What sports nutrition should you use for weight loss?

The modern market of dietary supplements for athletes offers us various types of products. Sports supplements are used to increase endurance, lose weight, and build muscle mass. They can enhance the effect of training, adjust work on your figure and overall fitness. However, in practice, few people understand that not all drugs can be effective. Therefore, in this article, we present the TOP 5 best supplements for athletes. These sports supplements can be purchased at pharmacies, sports nutrition stores, or even at the market.

We have already talked about sports supplements for joints and ligaments. Without them, it is difficult to maintain the health of our joints, especially during strenuous exercise. You can also learn more about gainers that allow you to build muscle mass and increase the weight of an athlete before training.

All of these supplements really make the work of any athlete easier and maintain their physical activity at an optimal level. But now I want to talk about those additives that are difficult to do without.

Creatine monohydrate

The number one favorite is definitely creatine. This compound has been recognized for years as the most powerful, legal anabolic steroid on the market. Everyday practice, as well as the results of numerous scientific studies, confirm the beneficial effects of creatine on physical effort and the creation of beautiful relief forms.

Creatine is a substance with anabolic, ergogenic and anti-catabolic effects. Therefore, it is often used in various sports disciplines. Moreover, both at the amateur and professional level. Thanks to its osmotic properties, creatine increases the hydration of muscle cells. This means the rate of muscle protein synthesis (MPS) processes and the inhibition of proteolytic enzymes (catabolic).

When combined with proteins, creatine helps to store more glycogen. It is a polysaccharide that is an important fuel for working muscles. Thus, creatine supplementation in combination with resistance training achieves the following goals:

• supports muscle development;
• has an anti-catabolic effect (protecting muscle tissue);
• accelerates ATP resynthesis;
• improves the recovery process after training;
• increases muscle performance;
• leads to increased muscle strength;
• improves endurance;
• allows the athlete to easily withstand a greater number of approaches.

There is no doubt that creatine is one of the safest, most effective and affordable supplements available. Which are used to improve overall athletic fitness. It is worth noting that the most studied, and probably the most effective form of creatine is monohydrate.

Conclusions and recommendations

In order to lose weight and maintain the weight you like for a long time, you need to lose weight at an optimal speed - no more than 4 kilograms per month. To do this, it will be enough to stick to a small calorie deficit and choose only the right foods.

If a woman wants to not only lose weight, but improve the quality of her body, then she will also need to exercise 3-5 times a week. Cardio training is suitable for muscle tone, and strength training with weights is suitable for building a muscle corset.

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Beta-alanine

Lately, a substance called beta-alanine has become quite a buzzword. Its beneficial effects on improving overall athletic performance have been extensively studied. This connection is widely supported by studies in humans (not cells or rats). So the experiments carried out have greater reliability.

Beta Alanine is a naturally occurring beta amino acid in our system. It is used to synthesize carnosine (a dipeptide), which is stored primarily in skeletal muscle. Carnosine has both antioxidant, chelating and buffering properties. Beta-alanine supplements, among other things:

• participate in regulating the pH of muscle cells and delays the level of lactic acid formed in them;
• reduces the accumulation of hydrogen ions;
• supports post-workout recovery;
• improves contractility of muscle fibers;
• reduces neuromuscular fatigue;
• increases the volume of training;
• helps reduce feelings of fatigue;
• increases aerobic capacity.

Omega 3 fatty acids

Omega 3 fatty acids are some of the most important nutrients for your body. Mainly because our bodies do not produce them themselves. Fish oil, high in EPA/DHA, helps to significantly reduce the harmful effects of training on muscles caused by overexertion. Omega3s are also important for building and maintaining muscle mass, as well as for muscle development and strength gains.

For most people, getting the required amount of fatty acids and Omega 3s from the fish they eat is quite problematic and quite expensive. Therefore, we recommend that all athletes buy Omega 3 fatty acids in capsules to saturate the body with essential amino acids.

Buy Omega 3 in Simferopol, Sevastopol, with delivery throughout Crimea

There are many more sports nutritional supplements on the market, but when you are on a budget, follow these recommendations with your next order so that yours, with difficulty

Benefits of Using Beta Alanine During Training

It can be concluded that the addition of this compound provides tangible benefits. Especially in disciplines in which anaerobic transitions predominate. For example:

• martial arts;
• short runs;
• swimming (short distances);
• rowing;
• biathlon;
• powerlifting;
• body-building.

Beta-alanine is primarily an ergogenic effect, allowing muscles to work longer and more efficiently. The combination of beta-alanine and creatine allows you to get better results than using these products separately.

It is worth noting that our body needs at least 4 weeks (in doses of 4-6 g) to accumulate the required amount of this compound in myocytes. Only after this time can we experience greater benefits from taking beta-alanine.

Protein

By far, this is the most popular product in the sports supplement community. It is a powder mixture containing from 70 to 95% protein. Whey protein is considered the most valuable and most easily digestible protein, which, as its name implies, is made from whey. This supplement is necessary for gaining muscle mass as quickly as possible.

Whey protein provides our body with the amino acids it needs for muscle growth. This is the most favorable option for sports nutrition in terms of price and effectiveness, which is included in the kit of all professional athletes and not only.

