Building and maintaining muscle is important to sports and overall health. Athletes and bodybuilders use muscle supplements to increase performance and mass. The ability to build muscle is governed by multiple factors, including genetics. There is no guarantee that muscle building supplements will provide results, but there are substances the body uses to synthesize muscle that you can safely supplement.
Whey Protein
Protein is the building block of muscle. It is isolated from milk and available in powder and liquid form. It feeds and fuels muscle and is used by bodybuilders and athletes. Whey protein is rapidly absorbed due to its high biological value of 104. Biological value is a measure of how much protein is digested and incorporated into the body. Proteins with low biological value are not fully utilized by the body. The speed at which protein is absorbed is crucial to building muscle.
Creatine
Creatine is a naturally occuring amino acid converted by the body to creatine phosphate or phosphocreatine and stored in muscle for fuel. During activities such as lifting weight, phosphocreatine is converted to adenosine triphosphate, also called ATP. ATP is a primary source of energy for the body and essential to muscle energy and growth. Supplements that combine creatine with carbohydrate can increase effectiveness.
Arginine Ethyl-esther
Arginine triggers the body to manufacture protein and is necessary to produce creatine and nitric oxide. Arginine ethyl-esther is an arginine derivative with an esther group of molecules attached. AEE is not found in nature and only exists in supplement form. The presence of esthers increases solubility by bonding with water molecules, so this form of arginine digests easier.
Nitric Oxide
When the amino acid arginine is broken down by the body, it produces a gas called nitric oxide. This gas causes vasodilation, a process where blood vessels relax and expand. Vasidilation increases blood flow to all the muscles in the body. This increases the transport of nutrients and oxygen. With increased oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, athletes can workout harder and longer. Nitric oxide supplements are available in powder form.
BCAAs
Valine, leucine and isoleucine are branched-chain amino acids, known as BCAAs. These three amino acids make up 35 percent of muscle and are necessary for muscle synthesis. They build and repair muscle, tissue, DNA and RNA. BCAAs are not manufactured by the body and are received through diet or supplementation. Because BCAAs are necessary for muscle synthesis, they are often marketed to bodybuilders and athletes.
Member Comments