Author Natalia in . Published Blog
Achieving the desired results in sports is not as easy as it seems. Due to the physiological characteristics of the body, an incorrectly designed training program and poor nutrition, active people lose hope of becoming happy owners of a beautiful body. Many people are now pursuing the goal of pumping up and getting rid of excess fat deposits. Nowadays, it is not “dry” bodies that are in fashion, but appetizing and attractive forms. Becoming ripped and muscular without outside help is quite problematic. Supplements for muscle growth can speed up the transformation process. Sports nutrition products are absolutely safe for health. Each position has its own specific impact, so you should approach your purchase responsibly so as not to have the opposite effect. What muscle growth supplements are there on the market today? Read on.
Creatine is a source of energy and a reliable assistant in pumping
What supplements should you take for muscle growth if you feel exhausted after a workout? We recommend including creatine, which is so necessary for the modulation and production of cellular energy. The results of using this sports nutrition product are as follows:
- Activation of glycogen synthesis.
- No feeling of fatigue after training.
- Rapid muscle development.
- Increased muscle cell volume.
Creatine is very popular among bodybuilders and gym enthusiasts. The supplement activates the forces to the fullest, as a result of which the muscles begin to work several times more intensely than before.
What Beginners Should Know
The main rule for beginners is that sports nutrition does not replace regular nutrition. A balanced diet, including plenty of protein, is basic. Most of the nutrients can be obtained from foods. Thus, protein and amino acids are found in large quantities in meat, fish, chicken, dairy and fermented milk products. The body receives fiber and vitamins from vegetables, carbohydrates from fruits. You need to diversify your diet as much as possible, giving up store-bought sweets, flour products, and alcohol.
The second rule is that you need to choose supplements taking into account your body composition, weight, age, health status, and lifestyle. So, if you smoke or have just given up a bad habit, you should take vitamin C. Beginners over 40 years of age must take Omega-3 and coenzyme Q10 to protect the cardiovascular system.
And the third rule is to take only safe supplements. Anabolic steroids banned in Russia, although they will make you a muscular athlete, will lead to serious illnesses. Set yourself a goal - to lose weight or gain weight within a certain period of time, but this period should not be realistic. For example, you cannot lose 10 kg in 2 months without stressing the body. It is impossible to increase your weight by 2-3 times in six months without harm to your health. Get ready that you will have to train for a long time and regularly, without stopping for more than 1-2 weeks.
Amino acid "Beta-Alanine"
When discussing the topic “Best Supplements for Muscle Growth,” we can’t help but mention cortisol levels. The higher it is, the worse the result. Only effective muscle growth supplements such as products called Beta-Alanine can stabilize cortisol levels. They are sources of nonessential amino acids supplied during the consumption of high-protein foods. After taking sports nutrition, the active production of lactic acid will stop, which causes the following consequences:
- slowing down the transmission of nerve impulses;
- severe fatigue;
- decreased muscle performance.
By combining supplements for rapid muscle growth “Beta-Alanine” and “Cretin”, with active training, you can achieve a gorgeous body in just 3 months (of course, if you are not initially obese).
How to choose sports nutrition?
Obviously, the choice of one or another sports supplement depends on the purpose of use. Whether you are losing or gaining weight, you want to recover faster or increase your strength. The previous chapter provides a list of types of sports nutrition; use it as a guide in the selection. In this section we will provide tips on competently navigating the variety of additives.
When approaching your choice, rely on the following criteria:
- Price
. Sports supplements of the same type can vary greatly in cost. Well-known brands, of course, are more expensive than their counterparts. However, cheap sports nutrition does not mean it is bad. In the catalog you can find decent products in all price ranges. Therefore, decide how much you are willing to pay and look for a product that suits your request. - Brand
. Choose products from trusted companies, not necessarily the most popular ones. It is enough to find a manufacturer with a good reputation. By the way, there are such in all price segments. - Shop
. Order sports nutrition only from reliable online stores. They usually have a wide range of products. It is not necessary to choose the one with the greatest variety, just focus on this indicator. It’s not a problem if you are in another city or region - no one has canceled delivery. This way you will find the most profitable and suitable offer or even run into a promotion. - Reviews
. Get acquainted with opinions about this or that sports and nutrition product on the Internet. Often, someone has already tried what you are looking for and shared their results with others. - Consultations
. Do not neglect the help of sellers or online store managers. Basically, these are guys who understand the issue.
Whey Protein – Source of Protein and Minerals
In pictures of athletes in the gym, you can often see a shaker with a “miracle filler”. Many people think that there is “chemistry” there, thanks to which they have become so powerful in appearance. In fact, shakers often contain whey protein. Sports supplements for muscle growth or protein sources have nothing to do with chemical composition. Such mixtures compensate for nutritional gaps, produce a restorative effect on the body, are easily digestible and suppress appetite.
Whey protein blends are the most effective supplements for muscle growth. Is this really true? Most athletes will answer the question positively, while others will add a few more sports nutrition items. What are the benefits of these supplements? They provide protein synthesis due to a huge amount of amino acids. If there is a lack of the latter, the muscles will not increase in volume in any way.
When talking about which supplements are best for muscle growth if you have a slow metabolism, it is again worth mentioning whey protein. It improves metabolism, as a result of which calories begin to be burned and the feeling of hunger disappears. Proteins are supplements for muscle growth that improve metabolism and serve as a source of energy, which is so important for athletes.
Mandatory Supplements
These supplements are not intended to improve your workout performance, muscle, endurance, or strength. They just might help you stay healthy and provide your daily vitamin and mineral needs.
Multivitamins and minerals
People who do strength training and/or diet (a balanced but calorie-restricted diet - what I always call a diet) need more vitamins and minerals than people with a sedentary lifestyle.
