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Weightlifting Supplements That Work

May 12, 2011 | By Gis Gibbs
Weightlifting Supplements That Work
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The key to getting the most out of any supplementation program lies in remembering that additions to your diet remain supplemental. Without a proper nutritional program, nothing coming out of a bottle will do you any good at all. Only a few supplements have demonstrated consistent improvements in performance, and they must complement your training and nutrition. Consult your health care practitioner before beginning any diet or supplementation program.

Protein

Protein intake is critical for weightlifters. Your training causes you to continually break down protein and burn amino acids. The only way to compensate for this loss is by increasing your protein intake. While whole foods are preferable, given the demands of training and a busy schedule, eating multiple protein-rich meals often becomes difficult. Protein supplements can be very useful in this regard, as they provide additional protein in a convenient form -- mix and drink. Protein supplements before or after a workout help prevent muscle loss and increase your ability to build muscle. If you combine a simple sugar such as glucose or dextrose with your post-workout protein supplement, you can improve your ability to recover from training.

Creatine

Creatine is a substance that your body produces naturally in small quantities, and is found in red meat. Creatine is essential in providing energy for your muscles to contract, and provides energy for high-intensity exercise. As you train, your energy depletes, and creatine can give you the ability to generate an additional repetition or two, which may lead to additional muscle gain. Creatine monohydrate is the type of creatine you should consume. Other forms, such as creatine ethyl ester, have not shown the same results despite an often greater price.

Fish Oil

Fish oil provides you with essential fatty acids, most notably omega-3 fatty acid. This fatty acid helps promote hormone production, and is an important part of testosterone production. Testosterone is the hormone that helps you build muscle, and if your testosterone levels are low, your ability to produce testosterone is diminished. It is for this reason that omega-3 fatty acids promote and increase in muscle protein synthesis, or your ability to recover from training and build muscle. This is particularly true when combined with whey protein and creatine.

Branched-Chain Amino Acids

Branched-chain amino acids are the most prevalent amino acids in your muscles. While you get these three amino acids, leucine, isoleucine and valine, in all protein-rich foods, a little extra never hurt. Because it is difficult to calculate the intake of each amino acid in your diet over the course of the day, supplementation with BCAAs can be a simple and effective method of ensuring your levels are up to par. Supplementation with BCAAs has been shown to improve recovery from resistance training.

References

Article reviewed by Greg Duran Last updated on: May 12, 2011

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