Walk into any gym or fitness supply store and you'll likely see rows upon rows of supplements designed to address nearly any fitness goal, from fat loss to muscle gain. While many supplements are legal, they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, so they might not be effective or safe. By educating yourself on some of the most popular bodybuilding supplements, you'll be able to make a safe and informed decision about which, if any, supplements are right for you.
Protein
The American Council on Exercise, or ACE, suggests that average adults should eat 0.4 to 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily. Athletes, such as bodybuilders, require 0.6 to 0.8 g per pound of body weight. Eating adequate protein helps your body preserve muscle mass and promote new muscle growth. While protein supplementation in the form of shakes and bars is popular and convenient, your body cannot store excess protein and instead stores it as fat. Taking too much protein in the form of supplements can lead to dehydration and an increased risk of osteoporosis from the loss of urinary calcium.
Amino Acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and bodybuilders take a variety of amino acid supplements, including glutamine, creatine and branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs. Glutamine is an amino acid usually taken as a recovery aid or to prevent muscle breakdown during a workout. While decreased glutamine levels is a characteristic of overtraining syndrome, studies on the effects of glutamine for bodybuilders have been inconclusive. Creatine, naturally found in meats and fish, might help increase strength and athletic performance during short bouts of high-intensity exercise, such as weightlifting. BCAAs are sold to reduce fatigue and increase endurance, and while neither supplement shows any serious side effects, neither has been proven effective.
Fat Burners
Weight loss pills containing fat burners are popular with bodybuilders looking to reduce body fat to improve muscle definition. Some ingredients, such as chitosan, supposedly block fat absorption in the body, while others, such as ephedra, hoodia and green tea extract, might decrease your appetite. Ingredients such as the mineral chromium and bitter orange are often included for their thermogenic, or metabolism-boosting, potential. The effectiveness of most of these ingredients can't be supported by scientific evidence, and many might be hazardous to your health, warns MayoClinic.com.
Caffeine
The popularity of caffeine as a supplement extends beyond the world of bodybuilding. According to ACE, caffeine, found naturally in tea and coffee, might enhance your athletic performance while staving off exhaustion and reducing mental fatigue. While a 400 to 600 mg dose is generally safe and effective, caffeine toxicity from taking too many supplements can pose a serious health risk, warns ACE.
References
- American Council on Exercise: Will Eating More Protein Help Me Get Stronger?
- American Council on Exercise: Are There Health Risks Concerning Eating Too Much Protein?
- American Council on Exercise: Supplement Specifics
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Creatine
- MayoClinic.com: Over-the-Counter Weight-Loss Pills -- Do They Work?
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