Any vitamin-mineral complex in digestible form can be very useful. Good brands are presented, for example, on iHerb.com, in the pro brands section.
Fish fat
If there's one nutrient that modern diets (outside of the handful of people who eat a lot of fatty fish) can't get enough of, it's fish oil.
Fish oil is the hottest supplement today, and companies are investing a lot of money in research, so the research base has accumulated large. Omega-3 fatty acids normalize metabolism, protect the heart, help fats oxidize more vigorously, and help control inflammation. It's easier to list what fish oil doesn't do.
If you cannot or do not want to eat fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, etc.) up to 5 times a week, then try taking fish oil supplements, choosing companies that ensure high-quality purification of heavy metals from it.
Flaxseed oil is commonly suggested as an omega-3 alternative to fish oil. However, the body's conversion of flaxseed omega-3 into EPA/DHA is very inefficient in most people. In addition, flaxseed oil oxidizes very quickly and becomes almost harmful. The average recommendation for athletes for EPA / DHA is 1.8-3.0 g per day.
Calcium
Calcium deficiency is a very common thing, especially in people who refuse dairy products (and it is fashionable to refuse dairy products these days).
Calcium is fundamentally important for women. Women are much more likely than men to suffer from osteoporosis during menopause. Therefore, you should start taking care of your bone health as early as possible. And calcium is not just about teeth, bones and nails - it plays an important role in muscle contraction, that is, during any movement. Without calcium, muscle movement is basically impossible, so the body has a large storage area for it - bones. When there is a calcium deficiency in food, “bone” calcium is used.
The minimum daily dose of calcium is 1000 mg in a highly digestible form (citrate, malate).
If you want to get all your calcium from dairy products, then note that 100 grams of cottage cheese contains 120-150 mg of calcium. That is, even 3 standard packs of cottage cheese per day do not replenish the calcium requirement. Hard cheeses contain the most calcium (600-1200 mg), but due to their fat content, cheeses cannot be considered as the main source of calcium.
Zinc and magnesium
People who do strength training are often deficient in magnesium and zinc:
zinc - for those who refuse red meat;
magnesium - for those who do strength training, because its losses increase with heavy training.
Both minerals are very important for the body. Additionally, some studies show that combining zinc and magnesium at night helps with sleep and recovery. On average, the daily intake of zinc is 25 mg (the preferred form is picolinate), magnesium is 400-500 mg (citrate is the best form for absorption, while the oxide is most often seen on sale).
Down with muscle tears or the benefits of glutamine
Working too hard sometimes also does not bring positive results. After overcoming your own strength barriers, you should consume glutamine. This supplement works as follows:
- softens muscle tissue tears;
- activates the fat burning process;
- increases growth hormone levels;
- enriches muscles with nitrogen.
This effect on the body will accelerate the growth of muscle mass, preventing the production of harmful lactic acid.
Tips for Newbies
Before purchasing and consuming sports nutrition, consider the following points:
- The main amount of nutrients should come from food. You can't give up meat in favor of protein. It is better to replace sports nutrition with quality products, and not vice versa.
- Amino acids are recommended for those intolerant to dairy products and vegetarians.
- You need to start sports by taking multivitamin complexes, and then add protein and creatine.
- Buy supplements only in specialized stores to eliminate the risk of receiving low-quality and dangerous counterfeits.
- Lack of results in the first month of training is the norm. When gaining weight and losing weight, slow results are better than fast ones.
- Do not exceed the recommended dosage.
Well, the main advice is to consult your doctor before taking sports nutrition and training.
Fish fat
This has to be the most versatile supplement out of all the options above. Fish oil contains extremely valuable fatty acids for our body, which are a powerful natural immunostimulant. This supplement is prescribed by many cardiologists to prevent most cardiovascular diseases. Omega-3 is also included in the list of additional substances for the prevention of various forms of cancer.
Fortunately, today there is no need to eat such fat directly from a spoon, feeling all its characteristic taste and aroma, as was the case 10–20 years ago. Modern factories produce practical gelatin capsules, which you just need to swallow and wash down with water. It is enough for an adult to take 1-2 such capsules per day.
Omega-3s help in gaining muscle mass, strengthen joints and ligaments, increase muscle endurance, are famous for their proven anti-inflammatory activity and even slightly increase testosterone production. However, this is where the best sports supplements just begin.
Multivitamins
It is ideal, of course, to get all the necessary vitamins from vegetables, fruits, and herbs, but not everyone has the opportunity to eat them in sufficient quantities, and special multivitamin complexes have a perfectly balanced vitamin and mineral composition, which is ideal for athletes.
Naturally, this supplement is well suited for all ordinary people, since with vitamin deficiency or mineral imbalance, the general condition of your body becomes noticeably worse, the ability to concentrate during mental work decreases, and general lethargy is characteristic. Such drugs are taken not only to maintain good tone, but also to maintain general health, your immunity, as well as speedy recovery after heavy exercise.
It should also be noted that amino acid supplements are also very popular, especially BCAAs. BCAA
- These are branched chain amino acids, the most important amino acids in muscles. They are consumed primarily during muscle activity and athletes need to constantly replenish their deficiency and this is one of the basic supplements.
As a conclusion, it is worth adding that all of these best sports supplements are supplements, that is, a supplement to a basic nutritious and healthy diet, and not a convenient replacement for it. Of course, no such product can replace hard and painstaking work during training. Whether it's a gym, a stadium, a tennis court or a boxing ring, you have to work hard to get good results. It is no less important to monitor the quality of your diet, where the calorie content and composition of the diet change depending on your goals.
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