Caffeine as a sports supplement

Caffeine is a compound that is primarily known for its stimulant and thermogenic properties. Due to the above-mentioned properties, this alkaloid quickly became popular and is effectively used in sports supplements. Here are the main reasons why you should use caffeine as a sports supplement:

1. Caffeine increases the secretion of catecholamines. Such as norepinephrine and adrenaline.
2. Blocks adenosine receptors found in the brain.
3. Regulates the use of oxygen in the body.
4. Speeds up the heart rate.

All this makes this substance indispensable for those who plan to seriously improve their figure. Here are a few more reasons that make this supplement essential:

• caffeine stimulates the body to actively function;
• enhances lipolysis and thermogenesis;
• reduces the feeling of fatigue and hunger during weight loss;
• enhances spontaneous motor activity;
• improves aerobic and strength endurance.

The use of caffeine as a potential ergogenic agent can effectively support body shaping and significantly improve physical performance. Caffeine may also aid post-workout regeneration and reduce muscle soreness. And this is extremely important for athletes.

Drugs to reduce appetite

Supplements to reduce appetite are strictly medical, the use of which is prescribed and strictly controlled by the attending physician, as well as sports, which are used by professional athletes and amateurs who want to lose weight. This type of sports nutrition includes:

• 5-HTP (5 hydroxytryptophine) is a precursor to serotonin. In addition to the proven effect of reducing appetite by changing the reaction of certain areas of the cerebral cortex to food, the supplement also improves mood, eliminates symptoms of depression and normalizes night sleep, which makes it possible to use it to treat insomnia and anxiety disorders.
• Chromium Picolinate is an easily digestible form of chromium. The supplement will be especially relevant for those who find it difficult to part with chocolate or cake and refuse another dessert. It lowers blood sugar levels and reduces sugar cravings, regulates fat production in the body and accelerates protein synthesis.

Beet juice is the best natural supplement for athletes

It’s not for nothing that we put this product in fourth place. Beets are often an underappreciated component of our diet. Although it is easily available and cheap. Do not forget that this vegetable contains a huge amount of vitamins, polyphenols and betanates. They have a strong anti-cancer effect. Beets contain many other natural substances that promote health.

In addition, beets are a source of inorganic nitrate compounds. These components help increase the production of nitric oxide in our body. Inorganic nitrates, after being converted to nitric oxide, improve:

• brain nutrition;
• blood supply;
• saturate muscles with oxygen.

There is evidence in the form of scientific studies that it is nitrate coming from a food source that may have a greater effect on the body. For example: beet juice helps much better than nitrogen boosters (supplements). Such as l-arginine (most often found in the form of arginine) or citrulline malate. Beetroot juice is one of the best sports supplements for girls. Because she is:

• improves skin condition;
• refreshes complexion;
• relieves traces of tension after workouts and diets.

Beetroot juice is best drunk 4 hours before training. Because only after this time do nitrates reach their highest concentration in the plasma. Moreover, beet juice can effectively improve physical performance, especially in strength exercises. This occurs by reducing oxygen absorption. Beetroot juice also increases the duration of exercise.

Vitamin and mineral complexes

Additional intake of vitamins and minerals during weight loss is necessary to maintain health, vigor and good immunity. Since vitamins are found not only in vegetables and fruits, but also in bread, fatty fish, offal, oils and nuts, by limiting or completely removing these products from our diet, we increase the risk of a deficiency of one or another nutrient. To prevent this from happening, while losing weight, do not forget to support your body with universal vitamin-mineral complexes, individual vitamins or minerals.

How to make beet juice yourself

You can, of course, buy ready-made juice in bags. But it’s best to make it yourself so that all the beneficial substances are preserved. First you need to wash the beets. If it is too dirty, it is better to do this with a brush to remove all the soil particles. Then peel the beets. Grate on a fine grater or use a blender to chop. After this, the beet mass is placed in gauze folded in two layers. Or place the mass in a sieve. And squeeze out the juice over a deep bowl. Then all that remains is to pour the juice into a cup. But the most convenient way, of course, is to use a juicer.

You can drink 200-250 ml of juice per day to get a noticeable effect from taking this useful supplement. Drink for 2 weeks, then take a break for 2 weeks.

Advice! You don't have to throw away the beet pomace. Add some ground oatmeal to them to make a fairly thick dough. You can add ground walnuts, raisins, prunes. Spoon onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven. The results are very healthy and low-calorie cookies that are great as snacks.

Gainers

This product is a mixture of a small amount of protein with a complex of various carbohydrates. In high-quality options, they are selected so that the rate of absorption of substances is different. In most of these products, carbohydrates make up 50%, and protein no more than a third of the total serving, although there are other variations. Quite often, other useful additives are added to the composition of these sports products - enzymes, vitamins, minerals, etc.

Gainers are great for helping to gain total body weight, which will help those people who cannot gain weight (not only muscle, but also a certain amount of fat). For example, this is the best option for difficult-to-grow and perpetually thin ectomorphs. In this case, a gainer will help move metabolic processes in the right direction. When choosing such a supplement, you should monitor the amount of sugar in the product; the more it is, the less quality gainer you are offered.

