There is a huge market for bodybuilding supplements and choosing one can be a difficult process. With so many to choose from how do you know what to take, what is safe, what they are for, how effective they are the side effects and much more? The simple answer is you won’t know unless you research the product or try it out for yourself. I know which one I’d rather do, but for many bodybuilders the answer is to jump right in, take the supplement and suffer the consequences if any. To help prevent this I have put together 3 things you should consider before taking bodybuilding supplements. Check them out.
What they do
The very first thing to consider when taking bodybuilding supplements is finding out what they do. In order to achieve the body you want you will need to take the right supplements at the right times and in the right quantities.
The most popular supplement on the market is Whey Protein, a powder formed protein that provides the body with essential amino acids. These are extremely important for giving cells their structure and for transporting and storing nutrients in the body. More importantly for bodybuilders, amino acids help to repair wounds and tissues in the muscles, bones, skin and hair quickly and efficiently. Bodybuilders prefer to use whey protein rather than eating whole foods because it enters your circulation quickly and it has higher levels of protein in it than whole foods do. There are different types of whey protein available, isolate and concentrate. Isolate is generally better as it is pure, contains more protein and contains less fat and lactose.
Creatine is another popular supplement for bodybuilders to take. This particular supplement is extremely effective and is able to accelerate your progress for faster results. Creatine is used to boost your body’s initial energy supply known as adenosine tri-phosphate before it starts to use up your glucose and glycogen supplies. Creatine is in fact produced naturally in the body and the supplement is used to increase its levels.
There are of course many other supplements available on the market and any you choose to take should be researched accordingly.
What’s in them?
There are whole numbers of ingredients that go into supplements depending on the supplement you choose. Some of the ingredients found in different ones include whey protein, manganese, calcium, omega 6, vitamin A, B, C, D, E and K, milk thistle, potassium and much more.
There are however some supplements that contain ingredients that are dangerous to consume. DMMA is an ingredient found in some products, it is actually an illegal ingredient and it can cause high blood pressure, shortness of breath, chest tightness and even heart attacks. Other banned ingredients include methylhexaneamine and N,alpha-DEPEA. It is ingredients such as these that need to be avoided as they pose a health risk. Before buying any supplements check to see what they contain and whether or not the ingredients are safe.
When to take them
It is important to make sure that you take your supplements at the right time to ensure they work to the best of their ability.
The very first supplement you should take is a whey protein shake after you have woken up. As discussed earlier it gets into the circulation quickly, within 20 minutes to be exact, stopping the body from using the fuel in your muscles. It’s a good idea to have some fruit with this too so that amino acids are restored.
Shakes should also be taken up to an hour before workouts and within a 45 minute window after workouts. This ensures that the body is fuelled accordingly for your workout and that it repairs itself quickly after one.
