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/
best cleaning company Lincolnshire ..At the moment we are in the grip of an... Read More
The growing numbers of health conscious people today living more... Read More
Creatine is an amino acid that is in meat and... Read More
The malabsorptive nature of the gastric bypass system prohibits adequate... Read More
Many of you are probably aware that The American Medical... Read More
Hormones are chemical messengers made up of amino acids and... Read More
There is a generation called the baby boomers that make... Read More
Recently a television health expert was discussing the topic, "How... Read More
A lot of people take vitamins A, C, B and... Read More
OK, first let's get something straight here...If you think that... Read More
Selenium is a type of trace mineral which supports healthy... Read More
Actually, my headache is not the result of just thinking... Read More
For people who suffer from arthritis, dependable pain relief is... Read More
1. What supplements do you take?A multivitamin, Glucosamine-MSM-Chondroitin, Odorless Garlic,... Read More
This article will reveal one easy change you can make... Read More
I have good news for you! The answer is both... Read More
Antioxidant vitamins perform many important tasks that our bodies benefits... Read More
The mankind has never stopped searching for the scerets of... Read More
Vitamin B6 plays a facilitating role in the immune system... Read More
Recently the news carried the story that a researcher had... Read More
Part 1:A "better nutritional program" means the introduction of foods... Read More
Nitric oxide supplement has many benefits and there are many... Read More
1. Most of the modern western diets contain way too... Read More
Most people are becoming more health conscious. Many of the... Read More
The liquid vitamin mineral supplement is a must have for... Read More
on demand house cleaning Lake Forest ..The body needs a minimum amount of vitamins and minerals... Read More
Vitamins are an important part of a health diet. Unlike... Read More
Undoubtedly calcium has become a hot topic of controversy. We... Read More
Did you know that vitamin B-1 has two other widely... Read More
"But I eat healthy," you might say. That may be... Read More
Liquid vitamins are the same vitamins that you find in... Read More
A ranch house, a zip lock bag and some ordinary... Read More
During the past few years, I've become more interested in... Read More
While HA has dramatically increased in popularity and use within... Read More
Not many years ago the liquid vitamin supplement was unheard... Read More
The next step on your road to real health is... Read More
Herbal nutrition supplements are everywhere these days. So should you... Read More
Taking vitamin and mineral supplements is perhaps one of the... Read More
There is a secret vitamin in the neighborhood, wandering around... Read More
Throughout my childhood I was aware of the importance of... Read More
Lysine is an essential amino acid therefore it must be... Read More
Herbal Supplement ? what is it?So what is an herbal... Read More
If you're constantly digging your hand into a jar of... Read More
When it comes to personalized weight loss programs and their... Read More
April 14,2005 federal judge Tena Campbell of the federal district... Read More
Difficulty sleeping can affect many aspects of life. People who... Read More
No Money in PreventionI have been recommending a wide variety... Read More
A 2002 study reported, funded by the Swiss National Science... Read More
Extensive research studies show that taking vitamin and mineral supplements... Read More
Hyaluronic acid, a key component of human tissue, aiding the... Read More
Nutritional Supplements |