Sports supplement Leucine

Leucine is an extremely important substance for people involved in sports. Because it is the most stimulating process of muscle protein synthesis with the participation of special enzymes called kinases.

This amino acid may increase thermogenesis. And also increase the activity of the protein responsible for heat production. Such proteins are present mainly in skeletal muscle and in smaller quantities in adipose tissue.

Leucine may have a positive effect on insulin sensitivity in peripheral tissues. And this is extremely useful for working on your figure. Leucine is most often used to exceed the so-called leucine threshold, which must be reached to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS).

Rules for selecting sports supplements

In conclusion, I would like to say that all sports supplements must be carefully selected. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the physiological needs of the body. Factors that should be taken into account when selecting sports supplements are:

• the overall goal of the athlete;
• health status (including analysis of test results);
• current diet (daily supply of macro-elements and microelements);
• nutritional deficiencies;
• financial opportunities.

It is worth remembering that only properly selected dietary supplements can effectively support work on a perfect figure.

Why is weight not losing?

It’s not the first month that you’ve been reducing your calorie intake but your weight hasn’t decreased or even increased? There is nothing surprising. The reason for everything is the peculiarities of our metabolism - metabolism, by this term we mean the set of chemical reactions that take place in our body to maintain life.

Metabolism

To understand the influence of metabolic characteristics on weight loss processes, it is convenient to express it in the number of calories and divide it into components:

• Basic metabolism (BM) - the number of calories expended by the body at rest (for breathing, blood circulation, etc. - to ensure our vital functions);
• Training thermogenesis (TT) - the number of calories burned during the training process;
• Digestive thermogenesis (DT) is the portion of calories from food that is spent on its digestion and absorption;
• Household (non-training) thermogenesis (BT) - calories consumed for physical activity in everyday life.

It would seem that everything is very simple: if the calories you consume in total are less than all these costs, then we should lose weight and, on the contrary, we gain weight if we consume excess. But not everything is so simple, and no matter what kind of metabolism you have, fast or slow, you will still encounter a problem!

Your body doesn’t care about your appearance; it needs to support its vital functions and, if possible, stock up on nutrients. YOU AND YOUR BODY HAVE DIFFERENT GOALS. If the body is “underfed”, it begins to adapt and save energy. As a result, the picture is this: you start your hard-won weight loss program with a diet while being in one state of the body and continue to fight with the body that has already adapted to new conditions, which often does not lead to results and can cause various health problems, including psychological disorders.

This problem can be solved; you need to constantly push your metabolism with fractional meals using sports nutrition for weight loss, which will not allow your body to save energy and you to abandon plans to get rid of excess fat deposits.

Fat burning rules

We have found that in the process of losing weight, your body is by no means an ally and, accordingly, significant efforts will be required from us to reduce fat reserves. To ensure that your efforts are not in vain, you must follow several rules:

• Be careful to ensure that you burn more calories than you take in. There are only two ways to do this: exercise more and lead an active lifestyle and reduce your calorie intake from food. And we have already found out that they only work together.
• Diet control. It is necessary to check your weight loss process against your diet weekly. If the weight decreases by more than 2.5 kg. per week, then most likely you lose more muscle than fat—increase your caloric intake slightly. If the weight does not decrease or decreases by less than 0.3 kg. Accordingly, we continue to reduce the diet. A good result that does not undermine your health is losing weight in the range of 0.5 to 1.5 kilograms per week.
• Use a fractional diet, in which you will receive the required number of calories in small portions. This will not allow your body to go into saving mode and, on the contrary, can increase overall energy consumption.
• Increased water consumption. Lack of fluid can significantly slow down metabolic processes, which makes it difficult to burn fat and worsens your health.
• Intense training in which it is necessary to combine anaerobic and aerobic exercise. Fat loss training involves using energy for training from stored fat. But our body uses energy more readily than others, which are more “convenient” for breaking down nutrients - proteins and carbohydrates. It is strength training at the beginning of the workout that will use up these reserves and allow you to break down fat rather than previously stored glycogen during aerobic training.

Isolates

As they say, this is more of a women's supplement. Impact Diet Isolate offers less protein (19g per scoop) but still contains guarana extract and caffeine to keep you energized throughout the day. The extra amount of strength will help you speed up the fat burning process significantly.

I, as an exemplary hypotensive person (a person who has low working pressure), periodically use this supplement just to get to the training room. Lethargy, apathy and lack of energy, especially in cloudy weather, is a typical state for me, but with this additional energy I have enough for a quality training process.

Casein

Not the least important in sports nutrition, but completing our list is casein. Many people don’t even know the difference between simple protein and micellar casein. You can include the first one in your diet either 30 minutes before training or after it at any time of the day. However, it is best to drink a portion of casein at night. It has a slower absorption, so after consuming it, the feeling of hunger will not bother you for a long time. It is still less suitable for daily use, since in order to speed up metabolic processes we need to eat smaller portions, but often. At night, you can allow yourself to go without eating for quite a long time, but at the same time, your muscles need a recovery process, which casein can ideally provide.