Supplements
Why use supplements?
Supplements can play a vital role in topping up or filling requirements in your diet. Whether it be an athlete that needs to take on extra protein, carbs etc or someone simply trying to ensure they are consuming all the required vitamins and minerals in their diet, supplements can be useful to all types of people looking to achieve many different goals.
For athletes and regular exercises, supplements can be the difference between success and failure. When training for a race or event, or training to increase strength and muscle mass, supplements such as protein, creatine, carbohydrates and essential vitamins and minerals can be vital in improving recovery and perormance when taken before and after training. Ensuring that you recovery sufficiently with the aid of supplements will ensure that your muscles recover and adjust accordingly ready for the event or next training session. This ensures that you get the most out of your training.
A well thought out diet with the aid of supplements can't be underestimated when it comes to sports performance and muscle gain, in particular reaching peak performance levels.
On this page is a list of various supplements, their benefits and recommendations.
A-Z Multivitamins & Minerals - these kinds of supplements are useful to athletes and regular exercises as intense training and physical activity increases certain vitamin and mineral requirements. Multivitamin & mineral supplements can also be useful when your fast paced lifestyle means you struggle to maintain a healthy balanced diet. However there is no substitute for a well - balanced diet and you should aim to obtain as much of your nutritional requirements from your diet as possible. Not recommended for pregnent or lactating women.
Protein Supplements - available in powder (mix with water or milk to make a shake), ready - to - drink shakes and protein bars containing varying amounts of whey protein, soy protein, casein or a mixture of these. Protein supplements can be particularly useful to strength and endurance athletes that cannot obtain their daily protein requirements from their diet alone. If you follow an intense training programme throughout the week then a protein supplement can help you to achieve your strenght and musle gain goals as your protein requirements increase when undertaking intense training regimes. Also important for aiding recovery when taken with 3 times as much carohydrates after intense workout. May also benefit people on calorie restricted diets or vegetarian and vegan diets that are unable to consume their recommended daily intake of protein through these diets.
Creatine - creatine is a protein that occurs naturally in the body, it is made up of three amino acids ( arginine, glycine and methionine), it can also be consumed in our diets through meat and fish, however to gain significant amounts of creatine from your diet you would have to eat excessive amounts of red meat and fish.
Creatine(can be found as Creatine Monohydrate and Creatine Ethyl Ester HCL) fuels your muscles during high intensity activities such as weight training and sprinting, adding a creatine supplement to your diet can help improve your ability to sustain maximum effort for longer and improve recovery during sets. This may then lead to faster gains in strength and lean body mass.
Carbohydrates - there are many different forms of carbohydrate supplements available on the market, such as dextrose, fructose, refined oats etc. As we rely on carbohyrates for upto 75% of our energy, adding extra carbohydrates to your diet via a supplement can be extremely beneficial for people that perform regular prolonged intensive excercise. The more excercise you do, the more energy your body requires and it can be difficult to attain the required amount of carbohydrates in your diet alone. Taking a carbohydrates supplement can help to reduce fatigue during excecise and improve recovery and therefore improve performance during competition.
Essential Fatty Acids including Omega 3 and Fish and plant oils - also known as EFA's, Essential Fatty Acids cannot be produced in the body and are therefore required in the diet, and a great way of obtaining EFA's through diet is via supplements. Omega 3 and Omega 6 are polyunsaturated fats and research has supported that these essential fatty acids help to support the brain and prevent certain diseases. Supplementing with fish and plant oils can help you to gain the EFA's required to support the body, there are many different forms of supplementation available from powder to capsules and tablets such as evening primrose oil, cod liver oil and many diffrent Omega 3, 6 and 9 combinations.
Antoxidants - antoxidants help to protect the body from damage caused by factors such as free radicals. Free radicals are produced when we excercise as it is a by product produced when the body converts oxygen to energy. Harmful toxins such as smoke, alcohol and pollution can contribute towards the production of free radicals. There are many different types antoxidants available, including vitamin C and E, however most work better when paired with other antoxidants. Supplements are a great way of obtaining the necessary antoxidants to help protect the body from disease and slow down the signs of ageing.
Another great antoxidant is Lycopene. Lycopene is a super antoxidant found naturally in tomatoes and is renowned for its anti-ageing health benefits and is also beneficial in boosting the immune system. Click here to purchase lycopene.
Glucosamine - produced naturally in the body, Glucosamine is a major component of cartilage in our joints and serves as an important cushioning and shock - absorbing material. It also helps by providing the nutrients for joint structures. Daily wear and tear damages cartilage and tendons and this can come more apparent as we get older. Taking Glucosamine supplements may help prevent damage by strengthening tendons, cartilage and ligaments and regenerate damaged cartilage. Regular exercises such as runners may develop stifness and imobility in their joints, the aid of supplements could help restore function and mobility in the joints.
Amino Acids -the building blocks of protein, vital to our health, Amino Acids are essential components of every cell in the huamn body such as tendons, muscles and ligaments. There are many different Amino Acids including essential and non-essential. Essential amino acids cannot be manufactured by the body. The manufacture of non-essential amino acids within the body can only be done with the right combination of non-essential Amino Acids and nutrients. It is therefore necessary that we obtain these through the diet and thats why supplementation can be of benefit.
Probiotics (Digestion) - made up of live microorganisms, probiotics can help imrove your digestive system thus improving your overall health. Improving digestion can help muscle growth and support the joints and surrounding tissue as well as relieving stomach pains caused by digestion problems. Different types of probiotics are available in capsules and tablets, also found in certain yoghurts.
Meal Replacements - made up of protein, carbohydrates and nurients, meal replacements can be essential for people that regularly miss meals due to inconvenience or lack of time. Also ideal to take with you if your out and about and know access to food may be limited. Can be available in powders, shakes and bars.
Weight Gainers - as some people find it difficult to consume enough calories daily to promote muscle growth, wieght gainers can be a convenient way of achieving this. Generally made up of protein and carbohydrates and therefore high in calories, weight gainers can be found in powders and bars.
Weight loss (Fat Burners) - fat burners or weight loss products can be used to help the body burn fat or calories quicker, also included in these types of products are enrergy boosters that help to restore energy without consuming extra fat. There are many different types out there and experimenting can be the only way to find the product that suits your needs. The products range from metabolism boosters to fat burners that can help counteract certain dietary habits.
Sports drinks, energy drinks, gels and bars - sports drinks and energy drinks are made up of carbohydrates and water. Energy drinks have a higher concentration of carbohydrates than most sports drinks and are used to boost energy and hydrate the body while helping to maintain normal blood glucose levels. Sports drinks are generally fluid replacement drinks that rehydarte the body whilst providing a smaller concentration of carbohydrates, both types can contain caffeine and electrolytes. Can be taken before, during and after training in order to delay fatigue or assist in the body's recovery. Energy gels are small satchets containing a jelly like substance, they contain simple sugars in order to provide an energy boost during endurance excercise. Energy gels are generally useful to take during prolonged endurance training in order to delay fatigue.