Proven supplements to give you that extra boost
The fitness industry Is one of the fastest growing industries there is. Every week you see a new supplement or new diet that claims to help you lose more weight or build more muscle faster. So what are the best?
I will be honest with you. Supplements aren’t a necessity, but they can help. They can both be done by manipulating your training and nutrition. Having said that, there are a few tested and proven supplements that will give you an edge. Those are what I am going to run you through today. I will give you a bit of background into the supplement, how it works, the benefits, when to take it, how much and if you really need it.
Creatine is one of the most tested fitness supplements ever. It was first introduced in the 1990’s and since then has been one of the most popular and best-selling supplements in the industry and for good reason, it works.
Simply put, ( as I don’t see the need to bore you with all the scientific jargon) creatine is a compound that is formed when protein is metabolised and is in most living tissue. It is synthesised mainly in the liver but not produced by muscle tissue, which means it needs to get any further supplementation from the bloodstream. Once inside the muscle, it is known as phosphocreatine, but we will call it PCr.
Creatine works by creating something known as ATP, which muscles use for energy when contracting. By supplementing with creatine, you increase the amount of PCr available in the muscle, which is where the benefits of creatine supplementation come in.
When supplementing with creatine, you are going to experience some of the following benefits;
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Increase in muscle strength
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Increase in muscle size (if in a calorie surplus)
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Increase in lean bodyweight
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Better athletic performance
There are different forms of creatine, but all have the same outcome, so for dosing purposes I will be talking about the most common form, creatine monohydrate. This form usually includes a loading phase where 5g is taken 4-6 times a day for a week and has been shown to increase levels by up to 40%. The same can be achieved by taking 5g a day for a more prolonged time period.
Since creatine is found mainly in meats and the amount you would need to eat to see any benefits is huge, everyone can benefit from this supplement.
Glutamine is an essential amino acid that makes up roughly 60% of the skeletal muscle amino acid pool in your body. Your body doesn’t need to produce it, which means if you want more, it has to be consumed via supplementation.
Unlike creatine, glutamine is produced in the muscles and distributed by the blood to the organs that require it.
Supplementing with glutamine is not just limited to fitness benefits, but overall health ones also;
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Improves blood sugar levels
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Helps with sugar and alcohol cravings
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Improves metabolism
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Improves recovery time from exercise
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Promotes muscle growth and reduces catabolism, the wastage of muscle tissue.
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Helps with memory, focus and concentration as it is an essential neurotransmitter.
Recommended dosage is 30g a day for everyone and should be consumed with a form of carbohydrate to ensure maximum absorption. It would be best taken pre and post workout, split up into an even dosage.
To determine if you need to supplement with glutamine, consider these questions. Are you training hard enough? If you aren’t, then your body can probably produce enough to help with recovery and other health benefits. Are you recovering well anyway? If you are, then you probably don’t feel sore much after workouts and you have recovery nailed in terms of food intake and rest, so glutamine isn’t necessary.
If you haven’t ever used caffeine for an extra boost before a workout, then you must have been living under a rock for a long time. Caffeine has been around for a long time and is present in nearly all supplements that call themselves a ‘pre-workout’ as well as fat loss supplements.
Caffeine is known as a mild central nervous stimulant and works by blocking the actions of adenosine, which results in increased feelings of alertness. You’ll find caffeine mainly in coffee, but it can be found in tea and it has been shown to safely consume around 300g of caffeine per day, but this will vary from person to person depending on tolerance levels.
The benefits of supplementing with caffeine before exercise are;
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Increased alertness, focus and concentration
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Can help with fat loss
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Increased performance during endurance exercise
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Reduces rate of perceived exertion
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Can help you recover from intense workouts as it is filled with antioxidants
As with creatine, everyone can benefit from taking caffeine before a workout. The only things I would ask you to consider is that you start off with a low dose, around 75mg and test tolerance to avoid any unwanted side effects. As well as this, consider the time you are taking the caffeine, as you don’t want it to affect your sleep.
There you have it, probably the 3 best and most proven supplements you can take to give you that proven edge for your workouts, have fun!
