Once you start hitting the gym on a regular basis, you will soon start looking into different supplements. While some might shy away from even considering using supplements, others understand that the right products will help them reach their fitness goals much faster. On the other hand, with an abundance of different training supplements on the market, picking the right ones for you might seem like an incredibly challenging task. To help you on your fitness journey, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to choose the best ones to help you get started.
Fish oil
While omega 3 fish oils aren’t used for workout performance improvement, they are still important because regular usage helps reduce the chances of heart disease and high cholesterol. Not only that, but they are also great for people who have arthritis and diabetes. Athletes like fish oil because it also helps improve bone health, which will help prevent major injuries and improve joint health. Some researches clearly show that omega-3 fatty acids taken with BCAAs and carbs will increase protein synthesis, thus helping with recovery after workouts.
Fast carbohydrates
During the training process, your muscles are burning glucose stored in the muscle fibers. This is why you should restore some of it before your next workout. You will feel drained, tired, and exhausted if you don’t do it, meaning your workouts won’t be as effective. When you finish working out, you should focus on getting some fast-digesting carbs – the complex ones such as Vitargo or sugar dextrose. Fun fact – sugar dextrose is actually glucose which can be found in blood sugar and glycogen. So, while eating sweets, white bread, and white potatoes is beneficial for restoring strength after workouts, try not to have too much because you’ll feel heavy and sluggish.
Creatine
Creatine is incredibly effective because different researches show it supports muscle growth and strength at the same time. It should be taken before your workouts and after you finish if you want to get the most of it. There are different forms of creatine available, and it’s usually recommended that you take it together with whey protein. The way this supplement works is that it’s actually pulling fluid into the cells, thus increasing the water weight that’s inside your muscles. Some people are reluctant to start using creatine supplements because they believe it does nothing other than increase water content in the cells. Still, it’s not just so because this process will result in muscle growth.
Branched chain amino acids (BCAA)
There are three essential BCAAs – valine, leucine, and isoleucine. The good thing about them is they’re a natural part of your diet since they are found in foods that contain a lot of protein. However, when found in food, they are much more difficult to absorb and start working, which is one of the reasons athletes are choosing to use supplements too. In supplements, BCAA is more concentrated and powerful, so it can be taken in the form of shakes or capsules. An important note – you should take these on an empty stomach because the food you ate before will only disrupt and delay the fast absorption of acids, which is their most important purpose.
Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the training supplements most people who are looking to lose weight turn to. Not only is it easily accessible in your morning coffee, but it has incredible benefits too. When you start supplementing your body with caffeine, you will notice a significant increase in your energy levels. You will feel less tired but also less hungry. If you don’t like drinking a lot of coffee before your workouts, you can take caffeine supplements in the form of capsules. The best thing about caffeine is that it will give you more strength so you can maximize your workout efforts and take your training to the next level.
Whey protein
Workouts are exhausting, and it takes your muscles a lot to recover after one, and whey can help with this. This supplement is popular because it helps build lean muscle. It seems like no other protein available is able to be digested as fast, and its effects can be observed within an hour and a half of taking it. In addition to this, whey contains a lot of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which are also essential for muscle growth. If you’re thinking of taking whey, it’s important to know that the best time to take it is both before and after workouts. This is because whey helps prepare the muscles for strenuous workouts, but it helps them recover afterward.
Casein protein
While your body doesn’t need a lot of time to digest whey protein, with casein, the situation is much different. It’s a very slow-digesting protein that sometimes takes about seven hours to get its amino acids to your muscles. This is one of the reasons why professionals usually recommend athletes take casein before they go to bed. You can take casein in different forms, which is great if you plan your meals in advance. You can put some in protein shakes, or you can add it to Greek yogurt. Beginners avoid it because it takes very long to feel its effects, but when you use it, it increases muscle mass much more than whey protein can do alone.
Vitamin C
If you feel like you need a little extra boost, you should also start taking vitamins every day. Not only will vitamin C help you recover after a workout, but is also happens to be an essential vitamin that will protect your immune system. The best thing about vitamin C is that’s useful not just for athletes but for everyone, which means that you can share it with your family. It’s common knowledge that vitamin C can be found in citrus fruit such as lemons and oranges, but you can also take vitamin supplements.
It can be tricky (if downright impossible) to understand the subtle difference between different kinds of protein, let alone many different supplements when you’re a fitness beginner. While learning about supplements might seem overwhelming at first, it’s important that you master the theory before you start using them. To be able to reach your goals faster, you should have a clear understanding of how different supplements work. This way, you will find out which ones are the best for your particular fitness journey.