Best Workout Supplements

The use of nutritional supplements to enhance the results of sound training and good nutrition is well-accepted in the world of athletics. From substances that enhance contractile reaction in individual muscles and increase the size of muscle fibers, to those that accelerate body fat loss, there are thousands of supplements available. Determining which are the best is a matter of learning what supplements have the most scientific evidence of validity.

Whey Protein

The importance of dietary protein for muscle synthesis is well established. Since protein is comprised of the same amino acids as human muscle, the breakdown to useable nutrients is rapid. The simple chemical structure of whey protein isolates accelerates this process even more.
According to sports nutrition specialist Dan Benardot, PhD, in "Advanced Sports Nutrition," using whey protein for meal replacements and in post-workout recovery nutrition programming will make your workout results much more effective. The rapid utilization and proven effectiveness of whey protein makes it one of the best workout supplements.

Creatine

Creatine is the single most researched nutritional supplement, according to Benardot. An article published by the Mayo Clinic on its website, titled "Creatine," explains the many benefits of creatine supplementation for athletes. While the substance is found in all human muscle tissue and in red meat, the potential intake solely from whole foods dietary consumption is not adequate to make a noticeable performance enhancement. The use of oral creatine supplementation has been shown to increase immediate contractile strength in muscles, as well as increased cross-sectional size in individual muscle fibers. The many benefits of creatine for strength and muscle mass enhancement, combined with its ready availability and low price, make creatine one of the best workout supplements.

L-Glutamine

L-Glutamine is a single amino acid. It offers numerous benefits to the athlete. In addition to enhancing muscle synthesis, L-Glutamine has been shown to enhance post-workout recovery. This is accomplished both through accelerated synthesis of new muscle tissue, as well as through a measured reduction in post-workout muscle soreness. As little as 2g of L-Glutamine have been shown to provide measurable increases in muscle synthesis and reductions in muscle soreness. These benefits, combined with the relatively low price of L-Glutamine makes it one of the best workout supplements available for the strength training athlete.