Gaining strength is a major fitness goal of many weight trainees. Building strength takes hard work and dedication. Besides maintaining an effective workout program and eating right, supplementing your diet with nutritional supplements can help you increase your strength more easily.
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate can help you improve your strength without noticeably increasing the size of your muscle. It allows you to produce more adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which is a key energy source for making your muscles contract. According to a 2007 review article by Dr. Thomas Buford of Baylor University in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, you use ATP when you perform highly intense activities, such as strength training. Creatine monohydrate increases your supply of ATP, allowing you to perform an extra repetition or two. Over time, this extra work increases your strength.
Protein Powder
Protein powder is perhaps the most popular weight-training supplement. Amino acids make up proteins, and proteins make up muscles. If you increase the supply of proteins in your muscles, there is more substance available to make muscle tissue. According to Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, muscle mass is highly related to muscle strength. This means that if you are able to increase the size of your muscles, you will become stronger.
Glutamine
Glutamine makes up 80 percent of the quantity of amino acids in skeletal muscle. Amino acids make up the proteins that make up skeletal muscle. If you are low in glutamine, you will not build muscle as effectively as possible. Glutamine is available in powder or pill form, although powder is less expensive. Take 10g per day if you do not also consume regular protein powder. If you do consume protein powder, you can take less glutamine.
References
- "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition"; International Society of Sports Nutrition Stand: Creatine Supplementation and Exercise; Thomas W. Buford; August 2007
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas Baechle, Ph.D.; 2008
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