To supplement or not to supplement ? that is the question on more bodybuilder's lips than ever before. Are they safe? What works and what doesn't?
Lets have a look at the basics.
There are various reasons why athletes may be interested in supplementation.
? Concern about getting adequate nutrients from our food supply.
? Suspicion of pharmaceuticals.
? Belief that diet alone will not achieve optimal nutrition
Supplements include the following:
? Vitamins
? Minerals
? Amino Acids
? Herbs
The concerning thing about supplements is that anything classified as a dietary supplement is not required to meet any FDA or other standards! Think about that! there are no regulations in place that guarantee the safety or purity of something sold as a supplement.
They are also not made to meet the similar safety requirements as prescription drugs or any other manufacturing standards. They are not required to meet product potency or purity ratings and are not required to prove the effectiveness of any health claim that is made.
Studies suggest that a number of supplements may deliver on advertising claims. However, trainees are spending large sums of money on products that have little or no proven usefulness.
Personally I find the use of supplements over rated and as with strength training, supplementation asks the same question "if a little is good then maybe more has to be better"
Supplementation and steroids started to proliferate when volume strength training became the training system of the day. Young strength trainees slaving in the gym for five to six days a week was seen as normal. All this without making any progress or putting on any size whatsoever.
They then turned to the latest supplement or steroid thinking that this is the magic bullet to put on that added muscle when all the time they were just plain "overtraining"
The cold hard facts are that the majority of the regular trainees in your gym are overtraining. The sad reality is that the type of training that you find in bodybuilding books and magazines (and used by the stars) are irrelevant to the majority of the population and has a high failure rate.
If more bodybuilders started using more infrequent, short, high intensity weight training sessions, followed by the required amount of time to recover and become stronger?
MOST OF THE WEIGHT GAIN SUPPLEMENTS AND STERIODS AVAILABLE TODAY WOULD NOT BE NEEDED.
The bottom line on weight gain supplements
? Before taking a supplement try to make modifications to your diet that might achieve the same goals.
? Only choose products that show the amount of active ingredients on the label that are required.
? Be aware that "natural" does not mean 'safe'
? Some herbal supplements may have unpleasant side effects.
Listed below are some popular bodybuilding supplements available on the market today:
Creatine monohydrate
Creatine was first introduced to the market place some eight years ago and has since become the most popular bodybuilding supplement of all time.
Creatine is said to significantly increase lean muscle mass, improve performance, increase energy levels and speed up recovery rates. Creatine also stimulates the uptake of amino acids in the proteins, which means that the more that it's used the more muscle that may be grown.
Dosage: A loading phase of 20grams a day for the first five days then a maintenance phase of 5grams a day from then on.
Whey Protein isolate
The highest yield of protein currently available and is extracted from milk. This is another popular supplement for athletes and bodybuilders because of its high proportion of amino acids. It is supposed to be high in potassium, which is essential for muscle growth and is an antioxidant and a good immune system builder.
Dosage: 20gms - 100gms a day.
Tibulus Terrestris
Tribulus terrestris is a plant that grows in many tropical and moderate areas of the world and is very rich in chemical compounds such as saponins, flavonoids and alkaloids.
Tribulus terrestris is supposedly a testosterone enhancer. and increases sex drives in both men and women.
Dosage as per bottle.
Glutamine
Is a non-essential amino acid, which makes up to 60% of the amino acids in the bodies muscles. Glutamine containing products are protein shakes and good quality protein powders; it can also be added to protein shakes for added potency.
Dosage: 5grams to 15 grams per day.
So please remember a supplement is something added to the diet to make up for a nutritional deficiency or imbalance they are not intended to substitute for eating a balanced diet. If they are to be taken at all they should only be used to supplement the diet and not replace it.
Gary is the author of several ebooks, including "Maximum Weight Loss in Ten Weeks" - the complete ebook and time-saving solution for burning away unwanted fat, and "Maximum Weight Gain in Ten Weeks" - easy-to-use and follow techniques that serve as a guide to muscle growth without having to "live in the gym".
Visit Gary's website at http://www.maximumfitness.com/
quick home cleaning Glenview ..If I read 1 good valid murder mystery book, would... Read More
In today's modern world most people, like us, just do... Read More
Chromium picolinate supplement combines the essential trace mineral Chromium with... Read More
OK, first let's get something straight here...If you think that... Read More
There are so many different whey protein powder products on... Read More
I wanted to write this article because of my sincere... Read More
The Superbug MRSA which is becoming more common in Hospitals,... Read More
It is important to understand that we are ultimately responsible... Read More
Simply stated, the Greek word glyco refers to "sweet." Hence,... Read More
Aging, a steady declineThe History of the world is filled... Read More
In a perfect world, your children would eat a balanced... Read More
In part one of this series, titled "Take Back Your... Read More
If you suffer from arthritis pain, chances are you've heard... Read More
L-tyrosine is a protein that the body produces from phenylamine,... Read More
Vitamin supplement - why is it important?Vitamin supplement or supplements... Read More
Carboloading of a different variety.Saturday in Tucson before the 1982... Read More
Sometimes I used to look at my son Shawn and... Read More
Whey protein is available in supplement form and whey protein... Read More
I've been feeling a tired and slow lately. Just don't... Read More
Undoubtedly calcium has become a hot topic of controversy. We... Read More
Whey protein concentrate popularity has increased dramatically in recent years... Read More
When I first started down this path I was looking... Read More
I finally bought the stuff. I couldn't resist anymore. After... Read More
"But I eat healthy," you might say. That may be... Read More
Calcium Supplement ? why calcium.Why is calcium supplement so important?... Read More
scheduled maid service Winnetka ..Glyconutrients- the latest development in the health industry. What are... Read More
You probably know that ladies who are planning on having... Read More
As I have become more involved in using functional nutritional... Read More
As the name suggests, muscle milk is a supplement that... Read More
This article provides three easy tips for selecting a quality... Read More
Flavones are the latest big supplement to hit the market.... Read More
We have all heard that it is important to eat... Read More
It's green, it's valuable, and it can vastly improve your... Read More
Sports Supplement ? what is it?We are all aware of... Read More
Health Supplement ? what is it?So what is a health... Read More
There are so many different whey protein powder products on... Read More
Perhaps you first read riboflavin at the back of a... Read More
The Superbug MRSA which is becoming more common in Hospitals,... Read More
Aging, a steady declineThe History of the world is filled... Read More
Taurine is the second most abundant amino acid in the... Read More
HGH is an exciting new phenomenon, which aspires to help... Read More
A 2002 study reported, funded by the Swiss National Science... Read More
Whey protein concentrate popularity has increased dramatically in recent years... Read More
At the present time, one out of ten adults have... Read More
Diet Supplement ? when are they used?Why diet supplement is... Read More
L-carnitine is a nutritional supplement that has been touted by... Read More
Did you know that when we breath oxygen, it interacts... Read More
Taking vitamin and mineral supplements is perhaps one of the... Read More
This article will reveal one easy change you can make... Read More
The Greek word "Glyco" means, "Sugar". Most people think of... Read More
Nutritional Supplements |