I feel there are enough sites out there which recommend specific brands of muscle building supplements. And, as each person has their own personal favourite I feel it a little redundant to tell you mine. Instead, in this article I’m going to take you through several types of supplements which I feel most (if not all) bodybuilders can find beneficial if they include them in their lifestyle.
Protein Supplements
As a bodybuilder, you can’t ever have enough protein. (Don’t take that literally, but you know what I mean.) Problem is, it can often be a struggle to get enough protein – and quality protein at that.
Protein supplements make getting a high dose of high quality protein quick, practical, – and tasty. No meal preparations are necessary, just mix a scoop of powder or a sachet with milk or water, and drink it down. This makes them ideal for post workout meals before you hit the showers. Not to mention great to take to work with you when cracking open a tin of tuna or a Tupperware box is not an option.
Creatine Supplements
Most that’re serious about bodybuilding take creatine and swear by it. Creatine is not only the darling of those who train with weights, but any athlete looking to train and boost their performance to the maximum.
Creatine works by increasing the supply and stores of energy into the muscles, thereby allowing a person to train harder and longer, and recover faster.
Usually, creatine is taken in cycles (a few months on, a few months off) and is often taken in phases by which the trainee ‘loads up’ with creatine in the beginning by taking a slightly higher dose than would normally be taken and then cuts the dosage down and maintains. Some don’t bother with this, however.
Glutamine Supplements
Glutamine is an amino acid, and is the primary fuel source for our immune systems. Why is this important in bodybuilding, you might ask? Well, as you train hard over a period of time, your immune system becomes compromised. What eventually can happen is, your immune system begins taking glutamine out of the muscles to refuel.
This is not good because glutamine is needed to synthesize protein to build muscle, so less glutamine, less protein synthesis – and less muscle.
If you find yourself becoming susceptible to illness or struggling to put muscle on, you may be able to benefit from supplementing with glutamine.