reduce the stiffness in your joints, enabling you to recover faster and train with less risk of injury.
Casein is another great supplement for you to look into. It, like whey, is also a milk protein, however is is a slow-release protein, so most weightlifters tend to take Casein at night time, to allow constant protein supply to their resting muscle while sleeping. While Casein is considered a slow-release protein, it is faster than most plant proteins, which is why some brands combine their casein and whey for a more 'complete' protein source.
Hopefully this article has given you some guidance on the first supplements you should be looking into if you're new to the gym. This is not a list of supplements for general health, as you can see it is missing Vitamins and Minerals, but it is targeted towards those looking to make strength and muscle-growth progress. Give these supplements a try and see for yourself which ones benefit you.
